What it’s like to be a tennis tournament host and reporter with Nick McCarvel
Talking to one of the industry's go-to guys about how his career in tennis took off, what it’s like building rapport with players, and who he considers the best interview in tennis.
You’re reading The Insider, a series on the many folks doing really cool shit behind the scenes of tennis to help the sport run. Oops, today’s subject is less behind the scenes than most.
If you’re the kind of tennis fan who chases down every possible morsel of tennis-related content you can get (guilty), then you know Nick McCarvel. The host, reporter, and producer has been the central voice of some of the sport’s most successful event-adjacent franchises, like the Australian Open’s Cinema Sessions, Roland Garros’s From Paris, with Clay, and Wimbledon’s Access All England. He’s also one of the industry’s go-to guys for hosting tournament events and player suite visits, interviewing players post-match, and providing radio commentary for fans to listen to as they watch matches—and that’s just scratching the surface.
At a time when some people are begrudging the state of tennis commentary and hosting, McCarvel has stood out to me for mixing a deep knowledge and love of the sport with a levity that doesn’t ever feel cringy. It’s simply fun to listen to him—I always learn something, but it feels as if it’s coming from a friend I’ve known for years. And when you watch his content, you get the sense that he disarms players—many of whom have an antagonistic relationship with the media—too.
This year, McCarvel spent roughly 22 weeks on the road for tennis, working at all the Slams, a handful of Masters 1000s and 500s, and the Hall of Fame Induction, to name a few. I spoke to him while he was “vacationing” in good old Flushing, New York for the US Open (he normally lives in Harlem, but as any New Yorker will tell you, that daily commute isn’t it) while working for their broadcast team. We covered a lot of ground, including how his career in tennis took off, what it’s like building rapport with players, and how the Big 3 handled media differently than today’s players. Plus, he tells me which active player is “the best interview in tennis.”
Were you always a fan of tennis? How did you first become interested in the sport?
I grew up in Montana which is obviously like the antithesis of a tennis place, but it was my sport from the time I was 5-years-old. I went to the public courts every summer and it just became my thing. Then in high school, I got really into journalism and was on the school newspaper. I knew by then that being a professional tennis player just wasn’t in the cards for me. But I loved journalism so much, and I can remember being 16—I’ve even told Howard Fendrich [longtime tennis writer for The Associated Press] this, because I love making him feel old, but I’m like, ‘Howard, I was reading you in my local paper in the year 2000’—and I just knew that I wanted to somehow be a part of the tennis beat.
So, I went to college at Seattle University for journalism with tennis in mind. I’m still friends with one of my journalism professors there, and she and I were laughing over coffee a couple years ago because she was like, “I remember thinking you were so crazy when you came to Seattle U and were like, I’m going to be a tennis reporter.” I interned at Tennis Magazine while in college and then strategically moved to New York after because that’s where media was. I’m actually proud of myself that during my first 3-4 years here I didn’t rush into a full-time job, I didn’t try to get a corporate thing. I sort of haphazardly strung together different gigs. I was a cater waiter—I worked weddings and Anne Hathaway’s engagement party, I worked at a coffee shop, I worked at the Housing Works bookstore. I was always focused on the long-term goal and during that time I was freelancing a bit. I got a couple print pieces in ESPN The Magazine when it was still the shit.
And then, I don’t know if you remember this, but The New York Times basically created a sub-blog for like every topic known to man, including tennis. And they had just launched it in either 2008 or 2009, and I just hounded them. I remember calling every New York Times number I could find, and I eventually found someone who was willing to let me blog for free for them, which is insane obviously, but I got my first few bylines for their Straight Sets blog in 2009. I then went on a family trip to Ireland, and I went to Wimbledon for a few days and used the pieces I had written to help get access. That was a great jumping off point because when I was reaching out to other people I could be like, ‘Hey, I’ve written for The New York Times,’ [laughs] and, as you know, it was just a blog, but that really helped propel me through the next couple of years in terms of getting other work.
The next pivotal move for me was in 2012 when I got a one month job for NBC covering the Olympics as their digital tennis editor. And then I got a contract with AmEx, where I was in charge of all the tennis specific copy for the US Open app, which was very new at the time.
Eventually I ended up being the USA Today tennis reporter in 2015 and 2016, but print was frustrating, and I wanted to do more and make more and be better. So in 2017 I asked to take on more work and be paid more and they were just like, ‘No, we only want you to cover the Slams,’ which I of course thought was bullshit. At the same time, I had started to do more commentating and hosting on camera, so I just leapt more into that world. This was the period of Facebook Live and video getting really big, so I kind of became the de facto social media guy who could host these tennis series. I saw that window opening in the same way I did with the rise of blogging back when I reached out to The New York Times.
That’s interesting, because I feel like that would be a really hard transition, going from being a writer who’s behind a computer to being on camera. What was that like for you? Because I would die being on camera, but you seem to thrive.
I kind of just flipped what I knew on its head. I went to a newspaper-oriented journalism school, where all of my professors were working for big newspapers and were really great reporters, and so I cut my teeth with them, learning how to build out a story and sources and all that stuff. But once I started to work in media I realized I enjoyed being forward facing, on camera, and commentating—I think that was more inside me than I realized and in some ways where I felt more comfortable. In 2014 at the US Open, I kind of stumbled into a job as the emcee of Court 17 and that was probably one of my first “big breaks” so-to-speak, because then in 2015 I started hosting more videos which set up the on ramp for an opportunity I got in 2017, when I hosted a Twitter Live show at the Australian Open. It was called the Blue Room and was very fun and goofy. Our set had all these plushy toys and the Australian Open was really leaning into being “the happy slam.” That really helped me, because then later that year, I got a live show at the French Open, worked on the Wimbledon Channel, and then an on camera gig at the US Open, so it kind of snowballed.
Do you have a favorite gig that you’ve done so far?
I mean, not to sound like a douchebag [laughs], but I just feel so lucky. I’ve gotten to do so many cool things. Sometimes people are like, “Oh my God, what would 16-year-old you think?” And I don’t think he would be able to fathom it. Every gig has felt like such a blessing. This year, I did a package show for the French Open called From Paris, with Clay that went out daily on YouTube. It was really fun. The goal was to really help people understand what Roland Garros felt like from afar, so talking about more than just the tennis, and the whole team did a really great job and I was proud to be a part of it. And then in the last two years we’ve done this show called Cinema Sessions at the Australian Open. Tennis always gets shit on for people not being creative enough but I feel like both of these shows really were—the producers were amazing and thoughtful, the crew was great, and then it’s up to me as the host to deliver that product. But Cinema Sessions is just really set up for success, I mean you’ve got the popcorn machine, the dim lighting, and Madison Keys watching footage of herself playing Serena Williams. Those are the gigs where, when you see all the pieces come together, you’re just so happy to be a part of them.
Do you ever get direct feedback from viewers?
When I did Access All England this year for Wimbledon, I had several people send me really nice notes on Instagram or via email saying they enjoyed it. And I’m sure there are people who hated it too, you know I’m sure there are people who only wanted to watch the behind the scenes and not hear us talk, but I believe that context is never harmful. I think if you’re giving an audience a backstory or an anecdote, they can take it or leave it, maybe they dislike your voice or find you annoying or whatever, but that’s fine, that’s more on them.
I will say that the director and the producer were both really good on that show, which really does make a difference, because when you’re the one sitting in front of a camera with a microphone, and you don’t have people around you that know what they’re doing, you’re the one that ends up looking subpar.
I want to ask you about your interactions with players over the years and what that’s been like? Have you built a level of familiarity with them?
You know, it’s kind of morphed over the 17 years I’ve been doing this. When it comes to relationship building, Iga Swiatek would be a good example. She’s someone that I interviewed on the Wimbledon Channel in 2018 when she won the juniors there and I’ve probably had touch points throughout her entire development. Does Iga Swiatek know my name? I don’t know [laughs]. But does she at least know that, when I’m interviewing her as I did the other day, that I have a good grasp on not only the moment at hand, but how she’s facing the moment? And that’s always what I try to bring to those situations. But it’s not always easy—even with a younger player like Joao Fonseca, who I’ve interviewed now a few times, trying to build some of that rapport feels harder than before, because social media has just exploded and tennis has such a wide reach. I just feel like the players are dealing with so many different people all the time now—content managers and producers and emcees and so on.
But I think I always try to come back to the fact that I am a trusted, and I think respected, entity, whether I’m hosting a live show or commentating or interviewing them off camera. For example, in Cincinnati I was hosting all of their VIP suite visits and I hosted a dinner that Iga was at where I interviewed her, and there were like 300 people there. And so my hope is that when we sit down to talk, she feels as comfortable as possible in that setting to talk about everything from the changes they’ve made to her forehand to what it means to be one of the most famous people in all of Poland. So that’s kind of been the goal for me—to be that steady presence. But it’s different from person to person you know, like a Tommy Paul might be different from an Iga or a Joao or a Victoria Azarenka, who I covered when she was at her peak. She’ll always say hi and chat for a few minutes but, again, do I have any idea if she knows my name? I think she does but it’s more the trust and respect that I’m concerned with.
Yeah, I can see that being really tricky to navigate, especially with how complicated some of their feelings are towards the media at-large.
I mean tennis players are also fickle, which I appreciate about them. A good example of this was when I did suite visits in Cincinnati with Karen Khachanov, who had retired from his match against Alexander Zverev the night before. When I was introducing him to this group of about 20 people, I was like, “And Karen, you had to withdraw last night,” and he was like, “I didn’t withdraw, I retired,” which you could argue is similar enough. But in his brain he’s wanting me to represent him the right way, which I respect. Maybe sometimes I’m overly sensitive to how the other person is feeling, but you really do have to understand where they’re coming from and the moment and any sensitivities. Now obviously there are times when I want to ask a challenging question or a question that they’re not going to love, but I try to do it in a way that is going to set them up to feel comfortable to give me the most honest answer, which I think is something that I’ve learned over time. It’s a skill that helps with what I’m ultimately trying to do, which is to connect these people with more people and tell their stories.
How is reporting and interviewing players these days different than it was in the early 2000s, with the Big 3 and Serena Williams, etc.?
We’re in a transitional period. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have stepped into those roles like crazy fast, it’s insane that they’re already here as “The New 2.” But I think, from my perspective, we’re still feeling out this next generation of players and trying to get them to buy into the idea of being themselves, having a little bit of fun, and being introspective and willing to have these public conversations. Roger, Rafa, Andy, and Novak just really understood the assignment, and I would throw Maria Sharapova in there as well. I mean, Maria could be pretty prickly but they all could be at times, because there’s just so much demanded of them. By the time I was really on tour, that era was established and they knew how to do the media part of their job and how to have fun with it, whether it was going to a VIP thing or doing something for social media. Rafa had a very close knit team around him, and they could be really protective but, once you got Rafa there, whether it was for a two minute Snapchat thing or something longer, he just knew what to do and how to turn it on.
That’s not to say that they did it perfectly, but I think these younger players like Jannik—I mean, he’s become a mega star in Italy so fast—I think that they’re just trying to figure out how to be the best version of themselves while being mega famous, and that’s hard. I feel like Iga has been pretty open about those challenges. And then you look at people like Carlos and Aryna Sabalenka, and they just naturally take to the demands a little bit better, right? Even Coco Gauff now, who’s had some tough moments, she’s hands down the best interview in tennis. She’s just so self aware, smart, funny, political, you know, all these really cool things. But as media, we have to just let the players figure it out, because you can’t rush that stuff or make them feel immediately comfortable. And I think it’s exciting to watch those evolutions, like I think we’re getting to know Carlos a lot more lately and we’re even learning more about Jannik as he talks about how he handled arguably the most devastating tennis loss of all time at the French Open.
What would you say is the hardest part of this job and the work that you do?
From the work perspective, I think it’s really hard to keep up with everything. I do my best but from the tennis to the off court news you’re just always going to miss something. So then I think it’s learning to be okay with the fact that you might occasionally miss something that ends up on a live broadcast, and that doesn’t dismiss your work or the fact that you prepared. I find that to be pretty challenging. And then also not getting down on yourself about like asking the right question or whether or not you made the best use of the short window of time you’re given with players. I sometimes feel that pressure of like, should I have asked this or said it that way? Should I have asked that question faster? Etcetera.
And then, honestly, from a personal perspective, the travel is just exhausting. I’m 16 years deep and I’ve done it every which way, but the long days are tough. I’m living in Flushing for three weeks, and so much of it is amazing but it’s also exhausting. It’s not the same as coming to watch the US Open as a viewer for a day or two. It’s a lot of tennis, and I’ve learned to not feel bad about leaving night sessions when I’m done working and going home to watch them on ESPN in my pajamas instead. You have to really take care of the person that, the next day, has to become the professional again, and finding that balance can be tough. Deep down I just have a real love for tennis, because otherwise, I think I would have walked away a long time ago.
Yeah, I feel like everyone I’ve talked to who works in tennis in some capacity says that it’s just so exhausting. I mean, we see what the players are doing, but everyone working in the sport is sort of living on a similar schedule, and it can be so grueling.
I just learned how to walk away and again, that goes back to my point that I might miss something [as a result]. But you kind of have to do that, because if you’re doing more than the Slams, you have to take care of yourself or you’re not going to be good at your job or a joyful human. Like this is amazing, what a pleasure and honor to work in this space, but if you’re cranky all the time, then that just cancels out all of the great aspects.
I think that’s it from me, Nick, but is there anything else you want to say about the work that you do?
I think it’s that I’ve really worked for this. I told you my origin story but sort of hop-scotched through it. You know, before I was on a live broadcast asking Venus Williams a question, I was the Tallahassee Challenger press manager and the Memphis Open web writer. I’ve done all of these different things, but really brought professionalism and a level of respect to them regardless. I feel like today there’s more and more of a push for influencers and athletes to take on the kinds of roles that I have done and I don’t have any ill will towards that, but I also like to make the point that this is a skill, and this is a skill that a lot of us have worked hard on. That’s not to say that I’m perfect at it, I’m human and make mistakes too, but I don’t want that getting lost.
Thanks for reading! If you have tennis news or tips to share, email jessica@hard-court.com.
Nick is a gem. Hi from a former Housing Works volunteer, I remember how excited we were for you when you started to take off!
Jessica! This was such an incredible interview. Nick really puts into perspective the industrious work behind the tennis showbiz.
Also, keep “The Insider” segment coming, so far so good 🤩😊