We made it to Paris! Despite Eurostar’s best efforts to thwart our journey, Catherine, David and Matt are on site all together at a Grand Slam for the first time since January 2020, and we’re very excited about that. After detailing our journey, we get stuck into the draws. How do we feel about Djokovic, Alcaraz and Nadal all being in the same half? Who will capitalise in the other half? Who could stand in Iga Swiatek’s way? And who will emerge from the bottom half headlined by Naomi Osaka vs Am...
May 19, 2022•43 min•Ep. 974
Catherine, David and Matt review the last few days in Rome, which saw Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic sweep all before them. Will Swiatek be on her own in a mix of one at Roland Garros? What about Ons Jabeur? Did Djokovic find exactly what he needed to be ready for the French Open? How much of a concern is Rafael Nadal's foot pain? And how do we rate Stefanos Tsitsipas' chances in Paris? BECOME A FRIEND OF THE TENNIS PODCAST Friends of The Tennis Podcast help us to produce the show year-round, an...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 973
Together at Tennis Podcast Towers, Catherine, David and Matt catch up to discuss the biggest stories from the first few days of Rome. There's much excitement about Swiatek vs Andreescu, aggro from Danielle Collins and Yulia Putintseva, and some of the leading men finding form. Elsewhere, we continue our criticism of the unequal prize money and look at how the ATP and WTA might take ranking points away from Wimbledon following the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players. BECOME A FRIEND OF...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 972
On finals weekend in Madrid, Carlos Alcaraz beat Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev back-to-back-to-back and Ons Jabeur became the first Arab woman to lift a WTA 1000 title, leaving us with two stunning stories to discuss. Catherine joins David and Matt to reveal what it was like to be there and watch it all from up close. Which of Alcaraz's wins was the most impressive? How will Nadal and Djokovic respond to his challenge going into Roland Garros? How does Jabeur embrace being a ...
May 09, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 971
David and Matt get stuck into the main talking point from the last few days in Madrid. What's different about Ons Jabeur this week? Why will so many people be happy if she wins the title? And what's going on with the scheduling which made Jessica Pegula and Jil Teichmann walk out to a practically empty stadium for their semi-final? On the men's side, disappointment about Andy Murray's withdrawal ahead of facing Novak Djokovic is made up for by excitement about Carlos Alcaraz vs Rafael Nadal. We ...
May 05, 2022•59 min•Ep. 970
Madrid is well underway, Catherine is there for Amazon Prime Video, and David and Matt talk about the big stories so far. How did Simona Halep beat Paula Badosa so easily? What do we make of Emma Raducanu's decision to split with Torben Beltz? And how do we judge Naomi Osaka on clay after one win and one defeat? On the men's side, there's chat about an exciting half of the draw featuring the returning Rafael Nadal as well as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. We also discuss a thrilling week fro...
May 01, 2022•57 min•Ep. 969
It’s been an extraordinary week in the world of tennis, and this is our chance to react to it. 0 mins - 28 mins: Pam Shriver joins us to reflect on the story she told us last week, how she’s since learned that she was also a victim of physical abuse, and what next steps should be for tennis to improve its safeguarding measures. 28 mins - 53 mins: Pam stays with us to react to the decision of Wimbledon to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes. 54 mins to 91 mins: Stuttgart, Barcelona, Belgrade, Ist...
Apr 25, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 968
With so many geopolitical events affecting tennis, it’s a timely moment for Catherine to speak at length to WTA CEO Steve Simon. Following yesterday’s interview with Pam Shriver, and the decision of Wimbledon and the LTA to ban Russian and Belarusian players, Catherine starts by asking him about those urgent issues. Later, there’s discussion about the WTA’s decision to pull out of China, Tennis United, the latest on Peng Shuai, new title sponsor Hologic, on court coaching, and the best of 3 vs b...
Apr 21, 2022•44 min•Ep. 967
This is Pam Shriver’s story. In an interview with Catherine, she reveals publicly for the first time that she had an inappropriate and damaging relationship with her much older coach, which began when she was 17 and lasted for over five years. Pam tells the story from the beginning, describing how it affected her tennis career and her personal life for many years. She is doing this to try to help young athletes, coaches and the governing bodies to recognise and understand the importance of bound...
Apr 20, 2022•46 min•Ep. 966
With the clay court season in full swing, Catherine and Matt talk through the main headlines from an exciting week in Monte Carlo, including how Stefanos Tsitsipas' game suits clay so much, what makes Alejandro Davidovich Fokina so fun to watch, and why there's pressure on Novak Djokovic to win matches over the next few weeks after his early exit. There's also a round up of what happened in the Billie Jean King Cup, including poignant scenes at the tie between United States and Ukraine, as well ...
Apr 18, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 965
It's time for clay court tennis! Hooray! And Catherine and Matt are chatting in person! Hooray x 2! Charleston, Houston, Monte Carlo and much more discussed. Sign up to our newsletter - https://bit.ly/TennisPodcastNewsletter Follow us on: Instagram - www.instagram/thetennispodcast Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast FRIENDS OF THE TENNIS PODCAST Friends of The Tennis Podcast receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts throughout the year and help to keep the weekly podcast and the Grand Slam ...
Apr 11, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 964
It turns out nobody could stop Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz in Miami. Catherine, David and Matt discuss how they won the titles and the significance of their victories. In what way is Swiatek’s confidence manifesting itself right now? Does Swiatek-Osaka have potential to become a true rivalry? And how is Alcaraz changing the sport? Sign up to our newsletter - https://bit.ly/TennisPodcastNewsletter Follow us on: Instagram - www.instagram/thetennispodcast Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast ...
Apr 04, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 963
As Miami moves towards finals weekend, will the titles be heading to Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz? Their fearsome form is the subject of much discussion between Catherine, David and Matt who also can't help getting excited about the prospect of seeing Swiatek vs Osaka AND Alcaraz vs Medvedev in the coming days. Elsewhere, there's chat about Alexander Zverev's disappointing season so far, the extraordinary run of Francisco Cerundolo, Nick Kyrgios' treatment of umpire Carlos Bernardes, the consi...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 962
With Miami well underway, Catherine, David and Matt discuss the main talking points so far, including: Iga Swiatek's ascension to World No.1 Naomi Osaka's good form and the possible reasons for it The emergence of 16-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova A regrettable moment from Victoria Azarenka Sparkling tennis from Nick Kyrgios Jenson Brooksby's racquet throw and whether the ATP needs to clamp down and give harsher punishments Andy Murray's first match in front of Ivan Lendl for five years against Dani...
Mar 27, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 961
Ash Barty - the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion, and World No.1 for the last 114 weeks - has announced her retirement. In this emergency edition of the podcast, David, Catherine and Matt react to the news. How much of a surprise is it? Is it possible to feel happy for Barty but sad for tennis at the same time? In what way is this different from the last time Barty stepped away from the sport? How has the tennis world responded to the news? Might she be back at some point in the f...
Mar 23, 2022•45 min•Ep. 960
Before flying home from California, Catherine joins David and Matt to discuss everything which went on during an eventful (and windy) finals few days at Indian Wells. There's chat about what's different for Iga Swiatek in 2022, how much progress Maria Sakkari made this tournament, whether Taylor Fritz has developed fangs in front of our eyes, and how Rafael Nadal vs Carlos Alcaraz lived up to expectations. Sign up to our newsletter - https://bit.ly/TennisPodcastNewsletter Follow us on: Instagram...
Mar 21, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 959
David and Matt catch up to discuss how the Indian Wells draws are shaping up and who might win the titles from here. How much of an issue is Nadal's foot? Is Alcaraz ready to win big? And what made Halep and Swiatek's quarter-final victories so one sided? We also hear from Catherine with more of her impressions from on site and we react to the news that all four Grand Slam tournaments will be implementing final set 10-point tiebreaks. Sign up to our newsletter - https://bit.ly/TennisPodcastNewsl...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 958
Less than a week into Indian Wells and there’s already loads for David and Matt - with some thoughts and impressions from Catherine on site - to discuss. We talk about why it was understandable that Naomi Osaka got upset after being heckled, whether or not Sebastian Korda choked against Rafael Nadal, encouraging signs for Emma Raducanu, surprise defeats for Felix Auger-Aliassime and Garbine Muguruza, the disrespect shown to defending champion Cameron Norrie, the ultra aggressive tennis of Tommy ...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 957
The tennis news keeps coming, meaning Catherine, David and Matt have a lot to discuss, including: The WTA’s new title sponsor - Hologic - and how it came about from the tour’s stance on Peng Shuai and China The inspirational run of Dayana Yastremska in Lyon just days after she fled Ukraine with her younger sister The governing bodies’ swift action to stop Russian and Belarusian players from competing under their national flag following a statement from Elina Svitolina An absorbing Monterrey fina...
Mar 07, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 956
We begin this week’s episode by talking about how tennis is affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What have Russian and Ukrainian players be saying on social media? Should Russia be banned from team competitions in the sport? And should that ban extend to Russian players competing on tour? It’s a complex situation without any easy answers. Elsewhere, Catherine, David and Matt react to Daniil Medvedev becoming World No.1, titles for Andrey Rublev and Rafael Nadal in Dubai and Acapulco, a big ...
Feb 28, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 955
Novak Djokovic is back. How did he look in his first match of the year against Lorenzo Musetti in Dubai? And what did we make of his interview with Amol Rajan of the BBC? Elsewhere, we talk about Jelena Ostapenko’s destructive week in Dubai and whether or not she can keep it going, Cameron Norrie’s impressive title run in Delray Beach, and Carlos Alcaraz winning in Rio. Is he in the mix for Roland Garros? There’s also news of yet another format change for the Davis Cup, Jannik Sinner switching u...
Feb 21, 2022•58 min•Ep. 954
Felix Auger-Aliassime has done it! In his ninth ATP final, he finally won his first title in Rotterdam, and Catherine, David and Matt begin this episode by discussing what it means for him now and in the future. There’s also chat about Anett Kontaveit and Casper Ruud continuing their respective winning streaks indoors and on clay, Maria Sakkari’s tendency to get tight in big moments, and the emotional scenes in Buenos Aires as Juan Martin Del Potro played what seemed like the last match of his c...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 953
Catherine, David and Matt react to the news that Rafael Nadal leads the Grand Slam race for the first time. Catherine and Matt were courtside throughout, in the interview room straight after and you will hear: Where the match was won and lost What it looked, felt and sounded like in the stadium throughout What Nadal said to Catherine afterwards How upset Medvedev was in his post-match press conference, and why Were the crowd out of order? Why Nadal's win was so utterly extraordinary Whether an a...
Jan 30, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 952
Ash Barty became the first Australian to win the singles title at her home Grand Slam in Melbourne for the first time in 44 years. Catherine and Matt were there, and joined David to review it all. A special night as Barty wins her home slam The significance of Dellacqua & Goolagong to Barty Barty’s chance to dominate women’s tennis Reflections on Collins’ tournament Special K’s beat the M&M’s Nadal vs Medvedev preview Sign up to our newsletter - https://bit.ly/TennisPodcastNewsletter Fol...
Jan 29, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 951
Two crackling men's semifinals to look back at for Catherine, David and Matt, and two sensational singles finals to look forward to. How good was Rafael Nadal? How concerning is it that he faded? Will Matteo Berrettini have regrets? Where was Medvedev vs. Tsitsipas won and lost? Aggro analysed, deeply Ash Barty vs. Danielle - Predictions Sign up to our newsletter - https://bit.ly/TennisPodcastNewsletter Follow us on: Instagram - www.instagram/thetennispodcast Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodc...
Jan 28, 2022•53 min•Ep. 950
After the Ash Barty vs. Madison Keys and Danielle Collins vs. Iga Swiatek semifinals, Catherine, David and Matt convened to consider the following: Is Collins the toughest final opponent for Barty? How do you counter the Barty slice? Are Kyrgios and Kokkinakis revolutionising doubles? How did the baton pass from Alcott to Schroder? Are the men’s semi-finals certain to be epic? Who will win them? Sign up to our newsletter - https://bit.ly/TennisPodcastNewsletter Follow us on: Instagram - www.inst...
Jan 27, 2022•54 min•Ep. 949
The semifinals are set for the Australian, and the pod team of Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts in Melbourne, and David Law in Solihull, had plenty to talk about. The best yet from Felix Auger-Aliassime, but not quite enough Should the Canadian have regrets, or did Daniil Medvedev take it from him? What does this mean for the pair of them going forwards? Where has THAT Stefanos Tsitsipas been? Will we get aggro in the semifinals? Swiatek and Collins prevail - a review of their quarterfinal wi...
Jan 26, 2022•56 min•Ep. 948
Catherine, David and Matt watched a lot of tennis, and then talked about the following: Can a tennis player change his/her DNA? Where was Nadal vs. Shapovalov and Monfils vs. Berrettini won and lost? Keys handles the heat vs Krejcikova Barty slices her way to the semis Doubles round up and thoughts on the “Special K” show Sign up to our newsletter - https://bit.ly/TennisPodcastNewsletter Follow us on: Instagram - www.instagram/thetennispodcast Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast FRIENDS OF T...
Jan 25, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 947
Catherine, David and Matt catch up as the quarter-final line-ups are completed at the Australian Open: The inaugural AO Pride Day Tsitsipas-Fritz epic Why Sinner isn’t boring Cressy disrupts Medvedev Cornet the quarter-finalist at last Sabalenka’s lives run out Sign up to our newsletter - https://bit.ly/TennisPodcastNewsletter Follow us on: Instagram - www.instagram/thetennispodcast Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast FRIENDS OF THE TENNIS PODCAST There are three new podcasts about the Austr...
Jan 24, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 946
Most people had Alexander Zverev in the men's singles final, not least Alexander Zverev. Denis Shapovalov was not one of them. So how did he do it? Catherine, David and Matt all watched it and have takes, and David spoke to Shapovalov's new coach Jamie Delgado to find out more. Catherine got a fascinating answer from Rafael Nadal in his press conference (you can hear that in this podcast), and are Madison Keys and Gael Monfils playing the finest tennis of their careers? Sign up to our: Newslette...
Jan 23, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 945
