A shock loss for the U.S. in 'World Cup of tennis' and the challenge of team competitions

Welcome back to the Monday Tennis Briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories from the past week on court.This week, clay season began in earnest with the Monte Carlo Masters, the first 1,000-level event on the surface of the year, on either tour. It also featured some surprise results in the Billie Jean King Cup, which pointed to a wider phenomenon for the event.If you’d like to follow our fantastic tennis coverage, click here.Advertisement