Fantastic Tennis

It's not every day I get to have a 1 hour conversation with the 11th best tennis player in the world, and if you factor in that she rarely does interviews, it makes today's episode even more special. We welcome the ferocious and fiery, WTA #11, Ekaterina Alexandrova to the Fantastic Tennis Podcast for our 83rd player spotlight. We're just back from the Miami Open, and even though Ekaterina didn't come home with the title, you're in for an amazing get-to-know-you chat with a player that was able to achieve a career milestone by closing out her 2025 season with her 5th career WTA title, and a historic finish inside the world's top 10. In this hour, we chat about her big wins over world #1's like Iga & Aryna, but also we dig deeper and cover topics like, managing emotions on court, online hate, a win that changed her career trajectory and even her favorite curse word. Join our host, Jon Guerrica for a memorable convo with the fantastic, Ekaterina Alexandrova.

I'm just getting back from my first Australian Open and I have so many feels! It was a dream come true trip that included cheering on all of my Fantastic Tennis Family and I'm really excited to talk about it. Today, we add another Aussie to the list of greats that have shared their stories on the pod. Australian spitfire, Arina Rodionova joins me, Jon Guerrica in a truly hilarious chat that is definitely worth a listen. We take a look back on a career that has seen Arina win 17 ITF singles & 42 ITF doubles titles, including a WTA title with Storm Hunter in Hua Hin. We talk injuries, expectations, coming from a tennis family, and if you can count the F-bombs in this episode, I'll buy you a drink. I loved this chat today and I hope you love getting to know....the fantastic, Arina Rodionova.

WTA world #50 and Colombian #1, Emiliana Arango is here with us this week on the Fantastic Tennis Podcast, to chat about an INCREDIBLE 2025 season that saw her reach a career high ranking, make two WTA 500 finals (in Merida & Guadalajara) and also win the biggest title of her career at the $125K event in Cancun. A coincidence that she plays her best tennis on Mexican hardcourts? Host, Jon Guerrica discusses a promising early career that was compromised by injury and how she's now been able to play the best tennis of her career. It's a fun chat with a young player that continues to reach milestone after milestone, and is about to play her very first Australian Open main draw. It's been a dream come true year for one of the nicest and most resilient players on tour. Get on board the Arango train, put your baseball cap backwards and lets all get to know....the fantastic, Emiliana Arango.

Have you ever watched a professional tennis player and just instantly felt like you wanted to cheer them on? You can't exactly explain why, or how....but this person becomes a fabric of your daily routine as you check their scorelines, watch their matches on TV and visit tournaments to cheer them on in-person whenever you can. Today, host Jon Guerrica interviews a player that he called an instant favorite for over a decade on tour. Former NCAA champion, Olympian, WTA world #39 and the 2005 Wimbledon Serena-slayer, Jill Craybas joins Jon for an epic hour of fandom and stories from throughout a career that saw her compete until 39 years old and win 6 WTA titles over her decades-long pro career. They discuss the successful transition from on-court tennis to on-court commentating, beating former #1's like Jelena Jankovic, Kim Clijsters, and Serena Williams and of course, celebrating the art of tennis fandom. It's the 75th episode of Fantastic Tennis and it's a fun hour that puts the emphasis of FAN in FANtastic. Grab an almond milk cappuccino (Jill's favorite), sit down, and enjoy getting to know....the fantastic, Jill Craybas.

What an absolute whirlwind the past two years have been for our guest & WTA player, McCartney Kessler. To finish 2022, #922 in the world and then cut to today in 2025, where she now has 2 WTA titles and a win (just a few weeks ago) against the world #3, Coco Gauff. The sky is the limit for this talented former Florida Gator. Join host, Jon Guerrica as he sits down and gets to know all about what has changed in mind, body, and spirit to have made such a rocket of a rise up the WTA rankings. Join us for a great chat as you'll hear all about the life and tennis journey of one of the newest and brightest stars of the sport, the fantastic.....McCartney Kessler.

The first two months of the 2025 tennis season has already been a year of surprises. From Madison Keys winning in Melbourne to Belinda Bencic mounting a stellar comeback to the tour, to Simona Hale leaving it. There's a lot of news to cover this week. Our host, Jon Guerrica is joined by a contributor to the "Doubles Only" Podcast as well as a writer for the tennistribe.com, Hanlon Walsh. It's a Valentine's weekend episode as we share some 40-love. Luckily for us, we have a martini in hand, and an expert to help us break down the drama of the US Open mixed doubles news and what's been happening this past week in Dallas and the Middle East. We also preview our FANTASTIC player spotlight episode this week, the fantastic, Daria Kasatkina.

As we start out a brand new 2025 tennis season, what better way to begin the year, than with a true Australian wildcard that is ready to once again climb to the top of the WTA world rankings. Whether you know her from the Netflix series, "Break Point" or from the hundreds of matches she's played on tour, Ajla Tomljanovic is a true superstar personality of the sport. Join Ajla and host, Jon Guerrica as she shares stories from a decade long career and hear fun moments from both on and off the court, including her relationship with legend, Chris Evert and her historic win against the GOAT, Serena Williams in her final match on tour. We hear what's in store for this upcoming 2025 season, and hear how Ajla's goal is recreate some grand slam magic. This is a really entertaining interview that will give you insight as to why Ajla is always a fan favorite on tour. Join us now in getting to know, the fantastic, Ajla Tomljanovic.

We’re back! Did you miss us? For this fun episode, we’re getting to know a player that’s having an absolutely astonishing season on tour. With already 3 WTA Tour titles on 3 different surfaces, (only Carlos Alcaraz can say that this year btw) she’s ready to prove that she’s here to stay at the top of the sport. With career milestone after milestone already achieved this season, what else is in store for the youngest player in the WTA Top 20? After her 1st top 10 win in Cincinnati, she’s now #18 in the world, and into her very first U.S. Open main draw. It’s an unBandana-leivable hour! Please join us for our Season 4 opener and getting to know, our dark horse pick for the US Open…..Diana Shnaider.

It’s Wimbledon 2023 time! Not only do we get to discuss the lead-up grass court events this week, but we also try our very best to predict what is sure to be an “anything goes” type of tournament at the 3rd grand slam of the season. Fans know that headlines write themselves each year at Wimbledon and what better guest to have this week than a player who was the absolute talk of the 1999 Championships, where as a qualifier, she stormed through the draw and onto Center Court. Wimbledon semifinalist & former WTA world #18 Alexandra Stevenson joins the show this week to help breakdown one of the most bizarre events in grand slam history. Alexandra gives us the inside scoop on everything from - what was really going on off-court during the most important two weeks of her tennis career - how she handled the aftermath, and what really happens during some of those infamous rain delays. We also reminisce and hear fun stories from throughout her career about Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati and the G.O.A.T, Serena Williams. It’s a fantastic 90 minutes of Wimbledon talk, Alexandra and of course, some great insider stories. Come check out: Getting To Know….Alexandra Stevenson.

We’re kicking off our Season 3 premiere with some tennis headlines from a newsworthy week in the sport. In this brief episode, we talk our favorite 2023 Australian Open 1st round match-ups, Naomi Osaka, and of course, we preview our first player interview of the season, the fantastic, Bethanie Mattek-Sands. If you need a quickie for your car ride or morning walk, we have you covered!

As we enter the 2nd week of the 2021 US Open, I can't help but think back to some of the classic quarterfinal matches in US Open history. One particular run stands out in my memory, as it made the entire tennis world BELIEVE that a spunky teenager from Marietta, Georgia could be the new Cinderella of American tennis. On the 10 year anniversary of her surprising run to the 2011 US Open Mixed Doubles title with partner, Jack Sock, we have the fantastic Melanie Oudin join the show this week to take a fun look back at a memorable career that would ultimately be cut short by injury. You'll hear stories that you've never heard before in this honest, and at times vulnerable look at how Melanie climbed all the way to the top #30 in the world. We'll even talk recent tennis and get Melanie's take on Serena Williams, Ash Barty & Naomi Osaka and find out what her biggest regret from her time on tour was. We start from the beginning and leave no stone unturned. We hope you'll join us in getting to know, Melanie Oudin. 

As we gear up for what will surely be an amazing US Open, I think back to all the legendary matches that New York has given us over the decades,  and one of the first that springs to mind is the 2005 James Blake vs Andre Agassi fifth set quarterfinal night match rumble. This week, we happily honor that match, but more importantly, the man behind the thunderous forehand and charming smile....the fantastic James Blake. Join host Jon Guerrica, James's brother, Chris Walker as well as James Riley Blake himself as they reminisce and dissect a career that saw him climb to #4 in the world, win 10 ATP singles titles and defeat legends like: Nadal, Federer & Agassi. We'll hear firsthand the importance of family and how a freak accident on a practice court in Rome changed James's life forever. Our 90-minute biography covers it all, from his years playing for Harvard, to his first experience with celebrity, to his thoughts on the Williams sisters and even a tutorial on how to beat Rafa Nadal. We'll also go through an astonishing resume of accomplishments you'll have to hear to believe, so if you need a bright spot to your day, we hope you join the conversation because you won't get much sunnier than the awe-inspiring, James Blake.