Coach Unboxed

Coach Unboxed EP18: John Williams, pro tour tennis coach of Taylor Townsend since 2021, having coached her through two doubles Grand Slams championships (Wimbledon and the Australian Open) and many other WTA titles and finals. John is also an entrepreneur, thought leader, and book author. John shares about his New York upbringing through different sports and becoming an entrepreneur at age 16, lea...

Coach Unboxed EP17: Peter Lucassen, now coaching Botic Van de Zandschulp and having coached multiple top 30, 50 and 100 ATP players, as well as top ITF juniors. Peter played professionally and also collegiately at the University of Southern California, helping secure NCAA team championships. Peter shares his journey from winning teenage years to challenging pros and his eventual transition to coll...

Coach Unboxed EP16: Thomas Drouet, a former top junior player in France and pro in Monaco, who went from hitting partner at the Monte Carlo tournament to 3x Grand Slam winning coach. Thomas has led players to become #1 in doubles and has coached a top 10 and 4 top 25s in singles, winning 18 doubles titles including the WTA Finals and 6 singles titles between both tours.  Thomas shares his journey...

#CoachUnboxed EP15: Rob Steckley, a former Canada #1 and Davis Cup player, has coached 2 top 10s in doubles and 4 top 30s in singles, winning 4 Grand Slam doubles titles and 20+ WTA titles. With a creative mind and unique coaching style bringing fun to work, Rob has established himself as an out-of-the-box mentor and content creator in tennis. Rob's journey is one of being a promising young talent...

Coach Unboxed EP14: Yannick chats with Carlos Alberto Kirmayr, a former Brazilian #1 player and ATP #36 singles and #6 doubles, who as a coach has guided Gabriela Sabatini, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and Conchita Martínez all to top 3 WTA and a US Open championship (with Sabatini). He now leads his training center mentoring future generations of players and coaches. They discuss Kirmayr’s California...

Coach Unboxed EP13: Yannick chats with Bjorn Fratangelo, a former world #2 junior and top 100 ATP player, now coaching the newest Australian Open champion and once again top 10, Madison Keys. After a successful junior career winning the Roland Garros Boy’s title and Challenger tournaments at the pro level, Bjorn made the difficult decision to retire from playing due to an injury. Taking on a new t...

Coach Unboxed EP12: Yannick chats with Martin Vilar, a seasoned tennis coach with 35+ years of experience on tour having coached 10 top 100 players and also worked with players in both the Davis Cup and BJK Cup for four different countries. @martinvilar They discuss Martin's upbringing between Argentina and the U.S. and how he found his way to Europe, making it his home. Martin shares how gett...

Coach Unboxed EP11: Yannick chats with Fernando Segal, a renowned tennis coach and innovator in the sport, being the founder of the Segal Institute and creator-director of the World Tennis Conference. They discuss Segal's journey from Argentina, the cultural significance of tennis in the country, and the systematic approaches he has implemented across the world to develop players and coaches....

Coach Unboxed EP10: Yannick chats with Facundo Lugones, ATP Coach of the Year in 2021 who guided his former college teammate from outside top 500 to a career best of #8 in the world ranking. @falugones  They discuss Facundo's early influences in Argentina and strong family bonds that propelled him to compete. Facundo shares his path towards college tennis in the U.S., being a senior leader in the...

Coach Unboxed EP9: Yannick chats with Kristof Vliegen, a former ATP top 30 who took his first player as a coach from unranked to a career-high ranking #21 and has now returned to Belgium for his next coaching chapter. @kristof_vliegen They discuss Kristof’s unique introduction to tennis and his development as a junior just having fun with the sport. Kristof shares his pro experiences from Futures...

Coach Unboxed EP8: Yannick chats with Claudio Pistolesi, a former world # 1 ITF junior champion and top 100 pro player, former Davis Cup captain and now a top reference coach on both ATP and WTA tours. They discuss Claudio’s early influences, as he succeeded as a world #1 junior champion. Sharing the challenges faced transitioning to the professional tour, Claudio reflects on the impact his coache...

Coach Unboxed EP7: Yannick chats with Nicole Pratt, a former Australian #1 player and multi-WTA winner, and a trusted coach that has also been a leader in advocating for female athletes and coaches in Australia and globally. @nicole_pratt_oly They discuss Nicole’s journey from a 20-people town in Queensland to becoming a prominent figure in Australian tennis, both as a player and a coach. She shar...

Coach Unboxed EP6: Yannick chats with Robert Lindstedt, a former #3 doubles player and Australian Open doubles champion, and now a tour coach with experience on both ATP and WTA tours. @robertlindstedt  They discuss Robert’s connection to the sport through his siblings, playing college tennis in the U.S. before considering going pro, and the work ethic he learned over time inspired by fitness. He...

Coach Unboxed EP5: Yannick chats with Thomas Johansson, a former top 10 player and Grand Slam champion, and now an experienced coach that has worked with top players on both ATP and WTA tours. @tompatennis They discuss Thomas’ early journey in Sweden surrounded by former and future legends of the game, the influence of his peers on his belief, and the connection with his former coach of 12 years t...

Coach Unboxed EP4: Yannick chats with Sandra Zaniewska, a former pro herself and now a reference in professional tennis as one of the top female coaches on tour. Special guest: Mander. @sandrazaniewska They discuss Sandra’s journey as a young athlete in Poland and her experiences transitioning from junior to pro tennis, traveling alone and the pressures of performance. She reflects on coaching com...

Coach Unboxed EP3: Yannick chats with Kamau Murray, who is a major part of the trailblazing legacy of South Chicago tennis. They discuss Kamau’s early days choosing tennis over basketball, learning about college tennis and moving to NYC for a career in business. Kamau talks about juggling different full-time jobs before focusing on the tour when he met Sloane Stephens. He also reflects on the impo...

Coach Unboxed EP2: Yannick chats with Wim Fissette, one of the most accomplished active coaches on the professional tennis tour. They discuss Wim's journey from being a player in Belgium to Kim Clijsters' hitting partner and eventually a multi Grand Slam winning coach. Wim shares insights on methodologies, the evolution of coaching and the challenges behind the job. He also reflects on the...

Welcome to Coach Unboxed ! Founding partners Yannick Yoshizawa and Flavia Araujo chat about meeting each other through tennis, how Unbox Sports was created, what they have learned alongside coaches and their aspirations for the agency and podcast. About Unbox Sports: The agency is elevating professional tour tennis coaches to help them reach their true potential both on and off the court. Unbox Sp...