In this episode, I sit down with Carl Emil Overbeck—the first ever Valldoreix-sponsored player. This one’s special. We did this interview months ago, and it feels right to finally release it now that he’s just graduated from UC Berkeley and is about to take the next step into the pro tour.
He talks about the bonds that only tennis players can understand, the loneliness of setbacks, and the mental toll of chasing a level you’re not at yet. But also—how trusting the process is an important part of this sport.
Let’s start by talking about your college tennis career. You’re a senior now, right?
Yeah.
And you're currently ranked ITA No. 4, which is really impressive. How do you think college has helped you develop your game compared to your junior years?
Growing up, I was more of a grinder—I stayed behind the baseline, focused on consistency, and played a lot of long rallies. In college, I was able to build on that foundation but also add new dimensions to my game. I started playing more aggressively, working a lot on my serve and forehand to develop them into real weapons. That’s been a huge difference for me.
That makes sense. Bernie mentioned that one of the biggest differences he noticed between junior and college tennis was the team aspect—he felt that college tennis was more of a team sport, whereas junior tennis was very individual. Do you feel the same way?
Absolutely. It’s a completely different experience. Even though half the season consists of individual tournaments, you’re always training with your teammates and have them supporting you from the sidelines. Tennis can be a lonely sport—you spend 35-40 weeks a year traveling and staying in hotel rooms by yourself. So, having that team atmosphere in college is a big change. I think it’s a great stepping stone before transitioning to the pro tour.
Yeah, Bernie also said that having a team pushing each other to compete and win was really motivating. But did you ever feel pressure when you first joined? Did you feel like you had to meet a certain standard right away?
My situation was a bit unusual. The coach who recruited me retired just a few days before I arrived at Berkeley, so I ended up playing for a different coaching staff than the one that originally brought me in. On top of that, the team wasn’t at full strength due to some issues from the previous seasons.
Because of that, I already knew I was going to play right away, so I didn’t feel pressure in that sense. But at the same time, there were a lot of great players on the team, and I knew there was a certain level I had to live up to.
Got it. Let’s talk about your junior career. You’re from Denmark, right? Did you live there your whole life?
Yeah, I lived in Copenhagen until I left for college.
How was your junior career? For American players, the path is pretty clear—they play USTA tournaments, then ITFs, build their ranking, and eventually connect with college programs. I’m from Spain, and I know that most players stay within the national circuit because the level is so strong.
Only a handful of players—maybe four or five per age group—really break out internationally. How was it for you growing up in Denmark?
Denmark isn’t a big tennis country like Spain. When I was coming up, everything was very individual—there wasn’t much structure or support, so you had to figure things out on your own. The federation is doing a much better job now, but back then, we mostly trained within local clubs and played individual tournaments.
I played some ITFs, but my ranking wasn’t very high. I think I was a late bloomer. I managed to get a few ATP points before college, but the competition structure was really different from what you see in Spain. Over there, you have tournaments every week. In Denmark, we had maybe one or two Futures tournaments a year, so it was much harder to gain experience.
It’s also not like in Grand Slam nations, where players get wildcards into big events. You really have to start from scratch. That’s why college has become a popular route for Danish players—it gives you access to top facilities and structured competition, which is hard to find back home.
So if you wanted to progress, you had to go abroad.
Yeah, exactly. But things are improving. After I graduate, I’ll be training with the Danish federation every day, which is a big step forward. We also have more top players now—three guys in the top 150, including Holger [Rune], of course.
That’s exciting! So what are your plans after graduation? Are you planning to go back to Denmark and pursue a professional career?
Yeah. So, the goal is to finish in the top 10 in college. I need to maintain my ranking so I can be part of the ATP Accelerator program.
Basically, it gives wildcards into Challenger events. After that, I’ll go back to Denmark, but I’ll probably be going back and forth between California and Copenhagen. I really like my coach here—he’s helped me develop a lot—and I have other people in the U.S. who have supported me throughout my college career, especially around the Davis Cup team.
So yeah, I’m going to try to go pro, give it everything, and see what happens.
That’s the right mindset! Who knows what the future holds?
I mean, bro, you’re ITA No. 4 right now—that makes you one of the best college players in the country. You have everything you need to give it a shot.
Yeah, exactly. I have to try. I can work for the rest of my life after this.
100%. Tennis is something you have to go for now.
Yeah, I can’t come back in 10 years and try to play pro.
Exactly. Now’s the time!
Alright, let’s go back to the beginning—when did you first start playing tennis, and why?
I started when I was eight. My mom’s side of the family played tennis—my grandparents, my uncle.
Honestly, I wanted to play soccer, but my parents wanted more family time. They thought soccer would take up too much time. So I started playing tennis once a week, then twice, then three times. Eventually, I was playing national tournaments every weekend and practicing every day.
At some point, tennis just took over, and I fell in love with the sport.
Did your family encourage you to choose tennis over soccer, or was it fully your decision?
Good question. Looking back now, I’m super happy I chose tennis because of all the experiences it’s given me. But back then, I actually wanted to play soccer more.
My parents put me in tennis just to see if I liked it, and over time, I just started enjoying it more and more. In the end, it was my own decision to stick with tennis.
Yeah, and I’d say that decision definitely paid off!
I know Denmark has a strong national soccer team, but I’m not too familiar with the league there. How competitive is it?
Yeah, the national team was really good in the early ‘90s, and in the last few years, we’ve improved a lot again. The league, though… it’s a little sketchy.
By the way, where are you from in Spain?
Madrid.
Oh no…
What? [Laughs]
Yeah, since I was four or five years old, I’ve always been a huge Barça fan.
Oh, that’s fine! I’m not a Real Madrid fan—I support Atlético Madrid.
Oh, that’s good! I don’t mind Atlético at all.
On the court, I always bring a Barcelona match towel. Every time. I don’t know why, I just love them.
Alright, back to tennis. You started playing at eight—when did you compete for the first time?
Good question. Probably when I was nine. I played a lot of mini-tennis tournaments with those big yellow foam balls.
Oh yeah, I know what you’re talking about. The soft foam balls.
Yeah, exactly. When I first started, I played mini-tennis five times a week for two hours. I loved it.
Were you always competitive from the beginning, or was it more about having fun at first?
Oh, I was always super competitive. I have to compete, no matter what it is. Even if we’re just seeing how many balls we can rally in a row, I want to win every time.
I think I got it from my parents. My dad was a competitive sailor—he did world championships and everything. And my mom, even though she just played tennis recreationally, she’s naturally super competitive.
So she was definitely a guide for you, right? She helped you understand what each stage of tennis would look like for you.
For example, when you started playing ITF tournaments, how was that transition for you? How old were you when you played your first ITF?
Well, I actually started with Tennis Europe tournaments. In Scandinavia, my dad put me in this Scandinavian academy with other players from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
It was run by an older American coach who organized camps and tours for the best Scandinavian players. The Ymer brothers from Sweden, Mikael Ymer…
Oh yeah, of course.
Yeah, he traveled with this group as well. This coach gathers the top Scandinavian players, runs training camps, and takes them on tour.
Bjorn Borgsson was also part of it, along with other guys. The coach preached strict discipline and the mental side of the game.
I traveled with him for the first time in 2013. No parents, no phone at night. There were strict rules—if you didn’t have everything in your bag, there were punishments. If your shoes weren’t lined up perfectly outside your door, there were consequences.
It was a huge change, but I think it helped me a lot.
How old were you in 2013?
I was 12.
Wow, so you had a completely different childhood than most people.
Yeah, I remember when I was 12, I traveled to the Netherlands by myself. Maybe I was even 11.
How did you feel about that? Because that’s something people who don’t compete in sports at this level don’t really understand. Did your schoolmates know what you were doing?
Well, I didn’t go to school much when I was younger because I was always training. I don’t think my classmates really knew what was going on. They just knew I was decent at my sport, but they didn’t realize I was traveling alone and all that.
In Denmark, people are generally pretty comfortable. I was too, in a way, because I had all these opportunities. But this path requires a different level of responsibility—you have to be independent, especially when you’re out there on your own.
Totally. Now I want to ask you about the matches themselves.
You know that in tennis, you have to deal with a lot of high-pressure moments, like in a tiebreak or a tight third set. How do you handle those situations to give yourself the best chance of winning?
You mean how I deal with tough situations mentally?
Yeah, exactly.
I want to go back to that coach I used to travel with because he gave us a lot of tools for this.
We had a match paper with notes that we had to bring on court and read during changeovers. On that paper, we wrote down our rituals.
Everyone had to develop their own rituals to use under pressure. For example, having a match towel—going back to the towel, following your routine… Even if the situation is uncomfortable and full of pressure, your rituals give you something familiar to rely on. You don’t have to think—you just follow the process.
At Cal (UC Berkeley), we also have mental coaches, which has helped me a lot. There are different tools for managing stress, like breathing patterns between points, visualization, and other techniques.
I pick and choose what works for me. Some of them are automatic, while others depend on the situation.
I think all the pros do this—you need to have rituals.
I think that’s key—totally. So I want to ask you about confidence.
You know how important confidence is in tennis. When you’re on a good streak, your confidence is high, and you feel great going into matches. But when things aren’t going well—when you’ve had a few early losses in a row—you start questioning if you’re doing the right things.
Have you ever gone through a period like that? And if so, how do you stay motivated?
For sure, I’ve had plenty of those. I think every competitive tennis player goes through ups and downs.
I had one about a year ago. I was dealing with injuries, and when I came back, I wasn’t playing at the level I wanted to be at.
It’s tough mentally. But I think it’s important to remember that progress isn’t a straight line—it goes up and down.
And in tennis, you’re not just looking at short-term success; it’s about the long term. If you’re doing the right things, you have to trust the process.
What injury did you have?
I’ve had a lot of elbow issues. And right now, I’m actually dealing with a back injury. So I’m seeing the physio every day for at least an hour.
And do you think injuries affect you mentally as well?
For example, now that you have this back injury, do you worry that it could prevent you from getting the results you want? Or do you trust the process and believe that everything will work out?
No, it definitely has a mental impact.
Like, yesterday, we were playing a match, and I couldn’t serve the way I wanted to. But right now, I’m feeling pretty confident, so I told myself, “Okay, I can still beat this guy from the baseline.”
But if you’re in a period where your confidence is low, it’s really tough to deal with.
I love tennis—it’s a huge part of who I am. So when an injury takes that away from me, it definitely affects me.
Yeah, totally.
Was there ever a moment when you felt lost? Like, maybe you weren’t getting the results you wanted, you weren’t at the level you expected, and you started questioning if you’d ever make it—whether as a pro or even to a good college program?
For sure. As soon as you asked that, one specific moment came to mind.
It was about a year and a half ago. We were playing a tournament at Stanford—it must have been spring, maybe two years ago.
At the end of the day, we were all sitting in a circle, stretching. And I remember talking to one of my coaches and telling him, “I’m not good enough. I just don’t have what it takes. I have too many holes in my game, too many insecurities.”
I even told him, “I should probably just focus more on school and take a step back.”
I remember that conversation so clearly. But he kept pushing me, and I’m really happy he did.
I don’t know if I fully meant what I said in that moment, but I definitely felt it.
Yeah, I get it. I think all tennis players have moments like that.
The difference is, some players find a way to overcome those feelings, while others get stuck in that mindset and never get out.
That’s just part of being human, right?
Yeah, exactly.
I also wanted to ask about the sacrifices you’ve made for tennis.
You mentioned earlier that it’s a lonely sport, and since you were 12, you’ve fully dedicated your life to it. Did you ever feel lonely?
Like, did you ever look back and wonder if all the sacrifices—being away from family, missing out on a normal childhood or high school experience—were worth it?
Honestly, no, I don’t think so.
The experiences I’ve had through tennis have been incredible, and I’m really grateful for them.
My parents, my sister—my whole family—they’ve always supported me. And tennis has given me friends and brothers for life.
I don’t think I could’ve found those same relationships outside of tennis. Because we understand each other—we know what it’s like, we share the same passion, and we can relate to things that people in a normal high school or other environments just wouldn’t get.
I’ve traveled so much, and those experiences are something I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Yeah, I completely agree.
I’ve played tennis too, and I feel like there’s a special connection with people who’ve been through the sport. It’s different from any other bond.
Yeah, exactly. It’s hard to explain if you haven’t lived it.
Yeah, I think tennis—or really, any competitive sport—is something you have to experience to truly understand.
It’s a storm of emotions. There’s no way to fully explain it—you have to go through it yourself.
Like, people who haven’t been part of this sport might not understand the lifestyle. What lessons has tennis taught you?
I think tennis has given me a huge perspective on life as a whole.
I’ve traveled so much—I’ve been to so many different places, from really wealthy areas to really poor ones. And I have friends from almost every country, people I talk to every day.
It has really opened my eyes to different cultures and ways of thinking. When you grow up in the same city, in the same bubble, you don’t always get that.
Tennis has given me a much broader understanding of the world.
If you could go back and give advice to your younger self—maybe when you were 14 or 15—what would you say?
I’d tell him to trust his gut. Believe in the process. And most importantly—your game is good enough.
That’s great advice. Now, how do you feel about this season? Bernie told me he believes the team has a great shot at making it a special one. What’s your perspective?
I completely agree. The older guys on the team have been building towards this for years. This is the strongest team we’ve had since I’ve been here.
We have experienced players, and younger guys like Bernie bringing energy and confidence. I’m excited—I think we’re going to kick some ass.
Bernie also mentioned that he looks up to you and the older guys. How do you approach leadership within the team?
We have two captains—Alex Chang and myself—but honestly, everyone on the team is motivated. We don’t have to push anyone too hard because we all want it.
The key is keeping the team united. We’re a close group—everyone respects each other, and we push one another to improve every day. That kind of chemistry wins championships. Even though Alex and I are the captains on paper, the other older guys take responsibility too. Everyone plays a role.
That’s incredible. Just from talking to you and Bernie, I can feel the energy and motivation you have as a team.
The time is now. We’re ready.
I’m excited to follow your season. You’ve even got me hyped up for it!
You have to tune into the livestreams!
I will, for sure. Now, two fun questions to wrap things up. Would you rather win a Grand Slam or be world No. 1?
Win a Grand Slam, no doubt. That’s the ultimate goal in tennis. It’s the biggest achievement, and I think it leaves a bigger legacy than just being ranked No. 1.
Which Slam would you want to win?
Wimbledon. It’s the most prestigious tournament in the sport.
I completely agree. The feeling of winning there must be unreal.
Yeah, it’d be insane.
Last question—who was your tennis idol growing up?
Roger Federer, without a doubt.
Why Federer?
He made everything look effortless—like he was dancing on the court. It was mesmerizing to watch. I loved Rafa too, but if I had to pick one, it’d be Roger.
I’d go with Rafa for sure.
Yeah, I figured.
Definitely. I think Rafa, along with guys like Boris and Roger, really represents the true values of tennis. But Rafa, especially, embodies that unwavering tenacity, always fighting back no matter what. That’s why he’s my idol.
I mean, if they played against each other, I’d just hope for a draw—so hard to choose!