The Tennis Podcast

After a week when the Munich, Estoril and Prague titles were all won by home favourites, attention now turns to Madrid, which is a veritable who’s who of the best, healthy tennis players in the world. Catherine Whitaker, sitting in a car park, and David Law in a window-less room, go through a draw that has thrown up some corkers. The wins of Alexander Zverev in Munich, Petra Kvitova in Prague and Joao Sousa in Estoril are covered, and David wants to know why Portugal, where Sousa’s triumph was celebrated, has produced so few top players over the years.The awful stabbing of Monica Seles is remembered, 25 years on. Just how good could she have been if that had not happened?Seles features in many listeners’ memories of the best matches of the 1990s.The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport. It is presented by Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport).   

After clinching his second 'undecima' of the season in Barcelona following yet another week of straight sets victories, David & Catherine meet in the pub to ponder what the miracle formula might be to muster a challenge to the King of Clay. Is Nadal's lack of competition hurting men's tennis? And how annoyed are we allowed to be at Roger Federer for denying us the chance to see the rivals face off on clay once more.Karolina Pliskova's Stuttgart win is also discussed, as is the surprise clay court form of her final opponent Coco Vandeweghe. Via the revolutionary medium of whatsapp, David is even able to share first hand secrets from Vandeweghe's coach, 1987 Wimbledon winner Pat Cash.There is talk of Dan Evans' return to action in Scotstoun (correct pronunciation clarified herein) following his 12 months drugs ban, and the 'cockle-warming' reunion of Stan Wawrinka with his former coach Magnus Norman. we trail the upcoming fly-on-the-wall HBO documentary about Serena Williams.The Tennis Podcast is produced w

Rafael Nadal won his 36th consecutive set of clay court tennis, dropping an average of two games per set, to claim his 11th Monte Carlo title. Afterwards, the Tennis Podcast team found themselves asking who can stop him on the surface, and how?Presenter David Law was joined by Telegraph Sport tennis correspondent Simon Briggs to work their way through the potential candidates to ‘do a Robin Soderling’ - who beat Nadal at the French Open in 2009 - and how. Is it an in-form Juan Martin Del Potro? Could Novak Djokovic return to exert his former hold over the clay court master? Maybe big John Isner? Or is it simply impossible if Nadal is fit and at his best? They also wonder whether underarm serving might be a legitimate tactic to use against Nadal, given that he operates so far back behind his baseline.The Fed Cup weekend results are discussed - Great Britain’s narrow, heartbreaking defeat to Japan, and the wins for Czech Republic and the United States to reach the final. Was there anything that the British team

David Law is back from holiday and full of beans. Catherine Whitaker is off on holiday and bemused by washing machines on tennis courts.In the 401st Tennis Podcast, they look ahead to Monte Carlo, back on rain-drenched Lugano - which a shocked Catherine reports had a washing machine on court throughout, and the exploits and ultimate disappointment of Kyle Edmund, who lost in the final of Marrakech.They continue their debate about the Wimbledon queue with listener thoughts and Wimbledon’s reaction thrown in, talk about Novak Djokovic and Marian Vajda reconnecting, and David drops the sizeable name of Sue Barker following an alleged recent text conversation. Plus, what’s the most impressive performance by a player on his/her least favourite surface?It’s all discussed in the latest Tennis Podcast, produced in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With David Law swanning off on holiday, we've recorded our third listener-questions show - the 400th in our six year history - guest edited by Lea Lahnstein.David and Catherine Whitaker have answered the best of them, such as what makes a good coaching partnership and the fascination of what goes on behind closed doors, how many is the perfect number of seeds at Grand Slams, and whether or not the Wimbledon queue is a fair and fun thing. Plus David Catherine compare their own playing styles to pro players, with amusing results.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the sunshine swing draws to a close in Miami the latest Tennis Podcast reviews an extraordinary pair of titles for American players Sloane Stephens and John Isner. Stephens has endured a disappointing run of form since becoming a surprise US Open winner in September last year, but her exceptional performances in Miami lead the podcast team to speculate whether she may always be a player that experiences high peaks and low troughs. Stephens’ beaten final opponent Jelena Ostapenko is also discussed, as she embarks upon the build-up to defending her own surprise Grand Slam title of 2017 on the clay in Paris. Meanwhile, in the men’s final Isner proved that being older than Catherine & taller than David is no barrier to winning an ATP Masters 1000 title. At 32 years of age and 6ft 10in tall, the American’s thrilling thee set victory over Alex Zverev anointed him the oldest ever debut Masters champion, and the tallest-ever, full-stop. Also covered is the breaking news that Andre Agassi has left hi

As Federer and Serena fall early in Miami, David & Catherine discuss the future for both; will we ever see Federer at the French Open again now he's announced he'll skip the clay once more, and how long is Serena's road back to full match fitness post pregnancy? And speaking of long roads back, Andy Murray has been spotted on the practice court for the first time since his hip surgery, but if Novak Djokovic's current form is anything to go by, returning from injury can be a bumpy ride for former world number ones.The pair also discuss the developing stand-off between Caroline Wozniacki and the Miami Open over abuse she alleges she and her family received from the crowd during her defeat last week to Monica Puig, and they throw in their two cents on the McEnroe/Navratilova pay gap story.The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With Juan Martin Del Potro and Naomi Osaka mixing up tennis’ natural order in Indian Wells, Catherine & David meet in the Putney Exchange to discuss what the pair’s respective victories mean for the future. Does Osaka have the desire and ruthlessness to propel her to World Number One? And how powerful a role model could she end up being? Can Del Potro continue his rise back up the rankings? And will Federer maintain his Number One status, and beard, in Miami? And how good was that final??Also discussed is the ATP and ITF ‘arms race’ to stage the definitive tennis team competition. Is further division the last thing tennis needs? Plus Catherine gets a long-awaited chance to talk about her love affair with gin and tonic. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With the Sunshine Swing well underway in the Californian Desert, Catherine and David address all the key talking points from week one of Indian Wells, including Serena Williams’ so-far impressive return to post-baby action, and Novak Djokovic’s inverse fortunes on the comeback trail. Other developments in the tennis world include Maria Sharapova’s split with long-time coach Sven Groenveld, and Goran Ivanisevic rejoining the coaching carousel alongside Canadian Milos Raonic. Plus with 16 year old Amanda Anisimova and 17 year old Felix Auger-Aliassime recording ground-breaking victories in Indian Wells, Catherine & David put the spotlight on some of the outrageously young players taking the sport by storm.The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a Tennis Podcast Extra, we have an exclusive interview with World No.3 Marin Cilic who has some strong views on the ITF’s proposals for the Davis Cup.David Law also asks him how long it took to recover from his heartbreaking final loss to Roger Federer at Wimbledon, how long he thinks it will take for Andy Murray to return to the top once fully fit, and his impressions of Britain’s Kyle Edmund.Cilic was speaking on the day that he, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov all announced their intention to play in The Queen’s Club Championships, 18th-24th June. Tickets are now available - po.st/QueensGeneralSaleThe Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After a four week podcast hiatus to cover doubles luge and the like (men lying on top of one another and flinging themselves down an icy hill), Catherine reunites with David just in time to discuss the newly proposed sweeping reforms to the Davis Cup that some are welcoming with open arms, and some are heralding as the 'death of the Davis Cup'. David & Catherine delve into the depth of strong opinion on the future of the competition as well as addressing some of the big results and stories from the tennis world this week, including a breakthrough title for Juan Martin Del Potro (could he win a Slam this year?), an injury-enforced lay-off for Rafael Nadal and a 'hefty' settlement for Genie Bouchard in her civil suit against the USTA.Plus there's chat about ferret couture, romantic billboard declarations and whether or not 1998 Australian Open Champion Petr Korda has ever received an invitation to the Oscars.The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournament

With Catherine Whitaker on her way back from the Winter Olympics in Korea, here's our second listener-questions show, guest edited by Grace Onions.Catherine and David Law answered the best of them, such as what tennis life will look like after Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal retire, whether players should steer clear of off-court issues in press conferences, and their current favourite rumours.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Roger Federer has spent more than half of his life as a professional tennis player, becoming in the eyes of most people, and according to most stats, the best male player ever to pick up a racquet. After becoming the oldest person to reach World No.1 since the rankings began, two men that have covered every one of Federer’s 20 years playing the sport got together on the latest Tennis Podcast to reminisce and assess his latest feat.Presenter David Law (BBC 5 Live) asks guest Christopher Clarey (New York Times) for his early memories of Federer, where he believes the Swiss stands in the pantheon of all-time sporting greats, what he’s really like, and whether he thinks Federer has decided on a retirement plan. They also discuss the comeback of Serena Williams, the state of the WTA Tour, and the issues of ‘grunting’ raised by Caroline Wozniacki.The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport. &n

We have thrown the next two editions of The Tennis Podcast over to our listeners to fire their questions at hosts Catherine Whitaker and David Law.This week, with Guest Editor Jim Boyle in the chair to choose the questions and throw in a couple of his own, Catherine and David are put on the spot to reveal the players that are the most challenging to interview, which tournaments are the best to cover and why, and what they would give as advice to players about how best to handle social media. Should there be an ATP-1000 tournament on grass? Is it time to reassess the late-night scheduling of matches at Grand Slams, and if so, in what way? And who is C.Burel?All of those questions and more are addressed on the latest show.David also takes us through what has happened over the course of the last week in tennis, and what is to come. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport.  See acast.com/privacy

Great Britain might have gone out 3-1 in the first round of the Davis Cup to Spain, but the talk of The Tennis Podcast was the performance of Cameron Norrie, who beat Roberto Bautista Agut and pushed Albert Ramos Vinolas all the way.Just who is this 22 year-old who had never previously played a professional clay court match before he discomfited two players that had been brought up on the surface? Can he take this form into his ATP World Tour career? And has he shown that college tennis is the way forward for aspiring young British players?His captain, Leon Smith, has been guiding the Great Britain team for the last eight years. We hear from him in conversation with presenter David Law about this latest tie in Marbella, and then the Telegraph’s Charlie Eccleshare joins to ponder just how impressive Smith’s reign has been. Smith’s time in charge is compared to that of Jim Courier, who took over the United States in 2010 and has yet to reach a Davis Cup final. After America’s comfortable win in Serbia, is

Roger Federer made it an extraordinary 20 Grand Slam singles titles with a 5-set win over Marin Cilic in the Australian Open final, and as he embarked on a celebration tour of television studio interviews, Catherine Whitaker and David Law try to make sense of his achievement on The Tennis Podcast.Federer was overcome with emotion in his on-court victory speech, and the team discuss why this one got to him so much.They also analyse the match and the claustrophobic and heat and humidity that it could have been played in before the decision was taken, on the eve of the final, to shut the roof. Did that play into Federer’s hands? Was it the right decision? Did Cilic ever look likely to win? And why was their such a muted reaction when the underdog started to mount a comeback? All questions answered on the latest show. As Federer, aged 36, contemplated another addition to his major title collection, Whitaker and Law discuss what it brings to his legacy, how much longer he might go on for, and how many more go

As Caroline Wozniacki walked by from television studio to television studio after claiming her long-awaited first Grand Slam title, Catherine Whitaker and David Law tried to do justice on The Tennis Podcast to an epic three-set tussle which had numerous storylines dripping with emotion. Where was the match won and lost? How did Wozniacki react after finally making her dream come true? And will Simona Halep ever get over the finish line in a Slam final herself?The asterisk of ‘never won a Grand Slam’ has been removed forever from Wozniacki’s bio, so is Halep now the best player never to have won a major title? It’s all discussed in the latest daily podcast from the Australian Open.Looking ahead to the men’s singles final on Sunday, what did Goran Ivanisevic tell the pod team he had said to Marin Cilic before his compatriot won his 2014 US Open clash with Roger Federer? And what does Goran think will happen this time?The experiences of Wayne Ferreira describing how he beat Federer many moons ago are recoun

Moments after Hyeon Chung pulled out of his Australian Open semifinal because of blisters, ensuring Roger Federer would reach a 30th Grand Slam singles final, Boris Becker joined Catherine Whitaker and David Law on the Tennis Podcast to look ahead to Sunday’s clash with Marin Cilic. The two-time champion also previews the women’s final between Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep, explains why he left the stadium immediately after match point in the 1991 final, and predicts how a peak Becker would have done against Federer.As well as Becker, Catherine Whitaker and David Law are joined by Mary Carillo, who was voted by listeners as the podcast’s favourite guest of 2017. A former player and feted broadcaster in the United States for her work on tennis, documentaries and coverage of the winter and summer Olympics for NBC, Carillo talks about her reaction to Chung’s decision to retire mid-match, her expectations for the men’s and women’s finals, and the documentary she has produced about Margaret Court.&

Moment after Kyle Edmund’s Australian Open odyssey ended at the hands of Marin Cilic, Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport), David Law (BBC 5 Live) and Simon Briggs (Telegraph) got together in the media cafe to talk over where the match was won and lost.Could he have done anything differently? How big a factor was the injury he apparently sustained? And will Cilic be able to go all the way in the final?Earlier in the day, Simona Halep saved match points for a second time in a week to reach the final. She will face another player that saved match points along the way - Caroline Wozniacki. Halep’s match with Angelique Kerber went from damp squib to instant classic in a sensational 9-7 third set, and meant that Catherine Whitaker did not have to follow through with her threat to ‘sue the tennis gods’ if another match didn’t live up to expectations.Where does the Halep vs. Kerber third set rank among the all-time greats? What did the players say afterwards that so uplifted the podcast team? And how surprising was i

All of the four quarterfinals played on Wednesday were won in straight sets, but each had its own story, and the resulting semifinals are mouth-watering, according to the Tennis Podcast team. Hyeon Chung is one of the stories of the tournament and he backed up his straight sets win over Novak Djokovic by overcoming a very difference challenge - being the favourite to win against the World No. 97, Tennys Sandgren. It made Chung the first Korean ever to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament and put him into a semifinal against Roger Federer. Sandgren continued to create headlines of his own because of his social media activity, and responded with a statement in his post-match press conference. What sort of challenge do the Tennis Podcast team think Chung can pose to Federer? Catherine Whitaker and David Law weigh up whether the similarities of his strengths to those of Djokovic might be a factor.Federer saved set points against Tomas Berdych and has yet to drop a set, but how well is he actu