With time running out ahead of Roland Garros, the Rome draws have been packed to the rafters with big names. Not all of them are in form. We talk about our first sighting on clay of Serena Williams, our impressions of Naomi Osaka, a big week so far for Coco Gauff, what we made of Rafael Nadal extracting himself from the jaws of defeat, and why Daniil Medvedev continues to entertain us massively. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It pu...
May 13, 2021•59 min•Ep. 832
The last few weeks have seen the blossoming of a new rivalry in women’s tennis and the latest meeting between Ash Barty and Aryna Sabalenka didn’t disappoint. Catherine, David and Matt discuss how Sabalenka won the opening set of the Madrid final 6-0, the impressive way she competed in the decider, and whether or not this victory changes her prospects at Roland Garros. We then turn our attention to the men’s event. Is Matteo Berrettini a better player than we’d realised? Why did we enjoy watchin...
May 10, 2021•58 min•Ep. 831
Ash Barty is World No.1 and with good reason. Aryna Sabalenka is sweeping quality players aside as if they’re nothing. So what will happen when they clash in the Madrid final on Saturday? Catherine, David and Matt assemble ahead of the business end of the tournament, give their picks, and look at the other big storylines from the men's event in the Spanish capital. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It publishes on Mondays and Thursday...
May 07, 2021•56 min•Ep. 830
Madrid is bubbling away and Catherine finishes a day of presenting Amazon Prime Video tv coverage of the event by joining David and Matt to pick the bones out of the stories so far. What happened when Ash Barty faced Iga Swiatek? Why has Naomi Osaka yet to transfer her hard court form to clay, and will she in the future? Karolina Muchova - what makes her so dangerous? Dan Evans - maximiser. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is prod...
May 04, 2021•51 min•Ep. 829
In this fragmented week for tennis - with WTA Madrid getting underway while ATP events take place in Estoril and Munich - we’ve split today’s podcast into two halves. We begin by covering the incredible WTA draw in Madrid, Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal, the return to form for Kevin Anderson and Marin Cilic, and news that there will be play on Middle Sunday at Wimbledon from 2022 onwards. Then, in part two, we tackle questions, guest edited by listener and Kickstarter backer Eli Kronenberg, on the ...
Apr 29, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 828
Catherine, David and Matt discuss an exhilarating finals weekend of clay-court tennis across Europe. Has Aryna Sabalenka conquered clay now after her run to the Stuttgart final? What is Ash Barty’s best surface? How did Aslan Karatsev save 23 break points against Novak Djokovic in Belgrade? In what way has Matteo Berrettini been a forgotten man? Can Stefanos Tsitsipas take belief and confidence from his performance against Rafael Nadal in Barcelona? Why did victory mean so much to Nadal? And how...
Apr 26, 2021•57 min•Ep. 827
With ATP and WTA 500 tournaments in full swing in Barcelona and Stuttgart, Catherine, David and Matt react to the action so far, including what Felix Auger-Aliassime’s win over Denis Shapovalov tells us about both players, a lovely moment between Frances Tiafoe and Carlos Alcaraz, Fabio Fognini’s disqualification, aggro between Dan Evans and Corentin Moutet, another anxious performance from Rafael Nadal, a cracker between Maria Sakkari and Petra Kvitova, Ash Barty’s first steps on red clay since...
Apr 22, 2021•56 min•Ep. 826
After Stefanos Tsitsipas easily beat Dan Evans and Andrey Rublev on finals weekend in Monte Carlo to claim the title, Catherine, David and Matt talk it all through. Why does Tsitsipas’ game transfer so well to clay? How significant was it that he won a Masters 1000 event for the first time? What did we learn about Rublev this week? And what should we make of Rafael Nadal’s first tournament back on his favourite surface? We also cover a career best week for Astra Sharma at Charleston 2, discuss O...
Apr 19, 2021•58 min•Ep. 825
After Dan Evans stunned Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo for the biggest win of his career, we thought we’d better record a podcast. How much was Evans’ victory down to his inspired play and how much was it due to Djokovic being below par? Can we read anything into this defeat for Djokovic? Where has Evans’ clay court form come from? And in what way is his new approach on the surface similar to the one taken by Tim Henman when he reached the French Open semi-finals in 2004? Elsewhere, we discuss St...
Apr 15, 2021•48 min•Ep. 824
Catherine emerges from a day talking to Billie Jean King, Victoria Azarenka, Chanda Rubin, Caroline Weir and Annika Sorenstam on the ITF’s global forum on gender equality to share her experience with David and Matt. If you would like to watch the forum, you can - https://youtu.be/YFnEdyIIycE . After that, Catherine, David and Matt discussed the start of the springtime clay court season, why they love it, and the early storylines. They also pick over the appointment of Toni Nadal by Felix Augur-A...
Apr 12, 2021•58 min•Ep. 823
Our guest this week is wheelchair tennis legend Esther Vergeer. One of the sport’s greatest ever champions, Vergeer spoke to Catherine about how turning to sport helped her after she became paralysed from the waist down as a child, why she embraced using a mental coach throughout her career, what it’s like psychologically to be on a 470-match winning streak, the time she almost lost at the Beijing Paralympics, designing her own wheelchair, how she feels about the word “inspirational” to describe...
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 822
The final few days in Miami gave Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts much to discuss. In what way did Ash Barty make a statement by defending her title? How much did we miss out on by not seeing a fully fit Bianca Andreescu in the final? Were we surprised by the level of tennis Hubert Hurkacz produced to win his maiden Masters 1000 title? What’s special about Jannik Sinner’s approach to tennis? And did we sit the limit to Andrey Rublev’s game? We also get stuck into the week’s doubles...
Apr 05, 2021•59 min•Ep. 821
As the Miami Open reaches the closing stages, Catherine Whitaker and David Law catch up to discuss the tournament’s major storylines from the second week so far: Why are David and Catherine surprised by how excited they are about Sebastian Korda’s potential? How does Roberto Bautista Agut cause Daniil Medvedev problems every time they face off? Was Stefanos Tsitsipas correct when he called his defeat to Hubert Hurkacz a ‘self explosion’? Why is Jannik Sinner Catherine’s candidate to be the futur...
Apr 02, 2021•59 min•Ep. 820
A few days into the Miami Open and we don’t know where to look because there are so many fantastic matches and storylines. Catherine stepped out of the Prime Video studio for a while to join David and Matt to cover the wins for Bianca Andreescu, Ash Barty and Ons Jabeur, as well as a cramping Daniil Medvedev, a resurgent Frances Tiafoe and young Fin, Emil Ruusuvuori. We also cover the latest reaction to Vasek Pospisil’s on-court rant, from several players under the hashtag #PlayersVoice. The Ten...
Mar 29, 2021•57 min•Ep. 819
Catherine is presenting live TV coverage of the Miami Open on Prime Video, but that isn’t enough to stop podcast production, and we had plenty to get our teeth into, including the comeback of Ana Konjuh, confidence-boosting wins for Sloane Stephens and Katie Boulter, and Jack Draper's unfortunate retirement. Elsewhere, we dissect the explosive comments of Vasek Pospisil in the direction of ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, cover Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro's latest injury set-backs, and ta...
Mar 25, 2021•55 min•Ep. 818
Catherine, David and Matt round off the results from last week’s slate of tournaments, including debut titles for Aslan Karatsev and Leylah Fernandez, yet another semi-final defeat for Denis Shapovalov, more fireworks from Lorenzo Musetti in Acapulco, a mid-match earthquake, a tense victory for Alexander Zverev over Stefanos Tsitsipas, and the continued resurgence of Daria Kasatkina in St Petersburg. This week, the players (minus Serena Williams and the Big 3) are heading to Miami for the first ...
Mar 22, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 817
In this mid-week pod, we compare the ceilings of Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov, apologise to Jeremy Chardy, discuss what’s going wrong for Dominic Thiem at the moment, revel in a big week so far for Lorenzo Musetti in Acapulco, and note the big Russian presence in the St Petersburg quarter-finals. 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. SUPPOR...
Mar 18, 2021•56 min•Ep. 816
Garbiñe Muguruza has finally turned her fantastic form into a title with victory in Dubai. In what way was she feeling the pressure of ending her title drought? How much of a role has Conchita Martínez played in her improved consistency? And how might her season develop from here? As for the woman she beat in the final, Barbora Krejčíková, David explains why we’ve mistakenly considered her to be exclusively a doubles player up until now, the advice she received from her former coach Jana Novotna...
Mar 15, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 815
Roger Federer returned to action after 405 days and two knee surgeries with a 3-set win over Dan Evans before a 3-set loss to Nikoloz Basilashvili in Doha. Catherine, David and Matt discuss how it felt to watch him play again, what we made of his two performances, whether we were surprised or in any way alarmed by how quickly he faded physically, and our immediate reaction to his decision to skip Dubai next week. Elsewhere, who has more potential out of Fritz and Shapovalov? How has Rublev reach...
Mar 12, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 814
Roger Federer is back! In this episode, Catherine, David and Matt react to his pre tournament press conference in Doha as he prepares for his first match since January 2020. Did he consider retirement while he was out injured? How confident is he that the knee will hold up? What are his main goals for the season? And is he still motivated by the Grand Slam race? We also cover the main stories from last week, including another step forward for Andrey Rublev, a first victory on home soil for Diego...
Mar 08, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 813
We discuss what we’ve seen so far this week in Doha and Rotterdam, including a barnstormer between Garbine Muguruza and Aryna Sabalenka, progress for Kei Nishikori, the end of Stefanos Tsitsipas’ losing streak in doubles, and Andy Murray’s 7-5, 6-2 defeat against Andrey Rublev. Hear part of Murray’s fascinating post match press conference in which he explains why he was disappointed in his performance and why he will continue to demand a lot of himself. There’s also news of Marcus Willis’ retire...
Mar 04, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 812
We’re back! Catherine and David catch up and discuss what’s been happening since the Australian Open, including Andy Murray’s comeback in Montpellier, titles for Iga Swiatek and David Goffin, the latest Hall of Fame nominations, and tweets from John Isner about the ATP being a ‘broken system’. Then, in part two, we dive into some listener questions, chosen by guest editor Simon Pearce. Is percentage of second serves won the most underrated but critical statistic in tennis? Who would be involved ...
Mar 01, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 811
If Saturday was all about Naomi Osaka opening up a gap between herself and the rest of the field, then Sunday was all about Novak Djokovic closing the gap in the Grand Slam Race. After he beat Daniil Medvedev in a surprisingly one-sided final, his18th major title was the subject of our final podcast from the 2021 Australian Open. Why was the match not as close as we expected? Could Medvedev have done anything differently? Why did Djokovic 'need' this title? What might his schedule look like in t...
Feb 21, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 810
On Saturday, Naomi Osaka beat Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to set herself apart. It was her 21st consecutive match win, her 4th Grand Slam title, and her 2nd Australian Open crown. Her 12-0 record at the quarter-finals and beyond in majors is unmatched by anyone else in the Open Era. We look back on where the final was won and lost, reflect on Osaka’s journey to this point and her place in the game, consider her potential on grass and clay, and discuss what the future might hold for Brady. There’s al...
Feb 20, 2021•57 min•Ep. 809
Just when Stefanos Tsitsipas thought he’d scaled his Everest by beating Rafael Nadal, he ran into Daniil Medvedev. The Russian picked apart Tsitsipas’ game for his 12th consecutive win over a Top-10 player to set up a final meeting with Novak Djokovic. In part one of this podcast we discuss the match, including the way the crowd influenced both players, the deceptive brilliance of Medvedev, whether Tsitsipas was fatigued, the simmering aggro, and Medvedev’s shot of the tournament contender. In p...
Feb 19, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 808
Day 11 of this Australian Open was a classic day of Grand Slam semi-final tennis, defined by tournament favourites underlining their credentials, an ageing great dealing with the heaviness of defeat, and two inexperienced players anxiously trying to defeat their nerves and each other to reach a first major final. It left us with lots to reflect on and lots to look forward to on the podcast. Osaka shines bright - what makes her so special? Interpreting Serena’s wave goodbye Will Serena get to 24 ...
Feb 18, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 807
What a day at the Australian Open: one that began with Ash Barty’s shock defeat to Karolina Muchova, and ended with Stefanos Tsitsipas' remarkable comeback against Rafael Nadal. We tried our best to put it all into words on the podcast. How did Tsitsipas turn the match around? What happened to Nadal in the third set tiebreak and beyond? Why was Barty vs. Muchova so weird? What role did the medical timeout play in the match? Will this defeat leave scar tissue for Barty? What does it mean that Jen...
Feb 17, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 806
Osaka solves Hsieh conundrum with ease - how did she do it? Karatsev reaches semis on Grand Slam debut. Dimitrov devastated by back spasm. Vintage Serena beats Halep - will Osaka stop her? Serena and Rafa - an historic double? Djokovic manages injury, mood and Zverev. Crowds to return on Thursday? Fingers crossed. 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. NEWSLETTE...
Feb 16, 2021•55 min•Ep. 805
Day 8 didn’t live up to the heights of previous days, with no upsets and no epics. But with the quarter-final line-up complete, we still had lots to cover. Has Jennifer Brady’s rise given Jessica Pegula belief? Why was Rafael Nadal vs. Fabio Fognini so disappointing? Will Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal help or hinder Stefanos Tsitsipas? And is the lack of crowds benefitting Ash Barty? The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced w...
Feb 15, 2021•59 min•Ep. 804
All eyes were on the blockbuster Naomi Osaka vs. Garbine Muguruza and Serena Williams vs. Aryna Sabalenka matches on Sunday, and they didn’t disappoint. How did Osaka manage to raise her game when she needed it most? Did Muguruza get tight at the finish? And where did Serena’s incredible movement and defence come from? We also discuss what makes Su-Wei Hsieh’s presence in the quarter-finals so exciting for the tournament and why Simona Halep seems to be in a really good place. In the men’s draw,...
Feb 14, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 803
