Tennis coach Calvin Betton returns to the UK and talks to George Bellshaw and James Gray about... The secret to Henry Patten and Julian Cash's record-breaking year, in which they've won nine Challenger titles and are on the verge of Australian Open qualification The ethical issues of playing in Saudi Arabia vs allowing Russian players to play in the UK Why Felix Auger-Aliassime can use Davis Cup success to kick on at grand slams - and why Denis Shapovalov can't What Rafa Nadal is doing in South ...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr 20 min
Calvin Betton dials in from Italy to join George Bellshaw and James Gray of the i newspaper and inews.co.uk to talk all things tennis, including: Will Novak Djokovic ever age? Is he already the greatest 35-year-old in the history of sport? Will he surpass Roger Federer's record of six ATP Finals titles? Do we read much into Rafael Nadal's defeats to Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz? Could he still win the Australian Open next year? Is Casper Ruud sneakily the most consistent player on tour...
Nov 21, 2022•1 hr 16 min
Tennis coach Calvin Betton, writer George Bellshaw and senior sports journalist at i and inews.co.uk James Gray discuss all the biggest issues in tennis over the last week, including: Why Novak Djokovic's drinks bottle became such a big deal How the BJK Cup was almost a disaster, then wasn't, then was again [and later why it should only be every four years] What Cam Norrie should have done instead of going to Saudi Arabia for pre-season - and why it's different from allowing politics to ban Russ...
Nov 14, 2022•1 hr 17 min
George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton join James Gray of the i newspaper and inews.co.uk to talk about everything that has happened in the last week of tennis, with questions like: How can we fix the WTA Finals? Why did it break in the first place? Whose run to the final is more impressive: Caroline Garcia and Aryna Sabalenka? What of Holger Rune's chances of winning over the rest of the locker room? Why is Novak Djokovic so good in Paris (indoors)? And many, many more! Learn more about your ad choi...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 13 min
George Bellshaw, Calvin Betton and James Gray of inews.co.uk and the i newspaper talk about the biggest topics from the last seven days of tennis, including: Dimitry Tursonov discusses the 'red flags' that made him walk away from the Emma Raducanu job, and how he did *not* line up Belinda Bencic before doing so (Read the full interview here: https://www.tennismajors.com/wta-tour-news/tursunov-i-wasnt-hopping-from-one-player-to-another-i-wouldnt-do-that-631908.html) Iga Swiatek says she 'can't co...
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 18 min
James Gray of i newspaper and inews.co.uk is joined by writer George Bellshaw and tennis coach Calvin Betton to talk about all the latest tennis news, including: Simona Halep has been provisional suspended after failing a drugs test Dan Evans says he should have been playing doubles for Great Britain in the Davis Cup and could quit if he is not given the chance to do so. Is he right? (Read the original story in full here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/dan-evans-threatens-quit-davis-cup-191874...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 45 min
Live from Antwerp, James Gray joins Calvin Betton and George Bellshaw to discuss all the latest from the tennis world. Why Andy Murray *really* pulled out of the European Open What's the deal with indoor courts? Is Felix Auger-Aliassime the next Andrey Rublev? What does Coco Gauff have to do about her forehand Whether Iga Swiatek needs to take a look hard look at herself, or if the 'hindrances' are just part of the game And much, much more! Key links You need to follow this guy (https://twitter....
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 14 min
George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton join James Gray to talk about the biggest issues in tennis this week: Novak Djokovic wins his 90th ATP title in Astana, beating a strong field and thrashing Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. The former world No 1 is now guaranteed a place at the ATP World Tour finals and has lost just two tour matches since May - is this season he is putting together being underrated? Daniil Medvedev was putting together a fine match against Djokovic before pulling an adductor mu...
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr 15 min
George Bellshaw returns to join James Gray and Calvin Betton to discuss all the biggest stories in tennis this week, and consider the follow: So Novak Djokovic wasn't injured then? Can he catch Jimmy Connors' ATP title record? Who will finish on the most titles out of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal? Was Iga Swiatek right to criticise the tour and the ITF over the timing of the BJK Cup Finals in Glasgow? How can tennis fix its calendar problems? Should Corentin Moutet be banned after a fight with Ad...
Oct 04, 2022•1 hr 10 min
James Gray and Calvin Betton are joined by Michael Hincks, freelance sports journalist who got to witness the Laver Cup and The Roger Federer Show up close and personal. They ask: Did Roger Federer overshadow his own event? Does it matter? What was Ellie Goulding doing there? Who was our Laver Cup MVP? Is Frances Tiafoe the future of the tournament? Should we be asking the Laver Cup to help grow the game internationally? What would we change about the tournament format? Plus the latest from the ...
Sep 26, 2022•1 hr 3 min
We're all wearing black, the crying has barely stopped and as a mark of respect George has left the country. Yes, Roger Federer has announced his retirement. Resident tennis coach Calvin Betton and journalist for i newspaper and inews.co.uk James Gray react to the news, and try to answer the following question... If Federer changed the game, how? Will he end up joining an elite group of billionaire athletes? What is Federer's legacy? Will we ever see another player win 20 grand slams across 15 y...
Sep 19, 2022•1 hr 10 min
James Gray is joined by Calvin Betton and George Bellshaw to look back at two weeks of mayhem at Flushing Meadows which culminated in Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz being crowned US Open champions, both for the first time. Will Iga Swiatek win all four next year? Will Carlos Alcaraz win any? Has Casper Ruud proven he is a grand slam challenger? Is Ons Jabeur *actually* any closer to winning one? We'll also talk about the future of Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, whether Aryna S...
Sep 12, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Calvin Betton and George Bellshaw join James Gray in New York to look at the two singles finals, firstly between Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur, and then between Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 10, 2022•1 hr 10 min
James reports live from New York (well sort of - he definitely is there but since this is a podcast, it can't really be called live), talking all things US Open from the last 48 hours. This is a podlet, so sometimes he'll be alone, sometimes he'll be with a guest or two, and it will almost always be quite raw. No music, no editing, just pure, unadulterated mind dump. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 08, 2022•36 min
James reports live from New York (well sort of - he definitely is there but since this is a podcast, it can't really be called live), talking all things US Open from the last 48 hours. This is a podlet, so sometimes he'll be alone, sometimes he'll be with a guest or two, and it will almost always be quite raw. No music, no editing, just pure, unadulterated mind dump. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 06, 2022•28 min
Calvin Betton joins James Gray to talk about the first week of the US Open. Is this really the end of Serena Williams? What will Emma Raducanu get out of playing a lower level of tournament? Where is it going wrong for Andy Murray? What next for Harriet Dart? Is Rafael Nadal really in the best shape? What can Daniil Medvedev expect from Nick Kyrgios? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 03, 2022•38 min
James reports live from New York (well sort of - he definitely is there but since this is a podcast, it can't really be called live), talking all things US Open from the last 24 hours. This is a podlet, so sometimes he'll be alone, sometimes he'll be with a guest or two, and it will almost always be quite raw. No music, no editing, just pure, unadulterated mind dump. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 03, 2022•26 min
James reports live from New York (well sort of - he definitely is there but since this is a podcast, it can't really be called live), talking all things US Open from the last 24 hours. This is a podlet, so sometimes he'll be alone, sometimes he'll be with a guest or two, and it will almost always be quite raw. No music, no editing, just pure, unadulterated mind dump. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 01, 2022•20 min
James reports live from New York (well sort of - he definitely is there but since this is a podcast, it can't really be called live), talking all things US Open from the last two days. This is a podlet, so sometimes he'll be alone, sometimes he'll be with a guest or two, and it will almost always be quite raw. No music, no editing, just pure, unadulterated mind dump. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 31, 2022•34 min
Check out the men's draw in full and the women's draw in full to see how the brackets might unfold, and make sure to study them carefully before entering our fantasy tennis game, which you can play by clicking here. This week, George, Calvin and James (from NYC) discuss the impact of Novak Djokovic finally withdrawing from the US Open, why grand slam prize money should be REDUCED and how Emma Raducanu might fair in her maiden grand slam title defence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc...
Aug 26, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Emma Raducanu enjoyed two of her most high-profile wins as she beat Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams comfortably, but then lost to in-form Jessica Pegula. Finding form at the right time, or catching two legends at a bad time? Borna Coric made an incredible return from shoulder surgery earlier this year and years in the wilderness to win the title in Cincinnati, his first Masters 1000 crown. He will now be seeded at the US Open; is he finally about to come of age? In the women's draw, Caroli...
Aug 23, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Serena Williams says she will retire after the US Open, announcing in a long letter to the tennis world in Vogue that she’s “evolving” away from tennis and will focus now on expanding her family and her business Serena Ventures. What’s been her impact on the game? What’s her legacy? Where does she rank among the greatest of all-time? And what about her clash with Emma Raducanu? Simona Halep is back in the top 10 after winning Rogers Cup beating Zhang, Teichmann, Gauff, Pegula and then Haddad Mai...
Aug 16, 2022•1 hr 15 min
- Nick Kyrgios wins singles and doubles title in Washington to announce himself as a challenger for the US Open title. He will be seeded for the singles draw and is probably playing at a top-10 level, isn't he? - Daniil Medvedev also won a title this week in Los Cabos, beating Cam Norrie in the final after another strong week for the British No 1 - Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka faced off in San Jose, but where is this rivalry going? - Afterwards, Naomi Osaka Tweeted and deleted about not having ric...
Aug 08, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Nick Kyrgios withdrew from the singles in Atlanta with a knee problem but did then win the doubles alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis, the Australian Open winning pair Alex de Minaur wins the singles title, beating Jenson Brooksby in the final Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz again to claim his first ATP title on clay - how many times are we going to see that match-up in their careers? Also titles for Roberto Bautista Agut, Caroline Garcia and Marie Bouzkova Goran Ivanisevic says Novak Djokovic is t...
Aug 01, 2022•1 hr 16 min
With James Gray on holiday, Calvin Betton and George Bellshaw discuss all the latest news from the tennis world, including: Novak Djokovic joins the Laver Cup but will having the Big Four on the same squad turn it into a global event? What does Roger Federer's choice of racquet tell us about his career? Dominic Thiem makes a semi-final, he's not had a chance to defend his 2020 US Open title yet... Lorenzo Musetti goes for underarm serve on match point in the semi-finals but still wins and goes o...
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 19 min
James Gray, George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton dig into the biggest issues of the week in tennis. 1:35 - Daria Kasatkina reveals she is dating a woman, and her concerns about the taboo over same-sex relationships in Russia. The Russian No 1 also said she wanted "war to end", a significant statement both for its anti-war sentiment and even for defining the invasion of Ukraine as a war, something the Russian regime continues to call a "special military operation". 14:53 - Lleyton Hewitt is inducted...
Jul 18, 2022•1 hr 8 min
We've got a full set! George Bellshaw, Calvin Betton and James Gray all manage to get on the same podcast to look back at two weeks of Wimbledon and forward to the hard court season. We asked: Should Novak Djokovic still be confident of beating Rafa Nadal's all-time slam record? Is Roger Federer still the GOAT on grass? Would any of them beat John McEnroe? Is Elena Rybakina a bigger breakthrough than Nick Kyrgios? Will Ons Jabeur ever win a grand slam? Does James need to change his fantasy tenni...
Jul 15, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Thank you so much for listening to all the podlets over Wimbledon. It has been our record fortnight, with thousands of you tuning in to listen. We really, REALLY appreciate it, even if you don't always agree with us. That's why we're here, in the end, to stir the pot a bit! Anyway, weekly pods will be back after Wimbledon - and if you want to play me at Matchpoint Tennis Championships, just drop me a DM... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 10, 2022•44 min
Thank you so much for listening to all the podlets over Wimbledon. It has been our record fortnight, with thousands of you tuning in to listen. We really, REALLY appreciate it, even if you don't always agree with us. That's why we're here, in the end, to stir the pot a bit! Anyway, weekly pods will be back after Wimbledon - and if you want to play me at Matchpoint Tennis Championships, just drop me a DM... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 10, 2022•38 min
Please tell your friends and tennis partners about the Love Tennis Podcast. We will be releasing new episode EVERY DAY over Wimbledon, and it would be a great shame if we didn't get any new listeners for our trouble. You are our greatest asset, our greatest supporters and the reason we do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 09, 2022•35 min
