Familiar Faces at the 1986 Wightman Cup

Fiend at Court Unplugged

The 1986 Wightman Cup left the world with some iconic artifacts that still grace the internet. The team photo of the victorious United States team drips with “The eighties called and they want their hair back” awesomeness. Additionally the competition was held at the Royal Albert Hall. Fitting for the venue, the Opening Ceremony featured trumpet fanfares and live vocal music from the choir loft.

The photo of the victorious United States team features two faces which have come up previously in this blog. I couldn’t have picked the rest of the team out of a lineup. Even armed with the names I couldn’t have told you anything about the others in the picture. In my own defense, the Tennis Channel was still 15 years away from its first broadcast.

Take a moment to see who you recognize from the photo before scrolling down.

The player on the far right is Kathy Rinaldi, who is the current captain of the United States Billie Jean King Cup. She was mentioned in “When On-Court Coaching is Allowed in Tennis.” International team competitions is one situation where on-court coaching is permitted. The player on the far right is Anne White, who was featured in “The Very White Anne White.”

From left to right, the players are Rinaldi, Bonnie Gadusek, Stephanie Rehe, Elise Burgin, and White. The coach Marty Riessen is on the far right.

Chris Evert Lloyd was supposed to be the captain of the team, but she withdrew from competition with an ankle injury. At the time she was the world’s second-ranked tennis player and winner of more Wightman Cup matches than any American player in history. Stephanie Rehe, who was currently ranked 13th in the world (!) was named to the roster to replace Lloyd. Elise Burgin was appointed by the USTA as the new captain of the team.

The pomp and circumstance of the opening ceremony includes an overview of Wightman Cup history. The format of the competition was also explained. The Wightman Cup was contested as the best of of 7 lines, 5 singles and 2 doubles, across three days. The United States went on to sweep all 7 matches that year.

1. Lloyd Out of Wightman, The New York Times, October 15, 1986.
2. Sports People; Comings and Goings, The New York Times, October 26, 1986.
3. The United States clinched the Wightman Cup, UPI Archives, October 31, 1986.