Some familiar faces took to the court on day two, but that didn’t stop things feeling weird. Catherine, David and Matt convened to look back on those that won, those that lost, and where we go from here. Nadal is back, but how did he look? (4.00 - 12.00) Serena soared, eventually. Her prospects discussed. (12.30 - 16.20) Medvedev out, again. Will he ever conquer clay? (21.00 - 25.00) Thiem looks the business, but his draw is tough. Help or hindrance? (27.30 - 31.00) Svitolina, Bertens, Muguruza ...
Sep 29, 2020•57 min•Ep. 736
The opening day of the French Open somehow managed to make 2020 just that little bit weirder, with the cold and blustery autumnal conditions dominating discussion and impacting matches. It meant there was plenty for Catherine, David and Matt to cover, including Victoria Azarenka’s stand, Stan Wawrinka’s destruction of Andy Murray, Mats Wilander’s comments about Murray, defeats for Jo Konta and Dan Evans, and much more. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and feat...
Sep 27, 2020•59 min•Ep. 735
A few months later than usual, but the French Open is here and the draws have been made. We reflect on the significance of the headline match between Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, discuss Jo Konta’s chances against Coco Gauff, break down a tough route for Stefanos Tsitsipas, consider a wide-open bottom half of the women’s draw, and debate whether Rafael Nadal can be viewed as more of a favourite than Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem. We also review “Drip” by Denis Shapovalov and Corentin Moutet...
Sep 25, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 734
Despite having scarcely recovered from the US Open, Catherine, David and Matt are back to reflect on the week in Rome, which created plenty of talking points ahead of Roland Garros. How did Djokovic look en route to the title in his first matches since his US Open default? Why did Diego Schwartzman and Denis Shapovalov both catch the eye? In what way is this year's French Open looking like a slightly different proposition for a rusty Rafael Nadal? How much of a favourite is Simona Halep? Is Vict...
Sep 22, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 733
Dominic Thiem is finally a Grand Slam champion, but he had to do it the hard way, becoming the first man in US Open history to mount a comeback from two sets to love down in the final, triumphing in a deciding set tiebreak against Alexander Zverev. On the podcast, we try to get our heads around what happened. Why did Thiem start so slowly? In what way did Zverev's gameplan impress early on? How did the match turn around? What did it feel like to see both players confront nerves in that excruciat...
Sep 14, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 732
Naomi Osaka has won her third Grand Slam title and second US Open, defeating Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the final. We discuss her growing significance in the sport, how she turned the match around, the perfection of her post-match celebration, the line which summed up her activism, and her future in the sport. Catherine also reveals why she missed yesterday's podcast (a story not to be missed) and we look ahead to the men's final. How much of a chance does Alexander Zverev have and what ...
Sep 13, 2020•50 min•Ep. 731
The men’s US Open final is set: Alexander Zverev vs Dominic Thiem. In the first half of the pod we discuss how they both got there in two contrasting semi-final matches. In part two, the great Mary Carillo, who was in the stadium for the women’s semi-finals, speaks to David about why it was one of the greatest nights of tennis she can remember. She also looks ahead to the final, gives an insight into what it’s like to be on site at this most extraordinary of US Opens, and explains why it feels s...
Sep 12, 2020•47 min•Ep. 730
On the day when tennis celebrated the trailblazing Original 9, it felt right that Naomi Osaka, Jennifer Brady, Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams produced one of the greatest semi-final nights of all time. We break down both matches and discuss the breathtaking quality of Osaka vs Brady, Osaka's final game nerves, Serena's blistering start, Azarenka's extraordinary comeback and how this defeat for Serena compares to her recent setbacks in her quest for No.24. The Tennis Podcast is presented b...
Sep 11, 2020•49 min•Ep. 729
A new chapter will be written in one of tennis' most interesting rivalries when Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka face off in Thursday's semi-finals. In this episode we discuss Azarenka's demolition of Elise Mertens, the way we're having to consider her as a real force in the game once again, her different mindset, Serena's problem solving against Tsvetana Pironkova, and the way both players will relish the challenge. On the men's side, Daniil Medvedev beat Andrey Rublev in a match which was...
Sep 10, 2020•48 min•Ep. 728
On the first day of quarter-final matches at the US Open, we discuss Jennifer Brady's dominance so far this tournament, her transformation as a tennis player, how she might match up against Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals, and the way in which Osaka's development as a person is helping her tennis. On the men's side, we reflect on the ordeal that was Zverev vs. Coric, debate whether or not it was compelling, and try to figure out the reasons for his erratic serving. The Tennis Podcast is presented...
Sep 09, 2020•50 min•Ep. 727
Monday felt like the morning after the night before, with the shockwaves from Novak Djokovic's default still being felt at the 2020 US Open. We begin this episode with further reaction to that incident before moving on to the tennis. We discuss Serena Willams' fightback against Maria Sakkari, Dominic Thiem's statement performance, a reality check for Felix Auger-Aliassime, and the unexpected head-to-heads in Tuesday's quarter-final matches. There's also discussion about Roland Garros' plans to h...
Sep 08, 2020•56 min•Ep. 726
In one of the biggest stories in Grand Slam history, Novak Djokovic's unbeaten streak came to a dramatic end on Sunday as he was defaulted from the US Open for hitting a line judge with a ball. We discuss the incident, place it in the context of his career, react to his statement, consider his decision not to attend a post-match press conference, and debate who the new favourite is in the men's draw. Catherine also talks about what it was like to be presenting live TV coverage at the time of Djo...
Sep 07, 2020•52 min•Ep. 725
Our 100th episode of the year re-capping another eventful day at the US Open. Approximate episode time stamps: 0-22 minutes - Tsitsipas: What happened!? 22-34 minutes - Serena’s statement win 35 - 50 minutes - Felix takes flight 50-57 minutes - Women's mix chat 57 minutes to the end - Mladenovic/Babos withdrawn from doubles The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments....
Sep 06, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 724
We begin by discussing Felix Auger-Aliassime's victory over Andy Murray in yesterday's night session. How much was the one-sided result down to Auger-Aliassime's brilliance and how much was it because of Murray's depleted physical condition? Moving on to Friday's action, there's chat about disappointing defeats for Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans, Naomi Osaka's stressful victory over Marta Kostyuk, Denis Shapovalov's escape against Taylor Fritz, and the bizarre delay to Adrian Mannarino vs Alexande...
Sep 05, 2020•52 min•Ep. 723
Thursday at the US Open was a day of thrilling matches, significant upsets, and interesting storylines. In other words, it felt like a proper Grand Slam day. We discuss Tsvetana Pironkova’s return to tennis and victory against Garbine Muguruza, Sorana Cirstea’s stunning performance to knock out Jo Konta, Grigor Dimitrov’s concerning physical collapse against Marton Fucsovics, and the chaotic but entertaining match between Dan Evans and Corentin Moutet. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherin...
Sep 04, 2020•47 min•Ep. 723
After 29 of the 32 seeds reached round two in the women's singles event, Wednesday saw many of them tumble, including Karolina Pliskova. We try to figure out, yet again, why her recent Grand Slam record is so poor. We also chat about Kiki Mladenovic's loss from 6-1 5-1 up, discuss her colourful comments about the restrictions placed upon her following her contact with Benoit Paire, and analyse Kyle Edmund's mid-match deflation against Novak Djokovic. Approximate episode time stamps: 0.00 - 15.00...
Sep 03, 2020•43 min•Ep. 722
He was down two sets to love. He was down a break in the third. He was down match point. And he was down a break in the decider. But Andy Murray still managed to beat Yoshito Nishioka on Tuesday at the US Open in his first Grand Slam singles match since the 2019 Australian Open. We discuss how he did it, the reason for his slow start, and how he's holding up physically. We also cover Jo Konta's mood and form after her defeat of compatriot Heather Watson, Serena Williams' opener, an epic between ...
Sep 02, 2020•47 min•Ep. 721
A two-part podcast covering the main talking points from Day 1 of this weird and wonderful US Open. Timecodes : 3.00 - 8.40 Cameron Norrie vs. Diego Schwartzman 8.40 - 10.30 Alexander Zverev 10.30 - 12.40 Stefanos Tsitsipas and towels 13.00 - Coco Gauff vs. Anastasia Sevastova 17.00 - Other results 22.00 - Benoit Paire and tests 30.00 - Kyle Edmund 32.00 - Novak Djokovic 39.00 - Andy Murray 45.00 - Jo Konta vs. Heather Watson The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, a...
Sep 01, 2020•51 min•Ep. 720
No shortage of talking points as we discuss the formation of the Professional Tennis Players’ Association with Simon Briggs, Naomi Osaka’s stand against racism, titles for Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka at the Western and Southern Open, a wide-open women’s draw at the US Open, the Bryan Brothers’ retirement, and the sad news that legendary commentator David Mercer has died. What do the players hope to achieve with the PTPA? Why set it up now? Where does it go from here? How does Djokovic k...
Aug 30, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 719
Following on from our most recent edition of Tennis Re-Lived on the life of Althea Gibson, in this episode we turn our attention to Arthur Ashe. We cover his formative years growing up in Virginia under the Jim Crow laws, his development as an amateur tennis player while at college, his Grand Slam titles, his fights for civil rights and social justice, his passing from AIDS, and his enduring legacy. Along the way, James Blake reveals how he indirectly credits Ashe with getting him into tennis, L...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 718
In this special edition of Tennis Re-Lived, we examine the life, career and legacy of Althea Gibson, the first black player to compete in and win Grand Slam titles. We cover her early life growing up in Harlem, her development as a tennis player under the guidance of Dr Eaton and Dr Johnson, Alice Marble’s influential letter challenging the USLTA’s whites-only culture, Gibson’s dramatic first appearance at the US Nationals at Forest Hills in 1950, her friendship and doubles partnership with Ange...
Aug 26, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 717
ATP Tour tennis is back with the first big, combined women's and men's tournament since the pandemic struck down Indian Wells in March. With the 'Cincinnati' draw made, Catherine, David and Matt assembled once more to discuss the highlights, catch up on latest news, and also release our big interview with Lindsay Davenport (from 38.00). Is the WTA draw now more star-studded than the men's draw, despite the withdrawals? What did we think of Novak Djokovic's interview with Chris Clarey in the New ...
Aug 21, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 716
Tennis’ return went up a notch last week with many of the biggest names competing in Lexington and Prague. We discuss the way in which champions Jennifer Brady and Simona Halep picked up where they left off six months ago, describe how it felt seeing top level tennis at a small club in Kentucky, assess Serena Williams’ form, marvel at Venus Williams’ remodelled service motion, and analyse yet another step forward for Coco Gauff. David also speaks to Dan Evans about life inside the US Open bubble...
Aug 17, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 715
On this week’s episode, with actual tennis from Palermo to look back on and the Kentucky-Prague double-header to preview, we find ourselves in unfamiliar, but very welcome, territory. We react live to Fiona Ferro’s victory in Palermo, and discuss what the players have been saying in their pre-tournament press conferences, including Serena Williams on her caution over the virus, Coco Gauff on how she’s used her platform to tackle issues of social justice, Jo Konta on her American road trip, and E...
Aug 10, 2020•58 min•Ep. 714
Rio 2016 was a particularly emotional and memorable Olympics for tennis, with Andy Murray defending his gold medal, Juan Martin del Potro entering people’s hearts, and shock defeats for Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic. But it was Monica Puig’s run which best encapsulated the spirit of the Games. Catherine talks to her about how it felt to win Puerto Rico’s first ever gold medal. As our journey through tennis’ history at the Olympics arrives at its final destination, we also speak to Christoph...
Aug 08, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 713
The London Olympics will never be forgotten by our Tennis Podcast team, for the opening ceremony, the incredible athletic feats, all of it happening on their doorsteps, and David's inability to watch any of it. Andy Murray and Serena Williams were the champions, their gold medal winning runs are discussed, and David talks to Laura Robson, who won a medal alongside Murray. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-ro...
Aug 07, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 712
The Beijing Olympics are perhaps best remembered for the world-beating achievements of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, but it was also an unforgettable Games for tennis. We discuss Russia’s clean sweep of the women’s singles medals, how much a gold meant to Elena Dementieva, the way China embraced tennis, the lasting influence of the Beijing Games on the sport, how much Roger Federer values his doubles gold, and Rafael Nadal’s ascension to World No.1. There was also an epic semi-final between Jam...
Aug 06, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 711
We begin this episode by discussing the news that Rafael Nadal has opted not to defend his US Open title due to health risks before moving on to re-live the 2004 Olympics in Athens. It was a Games which saw Justine Henin-Hardenne win gold, Roger Federer stunned by Tomas Berdych, and double gold for Chile as Nicolas Massu won singles and doubles, alongside Fernando Gonzalez. We hear from both men at length about their magical week together and what it meant to their country. The men’s singles sil...
Aug 05, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 710
Tennis is back. But there are still question marks about the sport’s short-term future. In the first half of this episode we discuss the return of the WTA Tour in Palermo and the mood surrounding the US Open before wrapping up the results from the various exhibition events. Then, we hear from former World No.4 and current Miami Open tournament director James Blake (starting 43:26). He takes us through what happened during the week in March when Miami was cancelled and explains why he’s strugglin...
Aug 03, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 709
The 2000 Sydney Olympics were a happier time. Steve Redgrave won his 5th gold for Great Britain and Cathy Freeman became a symbol of national reconciliation for Australia. In this episode, we look back on a tennis event which also delivered compelling storylines, including double gold for Venus Williams to cap an extraordinary summer and a 4th place finish for a young Roger Federer. We also hear from men’s singles gold medallist Yevgeny Kafelnikov (starting 23m 27s) about his epic final against ...
Aug 02, 2020•58 min•Ep. 708
