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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**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

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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

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

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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

Mark Bey is a US Davis Cup assistant coach and a former assistant coach to the Bryan Brothers. He has coached eight players to the #1 USTA national ranking and 13 players to ATP & WTA career highs. He's been a junior developer for 35 years, currently working at the Glenview Tennis Club in Glenview, Illinois. In 2017, Mark had five players in the US Open.

In this episode, Mark shares advice for players, coaches, and parents of junior players, along with stories from the Bryan Brothers' careers.

• How mentorship and early wins shaped Mark’s coaching
• What the Bryan Brothers did as juniors to build complete skills
• Why doubles margins demand ruthless precision
• Mark's coaching pyramid from fun to pressure performance
• The six stages of a match and how to train them
• Building accountability and independence in players
• Common mistakes by junior coaches, players, and parents
• Weekly structure of Mark's academy and why it works
• Guidance on specialization, scheduling, and tournaments
• Auditing academies and improving staff, culture, and systems
• Ideas to grow pro doubles with smart formats and TV slots

Links:

• Glenview Tennis Club
• USTA feature on Mark
• Mike Bryan vs Andre Agassi - 2001 US Open
• Bob Bryan vs Patrick Rafter - 2001 US Open
• Interested in an Academy Visit? Contact me, and I'll put you in touch with Mark.

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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

Mixed doubles isn't actually much different from men's or women's doubles when it comes to developing a strategy. However, several things happen more often in mixed. It's good to know what those are and how to handle them.

This episode will help you think about mixed doubles with clear rules for serve order, return sides, and court position that help you win.

• The differences between the girl and the guy in mixed
• How girls can deal with faster pace
• How guys can deal with slower pace and lobs
• Who should serve first? Not always the guy
• Who should play the ad side?
• When to adjust your return positioning
• Using lobs to neutralize opponents
• When to play two back
• When to target the girl
• Why guys need to STOP COACHING!
• Stories from my own mixed doubles matches

If you have more questions about mixed doubles, send them my way!

Links:

• Rally Trip at Indian Wells: https://www.therosegoldgroup.com/details-bnp ($100 off if you sign up during December)

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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

Calvin Betton coaches ATP #3 doubles player, Henry Patten, and ATP #38, Luke Johnson. Henry and his partner, Harri Heliovaara, won the ATP Finals earlier this month. I spoke with them at Indian Wells earlier this year (listen here).

This conversation with Calvin unpacks their title run at the ATP Finals, the idea of momentum in doubles, and how return pressure transformed late‑season results. We reflect on the 2025 season and look ahead to 2026.

• Lessons from variance and tight losses
• Why momentum misleads us in doubles scoring
• ATP Finals format and strategic adjustments
• Scouting top teams and exposing patterns
• Return identities and training frameworks
• A deepdive into the lob return: topspin vs flat vs chip lobs
• Off‑season planning for Henry and Luke
• US Open mixed doubles impact and narratives
• Partnership updates and 2026 outlook

Learn more about Calvin & follow:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Host of the Tennis Unfiltered Podcast

Links:

• Calvin's X thread of packed doubles stadiums
• Previous podcast with Calvin, Luke Johnson, and Sander Arends
• Previous podcast with Calvin from the 2025 Australian Open

-----

**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