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.

  1. 1d ago

    Player Special: Beating Serena Williams, training with Carlos Alcaraz and Wimbledon runs

    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 Wimbledon runs, breakthrough moments at Grand Slams and what it is like competing on some of the biggest stages in tennis. Along the way, they share stories involving some of the sport’s biggest names, including Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz, while also discussing career-defining matches, favourite practice partners and the unseen realities of life on Tour that fans rarely get to hear about. In the first Ilkley special, Sam and Jerome spoke to the people who help bring the tournament to life in Ilkley, including tournament director Rik Smith and broadcaster Abigail Johnson. In the second Ilkley special, they chatted with the British players ahead of Wimbledon. Both episodes are live in the feed. 🚨 Stay tuned for a special episode from Eastbourne on Wednesday 1 July, featuring Taylor Fritz. Subscribe now. 📲 🎙️ Our background episode & our special in-focus 20th episode are live in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis. Follow us on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/ X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennis The podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.

    41 min
  2. Jun 17

    The road to Wimbledon: British players on Jack Draper, Stan Wawrinka and Challenger life

    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 tennis. The guests reflect on memorable Wimbledon experiences, breakthrough moments on the ATP Tour and the challenges of climbing the rankings. Along the way, they share stories involving some of the biggest names in the sport, including Stan Wawrinka, Jack Draper, Nick Kyrgios and Taylor Fritz, while also discussing their love of the grass-court season and the unique opportunities it presents. In the previous episode, Sam and Jerome spoke to the people who help bring the tournament to life in Ilkley, including tournament director Rik Smith and broadcaster Abigail Johnson. Part two of the Ilkley player special will go live on Wednesday 24 June, featuring interviews with Harmony Tan, Lulu Sun, Darwin Blanch and many more. 🎙️ Our background episode & our special in-focus 20th episode are live in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis. Follow us on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/ X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennis The podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.

    38 min
  3. Jun 10

    Ilkley Special: What it takes to run a professional tennis tournament

    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 Charlie Broom, the event's lead stringer, a groundsman responsible for maintaining the grass courts, hospitality staff and fans attending the tournament. Together, they provide a fascinating insight into the many moving parts that keep an ATP Challenger and WTA 125 event running smoothly, from preparing courts and stringing rackets to welcoming players, broadcasters and spectators through the gates. This episode offers a unique look at the unseen side of tennis and the people whose work often goes unnoticed but is essential to the success of every tournament. We also recorded a host of player interviews during our time in Ilkley, which will be released across the next two Wednesdays as the grass-court season builds towards Wimbledon. In the meantime, listeners can also find exclusive content from the event on our Instagram, including a fun Q&A with comedian Josh Berry, practice-court moments and quick-fire questions with ATP Next Gen star Darwin Blanch. There is plenty more from Ilkley still to come on Wednesday 17th & 24th June. 🎙️ Our background episode & our special in-focus 20th episode are live in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis. Follow us on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/ X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennis The podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.

    26 min
  4. Jun 3

    Alex Hyman: Managing Andy Murray, playing Ben Shelton and working with Stan Wawrinka

    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 the scenes with players including Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, the unique challenges of managing media at Challenger events and what life is really like working across tournaments throughout the season. Hyman also shares stories from his experiences at UTS, discusses spotting rising French talent Moise Kouame before his breakthrough and explains the unsung work that goes into delivering professional tennis events. From Challenger Tour life and media operations to player relations and building his own company, Aliko Sports, this episode offers a fascinating look at the many roles that help keep professional tennis moving behind the scenes. 🎙️ Our background episode is live in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis. 🚨 Stay tuned for another special guest from the tennis world on Wednesday 10 June. Subscribe now. 📲 Follow us on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/ X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennis View Alex's company Aliko Sports: https://www.alikosports.com/ The podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.

    40 min
  5. May 13

    Russell Fuller: Murray, Williams, Sinner and 13 years covering tennis for the BBC

    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 fair and balanced journalism in high-profile moments, and what it was like covering the dramatic in Australia. Fuller also discusses the unique atmosphere around British tennis during the Murray era, the joy of working alongside former players in commentary boxes and the moments that have stayed with him most throughout his career. 🎙️ Our introductory background episode is live in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis. 🚨 Stay tuned for another special guest from the tennis world on Wednesday 20 May. Subscribe now. 📲 Follow us on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/ X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennis Watch highlights and analysis from across the tennis world at The Tennis Pass: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTennisPass The podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.

    35 min
  6. May 6

    Richard Connelly: Sinner, Djokovic, Nadal and what players are really like after matches

    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 clash with Novak Djokovic in Rome in 2021, and discusses the respect and presence carried by players like Grigor Dimitrov and Andy Murray both on and off the court. The conversation dives into the balance of asking the right questions in the moment, holding players to account when needed, and navigating the tension and adrenaline of live broadcasting. It’s a fascinating look at the role of an on-court interviewer and the unique position they hold between the players, the crowd and the global audience. 🎙️ Our introductory background episode is live in this feed if you’d like to learn more about who we are and why we created Tales from Tennis. 🚨 Stay tuned for another special guest from the tennis world on Wednesday 13 May. Subscribe now. 📲 Follow us on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talesfromtennis/ X: https://x.com/TalesFromTennis Watch highlights and analysis from across the tennis world at The Tennis Pass: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTennisPass The podcast is independently produced and not affiliated with or endorsed by the ATP.

    38 min

About

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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