Tales from Tennis

In this on-site special episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Taylor Fritz, Jenson Brooksby, Daniel Altmaier and Rajeev Ram in Eastbourne to hear their stories in the game. The guests reflect on defining moments from their careers, from chasing Wimbledon success to breakthrough runs at majors, while also offering rare behind-the-scenes insight into life on Tour. They discuss training...

In this third on-site episode from the Lexus Ilkley Open, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with a range of Top 150 players competing during the grass-court season, bringing together stories from behind the scenes of the tennis world as the road to Wimbledon continues. Featuring Darwin Blanch, Lulu Sun, Viktorija Golubic, Arthur Gea, Dane Sweeny, Harmony Tan and August Holmgren, the episode exp...

In this second on-site episode from the Lexus Ilkley Open, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with a range of British players competing during the grass-court season as the countdown to Wimbledon continues. Featuring conversations with Jack Pinnington Jones, Charlie Broom, Paul Jubb, Toby Samuel, Oliver Crawford and physio Sam Carter, the episode explores the realities of life at ATP Challenger...

In this special on-site episode of Tales from Tennis, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe head to the Lexus Ilkley Open to uncover what it really takes to run a professional tennis tournament. While fans see the matches, the atmosphere and the drama on court, there is a huge team working behind the scenes to make the event happen. Throughout the week, Sam and Jerome spoke to the people who help bring the...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Alex Hyman to discuss his journey from competitive tennis player to working across some of the biggest events and stories in the sport. Hyman reflects on his early experiences in college tennis, including a memorable battle against Ben Shelton, before explaining how he broke into the tennis media industry and built a career spanning commun...

In this 20th episode of Tales from Tennis , Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe turn the microphones on themselves to share the stories behind the podcast and how they ended up covering tennis full time. The pair reflects on their journeys into tennis media, from first tournaments and nerve-filled early interviews to surreal moments alongside some of the biggest names in the sport, including Roger Federer...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Tom Corrie from TennisViz to explore how analytics and data are changing the way tennis is understood at the highest level. Corrie, who is Head of Performance, Media and Broadcast at TennisViz, explains how platforms help coaches, players and the media analyse the modern game, before diving into what the numbers reveal about stars includin...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Russell Fuller to explore what it’s really like covering the biggest moments as the BBC’s tennis correspondent for the past 13 years. Fuller reflects on his experiences following some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Andy Murray, Serena Williams, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, and shares insight into the frantic nature of life at...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with broadcaster Richard Connelly to explore what it’s really like being courtside for some of the biggest moments in tennis. Connelly shares behind-the-scenes stories from his time interviewing the game’s top stars, including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer, offering insight into what players are truly like in those high-pressu...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Arthur Fils' coach Ivan Cinkus to go inside the rise of the Frenchman and what it takes to build one of the most exciting young players in the game. Cinkus reflects on Fils’ impressive return from injury, detailing the work behind the scenes that has fuelled his recent surge, including a title in Barcelona and deep runs in Miami and Indian...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with award-winning tennis journalist Molly McElwee, winner of the 2024 Tom Perrotta Prize for Tennis Journalism and author of Building Champions: Paths to Success in Women’s Tennis . Molly shares her journey into the sport and what it’s really like covering tennis at the highest level, from long days at Grand Slams to the challenge of building...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with renowned tennis photographer Corinne Dubreuil, who has spent more than 35 years capturing some of the sport’s most iconic moments. From Grand Slam finals to intimate behind-the-scenes access, Dubreuil shares what it takes to document the game at the very highest level. She reflects on her close working relationship with Rafael Nadal, inclu...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with physiotherapist Nicolas Dams, who works closely with Zizou Bergs and Alexander Blockx, as well as supporting both the Belgian Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup teams. Dams offers a fascinating insight into the vital role physios play on the professional tour and within team environments. He takes us behind the scenes of life at Grand Slam...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with former top-10 junior and Wake Forest University player Charlie Robertson. Charlie shares his journey through the junior ranks into college tennis, offering an inside look at why the US college pathway is becoming an increasingly attractive route for aspiring professionals. The Scot reflects on his experiences training with countryman Andy...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with coach Yari Bernardo, who is working with former World No. 1 doubles star Marcelo Arevalo. Bernardo shares his insights into what it takes to build success at the highest level of doubles, including the key qualities, communication and trust required to form a winning partnership. He reflects on helping guide Arevalo to Grand Slam success a...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with broadcaster and journalist Candy Reid. Candy lifts the lid on what it’s really like interviewing some of the biggest stars in tennis, including Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and shares her behind-the-scenes perspective on their personalities away from the spotlight. She also dives into the current state of both the men’s and women’s ga...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Denmark's Holger Rune. Rune opens up about his current injury setback, the rehabilitation process and the mentality required to stay positive while working his way back to full fitness. He also reflects on his remarkable breakthrough season in 2022, when he won the Paris Masters at just 19 years old, defeating Novak Djokovic in the final a...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Australian tennis player Tristan Schoolkate. Tristan reflects on his experience facing Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open, what it felt like stepping onto Rod Laver Arena and what he learned from competing against one of the world’s best on the sport’s biggest stage. He also discusses his win against rising star Joao Fonseca, the realiti...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with the former tennis correspondent for The Times, Stuart Fraser, to reflect on 15 years covering the sport at the highest level. Stuart shares stories from inside Andy Murray’s world, charting his rise, resilience and personality beyond the court. He also reflects on witnessing defining moments in British tennis, including Emma Raducanu’s bre...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with tennis content creator and author Bastien Fachan. Bastien shares his perspective on tennis culture, from the role of fashion and personal expression in the sport to how iconic looks and traditions shape the way fans engage with the game. He also discusses writing his book on the era-defining dominance of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Nov...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with legendary chair umpire Carlos Bernardes. Carlos reflects on officiating some of the biggest names the sport has ever seen, including Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, and what it takes to manage the biggest personalities and moments from the best seat in the house, sharing fun stories. He also looks back on umpiring a Wimbledon fi...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with tennis analyst and commentator Gill Gross. Gill breaks down his process for analysing matches, the most interesting and telling stats in tennis and how he approaches predictions at the highest level of the sport. He also shares his thoughts on how tennis is evolving digitally, how the game is being consumed by fans today, and where analysi...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with The Guardian’s tennis correspondent Tumaini Carayol. Tumaini lifts the lid on how media days really work, what it takes to build trusted relationships with players, including Naomi Osaka and Jack Draper, and what life is like on the road covering the tour. He also shares his thoughts on the current state of the men’s and women’s game, refl...

In this second episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Wimbledon mixed doubles champion and ATP Tour titlist Sem Verbeek to discuss college tennis, what it is like to win Wimbledon and his matches with Jannik Sinner. Sem also shares his thoughts on the key to a strong doubles partnership, along with other fun stories from life as a tennis player. 🎙️ Our introductory background episode i...

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with renowned tennis commentator Nick Lester to discuss life behind the mic, his journey into the sport and what it’s really like calling matches at the highest level. Nick shares insights on his relationships with former and current players, including Jim Courier and Nick Kyrgios, along with his honest thoughts on the current state of men’s te...