The Tennis Podcast

Unsurprisingly, the eventful return of Andy Murray dominates discussion on this week’s Tennis Podcast.After Murray played and won his first hard court matches since March 2017 by advancing to the quarter-finals in Washington, David and Catherine are on hand to talk all about it.What did we learn about Murray? How well did he play? And why did he end up in tears after beating Marius Copil? The 3:02am finish might have had something to do with it…On that note, the scheduling issues in Washington are discussed, as well as the way in which tournament director Keely O’Brien misguidedly called Murray’s fighting spirit into question.While Murray hogged the headlines in Washington, it was ultimately Alexander Zverev who won the title. Zverev is still officially considered #NextGen, but the way he brushed aside Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex De Minaur emphasised the superiority he has over his contemporaries. When will he start producing such dominant displays at Grand Slams?On the women’ side, tribute is paid to Mihaela

Catherine and David are back with a bumper edition of The Tennis Podcast to reflect on everything that’s happened in the sport since Wimbledon. From Newport to Nanchang, all the noteworthy results and their implications are covered. Can Cecchinato or Fognini reach the ATP World Tour Finals? Who is 17-year-old Moscow titlist Olga Danilovic? And what’s the key to John Isner’s sustained success in Atlanta?Moreover, Britain’s Jay Clarke won the Binghamton Challenger. His prospects are discussed, as well as the proposals to revamp the ATP Challenger Tour from next year. Are the changes a good idea?Elsewhere, Marian Vajda has had some less-than-positive things to say about Pepe Imaz’s influence on Novak Djokovic. Those remarks came shortly after Djokovic wrote an open letter revealing the struggles he’s faced over the last two years. Catherine and David give their take on both subjects.Serena Williams has also made the headlines after tweeting her frustration at the way drug testing is carried out in tennis. S

After producing 39 podcasts in 50 days during the French Open, the Fever-Tree Championships and Wimbledon, Catherine and David have handed over editorial control to the listeners for the latest show.In the fourth instalment this year of Ask Catherine & David, the hosts do their best to answer all the questions selected by executive producer Melanie Bose.What does Rafael Nadal need to achieve to become widely considered the GOAT? Would tennis be better off with a commissioner rather than a committee? Should women be playing best-of-five sets at Grand Slams? And what might Andy Murray do once his playing career is over?Catherine and David get stuck into all that and more.The Tennis Podcast is uploaded weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Novak Djokovic has been through some dark times over the past couple of years, but his 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 win over Kevin Anderson in the Wimbledon final proved that he is very much back in the big time. Afterwards, Tennis Podcast presenter David Law was joined by Charlie Eccleshare of the Telegraph to look back on a final that didn't get going until set three, and ultimately proved a step too far for Anderson. Just how good was Djokovic? Where does this leave him for the US Open in a few weeks time? And how many more can Djokovic win? The Tennis Podcast team give their views.As the subject of the men's doubles championships is covered, and the transition from junior tennis to senior success discussed, conversation takes a more troubling turn when the subject of player mental health is brought up. Eccleshare and Law have both discussed the issue with players that have struggled, and those struggles are detailed on the show. The Tennis Podcast is uploaded weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tourna

With Royalty in attendance - the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex - Angelique Kerber defeated Serena Williams to win the Wimbledon title, and Novak Djokovic overcame Rafael Nadal in an all-time classic to reach the men’s final.Afterwards, Catherine Whitaker was joined by Charlie Eccleshare of the Telegraph, and later David Law, to review the day.Why was Kerber such a comfortable winner over Williams? How will the final be reported in the pages of the Telegraph? And what next for both players?Where does Djokovic vs. Nadal stand in the list of all-time great contests? Is it the best rivalry of them all? Did Wimbledon get its scheduling decisions right, or do they need to look at it for the future?The Tennis Podcast is produced daily throughout Wimbledon, presented by David Law and Catherine Whitaker.It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A memorable, bizarre, pulsating day at Wimbledon ended with Kevin Anderson in the men’s singles final after a 6 hour 36 minute epic, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal needing to come back out to continue battle on Saturday with Djokovic ahead 2 sets to 1, and a women’s final likely to be delayed as a result. In total darkness after the 11pm curfew had brought play to a halt, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Simon Briggs got together to review matters.Is it time for a final set tie-break to be brought in at all the Grand Slams to avoid a scoreline like 26-24? Will Anderson be able to recover for the final? And who is he going to end up playing against - Djokovic or Nadal?In the women’s final, Serena Williams will take on Angelique Kerber, but it might well be delayed. Is that satisfactory, or should they have resumed with the men’s semifinal afterwards?The Tennis Podcast is produced daily throughout Wimbledon, presented by David Law and Catherine Whitaker.It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport a

After two one-sided women’s semifinals at Wimbledon, the prospect of a Serena Williams vs. Angelique Kerber final is mouthwatering, and who better to talk about it, and everything else, than Mary Carillo.The Tennis Podcast’s favourite guest joins Catherine Whitaker and David Law on the broadcast roof to cover matches galore, look ahead to Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal, and tell us an anecdote involving Roger Federer’s kids!The Tennis Podcast is produced daily throughout Wimbledon, presented by David Law and Catherine Whitaker.It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A day that began with Roger Federer looking serene ended with him out of the tournament, Rafael Nadal fighting through at the last, and David Law speaking to a couple of special guests - BBC commentators Vassos Alexander and Russell Fuller - to try to cover it all on The Tennis Podcast.Federer was felled by Kevin Anderson, who saved match point and came back from two sets to love down to overcome Federer in 5. Was it a question of sensational play from the South African, or did Federer look short of his best? Did the change in scenery for Federer on Court One bother him after 19 successive Centre Court appearances?  Nadal vs. Juan Martin del Potro was described by Andy Murray in the BBC commentary box as one of the best matches he has ever seen ‘live’, and it was hard to argue. Del Potro led two sets to one, but Nadal came back to win it in a marathon 5th set. Where was the match won and lost? Will Del Potro ever win another Slam? Is Nadal about to win Wimbledon and close the gap on Federer to just two m

After a women's quarter finals day that did not disappoint, David & Catherine are left to dissect four quarter final matches, and four deserving semi finalists. David picks Serena as the title favourite while Catherine thinks Angelique Kerber is the one to watch, and what about Jelena Ostapenko, a woman who is capable of hitting any opponent clean off the court. And although not a winner on Tuesday, Daria Kasatkina sure did seize the opportunity to show the Centre Court crowd what she's made of...Also discussed is the surprising and welcome decision to put Roger Federer vs Kevin Anderson on Court One on Wednesday, and the guest appearance by pundit Andy Murray on BBC TV's Wimbledon coverage, during which he hinted that he thinks his old rival Novak Djokovic could be the men's champion come Sunday.The Tennis Podcast will be daily throughout Wimbledon, presented by David Law and Catherine Whitaker.It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US O

As the annual tennis festival that is 'Manic Monday' comes and goes, David & Catherine meet in their usual spot on the broadcast roof to analyse not only the matches themselves, but also their scheduling. Six men's and three women's matches on the three main show courts, and Djokovic relegated to Court One once again while Federer enjoys his usual Centre Court procession - is it fair? And if not, does it even matter so long as the paying public are happy?And what of the women's round of 16 matches.. How much can we really learn from Serena Williams demolition of Evgenia Rodina? And why does Catherine have a funny feeling that Saturday's Champion might end up being the winner of the quarter final between Angelique 'The Absorber' Kerber and Daria 'The Magician' Kasatkina? And just how on earth is Camila Giorgi averaging 36 winners per match? All this is debated and dissected, with a small dollop of #PollVault thrown in for good measure.The Tennis Podcast will be daily throughout Wimbledon, presented by Davi

As the first week of Wimbledon 2018 draws to a close, Catherine & David meet on the broadcast centre roof overlooking the grounds to discuss yet another shock defeat in the women's draw, that of top seed and French Open Champion Simona Halep to perennial Grand Slam giant-killer Su-Wei Hseih. They also discuss the rest of the day's women's results which included wins for 'tennis magicians' Daria Kasatkina and Belinda Bencic, and another jaw-dropping performance by on-fire Jelena Ostapenko.The day's men's results saw straightforward victories for Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro, but also the end of British hopes at the Championships as Kyle Edmund battled valiantly before losing in four sets to a defiant and resurgent Novak Djokovic. And what of Kei Nishikori's 'best ever' grass court performance to beat Nick Kyrgios in fading light, and of his fourth round opponent Ernests Gulbis, whose rankings history is quite the rollercoaster ride. And as the order of play dropped mid-episode, discussion moved o

After a day that drew to a close with just two of the women's top ten seeds left standing, Catherine & David are joined by BBC commentator Phil Studd to dissect a horrific defeat for Madison Keys to the world no 120, and a battling defeat for five-time Champion Venus Williams to the no-longer-a-clay-court-specialist Kiki Bertens. Oh, and while we're on the subject of Venus.. what's up with her court assignments in recent years? The Tennis Podcast team delve into the debate.While seeds tumble left and right though Serena Williams to continues her remarkable comeback, and Karolina Pliskova has for once ensured that she isn't one of the first week Wimbledon casualties.And on the men's side Roger Federer has been casually making yet more record-breaking history, but should he always be doing it on Centre Court? And who is Stefanos Tsitsipas, the first Greek man ever to make it to the second week of a Slam? We find put a little bit about 'the future of men's tennis'.The Tennis Podcast will be daily throughout

A stunning day of upsets at Wimbledon saw defending champion Garbine Muguruza go out, podcast-pick Marin Cilic fall, and Jo Konta defeated, and The Tennis Podcast has an equally dramatic line-up of guests to round it all up.John McEnroe and Tim Henman talk to The Tennis Podcast about Kyle Edmund’s win over Bradley Klahn and look ahead to Edmund vs. Novak Djokovic in round 3. Could Edmund score a stunning win?The BBC’s Iain Carter joins presenter David Law to reflect on the losses of Cilic and Konta, that he commentated on for Radio 5 Live in the UK. Carter also looks back on the match he commentated on between Gilles Muller and Rafael Nadal last year, and reminisces about his 5 years as the BBC’s tennis correspondent when Henman was trying to win Wimbledon. Finally, in the press room, Telegraph tennis correspondent Simon Briggs reacts to the shock defeat of defending champion Garbine Muguruza. The Tennis Podcast will be daily throughout Wimbledon, presented by David Law and Catherine Whitaker.It is

After the English footballing euphoria of Tuesday night, day 3 at Wimbledon occupied national centre stage and the main talking point on The Tennis Podcast was the demise of one of the top seeds.While Serena Williams and Roger Federer strolled to victory on Centre Court, Caroline Wozniacki endured a torrid time on Court One, crashing out at the hands of Ekaterina Makaraova. Afterwards, Wozniacki was in somewhat uncharitable mood towards her opponent and doesn’t think she will go much further.There’s talk of rare rain, flying ants and sadness over the plight of Laura Robson who is about to undergo hip surgery.David Law and Charlie Eccleshare also look ahead to Thursday, when Johanna Konta, Kyle Edmund and Katie Boulter will be in action for Britain, and Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic also return. The Tennis Podcast will be daily throughout Wimbledon, presented by David Law and Catherine Whitaker.It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US

The second day of the Wimbledon Championships saw popular pick for the title - Petra Kvitova go spinning out at the first round stage.Afterwards, Catherine Whitaker and David Law got together to talk about what happened to the Czech, what they thought of the performances of Rafael Nadal, Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund, and what constitutes an ‘introvert’.The Tennis Podcast will be daily throughout Wimbledon, presented by David Law and Catherine Whitaker.It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the day that Serena Williams returned to Wimbledon for the first time in a couple of years and won her first round, Stan Wawrinka scored the biggest win of his career since returning from knee surgery.Wawrinka overcame Grigor Dimitrov in exhilarating fashion on Centre Court, commentated on for BBC 5 Live by David Law. Afterwards, he and Catherine Whitaker met up to mull over the day’s action, including a shocking loss for Sloane Stephens, they talk about the clothing label change of Roger Federer, and find out what Catherine made of Venus Williams and Katie Swan in her interviews.The Tennis Podcast will be daily throughout Wimbledon, presented by David Law and Catherine Whitaker.It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home of the US Open in the UK.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What looked like being the calm before the storm on the day before The Championships, erupted into life a day early with Andy Murray’s sudden withdrawal.The news is crow-barred into the preview pod after its initial recording, with more considered attention given to who might win the men’s and women’s singles titles. David Law is joined by Simon Briggs from the Telegraph, who thinks that Roger Federer fans are going to be disappointed this time around. So who will dethrone the mighty Swiss?There’s talk of the chances of Nadal 10 years on from his first victory, and the return of Serena Williams for the first time since giving birth.Will Petra Kvitova or Simona Halep take the women’s title, or perhaps someone else?And what of Kyle Edmund, who comes into Wimbledon as the British No.1 male for the first time?The Tennis Podcast will be daily throughout Wimbledon, presented by David Law and Catherine Whitaker.It is produced in associated with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by Amazon Prime Video, the new home o

A year ago, Marin Cilic cut a disconsolate figure as he lost the final against Feliciano Lopez from match point down. A year on, it was his turn to save match point against Novak Djokovic before winning through in the longest match in the history of the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen's Club.Afterwards, Cilic spoke to David Law, and, sitting overlooking centre court, Law and Catherine Whitaker debriefed over the match they had just witnessed. What happened to Djokovic - was it a choke? Or did Cilic wrestle it away?What does it all mean for Wimbledon? Is Cilic now the favourite for the title? Is Djokovic a real contender?The Tennis Podcast will be daily throughout The Championships at Wimbledon, in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Novak Djokovic is into an ATP final for the first time since he returned from a serious elbow injury, and afterwards he spoke to The Tennis Podcast. He is up against Marin Cilic in the title-decider for the Fever-Tree Championships. The Croatian also joined Gigi Salmon to chat on the pod.Elsewhere, we hear from Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett during the ever first wheelchair exhibition tournament at Queen's, and from Novak Djokovic's coach Marian Vajda, who explains why he returned to his man's side.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Down to the final four at the Fever-Tree Championships, and on quarterfinals day at The Queen’s Club, Marin Cilic, Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic and Jeremy Chardy were all in formidable form.On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker and Gigi Salmon discuss their respective wins, and we hear from Cilic whose week on the court is going as well as that of his country Croatia in the World Cup. We dip into the press conferences of Kyrgios and Djokovic who both seem serene and ready for a big weekend. And Gigi Salmon has a good chat with Jeremy Chardy.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.