Interviews
James At 31
The James Blake Interview: ‘You Don't Know What's Going to Happen Tomorrow’
In the lead-up to James Blake’s Nov. 28 Serving For A Cure fundraiser at NYC’s Lincoln Center, which benefits the Thomas Blake Sr. Memorial Research Fund, established to support cancer research, the former world No. 4 chatted with Inside Tennis about the power of giving back, his through-thick-and-thin journey in tennis, and playing smart at [...]
Russian Soul, Tennis Icon
What makes Maria Sharapova tick? Is she more Russian or American? What about her toughness, her doubts and, yes, her grunts? An interview.
QUESTION: You’ve said you’re not the most gifted athlete, yet you’ve had such success. How did you pull that off? MARIA SHARAPOVA: I have no idea. My mom was never an athlete. She was more of a dancer. My dad, he played hockey, but when I saw him ski, I’d say, “I don’t know how [...]
Larry Stefanki: The Brightest Mind In Tennis?
A Candid Conversation with the Brain Power Behind Andy Roddick
LONDON — Here’s a curious question. Among the top coaches in the game, who has the best mind? Certainly, Andy Roddick‘s skipper, Larry Stefanki, who’ll be inducted into the Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame on July 28 and who’s coached an array of other great champions, including John McEnroe, Tim Henman, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Marcelo [...]
Michael Chang Speaks Out
Hall of Famer Weighs In On Chinese Tennis, Agassi’s Accusations and the Transformation of the Fab Four
INSIDE TENNIS: I see you’re part of the 12-city Champions Series tour along with John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and your former rivals Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier. Seems like old times. MICHAEL CHANG: It’s going to be extremely competitive. There’s a lot on the line. It’s not going to be quite like [...]
‘Did I Leave the World a Better Place?’
The Agassi Interview
Over three decades, from Berkeley to Vegas to Munich, Inside Tennis has interviewed Andre Agassi many times. On the eve of his induction into the International Hall of Fame, we wanted to chat with him about his perspectives. Agassi asked IT Editor Bill Simons to send him his questions. He did. Here are his answers.
The Book of James
Battling Injuries and Father Time, James Blake Says He Has No Regrets. But Can He Fight His Way Back to the Top of the Sport?
INSIDE TENNIS: It’s been a rough couple of years for you, James. JAMES BLAKE: It’s been pretty frustrating. It’s one thing after another. First it was my knee that was bothering me, then it was my shoulder. I had a cortisone shot in the off-season. I thought it was getting a lot better, but when [...]
Jimmy Connors: ‘Not Everyone Is Me’
The Singular Jimmy Connors Recently Laid Out His Old-School, Fire-and-Brimstone Mindset to a Group of Reporters
QUESTION: Do you think your former pupil Andy Roddick can win another Slam title? JIMMY CONNORS: I certainly hope so. I would hate for somebody who has had so many opportunities in the finals at Wimbledon a couple of times and the U.S. Open —for him to only win one Grand Slam would be a [...]
The Billie Jean King Interview
First Dry the Dishes, Then You Can Change the World
INSIDE TENNIS: There’s a story that a woman in Manhattan tells a taxi driver, “I have to go out to Queens and meet Billie Jean King. When the taxi driver asks how to get there, she says, “Well, there’s a big brick building that has her name on it.” Is that true?
Carillo Talk
Feisty, Fun and Kind of Brilliant, Mary Carillo Talks of Federer and Follies, Mac and Manners, Serena and (Glass) Ceilings and Much More With IT Publisher Bill Simons
INSIDE TENNIS: Tennis is so revealing of character. For such a little sport, you see everything. You’re out there naked. MARY CARILLO: Yet coaching is allowed in women’s tennis. I find that to be so sexist. Men don’t have it, but the women are allowed to say, “Daddy, she’s breaking my serve,” or, “Mom, how [...]
Being Andy Roddick
Part I of the Inside Tennis Interview
As the telecast of America’s Davis Cup tie against Serbia was broadcast in Roddick’s living room, IT publisher Bill Simons spoke to the star about his wife Brooklyn, his rival Federer, his hero Agassi and the transformation of his career