The Tennis Podcast

The opening day of the French Open somehow managed to make 2020 just that little bit weirder, with the cold and blustery autumnal conditions dominating discussion and impacting matches. It meant there was plenty for Catherine, David and Matt to cover, including Victoria Azarenka’s stand, Stan Wawrinka’s destruction of Andy Murray, Mats Wilander’s comments about Murray, defeats for Jo Konta and Dan Evans, and much more. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.*MASCOT* Thanks to everyone who sent in their #TennisPodcastPets photos as we searched for a new French Open mascot. To find out why we’ve chosen Cam, please watch this video from Steve Armour - https://youtu.be/sbXLQUFPZ6M * PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https

A few months later than usual, but the French Open is here and the draws have been made.We reflect on the significance of the headline match between Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, discuss Jo Konta’s chances against Coco Gauff, break down a tough route for Stefanos Tsitsipas, consider a wide-open bottom half of the women’s draw, and debate whether Rafael Nadal can be viewed as more of a favourite than Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem.We also review “Drip” by Denis Shapovalov and Corentin Moutet, salute Liam Broady for qualifying at Roland Garros, discuss Casper Ruud’s impressive form in 2020, look ahead to the Laver Cup at London’s O2 arena in 2022, analyse the ramifications of Simon Briggs’ story in The Telegraph about the dramatic decrease in drug testing during lockdown, and revisit our discussion about a non-gendered word to describe Alexander Zverev.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand S

Despite having scarcely recovered from the US Open, Catherine, David and Matt are back to reflect on the week in Rome, which created plenty of talking points ahead of Roland Garros.How did Djokovic look en route to the title in his first matches since his US Open default? Why did Diego Schwartzman and Denis Shapovalov both catch the eye? In what way is this year's French Open looking like a slightly different proposition for a rusty Rafael Nadal? How much of a favourite is Simona Halep? Is Victoria Azarenka a legitimate contender in Paris? And why is everyone suddenly talking about Lorenzo Musetti?We also discuss concerns about the French Open's 'bubble' and reveal plans for an exciting competition for all #TennisPodcastPets.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please

Dominic Thiem is finally a Grand Slam champion, but he had to do it the hard way, becoming the first man in US Open history to mount a comeback from two sets to love down in the final, triumphing in a deciding set tiebreak against Alexander Zverev.On the podcast, we try to get our heads around what happened. Why did Thiem start so slowly? In what way did Zverev's gameplan impress early on? How did the match turn around? What did it feel like to see both players confront nerves in that excruciating decider? How scarred will Zverev be by this defeat? And what will the result do to Thiem? We also round up the day's wheelchair matches and reflect on the tournament as a whole. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to support the podcast and receive a reminder e-mail wh

Naomi Osaka has won her third Grand Slam title and second US Open, defeating Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the final. We discuss her growing significance in the sport, how she turned the match around, the perfection of her post-match celebration, the line which summed up her activism, and her future in the sport. Catherine also reveals why she missed yesterday's podcast (a story not to be missed) and we look ahead to the men's final. How much of a chance does Alexander Zverev have and what does he need to do to beat Dominic Thiem? The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat -&nbs

The men’s US Open final is set: Alexander Zverev vs Dominic Thiem. In the first half of the pod we discuss how they both got there in two contrasting semi-final matches. In part two, the great Mary Carillo, who was in the stadium for the women’s semi-finals, speaks to David about why it was one of the greatest nights of tennis she can remember. She also looks ahead to the final, gives an insight into what it’s like to be on site at this most extraordinary of US Opens, and explains why it feels so special for her.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com

On the day when tennis celebrated the trailblazing Original 9, it felt right that Naomi Osaka, Jennifer Brady, Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams produced one of the greatest semi-final nights of all time. We break down both matches and discuss the breathtaking quality of Osaka vs Brady, Osaka's final game nerves, Serena's blistering start, Azarenka's extraordinary comeback and how this defeat for Serena compares to her recent setbacks in her quest for No.24. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with ou

A new chapter will be written in one of tennis' most interesting rivalries when Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka face off in Thursday's semi-finals. In this episode we discuss Azarenka's demolition of Elise Mertens, the way we're having to consider her as a real force in the game once again, her different mindset, Serena's problem solving against Tsvetana Pironkova, and the way both players will relish the challenge. On the men's side, Daniil Medvedev beat Andrey Rublev in a match which was memorable for Rublev's banana abuse and Medvedev's sudden fitness struggles at the end of the match.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up

On the first day of quarter-final matches at the US Open, we discuss Jennifer Brady's dominance so far this tournament, her transformation as a tennis player, how she might match up against Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals, and the way in which Osaka's development as a person is helping her tennis. On the men's side, we reflect on the ordeal that was Zverev vs. Coric, debate whether or not it was compelling, and try to figure out the reasons for his erratic serving.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our ne

Monday felt like the morning after the night before, with the shockwaves from Novak Djokovic's default still being felt at the 2020 US Open. We begin this episode with further reaction to that incident before moving on to the tennis. We discuss Serena Willams' fightback against Maria Sakkari, Dominic Thiem's statement performance, a reality check for Felix Auger-Aliassime, and the unexpected head-to-heads in Tuesday's quarter-final matches. There's also discussion about Roland Garros' plans to have spectators and the news that world number one Ash Barty will not travel to defend her title.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to g

In one of the biggest stories in Grand Slam history, Novak Djokovic's unbeaten streak came to a dramatic end on Sunday as he was defaulted from the US Open for hitting a line judge with a ball.We discuss the incident, place it in the context of his career, react to his statement, consider his decision not to attend a post-match press conference, and debate who the new favourite is in the men's draw. Catherine also talks about what it was like to be presenting live TV coverage at the time of Djokovic's default.There's also chat about impressive wins for Jennifer Brady and Shelby Rogers, and a preview of Day 8 which includes Serena vs. Sakkari and Thiem vs. Auger-Aliassime.Approximate episode timecodes:0.00 - 30.00 - Djokovic default reaction 30.00 to end - Everything else.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *I

Our 100th episode of the year re-capping another eventful day at the US Open. Approximate episode time stamps: 0-22 minutes - Tsitsipas: What happened!?22-34 minutes - Serena’s statement win35 - 50 minutes - Felix takes flight50-57 minutes - Women's mix chat57 minutes to the end - Mladenovic/Babos withdrawn from doubles The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *We hope that the podcast helps to provide some form of escape during th

We begin by discussing Felix Auger-Aliassime's victory over Andy Murray in yesterday's night session. How much was the one-sided result down to Auger-Aliassime's brilliance and how much was it because of Murray's depleted physical condition? Moving on to Friday's action, there's chat about disappointing defeats for Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans, Naomi Osaka's stressful victory over Marta Kostyuk, Denis Shapovalov's escape against Taylor Fritz, and the bizarre delay to Adrian Mannarino vs Alexander Zverev. We also revisit the opposite of "on the boat" and look ahead to tomorrow's schedule, highlighted by Serena Williams vs Sloane Stephens. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollo

Thursday at the US Open was a day of thrilling matches, significant upsets, and interesting storylines. In other words, it felt like a proper Grand Slam day. We discuss Tsvetana Pironkova’s return to tennis and victory against Garbine Muguruza, Sorana Cirstea’s stunning performance to knock out Jo Konta, Grigor Dimitrov’s concerning physical collapse against Marton Fucsovics, and the chaotic but entertaining match between Dan Evans and Corentin Moutet. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LO

After 29 of the 32 seeds reached round two in the women's singles event, Wednesday saw many of them tumble, including Karolina Pliskova. We try to figure out, yet again, why her recent Grand Slam record is so poor. We also chat about Kiki Mladenovic's loss from 6-1 5-1 up, discuss her colourful comments about the restrictions placed upon her following her contact with Benoit Paire, and analyse Kyle Edmund's mid-match deflation against Novak Djokovic.Approximate episode time stamps:0.00 - 15.00 Zverev and Mladenovic20 minutes - Garcia vs. Pliskova30 minutes - Novak Djokovic vs. Kyle Edmund40 minutes - Thursday previewThe Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-

He was down two sets to love. He was down a break in the third. He was down match point. And he was down a break in the decider. But Andy Murray still managed to beat Yoshito Nishioka on Tuesday at the US Open in his first Grand Slam singles match since the 2019 Australian Open.We discuss how he did it, the reason for his slow start, and how he's holding up physically.We also cover Jo Konta's mood and form after her defeat of compatriot Heather Watson, Serena Williams' opener, an epic between Karen Khachanov and Jannik Sinner, and much more.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat

A two-part podcast covering the main talking points from Day 1 of this weird and wonderful US Open. Timecodes:3.00 - 8.40 Cameron Norrie vs. Diego Schwartzman8.40 - 10.30 Alexander Zverev10.30 - 12.40 Stefanos Tsitsipas and towels13.00 - Coco Gauff vs. Anastasia Sevastova17.00 - Other results22.00 - Benoit Paire and tests30.00 - Kyle Edmund32.00 - Novak Djokovic39.00 - Andy Murray45.00 - Jo Konta vs. Heather WatsonThe Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetenni

No shortage of talking points as we discuss the formation of the Professional Tennis Players’ Association with Simon Briggs, Naomi Osaka’s stand against racism, titles for Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka at the Western and Southern Open, a wide-open women’s draw at the US Open, the Bryan Brothers’ retirement, and the sad news that legendary commentator David Mercer has died.What do the players hope to achieve with the PTPA? Why set it up now? Where does it go from here? How does Djokovic keep winning despite his off court distractions? Is Azarenka now in the US Open mix? And what about Milos Raonic? The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast

Following on from our most recent edition of Tennis Re-Lived on the life of Althea Gibson, in this episode we turn our attention to Arthur Ashe.We cover his formative years growing up in Virginia under the Jim Crow laws, his development as an amateur tennis player while at college, his Grand Slam titles, his fights for civil rights and social justice, his passing from AIDS, and his enduring legacy.Along the way, James Blake reveals how he indirectly credits Ashe with getting him into tennis, Leslie Allen talks about what it was like at Dr Johnson’s training facility for African-American players, Steve Flink analyses Ashe’s 1968 US Open victory and what made him so exciting to watch, Richard Evans discusses Ashe’s tactical masterclass against Jimmy Connors in the 1975 Wimbledon final , John McEnroe describes his special relationship with Ashe, Mary Carillo tells some of her favourite stories involving Arthur to explain what he was like, and Chanda Rubin reflects on his impact in tennis.After looking closely at

In this special edition of Tennis Re-Lived, we examine the life, career and legacy of Althea Gibson, the first black player to compete in and win Grand Slam titles.We cover her early life growing up in Harlem, her development as a tennis player under the guidance of Dr Eaton and Dr Johnson, Alice Marble’s influential letter challenging the USLTA’s whites-only culture, Gibson’s dramatic first appearance at the US Nationals at Forest Hills in 1950, her friendship and doubles partnership with Angela Buxton, her US Open and Wimbledon titles in 1957 and 1958, the way tennis turned its back on her, and the desperately sad final few decades of her life as she lived in poverty.We also speak to people who knew her to get a sense of what she was like. Tennis historian Steve Flink tells us what made her such a good player, journalist Richard Evans remembers taking her to the Wimbledon ball, Mary Carillo recounts the first time she met Gibson and the WTA’s emergency meeting to raise funds for her, Zina Garrison looks bac