The Tennis Files Podcast

On this episode, I spoke with Mulumba from Tennis Column about the action at the 2016 Citi Open up to the 2nd day of the main draw (Tuesday). I met him last year in the media tent at the Citi Open. It was the first time both of us reported on the event, and I was extremely impressed by Mulumba's knowledge. Fast-forward to 2016, and I knew Mulumba would be the perfect person to talk about the matches at the Citi Open. I asked Mulumba about his thoughts on the performances of several players in the tournament so far. You'll hear everything from interesting backstories on players, to technical critiques, and our picks for who will win the Citi Open this year. I plan on connecting with Mulumba again for another episode during the tournament. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest on today's show is Stephen Warboys. Stephen became the #1 Junior player in the world and peaked at #73 on the ATP Tour. Throughout his career, Stephen has gone head-to-head against some of the biggest legends to ever play the game, including Jimmy Connors, Guillermo Vilas, Bjorn Borg, and Ilie Nastase. Stephen is currently a Head Tennis Professional at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club. He took the job after his professional career and has been there since 1986. Stephen retired at the age of 22 after turning pro when he was 16. Despite what many consider to be a short career, Stephen consistently competed at the highest level of the game against hall of fame players. He also reached the Junior Wimbledon final and the top of the junior ranks in 1971. Stephen was born in Essex (UK) and currently resides in Toronto. I first heard about Stephen when listening to him commentate on TSN's International Sports Report radio show. Stephen's expertise is a great asset to the show, and once I heard him speak I knew he'd be a great guest. I had a fantastic time interviewing Stephen, and enjoyed hearing his insights on the game when he was on tour, what he thinks of the game now, and his amazing experience against the greatest players of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I spoke with Scott Baxter, CEO and Founder of PlayYourCourt.  Scott is a USPTA certified tennis coach with over 12 years of coaching experience.  He used his problem solving skills and passion for tennis to create a unique platform to help you find the right coach for your tennis game. By entering your location and answering […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I spoke with ATP Pro Junior Ore on Episode 22 of The Tennis Files Podcast. I first met Junior at the Aspen Hill Club when he was 7 years old. Everyone at the club knew that he was a very unique talent who loved tennis and could make it to the highest levels of the sport. Fortunately, he has proved us right (thanks, Junior!). Junior has always had an extremely strong passion for the game. Since Junior was 5, his dream was to become a professional tennis player. He set high goals, committed to achieving them, and is now playing and beating pros all around the world. I had the great pleasure of seeing Junior at the US Open Sectional Qualifying tournament at the Junior Tennis Champions Center a couple weeks ago. I had not seen Junior for over a decade, although I kept track of how he was doing in college and recently on the pro tour. I ended up playing against him, and his serve was the biggest that I've ever played against. Even more impressive than his game, though, was how much of a class act he was both on and off the court. I was thankfully able to win a few games off of Junior, but I was in awe of his game, much like we were at the beginning of his career, when he was a short, thin little boy at our tennis club beating players who were many years older than him. Junior turned pro last September after a very successful career at Texas A&M, and has already picked up several ATP points and a ranking just outside the top 1000 in singles and in the 700s in doubles. He and his grandfather's dedication to tennis from a young age set the foundation for his rise to the pro tour. While I've had some fantastic interviews so far on The Tennis Files Podcast, my interview with Junior easily ranks up there as one of the best. His story is inspirational, motivating, and enlightening. You will pick up a ton of amazing tips and advice on how you can maximize your game and distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, I discuss my experience playing in my first professional tennis tournament, an ITF Futures event. Challenging yourself is the best way to improve yourself, and I had a blast testing my game against world-class competition. I learned a lot about Futures events and what it takes to be successful at this level. In particular, I discuss how you sign-up for these events, how you can get into them, the different lists that players are placed on, and what I learned from playing in this tournament. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I spoke with Dan Waldman, a world champion tennis player. Dan, who is 60 years old, regularly competes in national and international tennis tournaments and ends up winning most of them. Despite working as an attorney at Arnold and Porter, Dan is also dedicated to his tennis and his training. This is why he continues to tear it up on the Senior Circuit. Dan talked to me about his training and tennis playing frequency, the importance of stretching, his diet, his experiences playing tennis for Harvard University alongside current Harvard Tennis Coach Dave Fish, and playing professional tournaments. I know this interview will help a lot of you, especially those in your 50s and beyond. I have received many emails and comments about how to successfully compete as you get older. Dan, a world champion singles and doubles player, shows us what it takes to be the best no matter what your age is! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, I discuss 7 reasons that caused me to lose my match in a men's open tournament this past weekend. Analyzing your losses and figuring out what to improve is one of the most important things you can do for your tennis game. After I lost, I was more motivated than ever to ramp up my training and play better tennis. I walked through my matches in the tournament and discovered 7 crucial mistakes that I made before and during my match against the #4 seed. Despite our best intentions, we don't always perform our best and end up losing matches, but as long as we can take away something positive from our experience and commit to taking bold action to develop our tennis game, we have won. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest on The Tennis Files Podcast is master racquet technician Tim Strawn. Tim is the Executive Director of The International Alliance of Racquet Technicians. He has an extensive amount of stringing and racquet knowledge, and has strung racquets at some of the best professional tournaments in the world, including Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the Sony Ericsson Open. Tim created the grandslamstringers.com website and message board, which evolved into the International Alliance of Racquet Technicians. He also put together the annual IART Symposium to bring all those currently working or interested in the racquet and string industry together to enhance their knowledge and expertise. Tim was also the Racquet Sports Industry's 2007 Stringer of the Year. Tim was kind enough to tell us how we can choose the right strings to suit our racquet and our tennis game. He went into detail about the different types of strings, the right tension and gauge to have them strung, and common pitfalls that stringers and players make when stringing their racquets. This episode is a must listen for anyone who wants to optimize their string setup and play better tennis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is my friend and ATP coach Othmane Garma. Othmane coaches Treat Huey, who with Max Mirnyi, is the #3 doubles team in the world. Treat is ranked #26 on the ATP doubles tour and he spoke with me on Episode 7 of The Tennis Files Podcast. I first met Othmane as a junior player in the Mid-Atlantic area. Othmane was a tough and powerful junior and college player whose love for the game pushed him towards the coaching profession. On the show, Othmane and I discussed how he got into coaching, the role of coaches, and his experiences on the ATP Tour. Othmane also gave us a ton of fantastic information about how to play optimal doubles for club players up to the professional level. We analyzed Treat's progression and how he was able to push his way to the top levels of the ATP doubles tour. Othmane is also an entreprenuer: OG (Othmane's nickname) and another friend of mine, Farshad Garakani, created an awesome platform, Courtplay, to help players find coaches and schedule lessons online. Othmane and Farshad also lessons at their tennis program, Courtplay Athletics, in Vienna, Virginia. It has been such a pleasure to watch two guys who I knew from junior tennis progress so far up the tennis ranks, and I know you will learn a ton and gain fantastic insights into the world of being an ATP Tour tennis coach from my interview with Othmane! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is ATP Pro Jesse Witten. Jesse has been ranked as high as #163 in the world and reached the 3rd round of the 2009 US Open, where he took a set off tennis superpower Novak Djokovic. Jesse has also played in the main draws of the French Open and Wimbledon. He reached the final of the NCAA Division I Championships as a freshman at the University of Kentucky and was its first 5-time ITA All-American (4 singles, 1 doubles). I first noticed Jesse back in the juniors when he played and won a Super National Clay Court tournament in Maryland in 1999. It was my first time watching the best juniors in the country play against each other, and I witnessed him dominate the entire field. I was fortunate enough to play in this event two years later, but Jesse's performance always stuck in my mind as the best I had ever seen by a junior tennis player. I was fortunate enough to speak to Jesse about his career, from reaching the top ranks of the juniors, to how he developed into an elite tennis professional. He also discussed his time playing tennis at The University of Kentucky, and the impact that it had on his tennis game. We also paid tribute to Bruno Agostinelli, a former University of Kentucky tennis player who tragically passed away recently. Bruno was a great teammate and tennis player, but an even better person. He reached #2 in the NCAA rankings, and famously clinched a 5-set victory in the deciding Davis Cup match for Canada in 2009. A Gofundme page has been set up for Bruno's family, and they would definitely appreciate it if you could donate to the fund. Thanks to Jesse for being a fantastic guest on The Tennis Files Podcast. And shout out to Elliott Datlow, a fellow Kentucky Wildcat Tennis alumni, for putting me in touch with Jesse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices