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Washington Kastles

Queen of the Kastles

June 1, 2013 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


Since she won her first pro tennis match at 14, Venus Williams ' entire life has been caught on camera.

Tennis fans -- and now movie buffs -- have seen the superstar celebrate four Olympic gold medals and five Wimbledon singles titles, only to play through the pain of injuries and illnesses.

Twenty years of triumph and turmoil were trimmed down to 99 minutes in the critically-acclaimed documentary "Venus and Serena," now available through iTunes and On Demand.

As the film went through final edits, Williams was writing a new chapter to her storied career -- one that sparked emotions that even the loyalist of her followers had never witnessed before.

Last summer, Williams joined the greatest athletes of all time by doing something very few of her peers in tennis ever have. Like Michael Jordan, Joe Montana and Reggie Jackson before her, Williams put forth an outstanding individual performance to lead her team to a world championship.

With the Washington Kastles riding a historic winning streak, Williams won all three of her sets to clinch DC's third World TeamTennis title on Sept. 16 in Charleston, S.C.

As her opponent's final forehand flew long, Williams showed complete disregard for her 6-foot-1 frame. She whipped her Wilson racquet wildly into the air and high-jumped into the arms of teammates Leander Paes and Bobby Reynolds, while Coach Murphy Jensen and Arina & Anastasia Rodionova rejoiced around her.

"Venus Williams is the consummate team player," said Coach Jensen. "She has won virtually every tournament around the globe, but she stakes as much of an investment into the Washington Kastles as she does in winning gold medals or Wimbledon championships. The reason is because she is a team player. Venus Williams is the Washington Kastles."

Those aren't just sports clichés from a doting coach. Jensen's words are real.

Washington is 10-0 with Williams in the lineup since she joined the team in 2010, sparking several of the most memorable victories in franchise history.

"I don't get to play as much as the other players on the Kastles, so when I'm there, I give 100 percent," said Williams. "I feel that it's my job to make sure the team wins on the days that I'm there."

Competing in Philadelphia against her former team on July 6, 2011, Williams stunned the Freedoms' crowd by rallying the Kastles back from six games down at halftime. She won women's singles 5-2, and then teamed with Paes for a 5-1 victory in mixed, giving Washington an improbable 19-18 victory.

The Kastles captain Paes has played WTT mixed doubles with some of the greatest women in the game, including World No. 1 Serena Williams and World No. 3 Victoria Azarenka.

He holds Venus in even higher regard.

"Venus and myself, we have the same happy, fun-loving, aggressive mentality," said Paes. "I enjoy the way that Venus respects the game of tennis, respects the team and respects her family. For me, that's what life is about. If I had to really pick one [partner], it would be Venus."

Williams' magic act against Philadelphia in 2011 marked just the second straight victory in the Kastles' current 32-match winning streak.

But she saved her most impressive tricks for July 22, 2012 in Albany, N.Y., as the Kastles played for Win No. 25 in a row.

The New York Sportimes led the Kastles 19-13 with only one set remaining: Venus Williams vs. Martina Hingis in women's singles.

Hingis was 8-0 on the season entering her match with Williams. The summer before, the Swiss stunned Williams' sister Serena 5-3 in WTT play. And Hingis led her head-to-head with Venus 11-10 in WTA meetings.

But Williams threw every number out the window on that wild night, unloading on winners from all angles of the court. She defeated Hingis -- now her teammate with the Kastles -- 5-1 in the set, 2-0 in overtime and 7-0 in a super-tiebreaker, saving four match points by sweeping 11 straight to cap the comeback

Just like that, Williams had single-handedly helped the Kastles overcome their largest deficit ever. But it wasn't until she returned to Kastles Stadium the following night that the weight of her accomplishment set in.

"Someone came up to me and said: 'You really saved us,'" recalled Williams. "That was such a great feeling because it wasn't just me. It wasn't just the people on the bench or playing. It was all of D.C. behind us. That was awesome."

Not long after, Williams announced that she would return to the Kastles for the WTT Playoffs -- marking her first postseason appearance in her ninth season of WTT.

It was worth the wait.

Like Jordan and Montana in the 4th quarter, and Jackson in the 9th inning, Williams rallied the Kastles when the team needed her most.

In the Eastern Conference Championship match, Williams broke a 14-14 tie by defeating Ashley Harkleroad of the Sportimes 5-1 in the deciding set.

Less than 24 hours later in the WTT Finals, she won women's doubles with Anastasia Rodionova and mixed doubles with Paes to draw the Kastles even with the Sacramento Capitals at 15-15 going into the final set.

Washington's fate was in Williams' hands, and again she delivered, triumphing in a winner-take-all women's singles tiebreaker over CoCo Vandeweghe before unleashing a reaction of sheer joy.

"Winning the championship last year was definitely one of my top moments from 2012," said Williams. "I had never been in a team environment like that where everything was on the line. You're playing for more than yourself... You're playing for all of the fans. It was just so exciting and exhilarating. I would love to be in that position again in 2013."

The Kastles have been victorious 32 consecutive times thanks to a total team effort, highlighted by Williams' heroics in Philadelphia, Albany and Charleston.

So it's only fitting that Williams returns to DC July 8 and 9 as the Kastles vie for the longest winning streak in major U.S. pro sports history. With victories over New York and Boston, Washington would surpass the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, who posted 33 straight wins during the 1971-72 season.

"Sure, there's pressure, but also we've accomplished so much as a team that we've got nothing to lose," said Williams. "And we will refuse to lose, as we have in the past. We've got so much going for us. We're a great team and we always pull together.

"It's about the team, and not just one person."

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