At the end of a special women's semi-finals day, the one and only Mary Carillo joined us on the pod. We talked about how much of a joy it is to watch Karolina Muchova play tennis, the way Aryna Sabalenka let it slip in the closing stages, how Iga Swiatek dug deep to see off the challenge of Beatriz Haddad Maia, and who we think will win out of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz on Friday. WIN WITH WILSON! We have teamed up with Wilson, providers of the official ball at Roland Garros, to give away...
Jun 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1118
The semi-final line-ups are set at Roland Garros. Catherine, David and Matt discuss how Beatriz Haddad Maia fought back against Ons Jabeur, why Jabeur should have regrets about the second set, Coco Gauff’s new tactic against Iga Swiatek, a completely bizarre match between Casper Ruud and Holger Rune, and how Alexander Zverev has made it back into the final four a year on from his horrific ankle injury. ON LOCATION: The Tennis Podcast throughout Roland Garros is brought to you in association with...
Jun 07, 2023•52 min•Ep. 1117
Clear your schedules: Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz is finally happening. They will meet in the French Open semi-finals on Friday and the hype begins now. Catherine, David and Matt discuss how they both got there with stellar performances on Tuesday, as Djokovic came back to beat Karen Khachanov before Alcaraz thrashed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the night session. On the women's side, we talk about Karolina Muchova and Aryna Sabalenka reaching the semi-finals as well as Sabalenka's return to the p...
Jun 06, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 1116
There's loads for Catherine, David and Matt to discuss: Alexander Zverev crushing Grigor Dimitrov and his chances of reaching the final, a fifth set tiebreak win for Holger Rune over Francisco Cerundolo and the opportunity to face Casper Ruud again, Beatriz Haddad Maia winning the longest match of the year, another Coco Gauff-Iga Swiatek match being set up, and a lovely press conference involving Miyu Kato and Tim Puetz. ON LOCATION: The Tennis Podcast throughout Roland Garros is brought to you ...
Jun 05, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 1115
At the end of a great night session match between Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens, Catherine, David and Matt discuss whether this was Sabalenka demonstrating how much of a title contender she is, debate how well Stephens played, explain why it mattered that this match was good, and react to the fact that Sabalenka once again did not do a press conference. Elsewhere, there's excitement about how close we now are to Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz, an assessment of how they looked and the per...
Jun 04, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 1114
It wasn't a vintage day at Roland Garros - Elena Rybakina's sad withdrawal rather set the tone for a day filled with defeats for lots of fun players and plenty of one-sided matches. But Catherine, David and Matt still had lots to discuss, including Iga Swiatek's form after her 6-0 6-0 victory, how Coco Gauff showed her maturity to beat Mirra Andreeva, breakthrough wins for Beatriz Haddad Maia and Nicolas Jarry, Taylor Fritz being booed onto court, Ons Jabeur finishing in style against Olga Danil...
Jun 03, 2023•58 min•Ep. 1113
At the end of Day 6 at Roland Garros, Catherine, David and Matt cover the longest straight sets match of Novak Djokovic's career against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Carlos Alcaraz's thrashing of Denis Shapovalov in the night session, a tantalising last 16 match between Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens, Sabalenka's decision to skip her press conference and how it was handled by the tournament, defeats for Andrey Rublev and Jessica Pegula, and the joy of having Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchov...
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1112
The drama just keeps coming at Roland Garros. On the Day 5 pod, Catherine, David and Matt discuss Daniel Altmaier’s incredible win over Jannik Sinner, Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff setting up a tantalising R3 encounter, the form of Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, Taylor Fritz making himself public enemy number one, and much more. ON LOCATION: This edition of The Tennis Podcast is brought to you in association with On Location, the premium hospitality and experience provider. On Location took us ...
Jun 01, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 1111
There was a ‘morning after the night before’ feeling to Wednesday at Roland Garros, with the reverberations from Gael Monfils’ epic late night win still being felt around the grounds. But such is the pace of these Grand Slam tournaments, new stories quickly formed on Day 4. Catherine, David and Matt discuss Novak Djokovic's victory over Marton Fucsovics which included an epic first set, defeat for Caroline Garcia as she got tight against Anna Blinkova, a five set victory for Thanasi Kokkinakis a...
May 31, 2023•58 min•Ep. 1110
Tuesday at Roland Garros was a lot: Gael Monfils somehow came back from 0-4 down in the final set while cramping, Rome champion Daniil Medvedev was beaten by Thiago Seyboth Wild in five dramatic sets, and Bianca Andreescu came surging back to defeat Victoria Azarenka in a thriller. Catherine, David and Matt cover all of that, as well as the domestic violence charge facing Seyboth Wild, wins for Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur, and a first round loss for Barbora Krejcikova. ON LOCATION: Th...
May 30, 2023•54 min•Ep. 1109
Novak Djokovic won his opening round match at Roland Garros on Monday without too much fuss, but he sparked a potential political row after writing the phrase ‘Kosovo is the heart of Serbia’ in the customary post-match camera signing. We discuss what he was referring to, why it's a controversial statement, and the rest of what he had to say in the Serbian part of his press conference. Elsewhere, Catherine, David and Matt discuss throwback wins for Sloane Stephens, Stan Wawrinka and Elina Svitoli...
May 29, 2023•59 min•Ep. 1108
There's no longer such as thing as a slow Sunday start at Roland Garros. Catherine, David and Matt discuss Lucas Pouille's comeback continuing, the tension on court and in the press conference room between Aryna Sabalenka and Marta Kostyuk, Karolina Muchova's "upset" win over Maria Sakkari, a survival act by Stefanos Tsitsipas against Jiri Vesely, lots of fun from Constant Lestienne, and meeting Arthur Fils in the interview room. ON LOCATION: This edition of The Tennis Podcast is brought to you ...
May 28, 2023•57 min•Ep. 1107
Shortly after attending media day at Roland Garros, Catherine, David and Matt react to what the players had to say. There's chat about Stefanos Tsitsipas' coaching set up, Coco Gauff's forehand, Iga Swiatek's health, Aryna Sabalenka and Daniil Medvedev's developing relationships with clay, the way Carlos Alcaraz is taking everything in his stride, and much more. ON LOCATION: This edition of The Tennis Podcast is brought to you in association with On Location, the premium hospitality and experien...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 1106
Catherine, David and Matt have arrived in Paris and attended the Roland Garros draw ceremony! What do we make of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic being in the same half? Has David changed his mind about Daniil Medvedev not being in The Mix? What are the most eye-catching round matches of the women's draw? Is this a good draw or a bad draw for Aryna Sabalenka? And much more. ON LOCATION: This edition of The Tennis Podcast is brought to you in association with On Location, the premium hospitality...
May 25, 2023•54 min•Ep. 1105
Another week in tennis, another tournament where the women were treated as second class citizens. This time, the singles final didn’t start until 11pm and the doubles final took place on a non-televised court. There were some reasons for this - rain being the obvious one - but Catherine, David and Matt discuss why this shouldn’t be acceptable. There’s also chat about Anhelina Kalinina’s great week before her unfortunate retirement in the final through injury, debate about whether Rome champions ...
May 22, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 1104
It's been quite a day in tennis as Rafael Nadal held a press conference to announce that he will be missing Roland Garros while he takes an extended break from the sport in an attempt to recover from the injury he sustained at the Australian Open. He also said that he plans to retire after the 2024 season. In this show we react to that news, discuss the reasons behind his decisions, ponder what his farewell tour may be like, and offer some reflections on one of the greatest players this sport ha...
May 19, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 1103
While Rome has been underway for a few days now, we pick off this episode where we left off, by discussing the fallout from the women’s doubles final ceremony in Madrid where the players were not allowed to speak. Four days after the event, the tournament finally apologised, but not before Jessica Pegula had had more to say and a piece by Matt Futterman in the New York Times had drawn attention to the large scale inequalities faced by women in tennis. Catherine, David and Matt discuss all of tha...
May 14, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 1102
It was a thrilling finals weekend in Madrid with Aryna Sabalenka getting revenge on Iga Swiatek before Carlos Alcaraz survived a great performance by Jan-Lennard Struff to defend his title. Catherine is back home and she joins David and Matt to review it all. Is Sabalenka-Swiatek now a legitimate rivalry? Will Sabalenka be able to take this form to Rome and Roland Garros? And did Struff provide a blueprint for facing Alcaraz? Sadly, the great tennis was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that the...
May 08, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 1101
Iga Swiatek will face Aryna Sabalenka's in Saturday's Madrid final which means the rivalry we've all wanted is officially happening. David, Catherine (in Madrid) and Matt talk through how both players have got there, Swiatek's intensity and focus this week, and the way in which Sabalenka is embracing the prospect of a rematch with the world number one. On the men's side, we look ahead to the Carlos Alcaraz vs Borna Coric and Aslan Karatsev vs Jan-Lennard Struff semi-finals. Yes, you read that co...
May 05, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 1100
With Madrid well underway, Catherine, David and Matt catch up to discuss everything that's happened so far. There's chat about an impressive win for Maria Sakkari over the improving-but-not-there-yet Paula Badosa, more forehand woes for Coco Gauff, Mayar Sherif becoming the first Egyptian to reach a WTA 1000 quarter-final, and the thrilling run of 15/16 year old Mirra Andreeva to the fourth round. On the men's side, Holger Rune brought the aggro (of course), Dominic Thiem came so close to beatin...
May 01, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 1099
There was a feeling of déjà vu this week as Iga Swiatek in Stuttgart, Carlos Alcaraz in Barcelona and Holger Rune in Munich all defended their titles. In what way was this a big statement from Swiatek? Just how dominant was Alcaraz against Stefanos Tsitsipas? And how did Botic van de Zandschulp let it slip in the Munich final? Catherine, David and Matt discuss all of that, as well as a hard-earned title for Dusan Lajovic in Banja Luka, a worrying injury update from Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokov...
Apr 24, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1098
The week in Monte Carlo belonged to Andrey Rublev and it belonged to aggro. In this episode we discuss Rublev finally winning his first Masters 1000 title, why it was so deserved, and what it might mean for his career, and we savour the way in which Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune all provided aggro that was right in the sweet spot. There's also a round up of all the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers and a worrying fitness update from Rafael Nadal. ON LOCATION This edition of The Ten...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 1097
Their WTA's suspension of business in China in reaction to the allegations and silencing of Peng Shuai lasted 16 months. In this podcast, recorded a few days later than usual due to Matt's ill health, covers our reaction to that WTA announcement. We also update on Monte Carlo, including a loss for Novak Djokovic and the re-emergence of clay-court Medvedev. ON LOCATION This edition of The Tennis Podcast is sponsored by On location, the premium experience and hospitality provider. On Location sent...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 1096
Friends of the Tennis Podcast help us to produce the show year-round, and receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts throughout the year, including Tennis Re-Lived, listener questions, and Grand Slam review shows. Become a Friend Sign up to receive our Newsletter (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt’s Stat, mascot photos, predictions, and more) Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram (@thetennispodcast) Check out our Shop Read our New York Times profile Hosted on A...
Apr 10, 2023•2 min•Ep. 1095
The last few days in Miami did not go as expected, with both Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina unable to complete the Sunshine Double. Instead, Petra Kvitova rolled back the years and Daniil Medvedev showed why he's a specialist in hard courts. David, Catherine and Matt are together to discuss an uplifting week from Kvitova, whether fatigue played a role in Rybakina's final performance, the latest epic instalment of the Sinner vs Alcaraz rivalry, why the match up against Medvedev is such a bad o...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 1094
With Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina both still on course for the Sunshine Double, we catch up on the last few days of action in Miami. David and Matt go through the biggest stories, from the run of Christopher Eubanks, some comments by Stefanos Tsitsipas that got everyone checking the ATP rulebook, and the Indian Summer of Sorana Cirstea's career, while Catherine sends voice notes about her impressions from on site in Miami. David also covers the news that Wimbledon has lifted its ban on Russ...
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 1093
Catherine, David and Matt reconvene for the first time since Indian Wells to chat about everything which has happened in the last week, from playing tennis with Pam Shriver, going to Las Vegas to see Taylor Swift, and of course lots of great matches in Miami. We cover the form of Indian Wells champions Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina, dispiriting losses for Casper Ruud and Matteo Berrettini, another bad day for Coco Gauff’s forehand, Barbora Krejcikova’s desire to be part of a WTA Big 4, and m...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 1092
Elena Rybakina and Carlos Alcaraz are the 2023 Indian Wells champions. Rybakina got her first victory over Aryna Sabalenka to get some semblance of revenge for the Australian Open final, while Alcaraz destroyed Daniil Medvedev. On one final pod from Indian Wells, Catherine, David and Matt discuss the incredible first set between Rybakina and Sabalenka, the return of Sabalenka’s double faults, what Rybakina’s victory means for the WTA Tour, the tactical elements which helped Alcaraz to dominate M...
Mar 20, 2023•55 min•Ep. 1091
Daniil Medvedev will take on the famous Carlos Alcaraz in a mouth-watering men's final at Indian Wells on Sunday. Catherine, David and Matt discuss how both players made it, chat about what might happen when they meet for only the second time, and preview the blockbuster women's final between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. ROLAND GARROS TICKET OFFER We have a 15% discount for Tennis Podcast listeners to buy Roland Garros tickets and hospitality packages, courtesy of Steve Furgal’s Internati...
Mar 19, 2023•49 min•Ep. 1090
The Indian Wells final will be a repeat of the epic Australian Open final between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka's victory over Maria Sakkari was no surprise, but Rybakina's 6-2 6-2 demolition of Iga Swiatek certainly was. Catherine, David and Matt analyse what went wrong for Swiatek and why that match-up causes her so many problems. Ahead of the men's semis, the next instalment of #DoorsteppedByDavid sees him speak to Juan Carlos Ferrero for more insight into Carlos Alcaraz's car...
Mar 18, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 1089
