The GOAT: Serena Williams

In the season finale, we go behind the scenes of the making of The GOAT: Serena podcast. Hosts Zina Garrison and Chanda Rubin are joined by the show’s writer, veteran tennis journalist Pete Bodo, to discuss how the podcast came together, their perspectives on Serena Williams, the secret question they asked every guest, and much more. Special guests include Monica Seles, Andy Roddick, Rennae Stubbs, Isha Price, Pam Shriver, Rick Macci, Mary Jo Fernandez, and Mackie Shilstone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode explores Serena Williams, the wife, mother and GOAT. Hosts Chanda Rubin and Zina Garrison discuss how Serena has juggled all these things and still manages to operate at the highest level in professional tennis. They are also joined by Serena’s longtime agent, Jill Smoller, who provides rare, candid insight into Serena’s mindset and the determination and drive that has allowed her to still be the undisputed GOAT at the age of 40. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode, hosts Chanda Rubin and Zina Garrison break from the typical format and share their thoughts on the two most magical words in tennis - Grand Slams. They discuss Serena Williams’ most memorable Grand Slam wins, detail what it’s like to face her on the court, and the highs and lows of some of Serena’s biggest matches, including her first major win at the 1999 US Open, the 2017 Australian Open, won while 8 weeks pregnant, and her crushing loss to Roberta Vinci at the 2015 US Open. Mary Carillo and Patrick Mouratoglou also provide some insight on the inner-thoughts of Serena Williams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, hosts Chanda Rubin and Zina Garrison discuss some of Serena Williams’ career highlights, including her best matches and her top rivals. Guests include a who's who of tennis royalty: Patrick Mouratoglou, Andy Roddick, Mary Carillo, Rick Macci, Mary Joe Fernandez, Rosie Casals, Benny Sims and broadcaster Robin Roberts. The conversation consists of in-depth analysis and breaking down some of Serena’s biggest matches against her sister Venus, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati and Maria Sharapova over her more than 20 year career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former tennis pros Pam Shriver and Rennae Stubbs, both still in the game as broadcasters, join hosts Chanda Rubin and Zina Garrison to explore the qualities that have enabled Serena Williams to withstand the stress of life at the top and the mental strength that’s kept her there for more than two decades. They also discuss mental health in sports in general and high profile athletes who’ve struggled, at times, with mental health in the public eye, such as tennis pros Naomi Osaka and Mardy Fish, along with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. This is episode 2 of a 2-episode arc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special guests Martina Navratilova, 18-time Grand Slam champion and tennis Hall-of-Famer, along with Mackie Shilstone, fitness trainer to Serena Williams, Peyton Manning, Roy Jones Jr. and many other professional athletes, join hosts Chanda Rubin and Zina Garrison to dive into the details on the longevity of Serena’s career. They discuss how Serena has remained in shape and relevant for over two decades, and detail some previously unheard stories about Serena’s strength and determination, as well as some priceless personal anecdotes. This is episode 1 of a 2-episode arc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special guests Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’ coach since 2012, and Mary Carillo, award-winning tennis and Olympic Games TV correspondent, join hosts Chanda Rubin and Zina Garrison to examine the role of stress, conflict, and controversy in Serena’s career. From the amusing ones, like Serena’s denim skirt at the 2004 US Open and her infamous “biker boots” leg warmers, to the painful and difficult ones, like the 2018 US Open final between Serena and Naomi Osaka, and the others that sparked painful conversations around race, gender, and the fundamentals of fair play. Together these isolated incidents have helped shape Serena in the public eye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s special guests Common, Oscar and Grammy Award winning rapper, writer, actor, and activist, and Andy Roddick, former world No. 1 tennis player, join hosts Chanda Rubin and Zina Garrison for a deep dive into the dazzling world Serena Williams occupies as one of the world’s most recognizable celebrities. We also hear from Serena’s sister, Isha Price, to talk about Serena as a brand, beyond the tennis court, and why it was important for her to create a life for herself outside of sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The path of tennis for Black players has been a long one filled with daunting obstacles and immense triumphs. Before Serena Williams, it was paved by Hall of Famers Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe along with our own Zina Garrison and Chanda Rubin, among others. Serena, the greatest tennis player of all time and an icon in her own right, has inspired many people of color within and beyond the sport. Hosts Zina Garrison and Chanda Rubin along with Katrina Adams, former professional tennis player and the first African-American president, chairman, and CEO of the United States Tennis Association and Robin Roberts, the host of Good Morning America and a former athlete herself, explore how Serena forced the culture at large to re-examine its assumptions about race and other issues surrounding women, sports, culture and society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, making her the most decorated singles tennis player of the Open era. The question is, what exactly makes an all-time Grand Slam singles champion? Starting with Serena’s first Grand Slam win at the US Open in 1999, hosts Zina Garrison and Chanda Rubin track her path to becoming the greatest of all time with stories and insight from tennis hall of famer and icon Billie Jean King and renowned tennis coach Kamau Murray. In this episode, you’ll learn that winning big isn’t just about having talent on the court, but it’s much more. It’s a full time job that requires the right attitude, passion, and strategy - all of which Serena possesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No GOAT has achieved exceptional levels of success on their own. In the case of Serena Williams, besides her one-of-a-kind talent, discipline, and ambition, she had the power of sisterhood to support her through the ups and downs of her tennis career and personal life. Hosts Chanda Rubin and Zina Garrison take an in-depth look at Serena and Venus Williams’ unwavering relationship, their mother Oracene’s influence, and the overall importance of Serena surrounding herself with supportive women. Conversations include Serena’s older sister and business manager Isha Price and tennis champions Monica Seles and Andy Roddick, who had front-row views on Serena’s formative years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before she was The Greatest of All Time, Serena Williams was the younger half of a tennis sister duo from Compton, California with raw talent and the promise of greatness. Hidden away from the world by their father Richard Williams, Serena and Venus Williams were shrouded in mystery. Only a select few had exclusive access to their training process, one of which was the renowned American tennis coach Rick Macci. In this episode, hosts and tennis legends Chanda Rubin and Zina Garrison speak with Macci who reveals never-before-heard training stories from Serena’s childhood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GOAT: Serena examines the remarkable career of the greatest of all time – tennis superstar Serena Williams. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices