The Tennis Files Podcast

After several months of preparation and hard work, I am super excited to announce that Tennis Summit 2023, a free online tennis conference that I am hosting, is now open for registration!  From April 17-22, over 35 world class coaches and experts will reveal proven strategies, techniques, mental and fitness exercises to level up your game. And the most awesome thing of all is you can get your ticket to watch all these online lessons, presentations and live masterclasses for free (for a limited time) at http://tennisfilessummit.com!For today’s podcast episode, I put together a preview of three summit sessions: (1) Jeff Salzenstein on optimal performance, (2) Marc Sophoulis on how to use data to level up your game, and (3) Dr. Mark Kovacs on the most important fitness misconceptions for adult players. To watch the full length version of these sessions and all 40+ summit masterclasses, sign up for Tennis Summit 2023 ASAP at http://tennisfilessummit.com!!I hope you enjoy this episode of the podcast, and I look forward to seeing you at Tennis Summit 2023! Tennis Summit 2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2020]On today’s episode, I spoke with Marc Sophoulis, Head Coach at Melbourne International Tennis School, about how you can become a complete player.Marc has coached many pros, including Anastasia Rodionova, Arina Rodionova, Dane Propoggia, and Victor Hanescu. He has also been a part of the Bryan Brothers team for 6 years at the Australian Open. Marc has spoken at conferences around the world, has been a commentator for professional tennis matches, and has also been featured in my Tennis Summits each year. He is the Director and Head Coach the Tennis Menu, an awesome new instructional tennis site which you should definitely check out (link below).  On the show, you’ll learn the essential skills you must develop to become a well-rounded tennis player, proven tips and strategies to level up your game, important lessons Marc learned while working with the Bryan Brothers, how tennis coaches can maximize their impact, and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Marc! Let us know what you think about the episode in the comments below!And be sure to subscribe to Tennis Files to receive the latest tennis content to improve your game straight to your inbox!thetennismenu.comThe Tennis Menu FacebookMarc Sophoulis TwitterMarc Sophoulis InstagramEquipment:TherabandMedicine BallBooksRange: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 295 of The Tennis Files Podcast, you’ll learn about my favorite USTA doubles strategies and the role of confidence.In today's episode, you’ll hear my recap and observations about the 9.0 mixed and 9.5 combo matches that I played last week, the strategic lessons I learned during those doubles matches, how confidence impacts our performance on the court, how to play against aggressive net players, and much more!I really hope you enjoy this episode! If you learned something useful from it, let me know in the comments below.And be sure to subscribe to Tennis Files to receive the latest tennis content to improve your game straight to your inbox.The Tennis Files PodcastTennis Files Youtube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 294 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I will reveal the winner of my racquet bracket battle with Sam Jones.Sam has always been fascinated by new racquet and string technologies and how they can help players improve their games and avoid injury. This passion led him to a position at one of the largest online tennis retailers in the world, Tennis Express, as a content writer and playtester. Sam was also certified as a Master Racquet Technician in 2011. He was a 4 year member of The Southwestern University Men’s Tennis Team (2001-2005), and served as a team captain during his junior and senior seasons. Sam achieved All-SCAC (southern collegiate athletic conference) status his senior year, and then began a 10+ year coaching career.On Episode 277 of the show, we talked about the top 8 racquets that Sam and I picked for me to playtest. On today’s episode, we are going to reveal which racquet made it to the top of our list.I hope you enjoy my interview with Sam! Let us know what you think about this episode in the comments below!And be sure to subscribe to Tennis Files to receive the latest tennis content to improve your game straight to your inbox!Tennis ExpressTennis Files Youtube ChannelTFP 277: The 8 Racquets I’m Testing To Choose My Next Stick with Sam Jones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 293 of The Tennis Files Podcast, you’ll learn the 10 best tips from the show that helped my tennis game.I really hope you enjoy this episode! If you learned something useful from it, let me know in the comments below.And be sure to subscribe to Tennis Files to receive the latest tennis content to improve your game straight to your inbox.The Tennis Files PodcastTFP 140: World-Class Doubles Strategy with Louis CayerTFP 278: Doubles Strategy for Club Level Players with Will BoucekTFP 143: Critical Singles Strategies and Tactics to Level Up Your Game with Rick MacciTFP 270: Brad Gilbert — How to Become a Tough Competitor, Reduce Errors and Forget About Your LossesTFP 198: Craig O’Shannessy – The First Four ShotsTFP 121: Michael Russell – The Grittiest Player In HistoryTFP 284: Nick Bollettieri — How to Achieve Your Dreams and Help Others Succeed: From the 2019 archiveTFP 061: How Ian Westermann Created One of the Biggest Online Tennis Instructional Sites in the WorldTFP 216: Why the Contact Point Determines Your Success in Tennis with Vesa PonkkaTFP 096: James Blake – Preparation, Visualization and Reaching #4 in the WorldTFP 046: The Mental Game with Jeff GreenwaldTFP 033: Dr. Mark Kovacs—Strength and Conditioning for Tennis Players Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 292 of The Tennis Files Podcast, you’ll learn how to use time to your advantage during matches.On the show, you’ll learn how to give yourself more time during points, how to disrupt your opponent's momentum, why you should probably take longer breaks, how to lengthen your opponent’s time on the court, and much more!I really hope you enjoy this episode! If you learned something useful from it, let me know in the comments below.And be sure to subscribe to Tennis Files to receive the latest tennis content to improve your game straight to your inbox.Tennis Summit 2023 is coming in mid-April! I look forward to seeing you at Tennis Summit 2023! The Tennis Files PodcastTennis Con Live Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, I spoke with Dr. Larry Lauer, a mental skills specialist for USTA Player Development, about how to become a more resilient competitor.Dr. Lauer earned a PhD in science, exercise, and sports psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was previously the Director of Coaching Education and Development at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports (ISYS) at Michigan State University. Dr. Lauer also was an assistant coach and mental coach for Michigan State Men’s Tennis, helping the team reach the 2013 NCAA tournament. Dr. Lauer was a sports psychologist consultant for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. He currently co-hosts the Compete Like a Champion Podcast with Johnny Parkes.On the show, you’ll learn how to become a more resilient competitor, a step by step process for improving your on-court performance, how to deal with pre-match nerves, mental training that you can do while stuck at home, how players at USTA’s National Tennis Center in Orlando train their mental game, excellent books for your mind, and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Larry! Let us know what you think about the episode in the comments below!And be sure to subscribe to Tennis Files to receive the latest tennis content to improve your game straight to your inbox!ResourcesCompete Like a Champion PodcastUSTA Player DevelopmentNet GenerationDr. Lauer’s TWBooks:Can’t Hurt Me - David GogginsMind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence - Gary MackThe Obstacle is the WayMindset: The New Psychology of SuccessIn Pursuit of Excellence - Terry Orlick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2020]On today’s episode, I spoke with former ATP Top 10 singles and doubles player and Grand Slam Champion, Spanish pro Emilio Sanchez, about how to develop a more aggressive tennis game.Emilio achieved career high rankings of #7 in the world in singles in 1990 and #1 in doubles in 1989. He won 3 Grand Slam Doubles titles (two French Opens and one US Open) and a silver medal in the 1988 Olympic games in men’s doubles. During his tennis career, he won 15 singles titles and 50 doubles and made over $5 million in prize money. Emilio has both played for and captained Spain’s Davis Cup Team to a championship title in 2008. He is the co-founder of the Sanchez-Casal Academy (Academia Sanchez-Casal) where he helps all types of tennis players achieve their true potential.On the show, you’ll learn how to become a more aggressive player and why it is important to your long term success, how to become a better thinker on the court, Emilio’s top returning strategies, how Emilio reached the top 10 in the world in both singles and doubles, what it was like to both play Davis Cup and captain Spain to a championship title, footwork and movement tips, and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Emilio! Let us know what you think about the episode in the comments below!And be sure to subscribe to Tennis Files to receive the latest tennis content to improve your game straight to your inbox!emiliosanchezacademy.comEmilio Sanchez Academy FL FacebookEmilio Sanchez Vicario TwitterEmilio Sanchez InstagramEmilio Sanchez academy, FL InstagramTennis Worldwide Leadership LinkedInAcademy website Blog Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2020]On today’s episode, I spoke with former ATP pro Taylor Dent about how you can develop a solid serve and volley game that will put your opponents on the defensive.Taylor achieved a career high ranking of #21 in the world on the ATP Tour and won four singles titles. He reached the 4th round of Wimbledon and the US Open. He also placed 4th in the 2004 Olympics. Taylor has defeated numerous tennis legends such as Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic, James Blake, Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin, and many other unbelievable players with his huge serve and volley game. His parents, half-brother, godfather, and wife also played tennis professionally. Taylor is a coach and co-founder of the Dent Tennis Academy at The Birch Racquet and Lawn Club in Keller, Texas.On the show, you’ll learn how to think like a professional serve and volleyer, the right tactics to use when you are at net, drills you can perform to become a better serve and volleyer, Taylor’s toughest battles in his tennis career, the secret to hitting a 149mph serve, the big change Taylor made to his game early on to succeed on the pro tour, and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Taylor! Let us know what you think about the episode in the comments below!And be sure to subscribe to Tennis Files to receive the latest tennis content to improve your game straight to your inbox!LINKSThe Birch Racquet and Lawn ClubGolf is Not a Game of PerfectOutliersInner Game of TennisAtomic HabitsDent Tennis Academy FacebookDent Tennis Academy TwitterDent Tennis Academy Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2016]In today’s episode, I spoke with world renowned sports science and fitness expert Dr. Mark Kovacs about strength and conditioning for tennis. Mark has trained numerous top professional tennis players, including John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Sam Querrey, Donald Young, and Melanie Oudin. Stack named Mark one of the Top 31 Fitness Professionals to Follow in 2015.Mark is a performance physiologist, researcher, professor, author, speaker and coach with an extensive background training and researching elite athletes. He has been featured in many of the biggest sports and news publications, including ESPN, the New York Times, and Tennis Magazine. Mark was also a top college player at Auburn and achieved a world ranking on the ATP Tour.To sum it up, Mark has one heck of a resume, and it is an honor to speak with him on the show today.Mark co-authored an amazing book and resource, Complete Conditioning for Tennis (2nd edition), which was published a couple months ago. I have a copy of his book and have had a hard time putting it down in my spare time. It has a ton of invaluable information on how we can put together a personalized fitness program using the exercises and in-depth knowledge from Mark, E. Paul Roetert (former managing director of the United States Tennis Association’s Player Development Program) and Todd S. Ellenbecker (Vice President, Medical Services ATP World Tour, and clinic director at Physiotherapy Associates Scottsdale Sports Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona).The book also includes 56 videos illustrating the exercises and stretches which you can access online. The value in this book is unparalleled in comparison to any other tennis fitness book I’ve seen on the market so far.In this episode, I ask Mark questions on how we can improve our tennis fitness to become better tennis players. We also talk about Complete Conditioning for Tennis (2nd edition) and some of the principles in the book that will help take your game to the next level.Mark has an unbelievable amount of knowledge in sports science for tennis, and provided us all with a ton of value on The Tennis Files Podcast.Complete Conditioning for Tennis (2nd edition)Tennis AnatomyDynamic StretchingThe Flexible Stretching Strap WorkbookMark-Kovacs.comITPA-tennis.orgInterview with Allistair McCawMark’s Facebook/Twitter/Instagram (mkovacsphd) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices