Tennis Now's Podcast

Many know him for his work as Serena Williams since 2012, but Patrick Mouratoglou has been cultivating a dream since he started the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in 1996 in the Paris suburbs. On the day before Wimbledon 2019 we caught up with the coaching mastermind to discuss his academy's evolution and some of the key decisions that took him where he is today. We discuss the transition the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy has made since moving to the French Riviera in 2016 and what it offers to young student athletes. We talk about Mouratoglou's relationship with Marcos Baghdatis and the coach reflects on what Baghdatis means to him as he prepares to play his last tournament at Wimbledon. We discuss what makes Coco Gauff special at the age of 15, and take a look at the explosive game of 19-year-old Aussie Alexei Popyrin. We talk about Stefanos Tsitsipas' mentoring role at the Patrick Mouratoglou Tennis Academy and ask the question--which surface is the Greek's best? And lastly we wonder who get the bad d

Today on the Lucky Letcord Podcast Tennis Now editor Richard Pagliaro joins to discuss the first two weeks of grass-court season. How amazing was Andy Murray's doubles performance at Queen's club and wasn't it cool how 37-year-old Feliciano Lopez stole the show? What are Ash Barty's chances at Wimbledon now that she's riding hot with a 12-match winning streak and is the WTA's new No.1? Who will spend more weeks at No.1 when it's all said and done, Naomi Osaka or Ash Barty? We know 20-year-old Sofia Kenin is one heck of a fighter, but there must be more to her game than just that, right? Father timeless Roger Federer won his 10th Halle title and looked pretty solid in the process. What is it that makes him so special on the grass? Felix-Auger Aliassime may have Stefanos Tsitsipas' number but that does not mean the Greek isn't a threat to go deep at Wimbledon. Come for the chatter, stay for the passion (or vice versa!) Thanks to all for listening, and thanks to our sponsors, Tennis Express. Lea

Today on the Letcord Podcast we are visited by Olivier Jeunehomme, current coach of Dayana Yastremska and longtime coach at the Justine Henin Tennis Academy. After starting his career with the Belgian Tennis Federation, Jeunehomme worked as a part of Henin's team along with Carlos Rodriguez, before he joined the Belgian legend at the Justine Henin Tennis Academy. He coached Irina Kromacheva and Sofya Zhuk prior to beginning his partnership with 19-year-old Yastremska last year. All of his players have had tremendous success, and Yastremska has blossomed in the time that Jeunehomme has worked with her, winning her first three WTA titles and rising to 32 in the world. We chat with Jeunehomme about his beginnings in tennis, how he started working with Henin and his partnership with Yastremska. We discuss the future of Yastremska, who is currently the second-highest ranked teenager in tennis, and what they have established as goals for the grass season as well as the rest of 2019 and 2020. You can learn

Today on the Lucky Letcord Podcast we hear from former French star Sarah Pitkowski. Sarah is currently covering the tournament for RMC Sports in France. She dropped by to chat about what it was like playing Roland Garros from a Frenchwoman's perspective. We talked about the disappointing performance from Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic, and what might be the factors holding this talented duo back. We professed our love for the revamped Roland Garros site and expressed our common feeling that Court Simonne-Mathieu is a dream. Sarah tells us what it was like to face WTA legends Martina Hingis, Serena Williams, Steffi Graf and Amelie Mauresmo. We also talk about Gael Monfils and the state of French tennis overall. Before the interview we hear from Iga Swiatek and Anastasija Sevastova, two players that have made great success in week one in Paris. Thanks for listening and enjoy the tennis! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the Lucky Letcord Podcast we meet up with new World Team Tennis CEO Carlos Silva at Roland Garros to talk about the upcoming WTT season. Silva tells us about his vision for the future of the league and breaks down how his experience as League President of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and CEO of World Series of Fighting (WSOF) have prepared him for the challenges of his new gig. We talk about the league's new deal with the CBS Sports Network and learn where we can find the league on our televisions this season. Silva discusses key working relationships with WTT co-founder Billie Jean King and Washington Kastles owner Mark Ein and explains how his decision-making is informed by his interaction with them and other like them. And, of course, we break down the season, talk about the league's expansion from six to eight players and get excited about the big names that are set to compete at WTT venues across America and on television this summer. Follow the WTT online: https://www.wtt.c

Today on the Lucky Letcord Podcast we look ahead to Day 4 of Roland Garros and break down some of the first-round action that we've seen over the first three days. We get press snippets from Victoria Azarenka, who looks forward to a second-round clash with Naomi Osaka. How does Vika feel about the new court Simonne-Mathieu? And how does she feel about facing the World No.1 so early in the draw. We also chat in press with Bianca Andreescu about her first Roland Garros main draw win. Is she going to celebrate the win? What makes her so good in three-setters? And how did she prepare for the third set of the match after her first-round contest with Marie Bouzkova was called due to darkness after two sets on Monday? This and more in today's podcast. Thanks for listening and enjoy Roland Garros! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the Lucky Letcord Pocdast we come at you once again from the sixth row of the bleachers on Court Simonne-Mathieu. We kick off the pod with a convo with a preview of Day 3 (after some Django, of course) and then move into a discussion of Elina Svitolina. Is she ready to make an impact here in Paris or not quite healthy enough yet? Next we chat with Grigor Dimitrov in press and get the scoop on his coaching setup and find out what makes Radek Stepanek and Andre Agassi so valuable to him right now. Finally we look at some of the overlooked clay gurus who are making big waves at Roland Garros in week one. Juan Ignacio Londero, Hugo Dellien, Cristian Garin and Guido Pella. We ask Pella several answers about his newfound success in press and you can hear his replies, which are quite entertaining here. Thanks for listening and enjoy Day 3 at Roland Garros! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the Lucky Letcord Podcast we tee up one of the biggest men's singles events at a Grand Slam in a long time. Just how important is this year's Roland Garros for Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal? We speak with Sportklub.Rs journalist Saša Ozmo who has been covering the Serbian tennis beat for over a decade. Ozmo gives his take on the current form of the World No.1 and how he sets up for this year's Roland Garros. Did the loss to Nadal in Rome effect him? Could it be a blessing? How important would winning this title be for Djokovic? For Nadal? And what about Dominic Thiem? Can he potentially throw a wrench into the plans? We also chat about the inspiring rise of Laslo Djere and rave about the new showcourt in Paris, Court Simonne-Mathieu. How freaking beautiful is it, really? Tune in and find out. Thanks to Saša for joining us. Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/ozmo_sasa and check out his work at Sportklub.RS here: http://sportklub.rs/Blog/Sasa-Ozmo Also Stick around to hear f

Today on the Lucky Letcord we say bonjour from Court Simonne-Mathieu, the gorgeous new showcourt on the far east side of the Roland Garros grounds. Chris Oddo perches in the rafters as he watches Belinda Bencic and Magdalena Rybarikova practice. And he talks you through the lineup for Day 1 as well as the beauty of the court from which he conducts the podcast. We also hear from Garbine Muguruza and Madison Keys, two players who aren't getting a whole lot of consideration ahead of the tournament but two players who nevertheless have a shot to win the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. We talk with great excitement about the possibilities of a Djokovic and Nadal clash of the titans in Paris, as well as Roger Federer's first appearance since 2015 at Roland Garros. Thanks for listening to the Lucky Letcord Podcast and stay tuned for daily podcasts from Paris... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tennis Hall of Famer Steve Flink joins the Lucky Letcord Podcast to talk about Federer's recent title run in Miami, and why he believes that 109 titles is well within reach for the Swiss. We also chat about Federer's potential on clay and how important it will be for him to stay healthy during this critical phase. We break down other great moments from Indian Wells and Miami as well: Bianca Andreescu could be headed for the Top 10 this year--here's why. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are two talented players with different approaches to the game. Which one has the brighter future or is it too early to know? Novak Djokovic didn't have his best month in March but Steve believes the World No.1 will be eager to show why he is one of the best on any surface this spring on the clay. WTA tennis is peaking at the moment, with all its depth and talent, but when we talk about Indian Wells and Miami we can talk about variety and intellect--this is how Ash Barty and Bianca Andreescu are helping to

This week on the Lucky Letcord Podcast tennis commentator Pete Odgers talks to us from the Miami Open where he will be commentating for the ATP over the next two weeks. Odgers discusses the breakout performance of Bianca Andreescu and what it was like to commentate on such a grand moment for tennis. He talks about the diverse game of the Canadian and how she was able to win the title from an experience veteran like Angelique Kerber. We also discuss what might come next for Andreescu and why Odgers thinks it is great news that she plans to take a few weeks off after Miami. Odgers also gives his take on the performance of Belinda Bencic and why he expects her to make the WTA Finals this season. And finally, we look at the number of first-time Masters 1000 champions on the men's side over the last three seasons, and wonder what it will take for these players to start breaking through and winning major titles. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of Dominic Thiem's performance and what it might port

Today on the Lucky Letcord Podcast we are joined by BNPParibas.com writer Richard Osborn. The San Francisco resident has been covering the tennis beat for 20 years, and he spent many of those years with Bill Simons and Matt Cronin at Inside Tennis before moving on to work for ATPWorldTour.com, USOpen.org, BNPParibasopen.com and many other tennis publications. Richard joins Chris Oddo to chat about #BNPPO19. We take a close look at the older players making serious waves in the draw, starting with 37-year-old Roger Federer and of course moving on to 38-year-old Venus Williams and 40-year-old Ivo Karlovic. Then we look at the teenagers with a keen eye on the explosion known as Bianca Andreescu. The 18-year-old has been a true revelation this week in California. We discuss the ever evolving hardcourt prowess of Dominic Thiem and talk about tennis paradise, looking at the evolution of the BNP Paribas Open over the years and what makes this event so special. Follow Richard's work at https://bnpparibasopen

Today on the Lucky Letcord Podcast we come to you from our favorite spot between practice courts 16 and 17 to break down the men's singles round of 16 at Indian Wells plus today's women's singles quarter-finals. We hear from Russia's Karen Khachanov, who is finally starting to build some momentum in 2019--he talks about his off-season training, which was abbreviated, and his upcoming matchup with John Isner. We also chat with Angelique Kerber after her giant win over Aryna Sabalenka. The German assesses Sabalenka's power and looks forward to a meeting with 38-year-old legend Venus Williams. Thanks for listening to the Lucky Letcord Podcast. Check us out in iTunes, Spotify and on our website, www.tennisnow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the Lucky Letcord Podcast we preview a massive Tennis Tuesday at the BNP Paribas Open -- I mean how many mouthwatering matchups can you have in one day? We also chat with rising 19-year-old Miomir Kecmanovic on his wild ride to the round of 16 as a lucky loser and why he feels that he's been overlooked til now. We cruise around the practice courts and give Patrick Mouratoglou's forehand the thumbs up, while observing the snow-capped San Jacinto mountains. Finally, BNP Paribas Open tournament director Tommy Haas offers his view on the use of social media by today's players. His take is interesting, as you might have imagined. Thanks for listening to the podcast and please visit us in iTunes to rate, review and subscribe if you have a few free moments! ENJOY THE TENNIS! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the Lucky Letcord Podcast we are joined by Noah Rubin to talk about the inspiration behind the growing tennis social media presence "Behind the Racquet." Noah talks about the origin of the Instagram page, how he shoots the raw photos, and his plans for a gallery showing down the road. He also talks about some of the emotional stories that players have revealed via Behind the Racquet and talks about its role in today's sports social media landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the Lucky Letcord Podcast we are live at the BNP Paribas Open, staring down from Stadium 4 bleachers as Naomi Osaka and her team are the first once to commence practice. Just another day in tennis paradise... Join the lucky letcord for an exclusive interview with Aryna Sabalenka. The World No.9 reacts to her second-round victory over Ajla Tomljanovic and tells us why she is so darn good in third sets. She also talks about her chemistry with longtime coach Dmitry Tursunov, her memories of her epic encounter with Naomi Osaka at last year's U.S. Open and her excitement about this year's Fed Cup semis [but not about traveling to Australia for the tie in April]. After the jump we preview a busy day at Indian Wells and reflect on the Williams sisters, noting how we should never take the fact that the Williams sisters are playing Indian Wells for granted. There's also a quick look at Naomi Osaka's win over Kristina Mladenovic and a chat on the Felix Auger-Aliassime's epic win over Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Canadian tennis is off the hook in 2019 and much of the buzz is due to 18-year-old wunderkind Bianca Andreescu. The rising phenom joins Chris Oddo to talk about her breakout 2019, her eclectic style of tennis, how she feels about Simona Halep, what the vibe is like between her and Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov and how high she wants to go in the rankings in 2019. Join us for this chat and our breakdown of Friday's action at the BNP Paribas Open! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special guest Olga Savchuk drops by the Lucky Letcord Podcast to talk about her life after tennis. The Former World No.79 talks about her blossoming broadcasting career, her current role as a coach, and gives her views on the future of Ukrainian Tennis. Scroll to 4:00 to check out the interview in its entirety! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Lucky Letcord Podcast Richard Pagliaro joins to talk about Naomi Osaka's stunning split with coach Sascha Bajin. He believes that the sky is not falling for the World No.1. We also discuss the impressive title run of Gael Monfils at Rotterdam while also making a point not to overlook the notable performances put in by Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori. We take a peek at the latin swing and admit that we are both mightily impressed by Marco Cecchinato's clay-court game. And we wonder how good American Reilly Opelka might become as we discuss his breakthrough title at the New York Open. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tennis Hall of Famer Steve Flink joins the Lucky Letcord Podcast to break down the incredible performance of World No.1 Novak Djokovic at the 2019 Australian Open. Flink believes that Djokovic has what it takes to make a push for the all-time Grand Slam titles record, and he thinks that push will continue this spring on the clay. We discuss the final with Nadal and wonder what type of a monster year Djokovic will have in 2019. We discuss the amazing achievement of Naomi Osaka and wonder what makes her game so special. We look at the rise of Stefanos Tsitsipas and the fall of Sascha Zverev. What enabled Tsitsipas to make his breakthrough and what is holding Zverev back? We also talk about the shocking finish to Serena Williams' 2019 Australian Open. How will the 23-time major champion recover from her heartbreaking loss to Karolina Pliskova? Episode Specifics: 0:00 - 2:50 INTRO 2:50 Interview with Steve Flink Begins 3:40 Flink on the Final between Rafa and Nole 5:20 Was it surprising how defensive