Kathy Rinaldi's latest chapter: a promising tennis academy, coaching Caty McNally & life after USTA

TORONTO -- Kathy Rinaldi received an offer she just couldn't pass up. 

For the last 18 years, Rinaldi had worked for the United States Tennis Association most recently as Head of Women's Tennis, and she had served as the country's Billie Jean King Cup captain from 2017-23. But in early May, the WTA Legend felt ready to begin her next chapter.

Starting this fall, Rinaldi is launching a high-performance tennis academy in coordination with The Greene School, a leading private school in West Palm Beach, Florida. It was also an opportunity to head back home.

"I've had offers come before, but this one came through, and it was just something that I've always wanted to do," Rinaldi said to wtatennis.com in Toronto. "I'm like, 'you know what? No time like the present.' It was just an incredible opportunity that I couldn't refuse.

"Obviously I'm very grateful for my time at the USTA, but this brings me back down to South Florida where my roots are, and it just felt right in the right time."

The Greene School Tennis Academy will launch in September and offer a wide-range of programming for the students in addition to the entire community. The goal is to welcome players off all ages and unite the tennis community in South Florida.

"We'll hopefully bring the community together and share the passion of tennis with the community, with the parents, and with the outside community as well besides just the school," Rinaldi said. "We'll have after school programs. We'll have the red, green, yellow-dot programming, high-performance programming, programming for adults, and we'll also welcome the pros to train there."

Primarily, the academy will focus on developing younger players, and as they grow, to prepare them for possible collegiate or professional tennis opportunities. Students who also do online education will be welcomed for the high-performance tennis aspect.

Rinaldi's motivation for the academy comes as a result of how much tennis has given her, and she wants to continue to give back to one of her biggest passions. 

"I'm hoping that I can bring my passion for sport, not only to help kids and people of all ages be better tennis players but also, we can bring college scholarships to some of these kids and also be a source. I always say a good coach can change a game, but a great coach can change a life. Ultimately, that's how I feel, and that's what I want to do, and hopefully I'm able to bring some of that through tennis. Tennis has given me so much, and I've been so blessed to be surrounded by incredible people.

A move into private coaching

As the academy is set to launch in the next month, Rinaldi has been traveling on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz as the primary coach for World No. 70 Caty McNally. 

It's the perfect pairing for McNally, who was traveling throughout the clay season with just her physio, and connected with Rinaldi, who has known McNally since she was 11 years old. McNally had been coached by her mother, Lynn Nabors McNally, up until the Miami Open and Rinaldi came on board after the clay season. 

"I've known her for a long time," Rinaldi said. "We trust each other, and I know Caty's game. Hopefully I can bring that to the table, and pick up where her mom -- who has done an incredible job -- left off. I think she trusts me with that, and I love her game. She's got a lot of variety to her game, which I love.

"It's fun for me because I was a little bit of the opposite player. I was more of an aggressive base-liner, but I used to play a lot of players like her, so it gives me a lot of insight to her game. I think just knowing her, knowing her game, I was her Billie Jean King Cup captain. I took her on a lot of trips as a youngster. We've always had a good bond, as I have with so many other players. It's a real honor to try to step into this role and help her."

McNally has posted some strong results this season, including a Round of 16 finish in Madrid, highlighted by an upset of then-No. 10 Victoria Mboko. During the hard court season with Rinaldi, McNally advanced to the quarterfinals in Memphis and the third round in Toronto. In Ontario, she upset Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova and was narrowly defeated by Alexandra Eala in a three-set thriller. 

For McNally, the coaching change to Rinaldi was seamless. The familiarity between each other eased any nervousness that a coaching change may bring, and most importantly there was an alignment on values and vision for McNally's game.

"The biggest thing is the person they are and their values. For me, that's a huge thing," McNally said to wtatennis.com. "We're on the road every week, so I want to be around someone that I trust. Someone that has good values and sees my game in the same way that I do in the way that I want it to go forward. A big thing is Kathy's always seen my game. She's never tried to take away any of the qualities that I have, just trying to bring them out at the right times and she's always trusted in me."

Rinaldi will travel with McNally for the remainder of the Hard-Court Swing, and for the Asian Swing, as the tennis academy gets up and running back in South Florida, McNally will be on the look out for a new coach to travel with.

'I'm honored to be a part of it'

Of Rinaldi's many endeavors, she's been a staple of the WTA's Coach Inclusion Program, which develops the next generation of female coaches worldwide through education, mentorship and learning opportunities.

Rinaldi has served as a mentor and facilitator of the program, including guiding the first-ever graduates of the Middle East cohort back in February, another testament to her willingness to give back to the tennis community. The Coach Inclusion Program is also offered in additional regions including the Americas, Asia Pacific, France and the United Kingdom. 

"I think what the WTA has done with Coaching Inclusion Program -- I've been a part of it since the beginning -- it's incredible," Rinaldi said. "I thoroughly enjoy it. I'm honored to be a part of it. I really enjoy whether it's in the classroom with the coaches, whether it's on court or whether they're shadowing us, it's been an incredible experience for me to share with them, but also for them to share with me."

While in Toronto, Rinaldi and McNally welcomed two members from the Americas cohort to complete their on-site shadowing experience. They were able to learn the strong coaching dynamic between Rinaldi and McNally as well as connect with McNally's physio. The two future coaches had felt as if they were part of McNally's permanent team.

"We all learn from one another, and there's some really great coaches coming through," Rinaldi said. "I think it's a wonderful program, and it's been an honor. I hope to continue to be a part of it one way or another. I had two coaches following me this past week with Caty, and I think she even enjoyed having them. We had a lot of fun with them."

Whether she is touring alongside McNally, inspiring women coaches from around the world through the WTA Coach Inclusion Program or building communities where tennis is the driving platform, the tenacious blonde teenager who once took on the world on court continues to make her mark on the sport. From player to coach, mentor and community builder, Rinaldi's enduring passion for tennis continues to inspire others and shape a legacy that reaches far beyond the court.