EP14 - Carlos Kirmayr

02/20/25 • 50 min

Coach Unboxed EP14: Yannick chats with Carlos Alberto Kirmayr, a former Brazilian #1 player and ATP #36 singles and #6 doubles, who as a coach has guided Gabriela Sabatini, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and Conchita Martínez all to top 3 WTA and a US Open championship (with Sabatini). He now leads his training center mentoring future generations of players and coaches.

They discuss Kirmayr’s California college tennis days, the challenges of “going pro” back in the ‘70s and enjoying tennis as a lifestyle on tour and in the later years as he matured. He talks about the Davis Cup making him known in Brazil, playing other legends and the natural transition into coaching pro players due to his affinity with the tour. Kirmayr shares more on building off-court dynamics that contributed to his players’ success and how continuous coaching education should be a priority at all levels.

About Carlos Alberto Kirmayr: Fondly known as “Kirma,” he has a career spanning 65+ years dedicated to tennis. He started playing at the age of 4 and at 17 set off to study in the U.S., winning several college titles. From that success, Kirmayr represented Brazil for 15 years in the Davis Cup (also as a coach and captain). He became #1 in Brazil and went on to reach #36 ATP in singles and #6 in doubles, winning 15 doubles titles and 14 runner-ups. Some of his best wins came against John McEnroe, Ilie Nastase, Ivan Lendl, among other greats.

Kirmayr eventually became a tour coach, winning the 1990 U.S. Open title with Gabriela Sabatini and guiding her, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and Conchita Martínez all to the top 3 WTA with combined 22 WTA singles titles and multiple Grand Slam semifinals. Fifteen years ago, Kirmayr opened this training center in Serra Negra, Brazil, offering a complete academic and tennis program for prospective college players. He has helped develop 200+ players, and also guided 5,000+ coaches through his advocacy and training, now continuing the work as the GPTCA National President of Brazil.

Follow Carlos Kirmayr on Instagram @kirmayroficial and LinkedIn Carlos Kirmayr.

Subscribe to Coach Unboxed and leave your rating and comment! Full episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, Apple Podcasts and ⁠YouTube⁠.

Follow Unbox Sports on social media for Coach Unboxed highlights: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠X⁠ and at ⁠unboxsports.com⁠.

Production: Unbox Sports; Location: ⁠Embarc Collective⁠; Music: ⁠BongÔMusics ⁠; Photo: CarlosKirmayr

Follow Carlos Kirmayr on Instagram @kirmayroficial and LinkedIn Carlos Kirmayr.

Subscribe to Coach Unboxed and leave your rating and comment! Full episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, Apple Podcasts and ⁠YouTube⁠.

Follow Unbox Sports on social media for Coach Unboxed highlights: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠X⁠ and at ⁠unboxsports.com⁠.

Production: Unbox Sports; Location: ⁠Embarc Collective⁠; Music: ⁠BongÔMusics ⁠; Photo: CarlosKirmayr

Previous Episode

EP13 - Bjorn Fratangelo

Coach Unboxed EP13: Yannick chats with Bjorn Fratangelo, a former world #2 junior and top 100 ATP player, now coaching the newest Australian Open champion and once again top 10, Madison Keys. After a successful junior career winning the Roland Garros Boy’s title and Challenger tournaments at the pro level, Bjorn made the difficult decision to retire from playing due to an injury. Taking on a new tennis path by coaching his wife, Madison, he now finds himself in a position highly seasoned coaches still dream of: a Grand Slam champion.

They discuss Bjorn's family connection to tennis, the challenges he faced from very successful juniors to the professional circuit, and the importance of support systems in navigating his career. He reflects on his aspirations, the impact of his injury and how coaching became his new reality. Bjorn also talks about the dynamics with Madison and the full team, the work done before achieving peak performances and the need for a strong foundation in both personal and professional aspects of life to create more opportunities for success.

About Bjorn Fratangelo:From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Bjorn started his tennis career early on being coached by his father. After moving to Florida to develop his game, Bjorn went on to become ITF world #2 and won the Roland Garros Boy’s Championship in 2011. His junior success led him to soon start his professional career and become a top 100 ATP player, winning four ATP Challenger titles and playing the main draw in all Grand Slams.

In 2023, Bjorn's struggles with a foot injury made him retire from his playing career. He then started helping out his wife and fellow pro player, Madison Keys, with her game after Roland Garros as she had recently split with her previous coach. Their long-lasting relationship off the court translated into a successful partnership on the court, together winning a few WTA titles and the 2025 Australian Open–Madison’s maiden Grand Slam–alongside a great team.

Follow Bjorn Fratangelo:on Instagram@bjornfrat and LinkedInBjorn Fratangelo.

Subscribe to Coach Unboxedand leave your rating and comment! Full episodes on⁠Spotify⁠,Apple Podcasts and⁠YouTube⁠.

Follow Unbox Sportson social media for Coach Unboxed highlights:⁠Instagram⁠,⁠LinkedIn⁠,⁠X⁠ and at⁠unboxsports.com⁠.

Production:Unbox Sports; Location:⁠Embarc Collective⁠;Music:⁠BongÔMusics ⁠;Photo:ATP

Next Episode

EP15 - Rob Steckley

#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.

Subscribe to Coach Unboxed and leave your rating and comment! Full episodes on ⁠Spotify⁠, Apple Podcasts and ⁠YouTube⁠.

Follow Unbox Sports on social media for Coach Unboxed highlights: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠X⁠ and at ⁠unboxsports.com⁠.

Production: Unbox Sports; Location: ⁠Embarc Collective⁠; Music: ⁠BongÔMusics ⁠; Photo: Unbox Sports