The Tennis Podcast

Roger Federer returned to action after 405 days and two knee surgeries with a 3-set win over Dan Evans before a 3-set loss to Nikoloz Basilashvili in Doha.  Catherine, David and Matt discuss how it felt to watch him play again, what we made of his two performances, whether we were surprised or in any way alarmed by how quickly he faded physically, and our immediate reaction to his decision to...

Roger Federer is back! In this episode, Catherine, David and Matt react to his pre tournament press conference in Doha as he prepares for his first match since January 2020.  Did he consider retirement while he was out injured? How confident is he that the knee will hold up? What are his main goals for the season? And is he still motivated by the Grand Slam race? We also cover the main storie...

We discuss what we’ve seen so far this week in Doha and Rotterdam, including a barnstormer between Garbine Muguruza and Aryna Sabalenka, progress for Kei Nishikori, the end of Stefanos Tsitsipas’ losing streak in doubles, and Andy Murray’s 7-5, 6-2 defeat against Andrey Rublev. Hear part of Murray’s fascinating post match press conference in which he explains why he was disappointed in his pe...

We’re back! Catherine and David catch up and discuss what’s been happening since the Australian Open, including Andy Murray’s comeback in Montpellier, titles for Iga Swiatek and David Goffin, the latest Hall of Fame nominations, and tweets from John Isner about the ATP being a ‘broken system’.  Then, in part two, we dive into some listener questions, chosen by guest editor Simon Pearce. Is pe...

If Saturday was all about Naomi Osaka opening up a gap between herself and the rest of the field, then Sunday was all about Novak Djokovic closing the gap in the Grand Slam Race. After he beat Daniil Medvedev in a surprisingly one-sided final, his18th major title was the subject of our final podcast from the 2021 Australian Open.  Why was the match not as close as we expected? Could Medv...

On Saturday, Naomi Osaka beat Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to set herself apart. It was her 21st consecutive match win, her 4th Grand Slam title, and her 2nd Australian Open crown. Her 12-0 record at the quarter-finals and beyond in majors is unmatched by anyone else in the Open Era. We look back on where the final was won and lost, reflect on Osaka’s journey to this point and her place in the gam...

Just when Stefanos Tsitsipas thought he’d scaled his Everest by beating Rafael Nadal, he ran into Daniil Medvedev. The Russian picked apart Tsitsipas’ game for his 12th consecutive win over a Top-10 player to set up a final meeting with Novak Djokovic.  In part one of this podcast we discuss the match, including the way the crowd influenced both players, the deceptive brilliance of Medvedev,...

Day 11 of this Australian Open was a classic day of Grand Slam semi-final tennis, defined by tournament favourites underlining their credentials, an ageing great dealing with the heaviness of defeat, and two inexperienced players anxiously trying to defeat their nerves and each other to reach a first major final. It left us with lots to reflect on and lots to look forward to on the podcast. Osaka...

What a day at the Australian Open: one that began with Ash Barty’s shock defeat to Karolina Muchova, and ended with Stefanos Tsitsipas' remarkable comeback against Rafael Nadal. We tried our best to put it all into words on the podcast.  How did Tsitsipas turn the match around? What happened to Nadal in the third set tiebreak and beyond? Why was Barty vs. Muchova so weird? What role did the m...

Osaka solves Hsieh conundrum with ease - how did she do it? Karatsev reaches semis on Grand Slam debut. Dimitrov devastated by back spasm.  Vintage Serena beats Halep - will Osaka stop her?  Serena and Rafa - an historic double?  Djokovic manages injury, mood and Zverev.  Crowds to return on Thursday? Fingers crossed.   The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whi...

Day 8 didn’t live up to the heights of previous days, with no upsets and no epics. But with the quarter-final line-up complete, we still had lots to cover.  Has Jennifer Brady’s rise given Jessica Pegula belief? Why was Rafael Nadal vs. Fabio Fognini so disappointing? Will Matteo Berrettini’s withdrawal help or hinder Stefanos Tsitsipas? And is the lack of crowds benefitting Ash Barty? ...

All eyes were on the blockbuster Naomi Osaka vs. Garbine Muguruza and Serena Williams vs. Aryna Sabalenka matches on Sunday, and they didn’t disappoint.  How did Osaka manage to raise her game when she needed it most? Did Muguruza get tight at the finish? And where did Serena’s incredible movement and defence come from?  We also discuss what makes Su-Wei Hsieh’s presence in the quarter-f...

Saturday was the quietest day of this Australian Open so far, in all senses of the word. The fans were sorely missed and there wasn’t quite the same amount of drama or fun as previous days. But it was still a Grand Slam day, meaning there was still plenty for us to discuss, including: Silent stadia - pros and cons Nadal makes progress; Will Fognini stop him? Berrettini wins, but bigger battle...

Well that was one of the most surreal nights of tennis we’ve ever seen.  The announcement of a Victoria state lockdown from midnight in Melbourne put the attendance of fans at the Australian Open on a ticking clock and led to one of the most electric atmospheres imaginable for all five mesmerising sets of Nick Kyrgios vs. Dominic Thiem and then to a mass exodus of fans mid-way through Novak D...

After the joy of Wednesday’s atmosphere at Melbourne Park, Day 4 at the Australian Open had a tough act to follow, but it certainly delivered drama. Why was it not surprising that defending champion Sofia Kenin lost? How did Stefanos Tsitsipas find himself in a five set battle with Thanasi Kokkinakis? Should we be talking about Karolina Pliskova as a title contender? Is Jennifer Brady in the mix n...

Days of tennis don’t come much better than that. In a packed podcast, we cover:  The joy of tennis with crowds Kyrgios sending Melbourne Park into a frenzy  Inspirational Venus carrying on despite injury, but losing to Errani  Hsieh bamboozling Andreescu  Tiafoe testing Djokovic on a hot and quick Rod Laver Arena Fucsovics beating Wawrinka in fifth set tiebreak  Halep comi...

Even on a relatively quiet day at the Australian Open, there were still significant results and storylines which altered the feel of the tournament. We discuss Sofia Kenin’s nerves, the ongoing talking point about how much hard quarantine is affecting players and impacting results, defeats for Maria Sakkari and Victoria Azarenka which have opened up their quarter, a 6-0 6-0 victory for Ash Barty,...

After an exhilarating opening day at the Australian Open - featuring dominant performance from the leading women’s contenders and culminating in a five-set epic under the lights - Catherine, David and Matt had plenty to discuss on the pod.  In what ways did both Shapovalov and Sinner impress in their late night epic? How did Kyrgios respond to Djokovic’s comment that he doesn’t “respect” him...

There have been moments over the last few days, weeks and months when the chances of there even being an Australian Open in 2021 have felt slim. But one of the great feats of organisation has been pulled off, some bullets have been dodged, our fingers remain crossed, and play is set to get underway in a few hours.  In this episode we wrap up the results from the six lead-in tournaments. What...

After a 24-hour stoppage with everyone holding their breath, tennis returned again in Melbourne with all six Australian Open warm up tournaments now hurtling towards the finish line.  In the first half of the show we discuss the possible motivation behind the large number of retirements and walkovers, assess how concerned we are about Simona Halep and Rafael Nadal’s physical state, marvel at...

A positive covid test from someone who had worked at the Australian Open quarantine hotel appeared to leave the tournament teetering on a cliff edge last night, with hundreds of players and staff forced to isolate again. After 24 hours of mass testing, however, Craig Tiley says the tournament will go ahead as planned. For now. It’s a situation which has served as a reminder of the precariousness o...

With six tournaments all taking place at Melbourne Park this week, we try to get our heads around it all and discuss what we’ve seen so far. How did Serena Williams look in her first match? What about Katie Boulter? What do we expect from Bianca Andreescu in her first tournament for 15 months? Why have the crowds not shown up yet? And will the ATP Cup provide good preparation for the Australian Op...

In this episode we travel back four years to bask in the wonder that was the 2017 Australian Open. There was so much to cover (hence the length of this show) from shock defeats for Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, exciting runs from Dan Evans and Jo Konta, the re-emergence of Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, controversy surrounding Nick Kyrgios, and ultimately a throwback finals weekend which saw Serena defea...

In 1995, Pete Sampras was the world No.1, a five-time major winner, and the defending Australian Open champion. He was also a dominant and stoic figure, labelled by many as boring and representative of a sport in decline.  All that changed early in the fifth set of Sampras’ quarter-final match against Jim Courier when, overcome with emotion as he thought of his friend and coach Tim Gullikson,...

These days the Australian Open sits alongside the other Grand Slam tournaments as one of the best and most prestigious tennis events in the world, but it wasn’t always that way. In this episode, we tell the story of its transformative move from Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club to Flinders Park in 1988. Pat Cash, who lost back-to-back five-set finals in 1987 and 1988 talks us through it all, including what...