Control the Controllables

Steve and Matt are the Directors of Active Away. Both had strong tennis coaching careers at clubs, with the LTA and made the decision to set up their own Business running Tennis Holidays. Business as slow, so they decided to apply to the BBC show, Dragons Den. See what happens and much more during the podcast. A great story

Allistair McCaw has dedicated his life to high performance through working with world class athletes including Xavier Malisse and Kevin Anderson on the fitness side of their game. This has evolved into mindset training and now an author to 3 books. In this episode Allistair talks through his story which may surprise many and how those lessons have been transferred into his philosophy. Life lessons, emotion and so much more.Website: www.allistairmccaw.comInstagram: @bechampionmindedBooks: www.allistairmccaw.com/booksDonate to the STA Christmas Dinner Challenge here.

Nick Weal has spent the last 35 years as a Grand Slam Player, Grand Slam Coach and GB Davis Cup Coach and is now in charge of the LTA Coach Education. He shares his experiences, his vision, his opinions and more in an educational and entertaining podcast.

James Auckland is a former British Number 1 Doubles Player with a highest ATP Ranking of 57. We discuss his journey and how the key failures led to the passion and fire to drive and ‘prove people wrong’. This led him to playing doubles with his good friend Andy Murray and a win over the great Rafael Nadal. He now spends his days increasing participation in the sport and throwing that same passion at the grass roots level. As per mentioned in this Episode, here’s the LINK to have a preview and sign up option to STA’s Online Courses ➡️ https://sototennis-academy.teachable.com/courses

Anne Keothavong is the GB Billie Jean King Cup Captain, and former British number 1. She reached a high of 48 in the world WTA during her career. Anne shares her story, from the big impact of her parents and upbringing, to the trials and tribulations of pro tennis. She has gone onto commentate for BT Sport and is now driving the culture for the national team. She shares openly and with great humility and we know you will love the show. Enjoy 😊 Follow Anne on Twitter: @annekeothavong As mentioned in this episode, here’s the link to preview and sign up option to SotoTennis Academy´s Online Courses.

Iain Bates has gone from promising junior to University lecturer to Team GB Manager in the Olympics and is now LTA Head of Women’s Tennis. A great journey and by his own admission he is a ‘thinker’ and gives us his thoughts on many topics within tennis. A great listen. As per mentioned in this Episode, here’s the LINK to have a preview and sign up option to STA’s Online Courses ➡️ https://sototennis-academy.teachable.com/courses

Dave Sammel was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has spent his 30 years as a coach in the UK working with some of the best players in GB. He is currently Liam Broady´s coach.  Dave has strong views, and clear philosophies which have proven to work and they will also provoke thought. Enjoy a great listen.  Twitter: @davesammel As mentioned in this Episode, here’s the LINK to have a preview and sign up option to STA’s Online Courses ➡️ https://sototennis-academy.teachable.com/courses

Fabio Mole set up Functional Tennis 4.5 years ago and it’s now one of the biggest online tennis platforms out there. Fabio talks through his journey from the Astro courts in Ireland to his fast food business, to Christmas jumpers before heading back to tennis where his true love is. How do you make a living through social media? Is it sustainable? Find out more... enjoy 😊 As per mentioned in this Episode, here’s the LINK to have a preview and sign up option to STA’s Online Courses ➡️ https://sototennis-academy.teachable.com/courses

A special guest for a special 75th episode. Colin Beecher have lived and breathed British Tennis for 40 years as a player and then a coach to pretty much every British Player Men and Women over the years. He is the current coach to Kyle Edmund. Look at for Ivan Lendl stories that will make you laugh and his Davis Cup experience as the Davis Cup coach over the last 10 years. A great listen

Stephen Huss partnered Wesley Moodie to win the Men’s Doubles Championship at Wimbledon in 2005. The pair came through qualifying, beating the 1st 2nd and 3rd seeds en route. Stephen reached a career high of 21 in the world in doubles before retiring from professional tennis in 2011. He is currently a USTA National team coach, working with top female players. In this episode, Stephen shares his experience on tour and the journey that took him from an ‘ok’ junior in Australia to a good US college player, to a Wimbledon Champion. We then delve into his coaching philosophies and much more, as we discuss life on tour as a coach, life working at the USTA, and where the game goes next? A great listen! Read the full shownotes here. Connect with Control the Controllables: Website | Instagram | Email

Katie Swan has been on our screens for many years, as a 15 year old she made the final of the Junior Australian Girls Event. Katie has had her ups and her downs, but has moved into a place where she has a happy, healthy mindset that stands her in a great place for the rest of her career. Enjoy Katie’s story 😊

Dominik Koepfer sits as the current 65th best male tennis player in the world, yet he played 1-2 times a week before he was 16. A story that will blow you away and you think not possible.

Sergiy Stahkovsky is a Ukranian pro tennis player who has been ranked as high as 31 ATP. Sergiy jumped onto our screens in 2013, when he became the lowest ranked player to beat Roger Federer at a Grand Slam. He knocked the defending champion out of Wimbledon on Centre Court in the 2nd round. Since recording this podcast, Sergiy has retired from professional tennis, announcing he was hanging up his rackets in January 2022. He has been a member of the ATP Player Council and has been outspoken on many controversial topics, including equal pay in tennis. In this episode, Sergiy opens up and provides context to all his thoughts in an amazing podcast. Enjoy. Read full shownotes here. Links & Resources Control the Controllables: Instagram | Website | Email Follow Sergiy Stahkovsky on Twitter SotoTennis Academy website Follow Control the Controllables on itunes

Simon Jones worked for the LTA in many different capacities for 31 years before turning his hand to other sports over the last couple of years. We explore the similarities and differences between sports and his opinions from the inside looking in to British Tennis and from the outside looking in. A honest, healthy discussion which we hope will provoke thought for you all. Enjoy 😊

Nick Lester is the epitome of what we want from our Tennis Academy. Someone who has truly used his passion for tennis as a vehicle through his life, as a player, as a coach and over the last 15 years as a tennis commentator on Sky Sports, Amazon Prime, BBC, Eurosport and the World Feed.  Nick shares his story, tennis stories and insights and his favourite experiences including Novak Djokovic winning his 9th Master Series event in Cincinnati. Enjoy 😊 Twitter: @nicklester

Kyle Spencer is a former GB number 1 doubles player and represented GB at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He is the current Head Men’s Coach at North Carolina State University and has experienced US College in all positions as a player, Assistant Coach and Head Coach. Kyle offers valuable insights and stories to connect the opportunity for many and the cons to be aware of. This listen is highly recommended.

What a story! Leon went from decent junior player to coaching one of the best juniors in the world, Sir Andy Murray. He was catapulted to GB Davis Cup Captain over 10 years ago where he´s guided the team to glory on the court as the 2015 Davis Cup Winners, but also to a collective culture that brings positivity, team spirit and much more.  Leon is the LTA Head of Men’s Tennis and he doesn’t hold back his insights in the podcast. See him as you haven’t seen him before. A wonderful listen. Twitter: @leonsmith

Kris has dedicated his life to tennis in one form or another. From coaching International Players to coaching parents how to coach, he has worked across the spectrum, but always to a very high level.  Kris was part of the Scottish National team when Andy and Jamie Murray were coming through the junior ranks and he now works very closely with Judy Murray for her foundation and other projects. A coach who has inside knowledge behind the scenes and who shares his story and philosophies in an articulate manner. Lots of learning to take from this one! Twitter: @krissoutar Podcast: Kris Soutar´s Tennis Journal, The Podcast YouTube: Kris Soutar´s Tennis Journal

Simon Dickson was one of the best junior players in the world with wins over Roger Federer and Leyton Hewitt to name a couple as he grew up.  He combined this with playing football for Manchester United Juniors when he was younger. Yet his highest ATP ranking was 469. We explore why? Does he regret it? What has he learned? And what is he now passing onto the juniors he works with at Edgbaston Priory Club?  Simon is one of the nicest, most humble men you will ever meet and it is a treat to discuss tennis with him. Enjoy

Steve Hewitt is the CEO of Gym Shark, a fitness clothing and accessory brand that is currently one of the fastest growing businesses in the UK. A few weeks ago it was valued at $1.3 billion from the humble beginnings of the founder, Ben Francis home with his Mums sewing machine.  We discuss the transferable skills from sport to business and the importance of culture in any business. Steve is also a ‘tennis parent’ and we explore this side of his life and where his business lessons have helped. A must listen. Enjoy 😊 Website: www.gymshark.com

Heather Watson has been one of Great Britain’s most successful female tennis players of the last 30 years. She won the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title in 2016, has won 4 WTA titles and has a career high of 38 in the world.  Heather moved from her home island of Guernsey aged 11 to go to Florida and we learn all about that journey of dedicating her life to tennis and whether she has been ‘successful’ in her career. Heather gives fascinating insight and shares her story so well. Enjoy

Valorie Kondos Field was Head Gymnastics Coach at UCLA for 29 years. She led them to 7 National Championships and her background wasn’t even in gymnastics. She dramatically changed her philosophies throughout her coaching career. Find out why in this episode. Valorie has since gone on to deliver TED Talks with her philosophy of ‘Winning doesn’t always equal success’. Her inspiration has come from meetings with the late Kobe Bryant, her mentor John Wooden and listening to her team, some of whom were survivors of the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal. You will learn and take so much from this podcast, we promise 😊. Enjoy.  Click here sign up to the summit to hear Valorie, Dan and many more in action September 24-26, 2020  Website: www.officialmissval.com Valorie´s Tedtalk: Why winning doesn´t always equal success Twitter: @OfficalMissVal

Emilio Sanchez comes from the famous Sanchez family who have been so influential on Spanish Tennis. A former World number 1 doubles player and number 7 singles player at the same time, he won 5 Grand slam doubles titles and the men´s doubles silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games. Emilio is the brother of Arantcha Sanchez Vicario and later in his career, her coach.  After retiring, Emilio captained Spain to Davis Cup victory in 2008. He also joined forces with Sergio Casal to set up the Sanchez- Casal Academy in Barcelona. They now have 4 academies in Spain, USA and China. A great conversation. Enjoy! Emilio is one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming Between the White Lines Summit. The 2 day event will take place on September 24-26th 2020, giving coaches an opportunity to connect with and learn from tennis-preneurs and like-minded people in the tennis world. Book your place on the summit to listen to Emilio and 44 other big names in tennis and sport. Twitter: @emiliosvicario LinkedIn: tennis-worldwide-leadership-sanchez-casal-academy

We speak to Anthony Harris who is top 100 ATP Player Lloyd Harris’s coach.  Anthony also coached Dudi Sela in his formative years aged 11-19. We discuss his Academy and philosophy in South Africa and the journey to creating an African Champion.  Halfway through the pod Lloyd Harris joins us for 15 mins to offer his amazing insight, enjoy this episode!

Sam Jalloh was brought up in Sierra Leone in what was a difficult upbringing personally, but also during the civil war which added many complications which included living on the streets, seeing his best friend get shot and killed and being taken from his family aged 5. So how did this young boy who didn’t own shoes until he was 14-years-old manage to get to the point of playing on the ITF circuit, hitting with Andrey Rublev and many more? It is a fascinating, inspirational story we all have to listen and learn from. Sam is now a motivational speaker and tennis coach and you will see why when you listen to him. Enjoy! Connect with Sam Jollah Website: spjalloh.com Twitter: @samuelpjalloh Book: How Tennis Saved my Life Let us know what you think of this episode! Email us at [email protected] You can also find us on Instagram @ctc.podcast

Magnus Tideman is a former top 80 ATP Player who came from an amazing crop of Swedish Players, where his practice partners included Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and many more.  He turned his hand to coaching 29 years ago and has spent most of that at the top end of the ATP Tour, including coaching Thomas Johansson to the 2002 Australian Open Title.  Magnus shares opinions, insights and stories. A brilliant listen!

Mark has had tennis running through his life for 60 years. He was in the military, and has worked closely with David Lloyd and Jimmy Connors on previous projects. He´s currently taking on his biggest challenge yet, as he is looking to bring the private sector of tennis together postcode by postcode.  We discuss his reasons and drive behind this, and the similarities with the PTPA movement with Novak Djokovic and where this is going in the future. A great passionate listen. Mark is running the Between the White Lines Summit on September 24-26th 2020.  45 world-class tennis-preneurs from around the world will be sharing their experiences, cutting-edge strategies, and knowledge over the 2 days, including Control the Controllables host and SotoTennis Academy Director Dan Kiernan.  Not one to be missed! Book your place here. LinkedIn: markjjeffery 

Kieron Vorster has been a strength and conditioning coach on the ATP Tour for 25 years. He started his career with Wayne Ferreira before spending many years with Tim Henman.  Kieron is currently working with British number 1 Dan Evans. We talk through nature vs nature, hard work vs sport science. How Dan has prepared for the US Open and much more. Twitter: @vossy1973

Cameron Norrie has an illustrious College career at Texas Christian University before seamlessly moving into the top 100 ATP. Since recording, he has reached a career high of 12, and is the current British number 1. In this episode, Cameron speaks to us from the US Open bubble where we discuss positive COVID tests and PTPA movements with Novak Djokovic spearheading a new player association. Read the full shownotes here. Links & Resources Control the Controllables: Instagram|Website|Email Cameron Norrie on Instagram SotoTennis Academy website Check out Tennis Smart for advice and support for US College options Texas Christian University

Nick Monroe has been on the ATP Tour for the last 17 years with a career high of 30 ATP doubles. Nick speaks to us from the US Open Bubble as he prepares to play next week. Nick was a top USTA Junior, US College All-American and 17 years as a pro. Fascinating insights and told with such humility. Enjoy

Nick Morgan is a former UK University Tennis Champion whilst graduating from Bath University before turning his career to the Sports Science world. This started at Lilleshall home of England Football and took him around many British Football Clubs as well as Masters Series Events on the Tennis Tour. He now runs his own commercial nutritional company and consults for big brands globally. All through the vehicle of tennis. We discuss and compare two main topics, Nutrition and Data. A highly educational and thought provoking podcast. Enjoy

Jonathan worked for BBC radio for over 25 years and brought the famous moments to life for many of us including his final match for the BBC.. The Men’s Wimbledon 2013 final where Andy Murray overcame 77 years of hurt for Men’s tennis in Britain. His voice is silk, his stories are full of passion and his ability to paint the picture is sublime. We loved bringing this pod together and we know you will love listening to Jonathan. Enjoy

Dan Evans and Mark Hilton speak to us from New York as they prepare for the US Open 2020. Hear all about the ‘bubble’ at the US Open and how preparation has been going.

James Cluskey was top 150 ATP and represented Ireland in Davis Cup. He has used his tennis as a vehicle to attack the business world. He is Sir Richard Branson’s private’s tennis coach and he has leveraged this and more to move forward in the business world. A fascinating story and so many learnings for us all. Enjoy

Bruno and Juan both have extensive experience of being brought up through the ‘Spanish System’ as players and coaches. Yet both have had experience in the British Tennis world as players at Stirling University. Bruno is now a National Coach at the National Academy in Stirling, UK and Juan runs his own Academy in Sevilla, Spain. We explore the differences, positives, negatives of both tennis cultures including characters, tournament structure, climate and much more....

Dan spent many years in the top 5 in the UK and top 250 ATP after a successful junior career including making final of the prestigious Tarbes U14 event. Dan retired aged 26 back in 2016, but as the pandemic has had an effect on us all, it has got Dan motivated to give it another go on the tour. Hear about all the ups and downs that go into these careers and the insights into why decisions like this are made. A great listen

Neil Harman worked tirelessly for many years for many of the top UK Newspapers in football, and then mainly as a tennis correspondent.  An award-winning journalist and author, Neil connected with the top players such as Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka . Neil´s world fell apart in 2014 when he was sacked by The Times for plagiarism of the Wimbledon Annual which he had written for 10 years. A fantastic story of ups and downs with honest and insightful reflections from Neil.  A great listen. Book: Close Quarters: An Extraordinary Season on the Brink Twitter: @Neil_Harman57 LinkedIn: Neil-Harman

Barry Fulcher was an excellent tennis player who has turned his passion to not only coaching, but also to creating a competitive structure in the UK that allows players to compete, learn and earn. This passion has been solely driven by Barry and his own bank balance. It finally got the recognition the Progress Tour deserves as he ran the top ladies event in the UK last week which attracted all of the GBs top female players. This is only the start of his journey, as he continues to juggle his coaching and playing international veteran tennis. An inspiration to us all, as on top of this he overcame cancer a few years ago. Enjoy his story

Michael Joyce had a very successful playing career with a career high of 64 ATP. Michael has gone on to coach some of the biggest stars in the women’s game including Victoria Azarenka, Genie Bouchard, Johanna Konta, Timea Babos and most notably Maria Sharapova. The American worked with Sharapova for 7 years, winning 3 Grand Slams together. In this episode of Control the Controllables, Michael gives us fascinating insights into his role as a coach, from contracts to training. It´s a must listen. Enjoy!

Mark Bullock has dedicated his coaching career to making tennis inclusive to all. He spent many years at ITF working and developing wheelchair tennis globally including its presence at all 4 of the Grand Slams. Over the last few years he has turned his attention to visually impaired tennis and other sports where he continues to innovate and inspire. A great listen and so many lessons for us all to learn.

Mike Dickson is the UK Daily Mail´s Tennis Correspondent.He has been a sports journalist for more than 35 years, predominantly covering tennis as his major sport during this time. He´s one of the most respected and admired journalists in tennis, and is very close to British Tennis, reporting on all its successes and failures.Mike shares many stories and insights from the world of Sports Journalism during this episode, which makes it a great listen. Links mentioned in this episode:-Mike Dickson on TwitterFollow Control the Controllables on InstagramSotoTennis Academy

James McGee is a former Irish Davis Cup Player and number one. Reached the top 150 ATP including qualifying at the 2014 US Open in dramatic circumstances, listen out for that. Shares his insights into the tour, Irish Tennis, his mental battles and how he now put all of those learnings to great use. A great listen

Anthony Ross is a world leading Sports Psychologist whose background is in Clinical Psychology. Anthony takes a look at our stories from the week and offers advice, reframes the way that we look at mental health ‘issues’ and brings an expert feedback to the many areas of Mental Health that tennis players/ coaches and everyone else experiences in this life. Thanks for supporting our mental health awareness week to all our listeners.

Matt has competed on and off on the ITF futures tour for the last 7-8 years whilst juggling a tennis coaching career to fund this. But then does he do either to the best of his ability? And what mental health difficulties does this bring? A common tennis story and so grateful that Matt has shared his thoughts and experience for many to learn from.

Joe Dixon was a SotoTennis Academy Coach for 6 years and continues to work at an International Player level. Joe has experienced depression and anxiety throughout his life and this came to a head when he tried to take his life in 2018. Joe has built his life back up and is now in a fantastic place with his mental health and has shown strength in sharing his story for you all the learn and draw from. It really is a must listen.

Liam Broady discusses the mental health battles he has experienced over the past few years and how he has worked through and built himself back up, just as you would do with physical health problems. A short, sharp and insightful podcast we are sure many will relate too.

Fran is a tough coach in Wales working with top International Juniors. She discusses the potential challenges for coaches working with young elite players around expectation of time, commitment and from parents which can lead to mental health difficulties around work-life balance. A great listen

Noah Rubin has been as high as 125 ATP and is a former Junior Wimbledon Champion. Noah has set up his own ‘Behind the Racket’ platform which is giving players a voice on their stories. We speak about current affairs around tournaments and what can learned from the period, as well as Noah opening up in detail on his mental health journey. So many great lessons for us all. Enjoy

Dan introduces the fantastic guests that we have throughout the week with 1 podcast being released each day to help bring awareness to a subject that isn’t talked about enough, yet is in all of our daily lives. Dan also explains the motivation behind setting up the Mental Health Awareness Week. Enjoy

Former Irish National Coach Paul Casey talks from the heart about his ideas on how Irish Tennis can and should develop from his experiences as a player and as a coach for 40+ years. He talks about his support for former ITF President Dave Miley and how that may have been a big opportunity missed. Straight talking and open. A great listen