Coco Gauff has been named a player-owner for the Florida franchise competing in the upcoming World Team Tennis season. The two-time Grand Slam singles champion is set to participate in home matches at the Florida Flamingos Racquet Club on December 14 and 15, which will take place at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, home of the NHL's Florida Panthers.
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Gauff, who grew up in Delray Beach, Florida, expressed her excitement about playing in front of her 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,” she stated.
The Flamingos franchise was originally established in 1974 as part of World Team Tennis, which was co-founded by Hall of Famer Billie Jean King to promote a mixed-gender team format. This season, the league will feature teams from New York and Toronto as well. U.S. Open semifinalists Frances Tiafoe and Jessica Pegula are set to play for the New York Empire Racquet Club, while the Toronto North Racquet Club includes Canadian athletes Denis Shapovalov, Leylah Fernandez, Victoria Mboko, and Gabriel Diallo.
Gauff’s teammates on the Florida team include Tommy Paul, Learner Tien, Iva Jovic, Brandon Nakashima, and Eva Lys. The league will introduce a new match format consisting of four singles sets (one men's and one women's for each of the two rankings), plus a mixed doubles super tiebreaker, with each team starting with two men and two women.