Thirty Love: Conversations About Tennis

Thirty Love at the 2023 U.S. Open: Matt Marolf Wraps the Tournament and Airs Grievances

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 01:10:00 +0000

Returning guest Matt Marolf (@mattmarolf), who writes match previews for big tournaments year-round, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik after the 2023 U.S. Open to recap the tournament and Matt's prescient picks, predict the careers of the finalists, and air grievances about the sport we love and love to find ways to make better.

Links:

Matt on Twitter

Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2023 U.S. Open: Jeff Sackmann on his project Battles, Boycotts, and Breakouts: 1973 Redux

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:19:00 +0000

Jeff Sackmann, proprietor of the stats and history site Tennis Abstract, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Battles, Boycotts, and Breakouts: 1973 Redux, Jeff's project to revisit memorable moments from the pivotal tennis season of a half-century ago. Carl and Jeff discuss the 50th anniversary of equal prize money at the U.S. Open, what made 1973 special, and how 2023 might look 50 years from now.

Links:

1973 Redux

Tennis Abstract

Jeff on Twitter

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2023 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2023 U.S. Open: Tumaini Carayol on Tiafoe, Wozniacki, Kasatkina, and Murray

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 23:59:00 +0000

Returning guest Tumaini Carayol, the Guardian's tennis correspondent, joins the show to talk about players who have caught his eye and had memorable matches at this tournament: Frances Tiafoe, Caroline Wozniacki, Daria Kasatkina, and Andy Murray. He also talks about the rise of hard-court sliding.

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2023 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2023 U.S. Open: Jim Chairusmi on Pickleball and Playing the Pros

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 20:07:00 +0000

Returning guest Jim Chairusmi, part of the Wall Street Journal's team covering the 2023 U.S. Open, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about tennis pros leaving the sport to play pickleball, and how the Average Joe, Jane, and Jim would do against pro tennis players.

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2023 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2023 U.S. Open: Giri Nathan on seeing the sport with fresh eyes, Wide Tennis, and slow tennis

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 23:32:06 +0000

Returning guest Giri Nathan, who writes about tennis for Defector and Racquet, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his experience covering the French Open and Wimbledon in person for the first time, how tennis speeding up might have slowed it down, and the joys of Wide Tennis and Greek Yogurt.

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2023 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2023 U.S. Open: Matt Marolf Previews the Tournament

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 03:05:46 +0000

Returning guest Matt Marolf (@mattmarolf), who writes match previews for big tournaments year-round, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik after they played a tennis match ahead of the 2023 U.S. Open to preview the tournament, explain his process for researching players and matches, share insights from a week on the grounds before the event began, and rant about the sport's rulebook.

Thirty Love at the 2022 U.S. Open: Matt Marolf Solves All of Tennis's Problems

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 12:52:30 +0000

Returning guest Matt Marolf, who writes match previews for big tournaments year-round, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik after they played a windy tennis match to wrap the 2022 U.S. Open, preview the rest of the season, and solve all of tennis's problems along the way: how a change to the scoring system could simplify the fan experience and prevent late finishes, what to do about faulty let calls, which singles runner-up will win their first major first, and what to watch for at Laver Cup and the WTA tour finals.

Links:

Matt Marolf on Twitter

Thirty Love returned for a mini-season around the 2022 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2022 U.S. Open: Jeff Sackmann on the Tennis 128

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 17:33:22 +0000

Jeff Sackmann, proprietor of the stats and history site Tennis Abstract, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the Tennis 128, Jeff's project to name and profile the 128 greatest tennis players from 1919 to the present. Carl and Jeff discuss the project's progress, whether players at the U.S. Open have a shot at better spots, and how Jeff will handle the response when he unveils his algorithm's ranking of the very best.

Links:

The Tennis 128

Tennis Abstract

Jeff on Twitter (while he's still there, anyway)

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2022 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2022 U.S. Open: Caitlin Thompson on Racquet

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 22:24:41 +0000

Returning guest Caitlin Thompson, co-founder of Racquet, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to catch up on what's new at her tennis media company: Racquet House, Ambush Tennis, and dealmaking. We also talk about junior wheelchair tennis at the U.S. Open, what makes something Racquet, and what she has learned about her audience.

Links:

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2022 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2022 U.S. Open: A day after Serena Williams's last match (?), with Jim Chairusmi

Sat, 03 Sep 2022 22:59:06 +0000

Returning guest Jim Chairusmi, part of the Wall Street Journal's team covering the 2022 U.S. Open, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik the day after Serena Williams's loss in what she has said will be her final tournament, to talk about what's next for her and he sister Venus Williams. We also talk about what's left in the tournament and memories of Tom Perrotta.

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2022 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2022 U.S. Open: Serena Williams, with Giri Nathan, winner of the 2022 Tom Perrotta Prize for Tennis Journalism

Sat, 03 Sep 2022 22:57:00 +0000

Returning guest Giri Nathan, who writes about tennis for Defector and Racquet, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik the day after Serena Williams's loss in what she has said will be her final tournament, to talk about what he saw at her last match of this tournament. We also talk about whether there will ever be an event like her retirement at a future Open, and about Nathan being awarded the inaugural Tom Perrotta Prize for Tennis Journalism by the International Tennis Writers Association during this year's tournament.

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2022 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2022 U.S. Open: Tumaini Carayol on Serena and Venus Williams

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 04:02:39 +0000

Returning guest Tumaini Carayol, the Guardian's tennis correspondent, joins the show right after Serena and Venus Williams lost their first-round doubles match, and ahead of Serena Williams's third-round match in singles, to marvel at how thoroughly Serena and her retirement have dominated the tournament — and how realistic a long stay in the draw suddenly looks for the 23-time major singles champ. We also talk about the prospects of British men's hopes Jack Draper, Cam Norrie, and Andy Murray.

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2022 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2022 U.S. Open: On 'McEnroe,' with director Barney Douglas

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 02:42:18 +0000

Filmmaker Barney Douglas, director of the new Showtime documentary "McEnroe," joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about how a non-tennis diehard came to make a film about John McEnroe, how New York City became a costar, the interview that got away, and which tennis figure he'd want to profile next.

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2022 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2022 U.S. Open: Previewing the tournament with Matt Marolf

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 14:32:22 +0000

Returning guest Matt Marolf, who writes match previews for big tournaments year-round and teaches Thirty Love host Carl Bialik a thing or two on the court in between, joins the show to preview the 2022 U.S. Open: how far Serena Williams can go, what her entry in the doubles draw means, favorites in the women's and men's draws, and tips for attending the tournament.

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2022 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Thirty Love at the 2022 U.S. Open: GOAT debates, In-match coaching, and more

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 02:57:14 +0000

Returning guest Ian Katz, who has been playing and following tennis for nearly 50 years, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to weigh in on major tennis debates ahead of the 2022 U.S. Open: should head-to-head records count when evaluating who is the most accomplished player, should the sport allow in-match coaching, and more.

Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2022 U.S. Open. Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Tim Wigmore On 'The Best'

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 14:40:47 +0000

Tim Wigmore, sports journalist for The Telegraph and co-author of The Best: How Elite Athletes are Made, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to apply his sports-science insights to tennis: why younger siblings thrive in tennis and other sports, how Andre Agassi figured out how to beat Boris Becker, and how the pandemic upended 2020 for athletes and the people who write about them.

Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Caitlin Thompson On Racquet, The Book

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 14:22:57 +0000

Racquet Magazine cofounder Caitlin Thompson, cohost of The Racquet Podcast and The Main Draw, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the new book collecting the best of Racquet, how the pandemic did and didn't affect the latest issue of Racquet, and how to celebrate a fan-free US Open with friends, Racquet-style.

Previously on Thirty Love:

Caitlin Thompson On The Expanding Racquet Empire

Caitlin Thompson on Racquet Magazine's Sophomore Surge

Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Ana Mitric On The Adria Tour And Novak Djokovic

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 18:51:34 +0000

Tennis enthusiast Ana Mitric, who refers to herself as a fake Serb and not quite a journalist, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the tennis world's English-language bias and what the tennis media missed about Novak Djokovic and the ill-fated Adria Tour.

Previously on Thirty Love:

Katrina Williams on Djokovic Fandom

Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

PlaySight's Rodney Rapson On Bringing Sport Back, Safely

Sat, 09 May 2020 02:40:40 +0000

Rodney Rapson, PlaySight's managing director for Europe & UK, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the company's role in staging and televising the return of live pro tennis, how to write the rules on sports safety during a pandemic, and the way to host an event with the fewest possible people.

Trying something new: The episode has bonus content after the first 30 minutes. If you want to leave before we get to Minute 31, the first playing of the outro music is your cue.

Previously on Thirty Love:

Ben Rothenberg On PlaySight

PlaySight's Chen Shachar On Helping Tennis Players To Know Themselves

Have feedback, a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, or anything else you want to say? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Writer Ben Rothenberg on Tennis Freelancing Without Tennis

Mon, 04 May 2020 01:04:03 +0000

Freelance tennis writer Ben Rothenberg, host of the No Challenges Remaining tennis podcast, rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the pandemic's effect on the tennis writing business, the seismic effect the tours' interruption could have on its power balance, and his first two acts if he became commissioner of tennis (Carl's idea).

Previously on Thirty Love:

Ben Rothenberg On PlaySight

Ben Rothenberg On Exposing The Darko Grncarov Myth

Ben Rothenberg On Former Phenom Monique Viele

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Tennis Writer Matt Marolf On WTATP Commissioner Murray

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 03:19:36 +0000

Matt Marolf, writer for UbiTennis, rejoins his neighbor Carl Bialik—host of Thirty Love—from an appropriate social distance to talk about Roger Federer's tweeted support for a WTA-ATP merger, speculate wildly (OK, that's mostly Carl) about what drove the move and what might come next, and discuss which member(s) of tennis's Murray family would make the best boss of tennis.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Alex Aksanov On Physical Therapy, On The Front Lines And At Home

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 02:52:42 +0000

Former college tennis player Alex Aksanov, now a coach and a physical therapist at a Brooklyn hospital, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about helping people with coronavirus recover their health and strength, exercises for the homebound tennis player without a net, and the joys and heartbreak of finding a tennis court to play on in New York City.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

World TeamTennis CEO Carlos Silva On Restarting The Pro Game

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 02:20:24 +0000

Carlos Silva, the CEO of World TeamTennis, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about planning for the possible return of the pro game; the range of possibilities for what could constitute World TeamTennis in an age of physical distancing; and why this unusual season could be unusually American, or atypically global.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Under Review Tennis Podcast Host Craig Shapiro Embraces The Sport's Nostalgia

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 22:08:55 +0000

Craig Shapiro, host of the Under Review Tennis Podcast, joins Thirty Love podcast host Carl Bialik to talk about tennis organizations and players uniting during the virus-induced shutdown of sports, which classic matches to watch when there are no live ones, and how he's built and grown his 20-month-old show.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Tennis Writer Matt Marolf On Wimbledon's Cancellation, And What's Next

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 01:16:01 +0000

Matt Marolf, writer for UbiTennis, joins his neighbor Carl Bialik—host of Thirty Love—from an appropriate social distance to talk about Wimbledon's cancellation, the implications for the record books, and how tennis might come back—as a live sport, a spectator sport, and a participatory sport—before the tours are ready to return.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Author Cecil Harris On A Very Big Year For The Williams Sisters

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 01:35:02 +0000

Cecil Harris, author of the books Different Strokes and Charging the Net about black tennis history, rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his sense that the Williams sisters will retire in 2020, why young African-American men aren't picking up tennis racquets, and where the Black Tennis Hall of Fame should make its home.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Dan Golden On The Price Of A College Tennis Team Spot

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 21:30:01 +0000

Dan Golden, senior editor at ProPublica and author of The Price of Admission, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the ProPublica article he co-wrote entitled "An Unseen Victim of the College Admissions Scandal: The High School Tennis Champion Aced Out by a Billionaire Family"; all the ways college admission for sports can bypass merit; and who's harmed when wealthy parents buy spots on teams for their children.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

ATP Player Jason Jung On Getting There

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 23:13:43 +0000

Taiwan men's tennis No. 1 Jason Jung, fresh off reaching his second straight New York Open quarterfinal, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his aspiration to break into the top 100 and qualify for the Olympics, how close he came to never playing professional tennis, and why he used to blog more.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Author Peter Underwood On The Pro Era's Greats

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 18:26:07 +0000

Doctor, farmer, and peace activist Peter Underwood joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his book The Pros: The Forgotten Era Of Tennis. Underwood explains why tennis took so long to go professional, what motivated pros such as Jack Kramer and Rod Laver to endure tough conditions for small purses, and how today's top men would do as barnstormers.

Underwood works with the Medical Association for Prevention of War, the founder of ICAN (the International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons) and the recipient of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. His forthcoming book is a collection of poetry. He lives in Perth and runs a small farm in Denmark, West Australia.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Tennis Writer Ben Rothenberg On Former Phenom Monique Viele

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 20:29:58 +0000

Freelance tennis writer Ben Rothenberg, host of the No Challenges Remaining tennis podcast, rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his two-part series for Racquet about Monique Viele, who was hyped as the next big star in tennis but never won a tour-level match. Among the adults who helped make Viele a millionaire while possibly hurting her tennis prospects: Donald Trump.

Previously on Thirty Love:

Ben Rothenberg On PlaySight

Ben Rothenberg On Exposing The Darko Grncarov Myth

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Filmmaker Theo Anthony On Hawk-Eye's Dispensing Of Justice And Entertainment

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 17:16:22 +0000

Filmmaker Theo Anthony, director of ESPN Films 30 for 30 Shorts documentary Subject to Review, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the origin story of instant replay in sports, how cricket does it better, and why the 2018 World Tour Finals set the perfect stage for his film.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Ethan Lee On The Aphabreaker And Other Scoring-System Innovations

Sat, 14 Dec 2019 14:51:01 +0000

Guitar repair hero and tennis-racquet expert Ethan Lee rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Lee's idea for a new kind of tennis tiebreaker: the Aphabreaker, in which not every point is created equal. Lee explains how his innovation puts the serve in its rightful place and suggests ways tennis can embrace new formats to find the best ones it's never tried.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Novelist Benjamin Markovits On Life After A Professional Tennis Career

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 06:29:21 +0000

Novelist Benjamin Markovits rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his two books that touch on tennis: "A Weekend In New York" and its sequel, "Christmas in Austin." On the publication day of his latest book, and after a tennis match with his podcast host, Markovits describes how solitary an athlete's existence can be, whether in career or out, in a team sport or an individual one; how a retired tennis pro in the midst of a breakdown can make a lot of reasonable points; and how a career of competition can into an entire life viewed through the lens of competition.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Author Ann Leary On Tennis, Her Marriage, And Modern Love

Sun, 03 Nov 2019 01:52:51 +0000

Author Ann Leary, whose 2013 Modern Love essay in The New York Times "Rallying to Keep the Game Alive" was adapted for the Modern Love streaming series this year, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about how tennis has fit into her marriage to her husband (actor Denis Leary), why she has been using a one-handed backhand lately, and whether the tennis tradition can make way for alternative rules.

A recent New York Times interview with Leary about her essay

Leary on the Modern Love podcast

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

New Racketlon USA President Patrick Moran On The Table Tennis-Badminton-Squash-Tennis Hybrid Sport

Sat, 19 Oct 2019 19:46:30 +0000

Patrick Moran, who recently became the president of Racketlon USA, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about who joined tennis with three other racquet sports to form racketlon, how the sport has grown worldwide, which discipline is most prone to blowouts, and what makes racketlon so mentally tough.

Wall Street Journal video on racketlon

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Julie Heldman On Tennis And Mental Illness, And Narrating Her Memoir's Audiobook

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 19:03:30 +0000

Former Top 5 player Julie Heldman rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about what she learned while touring to promote her memoir "Driven: A Daughter's Odyssey," why she's glad she decided to include her struggle with mental illness in the book, how tennis has changed since she retired, and what it was like to narrate her story for the book's new audio edition.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Writer Alexander Tilney On What Squash And Tennis Can Teach Each Other

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 02:06:16 +0000

Alex Tilney, author of The Expectations, joins his longtime friend and occasional racquet-sports opponent Carl Bialik to talk about how squash figures in both his novel and an exclusive slice of American society, why substituting tennis for squash would have made for a very different tale, and what tennis and squash can learn from each other about keeping spectators entertained.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Jason Gay And Tom Perrotta Wrap The 2019 US Open

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 02:46:00 +0000

Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay and longtime tennis writer Tom Perrotta rejoin Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the US Open to wrap the 2019 tournament: the epic men's final, Bianca Andreescu's earth-shaking win, the preeminence of women's tennis, and what it'll all look like in five years.

Listen to Jason Gay's prior appearances on Thirty Love: after the 2018 US Open, after the 2017 US Open, and in July 2017.

Listen to Tom Perrotta's prior appearances on Thirty Love: from the 2018 US Open, in October 2017, in July 2017, and in May 2017.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Amanda Herling And Morlene Chin On Their First Time Watching Live Tennis

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 21:20:17 +0000

Host Carl Bialik's friends Amanda Herling and Morlene Chin joined him on the last day of the 2019 US Open for their first live-tennis experience. They share their impressions, including a newfound love for doubles, immense appreciation for wheelchair tennis, and a preference for watching tennis from on high.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, during the US Open or beyond? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Deadspin's Laura Wagner On Bianca Andreescu, Nick Kyrgios, And The US Open

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 04:10:47 +0000

Laura Wagner, who covers tennis and sports media for Deadspin, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the US Open to talk about Bianca Andreescu's swagger, Nick Kyrgios's ennui, tennis's web of conflicts of interest, and how to make the sport more exciting.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, during the US Open or beyond? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Writer Kamakshi Tandon On Making Televised Tennis Beautiful

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 23:27:42 +0000

Kamakshi Tandon, who is covering the US Open for tennis.com, rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the Open to talk about the rise of tennis emotions, positive and negative; what social media has done for tennis and what it can still do; and how to make the sport a better TV product.

Listen to Kamakshi's 2018 appearance on Thirty Love.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, during the US Open or beyond? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

US Open Bookstore Coordinator Rose Hobson On 27 Years Of Volunteering

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 19:13:09 +0000

Rose Hobson, coordinator of volunteers for the US Open bookstore, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the US Open to talk about her favorite tennis book, her own tennis game, how the Open has changed, and the volunteer life at the tournament.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, during the US Open or beyond? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

The Guardian's Tumaini Carayol On Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, And The US Open's First Week

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 23:20:59 +0000

Tumaini Carayol, a sportswriter for The Guardian, rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the US Open to talk about Serena Williams's candor after her fourth-round win, Coco Gauff's precociousness and penchant for doubles, and the young men's stars' heel turns.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, during the US Open or beyond? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

The Wall Street Journal's Jim Chairusmi On Tennis Innovation

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 00:26:27 +0000

Jim Chairusmi, who writes and edits sports articles at The Wall Street Journal, rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the US Open to share ideas for how to expand the sport, from tiebreaks at 4-4 to reaching the platonic ideal of two-hour matches to 3-on-1 against Novak Djokovic. He also makes his title picks.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, during the US Open or beyond? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Glenn Gilliam On Althea Gibson And Her Legacy

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 23:39:03 +0000

Glenn Gilliam, executive director of strategic partnerships for the documentary film "Althea," joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik at the US Open to talk about the new Althea Gibson sculpture on the grounds, how Gibson compares to Serena Williams, and what's holding tennis back from being more representative of the world around it today.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, during the US Open or beyond? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Writer Liz Weil On Profiling Venus Williams

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 21:47:29 +0000

Liz Weil, writer-at-large for the New York Times Magazine under the byline Elizabeth Weil, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Weil's profile of Venus Williams for the Times Magazine, covering tennis as an outsider, whether there would have been Venus without Serena, and what's next for Venus.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, during the US Open or beyond? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Elite Tennis Travel's Adriana Isaza-Mohring On Finding Tennis Havens Worldwide

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 16:00:00 +0000

Adriana Isaza-Mohring, founder of the New York City-based Elite Tennis Travel company, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik at the US Open to talk about what the "elite" in the name means, why Havana has been such a hit with her customers, and her own playing career's very different travel style.

Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, during the US Open or beyond? Email Carl at bialik@pm.me

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Artist Eric Goulder On His Althea Gibson Sculpture At The US Open

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 21:38:05 +0000

Eric Goulder, the artist who conceived of and created the new Althea Gibson sculpture at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center unveiled on the first day of main-draw play at the 2019 US Open, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about what he learned about Gibson during the creative process, why he normally doesn't like sports sculptures, and how he hopes technology will make his artwork a living and evolving creation.

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. On Serena Williams, Carlos Ramos, And The 2018 US Open Women's Final

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 20:09:33 +0000

Don Van Natta Jr., host and executive producer of the new ESPN show Backstory, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the debut episode of his new show, on the 2018 US Open women's final. Won by Naomi Osaka over Serena Williams, the match was overshadowed by chair umpire Carlos Ramos's officiating and Williams's reaction. Van Natta and Bialik talk about the controversy's impact on tennis, why new footage adds to the case that Williams received the barred coaching instruction, and what happened when Williams and Ramos met privately immediately after the match's conclusion.

Listen to Don's 2017 appearance on Thirty Love.

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Tennis Journalist Reem Abulleil On Finding Every Player's Stories

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 22:50:55 +0000

Tennis journalist Reem Abulleil joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the US Open to talk about the struggle to find stories in qualifying, the unique approach the US Open takes to qualies, why she finds it essential to be on site even when travel logistics pose a burden, why she launched a Patreon, and how she finds stories in every interview she conducts with players.

Listen to Reem's 2017 appearance on Thirty Love.

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Economist Ian Fillmore On Technological Disruption In Tennis

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 20:21:21 +0000

Economist Ian Fillmore of Washington University joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his recent co-authored study on how racquet change disrupted tennis, gave rise to faulty predictions, and lifted a young generation of stars.

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Sportswriter Joe Posnanski on the Djokovic-Federer Wimbledon Final

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 15:09:51 +0000

Sportswriter Joe Posnanski joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his recent essay reflecting on Novak Djokovic's defeat of Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final, why his view on the greatest-of-all-time debate has evolved, how much he'd like to cover tennis full-time, and what it was like getting beaten by Joe McEnroe.

Music by Lee Rosevere: "Credit Roll" and "Glass Android."

Novelist Benjamin Markovits On The Solitary Lives Of Tennis Pros And Writers

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 20:47:54 +0000

Novelist Benjamin Markovits joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his two books that touch on tennis: "A Weekend In New York" and its forthcoming sequel, "Christmas in Austin." Markovits explains how his professional basketball career turned him off from team sports, shares his favorites from the tennis memoirs he read to prepare for writing about the game, and reflects on the agony of having a number next to your name that defines your place in your profession and the world.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Markovits's website: http://www.benjaminmarkovits.com/

Author Judy Aydelott On Lifetimes Full Of Tennis

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 02:44:36 +0000

Author Judy Aydelott joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to share stories from her book "Sport of a Lifetime: Enduring Personal Stories From Tennis," including Betty Eisenstein, Gardnar Mulloy, and Fred Kovaleski; recalls how she found tennis, along with her future husband; and explains that married partners don't always make for good tennis partners.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

"Sport of a Lifetime" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sport-Lifetime-Enduring-Personal-Stories/dp/1937559645

Photographer Stephan Würth on His Tennis Book and Fandom

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 13:05:52 +0000

Photographer Stephan Würth joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik—on the court and in the studio—to talk about his new book "Tennis Fan," published by Damiani; his favorite and least favorite tournaments; and what it was like hitting with the Williams sisters.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Würth's website: http://www.stephanwurth.com/

Würth on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanwurth/

Hall of Famer Rosie Casals on the Original Nine and Her Tennis Foundation

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 07:43:39 +0000

Tennis Hall of Famer Rosie Casals joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to recall her role in the Original Nine, the pioneering group who helped create modern women's professional tennis; reflect on why she doesn't see herself among today's pros; and describe how she's spreading tennis in California's Coachella Valley beyond the glamour of the Indian Wells tennis tournament.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Casals on the Tennis Hall of Fame website: https://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/rosie-casals

Casals on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosiecasals?lang=en

Love & Love Tennis Foundation: https://lovelovetennisfoundation.wordpress.com/

Doubles Team Kevin Krawietz And Andreas Mies On Reaching Their First ATP Final

Sat, 16 Feb 2019 22:18:39 +0000

The German doubles team of Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies join Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the New York Open to talk about reaching their first ATP final, whether they really are a doubles team, and the Germany-to-Auburn recruiting pipeline.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Kevin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrawietzKevin

Andreas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndreasMies

Tennys Sandgren On Life After The 2018 Australian Open

Sun, 10 Feb 2019 19:16:40 +0000

American tennis pro Tennys Sandgren joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the New York Open to talk about his tendency to go deep or go home at tournaments, where his deep run at the 2018 Australian Open came from, the pressure to defend ranking points, whether he has regrets about his Twitter activity that sparked outrage during his 2018 run in Melbourne, his return to Twitter, and one issue on which he supports regulation.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Tennys on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TennysSandgren

New York Times coverage of Sandgren at the 2018 Australian Open: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/24/sports/tennis/hyeon-chung-australian-open-tennys-sandgren.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/22/sports/tennis/australian-open-tennys-sandgren.html

AceSpace Founder And CEO Chris Sabaitis On The Court-Booking System Of The Future

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 20:28:31 +0000

Chris Sabaitis—founder and CEO of AceSpace, a court-booking and partner-finding system—joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the New York Open to talk about the sport's fractured, often low-tech way of allocating courts; the strategies he used as a traveling junior to find hitting partners; and the time he played on the court that had been used many times by a young Andy Roddick.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

AceSpace: http://www.acespacecourts.com/

Sabaitis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisSabaitis

AceSpace on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AceSpaceCourts

Simon Denman On Predicting The Next Shot Of Federer, Nadal, And Djokovic

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 02:05:03 +0000

Simon Denman, a senior research fellow with Queensland University of Technology's Speech, Audio, Image and Video Technology Laboratory, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his team's research into using neural networks to predict the next shots of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Denman also spoke about getting and working with Hawk-Eye data, using his methodology to help power virtual-reality tennis, and how far we are from robots playing the proper tennis game of serve-and-volley.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

The paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.05123

A press release about the paper: https://www.qut.edu.au/research/article?id=139429&fbclid=IwAR3TbssTO-HzQlQLSSW5yBKyfLDJAfl1LjrMDseITxuGU0NifCyvBiQYiZM

Helen R. Russell On 75 Years Of Billie Jean King

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 16:35:36 +0000

Helen R. Russell, co-curator of the New-York Historical Society's exhibit, "Billie Jean King: The Road to 75," joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about choosing more than 75 photos for the exhibit, her own tennis background, and King's New York ties.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

The exhibit, which exhibit runs through Jan. 30, 2019: https://www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/billie-jean-king-road-75

The Billie Jean King Archive: https://www.nyhistory.org/womens-history/exhibitions/Billie-Jean-King

It Can Hyphen Here: Why the New-York Historical Society Includes a Hyphen (h/t Sam Anzaroot): http://blog.nyhistory.org/it-can-hyphen-here-why-the-new-york-historical-society-includes-a-hyphen/

Haitham Eletrabi and Lincoln Wang on Their Tennis Ballrobot

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 23:37:42 +0000

Two Tennibot executives—Haitham Eletrabi, CEO and founder; and Xianglin (Lincoln) Wang, CTO—join Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about how their love of playing tennis and unlove of fetching tennis balls led to the creation of their robotic ball gatherer, what makes Tennibot more advanced than a Roomba, and how else robotics could fit into tennis and other sports.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Tennibot's website: http://tennibot.com/

Tennibot on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tennibot

Tennibot in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weUs4cW9360

Stephanie Kovalchik and Graeme Spence on Player DNA

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 01:08:55 +0000

Stephanie Kovalchik and Graeme Spence—data scientists with the Game Insight Group (GIG), formed by Tennis Australia in partnership with Victoria University—join Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to break down Player DNA, their new system for analyzing what makes tennis players great.

Kovalchik and Spence explain why the time was right for this form of analysis, why Roger Federer can be fast without great foot speed, and how their new ways of measuring injury risks will make it into TV broadcasts during this year's Australian Open.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

More on Player DNA: https://tennismash.com/2019/01/02/player-dna-technical-tactical-physical-mental/

GIG on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tennisausgig

Kovalchik on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StatsOnTheT

Spence on Twitter: https://twitter.com/graemetspence

Writer Rowan Ricardo Phillips On His Year Of Close-Reading The ATP Tour

Sun, 30 Dec 2018 23:00:53 +0000

With the 2019 season upon us, Thirty Love takes a close look at the…2017 season. Writer Rowan Ricardo Phillips watched every ATP match he could and transformed his experience into the book The Circuit: A Tennis Odyssey. He joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to describe the experience of studying the tour so closely, how he knew he had a book's worth of material, and what made 2017 special.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Rowan's website: http://www.rowanricardophillips.com/

Rowan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RowanRicardo

Thirty30 Tennis Creator Mark Milne On Reinvigorating The Sport's Format

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 20:33:46 +0000

Mark Milne, an engineer in Arbroath, Scotland, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about why he thinks starting tennis games at 30-all makes for a faster and more exciting format; what Judy Murray and the ITF make of his idea; why he prefers his format to the one being used in Milan at the Next Gen ATP Finals, and why he doesn't just start games at deuce.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Thirty30 Tennis's website: https://www.thirty30tennis.com/

Julie Heldman On Her Tennis Memoir

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 22:21:53 +0000

Former Top 5 player Julie Heldman joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about her memoir "Driven: A Daughter's Odyssey," what she thought of the film "Battle of the Sexes," and how she emerged from 15 years lost to mental illness to write her first book.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Heldman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/junkballjul

"Driven": https://www.drivenadaughtersodyssey.com/

Marc Stein On The NBA-Tennis Connection, Israeli Tennis, And Coaching At The US Open

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 01:00:00 +0000

Marc Stein, NBA reporter for The New York Times, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about how a wax statue changed his tennis fandom forever, why so many tennis pros travel through Dallas, and what it's been like shadowing Julia Glushko and coaching Benjamin Becker at the US Open.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine

Stein on Glushko: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/27/sports/julia-glushko.html

Stein on Becker: http://www.espn.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/4538/nba-tennis-words-collide-in-unforgettable-coaching-cameo

Jenni Dinger On Laver Cup

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 02:57:29 +0000

Lifelong tennis fan Jenni Dinger, a professor of entrepreneurship in Boston, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to review Laver Cup's second edition, in Chicago last weekend: Fed fans, Novak struggles, hot merch, and Jack Sock demonstrating the value of an elite doubles player.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Dinger on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jendinger/

Wall Street Journal Columnist Jason Gay On Djokovic, Del Potro, Osaka, And Williams

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 00:43:43 +0000

Wall Street Journal sports columnist Jason Gay joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik—for the 14th episode from the 2018 US Open, on the 14th day of the Open—to break down the men's and women's finals, and the USTA's game of whack a mole with the weather.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Jason on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasongay

Jason's articles for the WSJ: http://www.wsj.com/news/author/6268

The Hindu's Preethi Ramamoorthy On US Open Finals Weekend

Sun, 09 Sep 2018 00:55:38 +0000

Preethi Ramamoorthy, who is covering the US Open for India's The Hindu newspaper, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Naomi Osaka's grace and good humor after winning a controversial women's final, the Djokovic-del Potro men's final, and the state of Indian tennis.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Preethi's articles for The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/profile/author/Preethi-Ramamoorthy-5011/

GQ's Chloé Cooper Jones And Kevin Nguyen ‏On Naomi Osaka And Juan Martín del Potro

Sat, 08 Sep 2018 23:12:54 +0000

Chloé Cooper Jones, the freelance writer who covers tennis for GQ; and her editor Kevin Nguyen join Thirty Love host Carl Bialik just after Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams for the US Open title to talk about the 20-year-old's big win, the umpiring controversy that threatened to overshadow it, and the long and painful road of Juan Martín del Potro to the men's final against Novak Djokovic.

Chloé on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CCooperJones

Kevin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/knguyen

Chloé's del Potro profile: https://www.gq.com/story/juan-martin-del-potro-strikes-back

Kevin's Osaka profile: https://www.gq.com/story/naomi-osaka-is-the-coolest-thing-in-tennis

The Makers Of The Ashe '68 Documentary Project On Arthur Ashe's Legacy

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 22:50:52 +0000

Four of the people behind the Ashe '68 documentary project—creator and producer Rex Miller, co-documentary director Woody Richman, VR director Brad Lichtenstein, and exhibition producer and designer Bill Sullivan—join Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the US Open to talk about Ashe's legacy, finding footage of the 1968 US Open champ, and re-creating the Forest Hills setting for Ashe's championship match on the 2018 US Open grounds.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

The film's official site: https://www.ashe68.com/

Tennis Writer Kamakshi Tandon On Keeping Tennis Extreme

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 04:01:00 +0000

Kamakshi Tandon, who writes about tennis for tennis.com and other publications, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about an extreme US Open, the men's semis, and the future of Davis Cup and other fledgling team events.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Kamakshi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kamakshi_Tandon

Kamakshi on Tennis.com: http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/list/kamakshi-tandon/

Wall Street Journal's Tom Perrotta On The Best Match Of The US Open

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 23:37:12 +0000

Tom Perrotta, who writes about tennis for The Wall Street Journal, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Rafael Nadal's five-set defeat of Dominic Thiem, Rafa's unusual tactic that's catching on, and Serena Williams's bid for her 24th Slam title.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Perrotta on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomPerrotta

Perrotta on Nadal's tactic: https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-rafael-nadal-returns-serve-from-the-back-wall-1536153459

USTA's Ashley Marshall On Billie Jean King And The First Match Of The First US Open

Mon, 03 Sep 2018 21:22:52 +0000

Ashley Marshall, the USTA's assistant managing editor, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his article on the first US Open's first match, pitting Billie Jean King against a dentist; his deep dive into umpire scorecards for 50 facts about Roger Federer at the Open; and juniors to watch in the second week of the Open.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Marshall on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMarshallSport

"The dentist who filled in at the first US Open": https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2018-08-15/the_day_billie_jean_king_played_a_dentist.html

"50 Roger Federer facts for 50 years of the US Open": https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2018-08-28/50_roger_federer_facts_for_50_years_of_the_us_open.html

Bloomberg Opinion's Joe Nocera On Tennis From The Uncheap Seats

Sun, 02 Sep 2018 23:45:17 +0000

Joe Nocera, Bloomberg Opinion columnist and co-author of "Indentured: The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the NCAA," joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from a suite at the US Open to talk about the economics of attending big-time tennis events, the hardest thing to explain to a child who's starting to watch tennis, and why Federer : Nadal :: Jordan : LeBron.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Nocera on Twitter: https://twitter.com/opinion_joe

Nocera's Bloomberg columns: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/contributors/AB5jPpvf5C4/joe-nocera

Tennis Writer Simon Cambers On The Game's Next Superstars

Sun, 02 Sep 2018 16:58:50 +0000

Freelancer Simon Cambers joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Alex de Minaur, Naomi Osaka, and other promising young players; the state of British tennis; and the prospect of fifth-set tiebreakers at every Grand Slam.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Cambers on Twitter: https://twitter.com/scambers73

Deadspin's Giri Nathan On Federer-Kyrgios And Serena Williams

Sat, 01 Sep 2018 21:09:58 +0000

Giri Nathan, who writes about tennis for Deadspin, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to break down Roger Federer's beatdown of Nick Kyrgios, assess Serena Williams's chances of winning her seventh US Open title and appreciate the unusual game of Diego Sebastian Schwartzman.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Nathan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/girinathan

Nathan on Deadspin: https://kinja.com/girinathan

Stephanie Neppl (@StephintheUS) On The Traveling Fan's Life

Sat, 01 Sep 2018 18:10:46 +0000

Stephanie Neppl, the day after arriving in the US Open for a last-minute Labor Day weekend of tennis, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to share tips on attending the Open, lament the accessibility of tennis stadiums, and marvel in the continued splendor of Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Neppl on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephintheus

Neppl's tennis blog: http://ihaveatennisaddiction.blogspot.com/

US Open Spokesman Chris Widmaier On The New Armstrong Stadium

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 00:56:42 +0000

Chris Widmaier, the USTA's managing director of corporate communications, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to assess the new Armstrong stadium's debut, explain how the tournament has been handling the extreme heat, and reflect on how one moment from one side-court match can go international.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Universal Tennis Rating Chief Tennis Officer Stephen Amritraj On Underrated US Open Contenders

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 00:57:29 +0000

Universal Tennis Rating’s Stephen Amritraj, former pro and possessor of the unusual title of Chief Tennis Officer, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about which US Open players UTR rates higher than the official rankings do, why he thinks U.S. tennis has weakened, and why more grass-court tennis would be good for the game.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Amritraj on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephenamritraj

UTR announces hiring of Amritraj: https://blog.universaltennis.com/2018/04/27/meet-stephen-amritraj-utrs-chief-tennis-officer/

Wall Street Journal Tennis Editor Jim Chairusmi On Innovation At The US Open

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 03:30:21 +0000

Jim Chairusmi, who edits The Wall Street Journal’s tennis coverage, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Nick Kyrgios’s entertainment value, why Jim picks Petra Kvitova to win the Open, and what he makes of the tournament’s new Armstrong Stadium.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Jim on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimchair

Slovenian Davis Cup Captain Miha Mlakar On Tennis Analytics

Mon, 20 Aug 2018 19:36:17 +0000

Former pro Miha Mlakar, who now works as both a data scientist and as captain of Slovenia's Davis Cup team, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his career, his attempts to bring together his twin passions of data science and tennis, and Davis Cup reforms.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Miha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/majki37

Matt Zemek Of Tennis With An Accent On Turning Down The Heat

Tue, 31 Jul 2018 03:39:06 +0000

Tennis writer Matt Zemek joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about how to make the tennis schedule a little cooler, how to understand a player's scheduling choices, and what he and the Tennis with an Accent team hope to achieve with their independent online coverage of the sport.

Music by Lee Rosevere.

Matt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mzemek

Tennis with an Accent: https://tennisaccent.com/

Cool Down Tennis: http://www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2017/04/05/cool-down-tennis/

Jeff McFarland Of First Ball In On Wimbledon

Sun, 15 Jul 2018 23:36:53 +0000

Jeff McFarland, a Jacksonville lawyer who writes about tennis and tennis analytics at his Tumblr called First Ball In, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Novak Djokovic's triumphant return, Angelique Kerber's first Wimbledon title, and how he calculates Popcorn Scores to identify must-watch matches.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

First Ball In: http://fbitennis.tumblr.com/

McFarland on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FBITennis

Not Up Blogger Ian Katz On Simona And Rafa

Mon, 11 Jun 2018 21:23:25 +0000

Career journalist and passionate tennis fan Ian Katz, who blogs about the sport at Not Up, joins host Thirty Love to recap the French Open triumphs of Simona Halep and Rafael Nadal, look ahead to the rest of the season, and trace the roots of his tennis biases.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Not Up blog: https://notup.blog/

Katz on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iankatztennis

Rafa Fans Angie Marek and Nicholas Zeitlin

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 04:29:02 +0000

On Rafael Nadal's 32nd birthday, Angie Marek and Nicholas Zeitlin join Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about their Rafa fandom, how it blossomed a decade ago, and what they expect from Nadal in the second week of the French Open.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Phil Dimon On Making His Professional Tennis Debut At Age 37

Tue, 29 May 2018 14:30:00 +0000

Phil Dimon, former Williams College player and spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Uganda, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to explain how he made his professional tennis debut in Kampala.

Phil on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilDimon

Phil's brother Ricky's preview of Phil's futures main-draw debut: http://tenngrand.com/2018/04/30/uganda-futures-preview-bojanovic-vs-dimon/

Chris Clarey Previews The French Open

Thu, 24 May 2018 15:32:03 +0000

New York Times tennis writer Christopher Clarey joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to preview the French Open, reflect on what makes the tournament unique and challenging, and explain why he loves tennis too much to cover it full time.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Clarey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/christophclarey

Clarey on Serena Williams: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/sports/tennis/serena-williams.html

Clarey on Roger Federer: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/sports/tennis/roger-federer-laver-cup-chicago.html

The Intercept's Glenn Greenwald On His Forthcoming Documentary About Martina Navratilova

Tue, 15 May 2018 23:51:41 +0000

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald (accompanied by his 24 dogs) joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to preview the documentary he's producing about Martina Navratilova, the social justice pioneer and dominant tennis champ who was his childhood idol.

Glenn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ggreenwald

Variety on the film: http://variety.com/2018/film/news/martina-navratilova-documentary-reese-witherspoon-1202811524/

Tactical Tennis's Glen Hill On The Sport's Smarter Future

Mon, 14 May 2018 21:18:29 +0000

Glen Hill, the engineer and tennis coach, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about how even the very best players are far from their best selves, and how better tactics can help.

Tactical Tennis, Glen's site with Jacob Meyer: http://www.tacticaltennis.com

Glen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlenSHill

Caitlin Thompson On The Expanding Racquet Empire

Wed, 09 May 2018 23:29:14 +0000

Racquet Magazine cofounder Caitlin Thompson, also cohost of The Main Draw podcast, tells Thirty Love host Carl Bialik about exciting news that takes Racquet beyond the magazine biz, and what it's like to hit with six-time Grand Slam champ Rennae Stubbs.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Caitlin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitlin_thomps
Racquet: https://racquetmag.com/
The Main Draw: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-main-draw/id1002026920?mt=2

Ethan Lee On The Tools Of Tennis

Tue, 08 May 2018 12:30:44 +0000

Guitar repair hero and tennis-racquet expert Ethan Lee joins Thirty Love to educate host Carl Bialik on the tools of the tennis trade, and how racquets make the woman or man. Content warning: By the end of the episode, you'll want to buy a new racquet or three, and you'll want Ethan at your side when you do.

Ethan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theofreedom

Court 16's Anthony Evrard On Mixing Technological Innovation With Tennis Tradition

Thu, 03 May 2018 19:13:30 +0000

Court 16 founder Anthony Evrard joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his innovative pair of tennis clubs in New York City, the deep tennis roots in his family, and how to balance the new and beloved old in a sport rich with tradition.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Court 16's story: https://www.court16.com/about/our-tennis-story

Court 16 LIC: https://www.court16.com/tennis-clubs/long-island-city-queens/

Cliff Richey On His Tennis Career And His Second Career Raising Awareness About Depression

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 08:49:40 +0000

Cliff Richey -- the former No. 1 U.S. man, two-time Davis Cup champ, and equivalent of ATP No. 1 before there was such a thing -- joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his career, how he struggled with depression during and after playing, and how he's hoping to help raise awareness about depression, how to treat it, and how to reduce the stigma surrounding it. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Richey's two co-authored books on depression:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&text=Cliff+Richey&search-alias=books&field-author=Cliff+Richey&sort=relevancerank

Joel Drucker's profile of Richey:
http://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/columns/story?columnist=drucker_joel&id=5162663

More on depression and its harms:
https://www.vox.com/2014/8/12/5993075/depression-suicide-13-facts

Cecil Harris on Black Tennis History

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 04:00:00 +0000

Cecil Harris, author of "Charging the Net" and two other sports books, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his forthcoming book on black tennis players, "Different Strokes," why he thinks 2018 might be the Williams sisters' last year on tour, and which young black players he thinks show the most promise.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Harris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/allmyyankees

Rohit Brijnath On Roger Federer, Simona Halep, And Tennis Books

Mon, 19 Feb 2018 03:30:00 +0000

Rohit Brijnath, sports columnist for the Straits Times of Singapore, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Roger Federer's return to the No. 1 ranking, what it was like to play against Simona Halep, why he thinks the best book about Federer will be written years after the world No. 1 retires, and which frequent Thirty Love guest he hopes will write it.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Brijnath on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitdbrijnath
Brijnath's Straits Times articles:
http://www.straitstimes.com/authors/rohit-brijnath
Brijnath's Livemint articles:
http://www.livemint.com/Search/Link/Keyword/Rohit%20Brijnath
Brijnath on Federer's Australian Open title:
http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/federer-confirms-there-is-no-limit-in-sport
Brijnath on playing against Halep:
http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/to-play-against-halep-is-to-get-a-glimpse-of-her-greatness
Brijnath's column on his tennis partner, "The man across the net":
http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/17lijhUGz4odkWX94hMvnI/The-man-across-the-net.html

Radu Albot, Moldova's Top Tennis Player, On His Big Week At The New York Open

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 04:39:00 +0000

Radu Albot, two days after scoring his first career Top 20 win over John Isner, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik at the New York Open to talk about Moldovan tennis (there are three hard courts in the country; he's heard of "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis"), the biggest win of his career, and why he loves playing events with on-site hotels.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Albot on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaduAlbot

"Playing the Moldovans at Tennis": https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Moldovans-Tennis-Tony-Hawks/dp/0312305184

New York Open Tournament Director Josh Ripple On The Event's Debut

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 03:43:35 +0000

Josh Ripple, tournament director of the New York Open and executive vice president of GF Sports, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from Nassau Coliseum to recount how the event moved from Memphis to Long Island, describe the dance of signing players and sponsors for a new event, and recall what it was like to see one of the biggest stories from the event unfold: Donald Young accusing fellow American Ryan Harrison of making a racist remark on court.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Ripple on Twitter: https://twitter.com/joshrip

New York Open: http://newyorkopen.com/

More on the Young-Harrison story: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/sports/tennis/donald-young-racism-ryan-harrison.html

Doubles Star Max Mirnyi On His Former Partner, Roger Federer, And His Favorite Partner

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 03:33:43 +0000

Former doubles world No. 1 Max Mirnyi, age 40, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the New York Open to talk about Roger Federer's return to world No. 1 in singles and what it was like playing doubles with, and splitting up with, Federer; Mirnyi's favorite partner (they only played one tournament together, losing in the final) and the partner who got away; and how rules changes have made it possible for doubles stars to excel into their 40s.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Mirnyi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxmirnyi/

Nick Bollettieri On Coaching Ten No. 1s And The Next ATP No. 1: Roger Federer

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 03:27:40 +0000

Longtime tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, who has coached 10 players who have reached world No. 1 in singles, joins host Carl Bialik from the New York Open to talk about "Love Means Zero," the new documentary about his life; Roger Federer's return to No. 1; and why the best coaches speak differently to every player.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Clip of "Love Means Zero": http://www.sho.com/video/58002/love-means-zero-clip

Ben Rothenberg On Exposing The Darko Grncarov Myth

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 21:45:25 +0000

Tennis freelance writer Ben Rothenberg, Thirty Love's first-ever guest, rejoins host Carl Bialik to discuss the story behind Rothenberg's investigation into Darko Grncarov, the socially progressive professional tennis player who everyone loved until he turned out not to be a professional tennis player.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Rothenberg's article on Grncarov: https://slate.com/culture/2018/02/how-darko-grncarov-tricked-serena-williams-and-the-bbc.html

Rothenberg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenRothenberg

Rothenberg's 2014 article on Neil Harman: http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports/2014/07/neil_harman_plagiarism_the_all_england_club_discovered_journalistic_malfeasance.html

Carl's 2017 article featuring video of his match against Ben: http://www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2017/04/07/little-data-big-potential/

Kimberly Woodard On The Return Of Serena Williams, Tennis Fandom, And Tennys Sandgren

Mon, 12 Feb 2018 05:43:14 +0000

Kimberly Woodard, a longtime tennis fan, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the return of Serena Williams after more than a year away from tennis, how tennis fandom has gotten better, and what she'd ask Tennys Sandgren.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Kimberly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeingKimmie

Her favorite tennis magazine: https://racquetmag.com/

Tennis Writer Andrew Burton On Roger Federer Fandom And Online Tennis Discourse

Mon, 05 Feb 2018 04:30:00 +0000

Andrew Burton, former blogger for Tennis.com and The Changeover, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about how he fell for Federer, how he tries to bridge the divide between rival fanbases, and the difficulty of changing adults' minds.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Andrew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/burtonad

'Balls' Co-Director Ianthe Demos On Re-Creating The Battle Of The Sexes On Stage

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 10:30:00 +0000

Ianthe Demos -- co-director of the off-Broadway play "Balls" about the 1973 exhibition match between 55-year-old Bobby Riggs and 29-year old Billie Jean King and co-artistic director of One Year Lease theater company -- joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the very different film on the same topic, the theatricality of tennis, and the influence on the play of the 2016 election.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

More on "Balls," playing at 59E59 Theaters through Feb. 25:
http://www.59e59.org/moreinfo.php?showid=307

Tumaini Carayol On The Australian Open And The Future Of Tennis

Sun, 28 Jan 2018 16:52:00 +0000

U.K.-based freelance tennis writer Tumaini Carayol joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from Melbourne to talk about the return of Angelique Kerber, with an edge; Roger Federer's butterflies; and the great tennis experiments of 2017-18.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Tumaini on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tumcarayol

Tumaini in the Ringer on the future of tennis: https://www.theringer.com/2018/1/27/16936458/tennis-modernization-rule-changes-australian-open-2018

Louisa Thomas, Newyorker.com Tennis Writer, On The Australian Open

Sun, 28 Jan 2018 14:03:48 +0000

Louisa Thomas, who writes about tennis for newyorker.com, rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Roger Federer's 20th major title, Caroline Wozniacki's first, and the matches that will stay with her from 2018's first major.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Louisa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/louisahthomas

Louisa's archive on newyorker.com: http://www.newyorker.com/contributors/louisa-thomas

The USTA's Eric Butorac On The Australian Open And Player Politics

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 21:06:08 +0000

Retired U.S. doubles standout Eric Butorac, now director of player relations for the USTA, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to preview the final rounds of the Australian Open and reminisce about his own run to the 2014 men's doubles final; talk Tennys Sandren, U.S. player politics, and the idea of player unionization; and recount how much Roger Federer cared about doubles rules and prize money when he served on the ATP Player Council, plus the story of the fan who mistook Federer for a guy who has hit more aces than he has.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Eric on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ebutorac

Mackenzie McDonald On Going Five With Grigor

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 14:52:29 +0000

U.S. tennis pro Mackenzie ("Mackie") McDonald joins host Carl Bialik to talk about his five-set Australian Open thriller against Grigor Dimitrov; what he learned from his first coach,Rosie Bareis; what he gained by playing college tennis; and what he thinks of Tennys Sandgren, the surprise Australian Open quarterfinalist who beat McDonald four times last year. (Though this political science major says he never talks politics.)

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Mackie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mackiemacster

2012 ZooTennis interview with McDonald: http://tenniskalamazoo.blogspot.com/2012/10/mackenzie-mcdonald-commits-to-ucla.html

Anita Stahl On Gender Inequality In Tennis

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 04:30:00 +0000

Anita Stahl, a freelance tennis writer and photographer and a PhD candidate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, studying women's tennis, tells Thirty Love host Carl Bialik what she learned after spending eight hours analyzing the gender inequity in 321 Australian Open Instagram posts, why a player union is a good idea but Novak Djokovic might not be the best champion of the idea, and what the debate over renaming Margaret Court Arena is missing. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Anita on Twitter: https://twitter.com/anitastahl
Anita's website: http://anitastahl.com/

Tennis Australia Data Scientist Stephanie Kovalchik On The Australian Open

Sun, 14 Jan 2018 06:50:09 +0000

Stephanie Kovalchik, senior data scientist with Tennis Australia's Game Insight Group, joins Thirty Love Host Carl Bialik to explain why a first-time Slam champ is so much more likely in the women's draw of the Australian Open than in the men's draw, and to invite entries to the other big January tennis tournament: to crack the code of what makes an error forced or unforced, using the biggest-ever public release of Hawk-Eye data.

Thirty Love is produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Stephanie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StatsOnTheT

Her women's and men's Australian Open forecasts: http://on-the-t.com/2018/01/13/ao-womens-draw/ http://on-the-t.com/2018/01/12/ao-mens-draw/

Tennis hackathon (contest ends Jan. 23): https://www.crowdanalytix.com/contests/from-ao-to-ai--predicting-how-points-end-in-tennis

PlaySight's Chen Shachar On Helping Tennis Players To Know Themselves

Sun, 07 Jan 2018 19:55:11 +0000

Chen Shachar, CEO and cofounder of the sports video and technology company PlaySight, tells host Carl Bialik about how video is revolutionizing tennis training and performance in the same way it did the Israeli Air Force: by showing people who they really are and what they really did.

Thirty Love is produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Chen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chenshachar

PlaySight on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlaySight

Playsight's website: https://playsight.com/

Carl's 2017 article on PlaySight: http://www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2017/04/07/little-data-big-potential/

Universal Tennis CEO Mark Leschly On Rating All The World's Tennis Players

Wed, 03 Jan 2018 17:22:14 +0000

Former tennis pro Mark Leschly, the new CEO of Universal Tennis, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the company's goal of rating all the world's tennis players, pro and amateur, on a single scale: theUniversal Tennis Rating.

Thirty Love is produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

MyUTR.com: https://myutr.com/

Mark becomes CEO: http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Universal-Tennis-Builds-Momentum-for-UTR-Announces-New-CEO-Ownership-and-Partners-1012439637

Mary Carillo on Serena Williams, Andy Murray, and Margaret Court

Sat, 30 Dec 2017 16:59:06 +0000

Former tennis pro and longtime tennis TV commentator Mary Carillo joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Serena Williams's return to tennis, the thoughtful Sir Andy Murray, and Carillo's upcoming HBO Sports segment on Margaret Court, the tennis champ who is now a pastor outspoken against gay rights.

Thirty Love is produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Weekly Standard interview with Carillo: http://www.weeklystandard.com/the-mary-carillo-interview-tennis-storytelling-and-dad/article/2010379

Peter-Gil Sheridan on 'The Rafa Play'

Sat, 23 Dec 2017 15:06:45 +0000

Playwright Peter-Gil Sheridan joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his NYC play inspired by a fantastical version of Rafael Nadal, why tennis is so theatrical, and why he never would have written 'The Roger Play.' Thirty Love is produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

'The Rafa Play' in The New York Times, by previous Thirty Love guest Ben Rothenberg: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/sports/tennis/the-rafa-play-nadal.html

Kevin Schmidt On USTA Ratings -- And The Players Who Abuse Them

Mon, 18 Dec 2017 05:03:29 +0000

Kevin Schmidt, a tennis fan and player who has created the Schmidt Computer Ratings, joins host Carl Bialik to talk USTA player ratings, amateur leagues, and how some trophy hunters abuse the system to win the hardware. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Kevin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/computerratings
Schmidt Computer Ratings: https://computerratings.blogspot.com/

Caitlin Thompson on Racquet Magazine's Sophomore Surge

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 04:30:00 +0000

Racquet Magazine cofounder Caitlin Thompson, also cohost of The Main Draw podcast, tells Thirty Love host Carl Bialik which forthcoming Racquet articles she's most excited about, the politics of tennis, and her new one-handed backhand. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Caitlin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitlin_thomps
Racquet: https://racquetmag.com/
The Main Draw: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-main-draw/id1002026920?mt=2

Corporate Comedian Greg Schwem Says Golf Is Funnier Than Tennis

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 05:13:44 +0000

Corporate comedian Greg Schwem invites himself onto the show to tell host Carl Bialik about finding matches when he travels for gigs, traveling in the same Illinois tennis circles as David Foster Wallace, and whether Chicago can support a pro tournament. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Greg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GregSchwem

Briana Foust on Rafa, Serena and the 2018 Season

Mon, 04 Dec 2017 03:30:00 +0000

Tennis blogger Briana Foust tells host Carl Bialik how she became hooked on tennis, why she chose Rafa over Roger, and who will fulfill her hashtag #BlackPeopleSavingUSTennis in the future. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Bri on Twitter: https://twitter.com/4TheTennis
Bri's blog: https://openerareview.wordpress.com/

Croatian tennis player Dino Marcan on ATP University

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 03:29:35 +0000

Newly minted ATP University graduate Dino Marcan tells host Carl
Bialik what he learned at tennis school, what it was like attending
two months after retiring, and how he plans to stay involved in
tennis. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee
Rosevere.

Dino on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DinoMarcan

Gerry Marzorati recapping the 2017 ATP season

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 05:35:07 +0000

Gerry Marzorati, who writes about tennis for newyorker.com and Racquet magazine and is the author of "Late to the Ball," joins host Carl Bialik to recap the ATP season and look ahead to 2018 in tennis. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Marzorati on Twitter: https://twitter.com/marzoTennis

Marzorati at the newyorker.com: https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/gerald-marzorati

Mikey Perera on the life of a WTA commentator

Mon, 13 Nov 2017 04:00:00 +0000

Mikey Perera, who comments about tennis, soccer and cricket from the U.K., joins host Carl Bialik to talk about the WTA finals and 2018 season, and the life of a freelance tennis broadcaster -- including driving to the London studio in the middle of the night. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Mikey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeyperera

Chloé Cooper Jones and Giri Nathan on the Next Gen ATP Finals

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 05:07:53 +0000

Tennis writers Chloé Cooper Jones (GQ) and Giri Nathan (Deadspin) join host Carl Bialik to watch, then talk about, the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. Will any of these guys ever win a Slam, or even qualify for the ATP Finals in London? Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Chloé on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CCooperJones

Giri on Twitter: https://twitter.com/girinathan

Marty Smith on his new book, 'Absolute Tennis'

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 04:45:46 +0000

Marty Smith, longtime director of tennis at the New York Athletic Club, joins host Carl Bialik to talk about his new book, "Absolute Tennis," and what the tennis strokes of the future might look like. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Marty on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MartySmithAT

His book website: http://www.absolutetennis.net/

USTA Pro Circuit broadcaster Mike Cation on chasing the Challengers

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 22:25:55 +0000

USTA Pro Circuit broadcaster Mike Cation joins host Carl Bialik to talk about how he got his dream job calling Challenger Tour events and what it's like to travel the circuit alongside players. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Mike on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeCTennis

Watch USTA Pro Circuit matches: https://www.usta.com/en/home/pro/pro-tennis-events/usta-pro-circuit-men-s-live-streaming.html

Press Association's Eleanor Crooks on the WTA Finals

Sun, 29 Oct 2017 23:23:22 +0000

Eleanor Crooks, tennis correspondent for the Press Association, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Caroline Wozniacki's triumph in Singapore, the state of British women's tennis, and what to look forward to at the ATP's World Tour Finals in London. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Crooks on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EleanorcrooksPA

Crooks in Romania in April: https://twitter.com/EleanorcrooksPA/status/855778538695380996

Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan on her tennis life

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 04:55:51 +0000

Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about her lifetime love of the sport and what she learned from reading the tennis writings of David Foster Wallace and Brad Gilbert. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Margaret on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sulliview

Brian Hrebec on his superior tennis scoreboard

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 03:00:00 +0000

Brian Hrebec, a Springfield, Missouri-based computer programmer and creator of the best online scoreboard in tennis, joins host Carl Bialik to explain how he solved in a week a major problem faced by fans of the fractured sport. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Brian's scoreboard: http://www.definish.com/tennis/

Brian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rabbitsblinkity

Anna Ziegler on writing -- and rewriting -- a play about tennis

Mon, 16 Oct 2017 03:00:00 +0000

Playwright Anna Ziegler joins Carl Bialik to talk about her off-Broadway play, "The Last Match," about a US Open semifinal between an aging great and a young upstart. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

"The Last Match": https://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/The-Last-Match.aspx

Anna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/abziegs

ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. on the Battle of the Sexes

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 01:00:00 +0000

Don Van Natta Jr., senior writer at ESPN the Magazine, joins host Carl
Bialik to talk about his investigation into the famous 1973 exhibition
match won by Billie Jean King over Bobby Riggs. Van Natta's explosive
reporting suggested that Riggs was paid to throw the match. Produced
and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Van Natta's 2013 ESPN article and "Outside The Lines" segment
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/9589625/the-match-maker

Van Natta's The Sunday Long Read newsletter and podcast
http://www.sundaylongread.com/

Van Natta on Twitter
https://twitter.com/DVNJr

Tom Perrotta on Laver Cup and the fall season

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Tom Perrotta, who writes about tennis for the Wall Street Journal, the
Weekly Standard, and other outlets, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik
to talk about Laver Cup, the races for No. 1, and whom to watch in the
fall. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee
Rosevere.

Tom on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomPerrotta

The Wall Street Journal's Jason Gay from the US Open

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 03:46:31 +0000

Wall Street Journal sports columnist Jason Gay joins Thirty Love host
Carl Bialik right after the 2017 US Open's finale to put Rafael Nadal's title in historical context, celebrate the American women's domination, and wonder if tennis can ever return to its glory days of peak U.S. fandom in the aftermath of the Battle of the Sexes. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Chloé Cooper Jones on Dominic Thiem

Sat, 09 Sep 2017 17:04:27 +0000

GQ contributor Chloé Cooper Jones joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik at the US Open to talk about her recent profile of Austrian star Dominic Thiem, why his narrative seems harder for fans to embrace and why she finds it moving and profound. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Cooper Jones on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CCooperJones

Cooper Jones's profile of Thiem in GQ: https://www.gq.com/story/dominic-thiem-us-open-2017-profile

The Paris Review's Rowan Ricardo Phillips from the US Open

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 06:34:34 +0000

The Paris Review's Rowan Ricardo Phillips joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the European who crashed the all-American US Open women's semifinals, how the blue clay of Flushing is shaping the tournament, and how he traverses the tennis multiverse with the sport in his bones. (He's a poet.) Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Phillips on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RowanRicardo

newyorker.com contributor Louisa Thomas from the US Open

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 01:03:39 +0000

Louisa Thomas rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the all-American women's semifinals; the prospect of a Federer-Nadal meeting, at last, in New York; and what it's like to revisit tennis greats at different stages of her career -- and theirs. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Thomas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/louisahthomas

Thomas's archive on newyorker.com: http://www.newyorker.com/contributors/louisa-thomas

Thomas on Dustin Brown: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/adventures-in-wonderlawn-living-the-surreal-life-at-wimbledon/

Tennis historian Andras Ruszanov from the US Open

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 05:12:13 +0000

Tennis journalist and historian Andras Ruszanov joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik at the US Open to talk about his dogged research through graveyards and news databases to unearth the untold stories of every man and woman who has ever played a Grand Slam singles match. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Ruszanov on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DB4Tennis

Ruszanov's tennis database: http://www.db4tennis.com/

US Open Court 17 MC Blair Henley

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 02:56:57 +0000

Blair Henley -- who works in tennis media and emcees from Court 17 throughout the US Open -- joins Thirty Love on her birthday to talk to host Carl Bialik about her DJ duties, how she researches juniors before their matches, and how she's turned her passion into tennis multimedia stardom. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Henley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlairHenley

The immortal Sam Querrey GIF: https://vine.co/v/O0315Pp1xjY/embed/simple

The USTA's Chris Widmaier from the US Open

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 14:22:54 +0000

Chris Widmaier -- managing director of corporate communications for the USTA, which runs the US Open -- talks to host Carl Bialik about the brashest, noisiest Slam; how he got his start in PR; and big changes coming to the Open in the next two years. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Hans Podlipnik from the US Open on playing pro doubles

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 03:00:44 +0000

Chilean doubles star Hans Podlipnik speaks to host Carl Bialik in the
US Open players lounge about how he transitioned to the doubles game, why choosing a partner is like dating, and why he finds Manhattan relaxing. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Podlipnik's ATP page
https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/players/hans-podlipnik-castillo/pb37/overview

Tracy Austin on US Open and Tennis's Old Stars

Sat, 26 Aug 2017 16:02:48 +0000

Two-time US Open champ Tracy Austin -- a Tennis Hall of Famer and Tennis Channel analyst -- joins host Carl Bialik to talk about extending a tennis career and the sport's top thinkers and problem solvers.
Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Federer Fan Alex Duff on What Makes Federer Fans So Annoying

Mon, 21 Aug 2017 04:01:00 +0000

Alex Duff -- professional tennis photographer and longtime tennis player, tennis fan and Roger Federer fan -- joins host Carl Bialik to talk about what makes some Federer fans so annoying.

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

René Denfeld on Zverev's Meteoric Rise

Mon, 14 Aug 2017 01:41:57 +0000

Freelance Frankfurt-based sportswriter René Denfeld joins host Carl Bialik to talk Alex Zverev and the wide-open races for world No. 1 in the ATP and WTA. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Denfeld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Renestance

Katrina Williams on Djokovic Fandom

Mon, 07 Aug 2017 04:00:00 +0000

Katrina Williams, university student in Melbourne, tells host Carl Bialik why she loves Novak Djokovic the player and Novak Djokovic the person. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Williams on Twitter: https://twitter.com/returnwinner
The Secret to Victory on Serena Williams: http://thesecrettovictory.com

Stephanie Kovalchik on Federer and Serena

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 02:17:39 +0000

Stephanie Kovalchik, data scientist at Tennis Australia's Game Insight Group, on comparing the Roger Federer of 2017 with the Federer of 2015, and comparing Serena Williams with the men's field. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Kovalchik on Federer: http://on-the-t.com/2017/07/28/federer-2017/
Kovalchik on Williams: http://on-the-t.com/2017/06/27/serena-defense/
Kovalchik on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StatsOnTheT

The Ringer's Chris Almeida

Sun, 23 Jul 2017 22:25:00 +0000

Chris Almeida on the Big Four, The Ringer's tennis beat, and his
tennis-writing inspirations

Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Links:
Chris's articles for The Ringer: https://theringer.com/@chris.almeida
Chris's favorite David Foster Wallace writing on tennis:
https://www.scribd.com/doc/134106158/How-Tracy-Austin-Broke-My-Heart-David-Foster-Wallace

Louisa Thomas on Muguruza, Venus and Roger

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 03:18:36 +0000

Newyorker.com contributing writer Louisa Thomas joins host Carl Bialik to talk about our Wimbledon champions, the reign of King Roger and the burden of experience. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Louisa Thomas's articles from Wimbledon on Venus Williams and Roger Federer:

http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/venus-williams-is-dominating-wimbledon

http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/the-general-joy-of-roger-federer-wimbledon-champion-once-again

Follow Louisa on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/louisahthomas

Tom Perrotta from London on Middle Sunday

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 03:29:09 +0000

Tennis writer Tom Perrotta, Thirty Love's first repeat guest, join host Carl Bialik from London on Middle Sunday of Wimbledon to talk about the immensely entertaining women's draw, the Big Four's chances and biggest threat, and what makes Wimbledon special. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Jason Gay on Roger, Rafa, Venus, Jelena and Wimbledon

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 05:20:01 +0000

Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay joins host Carl Bialik to talk Wimbledon, the year of the geezers, Jason's first trip to the French Open and his own tennis game. Produced by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Tumaini Carayol on Vika and Petra's comebacks

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 01:58:15 +0000

U.K.-based freelance tennis writer Tumaini Carayol joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the WTA event in Mallorca to talk about the return to the WTA of Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitova, why Novak Djokovic might need a break from tennis, and his own unlikely career path. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Federer superfan Sulaiman Ijaz on the grass season

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 02:28:33 +0000

Sulaiman Ijaz joins host Carl Bialik, his college classmate and friend, to describe how he fell for Federer, what he expects from the grass season and why Nadal is so dangerous when he gets to the second week of Wimbledon. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

More on Ijaz's 2015 column about Federer and cricket:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2015/02/17/roger-federer-upsets-pakistani-fans-with-indian-cricket-jersey/

Federer responds:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/66571611/tennis-superstar-roger-federer-says-he-supported-indian-cricket-team-as-part-of-a-nike-campaign

Bonnie Ford on Nadal, Ostapenko and the French Open

Sun, 11 Jun 2017 22:23:14 +0000

ESPN's Bonnie Ford joins host Carl Bialik to talk Rafael Nadal's 10th French Open title, Jelena Ostapenko's first tour-level title and where tennis fits in Ford's far-ranging sportswriting career. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Reem Abulleil from the French Open

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 01:46:54 +0000

Reem Abulleil, managing editor and tennis writer for sport360.com, joins host Carl Bialik from the French Open press room to talk about Ons Jabeur's historic run, her hectic Grand Slam schedule, and appreciating Kristina Mladenovic and Pablo Carreño Busta. Music by Lee Rosevere.

Ravi Ubha breaks down the French Open draw

Sat, 27 May 2017 16:10:15 +0000

Tennis writer and play-by-play man Ravi Ubha joins host Carl Bialik from the U.K. to break down the just-released French Open draws, welcome back Petra Kvitova and trace his love of tennis back to a French Open 33 years ago. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Tom Perrotta on the French Open

Mon, 22 May 2017 02:15:35 +0000

Wall Street Journal tennis writer Tom Perrotta talks to host Carl Bialik about the wide-open men's and women's French Open fields; reacts to Novak Djokovic's new coach, Andre Agassi; and assesses the state of tennis coverage in the U.S. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Nick Lester on the commentator's life

Mon, 15 May 2017 02:19:30 +0000

ATP Media's Nick Lester talks to host Carl Bialik, just after calling Rafael Nadal's win in the Madrid final, about the privilege of calling matches with Nadal and his Big Four peers, spending his off nights watching tennis and why he plays best just after he's worked a tournament. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Related: A 2014 interview with Lester.

Carole Bouchard on Novak Djokovic

Sun, 07 May 2017 21:31:01 +0000

Paris-based freelance tennis writer Carole Bouchard, author of "The Quest," joins Thirty Love's Carl Bialik to talk about Novak Djokovic's long hunt for a French Open title, his shakeup of his team, and what she expects from him when he returns to Roland Garros this month. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Rafa Forever

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 22:48:03 +0000

Carl Bialik talks with Louisa Thomas, contributor to newyorker.com, about Rafael Nadal's great start to the clay season, Maria Sharapova's impressive return to tennis and which players she'd most want to shadow for a profile. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Maria's Back

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 01:07:54 +0000

Carl Bialik talks with Stephanie Kovalchik, analyst extraordinaire for Tennis Australia, about Maria Sharapova's prospects in her return to tennis. (We spoke just before learning Serena Williams will miss the rest of the 2017 season.) Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Link: http://on-the-t.com/2017/04/14/Sharapova-Return/

On Camera

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 01:04:58 +0000

Carl Bialik talks with Ben Rothenberg, globetrotting tennis writer for The New York Times and other outlets, about their experience demo-ing PlaySight, technology that brings video and advanced stats to the masses. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere.

Links:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/28/sports/tennis/an-electronic-set-of-eyes-to-feed-data-to-tennis-players-and-coaches.html?_r=0
http://www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2017/04/07/little-data-big-potential/