Peter Lebedevs Interview: 2024 Dallas Open Preview & Improving Volley Skills

This is my third interview with Peter Lebedevs. The first two interviews are down below.

Peter Lebedevs joins the show for the 3rd time as the Dallas Open enters year three as an ATP 250 tournament. Peter is the tournament director for the tournament and an accomplished tennis coach as well.

I’ll be attending the tournament this year but will spend much of my time on the doubles courts… obviously 😉

Previous Dallas Open doubles winners include Michael Venus & Jamie Murray (2023) and Marcelo Arevalo & Jean-Julien Rojer (2022). The draw is usually strong with several up-and-coming teams to watch.

We also discuss how to develop volley and net skills as a doubles player.

• Why club players struggle with volleys more than groundstrokes.
• Two new volley drills to improve your transition and offensive volleys.
• How to add confidence to your net game in 3 months.

Peter also coaches top 100 WTA doubles player, Catherine Harrison, who has been on the podcast previously. We get an update on her career as well.

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Peter Lebedevs Interview: Strategy Tips & 2023 Dallas Open Preview

This is our second interview with Peter Lebedevs (the first is below), coach of Top-100 WTA Doubles Player Catherine Harrison, and tournament director of the Dallas Open.

We talk about the upcoming Dallas Open set for February 4-12, what he has learned in the past year, Catherine’s offseason and progress, and doubles strategy.

Also in this conversation:

• What will change at this year’s Dallas Open including electronic line calls.
• What Peter told Catherine Harrison in preparation for her Australian Open match against the #1 seeded team.
• Peter’s best advice for return strategy in doubles.

You will hear behind-the-scenes details from the Dallas Open, tips to volley better, and how professionals get better in the off-season.

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Interview Notes from this Podcast

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• Follow Peter on Twitter | Follow the Dallas Open on Twitter
• Buy tickets, volunteer, or find more information about the tournament at DallasOpen.com
• 2023 Dallas Open Details
  • The 2023 singles draw will be full of Americans just like last year, with guys like Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Reilly Opelka, John Isner, and more.
  • The doubles draw also looks to be very strong, much like last year when 5 players from the draw made it to the ATP Finals.
  • Update: the women’s event this year will feature Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys.
  • Australian Open quarterfinalist & NCAA Champion Ben Shelton is in the singles draw.
  • Other changes include electronic line calling, concession and practice court relocations, and a bolstering of the food and drink options.
• Insight on Coaching a Top-100 Doubles Player
  • During the offseason, Catherine Harrison worked to get healthy, build her strength, and win more first serve points.
  • She is much better now at shot selection and knowing how to harness the strength that is her serve.
• Doubles Strategy
  • When hitting volleys, you are already in an offensive position, so you don’t have to force the matter on balls that are high or awkward.
  • When returning in doubles, commit to a target and also work on your lob return.

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Peter Lebedevs Interview: 2022 Dallas Open, The Importance of High Percentage Tennis, & The Toughest Volley in Tennis

After trying several sports as a kid, Peter grew to love tennis, and that love turned into several years of playing and coaching. Following this, Peter would work his way through the ranks to become the tournament director at the Memphis Open, Atlanta Open, and New York Open.

I knew Peter from my childhood when I was a ball boy at the Memphis Open. We were voted the best ball kids on tour 😉

We talk about the 2022 Dallas Open, his tennis story, and, of course, how to make doubles more popular. In addition to this, we talk doubles strategy:

• Why high percentage tennis is winning tennis.
• Where you should go with your serve more often.
• The toughest volley in tennis.
• A very important lesson he learned from Wayne Bryan.

PS. Peter also makes a prediction on the Novak Djokovic – Australian Open situation early in the episode. (The episode was recorded on January 6, 2022, when Djokovic was still in holding.)

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Show Notes from this Podcast

*To help support The Tennis Tribe & provide more free content like this, we may earn a percentage of purchases through the links below. See our affiliate page for more info.

• Follow Peter on Twitter | Follow the Dallas Open on Twitter
• Peter is the tournament director of the new Dallas Open
  • The tournament will run from February 6 – 13 at the Styslinger / Altec Tennis Complex in Dallas, TX.
  • Players such as John Isner, Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka, Grigor Dimitrov, and Kei Nishikori will be there.
  • You can purchase tickets and follow this new tournament boasting an intimate fan experience at dallasopen.com.
• Peter is a seasoned veteran as a tournament director
  • After spending several years playing and coaching tennis, Peter was in charge of transportation at the Memphis Open before being promoted to ball kids director, then players and practice courts, and finally becoming the tournament director.
  • Following this he would go to Atlanta where he would help run that tournament before becoming the director of the New York Open.
• Peter’s Favorites
  • Tournament: Wimbledon (That’s other than the Dallas Open of course)
  • Tennis Book: Open by Andre Agassi
  • Non-Tennis Book: A Good Walk Spoiled: Days and Nights on the PGA Tour by John Feinstein or Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book by Harvey Penick
• Other People Mentioned
  • Catherine Harrison, Wayne Bryan, & Brad Gilbert
  • This amazing shot by Andy Roddick
  • Stefan Edberg