Calvin Betton calls in from Bucharest to chat with James Gray and George Bellshaw in London about... Calvin's team win another title! Stefanos Tsitsipas has now won Monte Carlo three times, more than Novak Djokovic even (although we all acknowledge he is probably more successful at other tournaments...) ... but perhaps Jannik Sinner should have beaten him, except for a blown line-call overrule by the umpire Sinner was not the only player to suffer from a bad call over the last two weeks: Nuno Bo...
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 36 min
Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray are back behind the microphones to look at all the biggest stories of the week - and celebrate Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara's victory in Marrakesh. The WTA has confirmed that its biggest tournament, the WTA Finals, will be held in Riyadh for the next three years in a deal worth around $50m in prize money Rafael Nadal is out of the Monte Carlo Masters saying his body 'simply won't allow me' Danielle Collins wins her second title in a row, this ti...
Apr 09, 2024•1 hr 39 min
FACTCHECK FROM JAMES: I said I was watching Charleston on red clay. I was of course watching *Houston*, not Charleston. Houston = reddish brown clay, Charleston = still equals mucky grey-green. Apologies... Calvin Betton joins James Gray (inews.co.uk) and George Bellshaw (man of the people) from the ATP 250 in Marrakesh to discuss a very busy few days in tennis... Danielle Collins is the surprise Miami champion after beating Elena Rybakina in the final, losing the first set of the tournament and...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 28 min
George Bellshaw, James Gray and Calvin Betton are back round the microphone to discuss Andy Murray picks up two valuable wins in Miami - but then tears two ligaments in his ankle while losing to Tomas Machac Simona Halep loses on return and gets into a fiery spat with Caroline Wozniacki over wildcards and doping bans There were defeats for Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans and Christopher Eubanks Holger Rune was thrashed by Fabian Maroszan (and blamed illness for winning just two games Denis Shapovalov ...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 20 min
George Bellshaw, James Gray and Calvin Betton are back to talk about another week of tennis after the final of Indian Wells... Carlos Alcaraz won first title since June, beating Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev along the way - although he was temporarily halted by a swarm of bees... Novak Djokovic was stunned by lucky loser Luca Nardi, his third ever Masters loss to someone outside top 100, and has pulled out of Miami too Iga Swiatek thumped Maria Sakkari in just 69 mins to wi...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 18 min
EMERGENCY PODCAST with James Gray (inews.co.uk) and Calvin Betton (ATP tour coach) to talk about the alleged Saudi Arabian takeover of tennis, and the games reaction to it. We are indebted to Simon Briggs of the Telegraph, friend of the podcast, for breaking this story and writing some brilliantly detailed stories about it. Read his original pieces below.. On the Premium Tour: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2024/03/11/wimbledon-aeltc-equal-prize-money-atp-wta-contender-tour/ On Saudi Arabia'...
Mar 13, 2024•29 min
James Gray, George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton are back together to look back at a dramatic week off the court (and occasionally on it), discussing the following... Rafael Nadal pulls out of Indian Wells at the last minute, citing an injury issue - although he seemed fine at The Netflix Slam... Simona Halep gets a successful ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, her doping ban reduced from four years to nine months and a verdict that she had not deliberately ingested a banned substance ...
Mar 12, 2024•1 hr 30 min
George Bellshaw returns to join James Gray (inews.co.uk) and Calvin Betton (ATP tennis coach) to discuss a controversial week on and off the court. Andrey Rublev was DQed for abuse of an official on Friday - but had his points and prize money reinstated on Monday after appealing to the ATP (More on that story here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/andrey-rublev-line-judge-default-120k-prize-money-2938316) Carlos Alcaraz "beat" Rafael Nadal to win "The Netflix Slam" in Las Vegas, but was it more ...
Mar 05, 2024•1 hr 44 min
Eleanor Crooks, the Press Association's tennis correspondent, joins James Gray and Calvin Betton (with George temporarily unavailable). They discussed... Andy Murray's first win of 2024 before losing to Jakub Mensik - and then coming back next week and beating Denis Shapovalov. Is this still the game for him? Has he only got a few months left? Ivo Karlovic has finally confirmed his retirement after years out of the game. Was he really just an enormous server and nothing else? What other athletes...
Feb 29, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray go through all the big tennis stories from the last seven days, including... Iga Swiatek becomes the first woman since Serena Williams in 2015 to win the same WTA title three years in a row, beating Elena Rybakina to win in Doha Maria Sakkari has dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in two years Jannik Sinner continues his unbeaten 2024, winning the title in Rotterdam and beating Alex De Minaur Carlos Alcaraz loses to Nicolas Jarry in South A...
Feb 20, 2024•1 hr 28 min
It's the Middle East swing and James Gray, George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton are back home in the UK, picking the bones out of the action. They answered your questions too, including: What does British tennis get from players switching allegiance to play under the Union Flag? And why does Kazakhstan do it? (Thanks to Matthew on email for that one) Can you remember anyone doing such a good job of improving on their weaknesses, at least so quickly, as Aryna Sabalenka has on second serve? (Nikos vi...
Feb 12, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Thanks to everyone who voted for us in the Sports Podcast Awards. We came SECOND, a one-place improvement on last year, but still losing out to Dan Kiernan. We shall overcome! We're back as a trio this week, a little later after James took the slow boat home from Australia, answering as many questions as possible from the bulging mailbag. Justin Cerny on Twitter/X asked: “Thoughts on the variety of surfaces & locations for events during weeks like this? (ATP, Challengers, WTA tour & 125s...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 38 min
That's it! The Australian Open is in the books once and for all. Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are the champions (the first men and women's champion at any slam since the early 1990s to share the same first letter of their surname) and James, George and Calvin have (almost) caught up on their sleep. They ask... Having broken his duck, how many grand slams will Jannik Sinner go on to win? Will Daniil Medvedev ever add to his solitary US Open victory? What's going on with Andy Murray? Can anyo...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 15 min
THANK YOU to everyone who voted for us in the Sports Podcast Awards. The results will be revealed later this year and we look forward to seeing the fruits of your endeavours. To review both singles finals, George Bellshaw in London joins James Gray in Melbourne to discuss... Jannik Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3, coming from two sets down to become Australian Open champion and win his first grand slam title Medvedev has now lost five of his six major finals, and twice been two s...
Jan 28, 2024•29 min
VOTE FOR US. We have once again been short-listed for a Sports Podcast Award in the tennis category - but now we need YOU to help us win it. Time is running out as voting closes on January 28th. Vote for us NOW: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ Novak Djokovic lost at the Australian Open for the first time in six years, with Jannik Sinner not facing a single break point along the way. (James's analysis with input from Boris Becker, Darren Cahill and both pla...
Jan 27, 2024•20 min
VOTE FOR US. We have once again been short-listed for a Sports Podcast Award in the tennis category - but now we need YOU to help us win it. Time is running out as voting closes on January 28th. Vote for us NOW: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ Coco Gauff was beaten 7-6 6-4 by Aryna Sabalenka, who won her 13th straight match in Melbourne and reached the final for the second year in a row, the first female player to reach back-to-back slam finals since Seren...
Jan 26, 2024•20 min
TIME IS RUNNING OUT - both existentially but also in terms of voting for us in the Sports Podcast Awards. Please do it, do it now: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ (Apologies for the sound issues here: Calvin's laptop charger got torched by Doha airport so he had to record on his phone on this occasion. Back soon we hope!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 24, 2024•23 min
Vote for us! Seriously. Please. We need your help. Badly. https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ Calvin and James discuss... Calvin's overall impressions of the Australian Open - and a run-in with security Alex de Minaur, hot or not? (Tennis-wise...) Can Taylor Fritz stop Novak Djokovic? Previewing Alcaraz vs Kecmanovic, Norrie vs Zverev and Hurkacz vs Cazaux Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 21, 2024•31 min
Vote for us! https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ Calvin and James discuss... Novak Djokovic finding his best form Cameron Norrie turning into peak Tim Henman Nuno Borges and Arthur Cazaux making shock runs to the fourth round Emma Raducanu trying to tag her opponent on match point Aryna Sabalenka or Coco Gauff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 20, 2024•33 min
Mike Dickson, the Daily Mail's long-serving tennis correspondent, has died suddenly at the age of 59. Mike was in Melbourne covering the Australian Open for the Daily Mail with his usual gusto and good humour. But on Wednesday, we were given the most awful news imaginable. James and George both knew Dicko, as he was to almost everyone, through working in tennis and have both separately tried to put into words what he meant to them. This obituary from Jonathan McEvoy, who knew Dicko for far longe...
Jan 18, 2024•15 min
Vote for us! https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 17, 2024•21 min
VOTE FOR US, because time is running out to help us win best tennis podcast at the Sports Podcast Awards: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ ** Tonight, James is joined by Eleanor Crooks of the Press Association to talk through the day's play. Here are the highlights. ** Australian Open, Day 3 Jack Draper required five sets to beat Marcos Giron, needed his blood pressure checked mid-match and had to seek out a courtside bin to throw up immediately after seali...
Jan 16, 2024•25 min
VOTE FOR US, because time is running out to help us win best tennis podcast at the Sports Podcast Awards: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ *** By Press Association Andy Murray suffered only his second opening-round defeat at the Australian Open in 16 years on a sobering evening for the Scot at Melbourne Park. The five-time finalist was outplayed by 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry in a 6-4 6-2 6-2 loss that was a far cry from his glory days. His only other...
Jan 16, 2024•24 min
VOTE FOR US, because time is running out to help us win best tennis podcast at the Sports Podcast Awards: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ ** Novak Djokovic beat Dino Prizmic in four sets, the match of the day on the opening Sunday of the Australian Open - but is he fully fit? James asked him afterwards if he was suffering from a cold, and here is what he said. "I am a bit under the weather last four, five days. You can probably judge by my voice," Djokovic...
Jan 15, 2024•22 min
VOTE FOR US, because time is running out to help us win best tennis podcast at the Sports Podcast Awards: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ Enter #FTU (Fantasy Tennis Unfiltered) for FREE: https://shorturl.at/krT37 Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a doubles player on tour? Or what it's like travelling with Calvin Betton? Wonder no more. Here is Henry Patten, world No 73 and long-time charge of Calvin's, to tell us all about it on a rainy Melbourne...
Jan 13, 2024•34 min
VOTE FOR US, because time is running out to help us win best tennis podcast at the Sports Podcast Awards: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ Enter #FTU (Fantasy Tennis Unfiltered) for FREE: https://shorturl.at/krT37 James Gray and George Bellshaw sit down to take the Australian Open draw in line-by-line. Calvin will be back for our next episode, bringing with him Henry Patten to talk about life on tour, playing doubles for a living and trying to get his coach...
Jan 13, 2024•1 hr 15 min
VOTE FOR US in the Sports Podcast Awards: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ We're back! Welcome to 2024 - where we hope we do not encounter as many technical issues as we did in the opening episode... Calvin Betton is (briefly) live from rainy Adelaide, James Gray is frantically packing for Melbourne and George Bellshaw is... staying in London. He will be our constant as James and Calvin try to take over the world in Australia. Learn more about your ad choic...
Jan 09, 2024•1 hr 10 min
VOTE FOR US in the Sports Podcast Awards: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ As we take a two-week break over the festive season, James Gray turns the spotlight onto Calvin Betton, Tennis Unfiltered's resident tennis coach. Born in south Yorkshire in the 1970s, we talk about the real reason he loves John McEnroe so much, learning to shithouse his brother off the court and an ill-fated trip to a trailer park in Tennessee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Jan 01, 2024•1 hr
It's Christmas so we are taking some time off, but we have recorded a couple of special episodes to keep you going in the festive period. This week, James turns the spotlight onto George Bellshaw, born in 1992 in Sutton Coldfield to a lawyer and a teacher. Once known as the best tabloid tennis journalist in the UK, he then turned his mind to matters of health and social care in the civil service, but kept his oar in by co-hosting what was then the Love Tennis Podcast and keeping up appearances o...
Dec 25, 2023•52 min
Once more with feeling... for the last time this year, our Tennis Unfiltered crew get together for an hour of discussion, laughter and, occasionally, tennis. To help you navigate the last "live" episode (there will be two specials over Christmas and New Year) of the season, here is a topic-by-topic runthrough of the episode... 01:04: Reflecting on the dramatic year of tennis 03:33: Pre-season at the NTC 04:43: Discussion on Australian Open balls 10:04: Recap of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown Grand...
Dec 18, 2023•1 hr 27 min
