Under Review Tennis Podcast

Pablo Arraya, former world number 29, has lived an incredible life in tennis.

As a child he began tennis as a young boy in Cordoba, Argentina.  His family escaped political harassment in Argentina and they moved to Peru.  As a junior tennis player, he came to the United States and trained with Nick Bolletierri.   He told us a great story about how he trained with Paul Annacone, Jimmy Arias, and other past guests of the show. 

On this episode PABLO ARRAYA   tells us how he broke into the top hundred. He breaks down how his academy came to be and how he helped Marion Bartoli learn a drop shot.

(Recorded September April 20, 2019. Released March 24, 2020)

Related Episodes of UNDER REVIEW:

For other episodes of UNDER REVIEW , check out: Patrick Mouratoglou [Ep32]; Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]; Paul Annacone [Ep15]; Brad Gilbert [Ep01];

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

To hear more from current players on the pro tour check out  these episodes:

Belinda Bencic [Ep42]

Bianca Andreescu [Ep43]

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

To see the UTR  https://www.myutr.com/

check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/

KEYWORDS:

Peru, Davis Cup, Nick Bolletierri, Key Biscayne, Crandon Park, Miami, Miami Open, Bartoli, Puig, Arraya Tennis, Jimmy Arias, Monte Carlo, Bjorn Borg

Mark Leschly , one of the more interesting businessman we have spoken to, has lived an incredible life in tennis.

As a child he grew up in Denmark and then Princeton,  New Jersey, with a father, jan Leschly that was an exceptional pro tennis player.  In 1967 Jan Leschly reched the semifinals of the US  Open.  He told us about his brothers that played at Princeton University.  As a junior tennis player, Mark Leschly  spent his summers in Denmark and then was recruited and played tennis at Harvard University.  After a short time on tour Mark Leschly entered the world of venture capital. 

On this episode MARK LESCHLY  tells us his perspectives on the  tennis landscape. Marc explains what it was like to attend Harvard University.  The CEO  discussed his short   time on the tennis tour, and how injuries ended his dream of playing pro tennis.  He explains how he loved playing college tennis, and how the coach of Harvard introduced him to Universal Tennis. . He explains how the UTR works and how he sees it evolving.  Mark Leschly told us about how he thinks a commissioner of tennis would be a welcome addition to the sport of tennis.

(Recorded March 10, 2019. Released April 20, 2020)

Other Episodes of UNDER REVIEW:

For other episodes of UNDER REVIEW , check out: Patrick Mouratoglou [Ep32]; Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]; Paul Annacone [Ep15]; Brad Gilbert [Ep01];

To hear more from current players on the pro tour check out  these episodes:

Belinda Bencic [Ep42]

Bianca Andreescu [Ep43]

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

To see the UTR  https://www.myutr.com/

check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/

KEYWORDS:

UTR, Universal Tennis Rating, Tennis, Technology, Algorithm, Novak Djokovic, Ivan Lendl, Australia, Tennis Australia, Harvard, Princeton, New Jersey, Jan Leschly

Brian Koppelman, the creator, executive producer, and show-runner for the hit show BILLIONS, has had an amazingly interesting life in show business, tennis, and beyond.  As a child he grew up on Long Island in Roslyn, New York and played tennis and basketball.  He was a junior tennis player and played high school tennis.  His dad was a musc industry executive and he told us about some interesting moments when he helped put together a record deal for comedian Eddie Murphy and how he discovered and produced the singer Tracy Chapman.  Brian Koppelman explained how he and his family are spending their time during the corona virus lockdown.  He talked about why we all need to act like we have the virus, and behave accordingly in order to save lives.

On this episode BRIAN KOPPELMAN  tells us about working for ELLESSE during the US OPEN. He explains what it was like to see Jimmy Connors play.  And he’s going to tell us about his frustrations on the court and why he has tremendous respect for pro tennis players. He explains why he thinks coaching should be allowed in tennis . He breaks down some of the adversity he faced as a blocked writer and the moments that helped him co-write the script for the hit film about the underground poker scene in New York, Rounders.  Brian Koppelman told us about his coffee mug fundraising initiative, Le Royale.

This is episode is part of our Tastemaker series.

(Recorded March 30, 2020. Released April 13, 2020)

Related Episodes of UNDER REVIEW:

For other episodes of UNDER REVIEW , check out: Patrick Mouratoglou [Ep32]; Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]; Paul Annacone [Ep15]; Brad Gilbert [Ep01];

To hear more from current players on the pro tour check out  these episodes:

Belinda Bencic [Ep42]

Bianca Andreescu [Ep43]

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/

KEYWORDS:

US OPEN, New York, Poker, Rounders, BILLIONS,  Showtime, Corona , Covid-19, Ellesse, tennis

Toure, a prolific journalist, podcast host, and an excellent  player has lived an incredible life in journalism, and while not our usual tennis personality, has done some amazing things in tennis.  As a child he grew up in Massachusetts and then attended Emory University.  As a junior tennis player, he played in tournaments all around New England.   Toure parlayed an internship into a superlative career at Rolling Stone Magazine, and then beyond. 

On this episode Toure tells us his perspectives on the current landscape in light of the corona virus pandemic.    He explains what it was like to compete in juniors coming from a predominately African-American club.    And he’s going to tell us about his time spent with Prince, Andy Roddick, and Jennifer Capriati . He breaks down some of the challenges he has faced living in Brooklyn during the pandemic lockdown.   Toure explained the inspiration for his tennis and discussed many of the black players that excelled throughout history, including Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson, Venus and Serena, and Richard  Williams, and Coco Gauff.

(Recorded March 26, 2020. Released April 6, 2020)

Other Episodes of UNDER REVIEW:

For other episodes of UNDER REVIEW , check out: Patrick Mouratoglou [Ep32]; Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]; Paul Annacone [Ep15]; Brad Gilbert [Ep01];

To hear more from current players on the pro tour check out  these episodes:

Belinda Bencic [Ep42]

Bianca Andreescu [Ep43]

To read CRAIG'S ARTICLE about the HUGGY BEAR, subscribe to RACQUET MAGAZINE.

To hear  Wimbledon stories on UNDER REVIEW, check out: TIM HENMAN [Ep10], ANDRE SA [Ep33].

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

Check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/

KEYWORDS:

Arthur Ashe, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Richard Williams, Boston, Prince, Capriati, Roddick Grand Slam, Junior Tennis, Corona Virus, WTA, ATP,  Tennis, Brooklyn, Fort Greene

Bethanie Mattek-Sands , a current player and now broadcaster for ESPN'S tennis coverage in the United States has lived an incredible life in tennis.

As a child she grew up in Minnesota and then Wisconsin, and she played multiple sports.  As a junior tennis player, she was one of the best players in North America and chose to turn professional after winning a big tournament in France at the age of 13.  Bethanie Mattek-Sands  rose to 30 in the world and posted wins over players such as Elena Svitolina, Sara Errani, and Flavia Pennetta. 

On this episode Bethanie Mattek-Sands tells us her perspectives on the current tennis landscape.   She explains what it was like to turn pro at 14 years old.  And she’s going to tell us about her time when tennis had become unpleasant.  She explains how she became a better player at the age of 25 . She breaks down some of the adversity she faced when she injured her knee at Wimbledon and had to come back to the WTA TOUR.  Bethanie explained the inspiration for her tennis fashion line, and explained that she has ownership in a Mezcal company.

(Recorded March 25, 2020. Released April 1, 2020)

Related Episodes of UNDER REVIEW:

For other episodes of UNDER REVIEW , check out: Patrick Mouratoglou [Ep32]; Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]; Paul Annacone [Ep15]; Brad Gilbert [Ep01];

To hear more from current players on the pro tour check out  these episodes:

Belinda Bencic [Ep42]

Bianca Andreescu [Ep43]

To read CRAIG'S ARTICLE about the HUGGY BEAR, subscribe to RACQUET MAGAZINE.

To hear more Wimbledon stories on UNDER REVIEW, check out: TIM HENMAN [Ep10], ANDRE SA [Ep33].

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

Check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/

KEYWORDS:

Wimbledon, England, Great Britain, Arizona, Safarova, Jamie Murray, Doubles, Grand Slam, Junior Tennis,Mezcal, Corona Virus, WTA, ATP,  Tennis

Greg Rusedski , former player, coach, and now broadcaster for Amazon Prime Video's tennis coverage in the UK, has lived an incredible life in tennis.

As a child he grew up in Montreal, Quebec with a father that loved  tennis.  As a junior tennis player, he was one of the best players in North America and chose to turn professional instead of taking a scholarship to play at USC.  Greg Rusedski rose to 4 in the world and posted wins over players such as Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Gustavo Kuerten and Marat Safin. 

On this episode GREG RUSEDSKI  tells us his perspectives on the current British tennis landscape.   He explains what it was like to see the rise of Tim Henman.  And he’s going to tell us about his time coaching  Heather Watson.  He explains how he changed coaches after his best season . He breaks down some of the adversity he faced when he turned pro and wasn't quite ready to be successful on the ATP TOUR.  Greg Rusedski explained what it was like to beat Pete Sampras at the Paris Masters.

(Recorded March 7, 2020. Released March 25, 2020)

Related Episodes of UNDER REVIEW:

hear from Greg's former coach BRIAN TEACHER

For other episodes of UNDER REVIEW , check out: Patrick Mouratoglou [Ep32]; Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]; Paul Annacone [Ep15]; Brad Gilbert [Ep01];

To hear more from current players on the pro tour check out  these episodes:

Belinda Bencic [Ep42]

Bianca Andreescu [Ep43]

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

Check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/

KEYWORDS:

Wimbledon, England, Great Britain, Canada, Tim Henman, AELTC, Andy Murray, Essex, Prime Video, Heather Watson,

Mark Petchey , one of the more insightful broadcasters on tour, has lived an incredible life in tennis.

As a child he grew up in Essex, England with a parents that were exceptional tennis players.  As a junior tennis player, he was one of the best players in Europe and chose to turn professional instead of taking a scholarship to play at USC.  Mark Petchey rose to 80 in the world and posted wins over players such as Michael Chang, Michael Stich, and Tommy Haas. 

On this episode MARK PETCHEY  tells us his perspectives on the current tennis landscape in light of the corona virus pandemic. He explains what it was like to see the rise of Tim Henman.  And he’s going to tell us about his time coaching  Andy Murray.  He explains how he thinks he should have played college tennis . He breaks down some of the adversity he faced when he turned pro and wasn't quite ready to be successful on the ATP TOUR.  Mark Petchey explained what it was like to beat Michael Chang at the Los Angeles tournament played at UCLA.

(Recorded March 10, 2020. Released March 18, 2020)

Related Episodes of UNDER REVIEW:

For other episodes of UNDER REVIEW , check out: Patrick Mouratoglou [Ep32]; Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]; Paul Annacone [Ep15]; Brad Gilbert [Ep01];

To hear more from current players on the pro tour check out  these episodes:

Belinda Bencic [Ep42]

Bianca Andreescu [Ep43]

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/

KEYWORDS:

Wimbledon, England, Great Britain, Tim Henman, AELTC, Andy Murray, Essex, Prime Video, Pandemic, Corona Virus

Tennys Sandgren , one of the more insightful, incisive, and polarizing players on tour, has lived an incredible life in tennis.

As a child he grew up in Gallatin, Tennessee with a tennis court in his backyard.  As a junior tennis player, he was one of the best players in the United States but was not identified as a top prospect by the USTA.   After a standout career at the University of Tennessee, he struggled on the ATP Tour.  Coming up with players such as Noah Rubin, Tennys told us his story of perseverance.

On this episode TENNYS SANDGREN  tells us how he broke into the top hundred in 2017 . He breaks down some of the adversity he faced when he made his run to the 2018 Australian Open quarterfinals.   He describes what happened when his father died unexpectedly , and what it was like to grow up in a fundamental Christian household. TENNYS SANDGREN explained what it was like to beat Fabio Fognini and squander 7 match points against Roger Federer at the 2020 Australian Open.

(Recorded March 11, 2020. Released March 15, 2020)

Related Episodes of UNDER REVIEW:

For other episodes of UNDER REVIEW , check out: Patrick Mouratoglou [Ep32]; Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]; Paul Annacone [Ep15]; Brad Gilbert [Ep01];

To hear more from current players on the pro tour check out  these episodes:

Belinda Bencic [Ep42]

Bianca Andreescu [Ep43]

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/

KEYWORDS:

University of Tennessee, Tennessee Vols, Tennessee, Roger Federer, Australian Open, Corona Virus, Indian Wells, Oracle, Oracle Challenger Series

Wim Fissette , the coach of Naomi Osaka, has coached many of the top women on the WTA Tour in a short amount of time.

 He took up tennis at 8 years old when his mom began playing, and became a quality junior.  As a junior, he was one of the best players in Belgium but was not identified as elite.   After being invited to be the hitting partner for Kim Clijsters, he decided that coaching tennis would be his life.  Wim Fissette told us this action packed story of moving from hitting partner to becoming a premier coach on the WTA Tour.  He discussed many aspects of his coaching career and was extremely forthcoming and earnest.

 Wim Fissette told us how early in his career he was unsure if he was a good coach, or if he had just gotten lucky coaching Kim Clijsters.  From there he took a step back to develop his coaching skills, and then got a phone call that changed his career trajectory.  Wim Fissette  breaks down his time coaching Kim Clijsters, Vika Azarenka, Johanna Konta,  Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber.  Wim Fissette describes how tennis has become his lifelong work, and how he balances the travel with a wife and young children at home.

(Recorded March 1, 2020. Released March 11, 2020)

Related Episodes of UNDER REVIEW:

For other episodes of UNDER REVIEW featuring elite coaches , check out: Patrick Mouratoglou [Ep32]; Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]; Paul Annacone [Ep15]; Brad Gilbert [Ep01];

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

To see more on Wim Fissette, see http://wimfissette.com/

And check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/

KEYWORDS:

Belgium, Kim Clijsters, Naomi Osaka, Angie Kerber, Simona Halep, Vika Azarenka, Johanna Konta, Tennis Coach, WTA, Wimbledon, US Open

Charlie Pasarell  grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the 50’s, and under the tutelage of the fabled teacher Welby Van Horn rose to tennis prominence in the United States.   He won the Orange Bowl and national championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

In the 60’s Charlie Pasarell  attended UCLA and forged a lifelong friendship with Arthur Ashe.  He also trained with Pancho Segura at The Beverly Hills Tennis Club, and rose to become the #1 player in the United States in 1967.

As a pro, Charlie Pasarell posted wins over Rod Laver, Roy Emerson,  Stan Smith, Manolo Santana and Adriano Panatta..  He  discussed what he thinks of the new generation, and told us what it was like to be a tennis star before open era tennis began.  He discussed  the controversial CEO machinations at the top of the ATP.  Charlie told us the story of how he created what is now The BNP Paribas Open,  which is now the 5th biggest tournament in the world.  Located in Indian Wells, California, the tournament was owned by Charlie Pasarell until he sold it to the head of Oracle, Larry Ellison.  Many refer to the tournament as the fifth Grand Slam.

(Recorded July 19, 2019. Released March 1, 2020)

UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact [email protected]

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

For more UNDER REVIEW episodes featuring Tennis Hall of Famers, check out:

Jim Courier [Ep23]

Gigi Fernandez [Ep27]

Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]

Mark Woodforde [Ep29]

Steve Flink [Ep37]

Mats Wilander [Ep38]

Yevgeny Kafelnikov [Ep40]

Stan Smith [Ep50]

To see clips from the epic Passarel / Gonzalez Wimbledon match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H6V1iP4UiA

And check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/

KEYWORDS:

James Van Alen. Arthur Ashe, Rod Laver, Rolex, Welby Van Horn, Donald Dell, UCLA, Davis Cup, Indian Wells, Larry Ellison, Oracle, Tennis Hall of Fame