Ilana Kloss

now as the CEO/Commissioner of Mylan World TeamTennis which was co-founded by Billie Jean King and then-husband Larry King in the 1970s. While King’s current role is primarily as a spokesperson, advisor and global ambassador, it’s Kloss who heads up the day-to-day efforts to secure sponsorships and grow the team tennis concept both in the U.S. and internationally. In early 2009, Kloss brought the United States Tennis Association (USTA) on board as a minority owner of World TeamTennis. Kloss played World TeamTennis for several years (San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Miami Beach) before becoming a team coach. She guided the Chicago Fyre to the 1983 WTT title before joining the League full-time as Player Liaison in 1985. The transition from the courts to the office was a smooth one for Kloss. “I did it gradually, going from being a player to coaching a WTT team then working to recruit players for the League and eventually running the operation.” Kloss took over as the WTT Vice President in 1987 and eventually succeeded Billie Jean King as WTT Executive Director in 1991. Kloss was named CEO/Commissioner in February 2001.