SPENCE: What do you love most about the game and/or the world around it?

SPIKE: I really love tennis people. It doesn't matter who they are or where they come from — they're generally just as obsessed with the game and getting better at it as I am. The tennis court is one of those great equalizers. One of the few places in the world where people set aside their differences to enjoy some time together while also trying to hurt each other with furry yellow balls.

SPENCE: You played tennis while you were younger. And then you found the game again with your son. How is it better the second time around? 

SPIKE: I grew up in a small farming town in Massachusetts. Not exactly tennis heaven. So I quickly dropped tennis in favor of baseball. When I took my first lesson out here in Cali, the pro looked at my strokes and said,’I know the exact decade someone taught you those strokes. It's a whole new game now, so we've gotta start over.’ The second time around has been rich with the experience of the Los Angeles tennis community, which is vibrant, full of passion and expertise. Not to mention perfect weather year-round. The ability to play every day.

SPENCE: You've written some of the most quoted lines ever. You host a car podcast. You play tennis. Do these worlds talk to each other?

SPIKE: The world of comedy and tennis collides at least once a month when the ball finds its way into the crotch of a male player and he goes down. The ball freezes for a split second as it hits the target. It's one of the funniest images in professional sports,and if it happens to you, know that you are bringing joy to everyone on the court. With respect to cars: Take a look at every tournament around the world and you will see an automotive manufacturer that sponsors it. Words and music. Tennis and cool cars.

SPENCE: Does having a comedy writer's brain make you better or worse at laughing off a double fault?

SPIKE: For me, writing requires that I inhabit a character. So with tennis, I do the same. I watch instructional videos from professional ATP coaches, pro players, and frankly anyone with an Instagram account, looking for wisdom or that one tip that will change my game for the better. Federer said it best about the double fault. ‘It's just one point. Now that it's over, what's next? Amnesia. It never happened.

SPENCE: If tennis were a car, what would it be? What about Padel? Squash?

SPIKE: I have no time for other racquet sports. Especially cruise ship party games like pickleball. For me, tennis is an obsession. I really had no idea how deep the game was when I started on this journey four years ago. If tennis was a car? It would be a Porsche 718 Spyder RS in Auratium Green. Fast, light, top-down, stylish, and fun.

SPENCE: What's a tennis shot that drives like your favorite car?

SPIKE: A fast first serve is very much like launch control on a sports car. Zero to 120 mph in a few seconds. That's what it's all about.

SPENCE: What's in your tennis bag that says the most about who you are?

SPIKE: I work with Babolat, so I always keep six of their rackets with me every time I play. Currently,I'm hitting the new Pure Aero 98 and the Carbon Pure Strike 16/19 Gen4. Exceptional rackets that give me better control and firepower. I also have a couple of 2018 Pure Drives for when the mood strikes to hit flat and hard with less input. When it comes to the rest of my bag, I'm like a Boy Scout. Be prepared for everything. Band-Aids, gels, way too many damps and overgrips to use in a decade. Lots and lots of snacks. A wireless speaker and even a little radar gun for when we're lucky enough to hit with D1 college players who are showing off their no-joke serves and shotgun forehands."