The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast

High Performance Coach and Broadcaster Craig Kardon Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 20:41:35 GMT

Craig Kardon has lived an amazing life in tennis. He popped up onto the scene in 1990 when he was with Martina Navratilova when she won Wimbledon and parlayed that gig into a 30 year career. He coached the Hall of Famers Davenport, Raymond, and Pierce, as well as Xavier Malisse and Coco Vandeweghe. He is now a behind the scenes mover and shaker as well as a broadcaster on Tennis Channel.

We had a fun and action packed chat, covering everything from the quality of the Sunshine Double tournaments to the resurgence of Daniil Medvedev. He talked about his time with Martina, how Billie Jean King impacted his coaching style. Craig was cool and he imparted a lot of interesting knowledge throughout the chat.

Recorded 3.21 Released 3.23

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Hailey Baptiste Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:59:29 GMT

Hailey Baptiste is 24 years old and the world #42. Fresh off of a month in Australia followed by making her first semi in Abu Dhabi, she joined me from her apartment in Delray Beach, just days before she is to leave for Palm Desert.

We ran thru the 5 set format with big time swagger. We discussed her surprise dismissal of her coach, the quality of her tennis to start the season, and then hit all of the hot button topics of the day- the difficulty of the schedule, the Destiny Aiava retirement memo, and the return of the Williams sisters to name a few. Hailey was extremely forthcoming and painted a fascinating picture of what her life is like on tour.

Recorded 2.24 Released 2.26

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Tennis Scribe Ben Rothenberg of BOUNCES Breaks Down the Australian Open with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 07:46:51 GMT

The Washingtonian scribe Ben Rothenberg filed over 20 stories from Australia over the course of his 3 weeks in the media center at Melbourne Park. He got home a day or 2 ago and joined me for a banger hour of power chat about the 2026 Australian Open. We discussed :

the demise of the Washington Post

the joy of going to Australia in January

the one point slam

the Turkish and Filipino Diaspora Phenomenon

Fonseca and so many others not ready to play

Fils returns after the major, odd.

Impressions of the Wawrinka swan song

Monfils

Svitolina

Anisimova

Jovic's great run, beat paolini

Zverev loses to Carlitos

Novak beats Sinner

Rybakina's redemption and domination.

Osaka drama

Serena

PTPA

All in all, a successful kickoff to the season

Recorded and Released on 2.5.26

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Matt Futterman of The Athletic Talks Tennis Business with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 23:27:28 GMT

Matt Futterman from The New York Times and I sat down and chopped it up right outside of the media centre on the grounds at The Australian Open, and we discussed all of the hot button topics dominating pro tennis- The PTPA antitrust lawsuit and the Tennis Australia settlement, Craig Tiley's imminent move to run the USTA, the college players shining in Australia, the Saudi tournament coming down the pipe, and a whole lot more. Matt has a book coming out in August titled " The Cruelest Game: Chasing Greatness in Professional Tennis" and we discussed the brass tacks of this project. It was an awesome chat.

Recorded 1.26 Released 1.27

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German High Performance Coach Torben Beltz Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 23:08:13 GMT

Torben Beltz and I have been floating around each other for a lot of years. He made his bones on the Angie Kerber bag, taking her to #1 in the world in 2016. He has coached Raducanu, Vekic, and Anette Konteveit. He is now the head of the women for the German federation and he and I met on the rood at Rod Laver Arena and Torben gave a masterclass in professional coaching. It was an awesome chat and a perfect begining to the 2026 season.

Recorded 1.24 Released 1.25

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Claudio Pistolesi Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 05:19:17 GMT

Claudio Pistolesi was one of the names that always caught my eye when I would read the rankings on the back page of Tennis Week Magazine- something about that name- PISTOLESI- and we spoke for the first time just a few days ago and the conversation did not disappoint. Claudio has lived an incredible life in tennis.

The best junior in the world in 1985 armed with a big Fila contract brokered by the legendary Italian dealmaker Cino Marchese, Claudio had a robust career on tour, and after a decade in the top 100 he became Monica Seles' hitting partner, then segued into having an elite coaching career.

He is now in charge of the JTCC Satellite in Jacksonville, Florida, and has a new book out. We discussed all of the hot button topics of the day including the Ferrero-Alcaraz breakup, the problem with the schedule, and the diminishing of the smaller tournaments.

Recorded 12.19 Released 12.22

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Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic Discusses the 2025 Season with Craig Shapiro

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 19:19:59 GMT

Charlie Eccleshare has distinguished himself as one of the omnipresent and respected full time tennis writers on the globe, thriving as the sheer numbers of the like have dwindled. He files stories for The New York Times sports arm- The Athletic, on a weekly basis, and is a regular voice on the always great The Tennis Podcast as well.

Charlie joined me from London and we spent an hour recapping the season, moving smoothly from the Murray-Djokovic partnership to the rise of Fonseca to the beautiful on court speech given by Anisimova at Wimbledon. We discussed all of the hot button topics of the day including scheduling, Saudi Arabia, and the trials and tribulations of Aryna Sabalenka.

It was a tremendous chat.

Recorded 11.28 Released 11.29

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Caty McNally Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:44:46 GMT

After an elite junior career Caty McNally blasted onto the pro tennis scene in 2019, where she played Serena Williams tough in the 2nd round night session at the US Open. With an extremely versatile game she rose steadily in the rankings, got to 54 in the spring of 2023 before elbow pain became a major problem, culminating with surgery in 2024.

Now 24 years old today she has grinded back into the main draws of all the tournaments winning Newport, RI after playing Iga Swiatek tough on centre court at Wimbledon. She is now the world #81 and poised to make some noise in 2026.

Caty was remarkably forthcoming in our conversation, we discussed all of the hot button topics of the day, and she painted a very interesting picture of what life for a young American on tour is like. It was an awesome chat.

Recorded 11.19 and Released 11.20

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Dan Evans Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 13:03:10 GMT

Almost 2 years ago to the day Dan Evans and I chatted via Zoom- I was in New York, he in Stockholm. He was ranked around 35 in the world, getting ready to play the Swedish Open. That summer he won Washington, got to a career high 21, and had dazzled the tennis community with his play against Carlitos Alcaraz at the US Open and then again in China.

Since that moment he has faced multiple injuries, incredibly difficult draws, and the mere reality of the pro tennis tour, where week in and week out every player, on any given day, is a threat. But he's also had incredible moments mixed into this challenging stretch including a remarkably fun ride in the Paris Olympics with Andy Murray, an epic win in the longest match in US Open history, and just this past grass court season, wins over Tiafoe and Tommy Paul in consecutive weeks. Dan and I had an earnest chat, and he pulled no punches.

By going back in time we hit many of the tour's water cooler topics; the quality of this generation, ball quality, surface speeds and the absolute lack of stylistic variety amongst his peers.

Recorded 10.14 Released 10.16

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2025 US Open Mega Special With Brad Gilbert

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 02:17:44 GMT

We kick off the 12th Season at our nation's major with the prolific coach and broadcaster, the singular Brad Gilbert. We talked about the tournament in full effect, and there is nothing like it.

Recorded and released 9.4

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Nenad Zimonjic Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 13:49:31 GMT

Nenad Zimonjic was summoned to the Djokovic camp before Monte Carlo in 2024, and was on his bag when he won his Olympic gold in Paris, but that's just a portion of Nenad's incredible story.

Born and raised in Belgrade, Nenad was saddled with a worthless passport because of war, that hindered his pro tennis career considerably. He persevered, and became the best doubles player in the world winning 8 majors and 54 tournaments, a Serbian Davis Cupper, a mentor to the younger Serbs Djokovic and Tipsarevic, and all in all lived an incredible life in tennis.

Nenad and I chatted shortly after Novak defeated Alex de Minaur at Wimbledon, and it was a tremendous chat.

Recorded 7.7 Released 7. 21

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Tatiana Golovin Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 12:54:15 GMT

Tatiana Golovin's pro tennis trajectory was similar to The Flight of Icarus, she flew to just outside of the top 10, in 2006 reached the quarters of The US Open, and then retired abruptly due to a debilitating back condition, but that was just the end of the story. Tatiana has lived an incredible life in tennis. Born in Russia, raised in France- she was a Bolletierri kid and came up there with Sharapova, and we talked about her time there with Nick. She turned pro super young, and she told incredible stories of being coached by Brad Gilbert back in his coaching heyday.

We discussed player burnout and social media, we talked about Sabalenka and Anisimova and Andreeva and Iga. We discussed how and why many Russians find their way to France.

We loved every second of our chat with Tatiana in the Media Lounge at the AELTC and we hope you enjoy it.

Recorded 7.7 Released 7.13

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Natalie Dechy Talks Tennis From Wimbledon with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 10:18:04 GMT

Natalie Dechy was born in Guadalupe, grew up in France, got to 11 in then world in 2006 and was a top 20 player for the better part of the 2000s, and along with Amelie Mauresmo was a prominent cog in the French tennis machine. She won the US Open doubles twice and is now an executive with the French Tennis Federation, and she was fascinating to talk with, as Natalie joined me in the media lounge at Wimbledon just a couple days ago.

Recorded July 6 Released July 8

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Czech Iron Man Tomas Smid Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 08:14:18 GMT

Good Day My Friends and welcome to the Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast, todays show is brought to you by Golden Ticket Tennis, the experiential tennis events company. This past December The Golden Ticket hosted a fantasy camp featuring the opportunity to play on The Madison Square Garden Floor with Carlos Alcaraz, a holiday party at the singular Sheats Goldstein Residence in Beverly Hills, and just hosted 16 people in Rome for a series of dinners, exclusive practices, and courtside seats to The Italian Open. See them at goldentickettennis.com and our Instagram page @Goldentickettennis

Today’s guest grew up in Pilsen Czecoslovakia, and over the course of his 15 year career he won 10 tournaments and got to 11 in the world posting wins over Mats Wilander, Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker to name a few.In doubles he won a staggering 54 tournaments and in 1980 with Ivan Lendl won the Davis Cup defeating Argentine in the semis and Italy in the finals. The great c player Tomas Smid is todays guest

Huge thank you to Tomas Smid and thank you to The Golden Ticket. Be on the lookout for their full slate of super cool tennis programming for the connoisseur.

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Patrick McEnroe Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 04:03:49 GMT

Patrick McEnroe took a break from packing for Wimbledon and joined me for 40 minutes and we discussed all of the hot button topics in tennis and how they pertain to Wimbledon. We talked Alcaraz Sinner top to bottom, Coco Gauff top to bottom and the brutal conditions during the women's final. We discussed this evolution of tennis and what it means for the field. Patrick discussed modern technique and how that pertains to the child development. We talked plainly about legalized coaching and it was an interesting chat. Patrick declared "The Saudis are Coming" and shared his perspectives on that controversial subject matter.

We dug deep and Patrick shared some interesting anecdotes, conversations and observations that we haven't heard before.

Recorded and Released 6.25

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Sam Querrey Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 23:38:48 GMT

When Sam Querrey chatted at The Hotel Molitor the day before Roland Garros was about to begin he was getting ready to begin a 2 week excursion into uncharted waters-TNT's inaugural broadcast of The French Open.

Two weeks later Rafa had been properly honored, Coco Gauff had won 7 matches, and Carlitos and Jannik had played arguably the greatest match in tennis history.

Sam and I discussed the French in length, previewed Wimbledon a little, and busted thru the 5 set format discussing all of the hot button topics of the day- and it was a great chat.

Recorded 6.19 Released 6.21

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Christopher Clarey Talks Rafa Nadal with Craig Shapiro

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 06:33:23 GMT

Christopher Clarey and I sat down in the restaurant on the 2nd floor of Chatrier and discussed his book, The Warrior- a tour de force biography of Rafa Nadal. It was a fascinating chat about Rafa, Roland Garros, and the creative process. Class is in session!

Recorded 6.2 Released 6.4

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Ubaldo Scanagatta Talks Italian Open with Craig Shapiro

Sun, 18 May 2025 05:47:01 GMT

Ubaldo Scanagatta joined me in a room in the auxiliary press building at The Foro Italico just an hour before the women's final to discuss a wide array of topics all pertaining to this unbelievable moment in Italian tennis. It was an enlightening and fascinating chat, as we discussed Paolini and Sinner in length , as well as the entire roster of elite Tenistas.

Recorded 5.17 Released 5.18

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The Colombian Star Camila Osorio Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 12 May 2025 07:36:53 GMT

Camila Osorio blasted onto the tennis scene in 2019 when she became just the 3rd South American woman to win the junior US Open. She has been ranked as high as 33 in the world. We sat down in the media mixed zone at the Italian Open just a couple days ago and discussed a wide array of topics from her schedule to her tennis to her equipment- and it was quite interesting to hear her perspectives on tennis from a 23 year old in the early stages of a pro career and hopefully you get a feel for what it's like to be a young woman on tour.

Recorded 5.10 Released 5.12

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The Italian Francesco Passaro Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 05 May 2025 21:12:37 GMT

Welcome to the 11th season and 129th episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast, todays show is brought to you by

Ellesse, the Italian brand from Peruggia made legendary by Chris Evert, Guillermo Vilas and Boris Becker.

We are on the ground at The Italian Open and we have a special show for you. Francesco Passaro was born and raised in Peruggia, Italy, and in 2022 he went from 600 in the world to qualifying for the Nextgen finals, and this year cracked the top 100 for the first time. He is a wildcard here in Rome and we talked about his career and Italian tennis in length from the players lounge.

Recorded and Released on 5.5.25

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The Great Romanian Champion Virginia Ruzici Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sat, 03 May 2025 18:31:58 GMT

The Romanian Virginia Ruzici was one of the stars of tennis' Golden Age, becoming a global superstar in 1978 when she won the French Open. She rode a heavy forehand to 8 in the world in 1979, won 12 tournaments over the course of her career, and together with the bombastic Ilie Nastase and the svengali Ion Triac was ominpresent in tennis. She parlayed her playing career into a role at IMG, where she discovered Anna Kournikova. She managed Simona Halep for the majority of her career, and we talked in length about that.

She was synonymous with the legendary Italian brand Ellesse, when the players were seemed to have more fun galavanting around the globe, playing and partying and playing some more. We talked about her life in and around tennis, and what a tale it was.

Recorded 5.1 and Released 5.3

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Elite American Junior Rex Kulman Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 17:17:34 GMT

I met Rex Kulman and his father Guy when he was 8 years old at the Oracle Challenger in 2020, just days before the world quarantined.

Five years later Rex is an elite 13 year old player, approaching a 10 UTR, is home schooled, and is coached full time by Diego Moyano, the former coach of Coco Gauff and Frances Tiafoe, respectively. Rex has trained at McEnroe Academy, Mouratoglou Academy, as well as the USTA's campus in Lake Nona and in Queens.

Most recently Rex played in ITF Junior tournaments in Havana and Jamaica, and we talked about it all.

His unique life in tennis is fascinating, and I hope every parent and child in tennis has a listen.

Recorded 4.28 Released 4.30

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The Russian Anna Blinkova Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 13:40:45 GMT

In 2015 Anna Blinkova made the finals of Junior Wimbledon, and in 2016 began her life on the WTA Tour. She has been as high as 34 in the world and is now ranked 78. She has posted wins over Caro Garcia, Jess Pegula, Emma Navarro, and in Australia in 2024 she beat the defending champion Elena Rybakina 22-20 in the 3rd set Superbreaker, the longest tie breaker in WTA history.

Fluent in 5 languages, remarkably eloquent and thoughtful, Anna was extremely forthcoming and painted an interesting picture of what life is like on tour.

Recorded 4.4 released 4.6

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Filipino Broadcaster Dyan Castillejo Discusses Phenom Alex Eala with Craig Shapiro

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 11:54:04 GMT

Dyan Castillejo and I met over 10 years ago covering the prizefighter Manny Pacquiao's career all around the globe, but it was in 2014 I saw her hitting some balls with her son in the parking lot of The Wild Card Gym in Hollywood- Manny's training camp in the US. It was then I realized that she had lived a special life in tennis. She is the first Filipino woman to have attained a WTA ranking. With the emergence of Alex Eala I thought there was no one better to learn about that unique and exciting situation, and Dyan didn't disappoint.

Recorded 4.1 Released 4.2

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Hall of Famer Mats Wilander Talks Joao Fonseca and Carlos Alcaraz with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 01:35:22 GMT

Mats Wilander had 4 majors before his 21st birthday, and finished an illustrious career with 33 tournament victories, 7 major titles, the year end #1 in 1988, 3 Davis Cups, and we had a world class chat from the VIP Patio at The Arizona Tennis Classic, the coolest tennis tournament in the Americas. Mats and I covered Fonseca, Alcaraz, Nishikori, the Sinner debacle, Colton Smith, and a whole lot more.

Recorded 3.15, released 3.16

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Foot Doctor Zach Talks Tennis Shoes with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 17:15:51 GMT

Dr Zach Thomas and I got back onto the mic to discuss all the things we need to know about our feet. Orthotic, ankle braces, and of course, the shoes. We played the hits as well as the more obscure one hit wonders, the sublime to the ridiculous.

He recently dissected a pair of Rafa's actual; shoes and we discussed it all.

Recorded 2.14 Released 2.17

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Michael Kosta of The Daily Show Talks Tennis and Comedy with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 05:45:41 GMT

The comedian and former world #864 Michael Kosta and I met in Paris a couple years ago, and courtesy of Tennis Channel sat court side on Philippe Chatrier one evening. Two years after our chance meeting he is one of the hosts of The Daily Show and has a memoir entitled Lucky Loser rolling out next month. We ran thru the 5 set format and we talked in length about his significant and fascinating life in tennis and how he pivoted from grinding on the tour to becoming a comedian. We talked about his time at Illinois, turning pro, and then making the U-turn into comedy. Michael was extremely forthcoming with his experience and there are a lot of lessons imparted. I really enjoyed this Shapsterclass.

Recorded and Released 2.10.25

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South African Davis Cupper John Laffnie De Jaeger Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 01:16:17 GMT

He's been a player, a coach, a Davis Cup Captain and has the distinction of organizing arguably the biggest exhibition tennis event in history. John Laffnie De Jaeger cheated death when he was born and has gone on to have an incredible life in tennis. We discussed the Australian Open, in particular the behind the scenes happenings that have made the event elite. We talked about the level of the tennis we've seen, and we discussed his origin story. John explained the challenges of being a South African player, and really painted a picture of what South African tennis was like in it's heyday.

John explained what it was like to win The Huggy Bear, and told us a great story about sorting out the Match For Africa, when Roger played Rafa in a massive rugby stadium.

Recorded 1.20 Released 1.22

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Tunisian Player Aziz Dougaz Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 00:04:06 GMT

We sat down with the Tunisian Davis Cupper Aziz Dougaz in the lounge at The NTC, a couple days after he lost his 1st round match against Yoshihito Nishioka, and the Tunisian world #219 did not disappoint.

The 27 year old former FSU player came thru qualies and played in his first main draw major, his elbow taped up, and was literally waiting for his winnings to hit his bank account as we were talking. but that is just the beginning. We discussed his path to this moment, from Tunisia to Morocco to France and then to Tallahassee.

We discussed the lack of support he has gotten, and how the scales are tipped against players that do not have vigorous federations, as well as why he has an optimistic view of his prospects for the future.

Recorded 1.16 Released 1.18

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Ben Rothenberg Discusses The Australian Open with Craig Shapiro

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 10:26:31 GMT

G'Day My Friends,

We are in Melbourne, it's day 4 of the Australian Open, and Ben Rothenberg and I sat down at The Collins Hotel to discuss the fortunes of Naomi Osaka, the plight of Nick Kyrgios, the rise of Joao Fonseca, the Elena Rybakina controversy, the issue of the positive tests of Swiatek and Sinner, the impending sale of Tennis Channel, and the latest on the Saudi takeover of tennis. It is everything you need.

Recorded and Released on 1.15

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Serving Legend Eric Korita Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 17:55:47 GMT

Eric Korita grew up in Chicago and found his way to Nick Bolletierri's 1st academy, where he honed his craft and battled with Paul Annacone, Pablo Arraya, and Jimmy Arias, to name a few. He then went to SMU to play for the great Dennis Ralston, and then he made his mark on the pro tour. He is considered to be one of the legendary servers in the history of our sport, having been clocked at 153 in Tokyo, and clocked over 140 many times. He had deals with Prince and Sergio Tacchini, and was considered to be a major blue chip, hyper dangerous threat. We discussed his incredible life in tennis. Class is in session with one of the most interesting people in tennis.

Recorded 10.13 Released 10.16

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Angelica Gavaldon Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 22:15:18 GMT

Angelica Gavaldon has lived a difficult and amazing life in tennis. She grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, was a highly touted junior, and blasted onto the scene in 1990 when she qualified and reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Along with Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis she was identified as a blue chip prospect and the pressure of being on tour affected her right from the beginning. After the tremendous success at the 1990 Aussie the 16 year old t was burnt out and took a self imposed extended break.

She worked her way back and in 1995 repeated the feat, qualifiying and then quartering The 1995 Australian Open. She got to 34 in the world in 1996, and over the course of her career posted wins over great champions including Novotna, Graf, Mandlikova, Majoli, and Amanda Coetzer.

We discussed how she has recently rediscovered her love for tennis, Angelica shared her views on the state of Mexican tennis, and how she is trying to bring a pro tournament to Baja Mexico. It was a terrific chat.

Recorded 9.25 Released 9.30

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Roman Prokes talks Racquets, Strings and Grips with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 02:46:43 GMT

We kick off our 10th season with our annual technology special featuring Roman Prokes of RPNY. We discussed his involvement helping Andre Agassi find a racquet that he likes, the cosmetic change that Frances Tiafoe went thru, including the difference in the dimensions of the Yonex handle, and the pros and cons of the new Federer racquets. Roman talked about the 18/19 trend in string patterns, as well as the trend toward lighter racquets. He explained what happens when he does a racquet consultation. It was a phenomenal chat.

Recorded and Released 9.23

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DC Tournament Owner Mark Ein Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 10:43:09 GMT

Mark Ein is one of the owners of The Washington Commanders of the NFL and is the owner of the Mubadala Citi Open. He sat down with me at Wimbledon and we discussed a myriad of subjects in and around the business of tennis and it was a masterclass. He explained his philosophies around doing good business and how he combined the San Jose women's tournament with his men's tournament, he talked about the Saudi involvement in tennis. We talked about the television contracts and the Tennis Channel being shopped. We had a tremendous chat, as he is the first tournament owner to be invited on the show.

Recorded 7.2 Released 7.5

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2024 Wimbledon Preview with Journalist Giri Nathan

Sat, 29 Jun 2024 23:35:35 GMT

We are just a day and a half away from the start of The Championships, and Giri Nathan of The Second Serve and Defector joined me from a lovely spot by Court 18 this afternoon after attending the media day press conferences and we buzzed through some of the more interesting storylines leading into the fortnight- Raducanu resurgent, Sinner with a brutal draw, Tommy and Taylor winning the 2 lead up tournaments, Sabalenka announcing a shoulder injury, Novak in the mix and lots more. Have a listen and whet your Wimbledon appetite.

Recorded and released 6.29.24

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Thomas Johannson Talks Roland Garros with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 08:23:29 GMT

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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Italian Journalist Ubaldo Scanagatta Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sun, 19 May 2024 22:12:10 GMT

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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Grigor Dimitrov Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 10 May 2024 11:14:01 GMT

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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Hall of Famer Stan Smith Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 06:13:08 GMT

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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Hall of Famer Rosie Casals Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 16:07:57 GMT

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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Aussie Stalwart Johnny Millman Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 13:29:48 GMT

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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José Higueras Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 19:02:20 GMT

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 Talks Mushrooms and The Sunshine Double with Craig Shapiro

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 21:39:53 GMT

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 Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 17:03:39 GMT

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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Jim Courier Talks BNP PARIBAS OPEN with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:12:06 GMT

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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All American Jonny Levine Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 18:22:18 GMT

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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WTA World #103 Maria Timofeeva Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 07:18:35 GMT

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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Tennis Mom Extraordinaire Aneke Rune Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 23:55:09 GMT

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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AUSSIE OPEN LIVE SPECIAL WITH OSAKA BIOGRAPHER BEN ROTHENBERG & OSAKA AGENT STU DUGUID

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 03:19:04 GMT

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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Journalist Giri Nathan of Defector Discusses Current Events with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 06:59:23 GMT

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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Milos Raonic Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 21:22:28 GMT

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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Ben Rothenberg Discusses Current Events and His Osaka Biography with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 13:16:07 GMT

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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Laura Siegemund Talks Tennis With Craig Shapiro

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 01:23:34 GMT

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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Mark Knowles Discusses the Machinations of The ATP with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 07:01:11 GMT

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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happening in The Bahamas Friday, December 8 through Sunday, December 10.

Recorded 11.21 Released 11/22

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Karue Sell of MY TENNIS HQ Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 06:10:08 GMT

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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Corentin Moutet Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 15:41:03 GMT

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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Former World #18 Amos Mansdorf Discusses the War and Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:35:37 GMT

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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British Stalwart Dan Evans Talks Tennis With Craig Shapiro

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:22:11 GMT

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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Argentine Leyenda Jose Luis Clerc Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 13:28:41 GMT

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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Indian Legend Anand Amritraj Talks Tennis With Craig Shapiro

Sat, 09 Sep 2023 12:25:18 GMT

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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Israeli Davis Cupper Gilad Bloom Talks Tennis With Craig Shapiro

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:50:16 GMT

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-Amritraj Talks Tennis With Craig Shapiro

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 16:47:21 GMT

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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Peruvian Giant Killer Jaime Yzaga talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 00:29:43 GMT

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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Hall of Famer Pam Shriver Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 12:50:03 GMT

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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Roman Prokes Talks Tennis Racquets with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:35:59 GMT

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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Dusan Lajovic Discusses Novak Djokovic

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 01:47:38 GMT

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

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Antoine Benneteau Discusses Roland Garros Week 1 with Craig Shapiro

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 06:44:13 GMT

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

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The Sweet and Lowdown with Author and Journalist Christopher Clarey

Mon, 22 May 2023 10:49:47 GMT

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 on the ATP, WTA, the Media, and the Politics of Dancing

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 15:53:14 GMT

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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BRAD GILBERT TALKS TENNIS AND TAKES QUESTIONS WITH CRAIG SHAPIRO

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 15:22:15 GMT

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 Discusses A Troubled Life with Craig Shapiro

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 19:17:57 GMT

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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The Tao of Dmitry Tursunov

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 15:33:38 GMT

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

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John Newcombe Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 05:25:24 GMT

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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Aussie Open Mid Tournament Special with Wally Masur

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 03:54:48 GMT

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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Former World #21 John Lloyd

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 22:56:11 GMT

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

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Ivan Lendl Christmas Day Special

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 15:06:36 GMT

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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Rajeev Ram Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 01:13:11 GMT

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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Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters

Sat, 03 Dec 2022 02:28:28 GMT

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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Former World #6 Ecuadorian Hero Nicolas Lapentti

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 06:24:41 GMT

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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HALL OF FAME AGENT, DAVIS CUP CAPTAIN DONALD DELL

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 04:54:28 GMT

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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Lisa Raymond Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sat, 05 Nov 2022 01:21:09 GMT

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 Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 23:12:31 GMT

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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L. Jon Wertheim Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 06:28:12 GMT

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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2022 TENNIS SHOE SPECIAL with FOOT DOCTOR ZACH

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 23:47:04 GMT

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

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Coach Petar Popovic Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 22:07:41 GMT

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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Jan Michael Gambill US Open Breakdown Special

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 20:19:03 GMT

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

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Stevie Johnson talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 13:32:08 GMT

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.

'Recorded 9.16 released 9.18

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Marion Bartoli Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 03:48:07 GMT

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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BIG SASCHA TALKS TENNIS WITH CRAIG SHAPIRO

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 04:25:13 GMT

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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Superstar Tennis Agent Stuart Duguid

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:59:20 GMT

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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Aussie Legend Sam Stosur Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sun, 29 May 2022 21:58:28 GMT

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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Roland Garros Preview Show with Emilio Sanchez

Fri, 20 May 2022 22:04:27 GMT

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

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Andrea Petkovic Talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 14:40:56 GMT

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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Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov discusses the war in Ukraine with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 17:33:44 GMT

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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Current Events from The Miami Open with Ben Rothenberg

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 22:13:06 GMT

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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Current Events from Indian Wells with Jim Courier

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 21:30:24 GMT

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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Former World #31 Sergiy Stakhovsky in Kyiv, Ukraine

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 08:56:45 GMT

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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"KING RICHARD" SCREENWRITER ZACH BAYLIN

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 14:49:27 GMT

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

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WTA PLAYER RUSSIA FED CUPPER NATALIA VIKHLYANTSEVA

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 17:06:58 GMT

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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Former Novak Djokovic Advisor Craig O'Shannessy

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 02:20:57 GMT

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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2021 YEAR IN REVIEW WITH RENNAE STUBBS

Sat, 25 Dec 2021 17:55:27 GMT

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 talks KING RICHARD

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 16:39:18 GMT

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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Alizé Lim talks Tennis with Craig Shapiro

Sat, 11 Dec 2021 06:37:49 GMT

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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Indian Doubles Stalwart Rohan Bopanna

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 21:03:25 GMT

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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Tennis Shoe Review with Foot Doctor Zach Thomas

Mon, 08 Nov 2021 13:12:11 GMT

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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Former World #4 Todd Martin

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 04:03:08 GMT

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 of Men in Blazers

Sat, 30 Oct 2021 00:18:40 GMT

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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Brad Gilbert Previews the BNP Paribas Open

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 18:18:48 GMT

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 Davis Cup Captain and World #19 Christo Van Rensburg

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 12:29:33 GMT

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

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 14:41:18 GMT

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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World #27 and German Fed Cup Team Member Meike Babel

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 05:54:20 GMT

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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Leif Shiras previews Wimbledon with Craig Shapiro

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 01:15:30 GMT

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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ROLAND GARROS FORENSIC BREAKDOWN WITH BRAD GILBERT

Fri, 28 May 2021 18:23:40 GMT

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

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Former World #4 Zina Garrison

Sat, 08 May 2021 14:25:32 GMT

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

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 23:11:34 GMT

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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Legendary Harvard Coach Dave Fish

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 19:54:11 GMT

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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Mark Knowles

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 03:09:29 GMT

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

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The X-Man Xavier Malisse

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 21:48:01 GMT

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.

Sponsored by Sergio Tacchini and powered by Arete Complete.

Recorded 2/23 Released 3/2

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THE BRYAN BROTHERS

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 23:57:21 GMT

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.

The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is sponsored by Sergio Tacchini Use the Code CRAIG30 at checkout for 30 % off of your order.

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Recorded Feb13, released Feb 21

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Former World #10 Mikael Pernfors

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 18:17:40 GMT

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

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Former World #14 Elena Bovina

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 19:12:03 GMT

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

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Former Colombian Davis Cupper Jaime Cortes

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 01:22:02 GMT

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.

Recorded Januray 5, released January 29

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DJ STRETCH ARMSTRONG

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 02:05:34 GMT

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

This episode is brought to you by the legendary Sergio Tacchini, see what they are doing at sergiotacchini.com and use the code CRAIG30 at checkout.

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Manuela Maleeva

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 14:16:22 GMT

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.

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Year in Review with Christopher Clarey from the New York Times

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 14:36:53 GMT

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

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World #1 and Hall of Famer Tracy Austin

Sat, 12 Dec 2020 05:44:57 GMT

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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The Tennis Shoe Special with Dr Zach Thomas

Sun, 06 Dec 2020 23:07:46 GMT

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

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Persian Showman Mansour Bahrami

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 11:18:14 GMT

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

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"The Scud" Mark Philippoussis

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 16:23:13 GMT

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

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Former World #4 Jelena Dokic

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 18:15:28 GMT

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

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World #1 and Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 03:59:35 GMT

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.

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Former World #7 Emilio Sanchez

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 04:22:21 GMT

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

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Racquet Magazine Podcast Host and ESPN Broadcaster Rennae Stubbs

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 00:44:50 GMT

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

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Hall of Famer Jim Courier

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 20:54:32 GMT

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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Rookie Pro Katrina Scott

Sat, 05 Sep 2020 01:28:20 GMT

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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Tennis Writer Joel Drucker

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 23:30:05 GMT

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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South African Wayne Ferreira

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 02:21:01 GMT

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.

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Racquet Guru Roman Prokes talks tennis with Craig Shapiro

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 22:24:04 GMT

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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Former World #7 Tim Mayotte

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:59:25 GMT

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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German Tennis Insider Dirk Hordorff (EP 14)

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 19:43:56 GMT

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 (Ep13)

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 12:40:50 GMT

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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Former World #8 Janko Tipsarevic

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 05:25:36 GMT

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

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Racquet Magazine's Caitlin Thompson

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 07:41:18 GMT

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 (ep 10)

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 06:15:08 GMT

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 (EP 9)

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 05:20:28 GMT

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 (ep8)

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 05:09:38 GMT

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 Magician Fabrice Santoro (Ep 7)

Sun, 07 Jun 2020 17:00:46 GMT

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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Tennis Journalist Ben Rothenberg (EP6)

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 13:24:10 GMT

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 (Ep 5)

Sat, 23 May 2020 17:06:00 GMT

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

Wed, 20 May 2020 05:28:27 GMT

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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Yevgeny Kafelnikov

Thu, 14 May 2020 15:07:21 GMT

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

Thu, 14 May 2020 14:41:59 GMT

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

Thu, 14 May 2020 14:25:53 GMT

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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GORAN IVANISEVIC

Thu, 14 May 2020 14:16:32 GMT

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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