Doubles Only Tennis Podcast

Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Sofia Kenin Interview from the Miami Open

• Will Boucek • Episode 170

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0:00 | 18:29

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia (Sonya) Kenin won the 2024 Miami Open. I spoke with them after their 2nd round victory in Miami for about 10 minutes.

Bethanie & Sonya deliver some fantastic doubles strategy tips throughout this conversation, so listen carefully.

We discuss:

  • Their first two victories, including what adjustments they had to make.
  • How they structure their doubles practices.
  • Who calls plays during service games & how do they communicate during the match?

You'll also hear why Bethanie thinks Sonya is a great doubles player, what Sonya has learned from Bethanie, and their thoughts on making doubles more popular.


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Miami Open Doubles Strategy Analysis

Speaker 1

This is another interview from the Miami Open, and this time I have on a guest who is probably the most requested guest to date as far as anyone I've not had on the show yet and that is Bethany Maddock-Sands. She and her doubles partner, Sophia Kennan, joined me from Miami. We caught up after their second round victory and they went on to win the entire tournament, the Miami Open. So we talk a little bit about their second round victory, how it compared to their first round matchup, what adjustments they made, and if you're somebody who is more interested in the strategy episodes than you are the interviews I'd encourage you to listen to this one anyways, because Bethany delivers so much good information that club level players can use to improve their own doubles game. So just in the match analysis, she talks a lot about different strategies against slower paced balls and slices and movement at the net and closing and angling the ball off. There's just tons of information to unpack here. You might have to listen to it multiple times, so I want you to really focus on that throughout this interview.

Speaker 1

We also talk about scouting their next opponents. We talk a lot about practice, how they structure their practice, what they work on specifically, and then we move on to team chemistry and their partnership and how they call plays, because Sonja Kennen is obviously more of a singles player, although she's had a lot of success in doubles, whereas Bethany is a multiple time Grand Slam champion. She's certainly the doubles veteran on the team, but I wanted to understand how they go about calling plays. Is it just that Bethany just kind of calls all the shots or how does she integrate Sonia with that, so they talk a little bit about that. Then we discuss what makes Sonia good at doubles.

Speaker 1

Bethany shares some thoughts on that, and then I ask Sonia what she's learned from Bethany Maddox-Sands in doubles, and then at the end we talk about how to make doubles more popular. Bethany actually answers this in a way that I've never heard before. She's got a rule change that she would like to see maybe in some exhibition matches. So again, this is a great strategy episode. It's a great episode to get to know Bethany and Sophia Kennan a little bit as well, and really it's just an entertaining conversation. So, without further delay, enjoy this short 10-minute post-match interview with Bethany Maddox-Sands and Sophia Kennan.

Speaker 1

All right, so y'all are into the quarterfinals here. Talk about the match overall and then also the adjustment from yesterday. Yesterday you played especially in the ad court, you have Astapinko in the ad court and then today you have Nicolescu, who are very different players. So talk about the adjustments with that and then the match today overall.

Speaker 3

So you know, today's match was going to be challenging just because we played two very tricky opponents. I mean, we've known nicolesco monica for a long time and she has that slice forehand that she's really good directionally changing with that awesome thanks and um, you know her partner, uh, kalishnikova. Uh, I actually forgot she was a lefty for a minute, but you just knew she was kind of bringing the heat and she can bring some powerful serves and it's an interesting mix. So I feel like it was a big difference from yesterday's match where Ostapenko and Kichinok played a little bit more cross-court straight up. Kichinok got close to the net, ostapenko I don't even think she barely missed a return. We kind of went into that match expecting that.

Speaker 3

But I think both matches Sonia and I really came together, played well. That's the key in doubles is keeping the energy up, which she always does. I mean that's one of the reasons why I love playing with Sonia. We're competitive, we're fiery out there and I feel like we also can sort of see, see the court, we know each other well enough. She covers me from the back, we can set each other up and so, as much as you want to break down your opponents, um match to match. You really want to have that good communication with your partner and get your plays down. So I think that's something that Sonia and I've done well. That's why we've been able to win a lot of matches and win some tournaments. But I'll let her answer this question too, because otherwise I talk too much. So go, no, you're good.

Speaker 2

Well, definitely yeah, alena Sapinko, she rips the returns. I felt like today with Monica even though she's got the tough forehand slice, I felt like Bethany could poach on it. I just had to make my serve and she was out there closing the net, which is super helpful to me. But I felt from my side I was trying to be more aggressive at the net, since Bethany was telling me to do that.

Speaker 3

I felt better yeah, for sure.

Speaker 2

Definitely. I think it was a great match. We had a lot of fun and the crowd was amazing.

Speaker 1

So talk about the next match. So you'll play either Shea or Mertens. I think they play Blinkova and Martens. Maybe Will you all watch that or scout a little bit, or is it something where you're going to leave the site and go back and rest and just focus on yourselves? Talk about how you think about kind of scouting in this situation.

Speaker 3

Yeah, I think our coaches, our teams will go watch the match and scout it out a little bit. I feel like we know both teams pretty well. Obviously, blinkova and Ingrid are. I think it's Ingrid, right, it's you know, it's a new team. So sometimes, no matter how much you scout a team like that, it's you know they're still getting to know each other, so they don't necessarily play the same match to match. So you know, depending on when we play, if we have a day off tomorrow, obviously we're just going to practice our game, have our plays and our setups ready.

Speaker 1

But we'll leave that to our teams for now. Speaking of practice, sonia, so when you are playing singles and doubles and then I know sometimes you'll make it deep in the singles draw, lose early in doubles. Sometimes it's vice versa. In this case, you're still in the doubles draw, but not in the singles. Will you focus your practice more around doubles? If so, how much? Talk a little bit about that.

Speaker 2

I mean, yeah, of course, singles, doubles is completely different. So, especially like with Bethany, you know, that's why it's so great to practice with her. She's got like all the double skills and comes up with these good drills.

Speaker 2

That helps me so, instead of just doing cross core, cross core, it's like we're actually focused and work on stuff which I'm not going to give out because that's her secret, but we. It's a very productive, uh practice and that obviously helps me. I'm more comfortable and I mean I do enjoy playing doubles. I wish I would be in singles and doubles, but we're in doubles, which is great, but um no, I really enjoyed, and especially playing with bethany.

Speaker 1

Yeah, so you don't want to share, like your practice, secrets, I guess, is that what you're talking?

Speaker 2

about. Unless bethany wants to, I'm just gonna.

Improving Doubles Partnership and Popularity

Speaker 3

I don't know practicing on like a hidden court somewhere, so nobody can see if there was a hidden court, I would definitely be doing that, but I don't. There's not too many hidden things. I mean again, again, it's more getting the right intention. So we'll kind of look back at our matches and see what we did or what we maybe wanted to do a little bit differently and just sort of aim to practice those. I feel like a lot of our practices we don't do anything for too long, like that's kind of the key. We're not going to get stuck in a cross-court rally for 30 minutes. So it's just like, okay, what do we want to get out of this? Let's work on your angle, let's work on one cross, a lob, so we get very specific, and we keep all those different sort of drills within the practice pretty short, so that we're we're mentally sharp, so that's. I mean, that's kind of the secret.

Speaker 2

But um, I try to keep at the net today and myself at the same time, and she tries, and then I make her come today and I'm ripping a matter them at her from the feet.

Speaker 3

I'm like, are you?

Speaker 2

ready and I'm getting them back, and then in the match I'm like this thing looks nice.

Speaker 3

See you, look better today.

Speaker 2

Yes, yes, I'm happy I was. Yes, I was making her clothes and hit winners in the warm-up, yes, yes. And then you didn't match.

Speaker 3

That actually helped Come on.

Speaker 1

So the have your partner force you to get up there? Yeah, exactly. And then right for the long letter she's like I'm going to do this.

Speaker 2

I need you to be on top of the net.

Speaker 3

I'm like hit a winner. Hit a winner, that's a chip shot. Hit a winner, yeah.

Speaker 1

So I want to talk about the partnership a little bit more. So you all have played together a number of times, had a lot of success in the past, something where Sonia Bethany is like kind of calling the shots when y'all are back there calling like a serve formation, or is that something that kind of over time you've learned a lot yourself and you can kind of take ownership of your own service games a little more. Talk a little bit about that.

Speaker 2

I mean, yeah, I definitely I rely more on Bethany, since she's have obviously great experience and it's like amazing. So, of course, but obviously I try to also engage and not be the one. Yes, yes, yes, listening so I'm also like let's try to do this and then most of the time bethany agrees.

Speaker 1

I'm like, okay, that's good, now we just gotta get to the point where you're agreeing actually I think there was only one time today I said no you said you wanted to go wide serve and I was, I was, I had in my mind you know, and that's the play, that's, I had the play, and then we, like I got the play, I had the play, and then I got the play that I wanted.

Speaker 3

But most of the time I want I'll even ask her. Sometimes I'm like, what serve are you feeling? There's times where it's like you can call a play. But if my partner's feeling like I'm feeling my wide serve and maybe that's to our opponent's strength, but she's feeling it I want her to go with the strength and I'll set up myself in position so we make it interactive and I feel like we both know each other. So she'll even call out some things that she sees at the net for my serve, because a lot of times the volleyer is seeing the returner maybe cheat to one side or another and so they're able to make some calls. So every once in a while she'll be saying I think a wide one here will be good and then we'll play call from there.

Speaker 2

So I feel like at this point it's a team effort no, it's great, like I feel like I'm so comfortable playing with bethany and we had great success and yeah, let's go I was gonna say something else.

Speaker 1

What is, uh, what's something that you feel like sonja has improved in her doubles game over the last several years?

Speaker 3

say, I think one of her natural skills is she sees the court very well and that's one of the reasons why, when we first started playing, that we were able to mesh well from the beginning, because she can really sort of cover. If she feels the pressure at the net, she can throw up her lob. If she feels them being a little too far away from the net, she can do that dipper. And I always appreciate that, especially in a singles player, that she's reading the court so well. She also can cover me so she can have a sense of like when I'm about to cross and when the opponents are going to go line. And I feel like that's a really tough team to play is when you can kind of have someone that's reading the court so well, and so I feel like she's just the more doubles we've played together. We've been able to almost do some things where we don't even say it and we just kind of go do the play and that's like a great. It comes naturally.

Speaker 2

Yeah, it comes naturally.

Speaker 3

But I feel like you know once she believes in her volleys because you have great volleys. She has great volleys, great hands, she has some good reflexes and every once in a while I can just sense her backing up a little bit and I encourage her to keep closing because that's actually when she's hitting her volleys the best, and she did that today. We did that a little bit in practice so I feel like over time that's probably what she's improved the most is having that confidence in her, in her reflexes, because they're very good and those putaways and even those reflexes back, like a lot of times when we're playing other good net players, you're ready for the second ball right. So you like poach and you're ready for the reflex, and that's something that I think both of us have improved on, obviously, but especially, especially sonja um, so just two more questions and then I'll let you go.

Speaker 1

Uh, sonja, what's one thing you've learned from bethany on the doubles court that you would share with, say, like club level players who are trying to improve their game?

Speaker 2

I mean doubles is all about the net. So I've definitely learned like Bethany has amazing hands, like you can go like 150 miles at her, she's in the block. It's even today like she ripped a return and she ducked. I was like, oh my God. And she's like, yeah, let this girl come at me Like I'm ready, let's go. I would be like going back to the baseline hiding. I'm not that comfortable. But yeah, no, bethany's like amazing at the net and, of course, um intensity that she brings out on court. You gotta be pumped. You can't just walk around like a zombie. You have to be really, really into it which I always am.

Speaker 3

Yeah, no, she is like, the energy is like what she's saying, the energy is key and just always keep focusing on those fast reflex volleys like even if you do drills. You have your coach feed you drills, your partner feeds you, where you just work on those reflexes and I think that's always something that will help any, no matter what level you're at.

Speaker 1

Improving those gives you an advantage in doubles, for sure okay, last question uh, how do we make doubles more popular?

Speaker 3

I feel like it's been getting pretty popular. You know our matches. The last couple of days have been packed.

Speaker 2

It's very packed today.

Speaker 3

It's great energy and I feel like there's so many leagues and club-level players that play doubles that should come out and I feel like maybe talking about the strategy, getting the teams to sort of post together and getting some excitement around the doubles game, I think too much of the time it's compared to singles when it's actually a separate game. It's its own entertaining game. You can love singles and you can love doubles for actually different reasons. You know the points are faster. There's generally a little more going on just because of how much court we cover. The team scenario, I think, makes it more interesting actually for fans, especially when you watch it live because it's so fast. So I feel like we've got to encourage people to come see it live because I think that gives it the best boost. I mean, you tell me, but doubles live is faster than most people think.

Speaker 1

Yeah, it's great.

Speaker 2

I mean, even when I was younger, I would go to the Sonia Exit at the time, how it was called in Key Biscayne and I would watch, obviously doubles. So like, obviously it was interesting. You have, like these singles players playing, like obviously seeing how they play, how they, like you know, play with the team interact. It's also a bit more relaxed atmosphere. You always get the singles where everyone's like so intense and doubles is more fun, like there's a lot of laughs and a lot of crazy stuff happening at the net. These crazy rallies, I feel like, um, the fans always get into it. It's like like five volleys, everyone's like oh, oh, like screaming in the in the middle of the point, yeah, and then it's like oh again after anyone loses, I would.

Speaker 3

I would throw it out there too. I would say I'd love to test out playing a doubles match with the net where you see the singles in the middle of the doubles alley, because I would love to see some around the post shots. I feel like that could add an interesting highlight to doubles, and again, I haven't played doubles on those courts, but you know which courts I'm talking about where the net post is sort of in the middle of the doubles alley.

Speaker 1

So it almost takes away, sort of, if you think you had a great angle, you got to watch out because you got to defend something that could come around the post so I feel like playing around with some of those maybe even an exhibition, see how it goes but you could get some really awesome shots and some interesting points with that I've asked this question to, like I don't know, probably 150 people, including, like I don't know, probably 150 people, including, like I don't know, 40 or 50 players at this point. I've never heard that. Yeah, that's interesting. I never heard that. No, I thought about it.

Speaker 3

I mean, just think you see all these highlight shots of players hitting around the post and it's like we could add that into doubles and it would create a little different tactic. Right, because that wide ball that maybe feels like you're out of the point in dubs because you've got to hit it through the middle and that net player can cover so much. You just add a little bit of an element there.

Speaker 2

There's a ball kid and a duck, though. That's my tip Just get out of the ball kids, right there, just things like that.

Speaker 3

Again, I think the scoring keeps it exciting and could we even do other things where it's we just played 10-point tiebreakers, something like that, where it keeps the scoring simple 1, 2, 3, 4, you know, 1 to 10. And you know, I think could we test some of those things even in exhibition tennis, like for sure, I mean the UTS and everyone is kind of tiebreak 10s is like playing around with those. But I think doubles can do more exos during tournaments as well. Indian Wells put on the mixed doubles.

Speaker 3

And I think that's a great idea. I thought we should have added that a long time ago, because the mix gets so much attention at the slams and everyone asks Actually, a lot of people think you play it more places. And then I have to remind everyone, I'm like it's only four times a year you play mixed doubles, so I feel like especially the crowds in the us would love to see some of the the mixed doubles play as well.

Speaker 1

Awesome, thank you all for joining me yeah, cool thanks, thank you.