Kathy Rinaldi On US Tennis, Player Development And How To Build A Solid Foundation For Your Game

USA Fed Cup Captain and USTA Head of Women's Tennis Kathy Rinaldi sat down with me in Melbourne during the Australian Open to talk about a number of different topics, including her meteoric rise as a teenager on the pro circuit, her role at the USTA, goals for American tennis, coaching philosophy and more! We discuss the crucial elements of building a strong foundation for young players and what it takes to navigate through the different stages of development all the way to the pro tour.

Kathy burst onto the WTA tour as a 14 year old, reaching the quarterfinals of the first Gran Slam event she ever played at Roland Garros. Later that summer she became the youngest player ever (at the time) to win a match at Wimbledon. As a pro she reached a career high ranking of #7 in the world in singles and #13 in doubles.

Following her playing career she joined the USTA as a high performance coach working with all levels of players, from young juniors all the way to the best in the world. Late last year she became the Head of Women's Tennis for the USTA, complementing her role as the USA Fed Cup captain - a job she takes great pride in. In just two seasons as captain she's led the USA to two Fed Cup finals and the 2017 title, their first since 2000.

Above all else Kathy truly cares about the players she works with and is so passionate about helping people and making a positive impact on their lives. This really shines through when we talked about her coaching philosophy and career and is something that I, along with many others, truly admire and appreciate about her. It was a real honor and privilege to have this chat with Kathy and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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