Before Sam Querrey tries to follow up his dream run from Wimbledon – where he became the first American man to make a major semifinal since Andy Roddick in 2009 – at the US Open, the Southern California native will play his second season of Mylan World TeamTennis for Washington Kastles.
It’s an upbeat atmosphere that he can’t wait to be a part of. And, quite opposite from the quiet, stoic setting of Centre Court at SW19.
“It's fun to play on a team,” Querrey said in an interview with WTT.com earlier this season. “You're playing for yourself week in and week out, and to switch it up and play on a team… makes it kind of even more fun for me. Everyone buys in, everyone's cheering for each other, and everyone’s having fun on the road trips.”
The best American men in tennis at the current moment will be crisscrossing the country to play World TeamTennis this summer alongside Querrey, including John Isner, Jack Sock, Steve Johnson, Frances Tiafoe, Donald Young and 2016 Mylan WTT Male MVP Ryan Harrison in a summer of team battles.
That’s not to mention Bob and Mike Bryan playing in their 15th season, as well as former top U.S. men’s stars Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish trying to keep up with the young guns.
“The crowd aspect of WTT is great,” said Johnson, who plays for the Orange County Breakers, close to where he grew up. (Johnson helped the Breakers win their first match of the season Monday evening)
“Sometimes I think tennis matches can be a little too stuffy or a little too proper. It's fun. When you play for WTT crowds, you know it's somewhere you can make a little more noise, you have a lot more to get behind. I think it's great because you can really feed off the crowd's energy and the team's energy. With this format, you're never out of it. One good swing, one good set and you're right back in it.”
