Sam Jacot: Hello and welcome to episode 16 of Tales from Tennis with me Sam Jaco and my co-host Jerome Coombe. This is an independent podcast that is not affiliated with the ATP in any way. This week we had Arthur Feasors coach Ivan Sinkus on the show to talk all things Frenchmen and it was a good one wasn't it Jerome? You've had an interesting career to date, Ivan. You were a former player until 24, 25 years old and stopped due to financial difficulties, I believe. And then you went into coaching. You coached in China for a bit. You coached obviously in Croatia ⁓ at academy level and then started working with Marin Cilic. Did two spells him.

Jerome Coombe: Yeah, an amazing time to chat to Ivan during this incredible return from injury that Arthur's having. Obviously out for eight months at the back end of last year and the start of this year, but he's returned. He's already reached the final in Doha. He won the title in Barcelona, semi's in Miami,

Sam Jacot: reached the Australian Open Final in 2018, while number three, then you worked a little bit with Mio Mierkis-Manovich, and then Arthur Veeze comes calling. How does that collaboration with the Frenchmen work and how did that come about?

Jerome Coombe: and now going deep in Madrid. So, yeah, perfect time to talk to Ivan and get a real insight into what it takes to... to coach a player back from injury like this and to have the return to form that our host is is incredible. So yeah, some really, really great insight from ⁓ Ivan.

Sam Jacot: Yeah, Ivan started working with Arta at the start of 2025, so just over a year ago now. And then Goran Ivanishvich came onto the team a few months ago, so at the start of 2026. So he talks about that dynamic as well and how great it is to have Goran with him. knows and has known Goran for years. Ivan used to coach Marin Cilic as well previously. So some good stories in there as ⁓ lot of ⁓ behind the scenes content on Arthur. So hopefully ⁓ one you will enjoy, Jerome, how you getting on apart from the recordings? Hi, Ivan. Thank you so much coming the show.

Ivan: Thank you guys.

Jerome Coombe: yeah, really good here. Just recovering from a pretty big weekend, wasn't working, but it was partner's birthday, so had a big one. Celebrating, and yeah, ready to get back into the... the second week of Madrid, some really exciting stuff going on and even though, you know, obviously the sad news about Alcruz withdrawing, feels maybe some could seem it's a bit of a dry tournament, still lots of storylines to look out for as we reach the back end of the tournament. ⁓ But yeah, what about yourself? What have you been up to? Cambridge, obviously nearing promotion. Again, they've just got back into the automatic spot, so I'm sure you're following very closely.

Sam Jacot: Yeah, at the time of recording they've got one more game to go coming up on Saturday the 2nd of May. So we'll see. If they win that they go up which will be great. And then I went to the London Marathon on the Sunday and got co-hursed into entering the ballot myself when I was having a few points afterwards for next year.

Jerome Coombe: Every city you change your decision after you've had a sleep on it

Sam Jacot: Well hope I don't get in. I hope the ballot is as hard as it is to get in as people say because I haven't got it in me at the moment for sure.

Jerome Coombe: Yeah, I don't think they're looking to have you run the marathon. I don't think you'll be cut out for it, Sam.

Sam Jacot: No, it's not. It's not my kind of expertise. And I just don't see the point of running that much, really. I think go and play tennis, go and play football, go and play golf. But anyway, that's just me. I don't want to put off any runners. Great work if you did run the London Marathon. Really, really phenomenal effort.

Jerome Coombe: Yeah.

Sam Jacot: but as normal, I hope you enjoy the podcast. Please like, subscribe, give us a follow, give us a review. Wherever you listen to your podcast, it just helps fans find the show. but for now please sit back and enjoy this episode with Ivan.

Ivan: the father approached me ⁓ of Arthur. Maybe we can start working. ⁓ He saw me on the tour and how I work and everything. And he said me, look, I think can be good for Arthur. And then I say, OK, we can try, you And then we start in Dubai. And it wasn't at the beginning perfect, you know. I was like, OK, we need to improve something and like this. it was Arthur was always like, ⁓ OK, why we need to change something like this and everything. But I said, but OK, you need to improve the game. And yeah, then.

Sam Jacot: Yeah.

Ivan: He split with Sebastian Rojan in February and then I go with him to America. I didn't need to go but then I cannot leave my player to go to Master Syria. And then he started to play unbelievably. After that and then in three months we play really, really good tennis. Every quarter final, everything. And then get injured with the back.

Sam Jacot: Yeah.

Ivan: And then ⁓ that was a little bit shock because we were like ⁓ 14 in the world and everything was good. I think we hurry up with the comeback at the first time, you ⁓ it was a little bit too quickly. So yeah, was like, yeah.

Sam Jacot: Yeah, in Toronto. In July, yeah.

Ivan: It was too quickly to come back. And then in Cincinnati, we decided that it's like we cannot play five days and then rest five days because of the back like this. We need to fix this so we can play. And then it was a long, long weeks and months about it, but at the end it was going much better.

Jerome Coombe: After or during a tricky period with the injury, obviously maybe you've worked with players who have been injured before, but what is that whole experience like and how do you kind of all work together in the team to make sure that the comeback is as straightforward as possible?

Ivan: It was tough, tell you. It wasn't easy. I think that no one coach can predict when it's really long, especially for the tennis player. Everybody thinks it's going to be so quickly to come back and like this, but then when it's coming two, three months or something more, it's tough mentally. Because at the beginning, it was starting like, OK, maybe we can play Australia. But then we said, we need to be prepared, be ready for five sets. And we are not, man. And then we put like a schedule, what we need to do every day or every week so we can go step by step more and more in the performance of the tennis and performance of the fitness. And then we check, not done, not done, not done. And then how can we go? But I think it's much, much better that we didn't rush with this, you know. Even if we didn't play unbelievably now, how we played, I think it would be better that we... It's like you need to be ready to compete. It's not like only come on the tournament and then maybe I will win or something. You need to be ready and then what happens will happen, you know. Because I said also, when I speak with Arthur, I said to him, Look at you are already 14, almost close to top 10. You are not 50 guy in the world and like this. And then, so you already play with the good guys and you know what you need to do to be ready to compete. You know, when you are maybe 60, 70, 80, maybe you, okay, I can try to play, but when you are already in the top level, you need to be ready. You know, this is my opinion on that. Yeah.

Jerome Coombe: Hmm. Yeah, yeah for sure and obviously now with the results he's having he's proving it but even before you know as you said 14 the world some big results he's someone that can go very ⁓ far in the and go to go to right to the top is that how you thought when you first started working what stood out immediately about Arthur and his game

Ivan: When I started, ⁓ said to him, look at that, we cannot be so far from the baseline. ⁓ he said, ⁓ on, man, ⁓ not like this. ⁓ I said, but okay, it's like you like it to be behind. It's okay, no problem, but you need to improve to come in closer, you know, because if you ⁓ like 10, 15 winners, ⁓ like three, four games. It's much easier to compete than you going back. And then again and again and again the point. So in this kind perspective was for him a little bit tougher, but after we practice and after the results, he start to believe that it's much, much better. And now it's already a good momentum in everything, you know? When I say something, we do it, you know? Even if it's tough or something, it's much easier for me as a coach, you know?

Sam Jacot: Yeah, he listened. has that trust then. ⁓ come back from the injury, since he's returned to Tor, as a team, he's won the title in Barcelona. He's reached the semi-finals ⁓ in Miami. He's reached the quarter-finals ⁓ in Indian He's reached the final ⁓ in This is really ⁓ ridiculous, really, considering was out for such a time and he's come back and produced such great results. Obviously, you have lot of belief and faith in what you guys do, but... Has it almost surpassed what you kind of hoped he would achieve on the first couple of months back? You know, already reaching a semis at a Masters and a title because it's been so impressive.

Ivan: No, of course not. Of course not. It's like, no, first we said it's like from first three, four tournaments, we said, for us, if we have seven, eight matches, it will be good. So we know that you can develop, that you can stay on the court. We don't have the pain. This is the most important stuff. And then we go step by step because it's not only about tennis, you know, it's like You didn't play, you need to go in the first match with Royer in Montpellier. French guy, Royer, first man, we didn't know what to expect, you know, we just say, OK, we need to fight. then. After the match is most important, do we feel ⁓ the back? ⁓ We don't feel it like this. And then the match, when he won the ⁓ and he said the next day that the back good, we are good, you know. That's the most important, know, it's not about the winning only like this. So he play good matches, but also in look at in quarterfinal against Aliassim Felix is like, it's another dimension. He was like expecting he's going to be in the same level with stuff. Of course it's not, it's indoor, it's like this and that. But then we go also in Rotterdam, we play Deminaur It was a good match, but only one set. It wasn't two sets. So it was also tricky for him, you know, we play good first set and then we drop. I said to him, look, OK, we lose. Doesn't matter. First set, we play really good. We need to keep going. Second. This is the goal. It's not about winning or losing. We just need to play two sets close and then we're going to achieve it. better and better. So at the go to Doha was like first match tough, really tough, windy, tough to play everything we strangled together as a team because it was tough for him on the court but then after that he started to play better and better, you know, it's like he started to maybe like more confidence in everything, you know, and then it's coming to final,

Jerome Coombe: you mentioned it there, obviously, it's ⁓ the scheduling, you have to be careful. It's not just about winning. It's about the feeling on the court, the back. obviously, so the decision not to play Monte Carlo, obviously, after this, is that kind of just, yeah, just caution ⁓ you know, yeah.

Ivan: Yes, yes, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah, also the doctor, we go to check ⁓ back, everything, you know, and then he look, he play a lot. You need to be calm. We didn't need to rush, you know, with the results what we have, we don't need to rush. So he said, look at four days, it's like a minimum to calm down with with everything. And because of the whole body, it's not about the back anymore, like a whole body, you and then we said, okay, it's not a problem. Why not? No problem. Semifinal of the Miami, we don't need to rush, don't need to do anything. So it was a good, good also timing for him, you know, mentally and everything. He recovered. He start doing practice with Goran. and then they go to Barcelona and it was good. Tough match, first round, Atman, again. But then, but okay, it's like, it's so many tournaments during the year, it's tough to play all week, good, you you need to rest sometimes, you know.

Jerome Coombe: Again, French. Yeah, could you take us inside maybe a match from your perspective as a coach maybe? So let's go Miami for example. I I think it was the quarterfinal against Tommy Poole. Crazy match for you.

Sam Jacot: Yeah.

Jerome Coombe: maybe talk a little bit about that experience and what your aim is in a match like that, your role from the side the court?

Ivan: Yeah, was like mentally, not physically, but it was really, really tough for everybody for me as a coach because Tommy was playing really good, tactically good. We were like always behind, but we were like pushing Arthur. Okay, don't think about you. You don't need to break him. Just focus about your serve going step by step. And it was really tough after second set, 7-6. I was really thinking that he can do it, you know, because he's a competitor, he's a fighter. But in one point in the, it's like, you just want to be positive to him, you know, because it's even tactically, it's tough because everything is almost the same. The guy are almost the same on the baseline. It's We have a lot of like, not issue, but problems with the return to Tommy's serve good, know, like kick, slice, so it was tough. So I was saying him, okay, go in one side just to see just that he can see you go back, go like, so in one point is like, most of the time is like positive ⁓ way to show that he can do it, you know, if you go down and say, what did you do or something like that, then it's ⁓ tough to come back, you know. And this kind of matches because it was like three target sets. it's everybody's doing maximum. So, ⁓ but third set six, two down. ⁓ It's like, ⁓ it's like, I think it was like a momentum, like two backhands. think Tommy missed that forehand on six, four. And that's the first forehand that he missed so easy. Then it's like momentum came, we stayed positive, go back and then that happened. But at the end, Tommy played even better than us.

Jerome Coombe: Hmm.

Sam Jacot: Yeah, he saved, he saved four match points, I think, in that match. I remember covering it and yeah, very dramatic. And I think there was one in Indian Wells, maybe against Felix, where he was trailing in a tiebreak, like maybe four five love down. And I was watching him and you were on side and he was getting a bit restless. And maybe someone said to him, like, you know, just it's not gone. You just go for it. And then he turned it around and won the set. How impressed have you been with

Ivan: and Exactly. Amen.

Sam Jacot: that fighting ability that is shown.

Ivan: No, for me it's like really good. know, he's always the fighter and it's like what I said, it's like momentum. When is the coach needs to tell something to the player? know, it's not always because you know, player, yeah, yeah, yeah, but he's not listening or he's not doing. But with Arthur is like we have like really good connection. So, but you asked me about also the tieback, yeah, it's like, he have, but also he have a set and break. So he play really good. And then he start a little bit rush, you know, and then break and then Felix is good, you know, he can serve always good, play good. So in that moment, I just say, don't rush, play the same, same discipline, same tactics, what you play. Why you need to make for winners. You don't need to make four winners, eh? But it was a good, really also good recovery from this type of care. was tough.

Sam Jacot: Yeah, and he's hitting the ball at the moment like the Barcelona final on Last week as we record now. He just was clubbing the ball against Andre Rubel I had a little wobble at the end and then he obviously bounced back gets himself over the line in straight sets I know you talked about Ivan about closing the gap between like the baseline and ways and where he's playing from what other things were you working on with his actual game in that period when you were when he was out injured, obviously he's recovering but his forehand just seems to be at another level

Ivan: we try do that ⁓ he doesn't go too much big swing, you know, a little bit shorter so he can when somebody is attacking or something so he can ⁓ having a control a little bit more with the backhand ⁓ spin, you know, when he's ⁓ in defense. And of course, with a little bit with the drop shots, you know, for the feeling. We do that a lot. ⁓ And ⁓ course, serve. mixer, know, not only the hitting the ball because he always want to hit the ball, but just a mixing what Tommy Paul doing and like this, you know, it's tactically really, really good. So this is what we there was a and also on the fitness, we do more tennis footwork, you know, so he can better controlling and better moving on the court, you know, forward backward and like this, you know.

Sam Jacot: Yeah, his movement is so good.

Jerome Coombe: Is there something that you think maybe between Arthur and some other young guys, is there something different that he has in his game

Ivan: always ⁓ ⁓ to compete. When tough, he to do his own way. It's always like, ⁓ with the fans, with the crowd, he likes to do that and then he's like ⁓ more and more motivated. Maybe some other guys, don't like like this, they want to be calm like this. He likes it. And then he's like in motion, know, it's like explosive and like this, you know.

Jerome Coombe: Yeah, yeah, a lot of fire. Yeah, just moving on and more generally speaking about maybe your role as a coach and being on tour as a coach. Is there something that fans maybe would not realize between, you know, a coach and a player during a tournament?

Ivan: Look at it, it's the whole day, you know, when you're coming, especially it depends. Example, Indian Wells, it was good because Indian Wells, we are close. So even you can sometimes walk to the site. You can stay, not too much people and you don't lose time. In Miami, you need to lose time, 45 minutes minimum to come. So everything is longer, you know. You cannot come back the matches. So it's tough for us. It's like, especially when you are long in America, you know, everything is long. this is the sometimes maybe the people doesn't understand that every day for us is like in the morning, prepare, warm up, practice. He needs to practice good recovery lunch again. And so you are. maybe seven, eight o'clock come back in the room and then you're tired already from everything, you know, because whole days you're on the court, on the site, you know, and then if you are close to the site, it's good, but then if you're not, you're losing a lot of time, like two hours in the car.

Sam Jacot: Yeah, it's a lot. Yeah, you can travel a lot. think it's in Shanghai, it's like two hours to get from Tournament Hotel to site. Sometimes more, depending on traffic. But talking, yeah, a little bit more when you're at an event and I guess scouting opposition, I've spoken to coaches before on this. does that work?

Ivan: always looking. We have ⁓ some people are working for us for the statistics. ⁓ This is important. I'm watching a little bit player, how he moves. Maybe he ⁓ does something in the couple of weeks. ⁓ the video and the statistics, I'm watching what they can do and they can... ⁓ do against us, you know. But the most important that what... then as a coach, you need to see. You cannot say to the player a lot of things because then it's like going crazy. Exactly. You need to say, where is he good and how the guy can arm you, you know, in the game. And then that's it, you know, also in the game. I helped him that if he forgets something or like this.

Sam Jacot: too much. Yeah, because there's obviously been a massive increase in data and insight with TennisViz from their side. provide loads of stuff for you now on the tablets and the wearables. So how have you found that? Because obviously when you were coaching Marin a few years back, 10 years ago, this data wasn't as accessible.

Ivan: Yeah, of course, of course, it was like ⁓ also the video, but not too much statistics, you know, now you can see some pattern, you know, from the players. So it's much easier. But as a coach, always you need to see for yourself because I need to tell to the player what he needs to do. You know, somebody likes go details, somebody doesn't like somebody like. ⁓ Maybe two things, somebody likes three things or some stretch of the how he needs to do it on the court and like this. So, but much, much helper now for the coaches. But then you need to know your player because if you know, maybe he doesn't understand.

Sam Jacot: Yeah, yeah, just try to simplify it all. And then we've touched upon it briefly. Goran Ivanovic, he's joined the team. How great is it? I know you know Goran for a long time, but how nice is it to have him on the team and how's the dynamic working now? I know as we record, Goran's in Madrid. I think you're going to Rome. Are you in constant contact with them this week or do you have a rest week? How does it all work?

Ivan: But you know. Yeah. Well, me and Goran are always in contact. If everything okay, we don't need to always, is everything good? How we do it? And then ⁓ when we stop, before Goran goes to Monaco to practice, we sit, we talk. I do this, this, this. Okay? And after that, always again we talk. I do this, this, this. So, always... We are on the same page, what we do and what we need to improve. Because he is with him every day, so sometimes he sees something that I didn't see. And then ⁓ when I come back, we are not starting again, we're just going step by step up in the game. So the player is not confused.

Jerome Coombe: Hmm.

Ivan: So, but Goran and me know each other for 25 years and ⁓ we everything do in five minutes.

Sam Jacot: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Ivan: So it's not the problem, yeah.

Sam Jacot: I was just going say one more on that. he, because he joined the team quite recently, was he following, obviously he's been so involved in tennis anyway, following Fize's career pretty closely and how did the actual collaboration come about? Did you speak to Arthur and mention Goran? Did Goran approach you guys? Did Fize just go out on his own way and approach Goran? Did his father get involved? How did they actually kind of come about?

Ivan: Okay, so the story was ⁓ last year I need to be the fool with Arthur, but then he got injured and then we started to practice after injury and everything and then in one point I speak with the father and the team and I said, look guys, it's tough to be every week, tournament with ⁓ Arthur and then he asked me, they also have somebody to ask and then I said, look guys, we were in Zagreb practice after Dubai for six days. And then I said to father, I didn't even say to Arthur, I said to the father, look at Goran is here, he can come, you can talk and then we see and then ⁓ we see what happened. And then they talk, ⁓ it was good. And then I said, look guys, if somebody needs to come, Goran is the one. couple of days, ⁓ they everything and ⁓ I to them, look at ⁓ Goran ⁓ the man ⁓ for job to help us, you know, especially me that I'm not thinking about when I'm at home, if he's doing something or not, because look at if he goes sometimes alone or with somebody and is not working good, he gets frustrated and then what? I need to do it again and like this. So ⁓ at end, I said to Goran to come to Doha, then everything was good, know? Everything is like really, really good in the team and so.

Jerome Coombe: Yeah, well, I mean, since you've come in and since you've all started working together, mean, the results are showing. mean, you know, it's amazing results and Arthur's playing great. Maybe one last question on Arthur is, yeah, what do you think is the next step for him to be consistent, you know, at the top of the game?

Ivan: Look at, like I said to Artur, every day is like you need to practice like focus. It cannot happen that ⁓ we just come on the court and we just hit the ball. It's not about that. I think he understand before it wasn't like this, but now he understand when we are on the practice, we need to do something on the practice. It's not about just, aha, I do it and that's it. So if we do serve, If we do backhand, we do volley, if we do anything, it needs to be focus, discipline, purpose to do it. And then you can expect that you can do it on the match.

Sam Jacot: I spoke to Raphael Hordar, his college coach, and he said about that intensity and discipline on the practice court really translating into kind of results. And yeah, I think it's so important, as you say there, if you put the work in, and I know it's cliche, but really focus in on, you know, in those sessions, then the results will come if ⁓ you're disciplined. Last one, or last few, just a quick fire questions to finish, Ivan. Thanks so much again for coming on the show. Arthur Fies, he's a character, he's a great fun. How would you describe him off the court? What's he like? Is he super competitive? Yeah, how do you guys kind of get on and away from tennis?

Ivan: He's an unbelievable guy. ⁓ He wants to anything for the team, relax. Sometimes too much want to relax because he's young, but really, really good guy, ⁓ decent and unbelievable.

Jerome Coombe: And what's maybe your, Ivan, your favourite part of being ⁓ a coach?

Ivan: You know, what is the for me as a coach is like, ⁓ I always want to do more for the player and always want to have ⁓ like ⁓ the targets. Like we said now, my targets as a coach that you you need to be ⁓ seeded in Roland Garros. It's like something that we have jumped down.

Sam Jacot: Job done.

Ivan: And if you want to go to the... because always vacation. Always vacation with Arthur. So I said, OK, no problem. If you do quarterfinal of one of Grand Slam. The Rolling Arrows or Wimbledon. You can go on vacation. So I give him a target. So it's like I'm always giving a little bit like a target. So for myself, what I want and also for the player. And this is for me like... ⁓

Sam Jacot: Haha. Yeah.

Jerome Coombe: And it's in-

Ivan: how I say it, not only the target, it's also the discipline for me as a coach. I have something, we need to do it, we need to do it in this part.

Jerome Coombe: Hmm. It's interesting because a lot ⁓ of players and people, say they don't set goals, but sometimes it can be a good thing.

Ivan: But yeah, but of course it's like, we start 42 at the beginning. And then I said, but look at, if we're going to do 30 this year, 25, it's already good. So it's like realistic, you know, because I don't know how is going to be the back, how is going to be the body, mentally, everything. So if we play good, we can do it, you know? But I cannot say, hey, we're going to do, we're going to be top 10. Come on, It's like, I just say.

Sam Jacot: Yeah, it's

Jerome Coombe: way he's.

Ivan: You know, I just said, but it's not real. No, no, okay. Of course, exactly. Yeah.

Sam Jacot: You might be, you might be, he might be lifting, you know, but it's not, you can't set it, I get what you mean. And you see it with like Jack Draper, who was out injured a lot of last year, bit like these and then struggling a little bit and now he's got a knee issue and it's not so straightforward.

Jerome Coombe: Yeah.

Ivan: Yeah.

Jerome Coombe: just going to say while we're quickly on that, I know it might be bit cheeky but you know, obviously it's so far ahead but is Turin, is that a thought that is coming in? The ATP finals?

Sam Jacot: qualification.

Ivan: Look at it. need to play. But look at it. It's one point when they asked also Marin when we play a final of Australia. He was top number in the world and they asked him ⁓ to, ⁓ can be number one? ⁓ They me and I said, ⁓ guys, have Nadal, Federer and everybody and like this, but you need to play the whole year. It's not about ⁓ just tournament or two tournaments. So... On the grand slam you need to be better. ⁓

Jerome Coombe: That's why it's so impressive because Arthur has just come in from Montpellier and he's already sixth in the race to Turin.

Ivan: Exactly. the couple of months, okay, it can also be tricky for the player because he doesn't defend anything after Roland-Garros. So it can be tricky. know, we need to, as a coach and also Goran and me, needs to be focused that he's not going with the mind away because, players can go, I have time, I ended. And then the momentum, the focus go away. So this is ⁓

Jerome Coombe: Mmm. Hmm. Hmm.

Ivan: the most important what we need to do in these couple of months after, know, for Arthur

Sam Jacot: Yeah, yeah, in the other way, guess, after Roland Garros, can frame it that because he has no points to defend, it's big opportunity to climb even higher because he's got, I guess, it's hard. He's thinking his head may be free hit, but it's like an opportunity to really, you know, have some good runs and rise up more.

Jerome Coombe: Hmm.

Ivan: Yeah, but I saw so many times that when the guys are not defending, they don't play good.

Sam Jacot: ⁓ Last one, Your favorite moment, your best moment in tennis so far.

Ivan: Look, it was a couple of... was a Wimbledon final, it was Australia Masters in London, three years in a row. So this kind of stuff is great. You cannot... ⁓ It's like when you're top eight in London, it was unbelievable. Three years in a row, it was really, really nice. It's like a special when you are over there. You cannot compare to any tournament, not even...

Sam Jacot: Yeah.

Ivan: Nothing, you know? For me.

Jerome Coombe: Yeah, definitely. Well, yeah, thank you so much for coming on, Ivan.

Ivan: Well, thank you guys.

Sam Jacot: Yeah, thank you so much. It's been great to hear all about your great insight and work with Arthur and hopefully a good strong rest of the clay and then grass swing.