Charlie Pasarell grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the 50’s, and under the tutelage of the fabled teacher Welby Van Horn rose to tennis prominence in the United States. He won the Orange Bowl and national championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
In the 60’s Charlie Pasarell attended UCLA and forged a lifelong friendship with Arthur Ashe. He also trained with Pancho Segura at The Beverly Hills Tennis Club, and rose to become the #1 player in the United States in 1967.
As a pro, Charlie Pasarell posted wins over Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Stan Smith, Manolo Santana and Adriano Panatta.. He discussed what he thinks of the new generation, and told us what it was like to be a tennis star before open era tennis began. He discussed the controversial CEO machinations at the top of the ATP. Charlie told us the story of how he created what is now The BNP Paribas Open, which is now the 5th biggest tournament in the world. Located in Indian Wells, California, the tournament was owned by Charlie Pasarell until he sold it to the head of Oracle, Larry Ellison. Many refer to the tournament as the fifth Grand Slam.
(Recorded July 19, 2019. Released March 1, 2020)
UNDER REVIEW is a podcast in which tennis insiders share unique stories and insightful perspective. For more information, please contact info@underreviewtennis.com
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:
For more UNDER REVIEW episodes featuring Tennis Hall of Famers, check out:
- Jim Courier [Ep23]
- Gigi Fernandez [Ep27]
- Nick Bollettieri [Ep28]
- Mark Woodforde [Ep29]
- Steve Flink [Ep37]
- Mats Wilander [Ep38]
- Yevgeny Kafelnikov [Ep40]
- Stan Smith [Ep50]
To see clips from the epic Passarel / Gonzalez Wimbledon match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H6V1iP4UiA
And check out The Malibu Racquet Club: https://www.maliburacquetclub.com/
KEYWORDS:
James Van Alen. Arthur Ashe, Rod Laver, Rolex, Welby Van Horn, Donald Dell, UCLA, Davis Cup, Indian Wells, Larry Ellison, Oracle, Tennis Hall of Fame
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