He has won the USPTA national coach of the year seven times and trained five number-one-ranked players. This is my podcast with Rick Macci.

Podcast with Rick Macci

I am sure these names ring a bell:  Andy Roddick, Jennifer Capriati, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams. These are just a few of the tennis starts that Rick Macci has worked with. He is even featured in the movie King Richard, about Richard Williams, the father of the Williams sisters.

We sat down over Zoom to talk about Rick’s spectacular coaching career and what’s in store in the future.

We talk about his coaching career, the King Richard movie, his latest passion project, and much more!

Timestamps

00:30 Still on the court every day!
01:58 How did Rick find his passion for coaching
04:02 Keeping up with the ever-evolving game
08:30 The state of tennis today
11:06 Being a part of King Richard
16:09 Rick’s best skill as a coach
19:57 The next Ukrainian superstar?
28:17 Player attitudes
31:12 Can a middle-aged player learn a new forehand?
36:50 The importance of the mental game
42:18 Predict the next five years on the tour
45:41 Is there any current tour player you would like to work with?
48:19 What could some Macci magic do for Nick Kyrgios?
49:44 Could the format of tennis be improved to be more engaging?
52:30 The near future of Rick and the academy
58:32 Can a player like Ash Barty return to the tour and her former glory?
01:00:08 The difference in technique between WTA and ATP
01:03:50 How can you get a hold of Rick?

Summary

I hope you enjoyed the podcast! Make sure to subscribe to Rick’s social media channels and check out his website. I would also be happy if you subscribed to the Tennisnerd podcast on your favorite podcasting platform (Spotify, iTunes, etc) and to the YouTube channel. Thanks for your support and for listening!