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The Tennis Podcast
RG Day 2 - Sun sets on Rafa’s Roland Garros reign
Rafael Nadal may have played his final match at Roland Garros. That's a lot to comes to terms with, but we tried on the pod after watching his straight sets defeat to Alexander Zverev. We describe where the match was won and lost, how it made us feel, and whether Nadal will fare better at the Olympics in a couple of months. Elsewhere, there's chat about convincing wins for Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, a winning return for Bianca Andreescu, mixed fortunes for French players, and much more.
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1400. Live from Wimbledon Day 10 - Sinner vs Djokovic is on! Who wins?
01:10:43||Ep. 1400Catherine, David and Matt were live as blockbuster semi-final line-ups were set up in both draws.In Part 1 we review the defeats by Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner of Flavio Cobolli and Ben Shelton respectively. We discuss how much better Cobolli performed than we expected, how Djokovic is looking at this stage of the tournament, and whether his late stage fall is anything to be concerned about. Jannik Sinner’s elbow seems to be holding up reasonably well; we talk over Shelton’s approach to the match and whether there’s anything he could have done differently to trouble the world no. 1. Then it’s time for the Sinner vs Djokovic hype to begin. Will it be a repeat of Paris a few weeks ago? Or can Djokovic get him this time?In Part 2 (31m09s) we discuss the victories of Iga Swiatek and Belinda Bencic over Liudmila Samsonova and Mirra Andreeva. Why did Andreeva not quite play her best tennis? How much is grass suiting Bencic’s game? And will the quick turnaround ahead of tomorrow’s semi-finals have any effect on Swiatek?In Part 3 (54m51s) we preview the two women’s semifinals happening tomorrow and there’s a round of punchy percentage predictions in which Matt and David briefly reverse roles. Will Anisimova bring us closer to Matt dying his hair? Or will we get the Swiatek-Sabalenka grand slam final we’ve always wanted?Become a Friend of The Tennis PodcastCheck out our new merch shop! 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.1399. Live from Wimbledon Day 9 - Sabalenka survives Siegemund, can Anisimova stop her?
01:09:00||Ep. 1399Catherine, David and Matt were live at the end of the first day of quarter-finals.In Part 1 we covered Sabalenka’s efforts to overcome Laura Siegemund, who was using every single one of her arsenal of tricks to frustrate and wind up the world number one. It looked fraught at times but Sablenka fought through in the end to set up a semi final clash with Amanda Anisimova, who likewise required no small amount of resilience to put missed opportunities behind her and win a compelling second set tiebreak against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.In Part 2 (29m40s) we discuss the first set of men’s quarter finals, as Alcaraz showed he was on a different level to Cam Norrie, and Fritz held his nerve to see off Khachanov. Looking ahead to that semi final, there was news of confidence and optimism from Fritz about his ability to take on Alcaraz.In part 3 (42m13s) we look ahead to tomorrow’s second set of quarters, but not before giving appropriate attention to Andreeva’s stint at coaching Conchita Martinez with a professional level sign and hat. We ran through the percentage chances we think Cobolli and Shelton have against Djokovic and Sinner, though with some uncertainty for the latter as we wait to see the true significance of the injury he sustained against Grigor Dimitrov.Become a Friend of The Tennis PodcastCheck out our new merch shop! 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.1398. Live from Wimbledon Day 8 - Dimitrov's devastation, Sinner's uncertainty
01:06:55||Ep. 1398Moments after Grigor Dimitrov’s shocking retirement at two sets to love up against Jannik Sinner, Catherine, David and Matt were live to feel their feelings and review the day. Part one - We start by reacting to the heartbreaking moment Dimitrov had to retire against Sinner after tearing his pec. We discuss the devastation on Centre Court, the way Dimitrov had been outplaying Sinner up until that point, and the uncertainty facing Sinner as he goes into the next round having not won a set and having hurt his elbow after taking a fall in the opening game. In the quarter-finals Sinner will face Ben Shelton who beat Lorenzo Sonego for the third straight major in a really fun match. Can Shelton trouble Sinner? There’s also an assessment of the difficulty Novak Djokovic had against Alex de Minaur, the way he turned the match around, and how he might fare against Flavio Cobolli in the last eight. Part two (38m55s) - In the women’s draw, Mirra Andreeva impressed on her Centre Court debut by beating Emma Navarro, Belinda Bencic eventually came through against Ekaterina Alexandrova, Iga Swiatek didn’t have too much trouble against Clara Tauson, and Liudmila Samsonova is finally putting her game together at a slam.Part three (56m11s) - A look ahead to tomorrow’s quarter-finals and the moment Reggie got a selfie with Roger Federer. Become a Friend of The Tennis PodcastCheck out our new merch shop! 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.1397. Live from Wimbledon Day 7 - Alcaraz accelerates into quarters, can anyone stop him?
01:12:16||Ep. 1397On Day 7 of Wimbledon 2025 Catherine, David and Matt were live straight after Amanda Anisimova surged into the quarter-finals. In part 1 we cover the women’s results, starting of course with Anisimova’s victory over Linda Noskova taking us one step closer to a blond Matt Roberts. We also go into detail on Anastasia Pavyluchenkova’s win over Sonay Kartal, the story of her year, and the electronic line calling fail which overshadowed the match. There’s also chat about Aryna Sabalenka’s high-quality win over Elise Mertens, and the unique challenge that awaits her in the next round when she faces Laura Siegemund and her exploits. In part 2 (40m20s) we react to Carlos Alcaraz’s win over an impressive Andrey Rublev, an unfortunate retirement for Jordan Thompson against Taylor Fritz, an impressive dispatching of Kamil Majchrzak by Karen Khachanov, and a five set marathon between Nicolas Jarry and Cameron Norrie, which included some lowkey aggro and was eventually won by Norrie in front of a delighted Court 1 crowd. In part 3 (59m08s) we looked ahead to tomorrow’s order of play. What chance do we give De Minaur against Djokovic, Dimitrov against Sinner, and Tauson against Swiatek? Become a Friend of The Tennis PodcastCheck out our new merch shop! 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.1396. Live from Wimbledon Day 6 - Can Iga Swiatek win this title?
01:15:00||Ep. 1396Taylor Fritz was not on the schedule today so Catherine, David and Matt were live at the scheduled time of 9.30pm to bring you all the news from Day 6 at Wimbledon. In Part 1 we cover the women’s results, starting with Iga Swiatek’s statement win over Danielle Collins, her ebullient interviews, and what jt might all mean for this tournament. Combined with Clara Tauson’s victory over Elena Rybakina, it was surely a good day for Swiatek. We also discuss Mirra Andreeva’s comfortable victory over Hailey Baptiste, and the sad scenes of Barbora Krejcikova being physically compromised in the latter stages of her defeat to Emma Navarro. In Part 2 (40m19s) we discuss Novak Djokovic beating fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic and whether Alex de Minaur has any chance against him this year. Jannik Sinner has been imperious to the point of it being statistically significant and he saw off Pedro Martinez with no trouble at all. We also cover victories for Lorenzo Sonego, Ben Shelton, Flavio Cobolli and also for Grigor Dimitrov, who finally seems to be stringing some matches together without injury. In part 3 (62m25s) we look ahead to tomorrow’s order of play. Can Sonay Kartal and Cameron Norrie continue the British run by beating Anastasia Pavyluchenkova and Nicolas Jarry? Will Carlos Alcaraz be focused on the job in hand? And can Taylor Fritz win in less than five sets? Become a Friend of The Tennis PodcastCheck out our new merch shop! 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.1395. Live from Wimbledon Day 5 - Did Raducanu play Sabalenka into title-winning form?
01:28:11||Ep. 1395Catherine, David and Matt react to the events of Day 5 at Wimbledon, moments after Aryna Sabalenka wrapped up victory over Emma Raducanu. In Part 1 we discuss the final match of the day and the improvements shown by Raducanu despite her eventual loss to the world no 1. We also look at the defeat of Madison Keys by Laura Siegemund and ask if that’s something we should have seen coming, analyse the losses for Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina, and discuss big wins for Sonay Kartal and Amanda Anisimova.In part 2 (49m48s) we look at all the men’s results including Alcaraz’s four set victory against Struff, Fritz’s continued progress through the draw, and Rublev’s improved form as he beat Adrian Mannarino. There was even more Matt-coded content as Jarry beat Fonseca and Ben Shelton added to history with a 70 second serve-dominated winning game on the resumption of his match. In part 3 (77m27s) we look look ahead to tomorrow’s order of play. Become a Friend of The Tennis PodcastCheck out our new merch shop! 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.1394. Live from Wimbledon Day 4 - Draper stunned by Cilic, should we have seen this coming?
01:13:13||Ep. 1394We were live after close of play on a busy day 4 at the Championships. In part 1 we discuss Draper’s shock loss to former finalist here Marin Cilic. What does this mean for both of them? How can Draper still improve both on grass and at Wimbledon? And Can Cilic go even further? We also cover Novak Djokovic and Jannik cruising through, as well as an intriguing epic between August Holmgren and Tomas Machac which was notable not only for four tie-break sets out of five, but also some unexpected clothing-rule-related-drama. In part 2 (43m05s) we wrapped up the women’s results. Mirra Andreeva held firm despite being tested by Lucia Bronzetti, and defending champion Krejcikova slipped past Dolehide to set up a match with Emma Navarro. Swiatek too made it through; we discuss how her confidence is holding up as she progresses through the draw. And another former champion, Elena Rybakina, is looking strong, swatting away Sakkari with the kind of skills we wish we could employ to dispatch the insects currently plaguing our podcast bench! In part 3 (57m49s) we run through tomorrow’s order of play, consider how Alcaraz might fare against Struff, preview Sabalenka-Raducanu, and come to the conclusion that tomorrow, Court 2 is where it’s at in terms of excitement, as Fonseca takes on Jarry and Keys plays Siegemund.Become a Friend of The Tennis PodcastCheck out our new merch shop! 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.1393. Live from Wimbledon Day 3 - Raducanu's win of the year, but can she beat Sabalenka?
01:18:20||Ep. 1393On Day 3 at Wimbledon, the tennis continued to be dramatic, with more seeds falling in what is rapidly becoming the major theme of this tournament. In part 1 Catherine, David and Matt begin by discussing the defeat of a weary-looking Jasmine Paolini by Kamilla Rakhimova. Emma Raducanu impressed against Marketa Vondrousova, but what chance does she have against Aryna Sabalenka? We also talk about a strong performance from Madison Keys, Matt's getting excited and nervous about Amanda Anisimova's draw, and we cover disappointment for Boulter who once again lost a match at Wimbledon when she was the favourite. In part 2 (40m34s) we look at the men’s draw, which has opened up further with the loss of Frances Tiafoe to a revitalised Cameron Norrie, and Lehecka to an inspired Bellucci. There’s excitement about the match that’s been set up between Fonseca (who beat Brooksby in arguably the best match of the day) and the resurgent Nicolas Jarry. The prospect of Chilean against Brazilian fans in round 3 is tantalising. And Taylor Fritz will finally get a day off tomorrow after delaying the pod once again with his late night five-set victory over Gabriel Diallo. There's also plenty of coverage of Carlos Alcaraz's victory over plucky Brit Oliver Tarvet. In part 3 (66m58s) we look ahead to tomorrow’s order of play, in particular Dan Evans getting the chance to take on Novak Djokovic on Centre Court. Become a Friend of The Tennis PodcastCheck out our new merch shop! 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.1392. Live from Wimbledon Day 2 - Huge names gone, what’s going on?
01:25:46||Ep. 1392Day 2 at Wimbledon was hot, it was humid, and there was havoc as more seeds fell at the first hurdle. In Part 1 we discuss the shock exit of Coco Gauff at the hands of Dayana Yastremska and what it says about the difficulty of backing up a French Open win when Wimbledon is right around the corner. We also lost recent title winner Jessica Pegula and then Zheng Qinwen. Some big names did go through, most notably Iga Swiatek and defending champion Barbora Krejcikova. Finally, we cover Petra Kvitova’s last match on the grass courts of SW19. In Part 2 (36m44s) we talk though the matches held over from last night, in which there were very different fates for a fang-tastic Fritz who fought back to beat Giovanni MPetshi Perricard, and a chastened Zverev who went down to Arthur Rinderknech. We discuss some difficult moments in his press conference and what he needs to change to find his form. There were emotional wins today for veterans Dan Evans and Gael Monfils, and whilst Musetti struggled with his post-injury form, big names Sinner, Draper and Djokovic all went through with relative ease. In Part 3 (72m08s) we look ahead to tomorrow’s order of play and its tantalising line-up of second round matches, many of which are now not quite what we expected.Become a Friend of The Tennis PodcastCheck out our new merch shop! 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.