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Tennis Channel Turns 20

20 Years, 20 Photos: Tennis Channel through the decades

A look back down memory lane before the worldwide ride continues.

ByEd McGrogan

Published May 15, 2023

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A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. So while logically the following 20 pictures—taken over the course of Tennis Channel's existence, which we celebrate today—should be worth twenty thousand words, that total would shortchange their value. These photos are mileposts along an unprecedented tennis ride, one that has taken place during one of the sport's most historic eras. They are chapters of a history that rivals any other form of entertainment in terms of drama and excellence. They are moments in time—some humorous, some melancholy, some significant—that we would all do well to stop and remember, even as this sport never stands still.

Above all, they are all quintessentially Tennis Channel: as identifiable with the now multi-platform home of our game as anything. We hope you enjoy this look back down memory lane.

Sit-down interviews with Roger Federer are rare. Stand-up conversations? It happened on 'Wimbledon Prime Time', where the Swiss superstar looks the part of a co-host, t-shirt notwithstanding.

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A day after winning the longest tennis match in history—183 games, including a 138-game fifth set—John Isner took a well-deserved seat with Jimmy Connors and Bill Macatee, at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships.

Naomi Osaka beams during a 2022 photo shoot at Indian Wells.

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There's always been a strong connection between celebrity and tennis—enter Mike Tyson, with daughter Milan, a talent in her own sport. "It changed our life," Iron Mike said. "Our whole life has changed over tennis."

Bjorn Borg chats with former tour-mate Vijay Amritraj, with Prakash Amritraj playing the middleman.

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John McEnroe, just after Tennis Channel's 10th anniversary, on the "French Open Tonight" set at Roland Garros.

A ball person flies through the set of "Warm and Fuzzy"—with Olympian Lolo Jones and Felix-Auger Aliassime looking on—during the 2021 BNP Paribas Open.

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Steve Bellamy, founder of Tennis Channel (at left) announces the new cable network in New York City on August 28, 2001.

Tennis Channel was there—live—when most everything else wasn't. In May 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UTR Pro Match Series took place in West Palm Beach, Fla. Masked cameraman and ultra-clean courts allowed the sport to remain seen at the highest level—and, as it turned out, flourish at all levels.

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Tennis Channel was the title sponsor of a 2006 ATP tournament in Las Vegas—one conducted with a round-robin format. Bob and Mike Bryan took home the doubles title, while their Davis Cup teammate (and future Tennis Channel analyst) James Blake won singles.

Before Carlos Alcaraz exploded onto the scene last year in Miami, he was the subject of a Tennis Channel TenniStory, and part of this photo shoot at Indian Wells.

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Murphy Jensen, hosting 'Open Access', greets viewers while dressed as Napoleon, on the Champs-Élysées in 2007.

Serena Williams and Venus Williams during the WTA Glam Slam in New York City, just a year after Tennis Channel's debut.

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Andy Roddick was being interviewed by Tennis Channel roughly a decade ago; today, he's part of the network's panel of experts.

'Bag Check', a look inside what the players tote around, remains one of the network's most popular segments. Frances Tiafoe takes the entertainment factor up another notch.

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Happy Birthday, Rafa! (Now make a wish...) In 2017, the King of Clay found himself the subject of a surprise cake presentation.

Mary Carillo and Novak Djokovic are all smiles after the Serbian conquered Wimbledon for the third time in 2015.

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A behind-the-scenes shot of Rod Laver, sporting his Wimbledon tie, with Bill Macatee and Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon.

Just months before his untimely passing, Kobe Bryant visited Tennis Channel's US Open set to discuss his venture into children's sports literature, "Legacy and the Queen."

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Think you watch a lot of screens? Tennis Channel's production truck during the 2009 Davis Cup.

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