It was double duty for Matt on Thursday as both remaining quarter finals were played in at the Davis Cup Finals. They saw victories for Italy and for Serbia, meaning that Malaga is on for a repeat of the ATP Finals final of just four days ago, between Jannik Sinner & Novak Djokovic, the two highest ranked singles players at the tournament. Plus there's a look ahead to more FINLAND FUN ahead of their semi final clash with Australia. OUR LINKS: Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to help us ...
Nov 24, 2023•48 min•Ep. 1184
Czechia were just a game away from a Davis Cup semi final... enter Alex De Minaur and the sort of comeback that he describes as 'part of his identity'. And enter Matt and Catherine to discuss it all; a second day of decisive doubles, an evening of misery for Jiri Lehecka and the grown up approach of Team Australia to a competition they both resent and commit themselves to entirely. Plus there's a look ahead to the mouth watering GB vs Serbia tie, and some bonus Finland chat because, well, we lov...
Nov 23, 2023•46 min•Ep. 1183
A delirious Matt and David review an extraordinary opening day in the Davis Cup finals between defending champs Canada and debutants Finland, and look ahead to Day 2. OUR LINKS: Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to help us to produce the show year-round, and receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived, listener questions pods, and Grand Slam review shows. Sign up to receive our Newsletter (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt’s Stat, mascot...
Nov 22, 2023•44 min•Ep. 1182
Matt is in Malaga and he attended every press conference going as he soaked up the atmosphere ahead of the Davis Cup Finals, which start on Tuesday. Who are the favourites, how are the defending champions looking, and tell us everything you know about Finland! Just some of the questions put Matt's way by Catherine and David in our preview show. We will be with you every night this week. OUR LINKS: Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to help us to produce the show year-round, and receive exclus...
Nov 20, 2023•56 min•Ep. 1181
Novak Djokovic did it again, and routined both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz along the way. It brought a close to both the ATP Finals, and Amazon Prime Video's coverage of the sport in the UK, so Catherine went straight from the presenter's mic to the podcast mic to talk to David and Matt about the last couple of days. We also cover the doubles final, and hear from Matt about what Malaga is like. Pods will be nightly throughout the Davis Cup Finals. Ravi's Story - Today's podcast was introduc...
Nov 20, 2023•45 min•Ep. 1180
The ATP Finals semi-finals are set and they are mouthwatering: Daniil Medvedev will face Jannik Sinner (and the Turin crowd) before Novak Djokovic takes on Carlos Alcaraz. Catherine is in Turin and she joins David and Matt to talk all about the atmosphere, some round robin related awkwardness, the way Sinner has been the star of the show so far, whether Djokovic will have more of an edge this weekend, Alcaraz's clear improvement throughout the week, and Medvedev's fine form. There's also coverag...
Nov 17, 2023•55 min•Ep. 1179
A momentous day for Canada who are Billie Jean King Cup champions for the first time. Afterwards, Matt in Seville, Catherine in Turin and David in Solihull caught up to talk about what happened, and look ahead to the future for their star players Leylah Fernandez and Marina Stakusic. Also on the show, Matt had a moving, important conversation with Billie Jean King about tennis going to Saudi Arabia, and changes that could and should be made to the BJK Cup in the future. Plus, Catherine told us a...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 1178
There have been some truly great individual performances in team competition over the years, but surely none better than what Leylah Fernandez produced on Saturday. On the pod, Catherine, David and Matt dissect her wins over Marketa Vondrousova, and the team of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in doubles. Plus, they preview Canada’s final against Italy, which promises to be interesting. Could Canada spring a selection surprise? Follow the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on the official webs...
Nov 12, 2023•46 min•Ep. 1177
We got a glorious winner-take-all match in USA vs. Czechia, and Catherine, David and Matt revelled in the matches, drama and talking points. Why did USA make a late change to their doubles team? Was it the right call? And what makes Czechia so special in this competition? The semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup are both previewed, and we also look ahead to the ATP Finals, which starts on Sunday. Follow the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on the official website . OUR LINKS: Become a Friend of the...
Nov 11, 2023•57 min•Ep. 1176
With just one day of the group stages to go, two teams have already qualified for the semi finals, and from the looks of their form so far, both Canada and Italy will take some beating. Kazakhstan struggled without Elena Rybakina, but why was she mysteriously absent? Matt has the scoop. Plus there's a smattering of David Law gems, including a soap box rant about round robin tennis, and an epic anecdote about his would-be life as a reality TV star. Follow the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on the of...
Nov 10, 2023•47 min•Ep. 1175
Led by an inspired Leylah Fernandez, Canada made a winning start to their campaign for a first ever BJK Cup title, but at the expense of hosts Spain. Is the Canadian on her way to capturing the form that took her to the US Open final in 2021? Plus David eats his words about (previously) good draw Jasmine Paolini and Matt tells more tales from the lunch room. OUR LINKS: Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to help us to produce the show year-round, and receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts ...
Nov 09, 2023•54 min•Ep. 1174
Day One of the Billie Jean King Cup finals is in the books and it saw a David and Goliath victory for Slovenia, and a strong start for 11 time former Champions Czechia. Plus Matt tells the tale of how Storm Hunter came straight from a plane to the tennis court, winning her match but losing her luggage. Follow the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on the official website . OUR LINKS: Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to help us to produce the show year-round, and receive exclusive access to bonus p...
Nov 08, 2023•47 min•Ep. 1173
As a bumpy week in Cancun reaches its conclusion, Catherine and David discuss Iga Swiatek's statement performance in the final and her triumphant return to World Number One. Plus, is this the end of the road for beleaguered WTA CEO Steve Simon? OUR LINKS: Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to help us to produce the show year-round, and receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts throughout 2023, including Tennis Re-Lived, listener questions pods, and Grand Slam review shows. Sign up to receive...
Nov 07, 2023•45 min•Ep. 1172
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals have rolled into Seville and so has Matt Roberts. It's the eve of the finals and Matt has been interviewing players, with some dramatic and amusing results. Plus we digest another dominant week in Paris for seven time Champ Novak Djokovic, and the devastation he inflicted on Grigor Dimitrov in the final. Follow the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on the official website . Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to help us to produce the show year-round, and receive excl...
Nov 06, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 1171
The group stages of the WTA Finals are over and Catherine and Matt are together to discuss the No.1 being on the line between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, a semi-final to savour between doubles partners Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, the way in which the tournament has been affected by incredibly windy conditions, and the players voicing their frustration. OUR LINKS: Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to help us to produce the show year-round, and receive exclusive access to bonus podcast...
Nov 04, 2023•46 min•Ep. 1170
The WTA Finals in Cancun have begun, but the build up to the event was marred by strong player criticism about the venue, with limited practice time and a Centre Court which was only just ready for action. Catherine and Matt are joined by special guest Pam Shriver to discuss how and why this happened, the current state of the WTA, and the possible future of this event. On the court, Karolina Muchova's withdrawal was felt as replacement Maria Sakkari was thrashed by Aryna Sabalenka, and Jessica P...
Oct 30, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 1169
In this episode the focus is on Ben Shelton winning his first ATP Tour title in Tokyo. Catherine, David and Matt discuss his apparent freshness at this time of the year, his tactical variation, and his 2023 season as a whole. There’s also chat about titles for Gael Monfils, Alexander Bublik and Katerina Siniakova, the wide open Race to Turin, a breakthrough week for Shintaro Mochizuki in Tokyo, some quotes from Emma Raducanu about her comeback and her approach to coaches, injury concern for Carl...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 1168
After 12 long days, Shanghai is finally over, and it was won by Hubert Hurkacz over Andrey Rublev in the final. Catherine, David and Matt chat about both players and get stuck into all the other major talking points from the week, including Grigor Dimitrov’s victory over Carlos Alcaraz. On the women’s side, there’s chat about a special victory for Jessica Pegula in Seoul, a thrilling final in Hong Kong which was won by Leylah Fernandez, and Zheng Qinwen’s impressive run of form continuing in Zhe...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 1167
Catherine, David and Matt are back to talk about Iga Swiatek’s title run in Beijing where she cut out the unforced errors, re-established her dominance over Coco Gauff, and looked free and unburdened on court. On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner went from vomiting in a bin against Grigor Dimitrov to beating Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev in back-to-back matches. Just how impressive were both Swiatek and Sinner? There’s also discussion about the main storylines from Shanghai so far, the Australi...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1166
Catherine, David and Matt are thoroughly confused by the current tennis scheduling, but there’s chat about a first hard court title for Ons Jabeur, Veronika Kudermetova’s brilliant week in Tokyo, the abuse players receive on social media, poor crowds at many of the matches in China, Alexander Zverev’s good run of form, and Wim Fissette leaving Zheng Qinwen to work with Naomi Osaka again. Plus, if you’ll allow us, a few minutes of smugness to talk about our victory at the British Podcast Awards! ...
Oct 02, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 1165
Catherine, David and Matt convene to discuss a week which saw Maria Sakkari win the biggest title of her career in Guadalajara, the return of tennis to China, and victory for Team World in the Laver Cup in Vancouver where existentialism was a Monfilsism. VISIT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN IN STYLE The Tennis Podcast during the US Open was brought to you in association with AO Travel, who can take care of your flights, premium accommodation, tournament tickets and behind-the-scenes experiences. They can n...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 1164
The US Open and Grand Slam season may be over for another year, but the tennis news keeps coming, with Simona Halep receiving a four-year ban following breaches of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. Catherine, David and Matt react to the 126-page report published by the International Tennis Integrity Agency. Elsewhere, there’s chat about a week of Davis Cup action which saw the very best of the what the competition has to offer as Great Britain beat France in a thrilling tie in Manchester, but al...
Sep 18, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 1163
Novak Djokovic is a 24 time Grand Slam winner and Catherine, David and Matt have to find new words to say about one of the sport's greatest ever champions. Reflecting on his victory over Daniil Medvedev in straight sets on Sunday night, there's analysis of Djokovic serve and volley tactic, the stubbornness of Medvedev, an extraordinary 1h44m second set where Medvedev had his chances, the resilience of Djokovic, and what to expect from him next season when goals like Calendar Slam and Olympic Gol...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 1162
Coco Gauff is the US Open champion, coming from a set down to beat Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday's final. Catherine, David and Matt discuss the quality of the match, the way in which Gauff brought it back, Sabalenka's lack of a plan B, the special atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, Gauff's enlightening press conference, and what it might all mean for the future. Join us live on YouTube at 2pm New York time before the men's final on Sunday! Win The Tennis Trip of a Lifetime! As you’ll know if y...
Sep 10, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 1161
Novak Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev in Sunday's men's final after Djokovic beat Ben Shelton in straight sets and Medvedev stunned Carlos Alcaraz in an incredible night session match on Friday. Catherine, David and Matt discuss how Medvedev solved his match-up problem with Alcaraz, the sweet spot aggro as Djokovic copied Shelton's celebration, and what to expect on Sunday. There's also a round up of all the doubles and wheelchair results as well as a preview of the women's final between Coco...
Sep 09, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1160
Women's semi-final night at the US Open has delivered guaranteed drama in recent years, and Thursday night was no exception. Catherine, David and Matt discuss Aryna Sabalenka's mental resilience to come back from 0-6 down to win despite all her Grand Slam baggage, whether Madison Keys will have any regrets despite a great performance, how Coco Gauff vs Karolina Muchova went from horror show to absolute thriller, and the climate protest which interrupted play for more than 45 minutes. Our men's s...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1159
With all four of Wednesday's quarter-finals finishing in straight sets, it wasn't exactly a classic day, but it has set up a slate of exciting semi-finals. In part one, Catherine, David and Matt get stuck into Aryna Sabalenka's dominant victory over Zheng Qinwen and her consistency at slams, Daniil Medvedev's defeat of Andrey Rublev in brutal conditions and what the sport is confronting with rising temperatures, and the return of Naomi Osaka to the US Open as she spoke on a panel about mental he...
Sep 07, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1158
In part one, Catherine, David and Matt are joined by Pam Shriver, in between her shifts on ESPN, to talk mainly about Coco Gauff reaching the semi-finals. Pam was courtside for her match against Jelena Ostapenko and shared all her insights, including a chat about scheduling biases and inequalities at major tournaments. Elsewhere, there’s great excitement about the prospect of Gauff meeting Karolina Muchova in the semis, analysis of Novak Djokovic’s victory over Taylor Fritz, and chat about Ben S...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1157
After Iga Swiatek’s exit on Sunday, the tournament had a different feel on Monday, and all the more so when Jessica Pegula and Ons Jabeur followed her out of the tournament. Catherine, David and Matt discuss that, review great performances from Zheng Qinwen and Madison Keys, take stock of Pegula’s career, and review the men’s matches which included Carlos Alcaraz putting on a show and Alexander Zverev winning a gruelling battle with Jannik Sinner as the humidity took its toll on both players. Wi...
Sep 05, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 1156
Day 7 at the US Open ushered in a brave new world, in so many ways, for Catherine, David and Matt to discuss. Iga Swiatek will lose her number one ranking after her three set defeat to Jelena Ostapenko, a new women's US Open champion is guaranteed, three American men are into the quarter-finals for the first time since 2005, and Simon Briggs joins to tell us about a possible ATP-WTA merger. Win The Tennis Trip of a Lifetime! As you’ll know if you’ve been listening to our US Open podcasts, The Te...
Sep 04, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 1155
