Talking Tennis with… Rob Salmon, tennis podcast host
We chat to Rob Salmon, host of the brilliant My Tennis Journey podcast, about his own tennis journey, the inspiring people he’s interviewed, and how tennis has the power to transform lives for the better…
“Tennis has the power to change lives. It can teach you the most amazing life skills… In short, tennis can make you happy!
If you haven’t discovered Rob Salmon’s My Tennis Journey podcast yet, you’re in for a treat. In each episode Rob talks to a guest about their special insights and experiences in tennis, and the wider lessons for society and life.
The podcast has explored everything from being the Wimbledon referee to wheelchair tennis to coaching and mental health - and Rob has a great knack for making the discussions thought-provoking but also accessible, lively and fun.
Here’s our Q&A with Rob about his own tennis journey…
When did you first fall in love with tennis?
Once up a time, a long time ago, I was a young sport mad lad up in Cumbria. I went to a small primary school in a little village called Skelton. A coach came and ran an after school club on our playground and it was love at first sight…
Tell us a little bit about your tennis journey so far…
Tennis has played such a positive role in my life! As a Junior, I got to play for my County in Cumbria and then for Derbyshire when I moved there. In Derbyshire, I made some of my best friends in the whole wide world through tennis - although we were big rivals at the time!! After A-Levels, I went to America to play University tennis for a year which was amazing. When I got back I represented Oxford Brookes University which meant cramming four in the back of a Nissan Micra for the trip to places like Warwick!
I ended up working in the world of Sports Marketing with or alongside organisations like Carling, the Premier League and Samsung. Tennis took a back seat for a little while, but it was a constant positive companion - just in the background.
I started doing voluntary work for Derbyshire Tennis Association and using my holidays to do my coaching qualifications.
Then I read Matthew Syed’s ace book called Bounce. It talked about how there was a table tennis coach in his area who encouraged local youngsters to play and how an amazing table tennis culture started as a result. A number of champions came from a very small geographic area - and I’m sure there were many many more children who felt the benefit throughout life that a passion for sport can bring. Health, friends, happiness. And I thought to myself, I want to do that in tennis. I want to bring our community together on the court - so I got on and am doing my best to make it happen!!
I’m now a tennis coach at a brilliant community club called Church Broughton in South Derbyshire and go into schools too. I also coach our Derbyshire Tennis 10U squads and I work on Product Development with an amazing company called TopspinPro. They make a fantastic training aid which helps people learn topspin quickly and effectively. Then there’s the podcast too, which is very much a labour of love!
The young Rob’s first tennis press exposure!
Why did you decide to start your podcast, My Tennis Journey?
I have always loved radio and used to love collaborating with stations like Five Live when I worked in sports PR so I thought ‘I’ll give it a go’! I love how much you can do with a laptop and a phone that you only used to be able to do as a TV channel or radio station. I learnt online how to set up a podcast and took the plunge. The first episode I published was with an amazing UK player called Vic Allen who is over in the States on a tennis scholarship at Florida State University. Vic and her Florida State team had a match last night and I’ve just been checking out the scores - Go Noles!
During lockdown, I couldn’t coach so working on the podcast was a great way to keep productive.
Which podcast guest has perhaps surprised you or interested you the most?
I’ve genuinely learnt from and been inspired by all the podcast guests. They all have amazing stories of how tennis has played a positive role in their life. Please can I choose two? I loved interviewing Abbie Breakwell who is a wheelchair tennis player. She is so vibrant and bubbly and has such brilliant stories like when she did a happy dance when she heard she was being selected for GB. I’m sure Abbie will have a bright future in the game - do take a look at her Twitter.
The second guest I would choose would be the ITF President Dave Haggerty. You can read about Dave’s tennis journey in black and white on paper on places like LinkedIn but his adventures in tennis really do jump into life when he tells the stories. He also recommended a book on Winston Churchill which I ended up buying for my step dad and father in law for Christmas - thanks for the tip Dave!!
Who would be your dream guest to talk to on My Tennis Journey and why?
At the end of My Tennis Journey episodes, I ask people this question: ‘If you could go for a drink with anyone alive or dead who would it be and why?’ It was one I was asked in an interview and I thought it was a great question!
From a tennis perspective, and I realise I’d need a time machine, I’d go for Fred Perry. I’d love to hear about his ascent from working class roots, to being World Champion at table tennis before going on to win Wimbledon, become World No.1 and how he headed to America and became co-owener of Beverly Hills Tennis Club in LA - the launch of the club featured a match with Charlie Chaplin and Groucho Marx. What a tennis journey!
The Wimbledon statue of the great Fred Perry, Rob’s ultimate fantasy podcast guest
What are your ambitions for your podcast?
I hope that people are inspired by the guests’ stories and that it deepens their love of our brilliant game! I was at a tournament today with my son Ned and a coach said he’s shared a podcast I’d done on 5 Tips For Tennis Parents with the parents of all his players - it was such lovely to get that feedback!
What is your favourite tennis story that you’ve either heard about or experienced yourself?
A young pupil of mine called Charlie was working on his serve and I was showing him John Isner’s serve ritual - John has this habit of putting the ball through his legs as part of his serve preparation. Charlie loved it and practiced doing it until he perfected it.
We sent a little video of Charlie’s version to John on Twitter and he sent a lovely reply to Charlie. It made Charlie’s year!! He’s still doing the ball through his legs serve prep on every serve and we both still follow John’s journey!
John Isner’s exchange with Charlier (click to watch the video on Twitter)
What is the greatest gift tennis has given you?
I think it is the amazing friendships I have made through the sport and that I met my wife Beccy through tennis!
What excites you the most about British tennis at the moment?
I think to have a really thriving tennis scene it helps to have high profile role models at the top of the pyramid alongside a conscious drive to give as many people as possible the chance to experience our game at the grassroots level.
I think the algorithm is coming together in this respect from a British Tennis point of view and that’s what excites me the most at the moment! We have high profile stars like Emma Raducanu at the top of the game alongside a drive from the LTA to get as many school children as possible playing with their LTA Youth Schools programme at the grassroots level. This programme provides schools with a £250 voucher to spend on coaching or equipment. I think giving school children the opportunity to see what a great sport tennis is and linking the schools with a club programme will be vital ingredients in making the game flourish in Britain.
From a local perspective, I absolutely love what a vibrant tennis scene we have at our club Church Broughton in Derbyshire. It is just brilliant to see so many people from different generations all loving our sport!
Finally, what does tennis have the power to do? Why is it the world’s greatest sport?
Tennis has the power to change lives. It can teach you the most amazing life skills like resilience, persistence and team work. It can keep you healthy and active. You can make life long friends. In short, tennis can make you happy!
Rob discusses Emma Raducanu’s amazing US Open victory on BBC News
Rob’s podcast My Tennis Journey aims to bring compelling tennis stories to life. You can find an introduction to the podcast here.
If you’d like to say hello to Rob, you’ll find him on Twitter and Instagram.
Interview by Lizzie Flint. Additional material by Andrew Nixon
We’d love to share more stories from people who love tennis! If you - or someone you know - would like to be featured in a Talking Tennis Q&A, please drop us a line at lizzie@talkingtennis.co.uk