While at the Italian Open in Rome with ASICS, I got the chance to sit down with Luciano Darderi for this mini episode of the Functional Tennis Podcast.

Luciano talks about growing up between Argentina and Italy, being coached by his dad, and why his family sacrificed so much to help him pursue professional tennis. He also shares what changed as he climbed the rankings, what separates the very best players from the rest, and what it actually feels like practising and competing against players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

We also chat about Luciano becoming an official ASICS athlete after previously buying and wearing their shoes himself, and how a pair of ASICS shoes helped him through a difficult foot injury period before his breakthrough run on tour.

A short episode, but plenty of insight into life at the top level of the game.

In this short episode from the Italian Open in Rome, I sit down with Mattia Bellucci for a quick chat about his journey from an average junior career to breaking into the ATP Top 100.

Mattia talks about growing up in Italy, being coached by his dad, why he decided to stop focusing on juniors and jump into Futures events early, and what changed once he started competing at ATP level. He also shares what it feels like playing in Rome in front of the Italian crowd and his move to becoming an official ASICS Tennis athlete this year after previously buying and wearing their shoes himself. Mattia now wears the Solution Speed FF 4 and explains why he made the switch from the Resolution line.

This episode was recorded while I was in Rome with ASICS, who brought me over for a few days around the tournament. I also recorded a short chat with Luciano Darderi, which will be live in the coming days.

What does it actually take to compete at the top level in under-12 tennis today?

In this episode, I’m at the IMG Future Stars in Greece, where some of the best young players in the world come together to compete, learn, and experience life at a high-performance event.

I sit down with Sebastian Lavie to get his perspective as a coach on what’s changed over the last few years, what stands out at this level now, and what players really need if they want to progress.

We talk about the level of the players, how the event has evolved, and the realities of junior development today.

Sebastian’s player, Tatiana Na, also joins us briefly during the conversation, giving a small insight into what it’s like competing at this level.

If you’re a parent, coach, or player trying to understand the pathway in tennis, this will give you a good feel for what’s actually happening at the top end of junior tennis right now.

🎾 Check out episode 2 of my YouTube series where I test my level against better players.

I take on Peter Buldorini, a 21-year-old ATP 900, in two champions tiebreaks.

Watch now by tapping here.