Tennis Weekly

In today’s episode, they unpack Carlos Alcaraz surviving a marathon 78-minute first set – the longest opening set of his Grand Slam career – before powering through on Rod Laver Arena. We discuss whether his new-look serve is edging into Novak Djokovic “copyright” territory, plus what his team are telling him behind the scenes.It was a gritty day for the other top male seeds as well, with Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur all battling through four-set wins, while Cam Norrie kept British hopes alive to set up yet another clash with Zverev who holds a 6-0 record in the H2H. Not so much joy for Emma Raducanu though, as she bowed out early in a flat second-round loss to Anastasia Potapova – we ask the big questions about form, fitness and whether she should ditch Francisco Roig.On the women’s side, the top seeds cruised. Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva all booked their places in Round 3 with minimum fuss, while we also dive into off-court banter, from Federer and Alcaraz golfing to Rublev’s elite “coffee and sleep” recovery routine. Plus look ahead to the action on Day 5 where Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina are the headline acts on Rod Laver Arena.AO Travel & Experiences Learn more and book your tickets through AO Travel & Experiences at ausopentravel.comSOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show tennisweeklypod@gmail.com.MERCHPurchase Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!REVIEWS***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!***

Australian Open Day 3 served up a little bit of everything in Melbourne Park with champions cruising, favourites wobbling, bold fashion statements (Osaka!) and a few emotional goodbyes. Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner looked ice-cool as he breezed past French showman Hugo Gaston via retirement. On the other hand, reigning women’s champ Madison Keys had to dig deep as the champion found a way to reach Round 2 battling some early jitters along the way.Naomi Osaka also had to battle through in three sets on Rod Laver Arena, though the tennis almost took a back seat to her unforgettable jellyfish-inspired outfit, which had social media buzzing almost as much as her forehand. Fashion icon? Melbourne crowd favourite? Kim and Chris give their views on if it was a fashion fave or a fashion faux-pas. Elsewhere, they also bemoan the exit of two legends as Grigor Dimitrov and Gael Monfils exited early, with the Frenchman playing out his final ever match in Melbourne Park.AO Travel & Experiences Learn more and book your tickets through AO Travel & Experiences at ausopentravel.comSOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show tennisweeklypod@gmail.com.MERCHPurchase Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!REVIEWS***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!***

Australian Open Day 2 did not disappoint and on today’s episode Joel and Kim are back at Tennis Weekly HQ as they react to Novak Djokovic cruising to his 100th Australian Open win, barely dropping a point on serve as Melbourne once again feels like his kingdom. We also discuss Iga Swiatek surviving a nervy opening-round first set, a skirt-for-shorts wardrobe change and whether her second serve still is a vulnerability for opponents to attack.There’s celebration for Daniil Medvedev, who *finally* snaps a 370-day Grand Slam drought, while hotly tipped Felix Auger-Aliassime’s Australian Open campaign comes to a frustrating and premature end with cramps that he could not explain (and nor could we!). We also touch on Casper Ruud’s dominant start, Stan Wawrinka’s long-awaited Slam win, dramatic comebacks elsewhere on the men’s side (did someone say Jaume Munar?), plus the prize money controversy involving Michael Zhang shaking up tennis Twitter. We also unveil our Collect a Set player pick predictions and look ahead to Day 3 order of play headlined by Jannik Sinner and Naomi Osaka in the Rod Laver night session and Madison Keys getting her title defence underway.AO Travel & Experiences Learn more and book your tickets through AO Travel & Experiences at ausopentravel.comSOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show tennisweeklypod@gmail.com.MERCHPurchase Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!REVIEWS***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!***

Australian Open Day 1 is in the books, and it didn’t take long for the first big storylines to arrive at Tennis Weekly HQ. Carlos Alcaraz launched his bid to complete a Career Grand Slam in style, cruising past Adam Walton with a composed and confident performance to open his Melbourne campaign.It was also a very good day for British tennis fans. Emma Raducanu, Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery all booked their spots in round two. Raducanu’s win keeps alive the possibility of a mouth-watering rematch with Aryna Sabalenka who had a few early nerves of her own but quickly settled, powering through her opener in front of tennis royalty as Roger Federer and Rod Laver watched on from the stands.Venus Williams was involved in one of the matches of the day, pushing Olga Danilovic to the limit in an epic contest before falling just short. The performance raised plenty of questions — and plenty of admiration — as Joel and Chris debated what’s next for the American legend.AO Travel & Experiences Learn more and book your tickets through AO Travel & Experiences at ausopentravel.comSOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show tennisweeklypod@gmail.com.MERCHPurchase Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!REVIEWS***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!***

The Australian Open is back in Melbourne, and we’re kicking off Grand Slam season at Tennis Weekly HQ with a full, no-nonsense breakdown of the men’s and women’s singles draws, quarter by quarter — plus our trademark very BOLD predictions and a look back at the sheer brilliance of the Million Dollar One Point Slam.On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic finds himself in Jannik Sinner’s half, while Carlos Alcaraz appears to have landed the easier path — but big questions remain over how he’ll perform without supercoach Juan Carlos Ferrero in his box. We also dig into whether Daniil Medvedev’s resurgence can continue, if an epic 2025 rivalry with Learner Tien could ignite in Round 4, and just how cruel the draw was for Alex De Minaur, who opens against Matteo Berrettini.Over on the women’s side, we unpack Aryna Sabalenka’s Australian Open draw, including the prospect of a Wimbledon rematch with Emma Raducanu in Round 3 and a potential Round 4 test against rising star Victoria Mboko. Elsewhere, we’re manifesting Coco Gauff vs Venus Williams in Round 2 and questioning Madison Keys’ chances of defending her title.Plus, we reveal our Collect A Set player picks — Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Bublik, Aryna Sabalenka, Madison Keys, and Belinda Bencic. Let us know how far you think they’ll go in Melbourne before play starts on Sunday for your chance to win an official Australian Open cap!AO Travel & Experiences Learn more and book your tickets through AO Travel & Experiences at ausopentravel.com SOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show tennisweeklypod@gmail.com.MERCHPurchase Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!REVIEWS***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!***

It’s the first tour catch-up of the season and it’s go, go, go at Tennis Weekly HQ. Joel and Chris break down all the winners and losers from a dramatic United Cup, as Poland claim the title at the third time of asking, led by a resurgent Hubert Hurkacz. Top of the agenda is Iga Swiatek – is the world No.1 already under pressure ahead of the Australian Open after losses to Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic? The team also reacts to Taylor Fritz’s indifferent start to the season, capped by a shock defeat to clay-court specialist Sebastian Baez.Elsewhere, Aryna Sabalenka puts Battle of the Sexes firmly behind her by storming to the Brisbane title without dropping a set, while Alexander Bublik picked up from where he left off last season with a debut into the ATP Top 10. Daniil Medvedev also claims he’s back to playing Top 5 tennis with his title win in Brisbane… but are we convinced? We also unpack the controversial Nairobi wildcard that got literally everyone talking (and believing they could play on the ITF tour), the Nick Kyrgios AO wildcard that wasn’t, discuss Milos Raonic’s retirement, and ask how history will judge his career. Plus, Kim delivers a very special crowdfund announcement as Tennis Weekly hits their £2,000 target!Support the podcast by donating to our Tennis Weekly 2026 Crowdfund. Your support no matter how large or small is hugely appreciated, from listening to donating we couldn’t be more thankful to our audience! Click the link above or go to gofundme.com/tennis-weekly-2026SOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show tennisweeklypod@gmail.com.MERCHPurchase Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!REVIEWS***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!***

Support the podcast by donating to our Tennis Weekly 2026 Crowdfund. Your support no matter how large or small is hugely appreciated, from listening to donating we couldn’t be more thankful to our audience! Click the link above or go to gofundme.com/tennis-weekly-2026Back with a bang, Tennis Weekly launches into the 2026 tennis season with Joel, Kim and Chris breaking down a huge off-season packed with headlines, controversy and debate.We discuss the shock split between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero, exploring what it means for Alcaraz’s chances at the Australian Open and who should Ferrero coach next on the ATP Tour. The gang also reacts to the headline-grabbing (or is that sleep inducing?) Battle of the Sexes in Dubai, featuring Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka, asking whether there were any real winners from the event — and why Sabalenka’s Macarena celebration pushed Joel over the edge.There was debate as well on Venus Williams receiving an Australian Open wildcard - should it instead have gone to Victoria Azarenka? And is Nick Kyrgios deserving of one at all? Finally, we unpack Novak Djokovic’s decision to step away from the PTPA, citing transparency concerns and what it could mean for player representation on the tour.SOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show tennisweeklypod@gmail.com.MERCHPurchase Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!REVIEWS***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!***

Support the podcast by donating to our Tennis Weekly 2026 Crowdfund. Your support no matter how large or small is hugely appreciated, from listening to donating we couldn’t be more thankful to our audience! Click the link above or go to gofundme.com/tennis-weekly-2026Get ready for the new tennis season with Tennis Weekly as Joel, Kim and Chris dive into their blockbuster 2026 ATP & WTA preview and make some bold predictions for the year ahead.The gang reveal their Grand Slam champion predictions, who will end the year as No.1, Sinner of Alcaraz as well as the bigger question who will finish as the best of the rest at number 2. In addition who will make the end-of-year Top 8 in Turin and Riyadh, who are ones to watch and the players they believe are set to rise and fall in the year ahead. They also look back (sometimes painfully!) at their 2025 predictions to see who called it right…and who definitely didn’t.Will the Sinner vs Alcaraz dominance continue, how many Grand Slams will Aryna Sabalenka win in 2026 and is Jack Draper set to bounce back after an indifferent end to 2025. At Tennis weekly HQ, the team also ponder which players they think might start a tennis podcast next (Joel is certain it will be Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur) and look ahead to the first action of the season as the 2026 United Cup gets underway in Perth and Sydney with United states as defending champions.SOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show tennisweeklypod@gmail.com.MERCHPurchase Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!REVIEWS***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!***

Support the podcast by donating to our Tennis Weekly 2026 Crowdfund. Your support no matter how large or small is hugely appreciated, from listening to donating we couldn’t be more thankful to our audience! Click the link above or go to gofundme.com/tennis-weekly-2026PART 2! It's time once again to get the pen and paper, grad a mug of hot chocolate (or maybe something a bit stronger) and join Joel, Kim and Chris at Tennis Weekly HQ as they test themselves and their listeners on all major stories from the last twelve months on the WTA Tour 2025. Can you remember what dish Iga Swiatek consumed on her way to her Wimbledon title, who was the only player to win a title on every surface or what ranking Lois Boisson went into Roland-Garros ranked before her breakout run to the semifinals?As always, we have three categories to test your knowledge on - Tour, Grand Slams and Team Events / Doubles - each with their own set of questions. Listen to find out who is the Tennis Weekly champ for 2025 and who ends up with the wooden spoon - or should that be lump of coal? And if you haven't already, make sure to listen to our ATP 2025 quiz from last week.SOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show tennisweeklypod@gmail.com.