Taro Daniel is an American-Japanese pro tennis player and Olympian who´s reached a career high of 58 in the world.He joins Dan to chat through his tennis journey from his upbringing in Japan, the United States and Spain, to wins over some of the biggest names in the sport including Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Casper Ruud & Ben Shelton. Taro speaks openly about the highs and lows of constantly touring, the challenges of maintaining mental health in a competitive environment, and how tennis has changed post-COVID. Episode Highlights:The importance of team dynamics and personal relationships in navigating the ups and downs of his career. Find out the big changes he´s witnessed on the tour since going pro in 2010.The advantages some junior payers had in their training being born in the noughties compared to the nineties!Taro tells us his toughest ever opponent and who he likes playing the least.Links Mentioned in this Episode:-Follow Taro Daniel on InstagramSotoTennis AcademyEpisode 25: John Millman You can now watch clips and full episodes of Control the Controllables on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ctc.podcast
--------
1:17:14
French Open 2025 Review with Neal Skupski
What a French Open we were given this year, with what many are calling the greatest final of all time between Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner! In this episode, our Grand Slam panelists break down all the action from Roland Garros which saw Alcaraz & Coco Gauff crowned Singles Champions.GB´s Neal Skupski also makes a special appearance after reaching the final of the Men´s Doubles with fellow Brit Joe Salisbury.Joining CTC host Dan Kiernan are:-Freddie Nielsen: 2012 Wimbledon Men's Doubles Champion, Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and coach to Elmer Møller.Kieron Vorster: Top Strength and Conditioning coach who´s worked with Dan Evans, Liam Broady and Sorana Cirstea.Episode Highlights include:-The significance of the incredible mens final on tennis history.Sinner´s resilience despite losing the final.Neal Skupski shares valuable insights from his fortnight in Paris.How rivalries in tennis can be friendly yet competitive.Coco Gauff's victory showcased her potential as a star for now and the future.Sabalenka's reaction post-match raised questions about sportsmanship.Lois Boisson’s amazing run to the semi-finals and climbing 296 places the WTA rankings.British success in wheelchair tennis & the juniors.If you enjoy this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more tennis players, coaches and parents who need these insights.
--------
1:21:20
Chris Lewit: Is Spanish tennis on the decline?
Spain has dominated tennis for more than 2 decades, but is their reign finally coming to an end?The country has seen a drop in the number of top 100 players in both the mens and women´s game.In today´s episode we speak to US Coach Chris Lewit who has spent the past 20 years studying Spanish tennis to discuss why this is. We look at the current state and future of tennis in Spain, the impact of more international players training in the country, and why he thinks modernising training methodologies is needed to keep Spain dominant on the world stage.Topics we look into include:Generational shifts in attitudes towards tennis.Has training more international players rather than native Spaniards had an affect?The serve is often neglected in traditional Spanish training.Does this generation of players have the willingness to suffer and sacrifice like Nadal did?Does Carlos Alcaraz represent a new generation of Spanish players with a different style?The future of Spanish tennis depends on evolving methodologies and focusing on grassroots development.Links Mentioned in this episode:-Check out Chris Lewit´s book: The Secrets of Spanish TennisSupport Dan´s 15K Your Way Challenge to raise money for Alzheimer´s Society UKFollow Control the Controllables on Instagram to keep up with all the latest on the show!Find out more about SotoTennis Academy in Spain!
--------
1:15:52
French Open 2025 Preview
As the 2025 French Open gets underway today, we´ve brought our Grand Slam panellists together to discuss everything we can expect from the next two weeks at Roland Garros.Can Alcaraz become the new King of Clay after Nadal´s retirement? Will Iga Swiatek win her 4th title in a row in Paris? With so many American men in the draw, will we see our first US Men´s Champion since Agassi in 1999?Our panellists join Dan to chat through these questions, their picks for the title and dark horses to watch out for, plus much more in today´s episode. Our Preview panel includes:-Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Mens Doubles Champion Freddie Nielsen.Sports broadcaster and former CNN anchor Candy ReidGB Coach Calvin Betton who is currently working with Henry Patten.Top tennis strength and conditioning coach and CTC legend Kieron VorsterWe want to hear who you think will be this year's French Open champions! Tag @ctc.podcast on Instagram or Twitter or drop us an email to let us know who you´re backing!
--------
1:18:23
Ethan Quinn on the Challenges of Rising up the ATP Rankings
In today´s episode we speak to Ethan Quinn, a young up and coming American player who´s edging closer to breaking into the top 100 in the world. The 21-year-old from California is a former number 1 US junior, and in 2023 won the NCAA men´s singles title in his Freshman year at the University of Georgia. He decided to go pro that summer.Ethan shares how he´s navigating the challenges of the professional circuit, how fellow American Tommy Paul has helped him and what it´s like playing against some of the biggest stars in tennis, Carloz Alcaraz & Fonseka!This is a great listen for young players!Episode Highlights:-🎾 Ethan talks about the importance of mental resilience in tennis.🎾 He discusses why he thinks American players struggle on clay.🎾 The importance of role models in his life including his coaches and players like Tommy Paul.🎾 Ethan discusses the challenges he faced early in his career and why he believes in controlling the controllables!🎾 He stresses the importance of being coachable and learning from experiences.Links Mentioned in this Episode:-Follow Ethan Quinn on InstagramFollow Control the Controllables on Instagram to keep up with all the latest on the show!If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more tennis players, coaches and parents who need these insights.
Dan Kiernan, Director of SotoTennis Academy in Spain has created a podcast to entertain, educate and energise the tennis community. Hear Dan pick the brains of professional tennis players, coaches, parents, and others involved in High Performance Tennis.
España