Wimbledon in a Cornfield

Wimbledon in a Cornfield

From This is Love by Vox Media Podcast Network

May 20, 2026 · 34 min · Episode 138

About this episode

Mark Kuhn shares his childhood experience of dreaming about tennis while growing up on a corn farm in Iowa.

Mark Kuhn grew up in Iowa in a family of corn farmers. When he was 10 years old, he heard a BBC broadcast of the Wimbledon finals. He couldn’t stop thinking about it — he would daydream about tennis while doing his chores. And one day, he got an idea. “I’m looking at this cattle feedlot when I realized, ‘This is just about the right size for a tennis court.’” This episode was originally released in 2023. Say hello on Facebook and Instagram. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts. Want to listen to This is Love ad-free? Sign up for Criminal Plus – you’ll get to listen to This is Love, Criminal, and Phoebe Reads a Mystery without any ads. Plus, you’ll get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal and other exclusive benefits. Learn more and sign up here. We also make Criminal and Phoebe Reads a Mystery. Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop. Episode transcripts are posted on our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Guest: Mark Kuhn

Topics covered

  • tennis
  • farming
  • childhood dreams
  • Iowa
  • Wimbledon
  • personal stories

Keywords

  • Wimbledon
  • tennis court
  • Iowa
  • corn farmers
  • childhood
  • daydreaming

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC, Vox Media Podcast Network, Criminal Plus

Books & works: This is Love, Criminal, Phoebe Reads a Mystery

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