
Coco Gauff joins World Team Tennis
Coco Gauff joined World Team Tennis as a Florida Flamingos player and owner on September 24. The professional mixed-gender league returns in December 2026, following its 2021 season.
World Team Tennis begins its 47th season with clubs representing Florida, New York, and Toronto. Gauff is scheduled for two home appearances at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise during December.
Coco Gauff takes ownership role
Gauff’s role includes playing for the Florida Flamingos while holding an ownership stake in the franchise. The league gives participating athletes equity tied to World Team Tennis and its future.
The structure places players both inside the business and in the competition. Gauff joins a model combining appearance fees, prize money, and equity with team tennis across three city-based clubs.
Coco Gauff gets two Florida dates
Gauff is scheduled to face Victoria Mboko on December 14 at Amerant Bank Arena. She is listed with Learner Tien for the mixed-doubles SuperTiebreak against Mboko and Denis Shapovalov.
Florida returns on December 15 against the New York Empire, with Gauff projected to meet Jessica Pegula. She and Tien are also listed for mixed doubles against Pegula and Frances Tiafoe.
World Team Tennis returns after five years
World Team Tennis last completed a season in 2021 before suspending play. New ownership announced the league’s return in May 2026 with a revised competition format planned for December 2026.
The comeback marks the league’s 47th season and continues a history dating to 1974. Organizers replaced the former extended schedule with six match nights staged across three host market cities.
World Team Tennis uses three home markets
World Team Tennis will operate the Florida Flamingos, the New York Empire, and the Toronto North during the 2026 season. Each club receives two home dates and plays two road matches in December.
New York hosts December 1 and 2 at Barclays Center. Toronto plays December 5 and 6 at Coca-Cola Coliseum, while Florida finishes the schedule December 14 and 15 in Sunrise.
World Team Tennis changes match format
Each World Team Tennis match features four singles sets followed by a mixed doubles SuperTiebreaker. Two men and two women represent each club, giving both groups equal influence over the results.
The singles schedule includes two men’s sets and two women’s sets before the mixed finale. No-ad scoring means a tied game at deuce is settled by one single deciding point.
World Team Tennis sets six match nights
The 2026 World Team Tennis calendar contains six match nights between December 1 and December 15. New York hosts first, Toronto follows, and Florida stages the final two competition evenings.
Each club plays four matches, including two at home and two away. The three-team setup allows every franchise to face both opponents twice during the compact December 2026 competition schedule.
New York Empire sets December lineup
New York Empire opens with Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, Camila Osorio, and Taylor Fritz across its December 1 lineup. Pegula and Tiafoe are listed together for the mixed doubles finale.
Toronto visits Brooklyn on December 2, bringing Victoria Mboko, Denis Shapovalov, Leylah Fernandez, and Gabriel Diallo. New York counters there with Pegula, Tiafoe, Osorio, and Fritz in scheduled singles matches.
Toronto North features Canadian core
Toronto North features Victoria Mboko, Denis Shapovalov, Leylah Fernandez, and Gabriel Diallo across its projected lineups. The club hosts two scheduled home match nights at Coca-Cola Coliseum in December 2026.
Toronto faces New York on December 5 and Florida on December 6. Mboko and Shapovalov are listed together for mixed doubles on both home nights at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto.
Florida Flamingos list Gauff roster
Florida Flamingos list Coco Gauff, Tommy Paul, Learner Tien, Brandon Nakashima, Iva Jovic, and Eva Lys across the 2026 roster. The group combines established professionals with younger players this December.
Florida’s projected lineups change across the month. Nakashima and Lys are listed for the December 6 visit to Toronto, while Paul, Tien, and Jovic are listed for later home dates in Florida.
Fun fact: Elton John wrote ‘Philadelphia Freedom’ for Billie Jean King and her World Team Tennis franchise, turning a tennis team into pop-song history.
World Team Tennis lands CNBC coverage
All six World Team Tennis matches are scheduled for live coverage on CNBC during December. The league also lists free streaming through Fandango for every match on the published schedule.
Each contest sits in a prime-time television window and includes one of the three host markets. The coverage begins with Florida against New York at Barclays Center on December 1.
World Team Tennis keeps mixed format
World Team Tennis began professional play in 1974 with men and women competing together on teams. Billie Jean King was among the founders of the league’s mixed-competition model.
The 2026 version keeps that foundation while changing the match structure. Four singles sets lead into a mixed doubles SuperTiebreaker, creating a shorter format built around team scoring and competition.
Who gets the spotlight can become a story of its own. Explore the discussion surrounding Caitlin Clark left out of NCAA March Madness post featuring WNBA stars.
World Team Tennis moves into December
World Team Tennis placed its 2026 season in December, outside most ATP, WTA, and Grand Slam competitions. Six match nights run from December 1 through December 15 across three markets.
Gauff’s Florida appearances are set for December 14 and 15, the final two nights on the calendar. Her participation combines competitive appearances with an ownership position in the Flamingos franchise.
Tennis fashion can spark as much debate as the action. Check out why Aryna Sabalenka’s controversial US Open look has a surprising New York story behind it.
Does Coco Gauff’s player-owner role make World Team Tennis more interesting to follow, or is the new format the bigger draw? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
Read More From This Brand: