Arthur Fery is on this week's episode. Arthur was ranked No.1 in US College Tennis earlier this year, in only his second year playing for Stanford. We chat about the Brit's decision to play College Tennis, life in the US as well his run to the last round of qualies at Wimbledon in 2021. Areas we cover Growing up nearly Wimbledon Importance of playing french men's tournaments as Juniors Go pro or go to College? Why Stanford? Typical Day Enjoy the team aspect? An important lesson you learned when ...
Apr 04, 2022•25 min•Ep. 145
Excited to have world-renowned coach Carlos Rodriguez on the Functional Tennis Podcast. Carlos is currently the technical director at the Justine Henin Academy. He has worked for over 35 years as a tennis coach with 16 years as the coach to 7-time Slam champion Justine Henin, 3 with Li Na who won an Aussie Open Slam. He also worked for 10 years running a high-performance tennis academy in Beijing as well as working with other top players. We chat about His role at the Justine Henin Tennis Academ...
Mar 29, 2022•41 min•Ep. 143
This week Sven Swinnem joins me for a chat. Sven is a former player turned Swiss Federation Coach and looks after the up and coming Swiss player Dominic Sticker. We chat about Early Tennis Days Living with Federer at the Swiss Federation US College Tennis at Oregon Giving the Pro tour a go Moving into Coaching Working with Dominic Sticker Learnings from training with Federer in Dubai Advice for Juniors Hope you enjoy the episode Fabio Find us on Social Media: Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalT...
Mar 21, 2022•28 min•Ep. 142
This week I chat with JY Aubone. Former college player, JY quickly got into coaching and got the opportunity to coach a future top 20 tennis player; Reilly Opelka! After a first experience with the giant American, JY had to split his relationship as Reilly couldn’t offer him a full-time job as a coach. Jean Yves then went back to his studies and worked for a bank until the day he got a call from the USTA, offering a full-time job as Reilly’s coach on the tour. This healthy relationship enabled R...
Mar 14, 2022•58 min•Ep. 141
Today I chat with Zack Thomas, known as The Foot Doctor. I came across his YouTube channel in 2021 and I've been a big fan since. He uses his medical background to help give more information about each shoe and how it can affect your foot. I love the way he slices open the shoes to show you want is inside them. We chat about all of this, including what makes a cheap shoe cheap and an expensive shoe expensive. We touch on Federer, Nadal's foot injury, common tennis injuries and more. If you enjoy...
Mar 07, 2022•36 min•Ep. 140
It was an honour to speak to Frances Tiafoe. Currently ranked at 34 in the world Frances is a threat to any of the higher-ranked players. Frances provides great answers and is a great thinker and student of the game. We cover: [02:42] What’s it not been able to compete * [03:34] What’s it like going back to a tournament that you won? [04:23] What’s it like going back to the JTCC [06:00] Trust your training [08:15] Going back to your younger days at the JTCC [10:15] When did think a pro career wa...
Feb 28, 2022•28 min•Ep. 139
What a great episode this week with Vesa Ponkka from the JTCC (Junior Tennis Champions Center) in College Park, Maryland. Ever since it was set up the JTCC has been run as a non for profit tennis training center which is unique within the tennis world. I really enjoyed this chat where I learned all about the center from its early days to today. You may have heard the Francis Tiafoe story before and this is where he grew up playing while his dad worked there. Vesa has some great points which you ...
Feb 24, 2022•44 min•Ep. 138
Conor Gannon, a freshman at the University of Tennessee speaks to us this week about what it's like to play for the top ranked college team in the US! Conor is Irish & is currently fighting for his sport in the starting team. We talk: Where tennis began for him The need for consistency The competitive atmosphere within the team Training drills We've had plenty of college tennis players on the podcast before, but never a current player. Conor has some work to do, but is working hard to make i...
Feb 14, 2022•33 min•Ep. 138
18 year-old, James McCabe joins us this week to speak about what he got up to at this years Australian Open. James was one of only two people who managed to hit with Novak Djokovic in Melbourne this year 🔥 We talk: Where tennis began for him Playing singles & doubles at the Aussie Open Hitting with Novak Djokovic in Melbourne His Irish heritage Plans for 2022 It was nice to be able to catch up with James & get to know each other a bit better. He has a solid future ahead of him 😃 Let us...
Feb 07, 2022•19 min•Ep. 137
For the first time ever, we have 3 guests at once on the Functional Tennis Podcast. On numerous occasions, we have had 2 guests, but this is uncharted territory for us! Phil, Taylor & Jenny Dent are all former professionals & now run the Dent Tennis Academy in Texas 🇺🇸 Phil is an Australian Open singles finalist & champion in doubles, as well as being a Davis Cup Winner. Taylor, Phil's son, is a former world #21 & winner of 4 ATP Singles titles. Jenny, Taylor's wife, is a forme...
Jan 31, 2022•39 min•Ep. 136
This week is one of the rare occasions that we have had the opportunity to meet our guest in person. Although we recorded the episode virtually, we met up with Merlin Van De Braam a few weeks ago in Dublin to talk all things tennis 🎾 Merlin is the Head of Coach Development & Support at the LTA. We talk: Early tennis days Working with the ITF Joining the LTA Female coaches Coaching your own child Psychology in Tennis This episode is great for any coaches out there, but also for any tennis pa...
Jan 25, 2022•34 min•Ep. 135
This week we're joined by Kelsey Anderson, who is the wife of Kevin Anderson! Kelsey has spent a number of years travelling on tour & tells us all about her life with Kevin, their daughter Keira & their dog 😀 We talk: How she met Kevin Watching matches from abroad Her role as 'Support Team Chairperson' Playing college golf Life on the road This was our first time ever having a spouse on the podcast! It's a perspective that we haven't heard before - making it all the more interesting. Le...
Jan 20, 2022•30 min•Ep. 134
Nikolay Davydenko played tennis at the highest level over many years picking up 21 titles along the way, including the ATP Finals in 2009. This week, he joins us on the podcast! Nikolay has now retired & focuses his time on coaching, along with commentary for Eurosport. We talk: Playing junior tennis in Russia Who the best player of his generation is Having a winning record against Nadal Mental strength needed to compete Coaching at his brothers academy Winning the ATP Finals in 2009 Our cha...
Jan 10, 2022•50 min•Ep. 133
Sascha Bajin joins us this week to talk about how he has dedicated his life to become the best tennis coach possible. Sascha is a former pro, who became the hitting partner to Serena Williams & has gone on to coach some of the best players to ever play the game. Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki, Naomi Osaka & Karolina Pliskova are some of the players that he has worked with... We talk: Dealing with payers getting injured Mindset of elite players Working & living...
Jan 03, 2022•53 min•Ep. 132
This week we are joined by Katrina Adams, who is a former player, was the President & CEO of the USTA, is Vice President of the International Tennis Federation, is the Chairman of the Billie Jean King Cup Committee & has recently released her own book! We talk: Her playing career Running the USTA Her new book, 'Own The Arena' Gender Equality in Tennis Grassroots Tennis Katrina is extremely well known in tennis circles & is involved in so many different areas of the game! Her new book...
Dec 27, 2021•23 min•Ep. 131
Everyone knows Bernard Tomic & we are very excited to release this emergency bonus podcast episode with him! Bernard is now focusing on a comeback to professional tennis, with the goal of finishing in the Top 100 for the upcoming 2022 season 😉 We talk: His new focus Who is on his team His favourite memory of his career Whether he would beat Nick Kyrgios How he has matured over the years Bernard has been out of the limelight for quite some time, so to connect with him & to hear all about...
Dec 23, 2021•12 min•Ep. 131
2021 was the most successful year on-court for Panna Udvardy so far. She started the year as #350 & is now a Top 100 player! We were lucky enough to catch up with Panna to discuss what has changed for her & to understand more about her journey 🙌 We talk: Preseason training Rising up the WTA rankings What has changed in her game Trying to improve every single day Being sponsored by Redfoo Panna has really dedicated herself to her tennis recently & it shows! We look forward to seeing ...
Dec 20, 2021•20 min•Ep. 130
This week we have Andre Villas-Boas join us on the podcast! Andre is one of the world's top football managers, who has coached Porto, Chelsea, Tottenham & more! Andre is also the youngest manager to ever win a European title. We spoke to Andre live at the Web Summit earlier this year, which was held in Lisbon, Portugal 🇵🇹 The topic of our talk with Andre was 'Inside The Mind Of The Elite'. We talk: Combining talent with personal drive How he has adapted his leadership style of the years Th...
Dec 13, 2021•23 min•Ep. 129
The founder of HALO Hydration, Anshuman Vohra joins the podcast this week to speak about his early tennis day & his journey to get to where he is today! Anshuman played college tennis & went on to become an investment banker at JP Morgan. He then went on to found Bulldog Gin & now runs HALO 😃 We talk: His tennis & business background What differentiates HALO from other brands Launching HALO right before COVID Business experience helping later Andy Murray, Patrick Mouratoglou &am...
Dec 06, 2021•32 min•Ep. 128
This week we are joined by Katie Spellman, who is an independent PR consultant to two of the most successful players in women's tennis - Simona Halep & Petra Kvitova! Katie also does some work with tournaments & has previous experience working as part of the WTA as well as woking in journalism. We talk: What her role involves How she got into tennis Working through the pandemic Australian Open Best of 5 We also talk about the Peng Shuai situation in China, which is particularly relevant ...
Nov 29, 2021•34 min•Ep. 127
It's a special week as we are extremely happy to speak to our very first umpire on the podcast! Sultan Gangji is a former umpire that has worked at some of the biggest tennis events in the world. He has umpired Wimbledon finals & has had the best seat in the stadium for many epic matches. Sampras, Agassi, Edberg, Graf, Seles, Becker, Courier & Borg are just a few of the players that he has worked alongside 🤩 We talk: Working at this years UK Pro League How umpiring has changed over the ...
Nov 22, 2021•25 min•Ep. 126
We are delighted to be joined by Robin Montgomery, who recently won the US Open Girls Singles & Doubles titles! Robin is 17 years old & is already proving to be a strong force on tour 😉 She has experience playing both senior & junior tournaments. We talk: Winning the US Open Juniors Playing a mix of junior & senior events What a typical training day looks like Her diet Plans for 2022 It was cool to speak to Robin, especially considering it has just been two weeks since we spoke ...
Nov 15, 2021•24 min•Ep. 125
ATP Doubles Coach, Rob Morgan from the UK talks to us this week about what it's like working with one of the best doubles teams in the world 🤩 Rob currently works with Joe Salisbury & Rajeev Ram 👍 We talk: Committing to tennis at a young age Transitioning from singles coaching to doubles Why he bought a Functional Tennis Pointer Team dynamic of having multiple coaches First Grand Slam Final with Joe & Rajeev Plans to finish the year We have had plenty of coaches on the podcast, but it'...
Nov 08, 2021•43 min•Ep. 124
Recent winner of the US Open Boys Singles title, Dani Rincon joins the podcast this week to chat about his transition onto the senior tour! Dani is 18 years old, trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy & has a career high junior ranking of #2 🔥 We talk: Winning the US Open Junior Boys Title Training at the Rafa Nadal Academy Hitting with Rafa in practice Practicing with Casper Ruud Expectations going forward Dani also breaks down what a typical training day at the Rafa Nadal Academy looks like. So...
Nov 01, 2021•19 min•Ep. 123
Fresh off his maiden ATP Challenger title, Liam Broady joins us to discuss the changes that he has made in his life & how his tennis has changed for the better! Liam is coached by former podcast guest, Dave Sammel - who he credits to having played a large part of the success that he is now enjoying 😃 We talk: Winning his first Challenger Changing off-court habits Media Pressure Being resilient Receiving advice from other players Working with David Sammel Liam really opened up during our con...
Oct 25, 2021•41 min•Ep. 122
Former World #33, Andreas Vinciguerra joins the podcast this week to reflect on his career & to tell us about what he is up to these days! Andreas was one of the best juniors in the world growing up & continued that success through to the senior tour, where he progressed quickly 😃 We talk: Growing up in Sweden Choosing between Sweden & Italy His junior tennis days Beating Roger Federer Dealing with injuries Andreas is also about to hold multiple Futures events in Sweden next year, w...
Oct 18, 2021•17 min•Ep. 121
It's been a while since we've has a hitting partner on the show, so we are delighted to release this podcast episode with Giannis Stergiou, who is the hitting partner of Maria Sakkari 🇬🇷 Giannis works closely with Maria, as well as Tom Hill (coach of Maria), who we've had on the podcast before 😃 We talk: His tennis background Starting to work with Maria Pressure he feels on the practice court Fitness sessions Tennis hype in Greece! Giannis is a pretty relaxed & down to earth guy, so it wa...
Oct 11, 2021•27 min•Ep. 120
This week we are joined by former pro, Diego Moyano. Diego now works as a full time coach to Kevin Anderson, but also does work with Sloane Stephens & Alja Tomljanovic 👌 Previously, Diego worked at the USTA as the Lead National Coach, where he worked with almost every top American junior at some point! He also runs a small academy in Boca Raton - where he currently lives 😃 We talk: Struggles as a pro player His previous role at the USTA Coaching Privately Working with Kevin Anderson Runnin...
Oct 04, 2021•46 min•Ep. 119
Bastien Fazincani, a long time coach on the WTA Tour talks to us this week about his life on the road & what it's like coaching at some of the worlds best tennis academies! Bastien is French & lives in the French Riviera, where many top tennis academies are based. He recently left his role at the All in Tennis Academy to focus on tour level coaching 😃 He has also been in the unique position of coaching two players at a tournament that faced off against one another 👀 We talk: Working at...
Sep 26, 2021•42 min•Ep. 118
Tennis agent & tournament director of the Croatia Open in Umag, Tomislav Poljak joins us for Episode 115! Tomislav is part of Starwing - a boutique sports management agency that represents top tennis players. Alongside his role as an agent, he oversees tournament operations of the ATP 250 clay-court event in Umag 😃 We talk: Day to day life as an agent Signing junior talent What he looks for in players Running the Croatia Open in Umag Securing top talent to play in Umag We rarely get the cha...
Sep 20, 2021•35 min•Ep. 117
