David Law is joined by esteemed New York Times journalist Christopher Clarey to discuss the major stories from this year’s US Open so far. They talk about the way in which Coco Gauff’s run is transcending tennis, Serena Williams’s chase for 24, how the sport should deal with Nick Kyrgios, and the reasons behind umpire Damian Steiner's dismissal. Finally, the best of the action from Friday at Flushing Meadows is wrapped up, including an update on the health of Novak Djokovic’s shoulder, and news ...
Aug 31, 2019•35 min•Ep. 579
After the washout on Wednesday, Thursday was throbbing with matches at the US Open. Taylor Townsend was the feel-good story, reminding us all what serve-and-volley tennis feels like to watch. She knocked out Simona Halep. Dan Evans set up a belter against Roger Federer. Do the Tennis Podcast team think he stands a chance? And Simon Briggs was back to talk about the tennis he's seen so far, deleted tweets and post-coital cigarettes ... The Tennis Podcast is produced daily during the US Open, in a...
Aug 30, 2019•42 min•Ep. 578
Only nine matches were completed on Wednesday at the US Open as rain fell in New York, but there were still things for Catherine Whitaker and David Law to discuss. They start with some Nick Kyrgios drama from the night before, and in particular his comment that the ATP is "pretty corrupt". Can he say that without evidence? Was he wise to clarify that position in a statement? And is all this just a distraction from the fact that his behaviour in Cincinnati is still under review and he still hasn'...
Aug 29, 2019•30 min•Ep. 577
Day two at the US Open was one of those days where you didn't know where to look. With so much happening, including upsets galore in the men's draw, Catherine Whitaker and David Law had to convene twice to discuss it all on The Tennis Podcast. Defeats for Stefanos Tsitsipas, Dominic Thiem and Roberto Bautista Agut have thrown things wide open in the bottom half of the men's draw. Is Tsitsipas simply suffering from burnout? How well did Andrey Rublev do to navigate the drama and disrupt him? And ...
Aug 28, 2019•28 min•Ep. 576
Serena Williams is her best self every time Maria Sharapova faces her across a tennis net. Day one of the US Open was no different. Afterwards, drinks in hand, Catherine Whitaker and David Law convened to review the day in the lobby of a hotel in which players past and present wandered by, including Nick Kyrgios heading out ... Why does Sharapova bring out the best in Serena? Is it personal? Will this be the catalyst for a run to major 24? Elsewhere, what happened with the British players, who l...
Aug 27, 2019•43 min•Ep. 575
Catherine Whitaker and David Law are in New York to look ahead to the US Open. All the exciting first round matches are previewed and plenty of predictions for the tournament are made. How pumped should we be for Serena vs. Sharapova in round one? And which one of them will rise to the occasion the best? Elsewhere, Catherine reveals the moods of the top players during media day. Why does Naomi Osaka seem sad? In what way was Jo Konta talking up her chances? How is Roger Federer feeling compared ...
Aug 25, 2019•52 min•Ep. 574
Larry Stefanki is one of the most respected and successful coaches in tennis. In this wide-ranging interview with David Law, Stefanki tells stories from his time coaching Marcelo Ríos, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Tim Henman, Fernando Gonzalez and Andy Roddick, and offers insight into what each player was like. Why has he not spoken to Ríos for over 20 years? What was Henman lacking in the big matches? Were there similarities between Kafelnikov and Roddick? Why did he choose to coach Gonzalez rather than...
Aug 21, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 573
Madison Keys and Daniil Medvedev are the Cincinnati champions, but are they in the mix to win the US Open? That's the big question for Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts to discuss with the final Grand Slam of the year just days away. What's changed in Keys' game? And how sustainable is Medvedev's new tactic of hitting two first serves? All the other major talking points from Cincinnati are also discussed, including Svetlana Kuznetsova's superb run to the final, an early exit for Rog...
Aug 19, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 572
Andy Murray, singles player, is back. After his 6-4, 6-4 loss to Richard Gasquet, David Law and Matt Roberts convened for a bonus pod to talk about how he looked, his prospects, and the fact that he isn't going to play singles at the US Open. Plus, Matt goes big in the early US Open predictions stakes. Sign up to our weekly newsletter (daily at Slams) here - http://po.st/TTP_Newsletter We will crowdfund our 2020 season in December. If you would like to support us and want a December 1st reminder...
Aug 13, 2019•28 min•Ep. 571
Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu both did something they had never done when they won their titles in Canada, and the Tennis Podcast team were on hand to talk about them afterwards. With Catherine Whitaker courtside in Montreal, and David Law hosting from ‘sunny’ Solihull at 1am, conversation covered the drama that follows Andreescu wherever she goes, the retirement after just 4 games of Serena Williams, and the form of Nadal heading into the US Open. Plus, Andy Murray will make his return to s...
Aug 12, 2019•48 min•Ep. 570
Nick Kyrgios doesn't win tournaments very often, he wins them when you least expect it, but boy, when he wins them you know about it. Catherine Whitaker (in Montreal) and David Law convened on The Tennis Podcast after a giddy couple of days in Washington in which Kyrgios won the title with the most spellbinding tennis imaginable, and plenty of drama and theatrics thrown in. The dropshot serve, the new signature move on match point, the meltdowns are all discussed, and the pod team try to work ou...
Aug 05, 2019•52 min•Ep. 569
Catherine and David catch up to discuss the main headlines since Wimbledon, including Ivan Lendl and Alexander Zverev’s split, a star-studded doubles draw in Washington, and Novak Djokovic’s decision to skip Montreal. They also share their memories of Peter McNamara, the Australian doubles legend who died earlier this month. Then, in the second half of the podcast, Catherine, David and Matt answer more listener questions. How should Wimbledon expand? (25:01) Has Venus Williams underachieved in h...
Jul 29, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 568
Catherine and David tackle three big questions in the latest Q&A edition of The Tennis Podcast: - What’s next for Garbiñe Muguruza after she finally split with Sam Sumyk? (03:23) - What changes should be made to the tennis calendar? (19:33) - Why are there no openly gay male tennis players? (37:01) This week’s show has been guest edited by Alex Petalas, owner of Ryo with a Y, our 2019 mascot. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slams (US Open next...
Jul 22, 2019•46 min•Ep. 567
Novak Djokovic is the Wimbledon champion again, but Roger Federer will feel like it was one that got away. Two match points came and went, so what happened, how, why and when? The Tennis Podcast team convened one final time to dissect a match that finished 13-12 in the fifth set. It also has far-reaching consequences for in the Grand Slam title race between Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. So what next? The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year, daily at the Slams (US Open nex...
Jul 14, 2019•50 min•Ep. 566
Simona Halep is the Wimbledon Champion. Serena Williams is still on 23 Slams. Time for a Tennis Podcast dissection. Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic. What, when, where, how, why? The men's singles final preview. For our predictions, Matt's Statt, and Memory Lane, sign up to our newsletter - http://po.st/TTP_Newsletter We will crowdfund the 2020 Tennis Podcast in December. If you would like a reminder on December 1st when our campaign opens, sign up here: http://po.st/SupportTheTennisPodcast Host...
Jul 13, 2019•42 min•Ep. 565
Eleven years on, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal met again at Wimbledon, this time with the result reversed. To talk all about it, and to preview Saturday’s women’s final, Catherine, David and Matt were joined by WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen. Did Federer vs. Nadal live up to expectations? Will Nadal have any regrets about his performance? And how has Federer flipped their rivalry on its head? In the other men’s semi-final, Djokovic beat Bautista Agut in four sets. But how well did he actually play...
Jul 12, 2019•50 min•Ep. 564
Serena Williams and Simona Halep were in awesome form on Thursday, but not quite as good as the Tennis Podcast team, complete with special guest Mary Carillo. Semifinal reviews, an in-depth preview of Federer vs. Nadal, and much more. For our predictions and Matt's stat, sign up to our free e-mail newsletter - http://po.st/TTP_Newsletter The Tennis Podcast in 2020 will be crowdfunded by our listeners in December. If you would like to contribute, sign up for a December 1st reminder here - http://...
Jul 11, 2019•48 min•Ep. 563
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet at Wimbledon for the first time since their classic 2008 final. To discuss how they both got there, and the rest of the day’s men's quarter-final action, Catherine, David and Matt are joined by Molly McElwee, a reporter for Telegraph Women’s Sport. Were today’s matches underwhelming? Or did they just demonstrate how far ahead of the rest of the field Djokovic, Nadal and Federer all are? And what might happen on Friday? Elsewhere, there’s chat about the en...
Jul 10, 2019•41 min•Ep. 562
Women’s quarter-final day delivered plenty of talking points on and off the court, and afterwards Catherine, David and Matt were joined by The Telegraph’s Charlie Eccleshare to talk it all through. Firstly, how much was Jo Konta's defeat down to Barbora Strycova’s cunning game plan? And how much of it was down to Konta’s own performance? After the match, Konta took exception to the tone of a question during her press conference. What happened? What prompted the line of questioning and was it fai...
Jul 09, 2019•41 min•Ep. 561
Manic Monday came and went with all of the main drama in the women's draw, so when Simon Briggs joined The Tennis Podcast team to look back, there was plenty to get his seeth stuck into. Ash Barty and Karolina Pliskova, two of the favourites for the title, crashed out. Which was the bigger surprise, and how did Alison Riske and Karolina Muchova win over Barty and Pliskova respectively? Where does that leave Jo Konta and Serena Williams, who were both victorious on Monday? Will Serena win her 24t...
Jul 08, 2019•48 min•Ep. 560
Ecstasy, Agony and a jolly good time were the short descriptions of the respective days endured by Johanna Konta, Dan Evans and Andy Murray/Serena Williams on Saturday at Wimbledon. While Konta fought her way back to defeat Sloane Stephens in 3, Evans endured savage disappointment after leading in all 5 sets of his match with Joao Sousa before going down. For Andy Murray and Serena Williams, playing mixed doubles together for the first time, it was happiness all round. Afterwards, Catherine Whit...
Jul 06, 2019•39 min•Ep. 559
Coco Gauff. 15 years old and the story of Wimbledon 2019 so far. As she completed a stunning victory to reach week 2, Catherine, David and Matt convened on the edge of Henman Hill to soak up the atmosphere and revel in the story. At the same time, they sound a cautionary note. There's chat about the struggles of Kevin Anderson, Novak Djokovic and Karolina Pliskova, and a preview of middle Saturday. Want to sign up to our email newsletter? Click - http://po.st/TTP_Newsletter . The Tennis Podcast ...
Jul 05, 2019•36 min•Ep. 558
We try to keep the daily shows at Grand Slams to 30 minutes, but after 18 minutes went by talking about Rafael Nadal vs. Nick Kyrgios, we decided we needed to go over a bit … A quite extraordinary day of action on numerous courts saw three British players reach the third round, the defending champion Angelique Kerber go out, and one of the most pulsating, crackling matches in years on Centre Court. Won’t waste any more of your time. Just listen to it. And sign up to our daily newsletter - http:/...
Jul 04, 2019•45 min•Ep. 557
The Day 3 Tennis Podcast from Wimbledon sees Catherine back alongside David and Matt, and the main topic of conversation is Kyle Edmund's disappointing defeat from two sets up against Fernando Verdasco. What went wrong? Edmund's post-match press conference left us with more questions than answers. Elsewhere, there's a look at the day's other notable results, including Reilly Opelka's comeback victory against Stan Wawrinka and the ruthless form of Victoria Azarenka. We also react to last night's ...
Jul 03, 2019•38 min•Ep. 556
Roger Federer and Serena Williams typically stroll regally into round 2 at Slams, but on Tuesday, they stuttered before advancing. Afterwards, David Law and Matt Roberts convened to discuss their progress, that of Angelique Kerber, and the impressive return of 7 British players into round 2 of Wimbledon. The bizarre, bewildering performances of Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios are discussed, as is the mouth-watering prospect of Kyrgios vs. Rafael Nadal. News of Andy Murray playing mixed doubles wi...
Jul 02, 2019•36 min•Ep. 555
Day 2 of Wimbledon was supposed to be the one that we remembered, but it will take some going to beat Day 1 for drama. Naomi Osaka, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev all went tumbling in the space of a couple of hours, and today's Tennis Podcast trio of David Law, Charlie Eccleshare and Matt Roberts had their hands full making sense of it all. They gave it a good go on the broadcast roof at Wimbledon. What happened to them all? Which was the biggest surprise? And how concerned should they ...
Jul 01, 2019•34 min•Ep. 554
With the 2019 Championships at Wimbledon upon us, Catherine invites David and Matt round to her garden to drink beer, eat strawberries and dissect the draws. They do all of the above in our pre-Wimbledon podcast, whilst also trying to define 'the mix' at this year's event, discuss the new coaching relationship between Goran Ivanisevic and Novak Djokovic, and determine whether Andy Murray and Serena Williams will end up playing mixed doubles together. The Tennis Podcast will be published daily th...
Jun 30, 2019•59 min•Ep. 553
Feliciano Lopez produced an astonishing day of tennis to win the singles and doubles titles at the Fever-Tree Championships at the age of 37, joining forces with Andy Murray after beating Gilles Simon. Afterwards, an exhausted Catherine and David hauled themselves behind the microphone to reminisce, exchange stories, and talk about the latest tennis World No.1 - Ash Barty. How did Barty get there and what are her prospects now. And are Lopez and Federer in the Wimbledon mix after their titles at...
Jun 23, 2019•29 min•Ep. 552
Feliciano Lopez won singles, then doubles, then doubles again to earn places in both finals at the Fever-Tree Championships on Sunday. The 37-year-old Spaniard outlasted 18-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime in three sets, and played two matches with Andy Murray to defy belief. Afterwards, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts convened to try to work out how on earth he did it. There’s also Joe Salisbury chat. The Tennis Podcast is produced with Telegraph Sport, and available daily througho...
Jun 22, 2019•32 min•Ep. 551
The name Felix Auger-Aliassime has been thrown around for a few years, and his rise up the rankings this year has been one of the most interest talking points of 2019. Even the Tennis Podcast team weren’t expecting what he produced this week at Queen’s, beating Grigor Dimitrov, Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the space of 26 hours. He’s now into the semifinals against Feliciano Lopez, a man more than twice his age. Lopez came back from a set down to beat Milos Raonic in a final set tie-br...
Jun 21, 2019•33 min•Ep. 550
