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PODCAST

Tales from Tennis

Sam Jacot & Jerome Coombe

Hosted by reporters Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe, Tales from Tennis takes listeners behind the curtain of professional tennis. Each week, the show features players, coaches, broadcasters, journalists and other insiders, sharing their journeys, stories from the road, and a unique perspective on life inside the game. New episodes every Wednesday. The podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by ATP.

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All Episodes

00:46:05

Nick McCarvel: Interviewing Roger Federer, Novak...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/09/30

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with presenter, producer and writer Nick McCarvel, who has covered all four Grand Slams, hundreds of tour-level events, multiple Olympic Games and some of the biggest moments in tennis.Nick takes us behind the scenes of life at the majors and the many different roles he has played across tennis media, from presenting and producing live shows to interviewing some of the greatest players in the sport, including Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams,

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00:30:38

Gustavo Marcaccio: Inside the Rafa Nadal Academy,...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/09/23

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Gustavo Marcaccio, Director of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, to go behind the scenes of one of the most renowned tennis academies in the world.Gustavo takes us inside his day-to-day role running the Academy, the continued influence of Rafael Nadal and the philosophy that underpins the development of young players. We discuss what it really takes to become a professional tennis player, from talent and technical development to mindset,

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00:29:39

Conor Niland: The Racket, Roger Federer, Novak...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/09/16

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with former Irish professional Conor Niland to discuss his award-winning book The Racket, which tells the story of life on the professional tennis circuit and the reality of competing outside the very top of the sport.Conor takes us inside some of the biggest moments of his career, from beating Roger Federer as a teenager to qualifying for Wimbledon in 2011 and coming agonisingly close to reaching the second round and setting a meeting with

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00:31:21

Sebastián Varela: Winning the Tom Perrotta Prize,...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/09/09

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Sebastián Varela, co-founder of CLAY and winner of the 2025 Tom Perrotta Prize for Tennis Journalism.Sebastián takes us inside the stories that earned him one of tennis journalism's leading young-writer awards, including his extraordinary feature on a man who escaped drug trafficking and went on to transform lives through tennis. We also discuss his approach to open, ambitious journalism and why some of the most interesting stories in tennis

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00:30:15

Mitch Michals: Tennis Channel, Brad Gilbert, Ethan...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/09/02

In this episode of Tales from Tennis, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Mitch Michals, podcast host, producer and editor at Tennis Channel and host of The Inside-In Tennis Podcast.Mitch takes us behind the scenes of his work in tennis media, from producing and editing at Tennis Channel to hosting Inside-In and interviewing some of the biggest names across the sport. We hear stories from conversations with Andrea Petkovic, Brad Stine, Paul Annacone, Mark Petchey and Brad Gilbert, as well as

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00:38:05

Alex Gruskin: Inside College Tennis, Ben Shelton,...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/08/26

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe sit down with Alex Gruskin, host of Cracked Racquets and one of the leading voices covering college tennis and the ATP Challenger Tour.Alex takes us inside the growing world of college tennis, exploring why more young players are choosing the American college route, the unique atmosphere around the sport and how the system is producing a new generation of stars. We discuss the journeys of players including Ben Shelton, Rafael Jodar and Learner Tien, and

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00:38:08

Marcus Buckland: Jannik Sinner, Andy Murray and 12...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/08/19

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe are joined by broadcaster Marcus Buckland, who spent 12 years as the lead tennis presenter at Sky Sports, covering the sport's biggest tournaments throughout the unforgettable Big Four era.Marcus reflects on some of the defining moments of his career, including being in New York to witness Andy Murray win his first Grand Slam title, presenting coverage from the ATP Finals at The O2 and following tennis around the world during one of the sport's greatest

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00:35:05

Adam Docker: Behind the camera with Novak Djokovic,...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/08/12

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe are joined by award-winning filmmaker and photographer Adam Docker, whose work has taken him to more than 100 countries, capturing some of the biggest names and most remarkable stories in sport.Adam shares behind-the-scenes experiences filming Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, explains how he worked alongside Martin Landaluce to tell the story of the Spaniard's breathing techniques and mindfulness, and reflects on the challenge of finding authentic

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00:42:02

Abigail Johnson: Behind the scenes with Joao Fonseca,...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/08/05

In this episode, Sam Jacot and Jerome Coombe are joined by broadcaster and commentator Abigail Johnson, who has covered everything from ATP Challenger events to Grand Slams.Abigail reflects on witnessing the rise of some of the game's biggest stars, including Joao Fonseca, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper, sharing the early signs that suggested they were destined for the top. She also discusses Aryna Sabalenka's importance to the women's game, why Daniil Medvedev remains one of her favourite players to

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00:27:13

Abdullah Shelbayh: Rafael Nadal's influence, from...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/07/15

In this episode, Sam Jacot sits down with Jordanian tennis player Abdullah Shelbayh, one of the most exciting young players on the ATP Challenger Tour, who has trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy since the age of 14.Shelbayh reflects on his journey from Jordan to Spain, explaining how Rafael Nadal and Toni Nadal helped shape his development, the advice he has received from Nadal over the years and what it has been like training alongside Carlos Alcaraz. He also discusses his experiences competing at

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00:23:39

Taylor Fritz on Wimbledon chances, Daniel Altmaier's...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/07/01

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 with rising star Joao Fonseca, supporting Alexander Zverev after his Roland Garros title, and facing

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00:40:56

Player Special: Beating Serena Williams, training...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/06/24

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 explores the journeys, experiences and moments that shape life on Tour.The guests reflect on memorable

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00:38:09

The road to Wimbledon: British players on Jack...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/06/17

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 level, the importance of the college tennis pathway and what it takes to build a career in professional

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00:25:59

Ilkley Special: What it takes to run a professional...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/06/10

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 tournament to life, including tournament director Rik Smith, broadcaster Abigail Johnson, British player

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00:39:59

Alex Hyman: Managing Andy Murray, playing Ben Shelton...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/06/03

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 communications, content production, broadcasting and event operations.The conversation explores his work behind

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00:35:48

Sam Jacot & Jerome Coombe: How we got into tennis...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/05/27

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, Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Andy Murray.The conversation dives into the reality of

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00:41:27

Tom Corrie: What the data reveals about Sinner,...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/05/20

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 including Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.The conversation explores the tactical trends shaping today’s ATP

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00:34:44

Russell Fuller: Murray, Williams, Sinner and 13 years...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/05/13

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 Grand Slams.The conversation dives into the pressure of live broadcasting, the challenge of delivering

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00:37:38

Richard Connelly: Sinner, Djokovic, Nadal and what...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/05/06

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-pressure, post-match moments.He also reflects on a memorable on-court interview with Rafael Nadal following his

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00:32:48

Ivan Cinkus: Arthur Fils’ coach on his comeback,...

Tales from Tennis ·

2026/04/29

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 Wells. He shares insight into the mentality required to come back from setbacks, the discipline Fils

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38 results

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