Despite Serena Williams’s domination of the women’s tennis tour, and with 16 players in the top 100, the United States has a 16-year title drought in the Fed Cup, an international team competition it once dominated.
The European countries that have been perennial contenders in recent years are led by Fed Cup coaches who embed as omnipresent beings in their stars’ orbits throughout the season.
To best replicate that model, Kathy Rinaldi, who has worked as a coach within the United States Tennis Association’s player development program for years, was named the captain of the American team last week, succeeding Mary Joe Fernandez.