Mylan World TeamTennis celebrates its 40th birthday this year. For more on WTT, including this season's schedule, click here.
In our sport’s never-ending story, Pam Shriver and Mary Joe Fernandez have been quite the pair of reliably entertaining narrators, working in the commentary booth to cover hundreds of matches for ESPN over the last two decades. Shriver had most of her WTA Tour success in the 80s, while Fernandez lit up the pro circuit in the 90s, but the unlikely duo have something else in common: Mylan World TeamTennis.
“I miss those days because we had a lot of fun,” Fernandez wistfully remarked to wtt.com during last year’s US Open. The American played four seasons of Mylan WTT, winning the Rookie of the Year distinction during her 1997 debut.
While Mylan WTT is an excellent opportunity for up-and-comers to hone their craft, veterans play an equally important part in the teams that comprise Billie Jean King’s professional team tennis league. Both Fernandez and Shriver played Mylan WTT later in their respective careers, but its presence made a deep impression on them from an early age.
“My favorite team when I was a kid was the Baltimore Banners, who played in the Baltimore Arena. Jimmy Connors was the big star that played on the Banners team,” says the Maryland-born Shriver, who went on to play two seasons of Mylan WTT herself. “Besides going to Downtown Baltimore to watch the Orioles play, I could watch the Banners, as well.”
Fernandez reached three Grand Slam singles finals, but had an illustrious career in doubles, winning two major titles and two Olympic Gold medals in in the discipline. The American was therefore drawn to Mylan WTT because of its emphasis on community, and has fond memories of bonding with her teammates.
“We would become a family, and we would play pranks on each other. So we would always be so scared if we were on the bus or on the plane and we’d fall asleep, someone would be tying your shoelaces together, or they would be painting with a magic marker on your face. I never went to college, so that was sort of my college experience, being with my group on a day-to-day basis, and really having so much fun.”
Shriver also had her greatest successes in a team format, winning a combined 22 women’s and mixed doubles major titles. The serve-and-volley specialist turned pro not long after the formation of WTT, and has tremendous admiration for King and the current CEO and Commissioner, Ilana Kloss.
“When I started playing the tour as a 15 year old in 1978, both Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss were on the tour. Obviously Billie was already a multiple major winner, had been No. 1 in the world, and was a pioneer for the women’s game and tennis in general.
“And, of course, she started WTT, all in the 70s. I don’t know how she had an extra minute to spare with all she accomplished. And when I think of the decades since, Ilana has been so vital to really keep the league continuing season after season.”
Both broadcasters, now mothers to young children, believe that World TeamTennis, from its format and scoring to recreational leagues, can do wonders for getting the next generation of athletes involved in the game.
“If we, just in the sport of tennis, follow Billie Jean’s vision a little bit more, we might appeal to many more young soccer players, basketball players, even football and baseball,” Shriver said. “Let’s face it: we don’t want to preach to the choir, the people who already love tennis. We need to get young athletes, young great athletes involved, that are right now playing other sports, because tennis is the great sport of a lifetime.”
Fernandez agreed, citing her own children as quick converts to a sport she once played each day as a professional, and now breaks down from the ESPN studios.
“My children both play tennis and they’ve played a few events that are with the format of WTT, and they absolutely love it. Tennis is tough; it’s an individual sport. So when you can be part of a team, and feel like you’re contributing, I think it makes a big difference at an early age.”
The former world No. 4 has big dreams for the professional team tennis league, envisioning Mylan WTT as an entity that infiltrates each and every region of the United States. On the other side of the booth is Shriver, who thinks the league is doing just fine.
“I love the niche where the WTT season is, and the markets that they help. And you know, in the 40 seasons since it began, we’ve lost so many professional tournaments to the rest of the world, so WTT helps to keep big, vital markets in the U.S., with great and energetic tennis happening in the summer months.”