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Beyond the Baseline Podcast: Rod Laver
On the Beyond the Baseline Podcast, Sports Illustrated executive editor, Tennis Channel commentator and host Jon Wertheim takes fans between the lines with tennis commentary and exclusive interviews with the top players and newsmakers on the ATP and WTA tours.
On this week's episode, Wertheim talks with Rod Laver from a cafe in London about the upcoming and inaugural Laver Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event which will be held two weeks after the U.S. Open in September in Prague. Wertheim talks with Laver about what it is like for him to attend majors, particularly Wimbledon, after playing at them years ago; about how Laver Cup came to be, including how Roger Federer approached him about it; and how he found out the new competition was going to be called Laver Cup, after him. Laver also talks about what his real relationship with Federer is like.
• MORE BEYOND THE BASELINE: Eric Hutchinson | Rod Laver
Also on the podcast, Laver talks about scheduling and how Laver Cup can help with the tennis calendar after the U.S. Open.
Listen below and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Check back next week for another episode of Beyond the Baseline.
Jon Wertheim is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and has been part of the full-time SI writing staff since 1997, largely focusing on the tennis beat , sports business and social issues, and enterprise journalism. In addition to his work at SI, he is a correspondent for "60 Minutes" and a commentator for The Tennis Channel. He has authored 11 books and has been honored with two Emmys, numerous writing and investigative journalism awards, and the Eugene Scott Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Wertheim is a longtime member of the New York Bar Association (retired), the International Tennis Writers Association and the Writers Guild of America. He has a bachelor's in history from Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York City with his wife, who is a divorce mediator and adjunct law professor. They have two children.