Control the Controllables

Our CTC Live series is back for Roland Garros 2026, bringing you first-hand updates from the courts of Paris!

Sponsored by Novellus Finance: https://novellusfinance.com/uk/

In this episode, Dan is joined by Calvin Betton, a 2 time Grand Slam-winning coach, live from the tournament, to break down the action from the first three days. They cover the extraordinary heat gripping Paris, the big seeds falling, integrity questions around the doubles draw, and some brilliant stories from inside the locker room and beyond.
This is the place to go for a quick round-up of Roland Garros action from a coach's perspective.

Key talking points:
Temperatures hitting 37 degrees Celsius in Paris and how the courts are staying surprisingly slow despite the heat, thanks to Roland Garros's unique watering and salting process.
Big names out early, including Taylor Fritz, Medvedev and Bublik, plus Jessica Pegula going out to Kim Birrell on day three.
The doubles draw integrity debate, with six first-round withdrawals and singles players pocketing prize money without hitting a ball.
The Serena Williams comeback rumours, with Calvin giving a frank take on wildcards, integrity and whether the sport should be rolling out the red carpet.
A brilliant exclusive Gael Monfils story from a five-a-side football game at the National Tennis Centre.
French youngster Kwame, born in 2009, is impressing on his Roland Garros debut and drawing comparisons to a young Wayne Rooney.

Each CTC Live episode streams on YouTube during the fortnight. Search Control the Controllables Podcast and follow our Instagram and Twitter for the latest live times!

Chapters
00:00 Welcome, the Paris heat and court conditions
06:30 Integrity in the doubles draw and prize money controversy
15:00 Serena Williams comeback rumours and the wildcard debate
22:00 Bublik's behaviour and a Medvedev tribute
30:00 Monfils, Wawrinka and the end of an era
36:00 French youngster Kwame and the next generation 40:00 Can anyone stop Sinner? The men's and women's draws were reviewed

Follow @ctc.podcast on Instagram to be the first to know when we are going live from Paris throughout the fortnight!

Watch the full video version over here: https://www.youtube.com/@ctc.podcast.

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We're back for Roland Garros 2026! Host Dan Kiernan is joined by our Grand Slam panellists, two of them live from Paris during qualifying week, to preview all the action we can expect from the clay courts over the next fortnight.
They discuss the Carlos Alcaraz injury situation and the wider player burnout debate, the future of US college tennis, and the prize money controversy making headlines at this year's tournament. Plus dark horses across both draws, key storylines to watch, and their winner predictions!
Meet our panellists:
Denmark's Davis Cup Captain and coach of August Holmgren, Freddie Nielsen
Performance analyst and coach Mike James making his panel debut!
Sports broadcaster and former CNN anchor Candy Reid

Key talking points:
Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from both Roland Garros and Wimbledon with a wrist injury, and the panel debate whether rising ball speeds, heavier balls and relentless scheduling are pushing players beyond their physical limits.
US college tennis is at a crossroads, with the Arkansas programme cuts a sign of things to come as NIL money floods into football and basketball and squeezes tennis budgets at major universities.
The panel share their genuine dark horse picks across both draws, with some bold names put forward on the men's side in particular.
Top players are reportedly refusing all non-mandatory press at Roland Garros as a prize money protest, and the panel debate whether they are targeting the right thing.

Will Yannick Sinner march to a dominant Roland Garros title, or will the wide open draws on both sides deliver a first-time Grand Slam champion? The panel have their say and there are some bold calls in there.
Who do you think will be this year's Roland Garros champions? Tag @ctc.podcast on Instagram or Twitter or drop us an email to let us know who you're backing!
Links mentioned in this episode:
Listen to: August Holmgren: Wimbledon Sensation and Challenger Champion
Listen to: Candy Reid, From the Court to CNN
Listen to: Mike James - A Numbers Game
Listen to: Freddie Nielsen & Jonny Marray Part One: Pre Wimbledon 2012

Mentioned in this episode:
Train Smarter Anywhere: Strength & Conditioning for Tennis Players On the Go 🎾
For players who don’t always have access to in-person coaching, progress doesn’t have to stop.
TennisAthlete is an online Strength & Conditioning platform, designed specifically for tennis players who want structured, affordable and flexible training. Wherever they are in the world.

TennisAthlete helps you stay consistent, improve performance, and train with purpose.

Train smarter. Anywhere.
TennisAthlete

Today´s episode is a tribute to one of sport's greatest minds Dr. Jim Loehr, who sadly passed away last month aged 83.
Dr. Loehr was one of the world’s leading performance psychologists and a true pioneer in mental fitness. Across a remarkable five-decade career, he worked with hundreds of elite athletes including Grand Slam champions Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario.
His work helped transform the way athletes viewed mental performance — not as a weakness, but as an essential part of achieving greatness.
We were incredibly fortunate to welcome Dr. Loehr onto the podcast in 2021, and his episode remains one of the most listened-to conversations on Control the Controllables.
In this special CTC Short, Dan reflects on Dr. Loehr’s impact on tennis and sport before revisiting a powerful clip from their original conversation.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Listen to Dr Jim Loehr´s episode in full
Episode 120: Marcus Daniell
High Impact Athletes
SotoTennis Academy

"Treatment of others is the gold standard of a fulfilled and satisfying life." - Dr. Jim LoehrMentioned in this episode:
Train Smarter Anywhere: Strength & Conditioning for Tennis Players On the Go 🎾
For players who don’t always have access to in-person coaching, progress doesn’t have to stop.
TennisAthlete is an online Strength & Conditioning platform, designed specifically for tennis players who want structured, affordable and flexible training. Wherever they are in the world.

TennisAthlete helps you stay consistent, improve performance, and train with purpose.

Train smarter. Anywhere.
TennisAthlete

What does it really take to coach at the very top of the game?
And how does a 32-year-old coach find himself leading the journey of one of the fastest-rising players in world tennis?
In this episode of Control the Controllables, we sit down with Maxime Tchoutakian, the coach of Vicky Mboko — a 19-year-old who has taken the tennis world by storm, breaking into the Top 10 in less than a year.
But Max’s story is just as compelling as the player he now coaches.
Ranked 530 in the world as a player, he took the US college route at Baylor University, rebuilt his career from scratch after COVID, and walked into the Mouratoglou Academy with no clear coaching plan, only to have one practice with Victoria Azarenka and receive a call from her agent 30 minutes later.
What he shares in this episode gives a rare, honest look at what it really means to operate inside the world's best tennis teams.
In this episode:
What it was actually like telling a former World Number 1 how to improve her game at age 26.
The moment Azarenka asked him to become her full-time coach and how scary that felt.
Why adaptation is the single most important skill to survive life on the WTA tour.
His honest take on whether coaches are paid well enough for what they sacrifice.
What makes Victoria Mboko so special and why Max believes she will win multiple Grand Slams.
The brutal truth about French tennis: why talented kids keep falling short when it matters most.
His biggest coaching regret and why he wishes he'd trusted himself sooner.

CONNECT WITH CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLES
Website: https://www.controlthecontrollables.co.uk/
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Email us: [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:
Train Smarter Anywhere: Strength & Conditioning for Tennis Players On the Go 🎾
For players who don’t always have access to in-person coaching, progress doesn’t have to stop.
TennisAthlete is an online Strength & Conditioning platform, designed specifically for tennis players who want structured, affordable and flexible training. Wherever they are in the world.

TennisAthlete helps you stay consistent, improve performance, and train with purpose.

Train smarter. Anywhere.
TennisAthlete

A tribute to a British tennis legend.
This week on Control the Controllables, we're marking the retirement of one of Great Britain´s greatest ever players, Jamie Murray.
7 Grand Slam titles. 39 tour-level titles. World Number 1. Davis Cup Winner & Olympian. The man who put British doubles on the map and helped spark a generation of GB doubles players that continue to thrive on the tour today.
We went back into the archives to pull out one of our favourite moments from our episode with Jamie back in 2020. This short clip is a perfect reminder of just what a remarkable person and player he is.
In this episode:
The story of Jamie's Wimbledon title age 21.
Why zero expectation was the secret weapon that fuelled that Wimbledon run.
How expectation and pressure change as a career develops.
How he felt reaching World Number 1.
Becoming Jamie, not just Andy Murray’s brother.
Why Dan thinks his impact on tennis will contine.

From all of us at Control the Controllables, congratulations Jamie. What a career. What a legacy.
Control the Controllables episodes Jamie Murray features in:
Episode 13: Jamie Murray - From Dunblane to the top of the world!
Is Opelka Right - Should Doubles be Scrapped?
CONNECT WITH CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLES
Website: https://www.controlthecontrollables.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ctc.podcast/
Email us: [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:
Train Smarter Anywhere: Strength & Conditioning for Tennis Players On the Go 🎾
For players who don’t always have access to in-person coaching, progress doesn’t have to stop.
TennisAthlete is an online Strength & Conditioning platform, designed specifically for tennis players who want structured, affordable and flexible training. Wherever they are in the world.

TennisAthlete helps you stay consistent, improve performance, and train with purpose.

Train smarter. Anywhere.
TennisAthlete