The Tennis Podcast

After a week where Novak Djokovic won yet another Masters Series title in Shanghai and cemented his place even more firmly as the most dominant player on the ATP World Tour, David & Catherine meet (you guessed it, in the Putney Exchange shopping centre) to discuss his stranglehold over the rest. Is he getting better? How do you stop him? And why he isn’t held in the same esteem as previously dominant players, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?  Other topics from the world of tennis this week include Nick Kyrgios, who is edging closer to triggering a ban after incurring another fine in Shanghai, plus David & Catherine’s thoughts on which, if any, of the current crop of ‘young guns’ is best equipped to pose a future challenge to Djokovic.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal for the seventh time in eight meetings, Catherine Whitaker and David Law discuss whether Nadal will ever be a dominant force again. Also in Beijing, Garbine Muguruza emerged triumphant in the WTA Premier Mandatory tournament. Will she win a Grand Slam title in 2016? And, in a week when Catherine was 'swanning around Mallorca' on the ATP Champions Tour, the result was an exclusive interview with Alex Corretja in which he described what it was like to coach Andy Murray. He also reminisces about his first practice session with a 16-year-old Rafael Nadal.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After yet more breakthroughs for the new British Number One and World No.49 Jo Konta, fellow BT Sport commentator Anne Keothavong tells David Law that she thinks Konta could make it into the World's Top 20 by Wimbledon 2016.  Plus David & Catherine Whitaker debate the future of Serena Williams - how deep an impact will her US Open loss to Vinci prove to have? - and the amazing success of her sister and newly crowned Wuhan Open Champion Venus.  All that, plus plenty more talking points, including whether Andy Murray deserves his inclusion in 'The Big 4', and debate over whether Grigor Dimitrov will ever fulfil his potential.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What are the most unbelievable things that have happened in tennis in the last 11 years? And what will happen over the next 11? All discussed by David & a gravelly-voiced Catherine as well as Andy Murray's bold revelation that he may miss the ATP World Tour Finals in order to prepare for the Davis Cup final.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Great Britain is into a Davis Cup final for the first time since 1978, and the Tennis Podcast reviews a week in which Andy Murray shouldered his nation’s fortunes successfully, yet again.   Telegraph Tennis Correspondent Simon Briggs joins Tennis Podcast presenters David Law (BBC Radio 5 Live) and Catherine Whitaker to talk about Murray’s exploits, carried out, as we discover on the show, with a bad back.   Lleyton Hewitt’s glorious Davis Cup playing career also came to an end in Glasgow, and he reflects on 17 years at the top of the sport, while also paying tribute to Murray.   Finally, Leon Smith talks exclusively to The Tennis Podcast and says that Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund and James Ward now have to ‘prove why I should pick you’ for the final against Belgium, in Belgium, 27-29 November.     Belgium are into their first final since 1904.   The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with The Telegraph, and supported by BNP Paribas, the bank for a changing world.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy

The Murray brothers’ five-set win over Sam Groth and Lleyton Hewitt was ‘one of the most memorable days in British tennis history’, according to British Eurosport pundit Annabel Croft.   With Great Britain standing one Andy Murray match win away from a Davis Cup by BNP Paribas final for the first time since 1978, Croft joined David Law (BBC 5 Live) and Catherine Whitaker on the Tennis Podcast to talk about an epic doubles encounter.    "I've never experienced an atmosphere in my life like the one in this arena today,” said Croft. “It’s one of the most memorable days in British tennis history and Judy Murray said to me in New York that winning the Davis Cup is one of Andy’s major ambitions."   Sitting courtside in Glasgow as Bernard Tomic was put through his paces on Saturday evening, the Tennis Podcast team speculated about whether any changes to the team are likely.    ‘‘It is just such a conundrum for the Aussies over who to pick,” said Croft. "From what I’m seeing I think it might well be...  

Former British Davis Cup player Greg Rusedski has backed Britain to go on from their 1-1 overnight scoreline to reach the final of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas for the first time in 37 years.   In a guest appearance on Tennis Podcast, Rusedski told presenters David Law and Catherine Whitaker that Andy Murray is looking better than ever, and believes he will play in Saturday’s doubles and carry Britain to victory on Sunday,    Captains Leon Smith and Wally Masur give their verdicts on day one, with Masur confirming the identity of his doubles pairing.   The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with The Telegraph and supported by BNP Paribas, the bank for a changing world. Greg Rusedski is a pundit for British Eurosport.     See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Great Britain are about to play Australia in the host nation’s first Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinal for 34 years, and as well as previewing the tie in Glasgow, The Tennis Podcast has spoken exclusively to both teams to find out more about them.    For instance, which of them would get on best at Strictly Come Dancing? Who knows their capital cities? And who spends the most time in front of the mirror? As you will hear, the team members on the respective teams do not always agree…   Fun and games aside, the talk of the town, and the podcast, was that of Captain Leon Smith’s decision to choose Dan Evans as the No.2 singles player in place of James Ward and Kyle Edmund, who are both higher ranked.   How big of a risk is it? Will it be a mistake or a masterstroke? The Telegraph’s Tennis Correspondent Simon Briggs talks it through with presenters David Law and Catherine Whitaker, and we hear the reasons given by Leon Smith, and the verdict of Andy Murray.    Predictions for the tie as a whole are...  

The newly crown US Open champion Novak Djokovic is capable of winning more Grand Slam titles than Roger Federer, according to the Telegraph’s Tennis Correspondent Simon Briggs.   In a Tennis Podcast recorded just moments after Djokovic’s victory in the final of the US Open - his tenth major title - Briggs told presenter David Law (who commentated on the match for BBC Radio 5 Live) that ‘it is not impossible’ for Djokovic to reach and surpass Federer’s current total of 17.   In the podcast, Briggs, Law and Catherine Whitaker of Eurosport also discuss the women’s final - the victory and subsequent retirement announcement of Flavia Pennetta.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Serena Williams’ dream of becoming the first tennis player to win a calendar-year Grand Slam in 27 years was dashed by Roberta Vinci, who had never previously taken a set from her, never gone beyond a major quarterfinal, and lost more tennis matches than she had won in 2015 prior to the US Open.   Afterwards, the Telegraph’s Tennis Correspondent Simon Briggs joined BBC Radio 5 Live commentator David Law on the Tennis Podcast to try to make sense of it all, and answer the question ‘was this the biggest tennis upset ever?’.    Earlier, Flavia Pennetta set up an all-Italian final, and so the Tennis Podcast spoke to Vincenzo Martucci, veteran tennis writer of 37 years for Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. In his final year in the job, he suddenly found himself covering the biggest story of his career.   There’s a preview of a mouth-watering men’s singles final on Sunday - the 42nd edition of Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic (the head-to-head is 21-20), and Jamie Murray’s quest for a first Grand... &

After a frustrating day of rain at the US Open on Thursday, the silver lining is Fantastic Friday, with all four of the men’s and women’s semifinals played on the same day.   The Tennis Podcast’s David Law (BBC Radio 5 Live) and Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) get together to look forward to the action, with special guests  Mark Philippoussis - the 1998 US Open runner-up, and Goran Ivanisevic - coach of defending champion Marin Cilic.    Philippoussis looks back on when he was the first ever opponent of Roger Federer in a Grand Slam tournament 12 years ago, assessing his incredible longevity, while Ivanisevic talks about the chances of his man Cilic against Novak Djokovic.    And back by popular demand (or, if we’re honest, in spite of no demand whatsover), Catherine and David give their predictions for the four semifinals.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A run of 18 straight Grand Slam quarterfinals came to an end for Andy Murray as Kevin Anderson reached the last 8 of a major tournament for the first time in his career.   What did the Telegraph’s tennis correspondent Simon Briggs make of it? He joined the Tennis Podcast’s David Law (a BBC 5 Live commentator) and Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) to reflect on Murray’s exit, discuss the main reasons for it, and whether it will prove a silver lining for Britain’s hopes in next week’s Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinal against Australia in Glasgow.   In a strange turn of events, Britain’s Johanna Konta went out just 20 minutes earlier, but her run was reason for celebration according to our Tennis Podcast team.   And what of Venus against Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. Can Venus cause a sensational upset by ending her sister’s calendar Grand Slam dream? Who will the crowd pull for? Catherine, David and Simon preview that and reflect on the rest of a tournament which has been as exhilarating as it... &n

After Andy Murray and Johanna Konta reached the last 32 of the US Open in 3-hour + epics, The Tennis Podcast discussed their post-match moods, which could hardly have been more different.   While Konta celebrated the best win of her career - over the Wimbledon runner-up Garbine Muguruza - Murray went two sets down before roaring back to beat Adrian Mannarino in 5 in draining humidity.   Telegraph tennis correspondent Simon Briggs joined presenters David Law (BBC Radio 5 Live) and Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) to reflect on the British  victories, discuss how Murray looked ‘a shell of himself’ in Catherine’s post-match interview, and how Konta seems like a different player to the one that has languished well outside the Top 100 for years.    Will Murray bounce back to go all the way? Can Konta cause another shock against the 18th seed Andrea Petkovic? And how have the big names looked in the first few days? The Tennis Podcast discusses it all.   The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with...  

Will Serena clinch the Calendar Grand Slam? What now for injured Sharapova? And could Belinda Bencic cause an upset? And on the men's side, can Federer win a magical 18th Major? Will Djokovic seal his place among the greats? Could Murray muscle in on the action? Or will 'the walking headline' Nick Kyrgios take him out in the first round? David Law is joined by The Telegraph's Tennis Correspondent Simon Briggs to preview the 2015 US Open!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With a week to go until the US Open, Roger Federer has joined Andy Murray in beating Novak Djokovic in a big final to throw the year’s final Grand Slam tournament wide open. In the latest Tennis Podcast, produced in association with The Telegraph, presenter David Law talks to co-host Catherine Whitaker, who was courtside at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, about Federer’s latest age-defying feat. After 17 years as a professional, he appeared to ‘invent’ new strokes in Cincinnati, while playing more aggressively at the net than at any other time in his career. Could this lead to an extraordinary 18th Grand Slam title in New York? We hear his post-match reaction as he explains why he is hitting his backhand better than ever, and how he decided to celebrate with his twin daughters. Meanwhile, are these worrying moments for Djokovic fans? After the final, he explained how short of form he feels and therefore how well he did to reach the final at all. Catherine and David...  See acast.com/pri

Andy Murray has beaten Novak Djokovic for the first time since the 2013 Wimbledon final to win the Rogers Cup in Montreal, and in an interview with Tennis Podcast presenter Catherine Whitaker immediately afterwards, he talked about the significance of the victory.   Had the two-year, eight-match losing streak against Djokovic had been preying on his mind?   Does the win give him belief that he can make it to World Number One?   And what was his reaction to the news that his coach Amelie Mauresmo gave birth to a baby boy on the morning that he won the final?   All of those questions are answered in this interview on the Tennis Podcast.   Whitaker and co-presenter David Law (BBC 5 Live) give their views about the significance of the win, review the performance of Belinda Bencic who beat six Grand Slam finalists and champions in a row to win the title in Toronto. Also discussed is the fall-out from the words uttered on court by Nick Kyrgios.    The Tennis Podcast is produced in association...  See ac

The Tennis Podcast is back after a few weeks of holiday, and before we get into the fall-out from Nick Kyrgios and cover the latest from both the Tours, here’s an exclusive interview with the great Pete Sampras.   This week, Sampras has been in Knokke, Belgium playing in the Optima Open, one of the tournaments on the ATP Champions Tour. Today he meets Xavier Malisse in the final. Our reporter Stuart Fraser caught up with him to ask if he thinks Roger Federer can win another Grand Slam, whether Rafael Nadal can come again, and the rivalry between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Plus, can he see Serena Williams wrapping up the calendar Slam in New York?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Davis Cup Sunday - Murray, Hewitt Set Up GB vs. Australia Semifinal Showdown; Leon Smith interview   Great Britain Davis Cup captain Leon Smith told The Tennis Podcast that Andy Murray is ‘a phenomenal competitive animal’ after he carried the nation to the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinals for the first time since 1981.   Smith joined Tennis Podcast presenters David Law and Catherine Whitaker to reflect upon a tie that Britain won 3-1 against France. It set up a final four meeting with Australia, 18-20 September.    “I’ve been trying to come up with the right words to describe Andy, but he is just a phenomenal competitive animal. It was unreal,” said Smith, after captaining the British team from the brink of relegation to Euro African Zone 3 in July 2010, to the semifinals of the World Group.   The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with the Telegraph, and supported by BNP Paribas, the bank for a changing world.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Greg Rusedski has told The Tennis Podcast that victory on Sunday over France would be the most important win for Britain’s Davis Cup team could lead to them lifting the Davis Cup outright given the teams left in the competition.    Team GB are three sets away from reaching the semifinals of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinals for the first time in 34 years. Andy and Jamie Murray joined forces on Saturday to fight back from a set down and defeat Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Nicolas Mahut.   Andy Murray will now play his reverse singles at 12.30pm on Sunday against either Gilles Simon or Richard Gasquet. Victory would put Britain into a home semifinal against either Australia or Kazakhstan. The Kazakhs lead 2-1 going into the final day.    The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with the Telegraph, and supported by BNP Paribas, the bank for a changing world.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the first day of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinals on Friday, Great Britain and France stand 1-1 overnight, with the winner looking increasingly likely to face Kazakhstan, who took a shook 2-0 lead in Australia.  Tennis Podcast presenters David Law and Catherine Whitaker sit next to the centre court at The Queen’s Club to reflect on a pulsating if largely predictable day one in London, and speculate over Saturday’s doubles pairings.  Would a chat with France captain Arnaud Clement shed any light? Find out in the latest Tennis Podcast, produced in association with the Telegraph, and supported by BNP Paribas, the bank for a changing world.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.