Commentating is a different story than coaching, in my opinion. I try to educate people. I try to have fun with it. You’re looking at the greatest players in the world for the most part. When I go back to coaching young kids, I don’t talk about Federer’s forehand or Djokovic’s, backhand return.

What I try to talk about is what those players did with their attitude and their competitiveness.

I remember when I came back last year from the Wimbledon final between Federer and Djokovic. Federer had the two match points and eventually lost. I asked the kids what they took away from the match, and they talked about the match itself. What I wanted them to think about was how incredible it was that Djokovic seemingly gave away the second set after he won the first set in a tie break and how he got himself back together. In the 5th how Roger Federer, the greatest player of all-time lost two match points. Did he give up after that? No. He came back and won 4 more games on serve after that and got it to a tiebreak.

So those are really the things I try to bring to the kids and to the coaching side of it. Obviously, you can look at the technique, but it’s hard for people to relate to. An 11-year-old trying to copy Federer’s forehand is going to be tough. So, I try to bring to them what I know that they can learn, when they go play their next tournament.

Like you’re allowed to get mad. Like, Djokovic gets mad at himself, but he comes right back and focuses on what he needs to do next. That’s really what I try to bring to players, even to the casual fan, you know, that can’t play tennis like the pros.

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