The relaunched World Team Tennis league added some star power on Thursday.
The league announced the addition of two-time Grand Slam winner Coco Gauff as the player/owner of the Florida Flamingos Racquet Club franchise. She was raised in Delray Beach, Fla.
“Growing the sport through team competition and making it more accessible are two things I love, and WTT does both,” Gauff, 22, said. “I’m looking forward to playing at home in front of my family and friends in South Florida. It’s not often, as a tennis player, that we get to compete as part of a team, so I’m excited for the new experience, not only for myself but, even more importantly, for the fans.”
World Team Tennis was developed in 1973 with Billie Jean King as a co-founder. It was an idea before its time, with a focus, in part, on gender equality. Toward that end, men and women played on the same team and received the same compensation.
The league has come and gone throughout the years, and this is its 47th edition.
Joining Gauff on the Flamingos are Tommy Paul, Learner Tien and Iva Jovic.
The other two teams in the league are the Toronto North, with Gabriel Diallo, Victoria Mboko, Denis Shapovalov and Leylah Fernandez.
The New York Empire has Jessica Pegula, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Camila Osorio in its roster.
Overall, the league has scheduled six matches in December, two in each city. This is the only month on the calendar.
–Field Level Media
