Her mother, Ann, serves on the board of the U.S. Volleyball Association. Davenport's sisters, Leiann and Shannon, both played volleyball in college.
Despite her family's preference, Davenport wanted to play tennis. She took up the sport at the age of six at a local club when her mom got her started. "While she was playing I was bored, so she gave my sister and I lessons," Davenport said.
Davenport claims that the fact that her family preferred another sport was an advantage. "The main thing they do is keep tennis at a distance," she explained to Sports Illustrated. "It's been a huge help. We don't really discuss my game at all. If my mom or dad said, 'Oh, you hit your backhand wrong,' I'd get upset."
Young Star
By the age of ten Davenport was playing at the national level. She won several junior titles and soon was the number-one ranked junior player in the United States. Davenport was coached by Robert Lansdorp, who in the early 1980s had helped make American Tracy Austin the number-one player in the world. Lansdorp taught Davenport to hit devastating ground strokes.
Davenport took part in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Development Program.
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