TENNIS.com Podcast

TENNIS.com Podcast


Beyond the Baseline, with Jon Wertheim — Martin Blackman on the state of American tennis

January 23, 2019

From the grounds of the Australian Open during the second week of the tournament, Beyond the Baseline's Jon Wertheim sits down with USTA general manager of player development Martin Blackman to discuss the breakout performances and disappointing results from the American contingent in Melbourne, including the remarkable run of Danielle Collins and the impressive showing from Frances Tiafoe. Blackman talks about how he (and the USTA) define and measure success for American tennis; the new installation of Mardy Fish as U.S. Davis Cup captain and why he believed he was the right person for the job; and much more. Blackman also addresses the 2019 ITF Transition Tour—now called the ITF Pro tour—and shares details on how the USTA is dealing with the changes; what impact he thinks the changes will have, both on the rankings and U.S. tennis; and more.