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The Tennis Podcast
Roland Garros Day 13 - Djokovic climbs tennis Everest; Greatest set ever? Tsitsipas in the final
When Andy Roddick says it’s one of the greatest matches he’s ever seen, Andy Murray describes it as ‘perfect’, and Cher weighs in, you know a tennis match has been a bit special.
After Novak Djokovic did the impossible - again! - and beat Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros, Catherine, David and Matt tried to make sense of it all. How did he do it? What was up with Nadal? And was the third set the best set of tennis ever?
There’s also chat about Stefanos Tsitsipas’ emotional victory over Alexander Zverev to reach his first Grand Slam final. Why did he go off the boil in sets three and four? And does he stand a chance against Djokovic on Sunday?
Looking ahead to Barbora Krejcikova vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the women’s final, we give our predictions.
The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.
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01:08:23||Ep. 1351Catherine, David and Matt are back to discuss the best of the action so far in Indian Wells. Part one - ATP Results. Matt Futterman checks in from on site at Indian Wells to set the scene and we get some insight from Paul Haarhuis on the marvel that is Botic van de Zandschulp after his victory over Novak Djokovic. We also chat about what that defeat might mean for Djokovic, the iconic return of Lance Davis, the court surface dividing opinion, yet another defeat for Alexander Zverev, a nice win for Jack Draper over Joao Fonseca, and the fun run of Yosuke Watanuki. Part two (from 36mins) - WTA Results. We talk about how Iga Swiatek is barely dropping games, the bottom half Last 16 is stacked with great matches, Coco Gauff is winning ugly again, Naomi Osaka playing ‘the worst match of her life’, and a clash between the two best backhands in the world. Part three (from 49m14s) - News. The WTA announces a new maternity fund, but at what cost as its paid for by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund? And we pay tribute to Australian great Fred Stolle who died last week at the age of 86. Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. Talk tennis with Friends on The Barge! Sign up to receive our free Newsletter (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt’s Stat, mascot photos, predictions, and more)Follow us on Instagram (@thetennispodcast)Subscribe to our YouTube channel.Check out our Shop - We have recently launched a range of caps!1350. Janko Tipsarevic - Explosive views on tennis coaching, revitalising Denis Shapovalov and why Andy is perfect for Novak
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01:08:24||Ep. 1349Just before Catherine and Matt drove up to meet David for some Tennis Podcast meetings, our trio got together to talk about the week in tennis.Part one - ATP Dubai, Acapulco, Santiago. How much is the return of Stefanos Tsitsipas down to what looked like a new racquet? Should the maiden title of Tomas Machac have an asterisk next to it? And how did Laslo Djere end the Sebastian Baez South America domination?Part two - WTA Merida & Austin. Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula scored their first title wins of the 2025 season, but got very different rewards. What's going on there?Part three - The WTA rebrand. Thoughts? Catherine sure gave hers. And we looked ahead to the week of tennis to come.Talk tennis with Friends on The Barge! Sign up to receive our free Newsletter (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt’s Stat, mascot photos, Fantasy League updates, and more)Follow us on Instagram (@thetennispodcast)Subscribe to our YouTube channel.Check out our Shop - We have recently launched a range of caps!1348. Raducanu scare the tip of the iceberg; Andreeva and Rublev make differing breakthroughs
01:20:58||Ep. 1348Catherine, David and Matt cover a compelling week of on court action in Dubai, Doha and Rio, as well as a couple of disturbing stories about male threat against women, involving Elena Rybakina and Emma Raducanu. Part one - WTA Dubai review. Mirra Andreeva wins the biggest title of her career so far - we discuss her game developments, how far ahead of the curve she is, and her iconic victory speech. Plus, is Clara Tauson happening? And some reflections on a tricky Middle East swing for Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. We also talk more about the Elena Rybakina-Stefano Vukov situation after a big investigation by The Athletic dropped last week, and we cover Emma Raducanu’s distressing experience in Dubai after she was targeted by a man who exhibited 'fixated behaviour'. Part two - ATP Results (from 45m55s). Andrey Rublev makes a big personal breakthrough to win the title in Doha, Sebastian Baez defends his title in Rio, another poor loss for Alexander Zverev, and mixed messages from Novak Djokovic after defeat to Matteo Berrettini. Part three (from 1h09m03s). Confusion over Venus Williams and an Indian Wells wildcard, plus a look ahead to this week’s tennis. Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. Talk tennis with Friends on The Barge! Sign up to receive our free Newsletter (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt’s Stat, mascot photos, Fantasy League updates, and more)Follow us on Instagram (@thetennispodcast)Subscribe to our YouTube channel.Check out our Shop - We have recently launched a range of caps!1347. The Backhand delivers; Fonseca - the future, and the present?
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01:07:34||Ep. 1346It's been a big week of news in tennis so Catherine, David and Matt convene to cover and react to it all. Part one - World number one Jannik Sinner banned for three months after reaching a settlement with WADA. Part two (from 37m24s) - WTA suspends Elena Rybakina's coach, Stefano Vukov, for a year. Part three (from 47m53s) - US Open announces drastic change to its mixed doubles event. Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. Talk tennis with Friends on The Barge! Sign up to receive our free Newsletter (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt’s Stat, mascot photos, predictions, and more)Follow us on Instagram (@thetennispodcast)Subscribe to our YouTube channel.Check out our Shop - We have just launched a range of caps!1345. Alcaraz is back, Shapovalov & Bencic send reminders, and how to remember Simona Halep?
01:17:05||Ep. 1345Catherine, David and Matt discuss a busy week of news, comebacks, thrilling matches, and nasal strips in the tennis world. Part one - Simona Halep announces her retirement. How will she be remembered in the sport? Plus, David’s takes on Anastasia Potapova who won the title in Cluj-Napoca. Part two (from 21m42s) - Belinda Bencic wins Abu Dhabi, watched on by daughter Bella. Carlos Alcaraz win his first indoor title, beating Alex de Minaur in Rotterdam. And Denis Shapovalov wins the biggest title of his career, but what does it mean?! Part three (from 1h01m12s) - A look ahead to this week’s tennis, headlined by the WTA 1000 event in Doha. Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. Talk tennis with Friends on The Barge! Sign up to receive our free Newsletter (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt’s Stat, mascot photos, predictions, and more)Follow us on Instagram (@thetennispodcast)Subscribe to our YouTube channel.Check out our Shop - We have just launched a range of caps!1344. Davis Cup is alive! (if you can find it)
01:22:06||Ep. 1344Catherine, David and Matt convene to round up everything that’s happened in tennis since returning from the Australian Open in Melbourne. Part one - Davis Cup Qualifiers including an impressive comeback from Denmark to beat Serbia, huge drama in the Belgium vs Chile tie, aggro involving Arthur Fils and Thiago Seyboth Wild, and disappointment for Great Britain. Plus, titles for Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Elise Mertens on tour. Part two (from 43m25s) - News round up. US Open to start on a Sunday, Elena Rybakina begins working with a new coach, Daniil Medvedev splits from Gilles Simon, a costly development for UK tennis viewers, and Jannik Sinner enters his vlogger era. Part three (from 1h08m36s) - A look ahead to this week’s action. Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. Talk tennis with Friends on The Barge! Sign up to receive our free Newsletter (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt’s Stat, mascot photos, predictions, and more)Follow us on Instagram (@thetennispodcast)Subscribe to our YouTube channel.Check out our Shop - We have just launched a range of caps!