The Tennis Podcast

Part two of our 2020 review begins with a reflection on our Tennis Re-Lived episodes covering the Olympics, Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe. What stood out? And what did we learn? We then move on to the return of tour tennis in August by looking back on how we felt at the time and how it would end up differing from our expectations. Next, we go over the main storylines from the US Open - including the way in which Naomi Osaka combined on court winning with activism, an uplifting night of women’s semi-finals, and Novak Djokovic’s default.Finally, there’s a review of Roland Garros, which was defined by its weirdness, Rafael Nadal’s 13 title there, and Iga Swiatek’s unexpected dominance. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. *SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCAST* Our Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund 2021 went live on December 1st and we’ve been blown away by the response. If you’re one of the many hundreds who have backed us so far, hel

We realise that re-living 2020 probably isn’t high on your list of priorities, but we can promise that this week’s podcasts are not all doom and gloom as we look back on this strange but momentous tennis year and the way we covered it as a podcast. In this episode, with the help of clips from throughout the year, we reminisce about the Australian Open, the warning signs in February and March that covid-19 was spreading, the sudden shutdown of the world, and the launch of our Tennis Re-Lived series. We will be back on Thursday with part two, covering the return of tennis. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTOur Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund 2021 is now live, here - https://tennispodca.st/Kickstarter2021w  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this bonus edition of the pod, John Millman speaks to David and Catherine from his hotel room in Sydney where he’s quarantining for 14 days following the end of the season and his return to Australia. John talks candidly about his experience of travelling the ATP Tour throughout the pandemic, the mental toll of being in quarantine without even being allowed to open a window, his role on the ATP player council, his views on the PTPA, and the possible scenarios for next year’s Australian Open, including a delayed start time and negotiations to allow players to train in a bio-secure bubble while they undertake two weeks of quarantine.At the end of the pod, Catherine, David and Matt react to what Millman has said as well as Andy Murray’s recent comments about his optimism for the future. 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 Decem

Daniil Medvedev has never followed the crowd, and the manner in which he brought the curtain down on London’s 12-year hosting of the ATP Finals suggested he isn’t about to start now.In an eighth and final edition of The Tennis Podcast from The O2 this week, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts talk about the final between Medvedev and Dominic Thiem, what went on afterwards, what the results this week might mean for the future, the doubles final, and the memories that the pod team will treasure from the London era of the ATP Finals.This is the 140th edition of The Tennis Podcast in 2020. Thanks for listening, and for all your support.*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

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