BHM: Calvin Kemp plus advocating for tennis courts
Release Date: 02/01/2024
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....
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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....
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Tennis Helps 15-year-old Radio Personality Survive Leukemia
Talking Tennis Southern Style
Five years ago, at the age of 10, Lex Stolle was diagnosed with high-risk . He began a years-long series of chemotherapy treatments at of Children’s in Atlanta. Now, his recovery includes tennis, a love he shares with his father. His talents in communication and inspiring hope in other cancer victims have led him to host a on first Sunday of every month, 1-2 p.m., with assistance from the He wants to have a career as a motivational speaker … and when you hear this podcast, you’ll see, he is definitely on his way!
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America’s Top Junior: Georgia’s Al Parker
Talking Tennis Southern Style
No one can match Al Parker’s junior career … a national champion 25 times and ranked No. 1 in Boys’ 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s from 1981-86. He reminisces about playing at the University of Georgia, which hosted and won NCAA Championships in the 1980s. “We were definitely a force,” the four-time All-American said. He has been inducted into three Halls of Fame, including the Southern Hall of Fame in 2010. He rose to No. 261 on the ATP Tour but his career was limited by a back injury sustained in college. Listen to Al as he shares how he’s applied what he learned as a top junior and...
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Spring/Summer Buying Guide
Talking Tennis Southern Style
Want to hear a behind-the-scenes perspective from a photo shoot with Frances Tiafoe and Aryna Sabalenka? Michelle Heidbrink of talks about being on-site with the tennis stars and previewing new clothing a year in advance. She also recommends checking out the sleek designs of Naomi Osaka and Rafa Nadal shoes. Of course, the newest racquets are available and guaranteed to boost your strokes. For Father’s Day, gifts sure to please Dad include customizing a racquet, new high-performance strings or a new shirt for his next match.
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Promoting tennis: USTA South Carolina’s advocacy success
Talking Tennis Southern Style
Sheryl McAlister, Senior Director of Advocacy and Community Development for , discusses their efforts in promoting tennis during National Tennis Month. She highlights their advocacy work, increased grant applications and the enthusiastic involvement of staff and volunteers. Sheryl also addresses challenges in providing quality public tennis courts and their initiatives to engage state officials and local communities.
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USTA’s Martin Blackman: covering Roland Garros
Talking Tennis Southern Style
USTA General Manager, Player Development Martin Blackman, discusses the growing crop of Americans showing their grit on the French Open’s terre battue. Among the players highlighted are Danielle Collins and Frances Tiafoe, along with Southerners Coco Gauff, Emma Navarro, Alycia Parks, Tommy Paul and Christopher Eubanks. Another hot topic is the Summer Olympics, which will be played at Roland Garros.
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With the number of tennis players growing in the last five years, more tennis courts are needed. While some courts are being converted to pickleball courts, the USTA Southern Advocacy Task Force is enabling grassroots advocates to make the case for adding, and not reducing, the number of tennis courts. Former Board Member Paul Pittman chairs the task force and explains the advocacy tools provided by USTA Southern.
In our first episode of Black History Month, we interview Calvin Kemp of Lafayette, La. Kemp was honored with the 2023 Southern Tennis Professional of the Year and received another award, the Member Organization of the Year, for Acadiana Serves. The award citation mentioned, “As an ATP Certified GPTCA International Coach, PTR Certified Coach, and Tennis Performance Trainer, Calvin brings a wealth of expertise.”