Science for Sport Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “Tennis”

334: How Elite Athletes Respond Under Pressure

Science for Sport — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

This week, Richard Graves is joined by Dr Alicia Naser, behavioural scientist and founder of The Naser Institute for Behavioral Sports Psychology.

Dr Naser works with professional athletes and organisations across hockey, tennis, baseball, basketball and golf, helping them understand the relationship between behaviour, physiology and performance under pressure. In this episode, she explains why mental performance should not sit separately from physical preparation, and how fatigue, heart rate, self-talk and emotion can all influence an athlete’s ability to execute when it matters.

The conversation explores the practical value of becoming more aware of internal responses during competition. From using frustration constructively rather than trying to suppress it, to striking the right balance with wearable data, Dr Naser offers a behavioural-science lens on high-performance sport that will be useful for practitioners, coaches and athletes alike.

In this episode you will learn

Why mental health and mental performance are related, but not the same thing
How physical fatigue can affect clarity, decision-making and execution
The relationship between heart rate, anxiety and an athlete’s self-talk
Why emotional awareness can itself be a useful performance intervention
How frustration can be used to create focus and competitive intent
Where breathing strategies fit within performance under pressure
How to use wearable data without becoming overly dependent on it
Why mental and physical preparation should be integrated across a performance programme
How practitioners can use pre- and post-intervention data to build organisational buy-in
A simple journalling exercise athletes and coaches can use to identify performance barriers

About Dr Alicia Naser

Dr Alicia Naser, PhD, BCBA-D, is a behavioural scientist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst and founder of The Naser Institute for Behavioral Sports Psychology. Her work combines behavioural science, physiology and mental performance to support professional athletes, coaches and organisations. Dr Naser has more than 12 years of advanced study, research and applied work in behavioural psychology, and works across a range of elite sports including the NHL, ATP Tour, MLB, NBA, PGA and Premier League.

FREE 7d SCIENCE FOR SPORT ACADEMY TRIAL

SIGN UP NOW: https://bit.ly/SFSepisode241

Learn Quicker & More Effectively
Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery
Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In
Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese
Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More
Improve Your Athletes' Performance
Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

332: Growth, Maturation and Athletic Development in Tennis

Science for Sport — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Tennis players need far more than clean technique and a strong forehand. They need to be fast, powerful, durable and able to recover well enough to perform across an unpredictable, year-round competitive schedule.

This week, Richard Graves is joined by Joshua Dragone, Head of Athletic Development at Dukes Meadows Tennis Academy, to explore what effective physical development looks like in tennis.

Joshua explains why tennis S&C demands a different approach: players may be travelling, competing, dealing with limited gym access or adjusting plans after every match. He shares how he identifies the key physical qualities to target, creates structure without becoming rigid, and helps young players build the recovery, hydration and fuelling habits that support long-term development.

The conversation also looks at maturation, the influence of social media on junior training, and why parents, tennis coaches and athletic development coaches need to be aligned around the individual athlete.

In this episode you will learn

Why tennis requires athletes to develop speed, power, change of direction, robustness and energy-system capacity at the same time.
How to plan physical preparation around an unpredictable tournament schedule.
How to identify the one or two physical priorities that matter most for an individual player.
Why growth and maturation should shape expectations and programming in junior tennis.
How to use training windows effectively when players are travelling and competing.
The role of sleep, hydration and fuelling in availability, recovery and performance.
Why junior tennis players are often under-fuelled — and how practitioners and parents can help.
How consistent warm-up and recovery routines reduce friction on competition days.
How to respond constructively when players want to copy professional athletes’ social-media training.
Why alignment between player, parent, tennis coach and S&C coach is essential.

About Joshua Dragone

Joshua Dragone is the Head of Athletic Development at Dukes Meadows Tennis Academy in West London. He joined the academy in 2021 as a Senior Athletic Development Coach and moved into his current role in 2022. With more than a decade of coaching experience across sports including rugby, football and tennis, Joshua now specialises in helping junior tennis players become faster, stronger and more robust through developmentally appropriate, athlete-centred programming.

FREE 7d SCIENCE FOR SPORT ACADEMY TRIAL

SIGN UP NOW: https://bit.ly/SFSepisode241

331: Why Energy Management Is the Next Big Performance Tool

Science for Sport — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0100

How much of an athlete’s performance is shaped by the materials they wear and use?

This week, Richard Graves is joined by Dr Sarah Karmel, Chief Science Officer at RHEON Labs, to explore how dynamic materials are changing the way sport thinks about protection, comfort and performance.

Sarah explains the science behind RHEON’s non-Newtonian polymer technology: materials that remain soft and flexible at rest, but stiffen to manage energy when exposed to force. From NFL helmet components designed to address both linear and rotational impacts, to sports bras that provide support without unnecessary compression, this is material science with practical implications for athletes.

The conversation also looks at vibration damping in tennis and padel rackets, the role of apparel in supporting movement, and why the next step in sports equipment may be creating products that adapt to the athlete, rather than asking the athlete to adapt to the product.

In this episode you will learn

How dynamic polymers respond differently at rest and under force.
Why managing both linear and rotational impacts matters in athlete protection.
Why repetitive lower-energy impacts are receiving greater attention in contact sport.
How sports bra design can influence comfort, movement and the running experience for female athletes.
How dynamic materials can reduce vibration in rackets without removing the feel athletes need.
The potential role of responsive compression apparel in muscle support and tendon loading.
Why energy management is the common thread linking helmets, apparel and sporting equipment.
How material innovation could make sports equipment more individualised and athlete-centred.

About Dr Sarah Karmel

Dr Sarah Karmel is Chief Science Officer at RHEON Labs, where she leads the development of advanced elastomeric materials for sport, protection and performance applications. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and previously held the Blavatnik Fellowship at the University of Cambridge. Her work focuses on translating polymer and material science into practical technologies that improve how athletes are protected, supported and able to perform.

FREE 7d SCIENCE FOR SPORT ACADEMY TRIAL

SIGN UP NOW: https://bit.ly/SFSepisode241