World TeamTennis
Encyclopedia
World TeamTennis is a coed professional tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

 league played with a unique team format in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Each match consists of five sets. Each set features a different configuration (men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles). Coaches, before the match, decide the order in which the sets will be played. Each player on a team usually plays in at least one of the five sets.

The league's season normally takes place in the summer months. Players from the ATP
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...

 and WTA
Women's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...

 take a break from their tour schedules to partake in World TeamTennis.

First league

The World Team Tennis (WTT) Professional Tennis league was founded in 1973 by four people: Larry King
Larry King (tennis)
Lawrence King is an attorney, one of the founders of World Team Tennis, and the former husband of tennis star Billie Jean King. He met Billie Jean Moffitt at Cal State Los Angeles, where he played on one of their best Mens Tennis Teams, coached by Scotty Deeds...

 (Owner of San Francisco Golden Gaters), Dennis Murphy (founder of the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...

), Fred Barman, and Jordan Kaiser. The league began play in May 1974 with George MacCall as Commissioner of the 16 teams: Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Florida, Hawaii, Houston, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco.

The original league format included a four colored tennis court, a 44 contest season, and teams of at least two men and two women. A match consisted of the first player or team to win five games, with a nine point tiebreaker at four all, and no-ad scoring in: women’s singles and doubles, men’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles. This made WTT the first professional sports league to give equal weight to each man and woman competing for their teams.

It was the first professional sports experience for Jerry Buss
Jerry Buss
Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss Ph.D., M.S. is an American businessman, real estate investor, and a former chemist. He is the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team along with other professional sports franchises in Southern California...

 (eventual owner of NBA's Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

), and for Bob Kraft (eventual owner of the NFL's New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

 and the MLS's New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...

).

Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...

 wrote the theme song Philadelphia Freedom
Philadelphia Freedom (song)
"Philadelphia Freedom" is a song released by Elton John as a single in 1975. The song was one of John's numerous number-one U.S. hit singles during the early and mid-1970s, which saw his recordings dominating the charts. In Canada, it was his eighth single to hit the top of the RPM national...

 for his favorite team.

The first league ended play in 1978.

Second league

The league resumed play in 1981 as TeamTennis and fluctuated between four and twelve teams. In 1992, the name was changed back to World Team Tennis (WTT). In 2005, twelve teams competed.

Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...

 became Commissioner and major owner of the league in 1984 following her retirement from tournament tennis competition. She retired as Commissioner in February 2001, and Ilana Kloss
Ilana Kloss
Ilana Sheryl Kloss is a former professional tennis player and the commissioner of World Team Tennis.-Tennis career:Kloss was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Before turning professional, in 1972 she won the Wimbledon juniors singles title. In 1974 she won U.S...

 became the new WTT commissioner, a position she currently holds.

Many top tennis players have participated in the league over the years, including: Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...

, Rod Laver
Rod Laver
Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970...

, Björn Borg
Björn Borg
Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...

, Chris Evert
Chris Evert
Christine Marie "Chris" Evert is a former world number 1 professional tennis player from the United States. She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. She was the year-ending World No...

, John McEnroe
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...

, Evonne Goolagong
Evonne Goolagong
Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley, AO, MBE is a former World No. 1 Australian female tennis player. She was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s, when she won 14 Grand Slam titles: seven in singles , six in women's doubles, and one in mixed doubles.-Early life:Goolagong is the...

, Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....

, Martina Navratilova, Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...

, Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....

, Michael Chang
Michael Chang
Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17....

, Venus Williams
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...

, Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked her world no. 1 in singles on five separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002 and regained this ranking for the fifth time on...

, Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ,. is a Russian professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. A US resident since 1994, Sharapova has won 24 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open...

, Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...

, and Kim Clijsters
Kim Clijsters
Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian professional tennis player. As of 7 November 2011, Clijsters is ranked No. 13 in singles. Clijsters is a former World No. 1 in both singles and doubles....

.

1974-1978

  • Anaheim Oranges (1978)
  • Baltimore Banners (1974)
  • Boston Lobsters
    Boston Lobsters
    The Boston Lobsters are New England's World TeamTennis pro league tennis team based in Middleton, Massachusetts.The Boston Lobsters pro tennis team originally joined the WTT league in 1974 and competed until 1978...

     (1974)
  • Buffalo-Toronto Royals (1974)
  • Chicago Aces (1974)
  • Cleveland Nets (1974–1977) / New Orleans Nets (1978)
  • Denver Racquets (1974) / Phoenix Racquets (1975–1978)
  • Detroit Loves (1974) / Indiana Loves (1975–1978)
  • Florida Flamingos (1974)
  • Hawaii Leis (1974–1976) / Sea-Port Cascades (1977) / Seattle Cascades (1977)
  • Houston E-Z Riders (1974)
  • Los Angeles Strings (1974–1978)
  • Minnesota Buckskins (1974)
  • New York Sets (1974–1976) / New York Apples (1977–1978)
  • Philadelphia Freedoms (1974) / Boston Lobsters (1975–1978)
  • Pittsburgh Triangles
    Pittsburgh Triangles
    The Pittsburgh Triangles were a World TeamTennis team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.The team originally joined the league in 1974 and competed until 1976 when the franchise folded...

     (1974–1976)
  • San Diego Friars (1975–1978)
  • San Francisco Golden Gaters (1974–1978)
  • Soviet National Team (Pennsylvania Keystones) (1977), often simply called "The Soviets"

1981-1991

League play resumed in 1981 as TeamTennis with four California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 teams, expanding to eight teams in 1982. In 1985, a recreational league for non-professionals was added which was co-branded with the professional league.

1992-1999

In 1992, the current name World TeamTennis was restored.
  • Minnesota Penguins, 1993
  • Idaho Sneakers
    Idaho Sneakers
    The Idaho Sneakers were a professional tennis team in the city of Boise. They entered the World TeamTennis League in 1994, and the franchise moved to St. Louis, Missouri as the St. Louis Aces after the 2000 season...

    , 1994–1997
  • New Jersey Stars, 1993-1995

- 1994 Stars roster featured Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova

2000-present

In 2000, the current logo was adopted.

In 2005 & 2006 the league consisted of 12 teams and in 2007 the Hartford FoxForce ceased operations.

Prior to the 2008 season, the Houston Wranglers ceased operations and the Washington Kastles joined the league.

In the 2009 season, 10 teams competed: Boston, NY Buzz, NY Sportime, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Kansas City, Newport Beach, Sacramento, Springfield, and St. Louis.

Sacramento has won the year end Championship six times.

Before the start of the 2011 season, the New York Buzz
New York Buzz
The New York Buzz was a professional tennis team competing in World Team Tennis. The team was based in Albany, New York, and played home matches at SUNY Albany's SEFCU Arena, previously playing at the Washington Avenue Armory. Earlier, the team played at Schenectady's Central Park. They competed in...

 and the New York Sportimes
New York Sportimes
The New York Sportimes is one of nine teams currently competing in World TeamTennis . Since 2010, the team has been based at Sportime Randall's Island, New York, and plays its home matches at Sportime Stadium...

 merged into one New York team, the NY Sportimes.

Teams

Eastern Conference
Team City Stadium
Boston Lobsters
Boston Lobsters
The Boston Lobsters are New England's World TeamTennis pro league tennis team based in Middleton, Massachusetts.The Boston Lobsters pro tennis team originally joined the WTT league in 1974 and competed until 1978...

Middleton
Middleton, Massachusetts
Middleton is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census.- History :Middleton was first settled in 1659 and was officially incorporated in 1728. Prior to 1728 it was considered a part of Salem, and contains territory previously within the...

, MA
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

Joan Norton Stadium at the Ferncroft Country Club
New York Sportimes
New York Sportimes
The New York Sportimes is one of nine teams currently competing in World TeamTennis . Since 2010, the team has been based at Sportime Randall's Island, New York, and plays its home matches at Sportime Stadium...

New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, NY
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

Sportime Stadium
Philadelphia Freedoms Villanova
Villanova, Pennsylvania
Villanova is a community in the United States Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It straddles Lower Merion Township of Montgomery County and Radnor Township of Delaware County. It is located at the center of the Pennsylvania Main Line, a series of highly affluent Philadelphia suburban towns located...

, PA
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

The Pavilion
The Pavilion
The Pavilion is a 6,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States, about 20 miles outside of Philadelphia. It was built in 1985, and is home to the Villanova University Wildcats basketball teams. It is recognizable from the outside for its hyperbolic paraboloid roofline,...

Washington Kastles
Washington Kastles
The Washington Kastles, a professional tennis team based in Washington, D.C., are a franchise of the World TeamTennis Pro League and the 2009 WTT Champions. The Kastles entered the World TeamTennis League in 2008 and are owned by Mark Ein. The team is named for Kastle Systems, a security company...

Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

Kastles Stadium at The Wharf
Kastles Stadium at The Wharf
The Kastles Stadium at The Wharf is a tennis stadium on the Southwest Waterfront in Washington, D.C. Built in 2011, the stadium is the home venue for the Washington Kastles tennis team. The stadium was opened on June 14, 2011, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Billie Jean King, Ilana...

Western Conference
Kansas City Explorers
Kansas City Explorers
The Kansas City Explorers is a World TeamTennis team that play at the Barney Allis Plaza in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA. The team also played in Kemper Arena from 1993 until 2001.-Championships:...

Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

, MO
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

Barney Allis Plaza
Barney Allis Plaza
The Barney Allis Plaza was formerly a park located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri at the intersection of 12th Street and Wyandotte. As of April 11, 2006, it is now the home of the Kansas City Explorers, Kansas City's World TeamTennis. The Explorers occupy their namesake tennis court, Explorers...

Newport Beach Breakers
Newport Beach Breakers
The Newport Beach Breakers are a World TeamTennis franchise operated by the Hoag Hospital Foundation. They play in Breakers Stadium at the Newport Beach Country Club. The Breakers won the World TeamTennis championship in 2004....

Newport Beach
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...

, CA
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

Breakers Stadium at Newport Beach Country Club
Sacramento Capitals
Sacramento Capitals
The Sacramento Capitals are a team in World Team Tennis.The Capitals have won six championships, including four straight from 1997 to 2000. The other titles came in 2002 and 2007....

Citrus Heights
Citrus Heights, California
Citrus Heights is a city in Sacramento County, California, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 83,301, down from 85,071 at the 2000 census....

, CA
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

Capitals Stadium at Sunrise Mall
Springfield Lasers
Springfield Lasers
The Springfield Lasers are a World TeamTennis franchise. The franchise was purchased and donated to the city of Springfield, Missouri by the Cooper family in 1996. They play their home matches at Mediacom Stadium in the Cooper Tennis Complex.-History:...

Springfield
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...

, MO
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

Cooper Tennis Complex
St. Louis Aces
St. Louis Aces
The St. Louis Aces are a professional tennis team in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. They entered the World TeamTennis League in 1994, and won their only WTT Championship title two years later. The Aces play their home matches at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park...

St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

, MO
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

Dwight Davis Tennis Center

Past Champions

  • 1974 Denver Racquets 55, Philadelphia Freedoms 45
  • 1975 Pittsburgh Triangles
    Pittsburgh Triangles
    The Pittsburgh Triangles were a World TeamTennis team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.The team originally joined the league in 1974 and competed until 1976 when the franchise folded...

     74, San Francisco Golden Gaters 65
  • 1976 New York Sets 91, San Francisco Golden Gaters 57
  • 1977 New York Apples 55, Phoenix Racquets 39
  • 1978 Los Angeles Strings 108, Boston Lobsters 93
  • 1979-1980 Play suspended
  • 1981 Los Angeles Strings (regular season champion, no playoffs)
  • 1982 Dallas Stars 27, Phoenix Sunsets 22
  • 1983 Chicago Fyre (regular season champion, no playoffs)
  • 1984 San Diego Buds 30, Long Beach Breakers 13
  • 1985 San Diego Buds 25, St. Louis Slims 24
  • 1986 San Antonio Racquets 25, Sacramento Capitols 23
  • 1987 Charlotte Heat 25, San Antonio Racquets 20
  • 1988 Charlotte Heat 27, New Jersey Stars 22
  • 1989 San Antonio Racquets 27, Sacramento Capitols 25
  • 1990 Los Angeles Strings 27, Raleigh Edge 16
  • 1991 Atlanta Thunder 27, Los Angeles Strings 16
  • 1992 Atlanta Thunder 30, Newport Beach Dukes 17
  • 1993 Wichita Advantage 26, Newport Beach Dukes 23
  • 1994 New Jersey Stars 28, Idaho Sneakers
    Idaho Sneakers
    The Idaho Sneakers were a professional tennis team in the city of Boise. They entered the World TeamTennis League in 1994, and the franchise moved to St. Louis, Missouri as the St. Louis Aces after the 2000 season...

     25
  • 1995 New Jersey Stars 28, Atlanta Thunder 20
  • 1996 St. Louis Aces 27, Delaware Smash 16
  • 1997 Sacramento Capitals (regular season champion, championship match rained out)
  • 1998 Sacramento Capitals 30, New York OTBzz 13
  • 1999 Sacramento Capitals 23, Springfield Lasers 15
  • 2000 Sacramento Capitals 21, Delaware Smash 20
  • 2001 Philadelphia Freedoms 20, Springfield Lasers 18
  • 2002 Sacramento Capitals 21, New York Buzz 13
  • 2003 Delaware Smash 21, Sacramento Capitals 14
  • 2004 Newport Beach Breakers 23, Delaware Smash 17
  • 2005 New York Sportimes 21, Newport Beach Breakers 18
  • 2006 Philadelphia Freedom 21, Newport Beach Breakers 14
  • 2007 Sacramento Capitals 24, New York Buzz 20
  • 2008 New York Buzz 21, Kansas City Explorers 18
  • 2009 Washington Kastles 23, Springfield Lasers 20
  • 2010 Kansas City Explorers 21, New York Sportimes 18
  • 2011 Washington Kastles 23, St. Louis Aces 19

Sources


See also

  • U.S. intercollegiate team tennis champions

External links

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