Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the 2026 Shanghai Masters champion, opens up about the pressure that nearly made him quit tennis, leaving his longtime coaching setup, and the difficult decision to take control of his own career.

After winning junior Wimbledon, Alejandro struggled with expectations and self-doubt. Years later, despite establishing himself on the ATP Tour, he felt he had little say in the decisions shaping his professional life.

In this honest conversation with former world No. 4 Caroline Garcia and Borja Durán, Alejandro reveals what led him to leave his familiar environment after more than a decade, move from Málaga to Monaco, and rebuild his team from scratch.

He reflects on one of the toughest periods of his career, how his wife helped him see things differently, and why finding happiness and independence away from tennis contributed to his best season in 2025.

From managing anxiety and emotions on court to dealing with public expectations, choosing the right coaches, and learning that tennis isn't everything, this episode explores the personal side of professional tennis that fans rarely get to see.

What happens when a professional athlete finally takes control of his own career?

00:00 The pressure that almost made Alejandro quit tennis

00:45 How Alejandro started tennis with his father

02:10 Winning junior Wimbledon — and nearly quitting

03:50 Breaking into the ATP Top 100

05:45 Battling anxiety and emotions on court

07:20 How routines changed his mentality

09:20 Marriage, happiness and finding balance outside tennis

11:55 Why being obsessed with tennis can hurt your performance

14:25 Why Alejandro deleted social media

16:45 "I had no voice" — the truth about his former team

18:50 Leaving Málaga for Monaco and starting over

20:10 Rebuilding his team and finding success in 2025

22:10 Caroline Garcia shares her own experience

24:00 How taking control transformed Alejandro's confidence

27:10 Why he wanted coaches who had competed at the highest level

30:40 His advice to his younger self

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1SDHHtfQmUS0TyP8wqJEh9

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tennis-insider-club/id1721351881

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Alejandro believes that taking control of his decisions and surrounding himself with the right people helped transform his career.

What do you think matters most for an athlete's success: the right coach, mental confidence, or happiness outside the sport?

Share your thoughts in the comments. We read them all.

#AlejandroDavidovichFokina #TennisInsiderClub #TennisPodcast

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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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