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Foreign. A big welcome to day nine of Wimbledon Live. Control the controllables. And brought to you as ever by Novellas. Another exciting day. Another exciting day here at SW19. If you are new to our lives, then please, you will see the opportunity to get your questions in. Whatever questions you have for me, for my guest, anything that's tennis related, please fire away. And we look forward to answering those towards the end of the show. To start with, as we're going to give you a little roundup, the major moments of the day brought to you by Soto Tennis Academy. Our major moment in my world today has been Gabby Dabrowski and Louisa Stefani, who I coach. They've moved into the quarterfinals with a win over Storm Hunter and, and Katie Mc Nally. 6164. So that was exciting. And they will go on the, on the court tomorrow, Court two tomorrow afternoon where they'll play their quarterfinal women doubles match. So please, anyone that's at Wimbledon tomorrow, come along and give them a, give them your support. The crowd was electric again today. God, the crowds are good here at Wimbledon. All of the matches, all of the players feel the love. And another beautiful hot day. It was hot. Was it up to 30 degrees today? And. But we do on the, on the, on the single side, Yannick Sinigo's marching on very much. Yes, people have got close from within the sets, but they haven't really got close to, to winning a match against him or even set, maybe, maybe the odd set he's lost. But that is now at just 24, he's reached his 10th Grand Slam semi final, becoming one of only five players since 2000 to make 10 men single semi finals at the majors before turning 25. Not a bad little crew that he's in with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. And that's his winning streak up to 12 at Wimbledon. Obviously the champion in 2025. And after the match he, he spoke on court where he said, in the beginning I felt like he started better than me. I was struggling a little bit, but then I tried to get into the match, I started to serve a little bit better. I'm very happy to be back in the semi finals here. If only it was so easy, Yannick, for, for all of us to just, ah, just struggling and then I just served a bit better. Struff. Great story. You know, quarterfinal debutant at 36 years old made history. Just been there really, you know that he took out the eight seed Daniel Medvedev on his way to the last eight. And yeah, Struff's always a tough character and tough, tough player to play against. Big game. Sure Yannick Sinner will be pleased to see the back of him and he will then be playing next. I've currently got it in my eye line. We've got Novak Djokovic 24 time winning grand slam Grand slam winner in. Novak Djokovic is two sets to one up. And yeah, we've talked about it all the last nine days. You know, is this the time? Is this Novak Djokovic Number 25? It looks like we're heading towards that semi final but Felix has certainly got something to say about that. Maybe about to hold now to go three, two up. So we'll keep you updated on that as well. On on the men's side then of course tomorrow we've got Arthur Ferry after his sensational win yesterday over Grigor Dimitrov sp to Jamie Delgado, Grego Dimitrov's coach earlier today and he was still gutted. There's that horrible feeling just for him. Obviously a big felt it was a big chance for Grigor, you know, playing against Ferry, felt he didn't play his best match but then also felt that Cabali was a nice matchup for him in the quarterfinals as well. And then we've got Zver against Fritz on the men's side then on the women's side. Do we let me know what you think on this. But I just don't think we'd give it Coco Goth enough credit actually. You know, Coco Goth is, is she just. She turns up. I know that she has a problem sometimes with a serve, but she's a superstar. I love her energy. She was so excited today. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that she'd beaten one of her best friends, Jess Pagula. I'm sad for Jess. You know, that was Jess Bagula's first time playing on center court and I'm like what? Like Jess Pagula, the ranking she is the age that she's at. That was her first time on center court which was amazing. And four six, six, three, six three as she moves into the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time in her career where she'll place someone who. She's got an amazing record. She's got an unbelievable record against, in, in, in Carolina Mukova who took out Naomi Osaka who obviously we knew took out Sabalenka earlier in the week. And I just had a bit of a feeling McOva's little slices and change ups would be A nice matchup for McCover against Osaka. And she said after the match, it's unbelievable. I'm super happy with today's win. I played three times on this court and I was on three. So she started to think that center court doesn't work for her. I've not had a good relationship with this court, but I'm super happy we finally made it and I got the win. So we're going to have a winner of either Gough Mukova, Noskova, Mertens, Kostuko Paolini at Wimbledon this year. So those quarterfinals that will happen tomorrow between NASCAR for Mertens and Kostuk and Paolini, the bottom half of the draw, one of them is going to go through. And let's see if Coco Golf can continue the 6, 6 and 1 record over McCover. It seems like that's not a great matchup for Makova, so we'll see that, Tom. On the double side, the top seeds, Henry Patton and Harry Heliovara. Unbelievable. Just been speaking to their coach, Calvin Betton. The third match in a row that they've won seven, six in the third. Yeah, they came back from all sorts of different positions today. They weren't a breakdown in the third, but still they were in a position 2, 6 in the first set. Big comeback. Crowd energy. Incredible. The crowds going crazy here. And they will play the alternates in, in. In Kovacevich and Cock and Knackers who, who beat Mechtich and Krychek today. You know, as that they move into the semi finals and I think that's like the third or fourth year running. We've had alternates that have made the semi finals or final of the men's doubles. So maybe next year people will be hoping that they don't get in the event so that they have a chance to take that ultimate slot. And then on the women's side, we were moving a little bit closer. We're now into quarter quarterfinal stage because of course the women's doubles final will be the same day as the men's singles final on Sunday. So they've got an extra day. Top seeds Townsend and Cyniakova beat Stolen Muhammad and they will then play in in the quarterfinals tomorrow again. You've got then Dabrowski, Stefani, my team who play against Peter and Siskova tomorrow. And then the mix doubles has moved to to final stage, which final is happening on third Thursday. And you've got Osta, Penko and aro. They won 6, 4 in the third. I thought they'd be a tough team. This week. And then Storm Hunter, who, who lost in the women's third round today to Gabby Dabrowski and Louisa Stefani has teamed up with Pullmans to beat Stoler and Pavic. 7663. And before we bring Ken on, we have our tennis athlete player of the day. Anyone wanting to know more about what tennis athlete is about, look in in in our notes on, on the podcast. If you are looking to have expert SNC support remotely. It's not always accessible for tennis players of all ages. Stages then get in touch. Tennis athlete doing an incredible job. And that goes to Coco Golf. You know, Coco Golf, it's a story of resilience. Losing the first set, coming back to next win, the next two. Making her first semi final at SW19. And yeah, just extending that impressive run of three victories, three set victories here at the All England Club. And her mindset quote from early in the tournament, stepping onto this court is something special. I was so looking forward to it. It's an amazing atmosphere and something else to play here. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity. What a nice message for us. All that gratitude of just feeling lucky to be here. Right. And then you have the winner mindset on top of that. And a bit of an amazing start, really. She'd actually gone two years without winning on grass before this tournament. So now she's one match away from the Wimbledon final, you know, and it's kind of a big message of just not giving up, you know, she's someone who whenever anyone doubts a Coco Golf comes, comes flying back and she's certainly done it this time and we'll see how it goes with with McCorva on, on Thursday as well. So now let's see. Ken. Ken's a college roommate of mine. You know, he still never listened to me then and he's still not listening to me now just like the rest of the guests, you know, with this time. But here he is, speaking of the devil. Just talking about my college roommate and how he never used to listen and he still doesn't read the PDFs that are sent. How well, big welcome to control the Controllables. How you doing?
B
Cheers, mate. Can you, can you hear me?
A
I can hear. I can hear you. Well, we could see you at 9:03.
B
I just wanted to make sure that I was here early on time and. Yeah, a bit premature really.
A
You are. This is. You are guest number nine and eight of you have come in at the wrong time. So you're with the. I'm not the person and this is, we, our producers brought this amazing PDF together. It gives the timings. I send the WhatsApp and say come in at 9, 10, because you come directly live. But we obviously need to look at something ourself first. But big, big thanks for coming on, Ken. I know you've been on the podcast before. Not for a while, actually. So it's, it's nice to have you, Nice to have you back. And we don't want to use up all your time because we could, we could jump into topics and talk and talk and I'm sure we were itching to get into some doubles conversations around things going on, but maybe we have them off air. There's been lots happening around that, obviously this week. I want to bring this to you. I know you've had amazing playing experiences, you know, as a junior, you know, when, when we first saw you before you went to lsu, you know, reaching quarterfinals of both men's doubles and the mixed doubles. But I actually wanted to talk about Ken Skupski the coach. And something very unique about Ken Skupsy the coach is you sat in the winner's circle, the winning box on center court. Not just for any player, but for your little bro, you know, winning. I know. And we're going to talk about the men's doubles win, you know, back in what year? What year did they win? They won in 23. So I'm going to take you back to 20. 23. You sat there. I've said this to many people. I don't know if I've said it to you, but you exuded assertive confidence. I thought that day in the box, you know, you, you weren't too up and down. You, you just seemed like it was all absolutely inc. Control. What are you actually thinking inside when your little brother is playing a Wimbledon final?
B
Yeah, I think from a brother perspective, it's easy to get carried away. And I think you've got to try and keep that sort of level headed, focus on what does the player need out of me right now. And obviously my younger brother is, you know, he's obviously a very good doubles player. He's got a great opportunity to go on and do something really special and win a win a Grand Slam. And it's obviously very nerve wracking for him being on that stage. So for me to get sort of too high and too low at certain times would probably not help him. So there are times where I think people have seen me on the, on the screen and it looks like I'm a bit flat. I'M a bit quiet and I'm a bit sort of not showing too much emotion. But I think a lot of the time I don't like to wear sunglasses. I like to have that eye contact with the player. And for me, having that sort of level headed calmness all the way through, I think it gives him an understanding that we're locked in and we're ready for whatever's coming next. Whether we're up in terms of the scoreline or whether we're down in the scoreline. We stay focused, we stay locked in and we stay present while we're still competing. And then once, obviously the result comes, you can do whatever the hell you want. But while, while that, while that match is still playing out, it's important that he knows that I know deep down that he's got what it takes to do it. And on that particular day he did, which was great.
A
And, and in terms of like a day like that, it's a Wimbledon final day, you know, and Wolf, as big football fans, I go back to like FA cup final days. You know, there's certain sport and events, they just, they just hit a bit different, right? And it's. How do you, how do you go through that process of that day? How do you normalize it? Do you normalize it? Do you, do you have to acknowledge and have open conversations? Okay, it is a Wimbledon final and you're maybe going to experience some emotions and let's get those out, or, you know, talk, talk me through that process on how, how that looks and how that played out on that day.
B
I think we were fortunate for the fact that he'd won the mix twice on that court. I think for me, having to play on center court is, it's, it's the holy grail in terms of tennis for sort of playing a final. But to, to have that sort of feeling of winning on that court, I think gives you confidence. And, and he, and he obviously had that chance with Desiree Crouch a couple of times before, so he knew he could play on the big stage. I know obviously mixed doubles might not be considered the same as men's doubles, but for me, it's still a final. It's still a Grand Slam. And he went through, you know, you know, he, he'd lost a few finals previously, not just at Grand Slams, but in Master Series, and we, we knew that. I mean, personally, on that particular week, I knew he was locked in and I knew he was focused and I knew it was, that it was the time that he was going to win but he still needed to go out and do it. And on that particular day, I had my own issues because the day before I was in Ibiza taking my family on holiday and then came back. So I sort of, you know, didn't make his life any easier from that perspective. But I couldn't miss it. It was. It was my own fault in the sense that I booked the wrong week. But we won't go into that detail, but, yeah, when I obviously arrived.
A
Oh, we will. Oh, we will. We will. What happened?
B
So, so basically the. October, the year before, the year before, Hayley and I booked a holiday with the family to Ibiza, and we all. We booked it for the week after Wimbledon. But that particular year, I didn't realize that the week had changed. And it obviously was the Friday of, you know, Wimbledon final. The final would have been on the Saturday. So it was the Friday. I'm like, well, he's got to make the final for it to be a problem, you know, and lo and behold, he obviously made it through to the final. So the Thursday, you know, Hayley was very good. She understood the situation, and we obviously, you know, I drove home on the Thursday and flew them out Friday morning, flew back Friday night, stayed in Gatwick. Haley wasn't a big fan of flying, so I knew I had to get them there. I obviously missed the practice on the Friday, but obviously we had Louis Caillet there, Rob Morgan, so we obviously were covered in that sense. And, yeah, got back on the. From Gatwick, got. Got to the club early on on the Saturday morning, and, you know, just carried on as normal. You know, it didn't make a big fuss of the. You know, they made a bit of a laugh and a joke at the start, but I. I just felt like everything was nice and calm and it sort of broke the ice a little bit about the day. And, you know, they went on court. It was. It was quite blustery outside, so it was a little bit of. A. Bit of an unusual practice because obviously we're playing on center. It was. It was actually quite nice conditions. It ended up, if I'm not mistaken, it ended up being indoors. The roof. The roof was closed. But, you know, leading into the tour, leading into the final, I was. I was, you know, quietly confident that they were both playing extremely well. And they came up against Granolas and Zabayos, who obviously were a great team at the time and hadn't won a Grand Slam at that moment in time. So we knew that there was a potential that things were getting A little bit sort of tricky for them in them situations, and it was one to take advantage of, and the boys couldn't have played any better. I think they got through a couple of really tough moments at the start, but obviously once they got out there, you know, it's up to them to go and perform and, and they did a stellar job.
A
Just take me to that moment when the final ball goes out or the final ball's hit for a winner. Forgive me, but I can't picture what happened on match point. What is that emotion? What, what emotions did you experience in that moment when that happens?
B
I think for the very, you know, as soon as, you know, it's out, it's pure joy and excitement, but again, there's a sense of relief as well. It's like he's done it, you know, he's achieved what he's wanted. You know, as a coach. You know, I've, you know, I've coached a grand slam champion, which is a nice feeling to have, but yeah, I mean, at the. Share it with the family, all the family were down. It was a great experience. And yeah, we got a cool selfie at the end where they all came up and we got a great selfie. But overall it was, for me, it was a bit of relief to sort of get over the line and sort of know no matter what he did there on out, you know, achieving world number one was a big thing. Winning a grand slam was a big thing. I, I think he had a free to hit for the rest of his career to go out and, you know, when he played these finals, to feel positive, knowing they'd done it and, and, and it was no, no looking, you know, no looking back and thinking I could regret a certain situation which, you know, he's had difficult moments in the past in terms of maybe last year in the U. S. Open final, having a match point, but that's part of tennis. You know, I couldn't fault, I couldn't fault him for the effort on that particular day. You know, I think obviously it's, it's heartbreaking when it doesn't go your way, especially for the fact that it's, you know, against the same team again. It's, you know, granola Zabaya Scott us a couple of times last year in epic matches, but, you know, they're great champions and, and, you know, it's, it's part of sport and that's why we love the sport so much.
A
And what do you make of the, of the doubles event? I know that Neil and Christian, unfortunately, aren't in the, in the tournament anymore, but you're seeing obviously Harry and Henry another six and the third victory today. You know, we've moved now into certainly on one half of the draw, we've moved into the semi finals. How do you see this playing out from now on the men's double side?
B
Yeah, I mean, it's funny when you get them situations where you get over six and a third, another one, and then all of a sudden they go three on the bounce with it. I think these, these really big moments and matches don't become as big, they sort of become second nature. They've done it before, they've done it the day before, the day before that. They just go through and they stick, you know, in the moment and, and things are obviously clicking for them when, when they need it the most. And that's, that's a sign of, of a partnership that are in good form and, and obviously in a positive mindset. You know, the guys played pretty well yesterday. They served well, the stats were great. We just couldn't find a way to, to do enough on, on the return of serve. And obviously in the big moments in the match, tie or, sorry, in the two tie breaks, it just got away from us and, and, and them small mo margins, it's, it's a challenging thing because he had the same situation last year. Two six and thirds on the bounce hasn't been broken in two, you know, two tournaments in a row. And you're thinking, well, what could we do better? Well, obviously the conditions have an effect on that. I think the court for me seems like it's playing fairly quick as the tournament's gone on. It's dry, it's fast, the air is, you know, it's, it just feels like the ball's getting played with less than the doubles, so the balls are staying fresher for longer. And we just, we just couldn't get the boys serves back. You know, Cochonakis, I faced his serve, probably one of the best serves I've faced, and I think he did a really good job yesterday, you know, averaging between 125, 135, and his partner, who doesn't play that much doubles, was the same. He was 130, 135. So we had to take advantage of second serves, and unfortunately, they did a better job of that than we did.
A
Quick fire. We have, we have a quick fire round for Wimbledon. I'm under strict instructions to keep these pods on the 30, 35 minutes. So we'll try and be Somewhat quick, before we move. I don't know if you've got your Dear Dan question in, but we have the Dear Dan segment at the end. So when you finish the quick fire, you can go off and if there is, you can send in your. Your questions. Ken, you can put it anonymous if it's embarrassing question, but I'll try and answer them as best I can. What's your. What's your best Wimbledon memory?
B
As a fan, who was a fan? I do remember, I do remember one of my first moments going to Wimbledon with my dad. Seeing the old Court one. We didn't actually have tickets, but my dad was able to sort of stand in the gangway and we looked over sort of. I think one of the security people sort of said, you know, I was young, I can't remember what age it was. Have a look over. We could watch for a couple of games. And it was Boris Becker in one of his vests. And that was sort of like that sort of special memory because obviously that, that court number one doesn't exist anymore. But it was a fantastic court.
A
It was a cool.
B
Yeah, it was. Yeah. And it was, it was one. It would have been, you know, growing up, I'm like, oh, I'd love to play on that court, but never got that opportunity. But yeah, just, you know, as a young kid, sort of inspired to sort of play tennis. You never know what your dreams can end up becoming. But yeah, seeing Boris Becker playing on that core for just a couple games was. Was inspiring enough. And it was. I must have been probably 7 or 8 years old and great memories to sort of get the opportunity to be down there with family. And obviously we got the chance to do it many more times since.
A
Finish the sentence. When I think of Wimbledon, I think of tradition. Who would you most like to play on Centre Court, past or present?
B
Roger Federer. Always. Rog. I love them.
A
What song would you like to walk out onto? Centre Court? 2.
B
Oh, you'll never Walk Alone.
A
I knew it, I knew it. I, you know, it was so obvious. It was so obvious. It was always.
B
Well, it was that or the eye of the tiger.
A
Anyway, I asked that question to Freddy Nielsen. He said that he wouldn't do that at Wimbledon, even though it's his favourite song.
B
One thing quickly. We got the chance to sing you'll Never Walk Alone when Neil won Australia this year. But the group of us after the final. So that was pretty special. That was pretty cool. Yeah, they all, they all sort of sang away. They didn't necessarily know all the words. But we were banging it out and it was, it was a really cool feeling.
A
Send me the video. We'll put it out there for anyone that's listening that wants to see it. If you're happy at going out. We'll get it. We'll get it out there on the back of this as well. Because it was, it was a lovely moment. What is the single most important quality in a great doubles partner?
B
Respect.
A
Now that you watch Neil competing, is that harder or easier than competing yourself?
B
I'd say easier. I don't have to do all the running.
A
Your favorite ever Wimbledon doubles champions. And why not? Including your bro.
B
The Bryan brothers idols. Absolutely looked up to them all the way through my sort of college career into my early pro career. Yeah. Amazing men.
A
What is your guilty pleasure?
B
Goodness me, put me on the spot there, I think. Coffee daily. Daily coffee.
A
What's one thing you would change about Wimbledon?
B
I absolutely loved five set doubles. It was the pinnacle of the season for me.
A
What's the best advice that you would give young tennis players?
B
I think the most important thing for me is turning up every day. You won't see a massive change after the. Every single day, but you will notice it long term if you can turn up every single day and give your best effort.
A
And who's winning the World Cup?
B
France.
A
It's not coming home.
B
It could, but I've been thinking, France are winning it from the start and they, they look pretty good to me.
A
Argentina 2/ Nil downer earlier today. Came back and won 3 2.
B
I feel sorry for the Egyptian king.
A
Yeah. I was plotting England's run through without Argentina. You know, they seem like a force to get through. Argentina, France final. It's gonna, it's gonna be tough to see past it now, I think.
B
Yeah.
A
Ken Skopski, amazing. Thank you for joining us on controller controllables. All the best with the rest of the season. Enjoy a little bit of family time and we'll see you really soon.
B
Cheers then. Good luck to you too, mate.
A
Man. Thank you. So there. Another, another brilliant guest here. Wimbledon live control the controllables. We are now day, day nine going into day ten. A couple of questions just to get through. Thank you everyone that's sending them in. It's been great to engage in you. Thank you for those that have said hello to me at Wimbledon. Fantastic seeing so many of you that are, that are followers, supporters of the podcast. So we do massively appreciate that. First Dear Dan, question from Katie Payne. What is the process in a coach and pro player beginning to work Together we can maybe have a full podcast on that. Katie, it does depend, and that's not a cop out. It's just. It does depend. Situations are different now. I know with a lot of the top singles players, the process has quite a lot of involvement with agents. I'd like to think a big part of that process in any situation is that there's a lot of conversation and alignment that happens in that initial stage, you know, to really find out if you're aligned in values, if you're aligned in vision, if you're aligned in how you work on your boundaries, on, you know, all of these type of conversations that I think the work done before relationships start is. Is the most important because quite quickly you want to try and get to a place where you're really established with a strong connection. That's where the magic happens in any relationship, you know, and it's like, not the coach has magic. It's not about that, but it's. It's the. The relationship can have magic. You know, the relationship can really impact and can and can shift so many things. So. So having having the relevant conversations and honest conversations and what are some of the things negotiables from one, the coach and two, from the player? You know, I. I'm a big believer in those type of conversations. Whether that happens with the agents involved, I'm not so sure. I think sometimes coaches become almost sold off by the agent because they've become available, and then they start to, like, nitpick and have these conversations with different. Different other agents and players, and, okay, this coach is available and we do this and we do that. It then tends to be like a trial period, that. Which, again, I think is smart. But I think a lot of people go into the trial period of maybe if that's a week or two, okay, fair. But I. I've heard sometimes people have trial periods of like, three months where they've not really established any solid ground in terms of whether this is the right relationship, because there's no such thing as the best coach out there. There is a such thing of the best coach out there for you at a given point in your career. And it's about trying to establish that. And if you establish that, that is when we see some really strong partnerships that form. I also love it, and I'll use Emma Radicano as an example for the first time, I think, ever. She's the one that went and said, actually, I want Andrew Richardson. And she talked to us in the press conference. She sent him a message and Said, hey. And then from there that relationship started to get established again after she'd, she'd won. But it was the big thing, it was her intention, it was her, it's what she wanted. And when you start doing things that you want to do and it's your choice, you know, then, then for me that's the place because the player has to own that. The player has to be the one that knows what they need and want around them. And we saw immediately Andrew Richardson's come back and Emiratakan has played fantastic. I know she's been injured and missed Wimbledon. Whereas I think the agents, you might tell that I'm not a big fan of a lot of agents out there. I know there's some really good guys and good girls out there that are, that take that do a really good job. But I do think there's a bit of a, bit of an old boys club that happens in our sport and it's almost like it's just easy to just bring someone in who you already know. Whereas I like the players involvement to be heavy. So that would be a bit of a long winded way of answering that question. But hopefully, hopefully helps you Katie. So thank you. And then the last one from Archie. Archie Rushforth, what does the dream recovery day look like for you and your players during a tournament? I think a dream day for sure, I think for most players is, is a lazy morning, right? I mean I think having the opportunity to, to have a bit of a lazy morning, slow morning. There's no bigger almost privilege than having a slow morning of like, like it's a big treat. You know, you get up without maybe an alarm, you know, you go for a bit of a walk into Southfields or the village. You know, you, you. I'm not a big coffee drinker but you get your coffee, you have your eggs in, in one of the lovely coffee shops and cafes, you know, and you take it very easy. Some players won't be hitting on those days and my doubles players will tend to, and will tend to have already scouted the next opponent. So then we want to be doing some certain kind that are going to come up in the, in the match the following day, you know, so you obviously that takes up a fair bit of the time and then without a shadow of a doubt, certainly the, the doubles players I work with, they don't have their own physios. So they'll then be seeing the physios on site. Those that are in the privileged position to have their own physio, they might not even come on site. Like, I know Arthur Ferry didn't come on site today and I think that's smart because it's like, if he comes on site, he's got everyone on him. The Ed, you've got to protect your energy. But he will have the physios working on him at home, wherever he's staying, and probably staying at home because he lives very close. So I would show, I'm sure that there's a part of that recovery day will involve that some people like to read, go for a walk, see the city, shop, you know, different things, but probably not doing too much that's too strenuous or taking takes too long. And also that finishes at a relatively early time because you don't want to then be coming back. So. But it's, it's a real treat. It's.
B
It's.
A
And just the word I would use in that is like, using gratitude as well. Like, I think there's nothing better than that practice day in between matches, deep into Grand Slams. It's a real privilege and I tell players all the time and I certainly personally never take that for granted. I'm like looking around like the. This is just amazing. Like, how cool is this? And we've got a quarterfinal the next day, or we've got a semi final the next day, or touch wood, you've got a final the next day that's, you know, and experiencing that is. Is really special. And again, for me personally, massive, massive tennis enthusiast. Love tennis, Love the sport. Being a big part of my life, that is, is something that's very lucky. And if you're lucky enough then to have your family around to spend and do that as well. But yeah, one of, one of kind of tennis's little treasures is those rest days around Grand Slams, the later that you go, guys, it's been fun. It's day nine and we'll be back with day ten tomorrow. There's lots more we're going to be talking about. We're getting to the business end here at SW19. Thank you for listening. Until next time, I'm Dan Keanen. We are controlling control.
B
The control.
This episode of Control the Controllables offers a lively recap of Day 9 at Wimbledon 2026. Host Dan Kiernan, director of SotoTennis Academy, is joined by special guest Ken Skupski, the 2023 Wimbledon Men's Doubles winning coach and former ATP doubles pro. The pair dig into the day’s highlights from SW19, review standout player performances, and reflect on the high-performance mindset required for both players and coaches at tennis’ highest level. They also take a behind-the-scenes look at the experience of coaching (and being a brother to) a Grand Slam champion, and finish with a spirited quick-fire Q&A.
"Stepping onto this court is something special. I was so looking forward to it. It's an amazing atmosphere and something else to play here. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity."
— Coco Gauff (quoted by Dan) (08:47)
Dan emphasizes the importance of gratitude and resilience:
"What a nice message for us all. That gratitude of just feeling lucky to be here, right? And then you have the winner mindset on top of that." — Dan (08:55)
On supporting a sibling in the Wimbledon final:
"From a brother perspective, it's easy to get carried away...You’ve got to try and keep that level headed, focus on what does the player need out of me right now...For me, having that level headed calmness all the way through, I think it gives him an understanding that we're locked in and we're ready for whatever's coming next."
— Ken Skupski (12:00)
The importance of composure and eye contact, avoiding visible emotion swings for the player’s sake.
The emotions as match point is won:
“As soon as you know it’s out, it's pure joy and excitement, but again, there's a sense of relief as well. It's like, he's done it, you know, he's achieved what he's wanted. You know, as a coach...I've coached a Grand Slam champion, which is a nice feeling...”
— Ken (17:18)
Reflections on the significance for both player and coach, and the “free hit” feeling that comes after achieving the ultimate goal.
On streaks of tight matches and the nature of grass-court doubles:
“These really big moments and matches don’t become as big, they sort of become second nature. They've done it before...That’s a sign of a partnership in good form.”
— Ken (19:07)
Observations on quick courts, fast conditions, and the impact on returnability.
Importance of second serve returns; serving prowess highlighted (Cocokinakis’ massive serves).
Best Wimbledon memory?
“As a fan, I remember one of my first moments going to Wimbledon with my dad...seeing Boris Becker in one of his vests. That was sort of a special memory because obviously that court number one doesn’t exist anymore.”
— Ken (21:19)
Wimbledon in a word:
"Tradition." — Ken (22:31)
Dream Centre Court opponent:
"Roger Federer. Always. Rog. Love him." — Ken (22:41)
Walk-on song:
"You'll Never Walk Alone." — Ken (22:48)
(Bonus: Recalls singing it in Melbourne after Neil’s Australian Open win, with the group.)
Most important quality in a doubles partner:
"Respect." — Ken (23:42)
Easier to coach or play — watching your brother compete VS competing yourself:
"Easier. I don’t have to do all the running." — Ken (23:48)
Favorite non-family doubles champions:
"The Bryan brothers. Idols. Absolutely looked up to them all the way through my sort of college career." — Ken (23:57)
Guilty pleasure:
"Daily coffee." — Ken (24:10)
Change he’d make to Wimbledon:
"I absolutely loved five-set doubles. It was the pinnacle of the season for me." — Ken (24:18)
Best advice for young tennis players:
"The most important thing for me is turning up every day. You won’t see a massive change every day, but you will notice it long-term if you can turn up and give your best effort." — Ken (24:27)
World Cup prediction:
“France.” — Ken (24:40)
On coaching your brother at Wimbledon:
“For me, having that level headed calmness all the way through, I think it gives him an understanding that we're locked in and we're ready for whatever's coming next.”
— Ken Skupski (12:00)
On the Wimbledon experience:
"As a young kid, inspired to sort of play tennis. You never know what your dreams can end up becoming. But, yeah, seeing Boris Becker playing on that court for just a couple games was inspiring enough."
— Ken Skupski (22:10)
On resilience:
“She’s someone who, whenever anyone doubts her, Coco Gauff comes flying back and she’s certainly done it this time.”
— Dan Kiernan (09:14)
On player–coach relationships:
“The relationship can have magic...Having the relevant, honest conversations before you start is the most important.”
— Dan Kiernan (27:20)
A vibrant and insightful Wimbledon recap capturing not just match facts, but the inside stories, emotional currents, and mindset lessons that define tennis at its highest level. With Dan’s first-hand coaching updates and Ken Skupski’s reflections as a Grand Slam-winning coach and brother, listeners are offered rare access to both the pressure and the privilege of life behind the scenes. Anchored by standout performances (especially from Coco Gauff), the evolving doubles storylines, and thoughtful Q&A, it’s an engaging, energizing listen for anyone with a love of the sport.