TennisWorthy

The TennisWorthy Podcast revisits Season 1 ahead of Season 2's debut in January 2024, with 5 themed episodes featuring legends and Hall of Famers.

Today's theme is the importance of family and the role parents play in the development of young, promising tennis talents. Such as the competitive nature of tennis and the need to start relatively early, that it's hard to get to the top without having had at least one parent who gave up an awful lot to help their child get a foothold in the sport. Legends of the game Vijay Amritraj, John Newcombe, Mary Pierce and Tracy Austin speak to the impact their families had on their careers, both positive and negative, and how to parent aspiring tennis players today.

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast. 

The TennisWorthy Podcast revisits Season 1 ahead of Season 2's debut in January 2024, with 5 themed episodes featuring legends and Hall of Famers.

Today's theme is learning, improving and psychology, and among the players, explaining how they learned, how they worked on ironing out their weaknesses without undermining their strengths and how to deal with the mental side of the game. Hear from Hall of Famers Ivan Lendl, Gigi Fernandez, Pam Shriver, and John Newcombe alongside host Chris Bowers. We all know what we mean by learning, but how do the greats go about absorbing and performing?

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast. 

The TennisWorthy Podcast revisits Season 1 ahead of Season 2's debut in January 2024, with 5 themed episodes featuring legends and Hall of Famers.

Today's theme is motivation and determination, and among the players, explaining what motivated them to dig deep and find something in their determination that made the difference between winning and losing. Featuring Lleyton Hewitt, Tracy Austin, Mats Wilander, Stan Smith, David Hall, and Mark Woodforde, host Chris Bowers presents this review of the great names talking about what fueled their desire on the court.

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast. 

With an illustrious career marked by 26 Grand Slam titles, there is no question John Newcombe is a tennis legend. But what doesn’t appear on the stat sheet is what separates the Hall of Famer in a league of his own in his native Australia – and the sport of tennis as a whole.  

In the season finale, John emphasizes the importance of prioritizing self-analysis, visualization and mental fortitude — all in an era prior to sports psychology’s normalcy. The pioneer, who turned his practices into the acclaimed book, “The Power Within: How to create a high performance mind” speaks to how his mindset translated towards his tennis game, Aussie comradery, and prioritizing family while on tour around the globe. 

John Newcombe captured seven major singles titles in 10 opportunities, all of which on grass. Collectively he claimed 34 singles titles and 33 doubles championships, allowing him to become one of the few players to hold the world No. 1 ranking in both singles, (1967, 1970, 1971) and doubles, (1965). John also aided Australia to five Davis Cups prior to being named the Australia’s Davis Cup captain from 1995 to 2000 – where he led the team to a 1999 title after a 13-year drought.  

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast. 

In 1982, Mats Wilander took the tennis world by storm when he won Roland-Garros at age 17. At the time, he was the youngest male player to ever win a major title in singles. He went on to capture 8 Grand Slam titles during his Hall of Fame career.

In this episode, Mats recalls that memorable run in Paris, his mental toughness, and his incredible display of sportsmanship at match point in the semifinal that year. He also discusses his legacy, growing up as a Swedish tennis player in the shadow of Bjorn Borg, and his memories of being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002.

Mats Wilander is a three-time champion at both Roland-Garros and the Australian Open, and captured the US Open title in 1988. In 1986, he partnered with fellow Swede Joakim Nystrom to win his only Grand Slam doubles titles at Wimbledon. Mats was part of the dominating Swedish Davis Cup team that captured titles in 1984, 1985, and 1987.

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast.

At age 16, David Hall was in accident that caused him to lose his legs. After picking himself back up, both physically and mentally, he went on to become a hugely successful wheelchair tennis player, capturing over 80 titles, six Paralympic medals, and the ultimate honor in tennis - induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

In this episode, David goes deep with host Chris Bowers, talking about the never quit mindset that drove him as an athlete. He talks about the life-changing decision to leave a steady career and pursue his passion, wheelchair tennis, and the success that came because of his drive. Like so many of us, David is driven by music, and he talks about his affinity for heavy medal and a related, unique donation to the ITHF's museum collection.

David Hall is one of Australia's greatest Paralympic athletes, having won over 80 career titles including seven Australian Opens and eight US Opens. A native of Sydney, he captured Paralympic singles gold at the Paralympic Games in his hometown in 2000.

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast.

Mark Woodforde is one of the most dominant doubles players of all time, capturing 17 Grand Slam titles, including 12 on the doubles side and 5 in mixed doubles. In a career full of knowledge and growth, he credits John McEnroe for showing him what it took to become an elite doubles partner.

In this candid conversation with host Chris Bowers, Mark reveals what made his career so successful, and gives insight into what makes doubles teams click. He also talks about his pride in playing for Australia in Davis Cup, how he dedicated himself to becoming a top singles player at a young age, and the fascinating story behind meeting McEnroe.

Mark Woodforde holds a career Slam in both doubles and mixed doubles. He is an Olympic Gold medalist, and was part of Australia's 1999 Davis Cup title team.

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast.

Vijay Amritraj is one of India's most successful tennis players. He's also the only person in history to play a match at Wimbledon in the morning, and end up in James Bond movie in the afternoon.

In this episode, Vijay and Chris discuss how he overcame significant health issues to become a professional player, his experiences as a representative of India on the international stage, and of course, his role in the 1983 James Bond flick Octopussy.

During his extensive career as a top-20 player, Vijay broke barriers and popularized tennis across more than half the world’s population throughout the Asian continent. Following his fruitful tennis career, he became an actor, commentator, and most notably, humanitarian, through his role as United Nations Messenger of Peace (2001-06) and through The Vijay Amritraj Foundation. 

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast.

Stan Smith is much more than just the man behind the legendary Adidas sneaker. Learn his backstory, from how he became a star tennis player despite it not being his first focus, to pulling double duty with military service during his career, and much more.

A seven-time major champion, Stan Smith is a former world No. 1 player and standout on the Davis Cup stage for the United States. Stan won his first singles major title at the 1971 US Open and captured the Wimbledon crown in 1972. He discusses the importance of character, confidence, how he reached four specific stated goals, and his shoe with host Chris Bowers in the TennisWorthy Podcast.

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast.

Pam Shriver was half of an unstoppable team alongside Martina Navratilova during her playing career. In today's episode of the TennisWorthy podcast, Pam talks about that partnership, and how she was uniquely positioned from a young age to capitalize on her natural gifts. Pam lifts the curtain on what made her teamwork with Martina so unique, and candidly talks about the relationship with her coach, Don Candy, that she revealed in 2022. She also reveals some of her favorite memories competing for the United States, how it naturally ties in with her birthday.

Together, Pam and Martina amassed 74 doubles titles, 20 of which were Grand Slams. Their partnership included a 109-match win streak from 1983-85. As a singles player, Pam reached six major semifinals, the final of the 1978 US Open, and a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the world. Today, she's best known for her broadcast work with Tennis Channel, ESPN, and more, and as a coach.

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast.