TennisWorthy

Dec 05 2024 32 ep. 39 mins 16

TennisWorthy Podcast artwork

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, 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 of the sport’s legends. Hear from greats like Lleyton Hewitt, Tracy Austin, Ivan Lendl and more on what it takes to set yourself apart.

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Developing as Junior Players

Dec 05 2024 15 mins

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 for

Induction Day in Newport Featuring Kim Clijsters, Tracy Austin and Stan Smith

Jul 21 2024 33 mins

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!

Gabriela Sabatini: Reflecting on Positives and Passions

May 28 2024 45 mins

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 cou

Conchita Martinez: For the Love of the Game

May 16 2024 46 mins

Many tennis players start by hitting a ball against a wall - but Conchita Martinez took that early pastime to a new level. Watching her brothers and father play on the courts outside of her apartment as a child gave her spark to try, and she "loved it from the very beginning".Her imaginary matches against her heroes caught the eye of local coaches, and soon Martinez moved full-time

Michael Stich: The Desire to Improve

May 02 2024 40 mins

Over the course of a year during 1990-91, Michael Stich went from being the 400th ranked player in the world to sitting inside the top 10, and winning Wimbledon. It was a steep and relatively quick ascent for a player who called himself a "terrible" juniors player. But for Stich, he credits his immense love for the sport as the reason he chose to continue, and make a career of tenn

Margaret Court: Developing Talent through Persistence

Apr 18 2024 49 mins

Margaret Court captured an all-time record of 64 major titles during her esteemed tennis career, including 24 in singles, 19 in doubles and 21 in mixed doubles. As one of the greatest players of her era, there were several aspects of her life and training that she credits to pushing her game to the next level, which she details with Chris Bowers.Court began tennis as a matter of pr

Cliff Drysdale: Making an Impression in All Efforts

Apr 04 2024 41 mins

Cliff Drysdale is a preeminent voice in tennis broadcasting, but his commentary skill on television is just the latest chapter in a career that touches all aspects of the sport. Starting at a very young age in South Africa, Drysdale was a self-taught competitor who played alongside and claimed victories against some of the best in tennis history. In 1968, Drysdale became one of the

Rosie Casals, Judy Tegart Dalton & Ann Jones: Pioneering Women's Professional Tennis

Mar 30 2024 51 mins

In 2021, the International Tennis Hall of Fame inducted its first group of contributors simultaneously: the Original 9. Together in 1970, these nine women broke from the established tennis landscape to sign $1 contracts with promoter Gladys Heldman, creating the first women's tennis tour. The early years of professional women's tennis were challenging, defiant and ultimately, hugel

Tommy Haas: Competition Mindset and the "Inner Dog"

Mar 06 2024 38 mins

Tommy Haas reached the world No. 2 ranking in singles in 2002, and then endured a series of injuries that delivered setbacks. Despite the obstacles, he persisted in his career, remaining at the top of the game for another decade-plus and winning two ATP Comeback Player of the Year awards.With Chris Bowers, Tommy discusses his journey from winning tournaments as a small child in his

Kim Clijsters: Finding Balance and Cherishing Connections

Feb 22 2024 28 mins

Kim Clijsters mastered the art of the comeback during her tennis career. After first retiring at age 23 to become a mother, she returned to the sport two years later and captured three of her four singles Grand Slam titles in her second act. Through it all, she was able to find the balance needed to be both a mother, daughter, friend and elite athlete.With Brett Haber, Kim discusse