New York: Lindsay Davenport sat on the edge of her seat in the coaching box at Arthur Ashe Stadium, watching her player, 15th-seeded Madison Keys, compete in the US Open.
Davenport is a former No. 1 and winner of three Grand Slam singles titles who is among a handful of female coaches in professional tennis. Keys, who beat Elina Svitolina to reach the US Open quarter-finals for the first time with a 7-6(2) 1-6 6-4 win on Monday, ensured four American women are still in contention — a first since 2002.
She is also one of three players ranked in the WTA’s top 20 with a female coach, joining French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and 20th-ranked Daria Gavrilova.
Kim Clijsters is an example of a former player offering expertise during Grand Slam tournaments: The woman Keys beat in the first round at Flushing Meadows, Elise Mertens of Belgium, trains at Clijsters’ academy. During Keys’ victory over Mertens last week, ESPN’s cameras frequently showed the reactions of Davenport and Clijsters.
“You’ve got to see it to be it,” former player Billie Jean King said. “The more coaches, the better. And the more girls that see it on TV, the better.”
Mary Joe Fernandez, a former player, US Fed Cup coach and current ESPN commentator, agreed that more exposure helps, “especially when a Lindsay or Martina [Navratilova] or [Amelie] Mauresmo, high-profile players, become coaches.”
Plenty of well-known male players have transitioned to part-time coaching — Andre Agassi is the latest, spending time working with Novak Djokovic at the French Open and Wimbledon. Navratilova has assisted various players in the past. Other American players-turned-coaches include Zina Garrison and Lori McNeil.
Conchita Martinez, who coaches women and men with the Spanish Fed Cup and Davis Cup teams, beamed from the box at Wimbledon after helping Garbine Muguruza win that title in July.
A winner of 55 career titles in 17 years on tour, the 41-year-old Davenport knows the pressure players face on and off the court and how to deal with injuries. Keys missed the first two months of the season because of left wrist surgery” she’s now returning to form as a powerful baseliner, similar to her coach.
“Lindsay has been amazing. She’s always helped me in the big moments, just because she’s been there and understands,” said Keys of the 1998 US Open winner. “So having her perspective in what she did to handle those situations has been really beneficial.
Chris Evert has an academy in Boca Raton, Florida, that has trained many young players, including Keys and American Jennifer Brady. Both advanced to the second week of the US Open.
Clijsters, who won the US Open in 2005 and 2009-10, has assisted Belgian players Mertens, Kirsten Flipkens and Yanina Wickmayer by letting them practice at her academy in Bree. They all have their own male coaches. But Clijsters is often in the stands of major events to cheer on her countrywomen.
“She’s just really supportive and a good friend,” Wickmayer said.
