The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast

Zina Garrison has been thru the fire, growing up in Houston, Texas she rose to become the #1 junior player in the world, and in her first pro tournament reched the quarterfinals of Roland Garros. She won 14 tournaments and in 1990 beat Seles and Graf on her way to the Wimbledon final. She and I had a tour de force chat, discussing her bout with depression at the start of the pandemic, her impressions of Aryna Sabalenka, as well as the the majority of African American players on tour; Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Coco Gauff, and of course Venus and Serena Williams. We discussed Zina's career in length, including her struggles to get an endorsement deal when she was 4 in the world. We discussed her lifelong battle with bulimia, and her experience as Fed Cup Captain. This show is brought to you by Sergio Tacchini, use the code CRAIG30 at checkout. Areté Complete is the official towel of the show, use SHAP20 at checkout.Recorded 5/6 Released 5/8

Tom Gullikson is synonymous with American tennis, throughout the 80's he and his twin brother Tim were mainstays on the ATP TOUR, winning 10 doubles titles and reached the finals of Wimbledon. Tom got to 34 in the world and after his playing career was over became one of the most significant coaches in tennis. He was one of the original National Coaches in the first USTA Player Development Program back in 1988 and was Davis Cup Captain for 6 years, from 1994-1999, winning the Cup in Russia in 1995. He was the Men’s Olympic Tennis Coach in 1996, guiding Andre Agassi to the Gold Medal 🥇 in singles. Recorded 4.21, released 4.22Sergio Tacchini is the official sponsor of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast

Dave Fish has lived an extraordinary life in tennis and squash, first as a player at Harvard University, and then as their coach, a post he held for 42 years. Fish was a two-time first team All-America and All-Ivy selection during his tenure on the squash team, he helped lead the men's squash team to three national titles, and the men's tennis team to an Ivy League championship in 1970.As a coach he won 21 Ivy League titles and coached former world #4, James Blake. We had a very interesting chat about his career, his perceptions of college tennis, and his previous involvement at the inception of the UTR. Recorded 3/29/21, released 4/6/21Powered by Sergio Tacchini

The pride of The Bahamas, Mark Knowles joined me from his home in Dallas, Texas, where he had damage to his home due to the polar vortex, Mark grew up at Bolletierri's with Agassi and Courier, and he shared that experience, and explained why he chose to go to UCLA. He discussed his struggles in singles, and what it was like to deal with extreme pressure. He talked about his successful doubles partnership with Daniel Nestor, and how he was able to make The Bahamas a destination for elite players to train in the offseason. The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is Powered by Sergio TacchiniRecorded 3/10 Released 3/15

Xavier Malisse has lived an unreal life in tennis, and we discussed how he came from humble beginnings in Ghent, Belgium to the pivotal moment when he was signed by IMG and brought to the Bolletierri Academy. He discussed how he was urged by Nick to not play The Orange Bowl and practice with all the biggest pros in the world. He talked about his great moments on tour, including beating Richard Krajicek in the quarterfinals of 2002 Wimbledon , 9-7 in the 5th. We discussed both the men's and women's sides of The Australian Open and he shared his thoughts on Padel Tennis. Sponsored by Sergio Tacchini and powered by Arete Complete.Recorded 2/23 Released 3/2

The greatest doubles team to ever play, the recently retired Bob and Mike Bryan talked in length about what they are doing to stay busy, and what their perceptions of The Australian Open were. We had a tour de force conversation about their career, and I learned who their most difficult opponent was, as well as some of the most fun they had spending their prize money. The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast is sponsored by Sergio Tacchini Use the Code CRAIG30 at checkout for 30 % off of your order. ARETE COMPLETE is our official towel. Use the code SHAP20 for a 20 % discount. Recorded Feb13, released Feb 21