Lloyd Glasspool´s Journey to ATP Doubles No.1

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Lloyd Glasspool’s Journey to ATP Doubles No. 1

Podcast: Control the Controllables
Host: Dan Kiernan
Episode: 273
Date: December 31, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this special New Year’s episode, Dan Kiernan celebrates British doubles star Lloyd Glasspool, who finished 2025 as world No. 1 alongside partner Julian Cash. Through a blend of new interviews and retrospective clips, Dan walks through Lloyd's entire tennis journey—from playful beginnings in Birmingham, to transformative coaching experiences, partnership triumphs (including a historic Wimbledon win), and insights on what it takes to reach the top in doubles. The episode is rich in reflection, practical advice for players/coaches, and candid moments that illuminate the mental and emotional journey of a world-class athlete.

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Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. Early Years and Foundations (00:00–12:08)

• Multisport Upbringing & Parental Influence [02:05–03:27]

  • Lloyd started tennis at age 6–7, playing at local courts but also football, rugby, swimming, and especially gymnastics.
  • "My parents had a bigger picture outlook... if I was good at it and enjoyed it then it's an option after I get all my education." — Lloyd Glasspool [02:54]
  • His mother: national hockey player for Wales; father: keen archer and sportsman.

• Gymnastics as a Foundation [03:32–04:56]

  • Early focus on coordination, core strength, and movement benefited tennis.
  • “We won the school national championships multiple times… it helped massively with the body and movement.” — Lloyd Glasspool [04:36]

• Influence of Early Coach, Claire Williamson [05:01–07:00]

  • Emphasis on fun, variety, building the toolbox of shots rather than early specialization.
  • "She wanted me to… hit every shot in the book by the age of 14." — Lloyd Glasspool [05:01]
  • Innovative, playful drills to develop skills and creativity.

• Formative Teenage Years [09:18–12:08]

  • Tennis remained fun, with a focus on group camaraderie and not taking things too seriously.
  • Reflection on how today’s players may feel more pressure to specialize early.

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2. Navigating the Professional Ranks and Doubles Journey (12:08–23:27)

• Chasing Funding and Development Pathways [11:44–12:08]

  • Lloyd and Dan recount choosing competitive pathways (Tennis Europe vs. ITF) based on funding opportunities and development, not just results.

• Big Picture Lessons [12:08–13:50]

  • The importance of fun for longevity and not burning out early.

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3. The Rise with Harry Heliovara: Partnerships, Culture & Chemistry (13:50–23:27)

• Meteoric Climb in Doubles Rankings [13:50–15:20]

  • Partnership between Lloyd and Finnish doubles specialist Harry Heliovara soared after time stuck at Challenger level.
  • “We were kind of stuck in Challengers a little bit longer than I thought we deserved to be...” — Harry Heliovara [14:28]

• Teamwork, Challenges, and the Importance of Persisting with Partnerships [15:20–18:41]

  • Honest reflection on how doubles partnerships often split when things get tough, but sticking together made the difference.
  • “That kind of… built the relationship a little bit stronger. We could trust each other…” — Harry Heliovara [16:16]
  • Rules like ATP’s “top 13 teams” acceptance helped them commit to the partnership.

• Complementary Playing Styles and Personalities [19:08–21:23]

  • A “chalk and cheese” dynamic: Harry the energetic competitor, Lloyd the calm strategist.
  • “He just keeps himself cool on the court as well. He knows what he's doing there… and lets me do the celebrations.” — Harry Heliovara [20:26]

• Learning to Love Competition & Practice Intensity [21:53]

  • Both thrive on high-pressure, competitive practice—critical for their on-court success.

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4. 2025 Breakthrough: Wimbledon Glory & World No. 1 (23:27–32:31)

• Winning Wimbledon with Julian Cash [23:27–25:09]

  • Emotion and pride in a packed Centre Court victory, a British pair winning the title for the first time since 1936.
  • “Dreams are made of that kind of stuff.” — Lloyd Glasspool [23:40]
  • Noted for an uncharacteristic, “cool, calm” celebration after landing the championship-winning serve.

• Handling Nerves and Big Moments [25:09–26:57]

  • Lloyd describes his process-based mindset under pressure: focusing on technical cues rather than outcome.
  • “I'm just thinking getting the ball toss high and using my legs and that's it. Nothing to do with the racket, nothing to do with the ball strike…” — Lloyd Glasspool [26:43]

• Managing the Final’s Pressure & the Role of Coach Louis Cayer [28:31–30:32]

  • Emphasis on controlling the “performer”—partnering skills, energy, and controllables—over fixating on tactics or outcomes.
  • “He made us focus on the performer side and that was it. He didn't mention any tactics. It was all about us.” — Lloyd Glasspool on Louis Cayer [28:31]
  • Cayer’s humility, tireless work ethic, and ability to say just the right thing at the right time are praised.

• The Moment of Realization & Celebrating the Win [31:09–32:31]

  • It took days to fully appreciate the magnitude of becoming Wimbledon champion.
  • The importance of family, friends, and coaches—special mention for early coach Claire Williamson and his mother’s competitive legacy.

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5. Growth, Maturity, and Looking Ahead (32:31–36:09)

• Emotional Resilience and the Clutch Factor [33:29–33:45]

  • Lloyd’s stoicism—a “superpower”—helps him stay centered in high-stress moments.
  • “Not at all. Not even close. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Probably one of the reasons why it helped me out there.” — Lloyd Glasspool on shedding tears post-win [33:29]

• Mindset Shift, Confidence, and Ambition [34:56–36:09]

  • The Wimbledon title “gave me that confidence… that I can win big ones.”
  • “You can't say you're a champion when you've just never done it, even if you are good enough. So it has given me that confidence ... I just want the US Open next.” — Lloyd Glasspool [34:56]

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Dan Kiernan's Reflections & Takeaways for Players, Coaches, Parents (36:09–End)

Summary Points & Lessons:

• It’s a Long-Term, Non-Linear Journey
  • Growth into one’s authentic self—including confidence and emotional skills—can take many years, often well into the late 20s/30s.
• Fun, Enjoyment, and Process are Crucial
  • Early enjoyment and playfulness enable longevity and resilience.
• Allow Players Time to Grow
  • “Give people time”—skills, attitude, and on-court personas mature at different rates.
• Humility & Partnership
  • Remaining humble and being a great team partner are keys to doubles and to life success.
• Embrace Competition and Practice Under Pressure
  • Loving the contest, even in practice, builds clutch performance.
• Great Coaches Matter
  • Transformative coaches (Claire Williamson, Louis Cayer) make a lasting difference—bringing the right mix of tactical, technical, emotional, and personal guidance.
• Doubles Mirrors Life
  • It rewards those who can balance personal ambitions with partnership, empathy, and understanding others.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “She wanted me to... hit every shot in the book by the age of 14.”
  — Lloyd Glasspool on coach Claire Williamson, [05:01]

• “We were kind of stuck in Challengers a little bit longer than I thought we deserved to be...”
  — Harry Heliovara, [14:28]

• “He just keeps himself cool on the court as well. He knows what he's doing there… and lets me do the celebrations.”
  — Harry Heliovara on Lloyd, [20:26]

• “Dreams are made of that kind of stuff.”
  — Lloyd Glasspool on winning Wimbledon, [23:40]

• “He made us focus on the performer side and that was it. He didn’t mention any tactics. It was all about us.”
  — Lloyd Glasspool on Louis Cayer’s advice, [28:31]

• “Not at all. Not even close. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Probably one of the reasons why it helped me out there.”
  — Lloyd Glasspool on whether he shed tears after the win, [33:29]

• “Now I’m like, I want to start chasing slams. I just want the US Open next. That is a genuine goal now. Before … did I truly, truly believe it? I’m not sure. But now I 100 do.”
  — Lloyd Glasspool on new ambitions, [34:56]

• “Give people time. People need time on that. Lloyd’s now 32… it’s probably only the last two years or so that he’s grown into that.”
  — Dan Kiernan, [~37:00]

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Final Thoughts

The episode is a celebration of persistence, the importance of process over immediate outcome, and the value of relationships—family, coaches, partners—across the rollercoaster of sporting life. A must-listen (or read!) for anyone interested in athlete development, doubles culture, or the unseen realities of elite sport.

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Transcript

[Dan Kiernan]

Foreign. Welcome to episode 273 of Controller Controllables and a big happy new year to you all. I'm bringing this episode from Sydney, Australia as the 2026 season has, has begun and I'm, I'm here at the United cup and we thought what better way than to, to bring you a feel good story of 2025. Now of course this story is very personal to myself, Lloyd Glasspool, someone who I have played a role, coached for many years since the age of 11 and he finished 2025 as, as world number one alongside his doubles partner Julian Cash and what, what a year they had. Lloyd's been on the podcast numerous times over, over the last five, six years and we thought we'd go on a bit of a journey with Lloyd and, and take you through, you know, how, how he's developed, how he has gone about his business and we picked out some clips that I think tell that story nicely. Now clip number one is going back to episode 84 which was back in 2021 and Lloyd at that point was ranked 150 in the world in doubles. He'd had a career high of 282 in singles which I'd been alongside him for that singles journey as well. And he delves into how he started tennis and, and that journey that took him to that point point to give

[Coach]

the listeners I suppose the context, you know, it's what does 282 in the world mean? What does 150 in the world doubles mean? Can you go back to how you started your tennis life and I guess sporting life really as well?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

I think I picked up a racket at the age of 6, 7 around there just at like the local council place, Billsley. You probably remember Billsy well. And yeah, I just played a lot of mixtures of sport, football, rugby, gymnastics. I kind of did everything swimming until probably 14, 13ish. And then it was just football and tennis and then yeah, I mean I just kept it fun. I was still in school full time till 18, till I went to university. Yeah, I just had kind of, my parents had a bigger picture outlook on the sport and if I was good at it and enjoyed it then it's an option after I get all my education, just kind of keeping all doors open.

[Coach]

And you mentioned your parents, your mum was a national hockey player for Wales I believe and your dad was the number one player on the third team at Ambassador Archery as well, I believe, is that right?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Not sure who's number one. I think he was captain but I'm not sure he can say he's number one. He might have been two or three on the third team, that is. My mom played for Wales.

[Coach]

So that sporting prowess from your parents that set you on the right. The right track as well, I guess.

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Yeah, exactly. That. A lot to do with the sport and big into sports, so that helped.

[Coach]

And again, for the listeners, myself and Lloyd go back a long way.

[Dan Kiernan]

Yeah.

[Coach]

I don't know exactly which. Which year it was, but I was Lloyd's coach for a few years in the junior ranks. Is someone that then always stayed in touch with and also coach in the professional ranks as well. So there's. There's lots of inside scoop I've got on them. But I'll start off slow, Lloyd, before I get to some of the juiciest stuff. But gymnastics, you touched on it. I use you as an example, actually, to lots of people because my memory. And I have to give a big shout out to Claire Williamson at this point, who did such an amazing job with you as a young'. Un. But gymnastics seemed to be quite a big part of what you did when you were younger. And I always think that's such a fantastic sport for learning so many skills. Core strength, the ability to balance, agility, you know. How much did you do as in your younger years?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

I think a lot. I actually did a lot. I was going to a lot of competitions. I think we won the school national championships multiple times. So, you know, it's from a very young age, multiple times a week. And I just think it helped massively with the body and movement. Yeah. Like a really good foundation.

[Coach]

And then what about Claire? How big of an influence was she on your. On your tennis?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Massive. Again, she had a pretty open mindset in the fact she wanted me to. I remember Michelle, I want you to hit every shot in the book by the age of 14, I think it was. Whether it was, I don't know, whatever it was, kick, serve, slice, serves, like every variation and a lot of kind of outside of the box stuff in terms of movement and her energy as well. That was something I think I need at that age because I was always pretty in my shell. And she did a good job of kind of changing that.

[Coach]

And I suppose that would. I know there's a lot of coaches listening to these podcasts, but that would be. I've always said it. If I was going to bring in any coach to work with players under the age of 12 and give them that first start, Claire would be my, my first choice because of not only the energy she brings, but exactly that. I know when I started coaching you, it was amazing how many shots you did have in your locker and how many different tools. Now you didn't always quite know when to use those tools, you know, but that, and that's something that obviously you

[Dan Kiernan]

can develop through time.

[Coach]

But I think there's a, there's a massive learning there, you know, where maybe some coaches are trying to actually coach professional tennis players at the age of 8 and 9 rather than actually give

[Dan Kiernan]

them a little bit of the, like

[Coach]

I say, the toolbox. Can you give us any specifics of the sort of things that you used to do with Claire?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

I remember we used to start every single session. I was on the service line facing the back fence. She was right on top of the net, a ball in each hand, and then she would shout, go and throw one of them. And I would have to get to that ball in one bounce and hit like a drop shot that stayed in the service box. So if it rolled out, the service box didn't count. And it was just out of 10 to see how many we could get every day.

[Coach]

What do you think makes a good coach at that age?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

A long term view on things? I think just building someone that teaching a player how to win at that age isn't necessarily the best thing. But as you said, giving them every tool and then just making them enjoy it, I think bringing that energy and

[Dan Kiernan]

making it fun and something I've always

[Coach]

wanted to ask you, Lloyd, because I coached. I think it was about age 11, age 11 or 12 to age 17

[Dan Kiernan]

before I moved to Spain and you,

[Lloyd Glasspool]

before you left me, you're out.

[Coach]

You've already, you've already said more words to me on this podcast than you, than you, than you said to me in those five years. You know, I remember having a, having a conversation with your mom and I

[Dan Kiernan]

said, I think he hates me. Honestly, I think he hates me.

[Coach]

Never say honestly, Dan. He doesn't.

[Dan Kiernan]

He really likes you, really admires you. He just, it's just the way he is.

[Coach]

So what was going through your head during those five years? Where were you at?

[Harry Heliovara]

I don't know.

[Lloyd Glasspool]

I think I was just young. I remember Matt Thomas, I used to work with Matt Thomas a little bit and he used to get us to say, good morning, how are you? The very first thing as soon as you see him. And if you didn't say it, you couldn't play. And some days I just wouldn't play in 15 minutes because I just couldn't bring myself to say It, I don't know, I was just young and I guess not confident in myself.

[Coach]

But you say you were just young. That was again, to fast forward a few years, we went. I remember in Greece when we were

[Dan Kiernan]

on a trip with the Academy, I

[Coach]

was like, where's Lloyd? At dinnertime one night and you just walked off to your room and you hadn't said good night or goodbye to anyone either. So what's going on? You seem to struggle with the start of the day and the end of the day having that communication.

[Lloyd Glasspool]

I don't know.

It's something that pro says, well, I just refuse to say goodbye. I don't know. I just find it awkward. It's an awkward process. It's kind of forced, I think, so it's just not me.

[Coach]

So there we are, ladies and gentlemen, Lloyd Glaspool, trying to justify not being polite. And what are your memories of, I suppose those quite formative years as well, between 12 and 18, before you went to college? What are your memories of your tennis journey then?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

It was all pretty fun, honestly, from the age of 12 to 18 it was either. I don't. There was a load of good players based around Birmingham. That's what I remember. That's the difference from then and today. Like, if I wanted to be a player today, I don't know where I'd train. But yeah, just a lot of good players, good group of people, good group of coaches. There was Solio Harden, Edgbaston Prairie, something going on at Billsley. Just loads going on and really enjoyed it. Really fun and lots of having fun through those ages. And I was never. I did travel and go to tournaments a lot, but it was never too serious for me, I guess, at those ages.

[Coach]

And do you, I guess, is your view now that you're a bit older, that you think it has become a bit more serious? Or is that just because you have a different lens now that you're more mature?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Potentially a different lens. But also I think the journey I was on at that age was similar to everyone else around me at that age. And the fact that they were all in school, they had plans to kind of go to university or whatever. And I think people that play tennis potentially don't have those same views. It's all kind of want to go professional straight after. And if that's your view, then you do have to play more tournaments. And I guess it is a bit more serious because you committed to making that decision earlier.

[Coach]

Can I challenge you on that?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

I mean, I know you're going to say American college is way more of an option now. Yeah, yeah, I'd agree. But I still think tennis players as a whole potentially drop out of school earlier.

[Coach]

Yes, yeah, I'd go with that. But I just think the reason I'm saying it, and obviously having lots of conversations with people, I think we can have quite short memories. And you know, even if I look back and I was your coach at

[Dan Kiernan]

that time, we had a decision.

[Coach]

Now, you can call it whatever funding you want to call it, but we were trying to get you on a

[Dan Kiernan]

matrix, I think it was at the time.

[Coach]

And I remember we had the option for your age group of being top 10 in Europe under 16 or top 200, ITF under 18, something along those lines. And one thing, and one of my reflections is I think it worked very well going the tennis Europe route for your. For your development.

[Dan Kiernan]

But actually, I think if we're being

[Coach]

brutally honest, we were probably chasing the funding with that decision.

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, obviously the funding helped me massively. Like, I don't know what I would have done without it. But yeah, we definitely took that route because of the funding. It would have been interesting to see our plans if that wasn't there or wasn't an option.

[Coach]

And there's so many things to take from that clip.

[Dan Kiernan]

But I think some of the kind of resounding things that come out of listening to Lloyd all of those years ago is he kept on using the terminology about it was fun, it wasn't too serious, you know, in those kind of formative years. And, you know, I think here we are in 2026. I think often people taking their tennis too seriously, it's at an early age. And when we kind of fast forward now, you know, Lloyd just turned 32 years old to have that longevity in the sport. And that's where real success comes. If you're in the sport long enough, then you've got chance to. To. To have success. You develop emotionally, mentally, physically, all of those things. And Lloyd has certainly done that over, over the last few years. So I think it was, it was lovely to hear him talking about that. Now, the second clip was actually Mo when he was playing with Harry Heliovara. You know, they had quite a meteoric rise. You know, they started 2022 playing Challengers. They were a fantastic partnership. And then it got to the end of that year where they qualified for the ATP Tour finals in Turin, the real mecca of. Of our sport to be there. They had a great run there. They, they made the semifinals in Turin, losing a tight match. To Mechtic and Pavic and finished the year world number five team as they moved into 2023. And we've got a little clip of Lloyd and Harry talking about, about their year that took them to that point.

[Coach]

Boys, what, what a year you've had. 2022 started in the rankings at 78 and 64 respectively. End the year as the fifth best doubles team in the world, ranked 11 and 12 in the world. And you know, you've maybe finally had a little bit of time to just sit down and reflect on the last 12 months. I know having the fortune to spend some time with you guys in Turin last week. I know you were playing a challenger in Turin earlier in the year. You know, what, what do you put such, the, such a meteoric rise down to?

[Harry Heliovara]

Leading up to this year, tennis was in a bit of a weird place. Like we were kind of stuck in challenges a little bit longer than I thought we deserved to be just because of the strength of them and the way the points were set out. So I don't actually think level wise we were as far off at the beginning of the year as our Rankin suggested. But having said that, we have both worked very hard throughout the year. There's been a couple key moments for us. I don't want to give anyone else the credit, but Harry came over to London a couple times throughout the year to do a little training camp together with Louis Kaya. And both times after those camps, we've actually gone on to probably produce some of our best tennis and best results. So those are kind of two standout moments for me.

[Coach]

And in terms of it, Harry, like, it's the sort of sport where, like Lloyd said, you can get stuck with. It's not easy. And I always think in doubles, getting past 35 forties, quite a tough spot as well. You know, you have to win a lot. You know, it's almost like you guys were like knife through butter once you got going. You just, you went and went. But the other thing we see in doubles is when the partnership, not that the partnership wasn't working, but it's easy for people to start blaming a little bit, looking elsewhere, having other offers and, and I think it's, it's great credit to both of you that you, you have continued going, like you alluded to one match out of four at the start in Australia, you know, but you've kept going with the partnership. You know, was there a moment for both of you where we, where you thought maybe this isn't the partnership that's going to work. And how have you been able to then work through that together?

[Harry Heliovara]

Yeah, I would say the key part was actually the end of last year, actually end of 21, when we, when we knew that we had to do really well in the last couple of challenges of the year to be able to get into Australia together. And because we had such a good result, especially we had to win the last one in Bari. We did that and we, that kind of, I don't know, it felt like it built the relationship a little bit stronger. We could trust each other, that okay, we did this together, let's start the year together. Probably there were still both of us were thinking that when we get into a bigger event during the year, maybe we have to split to get in. But on the other hand There was the ATP double stop 13 rule, which means that if you play to together you might get into, you might get accepted to the ATP 1000 tournaments if you're one of the best 13 teams in the world. And that was, that was one of the goals and probably also kept us together a little bit. And yeah, that was, that was a key thing. First of all, to be able to get into, in together into the tournaments beginning of the year, then just slowly getting better results and then there's no point splitting up when you're in the

[Coach]

race also because that's the thing, Lloyd, isn't it? It's like in doubles, if you're not getting in the events, then you are splitting up and then it. Then you're in that ranking of 60, 70 where you're starting to play with different partners each week. The Brian's famously talked about the first six months of the year was always the time that they cashed in. You know, it was like the first six months of the year these other partners were splitting up and they, they found that they just had the rhythm from the start of the year. They would clean up, win all of the tournaments. It would get to the second half of the year and the other teams would catch them up and then they would all split up again and then they would clean up at the start of that six months. So is, is that something that the more you play with someone, the more that you understand or is there, I guess there's also the danger, the more you play with someone, the more that you niggle. But you know, how much is it about the relationship, the understanding of each of his games and, and how you combine the strengths of, of the two of you? Because you both have different strengths. You know, you seem to complement each Other very well.

[Harry Heliovara]

Yeah, you said, I think it can go one way or the other. And with us, our personalities obviously just get on and gel and we can spend a lot of time together. So for us it's actually been a positive spending so much time together and our relationship continuing. But yeah, I think it was just for us it's gone strength to strength by just really knowing each other's games so well and knowing when maybe I

[Lloyd Glasspool]

need to give a bit more or he needs to give a bit more

[Harry Heliovara]

to like cover my weakness at a certain moment or just something like that, really understanding each other. And then in the tight pressure moments, if you know what your partner is going to do as well as what yourself is going to do, that gives you such an advantage over a team that doesn't really know what the other person is going to do. They only know what themselves are going to do in those pressure moments.

[Coach]

Because I, you say about you guys getting on and you know, it's, it's,

[Dan Kiernan]

it's great to see, but I do

[Coach]

think you are a bit chalk and cheese. You know, anyone that's, anyone that's watched you and you know that. I was speaking to someone after terrain and they said, I just love it. I just love the way Harry celebrates. And as Harry celebrating, Lloyd in the background's walking off to the, to the changing rooms, you know, and that was, that was great for me to see as well. I, I saw, I took a couple of videos, you know, you guys warming up before the match and Lloyd's on the bike just kind of chilling and Harry's getting a full sweat on, you know, ready to go. And that, that chalk and cheese way, Is that what it's like Harry off the court as well? Or is that just, you know, it's an infectious energy that you bring on the court. You know, would it be, would it be difficult to have two Harry's and two Lloyds to play together?

[Harry Heliovara]

I think it's, it's a great combination. We, we need that because yeah, from, from my point of view, I'm, I just love competition. Like anytime we're playing for, for no matter what the price is, but when we're playing for something, I just, I just thrive in that situation. I want to win and that like, that brings the energy out of me. But probably many people wouldn't believe it when they see me outside the tennis court. I'm mostly a pretty calm person, but then on the court I just change into this guy full of energy. And I think a lot is, is a similar type of guy outside the court. He's quite calm and thinks a lot and, and he just keeps, keeps himself cool on the court as well. He knows what he's doing there. He doesn't have to show anyone anything. He just does his own thing and lets me do the celebrations.

[Coach]

But I, I remember a long time ago with, with Lloyd giving him a couple of, a couple of tellings off on the doubles court for not bringing enough energy, you know, so, so I've always thought as I, as I've followed you guys that you are the, the perfect, perfect four for him because you know, you being able to be the one that is, is bringing that energy allows him to then, you know, play, play that cool role that, that, that he's, that he's able to do and playing his best tennis.

[Dan Kiernan]

And it's so nice listening to, to Harry and Lloyd, you know, and again to be fortunate enough to have spent quite a bit of time with them on their journey together. And now between them they have won four Grand Slam titles and you know, three men's doubles between them and then one mixed doubles that Harry won in 2023 at US Open. Both. Yeah, both great stories. You know, the way that they've, they've, they've both gone about their business and I'm sure they have a lot more success to come and you know, I, I could take from that the big thing that stands out again for me from that little clip Harry said it, I, I love competition. Well, Lloyd does as well and that's where their practices were so good because they love to compete, you know, and when you put them into certain scenarios and task orientated situations, they would go at it, you know, they would feel that pressure because they love the competition so much and you know, you watch their practice sessions when they get into those moments, it feels quite match like, you know, and that because of that they're gaining so much experience at the business end of tennis that where it really matters and I'm sure that that's contributed to, to, to the, the careers that they are, that they are creating for themselves now as well. And then we then move on, we move on to 2025 where we had Lloyd on only a few days after his historic Wimbledon championship victory alongside Julian Cash.

[Coach]

And finally we, we get to welcome

[Dan Kiernan]

a Wimbledon champion onto the show, Lloyd Glaspool. How does it feel? That's, you'll never get old here in that, I guess.

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Yeah, I mean it is incredible. I can't really put it into words. It's definitely a dream come true. Walking out onto that Centre court. It's. Especially with so many people coming out to watch. I mean, I'm really glad they moved the final before the women's because especially the back end of the match was, I don't know, 90% packed, I'd say. Which. Playing the doubles on the center court of Wimbledon with a packed crowd in front of all your friends and family, especially to get the win is. Dreams are made of that kind of stuff.

[Dan Kiernan]

Well, it was. You know, you're not normally someone who's known for those big celebrations. There's been times where those celebrations haven't been so big. However, I did notice at the Queen's final, there was some arms that went up in the air. The crowd got. You were getting the crowd going. The same happened in the quarterfinal match, which I want to get into that quarterfinal match in a minute, because three match points down, you know, you. You all of a sudden, your Wimbledon could be over. And I was, I was starting to

[Coach]

get excited thinking, what's he got up his sleeve here?

[Dan Kiernan]

You know, has this been kind of like 20 years in the making? He's starting to express himself a little bit. The arms are up in the air, but you just, you played it super cool, huh? And we. We are feeling quite as cool on

[Lloyd Glasspool]

the inside, I want to say. Yeah, I mean, the serve I hit, I, you know, if you could ask me, any serve to hit on the championship point, that was the one and I nailed it. So I thought the celebration had to. Had to match. And it was a little cool karma collector.

[Coach]

Very much so. And, and on that serve, and I don't want to go too much into

[Dan Kiernan]

your tactics, haven't known you for many, many years. But I was watching the quarterfinal match with the, with the family, and I

[Coach]

think I picked all of your serves

[Dan Kiernan]

in the tie break. And the kids were like, how do you know? Have you seen this? Is this not live? And. And I did pick the serve at 9:8 in the breaker that you just missed. But for me, the second serve you hit, which I, by the way, I also picked that one. I picked the spot you were going on the second serve against Harry Heliovari or old partner. That took some balls because that was a seriously big second serve at 9 8. Maybe it's a little bit different serving at 98 than 7 at 6 3.

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Yeah, I mean, definitely more pressure at 98 for me. I felt a little more nervous, actually, at that 9, 8 point than the 6, 3 point. You've always got that comfort, that blanket of, you know, if I miss this one, okay, I've got the next one. And I quite like serving on the juice side as well. But yeah, Harry absolutely nailed that serve that I missed, so I'm glad I did miss it. And then the second, when you're playing against good returners, for me, it's kind of pressure off because you're forced to go for it. You don't have an option to hold back, which makes it a little bit easier. And I knew I had to hit a good second, so, yeah, I just used my legs as much as I could and I committed to it.

[Dan Kiernan]

And is that, is that what you're doing in that moment? Are you.

[Coach]

Are you going to a process thought

[Dan Kiernan]

in that moment that then almost overrides the, the stress of the outcome, which we know can take over so much?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Yeah, for sure. I'm just thinking getting the ball toss high and using my legs and that's it. Nothing to do with the racket, nothing to do with the ball strike, speed, anything boltos and get up to it and whatever happens after that happens.

[Dan Kiernan]

Which I think is a great lesson for people listening and then, and then moving you into the semis and the final, you know that obviously we go back a long way. You know that I'm a, a big supporter, continued support of your tennis and, and I've been very upfront with you and with many people. You know, I, I believed back in 2022, there was a moment that you were playing the best doubles in the 2023, playing the best doubles in the world. You know, those first couple of months of the year, two or three months in the year, obviously then challenging times, maybe not, but the ranking dropped a little bit. And then this year, I think from the word go, I think everyone in the tennis world has seen it. You know, those tie breaks in Australia, you know, you've come up clutch big time and time again, and you just look so comfortable out there on the court right now. Then you're playing in a Wimbledon final. You're the first British pair to be in a final since 1960. You're the first British pair out of one, I believe, since 1936. How are you able to almost just keep. Keep the blinkers on when it just. It's all accumulated into this one massive, massive match. You've got family friends there, you know, you were joking. As the week went on, I finally get some tickets, people can finally get to see me, you know, quarterfinal, court three. You don't get many people in. Yeah, talk.

[Coach]

Talk me through that process, almost that

[Dan Kiernan]

kind of 24 hour window leading into the final and how you were just able to stay so cool, calm and collected in the final.

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Well, as you mentioned, the lead up couldn't have gone any better for us. I think that had a massive part to play in it. Winning two tournaments in the lead up. And then, you know, we weren't pushed massively until the quarters. So I think we had a lot of confidence going into the semis and the final. And that does help. If we battled every match, okay, it's still great to be there. But we were in, in the final and I thought we were playing great tennis, so that definitely helps. But you know, I was still really nervous. Sleepless night the night before and then just having that team around you. Mainly Louis Caillou, who just downplayed it all. He made us focus on the performer side and that was it. He didn't mention any tactics. It was all about us. And he just said, look, guys, I've been here over 20 times. I think it is to win this match, you're going to have to take control of the performer and the rest will happen. So when you break it down like that and you can, you actually have control of all of that stuff, you don't know, you might be nervous, you might miss all your serves or whatever, you can't control that. But you can control how good a partner you are. You can control how much energy you bring. And to know that is going to have a massive impact on the match. That for me settles me a little bit.

[Coach]

And just a word on Louis, because I don't think Louis quite gets the

[Dan Kiernan]

credit he deserves in what he's achieved in the sport. Right. You're saying they're 20 Wimbledon finals and if you start naming the stats, it's just absolutely outrageous. You know, you can't ever imagine almost someone that's had that success in any sport. You know, I've been lucky to be quite close with Louis. People think that he's just a technical coach or a tactical coach, but it always boils down to he seems to just be able to get it with his players, you know, and get the moments. What words do you have for Louis?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Yeah, I think undervalued for sure. Not for the people that are around him, like yourself and me and all the players. And when no one else knows what he does, no one else knows what he says, so that's understandable. But his worth at work ethic still at his age is unbelievable. I think he was working with 8, 910 teams at Wimbledon this year, and four of them were going deep. So he didn't go home for the two weeks he stayed at the ntc. It's incredible. Yeah. Some of the things he says and picks up just. I would never have thought to even think about that. So, yeah, to have that on your side is just so invaluable.

[Dan Kiernan]

Absolutely.

[Coach]

And before I go into a couple

[Dan Kiernan]

of questions, because there's been some questions coming in from people on the social medias, but take me to that moment, the moment that you knew you were Wimbledon champion. You know, was it. Was it an instant hit of this emotion? Has it taken time to settle in? Tell us, when did you really appreciate, oh, my God, we have just won Wimbledon. And how did that feel?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

I mean, there's not. I can't really pinpoint a time. Straight after the match, it still felt like, okay, this was a great win. Now we need to go cool down, do our press. That had been building up over the last few days anyway. We've got another match to play in a day or whenever it is. And then it all kind of hit me like, okay, we don't have a match. All my family are up here celebrating. Everyone's. The tournament's shutting down. And then before you know it, you're. You're off out, you're celebrating, you're having a good time, and then you're doing all the press the next day. You're tired, you're probably a little bit hungover.

[Coach]

We're gonna get to that question.

[Dan Kiernan]

Don't worry. That question's coming. And I know your hangovers, your hangovers aren't good, so we'll get to that.

[Lloyd Glasspool]

It's probably not until now when you just get a day to do nothing, essentially, and you can just sit and be like, wow, I really, I really did it.

[Dan Kiernan]

And I don't know if you'll admit this on, live on, On a. On a podcast. We've obviously, you know, we know how many people go into it, and I do want to shout out Claire Williamson. You know, she must have text about 100 times during the event. You know, she felt it just so, so much. And Claire, you know, your coach when you were. You were young, you know, setting you out on the right way. You know, Blossom Field, the club that you, you know, you started your tennis, but. And I'm sure there's been lots of people that have shed tears. We've talked about your mum off air. You know, your mom, who would never show a tear, you know, outlaw. You know, she shows how tough she is. You know, the professional hockey player she was. Even when I played her in that stupid game at Queens and she beat me and she had that smug look on her face. She's still got that competitive spirit in her. Was there. Was there a tear shed from yourself at all in this whole thing of you if you kept that straight, Lloyd Glasspool face?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

Yeah, not at all. Not even close. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Probably one of the reasons why it helped me out there. And I didn't get too nervous, I don't think. Yeah, I didn't think. Get close.

[Coach]

And. And what is.

[Dan Kiernan]

And that is. Right. And. And look, that is, I think, one of your superpowers, right? You know, your ability to. To be clutch in those moments. Your ability to just even listening to you there, like after the final, you still almost preparing as if you've got another match. That's, I guess, the ultimate, you know, being able to commit to the process, to the point that actually, you know, we can keep emotion. Emotion in.

[Coach]

What.

[Dan Kiernan]

What do you now feel the rest of the year and the rest of your career looks like? You know, is this giving you a thirst for more? The belief, you know, what. How. I'll go back to a story I tell lots of people when I was working with you during your singles career. I remember you won a 15k. We set. Set a goal or your. Your goals. But you wanted to be top 500 by the end of the year. I believe it was in Tipton, maybe you won the event, and you called up and you said, okay, what's. What's the next goal? You know, you. You knew in your mind you'd broken that ranking barrier. And I think you've. You've always been someone that then looks. Looks ahead. So what's. What's the next goal for Lloyd Glasspool and. And also Julian Cash?

[Lloyd Glasspool]

It has, like, been a little bit of a shift in mindset. Now it's really given me that confidence that, okay, I can win big ones. I've never won a big one before. Anything bigger than 5002. Even though I felt I have been playing some of the best tennis in the world, I do believe my level was good enough. But if you haven't done it, you haven't done it. You can't say you're a champion when you've just never done it, even if you are good enough. So it has given me that confidence. It was actually funny. My dad came. I don't know if you can see There's a lot of trophies up there, but I want to say the majority of runner up trophies. And he was like, oh, is that where you keep all your loser trophies? Just joking. And this was before Queens. So now I've added three winner trophies to that little, to that little list. But yeah, it's definitely given me that confidence. And now I'm like, I want to start chasing slams. I know I don't want to get carried away and I've only won one and yeah, you know, nowhere near that level of chasing whatever it is, but I, you know, I just want the US Open next. That is a, it's a genuine goal now, whereas before I always said I want to win the U S. Open. Did I truly, truly believe it? I'm not sure. But now I 100 do.

[Dan Kiernan]

And so many things that I then take there. I've obviously I've got this, this personal relationship with Lloyd, but hearing him at that point, just how much mature he'd become, you know, just in that short space, I think you even pick it up through the conversations and I hope also myself, I hope also you can see that I've developed a little bit with this podcast. You know, I'll go back to the first clips and I'm like, whoa, I sound like I wasn't the smoothest at that time. So hopefully all of us were continuing to develop and get better. But yeah, controlling and he talked about the controllables, you know, which are very important to me. And we've talked about that a lot over the years with Lloyd. But hearing him say controlling, how good of a partner you are, I was like, hallelujah, he gets it, you know, and it's, it takes time, right? It takes time for these players to, to get that. And that's a theme that I wanted, I want to touched on also the humility, you know, having, you know, family behind him. You know, he's got fantastic parents in Neil and Sean and you know, Neil kind of making bit of fun of him as he's getting close to being world number one about his runner up trophies and just kind of keeping them in check and, and also the best competitors as we talked about before, they then have room that they've got to, got to try and prove people wrong a little bit. And that humility is something that I think is, is very important and it's given me a little bit of time, I guess to reflect on, on that journey. When you're around a player for almost 20 years and you know, obviously incredible to then see them at the very top of the game. But it's not a, it's not a linear journey. And, and I think that's one of my big things to, to you listening that to take from this, you know, whether you are a player, a coach, a parent, you know, this is a journey, this is a long journey. And, you know, I even, I go back to. I want to say it's like 2016, 15 maybe. I watched Lloyd play a doubles match with Josh Ward Hibbert against Johnny o' Mara and Scott Clayton in Glasgow. And I'll be honest, I sat on the balcony in Glasgow as the coach of Lloyd and Josh, and I wished I was the coach of Johnny and Scott that day because they brought an energy, they brought a great attitude to the court, and they completely outplayed Josh and Lloyd, you know, and, and, and at that point you would have thought Lloyd, he just doesn't really have the doubles thing. He doesn't get it really. Obviously he's got a lot of skill. He's a very good tennis player. And I remember speaking to Johnny and Scott afterwards and I said, boys, you can absolutely be top, top 50 doubles players. You know, at the time they were all like 7,800in, in the world. And, and I guess the, the reflection and the lesson for me is we have to give people time, right? We have to give these players time. And this was that time. Lloyd was 23, 24, you know, but we've got to give them time to grow into their own skin. You know, we heard Lloyd talking earlier about the reason he wasn't saying good morning to people was a confidence thing. You know, he wasn't comfortable in his own skin. It's not. We sometimes judge kids and we think it's because they're. They're being RC or they're not being, you know, a certain way, but actually it takes time for, for that to develop. And I saw a similar thing with Henry Patton, who's now playing with Harry Heliovar. I watched him play with Johnny Binding in Sunderland many years ago. And I came away thinking, this guy, okay, he's a skillful tennis player, but he doesn't really have it in terms of the right energy to be a doubles player. And how, how wrong, how wrong could I be? You know, and they needed that time to develop those skills. Feeling comfortable about themselves, tennis skills is one thing, but personal skills, being able to develop them into professional skills and ultimately being their authentic self is a big, big part of that. And another one that jumps to my mind is last year since then, Natty was a time when Julian and Lloyd, they were winning, obviously they'd won. Gone back to back, really, that they'd won Queens, they'd won Eastbourne, they'd won Wimbledon, they'd then gone to Montreal, they'd won in Montreal, kind of come back from the dead, save match points in the first round, save much points in the final. Then Cincinnati, first round, I believe they saved match points. So it was very, very tight match that they won. And I saw Lloyd after, and he was like, literally I saw him like 30 seconds after to the match, and he, he said, when the taps running. The taps running, you know, and, and. And it. With a kind of bit of a smile on his face, almost that feeling of you can't lose at that moment. And again, longevity in the sport, you keep doing the right things, you know, you will have those moments, you know, and just as you'll have those moments where it feels like it's hard to get the tap turned on, right? It's, you know, tennis. Tennis can bring that, especially in the scoring format of doubles, which is the margins are so, so very small. And matches can turn on a dime at, at any moment. And there was a few, I guess, five or six points. I'd just like to, To. To leave with you from today's episode, taking you through Lloyd Glasspool's amazing journey from Birmingham, from Solihull, all the way to being on the. On the top of the world. And so many incredible people that are. Have played those roles. You would have heard a lot of names come out today as well, but so many more behind the scenes that do that work. But first and foremost, it was fun. It wasn't too serious, you know, And I, And I think if you have that outlook on it, it. It keeps you in the sport, it wants you to get back on the court, put those practice hours in, you know, and it's. It's not a burden. Just a question I'd want to ask you. Are we putting too much of a burden on kids at times? You know, as a parent, as a coach? Are we. Are we making it fun enough? Are we making sure that this is a positive experience in their life? You know, because if it is, it's. It's gonna. It's gonna go on, and it's gonna either benefit them, one on court, but also secondly off court as well and for the rest of their lives. I love competition. You know, you have to love to compete. You know, don't be afraid of competition. That's the sport that's the game. Embrace that competition. The best players embrace that competition in. In everything that they do. You know, don't be afraid of the emotions that are attached to competition, you know, and I think that's a. That's a really, really important message to take process over outcome. We heard about Lloyd talking about their Wimbledon journey, you know, and ultimately kind of locking in, driving up with the legs in the key moments, not thinking, just get it in. Not just thinking, oh, my God, this is my chance, you know, but. But really having these clear, committed intentions in. In all that you do, you know, an unbelievably important message. A1. A1 for me that I'd like us all to take away, you know, allowing people time to grow into your authentic self. You know, having spent all of those years with Lloyd, there was times he was. He was trying to be something that he wasn't. You know, he was getting involved in the comparisons. He was getting involved in the wild card chat, and he was getting involved in banter that he didn't need to be having with various players, you know, but just seeing him now, he's so much more comfortable in his own skin, and he's able to be his authentic self. And if we're able to be our authentic selves, then we give our best chance of being able to express ourselves. And I think that's a really, really important piece for all of us. But give people time. People need time on that. Lloyd's now 32, you know, and if he's brutally honest, it's probably only the last two years or so that he's. That he's grown into that. You know, it's. It takes time. You know, it's not something that just people pick up naturally from a very, very young age, and then humility. Lloyd has remained humble throughout this whole process, and, you know, people around him that have been able to do that. But it is a massively important skill attribute to have to. To remain humble and. And then be a great partner. And that sometimes in tennis, we. We set about. In tennis, we're telling people to be selfish. Think about yourself. You know, you've got to get your own time management. You've got to think about what you need. And then doubles is a more challenging way because. But that. Doubles is more like life, right? You know, we have other people to think of, you know, and we've got to see life through a different lens, not just our own. And that ability to be humble and to be a great partner is. Is. Is vitally important to success, but also to success and happiness in life as well. And then lastly, great coaches make a difference. You know, I, I've said many occasions that players make coaches and I do believe in that. However, the longer I'm in this, the more I realize also the role that great coaches are vitally important. Now, as I, as I talk today, British men are number one, two, three and nine in the world. I go back to 2005 when I was British number one. I was sitting at 100, 150 in the world. All Lloyd, these guys much, much better tennis players than myself. No, I don't think they are and I don't have a high opinion of my tennis. However, they've had great coaching behind them. They've had a system behind them. They've had then a belief system behind them because of other players that have done that themselves as well. And, and that is absolutely Louis Kaye, you know, and he's brought lots of other great people around. You know, big shout out to Calvin Betton, Henry Patton's coach, coach and Harry Aliavara's coach and many other British coaches as well that have benefited from their time with Louis Kaya, Craig Veal, who does, who does a fantastic job. Rob Morgan, David o'. Hare. You know, there's been a lot of coaches that have benefited from the Louis Kaya way and system and, and because of that, the players have as well. But Ken Skupsky can't leave my old roommate out in that shout out as well. But yeah, just, just great coaches having great people. It's, it's unbelievably important as well. So a big, big shout out to Louis Cailler for that as well. And then to finish off everything that we've talked about there, they could take tennis out of it. It's life lessons. Everything absolutely stands in terms of how we can all live a better life, you know, as, as well as be better tennis players as well. But a last shout out goes to Lloyd Glasspool, who is the current world number one. 2025. What a year. But it's not just a year. It's many, many, many, many, many years of great people that create this. And it's been fun to just explore that over, over the last few years and listening to Lloyd speak on that as well. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Reminiscing and going through that. Wishing you all the absolute best for 2026. What an exciting year ahead. We will be back. I will be in Australia bringing lots of different content to you. Get in touch with what you want to hear. As ever, thank you for the support, but until next time, I'm Dan Kiernan. We are Controller controllables.