Roland Garros Re-Lived: Jim Courier - from Agassi’s shadow to global dominance

When Jim Courier beat Andre Agassi in the 1991 French Open final, it wasn’t just his first Grand Slam title, it wasn’t just a win which would set him on his way to dominating the sport for the next two years, it was also a sweet moment of retribution against an old roommate from the Nick Bollettieri Academy who had been tipped for greatness ahead of him. 

On this episode, with the help of Mary Carillo and Courier’s coaches at the time, Jose Higueras and Brad Stine, we tell that story. 

What was life like at the Bollettieri Academy? Why was Agassi favoured over Courier? How did Higueras and Stine develop Courier’s game to turn him into a champion? What happened for Stine to confront Courier in a car park in Rome prior to Roland Garros? In what way did Stine’s one-year-old daughter play a part in helping Courier win a five-setter in round three? And how did Courier’s tactical switch during a rain delay change the course of the final? 

We also discuss the narrative that Courier got to the top through hard work rather than talent, the reasons why his results fell away quite suddenly, and his life after tennis. 

Plus, with this final falling right in the middle of the Lost Law Years, and playing an integral part in David’s discovery of tennis, you can expect plenty of 90s nostalgia from David. 

The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.

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