Michael Mmoh: American Professional, ATP #359 [Arizona Tennis Classic | RD16 Preview Interview]

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Welcome back crack fans to another edition of the cracked interviews podcast.

I'm your host Alex gruskin.

We are once again live on site at another event this week.

It's the 2026 Arizona tennis classic maybe the premier ETP 175K event we have on the

counter as of course this event splits the middle of our sunshine swing all those players

who lost early at Indian Wells but are looking for a little more match toughness before

the start of Miami.

Well just about all of them are here competing in Phoenix this week and thus it's just awesome

to have a front row seat to the action once again of course in my capacity as MC I get

the opportunity to interact with so many of these athletes competing here this week I

have the opportunity to set up subsequent interviews with them those interviews are what

we want to share on the cracked interviews podcast here this week it's what we call another

de facto press rose segment where I will try my best to sit down with as many of our

players in the main draw of both singles in doubles here this week in Phoenix and get

the scoop what's going down in their respective careers what do they hope to accomplish here

in this 2026 season again I'm going to try my best to speak with every player still around

here in the draw we're going to try our best to post all those conversations as videos

available to be watched over on the cracked rackets YouTube channel so if you prefer watching

to listening to these videos make sure you go check out that platform of course we will

try our best to get these interviews out to you as quickly as possible here on this cracked

interviews podcast feed as well so again another week of press row content here on this cracked

interviews podcast it's our experience live at the 2026 Arizona tennis classic joining us now here

on day three of the Arizona tennis classic a man who put together one of the most impressive

performances of the two a straight set victory that has him through two round number two it's

our old friend michael mojo joining us once again michael first of all congratulations to you

on the win just talking me through your level last night to get a win like that what it means to you

to to have that sort of when to start this tournament you know it's big I know that Emilio is a really

dangerous player you know sometimes he can take the bracket out of your hand and you know I've played

him one time in the past practice with him a bunch and you know obviously he's at a career high

right now so I knew that it was going to be a tough one but I believed that at the end of the day

it was a pretty good match up for me and you know I thought if I came out served well you know stuck

to my game that you know I could have success and I was definitely happy with the performance I put

out there I I've gotten to watch a lot of Michael will footage over the years and certainly again

always a joy to watch you play I felt like yesterday the forehand like I said with love I can't

remember your forehand absorbing pace that well like the way you did last night I'm curious how much

that's been a focus for you if I'm on to something there and what I saw yeah no for sure you know

that's something that I've been working on a bunch you know I think I can absorb really I can

absorb a pace really well off the backhand side for sure sometimes out the forest forehand side I

could do a better job I think last night did a great job of that honestly like even at times my

backhand was missing more shots than usual compared to my forehand I felt like my forehand was

rock solid yesterday and these are tough conditions you know it's pretty lively the balls are

kind of zooming through the air yeah and if a guy's hitting big like he is sometimes it's tough

you know to get that ball up and down but I thought I did a really good job of that yesterday

something I've been working on in the practice court or emphasizing you know absorbing off that

especially you know when they push me with the inside and ball with the deep onhand crossball

you know what what do I do and not just absorbing and trying to get some depth on it as well yeah

so you know if you leave it short if you leave it hanging guys are gonna at this level they're

gonna make you pay and I thought I did a good job of absorbing but then at the same time getting

depth off that forehand wing no it was remarkably impressive the other thing I saw and I saw

flashed this really for the first time in Huahin to start the season where of course you made that

quarter final run and again I pride myself to people tuning in on being a scholar of all things

Michael Motennis there was a time we'll call it the 2010s we're volleying just wasn't your thing

and I just feel like to watch you now to see how instinctual this to see you get forward to see

how much easier that first volley comes I'm curious how much that has been something you have worked

on and like how how hard you're trying to how how much you're more you're trying to implement that

within your game all big time you know something that's been a very big focus for me you know

because if you look at some of the guys that might play similar to me in a sense they all have the

ability to come in close off that volley and it's not like I'm gonna be out here serving in

volley or anything like that but just to add that element yeah just to add the element of surprise

when you see a guy you know stretched with one hand on the racket you know you most likely you're

gonna get that volley where you want it rather than letting it settle him neutralizing the whole

point starting over again you know just coming in sneaking in something that I've been working on

a bunch and I think guys are not necessarily expected me to do that as well so that's adds the

element of surprise and it just adds another layer to my game yeah no quietly again good at it

like I it's been really fun to see because it's like again it's just another gear to add for you

in my last two questions here because again don't want to take up too much of your time

um what is the focus for you now 20 years old uh obviously to be healthy to start this

is I know that's got to be priority number one but what are you hoping to accomplish here in 2026

yeah definitely you know like you said staying healthy you know I haven't had a complete season on

tour in quite some time um I think if I can give myself opportunities weekend and week out

get some of that rhythm and keep that rhythm and momentum going I think that'd be big you know

Hong Kong was great and then I had to kind of get sideline I couldn't play surely an open so

that wasn't the most ideal situation had some rhythm had some momentum there but got halted you

know due to a little setback thankfully it wasn't anything like I've been dealing with these last

couple of years it was a lot more minor um but yeah first and foremost stay healthy give myself

opportunities weekend and week out but on a ranking perspective I would like to see myself back

in the top 100 I think that would be a good uh goal you know definitely I've done it before

and if I stay healthy I see no reason why I can't do it again yeah now I completely agree my last

question is to that point again I was looking at a photo last night the first interview we ever did

was Cincinnati 2018 I have aged like an avocado you have not aged at all my friend and the

I'm just the reason I'm bringing that up is to say what are the things you do in the gym now maybe

that you weren't doing those years ago to try and stay healthy here in 26 I mean it's been such a

focus for me um you know obviously spending one of the things that's been holding me back or one

of my biggest roadblocks is for sure just not being able to stay on the tennis course so I've been

you know picking you know brains from some of the smartest people in that field I've been trying to

get a lot more resources when it comes to injury prevention when it comes to strength and conditioning

and I think now you know over the course since 2018 like I've gained a lot of knowledge when it comes

to that and I've figured out my body also a little bit more and I think through that I've found

I believe a blueprint to keep me healthy and I'm pretty optimistic for the rest of this year

that staying healthy won't be an issue yeah well if you need a spine a ligament whatever it may be

I'm always happy to donate to you my friend and uh sincerely it's always a pleasure to get the

chains to Chad Michael my congratulations on the victory and always appreciate my friend thank you very

you

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