Podcast · Sport

Doubles Only Tennis Podcast

by Will Boucek · English · Sport

The only tennis podcast with a focus on doubles. We believe doubles should be more popular and get more coverage than it does, so we’re fixing that. Our goal is to help you become a better player with pro doubles tips and expert strategy. We interview ATP & WTA tour doubles players and top tennis co

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 30 min
Latest: 3 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

3 Oct 2026 · 21 min

Q&A: Choosing Return Sides, When to Change Strategies, Studying Opponents, & More

I answer four doubles questions that members and listeners have sent in recently. These concepts can have a big impact on your game, from return sides to mid-match adjustments. How to choose return sides if you're not sure (great advice for captains)Winning return games as a teamTiming the net player’s movement to avoid getting hit on serveHow to train your opponent awareness to help with in-match game planningWhen to change your strategy if things aren't going rightI'll have more great inter...

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E300 · 23 Sep 2026 · 24 min
6 Doubles Lessons from Camp: Framed Volleys, Opponent Tendencies, Practice Mistakes, & More
I've been busy traveling the last three weeks but am back with a strategy episode. Today I share the six doubles lessons I teach club players repeatedly across my camps, clinics, and match play. Fixing your net positioning to time the poach rightKeeping your eyes forwardWhere you miss your volleys on your racquetOpponent serve and overhead tendenciesPracticing like you playAdvice for players who "don't lob"Fixing even just one of these mistakes can have a huge impact on your doubles game! Her...
E299 · 1 Sep 2026 · 26 min
Katerina Siniakova: On Respect for Doubles, Her Early-Career Mindset Shift, & Lessons Learned
Katerina Siniakova is the #1 doubles player on the WTA tour. She holds 11 Grand Slam titles in women's doubles, one in mixed doubles, and two Olympic Gold Medals. She is also a top 50 singles player. In this episode, I chat with her as she prepares for the US Open. We discussed US Open prep, mixed doubles, mindset shifts, lessons from her career so far, and partner skills that helped her already become one of the greatest doubles players of all time. Her practice routines early in the majorsP...
E298 · 26 Aug 2026 · 39 min
Dan Kiernan on Coaching Roles, Partnership Breakups, His 105% Rule, The Top of WTA Doubles, & More
Coach Dan Kiernan returns to the show, this time with Tennis Tribe doubles writer Hanlon Walsh from the Cincinnati Open. They discussed Dan's role coaching an ATP and a WTA doubles player in the same tournament. You'll hear specifics on logistical planning, team communication, and the stat-driven ideas that create sustainable success. Balancing coaching duties across two players with different routinesDeciding which tournaments to play and why preparation often beats chasing pointsDan's 105% ...
E297 · 23 Aug 2026 · 15 min
Quinn Gleason & Ulrikke Eikeri: Cincy R1, Their Partnership, Max String Tensions, & More
Tennis Tribe doubles beat writer Hanlon Walsh chats with top-50 players Quinn Gleason and Ulrikke Eikeri right after their Cincinnati Open round-one win. They discuss the match, how their partnership has clicked, what it takes to break into 1000-level events, and why WTA doubles feels deeper than ever. Match recap and the energy shift that wins the third setWhat aggression “on our terms” looks like in doublesQuinn’s ranking rise and the confidence of an experienced partnerUlrikke’s insa...
E296 · 19 Aug 2026 · 21 min
Erin Routliffe & Aldila Sutjiadi: Cincy R1, The DC Title, Winning as a TEAM, & More
Erin Routliffe and Aldila Sutjiadi are one of the hottest teams on the WTA Tour right now, having won the DC Open several weeks ago. Tennis Tribe doubles beat writer Hanlon Walsh caught up with Erin and Dila after their round one win in Cincinnati. They discussed the victory, their DC run, and their partnership. I especially liked Dila's thoughts on playing great doubles as an individual vs winning as a team. Executing a match plan early and surviving momentum swingsUsing return games to crea...
E295 · 7 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
The Cruelest Game with Matt Futterman: Why Players Quit, Their Childhoods, and Happiness Compared to Other Sports
Matt Futterman is an award-winning sports journalist for The Athletic and New York Times. His new book is The Cruelest Game: Chasing Greatness in Professional Tennis. This is a fascinating conversation about the book and why professional tennis can feel uniquely brutal, even for the best players in the world. We talk through the childhood pipeline, the mental load of constant losing, and what separates the era of Serena, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic from the stars trying to survive now. ...
E294 · 30 Jul 2026 · 32 min
AMA: Dropshots, Overheads, Fixing Double Faults, & Developing a 2nd Serve
In this AMA episode, I answer Tennis Tribe member questions with simple doubles strategy rules for drop shots, overheads against lobbers, and cutting down double faults. I also share how I think about building a second serve you can trust, as well as starting and recovery positions at the net. Drop shot rules and the best place to hit drop shots fromWhy your drop shot doesn't have to land shortThe best overhead targetsWhen letting a lob bounce makes senseThe causes of double faults at club le...
E293 · 23 Jul 2026 · 22 min
DC Open Preview with Owner Mark Ein: Doubles Field, Mic'd Up Players, ATP Costs, & More
Mark Ein is the owner of the DC Open, an ATP and WTA 500 tournament starting on July 25. I spoke with Mark the week leading up to the tournament about how he has built the DC Open into one of the premier 500-level tournaments in the world. We discuss doubles' role in the tournament, his passion for tennis, and plans for the 2026 tournament. Mark also shares his thoughts on the ATP doubles cuts. Mark’s background in sports and business, starting as a ball kid at the tournamentWhy he feat...
E292 · 17 Jul 2026 · 53 min
Wimbledon Champion Coach Calvin Betton on the Title Run, Champions' Dinner, Return Strategy, & ATP Doubles News
I spoke with Coach Calvin Betton after a second Wimbledon doubles title in three years. Calvin coaches ATP #1, Henry Patten, as well as Luke Johnson. We discussed Henry's Wimbledon run with his doubles partner, Harri Heliovaara, as well as return strategy and the recent news about ATP doubles cuts. Comparing the 2024 and 2026 Wimbledon runsWhy “no free points” matters more than any "tiebreaker system”Balancing aggressive returns vs high-percentage returns by matchup and player profileSc...
E291 · 8 Jul 2026 · 27 min
Aldila Sutjiadi Interview: Wimbledon Prep, Partner Conversations, Indonesia Tennis, & Her Medical Scare
Aldila Sutjiadi is the #36 WTA doubles player coming off a grass court title in Bad Homburg alongside Vera Zvonareva. I spoke with Aldila a few days before Wimbledon, so we discussed her preparation, recent title, and more. We talk through recovery choices, what actually creates doubles chemistry, and her health scare from a few years ago. Managing Wimbledon prep with smart on-site time and planned practice blocksHandling recovery day to day, including physio for specific painUnpacking the Fr...
E290 · 6 Jul 2026 · 54 min
Reactions to the ATP Plans to Cut Doubles with Dan Kiernan
I talk with Dan Kiernan from Wimbledon about the proposed ATP doubles changes for 2028 and why doubles players feel blindsided by the messaging. We focus on transparency, intent, and respect, and what doubles players can realistically do next if leadership will not share clear facts. You'll also hear specific names who we believe may be pushing this agenda forward. Initial reactions from doubles players and coaches at WimbledonWhy “doubles isn’t sustainable” needs real definitions and dataHow...
E289 · 3 Jul 2026 · 40 min
The ATP Doubles Debate with Ben Rothenberg: Should They Cut Doubles?
The ATP is rumored to be shrinking men’s doubles draws and shifting prize money over to singles, part of what has been a slow retreat from doubles over the past few decades. I don't agree with the decision and wanted to talk with someone who understands the ATP's side. Ben Rothenberg is a journalist who broke the news about the potential plans yesterday. He's also been on the show before (listen here). Ben shares what he knows about what's happening, and the case the ATP has to make such a de...
E288 · 1 Jul 2026 · 30 min
Anna Danilina Interview: Ad Court Returning, Developing Belief, Lessons from Coaches, & Her Sweet Tooth
Anna Danilina, a 4-time major finalist and 2023 US Open mixed doubles champion, is ranked #6 in the world in doubles. She and Aleksandra Krunic are the #2 team in the 2026 race to the WTA Finals. I spoke with her recently as she prepared for Wimbledon. We discussed her development over the last several years, mental resets during matches, and how to create belief in yourself. She also shares tactical details you can steal for your own matches, including mixed doubles adjustments and an ad-cou...
E287 · 24 Jun 2026 · 23 min
Albano Olivetti Interview: The 160 MPH Serve, Team Chemistry, Grass vs Clay, & More
Albano Olivetti is the #22-ranked doubles player on the ATP tour. He recently won a grass court title in Halle and owns the record for the 2nd fastest serve of all time. In this brief conversation, we unpack what really wins on fast courts and why he and his partner, Theo Arribage, feel confident right now. Albano shares practical serve and return lessons, plus his perspective on building a doubles partnership that keeps getting better. What they learned from 's-Hertogenbosch that helpe...
E286 · 18 Jun 2026 · 23 min
Return Deep Dive: The Best Targets, Backhands, Lobs, Handling Power, Spin, Variety, & More
This is another AMA episode where I focus on the return of serve. Perhaps the most important shot in doubles, and certainly the least practiced. I break down why the return of serve is misunderstood and how I think about practicing and implementing effective returns. I also dig into consistency, targets, patterns, deuce vs ad court, and tactics for the return. Why returns and groundstrokes are not the same thing.One common mistake that you should fix to reduce return errors.The two bigg...
E285 · 6 Jun 2026 · 18 min
AMA: Baseline Role, Backhand Volley Fix, How to Beat 2-up, & More
This AMA episode covers a variety of topics, including net position, formations, and strategy frameworks. A few of the lessons are from a tight mixed doubles match that I recently played, while the others are from Tennis Tribe Members. When is I-formation a bad idea?Why I recently told my partner to stand in two different positions on my return points.When should the baseline player change something? (including how to handle inactive partners at net)Members only: My backhand volley pops up an...
E284 · 20 May 2026 · 45 min
Mental Toughness, Strategies for Nervous Players, & Misconceptions with Greg Kusnierz
Greg Kusnierz is a mental performance coach who works with junior and adult tennis players seeking to play better under pressure. Most tennis coaches' and mental gurus' advice about nerves turns me off, but Greg's approach is practical and has actually helped my players on the court. We discuss why every tennis player gets nervous and how to turn that energy into better decisions instead of tighter swings. We also share practical tools you can use between points so your match level looks more...
E283 · 13 May 2026 · 30 min
Nicole Melichar-Martinez: Warmup & Practice Routines, On-Court Smiling, Clay Season, & Food Rec
We catch up with Nicole Melichar-Martinez from Rome and unpack the day-to-day life behind WTA doubles, from gym sessions and practice blocks to physio, massage, and travel logistics. We also zoom out on the clay season, her Stuttgart win, team chemistry, and the mindset shift Nicole is making to stay present when momentum flips fast. Favorite clay-season meal in Stuttgart and the no-menu restaurant experienceHow a Rome tournament day is structured from gym to practiceHow tour physios and tour...
E282 · 6 May 2026 · 59 min
Marcus Daniell Interview: Doubles Advice, Career Reflections, and Effective Giving with High Impact Athletes
Marcus Daniell is an Olympic Bronze Medalist and former top 35 ATP doubles player who reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He also founded High Impact Athletes, a company that connects professional athletes with high-impact charities. Gaby Dabrowski recently launched a fundraising campaign with HIA called Gaby's Games for Good to help protect women and girls from violence. 👉 DONATE TO GABY'S CAMPAIGN HERE This episode digs into charities, giving, and, of course, dou...
E281 · 22 Apr 2026 · 31 min
3 Lessons from Tennis Summit 2026 with Mehrban Iranshad
Mehrban Iranshad is the founder of Tennis Summit, an online tennis conference for club players who want to improve. I've presented at the conference for four years in a row and have a presentation this year on doubles formations (live now). Sign up for here to watch my presentation. You'll also get access to lessons from other coaches like Paul Annacone, the former coach of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, 19x grand slam champion Gigi Fernandez, Jonathan Stokke, and more. In this podcast, Me...
E280 · 17 Apr 2026 · 23 min
AMA: Frustrating Partners, Attacking I-Formation, Practice Themes, Lobs, and more...
In this AMA episode, I answer questions from players I've coached recently, as well as Tennis Tribe Members. You'll learn how to respond when an opponent has a clear pattern that keeps beating you, an in-depth breakdown of I-Formation, practice ideas, and how to play with non-strategically minded partners. The first 3 are free to all, while you'll need to become a member for the last 3. How to handle someone who hits sharp angles.What to do if someone keeps lobbing the return vs the I-formati...
E279 · 30 Mar 2026 · 30 min
Andy Fitzell Interview: Knowing Your Partner's Brain Type, Learning as a Coach, Serve Changes, & More
Andy Fitzell is the coach of rising US doubles stars JJ Tracy and Robert Cash. I spoke with Andy at Indian Wells to unpack how a pro team actually prepares, competes, and keeps improving when the margins are almost invisible. We dig into scouting, training plans, partner psychology, and what tennis needs to change for doubles to get the attention it deserves. Match-day practice and routines at Indian Wells The use of film for both scouting and technical improvementLearning doubles ...
E278 · 25 Mar 2026 · 29 min
Jan Zielinski & Luke Johnson: On-Court Emotions, Partnership Dynamics, Good Practice, Mixed Doubles, & More
Jan Zielinski and Luke Johnson are both top 30 ATP doubles players who recently reached the Australian Open semifinals. I sat down with them at Indian Wells to talk about what clicked early in their new partnership, the season so far, and more. We spoke about emotional intensity, brutally close losses, mixed doubles, and why doubles still isn’t marketed like the product it can be. What “great practice” looks like and why small gains matter How the partnership forms and how offseason trai...
E277 · 18 Mar 2026 · 31 min
David Collins Interview: Volley Drills, 3 Fears at the Net, & Developing Doubles Players
David Collins is the coach of Grand Slam-winning ATP doubles players John Peers and Michael Venus. I spoke with him at Indian Wells to get practical advice about doubles training, from tour-level first-volley reps to simple technique fixes that instantly change your net game. We also dig into why club players fear the net, how to build a better doubles player over a year, and what pro doubles needs to grow. How John Peers preps the day before a match with scouting, serve-plus-one priori...
E276 · 11 Mar 2026 · 45 min
Jeff Coetzee Interview: Developing Belief, Overcoming Losses, Serve Drill, & the AO Run
Coach Jeff Coetzee is one of the top doubles minds in our sport. He reached a career high of #12 in the world during his playing career, and has since coached some of the best doubles teams on tour, including Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal. Today, he coaches the top WTA doubles team in 2026, Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic. I spoke with Jeff at Indian Wells to unpack their season so far and how he's helped develop Danilina into the player she is today. One of the topics we focus he...
E275 · 18 Feb 2026 · 42 min
Neal & Ken Skupski: Winter Olympics, World #1, AO, & Brotherly Love
Neal Skupski is currently ranked #1 in the world in doubles. He won the Australian Open earlier this year, and has made three of the past four major finals. His brother, Ken Skupski, is a former top 50 doubles player who now coaches Neal and his new partner, Christian Harrison. Neal & Ken joined me at the Dallas Open to unpack the Australian Open Title, the new partnership with Christian Harrison, and the British system that has elevated five British players inside the top ten. We dig int...
E274 · 12 Feb 2026 · 36 min
ATX Open Preview, Recruiting Venus Williams, & Doubles Tips from Christo van Rensburg
Former world No. 5 and ATX Open tournament director, Christo van Rensburg, joins the show again to preview a star-packed field for his upcoming tournament, led by Venus Williams. Christo shares how he recruits players, changes coming in 2026, including a huge announcement for 2027, and the player field this year. We also dig into practical doubles strategies you can use. How Venus Williams’ wildcard came together and what it means for fansBehind-the-scenes recruiting with agents and player re...
E273 · 5 Feb 2026 · 25 min
AMA: Playing Down to Your Opponent's Level, Finding Weaknesses, Long-Term Partners, & More
I recently asked Tennis Tribe Members what they want to improve in 2026. In this episode, I respond to six of their answers with challenges to help them improve different strategic and mental aspects of their doubles games. Topics include playing against players who don't follow patterns and mishit the ball, building patience on slow balls, and taking away the middle against pace and spin. I also share drills, mindset resets, and simple challenges to improve your on-court thinking. The first ...
E272 · 26 Jan 2026 · 39 min
Tennis Gear Deep Dive: Dampeners, Grips, Bags, & Training with ADV Founder, Lavie Sak
This episode is a little different. I'm diving into tennis gear, everything except the racquet and shoes, with the founder of one of my favorite brands, ADV. I use their bags, dampeners, and even sweat bands. Lavie Sak has a tech background, plays tennis, and used to coach as well. We explore how his company lets players lead the design of its products. From dampeners to grips to their popular bags, ADV innovates as well as any company in tennis. Lavie shares the messy first prototype, the to...

About Doubles Only Tennis Podcast

Doubles Only Tennis Podcast is a English sport podcast from Will Boucek. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Will Boucek
Language: English
Category: Sport
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 30 min
Latest episode: 3 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1540160436

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