We´re reviewing all the action from the 2024 Australian Open in today´s episode.What a way to start the year of tennis, as Aryna Sabalenka didn’t drop a set on the way to her second consecutive Australian Open title. Jannik Sinner shocked the tennis world by defeating Novak Djokovic and performing a miraculous fightback against Daniil Medvedev to lift his first ever major title, and become the youngest winner since Djokovic himself in 2008!Here to round up the past two weeks in Melbourne alongside CTC host Dan Kiernan who was at the event, we have our panel of experts:Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Mens Doubles Champion and (most importantly!) CTC regular Freddie Nielsen.GB Coach Calvin Betton who is currently working with Henry Pattern.They discuss their risky picks from our Aussie Open Preview episode, whether eras really do come to an end, all of the 35 five set matches that happened over the two weeks, and whether the Australian Open has finally got it right with their 15 day schedule.Let us know what you thought of the event and anything you would like to hear Dan discuss on the podcast about anything in the tennis world! Tag @ctc.podcast on Instagram or email us.🎧 Join the Control the Controllables team as a Podcast Intern in 2024

Today we welcome British doubles specialist and Grand Slam quarter-finalist turned coach and commentator, Colin Fleming.Colin reached a career high of 17 in the world in doubles, consistently reaching the main draws of Grand Slams. He represented GB in the Davis Cup and at the Olympics before turning his expertise to coaching, then commentating. He now covers some of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world for Eurosport, Sky Sports and the BBC.Colin has partnered some of the biggest names in British and world tennis, including both Jamie and Andy Murray, Ken Skupski, and Rohan Bopanna, and chats to Dan about life as a doubles specialist at the top level.They also discuss Tennis Scotland and the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open 2024.Colin brings a wealth of stories, experience and laughs, as well as some more emotive stories as well, so this is an all round entertaining episode and a must-listen! Read full shownotes here.Help us Win Best Tennis Podcast!We´re so excited that Control the Controllables is a finalist at the Sports Podcast Awards! We´ve been nominated for Best Tennis & Racket Podcast and we´d love it if you could vote for us! Vote for us here (it only takes a couple of minutes) and spread the link around as much as you can! Thank you for all your support 🙏🏻

The first Grand Slam of 2024 is finally underway! We´ve brought our panel back together to preview everything we can expect from the Australian Open.Control the Controllables host Dan Kiernan is in Melbourne this year, and is joined by:-US Open Doubles Champion and top 10 WTA doubles player, Gaby DabrowskiDenmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Mens Doubles Champion Freddie Nielsen.GB Coach Calvin Betton who is currently working with Henry Pattern.They discuss the "popcorn-ready" match-ups, the dark horses to look out for and their picks for the titles, plus what they think will be the main storylines in tennis in 2024.We want to hear who you think will be this years Australian Open Champions!  Tag @ctc.podcast on Instagram or email us and let us know who you´re backing!Vote for us at the Sports Podcast Awards!We´ve been nominated again for Best Tennis and Racket Podcast at the Sports Podcast Awards, and we´d love it if you could help us win!You can vote here for Control the Controllables, it only takes a couple of minutes. Thanks so much for your support 🙏🏻

In today´s CTC Short we bring you a true stalwart of the tennis tour and someone who is calling time on his career after this year’s Australian Open- it´s former US Open quarter finalist and Episode 25 guest John Millman.Over the span of a 15 year professional tennis career, John Millman has established himself as one of the most consistent and hard-working players on the tour, being a constant in the top 100 ATP Rankings. In 2018 he reached a career high of 33 after a remarkable run to the quarter finals of the US Open, beating Roger Federer.We spoke to John in June 2020 and he went detail on the unseen side of tennis, describing the hard yards required to get to tennis’ top table, and how to stay there when you are playing the biggest names in the sport. In this clip, John also reflects on his career, going into detail on how his goals and his measure of success changed as he progressed further up the rankings and got older.John Millman is the embodiment of everything Control the Controllables stands for, working hard and maximising your potential, and his retirement is a fitting opportunity to reflect on al the lessons this podcast can teach! Read full shownotes here.Links Mentioned in this Episode:-#25: John Millman - The Journeyman...or is he? #130: Craig Tiley - Leading from the Front

As 2023 draws to a close, we´ve sat down to look back at some of our most memorable moments of the Control the Controllables Podcast this year.From Sir Andy Murray agreeing to be our Special Guest for our 200th episode, to winning Best Tennis Podcast at the Sports Podcast Awards, and having 6 Grand Slam Champions in one episode, we´ve had some very special moments this year.Listen to CTC Host Dan Kiernan and producer Vicki Kiernan chat through their favourite clips and biggest learnings of 2023 in our final episode of the year.Thank you so much for listening to the show and wishing you Happy New Year and all the best for 2024! 🎧 Join the Control the Controllables team as a Podcast Intern in 2024🗳️ Vote for us in the Sports Podcast Awards!

In our third CTC Short we have a clip from our 200th Episode with Sir Andy Murray.CTC Host Dan Kiernan spoke to Andy back in August 2023, and unsurprisingly, it is our most listened to episode to date.Andy gave us lots of takeaways, including how important he feels it is for aspiring players to watch full matches, and not just the highlights reel.In this clip, Andy explains how watching tennis helped him and how he wished he´d had time to do it more during his career.It´s one of many great learnings from Andy Murray´s chat with Dan. You can listen to the full episode here.Read full show notes.CTC is a Finalist at the Sports Podcast Awards!We´re so excited to announce that we´ve made the final shortlist in the category Best Tennis and Racket Podcast at the Sports Podcast Awards! The winner is voted for by the public, which makes it even more special. We we would be so grateful it if you could take a moment to vote for Control The Controllables here!As always, thank you so much for your support! 🌟

In today´s episode we welcome someone who´s been at the heart of tennis as the BBC’s Tennis Correspondent for over ten years, Russell Fuller.Russell has worked his way up through the ranks of tennis media, working for the BBC World Service presenting Sportsworld, before earning his big break commentating on his first Wimbledon Final in 2013, when Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic to become Champion for the first time. Russell has gone on to be the voice of British tennis’ greatest moments, including the Davis Cup win in 2015, and Emma Raducanu’s shock victory at the US Open in 2021.In this episode, Russell takes Dan behind the scenes of the top level of tennis journalism, revealing how tennis players interact with the media, as well as what the future could hold, as he lifts the lid on his latest article on Saudi Arabian influence in tennis.There is no one better to give you insight on some of our sport’s greatest moments than someone who has witnessed them first hand, so this is a great listen, but especially for those looking to get “under the bonnet” of tennis, as we do on Control the Controllables.Read full shownotes here. Enjoyed the episode? We´d love to hear from you! Leave us a rating and review here!You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for all the latest on Control the Controllables!Find Russell on Twitter here.

Welcome to the 2nd of our CTC Podcast Shorts. In this clip, we have former top-5 doubles and top-40 singles player turned US Davis Cup captain and coach Tom Gullikson.Tom appeared on Episode 110 of Control the Controllables in April 2021, and talked about playing in the Golden era of US tennis in the 70´s and 80´s.His twin brother Tim Gullikson was Pete Sampras´ coach before he passed away in 1996 to brain cancer. In this clip, Tom speaks about the influence Tim had on Sampras´ career and how he still impacts his own coaching philosophy now.Tom is a powerful speaker and an inspirational story-teller. This is a special listen.Read full shownotes here.

In today´s episode we welcome 2002 Australian Open Champion and former world number 7 Thomas Johansson!Thomas began his career in the heyday of Swedish tennis, preceded and surrounded by legends such as Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg. As a result, he went under the radar until his career defining run at the Australian Open in 2002. He beat 9th seed Marat Safin to become the first male player seeded 16th to win a major in the Open Era.He is one of only 7 players to win the Men´s title in Melbourne since 2000!Thomas has since gone on to have a fantastic career as a coach, working with top 10 tour level players like David Goffin and most recently Sorana Cirstea, who knocked out world number 4 Elena Rybakina at the 2023 US Open.Thomas gives us some great stories from his time at the top of the game, and explains why he thinks building a team was the most successful formula for Swedish tennis.Read full shownotes here.Links mentioned in this Episode:-Follow Thomas on Instagram | Twitter Thomas’ charities:https://www.tapprabarn.se/https://zbfoundation.se/ SotoTennis Academy

Welcome to an all new feature here at Control the Controllables, our Podcast Shorts. With these we’re bringing out all of the most entertaining, informative, heart-warming and hilarious moments from all of your favourite CTC episodes in bitesized chunks for you to enjoy. Whether you’ve been listening to CTC for years or if this is your first sample, Shorts are perfect for you to submerse yourself in the world of tennis and elite sport in short, manageable chunks, or whetting your appetite for more!In this first CTC Podcast Short, we join Dan with Episode 62 guest Valorie Kondos Field as she talks openly and honestly through the challenges of coaching and parenting in elite sport. Valorie was Head Gymnastics Coach at UCLA for 29 years, leading them to 7 National Championships despite having no experience in gymnastics.In this clip, Valorie talks frankly about being too hard on her athletes in the early stages of her coaching journey, and how important it is to make sure athletes enjoy their sport. She also gives her key pieces of advice for parents getting used to their child competing in elite sport.What better way to start our brand new series of shorts than with one of the most successful coaches in US college history giving key lessons for young coaches and parents on how to get it right when developing athletes! Read full show notes here.Links mentioned in this EpisodeValorie´s Tedtalk: Why winning doesn´t always equal successGet your Black Friday Discount to train at SotoTennis Academy HERE!

In today’s episode we speak to former Canadian pro tennis player Patricia Hy.Patricia was a top 30 WTA player and a Grand Slam quarter finalist, who has since become a successful mental skills coach, using her perspective as a former player, coach and tennis parent to help nurture relationships between the three.As a child, she faced hardship like no other tennis player at that time. Born in Cambodia, Hy and her mother were forced to flee the country on foot, escaping to Thailand and then Hong Kong just a week before the Cambodia border closed in 1971.Patricia chats to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about how this experience shaped her professional tennis career and life, and how she dealt with hardships in the sport, including falling off the world rankings 3 times. Patricia’s story is one of hard work, perspective, resilience and mental strength.  Get the notepad ready for some life and tennis lessons from someone who has seen all areas in the sport.Read full show-notes here.

A month on from the US Open, and we´re delighted to say we´ve been able to bring the 3 winning doubles pairs together, to tell us about their incredible fortnight in New York.First we chat to Rajeev Ram & Joe Salisbury who made history by becoming the first pair in the Open Era to win the US Open Men´s doubles 3 years in a row!We then catch up with Women´s Doubles Champions Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, who reflect on their amazing run at Flushing Meadows in just their 4th tournament together.And finally we speak to Harri Heliövaara and Anna Danilina in their first chat together since winning the Mixed Doubles title after only meeting at the sign in desk the week before!Six Grand Slam Champions in one episode makes for a special listen! Gain a deeper understanding of the unique dynamics and strategies at the highest level of men´s and women´s doubles. Enjoy! The key moments in this episode are:-The emotions of winning a Grand Slam; before, during and after.Why Rajeev & Joe´s 3rd US Open title was the most emotional.The ideal scoring system in pro doubles.The Challenges of enjoying success in tennis.Perceptions of Success and Failure.Success Factors in Women's Doubles.Hear how Gaby & Erin manage expectations and focus on the process.The Story of How Harri & Anna became partners for the Mixed Doubles.Overcoming Nerves in a Big Match.

The 2023 US Open didn´t disappoint as we saw Coco Gauff win her first Grand Slam title, and Novak Djokovic collect his record-equalling 24th!It was also an incredible fortnight for our very own CTC Host Dan Kiernan who guided his players to not one, but two doubles titles!CTC regular Gaby Dabrowski and her partner Erin Routliffe won the Women´s doubles title, while Harri Heliövaara and Anna Danilina won the Mixed Doubles after only meeting at the sign-in desk the week before.Gaby reunites with Dan for our US Open Review to tell us about her amazing 2 weeks in New York. Also returning to our US Open Panel is:-Denmark´s Davis Cup Caption Freddie NielsenS&C Coach to Liam Broady, Dan Evans & Sorana Mihaela Cîrstea, Kieron VorsterGB´s Emily Webley-Smith who has been on the women´s tour for more than 20 years. We look into many topics including:-Coco Gauff´s amazing American summer on the back of her new player coach relationship with Brad Gilbert.The influence (or not) of courtside coaching. Are players becoming too dependent on their coaches?Should the Slams be broadcasting what the coaches are saying to players and private moments of the players?What drives Djokovic to keep going?The all-British Men´s wheelchair final between Alfie Hewitt and Gordon ReidAnd so much more! Enjoy!

In today´s episode we speak to British pro wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett.Alfie is 25 and already a 25-time Grand Slam Champion, winning 7 singles and 18 doubles titles with fellow Brit Gordon Reid. Born with the congenital heart defect Tetralogy of Fallot, Alfie was diagnosed with Perthes Disease at the age of six. He chats to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about his journey from being told he was wheelchair-bound at just 7-years-old , to becoming the youngest men´s singles world number 1, aged 20.Alfie´s story is one of perseverance, resilience and the power of family. Enjoy listening to this inspirational chat with an inspirational young man.Read full show-notes here.

As the final Grand Slam of 2023 gets underway today, we´ve brought our amazing panelists together to discuss all things US Open.Joining CTC Host Dan Kiernan is 2012 Wimbledon Men´s Doubles Champion and Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain, Freddie Nielsen, WTA doubles player Gaby Dabrowski, and S&C Coach to Liam Broady, Kieron Vorster. They share personal stories, insights into pro life at Flushing Meadows and their predictions for this years Champions, as well as players to watch out for. Will we see a repeat of the amazing final in Cincinnati between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz? Will Coco Gauff be able continue her recent form over 2 weeks in New York? Send us your thoughts and predictions by tagging in @ctc.podcast on Instagram or @sototennis on all social media platforms. We will share the best picks!Celebrating our 200th Episode with Sir Andy MurrayHave you listened to our 200th Episode of Control the Controllables yet? To celebrate the milestone episode, we had none other than Sir Andy Murray as our guest. It´s not one to miss! Listen here.

To celebrate our 200th episode of the Control the Controllables podcast we speak to none other than British sporting legend, Sir Andy Murray. Andy is the most successful British tennis player in history, winning 3 Grand Slams and two Olympic Gold medals. In 2015 he led Great Britain to their first Davis Cup title since 1936. He backed that up in 2016, winning his 2nd Wimbledon title, and finishing the year as World number 1.Since 2016, Andy has had to deal with adversity as his career came to a stop whilst he had a hip resurfacing operation. He has shown incredible grit and resilience to make his way back into the worlds top 40 and winning ATP events again.Arguably, Andy will not only go down in history as a multiple slam champion, but also for his off court ‘voice’, arguing for equal pay in tennis and highlighting subtle sexism.Listen to him chat to CTC host Dan Kiernan about his career, the challenges he´s faced and much more in this brilliant episode.Episode highlights include:-What makes the immortals of tennis.How three main significant events when he was younger shaped his life.How important watching tennis is to his development, and how he made notes on players on the tour when he was a junior! What he is most proud of in his career and what he wishes he´d done differently.His opinion on the GOAT!What he would like to do after his playing career.Connect with usDon´t want to miss an episode? Follow us on Apple Podcasts and on Instagram @ctc.podcast. You can also check out our 199 other episodes, including chats with Iga Swiatek, Holger Rune and Judy Murray here.

Czech tennis has quietly been leading the way in tennis player development for the past 10-15 years, particularly on the women’s side of the game. What seems like a conveyor belt of world class players have been arriving into the worlds top 100 players and beyond, including Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova.Marketa Vondrousova became the latest Czech player to rock the tennis world when she won Wimbledon in July. Czech players also lifted the ladies doubles, the girls and the boys doubles trophies, showing that the future continues to be bright for the nation. So what is the secret to the success of Czech tennis? In todays episode we speak to Jan Stoces, Head of the Czech Tennis Federation to find out!  Episode highlights include:-Why he thinks the country is producing so many female players.Can the Czech system be copied in other countries?The Importance of Goal Setting and how it helped him overcome a career-ending injury.Adapting to the player, not the player adapting to the system.The importance of a good tournament system in player development.Why he thinks Doubles is so important for the development of players.Staying Humble in the Face of SuccessRead full shownotes here.

In today´s episode we talk to Dave O´Hare who coaches one of the best doubles teams on the ATP Tour.Dave is a former pro player and still represents Ireland in the Davis Cup. He´s been working with Joe Salisbury & Rajeev Ram for almost 3 years, helping them to World number 1 doubles pair and the 2022 US Open mens doubles title.Dave and Joe were college roommates and doubles partners at the University of Memphis. They also played together on the tour before Dave started coaching Joe & Rajeev in 2021.Dave´s passion for the sport and doubles shines through in this chat. Highlights include:-Imposter syndrome on the tour.Helping his players through the highs and lows of pro tennis.Individual vs. Team Coaching in Doubles.The importance of process over outcome.Louis Cayer´s Impact on British doubles.His and Joe´s transition from College teammates to Coach and player.The importance of communication and synergy in doubles partnerships.Which doubles pairs to look out for in 2023.Other Episodes you might like:-#102: Louis Cayer- The Doubles Guru (Our most popular episode!)#132: Joe Salisbury - Double US Open Champion#140: Rajeev Ram - Multiple Grand Slam ChampionFull shownotes hereHelp Dan & Vicki raise money for Alzheimer's Society as they take on the Great North Run in Newcastle next month.

In today´s episode we speak to British tennis coach Nigel Sears who has worked at the top of the women´s game for the past 35 years. During that time, Nigel has worked with 8 players who have reached the top 10 in the world, including Daniela Hantuchova, Ana Ivanovic and GB´s Emma Raducanu.His success as a player and a WTA Tour coach has taken him to various roles including Head of Womens Tennis at the LTA, GB Fed Cup Captain and a commentator. He´s also Father-in-Law to a certain Sir Andy Murray.Nigel´s wealth of experience in the game is there for all to see, and now for you all to hear!Enjoy 68 minutes of storytelling, insights and advice. Whether you´re a player, parent, coach or just a tennis/sports enthusiast, this is not one to miss. Episode Highlights:-How Nigel became a known as a WTA CoachHow his coaching philosophy has changed over the years.Nigel´s non-negotiables when working with a playerThe impotance of adapting your coaching style to match players' individual needs and game strategies.His reflections on his coaching careerLinks Mentioned in this Epsiode:-Connect with us : Website | Instagram | Email usHelp Dan & Vicki raise money for Alzheimer's Society as they take on the Great North Run in Newcastle next month.SotoTennis Academy: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

The 2023 Wimbledon Championships gave us some amazing moments, and a new King and Queen of Centre Court.Carlos Alcaraz became the first man outside of the Big 4 to win the Wimbledon men´s singles title since 2002. Meanwhile the Czech Republic´s Marketa Vondrousova was the first unseeded player to win the women´s title in the Open era.It was a great year for GB tennis too, with 3 British Wimbledon titles, and in today´s episode we speak to two of the Champions! World men´s doubles number 1 Neal Skupski chats to the panel about winning the doubles title with partner Wesley Kooloff for the first time. GB´s Gordon Reid also joins the show to talk about his 5th Wimbledon men´s wheelchair doubles title with Alfie Hewett, and that incredible crowd on Court number 1!Joining CTC Host Dan Kiernan to discuss all of the storylines from this year´s Championships are:-Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Doubles Champion, Freddie NielsenCanadian WTA player Gaby Dabrowski who has been as high has 4 in the world doubles rankingsGB´s Emily Webley-Smith who has been on the women´s tour for more than 20 years.A brilliant episode! Enjoy!Links & ResourcesControl the Controllables website Follow Control the Controllables on InstagramFind out more and get tickets for the Lexus British Open Wheelchair ChampionshipsFind out more about SotoTennis Academy:  Website | Instagram |Twitter | Facebook

Dominic Iannotti is a current world No. 3 tennis player. His career has taken him from his home in Prestwick, Scotland to Australia, Ecuador and around Europe representing the Great Britain Learning Disability National Squad. Dominic was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at 4 years old and has been playing elite level tennis since he was 14. Now 25, Dominic has recently been both training and coaching at SotoTennis Academy in Spain. In June he competed at the 2023 Virtus Global Games in France, winning the Bronze medal in Men’s Singles, and three Gold medals in the Team Event, Men’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles for GB. In today´s episode Dominic tells us all about:-How he has managed his life with Aspergers..The life he has created for himself, and the amazing opportunities Learning Disability Tennis has given him.His advice to parents and others that are starting out on this journeyHis hopes for Intellectually Impaired Tennis to be included in the Paralympics and so much more....Be ready to be inspired and share the word of Learning Disability Sport, and all that it gives to so many.

We´re just a few hours away from the beautiful green grass of Wimbledon being on our screens.It´s our favourite Grand Slam here at Control the Controllables, and we´ve brought back our awesome panellists to chat through what we can expect at SW19 this year! Will Djokovic make it 24 Grand Slam titles? Can Iga win back to back Slams despite not getting past the last 16 here before? Who are the in-form challengers and who should we be looking out for? Our panel also give their inside knowledge of how the courts are playing at Wimbledon and who´s game they think it will favour.Joining CTC Host Dan Kiernan on this years Wimbledon Preview Panel are:-Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Doubles Champion, Freddie NielsenCanadian WTA player Gaby Dabrowski who has been as high has 4 in the world doubles rankingsPiotr Sierzputowski is coach to USA´s Shelby Rogers, and guided Iga Swiatek to her first Grand Slam back in 2020.Kieron Vorster is Liam Broady´s S&C Coach, and has also worked with Tim Henman and Wayne Ferreira.GB´s Emily Webley-Smith who has been on the women´s tour for more than 20 years.A great listen!

David Hodgetts´ tennis story is one that many players can relate to. From a talented junior who dedicated his life to becoming a pro tennis player, the rigours of tennis took their toll, and by 19 he´d fallen out of love with the sport and made the decision to stop playing. To help him overcome the feelings of failure and losing his identity, David found a new focus: to build an international coffee shop brand.Fast forward a few years and David sold his Triple Two Coffee business to Cooks Global Foods which runs more than 140 coffee stores around the world. Listen to him chat to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about his journey from player to young entrepreneur of the year, and how he credits his success to the skills he developed playing tennis.Episode Highlights:-Similarities between sport and businessThe influence of Coaches and MentorsManaging people and building a cultureWhat does "making it" mean?Overcoming dark moments after tennis and finding a new focus.The importance of doing things which makes you happyThe transferable skills he developed during his tennis days which he thinks has given him the edge in business.Links Mentioned in this EpisodeCheck out Triple Two CoffeeLearn more about SotoTennis Academy: Website | Instagram |Twitter | FacebookFollow Control the Controllables on Instagram: @ctc.podcastListen to our episode with British Coaching legend John Hicks

It was another French Open for the history books this year, as Novak Djokovic became the first man to win 23 Grand Slam titles.His win at Roland Garros also means he´s the first man to win each Grand Slam three times.In the women´s, Iga Swiatek lifted the trophy for the third time in four years. But there was also plenty of drama, stories, and inspirational moments in Paris this year. From the French crowd´s booing of Taylor Fritz, Elina Svitolina´s incredible run just 8 months after giving birth, Alcaraz cramping, to Japan´s Miyu Kato being controversially defaulted in the women´s doubles, then going onto win the Mixed Doubles. Joining CTC Host Dan Kiernan to unpack all of this and give their expert opinions and insights is our French Open panel:-Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Doubles Champion, Freddie NielsenCanadian WTA player Gaby Dabrowski who has been as high has 4 in the world doubles rankingsPiotr Sierzputowski is coach to USA´s Shelby Rogers, and guided Iga Swiatek to her first Grand Slam back in 2020.Kieron Vorster is Liam Broady´s S&C Coach, and has also worked with Tim Henman and Wayne Ferreira.GB´s Emily Webley-Smith who has been on the women´s tour for more than 20 years.Another must listen full of insight, inside knowledge, expert advice and a few laughs as well! Read full shownotes here.

As the clay court season comes to an end, it means we´re just a few weeks away from the next Grand Slam of the year (and our favourite), Wimbledon. 🌱🇬🇧In today´s episode we talk to someone who knows the tournament more than most. Andrew Jarrett was the Referee at Wimbledon for 14 years between 2006 and 2019. A former player from Derby, Andrew represented Great Britain in the Davis Cup, and was a coach before becoming a world-renowned referee, and the face we were so used to seeing on the side of Centre Court!Andrew´s now written a book called ‘Championship Points’ all about his years at Wimbledon and his career in tennis, and chats to us about some of the highs and lows including:-How his playing days helped him in his later careers.Fearing for his safety in Nigeria.How he felt playing the first ever live Davis Cup singles match for Great Britain.Why he didn´t sleep much during the Wimbledon fortnight!The headaches and hard work involved in creating the Order of PlayHis take on Kato´s default at the French Open and more...Read full show notes here.Order a copy of ‘Championship Points’ here.

The 2023 French Open is underway in Paris, without Rafael Nadal in the draw for the first time in 19 years.Who is going to make the most of his absence to lift the men´s trophy? Will Iga Swiatek defend her womens title? Or could we see Sabalenka win her 2nd Grand Slam of the year?We have a packed panel of coaches and players joining CTC host Dan Kiernan to give their expert opinions on all this and more:-Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Doubles Champion, Freddie NielsenCanadian WTA player Gaby Dabrowski who has been as high has 4 in the world doubles rankingsPiotr Sierzputowski is coach to USA´s Shelby Rogers, and guided Iga Swiatek to her first Grand Slam back in 2020.Kieron Vorster is Liam Broady´s S&C Coach, and has also worked with Tim Henman and Wayne Ferreira.GB´s Emily Webley-Smith who has been on the women´s tour for more than 20 years.Hear their picks for the mens and women´s title at this years event, as well as their ‘dark horses to watch’. The panel also discuss whether the Masters events leading up to the French Open are working for players and spectators, now that they are two weeks long. Enjoy all the excitement from Roland Garros and don´t forget to check back in at the end of the fortnight for our French Open Review!Read full show notes here.

If you´re a tennis fan on Twitter, you´ll probably have come across The Tennis Talker. With more than 350,000 tweets and 14,000 followers to date, Chis Goldsmith, aka the Tennis Talker has become an authority on tennis, particularly amongst British tennis fans. He tweets daily news, views and results from the ATP, WTA and ITF circuits, and is often the first source of tennis news and scores for tennis followers. A big tennis fan himself, little more has been known about Chris..until now! Find out more about the man behind the tweets in today´s episode with Dan.Read full show notes here.Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Follow The Tennis Talker on Twitter: @TheTennisTalkerListen to Episode 142: Fran Jones - Northern GritListen to Episode 188: Pat Cash - Wimbledon Men´s Champion 1987SotoTennis Academy: Website | Instagram | Twitter | FacebookConnect with us : Website | Instagram | Email us

In today´s episode we´re talking to 1987 Wimbledon Men´s Singles Champion Pat Cash.Pat is one of the legends of Australian tennis and was a huge fan favourite around the world in the 80´s and 90´s. Known for his black and white chequered headband, he´s widely regarded as one of the greatest serve-and-volley players of all time. Since retiring from pro tennis, Pat has become a respected commentator and analyst, sharing his expert insights with audiences around the world. He talks to us about the highs and lows of his career, gives his thoughts on tennis today and tells lots of stories. A brilliant listen!Read full show notes here.Episode highlights include:-What he told himself before serving for the Wimbledon title.He tells us about one of the biggest highlights of his career - 1984 Super Saturday at the US Open! How he dealt with depression during and after his career.Taking on a 14-year-old Rafael Nadal on clay.Did a Hungarian Princess really offer him a gift of $1 million?What he wants to be remembered for.We´ve Won Best Tennis Podcast! 🎉Control The Controllables has been awarded Best Tennis Podcast for the second year in a row at the 2023 Sports Podcast Awards!A massive thank you must go to YOU, for listening to and supporting Control the Controllables. If you took the time to vote for us, we are so grateful! 🙏

Today we´re talking doubles, after the debate over whether it should continue at the professional level reared its ugly head again. American tennis player Reilly Opelka this week suggested tennis should ‘get rid of doubles’ in a post on instagram.CTC Host Dan Kiernan is currently at the Miami Open for the "Sunshine Double" and sat down with a few people who´ve experienced both doubles and singles on the tour over the past 20 years:-Former World Number 1 doubles player and 7 time Grand Slam champion Jamie MurrayFormer ATP singles player Noah RubinATP Doubles Coach Calvin BettonAre doubles players failed singles players? Do singles players deserve more than the current 80% distribution of wages? Where is the value in having doubles a part of the Tour, was Reilly correct? Does doubles have a problem, or is it a marketing problem? The panel discuss all this and more.Dan also shares some of his experience from the last few weeks at the Indian Wells and Miami ATP/WTA 1000 events, and the differences and similarities between these tournaments and the ITF Pro Circuit Events. Not an episode to be missed!Control the Controllables Shortlisted for Best Tennis Podcast!We´re very excited to have been nominated for ´Best Tennis Podcast´ by the Sports Podcast Awards for the second year in a row! 🎧Your amazing support last year helped us win Best Tennis Podcast and we´d love it if you could spare some time to vote for us again!! Head here to register and vote before April 6th! Thank you! 🙏

You won´t find many people with more experience in tennis and passion for the sport than Ireland´s Dave Miley. Dave is a former pro tennis player, coach and author who worked at the ITF for 25 years.During that time he helped bring in the mini tennis ball rule change for 10U competition adopted by the ITF and was responsible for the introduction of the combined ranking in Junior Tennis in 2005.Dave is the current Tennis Director of the Kazakhstan Federation and chats to Dan about all of this and more. Enjoy!Follow Dave Miley on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Read some of Dave Miley´s articles hereControl the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Find out more about SotoTennis Academy

The 2023 Australian Open saw Aryna Sabalenka winning her first Grand Slam, and Novak Djokovic equalling Rafael Nadal´s record of 22 Grand Slam titles. But it will be hard to look back on this year´s event without thinking of Sir Andy Murray´s incredible run in Week 1. Our panel of experts are back to chat to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about all the action in Melbourne... Top tennis commentator and former pro Robbie Koenig gives us an inside look from his two weeks at Melbourne Park. Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Mens Doubles Champion Freddie Nielsen. Kieron Vorster is Liam Broady´s S&C Coach, and has also worked with Tim Henman and Wayne Ferreira. GB´s Emily Webley-Smith who has been on the women´s tour for more than 20 years. And listen out for a cameo appearance from Andy Murray´s coach, Mark Hilton! He shares the view of Team Murray after Andy won all our hearts again with his superhuman 5-set battles in Australia. A jam-packed, brilliant episode. Enjoy!  Read the full shownotes. We´re hiring! The Control the Controllables team is offering one lucky university student the chance to spend their placement year working on the show out here in Spain. Find out more about the role which starts in Sepemebter 2023, here. Or you an email us at ctc.podcast@sototennis.com.

WTA player Tamara Zidansek jumped onto our screens during the 2021 French Open, when as an unseeded player she made it through to the semi-finals at Roland Garros. Since then, the Slovenian has reached a career high of 22 WTA and this week lost in a 3 set battle to World Number 2 Ons Jabeur at the Australian Open. CTC host Dan Kiernan caught up with Tamara just before she started pre-season training last month to chat about her tennis career so far including.. How she thinks she deals with losses too well.  Dealing with the emotions of playing in a Grand Slam compared to other tournaments. How she didn´t play on a hard court until she was 15-years-old. The impact periods have on womens tennis and her thoughts on Wimbledon allowing women to wear dark underwear from 2023. And so much more. Another episode not to be missed! Read more in the shownotes. Want to join the Control the Controllables Team? Starting in September 2023, we´re offering a university student the chance to spend their placement year working on the Control the Controllables Podcast here in Spain. Find out more about the role and how to apply here. Or you an email the team at ctc.podcast@sototennis.com.

We´re just a few hours away now from the first Grand Slam of the year! We´ve been studying the draws and have brought our panel back together for today´s episode to preview the 2023 Australian Open. Joining Control the Controllables host Dan Kiernan to discuss the "popcorn-ready" match-ups, the dark horses to look out for and their picks for the titles are:- Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Mens Doubles Champion Freddie Nielsen. Kieron Vorster is Liam Broady´s S&C Coach, and has also worked with Tim Henman and Wayne Ferreira.  GB´s Emily Webley-Smith who has been on the women´s tour for more than 20 years.  We want to hear who you think will be this years Australian Open Champions!  Tag @ctc.podcast on Instagram or email us and let us know who you´re backing! Read full show notes here. Links & Resources: DM us on Instagram Find out more about the show and our guests on the Control the Controllables website SotoTennis Academy website Australian Open website

12 months ago, GB´s Henry Patten and Julian Cash were two of many pro players travelling the world on a shoe-string budget, dreaming of competing at the big events. With rankings outside of the worlds top 600, Grand Slams seemed a long way away. Fast forward to December 2022, and Patten & Cash had the most successful year on the ATP Challenger Tour.. ever! And they only played their first event together in June. With a winning streak that saw the pair win 14 trophies including 10 ATP Challenger titles, they have moved into the top 70 in the mens doubles rankings. It means the pair start 2023 with their first direct entry into a Grand Slam in Melbourne next week. In today´s episode, Henry and Julian talk through their amazing year. How did they do it?  They also chat about:- The trials and tribulations of being a tennis player The feeling of going from event to event winning! Being away from home for 4 months without friends, family or coaches. What´s next for the pair? A must-listen to hear a real life Roy of the Rovers tennis story. Connect with us:- Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Henry Patten on Instagram  Follow Julian Cash on Instagram

If you watch a lot of tennis, then you´ll be familiar with the voice of today´s guest. You may have even caught one of his legendary one-liners! Robbie Koenig is a former tennis player from South Africa who is now one of the leading commentators in the sport.  Robbie won 5 doubles titles during his pro career, before turning his hand to coaching, then broadcasting.  It´s not often we get to hear the views of someone with such experience in so many roles within the sport. Robbie comes from the angle of former player, coach, tennis parent and top level commentary. This unique blend gives us rare insights that you do not want to miss! Enjoy! Connect Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Robbie Koenig on Twitter  Check out SotoTennis Academy

It´s been quite the year for Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliövaara. The GB/Finnish pair began 2022 playing the Challenger circuit, and ended it at the ATP Finals in Turin as the 5th best men´s doubles team in the world. Since January, they´ve won an ATP Title in Hamburg, reached another 6 ATP Finals, and 2 Grand Slam Quarter-finals. It´s seen Lloyd and Harri hit career high rankings of 12 and 11 in the world respectively. We speak to them fresh off the back of their run to the semi-finals of the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy to find out more about their breakthrough year, and why they work together so well. Links Mentioned in this Episode Learn more about Lloyd Glasspool in Episode 88 Listen to Louis Cayer on Control the Controllables Donate to Dan´s Movember Fundraiser for Men´s Health Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email SotoTennis Academy 

In today´s episode we´re talking tennis and football with journalist Henry Winter. Henry is currently the Chief Football Writer for the Times. He´s written several books during his career and makes regular appearances as a pundit on TV and radio. Henry chats to us about equality in sport, and the coverage of women´s sports in the media. He gives us his thoughts on the impact of social media on journalism over the past 15 years and why he thinks sport teaches us about life.  There´s also some great stories from his 35 years of writing about football, including seeing the competitive side of Tim Henman in a friendly match! Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Episode 108: Holger Rune - No Doubt Episode 84: Lloyd Glasspool - I did it my way! Connect Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Henry Winter on Twitter  SotoTennis Academy: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

In today´s episode we speak to the tennis queen of tik tok, Daria Saville! Daria is currently recovering from surgery after tearing her ACL during a match against Naomi Osaka at the Pan Pacific Open last month. A former world junior number 1, Daria won the US Open Girls title in 2010, before reaching a career high of 20 in the WTA rankings in 2017. This is her third major injury in the last few years, and in today´s episode Daria opens up about how she stays positive during months of rehab. She also talks to CTC host Dan Kiernan about being diagnosed with ADHD in her 20´s. Originally from Russia, Daria chats about her move to Australia, the pressure she puts on herself at Grand Slams and what inspires her tik tok posts that now have almost 40 million likes! Refreshingly open and entertaining, if you want to hear an honest account of what life is really like on the WTA Tour, this episode is for you! Connect Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Daria on TikTok and Instagram  SotoTennis Academy 

Eric Butorac is the Director Professional of of tennis operations and player relations at the USTA. A former American top 20 doubles player, Eric won 18 ATP doubles titles during his career and reached the final of the Australian Open in 2014. He was half of the famous Stretch and Booty doubles partnership with Jamie Murray.  Since retiring from pro tennis, Butorac has also served as assistant tournament director of the combined ATP and WTA 1000-level US Open Series event. In today´s episode he chats to Control the Controllables host Dan Kiernan about his US College and pro tennis career, life after tennis, and much more... Episode Highlights:- What it was like to be part of Serena´s final US Open. Eric describes the influence a Control the Controllables mindset has had on his tennis career. Why he decided to leave a Division 1 US college team to go to a Division III college. His belief in a multi-sport approach to developing athletes. Why we need to encourage children to develop a love for the game rather than focusing on winning. This is a great episode for parents of young tennis players, enjoy! Links Mentioned in Episode:- Follow Eric Butorac on Twitter: @ebutorac #62: Valorie Kondos Field - Winning doesn’t always equal success Connect with the Control the Controllables Podcast: Website | Instagram | Email SotoTennis Academy: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

In today´s episode we speak to GB´s Ryan Peniston. Ryan has had his breakthrough year on the ATP Tour reaching a career high of 123, with wins over top 50 players Casper Rudd, Holger Rune and Francisco Cerundolo. He had an amazing run during the grass court season reaching the quarter-finals at Nottingham, Queen's and Eastbourne, and the 2nd round of Wimbledon on his debut at SW19. Ryan was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 1, spending months in hospital undergoing surgery and chemotherapy. He tells us about how this has shaped the person he is today, and talks us through his career and goals for the next year.  Ryan´s story is a great example of perseverance and hard work, a great listen for young players! Today is also International Podcast Day and we want to take this opportunity to thank you for listening to the show. We love making this podcast and we hope you´re enjoying it and learning as much from it as we are!  We would love to know who your favourite guests have been, or who you would like to hear from next! Email us at ctc.podcast@sototennis.com or reach out to us on Instagram! Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email SotoTennis Academy: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter Episode 175: Roger Federer Retirement Special

Roger Federer will play the final match of his incredible career today at the Laver Cup in London. The 20 time Grand Slam Champion and former World number 1 will team up with his greatest rival Rafael Nadal in the doubles, as Europe take on the rest of the word at the 02 arena. To mark his final farewell to tennis, we´ve brought together these brilliant guests to share their tributes and stories and let us know what Roger is really like behind the scenes... 🎾 Former Belgian Pro Player Xavier Malisse 🎾 WTA Coach and STA Performance Director Carl Maes 🎾 British Pro Player Liam Broady 🎾  Pakistani Pro Player Aisam Qureshi 🎾  Journalist Neil Harman 🎾 GB Coach and Roger Federer super fan, Mark Hayden 🎾 Ukraine´s Sergiy Stakhovsky who beat Federer in the 2nd Round of Wimbledon in 2013. Our guests take a trip down memory lane and delve into the spectacular career of Roger Federer, discussing how he has been an inspiration to millions of fans all across the world 🌍 and how he will go down as one of the greatest of all time! 🐐 Packed full of stories about Roger from on and off the court, this is an episode you don't want to miss! Connect Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email SotoTennis Academy: Website | Instagram | Facebook

What an amazing two weeks at Flushing Meadows for the 2022 US Open! We have two new US Open Champions, a new world number 1, and we said good bye to the GOAT of the women´s game, Serena Williams. So much to discuss with our panelists, from the old to the new and story lines aplenty in between. Returning to our panel is US pro player and New York native Noah Rubin and Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain Freddie Nielsen, a Control the Controllables regular. We look into many topics including:- Has the game evolved and changed once again?  How do these athletes continue to push the boundaries? Is this really the last we will see of Serena? The late finishes, why? Is this beneficial to tennis? And so much more!  Enjoy... Connect with Us Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Noah Rubin on Twitter Listen´s to Noah´s podcast Behind the Racquet Follow Freddie Nielsen on Twitter SotoTennis Academy: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

What an exciting US Open it´s been! As it draws to an end, we´ve taken the chance to speak to former England cricketer Monty Panesar about the trials and tribulations of professional sport.  As you´ll hear, there´s many similarities between professional cricket and tennis.  Monty tells us about his own mental health battles during his career, and the importance of sport specific fitness training. He shares stories from Ashes winning moments and what it felt like bowling out some of the greats. He also talks about his life after cricket.... will he be the next Graham Norton? Enjoy the episode and look out for our US Open Review coming next week! Connect Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Monty Panesar on Twitter Listen to Monty´s Podcast Monty Meets SotoTennis Academy 

As the final Grand Slam of 2022 gets started, we bring together our amazing panelists to discuss all things US Open. We are joined for the first time on our Grand Slam panel by native New Yorker and ATP Player Noah Rubin who is alongside Mark Hilton, current coach to Sir Andy Murray and ever present former Wimbledon Men´s Doubles Champion and current Danish Davis Cup Captain, Freddie Nielsen. The panelists share personal stories, insights into life at the US Open and their predictions for the up and coming event from story lines to watch out for to players to watch out for. Could we have another Emma Raducanu moment? Will Serena go out the high she deserves?  And finally, our panelists pick their winners for the Women´s and Men´s Singles Events.  Do you agree?  Send us your picks by tagging in @ctc.podcast on Instagram or @sototennis on all social media platforms. We will share the best picks!

Ken Skupski is one of GB´s most successful doubles players.  After a career spanning 3 decades, he recently retired from pro tennis playing his last match in the Mens Doubles at Wimbledon.  In today´s episode, Ken talks through his career in numbers and in words. From his success in Juniors, to his US College days at Louisiana State University, through to his 18 years on the pro tour,  he shares his honest learnings, his memories and the challenges of the past 20+ years including:-  GB´s Davis Cup Final win in 2015, including that winning moment. Reaching a career high doubles ranking of ATP 44, three times! The challenge of choosing the right doubles partner and when to move on. The pride he felt living out a family ambition as he partnered brother Neal to many successes. Life after pro tennis, including the Skupski Doubles Academy. Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Find out more about the Skupski Doubles Academy

In today´s episode we speak to ATP Coach and former pro player Neville Godwin. Neville reached a career high of 90 in the world in singles and 57 in doubles during his career, and won the US Open Boys Doubles as a junior in 1993. After retiring he became a coach, helping fellow South African Kevin Anderson to a world top 10 ranking and the US Open final in 2017. Neville won ATP Coach of the Year that same year. After he split with Anderson, he worked with Hyeon Chung who became the first South Korean player to reach the semis of a Grand Slam in Melbourne in 2018. Neville has mostly recently worked with Reilly Opelka. A great listen! Episode Highlights:- Neville reflects on his playing career and what has changed/is still the same on the tour. Why he thinks going to US College could have given his career more longevity. He gives us an insight into Reilly Opelka´s training and why he thinks he will definitely be a top 10 player. Why he thinks the new ATP/WTA Coaching rule will be huge for Coaches. If you´re a lefty, you might want to listen out for his rule change suggestion in the Quick Fire Round! Connect with us: Instagram | Website | Email

Wimbledon 2022 was another fantastic event, full of stories and stand out performances. After all the pre-event hype around the ban of Russian and Belarusian players and no ATP/WTA points, the tennis did the talking at SW19. In today´s episode we are joined by some of the players behind those stories, as well as two of our regular Grand Slam panelists:- Mixed Doubles Champions Desirae Krawczyk from the USA and GB´s Neal Skupski tell us about winning their 2nd Wimbledon title in a row together. Find out if they plan to team up again next year! GB´s Lissey Barnett made the mixed doubles QF with Jonny O´Mara, beating Venus Williams and Jamie Murray in arguably the most dramatic tie-break of the Championships! Lissey shares her reflections of the match with us. Kieron Vorster, the current fitness coach of Liam Broady who had a breakthrough move to the 3rd round with a win over Diego Schwartzmann, and former Wimbledon mens doubles champion Freddie Nielsen complete our panel! Listen out for our special guest, Paul Jubb who also jumps on to share his thoughts on playing the enigmatic Nick Kygrios in round 1. Jubb came close to beating the eventual finalist, losing 7-5 in the 5th set. An episode full of laughs, surprises, exclusives and a shared love of our beautiful game at the greatest event on the planet! Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email SotoTennis Academy: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Ross Hutchins is a former top 30 doubles player and the Chief Player Officer at the ATP.  He comes from a strong British tennis stock, as the son of Paul Hutchins, former GB Davis Cup captain and British tennis great. Ross won 5 ATP doubles titles during his pro career, reaching 13 ATP Tour doubles finals, and representing Great Britain several times in the Davis Cup. He was ranked 28 in the world in doubles in 2012 when he made the shock announcement that he´d been diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma.  He made a full recovery before returning to pro tennis for a short time in 2014. After retiring from the game, Ross served as Tournament Director for the Aegon Championships at The Queen´s Club, before moving to work at the ATP. In today´s episode Ross talks to Control the Controllables about his junior and pro career, how Andy Murray supported him through his battle with cancer, his work at the ATP and more! Connect Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Ross Hutchins on Twitter  SotoTennis Academy  ATP Tour

It´s our favourite time of the year, and Wimbledon 2022 has kicked off with a bang! 9 Brits are already through to Round 2, the most since 1997. This year there are more than 60 former and current US College players in the main draw at SW19! In today´s episode we are getting to know 5 GB players who are making their Wimbledon debuts after successful US/UK university careers. Joining CTC Host Dan Kiernan on this years Wimbledon Preview Panel are:- Julian Cash reached number 1 doubles in the nation while at Oklahoma State University. He´s just won the 2022 Surbiton Trophy and the  Ilkley Trophy with partner Henry Patten Henry Patten was also ranked number 1 in the nation in doubles during his time at UNC Ashville. After picking up 2 titles this month with Cash, he now has a career high ranking of 156 ATP in doubles. Alicia Barnett has just broken into the top 100 doubles WTA. She was on the women´s team at North-Western in Chicago, before winning 13 ITF titles and reaching the final of the Lyon Open womens doubles in her WTA debut with Olivia Nicholls.  Olivia Nicholls graduated from Loughborough University and currently has a WTA doubles ranking of 104. She has won 15 ITF Doubles titles. Nell Miller is still on the womens tennis team at NC State. After claiming the NCAA doubles title last month, she was awarded a wild-card into the womens doubles with fellow Brit Sonay Kartal. Sarah Borwell is former GB British Doubles number 1 and founder of US college placement company Tennis Smart. There´s so much to talk about in this episode! Hear how their college careers have helped them reach the Wimbledon main draw. How do they feel about not receiving any points? Find out what Wimbledon tips Sarah and Dan have for them and listen to all the panelist have their Wimbledon knowledge put to the test in the Quickfire Round! A fun listen! Read full shownotes here. Enjoying hearing more about our British players? Don´t miss our chat with GB´s Jack Draper here.

Jack Draper is one of Great Britain´s hottest up and coming prospects. At 20-years-old he broke into the world´s top 100 ATP rankings last week. It came on the same day that he picked up his first win over a top 20 player, beating Taylor Fritz in the first round at Queens.  Jack sat down with CTC Host Dan Kiernan for the first time, as he prepared for the ATP grass court event in Eastbourne.  Listen to him talk about his career so far, including reaching the final of Junior Wimbledon at aged 16. An inspiring listen for any upcoming young players! Read full show notes here.

The 2022 French Open was an historic event. Rafael Nadal won his 14th Roland Garros and 22nd Grand Slam, as he beat Casper Ruud in the final.  Iga Swiatek moved to 35 match wins in a row, and her 2nd French Open title in 3 years as she swept past 18-year-old Coco Gauff in the womens final. More records were broken as Jean Julien Rojer became the oldest male play to win a Grand Slam in the Open era, as he partnered the first ever player from Central America to win a Grand Slam, Marcelo Arvevalo in the Mens Doubles.  After a week of training at SotoTennis Academy and travelling with our coach Bruno Argudo, Gordon Reid and his partner Alfie Hewitt won their 10th Grand Slam in a row by defending the men´s wheelchair doubles title.  So much for our panel of experts to unpack in today´s episode!  2012 Wimbledon Doubles Champion Freddie Nielsen and Kieron Vorster (Current fitness coach to Liam Broady and former fitness coach to Dan Evans, Tim Henman, Wayne Ferreira to name a few) return to the show to see how their picks faired from our French Open Preview! They also dig into the amazing acheivements and matches we witnessed throughout the fortnight. Listen out for a little bonus Wimbledon 2022 preview, as they pick their winners for this years event at SW19. Another must listen full of insight, inside knowledge, fun and a few belly laughs as well! Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Episode 114: Iga Swiatek - Teenage Gran Slam Champion Episode 108 Holger Rune - No Doubt Episode 10: Gordon Reid - Turning Challenging Times into Opportunity SotoTennis Academy

We first spoke to Cameron Norrie on the Control the Controllables podcast back in August 2020. He was at the US Open and sat at 76 in the ATP rankings.  Since then, Cameron has won 4 ATP titles including the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and broke into the top 10 in the world in April.  Today he joins us with his coach Facu Lugones to catch up on Cameron´s amazing run of form since he was last on the show, and what he´s done differently to be able to move up the rankings. Read full shownotes here. Connect with Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email

The second Grand Slam of the season is underway! Can Iga Swiatek build on her 30-match winning streak to win the French Open for a second time? Will it be Djokovic, Nadal or man of the moment Carlos Alcaraz making it through the top half of the mens draw? Or, will we have a surprise finalist? Joining CTC host Dan Kiernan to give their expert opinions on all these questions and more are:- Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Doubles Champion, Freddie Nielsen Kieron Vorster, who has been S&C Coach to Tim Henman, Wayne Ferreira and more recently Dan Evans. Hear their picks for the mens and women´s title at this years event, as well as their ‘outsiders to watch’. They also discuss what impact the ATP and WTA´s decision to remove points from Wimbledon could have on the players, the tournament and the fans. Enjoy all the excitement from Roland Garros and don´t forget to check back in at the end of the fortnight for our French Open Review! Connect with us! Head over to Instagram and follow us at @ctc.podcast You can also keep up with all the latest from Control the Controllables on our website, www.controlthecontrollables.co.uk

Mark ¨Beef¨ Taylor is the Head S&C Coach at Tennis Australia based out of Brisbane. He is better known as fitness coach to former WTA world number 1 Ash Barty, before she shocked the tennis world by quitting the game aged 25 in March. Mark also spent many years working at the LTA (British Tennis Federation) working with players such as Jo Konta and Dan Evans. In this episode, he chats to Dan about life as an S&C coach to some of the top tennis players in the world. He also looks back on his time working with Ash Barty, and his thoughts on her going from Australian Open Champion to retirement within 2 months. Episode Highlights:- The real Ash Barty, is she who we see on TV? The demands of working with a world number one…or not? How working for free helped kickstart his career. Mark tells us where is nickname “Beef” came from! Are S&C Coaches preparing players for matchplay? Listen to his advice for aspiring S&C coaches, including understanding that they are a support service for the player and coach. Links Mentioned in this Episode Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Mark “Beef” Taylor on Twitter  Episode 102: Louis Cayer - The Guru  Episode 136: Matt Little - Andy Murray´s S&C Coach Episode 142: Keith Reynolds - Are we selling the game of tennis the right way? SotoTennis Academy 

Dalma Gálfi is a former World junior number 1 and Junior Grand Slam champion. Dalma had a strong start to her Pro career, quickly rising up the WTA rankings to 136 in the world aged just 19. After a challenging 4 years, the 23-year-old from Hungary has just broken into the top 100 for the first time. In this episode, Dalma tells us about the pressures and expectations she faced moving into the pro game after her success as a Junior, and why she wouldn´t change a thing. Episode Highlights:- Dalma describes her feelings of relief at becoming a top 100 player. Why quick success at a young age isn´t always beneficial. How the COVID-19 pandemic helped give her perspective on her tennis career. The differences she sees between Hungarian and British tennis cultures. Dealing with the media pressures and expectations that comes with being world junior number 1. Her advice for up and coming players moving into the pro game. Links Mentioned in this Episode Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Dalma Gálfi: Instagram | Twitter  SotoTennis Academy 

Jofre Porta is one of a handful of tennis coaches who can say they´ve worked with two world number 1 players from a young age. The Spanish coach helped guide Carlos Moya from juniors to top of the ATP rankings, and also worked with Rafael Nadal as a junior. Jofre has previously worked for the Spanish Tennis Federation, he´s been a tennis commentator and is currently the Director of Global Tennis Team Academy in Mallorca. In this episode, he talks to Dan about coaching Moya and Nadal, why Spain produces so many players, his thoughts on the up and coming Carlos Alcaraz and much more! Episode Highlights:- Hear about Jofre´s time with Carlos Moya and Rafael Nadal. The similarities and differences between Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz at 18. The special relationship between Moya and Nadal. Why he believes effort is not a sacrifice. How he uses technology to help develop resistance. Read the Episode shownotes here. Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Global Tennis Team International Tennis Academy SotoTennis Academy 

At 14, Josh Sapwell was tipped to be the next Andy Murray. Having won National and European events as a junior, he became the U14 Junior World Champion in 2010, winning the prestigious Orange Bowl event in Miami. Josh was only the 3rd British player to win the boys event. He went on to be a Quarter-Finalist at Junior Wimbledon, but a catalogue of events led to him quitting the sport at the tender age of 20. In today´s episode Josh speaks about his journey and why he stopped playing for the first time. A powerful listen. Read full shownotes and more at www.controlthecontrollables.co.uk/159

In today´s episode we´re unpacking the biomechanics of the serve with Dr Mark Kovacs. Known as the number one serve doctor in the world, Dr Mark Kovacs has held a number of roles in elite sport including performance physiologist, sport technology consultant, researcher, coach, speaker and author. You can check out his awesome courses here. A former pro player and NCAA Doubles Champion, Mark has worked with dozens of tennis players including John Isner, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys. Listen to him chat to Dan about the 8 stages of the tennis serve, and much more. Get your pen and notepad ready for this one! Read the full shownotes here. Control the Controllables is named Best Tennis Podcast! Control the Controllables has won Best Tennis Podcast of 2021 at the Sports Podcast Awards! 🎉 We would like to say a massive thank you for listening, voting, and for your support of the show.  A huge thank you also to all of our amazing guests in 2021 who gave up their free time to tell us their stories, and pass on their tennis wisdom and experiences! The award is amazing recognition for our team behind the scenes, and will keep us even more motivated to keep bringing you exciting guests as we continue to look to get under the bonnet of the sport that we all love so much! 🎾 😍 Links Mentioned in this Episode Learn more from Dr Kovacs in one his courses Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email

This episode aims to shine a light on a very different area of tennis: betting and gambling. Tennis is one of the most popular sports to bet on, but match fixing is also an ongoing issue. Dave Pilgrim has over 20 years of experience in the betting industry, and is currently a betting and data expert at Sky Bet. Dave applies that expertise to tennis and has a close lens on how the tennis governing bodies and the betting companies are working together to create a safe and controlled environment for all involved. This is a polarising topic and an episode that will get you thinking about the relationship between the sport and the gambling industry as a whole. Episode Highlights:- How common is Matchfixing in tennis? Courtsiding and how the betting industry is trying to combat it. Why Dave thinks tennis and the betting industry have a mutually beneficial relationship. Where does the money that goes into tennis from the betting industry come from? What the gaming industry does to support the life threatening challenges of gambling addicts. You can call the National Gambling Helpline, for free, on 0808 8020 133. You can also access online support groups, forums and free resource at gamblingtherapy.org or download the app. Links Mentioned in this Episode Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email GAMSTOP International Tennis Integrity Agency Episode 114: Iga Swiatek - Teenage Grand Slam Champion Episode 132: Joe Salisbury - Double US Open Champion

In today´s episode we speak to Australian tennis player Matt Reid. Matt has partnered some of the biggest names in Australian tennis during his career, including Nick Kyrgios, Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic. He has a career high ranking of number 60 in Doubles and 183 in singles. Matt has consistently been part of Australia´s Davis Cup squad as a hitting partner and unofficial mentor to the team. He also coached Nick Kyrgios for two years, whilst playing doubles together. Matt gives us a fascinating insight into his time on the tour, and some great stories! A brilliant listen! Read full shownotes here. Episode Highlights:- The highs and lows of his career so far Why he thinks juniors is such a good route for players. How Australia´s Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt helped him to decide to focus on doubles. His role as unofficial mentor and hitter in the Davis Cup Team. What is was like working with Kygios as a coach & doubles partner And lots more stories from the tour! Connect Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Matt Reid on Instagram Check out SotoTennis Academy

“It feels like he´s got the momentum right now¨ “There´s been a big shift in momentum in this set¨ “Everything seems to be going against her¨ We hear phrases like these a lot when we watch tennis, and we can feel them when we play. But what really is momentum? In today´s episode we speak to Alistair Higham who is an international expert on matchplay and momentum in sport. Alistair has written online courses and two best-selling books on Momentum, and regularly speaks at conferences around the world. A former player and GB National Coach, Alistair was also Head of Coach Education at the LTA. He is currently GB Team Manager for World Student Games and heads up the GB University Programme for the LTA. Listen to Dan quiz Alistair about match flow and momentum and why it´s so important. This is a long episode but jam-packed full of learnings for coaches and tennis parents. Read full shownotes here.  Links Mentioned in this Episode Check out the Match Flow & Momentum Online Courses  Find out more about tennis in British Universities: www.lta.org.uk/universities Episode 143: Keith Reynolds - Are we selling the game of tennis the right way?  Connect Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Alistair Higham:  Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn     Momentum in Sport: Instagram | Twitter British University Tennis on Twitter

Today is International Women´s Day and what better way to mark it than hearing from one of the most recognisable faces and voices in tennis. Barbara Schett-Eagle reached a career high of number 7 in the world in singles and 8 in doubles, making her the highest ranked Austrian female tennis player of all time. She retired from tennis at the 2005 Australian Open, moving straight into presenting and commentating for Eurosport at Roland Garros that same year. Barbara is probably most well known for Game, Set Mats, the daily live show that she hosts with Mats Wilander at all four Grand Slams. In today´s episode, Barbara chats to Dan about her tennis career, her smooth transition into broadcasting, and marrying her former Wimbledon mixed doubles partner! Episode Highlights:- How working with a sports psychologist to cope with negative thoughts helped her break into the top 10 in the world. What it was like being on the end of Steffi Graf´s slice! How her physical and mental preparation for reporting on Grand Slams is similar to when she was playing at them. The importance of goal setting and how she still sets herself targets now. Her memories of winning the Wimbledon Invitational with Jana Novotna. Read full show notes here. Links Mentioned in this Episode Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Follow Barbara Schett-Eagle: Instagram | Twitter  Watch Barbara speak to Elina Svitolina about her fears for Ukraine Episode 153: Ukraine´s Sergiy Stakhovsky on fighting for his country Donate to Tennis Plays for Peace

Just a few weeks ago, Ukrainian tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky was playing the final match of his career at the Australian Open. After nearly 20 years on the tour, the 36-year-old announced his retirement in January, ready to spend more time with his wife and three children. Instead, and despite no military experience, Sergiy has enlisted in the Ukrainian military reserves to defend his country against its invasion by Russia. We caught up with Sergiy from his home city of Kyiv, to talk about his decision and what life is like there currently.  A sobering, but important listen.  #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 Read the full shownotes here. Connect Follow Sergiy Stakhovsky on Twitter Control the Controllables Website | Instagram | Email Listen to Episode 91: Sergiy Stakhovsky - No Holds Barred SotoTennis Academy We´ve been Nominated for Best Tennis Podcast! There´s just a few days left to vote for us for us for ´Best Tennis Podcast of the Year´ by the Sports Podcast Awards 🎧🏆 We are so excited to be nominated, and would be so grateful it if you could spare a couple of minutes to register here and vote for Control the Controllables!  Voting closes on March 6th 2022. Thank you 🙏

In today´s episode we speak to Piotr Sierzputowski, the former coach of top 5 WTA player Iga Swiatek. Piotr was Iga´s coach from age 15 to 20, guiding her from top junior to a career high of 4 in the WTA rankings.   Iga became the first Polish player to win a Grand Slam title at the 2020 French Open, when she lifted the trophy at just 19-years-old. That same year Piotr was named the WTA Coach of the Year. They recently parted ways, and in his chat with Dan, Piotr reflects on their split, and 5 years working together. He also gives amazing insight into his coaching philosophy, how he brought together Iga´s team and why he wasn´t afraid to hire people who had more skills than him. Episode Highlights:- How Piotr first started working with Iga despite being a young, inexperienced Coach. He talks through Iga´s win at Roland Garros in 2020. Why it´s so important for Coaches to put their ego´s aside and listen to their players. Why you shouldn´t change the team around a player, if everything is working well. Why he thinks the team around Iga was so crucial to her early success. How he uses data analysis as a development tool for players, and to help keep training fresh. Read full show notes here.  Listen to Iga Swiatek´s episode on Control the Controllables We need your vote! We´re very excited to have been shortlisted for ´Best Tennis Podcast of the Year´ by the Sports Podcast Awards 🎧🏆 We would massively appreciate it if you could spare just a couple of minutes to register here and vote for Control the Controllables before voting closes on March 6th! Thank you! 

Dan Smethurst is a British tennis coach and former player who most recently worked with top WTA player Johanna Konta.  A talented youngster, Dan was world junior number 29 before playing on the ITF and ATP Challenger Tour, reaching a career high ranking of 234 in 2014. After quitting tennis he moved into coaching, working with Team Bath Tennis high performance players. Dan was Konta´s assistant coach and hitting partner for 2 years before her retirement in 2021, including her run to the French Open semi-final in 2019. He´s currently working with GB´s Aidan McHugh. In this episode, Dan chats to Control the Controllables about:- His journey from a top junior into the pro tour, including why he nearly stopped playing tennis at 13. How he uses his playing experience as a coach to help players in tough moments.  What he learned from working with Johanna Konta.  The advice he would give to his younger self, and what he wished he´d learned as a player....and much more! See full show notes here.  150th Episode Giveaway Winner! In today´s episode we also announce the lucky winner of our 150th Episode Giveaway! Find out who has won a FREE training week at SotoTennis Academy! We´ve been nominated for Best Tennis Podcast! We´re very excited to have been shortlisted for ´Best Tennis Podcast of the Year´ by the Sports Podcast Awards 🎧🏆 We would massively appreciate it if you could spare just a couple of minutes to register here and vote for Control the Controllables! It is also a great chance to discover some other brilliant sport podcasts! Thank you 🙏

It´s our 150th episode of Control the Controllables! And for a special episode, we have a special guest as we speak to former US number 1 and current Davis Cup Captain Mardy Fish. Mardy won 14 singles and doubles titles and reached number 7 in the world, before an anxiety disorder threatened his career. After suffering with anxiety and panic attacks, he was forced to withdraw from the 2012 US Open at the peak of his game, not returning to professional tennis until 2015. He recently told his story in the must-watch Netflix documentary, Untold:Breaking Point. In this episode, Mardy talks to us about his career and mental health battles, and why he wants us to stop thinking of mental health as separate to physical health. A powerful episode! Read full show notes here. Links & Resources Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email Mardy Fish on Twitter Watch the Netflix documentary Untold: Breaking Point Mardy Fish Children´s Foundation SotoTennis Academy Win a Free Training Week at SotoTennis Academy! Thank you so much for helping us reach 150 episodes of Control the Controllables! To celebrate, we are giving you/your child the chance to win a free training week at SotoTennis Academy. Here´s how you can enter:- Follow @ctc.podcast and @sototennis on Instagram Like one of our podcast posts on Instagram Tag 3 friends in the comments underneath Get a Bonus Entry by sharing on your story! You have until Monday 14th February 8pm CET to get your entry in. Good luck! If our podcast or an episode inspires you in some way, please consider making a donation to support and say thank you, by buying us a coffee ☕️! This will assist with the time and costs involved in bringing each episode to you, as we continue to improve and grow the podcast. Thank you for your listening to the show and for all your support! ⭐

We won´t be forgetting the 2022 Australian Open for a while! It´s been one for the history books, with Rafael Nadal winning his 21st Grand Slam thanks to an epic five-set victory over Daniil Medvedev.  Ash Barty became the first Australian to win in Melbourne in 44 years. And let´s not forget the all-Aussie mens doubles final, won by wildcards and this years crowd entertainers Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis! Brits Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewitt won their 9th consecutive Grand Slam wheelchair men´s doubles title, while Australian Dylan Alcott bid an emotional farewell to the crowds on the Rod Laver Arena. And then there was the small cat. 😳 We´ve brought our panel together to chat through all of this and more from an incredible fortnight in Melbourne!  Joining CTC host Dan Kiernan are:- 2005 Wimbledon Doubles Champion and USTA Coach Stephen Huss Former British number 1 turned Coach and TV commentator Lucie Ahl Former Belgian number 1 and ATP top 25 player Xavier Malisse  Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Doubles Champion Freddie Nielsen Kieron Vorster who has been S&C Coach to Tim Henman, Wayne Ferreira and recently Dan Evans. Read full shownotes here. We need your vote! 🙏 We are very excited to have been shortlisted for ´Best Tennis Podcast of the Year´ by the Sports Podcast Awards, powered by Sport Industry 🎧🏆 We would massively appreciate it if you could spare just a couple of minutes to register here and vote for Control the Controllables! It is also a great chance to discover some other brilliant sport podcasts! Thank you 🙏

Stanford Evans Boster is a South African who has made USA his home, and American Tennis is lucky to have him. He is the current coach to Junior World Number 4, Victor Lilov who made the final of the Boys Singles at Junior Wimbledon 2021.  Stanford is no stranger to working with World Class Juniors. He coached Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish in their formative Junior days and was working for the USTA at the time when Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Noah Rubin, Stefan Kozlov and co were coming through. So developing world class juniors into pros is in his blood.  In today´s episode, Stanford tells his journey from the South African who entered America with $250 in his pocket, to the coach who was developing a future world number 1 and multiple Grand Slam winner. Episode highlights include:- His non-negotiables to be a top pro player. Why developing a top 100 ATP player ´ísn´t difficult´. Stories from Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish´s junior days. Why he was fired from the Evert Tennis Academy, and the player they told him to take with him! What one thing he sees parents getting wrong. An episode full of rich learnings and insightful, fun stories!  Links & Resources DM us on Instagram Control the Controllables website Email Control the Controllables SotoTennis Academy website Full shownotes are available here. We´ve been Nominated! We are very excited to have been shortlisted for ´Best Tennis Podcast of the Year´ by the Sports Podcast Awards, powered by Sport Industry 🎧🏆   We are up against some fierce competition, so if you listen to and enjoy our podcast, your help would be massively appreciated 😊 It takes just a couple of minutes to register here and vote for Control the Controllables! It is also a great chance to discover some other brilliant sport podcasts! Thank you 🙏

With the first Grand Slam of 2022 underway, we´ve brought our panel of former pros back together to preview the Australian Open.  What a few weeks it’s been, tennis has been global news with the Novak Djokovic visa saga, and we are ready to start focusing on the tennis over the next 2 weeks in Melbourne.   Listen to Dan discuss all the latest from Melbourne with our Aussie Open Preview panellists:-  Former British player, coach and TV commentator Lucie Ahl Former  Belgian number 1 and ATP top 25 player Xavier Malisse  GB Coach Mark Hilton and former coach to Dan Evans and Liam Broady South African, Kieron Vorster the former S&C Coach to Tim Henman, Wayne Ferreira and recently Dan Evans.  Listen to their favourite Aussie Open stories and hear their favourites, as well as their outsiders to watch for both the Women’s and Men’s events.  We want to hear your picks for the titles this year! Do you think we could see another surprise winner like Emma Raducanu at the the US Open? Head over to our Instagram page or email us at ctc.podcast@sototennis.com and let us know! Links & Resources: DM us on Instagram Control the Controllables website SotoTennis Academy website Full show notes are available here Enjoying the Podcast? Follow us on your favourite podcast player, and head over to the Control the Controllables website to choose your next episode!

In today´s episode, Dan sits down with Vicki to chat through their favourite moments and key learnings from 2021 on Control the Controllables. Listen to some of the most inspirational stories from this years guests, and find out which have been the top 5 most listened to episodes of 2021. Can we take this opportunity to thank you for supporting Control the Controllables this year. We wish you a happy new year and a healthy and happy 2022!

In this week´s episode we get to know up-and-coming British player Sonay Kartal. Sonay, 20, has had an impressive 2021. After coming back from injury earlier in the year, she won the UK Pro League Masters event.  She also won her first two ITF Pro Circuit titles, breaking into the top 900 for the first time.  You may have seen Sonay recently in a clip that went viral on social media.  The video is an epic point against US Open Champion Emma Raducanu in an orange ball match when they were both just 9-year-olds. Sonay talks about this and more in a fascinating episode.  Episode Highlights include:- How the UK Pro League has helped Sonay. Why she doesn´t pay attention to rankings. How having to take ownership of her tennis from a young age has helped her. Why she chose against the US College route. Why she believes losing is important. Links Mentioned in this Episode Episode 143: Keith Reynolds - Are we selling the game of tennis the right way? Episode 26: Dan Evans - Skills pay the bills UK Pro League

Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna has achieved so much in his playing career. A Grand Slam champion, he has also reached multiple Grand Slam finals, and reached number 3 in the world in doubles. On top of this, he is already looking ahead to help the next generation of Indian tennis players through the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy in Bangalore. He balances this with his own coffee brand, Maverick & Farmer. Rohan is a delightful man, with messages that are important to be heard. He is a big supporter of the PTPA and what could happen if they are able to push their voice through. He discusses all of this and more in another must listen episode! Links mentioned in this Episode:- Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy SotoTennis Academy Maverick & Farmer Coffee Episode 143: Keith Reynolds - Are we selling the game of tennis the right way? Connect Follow Rohan on Twitter: @rohanbopanna Follow Rohan on Instagram: @rohanbopanna0403 Follow SotoTennis Academy on Instagram: @sototennis

Keith Reynolds is a tennis coach who has experienced the sport at all levels.  He is the co-owner and founder of The Watchorn Tennis Club in Derbyshire which has produced 29 National Champions. He´s also coached many top international and national players, including GB Davis Cup player Jamie Baker.   A strong sportsman himself, Keith played tennis to international level as a junior and reached a career high ITF ranking of 491. He was also the +35 GB National Champion.  Keith is well known for developing coaches and coach education, and is the author of The Tennis Coach’s Toolkit. In 2015, he won the LTA´s Aegon Lifetime Achievement Award.   In this episode, Keith and CTC host Dan Kiernan discuss...  Are we selling tennis correctly?  Why tennis as a sport needs to appeal to wider communities.  His belief that tennis makes us better equipped for what life throws at us.  The importance of understanding the realities of tennis.  Connect  Follow Keith on Twitter: @tennistoolkit  Follow Control the Controllables on Instagam: @ctc.podcast  Don´t miss an episode of Control the Controllables!   Head to our website to choose an episode to listen to next and read more on our guests!

Francesca Jones is a British tennis player who is currently ranked 153 in the world. Originally from Bradford, the 21-year-old moved to Spain at age 10 to train at the Sanchez Casal Tennis Academy. She reached number 31 in the junior world rankings, before qualifying for her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January. Francesca was born with Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia (EED) syndrome, which is a rare genetic condition that has required her to have more than 10 surgeries. She is missing a finger on each hand and 3 toes, something which doctors told her parents would prevent her from playing tennis. Instead, she has risen up the rankings and played at all 4 Grand Slams this year. In today´s episode, CTC Host Dan Kiernan chats to Francesca about: Her unusual introduction to tennis. Her reflections on her achievements in 2021. How her physical differences affect her training and how she´s overcome them. The influence training at Spanish Academies has had on her tennis game.  The expectations she put on herself after qualifying for the 2021 Australian Open. Why she took the decision to end her season in September. Let us know your thoughts on this episode! Email us at ctc.podcast@sototennis.com or you can find us on instagram, @ctc.podcast

Lucie Ahl is a former British number 1 and WTA 161 singles player. She competed numerous times at Grand Slams and has a 100% record at the Fed Cup representing Great Britain. Life after playing tennis professionally has taken Lucie into coaching, as a travelling coach with Laura Robson, Jodie Burrage and many more. She has had a successful coaching career working with top British juniors and senior players, both male and female.  She´s also now a member of the LTA Coach Education Team, helping develop the next generation of GB coaches.  Lucie´s voice can be frequently heard on TV and Radio as a commentator for Amazon Prime, Tennis TV, Eurosport and Wimbledon Radio. In today´s episode, listen to Lucie Ahl chat to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about:- Her journey from average junior to British number one. Her reflections on the highs and lows of her pro career. The challenges of being a female coach in a male dominant industry. The challenges she set herself away from the court, including Ironman targets. British Tennis Coaches and the shortage of career pathways. Her favourite tennis moments she has commentated on. Links Mentioned in this episode:- Episode 87: Jodie Burrage - On the Rise Episode 63: Heather Watson - WTA Tour Life Episode 14: John Hicks - A British Coaching Legend SotoTennis Academy LTA Coach Development & Education

Rajeev Ram is a multiple Grand Slam Champion and the current World number 4 mens doubles player. The 37-year-old American has won the Australian Open mixed doubles twice with Barbora Krejčíková. He´s reached 3 Grand Slam mens doubles finals with GB´s Joe Salisbury, winning the 2020 Australian Open and 2021 US Open titles. Rajeev was a successful junior, and reached a career high of 56 in the world in singles in 2016, before deciding to focus on doubles. Rajeev has reached the final of 40 ATP doubles events during his career, and next month will make his Davis Cup debut for the USA. In this episode, listen to Rajeev Ram talk to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about:- How tennis started for him as a fun Father/Son activity. His decision to go to US College and winning a NCAA Championship. Why he regrets leaving the University of Illinois after just 1 season. How going back to playing his own game style helped him break into the top 100. Coping with the losses and how he still enjoys learning and improving from them. His successful partnership with GB´s Joe Salisbury. Do they plan on playing together in 2022?

Jimmy Arias is a former world number 5. At the age of 15, he became the youngest person to achieve a world ranking, and went onto win 5 ATP singles titles and the 1981 French Open Mixed Doubles. During his career he has had wins over Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Jim Courier, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash and Goran Ivanisevic.  Jimmy Arias´name is synonymous with the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, now known as the IMG Academy. He was one of the original students at the academy in 1978, and in 2018 he became Director of Tennis.  He has been a commentator for ESPN and the Tennis Channel, and as you will find out in this episode, he is a great storyteller! Episode Highlights include:- How his relationship with his father shaped his tennis career. How the famous Arias forehand came about. Why he made the decision to work with Nick Bollettieri His time as an ¨original¨ at the IMG Academy. His inner belief from a young age. How he changed his game after being diagnosed with Mono. Find out which tennis legends he found the most difficult to play! What frustrates him about the current game, and what has changed since his era. An entertaining episode, enjoy! Connect with Jimmy Arias:- Twitter: @ariastennis Instragram: @jimmyariastennis Website: www.jimmyarias.com

Fernando Segal is a world-leading coach, tennis development expert and an influential figure in the tennis world. From Argentina, Fernando has more than 40 years experience in coaching. During that time he´s written 11 books, and directed development programs for National Tennis Federations in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, and others. From these, junior players have been developed who have won 16 Junior Grand Slams, Top 10 ATP / WTA and multiple Top 100 players including  David Nalbandian, Paula Ormaechea, Guillermo Coria and Cara Black. His goal is to professionalise the tennis industry and between 27th-30th October 2021 his organisation Segal Institute, is hosting the first international virtual tennis event. TBD Innovation Week will bring together and give everyone involved in tennis the opportunity to connect and learn from more than 80 speakers at the online event.  Dr Jim Loehr, Allistair McCaw, Janko Tipsarovic, and our own CTC Host Dan Kiernan are among the line-up, with topics like uniting tennis through technology, the future of college tennis, and female player development and communication and more! In this episode, Fernando Segal chats to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about:- Why he believes we should all know more about the history of our sport. Why he always knew coaching would be his calling. Why he wants to professionalise the tennis industry. His goal for everyone in tennis to work together to promote the sport. The role of Federations and coaches in promoting tennis. His belief that there´s too much emphasis on high performance, and not enough on grass roots tennis. Read more on Fernando Segal Sign up to TBD Innovation Week!

Ben Haran is one of the leading tennis coaches in Great Britain. He is the Head Coach at Reeds Tennis Academy in Surrey, where for the past 17 years he´s guided dozens of young players to national and international level. A former player himself, Ben left home at 10-year-old to join the Slater Squad, based at Reeds School. There, he grew up training with fellow Brits Tim Henman & Jamie Delgado. Ben has recently worked with James Ward & Dan Evans and was mentored by legendary Australian coach Bob Brett. Listen to Ben chat to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about:- The importance of learning your trade in coaching. How he found leaving home at 10 to join the Slater Squad. Why Tim Henman was the most successful player from the squad? How Bob Brett became his mentor (this is a great story!) and the impact he has had on his career. Why he thinks it´s so beneficial for coaches to have a mentor. Control the Controllables on Instagram: @ctc.podcast

Matt Little is one of the world´s most renowned S&C Coaches. He´s worked with Andy Murray for the past 14 years, through the highs and lows of 3 Grand Slam titles, 2 Olympic gold medals, a Davis Cup win and career-threatening injuries.  Matt was by Murray´s side through two hip surgeries, his gruelling recovery and inspiring return to tennis. He´s just released a new book, The Way of the Tortoise: Why You Have to Take the Slow Lane to Get Ahead. In today´s episode, Matt chats to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about working with Andy, his career in S&C, and gives some fascinating insight into :- His journey from young tennis player to coaching a World Number 1. How he prepares himself to watch Murray´s matches. How his role in Andy Murray´s team has developed through the years. What working with Murray in 2016 was really like! The impact Murray´s hip injuries had on the team, and how rewarding his return to tennis has been. The importance of soft skills in coaching. Why he recommends young tennis & S&C coaches find their own niche in tennis. The inspiration for his new book The Way of the Tortoise. What´s next for S&C in tennis. Episode ShowNotes Control the Controllables on Instagram: @ctc.podcast SotoTennis Academy on Instagram: @sototennis

Ryan Jones is a British Coach who has been working on the ATP/ITF tour for the past 10 years. Ryan has taken Borna Coric and Kyle Edmund into the ATP top 100 and is well on the way to the same result with young British hope Jack Draper.  You may have seen Jack take the first set off World Number one Novak Djokovic in his Wimbledon debut this summer. Ryan comes from a strong tennis pedigree, as the son of Alan Jones. Alan famously coached Jo Durie to the top 5 in the world back in the 1980´s. All three now work together at Junior Elite Tennis academy in the UK. Ryan is clearly passionate about tennis and, like his dad, has discipline at the heart of his coaching philosophy. He gives us raw insight into how he works and what he believes. He also chats to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about:- The impact his father Alan Jones has had on his playing and coaching career. The traits he looks for in a player. Are Coaches in the UK too soft on players? The sacrifices needed to be a tennis coach. His journey so far with Jack Draper. If becoming a Father will change his coaching style. A great listen! Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Episode 103: Borna Coric - Ownership Episode 131: Facundo Lugones - Find a Way Don´t miss an episode of Control the Controllables!  Check out our website, and subscribe to the podcast here! You can also follow @ctc.podcast on Instagram!

Up until the 2021 US Open, Alastair Filmer was known as one of Great Britain´s leading performance coaches.  He´s now more commonly referred to as Emma Raducanu´s former coach. The 18-year-old has been in the spotlight since she stormed to the women´s title as a qualifier earlier this month. Alistair coached Emma between the ages of 11 - 14, guiding her to her first ITF title at 13, and 3rd place at the U14 Orange Bowl. He was Head of Performance at Bromley Tennis Centre for 7 years, before moving to Dukes Meadows as Head of the Regional Performance Centre. In this episode, Alastair talks to Control the Controllables about:- How he felt watching Emma Raducanu win her first Grand Slam. He gives us an insight into her training schedule at age 11 - 14. Did he think she was going to be a superstar at this age? The challenges that come with coaching high-level players. He discusses self-worth and judgment linked to the player you work with, rather than the job you do. Setting the culture and building character first.  A fascinating listen! Let us know your thoughts on this episode!  Leave a rating and review or you can email us directly at ctc.podcast@sototennis.com Don´t want to miss an episode? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Instagram @ctc.podcast

In this bonus episode, we speak to Alexa Guarachi who is currently World Number 12 in Womens´doubles. Alexa has just reached the Semi-Final of the Women´s Doubles at the US Open with partner Desirae Krawczyk. The pair previously reached the final at Roland Garros in 2020. The daughter of an American mother and a Chilean Father, the 30-year-old has represented Chile since 2015. She has  5 WTA and 20 ITF Doubles titles to her name and is currently coached by GB´s Craig Veal. Listen to Alexa speak to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about:- How she´s been able to rise up the rankings each year. The impact her tennis-playing parents have had on her career. Her time at the University of Alabama, where she broke the record for the most wins in one season. Coming back from tearing her ACL and how it changed her mindset on her tennis. Her decision to focus on Doubles. How her positive attitude has helped her tennis career. What she believes makes a good doubles partner. The number 1 thing she looks for in a coach.  Enjoy! Links Mentioned in this Episode: Follow Alexa on Instagram: @aguarachi Follow Alexa on Twitter: @aguarachi Episode 129: Wimbledon Review Episode 103: Craig Veal - Step by Step Find out more about SotoTennis Academy and keep up with all the latest at the Academy over on Instagram.

It´s not been a bad few weeks for GB´s Joe Salisbury. In fact, it´s not been a bad year! The 29-year-old completed a US Open double at the weekend, winning the Men´s Doubles with partner Rajeev Ram on Friday, followed by the Mixed Doubles title with Desirae Krawczyk the next day. Joe has now reached 5 Grand Slam doubles finals in 2021, winning 3 of them. He´s now world number 4 and a 4-time Grand Slam Champion. In this episode, Joe talks to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about his amazing fortnight at Flushing Meadows and the incredible run to the women´s title by fellow Brit Emma Raducanu. He also discusses:- Why 2021 has been such a successful year for him. The benefits of his consistent partnership with Rajeev Ram. The impact of coaches Justin Sherring, Louis Cayer & Rob Morgan on his career. Playing his first Olympics this summer with Andy Murray. He confirms if he and Desirae Krawczyk will go for their 3rd Grand Slam together at the Aussie Open. His goals for his tennis career and after.  Links Mentioned in this Episode: Episode 129: Wimbledon Review Episode 102: Louis Cayer - The Guru! Follow Joe Salisbury on Twitter: @joesalisbury92 Follow Joe Salisbury on Instagram: @joesalisbury92

Facundo Lugones has been Cameron Norrie´s coach since 2017.  The pair played together on the Mens Tennis Team at Texas Christian University for 12 months, before Facu became a Graduate Coach for the team.  The 28-year-old Argentinian has guided Norrie to 3 ATP Challenger Tour titles, and 2 ATP Tour Doubles Titles. In June, Norrie reached the final at Queens, before winning his first ATP title in July in Los Cabos, breaking into the top 30 for the first time. In this episode, CTC Host Dan Kiernan chats to Facu about:- Why he thinks Norrie has had such a successful 2021 so far. Growing up playing in Argentina with Diego Schwartzman & Nicolás Kicker Why he thinks Argentina is producing so many players Why he doesn´t think money is an obstacle for players to be successful HIs time at US College and how he moved from playing into coaching. His advice to young coaches. Links Mentioned in this Episode Episode 55: Cameron Norrie - College Stud to Pro Life Episode 96: David Walsh - Pursuit of the Truth Follow Facu Lugones on Twitter: @faculugones Follow Control the Controllables on Instagram: @ctc.podcast

If you watched any of the 2021 Australian Open in January, you wouldn´t have missed Craig Tiley. The Director of the Aussie Open was on our screens throughout the tournament as he dealt with tennis players and officials in hotel quarantine for 14 days, and a local lockdown in Melbourne. In this episode, Craig talks to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about the difficulties of running a Grand Slam during the pandemic, and shares all the latest of what the 2022 Australian Open will look like.  Craig also looks back on his career in tennis which started in is native South Africa and includes being South Africa´s Davis Cup Captain for 3 years. He also spent 11 years in the USA as Head Coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. There he led the mens team to 2 National Team Indoor Championships, as well a 32–0 record and an NCAA Championship in 2003. Now, as well as running the Australian Open, Craig is also the CEO of Tennis Australia. Craig´s passion for tennis and love of helping others shines through in this episode. Enjoy! Enjoyed the episode?  We´d love to hear from you! Leave us a rating and review here! You can also head over to our website or follow us on Instagram for all the latest on Control the Controllables! Follow Craig Tiley on Twitter

We´ve kept you waiting for this episode, but it´s worth the wait!  Listen to our review of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships with this year´s Mixed Doubles Champions Neal Skupski & Desirae Krawczyk.  Neil has recently reached a career high of 14 in the world in doubles. The Brit teamed up with Desirae for the first time at Wimbledon, fresh off the back of her French Open Mixed doubles title with GB´s Joe Salisbury.  Also joining the review is Desirae´s coach Craig Veal. They chat to CTC host Dan Kiernan about the highs and lows at SW19 this year, their experience on Centre Court and run to the Mixed doubles title. They also chat about Neils experience representing GB at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  Desirae also answers the burning question....who will she be playing with in the Mixed at next month´s US Open, Joe or Neil?!  Enjoy!  Connect with us!  For all the latest on the Control the Controllables podcast, head to our website www.controlthecontrollables.co.uk  You can also follow us on Instagram at @ctc.podcast We´d love to hear from you!  If you´re feeling extra generous, you can leave us a rating and review over on Apple Podcasts.

Maik Burlage is a former professional tennis player, and now the founder and CEO of Wingfield.  The 30-year-old German played professionally for nearly 3 years, before moving into Coaching and then tech innovation. He set up Wingfield with the aim to bring affordable smart match and performance analysis to the wider tennis community. Wingfield´s technology gives players the opportunity to receive instant video and data from their practise session or match at their local club.  The data, like your first serve percentage, is delivered on the court or through a smart phone app. Listen to Maik talk to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about:- His tennis career How he moved from player to coach to entrepreneur. Where his love of data came from. How he used the skills he acquired as a tennis player to set up his own company. How he would use data analysis as a coach. The future of data in the sport of tennis. Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Find out more about Wingfield Episode 123: Luke Jensen - Choose Confidence A fan of Data Analysis? You might also like these episodes:- Episode 116: Mike James - A Numbers Game Episode 23: Craig O’Shannessy - Money ball of tennis! Don´t miss an episode!  Hit Subscribe on Apple Podcasts. You can also Rate and Review the podcast and let us know what you think.  Or head over to @ctc.podcast on Instagram and hit follow. We´d love to hear from you!

Dr Jim Loehr is a world-renowned performance psychologist. He´s worked with hundreds of top athletes including Olympic Gold medalists and tennis players Jim Courier, Monica Seles & Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. During his career he´s also worked with military Special Forces, Hostage Rescue teams, surgeons and Fortune 500 CEOs to achieve sustained high performance. Listen to Dr Loehr talk to CTC Host Dan Kiernan about:- How he started working with his first tennis player, Tom Gullikson His time working with Jimmy Connors & Nick Bollettieri´s Tennis Academy (now IMG Academy) Why he thinks more players aren´t travelling with sports psychologists…yet. How to train mentally and emotionally. Tips to help build your confidence. His belief that character strength can be built in the same way that muscle strength is built, through energy investment. The Hidden Scorecard – the importance of having different success measures. His time working with Olympic gold medal speed skater Dan Jansen. Advice to parents, players and coaches who don´t have access to a sports psychologist. An incredibly informative episode, get your notepads and pens at the ready! Links Mentioned in this Episode Website: www.jim-loehr.com Check our Dr Jim Loehrs books here Watch Dan Jansens´s Story - Never Give Up Listen to our episode with Tom Gullikson 

In this episode we speak to British youngster Arthur Fery. The 19-year-old came within 1 match of making the main draw at Wimbledon this year, beating former top 40 player Matthew Ebden in the Qualifying at Roehampton. Arthur has recently hit a career high world ranking of 840. He had a successful junior career reaching world junior number 12, and made the semi-finals of the boys doubles at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He´s now studying at California´s Stanford University, signing with the highest UTR of all freshman in 2019, 13.94. Arthur´s parents are French but he grew up in Wimbledon, not far from the All England Club. His mother, Olivia, also played professional tennis, reaching the top 200 in the world and representing France in the Fed Cup. His father Loic is the owner of French Ligue 1 football team Lorient. Listen to Arthur talk to CTC host Dan Kiernan about:- Why he thinks his junior career was so beneficial  The impact his Mum has had on his tennis Why he thinks game identity is so important His decision to go to US College and his time so far at Stanford University The benefits of working with 2 Coaches The importance of enjoying your tennis! Enjoying Wimbledon? You won´t want to miss our Brits at Wimbledon Special! 10 former and current British players including Kyle Edmund, Chris Wilkinson & Claire Taylor relive their Wimbledon stories and experiences.  Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Arthur Ferry on Instagram: @arthurfery Episode 108: Holger Rune - No Doubt Episode 125: Brits at Wimbledon Special!

We´ve had to wait two years, but we´re now just a few days away from watching the green grass of Wimbledon on our screens! To celebrate the return of SW19, we´ve brought together a group of 10 former and current British Tennis players to talk about the highs and lows of being a British tennis player during the grass court season! And what a line-up it is... Kyle Edmund Harriet Dart Katie O´Brien Lucie Ahl Chris Wilkinson Danny Sapsford Claire Taylor Lee Childs Luke Milligan Julie Salmon All 10 players share their Wimbledon experiences, and what that feeling is really like walking out onto Centre Court. They also discuss how they managed the expectations of the press, the crowds and the opportunities and challenges that the grass court season brings for Brits. A brilliant episode, full of memorable Wimbledon stories! Not to be missed for British tennis fans! Want more Wimbledon discussion? Don´t miss our Wimbledon Review and Roland Garros Review episode also!

As the grass court season moves into its second week, our Grand Slam panellists are back! Former Belgium number 1 Xavier Mallise, and GB Coach Mark Hilton join host Dan Kiernan to review the French Open and preview Wimbledon. Hear their thoughts on all the action at Roland Garros, and what the short transition from clay to grass is like for the players. Can Roger lift that Wimbledon trophy one more time? Will Serena be able to clinch her 24th Grand Slam? The panellists give their predictions for the men´s and womens title, and picks for ´outsiders to watch!´ It´s without doubt our favourite time of year, and we´ve had to wait 2 years for it! Enjoy this episode and enjoy watching all the grass-court action! Don´t forget to check back in at the end of the fortnight for our Wimbledon Review!  You also won´t want to miss our special Wimbledon episode on Friday 25th June!  Dan chats to 10 former and current British Tennis players including Kyle Edmund, Harriet Dart, Lucie Ahl & Chris Wilkinson about the opportunities and challenges of the grass court season for British players.  A brilliant episode and not to be missed for British tennis fans!  Connect with us! Head over to Instagram and follow us at @ctc.podcast You can also keep up with all the latest from Control the Controllables on our website!

If you were a tennis fan in the 80´s and 90´s, you wouldn´t have missed the Jensen Brothers! The original American doubles brothers, Luke & Murphy Jensen were known for their high energy on court, chest bumping and high fives, as well as their long hair and bandanas. Nicknamed the Rock n Roll tennis brothers, they won the mens doubles title at Roland Garros in 1993. Product endorsements poured in and the pair went onto appear on the cover of Rolling Stone and People magazines, increasing global recognition of doubles. In this episode we speak to Luke Jensen, the elder brother, about his tennis journey which saw him reach world junior number 1 in singles and doubles, and number 6 ATP in doubles. Luke has since moved into coaching and is also an analyst for ESPN. He was Head Coach of the Women´s Syracuse tennis team for 7 seasons, and is current Coach of the NY Empires who won the 2020 World Team Tennis title. He also co-founded the Jensen-Schmidt Tennis Academy for Down Syndrome. Luke tells us what is was like growing up in a successful tennis family, his sisters also played to Grand Slam level, and discusses Murphy´s struggle with alcohol and drug addiction during their playing days, and how they are using that experience to help others. An episode full of energy and fun, enjoy! Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Watch Murphy Jenson´s story on The Tennis Channel´s Heroes  We Connect, the technology company founded by Murphy Jensen that helps people struggling with drug & alcohol issues. The Jensen-Schmidt Tennis Academy for Down Syndrome. Coco Vanderwegh´s forehand return winner to win the 2020 World Team Tennis Title for the NY Empires. Connect with Us! Catch up with all the latest episodes on our website, www.controlthecontrollables.co.uk Head over to @ctc.podcast on Instagram and hit follow Don´t miss an episode! Hit Subscribe on Apple Podcasts. You can also Rate and Review the podcast and let us know what you think. We´d love to hear from you! 

Mike Digby has been a hitting partner to some of the biggest names in tennis. A late-comer to the game, the 23-year-old Brit played tennis to US College level. He´s since travelled to some of the biggest tournaments in the game, practising with and warming up players like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Simona Halep and Coco Gauff. He´s currently a coach at SotoTennis Academy, and has recently returned from hitting with ATP & WTA players at the Madrid Masters. Not an easy job, it´s often role of the hitting partner to emulate the next opponent as much as possible, so having a versatile game, being flexible with your hours and catering to the players wants and needs is a must!  In this episode, Mike gives us an insight into what life is really like as a hitting partner to the pros, from the best experiences to the worst!  Episode Highlights:  [09:00] Hitting with Coco Gauff at the Madrid Masters [13:54] The difference between hitting with the younger and more senior players on the tour [16:03] How Mike got started as a hitting partner to the pros [17:58] Listen to his Novak Djokovic experience! [22:18] Find out which player was Mike´s worst hitting experience [31:14] What a typical day as a hitting partner looks like [34:17] How he became a regular hitting partner for Simona Halep [37:30] What´s Medvedev really like? [55:25] Listen to his experience hitting with Roger Federer at the ATP Finals Links Mentioned in this Episode Mike Digby on Instagram: @mikedigbyy SotoTennis Academy on Instagram: @sototennis Episode 98: Tom Hill - Return on Investment See all the latest episodes on Control the Controllables and read more about our guests on our website.

Naomi Osaka´s withdrawal from the French Open this week has called attention to the mental health of professional tennis players. The world number 2 was fined $15,000 for not taking part in a post-match press conference, and threatened with expulsion if she continued to not talk to the media. She pulled out of the tournament on Monday. In this bonus episode we speak to Daria Abramowicz, the sports psychologist of defending French Open Champion Iga Swiatek. A former competitive sailor for Poland, Daria has been a part of Iga´s travelling team since 2019. She gives us her thoughts on the chain of events leading up to Osaka´s withdrawal, and how she hopes this will be a turning point for the mental health of athletes. She also describes her work with Iga and gives advice to players who aren´t able to work with a sports psychologist. Connect Follow Daria on Twitter: @abramowiczd Follow Control the Controllables on Instagram: @ctc.podcast Visit SotoTennis Academy´s Website: www.sototennis.com Listen to the episode with Iga Swiatek on Control the Controllables

Marcus Daniell is not your ordinary professional tennis player. The 31-year-old from New Zealand has reached as high as 34 in the world in Doubles and has 5 ATP doubles titles to his name, but he´s also known for his work off the court. Since 2015 Marcus has donated a percentage of his earnings to charity, and in December 2020 he launched High Impact Athletes. The organisation channels charitable donations to the most effective evidence-based charities in the word, including extreme poverty, children´s, and environmental impact charities.  In just 6 months, he´s signed up dozens of professional athletes including tennis players Stefanos Tsitsipas and John Millman to pledge a percentage of their earnings to help others. His goal is to reach $1 million in donations by the end of the year. In 2021, Marcus announced that he would be donating at least 10 per cent of his annual winnings to effective charity organisations for the rest of his life. Listen to Marcus discuss this, his career and more in this very inspiring episode. Some highlights of the episode:-  [05:21] Growing up playing and competing in New Zealand [11:43] His experience moving to Slovakia as a junior to train [20:07] Imposter Syndrome and how he needed to break through a belief barrier to help him rise up the rankings [28:56] How he´s using his voice for doubles as a member of the ATP Council. [29:54] Marcus discusses the drop in prize money for doubles players at the this years French Open. [33:23] What ranking do you need as a pro doubles player to break even? [37:27] Discovering Effective Altruisim and donating 10% of his winnings to charity. [38:54] Why he decided to set up High Impact Athletes and the potential impact it will have as it grows. Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Follow Marcus on Twitter: @MarcusDaniell Website: High Impact Athletes Giving What We Can 80,000 Hours Episode 39: Mental Health Awareness Week - Joe Dixon

With less that 24 hours to go until Roland Garros gets underway in Paris, we´ve brought our panel of former and current pros back together to preview the French Open. Our panellists are:- GB´s Billy Jean King Cup Captain and former British number 1 Anne Keothavong 2012 Wimbledon mens doubles champion and former Denmark number 1 Freddie Nielsen GB Coach Mark Hilton Hear their picks for the mens and women´s title at this years event, as well as their ‘outsiders to watch’. Defending champion Iga Swiatek will make her return, after her win in Rome. She spoke to Control the Controllables at the start of the clay-court season. Listen to the episode here. Meanwhile Rafa Nadal will be aiming for his 14th French Open title. A win again at Roland Garros would give him 21 Grand Slam titles, moving him ahead of Roger Federer. Anne, Freddie and Mark give us lots of insights, predictions and stories ahead of the the start of the first round matches tomorrow.  Don´t forget to check back in at the end of the fortnight for our French Open Review! Connect with us! Head over to Instagram and follow us at @ctc.podcast You can also keep up with all the latest from Control the Controllables on our website www.controlthecontrollables.co.uk

Alex Ward is a British tennis coach and former player. He reached a career high ATP ranking of 242, winning 14 Futures titles. Alex was part of the 2010 GB Davis Cup squad and played Wimbledon in 2016 & 2017. He came through Qualifying in 2017, losing to fellow Brit Kyle Edmund in the first round.  He retired from professional tennis in 2018, moving into coaching, and has most recently been working with Heather Watson. In this episode you´ll hear Alex talk to Dan about:- [06:46] His move to a Spanish Academy at 16 after being coached by his Father [10:43] Spanish Academies v the British tennis system [22:17] The influence the late Paul Hutchins had on his career [25:27] How he was able to play for 10/11 years on the tour. [30:26] His experiences at Wimbledon [39:55] His transition into coaching and working with GB´s Heather Watson Connect Alex on Twitter: @alexward1990 Alex on Instagram: @theawardd Control the Controllables on Instagram: @ctc.podcast Don´t forget to rate, review & subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts!

Paul Annacone is one of the world´s leading coaches. He´s worked with some of the greats including Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Tim Henman.   Annacone guided Sampras to nine of his 14 Grand Slam Titles, leading to Sports Illustrated calling him “the court whisperer”. He helped GB´s Tim Henman rise from number 41 in the world to a career high of 4. He also led Roger Federer back to World number 1 and his 7th Wimbledon title in 2012. In between this, Annacone was also Managing Director of the USTA Performance Programme from 2001 - 2003 and was LTA Men´s Head Coach for 3 years. More recently he´s worked with Sloane Stephens and is currently coaching Taylor Fritz. A former professional player, Annacone won three ATP titles and reached a career high ranking of No. 12 in singles and 3 in doubles. He won the Mens doubles at thenAustralian Open in 1985 with long-time partner Christo van Rensburg, and won 14 doubles titles during his career. In this episode, Annacone discusses  his coaching philosophy and how he thinks his playing career helped him as a coach. He also tells us stories from his time working with Sampras, Henman and Federer and the differences between them. A must listen! Here´s some of the highlights:- [09:00] Why it´s important to know how to give the same message to different personalities. [18:24] The importance of game identity and working on your/a players strengths. [19:50] Find out what he learned from Pete Sampras as a young coach that helped shape his coaching philosphy. [23:33] Listen to Roger Federer´s reaction to a heartbreaking loss at Wimbledon [28:29] Big picture mentality: Paul discusses his run to the Wimbledon Quarter-finals in 1984 straight out of US College. [33:31] Listen to Paul´s stand-out memory from his time working with Sampras. [38:55] Why he thinks Henman had an ideal game for Clay [44:06] Listen to his memories from the 2012 Federer v Murray Wimbledon Final [47:51] Does he think Federer can win another Wimbledon? [48:51] Who was the easiest to coach? Who had the best backhand? Find out in the Sampras v Henman v Federer Quickfire round! Links Mentioned in this Episode: Paul Annacone on Twitter: @paul_annacone  Paul Annacone on Instagram @paulannacone10s  Website: https://paulannacone.com/ Episode 114: Iga Swiatek - Teenage Grand Slam Champion Iga Swiatek at SotoTennis Academy Episode 62: Valerie Kondos-Field - Winning doesn´t always equal success

In this episode, we´re talking all things data with ATP/WTA tennis analyst Mike James. Mike is a former UK tennis coach who moved into the world of tennis data analysis in 2014.  Since then he´s worked with many top players and coaches like Stan Wawrinka and Misha Kecmanovic and is now the data analyst for the 2020 French Open Champion Iga Swiatek. He has also set up his own company, Sport Analytics. Mike tells us how he fits into a pro players team, and what information they will ask him for.  He explains what he tracks, what trends he looks for and how that data and video footage can be used for player development, scouting reports, pre and post-injury comparison reports etc.  If you´re a Coach, he also gives you his top tips for how you can use data to help you improve, and in turn improve your players. He also details how he sets up a scouting report on a player. A great listen! Highlights from the episode: [06:50] Mike describes his journey into tennis analysis [20:03] Mike talks about his experience working with Stan Wawrinka and his coach Magnus Norman [23:32] Pen & paper at the ready! Mike details how he sets up a scouting report on a player. [30:31] Find out at what stage in a match there would tend to be longer rallies. [33:33] Why his relationship will be with the Coach and not the pro player. [37:11] What is the criteria for a "net point" and why it varies. [50:19] Mike talks Primary Patterns and if this applies to the top players [53:52] How he fits into Iga Swiatek´s team and how they use him [1:00:56] One for Coaches! Mike gives his top tips for how you can use data to improve your players.   Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Mike James on Twitter: @mikejamestennis Mike James on Instagram: @mikejames_tennis_analyst Tennis Coaches Support Network on Facebook Summer Training Weeks at SotoTennis Academy. Email info@sototennis.com for more information!

Carl Maes is best known as being former world number 1 Kim Clijster´s coach for more than a decade. As a young coach he worked with the top players in Belgium including Xavier Malisse, Olivier Rochus and Justine Henin. He led the Belgian Fed Cup team to the final in 2006 and has since worked with players like Yanina Wickmayer, Kirsten Flipkens and Laura Robson. Carl spent 6 years at the LTA as Head of Women´s Tennis. He was also the Academy Director at Kim Clijsters Academy for 6 years, before joining Tenerife Tennis Academy as Performance Director in 2020. He is also currently coaching Sorana Cirstea and is the co-founder of Orange Coach Exchange, which offers webinars and one-to-one sessions where coaches can 'exchange' knowledge. In this episode he looks back on his career, including his playing days and his journey with Kim Clijsters, as well as the Golden era of Belgian tennis. Enjoy! Here´s a glance at the episode:- [6:17] Carl talks about his decision to move to Tenerife. [10:16] Carl discusses how as  a coach you have to be available full-time for your team of players, coaches and parents. [20:00] Listen to the SAS system Carl uses as a coach [18:30] Carl explains his coaching philosophy of making people comfortable being uncomfortable. [23:35] Why it´s so important to understand why someone plays tennis. [28:26] Carl tells us about his tennis playing career and why he´s more suited to coaching [37:16] Carl describes how his relationship with Kim Clijsters began [39:51] Carl discusses the golden era of Belgian tennis when he was working with Xavier Malisse, Olivier Rochus, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin [46:53] He reflects on his time at the LTA as Head of Women´s Tennis [57:11} Why he thinks the culture and tournament structure in Spain works well for developing young players Links Mentioned in this Episode:- Check out Carl on Twitter: @carlmaes  SotoTennis Academy Tenerife Tennis Academy Orange Coach Exchange Rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Head over to Instagram to like Control the Controllables

Iga Swiatek is the 2020 French Open Champion and world number 17. At just 19 years of age, she became the lowest-ranked woman to reach the final at Roland Garros since rankings began. She also became the first Polish tennis player ever to win a Grand Slam singles title. Not only that, but Iga didn´t drop a set along the way. Iga talks to Control the Controllables about her incredible journey from a young tennis player to becoming a Grand Slam champion as a teenager. She reveals how she felt at the time and afterwards, and talks about the impact her Father, an Olympic rower, has had on her career. A successful junior, in 2018 she won junior Grand Slam doubles titles at Roland Garros and the US Open, as well as the girls singles titles at Wimbledon. Iga has been training at SotoTennis Academy for 9 days as she prepares for the 2021 Clay court season. She tells Dan how she´s feeling now she´s returning no longer as an underdog, but as a Grand Slam Champion. Here are some of the highlights of the episode:- [7:49] Iga talks about the impact her Father who is an Olympic rower has had on her tennis journey. [13:28] Iga tells Dan when she realized that she wanted to be a Pro tennis player. [14:44] Iga looks back at winning Roland Garros last year and what was going through her mind. [17:58] Dan asks Iga if she had moments of thinking she could win, or if she was able to stay in the process. [20:40] Iga discusses her decision to travel with a sports psychologist and how important that´s been. [23:10] Iga describes how the relationship with her Coach, 2020 Coach of the Year started by accident. [26:05] Iga tells us her hopes for the 2021 Clay Court season. [27:47] Listen to what Iga will look back on as success in her tennis career. Connect Follow Iga Swiatek on Twitter: @iga_swiatek   Follow Iga Swiatek on Instagram: @iga.swiatek  Follow Control the Controllables on Instagram: @ctc.podcast.com We would love to hear what you think of the episode!  Rate, review and subscribe to Control the Controllables on Apple Podcasts. Your reviews really do go a long way!  You can also email us directly at info@sototennis.com 

Tennis fans will know Lewis Burton as a former British tennis player who reached the final of the Wimbledon boys doubles in 2010. Non-tennis fans will know Lewis as the boyfriend of TV presenter Caroline Flack when she tragically died in February 2020 at the age of 40. In this episode of Control the Controllables, Lewis looks back on his tennis career which saw him reach a high of 218 in doubles and 626 in singles. He won 26 ITF pro circuit doubles titles and qualified for the Wimbledon Men´s Doubles, before retiring two years later at just 22 years of age. Lewis discusses the impact tennis has had on his life and how it helped him as he moved into the modelling and business world, as well as dealing with the immense pain and grief that comes with losing someone you love. Links from the Episode:- Episode 112: Dan Evans & Neal Skupski – Fire & Ice Episode 105: Marcus Willis - From Zero to Hero! Episode 26: Dan Evans – Skills pay the bills!

Dan Evans & Neal Skupski speak to Control the Controllables fresh from their amazing run at the Miami & Monte Carlo ATP 1000 events. Dan made his way to his first ever ATP 1000 semi-final including a stunning victory over world number 1 Novak Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters. Up until last week, Dan had only won 4 career clay court matches. Dan and Neal paired up 2 weeks ago after Neal´s regular partner and brother, Ken Skupski returned home from their ATP 500 victory in Acapulco with a blood clot which will keep him away for a few weeks. The British pair have gone on to have 4 top 10 doubles victories and 8 wins in total on their way to the final of both Miami and Monte Carto. It means they are now number 5 in the ATP race.  We caught up with Dan and Neal before their first round match in Barcelona this week. They talk about about what they were thinking and feeling during some of the best shots (including those lobs!) and best moments of the last couple of weeks. Follow Dan Evans on Instagram: @danevo.official Follow Neal Skupksi on Twitter: @nealskupski

In this week´s episode we speak to GB´s Jonny O´Mara and his coach Toby Smith. Jonny O´Mara is a doubles specialist from Scotland who has reached a career high ATP doubles ranking of 44. He´s been working with fellow Scot Toby Smith for more than two years. Toby is the former Head Coach of Tennis Scotland, as well as working with many top British Players to the highest level of the Junior Game. He is also the big brother of GB Davis Cup Captain, Leon Smith.  They have a wonderful player/coach relationship that has organically grown the last 15 years and we are lucky get an insiders view into what makes them tick.  Here´s a glance at the episode... [14:20] Jonny describes his relationship with Toby. [22:00] Toby explains what he likes to do when he starts working with a new player. [29:00] Jonny explains why he doesn´t like the phrases ¨talent¨ or ¨potential¨ [35:09] Jonny discusses making the decision to concentrate on doubles [39:52] Listen to Toby´s thoughts on Jonny deciding to focus his career on doubles. [46:24] Toby describes Louie Cayer´s influence on his coaching [1:08:05] Is Jonny happy with where his career his currently? [1:21:01] Find out who has improved the most on court in the past 13 months, the player, or the coach?! Follow Jonny O´Mara on Twitter: @Jonny_OMara Follow Toby Smith on Instagram: @tsa.tennis Head over to instagram to like our new Control the Controllables page @ctc.podcast Don´t miss all the latest from the podcast at www.controlthecontrollables.co.uk

If you´re a fan of McEnroe, Borg, Sampras, Agassi or Courier, this is a must-listen episode!  Tom Gullikson reached as high as 34 in the world in singles and 4 in doubles. He is a 2-time Grand Slam finalist, winning the Mixed Doubles at the US Open in 1983. Also known as Gully, Tom was the US Davis Cup Captain between 1994 and 1999, leading the US team of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang to victory in 1995. As Team USA's coach, Tom also helped Agassi win a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Tom talks to Dan about his playing and coaching career, including what is was like being the other side of the net when John McEnroe yelled "You cannot be serious¨ for the first time at Wimbledon! He also speaks about his twin brother Tim´s influence on Pete Sampras´career and the impact of Tim´s death in 1996 to brain cancer. Here are some of Toms best stories..... [21:33] Tom speaks about his twin brother Tim´s relationship with Pete Sampras, and Pete´s incredible gesture on the day of Tims funeral. [25:42] Tom relives reaching the final of the Wimbledon Mens Doubles with Tim in 1983 [30:03] Tom describes the week   the Australian Open in 1995, when Pete Sampras broke down crying court against Jim Courier after learning of Tim´s diagnosis with brain cancer.  [48:40] Tom tells Dan how he managed all the different characters and personalities in the winning US Davis Cup Team during his 6 years as Captain. [1:01:19] Tom describes his experiences playing Bjorn Borg [1:06:25] Tom tells all on that infamous You cannot be serious! moment in the match against John McEnroe at Wimbledon!  Follow Tom on Twitter:@captaingully Control the Controllables is on Instagram! You can now find Control the Controllables on Instagram! Here we´ll be sharing all the latest from the Podcast on it´s very own dedicated account! Head over to instagram and follow @ctc.podcast  You can also keep up with all the latest episode on our website www.controlthecontrollables.co.uk   If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know in the reviews section on Apple Podcasts! You can reach us directly on info@sototennis.com

David Mullins is the current Managing Director of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). He spent 12 years as Head Coach at the University of Oklahoma and previously played for Fresno State in California for 4 years, so he really has seen US College from all sides.  David is currently leading them through challenging times with 60 colleges across all 5 divisions cancelling their tennis programmes during the global pandemic. David discusses this in great detail as well as his other passion, Tennis in his home country of Ireland.  Twitter: @davemullins_ITA Website: www.wearecollegetennis.com This episode is 12 months to the day of our very first episode on Control the Controllables! We have loved every episode and second of bringing this podcast to you, thank you for listening!  You can check out all of our episodes over the past year and our fantastic guests on our sparkly new website here!

Holger Rune has been the World Junior Number 1 for the last 3 years and at age 17 he has already started to make his move on the ATP Tour reaching the Quarter Finals last week in Santiago, Chile beating World Number 29 Benoit Paire in straight sets on the way. Holger is full of self belief, confidence and an unwavering focus on the prize ahead.

Britain´s Dom Inglot has been as high as 18 ATP Doubles, is a Davis Cup Winner, and Grand Slam Semi-Finalist, but he is much more. He is a smart, articulate man who discusses many topics with Dan including self awareness, US College, dumping partners and so much more.  This episode was recorded live from SotoTennis Academy in Spain where Dom is training as he prepares for the Andalucia Open ATP event in Marbella.  A great listen for aspiring players, parents and coaches. Enjoy! Twitter: @dominglot Instagram: @dominglot

Craig Veal is the current coach to WTA Doubles 15 in the world Alexa Guarachi. Alexa just last week won the WTA 1000 in Dubai with her partner Darija Jurak. Craig is 30 and has already worked at all levels of the sport. He tells us his story and many great insights and learnings along his coaching journey to date. Enjoy 😊 Twitter: @craigveal90 Linkedin: linkedin/in/craig-veal

In 2016, British tennis player Marcus Willis rose to fame with one of the most memorable runs to the 2nd round of Wimbledon in the tournament´s history. In just a few weeks the 25-year-old went from giving up tennis and coaching part-time to ´chancing his arm´ at Wimbledon Pre Qualifying. He was the last man to get into the event at a ranking of 772 ATP.  7 matches later he had won through pre-qualifying, qualifying and his first round Main Draw before finding himself up against Roger Federer on Centre Court. Now 30, Marcus has this week announced his retirement from tennis.  Listen to him discuss the reasons for his decision, his reflections on his career, and the complexities of the sport before and after that euphoric moment at Wimbledon. This episode has so many great learnings for us all. Enjoy 😊 Twitter: @Willbomb90 Apple Podcast: What you talking about Willis? Check out the online courses and programmes available for players and coaches at SotoTennis Academy Online 

John Cavill is an inspiration to us all, as he creates opportunities for coaches and clubs across the UK through bringing remote ‘tennis’ classes to thousands and thousands of school kids in the UK. This is where it all starts in our sport.  Not only has the initiative created lots of local media attention but John has recently featured on BBC Breakfast, BBC Look East and ITV Anglia. Tennis Works is now involved in raising funds for Comic Relief through the Red Nose Tennis Challenge and hope that children and adults across the country will get involved. Listen to how John is now working with over 2000 schools a week through lockdown and get involved in his Red Nose Day challenge! Email John to get involved in the Red Nose Day Challenge: john.cavill@tennisworks.net You can donate to the Red Nose Day Challenge here:https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tennisu-rednoseday21 Facebook: www.facebook.com/TennisUnlocked Twitter: @tennisunlocked Instagram: @tennis.unlocked

Borna Coric is coming to the peak of his career on the ATP Tour with a current ranking of 24 in the world and a career high of 12. He gives us insights that we rarely get into a player ‘in’ their career. Insights into his development and continued growth to his opinions on who is really the GOAT! This is a brilliant listen. Enjoy 😊

Louis Cayer has coached multiple Top 100 singles players, but has made his global name through coaching multiple Grand Slam Doubles Champions and World Number 1’s including changing the landscape of British Doubles over the last 15 years. His knowledge truly is second to none, make sure you have a note pad ready for this one. Enjoy 😊 To celebrate the release of the 100th Control the Controllables Podcast this week, we are giving you the chance to win a SotoTennis Academy Online Course of your choice! 👀    To give yourself a chance of winning this Instagram giveaway, you have to:    1. Like our Instagram GIVEAWAY POST here and follow @sototennis and @macxtennisacademy.    2. Tag a friend in the comments and tell us your favourite podcast to date.    3. Score a bonus entry by reposting on your Instastory and tagging us. IMPORTANT: For bonus entries, please make your account public so we can see your story and include your extra chance to win in the prize draw!   The Giveaway ends on Tuesday 2nd March at 2pm CET.   The winner will be randomly selected and will be notified via direct message on Instagram. GOOD LUCK! We look forward to seeing your favourite podcasts! Want to check out what you can win? Explore STA's Online Courses here!

We review the Australian Open 2021 with our amazing panellists Anne Keothavong, Naomi Broady, Xavier Malisse and Mark Hilton. A fun, insightful show 😊

The Godfather of tennis comes to help us celebrate our 100th episode of the podcast. The coach to many, namely, Agassi, Seles, Rios, Courier, Arias, Sharapova, Becker..The list goes on. The man who changed the landscape of Tennis Academies globally. This is not a one to miss.. Enjoy 😊 Twitter: @nickbollettieri Instagram: @officialnickbollettieri Facebook: @nickbollettieri IMG Academy: www.imgacademy.com Bollettieri Tennis and Learning, the inner city program that Nick founded: www.officialbtl.com

Eleanor Preston is the Director of The Emilia Group which is a PR and Media company in sport, but mainly in tennis. She has years of experience which includes Journalism, Broadcasting, Agent to the late Elena Baltacha, and multiple years at the Olympics and all the Grand Slams making sure all is working well behind the scenes. In this episode, Eleanor shares her stories and insights from it all. Enjoy 😊 Twitter: @eleanorpres The Emilia Group: Website: www.theemiliagroup.com Twitter: @TheEmiliaGroup

Tom Hill aged 25 from the UK is the coach to WTA 22nd in the world Maria Sakarri. How you may ask? We unlock this and so much more with stories from his hitting partner days, his IMG Academy days, his time coaching Danielle Collins and much more. You get out what you put in. Enjoy Twitter: @Hill_Thomas

We have a panel of Anne Keothavong, Naomi Broady, Xavier Malisse and Freddie Nielsen to preview the Australian Open. From current news in Melbourne, to their favourite Aussie Open stories. We then dig into their picks for this years event and also their ‘watch out’ outsiders for both the Women’s and Men’s events. The episode is full of fun, insight and knowledge. Enjoy 😊

David Walsh is the Chief Sports Writer at the Sunday Times. He is famously known for his successful pursuit of justice with cyclist Lance Armstrong and his doping charges. David continued to track the truth down despite Armstrong throwing all of his power at him and the Sunday Times. His work outside of this continues to be commendable including ghost writing for Kevin Pietersen´s autobiography and to come soon, research into the great Tom Brady. This is a must listen, enjoy 😊 Twitter: @DavidWalshST Book: Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong Movie: The Program (Available on Netflix)

Mark Petchey is a former top 100 ATP player, former British Number 1. He went on the be the Head of Men’s Tennis at the LTA before coaching Andy Murray as he transitioned from 350 to top 50 ATP. His last 15 years have been spent mainly on our screens as a SKY, BBC, Amazon Prime Commentator and pundit with a small stint coaching Maria Sakarri. His daughters both have US College scholarships, so he truly has seen tennis from all sides. A great listen

The Skupski brothers are back playing together on the ATP Tour 2021 after a couple of years where Neal player with Jamie Murray. We here all about the split, the realities at the top level of the doubles tour and why the boys are back together.. Oh and their opinions and facts shared on the quarantine in Australia right now the Aus Open 2021. Are the players or Aus Open negligent to the Quarantine challenges?

Dasha Kasatkina has been talked about as one of the biggest up and coming stars on the WTA Tour with a final in Indian Wells and back to back Quarter Finals at French Open and Wimbledon moving her to top 10 aged 21. Then expectation hit and the last 2 years haven’t been quite the same due to not being ready to handle that pressure, but the comeback to the top of the game is on! She discusses it all. Enjoy ☺️

This podcast is a review of Control the Controllables in 2020. We discuss our favourites pods, our learnings and what you can expect for 2021 from the podcast. Can we also take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy new year and a year of health and happiness.

Oli Golding is a US Open Junior Singles Champion. He was a childhood star on the stage, including the West End and he now works at Santander Bank. We discuss the challenges of the journey, and his reflections on why he didn’t succeed to the dizzy heights that all had planned for him in the tennis world, but was it all a waste of time? Fanatic honest reflections that will resonate with many.

Xavier Malisse is a former top 20 ATP player who made the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2002. He had wins over Roger Federer,Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in his career. Xavier discusses his journey into tennis, his regrets, his honest reflections on whether his talent level was lived up too. Great stories and insights from a brilliant tennis player and an even better person. Enjoy 😊

John Morris is a sports agent who currently works at the LJ Sports Group with Ivan Ljubicic.  He was Nick Kygrios’s agent for 10 years and shares many stories from the tour, as well as valuable insights and dos and donts for young players.  A great listen! Read full show notes here. Links & Resources Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email LJ Sports Group website Follow John Morris on Twitter SotoTennis Academy website

Young British player Jodie Burrage is already 250 WTA. She has been through 3 major surgeries, but has developed a maturity and resilience from this that puts her in a great place. She discusses how that mindset changed and how her love for the sport developed in a humble yet insightful way. Enjoy

Jez Green has been working as a top physical conditioning specialist for more than 20 years on the ATP & WTA Tour. During this time he´s worked with Tomas Berdych, the USTA, and Harvard University, but he´s best known for his work with Andy Murray, helping him to 2 Grand Slam wins and an Olympic Gold medal. Jez has been working with Alexander Zverev since 2015. In this episode Jez looks back at all this and more. He goes into amazing detail around philosophy, preparation around Murray and Zverev and so much more. A real treat! Read full shownotes here. Connect with Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email

A former World Number 6 in singles and 9 in doubles. A quite incredible record which includes wins over Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer with so many in between. He discusses it all. The Olympic highs and lows and we get to see into a mind of a champion as a player and now as a coach to Frances Tiafoe. An amazing listen

Lloyd Glasspool is a former NCAA champion and is currently 150 ATP Doubles. He has partnered Dan Evans, Jamie Murray and Andy Murray in recent months. his journey from quiet teen to pro player who is also studying his MBA is full of great lessons and stories

Steve and Matt are the Directors of Active Away. Both had strong tennis coaching careers at clubs, with the LTA and made the decision to set up their own Business running Tennis Holidays. Business as slow, so they decided to apply to the BBC show, Dragons Den. See what happens and much more during the podcast. A great story

Allistair McCaw has dedicated his life to high performance through working with world class athletes including Xavier Malisse and Kevin Anderson on the fitness side of their game.  This has evolved into mindset training and now an author to 3 books. In this episode Allistair talks through his story which may surprise many and how those lessons have been transferred into his philosophy. Life lessons, emotion and so much more. Website: www.allistairmccaw.com Instagram: @bechampionminded Books: www.allistairmccaw.com/books Donate to the STA Christmas Dinner Challenge here.

Nick Weal has spent the last 35 years as a Grand Slam Player, Grand Slam Coach and GB Davis Cup Coach and is now in charge of the LTA Coach Education. He shares his experiences, his vision, his opinions and more in an educational and entertaining podcast.

James Auckland is a former British Number 1 Doubles Player with a highest ATP Ranking of 57. We discuss his journey and how the key failures led to the passion and fire to drive and ‘prove people wrong’. This led him to playing doubles with his good friend Andy Murray and a win over the great Rafael Nadal. He now spends his days increasing participation in the sport and throwing that same passion at the grass roots level. As per mentioned in this Episode, here’s the LINK to have a preview and sign up option to STA’s Online Courses ➡️ https://sototennis-academy.teachable.com/courses

Anne Keothavong is the GB Billie Jean King Cup Captain, and former British number 1. She reached a high of 48 in the world WTA during her career. Anne shares her story, from the big impact of her parents and upbringing, to the trials and tribulations of pro tennis. She has gone onto commentate for BT Sport and is now driving the culture for the national team. She shares openly and with great humility and we know you will love the show. Enjoy 😊 Follow Anne on Twitter: @annekeothavong As mentioned in this episode, here’s the link to preview and sign up option to SotoTennis Academy´s Online Courses.

Iain Bates has gone from promising junior to University lecturer to Team GB Manager in the Olympics and is now LTA Head of Women’s Tennis. A great journey and by his own admission he is a ‘thinker’ and gives us his thoughts on many topics within tennis. A great listen. As per mentioned in this Episode, here’s the LINK to have a preview and sign up option to STA’s Online Courses ➡️ https://sototennis-academy.teachable.com/courses

Dave Sammel was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has spent his 30 years as a coach in the UK working with some of the best players in GB. He is currently Liam Broady´s coach.  Dave has strong views, and clear philosophies which have proven to work and they will also provoke thought. Enjoy a great listen.  Twitter: @davesammel As mentioned in this Episode, here’s the LINK to have a preview and sign up option to STA’s Online Courses ➡️ https://sototennis-academy.teachable.com/courses

Fabio Mole set up Functional Tennis 4.5 years ago and it’s now one of the biggest online tennis platforms out there. Fabio talks through his journey from the Astro courts in Ireland to his fast food business, to Christmas jumpers before heading back to tennis where his true love is. How do you make a living through social media? Is it sustainable? Find out more... enjoy 😊 As per mentioned in this Episode, here’s the LINK to have a preview and sign up option to STA’s Online Courses ➡️ https://sototennis-academy.teachable.com/courses

A special guest for a special 75th episode. Colin Beecher have lived and breathed British Tennis for 40 years as a player and then a coach to pretty much every British Player Men and Women over the years. He is the current coach to Kyle Edmund. Look at for Ivan Lendl stories that will make you laugh and his Davis Cup experience as the Davis Cup coach over the last 10 years. A great listen

Stephen Huss partnered Wesley Moodie to win the Men’s Doubles Championship at Wimbledon in 2005. The pair came through qualifying, beating the 1st 2nd and 3rd seeds en route. Stephen reached a career high of 21 in the world in doubles before retiring from professional tennis in 2011. He is currently a USTA National team coach, working with top female players. In this episode, Stephen shares his experience on tour and the journey that took him from an ‘ok’ junior in Australia to a good US college player, to a Wimbledon Champion. We then delve into his coaching philosophies and much more, as we discuss life on tour as a coach, life working at the USTA, and where the game goes next? A great listen! Read the full shownotes here. Connect with Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email

Katie Swan has been on our screens for many years, as a 15 year old she made the final of the Junior Australian Girls Event. Katie has had her ups and her downs, but has moved into a place where she has a happy, healthy mindset that stands her in a great place for the rest of her career. Enjoy Katie’s story 😊

Dominik Koepfer sits as the current 65th best male tennis player in the world, yet he played 1-2 times a week before he was 16. A story that will blow you away and you think not possible.

Sergiy Stahkovsky is a Ukranian pro tennis player who has been ranked as high as 31 ATP. Sergiy jumped onto our screens in 2013, when he became the lowest ranked player to beat Roger Federer at a Grand Slam. He knocked the defending champion out of Wimbledon on Centre Court in the 2nd round. Since recording this podcast, Sergiy has retired from professional tennis, announcing he was hanging up his rackets in January 2022. He has been a member of the ATP Player Council and has been outspoken on many controversial topics, including equal pay in tennis. In this episode, Sergiy opens up and provides context to all his thoughts in an amazing podcast. Enjoy. Read full shownotes here. Links & Resources Control the Controllables: Instagram | Website | Email Follow Sergiy Stahkovsky on Twitter SotoTennis Academy website Follow Control the Controllables on itunes

Simon Jones worked for the LTA in many different capacities for 31 years before turning his hand to other sports over the last couple of years. We explore the similarities and differences between sports and his opinions from the inside looking in to British Tennis and from the outside looking in. A honest, healthy discussion which we hope will provoke thought for you all. Enjoy 😊

Nick Lester is the epitome of what we want from our Tennis Academy. Someone who has truly used his passion for tennis as a vehicle through his life, as a player, as a coach and over the last 15 years as a tennis commentator on Sky Sports, Amazon Prime, BBC, Eurosport and the World Feed.  Nick shares his story, tennis stories and insights and his favourite experiences including Novak Djokovic winning his 9th Master Series event in Cincinnati. Enjoy 😊 Twitter: @nicklester

Kyle Spencer is a former GB number 1 doubles player and represented GB at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He is the current Head Men’s Coach at North Carolina State University and has experienced US College in all positions as a player, Assistant Coach and Head Coach. Kyle offers valuable insights and stories to connect the opportunity for many and the cons to be aware of. This listen is highly recommended.

What a story! Leon went from decent junior player to coaching one of the best juniors in the world, Sir Andy Murray. He was catapulted to GB Davis Cup Captain over 10 years ago where he´s guided the team to glory on the court as the 2015 Davis Cup Winners, but also to a collective culture that brings positivity, team spirit and much more.  Leon is the LTA Head of Men’s Tennis and he doesn’t hold back his insights in the podcast. See him as you haven’t seen him before. A wonderful listen. Twitter: @leonsmith

Kris has dedicated his life to tennis in one form or another. From coaching International Players to coaching parents how to coach, he has worked across the spectrum, but always to a very high level.  Kris was part of the Scottish National team when Andy and Jamie Murray were coming through the junior ranks and he now works very closely with Judy Murray for her foundation and other projects. A coach who has inside knowledge behind the scenes and who shares his story and philosophies in an articulate manner. Lots of learning to take from this one! Twitter: @krissoutar Podcast: Kris Soutar´s Tennis Journal, The Podcast YouTube: Kris Soutar´s Tennis Journal

Simon Dickson was one of the best junior players in the world with wins over Roger Federer and Leyton Hewitt to name a couple as he grew up.  He combined this with playing football for Manchester United Juniors when he was younger. Yet his highest ATP ranking was 469. We explore why? Does he regret it? What has he learned? And what is he now passing onto the juniors he works with at Edgbaston Priory Club?  Simon is one of the nicest, most humble men you will ever meet and it is a treat to discuss tennis with him. Enjoy

Steve Hewitt is the CEO of Gym Shark, a fitness clothing and accessory brand that is currently one of the fastest growing businesses in the UK. A few weeks ago it was valued at $1.3 billion from the humble beginnings of the founder, Ben Francis home with his Mums sewing machine.  We discuss the transferable skills from sport to business and the importance of culture in any business. Steve is also a ‘tennis parent’ and we explore this side of his life and where his business lessons have helped. A must listen. Enjoy 😊 Website: www.gymshark.com

Heather Watson has been one of Great Britain’s most successful female tennis players of the last 30 years. She won the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title in 2016, has won 4 WTA titles and has a career high of 38 in the world.  Heather moved from her home island of Guernsey aged 11 to go to Florida and we learn all about that journey of dedicating her life to tennis and whether she has been ‘successful’ in her career. Heather gives fascinating insight and shares her story so well. Enjoy

Valorie Kondos Field was Head Gymnastics Coach at UCLA for 29 years. She led them to 7 National Championships and her background wasn’t even in gymnastics. She dramatically changed her philosophies throughout her coaching career. Find out why in this episode. Valorie has since gone on to deliver TED Talks with her philosophy of ‘Winning doesn’t always equal success’. Her inspiration has come from meetings with the late Kobe Bryant, her mentor John Wooden and listening to her team, some of whom were survivors of the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal. You will learn and take so much from this podcast, we promise 😊. Enjoy.  Click here sign up to the summit to hear Valorie, Dan and many more in action September 24-26, 2020  Website: www.officialmissval.com Valorie´s Tedtalk: Why winning doesn´t always equal success Twitter: @OfficalMissVal

Emilio Sanchez comes from the famous Sanchez family who have been so influential on Spanish Tennis. A former World number 1 doubles player and number 7 singles player at the same time, he won 5 Grand slam doubles titles and the men´s doubles silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games. Emilio is the brother of Arantcha Sanchez Vicario and later in his career, her coach.  After retiring, Emilio captained Spain to Davis Cup victory in 2008. He also joined forces with Sergio Casal to set up the Sanchez- Casal Academy in Barcelona. They now have 4 academies in Spain, USA and China. A great conversation. Enjoy! Emilio is one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming Between the White Lines Summit. The 2 day event will take place on September 24-26th 2020, giving coaches an opportunity to connect with and learn from tennis-preneurs and like-minded people in the tennis world. Book your place on the summit to listen to Emilio and 44 other big names in tennis and sport. Twitter: @emiliosvicario LinkedIn: tennis-worldwide-leadership-sanchez-casal-academy

We speak to Anthony Harris who is top 100 ATP Player Lloyd Harris’s coach.  Anthony also coached Dudi Sela in his formative years aged 11-19. We discuss his Academy and philosophy in South Africa and the journey to creating an African Champion.  Halfway through the pod Lloyd Harris joins us for 15 mins to offer his amazing insight, enjoy this episode!

Sam Jalloh was brought up in Sierra Leone in what was a difficult upbringing personally, but also during the civil war which added many complications which included living on the streets, seeing his best friend get shot and killed and being taken from his family aged 5. So how did this young boy who didn’t own shoes until he was 14-years-old manage to get to the point of playing on the ITF circuit, hitting with Andrey Rublev and many more? It is a fascinating, inspirational story we all have to listen and learn from. Sam is now a motivational speaker and tennis coach and you will see why when you listen to him. Enjoy! Connect with Sam Jollah Website: spjalloh.com Twitter: @samuelpjalloh Book: How Tennis Saved my Life Let us know what you think of this episode! Email us at ctc.podcast@sototennis.com You can also find us on Instagram @ctc.podcast

Magnus Tideman is a former top 80 ATP Player who came from an amazing crop of Swedish Players, where his practice partners included Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and many more.  He turned his hand to coaching 29 years ago and has spent most of that at the top end of the ATP Tour, including coaching Thomas Johansson to the 2002 Australian Open Title.  Magnus shares opinions, insights and stories. A brilliant listen!

Mark has had tennis running through his life for 60 years. He was in the military, and has worked closely with David Lloyd and Jimmy Connors on previous projects. He´s currently taking on his biggest challenge yet, as he is looking to bring the private sector of tennis together postcode by postcode.  We discuss his reasons and drive behind this, and the similarities with the PTPA movement with Novak Djokovic and where this is going in the future. A great passionate listen. Mark is running the Between the White Lines Summit on September 24-26th 2020.  45 world-class tennis-preneurs from around the world will be sharing their experiences, cutting-edge strategies, and knowledge over the 2 days, including Control the Controllables host and SotoTennis Academy Director Dan Kiernan.  Not one to be missed! Book your place here. LinkedIn: markjjeffery 

Kieron Vorster has been a strength and conditioning coach on the ATP Tour for 25 years. He started his career with Wayne Ferreira before spending many years with Tim Henman.  Kieron is currently working with British number 1 Dan Evans. We talk through nature vs nature, hard work vs sport science. How Dan has prepared for the US Open and much more. Twitter: @vossy1973

Cameron Norrie has an illustrious College career at Texas Christian University before seamlessly moving into the top 100 ATP. Since recording, he has reached a career high of 12, and is the current British number 1. In this episode, Cameron speaks to us from the US Open bubble where we discuss positive COVID tests and PTPA movements with Novak Djokovic spearheading a new player association. Read the full shownotes here. Links & Resources Control the Controllables: Instagram|Website|Email Cameron Norrie on Instagram SotoTennis Academy website Check out Tennis Smart for advice and support for US College options Texas Christian University

Nick Monroe has been on the ATP Tour for the last 17 years with a career high of 30 ATP doubles. Nick speaks to us from the US Open Bubble as he prepares to play next week. Nick was a top USTA Junior, US College All-American and 17 years as a pro. Fascinating insights and told with such humility. Enjoy

Nick Morgan is a former UK University Tennis Champion whilst graduating from Bath University before turning his career to the Sports Science world. This started at Lilleshall home of England Football and took him around many British Football Clubs as well as Masters Series Events on the Tennis Tour. He now runs his own commercial nutritional company and consults for big brands globally. All through the vehicle of tennis. We discuss and compare two main topics, Nutrition and Data. A highly educational and thought provoking podcast. Enjoy

Jonathan worked for BBC radio for over 25 years and brought the famous moments to life for many of us including his final match for the BBC.. The Men’s Wimbledon 2013 final where Andy Murray overcame 77 years of hurt for Men’s tennis in Britain. His voice is silk, his stories are full of passion and his ability to paint the picture is sublime. We loved bringing this pod together and we know you will love listening to Jonathan. Enjoy

Dan Evans and Mark Hilton speak to us from New York as they prepare for the US Open 2020. Hear all about the ‘bubble’ at the US Open and how preparation has been going.

James Cluskey was top 150 ATP and represented Ireland in Davis Cup. He has used his tennis as a vehicle to attack the business world. He is Sir Richard Branson’s private’s tennis coach and he has leveraged this and more to move forward in the business world. A fascinating story and so many learnings for us all. Enjoy

Bruno and Juan both have extensive experience of being brought up through the ‘Spanish System’ as players and coaches. Yet both have had experience in the British Tennis world as players at Stirling University. Bruno is now a National Coach at the National Academy in Stirling, UK and Juan runs his own Academy in Sevilla, Spain. We explore the differences, positives, negatives of both tennis cultures including characters, tournament structure, climate and much more....

Dan spent many years in the top 5 in the UK and top 250 ATP after a successful junior career including making final of the prestigious Tarbes U14 event. Dan retired aged 26 back in 2016, but as the pandemic has had an effect on us all, it has got Dan motivated to give it another go on the tour. Hear about all the ups and downs that go into these careers and the insights into why decisions like this are made. A great listen

Neil Harman worked tirelessly for many years for many of the top UK Newspapers in football, and then mainly as a tennis correspondent.  An award-winning journalist and author, Neil connected with the top players such as Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka . Neil´s world fell apart in 2014 when he was sacked by The Times for plagiarism of the Wimbledon Annual which he had written for 10 years. A fantastic story of ups and downs with honest and insightful reflections from Neil.  A great listen. Book: Close Quarters: An Extraordinary Season on the Brink Twitter: @Neil_Harman57 LinkedIn: Neil-Harman

Barry Fulcher was an excellent tennis player who has turned his passion to not only coaching, but also to creating a competitive structure in the UK that allows players to compete, learn and earn. This passion has been solely driven by Barry and his own bank balance. It finally got the recognition the Progress Tour deserves as he ran the top ladies event in the UK last week which attracted all of the GBs top female players. This is only the start of his journey, as he continues to juggle his coaching and playing international veteran tennis. An inspiration to us all, as on top of this he overcame cancer a few years ago. Enjoy his story

Michael Joyce had a very successful playing career with a career high of 64 ATP. Michael has gone on to coach some of the biggest stars in the women’s game including Victoria Azarenka, Genie Bouchard, Johanna Konta, Timea Babos and most notably Maria Sharapova. The American worked with Sharapova for 7 years, winning 3 Grand Slams together. In this episode of Control the Controllables, Michael gives us fascinating insights into his role as a coach, from contracts to training. It´s a must listen. Enjoy!

Mark Bullock has dedicated his coaching career to making tennis inclusive to all. He spent many years at ITF working and developing wheelchair tennis globally including its presence at all 4 of the Grand Slams. Over the last few years he has turned his attention to visually impaired tennis and other sports where he continues to innovate and inspire. A great listen and so many lessons for us all to learn.

Mike Dickson has been a sports journalist for 35 years, and 30 years at the Daily Mail. He has predominantly covered tennis as his major sport during this time and has been very close to British Tennis and all it success and failures during this time. Mike shares many stories and insights during the podcast which makes it a great listen.

James McGee is a former Irish Davis Cup Player and number one. Reached the top 150 ATP including qualifying at the 2014 US Open in dramatic circumstances, listen out for that. Shares his insights into the tour, Irish Tennis, his mental battles and how he now put all of those learnings to great use. A great listen

Anthony Ross is a world leading Sports Psychologist whose background is in Clinical Psychology. Anthony takes a look at our stories from the week and offers advice, reframes the way that we look at mental health ‘issues’ and brings an expert feedback to the many areas of Mental Health that tennis players/ coaches and everyone else experiences in this life. Thanks for supporting our mental health awareness week to all our listeners.

Matt has competed on and off on the ITF futures tour for the last 7-8 years whilst juggling a tennis coaching career to fund this. But then does he do either to the best of his ability? And what mental health difficulties does this bring? A common tennis story and so grateful that Matt has shared his thoughts and experience for many to learn from.

Joe Dixon was a SotoTennis Academy Coach for 6 years and continues to work at an International Player level. Joe has experienced depression and anxiety throughout his life and this came to a head when he tried to take his life in 2018. Joe has built his life back up and is now in a fantastic place with his mental health and has shown strength in sharing his story for you all the learn and draw from. It really is a must listen.

Liam Broady discusses the mental health battles he has experienced over the past few years and how he has worked through and built himself back up, just as you would do with physical health problems. A short, sharp and insightful podcast we are sure many will relate too.

Fran is a tough coach in Wales working with top International Juniors. She discusses the potential challenges for coaches working with young elite players around expectation of time, commitment and from parents which can lead to mental health difficulties around work-life balance. A great listen

Noah Rubin has been as high as 125 ATP and is a former Junior Wimbledon Champion. Noah has set up his own ‘Behind the Racket’ platform which is giving players a voice on their stories. We speak about current affairs around tournaments and what can learned from the period, as well as Noah opening up in detail on his mental health journey. So many great lessons for us all. Enjoy

Dan introduces the fantastic guests that we have throughout the week with 1 podcast being released each day to help bring awareness to a subject that isn’t talked about enough, yet is in all of our daily lives. Dan also explains the motivation behind setting up the Mental Health Awareness Week. Enjoy

Former Irish National Coach Paul Casey talks from the heart about his ideas on how Irish Tennis can and should develop from his experiences as a player and as a coach for 40+ years. He talks about his support for former ITF President Dave Miley and how that may have been a big opportunity missed. Straight talking and open. A great listen

Donald Young has been on our screens since he was World Junior Number 1 aged 15, to top 100 ATP AT 18. His story is full of ups and downs which he shares in detail, but one things hasn’t changed.. his love for the sport. A great listen

Martin Lee is one of a very select few British Male Players to reach the ‘Holy Grail’ of Top 100 ATP. Was it an easy journey there? Find out more....

Former GB Davis Cup Player Barry Cowan discusses his tennis journey which took him from Liverpool to taking Pete Sampras to 5 tough sets at Wimbledon. Since then he moved onto the other side of the camera as a Sky Sports and Amazon Prime Commentator. An open, honest chat with many great takeaways.

Irish Davis Cup Player Peter Bothwell has recently retired from the ATP/ITF Tour after 6 years of professional tennis. We dig into why Pete has made that decision at the age of 24 and the realities of the futures tour and in turn difficulties that so many have. A great insight.

James Trotman was a top 10 player in Europe from an early age, before winning multiple Junior Grand Slams. He was then struck down with a career ending illness. Not a one to dwell, he put his passion into his coaching and has become one of the UK’s finest. Working with many top 100 ATP players and representing both Tennis Australia and the LTA for the last 20 years where he currently oversees the players on the LTA Pro Scholarship Programme. A great story..

Aisam Qureshi is a tennis player from Pakistan who has made the top 10 ATP Doubles and two Grand Slam finals. He is Pakistan´s most successful singles and doubles player and at age 41, he is still going strong. Aisam has used his tennis platform to create awareness and open up political doors through his connections and his amazing way with people. In November 2010 he was appointed goodwill ambassador for The United Nations Development Program. That same year, Aisam and his doubles partner Rohan Bopanna from India were awarded the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award. They also received the Peace and Sport Image of the Year award for bringing political authorities from their respective countries together. Together, they created the Stop War Start Tennis campaign to promote peace through tennis. His story is tennis, but it is so much more and an inspiration to us all. Connect with Aisam Follow Aisam on Twitter: @aisamhqureshi Follow Stop War Start Tennis on Instagram: @stop_war_start_tennis

Judy Murray is a Scottish tennis coach and the Mum of global superstars Jamie and Andy Murray. A former player, she became Scottish National Coach in 1995. She was the GB Fed Cup Captain between 2011-2016, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to tennis, women in sport and charity. Away from tennis, she´s also appeared on The Chase, Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Masterchef. In this episode Judy discusses her journey into tennis, her life as a coach and Mum to the boys, and their journeys and experiences. We then delve into the ‘real’ Judy Murray. Keeeeep Dancing! Connect with Judy Follow Judy on Twitter: @JudyMurray Follow the Judy Murray Foundation on Twitter: @JudyMurrayFdn Visit the Judy Murray Foundation´s Website: www.judymurrayfoundation.com You may also like these episodes of Control the Controllables:- Episode 111: Jonny O´Mara & Toby Smith - Double Trouble Episode 67: Leon Smith - The History Maker Episode 66: Kris Soutar - Mr Tennis Episode 13: Jamie Murray - From Dunblane to the top of the world! Episode 11: Ali Collins - You cannot be (too) serious!

Dan Evans talks to Control the Controllables about his incredible journey which has taken him inside the top 100 ATP on 3 occasions. The British number 1 discusses how he overcame injuries and a drug ban, and what has made him continue to what is now a career high of 26 ATP. A must listen for anyone with an interest in the real journey of a professional tennis player. Connect Follow Dan on Instagram: @danevo.official Follow Control the Controllables on Instagram: @ctc.podcast Visit Control the Controllables Website: www.controlthecontrollables.co.uk

John Millman has been ranked as high as 33 in the world. He has beaten Roger Federer to progress to 2018 US Open Quarter-final. We delve into his tennis journey and into his strong intelligent opinions on the direction of the sport and so much more...

Sarah Borwell went from a nervous young girl who didn’t want to compete to the top 200 WTA singles and 65 in the world in doubles.  Listen to why, how and what she is now doing helping 100´s of young players realise their potential through US College Scholarships. Website: https://tennissmart.net/ Facebook: TennisSmart

Craig O´Shannessy is recognised as a world leader in data analysis and is changing the landscape of how coaches view data within tennis. He spent 3 years working with Novak Djokovic and is the strategy analyst for the ATP Tour, Wimbledon, the Italian Tennis Federation and The New York Times. Craig talks to Control the Controllables about his tennis journey which has taken him to the top of the game as a data analyst. Connect with Craig Follow Craig on Twitter: @braingametennis Visit Craig´s Website: www.braingametennis.com Connect with us! Follow Control the Controllables on Instagram: @ctc.podcast Follow SotoTennis Academy on Instagram: @sototennis Visit SotoTennis Academy´s website: www.sototennis.com

Dan moves to the other side of the microphone, as he chats with Graeme Foreman. Dan discusses the influence of his north east upbringing and how this led to his Control the Controllables philosophy out at SotoTennis Academy in Spain and much more...

‘Barkers’ as Ian is known in the tennis world talks us through how he got into tennis, to the amazing journey of taking Pat Cash from aged 11 to Wimbledon Champion. Ian discusses his time in the UK in depth, as he created a winning culture through his job at the LTA national centre at Bisham Abbey.

Paul Jubb was dealt an extremely difficult start to life, as he lost both parents at an early age. This wasn’t going to stop him achieve what he wants in a sport that he loves. In 2019, Paul won the division 1 NCAA Tennis Championship and played Wimbledon for the first time. He has recently signed with Andy Murray’s Sports agency and his journey on the pro tour is beginning. A must listen!

Ireland’s Davis Cup Captain and ATP 129 at his best, Conor talks through his journey from Edgbaston to Limerick to Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York playing against Novak Djokovic. We also dig into the details around Irish Tennis throughout the episode.

Calvin Betton has been a tennis coach for 20 years working at all levels. He has developed a passion for purposeful practice and skill acquisition and we attack both subjects with live examples from his career.

Euan has been head coach at Stirling University after years at US College as a player and also on the lower levels of the Pro Tour. His passion has helped bring GB Universities to the conversation of player development and we delve into this and more..

Emily Webley-Smith has been competing on the ITF/WTA tour for the past 18 years. She has reached a career high of 240 in singles and 113 in doubles. Emily has overcome 7 major injuries during her career, but she continues to make big improvements through passion, desire and hard work. The tennis journey is not an easy one, but if you have the love of the sport, it overcomes all. We get into all of this with Emily in this episode. Enjoy! Connect Follow Emily on Twitter: @ews24 Follow Emily on Instagram: @emilywebleysmith Follow Control the Controllables on Instagram: @ctc.podcast

Will Herbert is currently Kyle Edmund’s physio and has previously worked with Alexander and Misha Zverev, Ana Ivanovic to name a few.  He was a top UK Junior player funded through the LTA system, and has used his tennis playing to create an opportunity to be part of that world as a physio.  In this episode, Will gives us an insight into the role of a physio on a pro players team, and shares his experiences working with Zverev, Ivanovic and Kyle Edmund. He also tells us the story behind Ivan Lendl´s nickname for him! A great story, enjoy!  ***After recording this episode, Will was part of Emma Raducanu´s team at the 2021 US Open where she won her first Grand Slam, aged just 19-years-old. 🏆 Episode Shownotes

87 year old coach John Hicks talks about his tennis story. From the early days, to his favour Wrexham squad, the British players such as Tim Henman and Andy Murray who he helped shape, to what has kept his mind and body in such great shape!

In this episode you will hear how Jamie & Andy grew up as one, the reason behind Jamie taking to doubles so early in his career, how he chooses his doubles partner carefully and the impact of his Mum, Judy on himself and Andy. A fascinating listen. Enjoy 😊

Head Coach of the prestigious Queens Club in England Lee Childs discusses his tennis journey. From U18 European Champion to playing Rafa Nadal at Wimbledon. To the big question, why didn’t he become a top 100 ATP despite being touted for this in the tennis world?

WTA player Ali Collins talks candidly about how tennis is taken too seriously at a young age and the effects it can have on a players mental health, if we are not careful. We discuss the transition from being a top junior player into the Pro Game and much more.. Instagram: @alicollins27

Multiple Grand Slam Champion, Paralympic Gold Medalist and the first ever Wimbledon Wheelchair Champion in 2016, Gordon Reid. Gordon tells his story from the beginning to being the champion he is today. Gordon Reid on Twitter: @GordonReid91 Website: www.gordonreidtennis.com

From talented British junior, to a successful playing career before moving onto the ATP Tour as a coach, Mark Hilton has an amazing story. As well as helping GB´s Liam Broady reach World Junior number 2 in 2012, Mark has also coached Kyle Edmund and has coached Dan Evans three times over a 15 year period. Enjoy the show! Mark on Twitter: @markhilts

We get a chance to get inside the mind of one of the worlds best sports psychologists. Dr Anthony Ross, Director of Mentally Tough Tennis and a former top 150 ATP player shares his own personal and professional journey with us. And it’s been far from plain sailing.... Find out more about Dr Anthony Ross here:- Instagram: @mentally_tough_tennis Website: www.mentallytoughtennis.com

Eden Silva and Evan Hoyt discuss their unexpected run to being the longest standing British tennis players at Wimbledon in 2019. After being given a wildcard into the Mixed Doubles, they reached the quarter-finals going further than Andy Murray and Serena Williams. Eden and Evan chat to Control the Controllables about that unforgettable fortnight, as well as their plans for who they will play with in 2021. Does she say yes? Eden on  Instagram: @edensilva Evan on Instagram: @evan_hoyt Evan Hoyt Youtube Channel

Liam and Josh were the 2012 Australian Opens Boys Doubles Champions and had successful junior careers. How have they transitioned into the pro game of tennis.. or is it basketball?

Two lads from Liverpool who realise their dream and both make it into the top 45 ATP doubles players in the world, and doing it together.  But not all things happen so easy, listen to brothers Ken & Neal Skupski to find out more... Skupski Brothers onTwitter: @skupskibros Neal Skupski on Twitter: @nealskupski Ken Skupski on Twitter: @k_skupski

Part Three of our chat with 2012 Wimbledon Mens Doubles Champions Freddie Nielsen & Jonny Marray. Freddie and Jonny take us through their journeys post Wimbledon 2012 and look at the impact of their new found fame and ranking status. We explore how they transition their experiences and philosophies into the coaching world.

Part Two of our chat with 2012 Wimbledon Mens Doubles Champions Freddie Nielsen and Jonny Marray. Freddie and Jonny get into Wimbledon Men’s Doubles as wildcards, and go onto lift the winners trophy. Go on their incredible 2 week journey with them, as they take us through the incredible experience blow by blow. An episode that is rich in learnings for players, coaches and parents and a one that isn’t to be missed.

In this episode Freddie Nielsen and Jonny Marray talk about their journeys into pro tennis and it’s not as traditional a route as you may think. Did they always believe they would become Wimbledon Champions? Listen to Part 1 of their chat with CTC Host Dan Kiernan to find out.

Former British number one Doubles player Dan Kiernan and current Irish Fed Cup Captain John McGahon introduce their new podcast which will aim to entertain, educate and energise the tennis community through this difficult period.. and maybe beyond 😊