When Maria Sharapova beat Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final, few could have predicted the path their rivalry would take over the next fifteen years. In this episode, we discuss why Sharapova’s run aged 17 wasn’t completely out of the blue and the way in which Serena was slightly under prepared, and Mary Carillo explains what impressed her most about Sharapova’s performance on that day and why she felt Serena was surprised by Sharapova’s level. Then, we look more closely at the developm...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 699
The 2001 men’s Wimbledon final, which saw wildcard and three-time runner-up Goran Ivanisevic win his first title against Pat Rafter on People’s Monday, is one of the most famous matches in tennis history. So, for this episode, we wanted to get a range of perspectives on this much-told story. Ivan Ljubicic explains the significance of Ivanisevic’s victory for people in Croatia, Charlie Eccleshare talks about the experience of being in the crowd, Ivanisevic tells us (colourfully) why he thinks the...
Jul 07, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 698
The only ever meeting between Pete Sampras and Roger Federer came at Wimbledon in 2001, when Sampras was a 7-time champion in the twilight of his career, and Federer was an emerging talent who hadn’t yet fulfilled his potential. Looking back now, it can be seen as a changing of the guard moment, with Federer prevailing in five sets. Is that how it was covered at the time? In what way did Federer grow as a tennis player on that day? And why did it take him another two years to win his first Grand...
Jul 06, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 697
In 1997, Martina Hingis beat Jana Novotna to become the youngest Wimbledon winner in the Open Era, aged 16. She also put together one of the best seasons in tennis history, winning all but one of her Grand Slam matches. Are her achievements from that year underrated? How were her sassy comments and confidence received at the time? In what way did she sometimes get herself in trouble with remarks about fellow players? What made her such a joy to watch? And why did she not go on to dominate for ye...
Jul 05, 2020•57 min•Ep. 696
Nobody has ever had a connection with Wimbledon like Jana Novotna. In this episode, with the help of the storytelling of Mary Carillo and Chris Clarey, and the insights of Hana Mandlikova, the long-time coach and friend of Novotna, we cover the full emotional arc of her career and life. There’s discussion of Novotna’s choke in the 1993 final against Steffi Graf, the iconic image of her crying on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent afterwards, her second Wimbledon final loss to Martina Hingis in ...
Jul 04, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 695
Nobody expected Andre Agassi’s first Grand Slam title to come on grass at Wimbledon, a tournament he’d boycotted for a few years. But Agassi always did things his own way, and when he won the tournament in 1992, he did it from the baseline, beating former champions Boris Becker and John McEnroe en route to the final, before overcoming the massive serve of Goran Ivanisevic in five sets. Why was Agassi’s story such a big deal? What had happened in his first three Grand Slam finals for him to have ...
Jul 03, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 694
Going into Wimbledon in 1991, Steffi Graf’s supremacy was under threat. She hadn’t won a Grand Slam title for 18 months, she’d lost her No.1 ranking to Monica Seles, her father’s scandalous private life meant she was being hounded by the tabloids, and Gabriela Sabatini had emerged as a real rival. But Graf rose above everything, dominating the draw before winning a classic final 8-6 in the third set against Sabatini. How did Seles’ withdrawal pave the way for Graf? In what way did Sabatini revol...
Jul 02, 2020•59 min•Ep. 693
In 1985, a strawberry-blonde, unseeded, 17-year-old German named Boris Becker won Wimbledon, beating Kevin Curren in the final, and suddenly tennis had a new star. In what way did Becker bring levels of power and athleticism which hadn’t been seen before on a tennis court? And how did people react to his arrival on the world stage? We hear from Johan Kriek, the man who predicted Becker’s victory at Wimbledon after losing to him at Queen’s two weeks earlier, and Curren discusses his own run which...
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 692
The 1980 Wimbledon men’s final between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe is one of the most famous tennis matches of all time, and it lived up to expectations as we re-watched it ahead of our second Wimbledon Re-Lived show. How was McEnroe viewed by British tennis fans at the time? How did his behaviour change when he played Borg? And in what way does this match carry a cultural influence which transcends tennis? The apex of the match was the epic fourth set tiebreak, won by McEnroe 18-16 as the level...
Jun 30, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 690
With nine singles titles to her name, Martina Navratilova is the most successful player in Wimbledon history. In this episode, we focus on the first of her wins – in 1978 against Chris Evert – and the last of them – in 1990 against Zina Garrison. In between analysing those matches, there’s discussion about the leaner years at the start of Navratilova’s career, her rivalry with Evert, the way she developed athletically into the sport’s most dominant figure, her special connection with Wimbledon, ...
Jun 29, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 689
The fallout from the Adria Tour continued on Tuesday as world number one and event organiser Novak Djokovic tested positive for covid-19. The Telegraph’s Simon Briggs joins Catherine Whitaker and David Law to talk through the situation. Djokovic’s second statement of the day was better than his first, but which questions remain unanswered? Is Djokovic’s position as president of the ATP player council still tenable? How much damage has he done to tennis and to his own reputation? And where will t...
Jun 24, 2020•37 min•Ep. 688
With Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all testing positive for covid-19 after playing the Adria Tour, we discuss the inevitability and seriousness of the situation, Novak Djokovic’s role and responsibility in all this, and the possible implications for the sport. There’s also a preview of this week’s Battle of the Brits event and we hear from Andy Murray about last year’s run to the doubles titles at Queen’s with Feliciano Lopez. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitak...
Jun 22, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 687
Tennis is on its way back, but not as we know it. The US Open, the French Open and many other big events in-between have been scheduled, and not everyone is happy about it. Catherine, David and Matt review the announcement, discuss the various issues it raises, and speculate about how many of the world’s leading players will opt out of competing in any of the events. Last weekend’s exhibition events - the Adria Tour and the ‘Ultimate Tennis Showdown’ also get the Tennis Podcast treatment. The Te...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 686
Following Catherine’s interview with Chris Evert, we take the chance to tell the story of the 18-time Grand Slam champion in full. We discuss her most extraordinary records and achievements, consider her influence and legacy in the sport, ponder the reasons why she might be under-appreciated, reflect on her comments about the struggle of developing as a person while playing professional tennis, and look at the way she uses her platform for good. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whita...
Jun 14, 2020•58 min•Ep. 685
Catherine speaks to 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Chris Evert about her extraordinary tennis career. Evert reflects on how her childhood shaped the rest of her life, the early years of the WTA Tour, the challenge of being a well-adjusted human being as well as a great champion, her rivalry with Martina Navratilova and the way they were each portrayed by the media, the achievements she's most proud of, and her period of self-discovery following retirement. The Tennis Podcast is presented by...
Jun 11, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 684
When Simona Halep beat Sloane Stephens in the 2018 Roland Garros final, the tennis world could breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, she was a Grand Slam champion. We discuss her previous three final losses, analyse a memorable match against Stephens, and reflect on how she lived with that victory during the months that followed. In a fascinating interview, her coach, Darren Cahill, reveals the switch he made to his usual pre-match pep talk before the final, the tactical change that helped Halep tu...
Jun 07, 2020•51 min•Ep. 683
Novak Djokovic’s quest to win Roland Garros and complete his career Grand Slam is the focus of this episode as we look back on his near miss against Stan Wawrinka in the 2015 final and his moment of triumph over Andy Murray a year later. How can Wawrinka trouble Djokovic like nobody else? What was memorable about the ovation Djokovic received after that final? How did he bounce back from such a painful defeat? Was Murray’s fatigue a factor in the 2016 final? And how significant is it that Djokov...
Jun 06, 2020•49 min•Ep. 682
The 2009 French Open is best remembered for Rafael Nadal’s first loss at Roland Garros and for Roger Federer’s only title there. The man at the centre of both storylines, Robin Soderling, joins us for an exclusive interview. Soderling talks about how he stepped on court against Nadal with belief that he could win despite losing 6-1, 6-0 to him in Rome a few weeks earlier, how he respected but didn’t worship Nadal, what it felt like to be the first man to beat him in Paris, and the way in which F...
Jun 05, 2020•57 min•Ep. 681
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer first met in a Grand Slam in the semi-finals of the 2005 French Open when the tone for their rivalry on clay, and Nadal’s dominance at Roland Garros, was set. Nadal won in four sets and then won the title two days later against Mariano Puerta. In what way did Federer have the tennis world transfixed during this period? Did that cause people to underestimate Nadal in their matches? And what were the keys to victory for Nadal? Mary Carillo explains what made the Nada...
Jun 04, 2020•49 min•Ep. 680
Justine Henin won the first of her four Roland Garros titles in 2003, beating Serena Williams in a controversial semi-final and Kim Clijsters in a one-sided final. With the help of Mary Carillo, we look back on those rivalries which shaped Henin’s career as well as her very strong record at the French Open during the mid-2000s. What made Henin such a threat to Serena? Did Henin and Clijsters like each other? What caused their rivalry to be a bit weird? How did it evolve? And why did Henin have s...
Jun 03, 2020•50 min•Ep. 679
The 2002 French Open final is etched into tennis history as the only meeting between Serena and Venus Williams at Roland Garros and the start of their run of four consecutive Grand Slam finals against each other which ended with Serena winning her first Serena Slam. How did the sisters take the sport to new heights during this period? What did Venus’ reaction to defeat reveal about her character and her relationship with Serena? And how have their careers shined a light on race issues in tennis?...
Jun 02, 2020•52 min•Ep. 678
The 2001 French Open saw Jennifer Capriati beat Kim Clijsters 12-10 in the final set to win her second Grand Slam title, but this was just a small part of Capriati’s story, one we tell in full on this podcast with the help of Tom Gullikson (her former coach), Lindsay Davenport (her compatriot) and Mary Carillo (someone who tracked her career closely). We cover Capriati’s prodigious talent and breakthrough results, her downward spiral and the events which turned her into a cautionary tale, her re...
Jun 01, 2020•43 min•Ep. 677
Not many people expected Andre Agassi to win the French Open, especially not in 1999, and certainly not when he fell two sets down in the final against Andrei Medvedev. But then he produced one of the greatest comebacks of all time, recovering to beat Medvedev and complete the coveted career Grand Slam. In this episode we talk through the events which led Agassi to that point. What had happened in his previous two French Open finals? Why did he used to skip Wimbledon and the Australian Open? And...
May 31, 2020•52 min•Ep. 676
Martina Hingis never won the French Open, but the 1999 final was definitely the one that got away as she let slip a comfortable lead against Steffi Graf in a classic match filled with aggro. How did Hingis stir things up before the match with her comments about Graf? What incidents turned the crowd against Hingis and caused her to get a point penalty? And in what way were the scenes at the end of the match - as Hingis returned to the court in tears comforted by her mother - so pathos heavy? We h...
May 30, 2020•50 min•Ep. 675
Almost nobody had heard of Gustavo Kuerten when he entered Roland Garros in 1997, but everyone knew who he was when he walked away as the champion. So, how did he do it? Kuerten tells us about the moment he first felt the love of the French fans, his difficult matches against Thomas Muster and Yevgeny Kafelnikov en route to the final, and just how much tennis still means to him. We also hear from Sergi Bruguera, the runner-up that year, about what it was like to play against Kuerten and his memo...
May 29, 2020•47 min•Ep. 674
Monica Seles’ 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 victory over Steffi Graf in 1992 is widely considered to be the best Roland Garros final of all time. Catherine, David and Matt explain how they felt while watching it and discuss some of the reasons why it was so special. We also hear from Graf’s coach at the time, Heinz Günthardt, who offers insight into why Seles caused Graf so many problems, especially on clay. New York Times journalist Christopher Clarey explains where the match ranks among the best he’s ever wi...
May 28, 2020•43 min•Ep. 673
When Michael Chang beat Stefan Edberg in the 1989 French Open final, he became the youngest man ever to win a Grand Slam title, but it’s his fourth-round match against Ivan Lendl which is most famous. Chang was trailing by two sets to love, but several moonballs, numerous bouts of cramp, and even an underarm serve later, he’d won the match and turned it into the stuff of legend. In an exclusive interview, Chang discusses his tactics to turn the match around, the way he got booed during the tourn...
May 27, 2020•47 min•Ep. 672
Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova met 80 times in total, and their 1985 French Open final, won 7-5 in the third set by Evert, was one of their best ever matches. In an exclusive interview, Evert explains why she will be inextricably bound in history with Navratilova, the way they were portrayed as opposites, the reasons Navratilova was the favourite ahead of their 1985 Roland Garros final, why this victory stands out as her greatest, and the way it lengthened her career. The Tennis Podcast is ...
May 26, 2020•49 min•Ep. 671
John McEnroe never won the French Open. But he should have done in 1984. Instead, he lost a two-set lead in the final against Ivan Lendl. So, what happened? Having re-watched the whole match, Catherine, David and Matt give their analysis. In what way did McEnroe allow himself to get distracted? Did he choke? How did Lendl mount his comeback? And what did this match do for both of their careers? We also hear from Mary Carillo who recounts why it hurt McEnroe so much to lose specifically to Lendl,...
May 25, 2020•46 min•Ep. 670
Who better to tell the story of Yannick Noah’s historic victory at the French Open in 1983 than the man himself? In an enthralling, exclusive interview, Noah takes us through it all, including the extra work he put in during the build-up to Roland Garros that year, his nerve-wracking victory over Ivan Lendl, the relief he felt when Jimmy Connors lost, the dream he had before the final, the words he exchanged with his father after beating Mats Wilander to win the title, and why he could never rep...
May 24, 2020•42 min•Ep. 669
