Australia, U.S. Billie Jean King Cup teams pay tribute to outgoing captains Molik, Rinaldi

It's not goodbye; it's see you later. The Australian and U.S. Billie Jean King Cup teams paid tribute to outgoing captains Alicia Molik and Kathy Rinaldi this week at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville, Spain as they led their final ties in the competition.

Both captains' teams failed to advance out of round-robin play in Seville, with the Aussies and Americans coming in second place to Slovenia and the Czech Republic, respectively. Heartfelt messages from their players followed, both in the press room and on social media.

"You have created the best team, this team feels like a family to me," Daria Saville wrote on Instagram in tribute to Molik. "No matter the result, we always have the best time, so thank you for this ... I can’t even imagine our next tie without you. You will forever be a mother of this family."

"Long live the queen!" wrote Ellen Perez in the comments, while Ajla Tomljanovic chimed in with, "the best."

Meanwhile, there wasn't a dry eye in the room from the U.S. side after the American fell just short of advancing to the semifinals in a winner-take-all match against the Czechs in Group A.

Danielle Collins, who, like the vast majority of American women on tour, has known Rinaldi since her early days as a result of Rinaldi's 10-plus years involved with USTA Player Development, spoke from the heart in the team's post-match press conference.

"I have to say I think what's most memorable about being on Kathy's teams and having gotten to know Kathy so well over the years, not just as a coach but as a person is everybody that's played for Kathy feels the same way about Kathy," she said.

"Kathy is not just a coach. Kathy has been a true friend to all of us. She's been a role model to all of us Americans, men and women, the memories that we have created over the years, the stories.

"... There's never a dull moment with Kathy. The way Kathy looks out for all of us as people, you know, life is not always easy, you know, as athletes or as people in general. We go through ups and downs, and Kathy has been one of the consistent themes and consistent people in our lives."

Molik's tenure at the helm of the Aussie leam is ending after 10 years, while Rinaldi took the reins of the U.S. squad ahead of the 2017 season, when she led the team to its record-extending 18th Billie Jean King Cup title.

Rinaldi will be replaced as U.S. captain by three-time Grand Slam singles champion Lindsay Davenport next year, but she will continue in her role as head of women's tennis for the USTA.