Behind the Racquet with Learner Tien

Mike (Cation) here. I've known Michael Kosta since I started working in tennis, right out of college, when Craig Tiley asked me to be the public address announcer for the University of Illinois Men's Tennis team, in 2001. He and Amer Delic came in to work on a pre-match CD of music, and we talked, and I immediately started pushing for him to join our radio morning show from time to time, because he was just hilarious.25 years later, and Kosta has achieved some incredible things, with multiple comedy specials, and now as a correspondent and host on the Daily Show. And now, as he promotes his new book Lucky Loser, we have our first interview together in 22 years.Enjoy.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast drops as Federico Gomez is just about an hour away from his first Australian Open appearance, taking on Joao Fonseca in the first round of qualies here on a Tuesday in Melbourne.His route is an unusual one, having gone through a junior college to Louisville to the business world path, before breaking out in 2024 with three challenger titles, creeping closer and closer to the top 100 for the first time in his career.More coming up next week!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Johannus Monday enters 2025 at 371 in the world, but as we know on the BTR Pod, the ranking very rarely tells the full story.The 6'6" lefty has evolved immensely over the last five years, and ended the 2024 season with three straight 25K titles, and a semifinal at the Knoxville Challenger. That was a special one for him, as it was a few months after he graduated from the University of Tennessee.We talk about he went from an unheralded prospect out of Hull, to one of the most feared players out of the collegiate system in the last few years. He joins Jake Fearnley, Nishsesh Basavareddy, Eliot Spizzirri and others from the 2024 class making their mark at the highest level.We go over those humble beginnings, how he got to Tennessee, that incredible 2024 class, and what he, and Mike, think he needs to do to be the best version of himself. His goals will surprise you.More from Melbourne next week!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadian Davis Cup Champion Gabriel Diallo joins Mike on the pod this week. The 23 year old provided another big jump in the rankings in 2024, moving in to the top 100 on the back of his first ATP Final in Almaty.We discuss his beginnings, his quite international background, the college days at Kentucky, and how he's focusing on process over results.More next week with Jamie Loeb talking to Hayley Carter!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nate Lammons is one of my favorite people to run in to at every tournament. He's down to earth, not impressed by pretense, and just a good human to be around.He also happens to be one of the top 20 doubles players in the world. We chopped it up about his rise to that level, and some of the top doubles topics right now, including the US decision not to play Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek during Davis Cup this year.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learner Tien is 18 years old, has a record of 53-9 this year, which now includes a total of 7 titles, including his third challenger title on Sunday in Fairfield, California.We had a chat on Monday before the tournament had begun in full, and then we spoke again AFTER he won the title in 39 minutes and 07 seconds, 6-0, 6-1 over Bernard Tomic. Record setting on that one, becoming the shortest completed Challenger Final in history.We talk about goals, THAT winning streak, and much more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ethan Quinn is 20 years old, ranked 246 in the world, out of Fresno, California. He won the NCAA Singles title at Georgia in 2023.On the eve of US Open qualies, he sat down with Mike to discuss his path out of Fresno, why he's a 40 year old in a 20 year old body, the slow and sometimes difficult progression in the pros, and his journey in to hip hop.More (hopefully) next week.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's guest is Nishesh Basavareddy, a 19 year old from Carmel, Indiana, currently ranked (as of July 29, 2024) 296 in the world. He's reached two Challenger Finals (Fairfield 2023 and Bloomfield Hills 2024) in his very young career, helped lead the Stanford Cardinal the last two seasons, and was ranked as high as #5 in the world as a Junior.We talk his transition towards the pros, how he developed his pure ball striking, and his relationship with Rajeev Ram.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cooper Williams is an 18 year old originally from New York City. He's currently ranked 1250 on the ATP Tour, but this summer he will no doubt see a massive jump in that part. It's inevitable. He's a former junior world #3, and was a top 10 collegiate talent this past spring at Harvard. That includes an Australian Open doubles title with Learner Tien.This summer is an important one for Cooper, as he explores the professional tour and sees where he fits in. We certainly expect some big things, and it was great to have him join us on the pod to talk about his transition in to college, what he expects this summer, and shockingly, what Noah meant to his career!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marcus Willis is a 33 year old from Slough, Great Britain, ranked 116 in the world. He is a 5 time (at this moment) Challenger doubles champion.Once, he made it to the second round of Wimbledon.Those two sentences don't begin to sum up the man with some of the best hands in tennis. Marcus sat down with Mike and Noah to talk about THAT run to Wimbledon, THAT episode with the RC Cola and a snickers bar, and also how those big moments have been mixed with some really trying times, both externally, and some self made issues.As you'd expect with a Brit once nicknamed Cartman, there's a lot of hysterical stories, some introspection, and we get it all on this week's BTR Pod.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices