Rennae Stubbs is an icon of tennis, both in Australia and the US. Now a commentator for ESPN, Stubbs earned her credentials through a No.1 doubles ranking, Olympic representation in four consecutive Games and six Grand Slam titles in the early 2000s. The last major final of her distinguished career was a loss to Venus and Serena Williams - the latter of whom she went on to coach. Stubbs has also worked with Karolina Pliskova, Sam Stosur and Eugenie Bouchard, consistently delivering ranking rises if not major titles. In this conversation during the 2025 American swing, the Sydney-born champion reflects on her friendship with Steffi Graf, the Australian "enclave" that bred a generation of stars and the range of parenting styles she's encountered through her eventful tennis life.

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Michael Chang stepped into the ATP Tour in 1988 - an era in which US tennis wasn't short of headliner prospects. By 1989 though, at 17 years old, he'd roared past the likes of Jim Courier, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras to become the first American of his generation to claim a Grand Slam title. The Roland Garros champion remains the youngest man to win any major but, as he reveals in this Sit-Down, the Californian performed best on the North American hard courts. Chang won two and reached four consecutive finals in Cincinnati, as well as lifting trophies in Toronto, Indian Wells and Miami, among other American tournaments. Following his playing career, the former world No.2 guided Kei Nishikori to the 2014 US Open Final and, since Wimbledon 2025, has worked with teenage sensation Learner Tien. 

Originally published on 19/08/2024 and 07/10/2024

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Ahead of this week’s International Tennis Hall of Fame Induction — where Maria Sharapova and the Bryan brothers join the sport’s elite — president Patrick McEnroe joined The Sit-Down to discuss the power of tennis history. A former Australian Open semifinalist, Roland Garros doubles champion and record-breaking Davis Cup captain, McEnroe is passionate about the game’s rich past and reminding fans that greatness isn’t measured by Grand Slams alone. He shares his vision for the Hall of Fame, reflects on his role in the creation of the Laver Cup, explains why players feel “inspired” by it, and why fulfilling one particular dream remains his “proudest moment”.

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Christian and Casper Ruud are among the most successful father-son duos in professional tennis history. Christian put Norwegian tennis on the map in the 1990s, becoming the first player from his country to crack the top 40 and reach the second week of a Grand Slam in the Open era. These were milestones Casper matched in the early 2020s, then surpassed by appearing in three Grand Slam finals and peaking at world No.2. Christian and Casper joined Viv and Matt on this week's episode to discuss their respective journeys, and how the lessons Christian learned during his time on tour, and in the commentary booth, helped shape Casper's path to the top -- with Christian guiding as coach. They were speaking from Cincinnati as Casper builds up to the US Open, where three years ago he came within one match win of the No.1 ranking.

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When Jelena Dokic stunned Martina Hingis in the first round of Wimbledon 1999, the Australian qualifier became a global superstar, ultimately peaking at world No.4 in one of the strongest eras of women’s tennis. Dokic has since gone on to become a highly-respected broadcaster and this week won a Logie -- an Australian television award -- for her documenary Unbreakable. Dokic sat down with Matt and Viv to relive her careers highs, recounting her upset of Swiss superstar Hingis in vivid detail, her experience of competing against so many WTA icons, and how her run to the medal rounds of the Sydney 2000 Olympics remains one of her proudest achievements.

Originally published on 24/06/2024

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In an episode originally published in 2024, Alexei Popyrin was riding a sweet wave after his ATP Masters 1000 triumph in Montreal, a result meaning he entered the US Open with a career-high ranking and seeded at a major for the first time. The rising Australian star sat down with Viv Christie and Jon Hoevenaars to talk milestone breakthroughs, Aussie inspiration, and the sacrifices that helped to turn his long-held tennis dreams into reality. 

Originally published on 26/08/2024

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In a coaching career spanning several decades, Brad Stine has guided Jim Courier to multiple Grand Slam titles and the world No.1 ranking, while also enjoying fruitful partnerships with the likes of Mardy Fish, Sebastian Grosjean and Kevin Anderson. Now, during a vibrant era for American tennis, Stine is the long-time coach of Tommy Paul, who has reached multiple career milestones under his mentorship. In this edition of The Sit-Down, the highly respected coach reflects on his beginnings in the sport, his award-winning career, and shares some core principles of his highly successful coaching philosophy.

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In a coaching career spanning four decades, Greg Crump has guided a trio of Australians to the world No.1 wheelchair tennis ranking and provided a multitude of players to a life-changing start in the sport. With an enduring passion for creating opportunities through wheelchair tennis, Crump is now guiding a new generation of competitive players and was recently named ITF Wheelchair Tennis Coach of the Year. Crump caught up with Viv and Matt to discuss his long career in wheelchair tennis, and some bold ideas for its future growth. 

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Australian legends Ken Rosewall and Mal Anderson are two players whose tennis careers overlapped in both the amateur and professional eras, and who continue to remain connected today. Rosewall, then 37, beat 36-year-old Anderson to win the ‘golden oldies’ final at Australian Open 1972, and 53 years later he remains the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in the Open era. Rosewall’s longevity has been revisited given the achievements of Novak Djokovic, who last week became the oldest Wimbledon men’s semifinalist behind Rosewall in the Open era and who has received multiple Australian Open trophies from Rosewall at Rod Laver Arena. Matt sat down with both Rosewall and Anderson in Brisbane during an Australian Billie Jean King Cup tie, after Rosewall had presented Anderson with his recently-recovered International Tennis Hall of Fame ring – 25 years after his induction ceremony in Newport.

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Australian coach Craig Tyzzer sat down with Viv and Matt in the days ahead of Wimbledon, a tournament where he helped guide Ash Barty to the 2021 title. The victory, which saw Barty achieve a life-long dream, came amid a challenging season with COVID-19 protocols and quarantine requirements forcing Tyzzer, Barty and their team to remain on the road for nine straight months. He reflects on that experience and how his career focus shifted when Barty retired in March 2022, just six weeks after her iconic Australian Open singles triumph. Tyzzer, who has coached at the elite level since the 1990s, is now working with the next generation of young Aussie female players in the development pathway while keenly following the action on the WTA Tour, where Barty once ruled for more than 100 weeks at world No.1.

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