The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast: Recent Episodes
Craig Shapiro
Welcome to The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast , where I speak with the most interesting people in the sport. This is the show for tennis insiders.
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Just a few days after his player Kei Nishikori retired with a shoulder injury the second round of Roland Garros, coach Thomas Johannson joined me from his home in Monaco, where he has lived for the past 25 years. He actually shared with me some cool information about living there.
We discussed the conditions at the French, the issue that popped up this week of unruly fans, and talked in length about the players remaining in the men's draw. We talked about Rafa and his prospects moving forward. We talked about coaching at this moment in time and what that's like, and we talked about the dramatic downturn in Swedish tennis.
The former world #7 who had blitzed through the 2002 Australian Open draw and defeated Marat Safin in the final explained how a win vs the Moroccan Younes El-Aynoui put him on a path toward that major victory.
Recorded 5.3 Released 5.4
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Since 1974, Ubaldo Scanagatta has been among the most significant Italian tennis broadcasters and journalists on the planet. When Novak Djokovic mimicked his glorious Italian accent the tennis community was alerted in mass to this man, however for 40 years, Ubaldo, with Rino Tommasi and Gianni Clerici were the voices of Italian tennis, creating lingo and lexicon, for example a “Veronica” and a “Circoletto Rosso”, and we discussed it all. It was tremendous fun, and absolutely fascinating.
His media outlet, UBI TENNIS is prolific in tennis, and his website is offered in Italian, Spanish, and English.
Ubaldo and I discussed Sinner's injury and Giorgi's retirement, as well as Berrettini's injury problems. He talked about the success of Italian tennis and the young junior Federico Cina. He gave a thorough explanation of Tennis Australia's fight against the Saudi incursion, as well as the current situation with Novak Djokovic.
Ubaldo discussed the history, and current state of tennis media.
Recorded 5.15 Released 5.19
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I sat down with Grigor Dimitrov in his hotel in Rome just a couple days ago and Grigor discussed his feelings about the future machinations of The ATP Tour and the players' disdain of the long tournaments, his Lacoste deal, the sore subject of his Vapor 9s, his racquet secrets, and his beginnings in Bulgaria.
Recorded 5.8 Released 5.10
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With pro tennis at an ominous crossroads, the great Stan Smith and I had an important chat that was a mix of a walk down memory lane as well as a pointed conversation about tennis' potential next steps. Stan opined on the USTA's budget cuts as well as the impending Saudi incursion into our sport, and what it means for the smaller tournaments like Bastaad, Gstaadt, and Vienna. And to that point we talked about The Ojai and how important that small tournament was to his career. We discussed college tennis and how the new rules regarding NIL are hurting the competitiveness of many schools. We talked about his documentary, Who Is Stan Smith, and it's theatrical release next week.
Recorded and Released on 5.26
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The Hall of Famer Rosie Casals and I had a world class chat, as it was a real honor to have the former world #3 and one of The Original 9 players that created the WTA on the show. Rosie talked about what it was like growing up in tennis in San Francisco was like, and how Billie Jean King showed her how to become a more disciplined athlete, and how the Virginia Slims media training was pivotal in the formation of the WTA. She shared her front row experience before, during, and after The Battle of The Sexes, and it was an incredible history lesson.
She was plain speaking and shared her views on the current state of the WTA as well as the budget cuts made by the USTA, and how the players need to do a better job promoting the WTA and the tournaments. Class was in session.
Recorded 4.17 Released 4.23
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Like many players on tour, John Millman has had an incredible journey in tennis. The youngest of 5, he was snubbed by Tennis Australia as a junior and used that as motivation to grind, and he went to Europe as an 18 year old. It wasn't until after his 2nd shoulder surgery that he cracked the top 100.
In 2018 he beat Roger Federer in the 4th round at the US Open and that October he was 33 in the world.
We talked about his career, and what retirement has been like.
He sat on the player council at the ATP, and we discussed the crunch time decision that tennis faces in the coming weeks with regards to the PIF.
Recorded 4.17 Released 4.18
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The former world #6 José Higueras won 16 titles on the pro tour, semi'd the French twice, and upon retirement coached a massive amount of players to huge success. José coached Michael Chang to his French Open title in 1989, and then was with Jim Courier fort his 4 majors and ascendance to the #1 ranking.
In 2008 after they won the US Open, he left Roger Federer to join Patrick McEnroe at the USTA, as head coach of player development. He and Patrick instituted what they called THE PHILOSOPHY, a huge amount of players and coaches benefitted from their direction and we discussed this.
Just last week José penned an open letter expressing deep concern for American tennis as a result of extreme budget cuts within the USTA and we discussed his letter in length.
Recorded March 30 Released April 1
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Giri Nathan of Defector and The Second Serve chatted with me via Zoom, we both were in Indian Wells and we discussed all of the on and off court hot button topics, including Novak's odd departure from tournament, the Rybakina propensity to pull out of tournaments, the Sabalenka Situation, the PIF incursion in to tennis, as well as the Halep re-emergence onto the WTA Tour. We talked about the good form of Sakkari as well the strong play of Kostyuk.
Recorded and Released 3.20.24
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Patrick McEnroe the Stanford Cardinal and the former World #28 in addition to being a broadcaster for ESPN is now the president of The International Tennis Hall of Fame. We had a tremendous chat here in the desert, and covered all of the hot button topics of the day, including the Saudi and Emirates incursion into our sport, The future of The Netflix Slam and Agassi's reemergence, the demise of the USTA player development budget, and the future of the Hall of Fame.
Recorded 3.11 Released 3.14
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The 4 TimeMajor Champion, World #1 The Hall of Famer Jim Courier and I chopped it up on the Tennis Channel patio in what has become an annual event, discussing the BNP Paribas Open and all the hot button topics of the day including the Netflix Exhibition, the demise of BREAK POINT, Rafa's last stand, and the difficulties both Frances Tiafoe and Jess Pegula are having.
Recorded and Released 3.11.24
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Jonny Levine has lived an incredible life in tennis. In the early 80s he reached the finals of the Kalamazoo National 18s and was a 2 time All American at Texas. He appears to have the distinction of being the first player to beat Andre Agassi in a professional tournament, and he reached the quarters of the French and US Open doubles in 1988 with the lightning bolt serving Eric Korita, and we discussed it all.
He is now the owner of The Arizona Tennis Classic which is played at The Phoenix Country Club next week (March 11-17), and because of his location and spot on the calendar boasts the strongest men challenger draw in the world, with the cutoff currently at 70.
Recorded 3.4 Released 3.5
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Maria Timofeeva, known to all as Masha, was born in Moscow in 2003, learned tennis at the famous tennis school Spartak and In 2017 she won the prestigious under 14 tournament L'Petit As, and from then was on a trajectory to become a professional.
In the summer of 2023 her ranking shot from 250 to 120 after winning Budapest as a lucky loser, and then this past January she entered the 2024 Australian Open qualies ranked 170 in the world, and then proceeded to win 6 matches, including wins over Cornet, Wozniacki, and Haddad-Maia to reach the round of 16. She left Australia ranked 100.
We talked about what it was like to be a Russian player on tour, and what her journey has been like.
It was fascinating to talk to a young woman with such a unique story.
Recorded 2.29 Released 3.2
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As it pertains to her son, the world #7 Holger Rune. she is always in the mix. For me, she is the preeminent tennis mom in our game, dressed in black head to toe, conspicuously cool in the player's box. Aneke Rune and I had a wonderful chat, we discussed her son's trials and tribulations at length, including the former and current coaching situation, the importance of his team as well as their connection to the Mouratoglou Academy, and the challenges of being a mom on tour. The former ballerina in the Royal Danish Ballet joined me from her home in Charlotteslund, Denmark and was remarkably forthcoming and honest and didn't shy away from any of the tough questions.
Recorded 2.5 Released 2.6
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On January 16th Ben Rothenberg and I hosted a full house at the best coffee shop in Melbourne for a live podcast/book signing. The Osaka book was available for purchase and Ben signed books, and Naomi's agent Stu Duguid joined us . We talked in length about the Osaka comeback, the book, and then we hit the hot button topics of the day including gambling in tennis and the Zverev situation. It was an awesome Australian Open kickoff.
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Recorded 1.16 Released 1.19
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Giri Nathan of DEFECTOR and I kick off the 8th season with a current events special to get everyone excited about the Summer Down Under. We talked the Rafa situation, the Joker wrist, as well as Grigor, Coco, Iga, Rybakina, and all the others that are already in killer form. We talked Adrian Mannarino and Emma Navarro, and how Alex de Minaur is a top tenner. We talked Naomi Osaka .
We talked domestic and European TV deals and the future of BREAK POINT. It was a great chat.
Recorded and Released 1.8.24
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Born in Montenegro and raised in the suburbs of Toronto, a decade ago Milos Raonic put Canadian tennis on the map, and in 2016 got to 3 in the world, reaching the finals of Wimbledon. The big server has made over 20 million dollars on tour and won 8 titles, has posted wins over Roger, Rafa, and Andy. His career has been marred by a multitude of injuries and we discussed his propensity for injury in length.
He is the son of two engineers and is one of the more cerebral players that we have had on our show.
We talked in length about the politics of the ATP, and he shared his thoughts on the future of tennis.
Recorded 12.19 Released 12.22
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Today's Episode is also brought to you by Baha Mar Resorts the home of the Bahamar Cup.
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Ben Rothenberg is the host of the podcast No Challenges Remaining and was the tennis writer for the New York Times from 2011-2021, and spent the better part of his career with a keen eye on Naomi Osaka, from way before she became a household name, through her greatest achievements as well as her well documented struggles. His biography, NAOMI OSAKA comes out on January 9, and we discussed the book, and Naomi, at length.
Additionally Ben and I discussed all of the hot button topics of the day, including the impending Saudi incursion into tennis, the flailing machinations of the WTA Alexander Zverev saga, the curse of NETFLIX, as well as the incredible year of Novak Djokovic.
Recorded 12.5 Released 12.8
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Today's show is also brought to you by Vacation® - creators of the legendary Ball Boy Scented Candle, made exclusively with Prince® Tennis. Use my code "SHAPIRO" for 15% off the Vacation® Ball Boy Scented Candle.
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Laura Siegemund has lived an incredible life in tennis. She was born in Filderstadt, Germany and was identified as talent by the German federation at a young age, culminating with a big win at the 2000 Orange Bowl where she won the twelves. With a coach that eschewed the traditional path of playing junior events, from the age of 13 until she was 24 she played in pro tournaments, losing matches, until it became too frustrating, too emotionally hard. And that's where the story becomes amazing. The former World #27 and the current #5 doubles player in the world discussed her incredible path, her controversial 1st round match at the US Open vs Coco Gauff, her experience at the WTA Finals, as well as her opinions about the WTA. She was earnest and plain speaking and we had a great chat.
Recorded 11.20 Released 11.29
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Today's show is also brought to you by Vacation® - creators of the legendary Ball Boy Scented Candle, made exclusively with Prince® Tennis. Use my code "SHAPIRO" for 15% off the Vacation® Ball Boy Scented Candle.
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The Bahamian with the tight blond curls Mark Knowles has lived an amazing life in tennis. He was identified by Nick Bollettieri when he was 10 years old and was given a scholarship to join the action in Bradenton, Florida. He played at UCLA, and the turned pro in 1992, he reached the top 100 in singles, but it was in doubles where he distinguished himself, reaching world #1, winning 3 majors and 55 tournaments over the course of a 20 year career. Now a broadcaster and the elected player representative on the ATP board, Mark provided a birds eye view of the hot button topics facing men's tennis, and we discussed it all.
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Today’s episode is also sponsored by Baha Mar Resorts as the fourth annual Baha Mar Cup is
happening in The Bahamas Friday, December 8 through Sunday, December 10.
.
Recorded 11.21 Released 11/22
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He's the closest thing to tennis' version of a street ball legend. Elite Brazilian junior, goes 78-12 at UCLA playing 4,5,and 6, then sort of waits to try playing pro tennis, and supplements tennis teaching income by playing and winning men's local "money" tournaments. His backhand return becomes legendary, everyone says he's so smooth it's incredible. He gets to top 400 and stops. Then he becomes Naomi Osaka's hitting partner, creates a popular Youtube Channel and brand and now is trying to make it on the tour again. He's Karue Sell and we had a great chat.
Recorded 11/2 Released !!/12 on location at UCLA
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In his first match at the 2023 Australian Open, the left handed Frenchman Corentin Moutet snapped the sheath that holds the ligaments in his right wrist, and went on to play with a one handed backhand for the entire year. It was an odd year to say the least as he had surgery and continued to compete at the highest level with a one hander instead of taking the protected ranking and letting the right wrist heal.
We discussed this wild year, his mercurial nature as well as what it has been like to grow up in French Tennis, and he explained the significance of being tossed out of the FTF. Per usual we discussed all of the hot button topics of the day. It was a serious, tremendous chat.
Recorded 10.26 Released 11.2
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Amos Mansdorf grew up outside of Tel Aviv, a 2nd generation Israeli, as his grandparents migrated to Israel in the 20's. In 1987 he got to 18 in the world, the highest ranking ever for an Israeli, and had an awesome career, beating Hall of Famers Connors, Becker, and Muster to name a few. He appeared in 16 finals and won 6 titles.
Amos joined me from his home in Tel aviv where just hours earlier the sirens were sounded and missiles flew overhead, as Israel is at war. We discussed the situation at length, and then were able to successfully segue to tennis. It was an important and exceptional conversation.
Recorded 10.24 Released 10.26
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There's just nothing better than taking a deep dive with a player that has been through the fire, and Dan Evans fits that bill.
In August Dan came out of a six match losing streak and won his second ATP tournament in Washington DC, defeating Frances Tiafoe and Grigor Dimitrov en route to the championship that got him to his career high ranking of 21 in the world. The flashy shotmaker followed up the DC win with a virtuoso performance in a losing effort to Carlitos Alcaraz in the 3rd round of the US Open, wowing the crowd and Carlitos, himself. Just a couple weeks later he put the British Davis Cup Team on his back coming off the mat twice to lead his team to victory over France in one of the moist electrifying scenes we've seen all year.
It was a triumphant moment for a player that had been banned from the tour for a failed drug test six years ago, in the prime of his career- and we discussed it all.
Recorded 10.16 Released 10.18
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Jose Luis Clerc represented Argentina on their Davis Cup Team from 1976-1989, alongside Guillermo Vilas for most of those years, and did battle with McEnroe, Wilander, Connors and Lendl to name a few. He got to 4 in the world in 1981 after going on a 25 match win streak, and then went on a 28 match win streak in. 82.
He won 25 tournaments on tour and reached the semis of Roland Garros in 81 and 82. Hew is now the broadcaster for South America, we linked at the US Open and had a great chat. We discussed a myriad of topics, the 5 set format was a tremendous asset, and I loved every second of our chat.
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Recorded 8.30 Released 9.18
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Along with his brothers Vijay, Anand Amritraj is Indian Tennis Royalty and is considered to be amongst the first Indians to compete on the elite level.
He posted a win over John McEnroe on grass, and won 7 titles. In doubles he won 12 titles and reached the semis of Wimbledon and the quarters of the US Open.
He was on the 1974 and 1987 Davis Cup Teams that both reached the finals, and his participation catapulted him into a lifetime of stardom.
With his flowing feathered white hair and his colorful wardrobe, Anand is one of the flashiest dressers the sport has ever seen, is on the cover of Racquet Magazine, and we talked about it all.
Recorded 8.28 at the US Open and Released 9.9
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Gilad Bloom has lived an incredible life in tennis.
He grew up outside of Tel Aviv, Israel, and was an elite junior. He carried the torch for Israel's National Team in both the Davis Cup and The Olympics from 1984-1995, and posted wins over many great players including Jimmy Connors, Marcelo Rios, and Peter Korda.
In 1990 he made a run to the 4th round of The US OPEN, and got to his best ranking, 61. We talked a lot about The US Open, and why its atmosphere is so unique. We talked about how he likes to watch tennis on the side courts and see what is happening on the practice court, as there are a lot of lessons for everyone.
He has resided in New York City since 2000 and has a boutique tennis program and a rock band.
Recorded 8.24 Released 9.1
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Ali Riske-Armritraj grew up in Pittsburgh and in 2009 chose not to attend Vanderbilt University and turn pro. Ten years later she defeated Ash Barty to reach the quarters of Wimbledon and got to 18 in the world. She has won three titles on tour and has represented her country in the Olympics and Fed Cup.
Ali and I discussed current hot button issues including the impending move of the Cincinnati Tournament, to the emergence this summer of Coco Gauff. We talked about her hope for the future of the WTA, and what the US Open special.
We talked about her career in length, which has been incredible.
Recorded 8.21 Released 8.24
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Jaime Yzaga grew up in Lima, Peru with a grandfather that worked him into tennis at a young age, and in 1985 he won the French Open Juniors beating Thomas Muster 6-0 in the 3rd. With the great Colon Nuñez and then Pato Rodriguez at his side he won 8 tour titles and in 1989 got to 18 in the world.
It was at The US Open where he had his greatest success. In 1994 he reached the quarterfinals by beating the previous year's finalist Cedric Pioline, and then Pete Sampras in a 5 set thriller-a feat that is considered one of the greatest upsets in history.
We discussed Jaime's story of moving to the states to train at The Hopman Academy at Bardmoor, and how Colon Nuñez showed him how to be a pro.
Recorded 8.18 Released 8.21
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In 1978 at the age of 16 years old, Baltimore, MD native Pam Shriver got to the final of The US Open as an amateur, defeating world #1 Martina Navratilova in the semis. She was on tour for 20 years, won 21 tournaments and got to 3 in the world, competing week in and week out against Chris Evert, Martina, Tracy Austin, and Steffi Graf to name a few. In doubles she won 108 straight matches with Martina and In 1983 she and Martina won all 4 majors, the only team in history to complete The Grand Slam.
After her Hall of Fame career she embarked on what has been a prolific broadcasting career and can be heard throughout the year on both ESPN's tennis coverage as well as Tennis Channel's coverage.
In April 2022 she shared a deeply personal story of having been in a romantic relationship with her coach, that was 33 years her senior and has since advocated for improved policing of these scenarios when they pop up on tour. We discussed this, and many different hot button topics including the impending Saudi involvement in tennis, the health of The WTA Tour, and her ideas on how to make the sport more appealing to broadcasters.
Recorded 7.24 Released 7.26
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Racquet Guru Roman Prokes of AGASSI Fame broke down everything all you tech fiends ever wanted to know. Swiatek, Alcaraz, Djokovic, add weight, subtract weight, big grips, small grips, overgrips, string patterns, strings. The 2023 Racquet Tech Special is here.
Recorded 6.12 at RPNY, Released 6.16
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Currently ranked 45 in the world, Dusan Lajovic has posted wins over Medvedev, Murray, Rublev, and beat Novak Djokovic just a few weeks ago in Banja Luka.
On the mend in Belgrade after contracting Chicken Pox on the day he was scheduled to play in Paris, Dusan and I discussed Novak in length, and it was extremely illuminating. We discussed his wins over Alcaraz and Ruud in detail, and we talked about the loss to Medvedev at The US Open in 2021. We discussed the PTPA and he shared his opinions about their new tact.
We talked about Dusan's career in length, how he ended up with a one handed backhand in the land of the two hander, and how he has become elite by hiring a Spanish coach, Jose Perlas. He talked in length about what it's like to play Novak, Carlitos, and the other elite players on tour.
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Recorded and Released 6.12.23
Author, Filmmaker, and Broadcaster Antoine Benneteau joined me from Le Clubhouse on the 2nd floor of Court Philippe Chatrier to discuss week 1 of Roland Garros. Antoine provided an interesting French perspective as we discussed the presence of Noah, the beautiful weather, the wind, Thiago Seyboth Wild, Aryna Sabalenka, scheduling controversies, and the challenges French tennis is having at the moment.
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Recorded 6.3, released 6.4
Christopher Clarey was born in Newport, Rhode Island, and has had an exemplary career as a journalist, and on the day we spoke, filed his final article as a staffer for The New York Times, the culmination of a 30 year career at The Grey Lady.
We discussed his next moves, including his plans for THE WARRIOR, his upcoming biography on Rafael Nadal and a follow up to his biography on Roger Federer, THE MASTER, as well as tennis' current events. Rafa, Halep, The WTA, the debacles in Madrid and Rome...we hit it all.
Chris joined me from his home in Paris, fitting as we lead up to Roland Garros.
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Recorded 5.21.23, Released 5.22.23
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Reilly Opelka joined me Saturday morning from New York City, on the back end of a week where he was referenced in a New Yorker Magazine article regarding his stance on eliminating doubles as we know it. We discussed this, as well as his often controversial perspectives and comments on the state of the sport. Suffice to say Reilly pulled no punches.
Recorded 3.19 Released 3.20
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This past Saturday Brad Gilbert joined me for a practice and Q&A Breakfast at the Malibu Racquet Club where he drilled 15 of my players and then we had a tremendous Q&A that I moderated. We talked a lot about coaching, getting better, and then all the nitty gritty about pro tennis.
We recorded the chat and here it is for your listening pleasure. Please excuse the shaky audio quality.
Recorded 3.4 Released 3.9
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Roscoe Tanner has had a singular life to say the least.
Armed with a carbonated left arm and a quick toss explosive style cannon of a serve serve he won the Australian Open in 1977, and in 1979 he reached the finals of Wimbledon, losing a tough five setter to Bjorn Borg, which marked the beginning of NBC's Wimbledon coverage.He go to 4 in the world.
In 1992 he was imprisoned in Germany and extradited to the United States where he would spend the better part of 20 years in and out of trouble, mostly for alimony, paternity, and as a result- various forgeries.
We discussed it all.
Recorded
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Dmitry Tursunov joined me from his hotel in Abu Dhabi where he is coaching world #9 Belinda Bencic on their day off before their quarterfinal match vs Shelby Rogers.
We had a lengthy chat and discussed all of his players-past and present in length. Karatsev, Vesnina, Sabalenka, Konteveit, Raducanu, and now Bencic. He talked about Sabalenka and their breakup, as well as the work he did with Raducanu.
He talked about why he feels that Rybakina and Sabalenka are now an entire level above the rest of the players and what his player needs to do to beat them. He discussed what he is trying to implement with Belinda to help her improve.
Dmitry discussed his life in tennis and talked about how his dad was extremely intense. He explained how his pro career has progressed into this coaching career, and how he is extremely conditioned to be on tour.
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Recorded 2.8 Released 2.10
26 major titles, 67 tournament wins, 5 Davis Cup titles, World #1 in 1967, the great Australian John Newcombe joined me from the roof of Rod Laver Arena and it was a tremendous thrill.
In the 60s and 70s John first served and volleyed his way to tennis fame, and with his signature moustache became one of the most famous people in the world. We talked in length about the modern day Australian Open, the current state of Australian tennis including his thoughts on Tomic, Kokkinakis, and Kygrios. We talked about the plight of The Davis Cup, and he regaled me with stories of his time on tour, including his win at Wimbledon in 1970, beating Rosewall in 5 sets.
Recorded 1.23 Released 1.26
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Former World #15 and Australia Davis Cup Captain Wally Masur and I chatted on the middle Saturday of The Australian Open on the roof of Rod Laver Arena.
We discussed the tournament, the draws, Seb Korda, Andy Murray, the late nights and the hard fights, and how important The Davis Cup is and how it has been bastardized. We discussed his career and his perspectives on the modern game. We talked about his Emrik racquet and how he was amongst the fittest to play in his heyday. He told me a great story about what a man Michael Stich is.
Recorded 1.21 Released 1.23
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Born and raised in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, John Lloyd has lived a legendary tennis life. We discussed what his junior career was like, how he came up with Borg and Vitas, and how he knew he could be a pro from the time he was 16. He was a fixture on tour through the late 70s thru the mid 80s. He reached the finals of the 1979 Australian Open, becoming the first Englishman since Fred Perry to reach the final of a major. He got to 21 in the world in 1978.
He talked in length about what life on tour was in the 70s and 80s and he talked about his marriage to Chris Evert, and how they started dating during Wimbledon. He told an amazing story about what it was like to be around her at the height of her career.
We discussed the Raducanu coaching carrousel, his thoughts on Jack Draper, his good feelings about British tennis.
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Recorded 1.3 Released 1.10
The legendary Ivan Lendl joined me for the inaugural Practice and Breakfast Series, where he coached 11 players on 2 separate courts, and then we had a free flowing organic hour Q and A . We discussed his life in the juniors, particularly the Orange Bowl and how it was the most important tournament in junior tennis. He talked about why cheating wasn't prevalent when he was a junior, and how the Spanish, French, Italians, and Aussies are retaining their elite pros to work with their country's respective juniors.
He then talked in length about his upcoming Australian campaign with Andy Murray, and how he believes Andy is ready to go. He discussed the misconception of American Men's tennis being on a downtick . He talked Zverev, and how the young players are going to win majors.
Recorded Dec 17 at The Royal Palm Tennis Club, Released Dec 25
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38 year old Rajeev Ram became the #1 doubles player in the world in October, the culmination of a tremendous career He collected a national championship in 2003 at The University of Illinois where they went undefeated, and got to 56 in the world in 2016. We discussed his career in length, including how he copied Pete Sampras strokes and how it hurt him. We talked in detail about being left off of this year's Davis Cup Team despite being the highest ranked doubles player in the world.
Recorded 12.19 Released 12.21
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The Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters joined me right before Thanksgiving, and just as Belgium played their first The World Cup game. We had a magnificent chat.
She began her pro career in 1998 and In 2003 at the age of 20 years old she reached #1 in singles and in doubles, She played Graf, Seles and Capriati, and battled Hingis, Davenport, Venus, Serena, and most significantly her fellow countrywoman and childhood rival Justine Henin, and we covered it all. We talked about how she grew up in tennis , her perspectives on today's WTA players including Leylah Fernandez, Iga Swiatek and we talked in lengthy how she identified with the retirement of Ash Barty. Kim and discussed her career in length, and she told me about some of her superstitions in The 10 Ball Scramble.
Recorded 11.23 Released 12.2
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Nicolas Lapentti reached the semis of the 1999 Australian Open and the quarters of Wimbledon in 2002. In 2000 he got to 6 in the world and over the course of his career he posted wins over world #1s Kafelnikov, Moya, Kuerten, Hewitt, and Ferrero. We discussed the machinations of the ATP, as well as his memories of Roger Federer. We talked about the exhibition he promoted with Rafa Nadal and Casper Ruud, and what his impressions are of Carlos Alcaraz. He explains why Alcaraz is better at 19 than Rafa was at 19. He told me about running to be on the ATP Tour Board, and how he believes the Faze 2 part of the Tour's plan to combine the WTA, ITF, and ATP.
We talked about how he got very good, training at The Guayaquil Tenis Club and being named to The Davis Cup Team when he was 15. We talked about what it was like to be a top ten player,and he told me a great story of how he got to the quarters of Wimbledon.
Recorded 11.4 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Released 11.27
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Elite player. Davis Cup Captain. Agent. Broadcaster. Businessman. The Ultimate Dealmaker.
Hall of Famer Donald Dell's life in tennis has been remarkable. The architect of the ATP, the first player agent, he has the distinction of negotiating two of the most significant endorsement deals in history- The Stan Smith Shoe and The Air Jordan shoe, respectively.
We discussed it all, from being a highly ranked junior, to a star at Yale, to a member of RFK's presidential election team, to a broadcaster, Donald and I talked about the prize money improvement at the ATP, the role of the ITF and the new Davis Cup, the origins of appearance fees, and what he thinks about the different agencies in the game.
Recorded 11.18 released 11.27
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Over the course of her incredible life in tennis, Lisa Raymond won 2 NCAA singles titles, led the University of Florida to their first team title, and then got to 15 in the world in singles, posting wins over Venus Williams, Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati, and Martina Hingis. She distinguished herself in doubles, reaching #1 in the world, won 6 majors, as well as another 7 in mixed, and won 79 titles. She is on the ballot for admission into The Tennis Hall of Fame, and is the coach of Allie Kiick.
We had a tremendous chat and covered a lot of topics, as Lisa shared her perspectives on what it takes to be competitive on the WTA Tour, how she got to 15 in the world, why she stopped playing singles, why she likes a plan when it comes to poaching, and talked about some of her favorite moments on tour.
Recorded 10.31 and released 11.4
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Nicole Melichar-Martinez joined me last week on a moist day in San Diego, as she was getting ready to play the semifinal of the San Diego Open. Born in the Czech Republic and raised in Florida, Nicole and I discussed her life in tennis including her connection to Andrey Pavel, we talked about her and partner Ellen Perez's hot streak since the hard court season began, and her perspectives on the current state of the WTA. It was a tremendous chat.
Recorded 10.11 Released 10.20
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With the 2022 tennis season just about finished, Jon Wertheim joined me while on a road trip from Erie, Pennsylvania to Cleveland, Ohio, and we discussed the year in review. We discussed Emma Raducanu, Ons Jabeur, the health of the WTA, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, the retirement of Ash Barty, the emergence of Carlos Alcaraz. We discussed the legal issues facing Nick Kyrgios and Sascha Zverev, as well as the fact the Russians didn't play Wimbledon.
We discussed MTOs and TUEs, and the rumors of the prevalence of Adderall usage on the tour. as well as the genesis of the SI Mailbag.
Recorded 10.11 Released 10.18
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Back by popular demand is the tennis shoe special featuring the great Dr Zach Thomas, the Tennis Shoe expert that forensically studies and dissects all the shoes.
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Recorded October 3 released October 11
Born and raised in Novi Sad in the former Yugoslavia, Petar Popovic has spent his entire life in tennis, first as a player and then most significantly as a coach. We discussed the machinations of pro tennis from the players to the rules to the nuances of the the scoring system. It was a fascinating chat.
Recorded 10.3 and released 10.6
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Day 8 of the US Open, the quarterfinals are in motion and former world #14 Jan Michael Gambill and I discussed it all in a rapid fire staccato. Serena, Coco, Rafa, Raducanu, and of course Kygrios.
Recorded and Released on 11.6.22
In 2016 Stevie Johnson grew up in Orange County and had the most elite career in college tennis history, leading USC to four straight NCAA championships. In 2016 he won his first tour title in Nottingham, got to the round of 16 at Wimbledon, and got to 21 in the world when his father unexpectedly died in his sleep. He had a difficult time for the next couple years.
We discussed his career what he had to do to get back on track, the machinations inside of the ATP, as well as the PTPA. We talked about the new coaching experiment on tour, the Djokovic situation, as well as the prevalence of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) for Adderall that are suspicious.
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'Recorded 9.16 released 9.18
Marion Bartoli grew up in France and blasted her way into pro tennis with a 29 inch racquet and two fists on both wings. She battled her way to the 2007 Wimbledon Final where she lost to Venus Williams, and it wouldn't be until 2013 where she'd break through, becoming one of the only athletes to win a major without dropping a set. Two months later she'd retire.
We discussed her tennis journey, including her battle with anorexia and how Wimbledon helped her into recovery. We also keyed on a lot of today's hot button topics.
Recorded 7.27 Released 8.2
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Sascha Bajin grew up in Munich, Germany and for 8 years, beginning in 2008, was ever present on tour as a member of the Serena Williams team, and he was with Serena as her hitting partner while she won 11 major titles. He was the hitting partner for Vika Azarenka, Caroline Wozniaki, and Sloane Stephens. He rose to coaching prominence prominence as the coach of Naomi Osaka when she blasted on the scene, defeating Serena at the 2018 US Open. He was dismissed immediately after Naomi won the 2019 Australian Open. Since Naomi he has coached Kiki Mladenovic, Dayana Yastremska, and was just dismissed by Karolina Pliskova. We discussed it all.
Recorded 7.20 and Released 7.22
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Scotsman Stuart Duguid joined me late last week to discuss the business of tennis, in particular the business of his clients Naomi Osaka and Nick Kygrios. We talked in length about the split from IMG and the creation of the EVOLVE AGENCY, and what's in store for the future. This is an interesting look at the world of tennis from an agent's lens.
Recorded June 10th, before Naomi pulled out of Wimbledon, released on June 21.
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In 2011 Sam Stosur shocked the tennis world and beat a resurgent Serena Williams in the finals of The US Open. She got to 4 in the world and won 40 tournaments. She joined me from Strasbourg and we discussed her improbable win at the Open in length and how losing the finals of the 2010 French Open made her better, and we covered a wide array of current events.
Recorded May 19 Released May 29
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The 2022 edition of Roland Garros is upon us, and former world #7, Spanish tennis luminary Emilio Sanchez joined me to discuss in depth two of his compatriots that are favorites to win the men's tournament, Carlos Alcaraz and Rafa Nadal, as well as the defending champion Novak Djokovic. We discussed the women in particular Iga Swiatek, as well as world #2, the Spaniard Paula Badosa. Emilio also told a tremendous story about a young woman Fernanda Contreras that he worked with that subsequently qualified for the tournament.
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Recorded 5.19 Released 5.20
Andrea Petkovic has lived an incredible life in tennis and we discussed her career as well as many of the hot button topics of the day, including the health of the WTA, the retirement of Ash Barty, and the plight of Boris Becker. We talked in depth about the machinations that happen when a player is negotiating an injury, and what it is like to be across the net from Angie Kerber, Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams.
Recorded 4.13.22 released 4.15.22
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Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, Alexsandr Dolgopolov got to 13 in the world in 2012, won 3 titles, and made over 7 million dollars in prize money. Nicknamed "The Dog", he was among the flashiest players of his day, and his unique style was a favorite amongst fans. He retired in 2021 and joined me from Kyiv where he is actively assisting the Ukrainian war effort.
Recorded April 8, 2022, released April 9, 2022
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Ben Rothenberg and I sat down today and discussed pro tennis at the Miami Open. We discussed Osaka, Nadal, Zverev, the retirement of Ash Barty and why the Miami Open is great.
Recorded and released 3.25.22
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Jim Courier and I chatted hot button topics from Indian Wells including the war in Ukraine and it's impact on tennis , Darren Cahill's departure from the desert and the on court breakdowns of Anisimova, Osaka, and Azarenka and why Djokovic stayed in the draw right up until the last minute. We talked Opelka and Rafa, and Kygrios. It was a tour de force 20 minute chop up.
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Sergiy Stakhovsky was born in Kyiv and resided in Kharkiv, Ukraine. I 2010 he got to 31 in the world, and in 2013 beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon. On Feb 24th, when Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of his nation he left his family at their home in Hungary, crossed the border into the Ukraine from Slovakia and enlisted in the Ukraine Army and has taken up arms. Sergiy joined me at 3AM KYIV time after his 3rd patrol of the day.
Recorded March 6, Released March 7
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In 2017 screenwriter Zach Baylin embarked on a journey to tell the improbable story of Richard and Oracene Williams' foray into the world of tennis, and how they essentially coached their daughters, Venus and Serena Williams into tennis' prominence. This past week KING RICHARD was nominated for six OSCARS, including best screenplay.
Zach and I discussed in length various aspects of the film- how it was conceived, the process it took to getting made, and the obstacles that they encountered. We discussed Will Smith's performance and what it was like to interact with Venus, Serena, and Oracene in order to tell the proper story.
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recorded 2.9.21 released 2.10.21
Natalia Vikhlyantseva reached a career high of 54 in the world in 2017, and recently made news because she was unable to play in Australia because her SPUTNIK vaccine was not allowed. We discussed this, as well as the Djokovic situation in length.
Born and raised in Volgograd, Russia we discussed her life in tennis, how she was signed by IMG, and how she was invited to train at the Mouratoglou Academy. She told an amazing story of how a month in Australia changed the trajectory of her entire career, and how quickly it can all go away.
Recorded 1.18 released 1.20
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Craig O'Shannessy is credited as being the first coach to utilize analytics to formulate strategies for the professional and recreational game. His "Serve +1 " mantra has become de rigueur in tennis. Craig spent 3 years with Novak Djokovic and he gave his insight on the current situation regarding his participation in the Australian Open as well as his experience being a member of him team.
Craig O'Shannessy discussed in length how analytics factor into the pro game, what he does specifically with regards to Brain Game Tennis and we had a stellar chat.
Recorded 1.12 released 1.13
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, here is your gift from me...
For the first time ever we give you a 2021 year in review, Rennae Stubbs joined me and we covered the year...from Novak's attempt at the Slam to Raducanu winning her first major, the Osaka imbroglio to the rise of Italian men's tennis, and everything in between.
Thank you all for listening and see you in 2022.
Recorded 12.20 released 12.25
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Rick Macci and I discussed what was true and what was false in King Richard, the Will Smith Oscar vehicle that chronicles Richard Williams and his family's tennis journey. We talked in length about the film and then went deep on player development and what he does at the Rick Macci Tennis Academy. Rick has done a lot of press but nobody asked him the tough questions until now.
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Born and raised in Paris, France, Alizé Lim took a most unusual path to the WTA Tour, as her parents insisted on education, so she didn't truly turn pro until she was 20 years old. She spent 7 years on the tour with very little support, and in 2014 got to 135 in the world and appeared in 4 French Open main draws. In 2014 she played Serena Williams in the first round on Court Philippe Chatrier. Her career was marred by injuries and we talked in length about how tough the tour is.
She is now the host of Tennis Channel's new show Academy Life, where she visits and trains at the premier tennis academies in the world. We had a world class chat.
We discussed some of the differences in the academies, as Alizé visited Mourataglou Academy, Nadal Academy, Tipsarevic Academy, and Magnus Norman's Good to Great Academy outside of Stockholm, Sweden.
We talked about the news that Amelie Mauresmo was named tournament director of Roland Garros, replacing Guy Forget and talked about the future of French women's tennis, and Alizè shared that she is actively coaching her boyfriend, basketball great, NBA all star and champion Tony Parker.
Recorded 12/9/21 and released 12/10/21
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Rohan Bopanna has had a action packed and coffee filled life in tennis. We discussed how his family was in the coffee business, and how he was essentially taught tennis by his father, who was self taught. He explained how he was not a good junior, and how he didn't get good until he was 21. He got to 3 in the world and won 19 tournaments over 2 decades. His path to pro tennis should be a Bollywood smash hit, and we discussed this incredible story in length.
Now an elder statesman on tour, we talked about his thriving coffee business, Maverick and Farmer, and how he is the ATP TOUR's defacto coffee guru. Rohan and I discussed the Australian Open's Covid vaccine stance, Davis Cup , and quite a few hot button tennis topics.
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The good doctor with a penchant for tennis, and more specifically, play testing and dissecting tennis shoes- Dr Zach Thomas took an hour out of his schedule to chat with me about all of the latest and greatest-and not so great tennis shoes of the moment. We talked ON Running, Nike Adidas Lotto, Diadora, and even Wilson's newest shoe. Was a great chat.
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Todd Martin left Northwestern University after his sophomore year and got to 4 in the world. He won 8 tournaments and beat Pete Sampras to win Queens Club, and Alberto Berasategui to win Barcelona. He reached the finals of the Australian Open and the US Open and semi'd Wimbledon twice, and we discussed it all. .
Now the head of The Tennis Hall of Fame , we discussed the initiatives the Hall of Fame took to get through the pandemic, and why they believe they have the best grass courts in the USA.
Recorded and released on November 2. The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is powered by Sergio Tacchini.
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Michael Davies' TV credits include Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Wife Swap, The Talking Dead, and most recently, Jeopardy, to name a few. Along with Roger Bennett he is hosts the renowned soccer podcast and tv show, Men in Blazers. He is a tennis man with a unique story , and we had an incredible chat, dipping from entertainment to the fuzzy yellow ball.
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Former World #4, elite coach, and ESPN broadcaster Brad Gilbert and I talked about the passing of Andre Agassi's dad, Mike Agassi. We discussed the US Open in length, including Emma Radacanu, Leylah Fernandez, Novak Djokovic, and Daniil Medvedev. We chatted about casper Ruud, and Botic Van de Zandenschulp. his most interesting times at the BNP Paribas Open.
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South African tennis legend Christo van Rensburg has had an incredible life in tennis. He made his Davis Cup Captaincy debut recently and we discussed his #1 player Lloyd Harris in length. We talked in length about the attributes that make elite players and why he thinks Lloyd is going to rise to the top of the ATP rankings.
A late bloomer, he told me his phenomenal story of learning tennis and becoming a pro tennis player almost as an afterthought, and learned which Hall of Famer is his best friend.
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Mischa Zverev joined me from his apartment in Monte Carlo in advance of his trip to New York for the US Open. We discussed his brother Sascha Zverev's domination of the field on his way to winning Olympic gold, and why he won the tournament. We talked about the proliferation of uber fans in tennis, as well as the myriad of obligations he has now as he is managing Sascha's career.
We discussed his life in tennis, from being an elite junior to moving through the pro ranks, and how he has kept serving and volleying all the way through his career. He talked in length about what it is like to face Roger, Rafa, and Novak, and we discussed what his brother brings to the table and why he can be #1 in the world. He told an incredible story about going into a full body cramp for 7 hours, and discussed prize money inequality on the ATP Tour.
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I rediscovered Meike Babel vis a vis her social media networks, and immediately knew I wanted to interview because I liked her coaching style. I remembered her when she came on the pro tennis scene and she has had an incredible life in tennis. She grew up with tennis pro parents near Frankfurt, Germany, allegedly stole a tennis racquet as an infant, and played her junior tennis primarily in Germany. She played money tournaments and club matches on her way to pro tennis. We had a tremendous chat about her time as a pro player, and how she battled depression on tour. She shared her thoughts on Naomi Osaka's situation and gave her perspectives about Coco Gauff and countrywoman Angie Kerber.
Meike Babel explained how she stopped playing after battling injuries, and ended up coaching college tennis, first at Tulane University and then for 18 years at Vanderbilt University. We talked in length about her time in college tennis, and why she loves college tennis. Now a teaching pro in Denver, Colorado she can be found at meikebabel.com and her youtube channel is a must.
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In 1984 Leif Shiras made front page news across the globe when he upset Ivan Lendl at Queens Club. He rode that wave of notoriety all the way to the final, where he lost to John McEnroe in three sets. He reached 31 in the world, got to the Rd of 16 at Wimbledon, and was a member of the US Davis Cup Teams in 89 and 91 under coach Tom Gorman. He is a longtime broadcaster, currently a fixture on Tennis Channel, and we had a phenomenal chat. We discussed the grass court season thus far, and looked at the Wimbledon draws.
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Former World #4 Brad Gilbert and I broke down the 2021 French Open, now known as Roland Garros. We discussed the Naomi Osaka controversy as well as the recent coaching departures on the WTA TOUR of Sonya Kenin, Caro Garcia, and Jen Brady. We looked at the draws, and discussed them in a fun and interesting fashion.
Recorded and Released 5.28.21
Zina Garrison has been thru the fire, growing up in Houston, Texas she rose to become the #1 junior player in the world, and in her first pro tournament reched the quarterfinals of Roland Garros. She won 14 tournaments and in 1990 beat Seles and Graf on her way to the Wimbledon final. She and I had a tour de force chat, discussing her bout with depression at the start of the pandemic, her impressions of Aryna Sabalenka, as well as the the majority of African American players on tour; Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Coco Gauff, and of course Venus and Serena Williams.
We discussed Zina's career in length, including her struggles to get an endorsement deal when she was 4 in the world. We discussed her lifelong battle with bulimia, and her experience as Fed Cup Captain.
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Recorded 5/6 Released 5/8
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Tom Gullikson is synonymous with American tennis, throughout the 80's he and his twin brother Tim were mainstays on the ATP TOUR, winning 10 doubles titles and reached the finals of Wimbledon. Tom got to 34 in the world and after his playing career was over became one of the most significant coaches in tennis. He was one of the original National Coaches in the first USTA Player Development Program back in 1988 and was Davis Cup Captain for 6 years, from 1994-1999, winning the Cup in Russia in 1995. He was the Men’s Olympic Tennis Coach in 1996, guiding Andre Agassi to the Gold Medal 🥇 in singles.
Recorded 4.21, released 4.22
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Dave Fish has lived an extraordinary life in tennis and squash, first as a player at Harvard University, and then as their coach, a post he held for 42 years. Fish was a two-time first team All-America and All-Ivy selection during his tenure on the squash team, he helped lead the men's squash team to three national titles, and the men's tennis team to an Ivy League championship in 1970.
As a coach he won 21 Ivy League titles and coached former world #4, James Blake. We had a very interesting chat about his career, his perceptions of college tennis, and his previous involvement at the inception of the UTR.
Recorded 3/29/21, released 4/6/21
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The pride of The Bahamas, Mark Knowles joined me from his home in Dallas, Texas, where he had damage to his home due to the polar vortex, Mark grew up at Bolletierri's with Agassi and Courier, and he shared that experience, and explained why he chose to go to UCLA. He discussed his struggles in singles, and what it was like to deal with extreme pressure. He talked about his successful doubles partnership with Daniel Nestor, and how he was able to make The Bahamas a destination for elite players to train in the offseason.
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Recorded 3/10 Released 3/15
Xavier Malisse has lived an unreal life in tennis, and we discussed how he came from humble beginnings in Ghent, Belgium to the pivotal moment when he was signed by IMG and brought to the Bolletierri Academy. He discussed how he was urged by Nick to not play The Orange Bowl and practice with all the biggest pros in the world. He talked about his great moments on tour, including beating Richard Krajicek in the quarterfinals of 2002 Wimbledon , 9-7 in the 5th.
We discussed both the men's and women's sides of The Australian Open and he shared his thoughts on Padel Tennis.
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Recorded 2/23 Released 3/2
The greatest doubles team to ever play, the recently retired Bob and Mike Bryan talked in length about what they are doing to stay busy, and what their perceptions of The Australian Open were.
We had a tour de force conversation about their career, and I learned who their most difficult opponent was, as well as some of the most fun they had spending their prize money.
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Recorded Feb13, released Feb 21
Happy Valentines Day. Don't forget, Love Means Zero.
He blasted onto the tennis scene when he reached the finals of the 1986 French Open, but that's just a small part of his story. Mikael Pernfors path from Malmo, Sweden to 10 in the world is one of the most incredible stories in tennis. We discussed his unusual path extensively, and his perspectives on present day tennis.
Recorded 2/8, Released 2/14
Elena Bovina has had a very full and interesting life in tennis. She learned the game in Casablanca, Morocco, where her dad was a diplomat, and then honed her skills in Russia, until at the age of 14 was signed by IMG and brought to the United States. She trained with Bolletierri, and from 2003-2005 was a top 20 player.
We discussed her new ventures in tennis, her career in length, and her thoughts about this year's Australian Open.
Recorded Feb 6, Released Feb 9
Jaime Cortes played in 11 Davis Cup ties for Colombia, got to 200 in the world, and his story of how he came to be a professional tennis player is absolutely amazing. Now a high performance coach, Jaime most recently was in the Amanda Anisimova camp, and vis a vis his academy works with many players. We had a really fun chat about his unusual journey through tennis, his thoughts on Colombian tennis, and what his time with Anisimova was like.
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Recorded Januray 5, released January 29
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As part of our tastemaker series Adrian Bartos, known to most as DJ Stretch Armstrong joined me this week from his home in the storied Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Born and raised in New York City, Stretch explained what it was like to grow up in Manhattan, and how he got into both tennis and Hip Hop. We had an unbelievable chat about the state of affairs in New York City and how his radio show proved to be the most famous in the history of Hip Hop. We discussed a lot of different topics, moving around the spectrum of fashion, music, politics, and of course tennis. It was a tremendous chat.
Recorded January 15, released on January 18
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Manuela Maleeva is the first athlete, in any sport, from Bulgaria to have ever earned prize money and she told an incredible and unlikely story of what it was like to come from behind the Iron Curtain in the 80's and make it on the professional tennis tour. She got to 3 in the world and won 19 tournaments, in a career that spanned over a decade in which she was in the top 10 throughout.
We talked in length about her political involvement in Bulgaria, her involvement in tennis with her mom and sisters at the Maleeva Club in Sofia, and what it has been like to see Grigor Dimitrov excel.
For the past 25 years Christopher Clarey has covered professional tennis for The New York Times. He has attended 90 Majors, and
in 2018 received the Eugene L. Scott Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame for his significant contribution to the tennis world.
We covered all of the hot button topics that 2020 brought, beginning at the Australian Open, we moved deftly into the news of the Indian Wells cancellation, discussed the US Open and Roland Garros, all the while moving and grooving our way around the tennis landscape.
Chris and I discussed how he became a sportswriter and provided some insight into what it's like to do the job.
He also shared with me his latest project, a book chronicling the career of Roger Federer.
Recorded Dec 11, Released Dec 22
Tracy Austin was born and raised in Rolling Hills Estates California and in 1977 at the age of 14 she reached the Quarterfinals of the US Open. In 1979 she beat Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert to win the US Open, in 1980 she got to # 1 in the world, and at the 1981 US Open she defeated Martina in the final. She was inducted into the Hall of fame in 1992.
We discussed the uncertain tennis calendar moving into 2021 and the need to stay nimble, we moved through the year and Tracy shared her impressions of tennis in 2020, including Kenin's defeat of Mugaruza in Australia, Naomi Osaka's domination of the US Open as well as the nervous final between Thiem and Zverev, and Iga Swiatek's win in Paris.
We covered her career in length discussing what it was like to grow up in a tennis family where 4 of the 5 kids turned pro, and the importance of Tracy's mom to her career. We talked about the groundstroke guru Robert Lansdorp and her US Open wins. Now a broadcaster for Tennis Channel she explained how she became a broadcaster and the importance of the great Bud Collins to her career.
Recorded on Dec 7 and Released on her birthday Dec 12.
Happy Birthday Tracy Austin.
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Dr Zach Thomas is a former college player, a teaching pro and is now a podiatrist and board certified foot and ankle surgeon. He play-tests and slices tennis shoes in half, and posts his assessments on his youtube channel, The Tennis Pro Doc. We had a tremendous chat, discussing in depth NIKE ADIDAS, ASICS, FILA, NEW BALANCE, DIADORA, and virtually every tennis shoe there is. We discussed, socks, orthotics, and injuries such as Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendonosis.
See more of Zach's reviews here.
See my tennis racquet special featuring Roman Prokes here
Happy Thanksgiving and have a tremendous listen to this swashbuckling story of pre Islamic Revolution Tehran, gambling hijinks on the Cote D'Azur, wild international flare, and tremendous athletic achievement courtesy of tennis' greatest showman, the singular Mansour Bahrami. This episode is a tennis version of a James Bond film.
Recorded 10/26 Released 11/25
In 1996 when he was 20 years old, Mark Philippoussis blasted onto the tennis scene at The Australian Open, when he destroyed Pete Sampras in the 3rd round. He got to 8 in the world, reached 2 major finals, and helped lead Australia to 2 Davis Cup wins.
Mark and I talked in length about his frustrations re the pandemic restrictions in Melbourne, we talked about Stefanos Tsitsipas and his incredible potential. We talked about Nick Kyrios and Mark his shared his views of the Aussie media. We talked about the French Open Final and how rough Rafa is. We talked about Iga Swiatek and how women's tennis is on the move.
We talked about the good times and the bad times re his career, and how he came up after being blackballed as a junior by Aussie tennis, how a Fila deal jumpstarted his pro career and how you can't live in South Beach if you wanna be good. It was an awesome chat.
Recorded 10/14, Released 11/15
Jelena Dokic has lived an incredible life in tennis. After fleeing her native Croatia due to the Balkan conflict and blessed with prodigious talent, she immigrated to Australia, and in 1999 as a 16 year old, logged one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon history, beating Martina Hingis in the first round. She rocketed onto the tennis scene as a result but her entire career was marred by her omnipresent and out of control father, Damir.
In 2018 she released her autobiography UNBREAKABLE, and chronicled years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of her father. She is now a motivational speaker and broadcaster for Australia's Channel 9 tennis coverage.
Recorded 10/14 Released 10/26
The Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl joined me for a tremendous chat, where we discussed men's tennis in length including breaking down the Rafa Nadal performance at Roland Garros. We talked about the players that he thinks could win majors moving forward, and how Iga Swiatek's doubles helped her win Roland Garros. We talked in length about Ivan's career, from his time as a junior in Czechoslovakia to the moment his topspin backhand became a reliable shot, to his domination of tennis in the mid 80's. We discussed the specs of his famous Adidas racquet and the origins of the iconic Argyle shirt.
Recorded 10/20, released 10/21.
Emilio Sanchez reached 7 in the world and won 15 tournaments. He won 15 tournaments and after he retired captained the winning 2008 Spanish Davis Cup Team. His tennis academy has produced world champions including Andy Murray, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Grigor Dimitrov. We discussed the Rafa Nadal domination of Novak Djokovic in the French Open final, talked about the incredible success of player development in Spain, and why he believes the United States player development is faltering. We talked about his sister, the great Arantxa Sanchez- Vicario, and her re-emergence onto the tennis scene after dealing with personal adversity.
Recorded 10/13 Release 10/14
Rennae Stubbs joined me for a phenomenal chat where we talked about her trip to Washington DC to pay tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we chopped up the French Open in length and discussed her firsthand experience of the Jelena Dokic situation. We talked about the new players association created by Novak Djokovic, and why Best of Five sets is obsolete.
Recorded 9/27, Released 9/29
4 time Major Champion and former world #1 Jim Courier joined me from his home just one day after the 2020 US Open concluded. We discussed the tournament in length, covering Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Sascha Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, and Novak Djokovic. We talked about JJ Wolf, Katrina Scott and the mysterious David Kass operation, as well as the new players association initiative. Recorded and released 9/14/20
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16 year old Katrina Scott received a wildcard into The 2020 US Open and made the most of it, winning her first round match and then playing the 22 seed Amanda Anisimova very tough. We discussed her US Open experience in length and learned about her unique path to becoming a pro on the WTA Tour. Recorded and released 9/4/20.
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Joel Drucker has written about tennis for the New York Times, Racquet Magazine, and the late great Tennis Week Magazine. Joel joined me to discuss the Osaka boycott, the Novak Djokovic led formation of a new players union, and we discussed the 2020 US Open. We talked about how Joel got his start in tennis in part due to a chance interview with Jimmy Connors , and we talked in length about 2 of his latest pieces he wrote for Racquet Magazine. Recorded 8/29 released 8/31.
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Wayne Ferreira blasted onto the tennis scene in 1989, and was front and center as one of his country's best athletes as Apartheid was dismantled and South African athletes were once again permitted to compete on the world stage. Over the course of his 16 year career he beat Borg, Lendl, McEnroe, Sampras, and Federer. He won 15 titles and got to 6 in the world. We had a phenomenal chat.
Now Francis Tiafoe's coach, Wayne joined me from inside the bubble. Recorded and released on 8/20/20.
Roman Prokes of RPNY joins me to discuss everything from racquets to strings to grips, as this is a special edition, it's the Summer Tennis Technology special.
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A phenomenal chat with New Englander Tim Mayotte, as he joined me from his academy in Concord, Massachusetts and we talked about his perspectives on the state of affairs in the United States, re tennis and politically, and he shared some super cool stories about turning pro, and what the vibe was like in the early 80's when Lendl, McEnroe, and Connors were all tying to kill each other.
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The chain smoking German tennis executive/coach/manager Dirk Hordorff joined me to discuss many different subjects. He explained what the political climate and pandemic response has been like in Germany, he shared his perspectives on a potential WTA/ATP merger and all the exhibition tennis, and he told me a great story of how he bankrolled Novak Djokovic at the beginning of his career.
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Murphy Jensen discusses growing up in tennis in Michigan, what it was like to see his brother's success as a junior, and he talked about how his life changed when he and Luke won the French Open. Murphy talked extensively about his struggle with addiction, and his new venture that helps people fight the very same demons he faced.
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Janko Tipsarevic joined me from Belgrade, Serbia, and we discussed in length the fallout from Adria Tour, Novak Djokovic, and the fallout. We talked about how he thinks Novak is treated by the media. We talked about his opinions of the US Open going forward, and why he thinks tennis is being run completely wrong. We discussed his career and the importance of Dirk Hordorf to his career.
Recorded on 6/30/20
With the tennis news cycle on overdrive, Caitlin Thompson, the publisher of tennis' most important magazine, Racquet Magazine, joined me to discuss current events. We talked Novak, Stans, Covid, Osaka, Coco Gauff, UTS, and a slew of other high octane topics.
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Brad Gilbert joined me to discuss the pandemic, the stock market, the protests against police violence, tennis players Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, and Francis Tiafoe whom have taken a meaningful stance. We discussed new beginnings in tennis, talked about Agassi, Roddick, and Murray, and what a merger in tennis could look like. (recorded June 11)
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Gil Reyes is amongst the most well know people in tennis that cannot hit a ball, as he was next to Andre Agassi for his entire career. Now as high performance trainer, we discussed his current player Genie Bouchard, we talked about how he came up in East LA, learned his craft at UNLV, and what it was like to be with Andre throughout his career.
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Bruno Soares shared with me one of the coolest stories I've heard, about his unusual childhood and his even more unusual path to doubles success. We discussed what it's like in Brazil during the pandemic, the importance of Guga to Brazilian tennis, what a merger in tennis could look like, and we talked about how great doubles should be played.
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The flashy Frenchman Fabrice Santoro joined Craig to discuss the current status of French tennis, his perspectives on the Corona Virus lockdown, and we had a cool chat about his career. Fabrice joined me from his flat just a few minutes away from Roland Garros.
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The tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg discussed tennis in the time of the pandemic, caught up on current events involving Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, and he discussed his career. He explained what it is like to be a writer for The New York Times on the tennis circuit, and shared his thoughts on the prospects for a ATP/WTA merger.
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Andres Gomez joined me via Skype from his home in Guayaquil, Ecuador. We discussed his incredible career, from joining legendary coach Harry Hopman in Florida to winning the French Open by beating Agassi in 1990.
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Barbora Strycova joined me from her home in Prague, Czech Republic. We discussed her new podcast U Baru, and she discussed her conversation with the hockey great Jaromir Jagr. She shared her thoughts on a potential WTA/ATP merger, and we had a tremendous chat about her career, from juniors to 2020. She talked extensively about Hsieh Su-Wei and how important she was to her success in singles at Wimbledon in 2019.
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The great Yevgeny Kafelnikov joined me from his flat in Moscow, where we discussed the lockdown, discussed his vision for tennis moving on, and we talked in length about his French Open run in 1996.
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Patrick McEnroe and I discussed his experience after testing positive for COVID-19, his thoughts on tennis going forward, and had a great chat about his career.
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The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is the tour de force of tennis interviews, where tennis insider Craig Shapiro speaks with the most interesting people in the sport.
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The great Goran Ivanisevic joined me to discuss how he his handling the lockdown, his thoughts about tennis moving forward, and we had a great chat about his career.
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