Three lessons that will improve your mental game on the doubles court. There's obviously a huge difference between pro and club-level doubles players. While we can't emulate their 120 MPH serves, we can absorb their mindset. These three lessons from my new Masterclass have helped me more than any others over the last several years and I know they'll help you too. You don't have to win every point. Duh?! Be willing to make changes. Most club players never do. You're the 4...
Apr 30, 2024•21 min•Ep. 177
Doubles is a TEAM sport. You have to not only worry about playing well yourself but also need to know how to get the most out of your partner. This episode covers several things you can do to support your doubles partner so they play their best! Three conversations to have with your partner before the match starts. One thing that is proven to help teammates while playing tennis (and other sports). How to keep energy and confidence high. This will build your team chemistry for new and existing pa...
Apr 24, 2024•18 min•Ep. 176
This episode covers three new lessons I've learned recently while coaching a high school team. These players are around the USTA 3.0 to 4.0 level. How to think about attacking the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent. A tactic that worked for one of my doubles teams in windy conditions. How I structured approach plus volley drills, and why. Sign up for the Tennis Summit to see my presentation on Common Poaching Mistakes & How to Fix Them. ----- **Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsle...
Apr 17, 2024•30 min•Ep. 175
Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers are one of the most accomplished doubles pairings of the last five years on the ATP Tour. I spoke with them in Miami after their second-round win. We discussed their 7-5 6-3 win which Horacio said was one of their "best matches this year." They faced two players whom they've faced many times, Mate Pavić and Marcelo Arévalo. We talk about how they handle facing players who they know so well and who know them, as well as the windy conditions. I...
Apr 15, 2024•8 min•Ep. 174
Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram are 3-time reigning US Open Champions. I spoke with them in Miami after their second round 7-5 7-6 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Thanassi Kokkinakis. Adam Ross from Florida Tennis joined me for this interview. We asked the US Open champs about the match, including a specific tactic they kept going to that I picked up on. They talked about team chemistry and if they think it helps them early in the season, and how to play doubles vs singles players. You'll ...
Apr 11, 2024•18 min•Ep. 173
Elise Mertens is the 2nd ranked doubles player on the WTA tour. She has four major titles including the 2024 Australian Open. I spoke with Elise in Miami after her 1st round victory. We talk about that match, practicing for singles vs doubles, and how she and Hsieh Su-wei adjust to different opponents. Elise also shares why focusing on your good points can help you in pressure moments and a few thoughts on marketing for doubles. ----- **Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Pla...
Apr 10, 2024•9 min•Ep. 172
Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektić have been one of the best doubles teams on the ATP Tour in 2024. They've won three titles so far, including Indian Wells, and I spoke with them in Miami after their first-round win. We talked about the match, their 10-point tiebreaker success, how they handle pressure & nerves (they each deal with it differently), and Wesley's goals for his last year on tour. Also, please fill out the Pro Doubles Survey ! ----- **Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newslet...
Apr 05, 2024•10 min•Ep. 171
Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia (Sonya) Kenin won the 2024 Miami Open. I spoke with them after their 2nd round victory in Miami for about 10 minutes. Bethanie & Sonya deliver some fantastic doubles strategy tips throughout this conversation, so listen carefully. We discuss: Their first two victories, including what adjustments they had to make. How they structure their doubles practices. Who calls plays during service games & how do they communicate during the match? You'll also hea...
Apr 02, 2024•18 min•Ep. 170
Rohan Bopanna won the Australian Open earlier this year, reached #1 in the world, and turned 44 years old on March 4th. I spoke with Rohan at the Miami Open after his round 1 victory. He and his partner, Matt Ebden, won that match in a third set after dropping the first. We discuss adjustments he made to turn it around. I also asked Rohan how he spent his offseason after losing in the US Open final and finishing strong to end 2023. How did he come back better in 2024 at 43 years old? At the end,...
Apr 01, 2024•13 min•Ep. 169
Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are the 4th and 5th ranked doubles players on the WTA Tour. They won the 2023 US Open and have been on the show several times previously. Previous Episodes: Gaby Dabrowski Interview Erin Routliffe Interview In this short post-match interview from Miami, we discuss their 6-4 6-4 round of 16 victory. How they won a high percentage of 2nd serve points - 76%. Great lesson here! What they do on off days in Miami. Why Erin got frustrated in the 2nd set and what they d...
Mar 29, 2024•9 min•Ep. 168
World #1, Austin Krajicek, joins the show for the second time. We recorded from the hotel lobby in Miami where Austin had a few days off due to weather. Listen to my previous interview with Austin here: https://www.thetennistribe.com/austin-krajicek-interview/ We discuss how he spent his off days, book recommendations, hotel choices in Miami, the no-ad/10-point breaker format, and his 2024 season so far. Austin and his partner, Ivan Dodig, have made one final this year but have had some very clo...
Mar 28, 2024•23 min•Ep. 167
This conversation with Australian Open Champion, Matt Ebden, focuses on the state of professional doubles and where it might go over the next several years. Helping to make pro doubles more popular is one of my passions and missions for Tennis Tribe and this podcast, so I was excited to chat with Matt about this topic. Matt is the 3rd ranked doubles player on the ATP tour, a 3-time grand slam champion, and reached a career-high of #39 in singles. He is also on the ATP Player's Council and i...
Mar 19, 2024•23 min•Ep. 166
Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez are the number 7 & 8 ranked doubles players in the world. They recently made the finals at the WTA 1000 in Dubai and followed it up with a WTA 500 victory in San Diego. This conversation with them and their coach, Carlos Martinez, took place a day after their round 1 win at Indian Wells. We chat about that victory and their season so far. I asked them: What they've learned about each other over the last two years as a doubles pairing. What Carlos...
Mar 16, 2024•29 min•Ep. 165
Tereza Mihalíková is the 56th-ranked doubles player on the WTA Tour. Tennis Tribe writer, Hanlon Walsh, and I spoke with her at the ATX Open where she partnered with Yanina Wickmayer during her off day. This is a short conversation where we ask about her win vs Sloane Stephens & Peyton Stearns, 4-6 6-2 10-2. Tereza played a near-perfect tiebreaker and was super active at the net. We discussed the match up against two "singles players" and how it differs from playing doubles players...
Mar 15, 2024•17 min•Ep. 164
Sophie Chang is the 82nd ranked doubles player on the WTA Tour. She made the 3rd round of the 2023 US Open with Alycia Parks and has 1 WTA & 21 ITF doubles titles. I sat down with Sophie at the 2024 ATX Open where she lost a close first round match (7-6 7-6) to the top seeds alongside Angela Kulikov. In this long conversation, we speak about the match, on court attitude, doubles strategy, and more. You'll learn: Why Sophie & Angela play 2-back on her Angela's second serve - som...
Mar 07, 2024•49 min•Ep. 163
Bibiane Schoofs (Netherlands) is the 92nd-ranked doubles player on the WTA Tour. Her partner at the ATX Open, Katarzyna Kawa (Poland), is ranked #93 in doubles and top 200 in singles. Schoofs and Kawa made the finals in Austin. This episode includes two interviews with the finalists, after their quarterfinal and semifinal victories. We spoke about each matchup, including the different conditions throughout the week. They partnered together for the first time in Austin and made the deadline by on...
Mar 05, 2024•17 min•Ep. 162
Olivia Gadecki (deuce) is a 21-year-old Australian ranked 77 in the world in doubles and 140 in singles. Olivia Nicholls (ad) is the #81 ranked doubles player on the WTA Tour. The Olivia's won the 2024 ATX Open. This episode includes our conversation from Saturday after they got a walkover in their semifinal match, followed by a few quick questions after their final victory before they had to rush to the airport for flights to their next events. We discussed their quarterfinal win, how they...
Mar 05, 2024•28 min•Ep. 161
This episode includes two post-match interviews from the ATX Open with top seeds, Nadiia Kichenok and Oksana Kalashnikova. I chatted with them after their round one and quarterfinal wins in Austin. Nadiia and Oksana are both inside the top 55 on the WTA doubles tour. You'll learn: Why they used more I-formation in their first match, but less in the quarterfinals. How they adjusted to different match conditions - from cold & windy one day to sunny and hot a few days later. Details about ...
Mar 03, 2024•15 min•Ep. 160
This is the first in a series of post-match interviews with doubles players from the ATX Open, in Austin, Texas. Maya Joint (Australia) and Sabina Zeynalova (Ukraine) won their first-round match 6-7 6-4 10-4 and chatted with me after. Sabina is a junior at the University of Texas where she plays on the women's tennis team. Maya (17) plans to join her in the fall of '24 as a freshman. We spoke about how the cold, windy match conditions affected their strategy. They also shared a few thi...
Mar 02, 2024•9 min•Ep. 159
As we dive into the mental side of doubles over the next several weeks, I wanted to share 3 mental myths that many doubles players believe. Join the newsletter for more mental lessons. Once you stop believing these and reframe your mindset, you'll be a better doubles player. Great players don't get nervous. Losing a point is bad. If you miss or get beat down the line, it's your fault you lost the point. I'll explain how to think about each of these myths differently, so you p...
Feb 28, 2024•17 min•Ep. 158
Christo van Rensburg, former world #5 in doubles and tournament director of the WTA 250 ATX Open, joins the show for the third time. In this episode, we preview the 2024 ATX Open and learn a few new doubles lessons from Christo. The ATX Open is entering year two on the WTA Calendar, and fans can expect some exciting changes at the event. The field includes Vika Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, Danielle Collins, Taylor Townsend, Caty McNally, and more. After previewing this year's tournament, we d...
Feb 21, 2024•46 min•Ep. 157
Will Blumberg is the #93 ranked doubles player on the ATP Tour. He was a 10-time All-American at North Carolina and made the finals of the 2024 Dallas Open where this conversation was recorded. Will and I sat down on his day off in Dallas to discuss his career, the pro doubles tour, and strategy. You'll learn: Why Will and his partner, Rinky Hijikata, switched return sides after the 1st set - I almost never see this at the pro level. How he picks up his energy for 10-point tiebreakers . Wha...
Feb 17, 2024•18 min•Ep. 156
Neal Skupski is one of the best doubles players in the world over the last several years. He's a 3-time Wimbledon Champion, winning 2 mixed titles (2021, 22) and 1 men's title (2023), former world #1, and a recent Australian Open mixed doubles finalist. He is currently the #8 ranked doubles player on the ATP Tour. I spoke with Neal on a day off for him at the 2024 Dallas Open. In this episode, we dive deep into his practice drills and routines, including specific tactics that apply to ...
Feb 14, 2024•26 min•Ep. 155
This is an AMA (ask me anything) episode on net play strategy. My new Masterclass on net play strategy for doubles is live and on sale through Sunday so I wanted to answer your questions on the topic to kick off the launch. I answer 7 of your questions about net play including: What to do when you're playing lobbers and don't have opportunities at the net? How to improve your volley reactions. Tactics for mixed doubles for the lady at the net. If the ball lands around the service line,...
Feb 07, 2024•34 min•Ep. 154
Quinn Gleason is the WTA's #107 ranked doubles player. She reached the top 100 for the first time in 2023. Quinn played college tennis at Notre Dame. I chatted with Quinn during the Australian Open while she was wrapping up some off-season training. In this conversation, we discuss the balance of managing a WTA and ITF schedule since Quinn qualifies for some but not all WTA events. We also discuss Quinn's off-season preparations and the impact of the ever-changing ITF and WTA landscape...
Jan 31, 2024•44 min•Ep. 153
Peter Lebedevs joins the show for the 3rd time as the Dallas Open enters year three as an ATP 250 tournament. Peter is the tournament director for the tournament and an accomplished tennis coach as well. You'll get a sneak peek of what to expect from this year's Dallas Open and a look at the 2025 event which is moving to the Dallas Cowboys practice facility along with an upgrade to an ATP 500. Nearly all the top American men's players will be at this year's tournament: France...
Jan 24, 2024•31 min•Ep. 152
Styrling Strother is an innovative tennis coach who trains junior players and adults to transform the way they practice and think about the match court. He is a Tennis Performance Trainer (TPT) with the International Tennis Performance Association (ITPA), a PTR Professional Coach, a best-selling author, and the founder of Styrling Strother Tennis, a player development program located in Cary, North Carolina. This episode will totally shift your practice habits, and inject fun into your doubles m...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 151
Joel Myers is a USPTA Elite Professional tennis coach, the 2021 USPTA San Diego Pro of the Year, and the tennis director at Coronado Tennis Center in San Diego, California. He also is a former Division 1 college player from Australia with professional aspirations before injuries ended his career early. Joel also has nearly 120,000 followers on Instagram ( @joel_myers_tennis ), where he shares his coaching advice. In this episode, Joel and I discuss club-level doubles tactics, from common positio...
Jan 05, 2024•52 min•Ep. 150
Ben Rothenberg is one of the most prolific and influential tennis journalists of the last several decades. He covered tennis for the New York Times for over 10 years, has contributed to The Racquet , and has been featured on BBC, CNN, and many other major news networks. I wanted to have Ben on to talk doubles and discuss his new book, Naomi Osaka: Her Journey to Finding Her Power & Her Voice . I recently listened to Ben on Craig Shapiro’s podcast where he said he thinks “doubles is in a posi...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 149
Jonathan Stokke is a former tennis player at Duke where he was an All-American in doubles. He played in the US Open twice and coached at Duke for several years after playing. He now resides in South Carolina where he coaches junior players and adults. I wanted to have Jonathan on the podcast because of a lesson I saw him give at Tennis Con 7. He's one of those great coaches who is crystal clear with his instruction and makes his lessons actionable for those who watch. His Instagram account ...
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 148
