Transcript

KATIE FREY:
It’s the first day of the Philly Open. It’s the first time that professional women’s tennis has been in the city of Philadelphia in over two decades. The first match is about to start at 10 a.m. right here on these courts. I can’t wait to take you all around with us. Oh, it’s about to start right now. Are we ready? Let’s go check it out.

Welcome to another episode of Law Meets Life. I’m your host, Katie Frey. This week, professional women’s tennis is taking center stage in the city of Philadelphia. For an entire week, some of the best tennis players from around the world will be here at the Penn Tennis Center.

Pond Lehocky is so proud to be a sponsor, and I’m here with the University of Pennsylvania’s Manager of Racquet Sports, Kareem Bryant. Kareem, thank you so much for being here today.

KAREEM BRYANT:
Thank you for having me.

KATIE FREY:
I cannot wait to talk to you about what this week means, not only for the Penn women’s tennis team, but also for the Philadelphia community as a whole.

KAREEM BRYANT:
Yeah, I can’t wait. This is going to be an amazing event. It’s the first time in two decades that women’s professional tennis is here, and it’s the first time the University of Pennsylvania has hosted a professional women’s tennis tournament on campus and on these outdoor courts.

KATIE FREY:
And we can hear the sounds around us right now. Construction is literally setting up the digital boards. These stands, I heard, were just put up this morning.

KAREEM BRYANT:
This morning.

KATIE FREY:
This morning? So, it’s happening.

KAREEM BRYANT:
It’s happening. It’s really happening. We have grandstand courts being assembled right now. We’re going to have about 1,500 people watching on this court on Sunday, with LED boards behind us that are going to have tons of animation. We’ve got a VIP facility up there, an indoor tent up there. This is going to be amazing.

KATIE FREY:
This is the inaugural year of the Philly Open.

KAREEM BRYANT:
Yes, it is. We are blessed to have this beautiful facility. Penn has never done anything like this before. I think it’s an amazing opportunity to showcase women’s tennis and women in general.

KATIE FREY:
Before we get into this huge week ahead, I want to start with you. What has your journey with tennis looked like, and how did it eventually bring you to Penn?

KAREEM BRYANT:
Great question. I started playing tennis when I was two years old.

KATIE FREY:
Two years old?

KAREEM BRYANT:
Two years old. I took my first tennis lessons here at the University of Pennsylvania when I was six years old. I played all through high school, played Division I tennis in Connecticut, played two years professionally, was a USA national coach for 15 years, and then found my way back to the University of Pennsylvania.

KATIE FREY:
So, you are Philadelphia all day.

KAREEM BRYANT:
I love it.

KATIE FREY:
What is it about tennis that keeps you connected to the sport?

KAREEM BRYANT:
So, I’m 50 years old now.

KATIE FREY:
No, you’re not.

KAREEM BRYANT:
I am. I really am. It just allows me to continue to be a part of it. It’s a sport of a lifetime. I started at two, played tons of years of tennis, and now I just want to give back to folks and give them the opportunity to do what I did.

KATIE FREY:
I love that. So, you get to see tennis at Penn from a really unique perspective. For someone who doesn’t follow college tennis closely, can you tell us what makes the tennis community at Penn special?

KAREEM BRYANT:
Oh, it’s unique. First off, we have this amazing facility where the children who come in and play here can watch and observe Division I tennis at the highest level, both men’s and women’s.

We have an amazing tennis community. We’re right downtown in the heart of Philadelphia, and our members can walk here. They’re totally invested in everything we do on a daily basis. Our members support every venture we have.

It’s unique in the tennis world to have such a compact and dynamic group of members because there are staff members, local members, people who are just starting, and people who have been playing for 50 years.

It’s unique, to say the least. It’s like a community.

KATIE FREY:
Yes, for sure. So, what do you think people would be surprised to learn about the level that these student-athletes are competing at?

KAREEM BRYANT:
Well, we have our number-one player who’s going to be competing in the event. So, that should tell you the type of athletes that Penn produces.

KATIE FREY:
And what is the name of your Division I player?

KAREEM BRYANT:
Esha Velaga.

KATIE FREY:
Esha Velaga.

So, this is a huge moment. Professional women’s tennis is returning to Philadelphia for the first time in more than two decades.

KAREEM BRYANT:
Yes.

KATIE FREY:
When did you first realize this tournament was actually going to happen at Penn?

KAREEM BRYANT:
So, in November of 2025, the opportunity was presented. And, of course, in a new venture, some folks may be a little bit skeptical. However, they quickly realized that this is an opportunity for Penn to showcase itself as well as support women’s tennis.

KATIE FREY:
That’s amazing. So, this has been going on since November. Wow. What was your reaction when you realized that the Hamlin Tennis Center was going to host a WTA event?

KAREEM BRYANT:
Couldn’t turn it down. Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

KATIE FREY:
Were you just jumping up and down?

KAREEM BRYANT:
Jumping up and down.

KATIE FREY:
Yeah.

KAREEM BRYANT:
Dream of a lifetime. It’s incredible.

KATIE FREY:
Yeah. It’s amazing. You’re living it right now.

KAREEM BRYANT:
Yes. I’m in it.

KATIE FREY:
Is this surreal?

KAREEM BRYANT:
This is surreal. I just want to live in the moment, bask in it, be present in it.

KATIE FREY:
So, take me behind the scenes a little bit. We see August 23rd through the 29th on the schedule. But what actually goes into turning a college tennis facility into the home of a professional tournament for an entire week?

KAREEM BRYANT:
The entire production—the visuals, the LED screens, the stands, the lighting, the seating, the ticket sales, the sponsorships, the partnerships, the media—all of the things that you don’t see are all new for me and exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing it come to fruition on the 23rd.

KATIE FREY:
And you may even be able to hear it a little bit in the background right now.

KAREEM BRYANT:
There’s definitely some construction going on.

KATIE FREY:
There is definitely some construction going on, but it’s so exciting to see. There are multiple construction crews here getting ready for Sunday.

KAREEM BRYANT:
Yeah, we have a sound crew, a stadium-building crew, a lighting crew, a tech crew—a crew for everything. We have volunteer drivers, sponsorships, people flying in. It’s an amazing whole production.

KATIE FREY:
Yeah. So, fun fact: we have multiple Division I athletes who played tennis at Pond Lehocky. We even have one of our attorneys, Ruxandra, who will be playing someone tomorrow.

For someone like me who has never played tennis before and does not know the full difference between a WTA 125 and the U.S. Open, what should we know about the level of tennis we’re about to see?

KAREEM BRYANT:
You’re going to see Top 100 players in the world. All of these players, if they’re going to the U.S. Open, have already made it into the U.S. Open. So, you’re going to see some of the best tennis around.

KATIE FReY:
You are kidding me.

KAREEM BRYANT:
Nope.

KATIE FReY:
This is major. Okay. Are there players coming to Philadelphia that you think people really should be watching?

KAREEM BRYANT:
There are a couple of players in the main draw that I think folks should take a look at. Of course, one is Sloane Stephens because she’s on her way back. She had kind of semi-retired, and she’s working her way back into the Top 50 in the world right now.

Second would be Robin Montgomery. She’s an up-and-coming player. She’s from, I believe, the D.C. area, and she’s just an amazing player.

Jaeda Daniel is also an up-and-coming player and someone who is on the rise.

KATIE FREY:
We’ll be back with more Law Meets Life after a quick message from our sponsor.

[POND LEHOCKY COMMERCIAL]

KATIE FREY:
I’m back now with the Manager of Racquet Sports at the University of Pennsylvania, Kareem Bryant.

We’re seeing this incredible momentum right now around women’s sports. What does bringing a professional women’s tennis tournament to Philadelphia add to that moment?

KAREEM BRYANT:
Well, as you probably know, Philadelphia this summer was the hub of sports.

And to have the culminating event be a women’s event just signifies the importance that women play in sports. I think having a women’s tennis event here just shows that Philly supports women’s opportunities and sports throughout the entire city and surrounding region, and Penn also.

KATIE FREY:
Do you think there are going to be young girls watching this week who see these athletes up close and think, “I could do that someday”?

KAREEM BRYANT:
Definitely. I think my intentionality in inviting certain people to be here is important. One of our partners is the School District of Philadelphia, and they’re bringing their girls’ varsity teams to watch.

The intent is to have them see role models and see things that they can do, be, and aspire to.

KATIE FREY:
It’s incredible.

Now, one thing I really like about this tournament is that it isn’t just about what happens on this court. This is an entire event. There are going to be clinics, players visiting local schools, and opportunities for young people to experience tennis.

How important was it for you to make the community part of this week?

KAREEM BRYANT:
It was a no-brainer.

We call those “event enhancers.” They’re opportunities for folks who may not play tennis to have a good time, learn more about tennis, get invested in tennis, and learn how to play.

Sometimes, if you’re a fan, you’ll come out and watch. If you’re not a fan, something may draw you in—like an after-party, a clinic, a beginner’s clinic, or even a T-shirt.

That’s the reason why we call them event enhancers.

KATIE FREY:
So, speaking of the opportunity to meet people, Wanda Sykes is going to be here.

KAREEM BRYANT:
Yeah. Wanda was here earlier today on court. I didn’t realize this, but Wanda is an avid tennis player.

KATIE FREY:
I didn’t know that either.

KAREEM BRYANT:
I know. And I think her supporting this event is amazing for us and amazing for her.

KATIE FREY:
Pond Lehocky is incredibly excited to be part of this inaugural tournament. From your side, what does it mean when a local organization steps up and invests in an event like this, especially in year one?

KAREEM BRYANT:
It just shows how their support can enhance this event and how that support can help change an event and change the perspective of certain people.

An event like this just shows that, as a city and as a community, we can enhance and improve our surroundings.

KATIE FREY:
What has that support allowed you to do that you otherwise might not be able to do?

KAREEM BRYANT:
It brings visibility to the facility. It brings visibility to our programming, and it pulls people in. It just continues to enhance our tennis community and allows us to thrive, grow, and reach more people.

KATIE FREY:
So, Kareem, it’s August 29th. The final match has been played, everyone is packing up, and you finally have a second to process the week.

What would have to happen for you to walk away and say, “We did exactly what we hoped to do”?

KAREEM BRYANT:
Great question. I think we have to make sure that everyone walks away having had a really good time.

You know, when you throw a good party, the things people remember are the music and the food. So, I think it’s an opportunity for folks to have really good memories and want to return in 2027. That’s the goal.

KATIE FREY:
Did I hear there’s a 2027 date?

KAREEM BRYANT:
There is a 2027 date to be determined.

KATIE FREY:
Oh my gosh. We’ll definitely have to have an update.

So, Kareem, lastly, the title of our podcast is Law Meets Life, and I ask every single one of our guests: What does that title mean to you?

KAREEM BRYANT:
It lets us know that this law firm is more than a law firm.

It lets us know that there are people behind it that actually do the work. There are actual people. It’s not just an ad. It’s not just a billboard. It’s not just a slogan.

There are people, and it’s the people that are important.

KATIE FREY:
Kareem, thank you so much for your time today. We’re so excited for this week.

KAREEM BRYANT:
Thank you for having me.

KATIE FREY:
And thank you all so much for watching another episode of Law Meets Life. Until next time.