Fantastic Tennis

WTA world #50 and Colombian #1, Emiliana Arango is here with us this week on the Fantastic Tennis Podcast, to chat about an INCREDIBLE 2025 season that saw her reach a career high ranking, make two WTA 500 finals (in Merida & Guadalajara) and also win the biggest title of her career at the $125K event in Cancun. A coincidence that she plays her best tennis on Mexican hardcourts? Host, Jon Guerrica discusses a promising early career that was compromised by injury and how she's now been able to play the best tennis of her career. It's a fun chat with a young player that continues to reach milestone after milestone, and is about to play her very first Australian Open main draw. It's been a dream come true year for one of the nicest and most resilient players on tour. Get on board the Arango train, put your baseball cap backwards and lets all get to know....the fantastic, Emiliana Arango.

We kick off Season 6 of the Fantastic Tennis Podcast with WTA world #38, Ann Li as she prepares for a BIG 2026 season and an exciting Australian summer. After a masterful and quiet resurgence back to the top of the rankings, including achieving a career high of world #33 in 2025 AND winning her first title in 4 years in Guangzhou, Ann joins host, Jon Guerrica to discuss her career (both the ups and downs) and what's next for this talented American. In this hour long chat, we take a deep dive into Ann's career, including her busy off-season, and her life off-court. Spend some time with us getting to know Ann in this entertaining one-on-one chat. Join the fun as we kick off a brand new season with the fantastic, Ann Li.

Have you ever watched a professional tennis player and just instantly felt like you wanted to cheer them on? You can't exactly explain why, or how....but this person becomes a fabric of your daily routine as you check their scorelines, watch their matches on TV and visit tournaments to cheer them on in-person whenever you can. Today, host Jon Guerrica interviews a player that he called an instant favorite for over a decade on tour. Former NCAA champion, Olympian, WTA world #39 and the 2005 Wimbledon Serena-slayer, Jill Craybas joins Jon for an epic hour of fandom and stories from throughout a career that saw her compete until 39 years old and win 6 WTA titles over her decades-long pro career. They discuss the successful transition from on-court tennis to on-court commentating, beating former #1's like Jelena Jankovic, Kim Clijsters, and Serena Williams and of course, celebrating the art of tennis fandom. It's the 75th episode of Fantastic Tennis and it's a fun hour that puts the emphasis of FAN in FANtastic. Grab an almond milk cappuccino (Jill's favorite), sit down, and enjoy getting to know....the fantastic, Jill Craybas.

It's two shows in one today as we share our March tennis diary with one of our very favorite tennis writers, David Kane. David helps us recount a wild tennis scene in March that began with a fantastic Indian Wells event and also brought us very important fan-favorite tennis news, like the announcement of Alizé Cornet on "The Traitors," and brand new merch from Danielle Collins. It's a tennis pop-culture bonanza to start out the show today. We then shift gears to the end of March, with the rollercoaster that was the Miami Open. Our host, Jon Guerrica is joined by his bestie, Max Markham, as they share stories from their time down in sunny Miami. Today's show has more pop-culture name drops than Alexandra Eala has new followers on instagram. It's a lot of tennis and a lot of laughs. Join us in getting to know....our March tennis diary.

What an absolute whirlwind the past two years have been for our guest & WTA player, McCartney Kessler. To finish 2022, #922 in the world and then cut to today in 2025, where she now has 2 WTA titles and a win (just a few weeks ago) against the world #3, Coco Gauff. The sky is the limit for this talented former Florida Gator. Join host, Jon Guerrica as he sits down and gets to know all about what has changed in mind, body, and spirit to have made such a rocket of a rise up the WTA rankings. Join us for a great chat as you'll hear all about the life and tennis journey of one of the newest and brightest stars of the sport, the fantastic.....McCartney Kessler.

This week, we are pinching ourselves as we have the absolute privilege of getting to chat with a trailblazing WTA superstar, who's as remarkable and interesting on-court as she is off-court. Daria Kasatkina joins host, Jon Guerrica as they talk through more than a decade of special moments and memories from her years on the WTA Tour. Starting with her winning moment in Paris at the junior French Open to her now 8 WTA Tour titles, this hour long chat is packed with fun stories, like her first doping control test experience and her hilarious take on fellow players like, Jelena Ostapenko and Danielle Collins. Daria also shares her honest hopes for her 2025 season and a candid take on gay representation in the sport. It's a conversation that showcases why Dasha is beloved by both fans and fellow competitors alike. As we celebrate Valentine's weekend, we have so much love for a top 10 player that truly risks it all to live an authentic life. I hope you all join us this week, in getting to know....the fantastic, Daria Kasatkina.

The first two months of the 2025 tennis season has already been a year of surprises. From Madison Keys winning in Melbourne to Belinda Bencic mounting a stellar comeback to the tour, to Simona Hale leaving it. There's a lot of news to cover this week. Our host, Jon Guerrica is joined by a contributor to the "Doubles Only" Podcast as well as a writer for the tennistribe.com, Hanlon Walsh. It's a Valentine's weekend episode as we share some 40-love. Luckily for us, we have a martini in hand, and an expert to help us break down the drama of the US Open mixed doubles news and what's been happening this past week in Dallas and the Middle East. We also preview our FANTASTIC player spotlight episode this week, the fantastic, Daria Kasatkina.

Madison Keys is our 2025 Australian Open Ladies Champion. What a dominant two weeks of fantastic tennis beating Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, Iga Swiatek and of course, Aryna Sabalenka, in a memorable final. It's a unicorn start to the season for Madison, and we talk all about it this week. We picked a great partner to help us navigate through Melbourne, as we're joined by a former world #34 and 2x Australian Open Quarterfinalist, representing Mexico, Angelica Gavaldon. It's a 90's tennis throwback episode as we talk to Angelica about a career that saw immediate success, to then retire from the sport one year later, to then repeat another surprising Melbourne run, 5 years later. It's a rollercoaster of an episode this week as we get to know....the 2025 Australian Open with our special guest, the fantastic, Angelica Gavaldon.

As we start out a brand new 2025 tennis season, what better way to begin the year, than with a true Australian wildcard that is ready to once again climb to the top of the WTA world rankings. Whether you know her from the Netflix series, "Break Point" or from the hundreds of matches she's played on tour, Ajla Tomljanovic is a true superstar personality of the sport. Join Ajla and host, Jon Guerrica as she shares stories from a decade long career and hear fun moments from both on and off the court, including her relationship with legend, Chris Evert and her historic win against the GOAT, Serena Williams in her final match on tour. We hear what's in store for this upcoming 2025 season, and hear how Ajla's goal is recreate some grand slam magic. This is a really entertaining interview that will give you insight as to why Ajla is always a fan favorite on tour. Join us now in getting to know, the fantastic, Ajla Tomljanovic.

We squeeze in one last 2024 episode of Fantastic Tennis to spotlight a player that experienced a rollercoaster of a 2024 season. From winning her 3rd WTA title in Birmingham and beating the world #1 on the grass at Wimbledon, to becoming the villain of the U.S. Open after a strange 3rd round match incident, Yulia Putintseva is no stranger to doubters or controversy. Join host, Jon Guerrica as he talks with this wily veteran on the cusp of her 30th birthday. and playing the best tennis of her career. Yulia discusses fun highlights and moments from over a decade on tour and a game-style that has watched her frustrate opponents and drop shot her way towards the top of women's tennis. Yulia also chats honestly about the aftermath of that US Open match and what her message is for anyone that doubts for ambition or drive for the 2025 season. I hope you join this highly entertaining chat and get to know, the fantastic....Yulia Putintseva.