Luke Johnson is currently ranked #40 in ATP doubles and is coming off his biggest career win at the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona with partner Sander Arends. I spoke with him earlier this week about his recent success, doubles strategy, and more.

• How he and Sander's complementary playing styles create an effective partnership
• Advantages to using different returning styles and court positioning
• The journey of rising through the ATP rankings, effectively halving his ranking each year for five consecutive years
• One practice lesson he's learned from his coach, Calvin Betton, that you can implement too
• College tennis as a developmental pathway
• Maintaining composure and strategic thinking during crucial tiebreakers

At the end, Luke breaks down the championship-winning 10-point tiebreaker from the Barcelona Final point-by-point.

• Watch it here on YouTube

Learn more about Luke & follow:

• ATP Profile
• Wikipedia
• Instagram

-----

**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

Erin Routliffe, the #3 ranked WTA doubles player, unpacks her recent title run in Charleston with Jelena Ostapenko and shares insights about navigating the 2025 season so far.

• How her off-season injury affected her at the start of the year and how Gaby Dabrowski supported her
• Experience playing doubles with Ostapenko and winning in Charleston
• Differences between playing with Ostapenko versus her regular partner Gaby Dabrowski
• Plans for the clay court swing
• Why she doesn't look at draws
• Her friendship with Asia Muhammad and learning from each other's games
• The toughest teams she & Gaby have faced
• Thoughts about recent US Open mixed doubles format changes that disadvantage doubles specialists

Erin is one of the best players to watch if you want to learn how to play smart doubles. She possesses great net skills, movement, and strategic variety from the baseline that you should try to emulate. Follow Erin throughout the rest of the 2025 season.

Previous interviews with Erin:

• Sep 13, 2023 - Dealing with Nerves & 10-Point Tiebreakers from 2023 US Open Champion
• Dec 21, 2022 - Her Huge Ranking Leap, Practice Routines, & Match Preparation

Learn more about Erin & follow:

• WTA Profile
• Wikipedia
• Instagram
• Twitter/X

-----

**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

In this special episode on the state of doubles and the professional doubles debate, I speak with ATP & WTA Coach, Dan Kiernan. Dan is the coach of Gaby Dabrowski, Michael Venus, and Nikola Mektic, and has been on the show several times before (below).

In this conversation, we examine the future of doubles from multiple perspectives and challenge current assumptions about the format's viability.

• Reactions to the idea that "doubles specialists have no place in the future of tennis"
• The doubles debate centers on "the WHO, not the WHAT" – personality and storytelling matter more than format
• US Open's controversial changes to the mixed doubles format make commercial sense in the short-term but we must consider the long-term timeline as well
• Doubles players face three options: accept diminished status, fight for change within the tour structure, or break free to create their own tour
• Professional doubles needs to embrace vulnerability, personality-driven content, and innovative viewer experiences to thrive
• The seven tennis governing bodies lack a cohesive vision for doubles, focusing instead on short-term commercial priorities
• For it to survive, doubles specialists must take initiative in building their own brands and connecting authentically with fans
• Innovations like free fan movement, court-side service, and more relaxed atmosphere could transform the doubles spectator experience and change in a way that singles is resistant to

This is an open invitation to everyone in tennis – players, coaches, tournament directors, and media – to continue this conversation and work together toward solutions that benefit doubles and the sport as a whole.

Previous Episodes with Dan Kiernan:

• Dan Kiernan Interview: GROWTH, Coaching ATP Doubles, Aggressive vs Consistent Returns, & an Illegal Volley Drill - April 5, 2023
• Coach Dan Kiernan Interview at the WTA Finals - November 5, 2023
• Coach Dan Kiernan Shares Stories from the WTA Finals, 2nd Set Adjustments, Positive Mindset, & More - November 20, 2024

More from Dan:

• Dan's Podcast - Control the Controllables | Twitter | Instagram
• Soto Tennis Academy | Twitter

-----

**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course