370. Tennis Commentator Cliff Drysdale, ESPN
Former Tennis player turned broadcaster Cliff Drysdale is this week's guest. Drysdale was a highly ranked professional player in the 1960s and early 1970s. Then, when ESPN started in 1979, Drysdale became a tennis announcer. He evolved into a strong play-by-play announcer and has been with the network since its inception. In 2013, he was elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In this episode, Drysdale talks about his transition to the booth from the court. He also discussed what ESPN was like when it was from a fledgling startup to the juggernaut it has become. He also discussed some of the mechanics of tennis and weighs in on the debate of 2 out of 3 vs. 3 out of 5 sets being more entertaining. He also discussed some key players on the tour including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka, Ash Barty, Nick Kyrgios, Victoria Azarenka, and many more.