Shout out to Iga Swiatek, double-bagelling Amanda Anisimova in the ladies’ final in 57mins. The Pole is now 6-0 in Grand Slam finals which is quite bossy. Also, shout out to the men’s champion Jannik Sinner who came back from a set down to see off defending champ Carlos Alcaraz in four – these two are playing a different sport. Lucy was spot on with her men’s take (she knows ball), while Eugene had Anisimova as his second pick. From a BSG perspective, Ben Shelton reaching the quarter-finals, whe...
Jul 14, 2025•56 min
Ben Shelton fell to world No 1 Jannik Sinner in straight sets – 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 – on a busy No 1 Court. The American 10th seed, who admitted he felt under pressure on serve throughout the contest, was up a mini-break in the first-set tiebreak before Sinner rattled off six points in a row to win it. In set two, Sinner, who was rocking a sleeve on his right arm, was in the zone. Serving at 4-5, Shelton got broken which handed the second set to the Italian. The third set was on serve until 4-5, wi...
Jul 09, 2025•24 min
Before we get into the action, massive big up to everyone who showed up and showed out for us at Boxpark Croydon on Sunday (Day 7). We had a blast and it was a pleasure meeting you all. Ben “10” Shelton is through to his first Wimbledon quarter–final after a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(1), 7-5 victory over Lorenzo Sonego. The head-to-head now reads 4-1 to the American. The 10th seed made a sluggish start and dropped his first set of the tournament to the Italian who he was facing for the third Grand Slam in a...
Jul 07, 2025•25 min
Friend of the pod Tumaini Carayol joins in Lucy’s absence to go through the day’s action. Hailey Baptiste versus Mirra Andreeva did not feel like a 6-1, 6-3 match. The American, playing on No 1 Court for the first time in her career, made a nervy start but tightened things up in the second set. Baptiste though can be proud of her third-round run at Wimbledon on debut. The 23-year-old American is trending in the right direction in the rankings and has “a game made for the natural surfaces”, accor...
Jul 05, 2025•42 min
Ben Shelton needed just 71 seconds to get the job done against Rinky Hijikata – 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. The American 10th seed served out the match to love, and with an ace on match point, to book his place in the third round. Lucy asked Shelton to talk about the technical changes he has made this season and how they have impacted his grass-court game. The 10th-seeded American’s next opponent will be Marton Fucsovics after the Hungarian lucky loser won the one-set shootout against Gael Monfils final scor...
Jul 04, 2025•41 min
It was a later start for us today and the match we were most looking forward to did not disappoint. Wimbledon main-draw debutants Hailey Baptiste and Victoria Mboko faced off in the second round and it was the American that came out on top winning 7-6(6), 6-3. Mboko led in the first set and even built up a lead in the tiebreak, but Baptiste’s fighting spirit and experience saw her through. Ben Shelton and Rinky Hijikata will finish their match on Day 5 after bad light halted their second-round e...
Jul 03, 2025•34 min
We had rain on Day 3 at the Championships which caused a slight delay to proceedings. When play did begin, Madison Keys wasted no time against Olga Danilovic, winning in straight sets. Naomi Osaka also secured an impressive straight-sets win over last year’s ladies doubles champion Katerina Siniakova. Felix Auger-Aliassime took the first set against Jan-Lennard Struff before the German secured the second. Their match, tied at one-set-all, was suspended due to bad light and will resume on Day 4. ...
Jul 03, 2025•47 min
It was another sizzling day under the sun at SW19 and it started slowly for us in terms of victories, but we did see the likes of lucky loser Victoria Mboko more than make the most of her opportunity. Hailey Baptiste, the Canadian’s next opponent (skull face emoji) also came back from a set down to win on her singles main-draw debut. In the men’s draw Ben (10) Shelton secured his first-ever straight-sets win at SW19 while Gael Monfils upset 18th seed Ugo Humbert in a five-set epic – standard La ...
Jul 01, 2025•57 min
On a scorching hot day at SW19, Frances Tiafoe, Madison Keys, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jasmine Paolini, Naomi Osaka and Gabriel Diallo all secured first-round wins. Some found their path through to the second round easier than others. We discuss and share post-match press snippets from Tiafoe, Osaka and Diallo. Grab a FREE ticket to our Wimbledon watch party at Playbox at Box Park Croydon for the 6th July! https://boxpark.co.uk/events/black-spin-global-wimbledon-watch-along/ Richard Evans, intervi...
Jul 01, 2025•49 min
Black Spin Global, in collaboration with PLAYBOX at BOXPARK Croydon bring to you a beginners guide to Wimbledon 2025. BSG will be having a special Wimbledon Watchalong on Sunday 6 July at PLAYBOX, so be sure to join us as the Championships enters week two: https://boxpark.co.uk/events/black-spin-global-wimbledon-watch-along/ In this special episode, Lucy and Eugene share some top tips, breaking down how the ticket process works and ways to get your hands on them, etiquette on the grounds and muc...
Jun 30, 2025•50 min
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” – Wimbledon 2025 is upon us and Lucy and Eugene are here to walk through the draw. French Open champion Coco Gauff, seeded second, has a tricky opening round, while (4)Jasmine Paolini, fresh from a semi-final run in Bad Homburg, finds herself in the top half alongside world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Australian Open champion (6)Madison Keys and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka also occupy top-half spots. Last year’s women’s doubles champion, Taylor To...
Jun 28, 2025•59 min
In this Arthur Ashe special and in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe winning Wimbledon, Black Spin Global pays particular attention to the South Africa trip in 1973 and 1974. Lucy and Eugene touch on the apartheid regime, the role Ashe played in getting tennis authorities to enforce sanctions on the country, visa issues he faced, his time on the ground travelling around the country, the pressure he was under from the locals and playing in the South African Open. This podcast als...
Jun 24, 2025•47 min
For the second consecutive year, Black Spin Global was the official podcast partner of the Tennis Black List awards, presented in association with Dante Talent. This year’s event was held at the prestigious Queen’s Club in west London during the women’s WTA 500 event. Lucy and Eugene spoke to winners on the night, including Jabilayh Asante, Sena Akpo-Young, and Veronica Mwondela. We also heard from esteemed tennis journalist and good friend of Arthur Ashe, Richard Evans, who was present to colle...
Jun 20, 2025•48 min
Friend of the pod Sachia Vickery joins us to talk about all things OnlyFans. We caught up with Vickery on the eve of Roland Garros where she was continuing her rehab, supporting good friend Alycia Parks in the main draw and taking advantage of some rare downtime in Paris before her return to action at this year’s US Open. The American, who recently turned 30, is the most high-profile female player on the platform, following the likes of Australia’s Nick Kyrgios and France’s Alexandre Muller from...
Jun 13, 2025•31 min
This is a celebratory podcast! Coco Gauff is a two-time Grand Slam champion after securing the French Open title. The 21-year-old American came back from a set down to beat world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 in the championship match. Lucy and Eugene share their thoughts on the dramatic final as well as Sabalenka’s comments post-match. We also hail the world No 2’s incredible mental fortitude and wonder when people will stop counting her out. Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spoti...
Jun 08, 2025•47 min
Lucy and Eugene are back to break down the Roland Garros draw. Second seed Coco Gauff has a decent one for a change, while Arthur Fils, looking to record his first win in Paris, is scheduled to meet top seed Jannik Sinner in the fourth round. We get into all of it and reveal our predictions to close. Don't forget to rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. For daily tennis updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpin...
May 23, 2025•1 hr 8 min
In this emergency, no-notes pod, Lucy and Eugene discuss Jasmine Paolini’s magical run in Rome. The “Queen of Italy” secured her second WTA 1000 title in style, blitzing Coco Gauff in the final in front of a packed Campo Centrale. The Italian No 1, now back up to world No 4 in the singles ranking, also defended the doubles crown with Sara Errani. As well as giving Paolini her well-deserved props, we also give Gauff, the new world No 2, her flowers after making it to back-to-back WTA 1000 finals ...
May 19, 2025•58 min
We're kicking things off with exciting news — you can now send us a voice message directly through our website to join the conversation! Got a hot take, a question, or just want to say hi? We want to hear from you!: https://blackspinglobal.com/#:~:text=Join%20the%20conversation In this episode, we discuss how Naomi Osaka is back in the winner’s circle, capturing the Saint-Malo title — her first since becoming a mom and her first since the 2021 Australian Open. Eliakim Coulibaly makes history as ...
May 10, 2025•55 min
Lucy and Eugene dissect Serena’s Jannik Sinner comments in TIME magazine (2:50), salute Coco Gauff after her power player agency move (11:06) and discuss the possible outcomes as players demand more cash from the Grand Slams (13:39). And that is just the news. As far as action on the court, Billie Jean King Cup debutants Victoria Mboko and Hailey Baptiste both shine (21:38), Frances Tiafoe reaches his third final in Houston (26:09), Arthur Fils brings his strong hard-court form to the clay (32:0...
Apr 24, 2025•52 min
Lucy and Eugene sing Victoria Mboko’s praises after her strong showing at the Miami Open where Jasmine Paolini – “The Queen of Italy” – made a run to the semi-finals after taking out Naomi Osaka en route. Osaka, who saw off Hailey Baptiste in the third round, also turned in some good performances during her run to the round of 16. Florida girl Coco Gauff, who dished out a bagel, also reached the last 16. Arthur Fils made it back-to-back Masters 1000 quarter-finals, getting the better of Frances ...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Lucy and Eugene are joined by Ground Pass founder Anastasia Folorunso to go over events at Indian Wells 2025. Anastasia talks about her experience on the grounds for Black Spin Global in Tennis Paradise where Madison Keys, playing in her first event since the Australian Open, cruised to the semi-finals and Arthur Fils and Ben Shelton both made the last eight. Listen out for Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova’s candid US Open mixed doubles takes. We also share our thoughts on the WTA rebrand,...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 26 min
Legend of the game and Grand Slam champion Zina Garrison joins Lucy and Eugene for a special episode to mark International Women’s History Month. We spotlight the trailblazer who had a storied career that included a junior world No 1 ranking, junior major titles at Wimbledon and the US Open; 14 singles crowns and 20 in doubles (including three mixed Grand Slam titles) on the professional tour; gold and bronze medals at the Olympics, three Fed Cups and a career-high ranking of No 4. Garrison, who...
Mar 08, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Lucy and Eugene celebrate title winners Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is now a two-time champion on the ATP Tour in 2025, Evan King and Christian Harrison who secured their first tour-level doubles title in Dallas, Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova (the doubles No 2 and No 1) winning their first WTA 1000 crown and Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani winning the title in Qatar. Mikael Ymer is back! The Swede, playing for the first time since Wimbledon 2023, won on his return to action in an ITF eve...
Feb 28, 2025•55 min
To celebrate Black History Month in the United States, and in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe winning Wimbledon, Black Spin Global dedicated a special episode to the pioneer who was one of the founders of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Lucy and Eugene delve into Ashe's early career that included graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in business administration, serving his country, his civil rights work and his significan...
Feb 13, 2025•55 min
Lucy and Eugene are joined by Christian Basnight, founder of Christian's Court, to review the 2025 Australian Open where Madison Keys secured her first Grand Slam title, Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova did it again in women’s doubles and Ben Shelton made another major semi-final. We talk about Keys’s championship-winning run in detail, paying particular attention to her semi-final against world No 2 Iga Swiatek and the thrilling three-set final against world No 1 and two-time defending ch...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr 19 min
With week one of the 2025 Australian Open in the books, Lucy and Eugene go through all the action including No 3 seed Coco Gauff steamrolling through to the fourth round where Belinda Bencic awaits*. Listen out for who was pretty much spot on with their prediction for this match. Madison Keys, coming off the back of her title-run in Adelaide, has also looked very good in Melbourne. The newly-married American has made tweaks to her game, and her equipment, and it seems to be paying off. On the me...
Jan 19, 2025•1 hr 19 min
Happy New Year! The 2025 season is up and running and so are Lucy and Eugene who get into all the goings-on from an eventful first week. What’s the deal with Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov? The Kazakh tops our news round-up. Coco Gauff, the United Cup MVP, carries the USA to victory and scores another significant win against Iga Swiatek. Jasmine Paolini and Felix Auger-Aliassime also got their campaigns under way at the team competition. The ASB Classic (or the Black Girl Magic Open) in Auckla...
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 16 min
*Disclaimer this interview was done in December 2024. To close out 2024 Lucy and Eugene are joined by Kenyan No 1 Angella Okutoyi! The Auburn University junior, studying business administration, talks us through her historic run at the junior Australian Open and winning the Wimbledon Girls’ doubles title in 2022, making history in 2023 after winning her first pro tournament at ITF level, playing one of the matches of her life en route to African Games gold for Kenya earlier this year, the hearta...
Jan 02, 2025•56 min
Lucy and Eugene, joined by friends of the pod Tumaini Carayol and Uche Amako, go through the highs and lows of the 2024 season. Does tennis have a doping problem? Iga Swiatek serving a quiet ban was not the best look, nor was Jannik Sinner testing positive earlier in the year. The Grand Slams (and the Olympics) provided a lot of joy, especially the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open – shout out all the winners and Jasmine Paolini for reaching back-to-back finals. Naomi Osaka was involved in ...
Dec 12, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) joins Lucy and Eugene to talk all things WTA Finals but before getting into festivities in Riyadh, flowers are duly given to Almaty runner-up Gabriel Diallo and Basel champion Giovani Mpetshi Perricard. This year’s elite eight on the WTA Tour are all either Grand Slam champions or WTA 1000 titleholders. The Purple Group is made up of Jasmine Paolini, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Zheng Qinwen. The Orange Group contains Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula ...
Oct 31, 2024•1 hr 18 min
