Coco Gauff Headlines World Team Tennis Relaunch As Player-Owner

Coco Gauff joins an impressive list of athletes coming together to participate in the revival of World Team Tennis (WTT), including Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Fritz. The announcement was made this week, just months ahead of the professional mixed-gender league’s return this December, following a five-year hiatus.

The Revival of World Team Tennis

World Team Tennis is set for its official relaunch this year after the league suspended operations back in 2021. It was originally founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King as a mixed-gender team format for the sport, with early rosters featuring stars like Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe during its inaugural season. This upcoming season marks the league’s 47th overall, with big plans in store for its comeback.

This year’s relaunch features three teams: the Florida Flamingos, the New York Empire, and Toronto North, who will be playing a condensed schedule from December 1st through 15th. Matches will take place during the traditional tennis off-season, intentionally scheduled between the conclusion of the ATP and WTA Finals and the start of the new season.

The format has also been reworked, with each match featuring four singles sets (a men’s No. 1 and No. 2, and a women’s No. 1 and No. 2) plus a mixed doubles super tiebreaker to decide any ties. Every team will field two men and two women per match. The league is pitching itself on accessibility and star power, with tickets starting as low as $59 for Florida home matches and $69 for New York’s.

New Ownership Model

This version of WTT is differentiating itself in more ways than just the format. Its ownership model is also vastly different from most professional sports leagues, with every player joining the league receiving equity in the overall venture. However, Gauff’s specific owner title reflects equity tied directly to the Florida franchise itself, a more personal stake than the standard player equity given to everyone else in the league.

Gauff is currently ranked world No. 4 and is fresh off a semifinal run at this year’s US Open. She described the move as a means to grow the sport, saying, “Growing the sport through team competition and making it more accessible are two things I love, and WTT does both.”

Gauff’s Homecoming

Gauff spoke of her excitement for the upcoming season and the opportunity to play in her home state. “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,” she said.

Gauff grew up in Delray Beach, and the Flamingos will play their home matches at Amerant Bank Arena in nearby Sunrise, home of the NHL’s Florida Panthers. Her ownership stake continues a pattern of Gauff investing in her home community, including her 2024 partnership with the USTA to refurbish the Pompey Park tennis courts and her 2025 “Coco Delray” shoe collaboration with New Balance.

Star-Studded Rosters Across the League

Coco Gauff is far from the only recognizable name taking the court for WTT this December. Her Florida Flamingos roster also includes Tommy Paul, Learner Tien, Brandon Nakashima, Iva Jovic, and Eva Lys.

Meanwhile, the New York Empire features fellow US Open semifinalists Frances Tiafoe and Jessica Pegula, alongside Taylor Fritz, Camila Osorio, and Michael Zheng.

The Toronto North rounds out the league with an all-Canadian roster of Gabriel Diallo, Leylah Fernandez, Victoria Mboko, and Denis Shapovalov.

This year’s updated format and stacked team rosters are expected to set up some entertaining matchups. With this much star power committed across all three teams and a reworked format built for fast action, World Team Tennis’s relaunch is shaping up to be an exciting addition to the sport’s calendar.

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