Jul 30, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min · 17 segments
With Kalamazoo and San Diego around the corner, Colette Lewis of zootennis.com joins the show to rank the top 5 college newcomers. From junior slam winners to…
Colette LewisGuestJohnHostI, I have to make it out there eventually.
Did you run into many college coaches enjoying a little summer vacation/work, uh, a- a- around the grounds?
I, I usually, the first couple of days I kind of take a running, um, notes, um, on my, uh, phone just of who are all the college coaches I've seen and talked to so I can remember who told me what and, and that kind of thing, and who I saw.
Um, I d- and I was doubly surprised just because most of the time I don't go to Roehampton and the final day of qualifying for Wimbledon, and this year because of the way my flight schedule worked out, um, we got y- I got to go to that tournament, and there were two Americans in the final, um, a girl and a boy, so that was really great to see.
And, um, I expected to see just mobs of, of college coaches there, and, and there weren't hardly any.
There were a lot of assistants, and I have to a- admit that I don't know when, now that we're on at three for almost every program, I don't know all of them, and they do come and go in a lot.
[laughs] So, um, and, but as far as head coaches there, I mean, I saw David Roditi, and that was, uh, about it I think as far as head coaches go.
Hon- [laughs]
I was gonna say, he's an honorary UK resident at this point.
Yes, and I do always see him there, and, and Devin Bowen was there as well, his, uh, associate head coach.
And of course they have a, a great player coming in who we'll get to, that they wanted to watch and support.
So, um, but I was really, really, uh, shocked at how few were there, um, compared to years past.
Yeah, and I ...
It feels like it could be only one of two things.
One is that with everything that has changed in college tennis, the trend of recruiting has shifted more towards older players who are no longer competing in these junior events.
And the other thing I could think of is potentially budget cuts, but, um, it seems like it might be more in that first bucket.
Do you have any sense of that?
I, I have to make it out there eventually.
Did you run into many college coaches enjoying a little summer vacation/work, uh, a- a- around the grounds?
I, I usually, the first couple of days I kind of take a running, um, notes, um, on my, uh, phone just of who are all the college coaches I've seen and talked to so I can remember who told me what and, and that kind of thing, and who I saw.
Um, I d- and I was doubly surprised just because most of the time I don't go to Roehampton and the final day of qualifying for Wimbledon, and this year because of the way my flight schedule worked out, um, we got y- I got to go to that tournament, and there were two Americans in the final, um, a girl and a boy, so that was really great to see.
And, um, I expected to see just mobs of, of college coaches there, and, and there weren't hardly any.
There were a lot of assistants, and I have to a- admit that I don't know when, now that we're on at three for almost every program, I don't know all of them, and they do come and go in a lot.
[laughs] So, um, and, but as far as head coaches there, I mean, I saw David Roditi, and that was, uh, about it I think as far as head coaches go.
Hon- [laughs]
I was gonna say, he's an honorary UK resident at this point.
Yes, and I do always see him there, and, and Devin Bowen was there as well, his, uh, associate head coach.
And of course they have a, a great player coming in who we'll get to, that they wanted to watch and support.
So, um, but I was really, really, uh, shocked at how few were there, um, compared to years past.
Yeah, and I ...
It feels like it could be only one of two things.
One is that with everything that has changed in college tennis, the trend of recruiting has shifted more towards older players who are no longer competing in these junior events.
And the other thing I could think of is potentially budget cuts, but, um, it seems like it might be more in that first bucket.
Do you have any sense of that?
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