Are you a tennis enthusiast passionate about doubles? We caught up with Will Boucek recently. Will runs The Tennis Tribe and hosts The Doubles Only Podcast. CourtMerch's co-founder, Carolynn, a long-time listener, thought it would be fascinating to delve into Will's tennis journey and gather some of his top doubles tips and strategies to share with you.
Will also offers our readers an exclusive discount on some of his products —details below! Carolynn recently took part in one of his webinars on doubles strategies and highly recommends it.
Enjoy our conversation with Will Boucek from The Tennis Tribe and the Doubles Only podcast.
Tell us about your tennis journey. When/how did you start playing? What level do you play at now? What is your tennis week like?
I started playing in Memphis, Tennessee when I was 7. I played competitively in USTA junior tournaments until around 14 when I got a bit burned out. I did play for my high school team but only those few months every year. As a student at Birmingham Southern College, I gave tennis another shot. It was a small D3 school with no athletic scholarships, so I knew I could quit if I didn’t enjoy it. I ended up playing all four years.
After college, I took time off until I moved to Austin, Texas in 2015. I used tennis as a way to meet new people and played USTA leagues and tournaments as a 4.5 player. In 2016, I started a doubles newsletter and The Tennis Tribe blog. I got great feedback on my strategy lessons and thought I may be onto something. Since then, it’s grown into a doubles media and training company with a podcast, YouTube channel, Instagram, and more. I’ve also worked as a doubles strategy analyst for ATP and WTA players, helping them with scouting and improvement. Today, I’m a 5.0 player and try to play at least once a week, but I spend more time watching than playing nowadays.
What attracted you to the game of doubles? We agree that it’s twice as fun to play!
Strategy, strategy, and strategy! I love the fact that I can beat an opponent by outsmarting them even if they are more talented and might crush me in singles. I’m obsessed with studying shot selection, court position, and movement. Strategy in doubles is more complex than singles because with four players, you have more variables you have to consider. That makes it fun!
What are some effective strategies club players can use to improve their doubles game?
Experiment. Many of us get stuck in our one way of playing and never get out of our comfort zone. If you’re not good at the net, try being more active up there anyway. If something isn’t working in a match, try changing your formations, shot selection, or something else. Too many of us just “try harder” when we’re losing rather than changing something.
Who are some of your favorite doubles players to watch and why?
All of them! They each have their own strengths and game styles that I love to watch and study. Hsieh Su-wei is a huge fan favorite with an unorthodox style who I enjoy watching. Demi Schuurs is another one I love watching because she moves to the net so well. Katerina Siniakova is someone I’ve learned a lot from by watching and studying her game.
On the men’s side, Joe Salisbury’s athleticism is insanely entertaining. Rohan Bopanna, world #1 at 43 years old, is impressive. Neal Skupski is fun to watch because he often serves and stays back which is more relatable for club players. I could go on and on and on… 😊.
How did you get into podcasting and start The Doubles Only podcast? Any favorite episodes or guests?
I wanted to learn more about doubles strategy from the best players and coaches in the world. I quickly realized that there’s basically zero coverage for doubles and most of the players are very accessible. In 2020, I started reaching out to the doubles players and have gotten to know many of them through the years. They are so generous with their time and supportive of what I’m doing.
I don’t have a favorite episode since they’re all so different. If you want to improve your doubles strategy look for episodes with coaches or former players like Gigi Fernandez, Jorge Capestany, Greg Moran, and Jonathan Stokke. If you want to get to now some of the doubles personalities with strategy insights sprinkled in, choose from any of the player interviews. Gaby Dabrowski, Rajeev Ram, Nicole Melichar-Martinez, Demi Schuurs, and Austin Krajicek have all been on multiple times. (Carolynn's note: if you don't recognize at least half of these names, you definitely need to WATCH MORE DOUBLES!!).
Will and WTA players at Indian Wells 2022 where he launched his tee.
What are some of the tennis products available at The Tennis Tribe?
My doubles strategy ebooks and courses are designed to help club level doubles players become smarter on the court. 25 Winning Doubles Tactics is a great place to start because you’ll learn plays to run that work at the club level. It will start training your strategic muscle for doubles.
My favorite course is the Net Play Strategy Masterclass because so many people struggle at the net because they have the wrong mindset. I help people develop more confidence at the net by removing some commonly held beliefs that I find unhelpful.
Here’s a coupon code to save 15% off all my strategy products: COURTMERCH
I also designed the “Watch More Doubles” t-shirts in an effort to make professional doubles more popular. Gaby Dabrowski and 13 other WTA doubles players helped me launch them at Indian Wells and now many players wear them on the practice courts.
Will and his whiteboard during a webinar. Check out his discount offer above!
How can we grow the doubles game, both at the recreational level and in promoting professional doubles?
For recreational doubles to grow, we need an improved coaching system. I believe we lose a lot of beginners because they take a few lessons and don’t see much improvement so they think tennis just isn’t for them. That’s why pickleball has blown up. You’ll improve even without coaching. Tennis is more technical so you need good coaching early. If you have that, then you can improve and that process of improvement is what people fall in love with.
Pro doubles needs better marketing. The tours' social media accounts, for example, rarely post about doubles. It has improved some the past few years, but we need more. Better marketing will, over time, lead to more doubles fans, demand for doubles, doubles stars, and ultimately TC coverage. The product is fantastic. The marketing is behind.
Will and Aussie player Matt Ebden. Carolynn nicknamed this guy "The Nightmare" after watching him take over the net in a match at the US Open. He's amazing!
Any ideas for doubles themed CourtMerch items?
I love what y'all are doing. The deuce and ad court shirts are great. Maybe a “net player” and “baseliner” shirt? I don’t know. Y'all are the creative experts!
You have an “I Play Doubles: Twice the Fun and Half the Responsibility” tee. Tell us what you think of it!
It’s great! I’ve played tennis in it several times now.