Tosh Show Podcast: "My Local Tennis Pro - Trey Waltke"

Host: Daniel Tosh
Guest: Trey Waltke (Former Tennis Pro, GM Malibu Racquet Club)
Release Date: March 3, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode brings tennis front and center with guest Trey Waltke, a former professional player with lifetime matches against the likes of John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. Trey, now the GM of the Malibu Racquet Club, joins Daniel Tosh for a freewheeling, hilarious and insightful conversation about the old-school pro tennis tour, legendary matches, celebrity encounters, club culture, and the evolution of tennis. With candid stories, plenty of sarcasm, and a lot of love for the sport, this episode is a treat for tennis buffs and comedy fans alike.

Main Themes and Purposes

• A behind-the-scenes look at a pro tennis career in the 1970s and 80s
• Comparisons between tennis generations and thoughts on the modern game
• Life after pro sports: business ventures and club management
• Insider tales from tennis legends and celebrity circles
• The evolving culture of the tennis club, Malibu life, and the pickleball invasion
• Parenting, tennis development for kids, and Daniel's comedic takes throughout

Detailed Breakdown & Key Moments

1. Tennis Fandom & The Indian Wells Excitement

Timestamp: 03:54–06:26

• Daniel, self-professed tennis superfan, prefers watching to playing:
  “I'm a huge tennis fan. I don't really care about playing. I just like to watch.” (06:29 – Daniel Tosh)
• Eagerly anticipates the Indian Wells Tournament, discusses player drama, and his hope that Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff will carry the American flag:
  “Ben and Coco. All Americans at the Indian Wells.” (05:31)

2. Trey's Tennis Origins in St. Louis

Timestamp: 07:17–09:31

• Both Daniel and Trey have St. Louis roots; Trey explains how the city was a tennis hotbed in the 1960s, rivaling LA.
  “Back in the 60s, the two biggest towns that had the best players in them nationally ranked were Los Angeles and St. Louis.” (08:45 – Trey Waltke)
• Trey played against Jimmy Connors’ mother as a junior:
  “I used to play against his mother when I was 11 and 12. And then he'd actually play against my father.” (09:09)

3. Early Independence & Turning Pro

Timestamp: 09:33–11:17

• Trey left home at 17 for LA to train; describes adulting early:
  “I'd also gone to tournaments by myself since I was 12… balance my checkbook, have travelers checks, go out for dinners.” (10:14 – Trey)
• Attended Cal, turned pro at 19 after freshman year:
  “After my freshman year at Cal, I turned pro. So I was 19… that was 74.” (10:52 – Trey)
• Daniel marvels at 70s “extracurriculars”: “Talk about the cocaine.” “That's what I can't.” (11:17 – Trey, wryly)

4. Pro Tennis on the 70s Circuit: Realities and Rivalries

Timestamp: 11:36–14:26; 17:30–21:27

• Life on tour: day-to-day travel, booking hotels “day by day”, scraping by, and wild social experiences.
• Small number of competitors:
  “There was probably 250 people trying to earn a living playing tennis.” (11:36 – Trey)
• Parental support rare: “My dad would go to one tournament a year to watch me play when I was a pro. My mom saw me play once.” (13:07 – Trey)
• Coaching taboo then, now open:
  “We never had coaches in our day… Borg did that.” (13:34 – Trey)

Memorable Quote:

“One year at the US Open… as we're switching sides, [McEnroe] gets right in my face like this, and he goes, ‘fuck you.’” (18:09 – Trey Waltke)

5. The McEnroe Encounters & Trash Talk

Timestamp: 17:30–19:41

• Trey was 2–2 lifetime vs. John McEnroe; describes the match-up:
  “His lefty serve went to my best shot, which was actually a high backhand.” (17:32 – Trey)
• Tells of McEnroe’s in-match verbal abuse and post-point antics.

6. Old School Party Culture & Tennis Legends

Timestamp: 25:40–27:34

• The 1970s and early 80s as “the party era” in tennis, with superstar Vitus Gerulaitis as king of the scene:
  “He had enough means to purchase some of the things that we partaked in in those days…” (25:55 – Trey)
• Annual pre-Wimbledon party—even got busted by London police.

7. Tennis, O.J. Simpson, and Celebrity Tales

Timestamp: 26:50–27:33; 51:33–52:53

• O.J. Simpson played tennis in 70s LA and attended many parties with pro athletes.
• Celebrities in the tennis world: Johnny Carson partnered with Trey in doubles; Robert Duvall and Gavin Rossdale flagged as surprisingly talented celebrity players.

8. Debating Tennis Eras: Then vs. Now

Timestamp: 27:35–28:38; 29:18–32:36

• Daniel and Trey debate the quality gap between generations.
  “Do I think that Sinner's much better than Federer? Nadal? No.” (27:54 – Trey)
• The role of equipment and physicality:
  “The guys now are much taller than my generation was.” (28:07 – Trey)

9. Current Tennis, Favorites, and Mount Rushmore

Timestamp: 30:26–33:15

• Trey’s favorite modern player: Carlos Alcaraz.
• Federer and Nadal also top his list; honors Pancho Gonzalez and Steffi Graf in his personal tennis “Mount Rushmore”.
• Daniel dislikes watching “the Ovas” (female Eastern European players), roots patriotically for Coco Gauff.

10. Pro Life Realities: Money, Rankings, and Legacy

Timestamp: 22:09–24:32

• 1980 best year:
  “That year I think I grossed like 98,000… if I was ranked 41 now… maybe a million and a half.” (22:29–22:41 – Trey)
• Not fully content, wishes he’d cracked the Top 20:
  “I was like a dangerous floater on the tour… I'd beat the top guys and lose to you the next round.” (23:19–23:37)

Memorable Quote:

“I wrote an article about that because I used to get asked, 'what's your ranking?' and I go, ‘41’. They go, ‘Oh, it’s too bad.’ …Well, what's your doctor ranked?” (24:09 – Trey)

11. Tennis Club Life & Malibu Racket Club

Timestamp: 38:28–45:00

• Trey’s journey from pro to GM: serendipitous meeting with Larry Ellison led to the job.
• Refurbished the club to resemble Nobu, now an upscale spot with a long waitlist.
  “Our boss owns [Indian Wells], too. …Been there every year since '74.” (25:24; 35:31)
• Membership details: $12k–$16k initiation, $400–$450/month, 3-year waitlist.
• Prohibits pickleball:
  “It's just frickin tiddlywinks to me. It's just like plink, plink, plink. …I've played it. I get it. …We're tennis only.” (37:35 – Trey)

12. Parenting, Tennis Lessons, and the Next Generation

Timestamp: 47:05–48:41

• Daniel’s son is learning tennis; Trey’s advice:
  “Perfect age to start. …All you can hope for is that he likes it enough to play it in high school, because I think it keeps him out of a lot of trouble.” (47:13–47:36 – Trey)
• Firm on not overpraising kids:
  “Don't over praise him, though… don't. Sends a bad message.” (48:17–48:22)

13. Gifts and Comic Banter

Timestamp: 48:46–51:16

• Exchange of club gear, tennis books, and a “money tree” from Tosh’s agent (“a witch”).
• Daniel jokes about tennis celebrities who are “painfully bad” at the game.

14. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the meaning of Top 40 in the world:

  “So I'm saying 41st in the world at something is pretty remarkable.” (24:05 – Daniel Tosh)

• On the notorious tennis party scene:

  “So, you know, let's just do it. So one year we had a phenomenal. And everyone showed up. It was just great. And the cops busted us, too...” (26:36 – Trey)

• On Malibu club moms:

  “These moms are so assertive these days.” (45:36 – Trey, tongue-in-cheek, re: pros dating members' wives)

15. Sarcasm, Irreverence & Standout Humor

• On Daniel’s club membership angst:

  “I'm going to go out on the court with a can of spray paint and just show them how easy it is to turn one tennis court into four pickleball courts.” (53:04 – Daniel Tosh, trolling)

• Unfiltered riffing about circumcision, hipsters, and “who’s traumatized by seeing a penis” in recurring segment “They love me, they love me not.” (54:25–56:47)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Indian Wells and Djokovic banter: 05:09–06:26
• Trey’s start in St. Louis tennis: 07:17–09:31
• Early days, turning pro: 09:33–11:17
• Life on tour, parents’ support: 11:36–13:07
• McEnroe confrontations: 18:09–19:03
• On the party scene: 25:40–26:49
• Club management, Malibu Racquet Club evolution: 38:28–45:00
• Membership info and club culture: 43:14–44:11
• Parenting, tennis for kids: 47:05–48:41

Conclusion

In this lively and layered episode, Daniel Tosh explores the glamour, grit, and absurdity of pro tennis and exclusive club life with Trey Waltke. Between gritty 1970s tour stories, sardonic rants about modern tennis stars, and insider comedy about club drama, listeners get a rare crossover between the stand-up stage and the tennis court. Trey’s blend of humility, candor, and old-school cool pairs perfectly with Daniel’s irreverent humor for an episode that’s as informative as it is fun, whether you know your backhands from your backflips—or just enjoy a world-class riff.

Standout Quote:

“I beat the top guys and lose to you the next round. Okay. So I wish I had been a lot more consistent, that's all.” (23:37 – Trey Waltke)

Listen if you:

• Love tennis nostalgia and inside stories
• Wonder what club life is like in Malibu
• Want to laugh at tennis pros, club rivalries, and Daniel’s parenting anxieties
• Are curious about the transition from sports to business
• Appreciate honest, hilarious looks behind the velvet curtain of elite sports and LA culture.