The Tennis Podcast

Catherine, David and Matt catch up on all the action at the WTA Finals so far.

Part one - We start by hearing from The Athletic’s Ava Wallace who is on site at Indian Wells. She gives us an insight into the strange vibe of this year’s tournament ahead of its move to Charlotte. Why has the tennis been disappointing? And with rumours swirling about a change of format next year, how much is Round Robin to blame? We also look ahead to the semi-finals with Jessica Pegula and Elina Svitolina up against the standout play...

Part one - Paris (00:00 - 33:56). There’s only one place to start and that’s Carlos Alcaraz’s thrilling title run in Paris. We cover his Houdini act to beat Taylor Fritz. how he did things that nobody else can, and his connection to Paris. Plus, Fritz’s agonising near miss as the ATP Finals Race wrapped up, Ben Shelton’s run to the final, and Luca van Assche proving us wrong.

Part two - WTA Finals (33:57 - 57:00). We discuss Elena Rybakina’s unfortunate withdrawal, how Coco Gauff vs Jessica Pegula on the opening day brought the event to lif...

Catherine, David and Matt catch up on a dramatic week in Paris so far and look ahead to the WTA Finals at Indian Wells.

Part one (00:00 - 32:32) We start by discussing the Race From Turin as Rafael Jodar, Frances Tiafoe, Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur all lost early in Paris, opening the door for Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul to potentially qualify for the ATP Finals. How might things shake out? There’s also a big discussion about Alexander Zverev losing his first match as world number one against Lorenzo Musetti and in particular Zverev’s anno...

David is back from holiday and he rejoins Catherine and Matt to discuss another busy week of action, on and off court.

Part one - ATP (00:00 - 47:42) We start by revelling in Carlos Alcaraz’s incredible form as he won the title in Vienna, beating Alex de Minaur in a thrilling final despite the one-sided scoreline. In the semis, De Minaur beat Alexander Zverev who this week officially became the World No.1. How do we view Zverev’s season in light of his 3-9 record against the Top 10? There’s also chat about Valentin Vacherot’s victory in Basel...

With David away on holiday, Catherine and Matt are joined by The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare for reaction to the week’s results and some bigger picture reflections on the season.

Part one - WTA (00:00 - 44:55). We start by discussing Elena Rybakina’s first title as the World No.1 and her impressive performance to beat Leylah Fernandez in the Ningbo final. Charlie reflects on how Rybakina’s rise to the top has coincided with Aryna Sabalenka’s slump and we take a look at the WTA Finals line-up which got confirmed last week. How weird is it not to see...

Catherine, David and Matt review the final few days of action in Wuhan and Shanghai as Maja Chwalinska and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina won their first 1000 level titles.

Part one (00:00 - 29:40) We discuss the way Chwalinska has backed up her run to the Roland Garros final, how she came from a set down to defeat Sonay Kartal in an enjoyable final in Wuhan, and the tough task for Iga Swiatek to try to qualify for the WTA Finals.

Part two (29:41 - 56:52) We cover Davidovich Fokina’s brilliant title run, the way he’s changed the narrative of h...

Catherine, David and Matt catch up on events in Shanghai and Wuhan with both tournaments reaching their climactic stages.

Part one - Shanghai (00:00 - 28:34). With lots of players on their last legs at the end of the season, how does Alexander Zverev keep on winning? We discuss his week in Shanghai so far, including a slight ankle concern and an incident where he turned up late to practice. Elsewhere, there’s condemnation of Rafael Jodar’s language and behaviour on court, analysis of Daniil Medvedev’s prospects after a win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, and yet more Davis Cup dr...

Catherine, David and Matt discuss Zheng Qinwen’s title at home in Beijing and a shock defeat for Carlos Alcaraz in Shanghai.

Part one (00:00 - 26:08) We cover Zheng’s brilliant performance in the final to beat Mirra Andreeva, her post-match karaoke, and what the potential ceiling of her game could be.

Part two (26:09 - 53:18) In Shanghai, we react to Zizou Bergs beating an irritable Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev securing the year-end world number one ranking, and a tough set of results for lots of the Americans, especially Taylor Fritz losing out to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Part...

Catherine, David and Matt catch up as WTA Beijing heads for an exciting finish and ATP Shanghai is just getting started.

Part one - We start with more discussion of the horrible racial abuse that Coco Gauff received, how it affected her on court, and the lack of response from the WTA. We then discuss a brilliant win for Elise Mertens over Iga Swiatek and her upcoming semi-final against home favourite Zheng Qinwen. Why do we often overlook Mertens? And how great is it to see Zheng backing up her US Open form?

Part two (23:24...

It’s been a busy few days in tennis so Catherine, David and Matt convene to discuss the end of Jannik Sinner’s 2026 season, titles for Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev’s default, and shock defeats for Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka in Beijing.

Part one (00:00 - 17:15) We start with the tough news that Sinner is shutting down his season due to his persistent knee injury. We reflect on what this means for Sinner and what an odd year it’s been for him, as well as some of the knock on effects like Alexander Zverev b...

Catherine, David and Matt catch up on everything that’s happened so far in Tokyo and Beijing as well as some bits of tennis news.

Part one (00:00 - 40:40) We start by discussing titles for Daniil Medvedev and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina before getting in to the tough transition from Laver Cup to the Asian Swing, with lots of early exits for those players. Plus, Carlos Alcaraz wins a fun one against Alex Michelsen and could be on a collision course with Arthur Fils, while Novak Djokovic has struggled through a couple of matches in Beijing in front of an...

Catherine, Matt and David were live on YouTube to talk about Czechia's triumph in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and Team Europe's victory at the Laver Cup.

Part one (00:00 - 46:22) We cover Czechia winning their first BJK Cup title since 2018, Linda Noskova’s transformation in recent months, Ukraine’s run to the final, and our overall feelings on the event after the second staging in Shenzhen. Plus, there’s discussion of wins or Kim Birrell and Leylah Fernandez in Seoul and Singapore, and the concussion protocol situation of Tatiana Prozorova.

Part two (46:23 - 1:09:55) Matt talks...

Catherine, David and Matt catch up on the Billie Jean King Cup Finals action so far, with Czechia, Spain, Ukraine and Italy all reaching the last four.

Part one (00:00 - 30:37) - After David runs us through his extraordinary mishap involving a laptop and a postbox, we turn our attention to what’s happened at the BJK Cup Finals in Shenzhen, headlined by Italy’s win over hosts China. How does Paolini keep delivering for her country? Plus, there’s coverage of Ukraine’s victory despite Greet Minion’s heroics to beat Elina Svitolina, a tough win for Spain over...

Catherine, David and Matt are home from New York and convene to discuss everything that’s happened in the tennis world since the US Open, headlined by some thrilling Davis Cup action. 

Part one (00:00 - 29:44) - We cover all the talking points from the Davis Cup as the Final 8 line-up was complete, including Czechia’s brilliant win over USA, why Spain could be the favourites for the title, and how this week reminded us of the brilliance of the home and away Davis Cup format, as long as you can find it to watch on TV. 

Part...

For one last time at the 2026 US Open, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts convene to discuss Alexander Zverev’s victory over Ben Shelton in the men’s final. 

We start by analysing the match, including Zverev’s excellent management of the occasion and perfect tactics, as well as Shelton’s slow start and poor execution in key moments. There’s also chat about Zverev’s ball bouncing, whether we expected more from Shelton, and the bizarre moment where Zverev didn’t even realise he’d won. 

We also discuss why Zverev, with two allegations of dom...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts react to Elena Rybakina winning her first US Open title, beating Aryna Sabalenka to underline her new status as the best player in the world.

Part one - We start by analysing the match and where it was won and lost, including Rybakina’s remarkable first set despite serving at just 27% and the way she comprehensively outplayed Sabalenka in the decider. As for the big picture, we discuss Sabalenka’s losing record in major finals, her frustration at the end of the match, Rybakina’s feat to win this title so soo...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts discuss Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev reaching the men’s final at the US Open and look ahead to Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina in the women’s. 

Part one - We react to Shelton’s electric night session win over fellow American Frances Tiafoe, the clear improvements in Shelton’s backhand, and how he’s carrying the mantle well of trying to be the first American man to win a major since Andy Roddick in 2003. Plus, what does the future hold for Tiafoe? 

Part two (20:01) - We cover Zverev...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts convene at the end of women’s semi-final night as Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina booked a final showdown with contrasting wins.

Part one - We start by analysing Elena Rybakina’s comeback victory over Coco Gauff. How did she gradually take charge of the match? What happened to Gauff’s forehand? And how did Rybakina stay so calm and unaffected by the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd?

Part two (16:31) - We discuss Sabalenka’s incredible performance to defeat Jessica Pegula in straights. Is there anything Pegula could have done dif...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts react to another day of US Open action, headlined by Elena Rybakina winning the match she needed to guarantee that she will be the new women’s world number one on Monday. 

Part one - We cover two more compelling women’s quarter-finals as Rybakina beat Zheng Qinwen and Coco Gauff saved a couple of match points to defeat Mirra Andreeva. In what way does Rybakina becoming world number one signal a new era for the WTA? Will this run be a catalyst for Zheng? What happened to Gauff’s serve a...

David Law and Matt Roberts are on site at the US Open to react to a quite extraordinary day of action which finished with Ben Shelton defeating Carlos Alcaraz in a deciding set tiebreak at 3:33am, guaranteeing an American’s men’s finalist on Sunday. 

Part one - We discuss the story of Shelton’s crazy win over Alcaraz, the reasons why Alcaraz for once came up short in one of these epic matches, and why it was the best tennis we’ve ever seen Shelton play. Shelton will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals after he...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts recap another day of US Open which was headlined by Zheng Qinwen once again coming back to win a set from 0-5 down, this time en route to knocking out Iga Swiatek. 

Part one - We discuss the extraordinary Zheng comeback, why it’s so special to see her back in the latter stages of a Grand Slam, and her prospects in the next round against Elena Rybakina. The Kazakh is now just win one away from becoming World No.1 after a flawless display to defeat Naomi Osaka. How did Osa...

It was a strong day for the American men at Flushing Meadows as Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton and Alex Michelsen all booked their spots in the quarter-finals, but the performance of the day came from Carlos Alcaraz. Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts discuss it all.

Part one - We start by analysing Alcaraz’s win over Tommy Paul which saw him produce a phenomenal level. Does Alzaraz’s form mean that David has changed his mind about what will happen when Alcaraz faces Shelton? We preview that match and discuss what, if anything, Shelton will have...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts react to a dramatic day at the US Open which was headlined by tough results for some American players. 

Part one - Day session. Labour Day weekend began in difficult fashion for the hosts as Amanda Anisimova lost to Anastasia Potapova, Taylor Fritz let a two set lead slip, and Madison Keys lost from 5-0 up in the decider against the magnificent Zheng Qinwen. We cover all the matches and the emotional press conferences that followed. Plus there’s chat about Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff both winning in straight set...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts are together at Flushing Meadows on the night that Serena and Venus Williams returned to the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Part one - We discuss the Williams sisters’ loss to Maya Joint and Chan Hao Ching, the incredible sense of occasion, and what could be next for Serena. In the singles, there’s chat about Taylor Townsend setting up at a tantalising clash with Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula overcoming a sluggish start to beat Leylah Fernandez, and a couple of surprising losses for Elina Svitolina and Karolina Muchova.

Part two...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts are together at Flushing Meadows on a day which saw some upsets in the men’s draw while the top women continued their smooth progress. 

Part one - We start with Coco Gauff’s night session win over Paula Badosa. How good did she have to be to win? Elsewhere, are Naomi Osaka and Amanda Anisimova In The Mix to win this title? We discuss their three set wins as well as Madison Keys’ dramatic comeback, Alexandra Eala showcasing how she’s a quick learner, and Zheng Qinwen finding her identity...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts gather at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre at the end of the fourth day of action at the US Open, which saw Carlos Alcaraz produce the best tennis of the men’s tournament so far, and Aryna Sabalenka show signs of tension off the court, while winning serenely on it. 

Part One - We discuss Carlos Alcaraz’s four set win over Jaime Faria. How is it possible that he’s playing this well after 5 months on the sidelines with a wrist injury? Will he be able to keep it...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts convene to discuss a rain-affected day at the US Open which ended with top seed Alexander Zverev coming within two points of defeat before eventually winning at 1:55am.

Part one - Men. We react to Zverev’s win over Lorenzo Sonego, including the dazzling tennis played at times by the Italian, the lateness of it all, and whether Zverev has played himself into form or not. Elsewhere, we cover Flavio Cobolli’s first ever comeback from two sets down and a win for the incomparable Gael Monfils on his 40th birth...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts react to Carlos Alcaraz’s round one victory as he made his highly-anticipated return from injury.

Part one - Day session. We discuss Alcaraz’s strong performance to beat Roman Safiullin, how it felt to be watching him play tennis again, and his prospects for the rest of the tournament. Elsewhere, there’s chat about what Arthur Fils needs to do to improve his Grand Slam record after a shock defeat, honesty from Amanda Anisimova about her coaching situation, and a big win for Zheng Qinwen.

Part t...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts react to Novak Djokovic’s first ever opening round defeat at the US Open as he vomited, winced and cried during a gruelling loss to Mariano Navone.

Part one - We discuss all the talking points from Djokovic’s exit, including the way Djokovic suffered physically throughout the match, his tears as he was unable to pull through, and why it leaves him facing an uncertain future in the sport.

Part two (20:24) - A round up of the day’s other results and stories including comfortable wins for Jessic...

Catherine, David and Matt catch up after an incredible day spent watching Mary Carillo and Roger Federer get inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Part one - We discuss our amazing experience in Newport, why Mary Carillo means so much to us, the moment Mirka introduced Roger, and how the Hall of Fame totally won us over.

Part two (30:29) - We cover some more pre tournament press conferences as the likes of Novak Djokovic, Arthur Fils, Elena Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova and Iga Swiatek spoke to the media. Plus, new USTA boss Craig Tiley...

After spending the day in the US Open press conference room, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts react to what the top players had to say as they prepare for the tournament. 

Part one - We discuss the way Carlos Alcaraz left us feeling positive about his return from injury, detailing that his wrist has felt fine in practice, that he’s using his experience of being injured in 2024 to help him, and that he plans to play his usual game style. So what can we expect from him this tournament? There’s also chat about how t...

Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts are together inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium to react to the US Open singles draws. 

Part one - Women’s draw. We all picked Coco Gauff as our favourite to win the title, so has the draw changed things? We discuss Gauff’s potential route, analyse whether we think Aryna Sabalenka can rediscover her best form, and consider if Naomi Osaka could be in for another deep run. 

Part two - Men’s draw (28:47). In the absence of Jannik Sinner, who will benefit? We react to the hand Carlos Alc...

Catherine, David and Matt are all together in New York to react to the second edition of the revamped mixed doubles competition which was won by Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, and also saw the return to action of Carlos Alcaraz. 

Part one (00:00 - 29:51) We discuss the different feel to this year’s mixed doubles event, the way the doubles specialists all lost early, why Muchova and Mensik were worthy winners, and the notable chemistry in the Mirra Andreeva/Andrey Rublev and Flavio Cobollo/Belinda Bencic partnerships. Plus, we analyse how Alcaraz performed on his return alongside Ser...

Catherine, David and Matt catch up as Cincinnati concludes with two exciting champions putting themselves in a great position ahead of the year’s final Grand Slam tournament of the year.

Part one - ATP (00:00 - 28.13). Arthur Fils has been arriving for a while, but this was his biggest destination yet. A first Masters 1000 title with a victory over Frances Tiafoe on home soil in the process takes some doing. Where does that put him in the Mix for the US Open?

Part two - ATP (28.14 - 49:48). Coco Gauff has been here before - finding fo...

Catherine, David and Matt assembled live on YouTube to react to the dual news from the last 24 hours that Carlos Alcaraz will be making his long-awaited comeback at the US Open, while Jannik Sinner has withdrawn due to his ongoing knee injury. 

Part one (00:00 - 48:10) - We discuss how we’re feeling about another slam without both Sinner and Alcaraz there, the strange season that Sinner has had, our expectations of Alcaraz in New York, and what this all means for the rest of the draw. Who will benefit most from Sinner’s absence? Is it mad for A...

Catherine, David and Matt catch up as Cincinnati reaches the quarter-finals stage after a Last 16 bonanza which saw both top seeds lose. 

Part one - WTA (00:00 - 26:35). We react to yet another early exit for Aryna Sabalenka, this time to the impressive Sara Beljek. We discuss what Bejlek did well but also what is going on with Sabalenka. How much trouble is she in heading into New York? There’s also chat about Elena Rybakina’s chance to seize the World No.1 Ranking, and whether Amanda Anisimova can finally get a win over Jessica Pegula after finding her b...

Catherine, David and Matt catch up on the first few days of action in Cincinnati with the tournament in full swing.

Part one (00:00 - 32:24) - We start with some of the main headlines from the men’s event so far - Novak Djokovic’s struggle in the heat in his defeat to Thiago Augustin Tirante, a loss for Canada champion Ben Shelton against Jaime Faria, and Rafael Jodar’s “shoenanigans” in his comeback win over Denis Shapovalov. 

Part two (32:35 - 42:51) - A few other stories from the men’s event including Arthur Fery’s winning return, Taylor F...

Catherine, David and Matt were live on Friday night to look back on the the last few days in Canada, with Iga Swiatek winning her first title in almost a year and Ben Shelton defending his crown. 

Part one - WTA Toronto (00:00 - 36:02). Is Swiatek back? We discuss how she finally played the brand of tennis she’s been working towards with Francisco Roig, the reason she called out the haters in her victory speech, and how a crucial win over Elina Svitolina in the semi-finals set her on the way to the title. There’s also analy...

Catherine, David and Matt catch up on the weekend’s action in Canada with Toronto and Montreal both at the quarter-finals stage. 

Part one (00:00 - 15:07) Before we get to Canada, we start with the disappointing news that Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from Cincinnati due to a knee injury. How concerning is this? And what could it mean for the US Open? 

Part two (15:08 - 49:22) WTA Toronto. There’s chat about Aryna Sabalenka’s slump continuing, the challenge facing Ekaterina Alexandrova as she attempts to back up that win against Elina Svitolina, an unconvincing display from Elena Ry...

Catherine, David and Matt react to the first few days of action across Canada as the men’s top seeds fall by the wayside. 

Part one (00:00 - 44:35) Unfortunately we start with an update on the abundance of injury news on the ATP Tour, including Carlos Alcaraz delaying his comeback and withdrawing from Cincinnati, as well as reports in Italy that Jannik Sinner is dealing with a knee issue. What do we make of all that? 

The tournament in Montreal hasn’t been immune to injury woe either and we discuss the sad withdrawal of Felix Auger...