In this episode, we sit down with Bill Oakes, the former tournament director of the acclaimed ATP 250 Winston-Salem Open and Senior Associate Athletic Director of Wake Forest University. Bill shares his thoughts on innovative tournament formats, the significance of college tennis, and reflects on the upcoming last year of the Atlanta Open, which he…

We applaud anyone playing tennis in a driveway. But, realistically, 99% of tennis is played on courts. Paul Pittman, the long-time dominant force of tennis in Florence, S.C., is now chairing USTA Southern’s push to protect and increase the number of our tennis courts. Pittman speaks to grassroots tennis advocates who are working to ensure that new …

In this episode, we chat with Bobby Reynolds, Auburn Men’s tennis head coach, a former No. 1 collegiate player at Vanderbilt and a former ATP player. He shares insights from coaching in the SEC and offers advice for aspiring players aiming for college and pro success, along with tips for competitive coaching. Reflecting on his pro tour days when he…

Join us for an insightful episode featuring Bob Willis, President of the Louisville (Ky.) Area 10 & Under Tennis Association. Willis will host a National Tennis Month “Bring A Friend” lesson on May 25 at Charlie Vettiner Park. He recounts last year’s experience with a successful NTM event. Don't miss out on Willis’s valuable tips and strategies for…

Kristie Flowers hosted a Cardio Tennis session during 2023 and plans more sessions next month during National Tennis Month (NTM). She gets people active at the Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center in Florence, S.C. Flowers has had as many 50 participants get their heart rates up. She cites USTA Southern Board Member Ernie James for promoting NTM …

How do you expand tennis in your state? A strategic focus of USTA is increasing the number of providers like parks and recreation departments, coaches, teachers, tournament directors and grassroots tennis associations. Tyler Strong is using his knowledge of Junior Team Tennis to make connections with coaches and facilities. A nearly 10-year veteran…

Andrew Krasny is best known for his post-match interviews on court for Tennis Channel. This week he is the host and emcee of Credit One Charleston Open, a tournament he considers among the best in the world for featuring the brightest women’s stars in the game. Over his storied career, Krasny has been one of the faces you've seen at Indian Wells, t…

Arianne Hartono, a Dutch professional tennis player ranked No. 140 in WTA singles, made history at the University of Mississippi by winning the 2018 NCAA Women's Singles Tennis Championship, the first Dutch player to do so. She also received the 2018 Honda Sports Award for top female collegiate tennis player. Hartono is engaged to her coach Jason O…

Elizabeth Henderson’s life in tennis started by being No. 1 in numerous junior age levels in USTA Southern before being recognized as an All-American at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. She started her collegiate coaching odyssey at the University of North Carolina, followed by her first head coaching job at William & Mary. That led to a fo…

We chatted with John Cox, whose volunteer work covers many areas of tennis, including numerous posts in USTA Southern. Still, he has a soft spot for the students of Bayou Academy in Cleveland, Miss., where he began coaching the tennis team in 2017. His goal is to make tennis “cool” and get players on court and practicing. Winning two state titles a…

We talk with the 2023 USTA Southern Local League Coordinator of the Year Anna Martin. She is a veteran of more than 23 years of promoting and organizing USTA League, providing a rich history of tennis in Wilmington, N.C. She now supports nearly 200 adult recreational teams. Martin highlights the importance of playing against players with similar sk…

Interviewed are two podcasters: Chris Godby & Chad Young of the awarding-winning “Game Set Match Kentucky!” After more than four years of uploading a two-interview podcast every other Thursday, the new “Talking Tennis Southern Style” plans on showcasing a single interview every Tuesday or Wednesday. Chris Godby & Chad Young produce “Game Set Match …

George “Ged” Schwing was honored with the Slew Hester Male Player of the Year for top adult player. Schwing has been a member of Team Louisiana for the Callen Cup and served as a captain the last few years, along with competing on the winning Southern team at the 2022 Keith Donoff Cup. Ozaki-Hastings Junior Sportsmanship Award winner Ryan Cozad was…

With the number of tennis players growing in the last five years, more tennis courts are needed. While some courts are being converted to pickleball courts, the USTA Southern Advocacy Task Force is enabling grassroots advocates to make the case for adding, and not reducing, the number of tennis courts. Former Board Member Paul Pittman chairs the ta…

It’s a new year and time for our Grand Slam correspondent to preview American and Southern players. USTA General Manager, Player Development Martin Blackman calls in from Down Under with high hopes for players with Georgia roots: Coco Gauff, Taylor Townsend, Ben Shelton & Christopher Eubanks. Yolanda “Yola” Ramírez Ochoa won mixed doubles and finis…

Finishing our fourth season, “Talking Tennis Southern Style” wraps up 2023 with compelling excerpts of eight of our favorite interviews. We are proud to highlight insightful conversations with these guests: Michelle Curry of the Althea Gibson CTA Tennis memorabilia collector and USTA Kentucky Past President Mike Eden USTA Chairman of the Board and …

Jane Preyer made her mark as an All-American at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill before succeeding in the WTA Tour. She reached No. 43 and defeated some top players including Evonne Goolagong. Later she took to coaching and led the Duke University women to four ACC championships. Keith Richardson is now inducted into his fifth hall of…

Marshall Happer headed the Men’s Tennis Council from 1981-89, making him the only unofficial commissioner of men’s professional tennis. He draws upon his extensive tennis background – including USTA Executive Director, USTA Southern President & CEO and Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee – in writing “Pioneers of the Game.” The 871-page history d…

Wheelchair tennis is booming and Zane Goodwin is riding the crest to the top of the game. The 16-year-old Birmingham, Ala., resident is the top junior wheelchair tennis player in the country and winner of the Cincinnati Wheelchair Open. Zane talks about his dedication to the sport while his mom, Lara Polk, describes how she loves traveling to tourn…

In a remarkable achievement, Manny Diaz, the veteran men's tennis coach at the University of Georgia, will be inducted into the prestigious Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, this January. Diaz reflects on his illustrious career, during which he achieved a remarkable SEC-record of 767 wins for the University of Georgia men's tennis team. He takes pride …

Tennis is the sport of a lifetime and a former Atlanta Falcon wide receiver Brian Finneran is now excited about playing and watching tennis. He was wowed by the speed and athleticism of pro tennis players at the Atlanta Open. Brian can be heard on air on 680 The Fan, an Atlanta sports radio station. Andrew Walker worked four years at USTA Kentucky …

Omar Alcaino has been at the helm of seven straight USTA Mississippi Junior Team Tennis champion teams including winning a Southern 10 & Under Intermediate title this year. Embracing his Chilean heritage, he reflects on his journey, which led him to excel as a Sun Belt singles champion at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and thrive as a dedi…

Talking Tennis Soutern Style promotes Hispanic Heritage Month. With almost twenty years of experience as a tennis teacher, Belén Gómez-Jordana founded the non-profit and NJTL United Tennis. In order to counter stereotypes, Gómez-Jordana created the Tennis for All program. She delivers group and individual classes at a very low cost. Gómez-Jordana v…

Leigh Torrence says tennis was his first love and dreamed of being another Arthur Ashe. He was a top-level junior out of Atlanta. Still, he’s most famous for his NFL career, playing for six teams including the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, and coaching for the Saints and New York Jets. “I think tennis is demanding of you mentally … and gr…

More than 25 years ago, Jennifer Edmonson volunteered at the Cajun Classic, a wheelchair tennis tournament in Baton Rouge. Her role expanded to the USTA Southern Wheelchair Tennis Chair and then the USTA chair. Now, she takes on the role of US Open Wheelchair Tennis Tournament Director. Talking about wheelchair tennis in collegiate tennis is Chuck …

US Open preview: Martin Blackman on Gauff, Pegula, Fritz and Tiafoe UNC champion Carson Tanguilig heads to US Open doubles main draw It’s US Open time! USTA’s Martin Blackman previews the year’s last Grand Slam and breaks down the chances of Americans Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. Alpharetta, Georgia’s Carson Tanguili…

What is your pursuit in the middle years of life? Two USTA Southern volunteers decided they wanted to talk about USTA League tennis. North Carolina residents Carolyn Roach and Erin Conigliaro ­­­named their podcast "Second Serve" and connect with thousands of listeners to their weekly conversation. Everything from rules to pet peeves to etiquette q…

The annual ATP Tour 250 tournament – the Atlanta Open – has the game’s breakout star Christopher Eubanks in the main draw. “Of course, he’s playing” says Tournament Director Peter Lebedevs about the Atlanta native and former Georgia Tech star who played only a few miles away from the Atlantic Station site. The Tech connection continues with the sec…

With American players competing at the Big W in London, USTA Director, Player Development Martin Blackman tracks the preparation of up-and-coming pros in Florida and European warmup events. He proudly mentions four US players who now reside in the top 10: Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. Among the Southerners he profiled…

Sone of the most exciting – and often overlooked – tennis matches are played on college campuses. These two coaches made their women’s teams among the best in the country. As Alabama’s women’s tennis coach, Jenny Mainz was named the 2013 ITA National Coach of the Year and won two NCAA Doubles Championships in 2014 & 2015. She offers a rich history …

USTA Southern presents more than 20 annual awards and we interview two in celebration of Juneteenth. Vanita Phinisey talks about her mission to promote tennis in Columbus, Miss., with the 3rd Annual Battle of the States. Hosted by Golden Triangle Tennis, the National Tennis Month tournament won the Special Tennis Event of the Year and featured inte…

By Ron Cioffi

May is National Tennis Month and it will shine brightly in the Rocket City as USTA Southern hosts a $15K Men’s and Women’s Pro Circuit event on clay in Huntsville, Ala. Tournament Director Milly Sequera Huss, known for her top-29 WTA career, is the tournament director and talks about HBCU players receiving wild cards. There are seven free local eve…

We return to our roots and bring back Dr. Brian Hainline. Our first podcast guest returns now as the USTA Chairman of the Board and President. As NCAA Chief Medical Officer, lends even more credence to why he focuses on the great health benefits of tennis – 9.7 more years of life! With tennis participation skyrocketing, Brian also highlights how it…

USTA Delivery Council Chair Greg Lappin promotes National Tennis Month, a national initiative coming in May. Lappin champions the health benefits of tennis that increases your life by 9.7 years, clearly more than any other sport. He applauds USTA volunteers who are “creating positive healthy lifestyles.” Additionally, he cites tennis participation …

Taking the helm of USTA’s largest section, Brett Schwartz is striving to improve NJTLs, public parks and grassroots efforts in nine states. He also chats about co-writing “Competitive Tennis” that helps players climb the USTA League NTRP ladder along with his work as Tennis Director at the Stone Creek Club & Spa. Madison Keys and her mother, Christ…

USTA’s digital presence took a major step forward with the release of its new app. USTA staffers Michael Hughes and Alanna Broderick describe its many features including listing WTN real-time status and rankings, recent tournament and USTA League results and other info all tennis players need at their fingerprints. The Apple version is available no…

Through its long history and current program offerings, women continue to be a driving force within USTA Southern. We start with Jaime Kaplan, who rose to No. 91 in doubles on the WTA Tour and was inducted into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2020. She talks about her current role as Southern Tennis Foundation’s Director, Development & Operatio…

We celebrate Black History Month with leading voices in Black Tennis. Through the USTA Fellowship in Tennis Coaching and Leadership Powered by Athleta program, Venecca Green discovered a coaching opportunity at the HBCU and Division II Lane College. Even though she admitted she is at “retirement age”, she proudly begins her coaching career at the h…

We celebrate Black History Month with leading voices in Black tennis. First up Rex Miller is the film director of Althea, about the legendary Althea Gibson. He also produced Citizen Ashe about Arthur Ashe that was shown last year on CNN. The 2015 film about Gibson was partially inspired by his mother’s 6-0, 6-1 loss to the International Tennis Hall…

The award-winning Cajun Classic Wheelchair Tennis Tournament, an international event with over 100 professional/recreational players and hundreds of spectators, does not happen without dedicated volunteers like Cathy Greene, of Lottie, Louisiana, She won the 2022 Marilyn Sherman Spirit Award. She always has a smile on her face and a positive attitu…

Our Grand Slam correspondent – Martin Blackman of the USTA – previews American players heading into the Australian Open. With eight men aged 25 and younger in the ATP Tour top 50, Blackman sees a great 2023. Additionally, he says Atlanta native Ben Shelton, who past No. 100 in the world last year, is skyrocketing. He also discusses two top 10 women…

2022 was a banner year for tennis across USTA Southern. We replay excerpts from some of most engaging and favorite interviews from the past 12 months. Host Sam Crenshaw and audio producer Kyle Blackburn not only give their opinions on another great year of tennis conversations, but also their working camaraderie. Compiled interviewees are collegiat…

Victoria Chiesa (USTA Assistant Managing Editor, Corporate Communications) describes the biggest event in American tennis this year: Serena Williams’ retirement at the US Open. An editor of USTA.com, she also chronicles the rise of other American women on the WTA Tour in 2022, most notably former Atlanta player Coco Gauff. Unfortunately, the demise…

Paul Pittman and Eleanora Mauritson shepherd the Southern Tennis Foundation’s expanding number of college scholarships. Pittman chairs the Major Gifts Committee that has established 19 scholarships, beginning in 2016. In 2022 alone, the committee raised $220K to help 10 qualified high school seniors residing in the Southern Section with their highe…

With Black Friday ushering in the holiday gift-giving season, we talk to two recognized experts about ideas for the tennis player(s) in your life. Tennis Warehouse’s Michelle Heidbrink updates us on an improved supply chain and what trendy apparel and new racquets are now in stock. Writer and commentator Rick Limpert provides tips on online gift pu…

Dan Kester was a junior tennis player who also played on his University of North Carolina club team. His career path was in retail and he was an executive a national department store chain. Kester decided to combine his passion for tennis and sales. Living in Atlanta, known as the biggest tennis town in the country, he opened his store I Play Tenni…

USTA Managing Director of Major Events Megan Rose talks about the variety of events she oversees including the USTA Pro Circuit and top-level wheelchair tennis tournaments, along with working on major international events such as Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. The 2023 USTA Pro Circuit calendar has 130 tournaments for the next generation of pl…

David Marquina works as Junior Programs Coordinator at the Carolina Country Club in Raleigh, N.C. He cites three core values - pride passion and purpose – as keys to impacting Hispanic families and young players. His primary goal is to introduce Hispanic communities to the sport. Xavier University of Louisiana men’s and women’s tennis coach Alan Gr…

Scott Handback extensive tennis career now focuses on leading the Methodist University’s Professional Tennis Management program. His students learn the ropes of working as a tennis coach, facility manager and other related fields. Amy Bryant was the first woman to win a tennis national championship as a player (1) and coach (7). She amassed 428 vic…