The Third Set with Mike Cation

We start with Noah's engagement, as our lil boy is all done growed up. But the real story is Serena Williams' retirement announcement. We discuss that, how she has impacted tennis, and our lives; and why this year has become a year full of retirements across both tours. More from Cincy, and wherever Noah heads next, coming next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Host Christopher Eubanks guides us through the career of French tennis star Enzo Couacaud, and take you Behind the Racquet to tell you his story. Things get interesting when they start talking about the French generation of Monfils, Tsonga, Gasquet and others, and what "greatness" is. And then we get in to how the NBA influence could benefit tennis. More coming next week! Learn more about yo...

One of the more remarkable runs I've witnessed on the USTA Pro Circuit over the last 9 years. Yibing Wu lost 2 sets in 15 straight wins. He's moved from 1741 to 174 in the ATP rankings since returning to the tour earlier this year after surgery and covid restrictions. I talked to him immediately after he came off the court in Indianapolis. He was winded, emotional, and thoughtful, considering he w...

The body has not been kind to Andrew Harris over the years. Back issues have limited his ability to play a full schedule since an incredible junior and college career, in Australia, and then Oklahoma. He's still hesitant to use the word specialist, but he's cognizant that this may give him the opportunities to reach the sport's peaks. Here how he got started in the sport, what took him to Oklahoma...

Tsitsipas and Kyrgios' Saturday clash once again highlighted how players all have different interpretations of what's OK on court. Mike and Noah go through it to sort out what's needed to fix that issue. And Noah gives us his take on what it's like to face Kyrgios. More next week from Rome, Georgia! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Noah rejoins us after his three month sojourn to introspection. We go through the Wimbledon controversies, how the surfaces now all feel alike, and talk about the upcoming summer here in the states. And as a quick bonus, Mike's daughter Marnie pops on to say hello and give her take on Noah, Chris Eubanks, and her favorite joke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We go Behind the Racquet this week with presenter, commentator, personality, and fantastic human being Blair Henley to talk about the challenges of being a parent in the tennis media business, and finding the happy medium of social media presence versus wanting to have good time when we're away from the sport. It's not flipping easy! On top of it, those of us in the Gen X/Y age want to know, how t...

Really enjoyable chat with the rising junior at the University of Florida, Ben Shelton. We talk about how he's planning his summer, what he's learned from his father and coach, Bryan Shelton, and Christopher Eubanks gives his advice on how to approach Ben's first summer as a "pro." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Noah-less episode this week, as Mike talks with former Ohio State star JJ Wolf from Little Rock, Arkansas, site of this week's Baptist Health Little Rock Open. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Somdev Devvarman was an All-American and NCAA Champion at Virginia, and reached as high as 62 in the world during his professional career. He's now returned to tennis as both a broadcaster in his native India, and as a coach of Sumit Nagal. Hear his viewpoints on how we could improve the transition for players post their playing days, and his thoughts on the Challenger tour as a whole. Learn more...

A quick 7 minute interview with Jack Sock after he won the Savannah Challenger on Sunday, before our full episode with Somdev Devvarman, which will be released on Tuesday. Also, an update on us pausing our patreon page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Noah and Mike catch up on the misbehavior of some of Noah's contemporaries, and discuss Iga and Carlos' victories in Miami, along with some stories from on the ground from Mike. More coming from Tallahassee in a couple weeks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Noah and Mike reconvene after a month apart. We discuss: Mike's first time as an on court reporter, in Acapulco Kristie Ahn's retirement, and the potential for a few more Sascha Zverev's incident in Acapulco How the war in Ukraine will effect the tennis world Naomi Osaka, and mental health breaks in a sport with no time for breaks. More coming soon, we hope! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

A quick recap from Noah on his last several weeks on the road before we talk with the now 28-year-old from Vancouver, who had a dominant junior career with four slam finals in a year, with two titles. Mike will be in Dallas on Sunday (weather permitting) so hopefully we can meet up if everything works out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Noah joins us from Chile, after winning his first round match this morning, and boy let me tell you, he's got some stories. While Novak's deportation took all the headlines, it was FAR worse in Chile. Hear the story, and catch up with the guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Noah take on the Novak crisis (as of Monday Jan 10 in the morning), and decry the fact that this continues to make tennis look bad. And what about everyone else who did the right thing. And WHAT ABOUT THE TENNIS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Rothenberg is one of the most well informed, and polarizing figures in the tennis twittersphere. He's a fantastic writer, working for outlets such as the New York Times, as well as being one of the editors of Racquet Magazine. He's also written the definitive story (to this point) on the abuse allegations against Alex Zverev. He's also one of the more polarizing figures in tennis social media...

First, yeah, Mike has covid. (I'm fine, I promise). So, this week's plans for multiple pods got completely shot in the foot. But, Noah was a trooper and sat in the cold so we could record a pod to discuss ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi's quotes about Challengers. Obviously, this caused some heat. We'll recap, go over it, and go from there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

This week, hear Mike's interview with Stefan Kozlov, who won the USTA's reciprocal wild card to the Australian Open by virtue of a final, title, and title over the last 4 weeks in Vegas, Charlottesville, and Champaign. We've also got an interview with Christopher Eubanks, winner of the Knoxville Challenger one week ago. Finally, to start the show, the boys discuss Koz's impeccable run over the las...

Quiet, business like, and driven are great ways to describe Aleksandar Vukic. As opposed to a lot of the pros, who have had an amazing junior pedigree, he came to the University of Illinois as a secondary prospect. But now, after a run to the Finals in Charlottesville, he's starting to realize his top 100 dreams. We'll also discuss his new coach, his Covid diagnosis immediately before the US Open,...

One of the co-founders of the PTPA, Vasek Pospisil, joins Mike and Noah from Charlottesville, where he's the top seed at the Charlottesville Men's Pro Challenger. Our half hour chat didn't even begin to get in to the full depths of the PTPA and how it fits in to the tennis landscape. But Vasek did give an update on where it's at now, how it impacts lower level players, and he debates the clarity o...

Catching up with Noah here after a few weeks off, as the final stretch awaits. Back with new guests and shows next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dive in deep to the legendary commentator's decision to resign from her commentary duties with the Laver Cup this past weekend. You'll hear her explain why with regard to the domestic abuse allegations against Alex Zverev, and why that decision, and others in her career, have been so important to her, and have also cost her work. Quick note from Mike: This was a difficult pod to record for me p...

Ohio State? The transition to the pro tour? Fishing? Insulting Noah Rubin? You name it, this pod has it. We talked with the 24-year-old about her standout career in Columbus, her ascension in the pro ranks, and how challenging it has been to maintain that level. We go through some fishing excursions she's had down in Tampa, and a very, very special and important request for the tournament organize...

Jamie Loeb takes the court on Grandstand this afternoon against Iga Swiatek after a gritty, and hard earned qualifying run last week. It's her first main draw appearance at the Open since 2015. And she's really, truly, been through a lot this last year. This is her story of how she's found new perspective, fought through covid, self doubt, and is allowing Jamie Loeb to be Jamie Loeb. This is the B...