In 2016, Rinaldi’s hard work was rewarded with a golden opportunity. She was selected to be the captain of the U.S. Fed Cup team, leading one of the premier nations in the premier international tennis tournament. In 2017, her first year, the American women brought home the trophy, and the past five seasons have been rewarding on and off the court for the players participating in it.
That goes for the captain, too.
“There’s no doubt about it I’m getting more out of this than I can give them,” she said. “That’s for sure.”
The event has since been renamed the Billie Jean King Cup in honor of one of the game’s greatest pioneers, but the team aspect is one that remains constant. Athletes in individual sports don’t get the chance to be on a team very often, and Rinaldi explains how much that opportunity is appreciated.
“I felt like you could really get to know each other on a different level,” she said in regards to both her playing and coaching runs with the U.S. team. “When they look back on their careers, I hope that they’ll say, ‘Wow that was a real special week. We had a lot of fun and we competed hard, and we worked hard.'”