After a long wait, we’re finally ready for The Championships. On today’s Open Era, Simon and Devang dissect the Wimbledon draw - including Serena, Andy and Roger’s chances of making deep runs. Plus, the PTPA went on the offensive this week ahead of a vote on the ATP’s 30-year plan. Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil outline their case with some help, and the guys dig into the massive ramifications of the upcoming vote and potential merger of tours. And as always, we’ve got our Wimby picks and Par...
Jun 28, 2021•54 min•Ep. 98
Grass court season is in full swing, and though it’s not very long, we love it. On this week’s Open Era, Simon and Devang tour Europe, where players on both tours prepare for Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal, Milos Raonic and Naomi Osaka will not be there, but others solidified their case for contention in a couple weeks in Halle, Birmingham, Queen’s Club and Berlin, respectively. Plus, the guys check-in on Felix Auger Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov, who made deep runs but ultimately fell short. Plus, To...
Jun 21, 2021•53 min•Ep. 97
We were treated to a stunning final week in Paris with possibly the greatest clay court match of all time included in the mix. Barbora Krejcikova decided to take a break from winning in Doubles (which she still won) to win the Singles title and a small kid who doesn’t know how to fight became a man, but that wasn’t enough to overcome the terminator that is Novak Djokovic. Also, Felix Auger Aliassime lost in another final, which Devang and Simon sadly discuss. All that and more on a brand new Ope...
Jun 14, 2021•59 min•Ep. 96
We’ve made it through a calamitous opening week of the French Open with plenty to discuss, both on and off the court. Simon and Devang give their thoughts on the withdrawals of Naomi Osaka and Roger Federer and their subsequent coverage. On the court, Nadal and Djokovic continued on their path towards confrontation, while Serena Williams introduced tweaks to her game. On the youth scene, Iga Swiatek continues to dominate at Roland Garros while the Tsitsipas quest for slam immortality trudges on....
Jun 07, 2021•57 min•Ep. 95
Who knew that the simple act of Naomi Osaka refusing to speak at press conferences during the French Open would set off such a firestorm? We are joined this week by the incredible Caitlin Thompson (@caitlin_thomps) of Racquet Magazine to digest a truly memorable week. Oh and the French Open started! We cover our winners and surprises along with trying to figure out quite why a statue of Rafael Nadal has been built while he is still very much alive. Come join the Patreon family for bonus content,...
May 31, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 94
We’re one week out from the French Open, so it’s time to take stock of both tours. Vivek Jacob (@vivekmjacob) joins Simon and Devang to discuss the players that have caught their eye for the right and wrong reasons with Paris looming. Find out where they stand on Denis Shapovalov, Bianca Andreescu and Felix Auger-Aliassime heading into the second Grand Slam of the year, plus, expectations for Roger and Serena, Tennis’ Mt. Rushmore and plenty more! Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, ...
May 24, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 93
It took Iga Swiatek 46 minutes to win her first title in Rome. It took Rafael Nadal 162 minutes to win his 10th title in Rome. They’re at different points in their careers, but let there be little doubt, both players are incredible. This week on Open Era, Simon and Devang recount an amazing week for the Polish teen and examine yet another riveting edition of the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry. That, plus Roger Federer’s return in Geneva, Ash Barty’s injury and Andy Murray’s future coming up on this week...
May 17, 2021•58 min•Ep. 92
Well, Madrid didn’t disappoint. On this week’s Open Era, Simon and Devang recap a captivating tournament in the Spanish capital, where Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev emerged victorious. The guys debate Sabalenka’s chances of winning a ‘bigger’ prize very soon along with a host of other topics, including scary new ground for American Men’s Tennis, coaching changes in the WTA, the annual Rafa conversation and oh yea, WE’RE NOMINATED FOR A CANADIAN PODCASTING AWARD! Pretty cool, eh? Come join...
May 10, 2021•59 min•Ep. 91
We arrive in Madrid with plenty to settle as the clay court season heats up. Naomi Osaka’s loss leads to another discussion on surfaces and who really is the favourite heading into the French Open. On the Men’s side, present could meet the future with Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz sharing the same half of the draw. Devang and Simon also discuss Denis Shapovalov’s recent struggles, the WTA’s golden era, and as always, provide their parting shots. All that and more coming up on Open Era! Come jo...
May 03, 2021•54 min•Ep. 90
Let’s be honest, we only want to see the best 12 players in the world play against each other each week. Karatsev vs Djokovic, Karatsev vs Barty, Karatsev vs Nadal, Karatsev vs Osaka - It’ll be far far better than the European Super League. All jokes aside, it was a monster week in Tennis. We had blockbuster matchups in Barcelona, Belgrade, Istanbul and Stuttgart. The tennis just keeps on coming, good job the pandemic is over! Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclusi...
Apr 26, 2021•55 min•Ep. 89
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal competed in Monte Carlo this week, but it wasn’t them we were talking about at the end. On this week's Open Era, Simon and Devang unpack the Rublev-Tsitsipas final and predict what the rest of 2021 holds for these rising stars. Elsewhere, Leylah Fernandez leads Canada’s Billie Jean King Cup charge, Nick Kyrgios the coverstar, and tackling umpire abuse. All of that and more on this week’s Open Era! Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclu...
Apr 19, 2021•59 min•Ep. 88
The clay season begins in earnest this week with tournaments contested in Cagliari, Marbella, and Charleston kicking off matters, but the big news is about coaching. Toni Nadal, uncle of that guy ‘Rafa’, is linking up with Felix Auger Aliassime for the foreseeable future beginning in Monte Carlo. Simon and Devang talk about what this partnership could mean for Felix, Toni, and Rafa going forward. Also, the French Open is ‘postponed’ for an extra week amid alarming numbers in France and Carlos Al...
Apr 12, 2021•55 min•Ep. 87
Bianca Andreescu’s incredible run in Miami didn’t end how anyone wanted, but positives can be taken away from this week. theScore’s Joe Wolfond joins Simon and Devang to break down Bibi’s highs and lows, and give credit to the ever-reliable Ash Barty. Also on the show: Hubert Hurkacz’s incredible run to the Miami Open title, Jannik Sinner’s unrelenting promise, and our parting shots featuring Pat Cash, Lindsay Davenport and the upcoming French Open. Come join the Patreon family for bonus content...
Apr 05, 2021•59 min•Ep. 86
Drama and controversy dominate the headlines this week in Miami. A confrontation between Vasek Pospisil and ATP president Andrea Gaundezi has led to our latest Open Era labour relations update. Simon and Devang recap the last few days featuring Vasek Pospisil, Novak Djokovic (in absentia), John Isner and other members of the #PlayersVoice movement. What is their message? What is their goal? Should we be giving them more credit? All that, plus you know, actual tennis stuff as the Miami Open kicks...
Mar 29, 2021•58 min•Ep. 85
Melbourne wasn’t a fluke. On this week’s Open Era, Simon and Devang gush about Aslan Karatsev and his 1st ATP title while comparing him to a certain American legend. Also on the show: Leylah Annie Fernandez’s incredible run in Monterrey, the Zverev-Tsitsipas “blockbuster” in Acapulco and more 3 vs. 5 set grand slam debates. Tune in for a jam packed show! Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclusive discord server and ad free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/openera Fo...
Mar 22, 2021•53 min•Ep. 84
This week on Open Era, Devang and Simon dive into Roger Federer’s return in Doha, and its aftermath, including Fed’s very much up in the air schedule for 2021. Also this week, Genie Bouchard found herself back in a final, Daniil Medvedev cemented his ascension to the No. 2 ranking with a tournament win in Marseille and Garbine Muguruza continued to dabble with god mode. All that, and more, coming up on another OE. Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclusive discord se...
Mar 15, 2021•55 min•Ep. 83
There will be a new number 2 on the ATP for the first time since July 25, 2005 when the latest rankings come out on March 15th. Yes, Daniil Medvedev is on the verge of breaking a 15-year stranglehold on the top of the game by the Men’s Big 4. It’s a wild stat. One that led us down a rankings wormhole this week with guest Tahmid Saleh. Also, the guys cover the big news from the week: Petra Kvitova back at her best in Doha, Andrey Rublev’s continued dominance at 500 level events and teenager Clara...
Mar 08, 2021•55 min•Ep. 82
So long Australia, it’s been nice. Iga Swiatek wrapped up the Australian portion of the 2021 tennis calendar with an emphatic win over Belinda Bencic in the Adelaide final. This week, Simon and Devang go deep on Iga’s 2nd career title as well as serve up the latest from both the ATP and WTA. We’re talking Rafael Nadal and appearance fees, Roger Federer’s return and Simon’s incredible serving motion on this week’s Open Era. Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclusive d...
Mar 01, 2021•52 min•Ep. 81
The end came so quickly. After spending the last year month in Australia, Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic departed Melbourne with the biggest trophies up for grabs. On this week’s Open Era, Simon and Devang break down both finals, and hit on what they loved and hated from this year’s Australian Open: Stefanos Tsitsipas, electronic line calling, injuries, Jennifer Brady, Aslan Karatsev, Serena Williams, FILA, fake crowds, real crowds plus plenty, plenty more. It’s a good one! Come join the Patreon...
Feb 22, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 80
The opening week of the 2021 Australian Open did not disappoint. An incredible bottom half of the women’s draw lived up to the hype, while Nick Kyrgios managed to electrify the locals before a pandemic reality check. On today’s show Simon and Devang take a look at how the Canadians did (and are doing) in Melbourne, and check in with Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Plus, they give their best shot and predict how the final week will unfold. Come join the Patreon family for bonus ...
Feb 15, 2021•59 min•Ep. 79
We made it. After a month of concern, PCR tests, and just overall dread, we have arrived at the start of the 2021 Australian Open. On the show this week, Simon and Devang give their draw previews and predictions for 2021’s first Grand Slam. The ATP and WTA are broken down into tiers and we predict how this major will go for Nadal, Djokovic, Serena, Halep and Osaka. They’ll also examine the latest finals disappointment for Felix Auger-Alliasime, this time at the hands of Dan Evans. Plus: Jannik S...
Feb 07, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 78
We asked for more tennis and we’re getting it in a big way. Six. Yes, (6!!) tournaments will begin in Melbourne this week. Ash Barty, Naomi Osaka, the Williams sisters, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Denis Shapovalov..they’re all playing. Simon and Devang try to contain their joy as they preview the action and take a deep dive into the return of Canada’s Bianca Andreescu to the tour. Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclusive discord server and ad free ...
Feb 01, 2021•54 min•Ep. 77
There is no tennis going on in the world asides Challenger Tour events, and even we aren’t going to subject you to that. There is news galore though, from hard quarantine being close to Prison for some players to Nick Kyrgios once again being a troll, we’ve got a surprisingly packed show considering no one is hitting forehands. Tennis Forever. Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclusive discord server and ad free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/openera Follow @OpenE...
Jan 25, 2021•54 min•Ep. 76
Well it’s all started rather poorly down in Australia, hasn’t it? On this week’s Open Era, Simon and Devang dive into the current mess unfolding in Melbourne. More than 70 players, including Bianca Andreescu and Vasek Pospisil, will have to go through a strict 14-day quarantine in their hotel rooms before the Australian Open begins on February 8th. The guys talk about the how, why, what, and when, and the next steps for the ‘Happy Slam.’ Also this week: Sorana Cirstea, Yulia Putintseva, Hubert H...
Jan 18, 2021•59 min•Ep. 75
On this week’s Open Era, Simon and Devang celebrate the beginning of 2021 with the latest from the tennis world: Drugs! Sexism! Preferential treatment! The Headlines: Ferrev is no more, Sam Querrey explains his escape from Russia, and Roger Federer’s slimmed down calendar. Next, the guys actually get to the tennis part, talking about the latest from a trio of tournaments being held across the globe as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. Finally, parting shots feature a frank discussion on ‘rules’...
Jan 11, 2021•52 min•Ep. 74
It’s Gone. It’s Done. Yes Mr. Frodo. 2020 is over now. We head to Paris for the Rafael Nadal Open...I mean, the French Open as our look back at 2020 continues on Open Era. We round out the year with a flurry of ATP Tournaments, a solitary WTA event (which is shocking in its own right), and shake the magic 8 ball to find out who will be this years ATP World Tour Final Winner. Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclusive discord server and ad free episodes: https://www.p...
Jan 04, 2021•45 min•Ep. 73
Isolated tennis? You’re havin’ a bubble aren’t you? Well actually...Tennis was played in a bubble. Our sport returned with Two Majors in 5 weeks. First the tournament formally known as the Cincinnati Open and the US Open. Our retrospective on 2020 continues with a look back at one of the strangest tournaments ever played. Naomi Osaka confirmed she is a force within tennis and a Novak Djokovic mistake derailed his perfect season. Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclu...
Dec 28, 2020•44 min•Ep. 72
“I'm not loving you, the way I wanted to What I had to do, had to run from you So keep ya COVID lockdown” That’s right, the tennis world was abruptly shutdown when the novel coronavirus hit the sporting world. Watching the tennis world wrestle with its “new normal” was a rather remarkable sequence of events. Do you remember the time when the Miami Open really thought it could stage a tournament in early April? Ah those were the days. Strap yourself in for the Novak Djokovic Magical Mystery Ride....
Dec 21, 2020•43 min•Ep. 71
Bye 2020, you won’t be missed. The Tennis world was just as wild and wacky as the events in wider society. Join Devang and Simon for our look back at 2020. We start in the hot hot sun of Australia, before COVID was a thing and the only thing we had to worry about was the planet being on fire and Novak Djokovic winning 21 Grand Slams. Enjoy. Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclusive discord server and ad free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/openera Follow @OpenEra ...
Dec 14, 2020•48 min•Ep. 70
Get out the fancy dress, it’s awards szn. On this week’s show Simon and Devang are joined by Luke Peristy to hand out hardware to members of the ATP, WTA and the tennis world at large. Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Thiem, Osaka, Kenin, Federer...sure, but ‘best troll’, ‘worst match’ and ‘biggest clown’? These are the true Open Era Awards. Come join the Patreon family for bonus content, access to the exclusive discord server and ad free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/openera F...
Dec 07, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 69
