The Tennis Podcast

On the first day of quarter-final matches at the US Open, we discuss Jennifer Brady's dominance so far this tournament, her transformation as a tennis player, how she might match up against Naomi Osaka in the semi-finals, and the way in which Osaka's development as a person is helping her tennis. On the men's side, we reflect on the ordeal that was Zverev vs. Coric, debate whether or not it was compelling, and try to figure out the reasons for his erratic serving.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.* 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 *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our ne

Monday felt like the morning after the night before, with the shockwaves from Novak Djokovic's default still being felt at the 2020 US Open. We begin this episode with further reaction to that incident before moving on to the tennis. We discuss Serena Willams' fightback against Maria Sakkari, Dominic Thiem's statement performance, a reality check for Felix Auger-Aliassime, and the unexpected head-to-heads in Tuesday's quarter-final matches. There's also discussion about Roland Garros' plans to have spectators and the news that world number one Ash Barty will not travel to defend her 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 crowdfunded by listeners each December.* 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 *Sign up to g

In one of the biggest stories in Grand Slam history, Novak Djokovic's unbeaten streak came to a dramatic end on Sunday as he was defaulted from the US Open for hitting a line judge with a ball.We discuss the incident, place it in the context of his career, react to his statement, consider his decision not to attend a post-match press conference, and debate who the new favourite is in the men's draw. Catherine also talks about what it was like to be presenting live TV coverage at the time of Djokovic's default.There's also chat about impressive wins for Jennifer Brady and Shelby Rogers, and a preview of Day 8 which includes Serena vs. Sakkari and Thiem vs. Auger-Aliassime.Approximate episode timecodes:0.00 - 30.00 - Djokovic default reaction 30.00 to end - Everything else.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.* PODCAST LINK *I

Our 100th episode of the year re-capping another eventful day at the US Open. Approximate episode time stamps: 0-22 minutes - Tsitsipas: What happened!?22-34 minutes - Serena’s statement win35 - 50 minutes - Felix takes flight50-57 minutes - Women's mix chat57 minutes to the end - Mladenovic/Babos withdrawn from doubles 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.* 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 *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *We hope that the podcast helps to provide some form of escape during th

We begin by discussing Felix Auger-Aliassime's victory over Andy Murray in yesterday's night session. How much was the one-sided result down to Auger-Aliassime's brilliance and how much was it because of Murray's depleted physical condition? Moving on to Friday's action, there's chat about disappointing defeats for Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans, Naomi Osaka's stressful victory over Marta Kostyuk, Denis Shapovalov's escape against Taylor Fritz, and the bizarre delay to Adrian Mannarino vs Alexander Zverev. We also revisit the opposite of "on the boat" and look ahead to tomorrow's schedule, highlighted by Serena Williams vs Sloane Stephens. 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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollo

Thursday at the US Open was a day of thrilling matches, significant upsets, and interesting storylines. In other words, it felt like a proper Grand Slam day. We discuss Tsvetana Pironkova’s return to tennis and victory against Garbine Muguruza, Sorana Cirstea’s stunning performance to knock out Jo Konta, Grigor Dimitrov’s concerning physical collapse against Marton Fucsovics, and the chaotic but entertaining match between Dan Evans and Corentin Moutet. 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.* 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 *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LO

After 29 of the 32 seeds reached round two in the women's singles event, Wednesday saw many of them tumble, including Karolina Pliskova. We try to figure out, yet again, why her recent Grand Slam record is so poor. We also chat about Kiki Mladenovic's loss from 6-1 5-1 up, discuss her colourful comments about the restrictions placed upon her following her contact with Benoit Paire, and analyse Kyle Edmund's mid-match deflation against Novak Djokovic.Approximate episode time stamps:0.00 - 15.00 Zverev and Mladenovic20 minutes - Garcia vs. Pliskova30 minutes - Novak Djokovic vs. Kyle Edmund40 minutes - Thursday previewThe 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.* 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-

He was down two sets to love. He was down a break in the third. He was down match point. And he was down a break in the decider. But Andy Murray still managed to beat Yoshito Nishioka on Tuesday at the US Open in his first Grand Slam singles match since the 2019 Australian Open.We discuss how he did it, the reason for his slow start, and how he's holding up physically.We also cover Jo Konta's mood and form after her defeat of compatriot Heather Watson, Serena Williams' opener, an epic between Karen Khachanov and Jannik Sinner, and much more.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.* 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 *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat

A two-part podcast covering the main talking points from Day 1 of this weird and wonderful US Open. Timecodes:3.00 - 8.40 Cameron Norrie vs. Diego Schwartzman8.40 - 10.30 Alexander Zverev10.30 - 12.40 Stefanos Tsitsipas and towels13.00 - Coco Gauff vs. Anastasia Sevastova17.00 - Other results22.00 - Benoit Paire and tests30.00 - Kyle Edmund32.00 - Novak Djokovic39.00 - Andy Murray45.00 - Jo Konta vs. Heather WatsonThe 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.* 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 *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetenni

No shortage of talking points as we discuss the formation of the Professional Tennis Players’ Association with Simon Briggs, Naomi Osaka’s stand against racism, titles for Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka at the Western and Southern Open, a wide-open women’s draw at the US Open, the Bryan Brothers’ retirement, and the sad news that legendary commentator David Mercer has died.What do the players hope to achieve with the PTPA? Why set it up now? Where does it go from here? How does Djokovic keep winning despite his off court distractions? Is Azarenka now in the US Open mix? And what about Milos Raonic? 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.* 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

Following on from our most recent edition of Tennis Re-Lived on the life of Althea Gibson, in this episode we turn our attention to Arthur Ashe.We cover his formative years growing up in Virginia under the Jim Crow laws, his development as an amateur tennis player while at college, his Grand Slam titles, his fights for civil rights and social justice, his passing from AIDS, and his enduring legacy.Along the way, James Blake reveals how he indirectly credits Ashe with getting him into tennis, Leslie Allen talks about what it was like at Dr Johnson’s training facility for African-American players, Steve Flink analyses Ashe’s 1968 US Open victory and what made him so exciting to watch, Richard Evans discusses Ashe’s tactical masterclass against Jimmy Connors in the 1975 Wimbledon final , John McEnroe describes his special relationship with Ashe, Mary Carillo tells some of her favourite stories involving Arthur to explain what he was like, and Chanda Rubin reflects on his impact in tennis.After looking closely at

In this special edition of Tennis Re-Lived, we examine the life, career and legacy of Althea Gibson, the first black player to compete in and win Grand Slam titles.We cover her early life growing up in Harlem, her development as a tennis player under the guidance of Dr Eaton and Dr Johnson, Alice Marble’s influential letter challenging the USLTA’s whites-only culture, Gibson’s dramatic first appearance at the US Nationals at Forest Hills in 1950, her friendship and doubles partnership with Angela Buxton, her US Open and Wimbledon titles in 1957 and 1958, the way tennis turned its back on her, and the desperately sad final few decades of her life as she lived in poverty.We also speak to people who knew her to get a sense of what she was like. Tennis historian Steve Flink tells us what made her such a good player, journalist Richard Evans remembers taking her to the Wimbledon ball, Mary Carillo recounts the first time she met Gibson and the WTA’s emergency meeting to raise funds for her, Zina Garrison looks bac

ATP Tour tennis is back with the first big, combined women's and men's tournament since the pandemic struck down Indian Wells in March. With the 'Cincinnati' draw made, Catherine, David and Matt assembled once more to discuss the highlights, catch up on latest news, and also release our big interview with Lindsay Davenport (from 38.00).Is the WTA draw now more star-studded than the men's draw, despite the withdrawals?What did we think of Novak Djokovic's interview with Chris Clarey in the New York Times (linked below)?And thoughts are exchanged about Denis Shapovalov's rap video.Later, Davenport talks about tennis in front of no fans, her own career, and the greatness of Serena and Venus Williams.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts, and will be daily throughout the US Open.Next week, we will produce two big special editions, focusing on first Althea Gibson, and then Arthur Ashe.* TELL YOUR FRIENDS *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please

Tennis’ return went up a notch last week with many of the biggest names competing in Lexington and Prague.We discuss the way in which champions Jennifer Brady and Simona Halep picked up where they left off six months ago, describe how it felt seeing top level tennis at a small club in Kentucky, assess Serena Williams’ form, marvel at Venus Williams’ remodelled service motion, and analyse yet another step forward for Coco Gauff.  David also speaks to Dan Evans about life inside the US Open bubble. What do players have to do when they arrive? What’s the hotel like? And how confident is he that players will follow the protocols?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.* 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.c

On this week’s episode, with actual tennis from Palermo to look back on and the Kentucky-Prague double-header to preview, we find ourselves in unfamiliar, but very welcome, territory.We react live to Fiona Ferro’s victory in Palermo, and discuss what the players have been saying in their pre-tournament press conferences, including Serena Williams on her caution over the virus, Coco Gauff on how she’s used her platform to tackle issues of social justice, Jo Konta on her American road trip, and Eugenie Bouchard on the possibility of a fresh start.Finally, after Roger Federer celebrated his 39th birthday last week, we get insight from Stefan Edberg about why he's advised Roger Federer not to retire in the same way he did. 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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please s

Rio 2016 was a particularly emotional and memorable Olympics for tennis, with Andy Murray defending his gold medal, Juan Martin del Potro entering people’s hearts, and shock defeats for Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic.But it was Monica Puig’s run which best encapsulated the spirit of the Games. Catherine talks to her about how it felt to win Puerto Rico’s first ever gold medal.As our journey through tennis’ history at the Olympics arrives at its final destination, we also speak to Christopher Clarey and Mary Carillo about their favourite memories and experiences of covering the Games.Finally, we reflect on tennis’ place in the Olympics and consider the impact of Tokyo’s postponement.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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on yo

The London Olympics will never be forgotten by our Tennis Podcast team, for the opening ceremony, the incredible athletic feats, all of it happening on their doorsteps, and David's inability to watch any of it. Andy Murray and Serena Williams were the champions, their gold medal winning runs are discussed, and David talks to Laura Robson, who won a medal alongside Murray. 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.* 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 *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *We hope that the p

The Beijing Olympics are perhaps best remembered for the world-beating achievements of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, but it was also an unforgettable Games for tennis. We discuss Russia’s clean sweep of the women’s singles medals, how much a gold meant to Elena Dementieva, the way China embraced tennis, the lasting influence of the Beijing Games on the sport, how much Roger Federer values his doubles gold, and Rafael Nadal’s ascension to World No.1. There was also an epic semi-final between James Blake and Fernando Gonzalez featuring a moment of controversy over whether or not Gonzalez’s racquet had touched the ball. On the podcast, Blake explains exactly why it made him angry, and Gonzalez gives his version of events. Blake also discusses his one and only victory over Roger Federer and reveals how difficult it was to bounce back from a loss and play the bronze medal match. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and da

We begin this episode by discussing the news that Rafael Nadal has opted not to defend his US Open title due to health risks before moving on to re-live the 2004 Olympics in Athens.It was a Games which saw Justine Henin-Hardenne win gold, Roger Federer stunned by Tomas Berdych, and double gold for Chile as Nicolas Massu won singles and doubles, alongside Fernando Gonzalez.We hear from both men at length about their magical week together and what it meant to their country.The men’s singles silver medallist, Mardy Fish, also opens up about the heartbreak of missing out on gold, what he was feeling while standing on the podium with silver, and why the scar tissue from that experience meant he never played again at the 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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please s

Tennis is back. But there are still question marks about the sport’s short-term future.In the first half of this episode we discuss the return of the WTA Tour in Palermo and the mood surrounding the US Open before wrapping up the results from the various exhibition events. Then, we hear from former World No.4 and current Miami Open tournament director James Blake (starting 43:26).He takes us through what happened during the week in March when Miami was cancelled and explains why he’s struggling to envisage the US Open going well.He also praises the way in which Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff have used their platform for good during the last few months and declares why he thinks more unity between the WTA and ATP would benefit tennis.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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast