The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast

Patrick McEnroe took a break from packing for Wimbledon and joined me for 40 minutes and we discussed all of the hot button topics in tennis and how they pertain to Wimbledon. We talked Alcaraz Sinner top to bottom, Coco Gauff top to bottom and the brutal conditions during the women's final. We discussed this evolution of tennis and what it means for the field. Patrick discussed modern technique and how that pertains to the child development. We talked plainly about legalized coaching and it was an interesting chat. Patrick declared "The Saudis are Coming" and shared his perspectives on that controversial subject matter. We dug deep and Patrick shared some interesting anecdotes, conversations and observations that we haven't heard before. Recorded and Released 6.25The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is powered By The Golden Ticket Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Sam Querrey chatted at The Hotel Molitor the day before Roland Garros was about to begin he was getting ready to begin a 2 week excursion into uncharted waters-TNT's inaugural broadcast of The French Open. Two weeks later Rafa had been properly honored, Coco Gauff had won 7 matches, and Carlitos and Jannik had played arguably the greatest match in tennis history.Sam and I discussed the French in length, previewed Wimbledon a little, and busted thru the 5 set format discussing all of the hot button topics of the day- and it was a great chat. Recorded 6.19 Released 6.21The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By The Golden Ticket Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christopher Clarey and I sat down in the restaurant on the 2nd floor of Chatrier and discussed his book, The Warrior- a tour de force biography of Rafa Nadal. It was a fascinating chat about Rafa, Roland Garros, and the creative process. Class is in session! Recorded 6.2 Released 6.4The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Golden Ticket Tennis If you are a player have a look at our Money Dingles Tournament Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ubaldo Scanagatta joined me in a room in the auxiliary press building at The Foro Italico just an hour before the women's final to discuss a wide array of topics all pertaining to this unbelievable moment in Italian tennis. It was an enlightening and fascinating chat, as we discussed Paolini and Sinner in length , as well as the entire roster of elite Tenistas. Recorded 5.17 Released 5.18This Episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast was Powered by Ellesse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Camila Osorio blasted onto the tennis scene in 2019 when she became just the 3rd South American woman to win the junior US Open. She has been ranked as high as 33 in the world. We sat down in the media mixed zone at the Italian Open just a couple days ago and discussed a wide array of topics from her schedule to her tennis to her equipment- and it was quite interesting to hear her perspectives on tennis from a 23 year old in the early stages of a pro career and hopefully you get a feel for what it's like to be a young woman on tour.Recorded 5.10 Released 5.12 This Episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is brought to you by Ellesse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the 11th season and 129th episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast, todays show is brought to you byEllesse, the Italian brand from Peruggia made legendary by Chris Evert, Guillermo Vilas and Boris Becker. We are on the ground at The Italian Open and we have a special show for you. Francesco Passaro was born and raised in Peruggia, Italy, and in 2022 he went from 600 in the world to qualifying for the Nextgen finals, and this year cracked the top 100 for the first time. He is a wildcard here in Rome and we talked about his career and Italian tennis in length from the players lounge.Recorded and Released on 5.5.25 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Romanian Virginia Ruzici was one of the stars of tennis' Golden Age, becoming a global superstar in 1978 when she won the French Open. She rode a heavy forehand to 8 in the world in 1979, won 12 tournaments over the course of her career, and together with the bombastic Ilie Nastase and the svengali Ion Triac was ominpresent in tennis. She parlayed her playing career into a role at IMG, where she discovered Anna Kournikova. She managed Simona Halep for the majority of her career, and we talked in length about that. She was synonymous with the legendary Italian brand Ellesse, when the players were seemed to have more fun galavanting around the globe, playing and partying and playing some more. We talked about her life in and around tennis, and what a tale it was. Recorded 5.1 and Released 5.3 This episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is brought to you by Ellesse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I met Rex Kulman and his father Guy when he was 8 years old at the Oracle Challenger in 2020, just days before the world quarantined. Five years later Rex is an elite 13 year old player, approaching a 10 UTR, is home schooled, and is coached full time by Diego Moyano, the former coach of Coco Gauff and Frances Tiafoe, respectively. Rex has trained at McEnroe Academy, Mouratoglou Academy, as well as the USTA's campus in Lake Nona and in Queens. Most recently Rex played in ITF Junior tournaments in Havana and Jamaica, and we talked about it all. His unique life in tennis is fascinating, and I hope every parent and child in tennis has a listen. Recorded 4.28 Released 4.30 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2015 Anna Blinkova made the finals of Junior Wimbledon, and in 2016 began her life on the WTA Tour. She has been as high as 34 in the world and is now ranked 78. She has posted wins over Caro Garcia, Jess Pegula, Emma Navarro, and in Australia in 2024 she beat the defending champion Elena Rybakina 22-20 in the 3rd set Superbreaker, the longest tie breaker in WTA history. Fluent in 5 languages, remarkably eloquent and thoughtful, Anna was extremely forthcoming and painted an interesting picture of what life is like on tour.Recorded 4.4 released 4.6The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is coming to Rome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dyan Castillejo and I met over 10 years ago covering the prizefighter Manny Pacquiao's career all around the globe, but it was in 2014 I saw her hitting some balls with her son in the parking lot of The Wild Card Gym in Hollywood- Manny's training camp in the US. It was then I realized that she had lived a special life in tennis. She is the first Filipino woman to have attained a WTA ranking. With the emergence of Alex Eala I thought there was no one better to learn about that unique and exciting situation, and Dyan didn't disappoint. Recorded 4.1 Released 4.2 The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Coming to Rome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mats Wilander had 4 majors before his 21st birthday, and finished an illustrious career with 33 tournament victories, 7 major titles, the year end #1 in 1988, 3 Davis Cups, and we had a world class chat from the VIP Patio at The Arizona Tennis Classic, the coolest tennis tournament in the Americas. Mats and I covered Fonseca, Alcaraz, Nishikori, the Sinner debacle, Colton Smith, and a whole lot more. Recorded 3.15, released 3.16The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Going To Rome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Zach Thomas and I got back onto the mic to discuss all the things we need to know about our feet. Orthotic, ankle braces, and of course, the shoes. We played the hits as well as the more obscure one hit wonders, the sublime to the ridiculous. He recently dissected a pair of Rafa's actual; shoes and we discussed it all. Recorded 2.14 Released 2.17The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Going To RomeDiadora Powers The Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The comedian and former world #864 Michael Kosta and I met in Paris a couple years ago, and courtesy of Tennis Channel sat court side on Philippe Chatrier one evening. Two years after our chance meeting he is one of the hosts of The Daily Show and has a memoir entitled Lucky Loser rolling out next month. We ran thru the 5 set format and we talked in length about his significant and fascinating life in tennis and how he pivoted from grinding on the tour to becoming a comedian. We talked about his time at Illinois, turning pro, and then making the U-turn into comedy. Michael was extremely forthcoming with his experience and there are a lot of lessons imparted. I really enjoyed this Shapsterclass. Recorded and Released 2.10.25Diadora powers the show. Learn more about Michael Kosta hereThe Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Going To Rome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's been a player, a coach, a Davis Cup Captain and has the distinction of organizing arguably the biggest exhibition tennis event in history. John Laffnie De Jaeger cheated death when he was born and has gone on to have an incredible life in tennis. We discussed the Australian Open, in particular the behind the scenes happenings that have made the event elite. We talked about the level of the tennis we've seen, and we discussed his origin story. John explained the challenges of being a South African player, and really painted a picture of what South African tennis was like in it's heyday. John explained what it was like to win The Huggy Bear, and told us a great story about sorting out the Match For Africa, when Roger played Rafa in a massive rugby stadium. Recorded 1.20 Released 1.22The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By The Golden TicketDiadora is The Official Shoe of The Show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sat down with the Tunisian Davis Cupper Aziz Dougaz in the lounge at The NTC, a couple days after he lost his 1st round match against Yoshihito Nishioka, and the Tunisian world #219 did not disappoint. The 27 year old former FSU player came thru qualies and played in his first main draw major, his elbow taped up, and was literally waiting for his winnings to hit his bank account as we were talking. but that is just the beginning. We discussed his path to this moment, from Tunisia to Morocco to France and then to Tallahassee. We discussed the lack of support he has gotten, and how the scales are tipped against players that do not have vigorous federations, as well as why he has an optimistic view of his prospects for the future. Recorded 1.16 Released 1.18 The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By Diadora and The Golden Ticket Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

G'Day My Friends, We are in Melbourne, it's day 4 of the Australian Open, and Ben Rothenberg and I sat down at The Collins Hotel to discuss the fortunes of Naomi Osaka, the plight of Nick Kyrgios, the rise of Joao Fonseca, the Elena Rybakina controversy, the issue of the positive tests of Swiatek and Sinner, the impending sale of Tennis Channel, and the latest on the Saudi takeover of tennis. It is everything you need. Recorded and Released on 1.15Subscribe to Ben's substack BOUNCES The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is powered by Diadora and is going To Rome for An Academy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Korita grew up in Chicago and found his way to Nick Bolletierri's 1st academy, where he honed his craft and battled with Paul Annacone, Pablo Arraya, and Jimmy Arias, to name a few. He then went to SMU to play for the great Dennis Ralston, and then he made his mark on the pro tour. He is considered to be one of the legendary servers in the history of our sport, having been clocked at 153 in Tokyo, and clocked over 140 many times. He had deals with Prince and Sergio Tacchini, and was considered to be a major blue chip, hyper dangerous threat. We discussed his incredible life in tennis. Class is in session with one of the most interesting people in tennis. Recorded 10.13 Released 10.16The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Angelica Gavaldon has lived a difficult and amazing life in tennis. She grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, was a highly touted junior, and blasted onto the scene in 1990 when she qualified and reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Along with Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis she was identified as a blue chip prospect and the pressure of being on tour affected her right from the beginning. After the tremendous success at the 1990 Aussie the 16 year old t was burnt out and took a self imposed extended break. She worked her way back and in 1995 repeated the feat, qualifiying and then quartering The 1995 Australian Open. She got to 34 in the world in 1996, and over the course of her career posted wins over great champions including Novotna, Graf, Mandlikova, Majoli, and Amanda Coetzer. We discussed how she has recently rediscovered her love for tennis, Angelica shared her views on the state of Mexican tennis, and how she is trying to bring a pro tournament to Baja Mexico. It was a terrific chat. Recorded 9.25 Released 9.30The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora and The Golden Ticket Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We kick off our 10th season with our annual technology special featuring Roman Prokes of RPNY. We discussed his involvement helping Andre Agassi find a racquet that he likes, the cosmetic change that Frances Tiafoe went thru, including the difference in the dimensions of the Yonex handle, and the pros and cons of the new Federer racquets. Roman talked about the 18/19 trend in string patterns, as well as the trend toward lighter racquets. He explained what happens when he does a racquet consultation. It was a phenomenal chat. Recorded and Released 9.23The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora and sponsored by The Golden Ticket Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Ein is one of the owners of The Washington Commanders of the NFL and is the owner of the Mubadala Citi Open. He sat down with me at Wimbledon and we discussed a myriad of subjects in and around the business of tennis and it was a masterclass. He explained his philosophies around doing good business and how he combined the San Jose women's tournament with his men's tournament, he talked about the Saudi involvement in tennis. We talked about the television contracts and the Tennis Channel being shopped. We had a tremendous chat, as he is the first tournament owner to be invited on the show. Recorded 7.2 Released 7.5The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is powered by DiadoraScopesports.io is the official fan club platform of the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are just a day and a half away from the start of The Championships, and Giri Nathan of The Second Serve and Defector joined me from a lovely spot by Court 18 this afternoon after attending the media day press conferences and we buzzed through some of the more interesting storylines leading into the fortnight- Raducanu resurgent, Sinner with a brutal draw, Tommy and Taylor winning the 2 lead up tournaments, Sabalenka announcing a shoulder injury, Novak in the mix and lots more. Have a listen and whet your Wimbledon appetite. Recorded and released 6.29.24Sign up for the newsletter.The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is powered by DiadoraScope Sports IO is the official fan club platform of the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just a few days after his player Kei Nishikori retired with a shoulder injury the second round of Roland Garros, coach Thomas Johannson joined me from his home in Monaco, where he has lived for the past 25 years. He actually shared with me some cool information about living there. We discussed the conditions at the French, the issue that popped up this week of unruly fans, and talked in length about the players remaining in the men's draw. We talked about Rafa and his prospects moving forward. We talked about coaching at this moment in time and what that's like, and we talked about the dramatic downturn in Swedish tennis. The former world #7 who had blitzed through the 2002 Australian Open draw and defeated Marat Safin in the final explained how a win vs the Moroccan Younes El-Aynoui put him on a path toward that major victory. Recorded 5.3 Released 5.4The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By Diadora Scopesports.io is the official fan club platformSign up for our newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since 1974, Ubaldo Scanagatta has been among the most significant Italian tennis broadcasters and journalists on the planet. When Novak Djokovic mimicked his glorious Italian accent the tennis community was alerted in mass to this man, however for 40 years, Ubaldo, with Rino Tommasi and Gianni Clerici were the voices of Italian tennis, creating lingo and lexicon, for example a “Veronica” and a “Circoletto Rosso”, and we discussed it all. It was tremendous fun, and absolutely fascinating.His media outlet, UBI TENNIS is prolific in tennis, and his website is offered in Italian, Spanish, and English. Ubaldo and I discussed Sinner's injury and Giorgi's retirement, as well as Berrettini's injury problems. He talked about the success of Italian tennis and the young junior Federico Cina. He gave a thorough explanation of Tennis Australia's fight against the Saudi incursion, as well as the current situation with Novak Djokovic. Ubaldo discussed the history, and current state of tennis media. Recorded 5.15 Released 5.19The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by DiadoraScopesports.io is the official Fan Club platform Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I sat down with Grigor Dimitrov in his hotel in Rome just a couple days ago and Grigor discussed his feelings about the future machinations of The ATP Tour and the players' disdain of the long tournaments, his Lacoste deal, the sore subject of his Vapor 9s, his racquet secrets, and his beginnings in Bulgaria. Recorded 5.8 Released 5.10 The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by DiadoraScopesports.io is the official fan club Platform of the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With pro tennis at an ominous crossroads, the great Stan Smith and I had an important chat that was a mix of a walk down memory lane as well as a pointed conversation about tennis' potential next steps. Stan opined on the USTA's budget cuts as well as the impending Saudi incursion into our sport, and what it means for the smaller tournaments like Bastaad, Gstaadt, and Vienna. And to that point we talked about The Ojai and how important that small tournament was to his career. We discussed college tennis and how the new rules regarding NIL are hurting the competitiveness of many schools. We talked about his documentary, Who Is Stan Smith, and it's theatrical release next week. Recorded and Released on 5.26The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by DiadoraScopesports.io is the official fan club platform of the podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hall of Famer Rosie Casals and I had a world class chat, as it was a real honor to have the former world #3 and one of The Original 9 players that created the WTA on the show. Rosie talked about what it was like growing up in tennis in San Francisco was like, and how Billie Jean King showed her how to become a more disciplined athlete, and how the Virginia Slims media training was pivotal in the formation of the WTA. She shared her front row experience before, during, and after The Battle of The Sexes, and it was an incredible history lesson. She was plain speaking and shared her views on the current state of the WTA as well as the budget cuts made by the USTA, and how the players need to do a better job promoting the WTA and the tournaments. Class was in session. Recorded 4.17 Released 4.23The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By DiadoraScopesports.io is the official fan club platform of the podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like many players on tour, John Millman has had an incredible journey in tennis. The youngest of 5, he was snubbed by Tennis Australia as a junior and used that as motivation to grind, and he went to Europe as an 18 year old. It wasn't until after his 2nd shoulder surgery that he cracked the top 100. In 2018 he beat Roger Federer in the 4th round at the US Open and that October he was 33 in the world. We talked about his career, and what retirement has been like. He sat on the player council at the ATP, and we discussed the crunch time decision that tennis faces in the coming weeks with regards to the PIF. Recorded 4.17 Released 4.18The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by DiadoraScopesports.io is the Official Fan Club of The Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The former world #6 José Higueras won 16 titles on the pro tour, semi'd the French twice, and upon retirement coached a massive amount of players to huge success. José coached Michael Chang to his French Open title in 1989, and then was with Jim Courier fort his 4 majors and ascendance to the #1 ranking. In 2008 after they won the US Open, he left Roger Federer to join Patrick McEnroe at the USTA, as head coach of player development. He and Patrick instituted what they called THE PHILOSOPHY, a huge amount of players and coaches benefitted from their direction and we discussed this.Just last week José penned an open letter expressing deep concern for American tennis as a result of extreme budget cuts within the USTA and we discussed his letter in length. Recorded March 30 Released April 1The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By DiadoraScopesports.io is the Official Fan Club Platform of the Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Giri Nathan of Defector and The Second Serve chatted with me via Zoom, we both were in Indian Wells and we discussed all of the on and off court hot button topics, including Novak's odd departure from tournament, the Rybakina propensity to pull out of tournaments, the Sabalenka Situation, the PIF incursion in to tennis, as well as the Halep re-emergence onto the WTA Tour. We talked about the good form of Sakkari as well the strong play of Kostyuk. Recorded and Released 3.20.24The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By DiadoraScopesports.io is the official fan club platform of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick McEnroe the Stanford Cardinal and the former World #28 in addition to being a broadcaster for ESPN is now the president of The International Tennis Hall of Fame. We had a tremendous chat here in the desert, and covered all of the hot button topics of the day, including the Saudi and Emirates incursion into our sport, The future of The Netflix Slam and Agassi's reemergence, the demise of the USTA player development budget, and the future of the Hall of Fame. Recorded 3.11 Released 3.14The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by DiadoraScopesports.io is the official fan club app of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 4 TimeMajor Champion, World #1 The Hall of Famer Jim Courier and I chopped it up on the Tennis Channel patio in what has become an annual event, discussing the BNP Paribas Open and all the hot button topics of the day including the Netflix Exhibition, the demise of BREAK POINT, Rafa's last stand, and the difficulties both Frances Tiafoe and Jess Pegula are having. Recorded and Released 3.11.24The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By DiadoraScopesports.io is the official Fan club app of the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonny Levine has lived an incredible life in tennis. In the early 80s he reached the finals of the Kalamazoo National 18s and was a 2 time All American at Texas. He appears to have the distinction of being the first player to beat Andre Agassi in a professional tournament, and he reached the quarters of the French and US Open doubles in 1988 with the lightning bolt serving Eric Korita, and we discussed it all. He is now the owner of The Arizona Tennis Classic which is played at The Phoenix Country Club next week (March 11-17), and because of his location and spot on the calendar boasts the strongest men challenger draw in the world, with the cutoff currently at 70. Recorded 3.4 Released 3.5The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by DiadoraSubscribe to our weekly newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maria Timofeeva, known to all as Masha, was born in Moscow in 2003, learned tennis at the famous tennis school Spartak and In 2017 she won the prestigious under 14 tournament L'Petit As, and from then was on a trajectory to become a professional. In the summer of 2023 her ranking shot from 250 to 120 after winning Budapest as a lucky loser, and then this past January she entered the 2024 Australian Open qualies ranked 170 in the world, and then proceeded to win 6 matches, including wins over Cornet, Wozniacki, and Haddad-Maia to reach the round of 16. She left Australia ranked 100. We talked about what it was like to be a Russian player on tour, and what her journey has been like. It was fascinating to talk to a young woman with such a unique story. Recorded 2.29 Released 3.2The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By DiadoraSign up for the weekly newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As it pertains to her son, the world #7 Holger Rune. she is always in the mix. For me, she is the preeminent tennis mom in our game, dressed in black head to toe, conspicuously cool in the player's box. Aneke Rune and I had a wonderful chat, we discussed her son's trials and tribulations at length, including the former and current coaching situation, the importance of his team as well as their connection to the Mouratoglou Academy, and the challenges of being a mom on tour. The former ballerina in the Royal Danish Ballet joined me from her home in Charlotteslund, Denmark and was remarkably forthcoming and honest and didn't shy away from any of the tough questions.Recorded 2.5 Released 2.6The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By DiadoraSubscribe to Our Newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On January 16th Ben Rothenberg and I hosted a full house at the best coffee shop in Melbourne for a live podcast/book signing. The Osaka book was available for purchase and Ben signed books, and Naomi's agent Stu Duguid joined us . We talked in length about the Osaka comeback, the book, and then we hit the hot button topics of the day including gambling in tennis and the Zverev situation. It was an awesome Australian Open kickoff. The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By DiadoraRecorded 1.16 Released 1.19 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Giri Nathan of DEFECTOR and I kick off the 8th season with a current events special to get everyone excited about the Summer Down Under. We talked the Rafa situation, the Joker wrist, as well as Grigor, Coco, Iga, Rybakina, and all the others that are already in killer form. We talked Adrian Mannarino and Emma Navarro, and how Alex de Minaur is a top tenner. We talked Naomi Osaka .We talked domestic and European TV deals and the future of BREAK POINT. It was a great chat. Recorded and Released 1.8.24The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Born in Montenegro and raised in the suburbs of Toronto, a decade ago Milos Raonic put Canadian tennis on the map, and in 2016 got to 3 in the world, reaching the finals of Wimbledon. The big server has made over 20 million dollars on tour and won 8 titles, has posted wins over Roger, Rafa, and Andy. His career has been marred by a multitude of injuries and we discussed his propensity for injury in length. He is the son of two engineers and is one of the more cerebral players that we have had on our show. We talked in length about the politics of the ATP, and he shared his thoughts on the future of tennis. Recorded 12.19 Released 12.22The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By Diadora Today's Episode is also brought to you by Baha Mar Resorts the home of the Bahamar Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Rothenberg is the host of the podcast No Challenges Remaining and was the tennis writer for the New York Times from 2011-2021, and spent the better part of his career with a keen eye on Naomi Osaka, from way before she became a household name, through her greatest achievements as well as her well documented struggles. His biography, NAOMI OSAKA comes out on January 9, and we discussed the book, and Naomi, at length. Additionally Ben and I discussed all of the hot button topics of the day, including the impending Saudi incursion into tennis, the flailing machinations of the WTA Alexander Zverev saga, the curse of NETFLIX, as well as the incredible year of Novak Djokovic. Recorded 12.5 Released 12.8The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By Diadora.Today's show is also brought to you by Vacation® - creators of the legendary Ball Boy Scented Candle, made exclusively with Prince® Tennis. Use my code "SHAPIRO" for 15% off the Vacation® Ball Boy Scented Candle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Siegemund has lived an incredible life in tennis. She was born in Filderstadt, Germany and was identified as talent by the German federation at a young age, culminating with a big win at the 2000 Orange Bowl where she won the twelves. With a coach that eschewed the traditional path of playing junior events, from the age of 13 until she was 24 she played in pro tournaments, losing matches, until it became too frustrating, too emotionally hard. And that's where the story becomes amazing. The former World #27 and the current #5 doubles player in the world discussed her incredible path, her controversial 1st round match at the US Open vs Coco Gauff, her experience at the WTA Finals, as well as her opinions about the WTA. She was earnest and plain speaking and we had a great chat. Recorded 11.20 Released 11.29The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By Diadora. Today's show is also brought to you by Vacation® - creators of the legendary Ball Boy Scented Candle, made exclusively with Prince® Tennis. Use my code "SHAPIRO" for 15% off the Vacation® Ball Boy Scented Candle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bahamian with the tight blond curls Mark Knowles has lived an amazing life in tennis. He was identified by Nick Bollettieri when he was 10 years old and was given a scholarship to join the action in Bradenton, Florida. He played at UCLA, and the turned pro in 1992, he reached the top 100 in singles, but it was in doubles where he distinguished himself, reaching world #1, winning 3 majors and 55 tournaments over the course of a 20 year career. Now a broadcaster and the elected player representative on the ATP board, Mark provided a birds eye view of the hot button topics facing men's tennis, and we discussed it all. The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by DiadoraToday's episode is also sponsored by Baha Mar Resorts as the fourth annual Baha Mar Cup ishappening in The Bahamas Friday, December 8 through Sunday, December 10. .Recorded 11.21 Released 11/22 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's the closest thing to tennis' version of a street ball legend. Elite Brazilian junior, goes 78-12 at UCLA playing 4,5,and 6, then sort of waits to try playing pro tennis, and supplements tennis teaching income by playing and winning men's local "money" tournaments. His backhand return becomes legendary, everyone says he's so smooth it's incredible. He gets to top 400 and stops. Then he becomes Naomi Osaka's hitting partner, creates a popular Youtube Channel and brand and now is trying to make it on the tour again. He's Karue Sell and we had a great chat. Recorded 11/2 Released !!/12 on location at UCLA The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his first match at the 2023 Australian Open, the left handed Frenchman Corentin Moutet snapped the sheath that holds the ligaments in his right wrist, and went on to play with a one handed backhand for the entire year. It was an odd year to say the least as he had surgery and continued to compete at the highest level with a one hander instead of taking the protected ranking and letting the right wrist heal. We discussed this wild year, his mercurial nature as well as what it has been like to grow up in French Tennis, and he explained the significance of being tossed out of the FTF. Per usual we discussed all of the hot button topics of the day. It was a serious, tremendous chat. Recorded 10.26 Released 11.2The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amos Mansdorf grew up outside of Tel Aviv, a 2nd generation Israeli, as his grandparents migrated to Israel in the 20's. In 1987 he got to 18 in the world, the highest ranking ever for an Israeli, and had an awesome career, beating Hall of Famers Connors, Becker, and Muster to name a few. He appeared in 16 finals and won 6 titles.Amos joined me from his home in Tel aviv where just hours earlier the sirens were sounded and missiles flew overhead, as Israel is at war. We discussed the situation at length, and then were able to successfully segue to tennis. It was an important and exceptional conversation.Recorded 10.24 Released 10.26The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's just nothing better than taking a deep dive with a player that has been through the fire, and Dan Evans fits that bill. In August Dan came out of a six match losing streak and won his second ATP tournament in Washington DC, defeating Frances Tiafoe and Grigor Dimitrov en route to the championship that got him to his career high ranking of 21 in the world. The flashy shotmaker followed up the DC win with a virtuoso performance in a losing effort to Carlitos Alcaraz in the 3rd round of the US Open, wowing the crowd and Carlitos, himself. Just a couple weeks later he put the British Davis Cup Team on his back coming off the mat twice to lead his team to victory over France in one of the moist electrifying scenes we've seen all year. It was a triumphant moment for a player that had been banned from the tour for a failed drug test six years ago, in the prime of his career- and we discussed it all. Recorded 10.16 Released 10.18The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jose Luis Clerc represented Argentina on their Davis Cup Team from 1976-1989, alongside Guillermo Vilas for most of those years, and did battle with McEnroe, Wilander, Connors and Lendl to name a few. He got to 4 in the world in 1981 after going on a 25 match win streak, and then went on a 28 match win streak in. 82. He won 25 tournaments on tour and reached the semis of Roland Garros in 81 and 82. Hew is now the broadcaster for South America, we linked at the US Open and had a great chat. We discussed a myriad of topics, the 5 set format was a tremendous asset, and I loved every second of our chat. The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora. Use my code APPROVED at Holabird Sports to receive 15% off on all Diadora performance tennis shoes.Recorded 8.30 Released 9.18 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Along with his brothers Vijay, Anand Amritraj is Indian Tennis Royalty and is considered to be amongst the first Indians to compete on the elite level. He posted a win over John McEnroe on grass, and won 7 titles. In doubles he won 12 titles and reached the semis of Wimbledon and the quarters of the US Open. He was on the 1974 and 1987 Davis Cup Teams that both reached the finals, and his participation catapulted him into a lifetime of stardom.With his flowing feathered white hair and his colorful wardrobe, Anand is one of the flashiest dressers the sport has ever seen, is on the cover of Racquet Magazine, and we talked about it all.Recorded 8.28 at the US Open and Released 9.9The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is powered by Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gilad Bloom has lived an incredible life in tennis.He grew up outside of Tel Aviv, Israel, and was an elite junior. He carried the torch for Israel's National Team in both the Davis Cup and The Olympics from 1984-1995, and posted wins over many great players including Jimmy Connors, Marcelo Rios, and Peter Korda.In 1990 he made a run to the 4th round of The US OPEN, and got to his best ranking, 61. We talked a lot about The US Open, and why its atmosphere is so unique. We talked about how he likes to watch tennis on the side courts and see what is happening on the practice court, as there are a lot of lessons for everyone.He has resided in New York City since 2000 and has a boutique tennis program and a rock band.Recorded 8.24 Released 9.1The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ali Riske-Armritraj grew up in Pittsburgh and in 2009 chose not to attend Vanderbilt University and turn pro. Ten years later she defeated Ash Barty to reach the quarters of Wimbledon and got to 18 in the world. She has won three titles on tour and has represented her country in the Olympics and Fed Cup. Ali and I discussed current hot button issues including the impending move of the Cincinnati Tournament, to the emergence this summer of Coco Gauff. We talked about her hope for the future of the WTA, and what the US Open special. We talked about her career in length, which has been incredible. Recorded 8.21 Released 8.24The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaime Yzaga grew up in Lima, Peru with a grandfather that worked him into tennis at a young age, and in 1985 he won the French Open Juniors beating Thomas Muster 6-0 in the 3rd. With the great Colon Nuñez and then Pato Rodriguez at his side he won 8 tour titles and in 1989 got to 18 in the world. It was at The US Open where he had his greatest success. In 1994 he reached the quarterfinals by beating the previous year's finalist Cedric Pioline, and then Pete Sampras in a 5 set thriller-a feat that is considered one of the greatest upsets in history.We discussed Jaime's story of moving to the states to train at The Hopman Academy at Bardmoor, and how Colon Nuñez showed him how to be a pro. Recorded 8.18 Released 8.21The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered By Diadora. Use the code APPROVED at Holabird for 15% off all Diadora performance tennis shoes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1978 at the age of 16 years old, Baltimore, MD native Pam Shriver got to the final of The US Open as an amateur, defeating world #1 Martina Navratilova in the semis. She was on tour for 20 years, won 21 tournaments and got to 3 in the world, competing week in and week out against Chris Evert, Martina, Tracy Austin, and Steffi Graf to name a few. In doubles she won 108 straight matches with Martina and In 1983 she and Martina won all 4 majors, the only team in history to complete The Grand Slam. After her Hall of Fame career she embarked on what has been a prolific broadcasting career and can be heard throughout the year on both ESPN's tennis coverage as well as Tennis Channel's coverage. In April 2022 she shared a deeply personal story of having been in a romantic relationship with her coach, that was 33 years her senior and has since advocated for improved policing of these scenarios when they pop up on tour. We discussed this, and many different hot button topics including the impending Saudi involvement in tennis, the health of The WTA Tour, and her ideas on how to make the sport more appealing to broadcasters. Recorded 7.24 Released 7.26 The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Racquet Guru Roman Prokes of AGASSI Fame broke down everything all you tech fiends ever wanted to know. Swiatek, Alcaraz, Djokovic, add weight, subtract weight, big grips, small grips, overgrips, string patterns, strings. The 2023 Racquet Tech Special is here. Recorded 6.12 at RPNY, Released 6.16The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Diadora Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.