The Wall Was My Babysitter

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson welcome Egor Shestakov to the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, a 24-year-old teaching pro originally from Kaliningrad, Russia, now based in Dallas and coaching on staff at Brookhaven Tennis Academy. Egor shares his journey from hitting balls on hardwood and carpet courts as a kid, to becoming team captain at the University of Texas at Tyler, to working alongside Dave Anderson and Mark Vos, both trained by Steve.

The conversation ranges from growing up in a tennis family and the differences between Russian and American coaching culture, to overcoming injury, the mental side of the game, and why he believes so strongly in playing at a smaller, non-brand-name college over sitting on the bench somewhere bigger. Egor is candid, thoughtful, and deeply committed to applying the GreatBase methodology to help players build technically sound strokes while developing confidence, discipline, and character both on and off the court.