Waikiki Cup Tennis is Life: Recent Episodes
Waikiki Cup
Interviews with the biggest names in tennis. Join us each week as we talk tennis, Life outside the lines. Tennis offers itself as many things to many people …be it a Pursuit, a Pastime, perhaps a Profession. Unquestionably … it is a Passion. Tennis. Is. Life. "Tennis Is Life” is where those who live & breathe the game engage in expansive conversation about every aspect of the game. The sport’s real players, both on & off the court, whether they toil under the glare of the spotlight, or labor intently just beyond it. Impactful people … making things happen, be it past, present or future. If you are a believer … then you have found your home. Tennis Is Life.The Waikiki Cup is a three-day men’s and women’s professional tennis tournament held in beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii. This year’s event will be held December 16-18 at Fort DeRussy Beach Park, outdoors next to the world-famous Waikiki Beach.2022 brings several big changes since the last tournament in 2019, including a name change from the Hawaii Open to the Waikiki Cup to better reflect the current invitational-style tournament.The Waikiki Cup (formerly the Hawaii Open) began in 2016 as a WTA 125k tournament with a 32-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw. The 2016 and 2017 tournaments were located outdoors at the Central Oʻahu Regional Park.Thanks to the strong support of the community in Hawaii and beyond, the tournament added a men’s singles tournament for the first time in 2018 and moved the tournament indoors to the Blaisdell Arena. 2019’s tournament was held indoors at the Stan Sheriff Center.Due to the pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 Hawaii Open tournaments were postponed. 2022 has the Waikiki Cup moving back to the great outdoors and excited to take full advantage of Hawaii’s famous December weather. The Waikiki Cup currently serves as an internationally televised event to kick off the new tournament season, bringing together the Hawaiian community and attracting fans from around the world to celebrate great tennis. The Waikiki Cup is broadcast LIVE on Tennis Channel in North America and on many networks around the world. Unique to the Waikiki Cup, player coaches will be mic’ed up, seated on-court, and fully permitted to coach during matches.Join us this December for the Waikiki Cup, held for the first time ever outdoors near Waikiki Beach!
Lisa Stone is the founder of ParentingAces, an invaluable resource for parents to help guide them (and their children!) through the complex world of junior tennis here in the US. When she's not writing, you'll find Lisa at the tennis court, either as a player, fan or an organizer
Originally from Scotland, I moved to the Bay Area when I was eight. A graduate of San Diego State University with a BS in Business emphasis Marketing and more recently UC San Diego certified in digital marketing. I have lived all over San Diego starting in La Costa, Point Loma, Solana Beach, Coronado, Rancho Santa Fe and currently in Del Mar. I fell in love with San Diego and its athletic lifestyle. Tennis, mountain biking, hiking, sailing, horse back riding and paddle boarding, with San Diego’s terrific climate at least one of these can be done year round.
I was a VP in Private and Business banking and have owned and managed investment properties in Coronado for over ten years. I have boundless energy and thoroughly enjoy helping people find a home that is the right one for them. I have successfully represented both buyers and sellers in Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla and Coronado closing over $37 million in sales over the past three years not including rentals and leases. I help in all aspects of the home selling and buying process including providing clients experienced trades people to ready their home. This ensures my clients get the best possible price and home.
I have two adult children who are thriving in Austin, Texas and the other near Los Angeles. We are avid travelers and enjoy experiencing other cultures and learning quite a bit in the process.
RKT GROUP, INC.RKT Group, Inc. was created by Ryan Redondo, Erik Kortland, and Khuong Tien in 2021. Our vision is to promote an innovative and holistic approach to the tennis and racket sport industry. We support and create a space for our clients to provide lucrative business models, strengthened community development, and the tools to be on the cutting edge of processes and systems within the industry. Our services include organizational strategy and structuring, club/center management, on and off court program development, 1 on 1 coaching and mentoring, tournament planning, fundraising and development strategy and planning, and more.
https://www.rkt3.com/
Brian Teacher,
1980 Australian Open Champion
Pro Tennis Coach
Hall of Fame inductee
Teacher was born in San Diego, California. He attended Crawford High School in San Diego, graduating in 1972. He later lived in Beverly Hills, California.
He later studied for his MBA at the USC Marshall School of Business.
Tennis career
Junior, high school, and college
Teacher won a CIF singles title in 1972 while at Crawford High School.[8]
In 1972, he won the boys' 18 singles and doubles titles.[9] At the University of California-Los Angeles, where he studied economics, he won the Pacific-8 singles and doubles championship in 1974, was an All-American from 1973–76, and was a member of the UCLA teams that won the NCAA championship in 1975 and 1976.[7]
Professional career
He reached the finals in the South Australian and New South Wales Opens in 1977. In 1978, at the Seiko World Super Tennis Tournament in Tokyo, Teacher upset UCLA graduates Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe before losing in the final to Björn Borg 6–3, 6–4.[10]
In 1980, he won the Australian Open, becoming the second Jewish player to win a men's Grand Slam Singles event (after Dick Savitt).[1] He won the final over Kim Warwick of Australia in straight sets.[11][12] With his Grand Slam victory, Teacher is one of only five American male players in the Open era to have won a single Grand Slam event (along with Michael Chang, Vitas Gerulaitis, Andy Roddick, and Roscoe Tanner). Seven more Americans have more than one Slam (Stan Smith, Arthur Ashe, Jim Courier, Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, and
Jill N. Craybas
(born July 4,) is an American former professional tennis player.
From the 2000 US Open to the 2011 US Open, Craybas competed in 45 consecutive Grand Slam main draws; her best result coming in the 2005 Wimbledon Championships where she reached the fourth round, which included wins over Marion Bartoli and Serena Williams. By the time she retired in 2013, she was one of the oldest players on the WTA Tour at 39 years of age, as well as the longest serving, having turned pro in 1996.
Craybas was born in Providence, Rhode Island.
She received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where she played for coach Andy Brandi's Florida Gators women's tennis team in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and Southeastern Conference (SEC) competition from 1993 to 1996. As a senior, she won the 1996 NCAA women's singles tennis championship. She was the 1995–96 recipient of the Honda Sports Award for Tennis, recognizing her as the outstanding collegiate female tennis player of the year.
Craybas graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications in 1996, and has said in interviews that she hopes to enter film or television production when her playing career ends. She was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2008.
Coached by Dieter Kindlmann.
Likes to be known as ‘CiCi'... Born in San Francisco and resides in Atherton, CA... Was home schooled and is an only child... Turned professional after 2016 US Open, forgoing the opportunity to attend Stanford University on a tennis scholarship... Bellis was ranked the No.1 junior tennis player in the world in September 2014, and was declared 2014 ITF Junior World Champion... As part of a US Tennis Association mentoring program, talks on the phone a couple of times a week with 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert.
Career Highlights
ADDITIONAL
WTA 125K Series Titles - Singles (1): 2016 Honolulu.
Career in Review
2019 - Reached QF in her sole tournament, at WTA 125K Series event in Houston.
2018 - QF at Doha (l. to Halep); reached 2r four times; fell 1r once (Australian Open); did not play after Miami due to injury; had four surgeries in June, September, November and March of 2019 on her right arm and elbow.
2017 - Broke into the Top 50 for the first time in her career in 2017, finishing as the No.6 American…Ended the year at No.47 but posted a career-high singles ranking of No.35 on August 14, 2017…Youngest player in the Top 50 and one of four teenagers inside the Top 100…Reached first two tour-level semifinals, at Mallorca (l. Goerges) and Stanford (l. Vandeweghe)…Became third American since turn of 21st century to reach 3r at Roland Garros (also Harkleroad, 2003, and Townsend, 2014) before turning 19 years old…Registered first-career Top 10 win over No.6 A.Radwanska in Dubai, becoming youngest player to do so since 2014 US Open (Bencic d. No.7 Kerber) and first American to do so since 2009 Wimbledon (Oudin d. No.6 Jankovic)…Awarded 2017 Newcomer of the Year (international media vote).
2016 - Debut Top 100 season (finished ranked No.90); reached QF twice at Stanford (l. to V.Williams) in career-first QF and Quebec City (l. to Boserup); achieved best Grand Slam result to date by reaching 3r at US Open (as qualifier, l. to eventual champion Kerber); fell in 1r at Miami (l. to Puig); won title at WTA $125 Series event at Honolulu (d. Zhang in F); 2r exit at WTA $125K Series - San Antonio; won two ITF singles titles.