What It’s Like to Be…a Tennis Coach

Scouting for signs of greatness, bolstering players after heartbreaking losses, and fighting the “yips” with Vesa Ponkka, a veteran tennis coach. Why are tennis matches played in silence? And what’s a “lucky loser”?

View the episode transcript

About What It’s Like to Be…
In each episode of What It’s Like to Be…, bestselling author Dan Heath speaks with someone about what it’s like to walk in their (work) shoes. Behavioral Scientist serves as a distribution partner with episodes released every other week. Learn more about the podcast’s mission of “slow curiosity” here.


The “Tennis Coach” episode of What It’s Like To Be… featured Vesa Ponkka. It was produced and edited by Matt Purdy. Copyright © 2024 by Dan Heath. All rights reserved.