The Tennis Podcast

As the Paris curfew came into effect, day two of Roland Garros ended in a silence which reflected the sad and somber mood after Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal.  On the podcast, we begin by talking about that, wishing Osaka well, and wondering how it all came to this.  Turning our attention to the tennis, we discuss the lovely vibes between Iga Swiatek and Kaja Juvan, a strong start for Serena...

A lot happened on the opening day of Roland Garros 2021, but it was still a day where the headlines were dominated by Naomi Osaka.  We discuss Osaka’s victory over Patricia Maria Tig, her on court interview, and the joint statement released by the Grand Slams warning that she could face expulsion if her media boycott continues. Was such an escalation necessary? And how could this all end up?&...

The draws are out, most of the top players have spoken to the media, and the opening day of Roland Garros 2021 is almost here.  We discuss the significance of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer all being in the same half of the draw, the pressure on Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the final, the mouthwatering first-round clash between Alexander Bublik and Daniil Medvedev, the main con...

When Jim Courier beat Andre Agassi in the 1991 French Open final, it wasn’t just his first Grand Slam title, it wasn’t just a win which would set him on his way to dominating the sport for the next two years, it was also a sweet moment of retribution against an old roommate from the Nick Bollettieri Academy who had been tipped for greatness ahead of him.  On this episode, with the help of Mar...

With Roland Garros around the corner, Catherine, David and Matt discuss the biggest stories from last week’s tune-up tournaments, including setbacks for Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Dominic Thiem in their preparation, a second career title for Coco Gauff, and victories for Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud which underline their French Open credentials.  There’s also discussion of Denis...

In this episode of Tennis Re-Lived we venture back one hundred years to cover the remarkable career and life of tennis’ first superstar, Suzanne Lenglen, whose name now adorns the second show court at Roland Garros.  We talk about her upbringing by an overbearing father, how the war both delayed her career and created a world which was ready for her, the extraordinary records she achieved in...

The current Roland Garros champions - Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek - reigned in Rome last week. But they took different routes to the title.  Catherine, David and Matt react to Swiatek double bagelling Karolina Pliskova and Nadal earning a tight three set win in his 57th meeting with Novak Djokovic.  How much of the 6-0 6-0 scoreline was about Swiatek being amazing and how much was it do...

With time running out ahead of Roland Garros, the Rome draws have been packed to the rafters with big names. Not all of them are in form. We talk about our first sighting on clay of Serena Williams, our impressions of Naomi Osaka, a big week so far for Coco Gauff, what we made of Rafael Nadal extracting himself from the jaws of defeat, and why Daniil Medvedev continues to entertain us massively. T...

The last few weeks have seen the blossoming of a new rivalry in women’s tennis and the latest meeting between Ash Barty and Aryna Sabalenka didn’t disappoint.  Catherine, David and Matt discuss how Sabalenka won the opening set of the Madrid final 6-0, the impressive way she competed in the decider, and whether or not this victory changes her prospects at Roland Garros.  We then turn our...

Ash Barty is World No.1 and with good reason. Aryna Sabalenka is sweeping quality players aside as if they’re nothing. So what will happen when they clash in the Madrid final on Saturday? Catherine, David and Matt assemble ahead of the business end of the tournament, give their picks, and look at the other big storylines from the men's event in the Spanish capital.  The Tennis Podcast is pres...

Madrid is bubbling away and Catherine finishes a day of presenting Amazon Prime Video tv coverage of the event by joining David and Matt to pick the bones out of the stories so far.  What happened when Ash Barty faced Iga Swiatek?  Why has Naomi Osaka yet to transfer her hard court form to clay, and will she in the future?  Karolina Muchova - what makes her so dangerous? Dan Evans -...

In this fragmented week for tennis - with WTA Madrid getting underway while ATP events take place in Estoril and Munich - we’ve split today’s podcast into two halves.  We begin by covering the incredible WTA draw in Madrid, Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal, the return to form for Kevin Anderson and Marin Cilic, and news that there will be play on Middle Sunday at Wimbledon from 2022 onwards. ...

Catherine, David and Matt discuss an exhilarating finals weekend of clay-court tennis across Europe.  Has Aryna Sabalenka conquered clay now after her run to the Stuttgart final? What is Ash Barty’s best surface? How did Aslan Karatsev save 23 break points against Novak Djokovic in Belgrade? In what way has Matteo Berrettini been a forgotten man? Can Stefanos Tsitsipas take belief and confide...

With ATP and WTA 500 tournaments in full swing in Barcelona and Stuttgart, Catherine, David and Matt react to the action so far, including what Felix Auger-Aliassime’s win over Denis Shapovalov tells us about both players, a lovely moment between Frances Tiafoe and Carlos Alcaraz, Fabio Fognini’s disqualification, aggro between Dan Evans and Corentin Moutet, another anxious performance from Rafael...

After Stefanos Tsitsipas easily beat Dan Evans and Andrey Rublev on finals weekend in Monte Carlo to claim the title, Catherine, David and Matt talk it all through.  Why does Tsitsipas’ game transfer so well to clay? How significant was it that he won a Masters 1000 event for the first time? What did we learn about Rublev this week? And what should we make of Rafael Nadal’s first tournament b...

After Dan Evans stunned Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo for the biggest win of his career, we thought we’d better record a podcast.  How much was Evans’ victory down to his inspired play and how much was it due to Djokovic being below par? Can we read anything into this defeat for Djokovic? Where has Evans’ clay court form come from? And in what way is his new approach on the surface similar to...

Catherine emerges from a day talking to Billie Jean King, Victoria Azarenka, Chanda Rubin, Caroline Weir and Annika Sorenstam on the ITF’s global forum on gender equality to share her experience with David and Matt. If you would like to watch the forum, you can -  https://youtu.be/YFnEdyIIycE . After that, Catherine, David and Matt discussed the start of the springtime clay court season, why...

Our guest this week is wheelchair tennis legend Esther Vergeer. One of the sport’s greatest ever champions, Vergeer spoke to Catherine about how turning to sport helped her after she became paralysed from the waist down as a child, why she embraced using a mental coach throughout her career, what it’s like psychologically to be on a 470-match winning streak, the time she almost lost at the Beijing...

The final few days in Miami gave Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts much to discuss.  In what way did Ash Barty make a statement by defending her title? How much did we miss out on by not seeing a fully fit Bianca Andreescu in the final? Were we surprised by the level of tennis Hubert Hurkacz produced to win his maiden Masters 1000 title? What’s special about Jannik Sinner’s appro...

As the Miami Open reaches the closing stages, Catherine Whitaker and David Law catch up to discuss the tournament’s major storylines from the second week so far:  Why are David and Catherine surprised by how excited they are about Sebastian Korda’s potential?  How does Roberto Bautista Agut cause Daniil Medvedev problems every time they face off?  Was Stefanos Tsitsipas correct when...

A few days into the Miami Open and we don’t know where to look because there are so many fantastic matches and storylines. Catherine stepped out of the Prime Video studio for a while to join David and Matt to cover the wins for Bianca Andreescu, Ash Barty and Ons Jabeur, as well as a cramping Daniil Medvedev, a resurgent Frances Tiafoe and young Fin, Emil Ruusuvuori. We also cover the latest react...

Catherine is presenting live TV coverage of the Miami Open on Prime Video, but that isn’t enough to stop podcast production, and we had plenty to get our teeth into, including the comeback of Ana Konjuh, confidence-boosting wins for Sloane Stephens and Katie Boulter, and Jack Draper's unfortunate retirement. Elsewhere, we dissect the explosive comments of Vasek Pospisil in the direction of ATP Cha...

Catherine, David and Matt round off the results from last week’s slate of tournaments, including debut titles for Aslan Karatsev and Leylah Fernandez, yet another semi-final defeat for Denis Shapovalov, more fireworks from Lorenzo Musetti in Acapulco, a mid-match earthquake, a tense victory for Alexander Zverev over Stefanos Tsitsipas, and the continued resurgence of Daria Kasatkina in St Petersbu...

In this mid-week pod, we compare the ceilings of Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov, apologise to Jeremy Chardy, discuss what’s going wrong for Dominic Thiem at the moment, revel in a big week so far for Lorenzo Musetti in Acapulco, and note the big Russian presence in the St Petersburg quarter-finals.  The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and fe...

Garbiñe Muguruza has finally turned her fantastic form into a title with victory in Dubai. In what way was she feeling the pressure of ending her title drought? How much of a role has Conchita Martínez played in her improved consistency? And how might her season develop from here?  As for the woman she beat in the final, Barbora Krejčíková, David explains why we’ve mistakenly considered her t...