The only tennis podcast with a focus on doubles. We believe doubles should be more popular and get more coverage than it does, so we’re fixing that. Our goal is to help you become a better player with pro doubles tips and expert strategy. We interview ATP & WTA tour doubles players and top tennis coaches to help you improve your game.
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In this episode, instead of chatting with tennis personalities or talking strategy, we’re going to discuss one of our core missions, “How to grow doubles”. We’ve compiled several interviews with top tennis minds including Eric Butorac, Gigi Fernandez, Rajeev Ram, Gaby Dabrowski, and more on their thoughts. Our guests in this episode: Have over 30 Grand Slam victories combined. Several have reached Top 10 status, or have coached a player who has. All of them have dedicated their lives to not only...
In this interview, we chat with tennis media personality, Blair Henley. If you can think of it, post-match interviews, player introductions, trivia, writing, etc…, Blair does it. Blair has interviewed Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and more. She’s also been featured by Tennis Magazine, ESPN, WTA, and dozens of other outlets. This was a special episode, as I was joined by fellow Tennis Tribe writer Hanlon Walsh who wrote a Tennis Media Roundtable article on Blair in 2020. You’ll ga...
I recently got to spend some time chatting with top 100 ATP singles coach, Marc Lucero. He coaches American pro tennis player, Steve Johnson (who is also a great doubles player). This was recorded from the food court area at the Dallas Open where Steve was playing. You’ll gather some insights into what it takes to coach in the pros, as well as some practice strategies from an experienced player and coach. We talk about Steve Johnson, Marc’s tennis story (he almost became a lawyer!), and, of cour...
Today we discuss three of the best tactics to improve your doubles and win more matches. This episode is for those of you looking to gain an edge over your less tactically-sound opponents. The three tactics mentioned in the podcast come straight out of my new e-book 25 Winning Doubles Tactics . If you find these tactics helpful, you’ll definitely benefit from the other 22 winning doubles tactics. In addition to these tactics, this episode includes an update on some things that have happened sinc...
ATP doubles player, Nick Monroe, returns to the podcast (listen to my previous episode with Nick Monroe ). This time, I got to sit down with Nick in our hotel lobby during the 2021 World Team Tennis season for a quick conversation. Nick turned pro in 2004 and has since won four doubles titles. He reached a career-high ranking of #30 in the world, and in 2021, he made it to the round of 16 at the Australian Open. We talk about World TeamTennis, the benefits of coaching during matches, his offseas...
In this episode, I got to spend some time chatting with the new ATP Dallas Open tournament director Peter Lebedevs. You’ll gather some insights into what it takes to run a pro tournament, as well as some doubles strategies from an Aussie who has coached at every level of tennis. After trying several sports as a kid, Peter grew to love tennis, and that love turned into several years of playing and coaching. Following this, Peter would work his way through the ranks to become the tournament direct...
In this episode, you'll get insights from current top-50 doubles players. Asia Muhammad has six career WTA tour-level titles, most recently winning the WTA 250 Monterrey Open with her partner Caroline Dolehide . In this conversation, we talk about how she got into tennis, when she decided to turn pro, how to communicate better with your doubles partner, and more. I also ask Asia what makes her overheads so freaking good. They were the best I saw at WTT, male or female. After that, we talk double...
In this episode, you’ll get insights from a former pro player who is still a part of our sport as one of the best tennis analysts on TV. Nicolas Pereira is a former top 100 singles player and top 50 doubles player from Venezuela. In this conversation, we talk about his story growing up in Venezuela, how he made it to the pro tour, and what makes a good TV analyst for tennis (including the differences between the English & Latin markets). After that, we talk doubles strategy. Nico says he was...
Today you get to hear from one of the great doubles advocates of our sport. Luke Jensen is a former professional tennis player with 10 career doubles titles including the 1993 French Open title. Today, he coaches the New York Empire, is a TV analyst, and has a some innovative ideas on how to grow tennis (especially doubles). In this hour long conversation from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Luke and I discuss his career, doubles strategy, how to play with a lefty, how to beat John McEnroe, and ...
Caroline Dolehide is one of the top rising American women on the WTA tour. At only 23 years old, she is currently number 27 in the world in doubles, and top 200 in singles with a career-high of 102. I talked with Caroline at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden after she played a World Team Tennis match for the San Diego Aviators. In this conversation, she reveals the "no longer secret" return signals that she uses with Coco Vandeweghe. We also chat about her plans for 2022, strategy for 40-40 decidin...
Rick Leach is one of the top doubles players of all time. He won five major titles in men's doubles and four in mixed. Rick just coached the Orange County Breakers to the 2021 World Team Tennis championship. We discuss what Rick has seen changed in tennis since he played on tour, including how string technology has transformed the type of ball that is hit. I also ask him about coaching, lineup, and substitution strategy for World Team Tennis. After that, Rick shares his favorite doubles strategi...
Alexa Guarachi, fresh off the WTA Finals in Guadalajara, is one of the best doubles players in the world. In this episode, I chat with the world #13 doubles player about her background, strategy. How always smiling helps her play better doubles, and what showing frustration does for an opponent. How to use playing with a lefty to your strategic advantage. How to handle deciding "no-ad" points when you're returning and serving. We talk about playing in the altitude (Guadalajara is 5,200 feet). Yo...
If you talk to most people about their strengths and weaknesses in tennis, they'll say something like "I hate my backhand." But when you study the match court and the data, you find that strengths and weaknesses aren't so simple. In this episode, we'll analyze why the way you think about strengths and weaknesses needs to change. I'll also discuss a simple framework for finding an opponents' strengths and weaknesses. Tennis Analytics collected over 1400 points of doubles data to help us review wh...
Today's episode features the COO of World Team Tennis, Allen Hardison. We talk about last season's success in the middle of the pandemic, what to expect from the upcoming season, and their stacked rosters this year featuring... Kim Clijsters, Jack Sock, John Isner, Steve Johnson, Austin Krajicek, Desirae Krawczyk, Taylor Fritz, Coco Vandeweghe, Cati McNally, Nick Monroe, Sloane Stephens, Francis Tiafoe, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and more. You can see the show notes for this episode at: https://www....
Will spent 5 days at the PNB Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California watching, speaking with, and learning from the best doubles players in the world. This episode includes 5 takeaways that Will learned and you can incorporate into your own doubles game. Learn how pros spend their warm up time, what they practice during their off day, and the keys to the Indian Wells doubles champions' success. You can see the show notes for this episode at: https://www.thetennistribe.com/5-lessons-from-indian-...
Find out how one adjustment on my serve helped me beat a player I always struggled to win against. I'll show you my thought process behind each decision I made that lead me to this new, winning serve strategy. Then I'll discuss another match I played recently where I cracked my racquet. My partner and I got demolished 6-0, 6-2. In this case, I had been on vacation for two weeks previously and only had one week to prepare. Needless to say, I didn't prepare properly. I'll talk about what went wron...
How well do you know your doubles partner? In this episode, I speak with Jorge Capestany, who has coached tennis for decades and thinks that understanding your partner might be the most important factor to winning matches for adult tennis players. Jorge is one of the top tennis coaches in the US, and only one of ten people in the world who are Master Professionals for the USPTA & PTR. We cover 20 questions that you should know about your doubles partner, what your "traffic patterns" should b...
Steve Smith is more than a coach. He's a coach's coach. He's a teacher. He's also a student. Steve has worked in the tennis profession for nearly 50 years, and has more tennis knowledge in his left pinky than I have in my entire body. In this conversation, you'll learn where the serve and volley went, why doubles has lost popularity over the last 30-40 years, and why your volleys are floating instead of penetrating through the court. We talk doubles strategy and technique, but mostly I let Steve...
Do you struggle to win big matches? Or not know how to prepare? In this episode, I discuss what I've learned over the years that helps me prepare for big matches. How should we practice the week before the big match? Should I do more drills or match play? What is the best way to warm up? I've interviewed some of the best doubles players and coaches in the world. I use their knowledge to answer all these questions and share what has worked for me to win the big doubles matches. Learn my favorite ...
In this episode, I interview Jack Broudy from Broudy Tennis. Jack is a tennis player, coach, author, speaker, and inventor. He's coached college national champions, top US juniors, and touring pro players including Sam Querrey, Steve Johnson, and Coco Vandeweghe when they were rising juniors. Jack has a unique (but incredibly effective) teaching methodology called the Non-Linear Tennis System. He teaches every stroke from this foundational principle so players can learn the serve, groundstrokes,...
Older 40+ players are crafty, have more control, and never miss. Young 18-39 players are fast and hit the ball hard! This, of course, is an overgeneralization, but it’s helpful to think about how to beat each of these types of doubles teams. In this episode, I tell a story from college of a teammate who thought smacking overheads from the baseline was a good strategy for him. Our coach taught him that it wasn’t through a clever drill. We’ll use the lesson he learned to figure out how to beat a c...
Find out how I took away an opponent's strength by shifting my position, and how being more aggressive at the net helped my partner hold serve (even though she said she has a "weak serve"). In this episode, I talk about my own recent USTA league doubles matches and strategic adjustments I made to help me win. You'll be able to relate to these stories and use the strategies in your own doubles matches. **Doubles Strategy Course** This video course will teach you the best doubles tactics for servi...
When is the best time to use the lob in doubles? Is it more important to lob the ball high in the air, or lower and deep in the court? When should I use the lob return? In this episode, I answer all those questions and more about lobbing in doubles. Learn the difference between a defensive and offensive lob, the best times to lob the return from the deuce and ad side, and more! **Doubles Strategy Course** This video course will teach you the best doubles tactics for serving, returning, rallying,...
In doubles, getting to the net is a winning strategy. But sometimes it pays to play two-back in doubles. Why would we want to play two-back? What are the scenarios where it makes sense to play two-back? What is the best strategy when my partner and I are both at the baseline? In this episode, I analyze all those questions and more. Learn the best times to play two-back on the return, including an alternative strategy. I also share a story of when I successfully played two-back on my own serve wh...
In this episode, I speak with Christo van Rensburg. He was a part of the #1 doubles team in the world with Paul Annacone and won the 1985 Australian Open Doubles title. In this conversation, we dive deep into Christo's story including two moments that changed his life. I also ask him how doubles in the '80s and '90s compares to today. After that, we talk a lot about communication on the doubles court between partners, as well as how coaches should be communicating with their students. We also ta...
In this episode, I talk about practicing specifically for doubles. We should be practicing the things that will help us improve on the match course. So, how can we create drills and games around that? I also talk about why our mentality during practice should be different than during a match. We actually want to be making errors in practice. Then, I discuss different drills and games you can do with two or four people. By the end of this episode, you should have a better idea of how you can be m...
In this episode, I talk with Cyndy and Dan Lobb. This is a unique episode because you probably don't know Cyndy and Dan from the ATP or WTA tour ;) I wanted to have them on to share their story. They are 3.0 and 3.5 doubles players from Atlanta, Georgia who have gone from losing league matches and feeling "defeated" to winning against those same teams. How? They transformed the way they play doubles. During this conversation you'll learn what Cyndy changed that has her opponents now praising her...
This episode delves into mixed doubles tennis strategy, addressing common myths like who should play the ad court or serve first. It covers how to approach matches with different skill level dynamics, such as playing against or with a weaker partner or dealing with height and speed discrepancies. Practical advice is shared, including tips for better partner communication and specific tactics for various team compositions.
In this episode, I discuss tiebreakers. Whether you play recreationally, competitive USTA league matches, or even on the pro tour, tiebreakers matter. How do we win more tiebreakers? How can I stop getting so nervous? Why do I always double fault in tiebreakers? What should my strategy be during tiebreakers? **Doubles Strategy Course** This video course will teach you the best doubles tactics for serving, returning, rallying, and approaching so that you’ll have a winning plan for every point. 25...
Will checks in on "doubles down under" with Tennis Tribe writer, Hanlon Walsh. They discuss the Australian Open doubles draws so far and make predictions for the men's and women's draws going into week 2. See the AO doubles roundtable preview here: https://www.thetennistribe.com/australian-open-2021-doubles-roundtable/ **Doubles Strategy Course** This video course will teach you the best doubles tactics for serving, returning, rallying, and approaching so that you’ll have a winning plan for ever...
