The 2015 Austin Aces season was the 13th season of the franchise in World TeamTennis (WTT) and its second and final season in Greater Austin, Texas.
The Aces had the best regular-season record in WTT and defeated the California Dream in the Western Conference Championship Match. It was the first conference title for the franchise since 2006 (as the Newport Beach Breakers). The Aces fell in the WTT Final to the Washington Kastles who won their fifth consecutive King Trophy as WTT champions. The Aces were led by Teymuraz Gabashvili who was named WTT Male Most Valuable Player and Alla Kudryavtseva who was named WTT Female Rookie of the Year. Coach Rick Leach was named WTT Coach of the Year.
On December 14, 2015, the Aces' owner Lorne Abony announced that the team had been unable to find a suitable permanent venue and would move back to Orange County, California for the 2016 season and be renamed the Orange County Breakers. The Aces officially reported their average home attendance in 2014, as 2,155. However, general manager Allen Hardison said that the real figure may have been closer to 1,300. In 2015, the average attendance was approximately 950, even though the first 1,000 fans at the gates for the Western Conference Championship Match who had an online code were admitted for free. Hardison was complimentary of the staffs at both Cedar Park Center and Gregory Gymnasium, and he also noted that the fans who supported the Aces were "some of the best in the league." Hardison said that in order for a WTT franchise to survive, it has to have a venue that meets established criteria for location, venue type and availability, and that ideally offers an outdoor setting. Although the team's new home court was not immediately announced, officials with a desirable venue in Orange County had reportedly reached out to the Aces to lure them back.
Season recap
Draft
At the WTT draft on March 16, 2015, the Aces protected Andy Roddick in the marquee portion of the draft. In the roster portion of the draft, the Aces didn't protect any players from their 2014 roster. They selected Nicole Gibbs, Alla Kudryavtseva, Jarmere Jenkins and Teymuraz Gabashvili.
Move to Downtown Austin
On March 30, 2015, the Aces announced the team would play its 2015 home matches at the Gregory Gymnasium in Downtown Austin. The team expects that the venue, currently primarily used for women's college volleyball, will seat more than 3,500 fans when configured for tennis. Aces owner Lorne Abony said, "As soon as the 2014 season ended, we began evaluating all aspects of this team, from the record on the court to the sponsorships sold to the number of fans in the stands. From feedback we received and the analysis that was done by our front office, we felt that a relocation to a venue located closer to the city center would be in our team's best interest. We are thrilled to have been able to find a downtown home in Gregory Gym on the UT campus as the Aces work to become Austin’s premier professional sports brand and the must-attend sporting event each summer."
Roddick out for the season
On July 13, 2015, the Aces announced that their marquee player, Andy Roddick, would miss the entire 2015 season with an ankle injury. Roddick was injured in London working as a television commentator for the BBC's coverage of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. The Aces offered all fans with paid tickets to their July 16 home opener at which Roddick was scheduled to play complementary vouchers redeemable for a tickets to a future Aces home match.
Opening day
Just hours after receiving the news that Andy Roddick would miss the season, the Aces opened up on the road against the Boston Lobsters. Teymuraz Gabashvili won the opening set of men's singles, 5–2, and Alla Kudryavtseva and Nicole Gibbs followed with a 5–4 women's doubles set win to give the Aces a 10–6 lead. After the Aces dropped the mixed doubles set, Gibbs took the fourth set in women's singles, 5–2, to give the Aces a 17–13 lead heading to the final set. Gabashvili and Jarmere Jenkins dropped the men's doubles set, 5–4, but won the first game of extended play to secure a 22–18 victory.
