Do you prefer to play doubles from the baseline or net? I'm better at the net but often get lazy and have to remind myself to get up there and quit hanging out in the back of the court. This episode reminds the baseliners (and me) the benefits of getting to the net. You'll learn: Three reasons to move forward Why I think many people aren't comforta…

Do you use different serve and return formations? You should be! This episode will cover the pros and cons of each formation. When to NOT use regular formation while serving. What is the best formation against BIG returners. When should I play 2-back while returning? This is a preview of my presentation from Tennis Con 8 which goes live today. To w…

Peter Freeman hosts Tennis Con 8 starting next week. It's a free event where some of the best online tennis coaches present on different topics to help you improve your game. I asked Pete to share the best doubles lessons he's learned over the years from Tennis Con. We discuss eight lessons. Gigi Fernandez's 123 Poaching Formula Jorge Capestany's D…

Bob Bryan is a 23-time doubles grand slam champion (16 men's, 7 mixed), and Captain of the US Olympic and Davis Cup team. Bob and his brother, Mike, known as the Bryan Bros, are widely regarded as the greatest doubles team of all time. In this conversation with Bob, you'll hear us discuss potential rule changes that could help doubles, how he's tra…

We celebrate Episode 200 of the Doubles Only Podcast with a live webinar where I answered your questions. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions and joined live 😀 Topics covered included... Offensive vs defensive court positioning at the net. How to end or win the lob wars. Differences between volleys in singles & doubles. How to best train vol…

I recently released a 3-part doubles lesson on the most important volley in doubles... the Serve +1 volley. You can watch all 3 lessons below. This episode covers the serve +1 volley in even more detail, including my response to several Facebook and Instagram comments on the lessons. You'll learn how to practice the serve +1 volley, the different t…

Ellen Perez is world number 11 on the WTA Doubles Tour, with seven career titles. In this interview, Ellen shares her tennis journey, WTA doubles serve, return, volley, groundstroke, rankings, and more. Here are a few topics we dive into: Learn the benefits of returning with backhands in the middle, which Ellen and her partner, Nicole Melichar-Mart…

Tony Huber is the former coach of multiple doubles world #1 players including Liezel Huber, Martina Navratilova, Cara Black, Lisa Raymond, Ai Sugiyama, Latisha Chan, and Sonia Mirza. Today he coaches adult club-level players and I absolutely love his approach to the game. This is one of those conversations that you'll want to listen to multiple tim…

This is an AMA episode where I cover three questions from you. I chose these doubles topics because they haven't been covered on the podcast before. How to use the swinging volley in doubles. What is the proper technique when faking at the net? How can you improve at doubles when most coaches focus on singles? If you have other questions you'd like…

Fabio Molle is the founder of Functional Tennis, a company that created products to help tennis players improve. Their Saber is one of the only training tools that I use and highly recommend to doubles players. In this episode, Fabio shares the story of the Functional Tennis Saber, how it is made, and why so many pro-level players are using it incl…

For the strategy nerds... Jonathan Stokke joins the show for a second time as we discuss his Stokke Six. What are the Stokke Six? Simply put, they are errors to avoid that will dramatically improve your game. And I mean dramatically. Jonathan and I could talk strategy and tactics for days. He's one of my favorite coaches because of his ability to s…

🎾🥈 Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram won an Olympic Silver medal for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics. I spoke with them a few weeks after the Olympics to hear about their experience in Paris, beating Rafael Nadal & Carlos Alcaraz, working with the Bryan Bros, and more. We talked about how difficult it was to close out their quarterfinal match against Na…

This is a post-match interview with Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin from the National Bank Open in Toronto. We spoke with them after a very close victory where they saved six match points. Bethanie and Sonya share insights into their strategies and conversations during the match, including how they stayed positive when down a set and a break.…

Aldila Sutjiadi is the 37th-ranked doubles player on the WTA Tour. Born in Indonesia and 2x doubles All-American at Kentucky, Aldila has a fascinating story. Tennis Tribe writer, Hanlon Walsh and I spoke with her on the grounds at the National Bank Open in Toronto. We discussed her story, how and why she plays with doubles partners with contrasting…

Team USA finished with two doubles medals at the Olympics. Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek won Silver while Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz took home Bronze. In this episode, I share three more lessons I learned providing strategy and scouting analysis for Team USA. How to beat Nadal & Alcaraz. The Andy Murray tendency. The two most important shots in d…

The Olympics are underway, and Team USA is off to a great start in doubles. In this episode, I share 3 lessons I've learned from scouting and analyzing data & video for Team USA over the past week. Who should be using the lob return? Why you need to be experimenting earlier and more often than you think. How to handle a BIG forehand. No matter whic…

Bruce Lipka is the coach of WTA #1 doubles player, Erin Routliffe. He has coached over twenty top 100 ATP and WTA players, won USPTA Tour Coach of the Year three times, and now is the head men's coach at Penn State. Erin has improved immensely under Bruce's coaching, and it's something I've personally noticed since watching Erin over the past few y…

This episode covers three lessons I learned from watching the men's doubles final at Wimbledon as well as a private lesson that made me sad... Return team lesson - If you're having trouble breaking serve, you might be making one of these two mistakes. Serving on a fast court - How should your serve tactics change on grass? or a fast indoor hard cou…

James Cerretani is a former ATP doubles player with a career-high ranking of #45 in the world. He won four ATP doubles titles, made the Wimbledon quarterfinals twice, and played college tennis at Brown where he is in their Hall of Fame. James joined the team of Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic earlier this year to help improve their performance. I sp…

Storm Hunter is one of the best doubles players on the WTA tour over the last several seasons. She's a Wimbledon finalist (2023), world #1, and US Open mixed doubles champion (2022). Unfortunately, the 2024 season was cut short for Storm as she suffered a torn Achilles in April. I spoke with her from Australia in June as she continues rehab. We dis…

Marcelo Arevalo is a top 10 doubles player on the ATP Tour who recently won Roland Garros for the second time in three years. In this episode, he shares his experience winning the French Open again. One of the things that makes tennis so difficult is the sustained focus required to win. This can create mental fatigue and stress. Marcelo doesn't dan…

Paul McNamee is one of the best doubles players AND doubles coaches of all time. He has four men's doubles major titles, plus a Wimbledon mixed title. Today, he's best known for being the mastermind coach behind one of the best and most entertaining doubles players in today's game, Hsieh Su-wei. Paul joined me as the grass court season was just get…

Angela Kulikov is a WTA doubles player with a career-high ranking of 57 in the world. She played college tennis at USC where she was the #1 doubles player in the country. She joins me from California as she rehabs an ankle injury. We discussed her wide array of hobbies including flag football, coaching tennis, and now, golf. She shares her path to …

Greg Moran has coached tennis for over 45 years and specializes in the recreational player. He's a member of the Wilson Advisory Staff, the Cardio Tennis National Speaker's Team, and the USTA's Coach Developer program. He's also written several books and in this conversation we discuss his latest, The Truth About Tennis: The Definitive Guide for th…

Watching pro doubles can 100% help you improve your own game, regardless of your skill level. Here are 5 things to look for when watching ATP or WTA doubles live or on TV. In between the points. Formations and variety. Net position, movement, court coverage, & shot selection. Baseline... When they MISS! If you're not currently watching pro doubles,…

Over the past six months, I've closely studied net players at every level of tennis. One of the most difficult concepts to teach is where the your eyes should be at the net. This episode covers where to focus your eyes and what to look for when you're at the net. Almost no club-level players get this right because it goes against our natural tenden…

Murphy Jensen is the 1993 French Open doubles champion, tennis coach, cardiac arrest survivor, mental health advocate, keynote speaker, co-founder of WEconnect, TV host, and the most impactful guest we've ever had on the Doubles Only Podcast. This episode is not about doubles. It's far more important. Murphy suffered from depression and addiction w…

Three lessons that will improve your mental game on the doubles court. There's obviously a huge difference between pro and club-level doubles players. While we can't emulate their 120 MPH serves, we can absorb their mindset. These three lessons from my new Masterclass have helped me more than any others over the last several years and I know they'l…

Doubles is a TEAM sport. You have to not only worry about playing well yourself but also need to know how to get the most out of your partner. This episode covers several things you can do to support your doubles partner so they play their best! Three conversations to have with your partner before the match starts. One thing that is proven to help …

This episode covers three new lessons I've learned recently while coaching a high school team. These players are around the USTA 3.0 to 4.0 level. How to think about attacking the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent. A tactic that worked for one of my doubles teams in windy conditions. How I structured approach plus volley drills, and why. Si…

Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers are one of the most accomplished doubles pairings of the last five years on the ATP Tour. I spoke with them in Miami after their second-round win. We discussed their 7-5 6-3 win which Horacio said was one of their "best matches this year." They faced two players whom they've faced many times, Mate Pavić and Ma…

Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram are 3-time reigning US Open Champions. I spoke with them in Miami after their second round 7-5 7-6 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Thanassi Kokkinakis. Adam Ross from Florida Tennis joined me for this interview. We asked the US Open champs about the match, including a specific tactic they kept going to that I picked…

Elise Mertens is the 2nd ranked doubles player on the WTA tour. She has four major titles including the 2024 Australian Open. I spoke with Elise in Miami after her 1st round victory. We talk about that match, practicing for singles vs doubles, and how she and Hsieh Su-wei adjust to different opponents. Elise also shares why focusing on your good po…

Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektić have been one of the best doubles teams on the ATP Tour in 2024. They've won three titles so far, including Indian Wells, and I spoke with them in Miami after their first-round win. We talked about the match, their 10-point tiebreaker success, how they handle pressure & nerves (they each deal with it differently), a…

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia (Sonya) Kenin won the 2024 Miami Open. I spoke with them after their 2nd round victory in Miami for about 10 minutes. Bethanie & Sonya deliver some fantastic doubles strategy tips throughout this conversation, so listen carefully. We discuss: Their first two victories, including what adjustments they had to make. How…

Rohan Bopanna won the Australian Open earlier this year, reached #1 in the world, and turned 44 years old on March 4th. I spoke with Rohan at the Miami Open after his round 1 victory. He and his partner, Matt Ebden, won that match in a third set after dropping the first. We discuss adjustments he made to turn it around. I also asked Rohan how he sp…

Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are the 4th and 5th ranked doubles players on the WTA Tour. They won the 2023 US Open and have been on the show several times previously. Previous Episodes: Gaby Dabrowski Interview Erin Routliffe Interview In this short post-match interview from Miami, we discuss their 6-4 6-4 round of 16 victory. How they won a h…

World #1, Austin Krajicek, joins the show for the second time. We recorded from the hotel lobby in Miami where Austin had a few days off due to weather. Listen to my previous interview with Austin here: https://www.thetennistribe.com/austin-krajicek-interview/ We discuss how he spent his off days, book recommendations, hotel choices in Miami, the n…

This conversation with Australian Open Champion, Matt Ebden, focuses on the state of professional doubles and where it might go over the next several years. Helping to make pro doubles more popular is one of my passions and missions for Tennis Tribe and this podcast, so I was excited to chat with Matt about this topic. Matt is the 3rd ranked double…

Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez are the number 7 & 8 ranked doubles players in the world. They recently made the finals at the WTA 1000 in Dubai and followed it up with a WTA 500 victory in San Diego. This conversation with them and their coach, Carlos Martinez, took place a day after their round 1 win at Indian Wells. We chat about that v…

Tereza Mihalíková is the 56th-ranked doubles player on the WTA Tour. Tennis Tribe writer, Hanlon Walsh, and I spoke with her at the ATX Open where she partnered with Yanina Wickmayer during her off day. This is a short conversation where we ask about her win vs Sloane Stephens & Peyton Stearns, 4-6 6-2 10-2. Tereza played a near-perfect tiebreaker …

Sophie Chang is the 82nd ranked doubles player on the WTA Tour. She made the 3rd round of the 2023 US Open with Alycia Parks and has 1 WTA & 21 ITF doubles titles. I sat down with Sophie at the 2024 ATX Open where she lost a close first round match (7-6 7-6) to the top seeds alongside Angela Kulikov. In this long conversation, we speak about the ma…

Bibiane Schoofs (Netherlands) is the 92nd-ranked doubles player on the WTA Tour. Her partner at the ATX Open, Katarzyna Kawa (Poland), is ranked #93 in doubles and top 200 in singles. Schoofs and Kawa made the finals in Austin. This episode includes two interviews with the finalists, after their quarterfinal and semifinal victories. We spoke about …

Olivia Gadecki (deuce) is a 21-year-old Australian ranked 77 in the world in doubles and 140 in singles. Olivia Nicholls (ad) is the #81 ranked doubles player on the WTA Tour. The Olivia's won the 2024 ATX Open. This episode includes our conversation from Saturday after they got a walkover in their semifinal match, followed by a few quick questions…

This episode includes two post-match interviews from the ATX Open with top seeds, Nadiia Kichenok and Oksana Kalashnikova. I chatted with them after their round one and quarterfinal wins in Austin. Nadiia and Oksana are both inside the top 55 on the WTA doubles tour. You'll learn: Why they used more I-formation in their first match, but less in the…

This is the first in a series of post-match interviews with doubles players from the ATX Open, in Austin, Texas. Maya Joint (Australia) and Sabina Zeynalova (Ukraine) won their first-round match 6-7 6-4 10-4 and chatted with me after. Sabina is a junior at the University of Texas where she plays on the women's tennis team. Maya (17) plans to join h…

As we dive into the mental side of doubles over the next several weeks, I wanted to share 3 mental myths that many doubles players believe. Join the newsletter for more mental lessons. Once you stop believing these and reframe your mindset, you'll be a better doubles player. Great players don't get nervous. Losing a point is bad. If you miss or get…

Christo van Rensburg, former world #5 in doubles and tournament director of the WTA 250 ATX Open, joins the show for the third time. In this episode, we preview the 2024 ATX Open and learn a few new doubles lessons from Christo. The ATX Open is entering year two on the WTA Calendar, and fans can expect some exciting changes at the event. The field …

Will Blumberg is the #93 ranked doubles player on the ATP Tour. He was a 10-time All-American at North Carolina and made the finals of the 2024 Dallas Open where this conversation was recorded. Will and I sat down on his day off in Dallas to discuss his career, the pro doubles tour, and strategy. You'll learn: Why Will and his partner, Rinky Hijika…

Neal Skupski is one of the best doubles players in the world over the last several years. He's a 3-time Wimbledon Champion, winning 2 mixed titles (2021, 22) and 1 men's title (2023), former world #1, and a recent Australian Open mixed doubles finalist. He is currently the #8 ranked doubles player on the ATP Tour. I spoke with Neal on a day off for…