Former world No. 5 and ATX Open tournament director, Christo van Rensburg, joins the show again to preview a star-packed field for his upcoming tournament, led by Venus Williams.

Christo shares how he recruits players, changes coming in 2026, including a huge announcement for 2027, and the player field this year. We also dig into practical doubles strategies you can use.

• How Venus Williams’ wildcard came together and what it means for fans
• Behind-the-scenes recruiting with agents and player relationships
• Headliners returning and rising names to watch across singles and doubles
• Taylor Townsend's relationship with a fan from Austin
• Fan experience upgrades, including suites, activations, and the players’ party (which fans can buy tickets to)
• Modern doubles vs Christo's era
• Why you need to make your weaknesses "presentable"
• The new Austin 125 event details and timing during Indian Wells
• Where to get tickets and when Venus is most likely to play

Links:

• ATX Open tickets (February 21 - March 1, 2026)
• Austin 125 (March 9 - 14, 2026)
• Dropshot LLC

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**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

I recently asked Tennis Tribe Members what they want to improve in 2026. In this episode, I respond to six of their answers with challenges to help them improve different strategic and mental aspects of their doubles games.

Topics include playing against players who don't follow patterns and mishit the ball, building patience on slow balls, and taking away the middle against pace and spin. I also share drills, mindset resets, and simple challenges to improve your on-court thinking.

The first 3 are free to all, while you'll need to become a member for the last 3.

1. How to deal with unconventional 3.0 players who defy patterns and mishit/shank the ball a lot.
2. Changing your mindset to minimize errors, especially against players who hit with slower pace.
3. How to still control the middle against players who hit with tons of spin and power.
4. Members only: Quickly recognizing and exposing opponents' weaknesses early in the match.
5. Members only: How to not let nerves or distractions make you play tentative or down to your opponent's level.
6. Members only: How to play more strategically with a long-time partner and use more formations.

Links:

• Become a member to get the last 3 lessons.
• Already a member? Download the member podcast feed.
• Go to thetennistribe.com/camps to register for upcoming camps.
• Sign up for the Indian Wells Rally Trip, March 3–6. Tickets and details here. (deadline February 9)

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**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

This episode is a little different. I'm diving into tennis gear, everything except the racquet and shoes, with the founder of one of my favorite brands, ADV. I use their bags, dampeners, and even sweat bands.

Lavie Sak has a tech background, plays tennis, and used to coach as well. We explore how his company lets players lead the design of its products. From dampeners to grips to their popular bags, ADV innovates as well as any company in tennis. Lavie shares the messy first prototype, the tough cuts, and why ADV chose quality over mass pricing while partnering with pros who give real feedback.

• How ADV got started
• Dampener testing across 27 racquets and sound profiles
• Tennis grips - how to choose between dry and tacky
• Designing the ADV Pro bag and prioritizing features
• How they develop an idea into a finished product
• Feedback loops that shaped V2 and V3 of the bag
• Why ADV makes two backpacks
• Curated training kit components and use cases
• Pricing tradeoffs, materials, and longevity
• Doubles tips on serve variety and aiming middle
• Partnerships with Sem Verbeek, JP Smith, and Zus Tennis

I use the ADV Pro for travel and the Flex bag locally around Fort Worth.

Links:

• Shop ADV Tennis

Learn more about ADV & follow:

• ADV Tennis - Instagram
• ADV Tennis - YouTube
• ADV Tennis - Facebook

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**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

We preview the Nexo Dallas Open’s second year as an ATP 500 with tournament director Peter Lebedevs. Peter and I discuss court speed and ball consistency on tour. We also dive into what he learned in year one at the new Dallas Open facility and what changes fans can expect in 2026.

Peter is an excellent coach as well, so I asked him how he would help a club player improve their game this year.

• How court speed is measured and targeted for fairness
• Why balls feel different despite standardization
• Venue upgrades that fans and players asked for
• How to predict the Dallas Open doubles champs 😉
• Peter is implementing a new, never-before-done, college doubles wildcard at this year's tournament
• Early singles and doubles field highlights
• Format experiments like US Open mixed and one-point slam
• Actionable advice for club players on consistency and shot selection

Go to DallasOpen.com to get your tickets.

Learn more about Peter & follow:

• Peter on X/Twitter
• Dallas Open on X/Twitter
• Dallas Open on Instagram
• Buy tickets, volunteer, or find more information about the tournament at DallasOpen.com

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**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

Jonathan Stokke is a former D1 player at Duke who played doubles in the US Open in 2001 & 2002. He has over 100k Instagram followers, a growing YouTube channel, and a podcast. My episode with him from 2024 is still one of the most downloaded episodes of all time.

In this conversation, we share six lessons we learned in 2025 that will help you win more in 2026. We focus on poaching, timing, balance, smarter formations, technique, and more.

• Timing for an effective poach
• Net play as the highest ROI for club players
• Poaching technique - balance and centered head position
• When to poach based on score and patterns
• Reps, discomfort, and burning through bad attempts
• Australian and I-formation to force favorable matchups
• Tennis coaching as a restaurant menu
• The one thing Jonathan wants you to NOT do in 2026

I highly recommend checking out Jonathan's content as well as his doubles camps below.

Links:

• Previous Episode: Jonathan on the Stokke 6 Errors
• Video Lesson: The Two Doubles Habits That Are KILLING Your Net Game
• Stokke Tennis Coaching & Camps

Learn more about Jonathan & follow:

• Wikipedia
• Instagram
• YouTube

-----

**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

Sem Verbeek is the #36 doubles player on the ATP Tour. He made the Australian Open semifinals and won the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Title in 2025. As a result, Sem has been nominated for Amsterdam athlete of the year. Vote for Sem here.

I love watching Sem for his positive energy on the court, and that's where we began this conversation. We trace Sem's path from Amsterdam to Grand Slam runs, focusing on the mindset, structure, and choices that turned steady progress into breakthroughs. The conversation blends practical tactics with mental principles that you can use for yourself

• Where Sem's infectious positive energy comes from
• College at Pacific and his four-year growth plan
• The importance of urgency, scheduling choices, and his Miami run
• His "hunting" mindset during the 2025 Australian Open semifinal run
• Wimbledon mixed title with Siniakova and team chemistry
• Off-season redesign with functional training and neurology
• Simple routines, mantras, and visualizations
• Vision for doubles: longer partnerships, better fan stories

My favorite podcast interviews are when the guest makes me think more deeply about different topics, and Sem did not fall short. Be sure to watch him on the ATP Tour in 2026!

Links:

• VOTE for Sem before January 5! Amsterdam Athlete of the Year
• Check out ADV Tennis Bags
• Highlights: 2025 Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Final

Learn more about Sem & follow:

• ATP Profile
• Wikipedia
• Instagram

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**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

2026 is nearly here, so it's time to reflect on the past 12 months and set goals for next year. To help you, I wanted to share five ways to hit your 2026 doubles goals. It's not easy to improve. You must be intentional with how you spend your time on and off the court.

1. Playing against better players
2. Fix your technique
3. Get in better shape
4. Improve your strategy
5. Play more tennis

I share the most efficient and effective ways to approach each way to improve, including in matches, clinics, and lessons. You'll also learn ways to track your progress.

There are spots still available for the rally trip at Indian Wells, March 3–6, 2026. Email will@thetennistribe.com or click here to learn more and sign up.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Book: Inner Game of Tennis
• Book: Golf is Not a Game of Perfect
• Jonathan Stokke - Stokke Tennis
• Ian Westermann - Essential Tennis
• Peter Freeman - CrunchTime Coaching
• Doubles Strategy Ebooks

-----

**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

Christian Harrison is the top-ranked American player on the ATP doubles tour. He began 2025 outside the top 80 before climbing to No. 15 in the world.

We discuss his year with fellow American Evan King and his new partnership for 2026 with Neal Skupski. You'll learn about his off-season planning, drills, and smarter training. This brief talk blends stories from Christian's season with lessons on chemistry and insights into the ATP doubles tour.

• Key wins, narrow losses, and confidence swings across the season
• Why margins in doubles are thinner than ever
• Structured off-season planning
• Exactly how Christian's day went, training with his new partner, Neal Skupski
• Switching return sides
• The formation of his new partnership with Skupski
• Learning from the British system
• What he's learned from injuries and how his training has changed
• The case for better marketing and storytelling in pro doubles

Check out Christian on Control the Controllables with Dan Kiernan.

Learn more about Christian & follow:

• ATP Profile
• Wikipedia
• Instagram

-----

**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course