Coach Unboxed EP16: Thomas Drouet, a former top junior player in France and pro in Monaco, who went from hitting partner at the Monte Carlo tournament to 3x Grand Slam winning coach. Thomas has led players to become #1 in doubles and has coached a top 10 and 4 top 25s in singles, winning 18 doubles titles including the WTA Finals and 6 singles titles between both tours.
Thomas shares his journey from France to Monaco and the transition to pros in a new country, taking on hitting partner roles in Monte Carlo. He reflects on winning Wimbledon with Marion Bartoli and the six-year work with Timea Babos that also resulted in Grand Slam wins and many learnings as a coach. He delves into exploring the balance between singles and doubles success, the cultural adaptations required in the sport, and the impact of COVID-19. He finally shares the story behind creating The Cards Challenge game and new lessons learned by coaching his son.
About Thomas Drouet: Thomas became a hitting partner to tennis legends like Federer, Nadal, Soderling, Wawrinka and Monfils in Monte Carlo while playing pros. Starting as a coach on tour in 2011, he first worked with Bernard Tomic followed by Marion Bartoli, together winning the 2013 Wimbledon title and reaching the top 10. Later on, Thomas started coaching Timea Babos, leading her from outside of top 100 to top 25 in singles and to become #1 in doubles. Thomas has also coached former #12 Qiang Wang, #55 Jaqueline Cristian, among other top players.
Beyond his discipline both on and off the court, Drouet is passionate about infusing interactive techniques into coaching. This led him to pursuing an entrepreneurial path alongside coaching, introducing the first-ever interactive tennis card game, The Cards Challenge. Thomas is a proud father and avid cyclist.
Follow Thomas Drouet on Instagram @coachdrouet and LinkedIn Thomas Drouet . You can shop The Cards Challenge on the official website.
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Production: Unbox Sports; Location: Embarc Collective; Music: BongÔMusics; Photo: Felipe Figueiredo
