Opening the Court: A Tennis Podcast

Representation Part 2: Michael Chang

In 1989, 17-year old Michael Chang won the 1989 Roland Garros men's singles title and became youngest man in history to win a singles major. He also became the first Asian American to win a Grand Slam title. Our hosts talk to Michael about "being the first" and representing the Asian American community when there was not much representation on the tennis court or in main stream media.

Representation Part 1: Katrina Adams

Former WTA player Katrina Adams is the first African American to lead the United States Tennis Association (USTA) as its Chairman and President. She is also the first former player to hold the position. A woman of many firsts, she was also the first African American commentator on the Tennis Channel. Our hosts talk to Katrina about the importance of representation on and off the tennis court and how she paved the way for other players to follow in her footsteps.

Expectations: Kristie Ahn & Donald Young, Jr.

When All-American Kristie Ahn graduated from Stanford in 2014, her parents were expecting Kristie to put tennis behind her and pursue a career in the business world. Find out how Kristie's determination and passion for the sport got her to a WTA career high ranking of 87 in the world. Also find out how our host Shenay Perry helped her along the way! When Donald Young, Jr., the youngest  number one ITF Junior, turned pro in 2004 at the age of 14, he was expected to get a lot done fast. Donald received a lot of media attention and the expectations were high. Find out how Donald struggled with these expectations and how he was able to find the balance he needed in order succeed on the ATP tour. Also find out how and why he mentored current ATP super star Chris Eubanks.

Education: Chris Eubanks & Jen Brady

Learn how Chris Eubanks and Jen Brady balanced eduction and training to become top 50 ATP and WTA players.  Former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket and 2023 Wimbledon Quarterfinalist Chris Eubanks grew up in Atlanta, GA and went to regular school. Something pretty much unheard of for an elite tennis player. If Chris wasn't on the tennis court or in the classroom, find out where you would find him. Former UCLA Bruin and 2021 Australian Open Finalist Jen Brady moved to Boca Raton, FL and attended the Evert Tennis Academy. Her rigorous training schedule from a young age made homeschooling ideal for her. Find out what motivated Jen to go to UCLA instead of turning pro.

Intro: Meet Our Hosts

Meet our Hosts Ahsha Rolle and Shenay Perry: Ahsha Rolle: is a former WTA player. She held a career high ranking of 82 in the world. In 2007, she was awarded a wild card entry to the US Open. In the First Round, she beat the number 17 seed Tatiana Golovin. She is currently the Director of Tennis at NYJTL Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning.  Shenay Perry: is a former WTA player. She held a career high ranking of 40 in the world. She reached the Fourth Round of Wimbledon in 2006, where she was the last American player remaining in the tournament. She has coached WTA and NCAA Division 1 players. She is currently the Associate Director of High Performance Juniors & Adult Programs at NYJTL Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning.  Chi-Young Park: (Creator & Producer) is an Emmy nominated Producer. She has spent her entire career working in documentary film and television production. She has worked on projects for EPIX, ESPN, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, and Showtime. Her tennis projects include the HBO series Being Serena and the unreleased films Born to Serve: Murphy Jensen and ESPN 30 for 30 American Son: Michael Chang.