Just Slap Tennis

In this special episode, Steven and Alex go to IMG Academy in Bradenton Florida and sit down (for a second time) with the legendary coach David "Red" Ayme. Huge huge thank you to IMG Academy and Coach Red for making this happen! Episode Topics: 0:00 - Intro 4:34 - Nick Bollettieri's Passing and Legacy 11:00 - IMG Academy's "Complete Ecosystem" 16:50 - IMG Academy's Generational Success 23:07 - "Healthy" vs "Unhealthy" Competition 25:25 - Is IMG Academy Too Big? 29:52 - What Qualities You NEED to Have to Succeed at IMG 31: 40 - Sebastian Korda 34:45 - Tommy Haas Stories 50:40 - Rapid Fire Questions Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzwDSZkBACxU0cTSP0_OKzQ For business inquiries please email: contact@justslaptennis.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this 50th episode special, Steven and Alex sit down and talk to the brilliant Katrina Adams. Katrina tells us her story from the very beginning. She recounts how she began tennis in West Chicago and the lessons she learned as she moved up through high school, college, and into the pros. After her pro career Katrina maintained her love and passion for the game and helped build up the sport off of the court. She was appointed as CEO, President and Chairman of the USTA and made history by becoming the first African American, youngest ever, and first individual to be appointed for two terms in the organization's history. Finally, we discuss Katrina's current focuses, which include being the Executive Director of the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program and her recent book, Own the Arena. Huge thank you to Katrina for her time and for sharing her wisdom and experiences with us. We hope you enjoy! YOU CAN PURCHASE OWN THE ARENA HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Own-Arena-Match-Points-Winning/dp/0062936824 https://www.harpercollins.com/products/own-the-arena-katrina-m-adams?variant=39342110113826 JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/kKm7KbC5Wy Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: contact@justslaptennis.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this episode, Steven and Alex sit down with Juan Jose Climent. Juanjo is currently Max Cressy's full time coach and is the co-founder and author of TAP Mindset, a program that is democratizing mental training for athletes all over the world. In the episode Juanjo delves into how his and Max Cressy's relationship started and discusses some of the ins and outs of what it's like coaching at the highest level. He breaks down differences between lower level tournaments and Grand Slams, and what he sees the best in the world doing while competing. Juanjo tells us about TAP and how it will help athletes all over the world with their mental conditioning and overall growth as individuals. He breaks down the importance of the tools embedded within his program and why he believes they will be prominent part of everyone's routines in their near future. Huge thank you to Juanjo for giving us his time and coming on the podcast! JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/kKm7KbC5Wy Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: contact@justslaptennis.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this episode Alex sits down with former #24 in the world, American tennis player -- Christina McHale. Christina discusses her recent retirement and her plans moving forward now that she has stepped away from the pro tour. She discusses her current endeavors and her interest in tennis media. Alex and Christina also delve into Christina's tennis career, where Christina provided insight into what it was like being a top rank pro tennis player on tour. She recounted some of her major matches, such as her 2016 battle against Serena Williams at Wimbledon, and tells us about how she would handle the different pressures and challenges of being a pro athlete traveling the world. A huge thank you to Christina for coming on the podcast. We hope you enjoy the episode! Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:48 - Post Retirement Plans 11:20 - Christina's Tennis Career 17:30 - Playing Serena Williams at Wimbledon 21:28 - Navigating Pressure and Challenges as a Pro 25:05 - Tennis Finances 32:50 - Coaching in Pro Tennis 36:20 - Building Relationships While on Tour 43:45 - Personality Traits Developed Through Tennis 49:30 - Dealing with Hate on Social Media CHRISTINA MCHALE SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: @christina_mchale Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/christina_mchale/?hl=en BECOME A MEMBER AND GET ACCESS TO SPECIAL PERKS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzwDSZkBACxU0cTSP0_OKzQ/join JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/kKm7KbC5Wy Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM SONG USED FOR INTRO: "Warm Feelings" -- Kevatta For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this episode of the Just Slap Podcast Steven and Alex sit down with the legendary Wally Green. Wally Green is a professional ping pong player and entrepreneur who has an incredible story and some of the wildest life experiences we have ever heard.  Growing up in Brooklyn in the projects, Wally talks about his upbringing and how it was full of violence and hate. He tells us how he joined a gang at the mere age of 13 years old and how he was in possession of things like guns even in his early childhood. He delves into how he was accidentally introduced to ping pong and how ping pong went on to shape and change his life. Wally recalls moving to Germany to pursue ping pong full time and his first experiences as a professional ping pong player traveling the world playing the sport. He tells us how he came across opportunities like being sponsored by Rockstar Games, and recalls the crazy story of how he decided to fly to North Korea to play the Pyongyang Open, where he used ping pong as a campaign towards diplomacy for peace.  Wally Green is a truly incredible individual who has made it his life's mission to instill positivity and love in the world. We had an incredible time meeting and speaking with him. We hope you enjoy the podcast.  WALLY GREEN SOCIAL MEDIA:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wallygreennyc/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wallygreennycofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wallygreennyc WALLY GREEN NORTH KOREA PING PONG VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XicXJerng0 BECOME A MEMBER AND GET ACCESS TO SPECIAL PERKS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzwDSZkBACxU0cTSP0_OKzQ/join JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/kKm7KbC5Wy Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this episode Steven and Alex sat down with the brilliant Dr. Ioonna Felix. Dr. Felix is a board certified sports and orthopedic physical therapist. She has experience as Site Manager at Hospital for Special Surgery (having led multiple clinical teams and rehabilitative/performance services) and has recently been brought on as Regional Director for the Eastern Section USTA.  Dr. Felix delves into some of the most common tennis injuries both professional and amateur tennis players face throughout their tennis careers. Discussing common injuries like the tennis elbow, she provides insight into how tennis players can avoid such common injuries and what players should do in order to properly rehabilitate the injury once it's there. Dr. Felix also delves into how tennis has shifted from a physical performance and injury prevention perspective. She explains how top players like Novak Djokovic are able to maintain such high performance at an older age and remain relatively injury free.  BECOME A MEMBER AND GET ACCESS TO SPECIAL PERKS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzwDSZkBACxU0cTSP0_OKzQ/join JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/kKm7KbC5Wy Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this very special episode Steven and Alex sit down with former University of Alabama men's tennis player, former Russian Junior Champion, and rising professional tennis player -- Alexey Nesterov. Alexey and Alex have been friends since early childhood, having met at the academy where they both started playing tennis.  Alexey delves deep into the power of TAP, a new system and set of tools that he learned while training at the Weil Tennis Academy in California. He explains how TAP has changed his life on and off the court and explains how making habit of things like meditation, visualization, reading, and writing can impact your life as a high performance athlete.  Alexey also delves into his experiences as a junior and college tennis player. He recalls the ups and downs of playing for University of Alabama and gives advice to college tennis players who feel they aren't maximizing their college athletics experiences. BECOME A MEMBER AND GET ACCESS TO SPECIAL PERKS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzwDSZkBACxU0cTSP0_OKzQ/join JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/kKm7KbC5Wy Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

Happy New Year everyone!! In this episode, Steven and Alex sit down and discuss Alex's experience playing tennis with John  McEnroe. Alex and Steven also discuss the recent Roger Federer Wimbledon story and the passing of tennis legend, Nick Bollettieri.  JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/kKm7KbC5Wy Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this episode, Steven and Alex sit down the the legendary college tennis coach, David Geatz. David has had a long and incredible career in the college tennis space. Starting his career in his early twenties, David has coached at the University of New Mexico, University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, Cornell University, and finally at the University of Pennsylvania. David has had numerous incredible accomplishments such as winning the Big 10 with Minnesota and, just recently, qualifying for the NCAA tournament with UPenn (the first time in program history).  David is an incredible individual who cares about the growth and development of his players, both on and off the court. It was a great honor and a privilege to sit down with David and discuss his career and experiences with him. We hope you guys enjoy!  JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/kKm7KbC5Wy Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this episode, Steven and Alex sit down with former junior #1 and University of Pennsylvania graduate, Dima Shatalin. Dima and Alex knew each other since a very young age and grew up training at the same academy. Dima excelled at the sport as soon as he picked up a racquet and quickly became on of the best junior tennis players in the world. At only 12 years old he signed a 3-year deal with Nike, receiving thousands of dollars and free gear. He has played and beaten some of the top players that we see today on tour (e.g. Tsitsipas). Dima talks about his journey as a top junior tennis player and describes some of his experiences with pros who are now in the top 10. He tells us about his struggles with injuries and how that impacted his tennis career early on. Dima has a unique perspective on tennis because of his incredible experiences, so he sheds light on the mental aspect of the sport and what it takes to be a top player.  JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/kKm7KbC5Wy Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

Just Slap Podcast is back! In this episode Steven and Alex sit down in person for the first time in almost a year and talk about all the changes Just Slap Tennis is making. They discuss investment they are making into the channel and what Just Slap Tennis viewers can expect in the near future! Thank you so much to all of you that support the channel and are here with us on this journey. We love you more than you could possibly know. You guys mean the world to us.  JOIN OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/kKm7KbC5Wy Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

Hope you guys enjoy this first live Just Slap Podcast episode. We hope to do more of these in the future. In this episode we are took a deep dive into Wimbledon 2022 and all major events that happened in the last three weeks.  Topics discussed:  1. Rybakina wins Wimbledon... Russian achievement?  2. Kyrgios vs Tsitsipas drama  3. Fritz lucky loser? 4. Kyrgios-Djokovic bromance  5. Lleyton Hewitt Hall of Fame Induction  Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this episode Steven sits down with current ATP pro and Behind the Racquet Founder and CEO, Noah Rubin. Noah first describes his introduction to tennis and how involved his family was in his tennis career. He describes the hardships of raising a tennis player and the difficult decisions players and parents have to make in order to obtain a high level on court. Noah talks about his career as a pro and details the financial hardships of being a pro on tour. He shares his ideas on how to create financial stability for tennis players and why that should be a priority for tennis organizations moving forward. Finally, Noah delves into mental health in tennis, the inception of Behind the Racquet, and the impact it has had on the pro tour.  Timestamps:  0:00 - intro 3:40 - being coached by a parent  9:30 - creating financial stability for tennis players 12:30 - update on season and goals  15:32 - Behind the Racquet  27:10 - playing US Open as a New Yorker  30:00 - Wake Forrest University  34:00 - handling losses  38:28 - most difficult matchup  Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this episode Steven and Alex sit down with former ATP ranked 21 in the world, Taylor Dent. Taylor tells what it was like growing up in an extremely athletically gifted and successful family and how being the son of professional tennis players (Grand Slam champion and finalist) set the tone for his approach to tennis from a very young age. Taylor delves into his professional career and journey as a pro, explaining some of the developments he made in his game along the way. He reveals the toughest players he has faced on tour and how he adapted to the many ways the sport was involving throughout his career. Lastly, Taylor delves into his transition into coaching and gives us insight into what building his own academy and tennis club -- the Birch Racquet and Lawn Club -- was like.  Timestamps: 0:00 - intro 02:05 - growing up in a tennis household 08:55 - record for fastest serve at Wimbledon 14:05 - toughest opponent on tour 15:40 - how is tennis evolving 18:30 - who is the next big name? 21:00 - deciding to open up an academy 28:45 - style of coaching 31:50 - is college tennis good for American tennis? 35:34 - playing at the Olympics 39:07 - rapid fire questions Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support

In this episode Steven and Alex sit down with former 119 ranked ATP pro, Glenn Weiner. Glenn recalls the beginning of his tennis career and how he got involved in the sport. He explains how after moving to California as a child he became very dominant as a Junior, which prompted him to make a big commitment and move full time to play at IMG academy at 16 years old.    Glenn then recalls his journey as a pro player and what the transition into pro tennis was like for him. He explains some of the major differences he felt between singles and doubles and gives us insight into what he would've done differently looking back. Glenn also talks about his journey as a coach and his experiences coaching players like Kei Nishikori, Yoshihito Nishioka, and Michael Mmoh. Links To Just Slap Tennis Social Media:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justslappodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/justslappodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Just-Slap-Tennis-109994734919454 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7w5zXroZIXThPJMpxHmEjM For business inquiries please email: justslapbusiness@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/just-slap-podcast/support