The Tennis Podcast

After Stefanos Tsitsipas easily beat Dan Evans and Andrey Rublev on finals weekend in Monte Carlo to claim the title, Catherine, David and Matt talk it all through. Why does Tsitsipas’ game transfer so well to clay? How significant was it that he won a Masters 1000 event for the first time? What did we learn about Rublev this week? And what should we make of Rafael Nadal’s first tournament back on his favourite surface? We also cover a career best week for Astra Sharma at Charleston 2, discuss Ons Jabeur’s ongoing quest for a first WTA title, round up the results from the Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs and react to news that Roger Federer will play on clay in Geneva and at Roland Garros this season. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced on Mondays and Thursdays, and daily during Grand Slam tournaments.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us o

After Dan Evans stunned Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo for the biggest win of his career, we thought we’d better record a podcast. How much was Evans’ victory down to his inspired play and how much was it due to Djokovic being below par? Can we read anything into this defeat for Djokovic? Where has Evans’ clay court form come from? And in what way is his new approach on the surface similar to the one taken by Tim Henman when he reached the French Open semi-finals in 2004? Elsewhere, we discuss Stefanos Tsitsipas’ unpleasant rant at an umpire, dominant victories for Rafael Nadal, an inauspicious start to life with Toni Nadal for Felix Auger-Aliassime, progress for 15-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova in Charleston, and Wimbledon’s expansion plans. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced on Mondays and Thursdays, and daily during Grand Slam tournaments.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shou

Catherine emerges from a day talking to Billie Jean King, Victoria Azarenka, Chanda Rubin, Caroline Weir and Annika Sorenstam on the ITF’s global forum on gender equality to share her experience with David and Matt. If you would like to watch the forum, you can - https://youtu.be/YFnEdyIIycE.After that, Catherine, David and Matt discussed the start of the springtime clay court season, why they love it, and the early storylines. They also pick over the appointment of Toni Nadal by Felix Augur-Aliassime. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced on Mondays and Thursdays, and daily during Grand Slam tournaments.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 on December 1st - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TheTennisPodcastNEWSLETTERSign

Our guest this week is wheelchair tennis legend Esther Vergeer. One of the sport’s greatest ever champions, Vergeer spoke to Catherine about how turning to sport helped her after she became paralysed from the waist down as a child, why she embraced using a mental coach throughout her career, what it’s like psychologically to be on a 470-match winning streak, the time she almost lost at the Beijing Paralympics, designing her own wheelchair, how she feels about the word “inspirational” to describe disabled athletes, and her hopes for more integration in the future. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced on Mondays and Thursdays, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments.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 on December 1st - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon

The final few days in Miami gave Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts much to discuss. In what way did Ash Barty make a statement by defending her title? How much did we miss out on by not seeing a fully fit Bianca Andreescu in the final? Were we surprised by the level of tennis Hubert Hurkacz produced to win his maiden Masters 1000 title? What’s special about Jannik Sinner’s approach to tennis? And did we sit the limit to Andrey Rublev’s game? We also get stuck into the week’s doubles results, examine some of the reasons why we don’t talk more about doubles, cover the latest happy development in G.E.M.S life, and touch on the uncertainty surrounding Roland Garros next month. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced on Mondays and Thursdays, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predi

As the Miami Open reaches the closing stages, Catherine Whitaker and David Law catch up to discuss the tournament’s major storylines from the second week so far: Why are David and Catherine surprised by how excited they are about Sebastian Korda’s potential? How does Roberto Bautista Agut cause Daniil Medvedev problems every time they face off? Was Stefanos Tsitsipas correct when he called his defeat to Hubert Hurkacz a ‘self explosion’? Why is Jannik Sinner Catherine’s candidate to be the future metronomic winner of titles? How well has Ash Barty been playing en route to her second straight Miami final? Could the moment Maria Sakkari saved six match points against Jessica Pegula be a turning point in her career? What on earth happened for Naomi Osaka to lose a 6-0 set as well as her 23-match winning streak? And how has Dan Evans made his way into the doubles final? The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It i

A few days into the Miami Open and we don’t know where to look because there are so many fantastic matches and storylines. Catherine stepped out of the Prime Video studio for a while to join David and Matt to cover the wins for Bianca Andreescu, Ash Barty and Ons Jabeur, as well as a cramping Daniil Medvedev, a resurgent Frances Tiafoe and young Fin, Emil Ruusuvuori.We also cover the latest reaction to Vasek Pospisil’s on-court rant, from several players under the hashtag #PlayersVoice.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced on Mondays and Thursdays, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments.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 on December 1st - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX.Or 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,

Catherine is presenting live TV coverage of the Miami Open on Prime Video, but that isn’t enough to stop podcast production, and we had plenty to get our teeth into, including the comeback of Ana Konjuh, confidence-boosting wins for Sloane Stephens and Katie Boulter, and Jack Draper's unfortunate retirement. Elsewhere, we dissect the explosive comments of Vasek Pospisil in the direction of ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi, cover Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro's latest injury set-backs, and talk about the man responsible for creating the Miami Open more than 3 decades ago.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.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe are crowdfunded for 2021 but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail in December when our next campaign goes live, then you can sign up here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXNEWSLETTERSign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s

Catherine, David and Matt round off the results from last week’s slate of tournaments, including debut titles for Aslan Karatsev and Leylah Fernandez, yet another semi-final defeat for Denis Shapovalov, more fireworks from Lorenzo Musetti in Acapulco, a mid-match earthquake, a tense victory for Alexander Zverev over Stefanos Tsitsipas, and the continued resurgence of Daria Kasatkina in St Petersburg. This week, the players (minus Serena Williams and the Big 3) are heading to Miami for the first combined 1000 event of the season. We discuss the withdrawals, the growing number of men’s voices expressing discontent about the current state of tennis, rumours that the PTPA might be planning some sort of action, and Catherine’s interview with Andy Murray for Prime Video. 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.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe are crowdfunded for 2021 but if you

In this mid-week pod, we compare the ceilings of Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov, apologise to Jeremy Chardy, discuss what’s going wrong for Dominic Thiem at the moment, revel in a big week so far for Lorenzo Musetti in Acapulco, and note the big Russian presence in the St Petersburg quarter-finals. 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.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe are crowdfunded for 2021 but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail in December when our next campaign goes live, then you can sign up here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXNEWSLETTERSign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRXEMAILWe hope that the podcast helps to provide some form of escape during these challenging times. If you ever feel like writing to us, our e-mail is open – info@tennispodcast.netSOCIAL MEDIA Twitter - htt

Garbiñe Muguruza has finally turned her fantastic form into a title with victory in Dubai. In what way was she feeling the pressure of ending her title drought? How much of a role has Conchita Martínez played in her improved consistency? And how might her season develop from here? As for the woman she beat in the final, Barbora Krejčíková, David explains why we’ve mistakenly considered her to be exclusively a doubles player up until now, the advice she received from her former coach Jana Novotna, and the way her singles results have improved since tennis re-started last summer. Elsewhere, we discuss the way in which lengthy bathroom breaks in women’s tennis are talked about and whether there needs to be a rule change, we cover a 10th career title for new World No.2 Daniil Medvedev in Marseille, and we dive deep into the playing style, career and hair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly yea

Roger Federer returned to action after 405 days and two knee surgeries with a 3-set win over Dan Evans before a 3-set loss to Nikoloz Basilashvili in Doha. Catherine, David and Matt discuss how it felt to watch him play again, what we made of his two performances, whether we were surprised or in any way alarmed by how quickly he faded physically, and our immediate reaction to his decision to skip Dubai next week. Elsewhere, who has more potential out of Fritz and Shapovalov? How has Rublev reached the semi-finals in Doha without even playing a match? How good was Muguruza to beat Sabalenka for the second week running? And what happened to Pegula against Mertens? 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.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe are crowdfunded for 2021 but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail in December when our next campaign goes live, then you can sign

Roger Federer is back! In this episode, Catherine, David and Matt react to his pre tournament press conference in Doha as he prepares for his first match since January 2020. Did he consider retirement while he was out injured? How confident is he that the knee will hold up? What are his main goals for the season? And is he still motivated by the Grand Slam race?We also cover the main stories from last week, including another step forward for Andrey Rublev, a first victory on home soil for Diego Schwartzman, a dominant week for Petra Kvitova, and a first title for the talented Clara Tauson. 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.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe are crowdfunded for 2021 but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail in December when our next campaign goes live, then you can sign up here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXNEWSLETTERSign up to get our news, offe

We discuss what we’ve seen so far this week in Doha and Rotterdam, including a barnstormer between Garbine Muguruza and Aryna Sabalenka, progress for Kei Nishikori, the end of Stefanos Tsitsipas’ losing streak in doubles, and Andy Murray’s 7-5, 6-2 defeat against Andrey Rublev. Hear part of Murray’s fascinating post match press conference in which he explains why he was disappointed in his performance and why he will continue to demand a lot of himself. There’s also news of Marcus Willis’ retirement and the discovery of Juan Manuel Cerúndolo. Then, we move on to answering more listener questions. In best-of-five set matches, should there be a games-won threshold that the losing player must reach after two sets to trigger five sets? Is there such a thing as a straight-sets classic? What is our best prediction of what Federer can achieve when he returns? And if we could choose any current players to face off on any court on any surface, who would we pick? The Tennis Podcast is presented by C

We’re back! Catherine and David catch up and discuss what’s been happening since the Australian Open, including Andy Murray’s comeback in Montpellier, titles for Iga Swiatek and David Goffin, the latest Hall of Fame nominations, and tweets from John Isner about the ATP being a ‘broken system’. Then, in part two, we dive into some listener questions, chosen by guest editor Simon Pearce. Is percentage of second serves won the most underrated but critical statistic in tennis? Who would be involved in our ultimate mixed doubles match? What role did tennis play in rescuing David from the Lost Law Years? Should the tours be regionalised post pandemic to make the sport more economically viable? And should women play best-of-five sets at majors? 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.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe are crowdfunded for 2021 but if you’d like to receive a reminde

If Saturday was all about Naomi Osaka opening up a gap between herself and the rest of the field, then Sunday was all about Novak Djokovic closing the gap in the Grand Slam Race. After he beat Daniil Medvedev in a surprisingly one-sided final, his18th major title was the subject of our final podcast from the 2021 Australian Open. Why was the match not as close as we expected? Could Medvedev have done anything differently? Why did Djokovic 'need' this title? What might his schedule look like in the future as he worries less about his ranking? And how did Goran Ivanisevic stoke up the Grand Slam Race?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.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe are crowdfunded for 2021 but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail in December when our next campaign goes live, then you can sign up here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXNEWSLETTERSign up to get our news,

On Saturday, Naomi Osaka beat Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to set herself apart. It was her 21st consecutive match win, her 4th Grand Slam title, and her 2nd Australian Open crown. Her 12-0 record at the quarter-finals and beyond in majors is unmatched by anyone else in the Open Era.We look back on where the final was won and lost, reflect on Osaka’s journey to this point and her place in the game, consider her potential on grass and clay, and discuss what the future might hold for Brady. There’s also a preview of tomorrow's men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. How can you back against Djokovic in an Australian Open final? But why do we have a feeling for Medvedev? 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.NEWSLETTERSign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRXEMAILWe hope that the podcast helps to provid

Just when Stefanos Tsitsipas thought he’d scaled his Everest by beating Rafael Nadal, he ran into Daniil Medvedev. The Russian picked apart Tsitsipas’ game for his 12th consecutive win over a Top-10 player to set up a final meeting with Novak Djokovic. In part one of this podcast we discuss the match, including the way the crowd influenced both players, the deceptive brilliance of Medvedev, whether Tsitsipas was fatigued, the simmering aggro, and Medvedev’s shot of the tournament contender. In part two, we speak to Simon Briggs to get his views on Medvedev’s appeal in the UK, to hear about his interview with Naomi Osaka’s fitness trainer, to discuss the news that the Australian Open is set to cost Tennis Australia $100m, and to ponder what’s next for the sport in these uncertain times. 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.NEWSLETTERSign up to get our news, off

Day 11 of this Australian Open was a classic day of Grand Slam semi-final tennis, defined by tournament favourites underlining their credentials, an ageing great dealing with the heaviness of defeat, and two inexperienced players anxiously trying to defeat their nerves and each other to reach a first major final. It left us with lots to reflect on and lots to look forward to on the podcast.Osaka shines bright - what makes her so special? Interpreting Serena’s wave goodbye Will Serena get to 24 and does it matter? (Featuring a small argument) Brady survives epic last game to reach first major final - can she trouble Osaka?Djokovic hits peak form at the right timeWhat next for Aslan Karatsev? Medvedev vs. Tsitsipas preview 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.NEWSLETTERSign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.co

What a day at the Australian Open: one that began with Ash Barty’s shock defeat to Karolina Muchova, and ended with Stefanos Tsitsipas' remarkable comeback against Rafael Nadal. We tried our best to put it all into words on the podcast. How did Tsitsipas turn the match around? What happened to Nadal in the third set tiebreak and beyond? Why was Barty vs. Muchova so weird? What role did the medical timeout play in the match? Will this defeat leave scar tissue for Barty? What does it mean that Jennifer Brady has backed up her US Open run? And how did Daniil Medvedev display his dominance over Andrey Rublev? 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.NEWSLETTERSign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRXEMAILWe hope that the podcast helps to provide some form of escape during these challenging times. If you ever feel like writ