The Tennis Files Podcast

On Episode 115 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with former ATP Pro and current tennis coach, Todd Widom, about how he has been able to develop elite junior players in a non-academy setting.Todd is a former Top 200 ATP Professional and 18-and under Super National champion. At the University of Miami, he became a two-time All-American, and now he is the owner of TW Tennis, which is South Florida’s top small group/private tennis training that is geared exclusively for high performance tennis players.On the show, you’ll learn what type of environment Todd trained in as a junior, what traits and skills he developed to become a top junior and professional player, his biggest accomplishments in his tennis career, the keys to training top juniors in a non academy setting, his personal advice to help you improve your game, and much more.I hope you enjoy my interview with Todd! Let us know what you think about the episode in the comments below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 114 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with journalist and podcast host Nina Pantic about how she transitioned from an elite tennis player to a career in the world of tennis media.Nina is the associate editor for Tennis Magazine and Tennis.com, and the managing editor of Baseline, which provides daily tennis news with a spin.   She also co-hosts the Tennis.com Podcast Inside the Tour alongside Irina Falconi on the Tennis Channel Podcast Network.  Nina played college tennis for UCLA and achieved career high WTA rankings of 530 in singles and 488 in doubles. After playing an elite level of competitive tennis, Nina decided to pursue her passion for journalism and managed to combine it with the sport she’s played all her life: tennis.  In other words, Nina has found a way to live the dream!  It was great to meet her at the US Open last month and I'm really glad we were able to make this interview happen.On the show, you’ll learn how Nina developed into a top ranked junior, what she thinks of home schooling when pursuing a professional career, the difficulties of making a living on the tour, how she became a journalist, what it’s like to work for Tennis Magazine, the highs and lows of working in tennis media, key tips to improve your tennis game, and more!I hope you enjoy my interview with Nina! Let us know what you think about it in the comments below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 113 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with legendary coach Nick Bollettieri about how to achieve your dreams and help those around you reach their true potential.Nick has over 60 years of unrivaled experienced coaching the world’s best tennis players. He founded the Bollettieri Tennis Academy, where he has worked with such players as Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Jim Courier, Serena and Venus Williams, Mary Pierce, Maria Sharapova, Martina Hingis, Anna Kournikova, Marcelo Rios, Kei Nishikori, and Boris Becker, just to name a few :)Nick also co-founded the nonprofit fitness camp, Camp Kaizen with his wife Cindi. He writes for tennis magazine as an instruction editor and has been featured in tv series and documentary films. Nick is also a very accomplished author, having written numerous books, including Bollettieri’s Tennis Handbook, My Aces My Faults, and a recent Biography entitled Bollettieiri - Changing the Game. On top of all this, Nick was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame and told me that he has been inducted into 12 others as well.On the show we cover the mindset you must have to achieve your goals, why every top performer has a great team behind that person, why you must get to know your students if you want to help them reach their true potential, Nick’s exercise routine at 88 years old, and much more!Nick also has a new book coming out soon and read us a preview of one of the chapters on the podcast! Nick has teamed up with Tennis Channel to produce the book and I’ll be sure to give you a heads up when it is available!I am really pleased that Nick and his manager Steve made this interview happen so quickly after the Open, and I look forward to doing a part two, Q&A style!I hope you enjoy this podcast episode! Let us know what you think about it in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 112 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with WTA Tour coach and tennis analyst Marc Lucero about how he went from law-school dropout to coaching and commentating at the highest levels of the game.  Marc currently coaches WTA Pro Shelby Rogers, who has been ranked as high as 48 in the world.  He has also worked with a slew of elite world-ranked players such as  Sam Querrey, Eugenie Bouchard, Ryan Harrison, Nicole Gibbs and Alison Riske.  Marc is a solid player himself, having played Division I tennis at Boston College.On top of coaching professional tennis players, Marc founded RAMP Tennis, a tennis training program for junior players.  And he co-founded First Break, a 501 c3 non-profit tennis academy for all levels and age groups in Los Angeles.  Marc and I also have something in common (besides our dashing good looks :) ): he also attended law school, although for only a year before choosing to become a full time tennis coach.On the show we cover how Marc was able to quickly rise through the coaching ranks by taking advantage of opportunities and surrounding himself with the right people, key tips to help you improve your game, financial arrangements between coaches and players, what it's like for both parties when the relationship ends, the ups and downs of coaching on the tour, and more!I am really glad that I met Marc at the Citi Taste of Tennis event in DC and that we made this interview happen a couple months later! I hope you enjoy this podcast episode!  Let us know what you think about it in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 111 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with WTA Pro Alexandra Mueller about her rise to the pro tour at a young age, singles and doubles tips to improve your game, the ups and downs of life on the tour, and more!Alex has been ranked as high as 280 in singles and 130 in doubles on the tour, and her current doubles partner is Sophie Chang, who was a guest of the podcast way back on Episode 15!  I watched both Sophie and Alex play at last year's Citi Open, and you'll learn why "Sophlex" makes such a great team, among many other things, during my chat with Alex.Alex turned pro at the very young age of 15, yet she has managed to play on tour for another 16+ years and has racked up 7 singles and 21 doubles titles along the way!  I particularly found her advice for how to stay passionate and excited about the game super helpful and inspiring.  If you're looking to improve your game, learn a lot of fantastic advice from a WTA pro, and maybe even laugh at a few puns from both of us, then you won't want to miss this episode with Alex! :O)I hope you enjoy this podcast episode!  Let us know what you think about it in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 110 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I discuss the five biggest mistakes that I've made throughout my tennis career.  If I could pick five of the most impactful choices on my game, take a time machine, and change them, it would be the ones that I talk about on this episode.  It wasn't easy to admit some of these mistakes for you to hear, but I think it's really important to talk about not only your successes, but also your low points so that you can reflect, refine, and improve!These mistakes touch on really important concepts like the fear of failure and seeking long-term gains instead of short-terms wins.  I hope that by revealing these suboptimal choices, it will help you make the right choice when you are faced with a similar situation.I also talk about my awesome experience at this year's U.S. Open, including the matches I watched, really cool people that I met (shout out to Andi and Nina!), and even a lost credit card story (oops!).  I also highly encourage you to check out The Tennis Channel Podcast Network, at: http://tnns.co/podcasts.  I am really proud to be a part of this super talented group of tennis podcasters!I hope you enjoy this solo podcast episode with yours truly and find it helpful! Let me know what you think about it in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 109 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with ATP Pros Donald Young and Marcelo Melo about their greatest lessons learned on tour, what makes them world-class athletes, and keys tips to play your best tennis.  I interviewed Donald and Marcelo a few weeks ago at the Citi Open and combined these relatively short (for my podcast interview standards!) interviews together.  And after each interview, I recap the key takeaways and give my take on what each of these pros discussed​.I am also really proud to announce that The Tennis Files Podcast has joined The Tennis Channel Podcast Network! It is truly an honor to be a part of it. TC's podcast network just launched this past Sunday (August 25) with a fantastic lineup for every type of tennis fan that you can check out at: http://tnns.co/podcasts.  I am really stoked to be a part of this super talented group of tennis podcasters!Speaking of talent, you've probably heard about Donald and Marcelo.  Donald has been ranked as high as #38 in the world, and was a former junior world #1.  Marcelo has been on top of the doubles tour numerous times, notching over 500 career wins (the day that I interviewed him was his 500th victory!) and two grand slam doubles titles (French Open and Wimbledon). On today’s episode, you’ll learn the step by step recovery methods of both players, the most valuable lessons they've learned on the tour, how to consistently get to bed on time despite so many distractions and electronics around us, how to find the right doubles partner, how to come back from injuries and low points in your career, the most important character traits of successful competitive tennis players, and much more!I hope you enjoy this podcast episode with Donald and Marcelo and find it helpful! Let us know what you think about it in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 108 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with ATP Pro and former UVA Ace Treat Huey about how he was able to make a successful comeback from tough injuries sustained while on tour, his greatest lessons learned as a collegiate and professional player, and key doubles tips for your tennis game.  I first interviewed Treat on Episode 7 of the podcast, over 100 episodes ago!Treat has a very impressive tennis resume. He reached the semifinals of the 2016 Wimbledon men’s doubles with Max Mirnyi and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open men's doubles twice (2014, 2016).  He also reached the semifinals of the 2016 Australian Open mixed doubles tournament with Andreja Klepac. And Treat reached the men’s doubles quarterfinals of the 2013 US Open, Treat is a friend of mine who I met while playing junior tournaments in the Mid-Atlantic section. He is a talented athlete with a wicked lefty-serve and world-class volleys.  Treat’s passion for tennis and mental fortitude has made him one of the most versatile doubles players on tour. He has played numerous Davis Cup matches for the Philippines, and was also ranked #4 in college in singles, behind John Isner, University of Virginia teammate Somdev Devvaarman, and Kevin Anderson.On today’s episode, you’ll learn how Treat faced one of the most difficult stretches of his career in 2018, why he decided against surgery, how he was able to enjoy time away from the game, why Treat loves exercising with bands, his favorite doubles plays, a fantastic tip for having solid volleys, his key tip to improve your tennis game, and much more!I hope you enjoy this podcast episode with Treat and find it helpful! Let us know what you think about it in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 107 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with ATP Pro and UVA standout Thai-Son Kwiatkowski about how he got into tennis, lessons learned in college and on the tour, and key tips for your tennis game.  Thai is a very accomplished tennis player and champion. He won the 2017 NCAA Championship singles title and was on three national championship UVA teams. Thai tied his school's single season wins record, going 44-8 in his sophomore season. He also participated in the 2017 US Open after his NCAA singles title, and went 5 sets with Mischa Zverev in the first round. Thai turned pro that year and is currently ranked a career best 201 on the ATP Tour.  On today’s episode, you’ll learn how Thai got his start playing tennis, why he kept playing even after four consecutive 6-0 6-0 losses, his most valuable lessons learned in college and on the ATP Tour, why he took out a loan to start his pro career, financial advice for tennis players, a key tip to improve your game, and more!  It was really fantastic to have Thai speak about his journey to the pro tour on the podcast. I interviewed him at the Citi Open after he qualified for the main draw and couldn’t have been more impressed by his demeanor and outlook for the game.  I hope you enjoy this podcast episode with Thai and find it helpful! Let us know what you think about it in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 106 of The Tennis Files Podcast, I spoke with tennis coach and positive youth development expert Dr. Peter Scales about the keys to improving our mental and emotional abilities so that we can become better tennis players. Dr. Scales has written a fantastic new book, Mental and Emotional Training for Tennis, which dives into the top principles we must develop in our junior players so that they can not only be great tennis players, but also great people. Dr. Scales is the head JV tennis coach for girls and boys at Parkway South High in Manchester Missouri, and has been there since 2008. He received his Doctorate in child and family studies from Syracuse University. Dr. Scales is also a USPTA-certified tennis teaching pro and is certified as a Double-Goal Coach by the Positive Coaching Alliance. He is internationally recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on positive youth development, has conducted research studies in more than 30 countries, and published more than 200 scholarly articles chapters and books. On the show, you'll learn the three critical pillars to mentally and emotionally developing a great tennis player, the importance of improving vs. winning, how note taking will take your game to the next level, why you should feel more during matches instead of thinking, and much more! I hope you enjoy this podcast episode about mental and emotional training for tennis with Dr. Scales and find it helpful! Let us know what you think about it by leaving a review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices