The Tennis Podcast
Your definitive tennis round up, daily at the Slams. Part of the Athletic Network. Named in Time Mag's Top 100 podcasts of all time.Friends of The Tennis Podcast have access to exclusive Q & A's, new editions of Tennis Re-Lived and more bonus content.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Live from Wimbledon - Men’s final preview
Catherine, David and Matt are joined by The Athletic’s Ava Wallace to look ahead to the men’s singles final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.
We discuss the way Sinner has dominated their recent matches, analyse what Zverev might be able to do differently, compare them as tennis players more generally, and give our predictions for the match.
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Live from Wimbledon Day 13 - Noskova conquers nerves to win it all
Catherine, David and Matt were live moments after Linda Noskova became Wimbledon champion, defeating her Czech compatriot Karolina Muchova 6-2 5-7 6-3 in what became a dramatic final.
We start by discussing the important moments in the match; Noskova’s sublime performance at the start to build a 6-2 5-2 lead, the choke which saw her lose five match points across three games and be taken to a third set, and her remarkable reset to then win that deciding set.
How did Noskova pull it all off? How surprising was Muchova’s slow start? And what m...
Live from Wimbledon - Women’s final preview
Catherine, David and Matt are joined by The Athletic’s Matt Futterman to look ahead to this afternoon’s women’s final between Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova.
We discuss both players, analyse the match up, and give our predictions.
Matt F also talks us through his articles on how Wimbledon plays an important role in the history of Czech tennis and Gabriela Dabrowski’s cancer journey.
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Live from Wimbledon Day 12 - Sinner, Zverev to clash for title
Catherine, David and Matt react to men’s semi-finals day as Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev set up a meeting in Sunday’s final.
We start with Sinner’s comprehensive win over Novak Djokovic and discuss the way that Sinner upped his level enormously compared to the rest of the tournament, and where this result leaves Djokovic moving forward.
In part two, we cover Zverev’s straight sets victory over Arthur Fery. How did Fery cause some issues in the opening set? In what way is Zverev playing better on grass than ever before? And what migh...
Live from Wimbledon Day 11 - Muchova edges Gauff in classic
Catherine, David and Matt react live to women’s semi-finals day as Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova ensured there will be a Czech winner on Saturday.
We start with Muchova’s extraordinary win over Coco Gauff in a final set tiebreak. How did Muchova manage to beat Gauff over the distance? What was Gauff thinking with that drop shot on her match point? And do we have any concerns about Muchova when it comes to physicality and nerves in the final?
As for the second semi-final (26:15), we talk about Noskova’s remarkable poise and temperament which sa...
Live from Wimbledon Day 10 - The Fery tale continues!
Catherine, David and Matt react to British wildcard Arthur Fery reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals.
There’s chat about the way he completely outplayed a disappointing Flavio Cobolli, his remarkable self-assuredness and confidence in press, and how his game might stack up against Alexander Zverev, who emphatically ended his recent streak of losses to Taylor Fritz, in the semi-finals.
We also run through a long list of possible Fery-related puns for the British media as this story takes over the back pages.
On the women’s side, we discuss a couple of excellent performances from Ma...
Live from Wimbledon Day 9 - Djokovic keeps dream of 25 alive
On another late night at Wimbledon, Catherine, David and Matt react to Novak Djokovic’s remarkable final set tiebreak win over Felix Auger-Aliassime.
How did Djokovic pull this off? What was it like to be in the stadium? And how much will those five hours on court take out of Djokovic ahead of his semi-final showdown against Jannik Sinner?
Speaking of Sinner, we discuss his win over Jan-Lennard Struff and how much of a surprise is it that he still hasn’t found his best form this tournament.
There’s also chat about Alexander...
Live from Wimbledon Day 8 - Fery fires into the quarters
Catherine, David and Matt are live on the day that Arthur Fery became the sixth British man in the Open Era to reach a Wimbledon quarter-final, beating Grigor Dimitrov on Centre Court.
Where was the match won and lost? How far can Fery’s game take him? And why was it tough to see Dimitrov cast as the villain as Fery Fever swept SW19?
Fery will face Flavio Cobolli who played some seriously good tennis to beat a crestfallen Alex de Minaur. We discuss both press conferences and give a nod to Taylor Fritz who look...
Live from Wimbledon Day 7 - Will Naomi Osaka win Wimbledon?
On yet another dramatic day, Catherine and David were joined by Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic straight after Coco Gauff’s victory over Belinda Bencic, just in the nick of time before the 11pm curfew.
Charlie explains why Gauff is his pick for the title, but will she even be the favourite in the next round against Jessica Pegula?
The main talking point is Naomi Osaka’s incredible victory over Aryna Sabalenka. How did Osaka turn their rivalry around to win? Where has this tennis been from her on grass? Can she now go on to win...
Live from Wimbledon Day 6 - Eala lights up Centre Court
Catherine, David and Matt were live after a couple of late night five-setters as Grigor Dimitrov’s feel good run went on and Alexander Bublik ended Frances Tiafoe’s hopes. How much regret will Tiafoe have after failing to take any of his nine set points in the third? And just how far can Dimitrov go?
It was also a huge day in the women’s draw as former champions Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina were both beaten. We discuss Alexandra Eala’s extraordinary performance to beat Swiatek and the impact of her win in The Philippines, as well a...
Live from Wimbledon Day 5 - Osaka peaks for Sabalenka clash
Catherine, David and Matt were live at the end of Day 5 as a series of brilliant Last 16 women’s matches were set up.
We discuss the good mental place Naomi Osaka is in this tournament and whether she can finally trouble Aryna Sabalenka, whether Barbora Krejickova’s closing problem will be an issue for her against Karolina Muchova, how Iva Jovic doesn’t feel out of place in the line-up despite her age, and who the favourite is between Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic.
In part two (32:41) we discuss Novak Djokovic’s entertaining win over Arthur Rin...
Live from Wimbledon Day 4 - Dimitrov, Berrettini roll back the years
Catherine, David and Matt were live moments after Grigor Dimitrov beat Jakub Mensik in a match which began outdoors and finished under the roof, exorcising the demons of twelve months ago.
Dimitrov now faces Matteo Berrettini who impressed again by beating Arthur Fils. Could one of them..reach the final? The bottom half of the men’s draw remains open and we discuss Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Alexander Zverev and Flavio Cobolli all winning through.
In part two (32:56) we break down the women’s results, and most notably the setting up of Iga Swiatek vs Alexan...
Live from Wimbledon Day 3 - Gauff, Krejcikova classics light up SW19
We start by reacting to Deadline Djokovic and his rapid victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas. How much will that efficiency help him later on in the tournament?
We then move on to the two standout matches of the day - Barbora Krejcikova’s thrilling win over French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, and Coco Gauff winning the last six points to survive a final set tiebreak against Solana Sierra.
We discuss what makes Krejcikova’s forehand so great, the return of Andreeva’s on court petulance, and how Gauff’s improved serve helped her in some key moments. <...
Live from Wimbledon Day 2 - Serena shines, but Maya prevails
Catherine, David and Matt react to Serena Williams’ singles return as she lost in three sets on Centre Court to Maya Joint.
In what way did this match and occasion actually exceed our expectations? How did Joint manage to overcome her nerves to play so well and win? Would playing a warm-up tournament have helped Serena? And what might the rest of her summer look like?
We then wrap up the other women’s results including an emotional Iga Swiatek passing a difficult test as defending champion against Taylor Townsend, Madison Keys and Elena Rybakina both s...
Live from Wimbledon Day 1 - Sinner survives scare
Catherine, David and Matt were live at the end of an eventful opening day at Wimbledon in 2026.
We start with the day’s most dramatic events including Novak Djokovic’s late night victory on Centre Court, Jannik Sinner overcoming the triple threat of a dramatic fall, a bloody shoe and an inspired performance by Miomir Kecmanovic, French Open finalist Maja Chwalinska’s cruel injury on match point, and a brutal day for British tennis with ten defeats plus the withdrawal of Jack Draper.
In part two (39:45) we wrap up the day’s other key results including...
Live from Wimbledon preview - Serena steals the show
The night before Wimbledon, Catherine, David and Matt were live for one last hype show.
We start by discussing some more pre tournament press conferences and most notably Serena Williams’ return to the media room at Wimbledon. What did we learn?
We also have updates from Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu, while Matt is cautiously optimistic about what he heard from Amanda Anisimova.
In part two (29:42), we’re joined by tournament director Jamie Baker to discuss Wimbledon’s position on the player protests, the expansion plans, and wildcards.
Finally , we look ahead to t...
Live from Wimbledon - Player media protest gathers pace
Catherine, David and Matt were live to discuss what the players had to say at the end of another media day affected by player protest action over prize money revenue and welfare issues.
How much of a feature was this action on media day? Would it help if the players were more specific about the welfare improvements they’re seeking? And where does this movement go from here?
Moving on to the tennis chat (16:20), we cover the challenges facing Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner as defending champions, how Novak Djokovic feels different to how he felt...
Live from Wimbledon - Draw puts Serena, Swiatek on collision course
Catherine, David and Matt were Live at Wimbledon for the first time in 2026 to dissect the singles draws which were made on Friday, headlined by Serena Williams’ return to tennis.
In part one, we discuss what it was like during the draw as we waited for Serena’s name, whether first round opponent Maya Joint counts as a good draw, and how far she might go, including a possible round three clash with Iga Swiatek. There’s also chat about potentially difficult paths for Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova. And why do we have a hunch a...
Wimbledon - Has Sinner conquered the heat?
Catherine, David and Matt are together at Tennis Podcast Towers in Putney as Wimbledon qualifying wrapped up at Roehampton and excitement grows ahead of Friday’s Draw.
Part one (00:00 - 27:10) - Wimbledon Qualifying. We cover some of the main headlines from qualifying including Oliver Tarvet making it through, Dan Evans’ singles career ending, and a big moment for Bianca Andreescu.
Part two (27:11 - 37:29) - Tour Results Round Up. There’s chat about Iga Swiatek losing her first match on grass this season and some positive signs for Jack Draper in Eastbourne.
Part three (37:30 - 1:05:52...
Understanding the four-year ban of Marketa Vondrousova
2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was banned from playing for four years this week for refusing to take an out-of-competition doping test.
After Vondrousova’s own complaints and an outcry from other players on social media, Catherine Whitaker speaks to Karen Moorhouse - Chief Executive Officer of the International Tennis Integrity Agency - to understand why she was give such a ban, and how and why the system works as it does.
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Serena’s Wimbledon singles comeback is ON
Catherine, David and Matt were live on YouTube on Sunday night to react to the huge news that Serena Williams will be playing singles at Wimbledon after accepting the last wildcard.
Part one - Serena’s singles return at Wimbledon (00:00 - 32:12). We discuss how shocking it is, what to expect, and some fun possible round one matches.
Part two (32:13 - 1:15:21) - We cover the big results from this week, including titles for Frances Tiafoe in Halle, Francisco Cerundolo at Queen’s and Linda Noskova in Berlin, big wins and performances from Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula...
Will Serena play singles at Wimbledon?
Catherine and David are rejoined by Matt, who’s back from Chicago, to catch up on the week’s results so far and speculate about whether Serena Williams will play more than just doubles at Wimbledon.
Part one (00:00 - 25:45) - We start with Wimbledon’s wildcard decisions. Is a spot being saved for Serena to play singles? Do we think she will take it? Is that something we would like to see? And why does it feel wrong that Dan Evans has been snubbed?
Part two - WTA (25:46 - 53:00). We discuss Alexandra Eala’s brilliant win over E...
Dan Evans - The party's (almost) over
Dan Evans has decided to call time on his career, with one more Wimbledon to play first. After making his decision just before the French Open, Evans sat down with David Law to talk about the many ups and downs of his 15-year career.
00.00 - Intro
02.00 - Why Dan is retiring now and how the decision was made
08.00 - The early years
37.00 - Breakthrough at the US Open 2013
40.00 - Ups and downs
43.00 - Match points against Wawrinka in New York
49.00 - The failed doping test<...
Grass! Donna Vekic, Emma Raducanu and Ben Shelton enter the chat
With Matt in CHICAGO! Catherine and David get together to look back on the first week of the grass court season in 2026.
Part one - The WTA event in Queen’s, where Donna Vekic and Emma Raducanu provided timely reminders of just how dangerous they can be on grass, particularly with coaches they know and trust. Also chat about Amanda Anisimova, the returning Serena Williams, and a title for Robin Montgomery.
Part two (40:32) - The ATP events in Stuttgart and S’Hertogenbosch where Ben Shelton and Kamil Majchrzak were triumphant. Could Shelton be about to make...
French Open Day 15 - Zverev wins, but polarises
Catherine, David and Matt convene at Roland Garros for one last time in 2026 after Alexander Zverev won his first Grand Slam title, beating Flavio Cobolli in a five-set struggle.
Part one - Our review of the final including both players’ nerves, how Zverev said his cramps helped him to ‘let go’, and whether Cobolli will have any regrets.
Part two (26:07) - We discuss what it all means. Will Cobolli make it back to a major final? And will breaking his major duck change Zverev’s status in the sport?
Part three (42:07) - We cover Ka...
French Open Day 14 - Andreeva’s dream comes true
Catherine, David and Matt react to Mirra Andreeva’s 6-3 6-2 win over qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the Roland Garros final.
Part one - We discuss Andreeva’s journey to becoming a Grand Slam champion, the role of coach Conchita Martinez, how Andreeva dealt with the occasion and elevated her game to win the final, and what the future might hold for Chwalinska.
Part two (33:17) - We run through the day’s wheelchair, doubles and junior finals.
Part three (42:04) - Men’s final preview. Can Flavio Cobolli give this tournament one last upset against...
French Open Day 13 - Surely now for Zverev?
On a very strange day at Roland Garros, Catherine, David and Matt discuss Alexander Zverev reaching a fourth Grand Slam final and a semi-final that didn’t happen.
Part one - Reaction to Matteo Arnaldi’s withdrawal, what it might mean for Flavio Cobolli ahead of the final, a surreal joint press conference, and the issue of split session men’s semi-finals.
Part two (16:32) - We discuss how Zverev beat Jakub Mensik in four sets and his prospects for the final.
Part three (28:35) - A rundown of the latest results in the wheelchair and do...
French Open Day 12 - Will Maja Chwalinska match Raducanu’s title run?
Catherine, David and Matt are joined by The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare on the day that Maja Chwalinska and Mirra Andreeva booked their spots in Saturday’s Roland Garros Final.
Part one - We react to Chwalinska’s absorbing victory over Diana Shnaider and the continuation of her remarkable run from qualifying. How did Chwalinska showcase the full range of her game? And how will she handle the next 48 hours?
Part two (24:38) - We discuss Andreeva’s comfortable win against Marta Kostyuk in the day’s first semi-final. In what way did Andreeva deal with the condit...
French Open Day 11 - Sabalenka self-destructs in the wind
Catherine, David and Matt react to another seismic upset at Roland Garros as Aryna Sabalenka lost 12 of the last 13 games in her quarter-final against Diana Shnaider.
Part one - Our reaction to a shocking Sabalenka loss in the wind. How did she lose 10 games in a row from 6-3 5-3? How come she didn’t learn from last year’s final against Gauff? And can we now say she’s under performing at the majors? We also chat about how Maja Chwalinska’s life-changing run continued with her victory against Anna Kalinskaya.
Part two (38:41) - We discu...
French Open Day 10 - Can Kostyuk win it all for Ukraine?
Catherine, David and Matt look back on a day which saw Mirra Andreeva, Marta Kostyuk, Alexander Zverev and Jakub Mensik reach the semi-finals at Roland Garros.
Part one - We discuss Kostyuk’s remarkable surge to defeat Svitolina, her moving words about the the significance of an all-Ukrainian match on a day when Kyiv was hit by bombing, and her chances of going on to win the title. Plus, analysis of Andreeva’s incredibly impressive performance to thrash Sorana Cirstea.
Part two (25:46) - We react to Mensik’s straight-sets win over Joao Fonseca, including how the in...
French Open Day 9 - Sabalenka shines as Serena announces return
Catherine, David and Matt wrap up another eventful day, headlined at Roland Garros by Aryna Sabalenka vs Naomi Osaka in the night session, and elsewhere in the tennis world by the news that Serena Williams is making a comeback.
Part one - We discuss Sabalenka’s statement win, how the match-up against Osaka reveals just how much she’s improved as a player over the years, and the use of Sabalenka’s drop shot. Elsewhere, victories for Diana Shnaider, Maja Chwalinska and Anna Kalinskaya are covered.
Part two (22:04) - On an extraordinary day for Italy, we rea...
French Open Day 8 - Kostyuk and stress send Swiatek packing
This crazy French Open took yet another twist on Sunday as Iga Swiatek was beaten by Marta Kostyuk before a thrilling Joao Fonseca performance in the night session. Catherine, David and Matt recorded on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the end of it all.
Part one - We unpack Swiatek’s loss. Where did it go wrong for her? Will she ever rediscover her best form? How did the combination of Kostyuk's game and match nerves unsettle her? And what can Kostyuk go on to achieve at this tournament? We look ahead to her quarter-final showdown with fellow Ukrainian El...
French Open Day 7 - Gauff falls, so who’s in the title Mix now?
Catherine, David and Matt review yet another dramatic day at Roland Garros, headlined by defeat for defending champion Coco Gauff to Anastasia Potapova.
Part one - Women’s draw. We discuss how Gauff’s loss unfolded, the extraordinary level and resilience of Potapova, and where this leaves Gauff going into the grass court season. Plus, all the talking points from Amanda Anisimova’s loss to Diane Parry, including #sneezegate, and a look ahead to Naomi Osaka’s blockbuster clash with Aryna Sabalenka. How much chance does Osaka have? Could it possibly be night session?
Part two - Me...
French Open Day 6 - Djokovic downed as Fonseca comes of age
At the end of another extraordinary day at this year’s French Open, Catherine, David and Matt are together at Tennis Podcast Towers in Paris to discuss an historically wide-open men’s tournament following Joao Fonseca’s incredible win over Novak Djokovic.
Part one - Men’s draw. How did Fonseca mount his comeback from two sets down against Djokovic? What did it feel like in the stadium? And what does this mean for both players and the rest of this tournament? Elsewhere, we cover Casper Ruud saving match points to survive Tommy Paul by the skin of his t...
French Open Day 5 - Sinner STUNNED! What happened, and what now?
Catherine, David and Matt react to Jannik Sinner’s loss at Roland Garros, a result which blows the whole tournament wide open.
Part one - Men’s draw. We discuss how Sinner’s dramatic defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo unfolded as his 6-3 6-2 5-1 lead evaporated and his body wilted in the heat. How did Sinner explain what happened in his press conference? And what does it mean for the tournament? Ben Shelton, the fifth seed, has already failed to capitalise, while 17-year-old Frenchman Moose Kouame lit up Lenglen again.
Part two - Women’s draw...
French Open Day 4 - A frenzy of drama, injuries and upsets
Catherine, David and Matt convene at the end of a quite crazy day at Roland Garros, headlined by Elena Rybakina’s defeat in a final set tiebreak.
Part one - Women’s results. This was a very good day for Iga Swiatek, right? She beat Sara Bejlek, Jelena Ostapenko lost to Magda Linette, and Rybakina was beaten by Yulia Starodubtseva. We discuss all of those matches and their ramifications. Does this propel Swiatek to title favourite? Elsewhere, we cover a devastating injury for Hailey Baptiste, a sad exit for Jasmine Paolini, and some spectacular, no-notes aggro between Tama...
French Open Day 3 - Is the sun Sinner’s most dangerous opponent?
It was a bit of a weird day at Roland Garros, bookended by a couple of big upsets, with Daniil Medvedev and Jessica Pegula both losing. Catherine, David and Matt discuss it all as we finally completed round one.
Part one - Men’s results. We cover Medvedev’s loss to Adam Walton and his poor record generally at the French Open. Felix Auger-Aliassime survived in a fifth set tiebreak, but with that part of the draw looking pretty light, can he keep it going and reach his semi-final seeding? Elsewhere, Jannik Sinner eased through, but will he k...
French Open Day 2 - Svitolina, Ruud survive scares
Catherine, David and Matt capture another day at Roland Garros which saw Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils say goodbye, Elina Svitolina and Casper Ruud survive, and more players succumb to hot conditions.
Part one - Day session. We cover Svitolina’s hard fought win over Anna Bondar, overcoming her recent difficulties in that match up. What makes Bondar tricky for her? And how did she come through? Elsewhere, there’s chat about Amanda Anisimova’s winning return, a tough day for Zheng Qinwen, and Rafael Jodar’s emphatic victory.
Part two - Night session (38:31). Gael Monfils...
French Open Day 1 - Djokovic fights through, but how did he look?
At the end of a hot and steamy day in Paris, Catherine, David and Matt wrap up the main results from Roland Garros, headlined by Novak Djokovic’s win in the night session.
Part one - Men’s results. We cover Djokovic’s four set win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, assess just how much trouble he was in, and whether he can use this performance as a springboard. We also go in depth into Nishesh Basavarredy’s journey after his excellent win over Taylor Fritz. Elsewhere there’s chat about Alexander Zverev’s victory, Joao Fonseca setting up a meeting...
RG Preview, Arthur’s agony and an extraordinary Oliynykova interview
On the eve of the French Open, Catherine, David and Matt are joined by The Athletic’s Ava Wallace to preview the tournament and make some predictions.
Part one - We react to the sad news that Arthur Fils has withdrawn, talk about what it means for the landscape of men’s tennis as the significant injuries pile up, and provide a further update on the player’s media action.
Part two (15:58) - We talk about some of the main headlines from qualifying and pick out the best matches on the day one Order of Play...