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The Tennis Podcast
Federer, Murray and Sliding Doors 3
Our third and final instalment of Sliding Doors tennis sees us talk about a medley of moments which have shaped Roger Federer’s career, the period Serena Williams missed after stepping on glass in 2010, and a world in which Billie Jean King didn’t win the Battle of the Sexes.
We also discuss the news that Federer will miss the Australian Open and that Andy Murray will start his 2021 season in Delray Beach.
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.
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More episodes
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1581. Chwalinska proves Paris was no fluke
01:17:51||Ep. 1581Catherine, 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 his career in the last few months, and his chances of getting called up to Spain’s Davis Cup Finals squad. Elsewhere, there’s more reflection on a dramatic week for Rafael Jodar and we look at the very tight ATP Race to Turin, headlined by Novak Djokovic signing up to play in Basel. Part three (56:53 - 1:17:51) We react to Andre Gaudenzi’s proposals for the ATP Tour in 2028. Do the plans address any of the real issues? Watch Matt in Wrexham’s version of the One Point Slam on Monday 19th October! The YouTube stream starts at 7:30pm UK time - https://www.youtube.com/live/ChUd9kB9_IAFor ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend.Check out our new merch shop! Cut The Faff t-shirts are here!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)
1580. Zverev or Jodar. Who’s the rudest?
01:15:29||Ep. 1580Catherine, 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 drama brewing for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Part two - Wuhan (28:35 - 48:56). Another loss for Aryna Sabalenka, this time a thriller against Ann Li, but just how serious is her slump? We dig into that before discussing Iga Swiatek’s quest to qualify for the WTA Finals, the sudden form of Jelena Ostapenko, and a nice week so far for Maja Chwalinska and Sonay Kartal. Part three - News (48:57 - 1:15:29). We react to Gael Monfils being listed as an inactive player, share some memories of his career, and discuss the postponement of the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh which felt inevitable after a series of strikes and attacks there. Support Matt in Wrexham’s version of the One Point Slam on Monday 19th October! Tickets cost less than £10 and are on sale here.For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend.Check out our new merch shop! Cut The Faff t-shirts are here!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)
1579. Zverev secures No.1; Will Zheng Qinwen win a major?
01:06:16||Ep. 1579Catherine, 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 three (53:19 - 1:06:16) Preview and predictions as WTA Wuhan gets underway. Who needs a big week with the Race to the WTA Finals reaching its climax? Support Matt in Wrexham’s version of the One Point Slam on Monday 19th October! Tickets cost less than £10 and are on sale here.For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend.Check out our new merch shop! Cut The Faff t-shirts are here!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)
1578. Zheng Qinwen lights up Beijing
01:01:35||Ep. 1578Catherine, 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) - The other women’s semi-final is an intriguing clash between Mirra Andreeva and Nikola Bartunkova. We discuss how they got there, how that match might go, Bartunkova’s shocking tiebreak record, and whether we see her as a major champion in the future.Part three (38:29) - We run through the main stories from Shanghai so far, including Novak Djokovic losing his opener to Hubert Hurkacz, Flavio Cobolli’s poor form continuing, a good effort from Arthur Fery against Karen Khachanov, and a shock defeat for Lorenzo Musetti against Chinese wildcard Yi Zhou.Support Matt in Wrexham’s version of the One Point Slam on Monday 19th October! Tickets cost less than £10 and are on sale here.For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend.Check out our new merch shop! Cut The Faff t-shirts are here!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)
1577. Sinner out for season. Could Djokovic benefit?
01:18:57||Ep. 1577It’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 becoming world number one and a spot opening up at the ATP Finals, with Djokovic potentially poised to capitalise. Part two (17:16 - 51:45) We discuss a wild few days on the ATP Tour, headlined by Djokovic’s extraordinary victory in Beijing, Daniil Medvedev’s default in the semi-finals, and Carlos Alcaraz defending his title in Tokyo. Which of Djokovic’s achievements in Beijing is the most remarkable? Why do the punishments for ball abuse need to get more severe? And is Alcaraz properly back? Part three (51:46 - 1:18:57) The main storylines from an eventful WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing so far, including an injured Elena Rybakina losing her first match as number one, another early defeat for Aryna Sabalenka, a great comeback from Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff calling out racist abuse online following a video review incident in her match, and a thrilling win for Karolina Muchova on her ninth match point against Naomi Osaka. Support Matt in Wrexham’s version of the One Point Slam on Monday 19th October! Tickets cost less than £10 and are on sale here.For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend.Check out our new merch shop! Cut The Faff t-shirts are here!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)
1576. Djokovic feels the love, and the pain
01:20:35||Ep. 1576Catherine, 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 adoring crowd. There’s also updates on how the Race to Turin is shaping up, Felix Auger-Aliassime hiring Ivan Ljubicic, and a special scene in Tokyo for the retiring Kei Nishikori. Part two (40:41 - 50:10) WTA Beijing still has a long way to go but we discuss some of the main headlines so far, including defeat for Jasmine Paolini and what we can expect from Aryna Sabalenka as the season winds down. Part three (50:11 - 1:20:35) There’s chat about Alcaraz’s support for best of five set tennis, some subtle changes to the WTA Calendar in 2027, a blow for the slams and tours in their legal battle with the PTPA, and an important and moving post from Emma Navarro about her health struggles. Finally, support Matt in Wrexham’s version of the One Point Slam on Monday 19th October! Tickets cost less than £10 and are on sale here. For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend.Check out our new merch shop! Cut The Faff t-shirts are here!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)
1575. Are Czechia the best BJK Cup team ever?
01:37:10||Ep. 1575Catherine, 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 about what it was like to attend Laver Cup for the first time and we discuss the bits of the event that we continue to like (player interactions, seeing Carlos Alcaraz in action) and the bits that we don’t. Part three (1:09:56 - 1:37:10) We discuss the new Grand Slam Player Council and a worrying update from Jannik Sinner about his knee. Plus, preview and predictions as events get underway in Beijing and Tokyo.For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend.Check out our new merch shop! Cut The Faff t-shirts are here!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)
1574. Alcaraz asks for end to late night tennis
56:08||Ep. 1574Catherine, 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 Kazakhstan, and a dominant display from favourites Czechia against Great Britain. Can anyone stop the Czechs? Part two (30:38 - 40:29) - The Laver Cup content machine is in full flow and we chat about the terrible outfits in the ‘iconic’ photo, Carlos Alcaraz revealing that he’s a curfew guy, and the soft launch order of play on day one. Part three (40:30 - 56:08) - We react to the draw for the Davis Cup Finals and to Alexandra Eala’s surprise defeat in Singapore. For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend. Check out our new merch shop! Cut The Faff t-shirts are here!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)
1573. What’s happened since the US Open?
01:19:37||Ep. 1573Catherine, 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 two (29:45 - 45:21) - We discuss Holger Rune’s long-awaited return after his Achilles rupture, an emotional week for Joao Fonseca, Iva Jovic defending her title in Guadalajara, and some more spicy quotes from Tallon Griekspoor. Part three (45:22 - 1:19:37) - We debate the pros and cons of the WTA Finals’ new home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and look ahead to this week’s action which includes the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen and the Laver Cup in London. Plus, who might Juan Carlos Ferrero coach next? For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend. Check out our new merch shop! Cut The Faff t-shirts are here!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)