Tennis has always celebrated solo achievement, one player battling alone under bright lights. That tradition is shifting fast, as stars trade solo spotlights for ownership stakes, boardroom seats, and real long-term equity in leagues.
Coco Gauff now stands at the center of that shift. Her latest move blends athletic ambition with entrepreneurial reach, following years spent building a personal brand that stretches well beyond championship trophies and prize money.
Gauff joins Florida as player-owner
World Team Tennis confirmed that Coco Gauff has joined the Florida Flamingos Racquet Club as player and owner. She suits up for home matches on December 14 and 15 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.
The venue usually hosts the NHL’s Florida Panthers, giving tennis a rare spotlight inside a major hockey arena. Gauff called the opportunity exciting, noting she rarely competes as part of a team during her season.
This marks a shift for Gauff, who built her career mostly through singles competition. Owning a stake in her own franchise adds a business layer, blending performance with long-term financial involvement in the league.
What World Team Tennis actually is
World Team Tennis began in 1974 as a mixed-gender team league. Billie Jean King helped shape the concept, which gave men and women a shared team format instead of a singles-only spotlight.
The original league launched with 16 teams and folded after the 1978 season, after 5 seasons of play. Financial pressure and an unstable early business model made the first version difficult to sustain.
This December marks WTT’s 47th season overall. Organizers describe the relaunch as a modern version built for today’s sports audience, with a new match format, player equity, and updated broadcast technology.
Inside the Florida Flamingos roster
Gauff joins a strong Florida roster that includes Tommy Paul, Learner Tien, Brandon Nakashima, Iva Jovic and Eva Lys. Together, the group mixes established names with rising talent across the men’s and women’s tours.
Florida’s home matches are scheduled against Toronto North on Dec. 14 and the New York Empire on Dec. 15. Those matchups could bring Gauff into the same team-tennis window as major names from other WTT rosters.
Other confirmed players across the league include Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Leylah Fernandez, Denis Shapovalov, Victoria Mboko, and Jessica Pegula. The rosters blend American stars with international talent, giving each city-based club its own draw.
A league built around player equity
World Team Tennis is positioning its new ownership model as a first in tennis by offering competing players equity in the league. Players do not just compete; they are also tied to the league’s long-term growth.
Intrepid Sports Group bought WTT’s intellectual property in 2024, and the league is returning under new ownership and management. Billie Jean King remains connected to the relaunch through the legacy of the league she helped build.
Giving star athletes ownership ties their personal success more directly to league growth. It also reflects a broader sports-business trend in which athlete star power can translate into equity, not only appearance fees or endorsements.
The new match format explained
Matches will feature 4 singles sets, split evenly between 2 men’s and 2 women’s sets. A mixed doubles Supertiebreaker follows, keeping men and women involved in every match outcome.
The format keeps gender balance central to WTT’s presentation. That structure echoes the league’s founding philosophy from 1974, when WTT helped bring men and women together in a shared professional team format.
The season will unfold in December, outside the traditional tennis calendar. WTT has announced 6 live matches across New York, Toronto and South Florida, with coverage planned on CNBC and Fandango.
Why South Florida matters to Gauff
Gauff grew up in Delray Beach, Florida, and learned the sport on the public courts at Pompey Park. Playing a home match in South Florida gives this WTT role a personal connection beyond a typical tour stop.
She has stayed connected to her hometown through community work, including refurbishing the Pompey Park tennis courts through the USTA’s US Open Legacy Initiative. That history makes her role with the Flamingos feel closely tied to her roots.
Gauff said she looks forward to competing in front of family and friends in South Florida. For a player who travels constantly, a scheduled home match offers a rare chance to share the moment locally.
Gauff’s standing in women’s tennis
According to official WTA stats, Gauff currently sits at world No. 4 in singles with a 2026 season record of 45 wins and 14 losses, a win rate near 76% so far.
Forbes named Gauff the world’s highest-paid female athlete for a second straight year, with an estimated $33 million in 2025 earnings. Forbes also reported that no woman had made its overall top 50 highest-paid athletes list since 2023.
Forbes published figures listing Gauff’s 2025 earnings as $8 million on-court and $25 million off-court. That means about 76% of that year’s total came from sponsorships, appearances, exhibitions, and other business activities.
Little-known fact: In January 2025, Gauff joined the investor group behind Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league. She joked that her father always wanted her to follow him into basketball, and investing was “as close as it will get.”
What can fans expect this December?
Fans attending Florida’s home matches will watch Gauff compete in a team format, paired with teammates instead of playing only for herself. The team dynamic could reveal new sides of players fans already think they know.
Organizers have promoted immersive technology, live entertainment, and enhanced storytelling throughout the relaunch. A new partnership with Hawk-Eye Innovations will bring real-time augmented reality ball tracking and advanced data visualization to broadcasts.
Whether the format lasts will depend on fan turnout, player buy-in, and the league’s ability to sustain momentum after its first relaunched season. Early rosters show WTT has attracted several recognizable tennis names for its return.
TL;DR
- Coco Gauff is now a player-owner for the Florida Flamingos in World Team Tennis.
- She is scheduled for home matches on Dec. 14 and 15 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.
- WTT began in 1974 with Billie Jean King among its key founders and early leaders.
- The league relaunches in December 2026 for its 47th season with a new format.
- Gauff’s Florida roster includes Tommy Paul, Learner Tien, Iva Jovic, Brandon Nakashima and Eva Lys.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
