TENNIS.com Podcast: Chanda Rubin shares insight into broadcast world

This week we catch up with Tennis Channel's own Chanda Rubin and get her take on covering the sport in the new normal. She's worked the US Open and Roland Garros from within the bubble and will commentate during the Australian Open from the new Los Angeles studio.

"The different situations that come up, it's always something new," Rubin says. "I think that's one of the things I enjoy about it, it's never the same from one day to the next. It's get out and do it, and you've got to say, 'Yeah, I can do it.'"

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Rubin brings a lot of personal experience to her current TV career after reaching as high as No. 6 in the world, winning the 1996 Australian Open doubles crown, and claiming seven career WTA titles. Melbourne suited her really well as she also reached the 1996 singles semifinals.

"Going to Australia beginning of the year it's a Grand Slam, it's a major, so if you can't get up for a major, what can you get motivated for?" she says.

Rubin on set at Roland Garros with Ashleigh Barty and Steve Weissman. (Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA)

The 44-year-old checks in from her home in Louisiana where she's juggling two children and a (mostly) virtual broadcasting career, as well as her own YouTube show with Zina Garrison called "Game. Set.Chat!"

Garrison and Rubin have had a star-studded guest list on their show, including the likes of Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Serena Williams.

"We're having a great time with it," Rubin says. "We're looking at kind of resetting now with the start of the year and trying to continue to push the direction talking tennis, but also talking other things, other topics, current events."

She also gives insight into how she started her pro playing and broadcast careers (Roger Federer was her very first on-court interview) and discusses the challenges facing players in 2021.

"Having to quarantine, having to sit out their practice partners for the first week ahead of the time, it's a strange mindset going into this year," Rubin says. "And it's hard to gauge how that's going to affect everybody."

The views, information, and/or opinions expressed are solely those of the podcast creators and do not necessarily represent those of The Tennis Channel, Inc., its affiliates or subsidiaries.