Chris Woodruff on Burnout, Identity, and Life After Pro Tennis
A conversation with The University of Tennessee’s Mens Tennis Coach and Former Tennis Pro, Chris Woodruff.
SEASON 1 | EPISODE 106
Chris Woodruff is back, and this is where the conversation gets deeper.
In Part 2, we pick up after his comeback from injury and get into what actually made him walk away from pro tennis, what it feels like when your identity is no longer tied to performance, and why the hardest part isn’t always the grind… it’s what comes after.
We talk about burnout, regret, and the question a lot of high performers quietly wrestle with: what could have been if I stayed a little longer? Chris shares how his perspective has shifted over time, and why he’s now so focused on helping his players get everything out of themselves while they still can.
We also get into parenting, screens, and raising kids in a world that looks nothing like the one he grew up in. From handwritten thank you notes to limiting phone use (for both kids and college athletes), Chris explains what he believes actually builds confident, grounded humans — not just successful ones.
And then we go even bigger: faith, identity, and what it means to live a life that’s actually your own.
This episode is about more than tennis. It’s about discipline, purpose, and having the courage to choose your own path, even when it’s harder.
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