Elina Svitolina opens up about the pressure to win, the fear of losing, and learning that a Grand Slam won’t define her worth.

In this episode of Tennis Insider Club, Elina joins Caroline Garcia and Borja Duran for an honest conversation about the expectations that shaped her career—from leaving home at 12 and feeling she needed to win almost every match, to dealing with Grand Slam disappointments and finding a healthier relationship with tennis.

She shares the difficult parts of her comeback after pregnancy, how quickly expectations returned with her results, and why she needed to step away when the emotional weight became too much.

We also talk about life with Gael Monfils, the advice he gave her about winning a Grand Slam, raising their daughter Skai, representing Ukraine, and finding purpose beyond the tennis court.

Elina still believes she can win a Grand Slam. She also believes she can have a great career—and a happy life—without one.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The pressure to win: episode preview

00:40 How Elina started playing tennis

02:25 Junior success and the difficult road to turning pro

05:35 Leaving home at 12 and pressure from her parents

09:15 Changing her mindset and coping with painful losses

11:45 Why a Grand Slam won’t define her career

14:45 Working with a psychologist and Gael’s perspective

17:25 What keeps her motivated

19:30 Ukraine, her foundation, and finding balance beyond tennis

23:50 Pregnancy and uncertainty about returning

25:25 The reality of coming back after childbirth

29:35 How success brought the pressure back

31:20 Becoming a more aggressive player

33:00 When tennis became too much—and taking a break

37:10 Recognizing emotional exhaustion

39:30 Learning to listen to yourself

41:15 Life, love, and training with Gael Monfils

44:45 How motherhood changed her priorities

46:45 Would she want her daughter to play tennis?

50:40 Managing expectations around winning a Grand Slam

52:45 The nerves of watching each other compete

53:50 Her advice for young tennis players

Which part of Elina’s story resonated with you most? Tell us in the comments.

Subscribe to Tennis Insider Club for more honest conversations with the people behind professional tennis.

Hosted by Caroline Garcia and Borja Duran.

#ElinaSvitolina #TennisInsiderClub #Tennis

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John McEnroe has spent nearly five decades at the center of professional tennis — as a Grand Slam champion, world No. 1, rival, commentator and one of the most recognizable personalities the sport has ever produced.

In this episode of Tennis Insider Club, McEnroe joins Caroline Garcia and Borja Durán for a candid conversation about what life at the top really feels like.

He reflects on the pressure he experienced from a young age, why controlling his emotions on court was so difficult, and why even winning often brought little satisfaction before his attention immediately shifted to the next challenge.

McEnroe also opens up about becoming a father, stepping away from the tour, and the difficult transition athletes face when tennis has become such a large part of their identity.

The conversation explores Björn Borg’s sudden departure from the sport, the rivalries that defined McEnroe’s career, and why contrasting personalities remain so important to tennis today. McEnroe shares his perspective on Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz — including why Alcaraz’s ability to appear genuinely happy under enormous pressure fascinates him.

Caroline also reflects on her own experience of retirement and the years when her results became inseparable from how she saw herself, leading to an unusually open exchange between two generations of Grand Slam champions.

They also discuss:

• Why McEnroe believes young players are pushed too hard

• The role parents play in creating — or destroying — a healthy relationship with tennis

• Why he encourages children to play multiple sports

• The difficulty of separating self-worth from results

• Why retirement rarely happens the way athletes imagine

• How becoming a parent changed McEnroe’s perspective

• Why personality and rivalry matter to the future of tennis

• What McEnroe would do differently looking back

A conversation about winning, pressure, anger, identity and learning how to live with — and eventually beyond — professional tennis.

Hosted by Caroline Garcia and Borja Durán.

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Jessica Pegula watched players her age break through while injuries repeatedly interrupted her own career. After years outside the top 100, she began to wonder: “Is this not meant to be?”

In this episode of The Insight, Jessica reveals why arriving later ultimately became one of her greatest strengths.

She opens up about the injuries and comparisons that tested her belief, the moment she decided to take complete ownership of her career, and how building the right team helped transform her trajectory. She also explains why the calm exterior people see on court doesn’t always reflect what she is feeling—and why trying to manufacture emotion only made competing more exhausting.

Jessica speaks candidly about becoming too focused on results, the burnout that followed, and how small goals—improving a kick serve or developing a drop shot—helped her rediscover the satisfaction of the craft.

She also reflects on finally overcoming the Grand Slam “barrier” and reaching the US Open final, only to discover how quickly professional tennis moves on to the next match. Her biggest realization: success isn’t a single destination. The dream is the journey itself—the difficult weeks, the strange losses, the people beside you and the stories you collect along the way.

This is an honest conversation about comparison, emotional authenticity, late success and learning to build a career that truly belongs to you.

CHAPTERS

00:00 “Is this not meant to be?”

02:20 Escaping the comparison trap

04:00 Why succeeding later helped Jessica

05:00 Taking control of her own career

08:20 What years of injuries gave her

09:45 The truth behind her calm exterior

13:05 Results, burnout and rediscovering improvement

16:10 Breaking the Grand Slam “barrier”

19:15 Why success disappears so quickly

21:00 Learning to stop and appreciate it

22:00 “The dream is the journey”

23:10 Jessica’s advice to her younger self

24:10 Why the worst weeks become the best stories

If Jessica’s story resonated with you, share this episode with someone who feels like their breakthrough is taking too long.

Subscribe to Tennis Insider Club for revealing conversations with the people shaping professional tennis.

What part of Jessica’s journey changed how you think about success? Let us know in the comments.

#JessicaPegula #WTA #Tennis

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