This CTC Short is brought to you live from Beijing, at the China Open, where Dan Kiernan is there for the WTA 1000 event!

In this episode Dan takes us through a roundup of the latest stories from across the tennis world, including those that have taken place moments away from our host ,who recorded this special CTC Short on the centre court in Beijing!

Key stories discussed:

• ⁠Djokovic wins the China Open for the 7th time
• Medvedev defaulted from China Open v Djokovic in the semis
• Alcaraz wins first title since February in Japan
• Legend of the sport, Kei Nishikori retires
• ⁠WTA announce equal prize money at all combined 1000 events
• Jannik Sinner to miss rest of the 2026 season
• Navarro opens up about health struggles
• Coco Gauff condemns racist abuse after winning China Open first round

Dan is at the China Open with Gaby Dabrowski, who plays the Final of the women’s doubles , on Sunday alongside Luisa Stefani.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Follow Control the Controllables: Instagram | YouTube | Website

Check out Tennis Athlete Here: https://www.sototennis.com/tennisathlete

Email us: ctc.podcast@sototennis.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Train Smarter Anywhere: Strength & Conditioning for Tennis Players On the Go 🎾

For players who don’t always have access to in-person coaching, progress doesn’t have to stop. TennisAthlete is an online Strength & Conditioning platform, designed specifically for tennis players who want structured, affordable and flexible training. Wherever they are in the world. TennisAthlete helps you stay consistent, improve performance, and train with purpose. Train smarter. Anywhere.

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Fifteen months ago Toby Samuel was ranked 1,870 in the world, injured, out of college, and unable to get into the qualifying draw of a 15K.

This month he broke into the ATP top 100, made his Davis Cup debut at the Copper Box and won the first rubber for Great Britain to help them qualify for the Davis Cup Finals.

In 2025, Toby won 62 matches and climbed further up the rankings than any other male player in the world. He did it without fanfare, without headlines and by his own admission, still staying in the bedrooms at the National Tennis Centre.

This is a conversation about the mental side of the game more than anything else, and Toby's answer on competing is one of the best things we've had on this podcast. If you have a junior in your house, play them that bit twice!

In this episode:

• The Davis Cup call-up he wasn't expecting, and the most nervous he has ever been before a match.
• Losing the first set and finding a way back, and why that is now a pattern rather than a panic.
• "Everything is a choice." Toby on how he transformed the mental side of his game.
• What he says to his coaches before every single match, and why it has nothing to do with how he is hitting the ball.
• Why he has always preferred being the favourite, and what that has cost him against the top guys.
• Going from 1,870 in the world to the top 100 in fifteen months
• The bone bruising injury that wiped out his ranking, and the ATP Accelerator wildcard that turned it around
• Choosing South Carolina over Florida State, the decision that changed his career.
• What NIL money has done to college tennis, and why he thinks it needs a limit
• How he actually uses data, and the six-monthly meeting that shapes his development
• His honest view on the proposed ATP doubles changes
• The Quickfire Round

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

Follow Control the Controllables: Instagram | YouTube | Website

Check out Tennis Athlete Here: https://www.sototennis.com/tennisathlete

Follow SotoTennis Academy Here: https://www.instagram.com/sototennis

Email us: ctc.podcast@sototennis.com

Two Retirements. Two Incredible Careers.

This week on Control the Controllables, we're marking the retirement of Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, two of the finest doubles players of their generation and two of the most generous guests we´ve had on the show.

Between them: 6 major titles each. 4 men's doubles crowns together, including the Australian Open in 2020 and that remarkable US Open three-peat in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Joe became only the second British man ever to reach World Number 1, holding the position for 23 weeks. Rajeev picked up two Olympic silver medals, 32 ATP titles, 9 Masters titles.

Then this year, with barely any matches between them, they made the US Open semi-finals from nowhere. Form is temporary. Class is permanent.

We've gone back into the archives to pull out the moments from their episodes that we think every player, coach and parent should hear.

In this episode:

• Joe on the gap between belief and confidence, and why the two are not the same thing
• Rajeev on walking away from singles at 56 in the world to become a doubles specialist
• Following your heart when the decision is genuinely difficult, from college to retirement
• Why 11 partners in one year is the hardest way to build a career
• What Rajeev saw in Joe before anyone else did
• Joe on what he wants his legacy in British tennis to be
• Dan's challenge to British tennis: what happens when the Louis Cayer era ends?
• The Rajeev Ram Instagram post that everyone in this sport should read

Listen to Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury´s full episodes on CTC:

• Rajeev Ram - Multiple Grand Slam Champion
• Joe Salisbury - Double US Open Champion!

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

• Follow CTC on Instagram
• Tennis Athlete - Online Strength & Conditioning for Performance Players
• SotoTennis Academy