STARGAMES · Where the Stars Come to Play

Since his retirement in 1994 due to a severe back injury Ivan Lendl has rarely stepped foot on a tennis court and hasn’t played a single match worth any significance.   Sixteen years later, the eight time Grand Slam champion and man who is often regarded for revolutionizing the way tennis players train on and off the court has returned to the game of tennis. 

“Ivan Lendl: Return of a Champion” focuses on Ivan’s training over the last few months culminating with his first match back against seven time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander in Atlantic City at the Caesars Tennis Classic.  With anecdotes from players and key people in Ivan’s life, to Ivan working with elite junior players at his tennis academy, “Return of a Champion” will give viewers a greater understanding of Ivan Lendl’s past life as one of the world’s greatest tennis players and his current life as a father and still fierce competitor and driven human being. 

In addition, the show will feature a recap of the Caesars Tennis Classic, which not only featured a match between Ivan and Mats, but also included three matches between Pete Sampras, Marat Safin and Andy Roddick.  With exclusive interviews from these players that span 30 years of tennis, the show captures a unique perspective of the history of the game of tennis, how it has transformed and where Ivan sits amongst the greatest to have ever played and influenced the sport.