Tennis Insider Club with Caro Garcia

By Caroline Garcia & Borja Duran

Unfiltered conversations with the world’s best tennis players, on the game, the pressure, and the person behind the rankings.

Hosted by tennis pro Caroline Garcia and Borja Duran. The sid

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The podcast currently has 71 episodes available.

Best of Tennis Insider Club with Caro Garcia

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Number 1: Jessica Pegula: Why Breaking Through Late Made Her Stronger | The Insight
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 31, 202626min
Number 2: Mark Knowles: Coaching Jessica Pegula, Tennis Parents & Why Talent Is Overrated
Mark Knowles has spent his life around some of the greatest players in tennis — first as a player alongside Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Pete Sampras, and now as a coach working with Jessica Pegula. In this episode, Mark joins Caroline Garcia and Borja Durán for a deeply honest conversation about what actually separates talented players from the ones who reach their full potential. Mark reflects on why he believes he underachieved in singles, how perfectionism hurt his career, and why he now tells players: “Do not chase perfection.” He also opens up about coaching Jessica Pegula — why her team spent nearly a year convincing her to practice less, why elite players sometimes need less information rather than more, and how they are trying to help her take the final step toward winning a Grand Slam. The conversation also turns to one of the most sensitive subjects in tennis: parents. Mark explains why he believes players cannot reach their full potential until they establish the right relationship with their parents, leading Caroline to reflect openly on how her own father’s involvement affected her confidence, independence and decision-making. They also discuss Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, player development, burnout, confidence, and why some of the hardest moments in a tennis career can become the ones you miss most once it is over. Chapters: 00:00 Tennis parents, confidence & “I hated tennis” 00:44 Growing up in the Bahamas 01:45 Nick Bollettieri discovers Mark 03:00 Life inside the Bollettieri academy 05:20 Believing he could become World No. 1 06:35 Why Mark feels he underachieved 08:25 Caroline on struggling with confidence 11:25 Becoming a coach 13:40 How Mark started working with Jessica Pegula 15:05 Do champions need delusional confidence? 15:45 Why talent is overrated 16:30 “Do not chase perfection” 18:40 Caroline’s regret about not celebrating 19:20 Mark’s Grand Slam regrets 20:00 Teaching Pegula to celebrate winning 24:15 Why Jessica Pegula practiced too much 25:00 Convincing Pegula to train less 26:40 The problem with tennis parents 28:35 Caroline opens up about her father 29:45 Andy Roddick’s conversation with his dad 35:00 How a coach earns a player’s trust 36:30 Why Pegula focuses on improvement, not ranking 38:00 Why Pegula wants less information 40:00 Coaching a player trying to win a Grand Slam 42:45 Should players practice on Slam off-days? 44:55 Mark’s advice to young players 47:00 Why Jannik Sinner barely played juniors 49:00 Why reaching the top too young can hurt players 50:20 Alcaraz and building a complete game 50:50 How Nadal transformed his game 52:30 Caroline on what she wishes she had developed 53:45 How Federer, Nadal, Djokovic & Sinner kept evolving 57:00 Friendship and rivalry on tour 58:00 Why Caroline struggled to connect with players 59:00 How tennis locker rooms have changed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
August 24, 20261h 1min
Number 3: John McEnroe: Why Winning Was Never Enough
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September 06, 202647min
Number 4: Ivan Ljubicic: How to Raise a Champion Without Breaking Them
Can a parent also be the coach? And can perfectionism create greatness without destroying the person? Former world No. 3 and Roger Federer’s former coach Ivan Ljubicic joins Caroline Garcia and Borja Duran for an honest conversation about tennis parents, junior development, elite coaching and the hidden cost of becoming one of the best. Ivan explains why parents should be responsible for developing the human being—not coaching the tennis player—and how even a small expression of doubt can undermine a child’s relationship with their coach. He discusses parents who project their own ambitions, the difficult transition toward independence, and why a parent can never fully occupy both roles. They also explore why results should not be the objective, how Jannik Sinner focuses on constant improvement, why junior success can be misleading, and what players should value when choosing a coach. Ivan then reveals what made Roger Federer so professional and coachable, how Federer treated the people around him, and why the greatest players never stop adding new tools to their game. In this episode: • The biggest mistakes tennis parents make • How to raise an ambitious but independent young athlete • Why results are outside a player’s control • The relationship between perfectionism, success and happiness • How to choose the right coach • Why player and coach must share the same ambition • The danger of becoming successful too young • How elite tennis teams are built • What players can learn from Roger Federer • Why players must take ownership of their careers Can a parent successfully be both the parent and the coach? Share your perspective in the episode comments. Follow Tennis Insider Club for more honest conversations with the greatest players, coaches and minds in tennis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 29, 20261h 5min
Number 5: How Bryan Shelton Raised Ben to Think Like a Champion | The Insight
Ben Shelton did not seriously choose tennis until he was 11. His father and coach, Bryan Shelton, reveals how he helped build Ben’s extraordinary confidence—without controlling him, limiting his personality or coaching the talent out of him. From setting his own alarm for 6 a.m. practices to leaving college early and eventually asking his father to join him on tour, Ben’s journey was built around responsibility, independence and belief. Bryan explains why he only gives Ben “five or ten percent” of what he knows, why he smiles from the player box even when things are going badly, and why parents should ask more questions instead of constantly telling young athletes what to do. This is The Insight: the most powerful lessons from our complete conversation with Bryan Shelton. Watch the full Bryan Shelton episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JOp69bDfkg CHAPTERS 00:00 Ben Didn’t Want to Play Tennis 01:24 The 6 A.M. Practice Rule 02:08 Developing the Person, Not Just the Player 03:05 Ben’s Unusual Confidence 04:18 Don’t Put Him in a Box 05:18 Raising the Floor Without Lowering the Ceiling 06:22 Keep Making the Right Mistakes 07:48 Why Ben Left College Early 10:23 “Dad, You Have to Come Out Here With Me” 10:50 Balancing Being a Father and Coach 12:12 Why Bryan Only Gives Ben 10% 12:54 Why Bryan Always Smiles 13:58 What Parents Project From the Player Box 15:24 Confidence Before Results 17:18 Bryan’s Advice to Parents 19:18 The Lesson Every Sports Parent Should Hear Follow Tennis Insider Club: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tennisinsiderclub/ X: https://x.com/tennisinsidercl Subscribe for honest conversations with the players, coaches and people shaping professional tennis. #BenShelton #Tennis #TennisInsiderClub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 22, 202619min