The Functional Tennis Podcast

Today I chat with Chris Lewitt, who recently updated his book, "Secrets of Spanish Tennis 2.0." Chris, a distinguished coach with extensive experience in the Spanish tennis system, elucidates ten pivotal lessons derived from his interactions with renowned Spanish coaches. These principles not only encapsulate the essence of Spanish tennis training but also offer actionable strategies for players a...

Today I chat with coach and author Adam Bilcher , who recently published a book called Winning Words. The book focuses on how good communication can improve tennis coaching, highlighting the importance of respect and understanding between coaches and players. Drawing from his experience with the Danish Tennis Federation and his podcast series, Adam shares insights into the mental and emotional asp...

Fabio Molle sits down with Rene Zandbergen to discuss the exciting launch of the new ASICS Gel Resolution X tennis shoe at the ASICS Tennis Summit in Melbourne. Rene shares insights about his role in the shoe's development, emphasizing the shoe's enhanced comfort and innovative features, such as the Dyna Lacing system that allows for a customizable fit. The conversation delves into the extensive t...

I randomly came across the Yonex popup while in Melbourne and inside Darren Cahill (Coach of Jannik Sinner) was having a Q&A with some people so I joined in briefly. Darren a former player has previously worked with Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi and Simona Halep. The importance of resilience in tennis success Building strong habits for consistent performance Why Yannick Sinner’s parents stayed...

Let's learn about Swing Speed, modern tennis and the New Tecnifibre T-Fight which has just launched. The next-gen forehand has evolved and requires faster swing speed and more manoeuvrability. Tecnifibre has been tracking this with their tecnilab programme and today the head customizer Dieter Calle joins me alongside the Tecnifibre Chief Marketing Office Matthieu Bauduin to discuss why and how it...

Jesper De Jong, a rising Dutch tennis player, shares his journey from a young athlete to competing on the world stage, including his experiences qualifying for his first Grand Slam and playing against top players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. With a steady rise in rankings and a strong team behind him, Jesper emphasizes the importance of consistency and hard work in achieving his goals. H...

Czech tennis player Linda Noskova joins Fabio Molle to discuss her impressive rise in the WTA rankings, achieving a spot in the top 25 by maintaining a consistent mindset and dedication to continuous improvement. At just 20 years old, Linda reflects on her journey since winning the French Open junior title in 2021 and shares insights on the importance of playing junior tournaments as a foundation...

Jaime Faria, a promising 21-year-old Portuguese tennis player, has made an impressive leap in his career, climbing from a rank of 411 to a career-high 116 this year. Despite not being the top junior in Portugal and facing tough competition, Jaime chose to remain with the Portuguese Tennis Federation rather than pursue college tennis in the U.S. His journey is marked by an incredible run that inclu...

Join me, Fabio Molle, as I share my top 13 favorite products for tennis players that make perfect gifts for the upcoming season. From rackets to shoes, grips to training aids, I've curated a list that caters to every tennis enthusiast, whether they are just starting or are seasoned players. One of the highlights of this episode is the Bablot Pure Aero, which has been voted our Racket of the Year f...

What does it truly mean to "make it" as a tennis player? In this episode, I delve into this question with Belgian player Kimmer Coppejans, a former junior French Open champion who reached the top 100 for a brief period. Kimmer shares his journey through the highs and lows of professional tennis, including the mental challenges he faced, such as the yips and the struggle to regain confidence after...

French tennis player Laurent Lokoli joins the Functional Tennis Podcast to share his journey through the highs and lows of professional tennis. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on individual game styles rather than just results, advising young players to stay true to their strengths. Throughout the conversation, Laurent discusses players' challenges on the circuit, including mental health...

Jason Jung joins the Functional Tennis podcast to share his journey as a professional tennis player, including the challenges he faced with injuries and the decision to switch national representation to Taiwan. He discusses the financial and personal motivations behind this choice, highlighting how it opened doors for sponsorships and competitive opportunities. Jason candidly reflects on his strug...

6-time grand slam coach Wim Fissette joins us on the Functional Tennis Podcast to chat about his coaching career. Wim set a high standard for himself winning 3 out of the first 6 slams he coached at. Wim worked with some of the best players in the past 15 years such as Kim Clijsters, Sabine Lisicki, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Johanna Konta, Angelique Kerber and recently finished working with...

Today I speak to 23-year-old US College graduate Lulu Sun who has had an impressive run since graduating from the University Of Texas. In only 1 year of College Tennis, she rose to number 3 in the rankings and over the past 12 months on the WTA tour she has risen from no.210 to her current ranking of no.40. We chat about her early junior days, the importance of education and college tennis, why sh...

Part 2 of the 2024 Functional Tennis Racket of the year breakdown with Jonas Eriksson (aka Tennisnerd). We chat about round 2 and 1/4's results as well as a semi final previewa Jonas is one of the leading racket experts and puts out great reviews on his YouTube channel which you can see here . Head over to the Functional Tennis Instagram stories to get voting. Finally a shoutout to Tennis Warehous...

The racket of the year is back and Jonas Eriksson (aka Tennisnerd) jumps on to chat about results from round 1 and previews round 2. Jonas is one of the leading racket experts and puts out great reviews on his YouTube channel which you can see here . Head over to the Functional Tennis Instagram stories to get voting. Finally a shoutout to Tennis Warehouse Europe who are sponsoring this event along...

In episode 235 of the Functional Tennis Podcast, I sit down with Sandra Zaniewska, coach of WTA Top 20 player Marta Kostyuk. Sandra, a former pro herself with wins over the likes of Ons Jabeur and Ash Barty, transitioned into coaching at a young age and has since worked with top names like Petra Martic and Alizé Cornet. Sandra shares her journey from player to coach, her experiences leading the de...

I chatted with pro doubles strategist Will Boucek. Will works with numerous ATP/WTA doubles pros, and USTA and helps amateurs improve their doubles. We chat about how Will got into doubles strategy and created a niche for himself, patterns he has noticed, analysing Carlos and Rafa as doubles players as well as tips and tactics for doubles players. Will also has a weekly newsletter and podcast wher...

Former top Junior and College Tennis player Govind Nanda joins me on the podcast. Govind has left University and is making a push back up the rankings where during his College days at UCLA he got to a high of 339 ATP which is impressive for a College tennis player.  He chats about his early tennis days, the decision to play college tennis, training with Novak Djokovic and more. hope you enjoy...

Today I chatted to Justin Van Malderen, 3rd generation in the Luxilon family business. Luxilon manufactures great strings used by many top pros. Justin tells us all about the Luxlilon beginnings, who owns the company, how strings are made, what % of the top pros use Luxilon and more. I hope you enjoy this episode Fabio This podcast is sponsored by ASICS. ASICS is a Japanese company founded in 1949...

I dug through the audio archives and found my chat with Wimbledon Finalist Jasmine Paolini when she was a top 70-ranked player only a few years ago. She talks about what's needed to be 1% better every day, patience, challenges along the way and the struggle to qualify for slams!! It’s a short but insightful partner. Hope you enjoy Fabio This podcast is sponsored by ASICS. ASICS is a Japanese compa...

I speak to Irish former pro Conor Niland who has just released a book called The Racket which documents his tennis journey from the first time he picked up a racket until retirement. Conor reached a career-high ATP 129 and made Grand Slam appearances. He recites many stories from all aspects of his journey from the junior Irish circuit, going to boarding school in the UK, missed opportunities at B...

Mini episode this week with current WTA number 63 Diane Parry. I met Diane at the Asics Rally for Your Mind event in central Paris. We discussed: Playing in Paris as Parisian Her 1 handed backhand Advice for parents/players The best advice she has received Louis Rouach who runs event activations for Asics also tells us about the Rally for Your Mind event. Fabio This podcast is sponsored by ASICS....

Today I chat with former pro and entrepreneur Peter Clarke. Peter was a fiery Irish promising tennis who quickly reached an ATP ranking of 229. Retiring quite young today, he got into coaching and soon after set up multiple successful businesses. He talks about growing up in Australia, his tennis days, some good anecdotes and his most recent project is called Coach Life , an online video platform....

I chatted to Italian coach Andrea Ramundo who I met at the IMG Future Stars Event. Andrea works with promising Italian Juniors, Ilary Pistola, Tommaso Panto and Pietro Marinelli. We discuss Coaching Journey Italian Tennis Federation What he learned at the IMG Future Stars Event Working for free for 1 year with his mentor Jofre Porta Member of Team Asics Academy Andrea is super nice with some nice...