Hot Shots: Shep Rose on team tennis and why “quiet please” has to go
Talking to the Southern Charm star about growing up around Stan Smith, his reality TV doubles picks, and the tennis traditions he’d happily scrap.
Today I’m launching Hot Shots—a new series of quick-hit conversations with tennis-loving tastemakers and celebs diving into into their hottest takes, funniest stories, and how they think the sport should evolve.
I know many of you, like me, live in the center of the Venn diagram between Bravo and tennis fans, so this first installment with Shep Rose—an OG star of the reality show Southern Charm—should be a treat. I called up the reformed (or, shall we say, reforming?) Charleston bad boy to talk about his halcyon childhood in Hilton Head watching legends compete at the Family Circle Cup (now the Charleston Open), growing up with Stan Smith’s kids, how his castmates would fare as doubles partners, and what tennis rules he would change if he could.
Rose recently joined Intennse Tennis—a nascent, team-based pro tennis league—as an advisor and ambassador. With a faster pace than traditional tennis and its own set of rules, the Atlanta-based organization is kicking off its 2026 season in June with 10 teams, including The Outriders, of which Shep is part-owner. (Sloane Stephens also joined Intennse this week in a similar role). We dive into that and more, below.
So tell me how you first got into tennis—I hear it was a big part of your childhood and you were close with Stan Smith’s family?
Well, I grew up in Hilton Head, so lots and lots of tennis courts, especially where I grew up in Sea Pines. I was great friends with Ramsey Smith and the Smith family, [Grand Slam winner] Stan and his wife Margie. Ramsey was a classmate of mine, and he was very, very good. Perhaps he was responsible for curtailing my enthusiasm, or at least my acumen, in tennis [laughs]. My mom is also a gigantic tennis fan and she had a group that played twice a week. She would get us tickets to the Family Circle Cup and I have very fond memories of being like 12 or 13 and riding my little beach cruiser to go watch these world class tennis players.
I remember I went to go to one of my first tennis lessons and I kept hitting it over the fence. I thought it was like baseball. I thought you were trying to hit home runs. So I think my mom realized that precision wasn’t my key strength, more like insanity and frenetic movement. But I continued to play, especially with my cousins in the summer—we used to get into some major heated arguments on the court [laughs].
It’s funny, watching my nieces and nephews now, I’m reminded that there’s really not much to do as a child. I mean, you’re not an adult—you don’t have agency. So, what are you going to do? You’re going to go play sports with your friends. That’s so important. And the role that it played in my life is immeasurable. So to be involved with Intennse, which taps into that, is really cool.
Yeah, what stood out to you about Intennse in particular?
The players at Intennse are young—typically in their twenties, maybe even younger—and this is their dream. This is the sport they’ve spent literally… 10,000 hours is a major underestimation, per the whole Malcolm Gladwell thing. They’ve been doing it their whole lives, and now they’re getting a chance outside of the ATP and WTA Tours, which is obviously a very competitive, worldwide situation. And, I imagine, it’s not too easy to make a living playing tennis unless you are in a certain echelon. So this is giving very good players a chance to make money at the thing that they love to do, and to break through, find inspiration, and essentially continue the dream.
The other part comes back to what I was saying about being a child. If you get a chance to have kids watch these very good players play tennis, maybe that’ll inspire them, because lord knows the U.S. needs more high ranking tennis players. We’ve been in a bit of a drought.
Oof, we’re definitely low on Slams at the moment. You’re right about it being hard making a living, even people within the top 100 can struggle because most of the money they’re making goes toward their teams and the travel costs.
Yeah, it’s a bit unfair, or maybe it’s not—maybe it’s the opposite of unfair. Tennis is the ultimate meritocracy, you know, sink or swim. Even in golf, if you’re a top 100 golfer, you’re likely making a couple million dollars, with sponsorships and things like that. So I think Intennse could be a way to get more money into tennis and bring in more eyeballs—who knows what the ripple effect will be. Now, I don’t think it’s Intennse’s goal to compete with the pro tour, but it’s another way of getting the sport out there.
Is there something about the team format that Intennse uses that you think unlocks something traditional tennis doesn’t?
I feel like tennis is the loneliest sport out there, because it’s just you. If things start going bad, there’s nowhere to run and hide. So I think it bolsters your confidence if you know you have teammates and I also think, for the fans, it’s more fun to root for an overall team.
The format is really cool because it’s so fast paced. You get one toss for one serve, and you have 10 seconds. And if you hit your serve and your opponent isn’t ready, that’s tough luck. They can’t be like, “Wait, give me a moment.” And if you win the point on your serve, you get the ball back and serve until you lose your serve. The other rule I like is that if you hit a clean winner, you get two points—if you win on an error or something, then you get one. So it rewards bold play as well.
Ok, let’s get into some rapid-fire questions. Which tennis player, past or present, do you think would make for a great reality TV star?
Brad Gilbert, he’s a funny guy, or Vitas Gerulaitis. I’m trying to think of some colorful characters. Certainly not Ivan Lendl—he apparently never said a word. And obviously McEnroe is like the easiest choice, isn’t he?
I was such a big fan of Agassi. Everything about him—the long hair, that he thumbed his nose at the tennis authorities and the old guard, I was like, Yessss! So I read his book, it was very good, and he talked about meeting Brad Gilbert. That’s when he had a career resurgence, and Gilbert was such a character in that book, so I think he’d be a lot of fun.
Yeah, that’s a good call—he’s got quite a colorful Twitter presence these days. Ok, what’s one tennis rule you would change if you could?
“Quiet please.” I mean come on, this is a fast paced game, right? And then as a spectator, not being allowed to go to your seat until the changeover. I’m like, Come on, guys, this is ridiculous. You’re left standing in the aisle for 40 minutes—maybe less than that, I’m being dramatic, but still.
Haha, so you’re not a traditionalist, I take it. We’re at a moment in tennis right now where there are two camps kind of fighting about which direction the sport should go in.
You name something that comes off the top of your head.
I personally hate the addition of on court coaching, but lots of people believe that it’s great for the sport, and it probably is.
Yeah and it’s been going on clandestinely for all these years.
Exactly, but now it’s so overt, and I just can’t help but respect the players who don’t rely on it as much. I just feel like the beauty of tennis is that it’s a gladiatorial sport and it should be figured out on your own, one-versus-one.
Slightly off topic but I actually liked that tennis show, Break Point. I watched a few episodes and came away knowing a little bit more about the players and their personal lives. Some of them were likable, some not so much, and I enjoyed it.
You know it’s funny, I have some friends in the tennis world, and it’s like a big high school—everybody knows everybody’s business, who’s dating who, and what the back stories are, all the gossip, and there’s little cliques and stuff. It’s just funny to me.
Oh you’re completely spot on. I worked in fashion for 15 years, which I thought was a breeding ground for stunted antics, but when I entered tennis, I was like, Oh no, this is next level. Ok, next question, If you had to pick just one player out of the greats to watch for the rest of your life, who would it be?
Roger, duh! He’s the most beautiful player I think we’ve ever seen. It was just effortless and so elegant—he glided around the court. He won everything early, and then Rafa came around, and then shortly after that, Djokovic, so it’s not like it was all easy for him. He had his ups and downs, which makes him all that more interesting.
Which of your Southern Charm castmates would be an ideal doubles partner and who would be the worst?
[laughs] I mean, me and Madison [LeCroy] would end up yelling at each other if we played some mixed doubles, I know that. Honestly, we’d all yell at each other. But Craig [Conover] and I have played tennis together, and he’s got a decent game on him, so I’m going to pick Craig.
Interesting. Which castmate is most likely to smash a racket?
I’m really trying to get past that... I’m 46 and I’m really trying to grow up. I mean I’ve broken rackets and golf clubs in the past, but not anymore. If you don’t practice a lot, you have no right to be that angry, and you’ve just got to remember that [laughs].
Do you think pickleball is ruining tennis or saving it?
Pickleball is a net positive for sure. Look, anything where people get out and get some exercise I support. Also, tennis is a very physical sport. My mom, who loves tennis, plays pickleball with my nieces now—she can’t run around the court anymore, those days are over. So anything with a racket and a ball that’s a little easier on you as you get older, I think is good.
Very diplomatic answer. Who would you rather hang out with—Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz?
Alcaraz, although I do like Sinner’s game. But I have some friends who know them and apparently Alcaraz is a whole hell of a lot of fun, whereas Sinner’s pretty chill. So it might be fun to hit the town with Alcaraz.
Totally. Alcaraz is the one who’s like, I kind of want to go to Ibiza after this tournament, whereas Sinner is just absolutely married to the game.
I think Alcaraz is very much a ladies man, too.
So I’ve heard. Is there a player right now who you think is particularly overrated or underrated?
I mean, wins are wins. I grew up in the Andy Roddick age, and I feel bad for him, frankly—what poor timing. He won that one US Open. So I know this isn’t what you were asking, but I think he got the short end of the stick. He made it to a bunch of finals, and Federer was just there waiting for him. So you just wish that he had a more fruitful career in that sense.
Sadly all the American guys are having that same experience now with Carlos and Jannik, where it’s just kind of impossible to beat them.
Yeah, I like what Taylor Fritz is doing. I think he’s a very, very good player. It’s just crazy how there’s always these two to three guys who dominate—especially over five sets, like, good luck, because they’re going to come back. You can get hot and win a best of three match, but over time, it’s a war of attrition.
Ok, since I cover fashion, I have to ask you, what’s the most Shep Rose tennis outfit possible?
Loud like early Agassi. I remember I had all his stuff, where it looked like paint was splattered all over the shirts. That was me as a kid, trying to be offensive and a little out there. But these days, it’s just something that’s comfortable—hopefully a good pair of shoes so I don’t break my legs.
Fair. Ok, we touched on this a bit, but do you think tennis fans are too polite? Should they be more rambunctious?
Well, if you go to the US Open they’re not so polite because that’s a giant stadium. I went to Wimbledon two summers ago, and that was fascinating. I mean, they’re very polite there, and the arenas are very small. Ramsey [Smith] was nice enough to get me in. When you’re there your attitude is almost like, Ok, we’re here. Don’t screw up. It’s not a free for all, and there’s not like chanting and things of that nature, but that’s Wimbledon, just like The Masters, right? It’s just a different animal. I desperately want to go to the Australian Open and the French, so I will do that before it’s all said and done.
I was going to ask if you had a favorite major, but if you’ve only been to two, I don’t know if you can answer that.
Oh, man. Everyone’s going to say this is crazy, but I love watching the French. I just like the color of the clay and the very physical style. I remember when the Brazilian player Gustavo Kuerten won three titles in pretty rapid succession. I was watching a lot of tennis back then. For Federer, it was the one thing that he couldn’t win because of Nadal, and then he won one, and everyone was so relieved for him. I think that’s the hardest one to win, especially if you’re best on hard courts and grass.
Did you watch last year’s Roland Garros men’s final?
I did, that was insane.
So heartbreaking for Sinner, but amazing for Alcaraz.
I know, but I think Sinner’s gonna be just fine.
Yeah, I think he’ll be okay. I’m not worried about him.
I just don’t think they’re going to catch the Big 3—twenty to twenty-four majors is just crazy.
It won’t be easy, but I think it’s possible. I’m curious to see who on tour, if anyone, will become a consistent threat for Sincaraz.
Ben Shelton’s got all the talent in the world. He’s just electric, but that sort of tells you how razor thin the margins are.
Generally speaking, you have to have your head completely in the right place—it’s not just about hitting the ball hard. Look at someone like [Nick] Kyrgios, where you’re extremely talented, world class, but not necessarily all there when it comes to the mental aspect of the game.
He’s his own worst enemy, for sure. Well, we’ve run out the clock, but is there anything you want to add as a final note on tennis?
No, I guess I do know a little bit about the game, so I’m glad we had this chat.
You definitely do. We never see you play on Southern Charm, so I didn’t realize you were into tennis until the Intennse news came out.
Well, it’s funny you say that. I was filmed last season playing with my friend Hannah, who played at Vanderbilt, and then I took her as my date to the finale [episode, where there was a big party]. And I said to the producers, “Guys, just show like a snippet of the tennis—it doesn’t have to dominate a whole segment.” But they just showed us talking about marriage and kids. I don’t know, don’t get me started. The show’s not just about me, apparently, which is just ridiculous [laughs].
So ridiculous! Well, hopefully you can squeeze in some tennis this season.
I want to, I want to.
Thanks for reading! If you have tennis news or tips to share, email jessica@hard-court.com. For regular updates, follow Hard Court on Instagram.
Good interview! But “lord knows the U.S. needs more high ranking tennis players. We’ve been in a bit of a drought.” Two in ATP top 7, three in WTA top 6 is pretty good by recent standards. Not to mention doubles because I know he didn’t mean that