Extra Credit: An Interview with Dan Wolken, Author of Cocomania

·35 min·3 clips

A protester glued his feet to the floor during Coco Gauff's U.S. Open semifinal, stopping play for minutes.

The episode begins with hosts Franklin and Susie Cota welcoming Dan Wolken, a USA Today Sports columnist and author of Cocomania. Wolken explains he wrote the book after covering Coco Gauff's U.S. Open win, aiming to share life lessons for young people and spark interest in tennis. He describes Gauff's background: her parents were college athletes, and her father modeled her training after Richard Williams' approach for Venus and Serena. Gauff moved to Florida for better training and later attended the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy in France, becoming a full-time tennis player by her early teens. Wolken notes that while Gauff won a Grand Slam at 19, women's tennis has seen teenage champions historically, though peaks now often occur in the 20s. A key anecdote involves a climate protest during Gauff's U.S. Open semifinal, where a protester glued his feet to the floor, causing a delay. Wolken praises Gauff's mature response, linking it to her activism after George Floyd's murder. The hosts, who aren't sports fans, ask about tennis as a solo sport; Wolken explains its mental brutality, with players often crying after matches due to the isolation and pressure. Discussion shifts to gender equity, with Wolken noting the WTA's founding by Billie Jean King and the Original Nine, leading to equal prize money at Grand Slams but disparities elsewhere like Cincinnati. He contrasts women's tennis's financial success with other women's sports. The conversation touches on pop culture, with Wolken mentioning the movie Challengers and documentaries increasing tennis's visibility. He shares favorite sports movies like Raging Bull and Cinderella Man. Towards the end, Wolken addresses comparisons between Gauff and Serena Williams, noting Gauff initially struggled with unrealistic expectations but learned to run her own race. The episode concludes with Wolken promoting his book on Amazon and his work at USA Today Sports.

As heard by us

An author interview that frames Coco Goff's U.S. Open win through tennis's private pressure.

Teen Girl Talk's conversation with author Dan Walken works best when it keeps Coco Goff's U.S. Open win close to the emotional work behind it.

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Why you'd press play

Want the U.S. Open story after the scoreboard, where the pressure finally gets to speak?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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