Ben Rothenberg Interview: Reforming Pro Doubles & His New Book on Naomi Osaka

Ben Rothenberg is one of the most prolific and influential tennis journalists of the last several decades. He covered tennis for the New York Times for over 10 years, has contributed to The Racquet, and has been featured on BBC, CNN, and many other major news networks.

I wanted to have Ben on to talk doubles and discuss his new book, Naomi Osaka: Her Journey to Finding Her Power & Her Voice. I recently listened to Ben on Craig Shapiro’s podcast where he said he thinks “doubles is in a position that’s not sustainable.”

In this conversation, we discuss:

• The problems facing the doubles tour including the lack of star power, poor marketing, small fan bases at many tournaments, and more.
• What the ATP & WTA might do to help doubles.
• What doubles players need to do to grow their fan base and help the sport.
• Why the Bryan Brothers were so successful in “marketing” themselves and doubles.

Ben also has lots of great stories that he shares with me. I’d encourage tennis fans, anyone involved in professional tennis, and especially ATP and WTA doubles players to listen to this episode. Whether you agree with Ben or not, he has opinions worth listening to as someone who understands our sport so well.

In my opinion, many of the ideas should be taken into consideration by both the tours and the players, particularly as the rumors around Saudi Arabia enter the scene.

• Follow Ben: Twitter | Instagram
• Ben’s new book, releasing January 9, 2024: Naomi Osaka: Her Journey to Finding Her Power and Her Voice
• Ben hosts the No Challenges Remaining Podcast

Full shownotes for this episode here: Ben Rothenberg Interview
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