Ground Pass: A Tennis Podcast

Anastasia (recording from California) and Nick tackle the Asia swing’s time-zone brain melt, introduce our new Substack series  On Tour With…  (featuring Ethan Quinn’s first trip to Asia), and relive a wild team-events fortnight: Spain-Denmark grit, Belgium’s upset over Australia, and a tense USA-GB semifinal at the BJK Cup. We also unpack the Taylor Townsend IG controversy, share a list...

Anastasia sits down at the Cincinnati Open with Brian Garber, coach of Ethan Quinn, for a candid conversation about the realities of life as a pro tennis coach. From starting out feeding balls to kids and ladies’ teams, to learning under Brad Stine, to now guiding one of America’s most promising young players, Brian shares his coaching philosophy, the importance of relationships, and what it takes...

Anastasia and Nick wrap up the final Grand Slam of the year with a full US Open 2025 review. From Carlos Alcaraz defeating Jannik Sinner in their third final of the season, to Aryna Sabalenka defending her title against Amanda Anisimova, we break down the biggest matches and storylines. We also highlight Taylor Townsend’s run, Granollers & Zeballos’ doubles win, the fan experience on site (tic...

The second part of our  US Open Threads  series dives into the  fashion highs, lows, and surprises of the 2025 US Open with  Ian Mondul  of  40 Love . Anastasia and Ian go through their faves (Musetti, Sabalenka, Venus, Townsend, Sinner/Alcaraz), the biggest misses (Draper’s Vuori debut, Tiafoe’s tiger stripes, Adidas Y-3 backlash), plus surprises like Paolini’s shimm...

Anastasia and Nick break down all the semifinal action from the US Open and set the stage for finals weekend. We cover Sabalenka’s battle with Pegula, Anisimova’s win over Osaka, Alcaraz’s straight-sets victory over Djokovic, and Sinner’s strong run past Felix Auger-Aliassime. Plus: doubles storylines, including Dabrowski & Routliffe’s win and Salisbury & Skupski’s historic run. We close w...

In Part 1 of our  US Open Threads  series, Anastasia is joined by journalist  Jessica Schiffer  (Hard Court) to explore how tennis and high fashion are becoming inseparable. From luxury house partnerships (Gucci/Sinner, LV/Alcaraz, Miu Miu/Coco, Burberry/Tommy) to Jack Draper’s brand shift, the rise of WAG-fronted campaigns, and jewelry deals, we break down what feels authentic...

The US Open semifinals are here, and Ground Pass has you covered. Anastasia is joined by Mitch Michals to break down the quarterfinals and preview tonight’s semifinals in New York. They dive into: Jannik Sinner’s unstoppable form and Felix Auger-Aliassime’s nervy four-set battle Djokovic vs. Fritz and the infamous headband moment Alcaraz’s locked-in run to the semis Naomi Osaka vs. Amanda Anisimov...

Anastasia and Nick take you through all the stories from Rounds 3 & 4 of the US Open 2025. From Taylor Townsend’s showdown with Barbora Krejčíková to Naomi Osaka’s big night against Coco Gauff, plus Felix Auger-Aliassime’s run and Jannik Sinner lighting up Ashe. We also get into doubles, the new virtual queue, and set up the quarterfinal matches. Chapters: 0:00 – Intro 2:48 – Calm after the st...

Anastasia and Nick are back on Ground Pass with a full roundup of Rounds 1 and 2 at the US Open. From Taylor Townsend’s fiery clash with Jelena Ostapenko, to Venus Williams lighting up the night session, to Emma Raducanu’s return and Carlos Alcaraz cruising into form — we break down the biggest wins, surprises, and early exits shaping the tournament. Jack On the line's interview with Gavin McMilli...

Its the start of the middle weekend at the US Open and the grounds are littered with doubles. Doubles here there and everywhere. If you are trying to navigate the teams and who to follow we got you covered. From favorites Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova to sleepers like Panova/Guo. And even the Legend Venus Williams is in the mix. On the mens side is a very British affair with Salisbury/Sku...

Alex Eala rise like a phoenix, Daniil Medvedev crashes and burns, Venus Williams' reminds us of her greatness and Carlos Alcaraz cuts his hair. These are the Match Stories that caught our attention in round 1 of the US Open Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:17 - Alex Eala 07:46 - Daniil Medvedev 16:59 - Venus Williams 20:14 - Coco Gauff 23:45 - Gael Monfils 25:27 - Carlos Alcaraz 27:00 - Outro WE HAVE MER...

On this episode of  Ground Pass , Anastasia is joined by Eugene and Lucy from  Black Spin Global  to break down Serena Williams’ surprise appearance at Maria Sharapova’s Hall of Fame induction. The conversation dives into the history and growth of the Black Spin Global platform, and the players of color to keep an eye on at this year’s US Open. At  Ground Pass , we love shining...

When you do something twice, it becomes a tradition… right? Right?! We’re back on the grounds of the US Open for our 2nd annual preview episode with Coach B — Brian Bradley. He may live in Los Angeles, but as a born-and-raised New Yorker, the Open is always a homecoming. Anastasia and Coach B chat about: The unique energy of Fan Week Qualifiers to keep on your radar The first-round matches that de...

The summer swing is heating up—literally. Anastasia recaps the finals of the Cincinnati Open, where  Iga Swiatek  battled  Jasmine Paolini  for the women’s title and  Jannik Sinner  faced off against  Carlos Alcaraz  in yet another chapter of their growing rivalry. But this episode isn’t just about the scorelines. Anastasia dives into the  best and wors...

Recorded from the grounds of the Cincinnati Open, this mini pod recaps the action from Canada and the first few days in Cincy. We celebrate Ben Shelton and Victoria Mboko’s big wins, Naomi Osaka’s impressive run, and two standout doubles finals in Montreal and Toronto. Plus, we share updates from the Cincinnati Open so far, including press conference moments with Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari. Host...

This week on Ground Pass, Anastasia and Nick are back with a full-length episode packed with tennis storylines from the Canadian Open and a preview of what’s ahead in Cincinnati. We break down Naomi Osaka’s new coaching setup, Amanda Anisimova’s bounce-back, and why Victoria Mboko’s win over Coco Gauff was  absolute cinema . Plus, a big rant on why Alexei Popyrin’s 2024 Canada title deserves...

Washington Post sports writer Ava Wallace joins Anastasia from Ground Pass to unpack the 2025 Citi Open. From Venus Williams’ joyful return to the pro tennis tour, to Leylah Fernandez’s run to the final, to a finals lineup nobody predicted — this is a full, unfiltered recap of one of the most vibrant tournaments on the U.S. summer swing. Topics include: – Venus’ comeback and her impact on the spor...

In this solo mini pod, Nick recaps the week in tennis while Anastasia is on-site at the Citi Open. We break down the winners across ATP and WTA clay events, including Shapovalov’s hard-court return in Los Cabos. Plus, we dive into important injury news from Ons Jabeur and Zheng Qinwen, and look ahead to what’s shaping up to be an electric week in Washington DC. Expect doubles drama, wild card lege...

We’re back with our full Wimbledon 2025 recap! Iga Swiatek drops a double bagel in the women’s final, Jannik Sinner wins his first Slam—and the new era of tennis is officially here. We unpack both finals, the best and worst moments from the tournament, and why this felt like a true generational handoff. Plus, we take you inside the Newport Open, talk about Bill Ackman’s infamous doubles wildcard,...

We’re down to the final four—now two! Anastasia and Nick recap the Wimbledon 2025 semifinals and preview a finals weekend filled with storyline-rich matchups: Amanda Anisimova’s comeback arc continues after her stunner against Aryna Sabalenka, while Iga Swiatek dismantles Belinda Bencic with the kind of form that wins majors. On the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz squeezes past Taylor Fritz, and Jannik...

Wimbledon Round 4 delivered high drama—and heartbreak. In this episode, Anastasia and Nick unpack a brutal day of tennis headlined by Grigor Dimitrov’s devastating injury while leading Jannik Sinner. They also dive into standout performances from Mirra Andreeva, Iga Swiatek, and Ben Shelton, the rise of Flavio Cobolli, and the unexpected power of listening to matches on the radio. Plus, a quick d...

NOTE: Said Aryna was the only player left in the top 11 but meant in her section of the draw not the whole tournament. She is the only player left in the top ten in the top half of the draw.  The seeds keep falling, the storylines keep building, and  Ground Pass  is here to break it all down. Anastasia is joined by tennis broadcaster Mitch Michals to unpack Round 3 of Wimbledon 2025...

Here’s to all the seeds we lost in Round 2. Wimbledon 2025 is fully in its unpredictable era, and  Ground Pass  is here for every twist. In this episode, Anastasia recaps the standout moments from Day 3 and Round 2—including big breakthroughs, major exits, and a little tennis history in the making. Highlights include: 🇹🇷 Zeynep Sönmez becomes the first Turkish player to reach a Grand Sla...

The grass is not greener for the seeds this year. In this episode of  Ground Pass , Anastasia is joined by special guest Ian Modul of  40 Love Tennis  to break down a first round full of upsets, breakthroughs, and style moments at Wimbledon 2025. With Nick on-site in London, he shares his take via voice note at the end of the show—but in the meantime, Anastasia and Ian cover all the...

We’re previewing Wimbledon 2025! Anastasia and Nick break down the draws, highlight the must-watch first-round matchups (yes, we see you Kenin vs. Townsend), and debate which qualifiers could shake things up. We talk seedings, surface matchups, sneaky threats in both draws, and the matches we’re most hyped to see. Plus: how to watch Wimbledon in your country, the return of Ground Pass screenings i...