Category: Tennis

WTT 2023 Expansions

2023 Expansion: World Team Tennis WTT Plans to Add Franchises

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Many fans and bookies are interested in WTT 2023 plans. Will WTT expand this year? Let’s discuss this topic in more detail, based on official sources we can trust. 

World Team Tennis, the nation’s professional mixed-team tennis league, has announced that it is accepting expansion proposals from potential owner groups and markets interested in acquiring the WTT franchise.

WTT, which played in one location during the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, wants to return to playing at places organized by individual team markets in the summer of 2023.

“We are pleased to announce that WTT is committed to expanding the franchise and returning to hosting matches in select U.S. cities in 2023,” said the WTT Chairman and CEO Eric Davidson. “While hosting all WTT matches at the same venue in 2020 and 2021 was necessary due to the pandemic, our fans have missed the availability of teams in their home markets, and we are excited to bring that model back in 2023.”

“Since the 2021 season ended in late November and COVID damaged our franchises, we decided to take our time with the 2022 season to allow our teams to recover as we plan to resume in the summer of 2023,” Davidson said.

We also want to note that for potential owner groups and markets interested in acquiring a WTT franchise, the expansion franchise fee is set at $1,000,000. The league is also open to attracting new investors and owners at the league level as WTT seeks to continue its growth as a leader in professional team tennis. It’s a great opportunity for investors to become a part of a big sport and the history of tennis.

Introduction And Brief History of WTT

World Team Tennis (WTT) is an annual professional team tennis tournament held in the United States. WTT league games are usually played during the summer months. Unlike other team tennis tournaments, WTT is played by club teams made up of players from different countries.

History of the Emergence of WTT

The idea of competing in professional tennis teams belongs to Billie-Jean King and Larry King in the early 1970s, when the ATP and WTA professional tours were just beginning to develop.

The first season of the World Team Tennis professional league took place in 1974. After five seasons, the competition was discontinued, but resumed in 1981 and has been held annually since then. Until 1991, it was called Team Tennis, but in 1992 they renamed it again.

Tournament Rules

Each team in the league includes a minimum of four players – two men and two women. A match between teams consists of five sets: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, the order of which may vary from match to match. Substitutions are permitted during the match, including during a set.

After they reduce the league to six teams, they all meet each other at least twice a season in a group tournament. The top two teams in the group game meet each other in the final match. The tournament’s main trophy is the King Trophy, named after Billie-Jean King.

How Are The Points Awarded?

Unlike other tennis competitions, whether it is a game, set, or match, one can observe a rule requiring a win by two points.

A game is played until one side wins by four points. When the score is 40-40, the serving team has the right to decide which side serves the deciding ball. If a mixed double set is played, the serving and receiving players must be of the same gender.

Each set is played until five games have been won by either side. When the score is 4-4 in games, a tie-break shall be played up to 5 points. When the score is 4-4 in a tie-break game, the ninth ball is served by the player who served the eighth ball and the receiving player has the right to choose the side of the court.

The last set is played between mixed doubles. If this set is won by the team leading in the total number of games, it wins the whole match. If this set is won by the team losing by the total number of games, overtime will be played until the lead team wins the first game or until the score is tied in games. When games are tied after five sets (with or without overtime), a super tie-break shall be played to determine the winning team. A super tie-break shall be played between mixed doubles up to seven points, with the thirteenth ball being served by the same player who served the twelfth, but the serving and receiving players must be of the same sex.

Tournament Records

  • The highest number of titles won – 6 (Sacramento Capitals, Washington Kastles)
  • Longest winning streak – 34 (Washington Kastles, 2011-2013)
  • Participated in most seasons – 20 (Martina Navratilova)

Best Teams Of WTT 2023

 

Boston Lobsters

Philadelphia Freedoms

San Diego Aviators

Springfield Lasers

Texas Wild

Washington Kastles

How to Bet on Tennis? 

Grand tennis is the second most popular sport in bookmakers after soccer. Live betting on tennis is very popular, as tennis matches are much more dynamic than soccer, and the change of events here occurs much more often. Players who do not want to wait until they score a goal in soccer prefer to bet on the winners of games and sets right in the course of the match. That is why the volume of bets on tennis some days exceeds the volume of bets on soccer. How to bet on tennis, what to know and what to pay attention to?

Factors Which Influence Tennis Bets

  • The ability to track the players 

In the case of soccer, tracking the physical and psychological state of the 11 key players of each team is extremely difficult. In tennis, this issue is much easier. All you need is just watch a couple of matches of a particular player and you can already draw conclusions about his or her current form. 

  • The regularity of the competition

You can bet on tennis anytime, any day of the week. In contrast to soccer, where each championship has a couple of significant breaks in two or three weeks, the tennis season has only one break at the end of the calendar year, and even then within these 14 days there are 3-4 medium level tournaments, so tennis fans will never get bored.

  • Numerous players’ comebacks

Bettors who are really well versed in tennis betting will undoubtedly confirm that this is an outstanding trait. We can observe the greatest number of phenomenal comebacks in women’s tennis. 

Do not forget to take advantage of VOdds’ World Cup 2022 Qatar Promo, which has up to $5,000 in prizes!

Types of Tennis Betting

  • Outcome Betting

As you can easily guess, this bet offers to guess which of the two tennis players will be the winner of this match. 

  • Handicap

With a handicap bet, you are trying to guess the approximate number of games one tennis player will win over the other. 

  • Total

Total refers to a bet on the total number of games scored by both tennis players in a match.

  • Set score

A set in tennis is the largest unit of score in a match. A bet on the set score offers to guess the final score of the games.

  • Tennis Live-bets

On the live line, players often bet on the winner of one particular game. This strategy is suitable for experienced bettors who know how to assess the quality of play, serve, and reception of opponents.

As you can see, tennis betting is a whole science with its own formulas, influencing factors, variables and unknowns. That’s why tennis is so interesting not only for tennis players but also for bookmakers. 

What the US Open looks like without Djokovic

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A major tennis tournament without former world No.1 Novak Djokovic is not new to many fans. But many are still hoping that the Serbian somehow makes his way to New York when the competition unfolds from August 29 to September 11.

 

Without Djokovic, Rafael Nadal often comes to mind as one of the favorites to win it all and preserve the “Big Three” dominance of the major after the Spaniard won the Australian and French Opens before withdrawing at the Wimbledon semifinals due to an abdominal injury.

 

Who are the other names likely to crop up and claim the trophy at Flushing Meadows? Let’s line up the possibilities.

 

MEDVEDEV, NADAL EXPECT DEEP RUN IN NEW YORK

 

World No.1 Daniil Medvedev is back in the equation after he skipped Wimbledon due to a ban on Russian and Belarussian players. But is Medvedev fully fit for the two-week tournament?

 

Nadal also comes out as a favorite despite his injury woes, as he is expected to recover in time from the abdominal injury that prevented him from facing Djokovic in the Wimbledon finals recently.

 

Djokovic is still listed as a favorite among fans and bookmakers despite a ban on foreigners who refuse to get vaccinated in the US. Until the main tournament starts late next month, anything can still happen for the Serbian tennis ace.

 

ALCARAZ, ZVEREV, TSITSIPAS ALSO IN THE MIX

 

Spain actually has two bets for every tennis major from hereon. Should Nadal fall again either by injury or a bad game, the Spaniards can still hope for Carlos Alcaraz to bring them a major.

 

Alcaraz may only have his best finish on quarterfinal finishes in the French and US Open, but the world No.6 has the youth and experience to break through in New York if Djokovic is out and if Nadal or Medvedev gets the upset axe and fall short.

 

Alexander Zverev is very much deserving to be listed among the favorites due to his world No.2 ranking. The 25-year-old German reached the 2020 US Open final and he knows what it takes to take his game to the next level.

 

Stefanos Tsitsipas, like Zverev, is also not a stranger to playing in a major final after playing for the title in the French Open last year, losing to Djokovic.

 

KYRGIOS FAR OFF DESPITE WIMBY FINALS STINT

 

Playing in his first major final was a learning experience for Nick Kyrgios, who even took the opening set before bowing to Djokovic in four sets at the All England Club.

 

But the mercurial Australian was not listed among the top five favorites despite his Wimbledon breakthrough, likely since no ranking points were given due to the ban on Russian and Belarussian players.

 

Another finals appearance might be a stretch for Kyrgios, but tennis fans and his colleagues on the tour are wise not to count him out on a major despite his world No.14 ranking.

 

DJOKOVIC SIGHTING STILL POSSIBLE?

 

While Djokovic has time and again declared that he would not get vaccinated even after his recent Wimbledon win, the sight of him in Flushing Meadows remains a glimmering hope for fans and foes alike.

 

A recent chat with Kyrgios on social media recently even raised fans’ hopes, with the Serbian saying on Instagram that an earlier promise of him treating the Australian to dinner after the Wimbledon final might happen in New York City.

 

Djokovic may indeed fly to New York only as a fan or he’s just teasing his fans, but a sudden change of heart by either the US Open organizers or the Serbian himself could still make the possibility come true.

 

A US Open without Djokovic denies fans of another high-quality player competing for the championship. Medvedev, Nadal, and company can fill such a void, but it’s not the same that the Serbian future hall of famer will not swing racquets on the hallowed courts of Flushing Meadows this year.

 

How a Wimbledon final sans Nadal means to Kyrgios

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Nick Kyrios may be a longshot to even earn a shot against Rafael Nadal in a semifinal at Wimbledon. 

But the 27-year-old Australian suddenly moved up to play in Sunday’s final, meaning the opportunity is there for a player not named Djokovic, Nadal, or Roger Federer to become Wimbledon men’s singles champion this year.

The controversies and the eccentric behavior will continue to hound Kygrios heading into the final. 

But the Canberra native knows this window to snatch a major might not come often, and he has to make the most of it to even try to win it all at the All England Club for the first time.

IS KYRGIOS AN UNDERDOG OR THE VILLAIN?

Fans who often root for the underdog may still back Kyrgios after he became the first Australian to reach a semifinal in a major since Lleyton Hewitt at the 2005 US Open.

But how does Kygrios be portrayed by fans when he’s the last obstacle to world No.3 Novak Djokovic’s bid to claim his 21st major and seventh Wimbledon trophy on Sunday?

The Canberra native was diplomatic and displayed sympathy after he learned that Nadal officially withdrew from their semifinals matchup due to his lingering abdominal injury on Thursday.

“Different players, different personalities” Kygrios said on Instagram. “I hope your (Nadal) recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon. Till next time…”

Kygrios might not sound as a villain after his recent statement on Nadal. But that could change dramatically if he’s to be asked if DJokovic will be his confirmed opponent in the final.

TIME TO SNAP OUT OF THE ‘BIG THREE’ FATIGUE

Kygrios might not be the player most fans want to see winning a major other than the “Big Three” of Djokovic, Nadal or Federer. But fans who want a mercurial player as the perfect foil to Djokovic could get to like Kygrios a little bit more.

Wimbledon is the best chance for Kygrios to win a major at a time when Nadal and Federer are injured, world No.1 Daniil Medvedev of Russia is banned from playing at the All-England Club this year, and everyone else in the top 10 all but gone.

Nadal’s bid to claim his third-straight major this year after winning the Australian and French Open ended in frustration the moment the Spaniard barely won his quarterfinal match against Taylor Fritz, 6-3 5-7 6-3 5-7 6-7 (4-10), to reach the last four.

KYGRIOS NO ROLE MODEL BUT A COMPETITOR

Fans may judge Kygrios for his checkered past, but make no mistake that the Australian has the hops to compete against the best with the right mindset.

Kygrios, who is facing an August 2 court date as he was accused of assaulting his former girlfriend, had an impressive game in his 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over Chilean Christian Garin in the quarterfinals to reach the last four.

The assault charges are just the latest for Kygrios’ antics that included court meltdowns, tanking accusations and smashed rackets in the ATP Tour.

 

EVERYTHING’S NOT LOST FOR KYRGIOS

The window for winning a major might not become any better than this year for Kygrios, but youth is on his side to work on his game after Sunday’s final.

The 27-year-old Kygrios has youth on his side since he started playing as a junior at 13 years old.

From being a men’s doubles specialist with partner and friend Thanasi Kokkinakis, whom he won a men’s doubles title at the Australian Open this year, Kygrios is ready to move to the next level on his own.