The Tennis Podcast

In 1997, Martina Hingis beat Jana Novotna to become the youngest Wimbledon winner in the Open Era, aged 16. She also put together one of the best seasons in tennis history, winning all but one of her Grand Slam matches.Are her achievements from that year underrated? How were her sassy comments and confidence received at the time? In what way did she sometimes get herself in trouble with remarks about fellow players? What made her such a joy to watch? And why did she not go on to dominate for years despite a couple of comebacks?Mary Carillo and Lindsay Davenport give perspective on how the power revolution in women’s tennis caught up with Hingis, and Martina herself explains why she thinks players are no longer having the success she had as a teenager.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.  * TENNIS RE-LIVED *We will be d

Nobody has ever had a connection with Wimbledon like Jana Novotna. In this episode, with the help of the storytelling of Mary Carillo and Chris Clarey, and the insights of Hana Mandlikova, the long-time coach and friend of Novotna, we cover the full emotional arc of her career and life. There’s discussion of Novotna’s choke in the 1993 final against Steffi Graf, the iconic image of her crying on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent afterwards, her second Wimbledon final loss to Martina Hingis in 1997, her long-awaited moment of triumph against Nathalie Tauziat a year later, and the legacy she left after her death in 2017.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. * TENNIS RE-LIVED *We will be doing daily shows throughout the original Wimbledon dates, looking back on some of the tournament’s best matches and most important stories.

Nobody expected Andre Agassi’s first Grand Slam title to come on grass at Wimbledon, a tournament he’d boycotted for a few years.But Agassi always did things his own way, and when he won the tournament in 1992, he did it from the baseline, beating former champions Boris Becker and John McEnroe en route to the final, before overcoming the massive serve of Goran Ivanisevic in five sets.Why was Agassi’s story such a big deal? What had happened in his first three Grand Slam finals for him to have developed a reputation for style over substance? And in what way was his return his biggest weapon against Ivanisevic in the final?Larry Stefanki, who was coaching McEnroe at the time, contextualises Agassi’s feat and explains how he managed to beat so many classic grass courters. Chris Clarey of the New York Times, meanwhile, talks about what it was like to cover Agassi in the early 90s. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round,

Going into Wimbledon in 1991, Steffi Graf’s supremacy was under threat. She hadn’t won a Grand Slam title for 18 months, she’d lost her No.1 ranking to Monica Seles, her father’s scandalous private life meant she was being hounded by the tabloids, and Gabriela Sabatini had emerged as a real rival.But Graf rose above everything, dominating the draw before winning a classic final 8-6 in the third set against Sabatini. How did Seles’ withdrawal pave the way for Graf? In what way did Sabatini revolutionise her game during her run to the 1990 US Open title to try to combat Graf? What made Graf such a formidable player? And does her career get the credit it deserves? Finally, we hear from Christopher Clarey and Mary Carillo about why they loved watching Sabatini play and the reasons why they think she only won one Grand Slam 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 crowd

In 1985, a strawberry-blonde, unseeded, 17-year-old German named Boris Becker won Wimbledon, beating Kevin Curren in the final, and suddenly tennis had a new star. In what way did Becker bring levels of power and athleticism which hadn’t been seen before on a tennis court? And how did people react to his arrival on the world stage?We hear from Johan Kriek, the man who predicted Becker’s victory at Wimbledon after losing to him at Queen’s two weeks earlier, and Curren discusses his own run which saw him beat John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors without losing a set, before underestimating Becker’s big-match mentality in the final. Becker went on to have a lot more success at Wimbledon, including a hat-trick of finals against Stefan Edberg. The Swede tells us about their rivalry. Finally, we look at how fame changed Becker’s life forever, and not always for the better.  The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily duri

The 1980 Wimbledon men’s final between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe is one of the most famous tennis matches of all time, and it lived up to expectations as we re-watched it ahead of our second Wimbledon Re-Lived show.How was McEnroe viewed by British tennis fans at the time? How did his behaviour change when he played Borg? And in what way does this match carry a cultural influence which transcends tennis?The apex of the match was the epic fourth set tiebreak, won by McEnroe 18-16 as the level of tennis reached dizzying heights and the momentum swung back-and-forth. What was it like to play? Did McEnroe feel afterwards like he would go on to win the match? And how on earth did Borg recover for the deciding set? We hear from both men.Finally, Mary Carillo explains why it’s the best match she’s ever watched, reveals the extraordinary scene she witnessed as she flew home on the same plane as the McEnroe family, and sets up a discussion about the reasons why the Borg-McEnroe rivalry continues to shine such a

With nine singles titles to her name, Martina Navratilova is the most successful player in Wimbledon history. In this episode, we focus on the first of her wins – in 1978 against Chris Evert – and the last of them – in 1990 against Zina Garrison.In between analysing those matches, there’s discussion about the leaner years at the start of Navratilova’s career, her rivalry with Evert, the way she developed athletically into the sport’s most dominant figure, her special connection with Wimbledon, and the longevity of her career.We also get Evert’s view on the 1978 final and hear Navratilova’s own reflections on her career. 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. * TENNIS RE-LIVED * We will be doing daily shows throughout the original Wimbledon dates, looking back on some of the tournament’s best matches and most important st

The fallout from the Adria Tour continued on Tuesday as world number one and event organiser Novak Djokovic tested positive for covid-19. The Telegraph’s Simon Briggs joins Catherine Whitaker and David Law to talk through the situation.Djokovic’s second statement of the day was better than his first, but which questions remain unanswered? Is Djokovic’s position as president of the ATP player council still tenable? How much damage has he done to tennis and to his own reputation? And where will this story go from here?There’s also a quick chat about how Andy Murray looked on his return to tennis at the Battle of the Brits. 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. * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* EMAIL *We hope that the podcast helps to provide some form

With Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all testing positive for covid-19 after playing the Adria Tour, we discuss the inevitability and seriousness of the situation, Novak Djokovic’s role and responsibility in all this, and the possible implications for the sport. There’s also a preview of this week’s Battle of the Brits event and we hear from Andy Murray about last year’s run to the doubles titles at Queen’s with Feliciano Lopez. 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. * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* EMAIL *We hope that the podcast helps to provide some form of escape during these challenging times. If you ever feel like writing to us, our e-mail is open – info@tennispodcast.net*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online

Tennis is on its way back, but not as we know it. The US Open, the French Open and many other big events in-between have been scheduled, and not everyone is happy about it.Catherine, David and Matt review the announcement, discuss the various issues it raises, and speculate about how many of the world’s leading players will opt out of competing in any of the events. Last weekend’s exhibition events - the Adria Tour and the ‘Ultimate Tennis Showdown’ also get the Tennis Podcast treatment. 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.  * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* EMAIL *We hope that the podcast helps to provide some form of escape during these challenging times. If you ever feel like writing to us, our e-mail is open – info@tennispod

Following Catherine’s interview with Chris Evert, we take the chance to tell the story of the 18-time Grand Slam champion in full.We discuss her most extraordinary records and achievements, consider her influence and legacy in the sport, ponder the reasons why she might be under-appreciated, reflect on her comments about the struggle of developing as a person while playing professional tennis, and look at the way she uses her platform for good. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.  * CHRIS EVERT INTERVIEW * Catherine’s interview with Chris Evert is available here.* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* TENNIS RE-LIVED *We have produced daily shows throughout the original Roland Garros dates, looking back on 15 classic matches and stories from the tourn

Catherine speaks to 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Chris Evert about her extraordinary tennis career.Evert reflects on how her childhood shaped the rest of her life, the early years of the WTA Tour, the challenge of being a well-adjusted human being as well as a great champion, her rivalry with Martina Navratilova and the way they were each portrayed by the media, the achievements she's most proud of, and her period of self-discovery following retirement.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.  * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* TENNIS RE-LIVED *We have produced daily shows throughout the original Roland Garros dates, looking back on 15 classic matches and stories from the tournament’s history. We will also be doing editions for Wimbledon.* KICK

When Simona Halep beat Sloane Stephens in the 2018 Roland Garros final, the tennis world could breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, she was a Grand Slam champion. We discuss her previous three final losses, analyse a memorable match against Stephens, and reflect on how she lived with that victory during the months that followed. In a fascinating interview, her coach, Darren Cahill, reveals the switch he made to his usual pre-match pep talk before the final, the tactical change that helped Halep turn the match around in the second set, the weight of expectation on Halep, and the reception and adoration she received when she returned to Romania with the trophy. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.  * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* TENNIS RE-LIVED *W

Novak Djokovic’s quest to win Roland Garros and complete his career Grand Slam is the focus of this episode as we look back on his near miss against Stan Wawrinka in the 2015 final and his moment of triumph over Andy Murray a year later.How can Wawrinka trouble Djokovic like nobody else? What was memorable about the ovation Djokovic received after that final? How did he bounce back from such a painful defeat? Was Murray’s fatigue a factor in the 2016 final? And how significant is it that Djokovic, by holding all four slams at once, accomplished something that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have never done?We also speak to Marian Vajda, Djokovic’s long-time coach and confidant, who tells us about the way in which Nadal’s dominance gradually eroded Djokovic’s love of clay, the emotions Novak experienced after finally beating Nadal but then losing to Wawrinka in 2015, whether he ever doubted that Djokovic would win at Roland Garros, and the stress Djokovic felt before facing Murray in 2016.The Tennis Podcast is

The 2009 French Open is best remembered for Rafael Nadal’s first loss at Roland Garros and for Roger Federer’s only title there. The man at the centre of both storylines, Robin Soderling, joins us for an exclusive interview.Soderling talks about how he stepped on court against Nadal with belief that he could win despite losing 6-1, 6-0 to him in Rome a few weeks earlier, how he respected but didn’t worship Nadal, what it felt like to be the first man to beat him in Paris, and the way in which Federer was a more difficult opponent for him in the final.Was Nadal struggling with an injury that year? Would Federer have ever won Roland Garros if Soderling hadn’t beaten Nadal? How did he nervously get over the line? And what is Soderling’s place in tennis history? He opens up about his struggles with glandular fever, his attempts to come back, and the equal parts sadness and relief he felt when he finally decided to retire.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer first met in a Grand Slam in the semi-finals of the 2005 French Open when the tone for their rivalry on clay, and Nadal’s dominance at Roland Garros, was set. Nadal won in four sets and then won the title two days later against Mariano Puerta.In what way did Federer have the tennis world transfixed during this period? Did that cause people to underestimate Nadal in their matches? And what were the keys to victory for Nadal?Mary Carillo explains what made the Nadal-Federer match-up so one-sided in the early days and reveals how she felt covering their many duels in Paris. Finally, after Christopher Clarey puts Nadal’s record of 12 French Open titles into context, we reflect on his extraordinary achievements at Roland Garros.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.  * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to g

Justine Henin won the first of her four Roland Garros titles in 2003, beating Serena Williams in a controversial semi-final and Kim Clijsters in a one-sided final. With the help of Mary Carillo, we look back on those rivalries which shaped Henin’s career as well as her very strong record at the French Open during the mid-2000s. What made Henin such a threat to Serena? Did Henin and Clijsters like each other? What caused their rivalry to be a bit weird? How did it evolve? And why did Henin have such a special connection with Roland Garros?Finally, we hear from Henin herself who talks about the importance of rivalries and the way in which they made her a better player. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December. * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* ROLAND GARROS

The 2002 French Open final is etched into tennis history as the only meeting between Serena and Venus Williams at Roland Garros and the start of their run of four consecutive Grand Slam finals against each other which ended with Serena winning her first Serena Slam.How did the sisters take the sport to new heights during this period? What did Venus’ reaction to defeat reveal about her character and her relationship with Serena? And how have their careers shined a light on race issues in tennis?We also hear from Mary Carillo and Christopher Clarey who talk more about how their sibling rivalry played out on court, the way in which Serena embraced clay more than Venus, and whether or not they enjoyed watching the Williams sisters face off.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and

The 2001 French Open saw Jennifer Capriati beat Kim Clijsters 12-10 in the final set to win her second Grand Slam title, but this was just a small part of Capriati’s story, one we tell in full on this podcast with the help of Tom Gullikson (her former coach), Lindsay Davenport (her compatriot) and Mary Carillo (someone who tracked her career closely).We cover Capriati’s prodigious talent and breakthrough results, her downward spiral and the events which turned her into a cautionary tale, her resurgence and Grand Slam wins, and the way in which she is still troubled today.Reflecting on her run to the Roland Garros title, we discuss the symbolism of Capriati’s semi-final victory over Martina Hingis and the dramatic but error-ridden nature of the final against Clijsters.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get

Not many people expected Andre Agassi to win the French Open, especially not in 1999, and certainly not when he fell two sets down in the final against Andrei Medvedev. But then he produced one of the greatest comebacks of all time, recovering to beat Medvedev and complete the coveted career Grand Slam. In this episode we talk through the events which led Agassi to that point. What had happened in his previous two French Open finals? Why did he used to skip Wimbledon and the Australian Open? And how did he get his career back on track after dropping to No.141 in the world? We hear from Brad Gilbert, Agassi’s coach at Roland Garros in 1999, who explains why Agassi’s participation at that year’s French Open was in doubt, how he came through a tough draw, and what he said to him during the rain delay. Andrei Medvedev, meanwhile, gives his version of events, and Chris Clarey of the New York Times tells us how Agassi’s Roland Garros title set in motion the most dominant spell of his career. The Tennis Podcast