Tales from Tennis

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, Rafae Nadal and John McEnroe.We hear about Nick's experiences with Roger Federer, including hosting the pre-show around Federer's return to Arthur Ashe at this year's US Open and being a key part of the former World No. 1's International Tennis Hall of Fame induction in Newport. Nick shares what those huge live occasions are really like behind the scenes, as well as his approach to interviewing some of the most recognisable personalities in tennis.We also discuss Nick's experiences covering multiple Olympic Games, including interviewing Andy Murray following the final match of his career.Nick explains his philosophy of breaking down the fourth wall and bringing fans into the story, what goes into producing hours of behind-the-scenes coverage at Wimbledon and Roland Garros, and some of the moments viewers never get to see.🎙️ Our background episode & our special in-focus 20th episode are in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis.Episodes every Wednesday. 🚨 Coming up next time, Sam and Jerome speak with another guest from the tennis world. Subscribe now. 📲Follow us on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennisThe podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.

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, education, discipline and creating the right environment for players growing up within the Academy.We also talk about the development of players including Martín Landaluce and Alex Eala, and the challenges of helping young talents make the transition towards professional tennis. Gustavo shares what he learned from working closely with Rafa during the final years of his career and how Nadal’s influence continues to shape the Academy.We also explore the Rafa Nadal Museum, its recent renovation and Roger Federer’s visit, as well as the Academy’s ATP Challenger event and the importance of bringing professional tennis into the environment. From children arriving at a young age to the importance of creating a settled environment around them, this is a fascinating look at what happens behind the scenes at the Rafa Nadal Academy.🎙️ Our background episode & our special in-focus 20th episode are in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis.Episodes every Wednesday. 🚨 Coming up next time, Sam and Jerome speak with a leading presenter and producer. Subscribe now. 📲Follow us on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennisThe podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.

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 Federer. We also hear the story of facing Novak Djokovic at the US Open later that year, before illness forced Conor to retire from the match.We discuss the less glamorous side of life on Tour too, looking at the loneliness of constant travel, the relentless pace of winning one week and immediately getting on a flight to the next tournament, and the financial challenges of competing at ITF and Challenger level. Conor explains what life can really be like for players outside the spotlight and how difficult it can be to maintain momentum from week to week.We also talk about the influence of Conor's father, the support he received from Tennis Ireland and the experiences that shaped his view of professional tennis.Buy The Racket here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Racket-Tenniss-Golden-Generation-other/dp/1844886409🎙️ Our background episode & our special in-focus 20th episode are in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis.Episodes every Wednesday. 🚨 Coming up next time, Sam and Jerome speak with the Tennis Director of the Rafa Nadal Academy. Subscribe now. 📲Follow us on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennisThe podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.

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 exist away from the scoreline.Sebastián shares his experiences speaking with players including Eva Lys, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Taylor Fritz, and explains why openness from players can completely change the conversations journalists are able to have.We also get into the story behind CLAY, the bilingual tennis publication Sebastián co-founded in 2020, and his mission to bring greater attention to South American and Spanish-speaking tennis. With South American tennis producing an exciting generation of players and growing in influence across the sport, Sebastián explains why he believes the region deserves greater coverage and a bigger voice.Read Sebastián's work discussed in the episode:https://www.claytenis.com/features/escaping-drug-trafficking-to-transform-lives-with-tennis/https://www.claytenis.com/cov/director-netflix-nadal-documentary-in-the-us-there-arent-many-rafa-fans/https://www.claytenis.com/home-en/🎙️ Our background episode & our special in-focus 20th episode are in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis.Episodes every Wednesday. 🚨 Coming up next time, Sam and Jerome speak with the author of the award-winning book 'The Racket'. Subscribe now. 📲Follow us on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennisThe podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.

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 Mitch's experiences speaking with players including Lorenzo Musetti and Ethan Quinn.We also get into what it's really like working in a sport that never stops, the relentless nature of the tennis calendar and how Mitch manages to keep up with the ATP and WTA Tours.With the US Open here, Mitch gives his thoughts on the state of tennis heading into the final major of the year, looking at the biggest storylines on both the men's and women's tours and the players to watch in New York.🎙️ Our background episode & our special in-focus 20th episode are in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis.Episodes every Wednesday. 🚨 Coming up next time, Sam and Jerome will be joined by a leading journalist. Subscribe now. 📲Follow us on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennisThe podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.