<p>Tom Hill never planned to be a tennis coach. He finished college, put his rackets in the wardrobe, and was planning law school. Then a chance encounter at a bar in Santa Monica led to a hitting session with Maria Sharapova. Then a call from Danielle Collins — ranked 250 in the world at the time. Eight months later she was Top 30. Then came Maria Sakkari. And six years, a Top 3 ranking and countless close-misses later, Tom is one of the most respected coaches on the WTA tour.</p><p>In this episode, Tom joins Caroline Garcia and Borja for an unfiltered look inside professional tennis coaching:</p><ul><li>How he accidentally became a tennis coach — via Sharapova, a bar in Santa Monica and a visa expiry</li><li>Going from 0 coaching experience to taking Danielle Collins from 250 to Top 30 in 8 months</li><li>The real story of coaching Maria Sakkari to World No.3 — and why they eventually parted ways</li><li>How to handle a player who's losing their confidence — what you say, and what you never say</li><li>The match point Maria had against Kvitova at Roland Garros — and how that one moment changed everything</li><li>Why he never sets ranking goals — and what he focuses on instead</li><li>The truth about travelling 45 weeks a year with a player and why he burned out</li><li>How to coach two players at once — and why it only works if roles are crystal clear</li><li>What coaches like Wim Fissette get right that most coaches get completely wrong</li><li>Why winning junior Grand Slams means absolutely nothing for your professional career</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Timestamps:</p><p>03:30 The bar in Santa Monica — the conversation that changed everything</p><p>04:30 Hitting with Maria Sharapova at IMG Academy</p><p>07:00 How Danielle Collins found him — and why that hour changed his life</p><p>10:30 Falling in love with coaching — helping players become their best</p><p>12:00 Taking Collins from 250 to Top 30 in 8 months — with zero coaching experience</p><p>13:30 "Me and you against the world" — starting out with no reputation</p><p>15:00 The Instagram post that led to Maria Sakkari</p><p>16:00 Working under Thomas Johansson — still messaging him once a week</p><p>18:00 Imposter syndrome as the youngest coach on tour</p><p>19:00 The hardest part of being a coach — 45 weeks a year on the road</p><p>20:30 Never setting ranking goals — why he focuses on the process</p><p>22:00 How Maria went from 30 to No.3 — four years of consistent improvement</p><p>29:30 "The best skill a coach can have is becoming what the player needs"</p><p>31:00 Why great coaches with one player often fail with the next</p><p>32:30 Can you be friends with your players?</p><p>34:00 The coach-player disagreement — what the coach sees vs what the player feels</p><p>37:00 How to handle a player after a devastating loss</p><p>40:30 How to plan a schedule — training weeks vs tournament weeks</p><p>43:00 More hours on court vs smart hours — what actually works</p><p>45:30 Why they stopped working together — and why coming back was an easy yes</p><p>47:30 Bringing in consultant coaches — threat or opportunity?</p><p>49:00 Two coaches at once: why roles must be crystal clear</p><p>50:00 Yannick Sinner's team — why Simone and Darren work so well together</p><p>51:30 The hitting partner debate — when do top players need one?</p><p>53:30 Why men rarely travel with hitting partners</p><p>54:30 Managing a big team — physio, fitness coach, psychologist and more</p><p>55:30 Every person in the team has their specialty</p><p>57:00 "If you're happy off the court, you play well on the court"</p><p>59:00 Parents as coaches — when it works, when it doesn't</p><p>1:00:00 Caroline opens up about her dad as her coach</p><p>1:01:00 Why coaches can't have emotions — the hardest part of the job</p><p>1:03:00 Would he ever coach on the ATP tour?</p><p>1:04:00 His advice for young players: build the right style, not the best results</p><p>1:06:00 Why winning junior Grand Slams means nothing for your pro career</p><br><p>💊 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY IM8</p><br><p>IM8 Daily Essentials is the all-in-one supplement Caroline uses on tour — 99 clinically dosed ingredients covering gut health, energy, joint support and longevity in a single daily sachet. No stack needed.</p><br><p>🔗 Try IM8 and get 10% off your first order → im8health.com/discount/TIC (use code TIC at checkout)</p><br><p><br></p><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>