TennisWorthy

By International Tennis Hall of FameSociety & Culture Sports Education Self-Improvement Tennis

TennisWorthy episodes

March 15, 2023 Gigi Fernandez: Determination and the Importance of Mindset
Gigi Fernandez is one of the most successful doubles players in the history of the WTA Tour, but before she became known for her doubles mastery, she was joining her family on court growing up in Puerto Rico.

On the island, she carved a path to play through determination, eventually becoming a collegiate champion and turned professional. Following her playing career, she became a sought-after coach in both skills and mental toughness. In today's episode, she reveals insight on positive self-talk, improvements to make to your game, and her greatest achievements.

Gigi Fernandez is a 17-time Grand Slam champion in doubles, which she captured alongside three different Hall of Famers. She is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist for the United States in doubles (1992, 1996), and owns 69 career doubles titles. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside doubles partner Natasha Zvereva in 2010.

For more information on the TennisWorthy podcast and full episode transcriptions, visit tennisfame.com/podcast.
43 min
February 22, 2023 Episode 4: Mary Pierce
As the youngest American to ever turn pro at the time, Mary Pierce’s entrée into tennis is the stuff of a Hollywood film. But it was her perseverance and belief that generated sustained results over the course of a Hall of Fame career.
In a wide-ranging and revealing conversation, Mary tells her story from how fate led her to pick up a racquet at age 10, to how she continues to give back to the sport today. Episode 4 of TennisWorthy details how Mary’s desire to be the best she could possibly be in everything she did and ability to focus on what she could control led to a positive focus.
Mary Pierce is a four-time Grand Slam champion, and the most recent French person, man or woman, to win the singles title at Roland Garros. In 2000, in addition to lifting the singles trophy, she teamed with Martina Hingis to win the French Open doubles title. She finished her career with 18 WTA singles titles and 10 doubles titles, and reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 3 in the world. In 2019, she became the fifth Frenchwoman inducted into the Hall of Fame.
For more information on today’s episode and the TennisWorthy podcast, visit tennisfame.com/podcast.
55 min
February 22, 2023 Episode 3: Ivan Lendl
What drove one of the most consistent careers in tennis history? Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl credits his success to consistently showing up, believing in himself and putting in the work.
In Episode 3’s conversation with Chris Bowers, Ivan opens up about how absorbing experiences on court – such as being a ball kid for his Czechoslovakian countryman Jan Kodeš – led to mastering the intricacies of the sport. Despite the slew of major titles to his name, Ivan considers his learning experiences and versatility to be his greatest achievements.
Ivan Lendl is an eight-time Grand Slam champion in singles, former world No. 1 player and winner of 100 professional titles. Cumulatively, Lendl spent 270 weeks atop the mountain as the best player in the world during a championship-laden 13-year span. For eight straight years (1982-89), tennis fans couldn’t tune into a US Open men’s singles championship match without seeing Lendl as one of the two finalists. He reached 19 major singles finals (third best all-time), won eight of them, including three at the US Open, three at the French Open and two at the Australian Open.
For more information on today’s episode and the TennisWorthy podcast, visit tennisfame.com/ podcast.
29 min
February 07, 2023 Episode 2: Tracy Austin
Tracy Austin remains the youngest US Open champion in tournament history at just 16 years old, but her story actually begins much earlier, with a young girl dreaming to reach the sport’s highest heights.
In Episode 2 of TennisWorthy, Tracy details her immersion in the sport from her earliest days, her innate ability to push herself, and the importance of taking small steps.
Tracy Austin is a former world No. 1 women’s singles tennis player, with three Grand Slam titles to her name. Austin’s mature game, exceedingly advanced for a player so young, led her to win two US Opens over the game’s premier legends – Chris Evert in 1979 and Martina Navratilova in 1981. In 1980, Austin teamed with her brother John to win the 1980 Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Championship, the first brother-sister combination to achieve that feat. In 1992, she became the youngest person (29 years old) inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
For more information on today’s episode and the TennisWorthy podcast, visit tennisfame.com/ podcast.
56 min
January 24, 2023 Episode 1: Lleyton Hewitt
Welcome to the TennisWorthy podcast presented by the International Tennis Hall of Fame, diving deep into the mindset of champions and uncovering the unique, special characteristics that define tennis legends and Hall of Famers on and off the court.
The inaugural episode features Class of 2021 inductee and Australian great Lleyton Hewitt. Esteemed tennis journalist Chris Bowers and Lleyton discuss the unrelenting drive, intensity, and ‘never say die’ attitude that he credits for his immense success on and off the court. From Lleyton’s early beginnings as an athlete (in a different sport than tennis), to his mentality on the biggest stages and the Aussie traditions he holds dear, learn about the qualities and values that helped build his Hall of Fame career.
Lleyton Hewitt is a Wimbledon champion, US Open champion and two-time Davis Cup champion. Known for his competitiveness, he is the youngest player to ascend to the ATP Tour’s world No. 1 ranking, which he achieved at age 20. He won 30 career singles titles and remains dedicated to his country’s tennis legacy as Australia’s current Davis Cup team captain.
For more information on today’s episode and the TennisWorthy podcast, visit tennisfame.com/ podcast.
51 min
January 09, 2023 Introducing the TennisWorthy Podcast
What makes a Hall of Famer? What unique quality led to their historic success? TennisWorthy, a podcast presented by the International Tennis Hall of Fame, seeks to answer these questions and uncover what it takes to become the greatest of champions.
2 min

About TennisWorthy

From the publisher's feed

What makes a Hall of Famer? What is that unique something that led to their historic success? Was it innate? Or did they need to cultivate a winning mindset?