Meet the Professionals: Nick McCarvel on Building a Tennis Media Career

In this episode of Meet the Professionals, I sit down with tennis host, commentator, and writer Nick McCarvel to unpack what it really looks like to build a career in tennis media.

Nick shares how a childhood dream in Montana turned into bylines at the New York Times and USA Today, and how that writing work eventually led him to the mic as an on-court host at Grand Slams and big events around the world. We talk about cold-calling editors, early social media experiments, and why persistence (and a lot of “no”s) still matter in 2025.

Nick also pulls back the curtain on his current roles with the Olympic Channel and at tournaments like Cincinnati, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He explains how he prepares to tell players’ stories on court, deals with nerves and stage fright as an introvert, and why research and empathy are just as important as being good on camera.

If you’ve ever wondered how to get into tennis journalism, presenting, or sports media more broadly, this is your masterclass.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:54 Career Journey in Tennis Journalism

06:06 Transition to On-Camera Presence

09:08 Connecting with Players and Audience

12:03 Research and Preparation for Interviews

15:01 Innovations in Tennis Presentation

17:58 Advice for Aspiring Tennis Professionals

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