Returning guest Matt Marolf (@mattmarolf), who writes match previews for big tournaments year-round, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik after the 2023 U.S. Open to recap the tournament and Matt's prescient picks, predict the careers of the finalists, and air grievances about the sport we love and love to find ways to make better. Links: Matt on Twi…

Jeff Sackmann, proprietor of the stats and history site Tennis Abstract, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Battles, Boycotts, and Breakouts: 1973 Redux, Jeff's project to revisit memorable moments from the pivotal tennis season of a half-century ago. Carl and Jeff discuss the 50th anniversary of equal prize money at the U.S. Open, wh…

Returning guest Tumaini Carayol, the Guardian's tennis correspondent, joins the show to talk about players who have caught his eye and had memorable matches at this tournament: Frances Tiafoe, Caroline Wozniacki, Daria Kasatkina, and Andy Murray. He also talks about the rise of hard-court sliding. Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 20…

Returning guest Jim Chairusmi, part of the Wall Street Journal's team covering the 2023 U.S. Open, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about tennis pros leaving the sport to play pickleball, and how the Average Joe, Jane, and Jim would do against pro tennis players. Thirty Love is back for a mini-season around the 2023 U.S. Open. Have feedba…

Returning guest Giri Nathan, who writes about tennis for Defector and Racquet, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his experience covering the French Open and Wimbledon in person for the first time, how tennis speeding up might have slowed it down, and the joys of Wide Tennis and Greek Yogurt. Thirty Love is back for a mini-season arou…

Returning guest Matt Marolf (@mattmarolf), who writes match previews for big tournaments year-round, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik after they played a tennis match ahead of the 2023 U.S. Open to preview the tournament, explain his process for researching players and matches, share insights from a week on the grounds before the event began, and…

Returning guest Matt Marolf, who writes match previews for big tournaments year-round, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik after they played a windy tennis match to wrap the 2022 U.S. Open, preview the rest of the season, and solve all of tennis's problems along the way: how a change to the scoring system could simplify the fan experience and preven…

Jeff Sackmann, proprietor of the stats and history site Tennis Abstract, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the Tennis 128, Jeff's project to name and profile the 128 greatest tennis players from 1919 to the present. Carl and Jeff discuss the project's progress, whether players at the U.S. Open have a shot at better spots, and how Jef…

Returning guest Caitlin Thompson, co-founder of Racquet, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to catch up on what's new at her tennis media company: Racquet House, Ambush Tennis, and dealmaking. We also talk about junior wheelchair tennis at the U.S. Open, what makes something Racquet, and what she has learned about her audience. Links: Caitlin on Tw…

Returning guest Jim Chairusmi, part of the Wall Street Journal's team covering the 2022 U.S. Open, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik the day after Serena Williams's loss in what she has said will be her final tournament, to talk about what's next for her and he sister Venus Williams. We also talk about what's left in the tournament and memories of…

Returning guest Giri Nathan, who writes about tennis for Defector and Racquet, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik the day after Serena Williams's loss in what she has said will be her final tournament, to talk about what he saw at her last match of this tournament. We also talk about whether there will ever be an event like her retirement at a futu…

Returning guest Tumaini Carayol, the Guardian's tennis correspondent, joins the show right after Serena and Venus Williams lost their first-round doubles match, and ahead of Serena Williams's third-round match in singles, to marvel at how thoroughly Serena and her retirement have dominated the tournament — and how realistic a long stay in the draw …

Filmmaker Barney Douglas, director of the new Showtime documentary "McEnroe," joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about how a non-tennis diehard came to make a film about John McEnroe, how New York City became a costar, the interview that got away, and which tennis figure he'd want to profile next. Thirty Love is back for a mini-season aroun…

Returning guest Matt Marolf, who writes match previews for big tournaments year-round and teaches Thirty Love host Carl Bialik a thing or two on the court in between, joins the show to preview the 2022 U.S. Open: how far Serena Williams can go, what her entry in the doubles draw means, favorites in the women's and men's draws, and tips for attendin…

Returning guest Ian Katz, who has been playing and following tennis for nearly 50 years, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to weigh in on major tennis debates ahead of the 2022 U.S. Open: should head-to-head records count when evaluating who is the most accomplished player, should the sport allow in-match coaching, and more. Thirty Love is back fo…

We ask whether Ash Barty has proved the point she insists she never had to prove, whether Bianca Andreescu is primed for a re-breakout and if Hubert Hurkacz is going to usher in a great new era as a role model for players who hit the ball with their eyes closed.We also pick our footballing doubles dream team and George explains why he has "Drog" ta…

Listen to the end for full discourse on Matteo Berrettini's rig, but first we talk to Dom Hayes about the UK Pro League, chat about Andy Murray's latest withdrawal and where it has all gone wrong for Jo Konta.NB This is a raw recording of a conversation on a new app called Locker Room, which is providing us with the chance to podcast remotely durin…

This episode’s set of stories! 1. ‘Not Intended’: Bernard Tomic’s girlfriend sorry for Aus Open (au.sports.yahoo.com) 2. Australian Open 2021: Novak Djokovic clarifies quarantine demands ‘misconstrued’ in open letter (firspost.com) 3. ‘Not going to lie’: Nick Kyrgios didn’t miss tennis during COVID-19 affected season (wwos.nine.com.au) 4. Andy Murr…

Tim Wigmore, sports journalist for The Telegraph and co-author of The Best: How Elite Athletes are Made, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to apply his sports-science insights to tennis: why younger siblings thrive in tennis and other sports, how Andre Agassi figured out how to beat Boris Becker, and how the pandemic upended 2020 for athletes and …

This episode’s set of stories: 1. Vasek Pospisil officially has a girlfriend (instagram) 2. Dominic Thiem shares his Spotify Top 5 Artists of 2020 (instagram) 3. Rafael Nadal: ‘After brushing my teeth, I was back at the fridge’ (tennisworldusa.org) 4. Nominees Revealed For 2020 ATP Awards (atptour.com) 5. ‘Hated it’: Husband’s stunning confessions …

This week’s set of stories: “He Cares About Other Players”: Alexander Zverev Supports Novak Djokovic’s Players’ Association (essentiallysports.com) ‘They p****d me off’ - Dominic Thiem explains furious on-court row with US Open organisers (tennishead.net) Tennis players hit the suite spot at the US Open with private viewing room access (CNN Sports)…

This week's set of stories: Novak Djokovic: ‘I am happy to confirm I will participate at the US Open this year and I’m really excited’ (tennishead.com) & “The Situation is very Complicated Worldwide” - Rafael Nadal Announces US Open 2020 Decision (essentiallysports.com) ‘Worth Much Less’: Dominic Thiem’s brazen dig at US Open absences (au.sports.ya…

Racquet Magazine cofounder Caitlin Thompson, cohost of The Racquet Podcast and The Main Draw, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the new book collecting the best of Racquet, how the pandemic did and didn't affect the latest issue of Racquet, and how to celebrate a fan-free US Open with friends, Racquet-style. Previously on Thirty Love…

Tennis enthusiast Ana Mitric, who refers to herself as a fake Serb and not quite a journalist, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the tennis world's English-language bias and what the tennis media missed about Novak Djokovic and the ill-fated Adria Tour. Previously on Thirty Love: Katrina Williams on Djokovic Fandom Have feedback, a s…

Rodney Rapson, PlaySight's managing director for Europe & UK, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the company's role in staging and televising the return of live pro tennis, how to write the rules on sports safety during a pandemic, and the way to host an event with the fewest possible people. Trying something new: The episode has bonu…

Freelance tennis writer Ben Rothenberg, host of the No Challenges Remaining tennis podcast, rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the pandemic's effect on the tennis writing business, the seismic effect the tours' interruption could have on its power balance, and his first two acts if he became commissioner of tennis (Carl's idea). Pre…

Matt Marolf, writer for UbiTennis, rejoins his neighbor Carl Bialik—host of Thirty Love—from an appropriate social distance to talk about Roger Federer's tweeted support for a WTA-ATP merger, speculate wildly (OK, that's mostly Carl) about what drove the move and what might come next, and discuss which member(s) of tennis's Murray family would make…

Former college tennis player Alex Aksanov, now a coach and a physical therapist at a Brooklyn hospital, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about helping people with coronavirus recover their health and strength, exercises for the homebound tennis player without a net, and the joys and heartbreak of finding a tennis court to play on in New Y…

Carlos Silva, the CEO of World TeamTennis, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about planning for the possible return of the pro game; the range of possibilities for what could constitute World TeamTennis in an age of physical distancing; and why this unusual season could be unusually American, or atypically global. Have a suggestion for a T…

Craig Shapiro, host of the Under Review Tennis Podcast, joins Thirty Love podcast host Carl Bialik to talk about tennis organizations and players uniting during the virus-induced shutdown of sports, which classic matches to watch when there are no live ones, and how he's built and grown his 20-month-old show. Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love gue…

Matt Marolf, writer for UbiTennis, joins his neighbor Carl Bialik—host of Thirty Love—from an appropriate social distance to talk about Wimbledon's cancellation, the implications for the record books, and how tennis might come back—as a live sport, a spectator sport, and a participatory sport—before the tours are ready to return. Have a suggestion …

Cecil Harris, author of the books Different Strokes and Charging the Net about black tennis history, rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his sense that the Williams sisters will retire in 2020, why young African-American men aren't picking up tennis racquets, and where the Black Tennis Hall of Fame should make its home. Have a sugges…

This week’s set of stories: #1. Roger Federer Ranking Scenario After French Open Withdrawal - Will Drop Out of Top 5 (essentiallysports.com) #2. Corentin Moutet: I No Longer Use Twitter. Here is Why…(tennisworldusa.org) #3. Pauline Parmentier: The coaches must not start to get up and talk too loud (tennisworldusa.org) #4. ‘I hate tennis with all my…

Dan Golden, senior editor at ProPublica and author of The Price of Admission, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the ProPublica article he co-wrote entitled "An Unseen Victim of the College Admissions Scandal: The High School Tennis Champion Aced Out by a Billionaire Family"; all the ways college admission for sports can bypass merit;…

This week’s set of stories: #1. A Canadian tennis player called Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer ‘a little bit selfish’ for not speaking out about the poor air quality at the Australian Open (businessinsider.com) #2. Caroline Wozniacki accuses opponent of gamesmanship during Australian Open win (CNN.com) #3. French tennis pro Elliot Benchetrit blaste…

Taiwan men's tennis No. 1 Jason Jung, fresh off reaching his second straight New York Open quarterfinal, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his aspiration to break into the top 100 and qualify for the Olympics, how close he came to never playing professional tennis, and why he used to blog more. Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love gue…

Doctor, farmer, and peace activist Peter Underwood joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his book The Pros: The Forgotten Era Of Tennis. Underwood explains why tennis took so long to go professional, what motivated pros such as Jack Kramer and Rod Laver to endure tough conditions for small purses, and how today's top men would do as barn…

This week's set of stories: #1. Kristina Mladenovic Dropped by Coach Sascha Bajin (tennis.com) #2. Pospisil hits wins streak four months into comeback (baseline.tennis.com) #3. Maria Sakkari: nothing is going on with me and Stefanos Tsitsipas (tennisworldusa.org) #4. Rafael Nadal slams “bullshit” question about marriage after ATP Finals defeat (ble…

Freelance tennis writer Ben Rothenberg, host of the No Challenges Remaining tennis podcast, rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his two-part series for Racquet about Monique Viele, who was hyped as the next big star in tennis but never won a tour-level match. Among the adults who helped make Viele a millionaire while possibly hurting…

Filmmaker Theo Anthony, director of ESPN Films 30 for 30 Shorts documentary Subject to Review, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about the origin story of instant replay in sports, how cricket does it better, and why the 2018 World Tour Finals set the perfect stage for his film. Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest? Email Carl at bial…

Guitar repair hero and tennis-racquet expert Ethan Lee rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about Lee's idea for a new kind of tennis tiebreaker: the Aphabreaker, in which not every point is created equal. Lee explains how his innovation puts the serve in its rightful place and suggests ways tennis can embrace new formats to find the best o…

This week' s set of stories: #1. Karen Khachanov and wife Veronica welcome baby boy (tennisworldusa.com) #2. US Open: Camila Giorgi delivers bizarre handshake shove (www.news.com.au) #3. Tennis experts are beginning to doubt Serena Williams' ability to break the Grand Slam record, but her status as the greatest of all time doesn't hinge on it (busi…

Novelist Benjamin Markovits rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about his two books that touch on tennis: "A Weekend In New York" and its sequel, "Christmas in Austin." On the publication day of his latest book, and after a tennis match with his podcast host, Markovits describes how solitary an athlete's existence can be, whether in career…

Author Ann Leary, whose 2013 Modern Love essay in The New York Times "Rallying to Keep the Game Alive" was adapted for the Modern Love streaming series this year, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about how tennis has fit into her marriage to her husband (actor Denis Leary), why she has been using a one-handed backhand lately, and whether …

Patrick Moran, who recently became the president of Racketlon USA, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about who joined tennis with three other racquet sports to form racketlon, how the sport has grown worldwide, which discipline is most prone to blowouts, and what makes racketlon so mentally tough. Wall Street Journal video on racketlon Hav…

Former Top 5 player Julie Heldman rejoins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik to talk about what she learned while touring to promote her memoir "Driven: A Daughter's Odyssey," why she's glad she decided to include her struggle with mental illness in the book, how tennis has changed since she retired, and what it was like to narrate her story for the book…

Alex Tilney, author of The Expectations, joins his longtime friend and occasional racquet-sports opponent Carl Bialik to talk about how squash figures in both his novel and an exclusive slice of American society, why substituting tennis for squash would have made for a very different tale, and what tennis and squash can learn from each other about …

Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay and longtime tennis writer Tom Perrotta rejoin Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the US Open to wrap the 2019 tournament: the epic men's final, Bianca Andreescu's earth-shaking win, the preeminence of women's tennis, and what it'll all look like in five years. Listen to Jason Gay's prior appearances on Thirty…

Host Carl Bialik's friends Amanda Herling and Morlene Chin joined him on the last day of the 2019 US Open for their first live-tennis experience. They share their impressions, including a newfound love for doubles, immense appreciation for wheelchair tennis, and a preference for watching tennis from on high. Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love gues…

Laura Wagner, who covers tennis and sports media for Deadspin, joins Thirty Love host Carl Bialik from the US Open to talk about Bianca Andreescu's swagger, Nick Kyrgios's ennui, tennis's web of conflicts of interest, and how to make the sport more exciting. Have a suggestion for a Thirty Love guest, during the US Open or beyond? Email Carl at bial…