Carlos Martinez is the coach of top 20 WTA doubles players, Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez. He also coaches WTA singles star Karolina Pliskova. Carlos was a top junior player in Colombia, where he grew up in Bogota, before playing college tennis for division 1 teams, Western Michigan and Jackson State. Carlos is one of the best mental coaches I’ve ever been around and you’ll learn a lot from this discussion that will help you become mentally stronger on the court. We discuss: The best ...
Dec 13, 2023•52 min•Ep. 147
The ability to transition to the net in doubles is an underrated skill to have. It's also something doubles players rarely practice. This episode covers common mistakes I see on the half-volley and the approach shot, as well as several drills you can use to practice your transition game. You'll learn the best ways to serve & volley, return & volley, and get to the net during a rally. Support the show by shopping through these links: Tennis Tribe's 40+ Best Tennis Gifts Sho...
Dec 06, 2023•17 min•Ep. 146
This is a rebroadcast of my interview with Craig O'Shannessy from October 2020. Craig is the strategy analyst for Wimbledon, the ATP Tour, and the New York Times. He has also been the strategy coach for Novak Djokovic and currently works with 4 players inside the top 100 including world #8 Matteo Berrettini. You can follow him on his website, Brain Game Tennis . See the shownotes for this episode here: https://www.thetennistribe.com/craig-oshannessy-interview/ **Doubles Strategy Courses** T...
Nov 29, 2023•50 min•Ep. 145
In this episode, I interview one of the greatest tennis coaches ever. Coach Rick Macci has coached tennis for over 40 years. He's helped five players reach world #1 including Serena and Venus Williams, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, and Jennifer Capriati. If his name sounds familiar, it may be because Rick was portrayed by Jon Bernthal in the movie "King Richard". Rick shares several entertaining stories from when he coached these players, the type of mindset he encourages players...
Nov 22, 2023•58 min•Ep. 144
In doubles, you'll often play against a team with one of three different game styles. Pushers - they lob endlessly, never miss, and make you beat yourself. Attackers - they serve and volley, get to the net, and apply relentless pressure. Baseliners - they play straight-up doubles, usually 1-up 1-back, with really good groundstrokes that force errors and make you afraid to poach. In this episode, I cover how to beat each of these types of teams, including recent examples where I saw it work....
Nov 16, 2023•21 min•Ep. 143
Kirsten Flipkens is a former WTA player who retired earlier in 2023 and is now coaching. I spoke with her at the WTA Finals where she was coaching Demi Schuurs & Desirae Krawczyk. We chatted about: Her transition from player to coach. Doubles tips for club players. How to improve drop shots and slices. Her favorite doubles drill. Mixed doubles strategy. There's also a brief interruption/guest appearance by Ons Jabeur... she was walking through the hotel lobby and took the microphone fro...
Nov 08, 2023•18 min•Ep. 142
This is a conversation with Demi Schuurs from the WTA Finals in Cancun. Demi partnered with Desirae Krawczyk and I spoke with her between her first and second matches. We discussed how she spent her days off in Cancun, including her gym routine. I asked her how she's had so much doubles success with different partners. This is her 5th consecutive WTA Finals with four different partners. Demi made a surprise appearance in the singles draw of the WTA 1000 tournament in Guadalajara and she tel...
Nov 07, 2023•19 min•Ep. 141
Dan Kiernan is the coach of 2023 US Open Champion Gaby Dabrowski, ATP doubles team Lloyd Glasspool & Harri Heliovaara, a podcast host, and a former podcast guest from earlier this year. Dan chatted with me and Tennis Tribe doubles writer, Hanlon Walsh, from the WTA Finals in Cancun a day after Gaby and her partner, Erin Routliffe, beat the top seeds, Coco Gauff & Jessica Pegula, in straight sets. In this conversation, we discuss the match, the game plan, and a specific phrase Dan told th...
Nov 05, 2023•24 min•Ep. 140
This is another interview with Elise Mertens and Storm Hunter from the WTA Finals. This time I spoke with the 2nd seeds after their second match victory over Melichar-Martinez and Perez. They won the match 7-5 6-4 over a two-day period and numerous rain delays. We discussed how they handled the delays, as well as a tactic I noticed their opponents using on 2nd serves and how they handled that. I also asked them about playing in the windy conditions, especially Elise who likes to use the lob ofte...
Nov 04, 2023•7 min•Ep. 139
This is another interview from the WTA Finals and it's a great one. We chatted with 2020 US Open Champions, Vera Zvonareva and Laura Siegmund, after their 3-set victory over Krejcikova and Siniakova. We discussed the rollercoaster of a match where they lost a two-break-lead in the 2nd set as well as two match points in the tiebreaker. I asked how they were able to stay focused after the momentum changed. Laura is one of the most aggressive net players in the game with next-level instincts (...
Nov 02, 2023•12 min•Ep. 138
Elise Mertens and Storm Hunter are the #2 seeds at this year's WTA Finals in Cancun. This is a short conversation with them after their 1st round match where they defeated Aoyama & Shibahara 6-4 6-2. We discussed how they took momentum after going down an early break in the first set. Then I asked them how they game plan against a player like Shuko Aoyama who takes away the net. Elise also shares where she gets her ridiculously effective lob. I really liked her answer here. They talk a ...
Nov 02, 2023•9 min•Ep. 137
Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara are the #3 seeds at this year's WTA Finals in Cancun. This is a short conversation with them after their 1st round match where they defeated Krawczyk & Schuurs 7-5 6-2, winning 9 of 9 deciding points. We ask the Japanese pair how they played the big points so well, what they did to adjust to the courts (they have a higher bounce than usual), and their plans for 2024. **Doubles Strategy Courses** 25 Winning Doubles Tactics Video Course This video course wil...
Oct 31, 2023•13 min•Ep. 136
Matthew Futterman ( @MattFutterman ) is an award-winning tennis journalist who has worked for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and now, The Athletic. He has authored two books and is working on a third, about tennis, called "The Cruelest Game". This episode is a little different. You're not going to get doubles strategy out of this one, but you will get some deep insights into the world of pro tennis, why it isn't as popular in the US, and why doubles, specificall...
Oct 27, 2023•52 min•Ep. 135
2nd serve points only account for about 35% of points in doubles, but it's crucial to have a good 2nd serve strategy. Your goal should be to win 50% or more of your 2nd serve points. In this episode, I share some ideas on improving your 2nd serve strategy for doubles players with strong, medium, and... WEAK 2nd serves. When should you use formations on 2nd serves? Is it okay to poach or fake on a 2nd serve? What should you do if your partner has a weak 2nd serve and the opponent is crushing...
Oct 25, 2023•24 min•Ep. 134
I've recently been training a few USTA doubles teams, helping them prepare for nationals. In this episode, I'll share five things I told them to practice that are neglected by club-level doubles players & teams. Practicing these skills will help you make the other team play bad because most doubles teams you'll face won't be used to seeing this stuff. I'll cover a specific return that you probably use but never practice. Why you're practicing volleys the wrong w...
Oct 18, 2023•22 min•Ep. 133
Communication and teamwork in doubles aren't easy to teach or measure. That's why I think I've neglected the subject a bit over the years. But over and over, the world's best players, like recent podcast guests and US Open Champions, Rajeev Ram & Erin Routliffe, continue to stress the importance of working together with their partner, communicating effectively, and building trust. This episode covers what I think you should be communicating with your partner before, durin...
Oct 11, 2023•27 min•Ep. 132
I recently played in USTA 9.0 Mixed Doubles Sectionals in Abilene, TX. This episode covers 3 lessons learned from my time there with our team. We didn't have a great performance but you can always learn from your losses. I discuss choosing return sides and playing with strengths in the middle of the court with an example from one of our 4.5/4.5 teams who hadn't played together before. You'll also learn how to adjust your return position based on several factors, plus why I used Au...
Oct 04, 2023•20 min•Ep. 131
2023 US Open men's doubles champion, Rajeev Ram joins the show for the second time. Rajeev shares his experience winning his third consecutive US Open alongside partner, Joe Salisbury. I asked Rajeev about the 2023 season which has been a bit of a rollercoaster for him and Joe. One of my favorite parts of this episode is when Rajeev explains how his communication with Joe has improved and how he worked on that when he transitioned from singles to doubles earlier in his career. We also discu...
Sep 27, 2023•37 min•Ep. 130
Daniel Nestor is one of the best doubles players ever. He has eight men's doubles grand slams, four mixed doubles major titles, an Olympic Gold Medal, and won the Tour Finals four times. Daniel recently built an online course for club players that we discuss in this episode, along with his incredibly successful career. Daniel shares what made his most successful doubles teammates so good, including a decade-long partnership with Mark Knowles. I also ask him what made the Bryan Brothers so t...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 129
WTA doubles player Erin Routliffe joins the show for the second time, but the 1st time as a major champion. Erin won the 2023 US Open Women's Doubles Title alongside new partner, Gaby Dabrowski. You'll hear how Erin approached the new partnership with Gaby since they had only played for three tournaments before the US Open. She also shares how she dealt with an electric US Open crowd that was mostly against her during their quarterfinal match. Erin shares advice on dealing with nerves ...
Sep 13, 2023•29 min•Ep. 128
This is a conversation with the coach of ATP doubles star, Joe Salisbury, Dave O'Hare. I chatted with Dave in New York as his team go for a 3-peat of the US Open. Listen to my previous conversation with Dave: https://www.thetennistribe.com/dave-ohare-interview/ Joe and Rajeev beat a team in the quarterfinals that they lost to a few weeks earlier. I asked Dave if they made any adjustments and how they approached playing the same team in two weeks. Dave also shares insights on the lob return,...
Sep 08, 2023•20 min•Ep. 127
This is the 8th and final episode in our 8-part series on doubles strategy. On every shot in doubles, you can choose which direction you want to hit the ball. But how do you know you're choosing the right direction? Many club-level doubles players go down the line when they should go crosscourt, never change their serve location, or don't think about the best target for approach shots. In this episode, I'll cover how to use direction to improve your doubles strategy for serving, r...
Aug 30, 2023•16 min•Ep. 126
This is a rebroadcast of my interview with Gigi Fernandez from December 2020. In this episode, Will talks with Gigi Fernandez, one of the greatest doubles players of all time. Gigi won 17 major doubles titles on the professional tour and two Olympic Gold Medals. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010. Today, she specializes in teaching club and recreational adult doubles players. This is a really rare opportunity where you get someone from the pro-level teaching at a...
Aug 23, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 125
In doubles, choosing the correct return side is one of the most important decisions you'll make with your partner before each match. It's also one of the most misunderstood topics by club-level doubles players. In this episode, I'll cover how to think about choosing return sides and share a recent example where I moved my partner to the ad side even though they preferred their forehand. There are two BIG myths that you might be using when it comes to choosing return sides that I&a...
Aug 16, 2023•20 min•Ep. 124
This is a rebroadcast of my interview with Jorge Capestany from September 2021. How well do you know your doubles partner? In this episode, I speak with Jorge Capestany in great depth about this question. Jorge is one of the top tennis coaches in the US and one of only ten people in the world who are Master Professionals for the USPTA and PTR. He’s coached tennis for decades and thinks that understanding your partner might be the most important factor in winning matches for adult tennis players....
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 123
Today, I'm launching my new doubles course, 25 Winning Doubles Tactics . So in this episode, I wanted to share 3 tactics that I use in my own doubles matches and teach to club players like you. The first two tactics are from the course where you can see real examples of each tactic being executed. They are called the Shoe Shine and the Sneaky Lob. The last one is from a recent 9.0 mixed doubles match where my partner and I made what turned out to be a fantastic adjustment to come back after...
Aug 02, 2023•20 min•Ep. 122
This is an interview with WTA doubles player, Demi Schuurs. Demi has a career-high ranking of #7 in the world, including 17 doubles titles on tour. Demi is also a top returner and net player, making her one of my favorite players to watch. She has a very old-school doubles game, constantly moving forward and taking away time from her opponents. In this conversation, we discuss her story – she grew up in the Netherlands, how to play with different doubles partners, including her current one, Desi...
Jul 27, 2023•43 min•Ep. 121
This is an interview with ATP tennis coach, Rob Morgan. Rob has coached tennis for over two decades and currently coaches world #1 doubles player Wesley Koolhof, who just won Wimbledon alongside Neal Skupski. I ask Rob about his role on their team and what it took to win Wimbledon. Wesley and Neal have been the best team in the world for over a year but hadn't won a Grand Slam until last week. You'll find out what they improved this year to get over the hump and win their first major t...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 120
This is the 7th episode in our 8-part series on doubles strategy. Part 1, Time: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1375636/12544725 Part 2, Movement: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1375636/12723935 Part 3, Position: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1375636/12772002 Part 4, Power & Pace: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1375636/12815640 Part 5, Spin: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1375636/12910388 Part 6, Height: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1375636/12993269 Depth is more important than most people realize. But it's ...
Jul 12, 2023•14 min•Ep. 119
This is an interview with Philip Farmer who has coached on the ATP & WTA tours for over two decades. Phil has one of the smartest doubles minds in the world and has coached four different players to a world #1 doubles ranking including the Bryan Brothers, Corina Morariu, and most recently, Austin Krajicek, who I interviewed last week. He's also coached a number of singles players including Sam Querrey and John Isner. However, in this episode, we focus heavily on how a club-level player ...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 118
