The Tennis Podcast

Novak Djokovic led Dominic Thiem 4-0 in a deciding set tie-break, Rafael Nadal served for the match against Daniil Medvedev, and Thiem will now face Medvedev in the final.What happened and why? Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts try to work it out.The heartbreak of Joe Salisbury is covered, as are concerns over the Australian Open. And then there’s the moment that Catherine Whitaker became a meme. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.*SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCAST* We will soon launch our campaign to crowdfund the 2021 season of The Tennis Podcast. If you would like an e-mail reminder when our Kickstarter goes live on December 1st, please put your details in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX* 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 *Sig

If the pod team could have chosen the semi-final line-up at the start of the tournament, it’s likely these four names would have featured. But who will come out on top? After much deliberation, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts make their picks. They also cover some important press conferences involving Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, relate some weird, wonderful, heartbreaking and downright awkward doubles news, and receive and react to a tweet from Pam Shriver. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.*SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCAST* We will soon launch our campaign to crowdfund the 2021 season of The Tennis Podcast. If you would like an e-mail reminder when our Kickstarter goes live on December 1st, please put your details in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media pl

Rafael Nadal has never won the ATP Finals. Not yet, anyway. After a three-set tussle with Stefanos Tsitsipas, we assessed his performance, considered the way in which he causes Tsitsipas problems, and then reported on the Greek’s press conference in which he described the mental challenges posed by ‘bubble life’.The drudgery of dead rubbers gets the treatment, the chopping and changing of doubles teams is discussed, Joe Salisbury is lauded, and Catherine gives David and Matt a mid-pod shock.The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.*SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCAST* We will soon launch our campaign to crowdfund the 2021 season of The Tennis Podcast. If you would like an e-mail reminder when our Kickstarter goes live on December 1st, please put your details in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social me

A match hyped to the hilt ended more abruptly than expected, and Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts were able to talk about Daniil Medvedev vs. Novak Djokovic soon afterwards. Where was the match won and lost? How come Djokovic lost seven games in a row? And does this make Medvedev the favourite for the title?The podcast trio discuss all of that, and also cover Alexander Zverev vs. Diego Schwartzman, while giving the lowdown on what Medvedev said about the Zverev domestic abuse allegations in his post-match interview. There’s also David losing at basketball to an 8-year-old, his introduction to Queen’s Gambit, and a preview of Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Rafael Nadal, while we also update listeners on Djokovic’s comments about the Professional Tennis Players Association and the ATP Player Council. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.*SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCAST* We will soon launch our

On-court, lack of fans aside, today was a joy to behold for the tennis world. Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal fought out an instant classic, and then Stefanos Tsitsispas and Andrey Rublev went at it in the evening. Off the court though, there are concerns for the viability of the Australian Open. In the latest daily edition of The Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker joins from inside the O2 Arena bubble to describe the feeling of being courtside for such a great tussle, and discusses with co-hosts David Law and Matt Roberts where it stands in the matches of the year, and how concerned we should be about the news from Australia. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.*SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCAST* We will soon launch our campaign to crowdfund the 2021 season of The Tennis Podcast. If you would like an e-mail reminder when our Kickstarter goes live on December 1st, please put your details in here

Let's be honest, Day 2 at the ATP Finals was not exactly a thriller, and it got us talking about the worst matches we can remember from the O2 era and whether or not it's fair to call this year's edition the 'Zombie Finals'', a term coined by Simon Briggs. On the court, there were straight-set wins for Novak Djokovic over Diego Schwartzman and Daniil Medvedev over Alexander Zverev. We discuss the bad match-up for Schwartzman, Djokovic's ability to open his shoulders and play expansive tennis, his tentative plans for the Australian swing in January, Zverev's serving woes, and Medvedev's underarm serve. Then, David and Matt flesh out a disagreement they were having on Whatsapp over whether or not Roger Federer's volleys can ever be described as 'OK'. Catherine sits back and lets it all be.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.*SUPPO

The opening singles match of the 2020 ATP Finals was a repeat of last year's closer between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem, a fact which served only to emphasise the differences and remind us of what we're missing. On the podcast, Catherine describes the bittersweet feeling of what it was like to be inside the O2 arena without fans as London hosts the event for the last time.Still, the tennis was high-quality and we discuss how Thiem managed to get his revenge, the way his game has developed on a hard court, the moment of 'silliness' which cost Tsitsipas dearly, and why it might be a tough defeat to take for the Greek. Elsewhere, we analyse Rafael Nadal's 6-3, 6-4 victory over Andrey Rublev. In what way was there a gulf in class? Are there limits to Rublev's game? Finally, we cover some of the many interesting stories in the doubles event this week, a first ATP title for Jannik Sinner, and a victory in Linz for Aryna Sabalenka in the final WTA tournament of the season.The Tennis Podcast is presented by

In this episode we look ahead to the ATP Finals – the final event of this strange tennis season and the final time it will be staged in London. Catherine details her experience inside the O2 bubble so far, as well as the dental emergency which almost scuppered her plans. We also analyse the two singles groups, discuss what we learned on media day, and make some predictions.Just how motivated will Djokovic be to win the title? Is Nadal better suited to indoor tennis than ever? Does Medvedev have a point to prove? Can Rublev raise his game against the top players? Will Schwartzman do more than make up the numbers? And how are Thiem and Tsitsipas’ injuries?We also react to the latest developments involving the allegations against Alexander Zverev, including some new comments from him in his press conference and a long overdue statement from the ATP.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 tour

On-court action unfortunately takes a back seat on the podcast this week as we discuss in depth the allegations from Olya Sharypova that her ex-boyfriend, Alexander Zverev, physically and emotionally abused her during their relationship.We lay out the new allegations from Sharypova detailed in her interview with Racquet Magazine, present Zverev’s responses throughout the week to questions about the accusations, and talk through Jon Wertheim’s extensive take on the issue.We also examine the way in which Zverev’s refusal to comment beyond his initial statement has been disappointing, how the ATP’s silence is making matters worse, what the phrase ‘Believe Women’ means and demands of us, and the way this incident is affecting how we feel about the sport right now.In the second half of the episode, we chat about Daniil Medvedev’s victory in Paris, the completion of the ATP Finals line-up, the climax of the WTA season in Linz, Tennis Australia’s potential plans for an extended swing Down Under in 2021, and Nick Kyr

Catherine, David and Matt are back to answer more listener questions. In the mailbag this week:·      Who will win a Grand Slam title first – Denis Shapovalov or Felix Auger-Aliassime?·      Who will be the next first time Grand Slam champion in the women’s game?·      Is Roger Federer in danger of the bronze medal when it comes to who is best out of The Big 3?·      What are we most excited about, in the tennis world, next year?·      Can Dominic Thiem win Roland Garros before Rafael Nadal retires?·      And what’s the best and worst aspect of each Grand Slam?We also celebrate the two-year anniversary of Matt’s full debut on The Tennis Podcast by re-living the moment. 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

Our focus this week is on Vienna after Andrey Rublev won his 5th title of the season there. Does Rublev’s consistency at ATP 500 level make him a contender for men’s player of the year? The other big talking points involved Novak Djokovic who clinched the year-end No.1 ranking for the sixth time, equalling Pete Sampras’ record, before losing 6-2, 6-1 against the impressive Lorenzo Sonego. What happened? What did we make of Djokovic’s post-match comments? Should his year-end finish as No.1 come with an asterisk in 2020? And how does finishing No.1 six times in 10 years compare to Sampras’ achievement of six consecutive No.1 finishes? David digs deep into his memory bank to recall Sampras’ quest in 1998. Elsewhere, we discuss John Millman’s first ATP title in Nur-Sultan and look ahead to the Paris Masters. 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 listene

In the first of two pods over the next week answering listener questions, we discuss who is the best at tennis out of Catherine, David and Matt, whether there should be a free-for-all tournament without seeds, our worst travel disasters, who might be a good coach to take Stefanos Tsitsipas to the next level, the Wimbledon traditions we would ditch, how social media has increased tribal fan support in tennis, and the worst five set matches we’ve watched. 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.*SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCAST* We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next campaign in December to fund our 2021 season, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share

We discuss whether we learned anything new about Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev after their victories in Ostrava(!!!) and Cologne(2), the possible reasons why Sabalenka hasn’t translated tour success to the Grand Slams, how high the ceiling could be for Antwerp champion Ugo Humbert, and, after David’s discussion on Twitter with Denis Shapovalov, whether tennis is better off with or without Hawkeye. Should entertainment be the number one priority? Could there be a compromise by reducing the number of challenges per match? And how have Andy Roddick’s views on the topic evolved since his playing days?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.*SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCAST* We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next campaign in December to fund our 2021 season, then you can

With the dust having settled on Roland Garros, the tennis season stutters on, and Catherine, David and Matt are back to talk about everything that was weird and wonderful in Cologne 1 and St Petersburg, including dogs on sun loungers, a live band at changeovers, and a 40-minute Eurovision-style closing ceremony.How motivated are we to watch non-Grand Slam tennis at the moment? What’s going wrong for Felix Auger-Aliassime in finals? How concerned should we be about Andy Murray’s latest setback? Why was Andrey Rublev so emotional after his title victory? And why has Carlos Alcaraz caught our attention on the challenger tour?  There’s also discussion about the way in which Sam Querrey jeopardised the tour by fleeing St Petersburg following his positive covid test, Daria Gavrilova and Ellen Perez’s documentation of their time in quarantine in Australia, and a shake-up on the ATP player council.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Robe

Rafael Nadal has won Roland Garros for a 13th time, equaling Roger Federer's record for the most Grand Slam men's singles titles, after crushing his other great rival, Novak Djokovic, 6-0, 6-2, 7-5. We discuss whether Nadal's incredible level surprised Djokovic, the astute tactical performance that Nadal put in, Djokovic's persistent use of the drop shot, what Nadal's relatively understated celebration revealed about him, whether this is Nadal's greatest ever victory at Roland Garros, and where this result leaves the Grand Slam race.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts.KICKSTARTER: SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe hope you’ve enjoyed all of our Grand Slam daily shows throughout 2020. We will be launching another Kickstarter in December, with the funds going towards giving Matt a job, buying recording equipment, travel and accommodation expenses, editors, production managers, designers, and the time that goes into it. If you enjoy the&nb

Tennis has a new star after Iga Swiatek completed a record-breaking run to her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, beating Sofia Kenin in the same dominant fashion she'd seen off the rest of the field. Catherine, David and Matt review the match, salute Swiatek, consider the wider significance of the result, and look ahead to Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic on Sunday. David also speaks to legendary sports broadcaster Ted Robinson about his time covering tennis during the pandemic. 0.00 - 30.00: Swiatek title review30.00 - 60.00: Ted Robinson comparing the New York and Paris on-site experience and talking Nadal, Djokovic, Federer60.00 - end: Nadal vs. Djokovic preview and results round upThe 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.*NEW CAM CONTENT!*Watch a new video about our wonderful bonus mascot for Roland Garros, Cam. It's called

The most abnormal of Grand Slam tennis seasons will end with something very normal: the 56th instalment of Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros final. On the podcast, Catherine, David and Matt discuss how both players made it there. How well did Nadal have to play against Diego Schwartzman? Did he get nervous towards the end? What happened for Tsitsipas to mount his comeback? Who will have the edge on Sunday? And who will Federer be supporting?! There’s also a preview of the women’s final between Iga Swiatek vs. Sofia Kenin and a rundown of results from the doubles, wheelchair and junior events. 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.*NEW CAM CONTENT!*Watch a new video about our wonderful bonus mascot for Roland Garros, Cam. It's called 'Cam, Who Loves The Tennis Podcast' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

The only possible way to follow yesterday’s Four Whisky Law podcast was to invite the one and only Mary Carillo on for a chat. She joined to share her views on women's finalists Sofia Kenin and Iga Swiatek, preview Friday's men's semi-finals, and discuss her experience of this year's Roland Garros. In the second half of the show, Catherine, David and Matt react to Mary's thoughts, get stuck into the reasons behind Swiatek's sudden ascension, consider Kenin's trademarks on court, and make the case for why Stefanos Tsitsipas has a chance of upsetting Novak Djokovic.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.*NEW CAM CONTENT!*Watch a new video about our wonderful bonus mascot for Roland Garros, Cam. It's called 'Cam, Who Loves The Tennis Podcast' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZaT6_bpVTI&feature=youtu.be*READ CATHERINE'S Q&am

Where was all the aggro in Kenin vs. Collins?How did Tsitsipas turn the match around against Rublev? How concerning is Djokovic’s neck problem? And who will reach the women’s final? Those were the big questions for Catherine, David and Matt to discuss after a Wednesday at Roland Garros which didn’t quite live up to the heights of previous days. But, with David on the whisky, there was no shortage of fun to be had on the podcast. So, come for the tennis chat, stay for David’s anecdote about playing football with Diego Maradona.*NEW CAM CONTENT!*Watch a new video about our wonderful bonus mascot for Roland Garros, Cam. It's called 'Cam, Who Loves The Tennis Podcast' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZaT6_bpVTI&feature=youtu.be*READ CATHERINE'S Q&A*Catherine's instagram story Q&A was good fun yesterday. If you would like to read about her three guests on a deserted island, favourite female tennis pundit and what she likes about Matt and David, and lots more... - https://www.instagram.com/t

There are no night sessions at this year’s French Open, but that didn’t stop play on Day 10 finishing at 1:25am in Paris after an epic match between Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem provided the “embouteillage” which Catherine predicted.On the podcast, Catherine, David and Matt (1.00) discuss how Schwartzman’s nerves vs Thiem’s physical struggles made the match dramatic, the significance of Schwartzman’s victory, and whether or not Jannik Sinner provided Rafael Nadal with the test he required (21.00).It was also a fascinating day in the women’s event, with Nadia Podoroska (47.00) 4breaking through and ending Elina Svitolina’s hopes of a first major, Danielle Collins (32.00) showing everyone what she’s all about with a feisty victory over Ons Jabeur, and Iga Swiatek (27.00) backing up her big win by ending Martina Trevisan’s run. All three results are covered in depth.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily d