Show Notes
CTC Wimbledon Live: Day 5, Calvin Betton, the Doubles Battle and the "Older Boys" Doing Their Job Day 5 of our Wimbledon 2026 daily live series, recorded inside the grounds. Brought to you by Novellus. Live every night at 9pm UK across the Wimbledon fortnight, with Wimbledon champions, tennis icons and special guests joining Dan to break down the day's biggest stories from inside the grounds at SW19. Dan and Calvin talk on the fight for the future of doubles There's a fight going on off the court this week that could reshape the sport for a generation. The ATP's proposed changes would cut doubles draws, shift the prize money split further in favour of singles, and effectively push doubles specialists out of the game. Dan shares his unfiltered take tonight, plus what current Wimbledon champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool said publicly today, and Calvin Betton's fired-up response. In this episode: Major Moments (brought to you by SotoTennis Academy): the older boys deliver as Sinner and Djokovic cruise into R4, while the young stars fall on grass Djokovic beats Rinderknech in four to equal Federer's all-time Wimbledon record of 105 match wins Sinner past Brooksby 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 with 13 aces, into R4 for a fifth consecutive year TennisAthlete Player of the Day: Shintaro Mochizuki, the 2019 Wimbledon boys' champion turned qualifier turned R4-bound, seven matches in eight days at SW19 Calvin Betton on coaching Patten and Heliövaara to the 2024 Wimbledon title, and being the "face of reason" in the box when everyone else was overwhelmed Calvin's unfiltered defence of doubles: why the ATP is a governing body not a business, why "not financially viable" doesn't hold up, and why the 2024 Wimbledon final was proof The Wimbledon Quickfire with Calvin: the Agassi 1991 all-white moment, his Wimbledon guilty pleasure, and his one thing he'd change about The Championships Dear Dan: an insider tip for a first-time Wimbledon visitor, and what Dan actually loves about being a coach on the pro tour
Tomorrow on the show: Middle Saturday at Wimbledon, with Danny Sapsford joining Dan. About Control the Controllables Wimbledon Live Dan Kiernan and a different special guest every night, bringing you analysis from inside the grounds at Wimbledon. Wimbledon champions, tennis icons, players, coaches and analysts join across the fortnight. Live every evening at 9pm UK on the CTC YouTube channel.Episodes drop as podcasts the next morning wherever you get your podcasts. Send your Dear Dan questions via Instagram @ctc.podcast or email [email protected]. Major Moments segment brought to you by SotoTennis Academy. Visit sototennis.com. Player of the Day brought to you by TennisAthlete, age-appropriate, research-backed strength and conditioning programmes from proven S&C coaches. The platform Dan recommends for physical development. Visit sototennis.com/tennisathlete.
More from Control the Controllables
This CTC Short is brought to you live from Beijing, at the China Open, where Dan Kiernan is there for the WTA 1000 event! In this episode Dan takes us through a roundup of the latest stories from across the tennis world, including those that have taken place moments away from our host ,who recorded this special CTC Short on the centre court in Beijing! Key stories discussed: Djokovic wins the China Open for the 7th time Medvedev defaulted from China Open v Djokovic in the semis Alcaraz wins first title since February in Japan Legend of the sport, Kei Nishikori retires WTA announce equal prize money at all combined 1000 events Jannik Sinner to miss rest of the 2026 season Navarro opens up about health struggles Coco Gauff condemns racist abuse after winning China Open first round
Fifteen months ago Toby Samuel was ranked 1,870 in the world, injured, out of college, and unable to get into the qualifying draw of a 15K. This month he broke into the ATP top 100, made his Davis Cup debut at the Copper Box and won the first rubber for Great Britain to help them qualify for the Davis Cup Finals. In 2025, Toby won 62 matches and climbed further up the rankings than any other male player in the world. He did it without fanfare, without headlines and by his own admission, still staying in the bedrooms at the National Tennis Centre. This is a conversation about the mental side of the game more than anything else, and Toby's answer on competing is one of the best things we've had on this podcast. If you have a junior in your house, play them that bit twice! In this episode: The Davis Cup call-up he wasn't expecting, and the most nervous he has ever been before a match. Losing the first set and finding a way back, and why that is now a pattern rather than a panic. "Everything is a choice." Toby on how he transformed the mental side of his game. What he says to his coaches before every single match, and why it has nothing to do with how he is hitting the ball. Why he has always preferred being the favourite, and what that has cost him against the top guys. Going from 1,870 in the world to the top 100 in fifteen months The bone bruising injury that wiped out his ranking, and the ATP Accelerator wildcard that turned it around Choosing South Carolina over Florida State, the decision that changed his career. What NIL money has done to college tennis, and why he thinks it needs a limit How he actually uses data, and the six-monthly meeting that shapes his development His honest view on the proposed ATP doubles changes The Quickfire Round
Two Retirements. Two Incredible Careers. This week on Control the Controllables, we're marking the retirement of Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, two of the finest doubles players of their generation and two of the most generous guests we´ve had on the show. Between them: 6 major titles each. 4 men's doubles crowns together, including the Australian Open in 2020 and that remarkable US Open three-peat in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Joe became only the second British man ever to reach World Number 1, holding the position for 23 weeks. Rajeev picked up two Olympic silver medals, 32 ATP titles, 9 Masters titles. Then this year, with barely any matches between them, they made the US Open semi-finals from nowhere. Form is temporary. Class is permanent. We've gone back into the archives to pull out the moments from their episodes that we think every player, coach and parent should hear. In this episode: Joe on the gap between belief and confidence, and why the two are not the same thing Rajeev on walking away from singles at 56 in the world to become a doubles specialist Following your heart when the decision is genuinely difficult, from college to retirement Why 11 partners in one year is the hardest way to build a career What Rajeev saw in Joe before anyone else did Joe on what he wants his legacy in British tennis to be Dan's challenge to British tennis: what happens when the Louis Cayer era ends? The Rajeev Ram Instagram post that everyone in this sport should read
What a US Open! We saw two new champions crowned in New York, plenty of our pre-tournament predictions were ripped up, and both draws gave us lots of storylines. In our final Grand Slam Review episode of 2026, Host Dan Kiernan is joined by our panel:- Denmark´s Davis Cup Captain and 2012 Wimbledon Doubles Champion, Freddie Nielsen Sports broadcaster and former CNN anchor Candy Reid Coach, podcaster and former agent Johnny Delgado Kieron Vorster, Fitness Coach to Tem Henman, Dan Evans & Wayne Ferreria
Follow the Podcast Here: https://www.instagram.com/ctc.podcast/ Follow Tennis Athlete Here: https://www.instagram.com/tennisathlete_sta/ Follow SotoTennis Academy Here: https://www.instagram.com/sototennis/?hl=en Email us: [email protected]