Tenth Annual Tennis BNP Paribas Showdown Live on WatchESPN from MSG on March 6

10th Annual Tennis BNP Paribas Showdown Live on WatchESPN from MSG on March 6

• New Team Format, Americas vs. World, with Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt as Captains of Current Stars
• Americas Team Headlined by Americans Venus Williams, Roddick and Jack Sock
• Encore Presentation on ESPN2 March 7

WatchESPN will present the 10th annual BNP Paribas Showdown live from Madison Square Garden in New York on Monday, March 6, at 7 p.m. ET. The Showdown will be a team tennis format this year that will feature Americas vs. World where each team is comprised of four players going head-to-head in addition to doubles matches throughout the night. A two hour encore presentation of the event will air on ESPN2 on Tuesday, March 7, at 11 p.m.

The teams are as follows (captains indicated in bold):

Americas:

• Two-time Olympic medalist and 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)
• Former World No.1 and 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick (USA)
• Only tennis player to earn multiple medals at 2016 Rio Olympics (gold in mixed doubles and bronze in men’s doubles) Jack Sock (USA)
• Three-time former World No.1, seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and four-time Olympic medalist Venus Williams (USA)

World:

• Former World No.1 and two-time Grand Slam singles champion Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
• 2014 Wimbledon and 2015 Australian Open quarterfinalist Nick Kyrgios (AUS)
• 2016 French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP)
• Highest-ranked Asian men’s singles player and Rio Olympics singles bronze medalist Kei Nishikori (JPN)

In addition, ESPN Classic will present past BNP Paribas Showdown events leading into the ESPN2 encore presentation, beginning at 7 a.m. on March 7. Full Schedule:

In the new team tennis format, game scoring is no-ad and the event is won by the first team to reach five games. Should a set be tied at 4-4, a 12-point tie-breaker is played. Players will all be sitting courtside throughout the event. ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe and Brad Gilbert will call the action from the booth with Rennae Stubbs courtside for on-court interviews.

The BNP Paribas Showdown from MSG will air live in Spanish internationally on ESPN’s networks in 57 countries throughout Latin America including in Portuguese in Brazil and in English in the Caribbean and Pacific Rim, as well as delayed in Canada. In addition, ESPN’s broadband players in Latin America & the Caribbean (ESPN Play), in Brazil through WatchESPN, and Australia & New Zealand (WatchESPN) will also stream live simulcast coverage of this event.

BNP Paribas Showdown

Tickets for the 2017 BNP Paribas Showdown can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office or through any Ticketmaster outlet. New York City hosts the BNP Paribas Showdown for the tenth straight year, bringing together some of the greatest names in world tennis to celebrate World Tennis Day. World Tennis Day embraces nations from all over the globe in an effort to encourage people to try the great game of tennis and at the same time grow the sport. For more information on the various events, including the BNP Paribas Showdown, visit www.WorldTennisDay.com.‎

Upcoming Tennis from ESPN

In addition to the BNP Paribas Showdown from New York on March 6, in the next month ESPN Tennis will present the two biggest events on the tennis calendar outside the four Majors where virtually every top ATP and WTA player competes:

BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, Calif.

• WatchESPN: Daily coverage March 9 – 19 providing ATP and WTA matches from up to seven courts (Stadiums 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7).

• TV and WatchESPN: 23 hours, begins Thursday, Mar. 16, and concludes with the Women’s and Men’s Championships on ESPN on Sunday, March 19.
• Defending Champions: Novak Djokovic (three-time defending champ), Victoria Azarenka.

Miami Open presented by Itaú, Miami

• WatchESPN: Daily coverage March 22 – April 2, with ATP and WTA matches from up to eight courts (Stadium, Grandstand, Courts 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 and 10).
• TV and WatchESPN: 25 hours, begins Wednesday, Mar. 29, and continues through the Women’s Championship (Sat., April 1) and the Men’s Championship (Sun., April 2) on ESPN2.
• Defending Champions: Novak Djokovic (three-time defending champ), Victoria Azarenka.