The Tennis Podcast

We begin this episode by discussing the latest developments surrounding Peng Shuai who has not been heard from since she made sexual assault allegations against a top Chinese government official two weeks ago. Steve Simon, chairman of the WTA, has continued to take a strong stance by casting doubt on an email released by Chinese state media attributed to Peng Shuai and saying that there remains a lot of concern for her safety. Elsewhere, David and Matt talk all about Garbine Muguruza winning the WTA Finals. How did she beat Anett Kontaveit in the final? In what way did Guadalajara bring out the best in her? What made her so emotional in victory? And what does this title mean in the context of her career? There’s also more chat about the ATP Finals, including the performances of Jannik Sinner and Cameron Norrie as alternates, Novak Djokovic’s contentment, and whether Andrey Rublev needs a Plan B. Finally, we react to a detailed update from Roger Federer about his knee injury.  The

It’s down to the final four at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara. David and Matt discuss how perfect it feels for Paula Badosa to be facing Garbine Muguruza in the semis, the way in which Maria Sakkari’s physical prowess should enable her to recover from her gruelling win over Aryna Sabalenka, and whether Anett Kontaveit’s momentum has been snapped at just the wrong time. Over in Turin, the ATP Finals are underway. Why does it look and feel so similar to London? Will Matteo Berrettini have to withdraw? How is the court speed impacting matches? And in what way did a nap inspire Andrey Rublev? We also give an update on Peng Shuai, react to the WTA’s statement on the matter, and consider where this leaves the WTA and the future of its relationship with China. The Tennis Podcast is produced year-round, with daily editions during the Grand Slam tournaments. We are on-course to produce more than 150 podcasts for the second year running.LOVEALLAUCTIONJudy Murray’s LOVEALLAUCTION, featuring tickets and beh

The WTA Finals in Guadalajara have come to life, with Garbine Muguruza keeping her hopes alive, Paula Badosa battling past Maria Sakkari, and Aryna Sabalenka using the crowd's energy and support to summon her best tennis. David and Matt talk about it all and we hear from Iga Swiatek who spoke openly in her press conference about how PMS affected her in the first match. There's also a review of Tommy Paul's victory over Denis Shapovalov in Stockholm, more excitement about Carlos Alcaraz after he won the Next Gen Finals, and a shocking and disturbing report from China where Peng Shuai has not been heard from since accusing the country's former vice premier of sexual abuse.The Tennis Podcast is produced year-round, with daily editions during the Grand Slam tournaments. We are on-course to produce more than 150 podcasts for the second year running.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 when the nex

With everyone having played their first match at the WTA Finals, Catherine, David and Matt discuss the main talking points so far, including the epic contest between Garbine Muguruza and Karolina Pliskova, the strong performances from Paula Badosa and Maria Sakkari, Iga Swiatek’s sadness at her own display, and Anett Kontaveit continuing her awesome form. There’s also discussion about the conditions in Guadalajara, an argument about the court colour, and confusion about the sponsor. Elsewhere, we chat about Andy Murray’s season ending in Stockholm, Emma Raducanu’s decision to work with Torben Beltz, the new second week schedule at the Australian Open, and the ATP Finals draw. The Tennis Podcast is produced year-round, with daily editions during the Grand Slam tournaments. We are on-course to produce more than 150 podcasts for the second year running.SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a remin

Catherine Whitaker is back alongside David Law to talk about another extraordinary achievement from Novak Djokovic - ending a year as the World No.1 male for a record 7th time. They cover the stress of his semifinal and serenity and joy of his final against Daniil Medvedev. Plus, there's chat about the crowd, Hugo Gaston, and what the week might mean for the Djokovic vs. Medvedev rivalry.With a busy week ahead, there's also debate about the new rules at the Next Gen finals, and Catherine gives her take about the recent Billie Jean King Cup controversy.The Tennis Podcast is produced year-round, with daily editions during the Grand Slam tournaments. We are on-course to produce more than 150 podcasts for the second year running. 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 when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and p

Russia won the Billie Jean King Cup and Matt had himself quite a day.A last minute selection change from Russia did not go down well with Switzerland, and Matt was in the middle of one of the more tense press conferences we’ve witnessed. Hear it all on this edition of The Tennis Podcast. And if that’s not enough, Matt sat down with Billie Jean King for a chat on the pod about her memories of this event, her time as captain, and her experience in Prague. Finally, we reflect on the significance of Russia's victory and give our impressions of the week as a whole. 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 when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, 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, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://e

Russia and Switzerland booked their places in the final of the Billie Jean King Cup in contrasting fashion on Friday. Russia had to work extremely hard to beat USA, with Liudmila Samsonova starring in singles and doubles. Switzerland, meanwhile, were comfortable winners over Australia. David and Matt talk about both ties, react to press conference clips from Danielle Collins, Jil Teichmann and Heinz Günthardt, and preview tomorrow’s final. To subscribe and watch a stream of the action for €7.99 - https://video.billiejeankingcup.comThe Tennis Podcast will be with you nightly throughout the week.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 when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, 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, pred

Switzerland will face Australia in the semi-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup after a day of surprises in Prague. How much was Switzerland’s win down to their brilliance versus Czech Republic underperforming? In what way was Belinda Bencic the MVP of the tie? And how much does Australia’s team spirit help them on court? David and Matt discuss all of that, react to Ajla Tomljanovic’s press conference, and preview the mouth-watering semi-final between USA and Russia. To subscribe and watch a stream of the action for €7.99 - https://video.billiejeankingcup.comThe Tennis Podcast will be with you nightly throughout the week.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 when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TheTennisPodcastNEWSLETTERSign up to

It seems the USA team said “and I took that personally” after losing to Slovakia. On Wednesday, they qualified for the semi-finals by beating Spain, with Danielle Collins thumping Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-1 6-0. David and Matt react to that awesome performance and discuss what Sloane Stephens had to say in press after her victory. Elsewhere, hear Matt’s chat with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova after she beat Alize Cornet in a thrilling match to secure a semi-final spot for the Russian Tennis Federation. To subscribe and watch a stream of the action for €7.99 - https://video.billiejeankingcup.comThe Tennis Podcast will be with you nightly throughout the week.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 when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TheTenn

It was a day of upsets in Prague as Viktoria Kuzmova (remember her?!) led Slovakia to a thrilling win over USA and Daria Gavrilova, playing her first match for 10 months, set Australia on the path to victory against Belgium. David and Matt talk about a nail-biting decisive doubles match, react to Gavrilova’s press conference in which she talked openly about the tough year she’s had, and admire Belinda Bencic’s performance against Angelique Kerber. To subscribe and watch a stream of the action for €7.99 - https://video.billiejeankingcup.comThe Tennis Podcast will be with you nightly throughout the week.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 when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TheTennisPodcastNEWSLETTERSign up to get our news,

The pressure was on the Czech Republic, and Barbora Krejcikova in particular, to produce in front of a passionate home crowd on Day 1 of the Billie Jean King Cup in Prague. Matt Roberts was there to witness it all, and afterwards he joined David Law to talk about the upsets, injuries and inspired play that lit up The O2 Arena on Monday. To subscribe and watch a stream of the action for €7.99 - https://video.billiejeankingcup.comThe Tennis Podcast will be with you nightly throughout the week.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 when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, 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, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRXEMAILWe hope that the podcast helps to provide som

Matt is in Prague for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, and Catherine and David are jealous.Find out what he asked in a weekend of press conferences, which group he sees as the Group of Death, and what the vibe is like on the ground.Elsewhere, Catherine assesses Emma Raducanu’s week, reveals her feelings about Halloween and the clocks going back, the form of Frances Tiafoe gets bigged up, and Anett Kontaveit's incredible run to reach the WTA Finals is discussed. Finally, remember Marin Cilic? 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 when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, 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, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRXEMAILWe hope that the podcast helps to provide some form of

Catherine, David and Matt tackle another set of listener questions, guest edited by Dave Courteen. How will Raducanu’s US Open victory affect her career in the long run? Has the ship sailed for the Dimitrov-Nishikori-Raonic generation? In what order will Swiatek, Fernandez, Gauff and Raducanu be ranked at the end of 2022? Who will be the next first-time major winners? What would tennis be like if there were only one serve? Has electronic line calling been a positive or negative addition to the sport? What are some of the best matches to have featured both players playing well at the same time? And which player could use a Matt? 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder wh

Paula Badosa and Cameron Norrie are the 2021 Indian Wells champions! Catherine, David and Matt discuss why the women’s final was a contender for match of the year, whether Badosa can use this victory as a springboard for further success, how #shoegate returned to bother Norrie before the biggest match of his life, the Nadal-like qualities to Norrie’s approach to tennis, and whether or not he will qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin. We also review Citizen Ashe and King Richard which were screened at the London Film Festival last week. Spoiler: we liked them. 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http:

Catherine, David and Matt discuss the biggest moments from the last few days at Indian Wells, including premature congratulations to Ons Jabeur for reaching the Top 10, Jelena Ostapenko making her way into the semi-finals impressively, Daniil Medvedev’s collapse from 6-4 4-1 up against Grigor Dimitrov, a return to form for Alex de Minaur, more encouraging signs for Andy Murray (even if he doesn’t think so), Reilly Opelka’s no-holds-barred interview, 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.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 when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon - http

With Indian Wells in full swing, Catherine, David and Matt talk about some of the biggest stories so far, including Andy Murray’s fantastic three-set win over Carlos Alcaraz, Leylah Fernandez picking up where she left off in New York, and Iga Swiatek donating her prize money to a nonprofit mental health organisation. In the U.K. much of the coverage has been centred on Emma Raducanu’s defeat to Aliaksandra Sasnovich. We discuss the match and why we’re not going to read too much into the result before David speaks to Simon Briggs of The Telegraph about what it’s been like at Indian Wells, the responsibility he feels when writing about Raducanu, and how her coaching situation might be resolved. 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, m

Indian Wells is back! As the tours return to Tennis Paradise, Catherine, David and Matt are together in the same room to talk through the draws, the pre tournament press conferences, the fact that Emma Raducanu is the favourite for the title, how big The Mix is on the men's side, and drama involving Andy Murray's shoes. Before all of that, we also discuss Monday's announcement that the ATP has launched an internal investigation into the abuse accusations against Alexander Zverev. 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 PODCASTWe crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon

With new tournaments in San Diego and Chicago proving a big hit, Catherine, David and Matt are together to talk through the last week in tennis. How far can Casper Ruud go over the next few years? In what way does Cameron Norrie keep impressing? Did we learn anything new about Jannik Sinner after he successfully defended his title in Sofia? What’s made Chicago champion Garbine Muguruza so enjoyable to watch in 2021? And how did Alison van Uytvanck keep up her 100% record in finals? Elsewhere, there’s discussion about the large British media contingent travelling to Indian Wells as Emma Raducanu plays her first match as US Open champion, as well as the news that a vaccine mandate may be required for players at the upcoming Australian Open. 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 PODCASTWe crowdf

For the first time in a couple of weeks, Catherine, David and Matt are all together to review what was a pretty busy week in tennis, headlined by the fourth edition of The Laver Cup. We discuss Europe’s dominance, what we continue to like and dislike about the event, how it might be improved, and Mary Carillo’s decision to step down from her Laver Cup role due to the event’s handling of Alexander Zverev and the accusations against him. Elsewhere, there’s chat about Annett Kontaveit’s victory over Maria Sakkari in Ostrava!!!, the way in which Andy Murray viewed his week in Metz differently to everyone else, Hubert Hurkacz’s rise into the ATP Finals qualification spots, a massive moment in the career of Liam Broady, and Emma Raducanu’s announcement that she is looking for a new coach. 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 Dece

One week on from the most extraordinary Grand Slam tennis tournament in recent memory, David Law returns to give his takes!What did he think of Emma Raducanu’s win, what has he made of the media coverage one week on, and what should we expect in the future? Joined by Catherine Whitaker with Matt Roberts is on holiday, David is grilled about the men’s final between Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic, the latest win by Clara Tauson, and the discord over Laver Cup. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. More than 150 editions of the show are produced year-round, with weekly coverage and daily pods 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 when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILXOr, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon -