The Tennis Podcast

Quite simply, that was one of the best ever days of Grand Slam tennis. Surely. Catherine and Matt recap Carlos Alcaraz's stunning performance to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas, the way the crowd turned on Tsitsipas, Simona Halep's victory over Elena Rybakina which included an epic tiebreak, a significant step in the career of Dan Evans, the continued reawakening of Angelique Kerber, and the chilled energy of Garbine Muguruza which is producing big results in New York for the first time.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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon -

Catherine, David and Matt react to Wednesday night's storm, a dazzling display from Emma Raducanu, smooth progress for Angelique Kerber and Ash Barty, a fun win for Matteo Berrettini over Corentin Moutet, and the Movement-stopping powers of Andreas Seppi. We also invent a game called Relay Tennis.Finally, there's discussion about the responses from top male players to a question from Matt, on Pride Day at the US Open, about the lack of openly gay players on the ATP Tour. What's the next step for players after declaring their support? And what are the details of the ATP's LGBT+ research survey?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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mai

Catherine, David and Matt discuss Pride Day at the US Open, Sloane Stephens schooling Coco Gauff, the discrepancy in quality and intrigue between the R3 women's line-up and the R3 men's line-up, statement wins for Garbine Muguruza, Simona Halep and Daniil Medvedev, confusion over the difference between booing and Rune-ing in Novak Djokovic's first win, and Bianca Andreescu's thrill ride of a round one victory.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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TheTennisPodcastNEWSLETTERSign up to get

Day 2 started with a tweet as Andy Murray threw some more shade at Stefanos Tsitsipas. It prompted yet more discussion about bathroom breaks in tennis and that's where Catherine, David and Matt begin this episode. Elsewhere, we talk about Emma Raducanu's impressive performance on her US Open debut, a test passed for Ash Barty in her opening match, and a couple of enthralling fifth set tiebreaks.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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TheTennisPodcastNEWSLETTERSign up to get our news, offer

Day one felt like the US Open again and Andy Murray looked like Andy Murray again. Those were the big takeaways for Catherine, David and Matt on the first nightly podcast from this year’s tournament at the end of a day packed with drama, epic matches, and even some aggro.How did it feel different watching Murray this time compared to other recent matches? Should he have won? And why has he “lost respect” for Stefanos Tsitsipas after the Greek’s lengthy bathroom break? Elsewhere, we discuss how Sloane Stephens vs Madison Keys exceeded expectations, gritty performances from Garbine Muguruza, Angelique Kerber and Coco Gauff, and a big win for Simona Halep. 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at

With Catherine and Matt together at Tennis Podcast Towers, and David in Salford, we discuss qualifying success for Britain's women, how Novak Djokovic is embracing the challenge of his Grand Slam pursuit, whether Andy Murray has a chance against Stefanos Tsitsipas, what to expect from Naomi Osaka, and why Sloane Stephens vs. Madison Keys in round 1 makes us a bit sad.There's also reaction to Alexander Zverev's press conference after more allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-girlfriend Olga Sharypova and to the growing issue of vaccine hesitancy among players.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.TO READOlga Sharypova says her ex-boyfriend, tennis star Alexander Zverev, abused her. Why hasn’t the tour addressed it? - https://slate.com/culture/2021/08/alexander-zverev-domestic-abuse-allegations-olga-sharypova.htmlSUPPORT THE TE

“History was thwarted not with a spectacular act of violence, but with a half volley. Roberta Vinci tiptoed near the net and barely brushed the ball with her racket, depositing it gently on Serena's side of the court, where it bounced multiple times and died a quiet death.” That was Sports Illustrated’s take on the final act of one of tennis’ biggest ever where-were-you-when moments as Roberta Vinci ended Serena Williams’ quest for the Grand Slam at the US Open in 2015. In this episode, we remind ourselves of how Serena had dominated since turning 30, look back at her title runs at the first three majors of 2015, explain the story of her emotional return to Indian Wells that year, reminisce about the hype in New York as she went for history, and analyse how it all went wrong in the semi-finals. What were the signs that Serena was stressed? How did Vinci turn the match around? And could Serena have done anything differently? The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David La

“In a performance so casual it was chilling, Safin announced himself as the game's next big thing by dismantling the best player ever.” Those were the words of S.L. Price in Sports Illustrated after 20-year-old Marat Safin beat Pete Sampras to win the US Open in 2000, a story we tell on this edition of Tennis Re-Lived. Why did Chris Clarey think Safin would be a future World No.1 from the moment he saw him? What did Yevgeny Kafelnikov think of Safin when they first met at the Davis Cup? Why was Safin the ideal guy to be front and centre of the ATP’s ‘New Balls Please’ campaign? And how did a coaching change in April 2000 help Safin to rediscover his best form after a glut of bad results at the start of the year? Turning to New York, how much of a contender was Safin going into the tournament? In what way did he struggle in the opening rounds? And why did he need to borrow some socks from Jeff Tarango? We hear from Mary Carillo in the commentary box about what made Safin’s performance in th

This episode is a discussion with esteemed New York Times journalist and friend of the pod Chris Clarey about his new biography of Roger Federer, titled ‘The Master’. Chris speaks to David about the process of writing the book and what he learned along the way, the several exclusives he’s had with Federer over the years, the 82 interviews he conducted specifically for the book, why the likes of Mirka Federer, Peter Carter and Pierre Paganini have been fundamental to Federer’s success, how Federer has changed over the years, and how his rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have shaped him. We also get Chris to do a quick-fire Federer round and afterwards David chats to Matt about his impressions of the book. You can buy a copy of The Master, here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Master-Brilliant-Career-Roger-Federer/dp/1529342058/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ABL1O2T8YDE5&dchild=1&keywords=the+master+christopher+clarey&qid=1629812297&sprefix=the+master+chris%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1The Tenni

Ash Barty and Alexander Zverev are the Cincinnati champions, Jil Teichmann and Andrey Rublev had impressive runs to the final, and it was a big week for new types of aggro. Catherine, David and Matt discuss all of that, as well as the pay gap between the ATP and WTA events, Rafael Nadal's announcement that he will miss the rest of the season, and the Chicago final between Clara Tauson and Emma Raducanu.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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TheTennisPodcastNEWSLETTERSign up to get our new

Catherine, David and Matt catch up to discuss everything which has happened in Cincinnati so far this week, including Naomi Osaka’s win over Coco Gauff, her two press conferences, encouraging signs for Andy Murray, a women’s tournament full of great matches, and the news that Dominic Thiem will be out for the rest of the season. 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TheTennisPodcastNEWSLETTERSign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX

As Roger Federer announced that he will be having a third surgery on his knee, saying there is just a “glimmer of hope” of returning to the tour, Catherine, David and Matt reflect on what feels like the end for one of the greatest ever tennis careers. In Canada, there was an unexpected title for Camila Giorgi and a statement title for Daniil Medvedev. Where has this new level of tennis from Giorgi come from? Does Karolina Pliskova have a finals problem? Is either player in the ‘mix’ for the US Open? And what makes Medvedev the biggest threat to Novak Djokovic’s calendar Grand Slam pursuit? There’s also chat about the weeks of Ons Jabeur, Bianca Andreescu, Reilly Opelka and Stefanos Tsitsipas. 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-ou

While there have been some excellent matches in Toronto and Montreal, we begin by discussing the unfortunate news that none of the Big 3 nor Serena Williams will play again before the US Open, after Rafael Nadal’s ongoing foot problem has forced him to return home and Serena’s leg injury from Wimbledon will prevent her from playing Cincinnati next week. Will New York be last chance saloon? Turning our attention to the week’s tennis, Catherine, David and Matt talk about how nice it is to see Bianca Andreescu and Simona Halep back on court, review a bittersweet week for Johanna Konta, make some big Coco Gauff predictions, explain why Aryna Sabalenka continues to impress, try to figure out why Maria Sakkari keeps losing close matches, and dissect what went wrong for Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov. There’s also a tangential debate about whether there’s too much faff in tennis and what - if anything - can be done about it. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David L

Catherine, David and Matt catch up to discuss all the main talking points from the start of the North American hard court swing. Does Novak Djokovic’s decision to skip Cincinnati feel like the right one? What does Roger Federer’s withdrawal from the US Open lead-in events suggest about the state of his knee? How did Rafael Nadal seem on his return in Washington and how much of a concern is his foot injury? Why is Andy Murray singling out Jenson Brooksby as an exciting prospect? What are the big storylines to watch out for in Canada? How much could Bianca Andreescu do with a strong showing this week? Why was it a big deal that Jannik Sinner won the title in Washington? In what way is Danielle Collins a new player and is she in the US Open mix? 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.SUPPOR

So that’s it for tennis at the Tokyo Olympics. In one final podcast, Catherine, David and Matt look back on the last day of action with the gold medals going to the Czech Republic, Germany and Russia. How is Barbora Krejcikova managing to juggle singles and doubles so successfully? What made the Russian team at this Olympics such good value? In what way did Alexandr Zverev play pretty much the perfect match to win gold against Karen Khachanov? What did Mary Carillo and Darren Cahill say about the allegations against Zverev during their commentary for American TV? And what will we remember about tennis at these Olympics? 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the n

The tennis on Saturday felt more like the Olympics we know and love, with amazing scenes as Belinda Bencic, Elina Svitolina and Pablo Carreno Busta were overcome with emotion after winning medals. Catherine, David and Matt talk through it all. Will this be a springboard for Bencic or could this be the pinnacle of her career? Does Elena Rybakina have a problem with closing out matches? What is it about Carreno Busta’s game which gets under Novak Djokovic’s skin? Should Djokovic have played his mixed doubles match? Will his defeats this week make him more vulnerable at the US Open? And in what way did Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani’s bronze for Brazil embody the Olympic spirit? 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chanc

There will be no Golden Slam for Novak Djokovic in 2021 after he was stunned by Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals in Tokyo. What on earth happened to him when he was leading by a set and a break? And what could this defeat mean for his pursuit of the calendar Grand Slam in New York? Elsewhere, Catherine, David and Matt discuss Karen Khachanov being guaranteed a medal and what it means for his career, a deserved gold for Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic over their Croatian compatriots, a second defeat of the day for Djokovic in mixed doubles, and tomorrow’s schedule which includes the gold medal match between Marketa Vondrousova and Belinda Bencic. 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions.

Is it just us or has the tennis event at these Olympics been a bit of a disappointment so far? We try to figure out why we’re feeling like that before discussing the main stories since Monday, including Naomi Osaka’s defeat, the change to scheduling which came too late for Paula Badosa, Novak Djokovic’s imperious performance against Kei Nishikori, defeat for Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury, Liam Broady’s fine efforts, great runs to the gold medal match from Marketa Vondrousova and Belinda Bencic, and the start of the mixed doubles tournament. 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWIL

With the whole world watching, Naomi Osaka re-emerged into the spotlight, lit the cauldron, and opened the Tokyo Olympic Games in a powerful and significant moment for tennis. Catherine, David and Matt talk all about that, as well as her excellent performances so far, the way in which the conditions are impacting matches, Ash Barty's defeat to Sara Sorribes Tormo, Iga Swiatek's tears, Novak Djokovic's popularity in the athlete's village, Andy Murray's withdrawal from the singles and victory in the doubles, a crazy first round win for Marin Cilic, and much more.Away from the Olympics, there's chat about debut titles for Cameron Norrie, Carlos Alcaraz and Danielle Collins, and yet another great week on clay for Casper Ruud.We will have daily podcasts from Thursday through Sunday to cover the quarter-final, semi-final and medal matches from Tokyo.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 tourna

The Tokyo Olympics - at long last - are almost here! Catherine, David and Matt talk through the draws before answering more listener questions. Should Richard Williams and Oracene Price be inducted into the Hall of Fame? When did we fall in love with tennis? How does watching tennis for a job differ to watching as a fan? Which significant results from recent tennis history would we change? Will Andrey Rublev win a major? And who might be the next Aslan Karatsev? 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on