Beyond the Baseline Podcast: Jake Agna on reviving tennis in Cuba

On this week's episode, host Jon Wertheim talks with Jake Agna, who spearheaded the effort to help rebuild the courts at the National Tennis Center in Cuba.
Beyond the Baseline Podcast: Jake Agna on reviving tennis in Cuba
Beyond the Baseline Podcast: Jake Agna on reviving tennis in Cuba /

On the Beyond the Baseline Podcast, Sports Illustrated executive editor, Tennis Channel commentator and host Jon Wertheim takes fans between the lines with tennis commentary and exclusive interviews with the top players and newsmakers on the ATP and WTA tours.

On this week's episode, Wertheim talks with Jake Agna, director of Kids on the Ball, an American non-profit based in Vermont. Agna spearheaded the efforts to help rebuild the courts at the National Tennis Center in Havana, Cuba. After traveling to Cuba in April for an upcoming Tennis Channel piece on the rebuilding of tennis courts in Cuba—and the overall changing nature of the country—Wertheim talks with Agna about how he became involved in the process and how he raised money to travel to Havana to help the group of Americans who are rebuilding the courts.

• MORE BEYOND THE BASELINE: Chris Russo | Brian Vahaly

Agna discusses where tennis fits into the Cuban sports scene, which is historically dominated by baseball and boxing, where he thinks Cuban tennis is headed in terms of professionals in the ATP and WTA and more.

Listen below and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher.

Check back next week for another episode of Beyond the Baseline.


Published
Jon Wertheim
JON WERTHEIM

Jon Wertheim is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and has been part of the full-time SI writing staff since 1997, largely focusing on the tennis beat , sports business and social issues, and enterprise journalism. In addition to his work at SI, he is a correspondent for "60 Minutes" and a commentator for The Tennis Channel. He has authored 11 books and has been honored with two Emmys, numerous writing and investigative journalism awards, and the Eugene Scott Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Wertheim is a longtime member of the New York Bar Association (retired), the International Tennis Writers Association and the Writers Guild of America. He has a bachelor's in history from Yale University and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York City with his wife, who is a divorce mediator and adjunct law professor. They have two children.