Tomorrow, the Philadelphia Freedoms will host Venus Williams and the Washington Kastles at 7:30 p.m. at Villanova University's Pavilion. More than 3 decades after WTT's inception, King sees the league's everlasting impact - boys and girls competing against each other without thinking twice about it.
"It's absolutely vital what we're teaching without [children] realizing it," King said. "That's the fun part. They don't know it."
The WTT season began on Monday and runs through July 25. Two men and two women compete for each of the WTT's 10 teams. Each match consists of five sets - men's and women's singles and men's, women's and mixed doubles.
In other words, the window of opportunity to grab the attention of fans closes fast.
"It comes and goes very fast," said Ilana Kloss, the league's chief executive officer. "So I think it's huge that we get out in the community and people get excited about it. That is a challenge, having a short season compared to other team sports."
This year, the league's goal was to further globalize the sport, buoyed by a WTT match held in Australia during the Australian Open. Not unlike golf and the Ryder Cup, Kloss notes, tennis can continue to grow as a team sport.
"Hopefully in the next 3 to 5 years, we will see the expansion of World TeamTennis to include the rest of the world," Kloss said. "That's one of the reasons why it was called World TeamTennis when it started."
King and Kloss do not want the league to become oversaturated. With only 10 teams, there's enough talent to go around. King doesn't do any recruiting herself. After the fact, she shoots players a simple "Thank You" via text. With a hands-off approach, she wanted the league's product to speak for itself.
Recruiting the best of the best can be difficult - Kloss acknowledges she is "rejected all the time" - but WTT has prospered.
On-court coaching, instant replay, music between points, fans being allowed to keep errant volleys as souvenirs, multicolored courts and names on the backs of the jerseys have all helped keep the league going. It's different, it's fun.
"Going for 35 years, people like it," King said. "They like the coed, they like the fast pace. We have been innovators of the sport. We have pushed the establishment to make it more fan-friendly."
This year, the Freedoms moved from King of Prussia to Villanova - a move Kloss expects to stick. Tennis has a rich tradition in Philadelphia, King assures, recalling a photo album's worth of memories. And of course her friend Elton John wrote the song, "Philadelphia Freedom" as a tribute to King.
With so many tournaments exported overseas, the sport has lost some exposure in Philly. There's room for growth. There's another challenge for King to take on.
"We need more tennis in Philly," King said. "We're the only professional tennis in Philadelphia right now." *
