Welcome to another episode of Meet the Professionals, our monthly series spotlighting the people who make the tennis world go ’round. This time, Anastasia & Nick sit down with rising tennis commentator Abigail Johnson for an inspiring and insightful conversation.

From her early tennis obsessions to carving out a space for herself in the world of sports commentary, Abigail shares how passion, preparation, and persistence shaped her journey. They dive into everything from the art of on-air storytelling to the realities of traveling on the tennis tour, building relationships with players, and making space for young voices in the media.

If you’re curious about what it really takes to get behind the mic in tennis—or just love hearing from the voices shaping the sport—this one’s for you.

Relevant Links:

• Abigail Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abigailtennis?igsh=MTY3bW5pbnE1YWM5ag==
• Abigail Johnson on X: https://x.com/abigailtennis?s=21&t=34KFRaMxpc-93mq_1EOI7A

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:27 Abigail Johnson: A Journey into Tennis Commentary

04:31 Childhood Influences and Early Aspirations

07:18 The Path to Professional Tennis Commentary

09:57 Transitioning from Writing to Commentary

18:37 How Abigail's hobbies helped her in Tennis Commentary

24:00 Being an educator as a tennis commentator

31:41 Overcoming "Youth" and being an outsider 

36:49 Building Relationships with Players

48:08 Traveling for Work: A Commentator's Life

51:45 Balancing Passion and Professionalism

55:01 What the future looks like for Abigail

59:19 Engaging New Tennis Fans

01:01:28 Advice for getting into Tennis Commentary

01:06:29 The Importance of Grassroots Tennis

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