Rob Galloway & Ariel Behar Interview at the 2025 Dallas Open

Ariel Behar and Rob Galloway made the finals at the Dallas Open and are now ranked #41 and #25 on the ATP doubles tour, respectively. In this post-match interview, we discuss their quarterfinal win in Dallas, their goals for 2025, the potential for making doubles more popular, and more.

• Insight on their quarterfinal and R16 match where they faced the top seeds and friends of Rob - Nate Lammons & Jackson Withrow
• Goals vs process and enjoying the journey
• Enhancing doubles visibility through social engagement
• Strategic differences when playing against singles vs. doubles specialists
• Rob reflects on the experience representing Team USA at the United Cup

This team is playing some high-level doubles so you'll see their names more throughout the 2025 season. We also had a longer conversation with Rob later in the week which will be coming to the podcast soon.

• Follow Rob Galloway on Instagram
• Follow the Dallas Open on Instagram

-----

**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players** 

• New doubles strategy lessons weekly straight to your inbox

**Become a Tennis Tribe Member**
Tennis Tribe Members get access to premium video lessons, a monthly member-only webinar, doubles strategy Ebooks & Courses, exclusive discounts on tennis gear, and more.

• Learn More & Sign Up Here

**Other Free Doubles Content**

• Serve Strategy Cheatsheet
• Return Strategy Cheatsheet
• Serve Strategy 101 - Video Course

Transcript

Speaker 1 1:15

This is another interview from the 2025 Dallas Open, this time with Ariel Bahar and Rob Galloway. They eventually made the finals in Dallas and we chatted with them after their quarterfinal win. So we talked about not only their quarterfinal win but also their first-round victory as well, where they beat the top seeds Nate Lamons and Jackson Withrow. Where they beat the top seeds Nate Lamons and Jackson Withrow, we discuss the differences in those two matchups, how they approach it strategically. I also asked them about different goals that they have for the rest of the year, which was interesting to hear, especially from Ariel, who's been on the tour for a long time. And then we talk about how to make doubles more popular as well. They've both got some interesting thoughts on that and different things that they'd like to see from the tours.

Speaker 1 2:09

And then, at the very end, we discuss how to play singles players versus playing doubles specialists, and that's something I think you can take away if you're a club level player, looking for kind of some strategy tips and advice from some of these pro players. They discuss kind of getting to the net and kind of taking time away from the opponent a bit, so I think you'll enjoy that as well. But this is another very short interview. You'll get to know these players a bit, get a little bit of strategy advice and insights into what it's like to play on the ATP doubles tour. So, without further delay, enjoy this very short conversation with Ariel Bahar and Rob Galloway. Alright guys, so y'all are through the semi-finals here. What were your thoughts on this match, as well as the first round match? I didn't get to chat with y'all before that.

Speaker 2 2:59

I mean the first round match. We've played those guys a couple times already and every time it's a battle and a war. Obviously I know them very well some old partners of mine so just every time we step on court with them we know it's just going to be a war. And luckily we came out with it Well today as well.

Speaker 3 3:15

I mean, we knew we were expecting them to try hard and play full. They tested us at the start. We hold up pretty well and every chance we got we broke. That was a big thing of the match. I guess that's why the open score, but it wasn't really how it shows. It was much tougher.

Speaker 4 3:35

We overheard Alex Mickelson ask his coach midway through the second set how these guys have not won a Grand Slam yet. So curious to see. I mean, do you guys feel like you're playing in the form capable of winning a Grand Slam and beating the best teams in the world right now? Well, my joke answer would be that we've only played one Grand Slam together. Okay.

Speaker 2 3:52

Yeah, we feel like we can play at a high level and play with anybody. We're just continuing to build and build that consistency together. Anyone can win on the tour and so we can, week in, week out, bring the same level and, yeah, we have a chance to fight some of these big tournaments.

Speaker 1 4:07

Awesome. Any goals kind of for the rest of the year, or do you all just kind of focus on the process of improving, like day-to-day goals Goals?

Speaker 3 4:17

Yeah, on the process of improving like day-to-day goals. Yeah, well, I take it personally, I take it week by week. Yeah, I've had like uh a long, a long uh career. I'll say this is my 20th year professional. So yeah, I'll take it week by week okay, but yeah, I mean personally I would love to to be top 30. That's my the the closest that I can, that I can uh try to to get in the next uh few months okay, yeah for me.

Speaker 2 4:39

I don't really set any goals. I mean, okay, just each step is just uh, another like great success in my career. I don't want to go, I need to be top 15 and I don't get there and my career is not successful like I'm just gonna. Every step is a success.

Speaker 1 4:53

I'm just happy with where I'm at yeah, it seems like y'all are definitely playing top 30 level right now, probably top 20 or higher in my opinion. Another question I've never chatted with you before and we haven't talked on the podcast yet, but how do you feel like we can make doubles more popular? I saw afterwards some fans were signing autographs and taking photos with you all, which doesn't always happen. I thought that was pretty cool to see what needs to happen to get more of that and more exposure for doubles.

Speaker 3 5:24

Well, we have some not we, but the ATP, I think, can try to have a little bit more exposure of doubles in social media. They show only if you look around for matches or to see the replays, you you don't find them and you find singles a lot, and there are some pretty cool points in doubles and you can put that, if the players are known, uh, by the name, by the play or by whatever, and that can take the fans to go watch them afterwards, you can also have a double score, you know, which is a little bit more relaxed and people can move around and I don't know. There's a couple of things. I don't have a lot of ideas, to be honest, but I think the game is. I love the game, you know, single sword, doubles, people that love tennis love both.

Speaker 3 6:07

So, I think they should sell it that way not about the names of the players, but about the game.

Speaker 2 6:12

Yeah, I mean everyone in the US. I mean a lot of people play doubles at their clubs and all over the country and I think when you come to tournaments in the States, especially doubles, it's pretty packed, like I mean for all the tournaments I play in the States. So I think the US does a good job and I think we need to keep promoting it, getting it on some big courts in between fill some time Like there's two or three hours of dead time on the court.

Speaker 1 6:39

Let's put doubles on there and let's get the crowd like some music and crowd going and I think we can bring some energy to the game 100%.

Speaker 4 6:42

Awesome. Any other questions? Yeah, Rob, one last one for you. What was your experience like playing a United Cup for Team USA?

Speaker 2 6:47

It was incredible. I mean just thinking about how other sports around the globe that don't have the opportunity for both men and women to compete together it was really special. And then obviously, being American, it's tough to get on like a Davis Cup team or anything like that. So yeah, to be on the team and represent the US was incredible and to win it was a nice little check in my pocket.

Speaker 4 7:04

I thought you all had a good fun, team atmosphere on the bench too, social media and everything. So congrats.

Speaker 1 7:10

One last strategy question actually. So question actually. So first round you played Nate and Jackson, who are very much doubles players, and then today you play two more singles players. Rinky's played some good doubles too, but he still plays a lot of singles. How does this strategy change from one match to the next?

Speaker 3 7:32

Well, it's definitely different. You're going to receive different balls, like the balls, heavier, faster, especially on return games. When they return, they can hit some angles. You know that you may not expect from a doubles player. Maybe and I think you have to play a lot, like we did today with the score uh, you know, stay close to them so they don't play loose, you know, and and have fun. When they do that, they can crush you. There's nothing you can do because they're honestly better tennis players. But if you play doubles, we play like strategy wise, we can play some game. Bring them to the net a little bit more. Try to.

Speaker 2 8:09

I don't know shut their angles a little bit yeah yeah, we definitely talked about. One big thing for us that we've been working on is just playing our game in the big moments. Obviously we make those adjustments to you know, one up, one back, someone on the baseline, how we want to like cover the net and get forward. Obviously it's different guys serving and balling and stuff like that, but we want to be, no matter what we want to play, true to our game and if we lose we can leave feeling like we kind of stuck our intentions.

Speaker 1 8:35

Awesome. I'm going to edit out the part about they're better tennis players. The what?

Speaker 3 8:38

I don't like that.

Speaker 2 8:41

I'm going to edit out the part where you said that they're better tennis players.

Speaker 1 8:45

I'm taking that out.

Speaker 4 8:46

The man says that Will you guys scout your opponents tomorrow or take the day off and not come on site or anything? We'll practice a little bit. Yeah, we'll be around.

Speaker 2 8:55

Yes, I won't watch it live. I don't want to be the same situation like who do I want to cheer for whatever?

Speaker 4 9:03

yeah.

Speaker 2 9:04

I'll just scout it thanks guys, good luck.