2012 Record: 16-0 (East Champions, WTT Champions)
Owner: Mark Ein
Key Additions: Martina Hingis, Kevin Anderson
Key Losses: Arina Rodionova, Venus Williams
Returners: Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds, and Anastasia Rodionova
Head Coach: Murphy Jensen (2012 Coach of the Year)
Coming off of the second perfect season in WTT history, the Washington Kastles are the clear favorites to not only repeat at the Mylan WTT Finals, but are also poised to make history. Currently on a 32-match winning streak, the Kastles are two wins away from surpassing the all time record of consecutive wins by a U.S. major professional sports team previously set by the 1971-72 Los Angles Lakers. Not content to rest on their laurels, the Kastles have continued fine-tuning their roster.
“I think our lineup gets better and more refined every year. This years biggest news for the Washington Kastles team is the addition of Martina Hingis,” says Kastles head coach and two-time Coach of the Year Murphy Jensen.
Hingis, a 2013 International Tennis Hall of Fame Inductee, five-time singles Grand Slam winner and former New York Sportimes stalwart, joins one of the most dominant franchises in Mylan WTT history.
Anchoring Hingis in women’s doubles will be Anastasia Rodionova. Currently ranked in the top 30 in doubles, the 2012 Australian Olympian is playing her fifth season of Mylan WTT, and brings plenty of fire and personality to the court, adding to the Kastles’ on-court chemistry.
On the men’s side, Bobby Reynolds and Leander Paes are a very good complement to each other in their style of play. Reynolds was named the Mylan WTT Male MVP for the 2012 season. He is an incredibly passionate player who tries refining his game every year. Paes is the 2011 Mylan WTT Male MVP who displays amazing net prowess. He has a storied history as a doubles player on the ATP Tour, winning thirteen Grand Slams (including six in mixed doubles) most recently at the 2012 Australian Open, where he completed a career Grand Slam in men’s doubles.
Finally, top 30 veteran Kevin Anderson will join the Kastles for a four-match stint as a wild card. The South African is in the midst of a career-best season, with runs to the fourth round of both the Australian Open and French Open. He is on the cusp of breaking into the ATP top 20, and has already reached the finals of two ATP World Tour events in 2013.
The only key player missing this year will be the 2012 Finals MVP Venus Williams who had to withdraw days before the season during to an ongoing lower back issue.
With a mix of current stars and former greats, coach Jensen feels the Kastles have achieved an ego-free zone in which balance is essential: “The key to the Kastles’ success is the culture we have where every player plays for one another. The message is ‘team comes first.’”
On paper, this team has few weaknesses, which is easy to say after two perfect seasons. But even as the Kastles chase a world record, the team to beat remains grounded. “Every point is tough, every match is tough, and every day is tough,” says Jensen. “If we play as a team, play for one another, and do not beat ourselves we will be successful.”
Their journey to another Eastern Conference title and Mylan WTT Championship may depend on if New York can make a big jump this year, but the road to the Mylan WTT Finals would seem to lead through the nation's capital.