The Tennis Podcast

Unlike many former players, Andy Roddick has stepped away from tennis since his retirement in 2012, occupying his life with various other ventures. But he’s still as passionate and as insightful about the game as ever.In an interview with David Law, Roddick explains what keeps him busy these days, the reasons behind his absence from tennis, and why the door will always remain open for him to return one day.Elsewhere, David gets Roddick’s views on a number of topical issues within the sport, including Novak Djokovic’s chances of becoming the GOAT, ATP Politics, and Davis Cup reform.Roddick also gives a fascinating insight into the Serena Williams he knows. What is she like away from the court? Will she ever address what happened in last year’s US Open final? And will she break the Grand Slam record?Finally, it’s been almost ten years since Roddick’s most famous match – the 2009 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer which he lost 16-14 in the final set. Does he think that serving second in the fifth set was a d

Catherine Whitaker and David Law are back with another Q & A edition of The Tennis Podcast, with this week’s questions chosen by guest editor James Meredith.- Will playing more doubles help or hinder Stefanos Tsitsipas in singles? (01:10)- Will Kyle Edmund have a better career than Tim Henman? (08:44)- Who are the most underrated players in today’s game? (13:41)- Who will finish the year ranked higher, Johanna Konta or Dan Evans? (19:09)- Which junior No.1s never lived up to expectations? (21:38)- Who are the best players to have never won a Grand Slam? (29:10)- Should Serena publicly address the events of the US Open final? And will it help her to do so? (34:38)- Should coaches be eligible for the Hall of Fame? (37:52)The Tennis Podcast will be produced weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments after our Kickstarter was successfully funded by our listeners. It is produced in association with The Telegraph.*** SOCIAL MEDIA *** Instagram - http://po.st/TTP_InstagramTwitter - http:/

When Janko Tipsarevic first appeared on The Tennis Podcast in 2012, he was ranked No.8 in the world and at the height of his powers. Seven years and seven surgeries later, he returns to the show to open up about the injuries that have plagued his career since then, his mental health struggles, and his plans for the future, including the launch of his mastermind programme for aspiring athletes. In a wide-ranging and powerful interview with David Law, Tipsarevic also discusses what Novak Djokovic is really like, why he’s convinced that Andy Murray will win another Grand Slam title, the harmful impact of the ITF World Tour, the political situation at the ATP, his views on prize money and gender equality in tennis, and what he thinks of the #NextGen players.The Tennis Podcast will be produced weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments after our Kickstarter was successfully funded by our listeners. It is produced in association with The Telegraph.   See acast.com/privacy

For the next two weeks our listeners will be setting the agenda on The Tennis Podcast as Catherine Whitaker and David Law take part in a couple of Q&A episodes. This week’s questions have been chosen by guest editor Keturah Anderssen-Chivers:·      Are players damaging their chances of progressing in Grand Slams by regularly requesting on-court coaching on the WTA Tour? (01:09) ·      Is it better for the sport to have four outstanding players who dominate, or have a range of players competing more evenly? (14:25)·      Is it unfair for a top player to enter 250 events - where they are likely to dominate - just so they can hit milestones? (20:31)·      Which new rule changes should be trialled at this year’s Next Gen Finals? (24:30)·      What are the pros and cons of working at tennis tournaments as journalists rather than attending as fans? (30:0

This week’s Tennis Podcast starts by addressing the elephant in the room: last week’s prediction that Roger Federer might not even be on the list to win the title in Miami. Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Grad Matt discuss how Federer discovered his best form, the way he dismantled a legion of big servers en route to lifting the trophy, and how he will approach the clay court swing. Elsewhere in the men’s draw, breakthroughs for Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov got everyone talking. But did Shapovalov approach his match against Federer in the wrong way? And are we beginning to find out what makes Auger-Aliassime so special? In the women’s draw, what’s changed to allow Ash Barty to produce her best tennis on the big stage for the first time? And will she go on to win Grand Slams? Finally, what might Andy Murray have felt while watching Bob Bryan win the doubles title just months after hip surgery? The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily at the Gr

The 2019 Miami Open is less than a week old but there’s already been loads of talking points for Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Grad Matt to get stuck into on this week’s Tennis Podcast. First of all, the move away from Crandon Park to the Hard Rock Stadium is discussed. What have the players been saying about the new venue? And how does it come across on television? In the women’s draw, Bianca Andreescu is once again the centre of attention. How is she managing to back up her Indian Wells title so impressively? And did Angelique Kerber overstep the line when she called Andreescu “the biggest drama queen ever”? Or was it just harmless, fun aggro? Elsewhere, is there any reason to be worried about Naomi Osaka after she lost early again? And is Serena going to break Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles or not? Her withdrawal is discussed. On the men’s side, unconvincing wins for Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are assessed, the poor form of Alexander Zverev is scrutinised, and

Two thrilling finals at Indian Wells produced two surprising winners in the form of Bianca Andreescu and Dominic Thiem. On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker and David Law discuss their remarkable performances. In Andreescu, it feels like tennis has a new teenage star, one who embraces meditation and plays with stunning variety. What makes her so special? And how does she compare to the other crop of youngsters who are breaking through so rapidly on the women’s tour? As for Dominic Thiem, how did he wrestle the final away from Roger Federer? And how has he adjusted his game to suit hard courts? Other talking points from Indian Wells include another knee injury for Rafael Nadal, and a small blip for Novak Djokovic. Elsewhere, there’s debate about the potential of having Main Draw lucky losers, an update on ATP politics, and tribute to Paul Hutchins. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments, thanks to our Kickstarter backers, in association with Teleg

At the end of a week where on-court action has been overshadowed by political turmoil in tennis, Catherine Whitaker and David Law begin The Tennis Podcast by discussing the news that Chris Kermode will leave his role as ATP President at the end of the year, after the players’ representatives on the board voted not to renew his contract. Why has no official statement been released to explain the reasons behind this decision? How have people reacted to the news? And has Chris Kermode been made the scapegoat when what some players are really after is a fundamental restructuring of the ATP? Elsewhere, Catherine chats about her first experience of Indian Wells, and there’s a look at the major storylines from the tournament so far. Those include Felix Auger-Aliassime’s hold over Stefanos Tsitsipas, the awesome sight of Serena Williams vs Victoria Azarenka followed by the distressing sight of Serena retiring against Garbine Muguruza, Sloane Stephens’ slump in form, the limitless talent of Bianca Andreescu, and unful

Andy Murray has spoken to the media, including The Tennis Podcast, for the first time since undergoing hip resurfacing surgery at the end of January, opening up about the details of the operation, his rehabilitation programme, his improved quality of life now that he’s pain-free, and how he still hopes to make a competitive return.This bonus edition of the podcast, recorded at The Queen’s Club, is the only place to hear Murray’s comments in full. Afterwards, David Law and Simon Briggs of Telegraph Sport give their reaction.What persuaded Murray to choose Sarah Muirhead-Allwood as his surgeon? What new things have we learned about his current condition? How different was Murray’s frame of mind compared to when we last saw him in Australia? And what’s the likelihood that we see him back on court in the future?Simon also gives an update on the political situation at the ATP ahead of a council meeting at Indian Wells that will see players discuss the possible ejection of president Chris Kermode.The Tennis Po

At the end of a thrilling week of tennis in Dubai and Acapulco, there was no shortage of talking points for David Law and Catherine Whitaker on The Tennis Podcast.They begin by trying to find new superlatives for Roger Federer after he won his 100th career title. How fitting was it that it came in Dubai, a place where Federer has had his ups and downs? How well did he play throughout the week? What did he do differently to get revenge on Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final? And can he now go on to catch Jimmy Connors’ Open Era record of 109 titles?In Acapulco, we saw the whole Nick Kyrgios package, and wasn’t it wonderful? But have we learned anything new about Kyrgios? Or just been reminded of what we already knew? His comeback against Nadal is discussed, his demolition of Alexander Zverev is praised, and his use of the underarm serve is debated. Is it a legitimate tactic, obnoxious, or both?The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments, thanks to our Kickstart

Three and a half years after an extraordinary title run in Toronto, Belinda Bencic has produced another one, this time in Dubai. On The Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts discuss what makes Bencic such a brilliant player, and wonder whether she can start producing these exceptional weeks more often. Elsewhere in Dubai, Naomi Osaka lost her first match without Sascha Bajin and afterwards gave an emotional press conference. Is there cause for concern? Or are we just not used to a player being so in touch with their emotions? And who might her next coach be? David has a hunch...On the men’s side, Dan Evans came so close to winning his first title, but fell short against Radu Albot in Delray Beach. What made it such a fun match to watch? And how much can Evans achieve this year? In Rio, Felix Auger-Aliassime made his move by reaching the final. Why is he being tipped for stardom? And tribute is paid to the victorious Laslo Djere, who has tragically lost both of his paren

After a few weeks apart, David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts are back together on this week’s podcast, and the only place to start is Naomi Osaka’s split with Sascha Bajin. What could be the reasons behind it ? Should we have seen it coming? And how important is it that she’s prioritising her mental health over her on court success? On a similar theme, is Simona Halep on a mission to prove she can win big without a coach? Her trial period with Thierry Van Cleemput was unsuccessful, but she still reached the final in Doha. What makes her conqueror Elise Mertens such a brilliant player? Elsewhere, the biggest men’s results from the past fortnight are discussed. How good could New York Open champion Reilly Opelka become? What makes Stan Wawrinka’s return to form so uplifting? Will Gael Monfils kick on from his win in Rotterdam? And why should we be paying close attention to the form of Daniil Medvedev? The Tennis Podcast will be weekly throughout 2019 and daily at all the Grand Sla

This week, The Tennis Podcast is joined by Laura Robson, who is due to make her return to action tomorrow in Shrewsbury after 8 months on the sidelines with hip surgery.Before commentating on a dramatic final Fed Cup rubber in Bath for BT Sport, Robson tells David Law about the emotions she has experienced while watching the British team that she hopes to be part of again, her long physical rehabilitation process, and her hopes for the future.Recorded in the BT Sport make-up room, Robson and Law are also joined by broadcaster Clare Balding to share stories from the week in Bath, talk about the potential of rising British player Katie Boulter, and solve a few of tennis' current problems, including the creation of a combined Fed and Davis Cup played every two years ...After the Fed Cup tie concludes, Law speaks to former World No.5 and veteran Fed Cup player Jo Durie to look back on a dramatic final rubber in which Jo Konta collapsed and still dragged herself and the British team over the finish line.The Tennis

Before they left Melbourne to return home following the Australian Open, David Law and Catherine Whitaker recorded another Q&A special edition of The Tennis Podcast, featuring discussion on numerous topical issues within the sport. This one is guest edited by Jim Boyle.- How long will Ivan Lendl maintain patience with Alexander Zverev? (01:25)- Where does Milos Raonic rank in the list of favourites for Wimbledon? (06:45)- Who has more potential – Katie Swan or Katie Boulter? (10:58)- Will La Caja Mágica in Madrid make a good venue for the Davis Cup Finals? (14:28)- Who is best-placed to succeed Serena Williams as the next serial winner of Grand Slams? (17:13)- What goes into negotiations for appearance fees? (22:44)- Should the Let serve be abolished? (26:24)- Why do some players want to remove Chris Kermode from his position as ATP president? (31:42)- Has women’s tennis ever been in a better place? (36:20)The Tennis Podcast will be uploaded weekly throughout 2019 and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments,

As we expected, Novak Djokovic is the Australian Open champion. But the manner of his victory - an emphatic straight-sets thrashing of Rafael Nadal – came as a big surprise. On The Tennis Podcast, David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts discuss the final in depth.What makes Djokovic so effective against Nadal on a hard court? Will he be able to translate the formula to clay and win a fourth consecutive slam at the French Open? And will he end up winning more slams than both Nadal and Federer?As for Nadal, was he nervous throughout the final? And why did he not try to play his new, more aggressive hard-court game? Would it have even made any difference?Elsewhere, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut completed their career Grand Slam. What makes them work so well together?Finally, how will we all remember the 2019 Australian Open?The Tennis Podcast will be produced weekly throughout the year and daily at all the Grand Slam tournaments in 2019, courtesy of our Kickstarter backers. It is produced in ass

After an exhilarating women’s final was won by Naomi Osaka over Petra Kvitova, David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt revel in the brilliance of Osaka.What caused her second set wobble? And how did she manage to recover from losing that set in such crushing circumstances?How significant is it that Osaka has now won back-to-back Grand Slams? And how is she so at ease with her relatively newfound status as a champion?Looking ahead to the men’s final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, will it be anything like their 5h53m epic from 2012? If it is, who will it favour? And will Nadal’s new, more aggressive hard court game be able to hurt Djokovic? The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australian Open, and at all the Grand Slams in 2019. It is produced in association with The Telegraph.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In what’s becoming a tradition of the Grand Slam daily pods, Catherine Whitaker and David Law are joined by the great Mary Carillo for a wide-ranging, free-flowing chat over brunch.Who does Mary think will win the women’s final between Kvitova and Osaka? How impressed has she been by Rafael Nadal? Why does she think the scheduling at the Australian Open is ‘terrible’? And what three things would she change in tennis?Catherine and David then return at the end of the show to discuss Novak Djokovic’s impeccable performance against Lucas Pouille. Has he ever played better? Sunday’s final against Nadal has all the ingredients to be a classic, doesn’t it?Looking ahead to the women’s final, both David and Catherine think it will be incredibly close, but why are they both giving the edge to Kvitova?There’s also a review of the uplifting women’s doubles final, won by Sam Stosur and Zhang Shuai.The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australian Open (and at all the Grand Slams in 2019) after our Kickst

After chasing him all tournament, David Law and Catherine Whitaker are finally joined by Goran Ivanisevic in part one of today’s podcast.Goran gives an insight into life as Milos Raonic’s coach, compares Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, and explains why he’s strongly against on-court coaching.Also, what qualities are required to be a good coach? How does the feeling of winning as a coach compare to winning as a player? How often does he watch the 2001 Wimbledon final? And why have we never seen him on Strictly Come Dancing?!In part two, Catherine, David and Grad Matt discuss the day’s singles matches, which were all played in extreme heat. Was it a good decision to close the roof? Is the new heat stress scale a satisfactory solution?As for the tennis, Petra Kvitova and Naomi Osaka set up a “no-lose” final. What makes Osaka so impressive in press? How much did the indoor conditions help Kvitova today?In the evening session, Nadal thrashed Tsitsipas. Has Nadal ever played better on hard courts? And why

After the earliest finish of the tournament so far, David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt look back on another dramatic day, headlined by Karolina Pliskova’s victory over Serena Williams. In what way is Karolina Pliskova’s new coaching set-up helping her? How much was Serena’s ankle injury to blame for her final set capitulation? And how much of a missed opportunity was this for Serena in her quest to win a 24th Grand Slam?Pliskova will play Naomi Osaka next after she beat Elina Svitolina. Who will have the edge in that match? In the men’s draw, Kei Nishikori was forced to retire against Novak Djokovic. Why was there a sense of inevitability about the whole thing? Djokovic’s semi-final opponent will be Lucas Pouille. How impressive were his tactics to beat Milos Raonic? And what influence is Amélie Mauresmo having on his game? Looking ahead to Day 11, who will reach the women’s final? And can Tsitsipas beat Nadal? The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australi

Moments after Rafael Nadal booked his semi-final spot, David Law and Catherine Whitaker got together on The Tennis Podcast to review all the day’s action.Why was Nadal so emotional about reaching the semi-finals? How did he break down Tiafoe’s game so effectively? And will he have the same joy against Tsitsipas?As for Tsitsipas, how did he find a way past Bautista Agut? How significant is it that he’s now backed up the win over Federer? Was today’s victory actually even more impressive than that one? And how will his backhand stand up against Nadal’s topspin forehand?In the women’s draw, Petra Kvitova made light work of Ash Barty. Given the knife attack she suffered just over two years ago, are we guilty of taking her success for granted? Kvitova will face Danielle Collins in the last four. David and Catherine agree that Collins will probably divide opinion, but they explain why they firmly believe she's a good thing for tennis.Finally, David gets a nasty surprise mid-podcast.The Tennis Podcast will be p