Doubles Only Tennis Podcast
189 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 77 ratingsThe 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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Episodes
How to Support Your Doubles Partner
April 24, 2024 01:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBDoubles 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 ex...
3 New Doubles Lessons: Approach Drill, Attacking Strengths, & Using the Wind
April 17, 2024 19:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBThis 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 Newsl...
Marcel Granollers & Horacio Zeballos Interview at the Miami Open
April 15, 2024 13:00 - 8 minutes - 5.65 MBHoracio 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 also ask...
Rajeev Ram & Joe Salisbury Interview from the Miami Open
April 11, 2024 14:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBJoe 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'l...
Elise Mertens Interview from the Miami Open
April 10, 2024 15:00 - 8 minutes - 6.19 MBElise 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 Te...
Wesley Koolhof & Nikola Mektić Interview from the Miami Open
April 05, 2024 13:00 - 10 minutes - 6.96 MBWesley 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 Newsletter for...
Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Sofia Kenin Interview from the Miami Open
April 02, 2024 14:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBBethanie 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 hear w...
Rohan Bopanna Interview from the Miami Open
April 01, 2024 13:00 - 13 minutes - 9.29 MBRohan 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 t...
Gaby Dabrowski & Erin Routliffe Interview from the 2024 Miami Open
March 29, 2024 15:00 - 9 minutes - 6.51 MBGaby 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 ...
Austin Krajicek Interview from the 2024 Miami Open
March 28, 2024 15:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBWorld #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 ve...
Matt Ebden Interview: The State of Professional Doubles
March 19, 2024 14:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBThis 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 ...
Nicole Melichar-Martinez, Ellen Perez, & Coach Carlos Martinez at Indian Wells
March 16, 2024 13:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBNicole 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 ...
Tereza Mihalíková Interview: ATX, Net Movement, & Rabbit Farms
March 15, 2024 01:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBTereza 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. We als...
Sophie Chang Interview: On Goals vs Process, Smiling, & How to Focus on Big Points
March 07, 2024 17:00 - 48 minutes - 33.4 MBSophie 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 - something club...
Bibiane Schoofs & Katarzyna Kawa Interviews: ATX Open Finalists
March 05, 2024 17:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MBBibiane 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 ...
Olivia Nicholls & Olivia Gadecki Interviews: ATX Open Doubles Champions
March 05, 2024 03:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBOlivia 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 the...
Nadiia Kichenok & Oksana Kalashnikova Interviews from the ATX Open
March 03, 2024 20:00 - 15 minutes - 10.6 MBThis 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 a...
ATX Open Interview with Maya Joint & Sabina Zeynalova (University of Texas)
March 02, 2024 19:00 - 8 minutes - 6.06 MBThis 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 things ...
3 Mental Myths to STOP Believing in Doubles
February 28, 2024 19:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBAs 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 play better ...
2024 ATX Open Preview with Tournament Director Christo van Rensburg
February 21, 2024 02:00 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MBChristo 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...
Will Blumberg Interview: In-Match Adjustments, Tiebreaker Advice, & Partnership Adjustments
February 17, 2024 22:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBWill 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. ...
Neal Skupski Interview: Practice Drills, Scouting Opponents, & Mixed Doubles
February 14, 2024 03:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBNeal 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 real ...
Net Play Strategy AMA: Improving Reactions, Lob Coverage, Transition Volleys, & More
February 07, 2024 20:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBThis 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, ...
Quinn Gleason Interview: WTA vs ITF, College Tennis vs Pro, & Lessons from the US Open
January 31, 2024 00:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MBQuinn 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 on ...
Peter Lebedevs Interview: Dallas Open Preview & Improving Volley Skills
January 24, 2024 03:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBPeter 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: Frances Tiafoe, Tommy...
Styrling Strother Interview: Transforming the Practice Court for Doubles
January 17, 2024 15:00 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBStyrling 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 doub...
Joel Myers Interview: Doubles Skills for 3.0 to 4.0 Level Players
January 05, 2024 20:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MBJoel 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 posi...
Ben Rothenberg Interview: Reforming Pro Doubles & His New Book on Naomi Osaka
January 05, 2024 16:00 - 1 hour - 71 MBBen 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 posit...
Jonathan Stokke Interview: How to Fix Your Toss, Read the Serve, & Volley Tips
December 20, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 50.1 MBJonathan 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 ...
Carlos Martinez Interview: Playing Under Pressure, Off-season Training, & Coaching Doubles
December 13, 2023 15:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MBCarlos 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: Th...
Transition Game in Doubles: Mistakes, Tactics, & Drills to Improve
December 06, 2023 14:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBThe 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 Shop on Amazon Sh...
Craig O´Shannessy Interview: World's #1 Strategy Coach (Rebroadcast)
November 29, 2023 15:00 - 50 minutes - 34.4 MBThis 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** ...
Rick Macci Interview: Serena & Venus Stories, Finding a Good Coach, Mental Strength, & More
November 22, 2023 15:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBIn 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 to adopt,...
Doubles Game Styles: How to Counter Pushers, Attackers, & Baseliners
November 16, 2023 02:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBIn 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 wo...
Kirsten Flipkens Interview at the WTA Finals
November 08, 2023 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.4 MBKirsten 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 f...
Demi Schuurs Interview at the WTA Finals
November 07, 2023 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBThis 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...
Coach Dan Kiernan Interview at the WTA Finals
November 05, 2023 12:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBDan 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 the p...
Elise Mertens & Storm Hunter: Round 2 Interview at the WTA Finals
November 04, 2023 12:00 - 7 minutes - 5.16 MBThis 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...
Vera Zvonareva & Laura Siegemund: Round 1 Interview at the WTA Finals
November 02, 2023 14:00 - 12 minutes - 8.49 MBThis 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 ...
Elise Mertens & Storm Hunter: Round 1 Interview at the WTA Finals
November 02, 2023 01:00 - 8 minutes - 6.16 MBElise 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 bit ...
Shuko Aoyama & Ena Shibahara: Round 1 Interview at the WTA Finals
October 31, 2023 01:00 - 12 minutes - 8.68 MBShuko 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 will...
Matthew Futterman Interview: On Doubles Popularity, Tennis' Struggle in the US, & Possible Solutions
October 27, 2023 14:00 - 52 minutes - 36 MBMatthew 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, specifically, has struggled....
2nd Serve Strategy: For Weak, Medium, & Strong Serves
October 25, 2023 12:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MB2nd 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 crush...
5 Underrated Things to Practice for Club Doubles Players
October 18, 2023 13:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBI'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 way. The key to your 2nd se...
Communication & Teamwork with Your Doubles Partner: Before, During, & After the Match
October 11, 2023 13:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MBCommunication 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, during, and after your m...
3 Mixed Doubles Lessons from USTA 9.0 Sectionals: Return Sides, Position, & Aussie Problems
October 04, 2023 14:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBI 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 Australian f...
Tiebreaker Tips, Advice for When You're Playing Bad, & How to 3-Peat with Rajeev Ram
September 27, 2023 14:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MB2023 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 disc...
Daniel Nestor Interview: His Career, Serve & Volley Mistakes, Net Mentality, & Court Recognition
September 20, 2023 21:00 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBDaniel 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...
Dealing with Nerves & 10-Point Tiebreakers from 2023 US Open Champion, Erin Routliffe
September 13, 2023 15:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBWTA 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 and p...
Scouting, Warmup, & Preparing for the US Open Semifinal with Coach Dave O'Hare
September 08, 2023 02:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBThis 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...