Today’s episode features the COO of World Team Tennis, Allen Hardison. We talk about last season’s success in the middle of the pandemic, what to expect from the upcoming season, and their stacked rosters this year featuring…
Kim Clijsters, Jack Sock, John Isner, Steve Johnson, Austin Krajicek, Desirae Krawczyk, Taylor Fritz, Coco Vandeweghe, Cati McNally, Nick Monroe, Sloane Stephens, Francis Tiafoe, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and more.
World Team Tennis was probably my favorite tennis event of 2020. After watching it on TV, I promised myself that I’d go in 2021 if they had a similar 2-week season format. I fly to Palm Springs in a few weeks 🙂
If you’re a doubles fan, this is one of the only doubles-heavy professional events you can watch. The season is November 13-28 and will be on NBC Sports, For the Fans, and Tennis Channel.
Show Notes from this Podcast
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- The World Team Tennis Website
- Tickets | TV Schedule
- The 2021 event will be November 13-28 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden
- My 2020 article: 5 Things I Love About World Team Tennis
- The format is 5 total sets (a set is first to 5 games with a tiebreaker at 4-4)
- One set each of men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, & mixed doubles
- The team with the most games at the end of the 5 sets wins
- Note: There are a few other rules different from normal scoring. Read more here.
- Billie Jean King‘s husband founded WTT, and she was an early player, commissioner, & owner of the league.
- Allen worked for the LA Angels before getting a job in WTT with the Orange County Breakers.
- His wife, Eva Hrdinova, played professional tennis reaching #168 in singles & #55 in doubles.
- Allen’s favorites
- Tennis Book: Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes by Billie Jean King
- Non-Tennis Book: Think Again by Adam Grant
- Tournament: Indian Wells Masters