Views on Venus, Vanessa and the role of the volley
By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published June 22, 2003
Few ex-athletes have transitioned to journalism as smoothly as Mary Carillo. As a tennis player, she teamed with John McEnroe to win the French Open mixed-doubles title in 1977. Today, she does tennis commentary for CBS, NBC and ESPN and is a frequent contributor to HBO's Real Sports. Carillo and Frank Deford won the prestigious Peabody Award in 2000 for Dare to Compete, a chronicle of women in sports. Carillo, 46, lives in Naples with son Anthony, 15, and daughter Rachel, 11. She will cover Wimbledon for ESPN and NBC. Carillo recently kicked back with Times staff writer Keith Niebuhr.
KN: You've been appointed commissioner of professional tennis. What three things would you change first?
MC: I would certainly change the calendar. It's just clogged up and silly. That's why there are so many injuries. People are playing way too much. I'd also get rid of a lot of the hardcourt tournaments between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. They cause a lot of injuries, and it's a very long hardcourt season. The players are just washing up on shore for the U.S. Open. My third change would be that I would demand all players learn how to volley. It would be an imperial command.
KN: Who wins: Serena Williams or a 25-year-old John McEnroe?
MC: McEnroe for sure. It's not even a conversation, and I think Serena would tell you the same thing.
KN: Tell us something about Johnny Mac we might not know.
MC: He likes strong women. He really does. He just has a deep respect for that. He likes the company of strong women, which I've always liked about him. And it's why he hasn't kicked me off the curb after 35 years of friendship.
KN: The most annoying person in tennis is ...
MC: How many names am I allowed to put in there? I'd say anyone who keeps asking me about Anna Kournikova.
KN: What should be required reading for players?
MC: Any good daily newspaper.
KN: Has your opinion of sports journalists changed since you became one?
MC: I love being around them. I like everything about it. I really like writing, and I really like writers. Even as a player, I'd hang around the press room. I always loved that mix.
KN: Which tennis personality did you find most interesting, Billie Jean King ...
MC: Billie Jean King. Stop right there. She's the most amazing person I know. Nobody else even comes close. I don't even have to hear any other name. She was my hero growing up. And now that I know her and am friends with her, she's an even bigger hero.
KN: What is Richard Williams' best quality?
MC: All I will say is that he has raised two remarkable children. Obviously he had something to do with that. They're strong, they are bright and are intellectually curious. They have a great presence and great poise. Both have incredible amounts of personal power. Although I don't agree with a lot of what he is or who he is, he raised two great kids.
KN: Do you miss the wooden racket?
MC: It was a beautiful way to play tennis. I think you had to be better in a lot of ways with the wooden racket, but that's true with wooden skis, too. I'm not one to look back and reminisce about the glory days of wooden rackets, but I think you had to be better. You had to provide your own power. It certainly allowed for more differences in style.
KN: Who was the last player to snub you for an interview?
MC: I don't get along with Venus. She doesn't like talking to me. I get along great with Serena, but Venus has long been loyal to her father. I've been in (Jennifer) Capriati's doghouse and (Andre) Agassi's doghouse, too, because I talk about fathers a lot. I tend to be fairly candid in my news.
KN: Who would you rather have designing your clothes, Serena and Venus or (TV commentator) Bud Collins?
MC: Not anyone can wear (Bud's) outfits. I'm a Gap chick myself. But if I had to go with somebody, Venus is a little calmer in what she designs.
KN: What's more nerve-racking, playing a big tennis match or producing a big news story?
MC: I wasn't a great player. I was aggressively mediocre. I got tight in matches, certainly. I feel more capable to tell a good story than to play in a big match. I never worked weekends when I played tennis.
KN: One match, your player must win: Whom do you want?
MC: Pete (Sampras). He's the greatest player of all time. Andre Agassi was asked not long ago to name the five greatest players of all time and he said, "Sampras, Sampras, Sampras, Sampras and Sampras," and I agree.
KN: What player has had the greatest impact on the game in the past 50 years?
MC: Billie Jean King. You're gonna get that answer a lot from me.
KN: Who are tennis' biggest overachievers and underachievers?
MC: The biggest overachiever, under my watch, is Michael Chang. The biggest underachievers I'd probably say are Conchita Martinez, Richard Krajicek and Ilie Nastase.
KN: Who plays you in the Mary Carillo Story?
MC: How about Vanessa Williams. She's absolutely gorgeous. The easy answer is J-Lo or Meryl Streep, but I'll take Vanessa.
KN: If God granted you one wish, what would it be?
MC: That my two kids grow up happy and healthy and loving their lives. When you've got a couple of kids, it's the only thing - for me anyway. I just want them to be safe and happy. And I've got two very cool kids.
KN: What is the perfect last day on Earth for Mary Carillo?
MC: I'd sleep in a little late and then be in New York City. I'd want to spend my last day in New York wandering around the west Village and being with friends and family.
