In this insightful episode of the TennisWorthy Podcast, Chris Bowers interviews Class of 2024 Hall of Famer and 18-time major champion Leander Paes. Beyond his remarkable career as one of tennis's greatest doubles players, Paes shares profound life lessons that transcend the sport. Discover how a childhood dream of owning an ice cream factory led him to Wimbledon success. Paes also recounts growing up playing barefoot street sports in Calcutta, learning empathy, and the pivotal role his parents ...
Jul 01, 2025•59 min•Season 3Ep. 23
In 1991, Michael Stich was a relative unknown, seeded sixth at Wimbledon where he powered through to meet three-time champion Boris Becker. The match was the first all-German major final in the Open Era. This episode is part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame's TennisWorthy short-form series. View more TennisWorthy stories at tennisfame.com/tennisworthy
Jun 24, 2025•2 min•Season 3Ep. 22
In a special roundtable edition, Chris Bowers, Blair Henley, and Joel Drucker relive the magic that was 2025 Roland-Garros. The panel dissects the "match for the ages" between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, highlighting its clash of styles and inherent drama. The trio discuss what Joel views as three key elements for a "magical" match: a high-stakes occasion, two top contenders, and incredible drama and quality tennis. The match fit the bill: a clash of styles, personalities and history on th...
Jun 18, 2025•52 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Stan Smith saw it coming. The world saw it coming. But no one knew it would happen that fast. In what felt like an instant, a 17 year old Björn Borg went from a promising young star to a dominating force in the sport. By 1974, the future of tennis had arrived. This episode is part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame's TennisWorthy short-form series. View more TennisWorthy stories at tennisfame.com/tennisworthy.
Jun 10, 2025•2 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Hall of Famer Justine Henin knew from a young age that her dream was to become a champion, in particular at Roland-Garros. She went on to win the tournament four times as part of a decorated career, making sacrifices and staying true to her dream all the while. This episode is part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame's TennisWorthy short-form series. View more TennisWorthy stories at tennisfame.com/tennisworthy.
Jun 05, 2025•2 min•Season 3Ep. 19
In the 25th anniversary year of her milestone Roland-Garros singles title, the TennisWorthy Podcast revisits one of its original episodes with Hall of Famer Mary Pierce. Mary discusses her remarkable career and personal journey with Chris Bowers. Pierce reflects on her early start in tennis, turning pro at 14, and attributes her success to perseverance and hard work. A significant turning point in her life and career came in 2000, leading to her Roland Garros singles and doubles victories that y...
Jun 04, 2025•54 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Chris Bowers sits down for an inspiring interview with Rick Draney, a remarkable individual inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023 as a wheelchair tennis champion and pioneer. Draney shares his powerful journey, which began with a car crash at 19 that left him in a wheelchair. He candidly discusses the struggles of adapting to a new life and how discovering wheelchair tennis became a pivotal turning point in his rehabilitation. Despite initial doubts and challenges with mobility and gripping the...
May 29, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 17
As protestors insisted on their rights in Tiananmen Square, Hall of Famer Michael Chang persisted in one of the hardest matches of his career: battling defending champion Ivan Lendl through cramps and doubt in the fourth round at 1989 Roland-Garros. This episode is part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame's TennisWorthy short-form series. View more TennisWorthy stories at tennisfame.com/tennisworthy. (00:00:15) - When did Michael Chang win the French Open?
May 27, 2025•3 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Patrick McEnroe welcomes Amit Sood, head of Google Arts & Culture, to discuss Google's partnership with the International Tennis Hall of Fame. McEnroe highlights Google's work in digitizing the "American Lawn Tennis" magazine from the early 1900s, making this valuable historical resource accessible online on Google Arts & Culture's platform. Sood explains Google Arts & Culture's mission to provide access to cultural topics globally through partnerships with museums, archives, and fou...
May 20, 2025•20 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Host Patrick McEnroe interviews Dana Mathewson, a celebrated wheelchair tennis player and the first American woman to win a major wheelchair title in doubles. Dana shares her journey into tennis, which began after a rare autoimmune disease left her paralyzed at age 10. The conversation explores themes of overcoming setbacks, the importance of resilience, and Dana's experiences traveling the world for tournaments. Dana also reflects on the significance of representing her country in the Paralympi...
May 13, 2025•32 min•Season 3Ep. 14
This month, the TennisWorthy Podcast explores the theme of dedication, and how champions overcame various challenges in the lives and careers to reach the top. Hear inspiring stories of dedication from three Hall of Famers from the Open Era – Virginia Wade, Goran Ivanišević and Justine Henin – who faced significant journeys to achieve their major goals. Discover how Wade's early determination, sparked in South Africa, fueled her long-awaited Wimbledon triumph. Goran Ivanišević shares the emotion...
May 06, 2025•46 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Hall of Famer and 48-time major champion Esther Vergeer shares her story of inspiration. After becoming paralyzed at age 8, Esther discovered a love of sport through her rehabilitation process. Following a record-setting wheelchair tennis career, Esther has found her mission in providing opportunities for children with a disability to access and participate in sports. Since 2004, the Esther Vergeer Foundation has transformed lives across the Netherlands. This episode is part of the International...
May 01, 2025•2 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Spanish tennis greats weren't necessarily known for their success on grass before Conchita Martinez made the final at Wimbledon in 1994. Conchita shares the emotions behind her Wimbledon title, and how establishing her legacy on Centre Court paved the way for her to make and impact in coaching some of the greats of the next generation. This episode is part of the International Tennis Hall of Fame's TennisWorthy short-form series. View more TennisWorthy stories at tennisfame.com/tennisworthy...
Apr 29, 2025•2 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Host Patrick McEnroe catches up with Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez, discussing her career in the framework of tradition. Patrick and Gigi go behind the scenes at Wimbledon and the other Majors, sharing stories and memories of their favorite traditions in tennis, such as wearing white at Wimbledon, the evolution of night tennis, and the debate over best-of-five sets in men's tennis. Patrick and Gigi open the episode with takeaways from their experience at the launch event of Serving Tennis History...
Apr 15, 2025•28 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In April, we explore the delicate balance between tradition and progress in the world of tennis, focusing on the four major tournaments: Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and US Open. Each tournament, while steeped in history, has had to adapt to the changing times. Chris Bowers delves into the decisions behind venue changes, like the Australian and US Opens' move to new, purpose-built facilities, and the choice of Wimbledon and Roland Garros to stay rooted in their historic locations. ...
Apr 08, 2025•34 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In 2021, the International Tennis Hall of Fame inducted the Original 9, pioneers who signed $1 contracts in 1970 to create the first women's tennis tour. Facing challenges, they paved the way for equity in sports. Rosie Casals, Judy Tegart Dalton, and Ann Jones reflect on those early years with Blair Henley, discussing their risks, timing, and behind-the-scenes efforts. Later, Jones tells Chris Bowers how player camaraderie fueled progress on the Virginia Slims tour, uniting women across nationa...
Mar 31, 2025•52 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In celebration of Women's History Month, we dive into one of the most pivotal moments in tennis history—the story of the Original 9. In 1970, nine courageous women, led by Billie Jean King and Gladys Heldman, signed $1 contracts and risked their careers to revolutionize women’s tennis. Facing discrimination and a male-dominated tennis establishment, their bold move laid the foundation for professional women’s tennis and equal prize money. This episode of the podcast recounts the iconic Houston t...
Mar 11, 2025•26 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Chris Bowers hosts special episode of the TennisWorthy Podcast as we pay tribute to Australian tennis legend Fred Stolle, who passed earlier this week at 86. In an interview recorded at Roland Garros in 2018, Fred reflects on his remarkable career—his rise from humble beginnings, Grand Slam triumphs, clashes with the legendary Harry Hopman, and his transition into coaching and broadcasting. With candid storytelling and sharp insights, this episode recognizes one of tennis’s greats. Fred Stolle w...
Mar 09, 2025•16 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Hall of Famer Cliff Drysdale joins the TennisWorthy Podcast ahead of Indian Wells to explore his legendary impact on the sport and talk current tennis happenings with host Patrick McEnroe. From his early days as a top-ranked player to his role in founding the ATP, Drysdale shares behind-the-scenes stories about the fight for player rights and the evolution of professional tennis. The two also discuss Arthur Ashe’s legacy, the rise of modern greats like Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, and the state...
Mar 04, 2025•38 min•Season 3Ep. 5
February's theme of boldness continues with an insightful conversation surrounding Arthur Ashe's milestone Wimbledon title in 1975, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Host Patrick McEnroe relives the tournament and events surrounding it with two Hall of Famers who were there, Charlie Pasarell and Richard Evans. The discussion explores Ashe’s strategic brilliance in defeating Jimmy Connors, the challenges he faced as a Black athlete in a predominantly white sport, and his impact bey...
Feb 25, 2025•45 min•Season 3Ep. 4
February is Black History Month in the United States, and the TennisWorthy podcast explores the theme of boldness in tennis. Patrick McEnroe and Chris Bowers highlight the courageous journeys of three African-American tennis legends—Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, and their mentor Dr. Robert Johnson. Chris narrates their struggles and triumphs, starting with Gibson, who broke racial barriers in the 1950s with the help of Alice Marble’s advocacy. Gibson’s journey from segregation-era challenges to wi...
Feb 11, 2025•34 min•Season 3Ep. 3
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? TennisWorthy, a podcast presented by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and hosted by Patrick McEnroe, seeks to answer these questions and uncover what it takes to become the greatest of champions. These wide-reaching conversations go beyond on-court results, and reveal the mindset, accomplishments and legacies of the sport's legends....
Feb 10, 2025•1 min
Host Patrick McEnroe caught up with newly appointed Laver Cup Team World Vice Captain and Hall of Famer Pat Rafter in Melbourne. On site at the Australian Open, the pair wasted no time delving into January's subject of tenacity, and how digging deep played a massive role in some of Rafter's biggest moments on court. McEnroe and Rafter discuss how Rafter's serve-and-volley style of play required incredible work ethic, and how he succeeded at the US Open with back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998. ...
Jan 28, 2025•30 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Season 3 of the TennisWorthy Podcast is here, just in time for the Australian swing and welcomes a new host in ITHF President and ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe. Patrick and Chris Bowers bring two stories from Hall of Famers Hana Mandlíková and Pete Sampras. In reliving two key moments from their careers, Mandlíková and Sampras focus on their mental resilience and tenacity in overcoming challenges. Mandlíková, once seen as a natural rival to Martina Navratilova, became a Czech national hero, w...
Jan 09, 2025•18 min•Season 3Ep. 1
The TennisWorthy Podcast revisits Season 2 to close the year, featuring some of our favorite topics and legends. Today we're focusing on the psychology of tennis, which is not solely about psychology, but about dealing with pressure, keeping emotions at the right level, and generally looking after a player's mental health, which is becoming a more high-profile topic given the ultra-competitive nature of the current professional tennis world. The idea of players using psychologists has really onl...
Dec 26, 2024•19 min•Season 2Ep. 17
The TennisWorthy Podcast revisits Season 2, featuring some of our favorite topics and legends. In this episode, we hear about making a different kind of history from Hall of Famers Ken Rosewall, Cliff Drysdale, Rosie Casals, Judy Tegart-Dalton and Ann Jones. Three of the interviews in Season 2 featured five history makers from that pivotal time in the history of tennis, the sport going open in 1968, effectively the professionals and amateurs coming together in the same competitions. And the five...
Dec 19, 2024•25 min•Season 2Ep. 16
The TennisWorthy Podcast revisits Season 2 to close the year, featuring some of our favorite topics and legends. Today we're going to take some excerpts from the interviews we launched this year on the theme of a balanced life. Hear from Hall of Famers Gabriela Sabatini, Jim Courier and Kim Clijsters on how they set priorities during their careers. How often do we hear that it's vital that young players give everything to their tennis career if they want to get to the top? You have to give almos...
Dec 12, 2024•14 min•Season 2Ep. 15
The TennisWorthy Podcast revisits Season 2 to close the year, featuring some of our favorite topics and legends. Today, host Chris Bowers focuses on the development of champions as junior players. In most of our interviews with champions, we've asked the question, what were you doing as a junior that made you win matches against fellow juniors, who must have had roughly the same forehands and backhands? The answers were varied, and sometimes surprising. Learn what it was that set them apart, fea...
Dec 05, 2024•16 min•Season 2Ep. 14
It's a special edition of the TennisWorthy Podcast, today from Newport, Rhode Island on Induction Day. Host Brett Haber sat down with a trio of Hall of Famers: Kim Clijsters, Tracy Austin and Stan Smith. They reminisced about their own inductions, shared their fond thoughts on the Class of 2024 - Vijay Amritraj, Richard Evans and Leander Paes - and of course, had some laughs!
Jul 21, 2024•33 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Argentina's Gabriela Sabatini was a rising star as a junior, and she lived up to her early expectations. After becoming the youngest player to ever win the Orange Bowl (at age 13), she reached the semifinals of the French Open and the top 10 of the WTA rankings two years later. It wasn't all smooth sailing, though - her well-documented struggles with shyness made duties off the court difficult. Gaby credits working with a sport psychologist and the global exposure tennis gave her as helping her ...
May 28, 2024•45 min•Season 2Ep. 12