When Andy Murray struggled to haul himself onto a stool so that Catherine Whitaker could interview him in Australia, the idea that he would play stunning doubles at The Queen’s Club and celebrate like a big kid would have seemed frankly ridiculous. But that’s what has happened. Catherine spoke live to Murray for Prime Video after his straight sets win alongside Feliciano Lopez against top seeds Cabal and Farah, and David sat in on all of his interviews. Murray could not stop talking. It was a jo...
Jun 20, 2019•36 min•Ep. 549
More rain, but actual tennis as well. That’s the gist of the day 3 Tennis Podcast from the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club. Juan Martin del Potro looked in fine fettle against Denis Shapovalov, but then hurt himself and was forced to withdraw from the tournament with yet another knee injury. Stan Wawrinka looked like he had added a turbo boost to his standard diesel engine as he raced to a 3-0 lead against Dan Evans, and never looked back. Is he in the mix? What about for Wimbledon?...
Jun 19, 2019•31 min•Ep. 548
Not a single ball struck at the Fever-Tree Championships on Tuesday after only the third washout in the last 18 years. But that doesn't mean there's no Tennis Podcast, as David Law and Catherine Whitaker prove here. They swap stories about their days in the Tournament Office and Prime Video studios respectively, and there's name-dropping and anecdotes galore about Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray and Mark Philippoussis. We also hear about tomorrow's order of play, updates on events in Halle and Birmin...
Jun 18, 2019•30 min•Ep. 547
Catherine, David and Matt meet on the Queen's Club balcony to share stories from their respective opening days at Queen's. As well as the on-court action, Catherine talks about Greg Rusedski's brand new interest, Matt hits the nail on the head about Daniil Medvedev, and David delves into his monster memory-bank to recall his first locker room experience. It involves, Wayne Ferreira, Michael Stich and a final set tie-break with light fading. The Tennis Podcast is produced daily throughout the Fev...
Jun 17, 2019•30 min•Ep. 546
The grass court season has arrived and The Tennis Podcast team of Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts are back with a preview of the 2019 Fever-Tree Championships. Who is the favourite to win the title? Is the draw really as wide open as it seems? Has there ever been so much interest in the doubles draw as Andy Murray returns from hip surgery to partner Feliciano Lopez? And what have the main players been saying on media day? There will be daily editions of The Tennis Podcast througho...
Jun 16, 2019•35 min•Ep. 545
It’s getting ridiculous now. After Rafael Nadal takes Roland Garros for the 12th time, Catherine, David and Matt chat on The Tennis Podcast about where the final was won and lost against Dominic Thiem, before trying to put Nadal’s achievements into context. Was the first set one of the best ever in a Grand Slam final? How did Nadal outlast Thiem both mentally and physically throughout the match? And can Thiem take heart from this defeat, knowing that he won a set at least, or was it further evid...
Jun 09, 2019•44 min•Ep. 544
Ash Barty has become a Grand Slam singles champion, just as David Law predicted would happen this year on The Tennis Podcast over a month ago. We are never going to hear the end of it. On the penultimate day of the 2019 French Open, David is joined by Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts to chat about how Barty did it, and gloat about his prediction. What makes Barty so popular? If clay is not her favourite surface, will she now go on to win more Grand Slams elsewhere, particularly on the grass a...
Jun 08, 2019•33 min•Ep. 543
Day 13 at Roland Garros saw unpredictability and excitement in the women’s draw, the top men’s seeds playing well, rain and wind affecting conditions, and some baffling scheduling decisions. In short, it was in keeping with the themes of this year’s tournament. Catherine, David and Matt are together on the podcast to talk it all through. In the women’s semi-finals, did Jo Konta choke against Marketa Vondrousova? What did Konta have to say about her match being scheduled on Court Simonne-Mathieu?...
Jun 07, 2019•52 min•Ep. 542
The champions was dethrone and a new star confirmed as Simona Halep was beaten by Amanda Anisimova, the 17-year-old reaching the semifinals of the French Open. How did she do it? Catherine Whitaker is joined by Simon Briggs of the Telegraph to talk it through. Is Halep too content to compete at the level she needs to, or Anisimova simply not give her the chance? Is Anisimova’s backhand the best in tennis, man or woman? The American will now face Ash Barty, who overcame Madison Keys. So who is th...
Jun 06, 2019•40 min•Ep. 541
It’s been 20 years since Andrei Medvedev, ranked No.100 in the world, beat Pete Sampras and Gustavo Kuerten to reach the final at Roland Garros. Matt spoke to him to find out his memories of that run. Is it true that just a few weeks earlier he had told Andre Agassi that he wanted to quit tennis? How did it feel to then be across the net from Agassi in the French Open final? And what caused him to lose a two-set lead on that day? In an in-depth interview, Medvedev also opens up about how his hap...
Jun 05, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 540
An exciting day at Roland Garros has set up two tantalising semi-finals: Britain’s Jo Konta will meet 19-year-old Marketa Vondrousova, while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will renew their rivalry. On The Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker and David Law, who can barely contain their excitement, discuss it all. Has Konta ever played a better match than the one she played to blitz Sloane Stephens? How nice was it to see her looking so happy on court? And how will she cope against the extraordinary...
Jun 04, 2019•36 min•Ep. 539
It wouldn’t be a Grand Slam without at least one daily Tennis Podcast featuring Mary Carillo. Joining Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts at the champagne bar at Roland Garros, Mary taps into her mind palace to unleash her usual combination of hilarious anecdotes and piercing tennis wisdom. Does Tsitsipas have what it takes to be the next apex predator of men’s tennis? What improvements can he still make to his serve? What is Madison Keys’ best surface? How has coach Dmitri Zavialoff helped Jo K...
Jun 03, 2019•55 min•Ep. 538
It is hard to imagine that we will see a better tennis match than Stan Wawrinka vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas this fortnight, or even this year. Five sets and more than five hours of intoxicating drama, and spellbinding shotmaking which forms the centrepiece of our Day 8 Tennis Podcast from the French Open. How did Wawrinka outlast a man well over 10 years his junior? What state was Tsitsipas in when he spoke about it afterwards? (Matt Roberts went along to find out). And how do Matt and Catherine Whit...
Jun 02, 2019•37 min•Ep. 537
Naomi Osaka has finally run out of lives. On the latest Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts discuss how her 16-match winning streak at Grand Slams came to an end at Roland Garros against the doubles No.1, Katerina Siniakova. What happened to Osaka? How did she explain the defeat? And how does her exit alter the draw? Later, Osaka was followed out of the tournament by Serena Williams. What made Sofia Kenin such an awkward opponent for Serena? And what does defeat mean in the conte...
Jun 01, 2019•41 min•Ep. 536
A day full of stunning matches was marred by crowd chaos and The Tennis Podcast has an insight into a situation that could have been serious, and must be addressed. On the court, Petra Martic and Anastasia Sevastova starred, producing wonderful all-court tennis to knock out Karolina Pliskova and Elise Mertens respectively. The pod team were in awe. Rafael Nadal lost a set of tennis at Roland Garros. Find out against whom, and how, on the pod. His quarterfinal opponent might end up being Kei Nish...
May 31, 2019•33 min•Ep. 535
After 16 consecutive match wins in a row at Grand Slam tennis tournaments, we are starting to wonder how it is even possible to beat Naomi Osaka at a major event. The Japanese player has been in trouble a number of times, but against Victoria Azarenka she extricated herself again, and is looking more of a threat as she goes along. What is her secret? How much longer can she keep this up? And why does she fail to perform well until she is nearly down and out? The Tennis Podcast team of Catherine ...
May 30, 2019•40 min•Ep. 534
A chaotic hour at the end of day four saw huge disappointment for Kiki Bertens as she was forced to retire, narrow and nervy victories for Grigor Dimitrov and Jo Konta, and late-night drama involving Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Benoit Paire. While it was all going on, Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts soaked up the atmosphere and recorded the latest Tennis Podcast. What happened to Bertens? How will Jo Konta fare against the rising and increasingly prominent Viktoria Kuzmova? And why could neith...
May 29, 2019•32 min•Ep. 533
World No.1 Naomi Osaka stood two points from defeat against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the first round, but the moment she sealed victory half an hour later, Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts were convinced she could win the title. They convened in the media restaurant as usual to debrief on a day full of narrow escapes and drama, with Alexander Zverev surviving in a fifth set against John Millman. Kyle Edmund got the job done after resuming at 5-5 in the fifth against Jeremy Chardy, but Cat...
May 28, 2019•37 min•Ep. 532
On our 7th birthday, we are back with our Day 2 Tennis Podcast from Roland Garros! Serena Williams has rarely been seen on a tennis court in recent months, but her return to Roland Garros was a welcome one, and she got going eventually. Not before swallowing a 2-6 first set against Vitalia Diatchenko though. So what happened? Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts talk us through from the media restaurant. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic jumped out of the blocks looking every bit the likely finalis...
May 27, 2019•36 min•Ep. 531
As day 1 of the French Open 2019 drew to a close, Catherine, Matt and Simon Briggs got together in the media restaurant to share stories about what they had seen and heard at Roland Garros during an action and people-packed Sunday. What happened to Angelique Kerber, who was dumped out by a teenager in the first match of the day? How did Roger Federer look - tennis and outfit-wise - on his return to Roland Garros after four years away. Opinions differed, particularly when it came to his fashion c...
May 26, 2019•35 min•Ep. 530
A new Court Philippe Chatrier has been built, the draws have been made, and the French Open for 2019 is finally here. Which all means that it’s time for the first daily Tennis Podcast, recorded courtside in the new Simonne-Mathieu stadium, which is lined with greenhouses and foliage Catherine Whitaker is joined by Matt Roberts and Simon Briggs, with Stefanos Tsitsipas practising in front of them, to assess the draws of the leading lights, tell tales from media day and give their impressions of t...
May 24, 2019•49 min•Ep. 529
Roland Garros 2019 is just a few days away. Rafael Nadal will be aiming for his 12th title in Paris. It’s mind-boggling to even contemplate. But how did we get here? Starting from the very beginning, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts take you through the story of Rafael Nadal’s career. With stats and anecdotes, they cover his emergence as a teenage sensation, his clay-court dominance, his hold over Roger Federer, his ability to adapt to grass and hard courts, his rivalry with Novak ...
May 22, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 528
While Karolina Pliskova was a surprise first-time winner of the women's title, Rafael Nadal lifted the Rome trophy for a mind-boggling ninth time, defeating his ultimate rival Novak Djokovic in three sets. What has made Pliskova a force on clay? How has the woman she beat in the final, Johanna Konta, gone from a player that couldn't win more than 3 clay matches in a season to a runner-up in one of the biggest red dust tournaments in the world? And where does this leave us in terms of favourites ...
May 19, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 527
On this week’s Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts discuss a fantastic tournament in Madrid, headlined by titles for Novak Djokovic and Kiki Bertens. After a lacklustre few months, is it any coincidence that Djokovic has returned to top form when Roland Garros is less than two weeks away? How did he see off the challenges mounted by Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas? As for Kiki Bertens, what’s changed to turn her into a winner of big titles? And where does she rank...
May 13, 2019•52 min•Ep. 526
Catherine Whitaker and David Law begin this week’s show by discussing the aftermath of Justin Gimelstob’s decision to finally stand down from his roles on the ATP board and with Tennis Channel. Will this be used as an opportunity to change the culture of men’s tennis? Who are some of the candidates to replace Gimelstob? Did Stan Wawrinka do the right thing by publishing a powerful letter condemning Gimelstob and the actions of the ATP board? And why were Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djo...
May 07, 2019•52 min•Ep. 525
Politics takes over on this week’s Tennis Podcast as Simon Briggs of The Telegraph joins Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts to discuss Justin Gimelstob’s conviction for assault. What have been the latest developments in the case? Who has spoken out against Gimelstob and why are more people not doing so? How has he been able to become such a prominent figure in tennis? What is likely to happen next? Is it really conceivable that he could keep his position on the ATP board? And if he d...
Apr 29, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 524
In part one of this week’s Tennis Podcast, David Law and Grad Matt react to a thrilling weekend of Fed Cup action in London which saw Great Britain make a long-awaited return to the World Group with a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan. Just how significant is this victory for Anne Keothavong’s side? What makes Jo Konta and Katie Boulter such good Fed Cup players? And what might the World Group look like next year? In part two, David is joined by Catherine Whitaker to discuss a surprising start to the clay...
Apr 22, 2019•46 min•Ep. 523
Unlike many former players, Andy Roddick has stepped away from tennis since his retirement in 2012, occupying his life with various other ventures. But he’s still as passionate and as insightful about the game as ever. In an interview with David Law, Roddick explains what keeps him busy these days, the reasons behind his absence from tennis, and why the door will always remain open for him to return one day. Elsewhere, David gets Roddick’s views on a number of topical issues within the sport, in...
Apr 18, 2019•43 min•Ep. 522
Catherine Whitaker and David Law are back with another Q & A edition of The Tennis Podcast, with this week’s questions chosen by guest editor James Meredith. - Will playing more doubles help or hinder Stefanos Tsitsipas in singles? (01:10) - Will Kyle Edmund have a better career than Tim Henman? (08:44) - Who are the most underrated players in today’s game? (13:41) - Who will finish the year ranked higher, Johanna Konta or Dan Evans? (19:09) - Which junior No.1s never lived up to expectation...
Apr 15, 2019•45 min•Ep. 521
When Janko Tipsarevic first appeared on The Tennis Podcast in 2012, he was ranked No.8 in the world and at the height of his powers. Seven years and seven surgeries later, he returns to the show to open up about the injuries that have plagued his career since then, his mental health struggles, and his plans for the future, including the launch of his mastermind programme for aspiring athletes. In a wide-ranging and powerful interview with David Law, Tipsarevic also discusses what Novak Djokovic ...
Apr 11, 2019•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 520
