The Tennis Podcast

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

On day 8 of the Australian Open, all eyes were on Serena Williams vs. Simona Halep, and the match did not disappoint. On The Tennis Podcast, David Law and Catherine Whitaker are full of praise for both players.Was that the best Serena has played since returning from giving birth? How was she able to wrestle control in the decider? And has being without a coach actually helped to liberate Halep this tournament?Alexander Zverev, on the other hand, played very badly in a straight-sets defeat to Milos Raonic. Why can’t Zverev step up at Grand Slams? What has happened to his serve? Does he have an attitude problem? And how long will Ivan Lendl stick around if this keeps happening?Elsewhere, Novak Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev, but not without a few problems. Are there some vulnerabilities in the World No.1's game?Finally, David and Catherine discuss impressive wins for Naomi Osaka and Lucas Pouille. And what caused Pablo Carreño Busta to lose his temper with the umpire after losing a five-setter to Kei Nishikori?T

At 02:30am in Melbourne, David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Matt get together on The Tennis Podcast to discuss a tumultuous day of tennis at the Australian Open.And there's only one place to start: Stefanos Tsitsipas’ thrilling late-night defeat of Roger Federer. What was the key to his victory? How does he manage to play with so much belief? How high was Federer’s level? And does this result signal a changing of the guard?Afterwards, Federer announced that he intends to play on clay in 2019. What’s behind that decision?Arguably the biggest shock of the day, however, came in the women’s draw as Danielle Collins thrashed Angelique Kerber. What on earth happened there? And what do we think of the way Collins embraces confrontation?Elsewhere, there’s a look back on Ash Barty’s win over Maria Sharapova. Can the Australian keep it going? And why did Sharapova’s game just disintegrate?The impressive form of Rafael Nadal is also discussed, as well as another step in Frances Tiafoe’s journey. The Tennis Podcast w

Why have there barely been any upsets at this year’s Australian Open so far? That’s the big question for David, Catherine and Grad Matt on The Tennis Podcast after another day which saw the top seeds progress.There were shocks brewing in the morning as both Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina found themselves a set down. How did they pull through?Later in the day, Serena Williams and Simona Halep both won to set up their blockbuster Last 16 match. What was Halep like when she spoke to Catherine afterwards? And how is she getting on without a coach?In the men’s draw, Novak Djokovic beat Denis Shapovalov easily. But what caused his third set wobble? And are we right to be a bit disappointed in Shapovalov’s performance?Looking ahead to Day 7, why does David have a sneaky feeling that Stefanos Tsitsipas might beat Roger Federer?The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australian Open (and at all the Slams) after our Kickstarter was funded by our listeners. It is produced in association with The Telegr

Shortly after Rafael Nadal had beaten Alex de Minaur on Friday night, David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt convened to review day 5 at the Australian Open. Is Nadal playing better than we expected? Does this result tell us anything we didn’t already know about De Minaur? Roger Federer was also a comfortable winner on Friday. Will he have more trouble against Stefanos Tsitsipas? Frances Tiafoe backed up his win over Kevin Anderson by beating Andreas Seppi. Is that indicative of yet another step forward? Tiafoe plays Grigor Dimitrov next, and Catherine talks about her interview with Andre Agassi. In the women’s draw, we were all blown away by the performance of Amanda Anisimova. Could she possibly win the whole tournament? There’s also a preview to day 6. Why is Simona Halep vs Venus Williams not on Rod Laver Arena? Will Denis Shapovalov have any joy against Novak Djokovic? The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australian Open (and at all the Slams) after

The latest ever start to a match at the Australian Open, and one of the latest ever Tennis Podcast recordings, as David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt got together at 12:46am, with tennis still being played, to discuss the events of Day 4 at the Australian Open.The day began with Grad Matt’s quarter-final pick Viktoria Kuzmova being beaten. What happened? Is Elina Svitolina playing better than expected? And was it appropriate to ask her about her relationship with Gael Monfils?The match of the day was Milos Raonic vs. Stan Wawrinka. Did we see Goran Ivanisevic’s influence on Raonic? Despite losing, is Stan Wawrinka properly back now?In the women’s event, Serena Williams and Simona Halep remain on a collision course. But how much is Halep struggling physically?Elsewhere, contrasting late-night wins for Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic are discussed, there’s chat about the new Dunlop balls being used this year, and a look ahead to Day 5.The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australi

Dan Evans didn’t beat Roger Federer, but he pushed him hard, and did himself proud. That’s the view of David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt on The Tennis Podcast at the end of day three at the 2019 Australian Open.How did Evans cause Federer problems? Should he have won the opening set? And how confident should we be that Evans has got his career back on track and won’t have another lapse?Elsewhere, the biggest shock of the tournament so far saw Kevin Anderson lose to Frances Tiafoe. How much was Anderson’s injury a factor? And why does this feel like a significant step forward for Tiafoe?Anderson’s loss opens up the draw for Grigor Dimitrov. How did he look today against Pablo Cuevas?In the night session, David’s man-of-the-tournament Roberto Bautista Agut won a second straight five-setter, this time against John Millman. How does he keep doing it? There was better news for home fans when Alex de Minaur held his nerve to win in five. But is he showing signs of fatigue?There’s also discussion about Bob

There was less drama on day two of the 2019 Australian Open, but still plenty for David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt to talk about on The Tennis Podcast.The biggest story was Simona Halep’s comeback victory against Kaia Kanepi. Just how significant was that for Halep? What was she like when she spoke to Catherine? And can she now go far in the tournament?Halep might run into Serena Williams in the fourth round. Serena thrashed Tatjana Maria in less than an hour. But why did she not do a pre-tournament press conference? Venus Williams was also a winner on Tuesday. Does she get the credit she deserves for her longevity? Is it understandable why she doesn’t give much time to the media?The biggest off-court story was Bernard Tomic’s criticism of Lleyton Hewitt. Why are there so many rifts within Australian tennis?There’s also a look ahead to day three. Can Katie Boulter beat Aryna Sabalenka? And how much will the heat of the day help Dan Evans against Roger Federer? The Tennis Podcast will be produc

We thought we’d seen it all from Andy Murray, but in what could be his final ever match, he left us spellbound once more.On The Tennis Podcast, David Law and Catherine Whitaker discuss one of the most extraordinary opening days in Grand Slam history, as Murray produced a rousing comeback in a match of unrivalled poignancy and significance. It wasn’t quite enough for him to beat Roberto Bautista-Agut, but it provided hours of compelling drama. What were David and Catherine feeling as they watched Murray look like Murray again?They also consider his possible next steps. Have we really seen the last of Murray? What was he like in press? Was this match the perfect send off?It was a day of mixed fortunes for the other six Brits in action. Harriet Dart lost 0-6, 0-6 to Maria Sharapova. Was that a harsh scoreline or did it reflect the match? Since when has Katie Boulter been capable of the gritty, aggressive tennis that saw her beat Ekaterina Makarova? And what about Dan Evans? Catherine’s description of his victory

With less than 24 hours to go until the start of the 2019 Australian Open, the time has come for David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt to dissect the draws and make their predictions.There are some potentially dangerous players in Djokovic’s section, but will any of them actually stop him? How will Nadal’s body hold up? And will Zverev reach a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time?On the women’s side, the consensus is that Simona Halep’s draw is as tough as it gets. How will she cope with it? Will the dream quarter-final of Sabalenka against Barty actually happen? And how will Naomi Osaka deal with the new pressure that comes with being a Grand Slam champion?The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australian Open (and at all the Slams) after our Kickstarter was funded by our listeners.If you would like to chip in and have your name on the Tennis Podcast website backers page, you can, until it closes on Monday – http://po.st/TP_Kickstarter2019  See acast.com/privacy for

With two days to go before the 2019 Australian Open, the main story in town is still Andy Murray’s announcement that he will retire before the end of the year. Following their immediate reaction to the news yesterday, David Law and Catherine Whitaker were joined for further reflections on Saturday by The Telegraph’s Simon Briggs.The self-proclaimed ‘Andy Murray correspondent’ has spent eight years covering Murray’s career, so what does he make of yesterday’s events? What was Murray like in his half hour sit-down with the British press corps? And has he given himself some wriggle room by talking about a possible hip resurfacing operation?Nick Kyrgios was one of many players to pay tribute to Murray. In an interview with Catherine, he even hinted that he’d like to be coached by Murray one day. How might that work? And what of Kyrgios’ own chances this fortnight?Finally, Simon gives his take on the political storm surrounding tonight’s player council meeting in Melbourne. Why do some players want to eject C

Hours after David Law joined Catherine Whitaker in Melbourne, Andy Murray came into the interview room, choked up with emotion, and revealed that he could no longer play with the pain that he is experiencing while trying to play tennis. He will retire at Wimbledon, if not before.Afterwards, David and Catherine got together, and instead of dissecting the draws, they reacted to the news that so many had feared was coming.They explain what the atmosphere was like in the room, what he said to Catherine in their Eurosport interview, and Catherine describes an emotional scene with his coach, Jamie Delgado.The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australian Open (and at all the Slams) after our Kickstarter was funded by our listeners.If you would like to chip in and have your name on the Tennis Podcast website backers page, you can, until it closes on Wednesday - http://po.st/TP_Kickstarter2019  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The opening week of the 2019 tennis season has come and gone, and there’s a lot for David and Catherine to discuss before they set off to Melbourne for the Australian Open.The Hopman Cup once again proved a big hit. Does anyone actually want the ATP Cup to replace it next year? What makes the Hopman Cup feel more significant than other exhibitions? And shouldn’t tennis be promoting mixed team competitions, not getting rid of the best one?After despairing at the whole situation (04:40), David and Catherine turn their attention to the tennis on display in Perth. Has Federer’s sparkling form boosted his prospects in Melbourne? (09:07) And did Serena Williams show enough to be considered the favourite for the Australian Open? (17:56)Elsewhere, how did Andy Murray perform in Brisbane? Can we look beyond the limp and find reasons for optimism? (23:02)In Doha, Novak Djokovic lost to Roberto Bautista-Agut. Does that defeat make any difference to his chances at the Australian Open? (37:48)David and Catherine also asse

The calendar hasn’t even ticked over to 2019 yet, but the new tennis season is officially here and that can only mean one thing: Catherine and David are back together on The Tennis Podcast to preview it!Most of the top players appear to be in better health than they were twelve months ago, but two men with question marks still hanging over their physical condition are Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal. Is there cause for concern after Nadal withdrew from an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi? (09:56) And what should we make of Murray’s recent comments about his hip injury? (19:50)Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, looked sharp during his matches in Abu Dhabi. Is there anyone in the locker room who won’t feel intimidated by Djokovic’s form and aura ahead of the Australian Open? (14:10)In Brisbane, Jo Konta has yet another difficult-looking first-round match against Sloane Stephens. But could it actually be the ideal time to play the American? (28:48). Stephens is currently “on a break” from her coach Kamau Murray. Is th

The first ever Tennis Podcast LIVE took place in London on Tuesday 11th December at Café Rouge as David and Catherine handed out their awards for the 2018 tennis season in front of an audience of Kickstarter backers and friends of the podcast. It was a special evening, and you can now listen to the full show in podcast form! Who was the player of the year? What was the best match? What was the biggest surprise? Who made the best breakthrough? And what was the worst podcast prediction? David and Catherine discuss 15 categories in total. No Tennis Podcast awards show would be complete without an adjudicator, to settle the inevitable disputes between Catherine and David, and this year we were delighted to have the incomparable Mary Carillo on hand via video link to give her verdict for each category. Her word is final, but will she agree more with David or Catherine? Finally, after the results of our year-long predictions competition are revealed, overall winner Greg Gaynor sends us his accep

With the support of our Kickstarter backers, 2018 has been an exciting year for The Tennis Podcast. We produced well over 100 episodes, including daily shows at all four Grand Slams, the Fever-Tree Championships, the ATP Finals, and the Davis Cup Final.We love talking about tennis, and we don't want to stop. In 2019, we want to keep the podcast going and growing, making it bigger and better than ever before. But, to do that, we need your help once again.On this mini episode, David and Catherine set out their plans for next year with the launch of our third Kickstarter campaign.See below for details of where to go if you want to chip in and back us on Kickstarter.The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with The Telegraph. ***KICKSTARTER 2019***If you want The Tennis Podcast to return in 2019, you can do your bit here: http://po.st/TP_Kickstarter2019There are some special categories if you want to get really involved, but we are grateful for any contribution and all your support. ***MAILING LIST

Croatia are Davis Cup champions for the second time after Marin Cilic clinched the decisive point to earn them a 3-1 win over France. On The Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts react to Sunday’s action, and look ahead to an uncertain future for the competition. Will Marin Cilic and Borna Coric be propelled to even greater heights in 2019 following their flawless performances this weekend? Could France have done anything differently? As the Davis Cup enters a new era, we hear from Lucas Pouille about why he won’t be playing the competition in 2019, and also from Yannick Noah as he delivers an extraordinary speech about why he’s loved the Davis Cup, and why he is “disgusted” at the changes. What do David, Catherine and Matt make of Noah’s comments? And what do they think of the changes? Don’t we all need to give the new format a chance? The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. &nbs

The 2018 Davis Cup Final will head into Sunday with the tie still in the balance after Saturday’s doubles rubber delivered a thrilling match and a crucial point for France. On The Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts react to Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert’s victory over Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic, and we hear from Yannick Noah who explains why he was moved to tears during La Marseillaise. What gave the French pair the edge? How was the atmosphere different from the opening day? What caused the fourth set aggro? What is it about doubles that suits Davis Cup so well? And, with today’s best-of-five set doubles match being the last of its kind in a Davis Cup final, what are some of the best doubles matches in the competition’s history? Looking ahead to Sunday, David, Catherine and Matt agree that Noah will surely select Lucas Pouille. But might he also be tempted to pick Herbert? And how likely is it that France can pull off the comeback? The reverse singles

Six sets played, six sets won by Croatia, and the chances of France winning the last Davis Cup final played using the traditional format are looking minuscule.The Tennis Podcast team of Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts, who is courtside in Lille, discuss what went on, and we hear from a happy Croatia captain - Zeljko Krajan.Has Borna Coric come of age? Is Marin Cilic over the jitters that seem to afflict him when he is ahead? And has Yannick Noah dropped a massive clanger with his team selection? The podcast team discuss them all.Looking ahead to the doubles rubber, could France do what the United States so nearly did in the semifinals, and come back from 2 rubbers down to win it in 5?The doubles action in the final of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas starts at 1pm GMT, with Nicolas Mahut and Pierre Hugues Herbert needing to beat Ivan Dodig and Matej Pavic to keep the tie alive. To watch a stream in the UK, go to www.daviscup.com. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegr