
The Tennis Files Podcast
Mehrban Iranshad from Tennis Files (tennisfiles.com) is committed to helping you improve your tennis game. He will uncover the best strategies, training methods, mental attitudes, and techniques that will enable you to reach your tennis potential. Mehrban will interview the top minds in tennis on The Tennis Files Podcast, including professional and elite tennis players, coaches, trainers, authors, and other tennis experts. Tennis is a demanding and complex sport which requires hard work, consistency, problem solving, and the determination to reach your tennis goals. Mehrban will find the answers to your tennis problems so you can break through your struggles and become a better tennis player.
Latest episodes

Feb 9, 2022 • 1h 16min
TFP 237: From The Big Screen to The Tennis Court with Coach Christopher Crabb
On Episode 237 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with actor and tennis coach Christopher Crabb about how he went from both competing on the court and acting at the highest level to coaching famous celebrities.Chris is a tennis coach in Los Angeles with an A-list rolodex of clients. His tennis students include George Clooney, Alec Baldwin, Robert Downey Jr., Kevin Kline, Elle Fanning, Steve Carell, Pete Wentz from Fallout Boy, Dakota Fanning and Jeff Probst. Chris tutored Robert Downey Jr. for his Oscar-nominated role in the film "Chaplin," for which Chris also served as tennis coordinator. He began acting at the age of eight and has starred in many commercials, movies and series including the remake of "A Christmas Carol", "Danger Bay", "Life Goes On", "Rebel Highway", and many more. Chris was a highly-ranked junior tennis player and turned pro at the age of 16. He has defeated grand slam champions Michael Chang and Jim Courier.On the show, you’ll learn how Chris developed his skills in tennis and acting and how he managed to do both at the highest level, the biggest challenges he faces when teaching celebrities, his unique green jacket approach of coaching, the biggest mistakes that amateur tennis players make, why players don't play well during competition vs. practice, and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Chris! 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!Christopher’s InstagramInner Game of TennisWinning UglyThe Magic Key to Tennis - Eric SageThe Hollywood Reporter Article Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 2, 2022 • 45min
TFP 236: Robin Montgomery — US Open Junior Singles & Doubles Champion
On Episode 236 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I interviewed 2021 US Open Girls Singles and Doubles Champion Robin Montgomery about her incredible journey from the juniors to the WTA Tour.Robin was born and raised in Washington DC and trains at both the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland and the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France. After winning both the Junior Singles and Doubles titles at the 2021 US Open, she is now focusing her efforts on WTA Tour tournaments. Robin also won the 2019 Orange Bowl title.On the show, you’ll learn what separates the best junior players from the rest of the pack, how Robin structures her daily training sessions, how Robin won both the singles and doubles titles at the US Open Junior tournament last fall, how Robin prepared the day before and day of her record-setting championship wins, the advantages that left-handed players have over right-handers, Robin’s team and support system, the importance of mental game training, the racquets, strings, and shoes that Robin uses on court, and much more!!I hope you enjoy my interview with Robin! 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!Robin’s InstagramShoe Dog - Phil KnightPsychology of Money - Morgan Housel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 26, 2022 • 1h 1min
TFP 235: Dr. Mark Kovacs — How to Create A Fitness Plan to Level Up Your Game
On Episode 235 of The Tennis Files Podcast, world renowned sports science and fitness expert Dr. Mark Kovacs will reveal how to create a fitness plan to level up your game.Mark is a performance physiologist, researcher, professor, author, speaker and coach with an extensive background in training and researching elite athletes. He is the Senior Director of Sports Science for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the founder of The International Tennis Performance Association (ITPA) of which I am a proud member. He is also the founder of the Kovacs Institute which is based in Atlanta, GA. Mark has trained numerous top professional tennis players, including John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Sam Querrey, Donald Youngm and Melanie Oudin. He is also one of the hosts of The Doc and Pro Show, together with professional golfer Jason Bohn where they talk about tennis, golf, sports, and life, and how you can improve your sports performance.On the show, you’ll learn how busy competitive tennis players can create a consistent training plan, the key to maintaining intense footwork in an entire match, the top health and fitness changes over the past decade, equipment and apps that can help tennis players improve their game, and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Mark! 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!The Doc and Pro ShowKovacsInstitute.comKovacs Institute Instagramitpa-tennis.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 19, 2022 • 1h 8min
TFP 234: The Djokovic Australian Open Saga and Tournament Preview with Gill Gross
On Episode 234 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with fellow content creator and Tennis Channel Podcast Network host Gill Gross about Novak Djokovic’s visa cancellations and our predictions for the Australian Open.Gill is the host of Monday Match Analysis on the Gill Gross Youtube Channel, which has over 12k subscribers. He is also the host of Three - A Tennis Show which focuses on Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic and is on the Tennis Channel Podcast Network.On the show, you’ll learn why Djokovic’s visa was canceled twice, who is to blame for the prolonged ordeal involving the Australian government, Tennis Australia, and the world’s #1 player, whether we think Rafael Nadal will win the Australian Open, Gill’s favorites and dark horses to win the first Grand Slam of the year, how Djokovic’s Australian Open saga ended, and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Gill! 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!Monday Match AnalysisThree - A Tennis ShowTennis Channel Podcast NetworkThe Secrets of Spanish Tennis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 12, 2022 • 1h 7min
TFP 233: How to Structure Your Diet for Optimal Performance with Tara Collingwood
On Episode 233 of The Tennis Files Podcast, Sports Dietitian Tara Collingwood reveals how to make small changes in your diet to boost your energy and performance on the tennis court.Tara is a nutrition consultant to the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) National Campus in Orlando, Florida. She is also currently the Team Dietitian for the Orlando Magic NBA team and Nutrition Consultant to The University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Athletic Department. Tara has worked with numerous high-profile companies including Walt Disney World, Rodale Publications, Tupperware, Canyon Ranch Spa, Rosen Hotels, United Behavioral Healthcare, and many others. She owns Tara Gidus Nutrition Consulting in Orlando and was also a health blogger for five years.On the show, you’ll learn the top 5 best and worst foods for tennis players, how to structure your meals the day before and day of a match, Tara’s simple rules for determining what ratio of carbs, proteins, and fats you should consume, sample healthy meals you can start eating today to increase your energy, why traditional sports drinks are the best way to hydrate yourself during intense exercise and what to add to them if you sweat a lot, the best snacks to eat while playing and in-between matches (hint: they are not the same!), how to prevent cramping and improve your on-court performance, how to stay consistent with your diet and nutrition, slow vs. fast digesting carbohydrates and the optimal time to eat them, how soon you should eat after a match to maximize your recovery, and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Tara! 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!Dietdiva.netTara’s InstagramTara’s Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 5, 2022 • 1h 4min
TFP 232: Inside the Mind of a 5.0 Tennis Player with Dillon Sykes
On Episode 232 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I interviewed fellow tennis player and content creator Dillon Sykes about his journey to reaching the 5.0 level.Dillon played Division III college tennis at Christopher Newport University. He plays USTA Leagues and competitive tournaments at the NTRP 5.0 level. Dillon is also the founder of Dill Plays YouTube Channel where he shares match play footage from USTA leagues and tournaments against 4.5-5.5 tennis players.On the show, you’ll learn how Dillon started playing tennis, the differences between 4.5 and 5.0 players, how to deal with pressure, Dillon’s set up to video record his gameplay, tips for 4.5s to get to 5.0s, his monster training routine during the pandemic, and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Dillon! 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!Dill Plays YoutubeDillon’s InstagramDillon’s Tiktok (or search for @dillplays)Winning UglyInner Game of TennisOpen - Andre Agassi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 29, 2021 • 32min
TFP 231: Top 10 Lessons I Learned in 2021
On Episode 231 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I’ll reveal the top 10 lessons I learned in 2021.The end of the year is almost upon us, so it is the perfect time to reflect upon the most valuable lessons from the world class coaches, pros, and experts who I have interviewed on The Tennis Files Podcast and Tennis Summit 2021. I have also learned a lot of things that I need to work on from analyzing my tennis matches and training sessions over the past year. I hope you find these lessons helpful and put them into practice to level up your tennis game in 2022 and beyond!In this episode, you’ll learn how to get the most out of your training, how to deal with mental roller coasters during matches, how to improve your game off the court, how to reduce negative pressure, 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 PodcastYouTube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 22, 2021 • 2h 25min
TFP 230: The Best Episodes of 2021
On Episode 230 of The Tennis Files Podcast, we look back at the top tips and advice from my podcast guests in 2021!For this special episode, I went through my podcast platform, found the most downloaded episodes of the show this year and selected the best tips and advice from my awesome guests which include world-class coaches, tennis experts, and elite players. You’ll learn their secrets for retooling your strokes, developing a consistent contact point, how to develop your serve technique, how to improve your focus on the ball, how to train properly to reach your potential, the best warm-up exercises, how to play well under pressure, how to hit more spin on your second serve, 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.TFP 214: How to Develop a Great Base of Tennis Fundamentals: Steve SmithTFP 216: Why the Contact Point Determines Your Success: Vesa PonkkaTFP 205: Dr. Mark Kovacs — Serve and Backhand Technique Q&ATFP 210: Serve Technique Masterclass with James LudlowTFP 215: How to Watch the Ball and Scan Your OpponentTFP 186: How to Think, Train, and Compete to Your Potential with Beau TreyzTFP 218: How to Warm-Up and Strength Train for Tennis with Dean HollingworthTFP 204: How to Play Your Best Tennis with Jeff Greenwald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 15, 2021 • 50min
TFP 229: How to Choose the Best Tennis Shoes For Your Feet with Foot Doctor Zach Thomas
On Episode 229 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I interviewed Foot Doctor Zach Thomas about how to find the best tennis shoes for your feet and your game.Zach is a Podiatrist, tennis player, and is known by many as Foot Doctor Zach. He publishes very unique video reviews and teardowns of the most advanced tennis, basketball, running and training shoes for athletes. Zach currently has 20k subscribers on his YouTube shoe review channel. Lately I have resorted to binge watching Zach’s tennis shoe reviews and particularly enjoy when he cuts open and examines tennis shoes layer by layer.On the show, you’ll learn the top tennis shoes for different game styles, injuries, and foot types, the most important characteristics of tennis shoes that you must consider, the biggest mistakes people make when buying tennis shoes, what shoe size to select and adjustments to make when one foot is bigger than the other, shoe tying techniques to enhance shoe comfort and performance, the difference between hard court vs. clay court shoes, Zach’s favorite tennis shoes of all time, a sneak peak into how Zach creates his tennis shoe reviews, and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Zach! 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!Foot Doctor Zach YoutubeZach Thomas TwitterZach Thomas Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 8, 2021 • 59min
TFP 228: USTA Leagues, Unbiased Product Reviews and the Best $40 Reel of String Ever Made with Mark Sansait
On Episode 228 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I interviewed Mark Sansait about his experiences playing in USTA Leagues, recording matches for YouTube, and reviewing tennis products.Mark is the founder of Toxic Tennis. He consistently creates entertaining and educational tennis content. Mark publishes videos of NTRP 4.5-5.0 match play, product reviews, and tutorials on his YouTube Channel, which has nearly 10k subscribers. Mark played college tennis at The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and was recently bumped up to the NTRP 5.0 level.On the show, you’ll learn Mark’s up and down experiences with USTA Leagues, what he thinks about getting bumped up to an NTRP 5.0, how Mark records his matches, Mark’s journey creating tennis content on YouTube, the best $40 reel of string money can buy, his favorite racquets of 2021, facing a copyright claim from one of the biggest online tennis retailers in the world and much more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Mark! 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!Mark Sansait’s YouTube ChannelBest Stiff Round Poly on the Market VideoISOSPEED Baseline Control String Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices