An impressive 14-2 season leaves the Kastles as WTT champions for the third year in a row.
By Laura Wainman
Leander Paes celebrates with teammate Martina Hingis after the Kastles won their third consecutive WTT championship on Sunday. Hingis and Paes clinched the title for the Kastles with a victory in the mixed doubles match. (Photo by Susan Mullane)
The summer of 2013 will go down as an unforgettable season for the Washington Kastles, as they not only broke the longest winning streak in major U.S. professional sports history – 34 consecutive wins- but also took home their third consecutive WTT championship. Though the Kastles were not able to maintain their undefeated records from 2011 and 2012, Sunday’s 25-12 victory over the Springfield Lasers left them with an impressive 14-2 record for the season, and their fourth WTT championship since the team was founded in 2008. The Kastles are one of only two teams to enjoy “three-peat” victories at the WTT finals, joining the Sacramento Capitals who won a record four straight titles from 1997-2000.
Drama hit the Kastles just three days before the season opener, as veteran tennis stud Venus Williams announced that she would be unable to play, due to a lingering back injury. But newcomer Martina Hingis, the reigning WTT female MVP, stepped in to take her place and the Kastles handedly won their first two matches of the season, to break the longest winning streak record. Hingis contributed wins in singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles for the Kastles during Sunday’s championship, along with wins from Bobby Reynolds in singles and men’s doubles, Leander Paes in men’s doubles and mixed doubles and Anastasia Rodionova in women’s doubles.
“It’s been an unforgettable season for our franchise,” said Kastles owner Mark Ein. “We broke a 41-year-old winning streak record to start it off, then captured our fourth King Trophy to finish it. Our results on and off the court continue to amaze me, and I’m already looking forward to 2014.”
The 2013 Kastles team with their fourth King Trophy. (Photo by Susan Mullane)
To read more about the Kastles and Washington’s burgeoning sports scene, check out our Summer issue feature, “A Sport for Every Season.”
