Down to the final four at the Fever-Tree Championships, and on quarterfinals day at The Queen’s Club, Marin Cilic, Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic and Jeremy Chardy were all in formidable form. On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker and Gigi Salmon discuss their respective wins, and we hear from Cilic whose week on the court is going as well as that of his country Croatia in the World Cup. We dip into the press conferences of Kyrgios and Djokovic who both seem serene and ready for a big weekend....
Jun 22, 2018•30 min•Ep. 429
Not every celebrity tennis fan could hold court on the Tennis Podcast, but not everyone celebrity fan is Jason Isaacs from Harry Potter fame. Isaacs comes straight from watching Nick Kyrgios edge Kyle Edmund in the second round to join David Law in the players lounge at the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club. What does someone known for being one of the great character actors make of a character like Kyrgios? Later, Novak Djokovic overcame Grigor Dimitrov comfortably, and afterwards sp...
Jun 21, 2018•36 min•Ep. 428
Queen’s Day 3 - Meet Frances Tiafoe; Hewitt Rolls Back The Years; Querrey overcomes Wawrinka Hello and welcome to take 2 of Wednesday’s Tennis Podcast from the Fever-Tree Championships. Take 1 was an award-winning edition featuring Catherine Whitaker and Gigi Salmon. That one didn’t record… Take 2 features David Law and Queen’s Tournament Director Stephen Farrow having a beer after work in Stephen’s office, and looking back on a day in which Lleyton Hewitt and Nick Kyrgios won their doubles matc...
Jun 20, 2018•31 min•Ep. 427
Three hundred and forty one day days had passed since Andy Murray last took to a competitive match court, and few people would have expected him to play as well as he did at the Fever-Tree Championships on Tuesday. The five-time champion fought, scrapped and dragged himself to within each of the finish-line, but Kyrgios found a way through in the end. Afterwards, Catherine Whitaker and Gigi Salmon convened next to a covered Centre Court to assess how Murray looked, and whether Kyrgios should be ...
Jun 19, 2018•33 min•Ep. 426
Day one of the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club saw some cracking tennis, no big shocks, and the arrival of Nick Kyrgios. Ahead of Kyrgios vs. Andy Murray, Catherine Whitaker spoke to the Australian to find out how he’s feeling, where his game and health are at, and how he planned to get a first win over a man he freely admits is ‘a mate’. We also hear from Dan Evans on his return to the game after suspension, and Grigor Dimitrov tells Gigi Salmon about his visit to see the Duke of C...
Jun 18, 2018•32 min
Andy Murray is back! After almost a year side-lined by injury, he will make his competitive return at The Queen’s Club against Nick Kyrgios on Tuesday. In the first of daily podcasts from the Fever-Tree Championships, Murray’s last-minute decision to play dominates discussion. In an incredibly honest interview, Murray opens up to Catherine about his difficult year and his prospects for the future. How has his relationships with the sport changed? How low did he feel during the long months of reh...
Jun 17, 2018•32 min•Ep. 424
Ahead of his return to The Queen's Club for doubles in the Fever-Tree Championships, Lleyton Hewitt sat down with David Law and Charlie Eccleshare of the Telegraph for half an hour to talk about why he can't and doesn't want to give the sport up, what it was like facing a man arguably even more intense than him - Rafael Nadal on Clay, and why he thinks the plans to try to change the Davis Cup must be stopped. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 17, 2018•29 min•Ep. 423
Rafael Nadal is the French Open champion. Sound familiar? On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine and David look back on the way Nadal overcame Dominic Thiem and a bout of cramp to win at Roland Garros for the eleventh time. The scoreline shows that Nadal won 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Does that reflect harshly on Thiem? Could he have done anything differently? And has his run to the final justified his decision to play such a packed schedule? As for Nadal, he came through a closely-fought first set and then took ...
Jun 10, 2018•32 min•Ep. 422
Simona Halep is a Grand Slam champion at last. Having lost her previous three finals, Halep finally ended her drought by battling past Sloane Stephens in a captivating contest at Roland Garros. On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine and David pay tribute to her resilience. Trailing by a set and a break to Stephens, who was looking close to unbeatable, it felt like Halep would fall short once again. So how did she turn it around? Did the quality of Stephens' tennis actually help Halep to play more aggr...
Jun 09, 2018•29 min•Ep. 421
The one and only Mary Carillo is back! After debuting on The Tennis Podcast at last year’s US Open, Carillo is at her storytelling best as she joins Catherine from Roland Garros to preview Satuday’s women’s final between Simona Halep and Sloane Stephens. Carillo is the first to admit that this year’s French Open hasn’t caught fire. But that doesn’t dampen her enthusiasm for the women’s final. Will it live up to expectations? Find out why Carillo’s nerves are jangling for Halep, how she’s got to ...
Jun 08, 2018•39 min•Ep. 420
Simona Halep has lost all three of her Grand Slam finals. Will she make it fourth time lucky on Saturday at Roland Garros when she faces Sloane Stephens? On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine and David discuss how both players got there, marvelling at the way in which they handled their big-hitting opponents with relative ease in Thursday’s semi-finals. Halep put up an impenetrable wall to defeat Garbiñe Muguruza in surprisingly straightforward fashion. Why was it not the blockbuster we were expectin...
Jun 07, 2018•32 min•Ep. 419
David and Catherine convene on The Tennis Podcast to discuss another rain-hit day at Roland Garros. Before play was suspended prematurely, a huge upset was brewing on Court Philippe Chatrier when the free-swinging Diego Schwartzman took the first set against Rafael Nadal. That’s right. Nadal lost a set. On clay. At Roland Garros. It ended his streak of 38 consecutive sets won on the Parisian clay. Schwartzman also led by a break in the second set and David and Catherine are full of praise for hi...
Jun 06, 2018•28 min•Ep. 418
The match of the tournament came a day later than expected at Roland Garros. Just 24 hours after the Serena-Sharapova non-event, World No.72 Marco Cecchinato stunned Novak Djokovic in an exhilarating encounter, and one that will be remembered for a pulsating fourth-set tiebreak that transfixed everyone watching. Catherine Whitaker is joined on The Tennis Podcast by The Telegraph’s tennis correspondent Simon Briggs in the immediate aftermath. Speaking from inside the press centre at Roland Garros...
Jun 05, 2018•25 min•Ep. 417
It was the match everyone wanted to see. But in the end, it didn't happen. Catherine and David come together on The Tennis Podcast to discuss a day of immense frustration at Roland Garros after Serena Williams was forced to withdraw before taking to the court against Maria Sharapova due to a right pectoral injury. Were there warning signs from Serena’s doubles match yesterday? Should Serena have even played doubles? And when was the last time the tennis world was so disappointed because a match ...
Jun 04, 2018•28 min•Ep. 416
Cancel your plans, Serena vs Sharapova is happening. After days of speculation, Catherine and David are giddy with excitement on the latest Tennis Podcast. But will the match live up to expectations? To preview a showdown of such magnitude, Catherine speaks to the perfect guest – esteemed New York Times writer Christopher Clarey. He’s the man who first described this match-up as an ‘un-rivalry’, but does he think Sharapova is primed to score her first victory against Serena since 2004? Clarey al...
Jun 03, 2018•33 min•Ep. 415
Kyle Edmund is out of the French Open. His five-set loss to Fabio Fognini brought an end to the British challenge at Roland Garros for another year. David and Catherine assemble on The Tennis Podcast to talk about it. Edmund vs. Fognini had looked thrilling on paper, but it ultimately failed to catch fire. Why was it such an ordeal? Why was Edmund unable to nullify the Fognini threat? And how much of a missed opportunity was this for the British No.1? Meanwhile, there was a familiar feeling on C...
Jun 02, 2018•29 min•Ep. 414
David and Catherine are back together on The Tennis Podcast to discuss yet another intriguing day at Roland Garros. The biggest story is the defeat of Elina Svitolina. The No.4 seed was among the favourites for the title, but once again she failed to transfer her fantastic tour form to a Grand Slam. Why does this keep happening? Svitolina was beaten by the unheralded Mihaela Buzărnescu of Romania whose remarkable ranking rise – from outside the Top-400 to inside the Top-40 in the space of twelve...
Jun 01, 2018•27 min•Ep. 413
Serena Williams stole the show on Day 5 at Roland Garros, roaring back to defeat Ashleigh Barty in a vintage display. Shortly afterwards, The Telegraph’s Charlie Eccleshare joined David Law on The Tennis Podcast to reflect on the drama. Trailing by a set and a break, Serena looked out of sorts. But then she started playing like the Serena we all know so well, summoning her ferocious intensity and imposing her aura to turn the match around. Just how well did she play in those last two sets? Whisp...
May 31, 2018•30 min•Ep. 412
It was an action-packed Wednesday at Roland Garros, with thrilling matches everywhere you looked. On the Tennis Podcast, David and Catherine begin by assessing the comeback victories of Sascha Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and Kei Nishikori. In particular, was Zverev’s win today a significant step in his bid to end his Grand Slam curse? David thinks it might be. And Catherine explains how Zverev has been showing off his lighter side while speaking to the media. Elsewhere, what caused Jared Donaldson t...
May 30, 2018•30 min•Ep. 411
The story on everyone’s lips on Day 3 at Roland Garros was the return of Serena Williams. The American beat Kristyna Pliskova 7-6, 6-4 to win her first Grand Slam match since giving birth. Catherine is joined by Simon Briggs, tennis correspondent for The Telegraph, to talk all about it. How well did Serena play? How will she cope with the tactical nous of Ashleigh Barty in the next round? And what was the story behind the catsuit she wore on court? Speaking of fashion, Simon thinks Kyle Edmund’s...
May 29, 2018•21 min•Ep. 410
Despite some late drama, the Sunday start at Roland Garros had felt a little flat. Fortunately, that all changed on day two and there was plenty for David (at a wildlife centre) and Catherine (at the tennis) to talk about. While a number of big names may have taken to the court, it was the World No.190 Marco Trungelliti who stole the headlines. The lucky loser’s 9-hour road trip from Barcelona, which caught the imagination of everyone at Roland Garros, got the Hollywood finale it deserved as he ...
May 28, 2018•32 min•Ep. 409
As The Tennis Podcast turned six-years-old, Catherine & David celebrated by discussing the opening day of action at Roland Garros. But there was no cause for Johanna Konta to celebrate. The British No.1 lost in the first round at the French Open for the fourth consecutive year, beaten by Yulia Putintseva. Catherine gives us the lowdown on the talking points from Konta’s post-match press conference, which at one stage turned a little more feisty than usual. With these disappointing losses beg...
May 27, 2018•27 min•Ep. 408
As the French Open prepares to get underway at Roland Garros in Paris, Catherine Whitaker sits courtside as Serena Williams goes through her preparation for the year’s second Grand Slam tournament. What did Simona Halep and Jelena Ostapenko have to say ahead of Roland Garros? Catherine has been talking to them. Who is scheduled to meet Rafael Nadal as he tries to win his 11th French Open title? Catherine and David look at his likely route. And what on earth is Dominic Thiem doing playing and win...
May 26, 2018•31 min•Ep. 407
Just moments after Rafael Nadal was crowned Champion in Rome for the eighth time, Catherine & David bask in the London sunshine to discuss the King of Clay's rain-assisted victory over Sascha Zverev, and the extraordinary performance of Elina Svitolina earlier in the day to dismantle an out-of-sorts Simona Halep. Other Rome talking points are also in the spotlight, including Karolina Pliskova's uncharacteristic outburst of on-court anger, and the WTA's decision not to disclose her punishment...
May 20, 2018•51 min•Ep. 406
Sheltering just metres from Craven Cottage and an army of angry Derby County football fans, David & Catherine digest the extraordinary and contrasting title wins in Madrid for Alex Zverev and Petra Kvitova. Who of the two will go further at Roland Garros? And why did David not think to ask that question as a poll vault? Plus there's analysis of Nadal's (not so) shock defeat to Dominic Thiem, and chat about the (not quite) biggest win of Kyle Edmund's career over Novak Djokovic. And speaking ...
May 14, 2018•54 min•Ep. 405
After a week when the Munich, Estoril and Prague titles were all won by home favourites, attention now turns to Madrid, which is a veritable who’s who of the best, healthy tennis players in the world. Catherine Whitaker, sitting in a car park, and David Law in a window-less room, go through a draw that has thrown up some corkers. The wins of Alexander Zverev in Munich, Petra Kvitova in Prague and Joao Sousa in Estoril are covered, and David wants to know why Portugal, where Sousa’s triumph was c...
May 07, 2018•50 min•Ep. 404
After clinching his second 'undecima' of the season in Barcelona following yet another week of straight sets victories, David & Catherine meet in the pub to ponder what the miracle formula might be to muster a challenge to the King of Clay. Is Nadal's lack of competition hurting men's tennis? And how annoyed are we allowed to be at Roger Federer for denying us the chance to see the rivals face off on clay once more. Karolina Pliskova's Stuttgart win is also discussed, as is the surprise clay...
Apr 30, 2018•54 min•Ep. 403
Rafael Nadal won his 36th consecutive set of clay court tennis, dropping an average of two games per set, to claim his 11th Monte Carlo title. Afterwards, the Tennis Podcast team found themselves asking who can stop him on the surface, and how? Presenter David Law was joined by Telegraph Sport tennis correspondent Simon Briggs to work their way through the potential candidates to ‘do a Robin Soderling’ - who beat Nadal at the French Open in 2009 - and how. Is it an in-form Juan Martin Del Potro?...
Apr 23, 2018•52 min•Ep. 402
David Law is back from holiday and full of beans. Catherine Whitaker is off on holiday and bemused by washing machines on tennis courts. In the 401st Tennis Podcast, they look ahead to Monte Carlo, back on rain-drenched Lugano - which a shocked Catherine reports had a washing machine on court throughout, and the exploits and ultimate disappointment of Kyle Edmund, who lost in the final of Marrakech. They continue their debate about the Wimbledon queue with listener thoughts and Wimbledon’s react...
Apr 16, 2018•51 min•Ep. 401
With David Law swanning off on holiday, we've recorded our third listener-questions show - the 400th in our six year history - guest edited by Lea Lahnstein. David and Catherine Whitaker have answered the best of them, such as what makes a good coaching partnership and the fascination of what goes on behind closed doors, how many is the perfect number of seeds at Grand Slams, and whether or not the Wimbledon queue is a fair and fun thing. Plus David Catherine compare their own playing styles to ...
Apr 08, 2018•48 min•Ep. 400
