The Tennis Podcast

The Australian Open draw has been made, the Tennis Podcast’s Kickstarter targets have been met, and Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport), David Law (BBC 5 Live) and Simon Briggs (Telegraph) have convened to plot the next two weeks for Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and the rest. Which of the leading players can be most happy with their draws? Murray, who could face Federer in the quarters, or Novak Djokovic, who has Fernando Verdasco for his opener? Wawrinka, who could meet Nick Kyrgios in round 4, or Nadal who might meet Alex Zverev in the third round? On the women’s side, why is everyone so concerned about top seed Angelique Kerber? What does Serena’s route to the final look like? And what did Jo Konta do to deserve her horror draw? It’s all discussed in the latest Tennis Podcast, which is produced in association with Telegraph Sport, and during the Australian Open, Eurosport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of the most pulsating first weeks of the tennis season that we can remember concluded with Novak Djokovic edging Andy Murray in the Doha final. What does that do to the balance of power with Murray the World No.1 but Djokovic a six-time Australian Open champion? In Brisbane, Grigor Dimitrov returned from the wilderness to beat three Top-10 players and win his first title in two and a half years. Is he back for good or is this just a token reminder of what might have been? Karolina Pliskova won the women’s event in Brisbane, and that tournament prompted our presenter David Law to make a big, early pick for the Australian Open women’s title. And it isn’t Pliskova. We discuss which rivalry makes for the best matches, and David has a spectacular rant about how Stan Wawrinka never gets picked by anyone to win anything. So does this mean he’s picking him? The Tennis Podcast is presented by David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport) and Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport), and produced in association with Telegraph... &

Tennis Podcast listeners successfully funded the weekly show to continue in 2017, and so we are back! Catherine and David convene to discuss the seven tournaments that have started the new year with a bang, to talk about Andy Murray’s knighthood, to make their 2017 tennis wishes, and to delve into the Poll Vault. Nigel Sears, former coach of Ana Ivanovic and Daniella Hantuchova, and Murray’s father-in-law, tells us who he will be looking out for on the WTA circuit in 2017. He also gives us his thoughts on the retirement of Ivanovic, how he thinks Anne Keothavong will fair as Great Britain Fed Cup captain, and whether he will be addressing Murray as ‘Sir Andy’. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport) and produced in association with Telegraph Sport. The podcast’s crowdfunding Kickstarter will end on January 14th at Noon UK time. If it reaches £15,000, the team will produce 45 daily podcasts at the Grand Slam tournaments in 2017. Go to...

After taking a break for a month, The Tennis Podcast is back for one last episode in 2016, and there is a lot for Catherine and David to cover. The awful knife attack suffered by Petra Kvitova, the retirement of Ana Ivanovic, and the Australian Open withdrawals of Juan Martin Del Potro and Madison Keys kick off the show. The coaching carousel has been spinning like a Rafael Nadal forehand, and Nadal’s new alliance with Carlos Moya is one of the main topics discussed. What to make of the separation of Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker, and Jo Konta and Esteban Carril? And what will Richard Krajicek bring to Milos Raonic? We also talk about Roger Federer’s return, his periscoped practice session, and Andy Murray winning Sports Personality of the Year for a third time. And finally, don’t forget that The Tennis Podcast is running a crowdfunding Kickstarter to try to keep the show going in 2017. Please go to Kickstarter.com and search Tennis Podcast if you would like to contribute. Direct link -...  

After 260 episodes and five years of The Tennis Podcast, we are asking for your help to keep it going in 2017, and to make it bigger and better than ever. To find out how, go to: https://goo.gl/NLHqvq  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of the most memorable Davis Cup finals in history, a 0-2 comeback from the one and only Juan Martin Del Potro, and a first triumph in Argentina's history. Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport) spend half of The Tennis Podcast talking about all of that, and the other half debating who warrants the Tennis Podcast 2016 Awards. Who is the player of the year? What was the biggest shock of 2016? Who had the biggest breakthrough? And who lays dubious claim to Meltdown of the Year? Those and many more are discussed on the penultimate Tennis Podcast of 2016. The Tennis Podcast is a weekly, downloadable tennis radio show which is produced in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Argentina have been trying to win the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas for more than a hundred years, and after four failed final attempts, they will be hoping that this is their year. Ahead of their final against Croatia in Zagreb, the Tennis Podcast team of David Law and Catherine Whitaker get together to discuss their chances, the late selection of 37-year-old Ivo Karlovic - the oldest man to have played singles in a final since the 20's, and the journey of Juan Martin Del Potro. Who will win? It's discussed, with predictions from presenters and listeners. And before signing off, they reminisce about great Davis Cup finals from the past. This edition of The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with Telegraph Sport and sponsored by The Davis Cup by BNP Paribas. www.daviscup.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After Novak Djokovic dominated the first half of the year, and Andy Murray the second, the two met in the final match of the ATP season, with the World No.1 ranking at stake. Murray triumphed, and afterwards Catherine Whitaker and David Law talked it over inside The 02 on the Tennis Podcast. Where was the match won and lost? How did Murray dig out that performance when he must have been running on fumes? What happened to Djokovic after he had looked so good 24 hours earlier against Kei Nishikori? Will his coaching relationship with Boris Becker and Marian Vajda continue in 2017? It's all discussed on the latest Tennis Podcast, which is produced in association with Telegraph Sport. eg65pxp6  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Andy Murray arrives to the 02 Arena as the favourite to win the title for the first time, but he's been handed a horror draw. With a couple of days until the event starts, Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport) get together to discuss the chances of Murray winning, Djokovic returning to form, and someone else upsetting all the odds. Catherine pretty much goes with the obvious, but David has gone out on a limb. What do our listeners say in Poll Vault? We also hear about what David thinks of the ATP's latest round of awards, including the stick he took for commenting on the sportsmanship of the year gong. And if Catherine and David could have any coach in the world to guide their own feeble talents, who would they choose? The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with Telegraph Sport. eg65pxp6  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In his 12th year as a tennis professional, after winning multiple Grand Slam titles, the Davis Cup and two Olympic gold medals, Andy Murray has finally forced his way past Novak Djokovic to top the world rankings. A few hours after Murray underlined his new status by winning in Paris Bercy, David Law and Catherine Whitaker got together to reflect on a monumental achievement. What turned Murray into serial contender to the No. 1 player in the world? How big an impact did his coaching team of Ivan Lendl and Jamie Delgado have? Is there any asterisk next to Murray given the injuries to Federer and Nadal, and the decline of Djokovic’s form? And what of the future? Are we now at the start of an Andy Murray ‘era’? It’s all discussed, as is the current form and demeanour of Djokovic, heading into the ATP World Tour Finals at the 02 next week. The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dominika Cibulkova told the Tennis Podcast that winning the WTA Finals was the ‘happiest day of my life’, and the pod team convened afterwards to discuss it. With David in Dubai airport on route back from Singapore, and Catherine in the UK, they chatted about a week of thrilling matches in which there were a number of surprises. Plus, as Andy Murray continues to close on World Number One, Catherine and David discuss whether he will he get there before the end of the year. There’s also a big interview with the great Chris Evert. She tells David about her surprise at Angelique Kerber reaching World No.1, how impressed she’s been with Jo Konta, and how many more Slams she thinks Serena Williams will win. Asked about her relationship with Martina Navratilova, she gives a special insight into what it was like being the only two players left in the locker-room at the end of tournaments. The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out

A star studded line up of players from the WTA Finals (and Andy Murray) join David (who is in Singapore) and Catherine (who has just got back from Vienna  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Since Catherine Whitaker and David Law last convened on the Tennis Podcast, Maria Sharapova’s sentence has been reduced by nine months, Andy Murray has won 20 sets out of 20 to move to within sight of World No.1, and Novak Djokovic has continued to struggle. On the day we recorded this edition, Serena Williams withdrew from the WTA Finals because of her ongoing shoulder issues, and Nick Kyrgios was fined and suspended for ’tanking’ in Shanghai, with that suspension being reduced to 3 weeks provided he sees a sports psychologist. So, there was plenty to talk about. The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

He was the talk of Wimbledon for the first few days. The man who nearly quit the sport until his girlfriend told him not to, who entered pre-qualifying, won six matches, and made it into the main draw before bowing out to Roger Federer in round two. But as Marcus Willis tells David Law on the Tennis Podcast, he doesn't want to remembered for losing in the second round at Wimbledon. The journey to achieve more starts here, with masses of off-court training, a qualifying wild card at the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna, and an invitation to compete for a winner-take-all cheque of $250,000 against Andy Murray, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Dominic Thiem, Tommy Haas and Goran Ivanisevic. The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David & Catherine meet at a new London eaterie to discuss a barnstorming week in Wuhan for Petra Kvitova and how it affects the Race to Singapore, which is really hotting up. As well as an update on the podcast's newly assigned mascot (Rosie the dog), the Tennis Podcast team also review another #NextGen title on the ATP Tour and analyse Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from Beijing.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Two weeks since the US Open podcasts and Catherine Whitaker has finally returned, joining up with David Law to review debut career titles for Alex Zverev and Lucas Pouille, a run to the final in Tokyo by Naomi Osaka, and to preview Wuhan. Catherine comes out firing, predicting that both Osaka and Zverev will be World No.1's. There's much Osaka/Zverev insight and excitement, much bewilderment at Dominic Thiem continuing to play every week, and a big debate about the proposed changes to the Davis Cup. The show also features a very surprising guest. So surprising, the presenters knew nothing about it until the guest appeared on the show. The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Tennis Podcast is a downloadable tennis radio show presented by BBC Radio 5 Live and BT Sport tennis commentator David Law and Eurosport presenter Catherine Whitaker. This is a 2 minute flavour to introduce you to the sound of the show, the type of guests you will hear and the reason that David refuses to play Catherine at tennis. The Tennis Podcast is a weekly show throughout the year, with daily editions during Grand Slam tournaments and other big events. Since its launch in May 2012, more than 250 episodes have been produced, and the show has been downloaded more than 2 million times.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Juan Martin Del Potro came  close to hanging up his tennis racquet for good 18 months ago. In Glasgow he did what no man had ever done before - beating Andy Murray on home territory in the Davis Cup, as Argentina eventually knocked out the defending champions Great Britain.  After his win over Murray, he spoke to BBC 5 Live commentator and Tennis Podcast presenter David Law about the experience.  And, moments after Leonardo Mayer sealed victory with a win over Dan Evans, Law joined Murray’s former coach Miles Mclagan to discuss where the tie had been won and lost, o consider how long Murray might need away from the game to return energised, and to look ahead to the Davis Cup final between Argentina and Croatia.  The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After two gruelling weeks in which Stan Wawrinka stood a point from defeat against Britain's Dan Evans, and spent more than 20 hours on the court, it was Novak Djokovic's body that ultimately broke down in the final. A pulsating four-set tussle was won by Wawrinka - his third Grand Slam title - and afterwards the Telegraph's Tennis Podcast team got together to work out where it went right for Stan, and wrong for Novak. Eurosport presenter Catherine Whitaker and BBC 5 Live commentator David Law discussed the comments of Mats Wilander, in which the seven-time Grand Slam title winner said peak Wawrinka is the most exciting player in the world. And they wondered what has gone wrong with the body of Djokovic over the past few months since he won the French Open. Has he just overdone it over the past couple of years?     The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with Telegraph Sport.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eight months ago, Angelique Kerber was match point down in the first round of the Australian Open. Eight months on, having saved that match point, she is the Australian Open and US Open champion, the World No.1, a Wimbledon runner-up, and an Olympic silver-medalist. After a classic 3-set tussle between Kerber and Karolina Pliskova, the Tennis Podcast’s team of Eurosport presenter Catherine Whitaker, BBC Radio 5 Live commentator David Law and Telegraph tennis correspondent Simon Briggs caught up to review it all while racing for the bus back to Manhattan. How has Kerber gone from solid Top Ten player to World No.1 inside a year? What next for Pliskova after her impressive wins over Venus and Serena Williams, and narrow defeat in the final? And who will win the men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka? The podcast team debate it all, and review a second Grand Slam doubles title in 2016 for Jamie Murray. The men’s singles final will be broadcast live on...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy