#CoachUnboxed EP15: Rob Steckley, a former Canada #1 and Davis Cup player, has coached 2 top 10s in doubles and 4 top 30s in singles, winning 4 Grand Slam doubles titles and 20+ WTA titles. With a creative mind and unique coaching style bringing fun to work, Rob has established himself as an out-of-the-box mentor and content creator in tennis.
Rob's journey is one of being a promising young talent to losing himself, quitting school and tennis, but ultimately working his way back to the sport and a better self. He chats about self-discovery, resilience, and taking chances in transforming a life and career. Rob shares how coaching became a natural fit and reflects on the different emotional dynamics and coaching styles between both tours. He then discusses his creative approach to pro tennis and content creation, illustrating how storytelling can enhance the player and tour experience through authenticity and exploration.
About Rob Steckley: Rob was a top junior and became the #1 player in Canada before playing college tennis for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. After navigating some tough times in his life and leaving the sport, Rob was given a chance to go back to school at Lander University. He got his tennis level back and eventually reached the Davis Cup team. A shoulder injury led Rob to soon become a tour coach and has worked with Aleksandra Wozniak (#21), Sania Mirza (#27s, top 10 d), Lucie Šafářová (#5s #1d), Denis Shapovalov (#19), Anastasia Pavlyunchenkova and now Marina Stakusic.
Rob led his players to achieve career-high rankings in both singles and doubles, winning 4 Grand Slam doubles titles (Australian Open, Roland Garros, US Open and Roland Garros mixed), 18 doubles and 4 singles WTA titles. He also helped Lucie Šafářová reach the 2015 Roland Garros singles final. Rob is also a creative mastermind, leveraging his out-of-the-box mentality and fun coaching approaches at work. His work has been captured by major networks like New York Times, National Post, ESPN and Yahoo! Sports. He’s also the founder and CEO of Hopeless Talent.
Follow Rob Steckley on Instagram @robsteckley and LinkedIn Rob Steckley.
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Production: Unbox Sports; Location: Embarc Collective; Music: BongÔMusics; Photo: Unbox Sports
