We’re Going Five

Rick Macci breaks down tennis development like nobody else. From coaching Venus and Serena to building World Number Ones, this interview is a masterclass in talent, mindset, and what actually creates champions.

 

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Welcome to our interview with Rick Macci, one of the most influential coaches in tennis history. From the Venus and Serena Williams story to his sharp “Maccisms,” Macci gives a behind-the-scenes look at what separates good players from great ones and what truly creates a world number one.

 

🎾 Topics covered

How Rick Macci evaluates talent

The controllables that decide careers

Mental training: pressure, fear, focus, and confidence

Strength based development vs fixing weaknesses

When to compete, when to wait, and how to spot pro potential

Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Medvedev, Zverev, and Joao Fonseca

Rackets, strings, and junior development

The best “Maccisms” and what they actually mean

 

👇 Comment your biggest coaching question

If Rick Macci could diagnose one part of your game, what would you ask him?

 

Keywords: Rick Macci interview, Rick Macci coach, King Richard coach, Venus Williams Serena Williams, tennis coaching, tennis development, junior tennis, tennis mindset, tennis talent, Sinner vs Alcaraz, Djokovic slam, Joao Fonseca, tennis rackets strings, tennis podcast

 

#Tennis #RickMacci #Coaching #VenusWilliams #SerenaWilliams #KingRichard #ATP #WTA #WGFPodcast

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Arthur Fils takes over Barcelona, Ben Shelton finally owns clay, and Flavio Cobolli drops a statement win over Zverev with a story you will not forget. Plus the Jodar hype, Rublev questions, and our spiciest overreactions of the clay swing so far.

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Welcome to Season 3, Episode 17 of the We’re Going Five Podcast, where Yousef, Ismaeel, and Haroon recap Barcelona and Munich, debate which results are real versus one week variance, and make our Madrid picks.

🔥 Arthur Fils reigns supreme in Barcelona Arthur Fils wins his fourth career title, third on clay, and keeps building one of the strongest early season resumes on tour. We break down the run, the list of wins he is stacking, and the one concern: when he loses, he tends to lose convincingly in straights. Is he becoming a real clay threat or still a volatility merchant?

🏆 Ben Shelton rights his wrongs in Munich Ben Shelton adds another trophy and proves clay is no longer a joke for him. We talk the key wins, the ranking implications, and whether this is the start of a consistent European clay season or a one off surge.

🇺🇸 Rublo: outlier or the norm Back to back European clay finals, a climb in the Race, and major milestones for an American on this surface. Is this week a random spike, or has his clay level genuinely moved up?

🚀 Cobolli is dangerous Flavio Cobolli keeps showing the high end ceiling, and the Munich win over Zverev changes the conversation. We talk streakiness, matchup profile, and why his best weeks look like top tier tennis.

💎 Rafael Jodar watch A rocket rise up the rankings, a huge week in Barcelona, and praise coming from legends. Is it too early, or are we watching Spain’s next serious prospect take shape?

🧱 Medjedovic: how high is the ceiling A semifinal run and a big ranking jump. What does his game translate to on clay, and what still has to tighten up?

😎 Cool dude moment Cobolli plays through real pain and grief, then wins the title as a tribute. One of the most human moments of the season. ⚔️ Who will have a better clay swing Zverev vs Fils Jodar vs Fonseca We plant flags and argue both sides.

🧨 Overreaction or Not Anyone annoyed by underarm serves is mentally weak. Rafael Jodar will be seeded at Roland Garros. Arthur Fils will play the ATP Finals this year. Andrey Rublev will find his way back into the Top 10 in 2026. It is off putting to watch two players wear the same exact outfit.

✅ Where we were right and wrong We got nothing right. Literally. And we own it.

🎲 Who ya got in Madrid Men’s and women’s picks and what matters most in these conditions.

👇 Drop your takes in the comments Is Arthur Fils ready to win a Masters on clay in 2026? And is Rafael Jodar the real deal?

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3ZIET9j

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qEC0ZeVH014svbE7VFAJB  Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weregoingfivepod/

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Keywords: Barcelona Open 2026 recap, Munich 2026 recap, Arthur Fils Barcelona champion, Ben Shelton Munich champion, Flavio Cobolli Zverev, Rafael Jodar rising, Hamad Medjedovic, Andrey Rublev, ATP clay swing 2026, Madrid Open 2026 picks, We’re Going Five Podcast

Timestamps

0:00 Intro

0:50 Arthur Fils Reigns Supreme in Barcelona!

11:17 Ben Shelton Rights His Wrongs in Munich!

23:42 Is Rublev Back or what?

33:37 How Dangerous will Cobolli be this clay swing?

38:17 Is Rafa Jodar the real deal?

47:06 How high is Medjedovic’s potential?

55:12 Cool Dude Moment of the Week

57:23 Who will have a better clay swing?

1:01:20 Overreaction or Not?

1:13:42 Where we were right & wrong

1:14:48 Who Ya Got in Madrid?

1:23:21 Wrap Up!

Sinner goes full GOAT mode on clay, Vacherot shocks Monte Carlo, and Fonseca announces himself in the Masters conversation. Plus Medvedev’s meltdown, Rune’s risky return, and four overreactions that will start arguments.

 

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Welcome to Season 3, Episode 16 of the We’re Going Five Podcast, where Yousef, Ismaeel, and Haroon recap the Monte Carlo final, break down what it means for the 2026 clay swing, and lock in picks for Barcelona and Munich.

 

 

🐐 Sinner doing GOAT level things in Monte Carlo

Jannik Sinner wins his fourth consecutive Masters title, becomes only the second player ever to do it, and returns to World No. 1. Even bigger, it is his first major clay title, and he becomes just the second player in history to win the Sunshine Double and Monte Carlo in the same season. What does this say about his ceiling on clay, and how scary is he heading toward Roland Garros?

 

🧱 Alcaraz: better or worse than 2025 on clay

Carlos Alcaraz drops to World No. 2 and takes another hit at a key clay stop. Is this a wobble that sets up a bounce back, or are we seeing issues that will follow him through the swing?

 

⚙️ Zverev vs Sincaraz

Sascha keeps making deep runs in every big tournament in 2026, but the losses are telling. Alcaraz gets him once, Sinner gets him three times. Is Zverev closing the gap, or stuck in the same tier?

 

🇲🇨 Vacherot’s dream run

Valentin Vacherot becomes the first player from Monaco to reach the Monte Carlo semifinals. He beats Musetti, Hurkacz, and De Minaur before falling to Alcaraz, and rises to a career high World No. 17. Is this a one week miracle, or a legit top player arriving?

 

🚀 Fonseca’s clay swing warning shot

Joao Fonseca makes his first Masters quarterfinal, beats Diallo, Rinderknech, and Berrettini, then pushes Zverev to three sets. Up to World No. 35 and climbing fast. Is a special clay swing coming?

 

🌶️ Spicy no spicy

Daniil Medvedev throws his racket six times in a row and gets double bageled by Berrettini. Meltdown or momentary snap? And what does it mean for his confidence on clay?

 

🩼 Rune comeback timing

Holger Rune announces he will play Hamburg the week before Roland Garros, just seven months after an Achilles rupture. Smart reps or reckless risk?

 

🧨 Overreaction or Not

Valentin Vacherot is a potential Top 8 player.

Clay court tennis is where real tennis is played.

Jannik Sinner will remain World No. 1 until the end of 2026.

One week Masters events are 100 times better than two week Masters.

 

✅ Where we were right and wrong

Haroon had Sinner. Yousef had Zverev. Ismaeel had Alcaraz. We run the receipts.

 

🎲 Who Ya Got?

Barcelona and Munich picks to set the tone for the next clay week.

 

👇 Drop your hottest take in the comments

Is Sinner now the favorite for Roland Garros, yes or no?

Tommy Robredo joins us for a deep dive into Spanish tennis, clay court mastery, and life after the tour. From beating Roger Federer at the US Open to surviving five set wars, Robredo tells stories that only a Golden Era survivor can. 

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Welcome to our interview with Tommy Robredo, former World No. 5, 12 time ATP title winner, 3 time Davis Cup champion, and one of the best five set competitors of his generation. Robredo opens up about his transition into being a Barcelona tournament director, what he misses about the tour, and what it was really like facing the Big 3 across multiple eras. In this episode, we talk about How Tommy Robredo built his legendary comeback mindset Why he was so dangerous in five set battles Davis Cup memories and the Golden Era of Spanish tennis Clay court tactics, physicality, and what separates great clay players Preparing for Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray His view on today’s ATP Tour depth, Alcaraz and Sinner dominance, and Djokovic longevity Rapid fire: best serve, forehand, backhand, clutchest player, GOAT debate

👇 Drop your question for Tommy Robredo in the comments for the next interview What do you want to know about clay court tennis, Davis Cup years, or facing the Big 3 across different eras?

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3ZIET9j

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Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:34 Tommy Robredo Introduction

12:04 Robredo’s Playing Career

28:06 Spain’s Golden Era Of Tennis

39:15 Robredo on Playing The GOATs

52:00 Robredo on the ATP Tour

1:16:04 Rapid Fire Questions

Sinner wins the Sunshine Double without dropping a set. Sabalenka joins history too. Lehecka breaks through, Landaluce shocks the draw, and Korda delivers peak chaos. Miami just detonated the season.

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Welcome to the We’re Going Five Podcast, where Yousef, Ismaeel, and Haroon recap the Miami final and the full Sunshine Double swing, then pivot straight into clay season with Monte Carlo picks.

☀️ Sinner makes Sunshine Double history Jannik Sinner becomes the first player ever to win the Sunshine Double without dropping a single set. We break down what this level means, what changed from earlier in the season, and whether this run is the start of a true takeover.

🚀 Lehecka breakthrough watch Jiri Lehecka reaches his first Masters final, climbs to World No. 14, and does not lose serve once until the final. Is this a one tournament peak, or the start of a new top tier player arriving?

⚙️ Zverev trending up Back to back semifinals at Indian Wells and Miami, both losses to Sinner, and back up to World No. 3. Is Sascha finally building something sustainable, or are we still waiting for the big moment?

🧠 Alcaraz early loss: blessing in disguise Carlos Alcaraz goes out in the round of 32 to Sebastian Korda. Is the loss actually useful before clay, or a warning sign about matchup issues and focus?

🎭 What is Sebastian Korda Korda takes out Alcaraz in three sets, then turns around and loses to World No. 151 Martin Landaluce. We explain why this is the most Korda week imaginable and what it says about volatility on tour right now.

🔥 Arthur Fils form check Is this version of Arthur Fils here to stay, and what does he need to tighten up to become a week to week problem in big events?

🇪🇸 Landaluce is coming Martin Landaluce becomes the first 2006 born player to make a Masters quarterfinal, beating Giron, Darderi, Khachanov, and Korda before falling to Lehecka. Is Spain’s next superstar already loading?

👑 Sabalenka completes the Sunshine Double Aryna Sabalenka becomes the fifth woman in history to win the Sunshine Double and is now 23 and 1 in 2026, with her only loss coming to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final. We talk dominance, matchups, and what it means for the rest of the WTA season.

🧨 Overreaction or Not Winning the Sunshine Double is tougher than winning a Slam. Sinner will become World No. 1 by the end of the clay swing. Lehecka will be Top 10 by Roland Garros, with a 1150 point gap right now.

✅ Where we were right and wrong so far We audit our Sunshine Double picks on both tours and own the hits and misses.

🎲 Who ya got in Monte Carlo Men’s picks, plus how we are thinking about the clay reset.

👇 Drop your take in the comments Is Sinner’s Sunshine Double run one of the most dominant stretches ever? And do you buy Lehecka Top 10 by Roland Garros?

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:01 Sinner Makes Sunshine Double History!

13:08 Special Things Coming For Lehecka?

19:45 How Promising is Zverev Looking?

27:49 Was Alcaraz’s Loss a Good Thing?

36:12 What is Sebi Korda Exactly?

47:45 Will Fils Continue His Incredible Form?

56:00 Is Landaluce Spain’s New Superstar?

1:01:50 Sabalenka Completes The Sunshine Double!

1:07:56 Overreaction or Not?

1:13:14 Where We Were Right & Wrong

1:15:00 Who Ya Got in Monte Carlo?

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3ZIET9j

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qEC0ZeVH014svbE7VFAJB

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weregoingfivepod/

Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@were.going.five

Follow on Twitter: https://x.com/weregoingfive

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Check out more from TSH Tennis here:  

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesportshub.tennis

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#weregoingfive #tshtennis