College Tennis is the most Best Team Tennis

Tennis is, by nature, and individual sport. It’s just one-on-one out there (or two-on-two in doubles). It’s hard to make a team format that really works. Different leagues and different groups have tried, at different times. Nothing has really stuck. Even Davis Cup and Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) never really feel like team battles. Nor does the Laver Cup, though it’s still high-level entertainment. At the end of the day, every attempted professional team tennis setup has failed to really create a team atmosphere.

What’s most surprising about this, though, is the fact that the NCAA solved the issue of how to make team tennis compelling decades ago. It has nothing to do with wacky formats or how you keep score or team points. It’s very simple: in college tennis, teams play all the matches at the same time. That makes it a real team battle.

Yes, each singles match is still one-on-one. Every doubles match is still two-on-two. But each player is playing with their teammates, and for their teammates. It keeps the tension and drama high, as each player has to both tune out every other match–but also wants to be aware of how their teammates are doing.

The format is simple. Three doubles matches are played simultaneously (one set each). Whichever team wins two sets gets a point. Then six singles matches are played simultaneously (best-of-three sets). Each winner gets one point. First team to four points wins. (In lower levels of college tennis, each doubles set is worth its own point, so there are nine title points and the first to five wins.)

Professional tennis leagues and organizations don’t do this, mostly because they want to avoid playing simultaneous matches. If you’re selling tickets and television slots, you want fans focusing on one match at a time. Which is fine. It’s how the sport makes money. But it makes for bad team tennis. It’s just not compelling as a team sport. Simultaneous matches are the way to go. Which is why, if you want to see intense and enjoyable team tennis, check out some college matches. Sure, the level isn’t as high as in the pros (although lots of Division 1 college players could probably be decently competitive on the Challenger Tour already). But as a team sport, it’s way more fun. And maybe, someday, the professional organizations will realize this as well.