Before what is expected to be his final Roland Garros, Gaël Monfils opens up about one of the biggest misconceptions of his career: that it was ever just about the show.

For years, fans saw the smile, the energy, the jumping smashes, the tweeners, and the impossible athleticism. But behind all of that, Gaël says there was always one thing first: the desire to win.

In this short episode, Gaël reflects on the pressure of being called a “showman,” why his spectacular style came naturally to him, the sacrifices behind a long career, the weight of comparison, and why enjoying the journey has been essential to surviving more than two decades at the highest level.

As he prepares for his last Roland Garros before retiring at the end of the season, this is a tribute to one of tennis’ most beloved players — in his own words.

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Madison Keys joins us for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had on Tennis Insider Club.

After years of being told she would win a Grand Slam, Madison opens up about the pressure that followed her from a very young age, the weight of expectations, and the painful thought that no matter how much she had achieved, her career might still feel incomplete without a Slam.

She reflects on the 2017 US Open final, the emotional exhaustion of Grand Slam runs, playing Sloane Stephens in New York, and how badly it hurt to feel so close to a dream and watch it disappear so quickly.

Madison also shares the inner work that changed everything: therapy, separating her self-worth from results, learning to stop living only for tennis, and finally reaching the point where she could say, “I’m just going to play tennis how I want to play it.”

Then she won the Australian Open.

This episode is about pressure, perfectionism, identity, friendship, balance, and the difficult but powerful process of becoming kinder to yourself.

Chapters:

00:00 Madison Keys on feeling like a failure without a Slam

00:39 How Venus Williams inspired Madison to start tennis

03:42 Sponsor break: IM8

04:55 Turning pro at 14

07:42 Being called “the next Serena Williams”

09:18 The pressure of not winning a Grand Slam

12:15 The pain of the 2017 US Open final

18:00 Therapy, letting go, and finally winning Australia

21:35 Why winning brought old habits back

25:28 Separating Madison the person from Madison the player

29:15 What’s the point of winning if you’re miserable?

31:35 Did winning the Australian Open feel like relief?

34:00 Radical honesty and avoiding easy tennis excuses

36:35 Perfectionism: gift or curse?

41:48 Having her husband as her coach

46:15 What motivates Madison now?

50:25 Madison’s foundation and giving kids access to tennis

54:35 Madison’s advice to her younger self

This episode is sponsored by IM8.

Get 10% off your first order. Code TIC auto-applies at checkout:

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A special thank you to InterContinental Rome for hosting us.

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Diego Schwartzman joins Caroline Garcia and Borja Durán for a deeply honest conversation about the real cost of a life in professional tennis.

From growing up in Argentina with limited resources, to fighting his way through Futures and Challengers, to facing Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the biggest stages, Diego built one of the most respected careers in tennis through discipline, intelligence, resilience and heart.

But in this episode, Diego opens up about the side of tennis fans rarely see: the anxiety, the exhaustion, the constant travel, the pressure to keep going, and the moment he realized that even winning matches no longer felt good.

He shares why he decided to retire, what it felt like to write his retirement letter, why Djokovic was the hardest player he faced, what young players misunderstand about building a team, and why sometimes the bravest decision is knowing when to stop.

A raw, funny and emotional conversation with one of tennis’ most loved competitors.

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Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:45 How Diego started playing tennis

02:10 The financial reality of becoming a pro

04:20 Managing outside support and pressure

05:10 Moving from Argentina to Europe

06:30 Why Diego didn’t play the traditional junior route

07:30 Breaking through Futures and Challengers

09:10 Building belief as a smaller player

10:50 Did his height ever make him doubt himself?

12:05 The tactics that shaped Diego’s game

14:20 Winning without playing your best

16:30 The team that pushed Diego to the limit

17:10 Why Diego retired at 32

18:00 Caroline and Diego on losing the fire

19:45 Why athletes don’t have to play until 35

21:15 The first signs something was wrong

22:10 When winning no longer felt good

23:20 Anxiety, burnout and listening to his body

24:30 The psychologist who told Diego the truth

26:45 Sponsors, money and the pressure to continue

27:45 Announcing his retirement

30:00 Crying after writing his retirement letter

31:20 Did Diego have balance during his career?

32:15 How COVID affected tennis players

34:45 Playing the ATP Finals with no fans

36:35 Diego’s best memory from his career

37:35 Why Diego kept tennis simple

38:40 Why your team matters so much

40:05 The Argentinian mentality in tennis

41:05 Alcaraz, Ferrero and staying fresh

42:50 Diego’s advice: invest in your team

44:45 Facing Rafa, Novak and Roger

45:25 Why Djokovic was the hardest opponent

46:10 The chaos of tennis scheduling

47:40 Was Diego born in the wrong era?

48:50 Giving back to South American tennis

49:30 Could Diego become a coach?

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