The Functional Tennis Podcast

Bastien Fazincani, a long time coach on the WTA Tour talks to us this week about his life on the road & what it's like coaching at some of the worlds best tennis academies!Bastien is French & lives in the French Riviera, where many top tennis academies are based. He recently left his role at the All in Tennis Academy to focus on tour level coaching 😃 He has also been in the unique position of coaching two players at a tournament that faced off against one another 👀We talk:Working at different tennis academiesCoaching both males & femalesHaving both of his players play eachotherThe commitment needed from players to progressBastien is a good friend of Functional Tennis, so it was nice to be able to get together & talk about his tennis journey so far. Let us know what you think!Leave us a review on iTunes 📱Episode Chapters2:28 - Starting to get involved in tennis14:21 - Working at different academies21:22 - Coaching Male & Female players36:14 - Starting a new chapterFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisPodcastYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.comFacebook: Facebook.com/FunctionalTennisOfficialHave you seen the Functional Tennis Saber?Check it out here and don't miss the video of Stan Wawrinka crushing the ballFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.com

Tennis agent & tournament director of the Croatia Open in Umag, Tomislav Poljak joins us for Episode 115!Tomislav is part of Starwing - a boutique sports management agency that represents top tennis players. Alongside his role as an agent, he oversees tournament operations of the ATP 250 clay-court event in Umag 😃We talk:Day to day life as an agentSigning junior talentWhat he looks for in playersRunning the Croatia Open in UmagSecuring top talent to play in UmagWe rarely get the chance to talk to tournament directors the podcast, so to get some insight into the running of a top level tennis event from Tomislav was particularly interesting. Let us know what you think!Leave us a review on iTunes 📱Episode Chapters1:33 - Spending time in Croatia 5:19 - Becoming a Tennis Agent9:49 - Recruiting battles15:56 - Signing junior talent18:51 - Running the Croatian Open in UmagFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisPodcastYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.comFacebook: Facebook.com/FunctionalTennisOfficialHave you seen the Functional Tennis Saber?Check it out here and don't miss the video of Stan Wawrinka crushing the ballFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.com

Abigail Johnson, who is an up & coming tennis commentator joins us this week to discuss what its like trying to break into the industry 🙌Abigail recently commentated at her first grand slam (Roland Garros 2021) & hopes to continue working at tournaments of all levels!We talk:Getting her first break into the industryWorking at tournaments of all levelsPreparing for tournamentsUnpredictability of her working scheduleAdvice she has received along the wayAbigail is already a fantastic commentator & is only getting better! It was great to be able to speak to her before she hits the big time & covers the worlds biggest matches 😃Let us know what you think!Leave us a review on iTunes 📱Episode Chapters1:30 - Her Tennis Background4:45 - Getting into commentary14:49 - Getting tips from other commentators19:40 - Difference between radio & TV commentary28:45 - Preparation for tournamentsFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisPodcastYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.comFacebook: Facebook.com/FunctionalTennisOfficialHave you seen the Functional Tennis Saber?Check it out here and don't miss the video of Stan Wawrinka crushing the ballFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.com

Legendary Canadian Doubles Coach, Louis Cayer joins the podcast this week 🔥Louis works with the LTA & specialises in Doubles. He coaches multiple high profile British tennis players & has found plenty of success along the way 📈He has a wealth of knowledge which he has used to transform the British doubles scene!We talk:The US Open this yearHis passion for tennisWhat it takes to become a championThe differences between doubles & singlesReaching your potentialLouis is someone that we have wanted to have on the podcast for quite some time, so to finally speak to him was exciting! We wanted to get back out to play some doubles after chatting with him, so hopefully you want to do the same after listening 😂Let us know what you think!Leave us a review on iTunes 📱Episode Chapters2:14 - US Open this year 8:02 - Why he doesn’t work with singles players20:16 - Working with players to reach their potential24:45 - His book / DVD32:04 - MentoringFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisPodcastYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.comFacebook: Facebook.com/FunctionalTennisOfficialHave you seen the Functional Tennis Saber?Check it out here and don't miss the video of Stan Wawrinka crushing the ballFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.com

We are back from our summer break & are delighted to announce that 19 year old Jack Draper is our first guest back 🔥Jack is on a really solid trajectory to become a top level tennis player. He has shown fantastic form recently by beating top players at Queens as well as pushing Novak Djokovic to 4 sets at Wimbledon 😉We talk:When he started playing tennisGetting his first ATP PointDealing with pressureRole modelsDealing with media attentionDifference between the junior & senior gameIt was really exciting to speak to Jack & get back to releasing new podcast episodes! We hope that Jack can continue his good form & his rise to the top.Let us know what you think!Leave us a review on iTunes 📱Episode Chapters1:59 - Where tennis started for Jack3:04 - Managing school & tennis9:05 - Team that he works with13:04 - Beating top players at Queens17:48 - Playing Djokovic at WimbledonFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisPodcastYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.comFacebook: Facebook.com/FunctionalTennisOfficialHave you seen the Functional Tennis Saber?Check it out here and don't miss the video of Stan Wawrinka crushing the ballFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.com

As we are on a short summer break, we have decided to rerelease another one of our favourite podcast episodes from the past!Joe O'Dwyer is an experienced tour coach & was the coach of previous podcast guests, Jeff Salzenstein, Conor Niland & James McGee! Joe is Irish but has spent most of his life in the US or touring with players 💪We talk:Tools needed to break the Top 100Unwritten rules of TennisStories of time on the tourImportance of having a good coachReaching your potentialThis episode is packed with cool stories! Joe is a natural coach (& storyteller!!). Really hope you enjoy it as much as we do 😃Let us know what you think!Leave us a review on iTunes 📱Episode Chapters5:57 - Implementing a game plan25:03 - Players reaching their potential32:30 - Where can coaches learn specialised skills?38:57 - Importance of playing up42:16 - Go straight to Futures!46:29 - Travel in moderationFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisPodcastYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.comFacebook: Facebook.com/FunctionalTennisOfficialHave you seen the Functional Tennis Saber?Check it out here and don't miss the video of Stan Wawrinka crushing the ballFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.com

As we are on a short summer break, we have decided to rerelease one of our favourite podcast episodes from the past this week!Janko Tipsarevic joined us on Episode 44 to reflect on his career, coronavirus & life after tennis. Janko is a former Top 10 player & won the Davis Cup with Serbia 🏆We talk:Life during lockdownDeveloping habitsRecovering from injuries Dealing with distractionsPlaying against the worlds best playersBuilding a life after tennisOur chat with Janko is one of the best that we have ever had. We really hope you enjoy it (if you haven't heard it before!) 😃Let us know what you think!Leave us a review on iTunes 📱Episode Chapters1:17 - Life during Lockdown9:34 - How he developed his game35:27 - Coming back from injuries40:23 - Deciding to retire46:23 - Building a life after tennis59:53 - Advice for juniorsFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisPodcastYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.comFacebook: Facebook.com/FunctionalTennisOfficialHave you seen the Functional Tennis Saber?Check it out here and don't miss the video of Stan Wawrinka crushing the ballFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.com

Jason Stacy, fitness coach of world-ranked tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, shares his inspiring journey from homelessness to elite coaching. He discusses his holistic approach, influenced by martial arts, and the importance of connecting with the right coach. Jason reveals insights into mental focus, energy management, and the dynamics of teamwork, emphasizing how these elements are vital for athletic success. He also highlights the unseen challenges athletes face and offers advice for aspiring players to cultivate resilience and self-awareness.

Alexander Ostrovsky joins us this week to talk about his tennis academy, the sports management agency that he owns & what its like running top professional tournaments 👊We talk:How he became involved in the tennis industryHis High Performance Tennis Academy in MoscowThe Sports Managements Agency that he ownsRunning top professional tennis tournamentsAlexander has accomplished so much in tennis already & continues to build everyday. It's not very often that we get the opportunity to speak to guests that are involved in so many different aspects of the game - so we really enjoyed the chat 😃Let us know what you think!Leave us a review on iTunes 📱Episode Chapters1:53 - How he became involved in tennis3:39 - Facilities at the academy10:20 - Setting up a sports management agency13:24 - Running pro tournamentsFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisPodcastYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.comFacebook: Facebook.com/FunctionalTennisOfficialHave you seen the Functional Tennis Saber?Check it out here and don't miss the video of Stan Wawrinka crushing the ballFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.com

This week Timo Glock joins us. Timo is an avid tennis fan/player, a former F1 driver & currently races for BMW in BMT 🔥Timo is a Functional Tennis follower who we have been in contact with for a while! We always like to mix it up on this podcast by occasionally bringing in guests from other sports, so we hope that you enjoy listening to our chat 😃We talk:When he started to play tennisSimilarities between tennis & racingLife as an F1 driverHis most memorable racesFitness levels needed to compete at the highest levelSpeaking to Timo was really cool! He is passionate about tennis & we hope that he can find some time in his busy schedule to continue playing 😉Let us know what you think!Leave us a review on iTunes 📱Episode Chapters1:56 - Starting to play tennis9:42 - Similarities between Tennis & Racing14:31 - His first F1 Grand Prix17:51 - Most competitive competitor19:17 - Fitness level needed to compete26:26 - Managing his busy scheduleFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisPodcastYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.comFacebook: Facebook.com/FunctionalTennisOfficialHave you seen the Functional Tennis Saber?Check it out here and don't miss the video of Stan Wawrinka crushing the ballFind us on Social Media:Instagram: Instagram.com/FunctionalTennisYouTube: Functional Tennis PodcastTwitter: twitter.com/functennisWebsite: www.FunctionalTennis.com