Kimberly Birrell is the #76 singles player on the WTA tour and reached the finals of the Australian Open in mixed doubles a few months ago. I spoke with Kim after her round-one victory in Austin Texas at the ATX Open. We discussed her recent Australian Open performance, how she's improved her game as her career has developed, and more. Kim's experience playing AO mixed with doubles veteran JP Smith Singles vs doubles mindset, and the importance of belief and partnership trust Discussing goals fo...
Mar 06, 2025•25 min•Ep. 227
Heather Watson is a Wimbledon mixed doubles champion. Maia Lumsden is the #72 doubles player on the WTA Tour. I spoke with them in Austin after their round one win at the ATX Open. We spoke about the match, the playing conditions, and more. Heather's plans for doubles and why she wants to play more How Heather prepared for the 2024 Olympics where she reached the quarterfinals in the women's doubles draw Maia's goals for the rest of the season Strong opinions on the recent mixed doubles changes a...
Mar 05, 2025•13 min•Ep. 226
An exploration of the ongoing debate surrounding professional doubles and its future. In this episode, I directly address the recent comments about doubles from Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim on the Served Podcast, ignited by Reilly Opelka. I also created a separate video addressing the issue (see links in show notes below) . I believe one of the problems we face is that there has been an echo chamber culture around the doubles debate. We need people with different opinions to come together for c...
Feb 28, 2025•32 min•Ep. 225
Rob Galloway is a top 30 doubles player on the ATP Tour. He made the finals of the 2025 Dallas Open with Ariel Behar. Rob's great story shows the importance of hard work and mindset to improve in doubles. In this conversation, Rob shares. Early obstacles and his decision to pursue a professional career The transition from college to pro tennis The significance of staying healthy and having a growth mindset as a player Mixed doubles and being a part of Team USA at the United Cup Improving the pop...
Feb 26, 2025•25 min•Ep. 224
Jamie Murray is a 7-time Grand Slam Doubles Champion and a former world #1 with 34 career men's doubles titles. I set up a 15-minute interview with Jamie during the Dallas Open and we didn't talk about any of that. We also didn't discuss strategy, tactics, or mindset for improving your doubles game. I never asked about his story, or mentioned his brother Andy or his mother Judy. Instead, we talked about how to grow professional doubles. And the conversation lasted a full hour. Jamie is uniquely ...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 223
Robert Cash and JJ Tracy are two rising doubles stars on the ATP Tour. They reached the semifinals of the Dallas Open, propelling their rankings inside the top 100 for the first time. College teammates at Ohio State, the chemistry between them is obvious when they play. I chatted with them after their quarterfinal win in Dallas about college tennis and a lot more. The serve dominance in their quarterfinal win Discussing their Dallas Open tournament experience and venue appeal Tactical adjustment...
Feb 15, 2025•8 min•Ep. 222
Ariel Behar and Rob Galloway made the finals at the Dallas Open and are now ranked #41 and #25 on the ATP doubles tour, respectively. In this post-match interview, we discuss their quarterfinal win in Dallas, their goals for 2025, the potential for making doubles more popular, and more. Insight on their quarterfinal and R16 match where they faced the top seeds and friends of Rob - Nate Lammons & Jackson Withrow Goals vs process and enjoying the journey Enhancing doubles visibility through so...
Feb 14, 2025•10 min•Ep. 221
Jamie Murray and John Peers are both multiple-time Grand Slam Doubles Champions. They reached the semifinals of the 2025 Dallas Open where I spoke with them after their quarterfinal win. They reflect on their crazy comeback victory from a set and 2-6 down in the 2nd set tiebreaker. By ATP standards, this is a huge deficit. We talk about resilience, adjustments related to the match, and more. How they climbed out of their big hole in the tiebreaker Insights on mental strength and key strategic ad...
Feb 13, 2025•9 min•Ep. 220
This episode includes two post-match interviews with 2025 Dallas Open Champions, Christian Harrison and Evan King. They won six matches without dropping a set, resulting in new career-high ATP doubles rankings of 55 and 54. They share the importance of teamwork, communication, and chemistry. We also discussed the effective return strategy that I believe helped lead them to the success they had in Dallas. Importance of chemistry and their off-court friendship Strategy of the two-back return forma...
Feb 12, 2025•15 min•Ep. 219
Louis Cayer is one of the smartest doubles minds on the planet. He is a Senior Performance Advisor for the LTA, and the strategic brain behind every successful British ATP doubles player of the last few decades. He's worked with players doubles grand slam champions like Jamie Murray, Joe Salisbury, Neal Skupski, Henry Patten, and more. I spoke with Louis at the 2025 Australian Open, several days before one of his teams (Henry Patten & Harri Heliovaara) won the title. Whether you're a coach o...
Feb 05, 2025•27 min•Ep. 218
For the 4th year in a row, I bring Peter Lebedevs on the show to preview the Dallas Open. The 2025 tournament is undergoing remarkable changes as it transitions to an ATP 500-level tournament, bringing in a stronger singles and doubles field. It's also moving to a larger venue at the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility in Frisco, Texas. Fans can expect world-class tennis, great food & drinks, and unique player engagement opportunities throughout the tournament. We discuss: Transitioning from a...
Jan 29, 2025•25 min•Ep. 217
Mark Petchey is a commentator and analyst for Tennis Channel and other television networks. He is also a former top 100 singles player on the ATP Tour. He's been around this sport for decades and understands the ins and outs of the tour, TV, and doubles. I spoke with Mark at the 2025 Australian Open, a few weeks after he sent out this tweet which created some buzz in the doubles world. I spoke with him about what he meant, and what he'd like to see change on tour for doubles. We discuss: Why he ...
Jan 22, 2025•32 min•Ep. 216
Calvin Betton is an ATP doubles coach. He works with Henry Patten & Harri Heliovaara who won Wimbledon in 2024, and Luke Johnson. I spoke with Calvin on the middle Sunday at the 2025 Australian Open. Calvin shares his work over the past year with Harri and Henry, including their run at Wimbledon. He breaks down the matchups, draw, and how he scouted their round 1 opponents incognito. After that, we dive into the growth of professional doubles. If you've listened to the podcast for a while, t...
Jan 20, 2025•38 min•Ep. 215
The 2025 Australian Open is underway and this episode previews new teams and picks for the first major of the year. I recorded this from Melbourne with Tennis Tribe beat writer, Hanlon Walsh. We review the ATP then WTA draws discussing new partnerships and making 3 picks each for the 2025 AO Champions. I'll have more conversations with players and coaches from Melbourne over the next several weeks. Mentioned in this episode: Read Hanlon's 2025 Australian Open Doubles Preview Podcast with Nate La...
Jan 14, 2025•38 min•Ep. 214
To celebrate the new year, I'm re-releasing the three most popular episodes of 2024. This was the top #1 episode from 2024... enjoy! For the strategy nerds... Jonathan Stokke joins the show for a second time as we discuss his Stokke Six. What are the Stokke Six? Simply put, they are errors to avoid that will dramatically improve your game. And I mean dramatically. Jonathan and I could talk strategy and tactics for days. He's one of my favorite coaches because of his ability to simplify the game ...
Jan 09, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 213
To celebrate the new year, I'm re-releasing the three most popular episodes of 2024. This is #2... Tony Huber is the former coach of multiple doubles world #1 players including Liezel Huber, Martina Navratilova, Cara Black, Lisa Raymond, Ai Sugiyama, Latisha Chan, and Sonia Mirza. Today he coaches adult club-level players and I absolutely love his approach to the game. This is one of those conversations that you'll want to listen to multiple times. I believe it will change the way you practice a...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 212
To celebrate the end of 2024, I'm re-releasing the three most popular episodes of the year. This is #3... 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...
Dec 26, 2024•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 211
Harri Heliovaara is the 2024 Wimbledon gentlemen's doubles champion and the 2023 US Open mixed doubles champion. He's currently ranked #16 on the ATP doubles tour. Heliovaara is also one of my favorite players to watch because of his entertaining celebrations and on-court demeanor. This interview with Harri covers his Wimbledon run, doubles changes, his story, and more. Why he quit professional tennis in 2013 before returning in 2017. How he mentally overcame being down multiple match points in ...
Dec 18, 2024•58 min•Ep. 210
Are you using the right tennis racquet? What about strings? Jonas from Tennisnerd is one of the world's leading experts in tennis racquets and strings, having reviewed 1000s of racquets and consulted for ATP & WTA tour pros. I first met Jonas in Austria at the Head headquarters on a trip with Tennis Warehouse to test out the new Gravity. Recently, we went to SLO California to test more gear with the TW team. I've learned a ton from Jonas and wanted to have him on so you can too. In this conv...
Dec 11, 2024•51 min•Ep. 209
It's the offseason, a time to reflect and prepare for next year. How will your training or practice improve in 2025? In this episode, I share 5 tips for improving your doubles game through more effective training this offseason. You cannot improve without tip #1. A common mistake in practice made by club-level doubles players. My favorite training tools (links below). What off-court training has helped me the most. If you can implement these tips, you'll be a better doubles player in 2025! My fa...
Dec 05, 2024•22 min•Ep. 208
Nate Lammons is the 19th-ranked doubles player on the ATP Tour. He and his doubles partner, Jackson Withrow, made the semifinals of the US Open earlier this year. Nate played college tennis at SMU in Dallas, Texas where he still lives and trains with other professional doubles players like Austin Krajicek and Hans Hach. In this conversation, we discuss: Who's had the biggest influence on his doubles game? How Nate practices his serve - he has one of the best serves on the ATP doubles tour. Chang...
Nov 27, 2024•45 min•Ep. 207
Today, Sunday, November 24, is the last day to get 35% off the new Tennis Tribe Memberships (coupon: LAUNCH) . This mini-lesson covers a phrase coined by Craig O'Shannessy ( Brain Game Tennis ), that has had more impact on my doubles game than any other lesson I've learned over the last decade. I believe that if you can focus and train with this simple lesson in mind, you'll improve faster and understand doubles on an entirely different level. If you like this shorter format, let me know by send...
Nov 24, 2024•13 min•Ep. 206
Dan Kiernan is the coach of Gaby Dabrowski who just won the 2024 WTA Finals alongside her partner Erin Routliffe. I spoke with Dan a few days after winning the title in Riyadh. He shares: Behind the scenes stories from the Finals. How his coaching process has changed over the last 18 months with Gaby. What types of adjustments the team made from 1st to 2nd set in different matches. Dan is one of my favorite guests because of his ability to share messages through stories. Doubles fans and players...
Nov 20, 2024•55 min•Ep. 205
Do you prefer to play doubles from the baseline or net? I'm better at the net but often get lazy and have to remind myself to get up there and quit hanging out in the back of the court. This episode reminds the baseliners (and me) the benefits of getting to the net. You'll learn: Three reasons to move forward Why I think many people aren't comfortable at the net (but should go anyway). What the win percentages say about the net vs the baseline. The Membership launches next Tuesday, November 19. ...
Nov 13, 2024•19 min•Ep. 204
Do you use different serve and return formations? You should be! This episode will cover the pros and cons of each formation. When to NOT use regular formation while serving. What is the best formation against BIG returners. When should I play 2-back while returning? This is a preview of my presentation from Tennis Con 8 which goes live today. To watch the full presentation, sign up here before 10/31 . Get lifetime access to all 40 presentations here . ----- **Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsle...
Oct 29, 2024•24 min•Ep. 203
Peter Freeman hosts Tennis Con 8 starting next week. It's a free event where some of the best online tennis coaches present on different topics to help you improve your game. I asked Pete to share the best doubles lessons he's learned over the years from Tennis Con. We discuss eight lessons. Gigi Fernandez's 123 Poaching Formula Jorge Capestany's Doubles Dance Ian Westermann's Angels in the Outfield Roy Emerson's Play for your Partner ( Bonus Never miss a return) Will Boucek's It's not you, it's...
Oct 23, 2024•46 min•Ep. 202
Bob Bryan is a 23-time doubles grand slam champion (16 men's, 7 mixed), and Captain of the US Olympic and Davis Cup team. Bob and his brother, Mike, known as the Bryan Bros, are widely regarded as the greatest doubles team of all time. In this conversation with Bob, you'll hear us discuss potential rule changes that could help doubles, how he's transitioned from player to coach, his experience captaining at the Olympics where his US doubles teams beat Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Andy Murray, a...
Oct 16, 2024•30 min•Ep. 201
We celebrate Episode 200 of the Doubles Only Podcast with a live webinar where I answered your questions. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions and joined live 😀 Topics covered included... Offensive vs defensive court positioning at the net. How to end or win the lob wars. Differences between volleys in singles & doubles. How to best train volleys for doubles. Why you shouldn't necessarily volley with "the edge of your racquet leading." and more... Thanks again to everyone who attended...
Oct 10, 2024•54 min•Ep. 200
I recently released a 3-part doubles lesson on the most important volley in doubles... the Serve +1 volley. You can watch all 3 lessons below. This episode covers the serve +1 volley in even more detail, including my response to several Facebook and Instagram comments on the lessons. You'll learn how to practice the serve +1 volley, the different types of this volley, and several rules to follow to make it easier. Master this shot and everyone will want to be your doubles partner because they'll...
Oct 02, 2024•29 min•Ep. 199
Ellen Perez is world number 11 on the WTA Doubles Tour, with seven career titles. In this interview, Ellen shares her tennis journey, WTA doubles serve, return, volley, groundstroke, rankings, and more. Here are a few topics we dive into: Learn the benefits of returning with backhands in the middle, which Ellen and her partner, Nicole Melichar-Martinez, do. Racquet customization. Ellen explains how she got her athletic prowess. Advice for left-handed players. Known for her speed and epic slides,...
Sep 25, 2024•55 min•Ep. 198
