The Third Set with Mike Cation

His Behind the Racquet series has brought notoriety to many of the difficulties faced by himself, and his peers.  But today, on the Coffee Cast, Noah Rubin goes in depth on the basic day to day difficulties faced by many within the sport, and some of the momentous changes he believes are necessary to keep the sport relevant, and keep its athletes in a better state mentally and physically. His thou...

Inside the New Balance Winner's Circle with Dudi Sela, your champion at the Baptist Health Little Rock Open.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While in Chicago for the ITA National Indoor Championship, I had the chance to sit down with Alex Rybakov, 22 year old TCU Senior, currently ranked #456 in the ATP Rankings, #262 in the ITF World Tennis Tour Rankings, and #8 in the ITA Collegiate Rankings.  That's a lot. It's going to be a complex process for Alex when he goes pro in a couple of months. We sat down and talked about that, his choic...

Mitchell Krueger tells the story of his massive changes in the offseason. A new coach. A new living situation. A new forehand. It's an incredible story.  Hear how he won the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This was a fun one, as Neal Skupski joined me after advancing to the Mixed Doubles QF on Monday night.  We talk British tennis, his hair, the dirty world of doubles, and the family dynamic involved with his brother Ken.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanasi and I tried to first record this podcast in August, the week he won a Challenger title in Aptos, California.  Time kept getting away from us, but finally, the day after he qualified for the Australian Open, we were able to sit down and chat. We did NOT hammer away at why he didn't get the Wild Card. Thanasi was about to get that question five different ways at a press conference.  I did as...

Some of our podcasts are a little shorter this week.  Slams will do that. But we're very excited to have Christopher Eubanks join us, the day before the Australian Open main draw begins, as he is in action on Monday after qualifying last week. We talk about why Georgia Tech was important to his development, what the Transition Tour means for college tennis, and his amazing opportunity Saturday to...

On this podcast, we talk with NCAA Champion, Challenger Champion, and now ex-player Jarmere Jenkins.  Yes, he's Serena's hitting partner.  No, we did not talk about Serena. It's a very frank talk, however, about the difficulties of finding positivity as a professional, and how Jarmere found his own path.  And maybe how that translates for others.     Enjoy.  More to come this week. Learn more abou...

Reilly Opelka has picked up two titles in two weeks on the USTA Pro Circuit.  But his championship in Champaign means a little more, moving him in to the top 100 for the first time in his career, and gets him in to the main draw at the Australian Open. Hear from him after his title at the JSM Challenger of Champaign-Urbana, as we go inside the New Balance Winner's Circle. Learn more about your ad...

It's been a long time coming for Tommy Paul.  The 21 year old picked up his first Challenger title in dominant fashion on Sunday in Charlottesville, going Lucky Loser to final without losing a set in the main draw.  That included wins over Noah Rubin, Ivo Karlovic, Bradley Klahn, and then Peter Polansky in the final.  It puts him in the running for the USTA Australian Open Wild Card, although he's...

Recorded last week before his tournament in Fairfield, California, hear from the 21 year old about his massive year, marred only by a bout with mono during the summer. We talk about the NBA, his social media absence, why he wants out of the Challengers ASAP, and yes, Tommy Paul's beloved Pumpkin.   More coming from Charlottesville, including, hopefully, the talk we promised with Tommy Paul.   Lear...

It's been a long time coming for Bjorn Fratangelo.  The 25 year old pride of Plum, Pennsylvania picked up his first title in 2 1/2 years in Fairfield, California today.  In the New Balance Winner's Circle, we talked about the depths to which he had sunk over the summer, and how he found a new balance with tennis and life.  Oh...and you'll also hear why I called him "Beautiful Bjorn" during today's...

The big hitting 21 year old from Cape Town is back in the New Balance's Winner's Circle, after taking his second career Challenger title in Stockton, California.  His confidence is on a new level.  Hear why, and what his win means for South African tennis.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 surgeries in two years. And yet James Duckworth is back, and progressing back toward the top 100, with one Challenger title, and a semifinal last week in Tiburon.  The Cary champion tells us about what he did off the court during that time, the perspective he gained, and maybe the low moment in this comeback. We chat over some lowly American coffee, and as always, the company was delightful.   L...

Hear from newly minted Wells Fargo Tiburon Challenger Champion Michael Mmoh, the newest member of the ATP's Top 100.  Back to back titles in Columbus and Tiburon get him there for the first time in his career. We play compare and contrast:1) His new and old coaches (Alex Waske and Glenn Weiner) 2) His style of play now vs. 2016 3) and the style of play over the last two weeks. Hear from Mike insid...

We go inside the New Balance Winner's Circle today with Thanasi Kokkinakis, who ended a 3 year injury-prolonged Trophy drought with a win at the Nordic Naturals Challenger. He talks about how his body is holding up, his immediate plans for Vancouver and the Open, and how he hopes to sustain success for the finishing months of 2018.       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

Finally got a chance to sit down with Dan Evans, aka Evo, to talk a little bit about his life three months back in to his comeback. Hear his thoughts on how he's been treated by the media, his relationship with his former coach Mark Hilton, and how things have gone on court since his return.      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We go inside the New Balance Winner's Circle with Lloyd Harris, winner of the Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships in Lexington, Kentucky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear from Binghamton Champion Jay Clarke on why he's the 4th British champion at this tournament in the last 13 years, following Murray, Edmund, and Norrie.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this edition of the Coffee Cast with Cation, Jordan Thompson dishes on the Transition Tour, transitioning back and forth between Challengers and Slams, and perfectionism in the sport of tennis, ahead of his 2nd straight final in Binghamton.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest edition of the Coffee Cast, I sit down with Marc Polmans, the talented 21-year-old from Melbourne who has had a remarkable 2018, including a 24 match winning streak.  We talk about how he handles the Australian Travel burden, what it means to be a competitor, and yes....the hat situation. As always leave a review, and don't forget to support the podcast at patreon.com/mikectennis Lea...

Hear from Tallahassee Tennis Challenger Champion Noah Rubin after a three set win over Marc Polmans. It's his fourth title, second of the year, and puts him in the lead of the USTA Pro Circuit French Open Wild Card Challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Polansky is playing some of the best tennis in his life, knocking on the door of the top 100.  At the same time, he's somehow managed to create a multi-player game/app that is earning rave reviews and some dedicated fans. Hear the story behind Arcane Pets: A Plushie Story, and more with the 29 year old from Toronto.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, a funny thing happened on the way to the podcast. So, I was discussing a picture I have on my phone with Noah, of him, Stefan Kozlov, and Jared Donaldson.  When I showed it to him, the recording stopped.  I didn't notice it for 15 minutes. So......we missed out on some good stuff.  But it's still some good insight in to his life on the road, and his family.     Learn more about your ad choices...

University of Illinois Senior Aleks Vukic (World #435) joined me last week to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of college tennis, his plans for the summer, and what it's like to be an international player preparing for the NCAA Tournament.     Don't forget to subscribe, and help buy our coffee at patreon.com/mikectennis.  And if you leave a rating on itunes, it helps us get seen by more and mo...