Teaching tennis: NFL football star Leigh Torrence and coach Dr. Mark Kovacs
Release Date: 09/14/2023
Auburn’s Bobby Reynolds: from ATP to college
Talking Tennis Southern Style
In this episode, we chat with Bobby Reynolds, Auburn Men’s tennis head coach, a former No. 1 collegiate player at Vanderbilt and a former ATP player. He shares insights from coaching in the SEC and offers advice for aspiring players aiming for college and pro success, along with tips for competitive coaching. Reflecting on his pro tour days when he topped out at No. 63 in the world, coach Reynolds also touches on the broader impact of the sport. He grew up in metro Atlanta.
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National Tennis Month: Bob Willis
Talking Tennis Southern Style
Join us for an insightful episode featuring Bob Willis, President of the . Willis will host a National Tennis Month “Bring A Friend” lesson on May 25 at . He recounts last year’s experience with a successful NTM event. Don't miss out on Willis’s valuable tips and strategies for drawing new players to the sport with impactful tennis celebrations in your community!
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National Tennis Month: Kristie Flowers
Talking Tennis Southern Style
hosted a session during 2023 and plans more sessions next month during National Tennis Month (NTM). She gets people active at in Florence, S.C. Flowers has had as many 50 participants get their heart rates up. She cites USTA Southern Board Member Ernie James for promoting NTM events.
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Tennessee tennis recruiter: Tyler Strong
Talking Tennis Southern Style
How do you expand tennis in your state? A strategic focus of USTA is increasing the number of providers like parks and recreation departments, coaches, teachers, tournament directors and grassroots tennis associations. is using his knowledge of Junior Team Tennis to make connections with coaches and facilities. A nearly 10-year veteran of , Strong also celebrates tennis parents who assist coaches
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Tennis Channel on-court host Andrew Krasny
Talking Tennis Southern Style
is best known for his post-match interviews on court for . This week he is the host and emcee of , a tournament he considers among the best in the world for featuring the brightest women’s stars in the game. Over his storied career, Krasny has been one of the faces you've seen at , the and , connecting TV viewers with the world’s best tennis players.
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WHM: WTA player Arianne Hartono & Coach Jason Ontog
Talking Tennis Southern Style
Arianne Hartono, a Dutch professional tennis player ranked No. 140 in WTA singles, made history at the University of Mississippi by winning the , the first Dutch player to do so. She also received the for top female collegiate tennis player. Hartono is engaged to her coach Jason Ontog, a former USTA Tennessee staff member and known for his tennis achievements. He was the 2000 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year and rose to a national ranking of No. 67 in 2003. Together, they offer insights into the travel demands and life on the WTA Tour.
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Teaching: true passion for former UT coach Elizabeth Henderson
Talking Tennis Southern Style
Elizabeth Henderson’s life in tennis started by being No. 1 in numerous junior age levels in USTA Southern before being recognized as an All-American at the . She started her collegiate coaching odyssey at the University of North Carolina, followed by her first head coaching job at . That led to a four-year stint as women’s head tennis coach at the . She was inducted into the in 2011. For more than 30 years she has focused on her true passion: teaching young players at the in Knoxville.
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No-Cut Coach Starfish Award winner John Cox
Talking Tennis Southern Style
We chatted with John Cox, whose volunteer work covers many areas of tennis, including numerous posts in . Still, he has a soft spot for the students of in Cleveland, Miss., where he began coaching the tennis team in 2017. His goal is to make tennis “cool” and get players on court and practicing. Winning two state titles and being awarded the and awards is just an extra bonus.
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WHM: Local League Coordinator honoree Anna Martin
Talking Tennis Southern Style
We talk with the She is a veteran of more than 23 years of promoting and organizing USTA League, providing a rich history of tennis in Wilmington, N.C. She now supports nearly 200 adult recreational teams. Martin highlights the importance of playing against players with similar skill levels for the She also serves as a teacher and director at a local church school.
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The weekly: ‘Talking Tennis Southern Style’ goes to weekly podcast
Talking Tennis Southern Style
Interviewed are two podcasters: Chris Godby & Chad Young of the awarding-winning “Game Set Match Kentucky!” After more than four years of uploading a two-interview podcast every other Thursday, the new “Talking Tennis Southern Style” plans on showcasing a single interview every Tuesday or Wednesday. Chris Godby & Chad Young produce “” Their podcast won the 2023 USTA Southern Marc Kaplan Media Excellence Award for their show which concentrates on tennis in . The duo talked about content and the technical aspects of hosting the podcast from a home studio.
info_outlineLeigh Torrence says tennis was his first love and dreamed of being another Arthur Ashe. He was a top-level junior out of Atlanta. Still, he’s most famous for his NFL career, playing for six teams including the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, and coaching for the Saints and New York Jets. “I think tennis is demanding of you mentally … and great preparation for football.” He recently took the USTA Coach Level 1 Workshop to begin teaching tennis. World-renowned sports performance researcher Dr. Mark Kovacs, from Marietta, Georgia, was an All-American and NCAA doubles champion at Auburn University and earned his doctoral degree from the University of Alabama. He focuses on improving tennis service motions, along with working with NBA basketball players. Kovacs was the youngest recipient of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award. Highlighted are junior Caiden Karetas, of Gulfport Mississippi, and North Carolina Tennis Hall of Famers Rebel Good, Jeff Joyce, Sam Paul and Clifford Skakle.