NTM: Greg Lappin and junior sportsmanship with Ernie James
Release Date: 04/13/2023
USTA’s Martin Blackman: covering the US Open
Talking Tennis Southern Style
The last Grand Slam of the year brings a New York vibe to tennis as the US Open begins. USTA General Manager, Player Development Martin Blackman, discusses the chances of Americans, including former Atlanta resident Coco Gauff repeating her 2023 success. Southerners Ben Shelton, Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul join a great USA contingent including Danielle Collins, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe as they vie for America’s most coveted Grand Slam title. Martin also explains how the US Open’s bottom line directly contributes to the American grassroots, supporting...
info_outline
North Carolina tennis history
Talking Tennis Southern Style
In this episode of Talking Tennis Southern Style, we’re joined by Gray Smith, a Board Member of the and the North Carolina Tennis Foundation. Gray delves into North Carolina’s rich tennis history, highlighting the legendary players who have graced its courts, including Rod Laver, Cliff Richard, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Andy Roddick and Patrick McEnroe. Gray provides unique insights into the ATP Tour's Winston-Salem Open, discussing how it came together and the crucial role volunteers played in its success. He also touches on the tournament’s...
info_outline
USTA Southern EVP Ted Reese runs Cary Tennis Classic
Talking Tennis Southern Style
USTA Southern EVP Ted Reese runs Cary Tennis Classic Top 100 men and women are playing this week at the Cary (N.C.) Tennis Park with numerous community and charity events. We welcome Ted Reese, who volunteers in his leadership role as USTA Southern Executive Vice President. He takes time this week to talk about his dual USTA Pro Circuit tournaments running in his hometown of Cary, N.C. As Co-tournament Director of the , Ted emphasizes the growth of the tournaments that attracted top male and female stars like 2014 US Open finalist , , Olympic silver medalist and the fifth-seed from Georgia ....
info_outline
Raising Funds for Tennis Programs and Scholarships
Talking Tennis Southern Style
Join us on the latest episode of "Talking Southern Style Tennis" as we sit down with Paul Pittman, Chair of the USTA Southern Advocacy Task Force and Chair of the Major Gifts Committee for the Southern Tennis Foundation. In this episode, Paul shares insights into how the Southern Tennis Foundation is dedicated to growing the sport of tennis across the Southern section. Discover their impactful grants that fund tennis programs and initiatives, as well as their scholarships for juniors heading to college.
info_outline
USA players competing in the Paris Olympics
Talking Tennis Southern Style
USA players competing in the Paris Olympics Karen Pestaina of TennisPanorama.com discusses Tommy Paul, Emma Navarro, Taylor Townsend and other American players at the Summer Olympics. “Playing the Olympics and playing for your country really energizes players,” says Karen Pestaina, founder and editor-in-chief of TennisPanorama.com. Karen highlights Southern players who can make a big impact in Paris. She focuses on the chances of Tommy Paul, who won a Roland Garros junior title, and South Carolina’s Emma Navarro to bring home a medal from France. She also recaps the last Atlanta Open....
info_outline
Patricia Jensen: Famed tennis matriarch and volunteer
Talking Tennis Southern Style
In this episode, we sit down with Patricia Jensen, mother of four former professional tennis players, including 1993 French Open men’s doubles champions Luke and Murphy Jensen. Patricia shares her unique insights and experiences from transporting four children playing junior tournaments, where she put over 100K miles on her car one summer, to watching them play on the professional tour. Once dubbed the “matriarch of Atlanta’s No. 1 tennis family” by USTA Southern, she continues to volunteer in the tennis world by organizing the ball persons for the Atlanta Open and Georgia Tech....
info_outline
Atlanta Open history: Tournament directors talk 2013-2024
Talking Tennis Southern Style
Current Tournament Director Peter Lebedevs and former TD Eddie Gonzalez explain how the Atlanta Open became the premier event in the local summer sports scene. Known for many years as the BB&T Atlanta Open and the Truist Atlanta Open, the city’s ATP tournament put down anchor in 2012 at the iconic Atlantic Station with its breathtaking cityscape. GF Sports & Entertainment brought in top-level support, raising the event to be coveted by both fans and players. Listen in on the conversation about great competition, including former Georgia Bulldog John Isner winning six championships....
info_outline
Atlanta Open history: Tournament directors talk 2010-2012
Talking Tennis Southern Style
As the Georgia capital says farewell to its most important pro tennis tournament – the – we chat with the first two tournament directors. Bill Oakes, USTA Southern’s Director, Marketing & Sales in 2010, helped bring the tournament to metro Atlanta. Bob Bryant ushered in its move to Atlantic Station. Both reminisce about the joys and challenges of hosting an ATP tournament in the best tennis city in the country. Next week, we will interview the two tournament directors who have overseen the “mini US Open” for over a decade.
info_outline
John Isner on Atlanta Open; Martin Blackman on Wimbledon
Talking Tennis Southern Style
In this episode, we welcome two special guests: John Isner, the six-time Atlanta Open champion, and Martin Blackman, the USTA General Manager of Player Development. John discusses his upcoming exhibition match with Andy Roddick against the Bryan brothers, shares his experiences as a player in the Atlanta Open, and gives his insights on the future of tennis in Atlanta. Martin provides an in-depth analysis of Americans at Wimbledon, highlighting the top American players, including Southerners Coco Gauff, Emma Navarro, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Christopher Eubanks and Alycia Parks.
info_outline
Lake Norman Expands on Red Ball Tennis for Adults
Talking Tennis Southern Style
Amy Brandon has the Lake Norman, N.C., tennis community hitting red balls on short tennis courts. As a pioneer for adults in metro Charlotte, she started the which has grown to more than 500 players from 64 players since 2016. The Executive Director’s efforts align with the expanding program. She says the goal is to bring tennis to adults in a non-threatening, easy-to-play environment with scoring and rules designed for 36' courts. List to how she’s transforming the tennis world, one beer at a time.
info_outline
USTA Delivery Council Chair Greg Lappin promotes National Tennis Month, a national initiative coming in May. Lappin champions the health benefits of tennis that increases your life by 9.7 years, clearly more than any other sport. He applauds USTA volunteers who are “creating positive healthy lifestyles.” Additionally, he cites tennis participation has skyrocketed, adding 5.9 million Americans, a 33% increase since 2020 nationally. USTA Southern Board Member Ernie James, of Florence, S.C., is heading up a new initiative: Good Chase. The nomination process, starting May 1, will reward juniors who exhibit exemplary sportsmanship and contribute to a more positive and respectful tournament environment. The top award will be a trip to this year’s US Open! We highlight junior Hadley Appling, of Louisville, Ky., and Ozaki-Hastings Sportsmanship Award winner Parker Jacques, of Huntsville, Ala. Major props go out to our “Talking Tennis Southern Style” podcast team member Darren Potkey, who was honored as the 2022 Mac MacDougal Official of the Year.