Beyond The Baseline

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with author Sameer Pandya about his forthcoming book, Members Only, which explores the complicated space between black and white America through the character Raj Bhatt and his experiences at a posh tennis club. Wertheim and Pandya discuss the role tennis plays in the humorous, fictional book, how the story can help us think about larger issues in today's world like racism and prejudice, tennis writing as a whole and much more. Also, Wertheim and Jamie Lisanti discuss the 2020 U.S. Open and the questions surrounding the decision to hold the tournament in late August in New York. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with Patrick Mouratoglou, coach of Serena Williams and the mind behind the new Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS), a round-robin tournament that will be played at Mouratoglou's tennis academy on the French Riviera over the summer. Mouratoglou discusses why he believes it is important to create a faster-paced game that is more appealing to young fans; why he hopes the format will encourage players to show more emotion; what he is advising Serena to do for the 2020 U.S. Open and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim speaks with former player and current Miami Open tournament director, James Blake. In the wake of national unrest and anger following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, Blake recalls his own experience with police brutality in 2015, when he was slammed to the ground by an NYPD officer outside of a Manhattan hotel. Blake discusses his thoughts on Floyd and the current protests across the country; what he learned from his experience; how he is currently using his platform to speak out against racism and police brutality; and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with World No. 13 Madison Keys, who has been staying in Florida during the tennis hiatus. Keys discusses her Kindness Wins initiatives within tennis and other professional sports and how she is helping athletes at all levels understand that compassion and kindness are possible, even in the most competitive environments. Wertheim and Keys also discuss her training over the past few months, what she is expecting when tennis returns, her participation in the upcoming Charleston event and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with St. Edwards University senior tennis player, Chase Bartlett about his school's decision to cut the men's and women's tennis programs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Bartlett explains how he and other students have been fighting back and pushing the school's administration to pursue other creative solutions instead of eliminating the team; how valuable his team and college tennis experience was to him; how the pandemic will impact college sports in general and more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with USTA and NCAA chief medical officer, Dr. Brian Hainline. With various solutions and scenarios for the return of sports under consideration, Dr. Hainline discusses exactly what it will take for sports to come back; pros and cons of the "closed-door" scenario; the unique challenges that tennis faces in returning, including the specific circumstances that must be in place in order for the 2020 U.S. Open to go on as planned; and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, veteran tennis agent Max Eisenbud returns to the podcast for an update on the state of tennis from his perspective, including how players are navigating this time in terms of training and finances. Wertheim and Eisenbud talk about the possibility of tennis returning in 2020; the challenges facing players at this time; insider details on how Eisenbud works with a client on various off-the-court ventures; and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sports Illustrated is opening up the SI Vault and examining its most consequential work about moments like this one that defined the most legendary athletes in sports through its new podcast, The Record. The 1999 Lipton Championships final in Miami marked the first time that Venus and Serena Williams faced each other in a title match. It also gave the world its first glimpse at the future of tennis. Jon Wertheim revisits the Williams sisters’ arrival and their historical final, and talks with Jamie Lisanti about the significance of the moment and why their story is one of the most underrated in sports.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with Dr. Jonathan Katz, a sports psychologist and performance coach based in Austin, Texas, who works with tennis players at the college and pro levels, in addition to athletes in other sports. Wertheim and Dr. Katz discuss the psychological impact that the coronavirus pandemic will have on athletes; how financial stresses during this time can impact athletes; the mental health dimensions of being a pro tennis player; and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with former Sports Illustrated writer and current writer at The Athletic, Joe Posnanski. Although many know Posnanski for his baseball expertise, he's actually a self-proclaimed "hardcore tennis fan" who has spent a lot of time during this quarantine watching old tennis matches on YouTube. Wertheim and Posnanski discuss his fondness for Novak Djokovic; the criteria and process used to make inter-era comparisons in sports, specifically for tennis and baseball; how people determine the greatest players in the sport; Hall of Fame debates; and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with longtime commentator Ted Robinson in a revival of "Passing Shots," where the pair bounces various tennis topics back and forth. Wertheim and Robinson talk about what tennis will like look when it is finally able to return; the logistics of a return; the impact (and possible benefit) of a long layoff on players, including the financial consequences for some; and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with Bob and Mike Bryan from their homes in California, where they have been sheltering-in-place with their respective families due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since the Bryan Bros. expected 2020 to be their final season before ending their tennis careers, the pair discusses the impact of the pandemic on their impending retirement and decision to play beyond 2020, as well as how they have been handling the hiatus, how they expect the rest of the season to play out, and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with Jamie Lisanti (from a very safe social distance) about the week's headlines in tennis, which have been undoubtedly dominated by the global coronavirus crisis. Wertheim and Lisanti discuss the immediate impact of the pandemic on tennis, including scheduling changes; the French Open's bold move to September; how the players are dealing with the hiatus and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with ATP player Vasek Pospisil from his home in Canada, where is he currently quarantined amidst the coronavirus pandemic and ATP Tour suspension of tournaments. Pospisil talks about how he is spending his time at home; why he thinks the tennis tour will be suspended for much longer than six weeks; his thoughts on the communication of the tours and tournaments; how he's managing finances and what economic obstacles other players not in his position might face; how he's planning to keep up his fitness and nutrition; why he's likely going to stay away from the courts and ball-hitting for the foreseeable future; and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with infectious diseases specialist Dr. Celine Gounder about the cancellation of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells after a case of coronavirus was confirmed in the area where the tournament was set to be held. Host of the podcast, "Epidemic," Dr. Gounder discusses the details of coronavirus and how it spreads; the impact and risk of the pandemic for athletes and sporting events, including how tournament organizers should assess future events and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim sits down with Max Eisenbud, the Senior Vice President of Tennis at IMG to talk about a career in agenting, the state of the business and thoughts on Maria Sharapova, his longtime client who recently retired. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim and Jamie Lisanti discuss Maria Sharapova's retirement from tennis at the age of 32. After Sharapova made the announcement in a Vanity Fair article, Wertheim and Lisanti talk about the February timing; Sharapova's decades-long career and achievements; the legacy she leaves behind; her potential options for a second career after tennis; and more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's epsiode, host Jon Wertheim talks with 21-year-old Sofia Kenin, just a few weeks after winning her first major title at the 2020 Australian Open. Kenin recounts the road to her remarkable win, including the final match against Garbine Muguruza, and explains her mindset throughout the tournament. Kenin and Wertheim also talk about how she celebrated her first Grand Slam, how the moment compared to how she envisioned it; what her goals are for the rest of the 2020 season; and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with Robbie Koenig following the 2020 Match in Africa exhibition event in South Africa, where Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played with celebrities such as Trevor Noah and Bill Gates for charity. Koenig discusses the impact of the event on tennis in Africa as a whole; the interesting dynamics and friendship between Nadal and Federer; tennis analytics and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with Tennys Sandgren about his quarterfinals run at the 2020 Australian Open, where he lost to Roger Federer. Now up to No. 56 in the rankings, Sandgren discusses his training regimen; how he deals with injuries and setbacks in his career; what it's like to play against some of the top players like Federer; how he works through a match mentally; his goals for the rest of the season; and much more. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy