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  • The Kansas Field That Swallowed the Greatest Tennis Career

    The Kansas Field That Swallowed the Greatest Tennis Career
    2026/09/09
    A tennis legend with 180 consecutive wins vanishes from the sport in a Kansas field, never revealing why. Her secret remained hidden for 51 years.

    The Kansas Field That Swallowed the Greatest Tennis Career

    This episode explores the extraordinary career of Helen Wills, a tennis phenomenon who dominated the sport for years before her abrupt and unexplained disappearance from public life. It delves into the mystery surrounding her sudden retirement and the decades of silence that followed.

    Person: Helen Wills
    Birth Date: October 6, 1905
    Birth Location: Centerville, Alameda County, California
    Sport: Tennis
    Streak: 180 consecutive professional tennis matches

    - Helen Wills was born in Centerville, California, and learned to play tennis on dirt courts beside her father's hospital.
    - At 13, she joined the Berkeley Tennis Club and, within two years, was ranked 14th in the country.
    - Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, a four-time U.S. Championships winner, coached Helen on strokes, footwork, and tactics.
    - Sportswriter Grantland Rice nicknamed her "Little Miss Poker Face" due to her emotionless demeanor on court.
    - At 17, Helen won the U.S. Championships, becoming the youngest champion in the tournament's history at the time.

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    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    19 分
  • The contract Davies signed made him a rebel and locked him out of the game

    The contract Davies signed made him a rebel and locked him out of the game
    2026/09/08
    A tennis player vies for the sport's biggest prize - but the tournament's designer was once told he didn't belong. Who wins?

    The contract Davies signed made him a rebel and locked him out of the game

    This episode explores the life of Mike Davies, a figure systematically erased by the tennis establishment who then spent decades rebuilding the sport from within. It delves into the personal cost of proving oneself to an institution that initially rejected him.

    Person: Mike Davies
    Born: January 9, 1936
    Location: Swansea, Wales
    Event: Wimbledon doubles final in 1960
    Status: British number one in 1958-1960

    - Mike Davies, born in a working port city, picked up a tennis racket at age eleven and was noticed by legends Fred Perry and Dan Maskell.
    - He trained for three consecutive winters in Australia under Harry Hopman, alongside future stars like Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall.
    - By 1958, Davies was ranked number one in Great Britain and reached the Wimbledon doubles final in 1960, a British male record that stood for 52 years.
    - In 1960, Davies signed a contract with Jack Kramer for £4,500 per year, a declaration against the amateur system that paid players nothing officially.
    - Signing the contract meant the All England Club would cancel his membership, he would be ineligible for Davis Cup, and all Grand Slams would close their gates to him.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • The champagne cork that blinded her mother and began the fall from No. 19

    The champagne cork that blinded her mother and began the fall from No. 19
    2026/09/07
    A rising Ukrainian tennis star watches her mother's eye injury and a positive steroid test shatter her world-how do you fall from No. 19?

    The champagne cork that blinded her mother and began the fall from No. 19

    In this episode, we follow the arc of Dayana Yastremska’s rise from Odesa to the top tiers of professional tennis and the sudden disruptions that halted her momentum. The episode traces family, injury, a provisional suspension, and a clearing that still leaves the question of what comes next.

    Person: Dayana Yastremska
    Location: Odesa
    Event: family champagne accident that injured Marina Yastremska’s eye
    Date: January 2020 (positive test), June 2020 (ITF ruling)
    Issue: positive test for a metabolite of mesterolone; ITF found no fault or negligence

    - Ivan Yastremsky put a racket in Dayana’s hands at age five and the family organized life around her training.
    - By eighteen she won WTA titles, including a Hong Kong tournament without dropping a set, and was top-30 by nineteen.
    - She led the WTA in aggression with an aggression score of 28.6% and repeatedly earned main-draw entry through qualifying.
    - A champagne bottle accident injured her mother Marina’s eye at a family celebration shortly before her ranking peak.
    - In January 2020 she tested positive for a metabolite of mesterolone, was provisionally suspended for five months, then cleared by the ITF in June 2020 as having no fault or negligence.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    18 分
  • The Doctor's Amputation Order: How a "No" Climbed Everest

    The Doctor's Amputation Order: How a "No" Climbed Everest
    2026/09/06
    A tennis prodigy survives the Titanic disaster, only to face a doctor's order to amputate his legs. His refusal sets him on an unexpected path.

    The Doctor's Amputation Order: How a "No" Climbed Everest

    This episode explores the extraordinary life of Richard Norris Williams II, a man who survived the sinking of the Titanic and defied a medical death sentence. It delves into his unique response to both catastrophe and triumph, leaving a question about what he chose to protect.

    Person: Richard Norris Williams II
    Date: April 15, 1912
    Event: Sinking of the RMS Titanic
    Location: North Atlantic
    Medical Status: Doctor recommended amputation

    - Richard Norris Williams II was 21 years old when he spent two hours in the North Atlantic with water up to his elbows.
    - A doctor on the rescue ship, the RMS Carpathia, recommended amputating both his legs due to the freezing temperatures.
    - Williams refused the amputation and instead walked the deck of the Carpathia every two hours.
    - His father, Charles Duane Williams, who had introduced him to tennis, died when a ship's funnel fell on him in the water.
    - Williams had won the Swiss Championship in 1911 and was known for his "reckless, erratic, dazzling" tennis style.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    25 分
  • The eleven-year-old's court story that propelled Yannick Noah-and cost him a second act

    The eleven-year-old's court story that propelled Yannick Noah-and cost him a second act
    2026/09/05
    A young Cameroonian tennis player becomes France's hope, but his outspoken ways threaten his career. Can he overcome and win the French Open?

    The eleven-year-old's court story that propelled Yannick Noah-and cost him a second act

    This episode explores the remarkable journey of Yannick Noah, from his discovery on a public court in Cameroon to becoming a French tennis icon. It delves into the paradox of his singular triumph and the personal cost of his authenticity.

    Person: Yannick Noah
    Date: June 1983
    Location: Roland-Garros, France
    Event: French Open Men's Singles Final

    - Yannick Noah ended France's 37-year wait for a French Open men's singles champion in 1983.
    - He was discovered at age eleven on a public court in Yaoundé, Cameroon, by Arthur Ashe.
    - Noah was born in Sedan, France, to a Cameroonian footballer father and a French basketball captain mother.
    - He publicly admitted to using marijuana before matches in 1981 and spoke out against amphetamine use in tennis.
    - In the 1983 French Open final, Noah defeated defending champion Mats Wilander in straight sets.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    25 分
  • Eight Vials in a Tennis Bag Ended a Top 100 Career

    Eight Vials in a Tennis Bag Ended a Top 100 Career
    2026/09/04
    A top-100 tennis player's career hangs by a thread after eight vials are found in his bag at Brisbane International Airport. What now?

    Eight Vials in a Tennis Bag Ended a Top 100 Career

    This episode covers the tennis career of Wayne Odesnik, from his early beginnings on public courts to reaching the top 100 in the world. It explores the consistent accumulation of titles and ranking points that defined his rise, and the pivotal moment that brought it all into question.

    Person: Wayne Odesnik
    Date: December 29, 2009
    Location: Brisbane International Airport
    Item: Eight vials of human growth hormone
    Forfeiture: Over ninety thousand dollars in prize money

    - Wayne Odesnik was 24 years old and ranked 77th in the world when the vials were discovered.
    - He had 14 titles and had recently reached his first ATP World Tour final.
    - His family emigrated from South Africa to Florida when he was three, and his grandmother introduced him to tennis at age seven.
    - By 2001, at 15, he was competing professionally and won his first ITF junior titles.
    - In 2007, he upset former world number three Ivan Ljubičić at the Rogers Masters.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分
  • The motorcycle that took him to the longest possible route

    The motorcycle that took him to the longest possible route
    2026/09/04
    A tennis champion with four Wimbledon titles writes a letter from a dugout in France. He describes an operation that will likely blow him to hell.

    The motorcycle that took him to the longest possible route

    This episode explores the life of Anthony Wilding, a tennis prodigy who achieved unprecedented success in the sport. It questions why a man with every reason to stay chose a path that would lead to his destruction.

    Person: Anthony Wilding
    Date: May 8, 1915
    Location: Northern France
    Sport: Tennis
    Record: 23 singles championships in a single season

    - Anthony Wilding was born in 1883 in Christchurch, New Zealand, into a family that built two tennis courts on their property.
    - At six years old, he received his first racket directly from manufacturer Ralph Slazenger.
    - He failed his matriculation examination in 1900 but passed the following year and enrolled at Trinity College Cambridge to study law.
    - By 1906, the year he was called to the Bar, he had won 23 singles titles in a single season, a record that remains unbroken.
    - In 1910, he rode his motorcycle 560 kilometers from Évian to Paris in a single day.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    20 分
  • The Bucharest Backfire That Grounded a Legend

    The Bucharest Backfire That Grounded a Legend
    2026/09/04
    A Romanian tennis player, technically a soldier, signs the first Nike sponsorship. His brilliance on court is matched only by his defiance.

    The Bucharest Backfire That Grounded a Legend

    This episode explores the career of Ilie Năstase, a tennis prodigy from Communist Romania who became a global superstar. It delves into the contradictions of his life, from state control to unprecedented individual success, and the unique style that earned him the nickname "The Bucharest Backfire."

    Person: Ilie Năstase
    Date: 1972
    Location: US Open
    Country: Romania
    Sport: Tennis

    - Ilie Năstase, a 26-year-old tennis player from Bucharest, signed Nike's first professional athlete sponsorship contract in 1972.
    - Năstase was an employee of the Romanian Ministry of Defense, assigned to the Steaua sports club, and technically could not refuse orders.
    - He accumulated 64 singles titles, 7 Grand Slam trophies, and 4 Masters Grand Slam championships, with a Masters record of 22 wins against 3 losses.
    - His on-court behavior included talking, gesturing, complaining in three languages, mimicking opponents, and making the crowd laugh.
    - Năstase's unique passing shot was named "The Bucharest Backfire" by American journalist Bud Collins.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分