Episodes

We are bringing you guys a BRAND NEW series of shows during the WTA Finals out in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia! In this series, we will bring you guys shorter, daily round-ups of the behind-the-scenes access of the WTA Finals, the training of all the top players, how the female players are treated and will not avoid the big topics! If you want to join in on the action LIVE then tune in each day on our YouTube channel 'Control the Controllables podcast' where you can ask questions LIVE and be involved w...

Back in April, we brought Control the Controllables to a fantastic live audience in London, diving into the future of professional tennis. We loved the buzz of the live show and we loved meeting so many of our regular listeners in person. With the Six King Slam recently concluded and the WTA Finals coming up next month in Saudi Arabia, it felt like the perfect time to release the full CTC LIVE episode. Our expert panel joining CTC Host Dan Kiernan on the night included:- CTC regular an...

Louis Cayer is one of the most successful coaches in tennis. He´s transformed doubles in Great Britain, guiding 3 British players to World Mens doubles number 1 and coaching players to a whopping 19 Grand Slam titles! It´s no surprise that his chat with CTC host Dan Kiernan back in 2021 is still our 2nd most listened to episode, and is too good not to bring back to you. Listen to Louis discuss the evolution of doubles, and how to pick the right partner. He also shares his top 3 tips for...

It´s International Podcast Day, and we have a great guest for this special episode in Yasmin Clarke. Yasmin is a coach, athlete mentor and commentator. A former pro player, she was GB junior number 1 before quitting tennis at the age of just 19. She chats to CTC host Dan Kiernan about the challenges faced by female coaches in a male-dominated sport, the importance of family support, and the cultural shifts needed to create more opportunities for women in coaching roles. This is a great ...

Just over 2 years ago, we spoke to GB´s Jack Draper who at 20, had just broken into the world´s top 100 ATP rankings. Fast forward to 2024, and Jack has moved up to 20 in the world, reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open this month. To mark this, we wanted to bring you a clip from Jack´s episode of Control the Controllables back in June 2022. In this CTC Short, listen to Jack talk about the danger of outcome goal setting, and the importance of good people setting the ri...

Today's episode wraps up the final Grand Slam of the year. Our panel discusses all things US Open, and there were certainly lots of storylines for us to get stuck into! With two new US Open Champions in Jannik Sinner & Aryna Sabalenka, GB´s Dan Evans winning the longest ever match at Flushing Meadows and GB´s Mika Stojsavljevic winning the Girls title, New York did not disappoint! Davis Cup Captain Freddie Nielsen and coach of Wimbledon Men´s Doubles Champion Henry Pattern, Calvin Betton j...

In today´s episode we speak to Damian Hughes from the High Performance Podcast. Damian is a best selling author and international speaker who excels in building high performance cultures. He´s worked with Sale Sharks, Warrington Wolves, England and GB Rugby League team, and his podcast with Jake Humphrey has hosted some of the top names in sport. Dan chats to Damian about:- How his Father created a high performing culture. How he was given an education on world class coaching watchi...

With the final Grand Slam of 2024 about to get underway on Monday, we´ve brought our amazing panelists together to discuss all things US Open. The tennis world has been talking about one thing only in the run up to New York - men´s world number 1 Jannik Sinner being cleared of doping, after testing positive twice for clostebol. Davis Cup Captain Freddie Nielsen and S&C Coach Kieron Vorster join CTC Host Dan Kiernan to discuss the story which has divided tennis this past week. They also giv...

This week on CTC, we welcome to the show coach of 31 time Grand Slam champion Alfie Hewett, Craig Allen! Craig is a fantastic and generous guest, telling the great story of how he came to coach Alfie, giving his opinions on all things wheelchair tennis, and telling us about his experience coaching some of the brightest juniors in the UK, including Alistair Filmer and Lewis Burton. This one is a must listen for all young coaches as Craig shares his invaluable advice from 35 years of experie...

This week we welcome back to the show 31-time Grand Slam champion, but first time singles wheelchair Wimbledon champion Alfie Hewett. On Episode 202 of CTC, Alfie spoke to us about his tennis dreams, and top of the list after two finals defeats in a row was clinching that elusive Wimbledon singles title. Now chasing a career golden slam at this year's Paralympics later this month, Alfie comes on to talk all about his recent success, his ambitions for the summer, and whether the US Open is mak...

This week we bring to you a brand new format requested on CTC. With this new show, we'll be bringing to you some of the stories you might not have spotted in the world of tennis, from the top level all the way down to the lowest level of professional tennis that rarely gets a mention. In this first edition, we explore everything that's been happening in this first 6 months of the year, discussing the one handed backhand, tennis players retiring, college tennis and so much more, as well as bri...

What a brilliant two weeks of Wimbledon that was! And as always Dan is here with the usual amazing panel to discuss all things SW19. We also have some amazing guest appearances from the most iconic final of this Grand Slam! Our panelists are: Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Mens Doubles Champion Freddie Nielsen. GB Coach Calvin Betton who is currently working with Henry Patten. Our panel debate and dissect a range of the cutting edge topics at the forefront of the ...

As we enter Finals weekend here at Wimbledon, we look back to Episode 188, when we welcomed our first singles Wimbledon champion to the show, the one and only Pat Cash! As we wait to see whether new champions will be crowned on the world famous Centre Court, Pat gives an amazing insight into what it's like to try and lift the famous title as he did, beating Ivan Lendl in straight sets 37 years ago in 1987. This episode has great advice for both players and coaches on how to lift yourself t...

Wimbledon is here! Once again, Dan has brought together another amazing panel of CTC regulars to discuss all of the storylines taking place around the most historic tennis tournament in the world, from former champions returning to take the crown, to controversial qualifying moments and heartwarming wildcards! Our amazing panelists are: Wimbledon always throws up some unexpected surprises and we're excited to see what 's new this year! Let us know what you think, Tag @ctc.podcast on Ins...

In this week's instalment, we bring you someone at the very cutting edge of player development at the USTA, who had a fantastic playing career herself, Megan Moulton Levy! Having reached the top 50 in the world in doubles, and the top 250 in singles, all whilst being just 5 feet tall in a game which is fast becoming dictated by height, Megan brings a unique perspective to developing a young tennis player. From stories about her own process, growing up going to boarding school in Switzerlan...

What an incredible two weeks of tennis we've had to enjoy! Iga Swiatek winning her third consecutive Roland Garros title, and Carlos Alcaraz becoming the youngest player ever to win 3 Grand Slams on three different surfaces. We've brought back our amazing panel to react with Dan to all this and more. Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Mens Doubles Champion Freddie Nielsen. GB Coach Calvin Betton who is currently working with Henry Patten. Women's tennis stalwart who recentl...

The second Grand Slam of 2024 is finally underway! We´ve brought our panel back together to preview everything we can expect from the French Open. Dan is joined this year by: Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Mens Doubles Champion Freddie Nielsen. GB Coach Calvin Betton who is currently working with Henry Patten. Women's tennis stalwart who recently won her 1000th match on the tour Emily Webley Smith Top tennis strength and conditioning coach and CTC legend Kieron Vorst...

This week we welcome back to the show another one of our classic guests, it’s seven-time NCAA national champion winning coach with the team at UCLA, Valorie Kondos Field. Valorie initially appeared on Episode 62 of Control the Controllables, soon after her viral Ted Talk, ‘Why Winning Doesn’t Always Equal Success,’ and she shared her experience coaching in a sport that she didn't grow up playing or coaching in, and talked about her plans after she retired from UCLA in 2018. In this edition...

Tennis is being disrupted, whether we like it or not! As we prepare to debate this in our first ever Control the Controllables Live Show on April 19th, never has it been clearer that we need to sit up and listen. Today´s episode is a new extract from Dan´s chat with Jonathan Overend a few weeks ago. They trade opinions on the Saudi Arabian influence on tennis, the future of doubles, and the topic of our upcoming live show - The Great Tennis Shake-up: Is the new ‘Elite Tour’ good for tennis...

We´re excited to announce that Control the Controllables is coming to London! We´re hosting our first LIVE SHOW on Friday 19th April 2024. This is your chance to come and join CTC Host Dan Kiernan and our special guests as they debate one of the hottest topics in tennis right now: Is the new ‘Elite Tour’ good for tennis. You´ll also have the chance to ask your own questions to Dan and our guests, live at the event. The new tour being proposed is backed by the Grand Slams and would se...

In today´s episode we speak to top British tennis coach, Justin Sherring. Justin has had the distinction of bringing through some of the brightest young tennis players of British tennis’ current golden generation including Jack Draper, Johanna Konta, and former doubles World Number 1 Joe Salisbury. Justin is currently working with Salisbury on the ATP tour and took some time to chat to Dan about how he´s developed some of the best British Players of the past 15 years. Justin shares his ...

To mark International Women´s Day, we have author, podcaster, presenter, campaigner, triathlete and all-round inspiration Sue Anstiss on the show. Sue has been campaigning for women in sport for over 20 years through her organisation Fearless Women, receiving an MBE for her service. More recently, Sue has released her book, Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport in 2021. This was commissioned as a documentary by Netflix in 2023, which she directed and was susequently nominated for a B...

In this week’s episode we are speaking to British doubles player Olivia Nicholls. Olivia is a former Wimbledon mixed doubles semi-finalist and a role model for young players looking to make it on the tour. She took the non-traditional route of going to Loughborough University in the UK, as opposed to US college or going pro, and has built a remarkable career as a doubles player on the tour. Olivia has reached a career high ranking of 59 in the world, with appearances in the main draw of al...

In today’s episode we welcome the voice of tennis for his second appearance on the show, it´s Jonathan Overend! Jonathan speaks to us in a week where Sky Sports are launching their own tennis channel in the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports Tennis. Jonathan is a major part of the team they have in place to deliver their promise of 24/7 coverage from all of the ATP & WTA events. Jonathan had some beautiful words for the late Mike Dickson, the tennis correspondent at the Daily Mail for the last 30 ...