In this Wimbledon edition of Tennis Re-Lived we tell the story of the 1973 boycott year, when more than 80 men withdrew from the tournament to protest the suspension of Yugoslavia’s number one player Nikola Pilic, opening the door for Jan Kodes to win the title. Journalist Richard Evans talks us through the political background which led to the boycott, Cliff Drysdale, who was ATP President at the time, explains why the players felt they had to unite, and Billie Jean King reveals why the women w...
Jun 24, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 854
Catherine, David and Matt convened in the media centre at Queen’s to discuss all the major storylines from the cinch Championships, including Matteo Berrettini’s title-winning week and prospects at Wimbledon, Cameron Norrie’s immense improvement in 2021, how Andy Murray looked in his first matches for several months, and Jack Draper’s breakthrough wins. Elsewhere, there’s chat about Ugo Humbert’s triumph in Halle, what defeat to Felix Auger-Aliassime might mean for Roger Federer, and the signifi...
Jun 21, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 853
After 467 days apart, Catherine, David and Matt finally got to record a podcast together in person. In it, we talked about Novak Djokovic winning his 19th Grand Slam title and completing his second lap around the majors. How did Djokovic come back from two sets down? In what way has Djokovic taken a massive leap in the GOAT race? What’s Djokovic’s most impressive statistic? Can he win the golden calendar Slam? How will this loss affect Tsitsipas? And might it help him in the long run? The Tennis...
Jun 13, 2021•44 min•Ep. 852
On a day of high emotions in Paris, Barbora Krejcikova entered the hearts of the tennis world by becoming a Grand Slam champion for the first time, while Pierre Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut won their second Roland Garros title in front of an adoring home crowd. What makes Krejcikova such a likeable champion? How did she beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the final? And what can we expect from her in the future? The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features M...
Jun 12, 2021•43 min•Ep. 851
When Andy Roddick says it’s one of the greatest matches he’s ever seen, Andy Murray describes it as ‘perfect’, and Cher weighs in, you know a tennis match has been a bit special. After Novak Djokovic did the impossible - again! - and beat Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros, Catherine, David and Matt tried to make sense of it all. How did he do it? What was up with Nadal? And was the third set the best set of tennis ever? There’s also chat about Stefanos Tsitsipas’ emotional victory over Alexander Zve...
Jun 12, 2021•45 min•Ep. 850
Women’s semi-finals day at Roland Garros 2021 will live long in the memory, with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova reaching a first Grand Slam final in her 52nd appearance and Barbora Krejcikova winning an absolute classic against Maria Sakkari. We discuss Krejcikova’s composure and mental resilience, her moonballling tactics, the extraordinary closing stages as match points came and went for both players, Hawkeye on clay, Krejcikova’s emotional tribute to late coach Jana Novotna, how the defeat will hit...
Jun 10, 2021•51 min•Ep. 849
How does Krejcikova summon the spirit of Novotna? What will Gauff learn from her defeat? How much of a factor was Swiatek’s injury in her defeat? Where has Sakkari’s run come from? In what way did Schwartzman bring the best out of Nadal? How did the presence of fans followed by the curfew impact the night session match? What caused Djokovic’s angry roar at the end? The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, an...
Jun 10, 2021•49 min•Ep. 848
Tuesday at Roland Garros was enthralling, beginning with new names doing battle in unfamiliar territory and ending with old enemies duking it out under the lights. Afterwards, Catherine, David and Matt talked it through. Where was all the aggro between Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas? How did the clay help Tsitsipas? And how much of a chance will Zverev have against Tsitsipas in this form in the semi-finals? In the women’s draw, the quarter-finals delivered so much drama and yielded break...
Jun 09, 2021•45 min•Ep. 847
Monday at Roland Garros saw the quarter-final line-up completed, impressive displays by title favourites Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal, a slew of straight-set matches, and one enthralling contest, which stood out above all the others, between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti. What did we learn about Musetti? How did he manage to win the first two sets against Djokovic? Why did it all change so suddenly? And should Musetti have finished the match instead of retiring? Elsewhere, we talk about a s...
Jun 07, 2021•52 min•Ep. 846
Could Roger Federer and Serena Williams have played their last ever matches at Roland Garros? That was the question on the Day 8 podcast after they both exited the tournament on Sunday, in drastically different circumstances. Did Federer do the right thing by withdrawing ahead of his 4th round match? And how did Elena Rybakina beat Serena? Elsewhere, there’s much excitement as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev set up their last eight clash and chat about a host of surprise women’s quarter-f...
Jun 06, 2021•52 min•Ep. 845
There aren’t many new experiences for Roger Federer in tennis these days, but playing and winning in an empty stadium at past midnight is certainly one of them. We discuss how on earth he managed to beat Dominik Koepfer, what the result said about his character, and how we ended up with this absurd night session scheduling. Elsewhere, there’s a look at Sloane Stephens' silky tennis, Coco Gauff’s professional progression, straightforward days for Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, and the sensation...
Jun 06, 2021•47 min•Ep. 844
If you watched any of Day 6 at Roland Garros, chances are you had a bona fide Grand Slam experience, because it really did have a bit of everything. Catherine, David and Matt feasted on it and then talked all about it. Why did watching Aryna Sabalenka lose to Anastastia Pavlyuchenkova feel oh-so-familiar? How good did Serena Williams look in beating Danielle Collins? What will Stefanos Tsitsipas take from passing the John Isner test? Why was Paula Badosa vs Ana Bogdan one of the best matches of ...
Jun 04, 2021•50 min•Ep. 843
Catherine, David and Matt recorded tonight's podcast while watching Rafael Nadal beat Richard Gasquet for the 17th time in a row, on a day at Roland Garros which was rather marred by the exit through injury of Ash Barty. What happened to her? And how does her retirement affect the women's draw? Elsewhere, there's a look at how everyone's favourite Federer, grumpy Federer, beat Marin Cilic in four sets, reflections on sublime performances from Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek, growing excitement ab...
Jun 03, 2021•49 min•Ep. 842
After finally making it through a tumultuous and protracted opening round, Day 4 at Roland Garros was all about the tennis, and it certainly delivered the goods. Catherine, David and Matt talked all about it. Vondrousova, Kasatkina, Badosa - will one of them reach the SFs? Has Sabalenka figured out how to win when she’s not at her best? How well is Serena playing? Can Tsitsipas handle the expectations? Is Medvedev conquering clay before our eyes? The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whit...
Jun 02, 2021•47 min•Ep. 841
After a difficult, distressing few days, attentions returned to happier matters on the Day 3 pod. Monfils makes us all feel better Carla Suarez Navarro’s French Open career is over, but she didn’t go quietly Rafa, Novak off and running Rublev & Auger-Aliassime out in a bad day for The Movement Barty's injury concerns Brady explains her split from coach Geserer Naomi Osaka - A final word, for now The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. I...
Jun 01, 2021•49 min•Ep. 840
As the Paris curfew came into effect, day two of Roland Garros ended in a silence which reflected the sad and somber mood after Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal. On the podcast, we begin by talking about that, wishing Osaka well, and wondering how it all came to this. Turning our attention to the tennis, we discuss the lovely vibes between Iga Swiatek and Kaja Juvan, a strong start for Serena Williams, an important win in a fun match for Sofia Kenin, an early exit for an under-prepared Bianca Andreescu,...
May 31, 2021•52 min•Ep. 839
A lot happened on the opening day of Roland Garros 2021, but it was still a day where the headlines were dominated by Naomi Osaka. We discuss Osaka’s victory over Patricia Maria Tig, her on court interview, and the joint statement released by the Grand Slams warning that she could face expulsion if her media boycott continues. Was such an escalation necessary? And how could this all end up? Elsewhere, we analyse Dominic Thiem’s loss from two sets up against Pablo Andujar and ponder what’s going ...
May 30, 2021•49 min•Ep. 838
The draws are out, most of the top players have spoken to the media, and the opening day of Roland Garros 2021 is almost here. We discuss the significance of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer all being in the same half of the draw, the pressure on Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the final, the mouthwatering first-round clash between Alexander Bublik and Daniil Medvedev, the main contenders in the women’s draw, and what to expect on the opening day. But the build-up has of course been ov...
May 29, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 837
When Jim Courier beat Andre Agassi in the 1991 French Open final, it wasn’t just his first Grand Slam title, it wasn’t just a win which would set him on his way to dominating the sport for the next two years, it was also a sweet moment of retribution against an old roommate from the Nick Bollettieri Academy who had been tipped for greatness ahead of him. On this episode, with the help of Mary Carillo and Courier’s coaches at the time, Jose Higueras and Brad Stine, we tell that story. What was li...
May 27, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 836
With Roland Garros around the corner, Catherine, David and Matt discuss the biggest stories from last week’s tune-up tournaments, including setbacks for Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Dominic Thiem in their preparation, a second career title for Coco Gauff, and victories for Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud which underline their French Open credentials. There’s also discussion of Denis Shapovalov’s unfortunate withdrawal from Roland Garros, news that Indian Wells will be held in October, a...
May 24, 2021•58 min•Ep. 835
In this episode of Tennis Re-Lived we venture back one hundred years to cover the remarkable career and life of tennis’ first superstar, Suzanne Lenglen, whose name now adorns the second show court at Roland Garros. We talk about her upbringing by an overbearing father, how the war both delayed her career and created a world which was ready for her, the extraordinary records she achieved in amateur tennis, her boundary breaking fashion choices, the reasons why she was so famous, her controversia...
May 21, 2021•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 834
The current Roland Garros champions - Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek - reigned in Rome last week. But they took different routes to the title. Catherine, David and Matt react to Swiatek double bagelling Karolina Pliskova and Nadal earning a tight three set win in his 57th meeting with Novak Djokovic. How much of the 6-0 6-0 scoreline was about Swiatek being amazing and how much was it down to Pliskova’s performance? Where does Swiatek’s ruthlessness come from? Why was Djokovic vs. Tsitsipas so won...
May 17, 2021•58 min•Ep. 833
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
