Share

The Tennis Podcast
Roland Garros preview and all about Naomi Osaka
The draws are out, most of the top players have spoken to the media, and the opening day of Roland Garros 2021 is almost here.
We discuss the significance of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer all being in the same half of the draw, the pressure on Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the final, the mouthwatering first-round clash between Alexander Bublik and Daniil Medvedev, the main contenders in the women’s draw, and what to expect on the opening day.
But the build-up has of course been overshadowed by Naomi Osaka’s decision not to speak to the press during the tournament. We analyse her statement, give our reaction to her decision, and discuss how other players have responded.
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. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.
SUPPORT THE TENNIS PODCAST
We crowdfund The Tennis Podcast every December, with shout-outs, mascots and chances to take us on at predictions. For a reminder when the next campaign goes live, put your e-mail address in here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX
Or, if you don’t want to wait and prefer to support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TheTennisPodcast
NEWSLETTER
Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX
We hope that the podcast helps to provide some form of escape during these challenging times. If you ever feel like writing to us, our e-mail is open – info@tennispodcast.net
SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter - https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/
More episodes
View all episodes
1386. Tatjana Maria, Queen of Queen's - could 70's tennis win Wimbledon?
01:08:25||Ep. 1386Catherine, David and Matt are back from Paris and here to discuss the first week of the grass court season. Part one - WTA Queen’s. We cover Tatjana Maria’s extraordinary run to the title as women’s tennis returned to The Queen’s Club for the first time in 52 years. How did she use her slice and dice game to defeat the likes of Elena Rybakina, Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova? And what more could they have done against her? There’s also chat about Zheng Qinwen’s ‘shoenanigans’ and Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter playing doubles together. Part two - Results round up (33m33s). Elise Mertens saves 11 match points against Ekaterina Alexandrova and goes on to triumph in s’Hertogenbosch, Gabriel Diallo wins his first title, and Taylor Fritz continues his dominance over Alexander Zverev. Part three - News (46m30s). We look ahead to this week’s events, including stacked fields in Berlin, Queen’s and Halle, and discuss the main headlines from Wimbledon’s pre event press conference. Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Check out our new merch shop! Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.1385. Roland Garros Day 15 - Was Alcaraz-Sinner the best Grand Slam final ever?
01:06:06||Ep. 1385Catherine, David and Matt react to Carlos Alcaraz saving three match points to beat Jannik Sinner 4-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 7-6 in one of the best matches of all time to win his second Roland Garros title. Part one - We go through all the key moments of the match, including Sinner’s fast start, the way Alcaraz turned it around, how Sinner overcame concerns about his physicality to come on strong again in the fifth set, the spellbinding closing stages as both players produced their best, and an otherworldly deciding set tiebreak from Alcaraz.Part two (27m52s) We try to take a look at the big picture and think about what this victory for Alcaraz, and defeat for Sinner, mean for the sport. Part three (52m08s) - Doubles results, a big announcement, and our thank yous and goodbyes from Paris in 2025.Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Check out our new merch shop! Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.1384. Roland Garros Day 14 - Coco’s moment, but what happened to Sabalenka?
01:07:28||Ep. 1384Part one - All about Coco Gauff’s incredible comeback victory over Aryna Sabalenka to win her first Roland Garros title. We discuss the key moments of a dramatic match, Sabalenka’s press conference in which she lamented the conditions, criticised her performance and even threw some shade at Gauff’s, and what the future might hold for both players. Part two (48m19s) - Reaction to the wheelchair, doubles and juniors results, including another heartbreaking loss for Alfie Hewett against Tokito Oda. Part three (53m27s) - A preview of Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s final on Sunday.Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Check out our new merch shop! Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.1383. Roland Garros Day 13 - Sinner vs. Alcaraz final at last, but will Djokovic be back?
01:07:44||Ep. 1383Part one - It was an extraordinary night in Paris as Jannik Sinner overcame a remarkable effort from Novak Djokovic to reach his first Roland Garros final. We discuss the crowd support Djokovic received and his emotional exit from the court, how Sinner came out on top in the big moments, and what the future might hold for Djokovic. Part two (26m49s) - We cover Carlos Alcaraz’s win over Lorenzo Musetti, including the way Musetti got his tactics right to start the match, his physical decline at the end, and the absolute abomination that was the decision to play the match under the roof. Plus, we start looking ahead to Sinner vs Alcaraz. Part three (52m16s) - A round up of all the results in the doubles and wheelchair events, plus a preview of Aryna Sabalenka vs Coco Gauff in the women’s final.Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Check out our new merch shop! Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.1382. Roland Garros Day 12 - Sabalenka vs. Gauff - the ultimate clay court climax
01:10:50||Ep. 1382The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare joins Catherine, David and Matt to discuss Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff reaching the Roland Garros final and ahead to the men’s semi’s-finals on Friday. Part one - We cover Aryna Sabalenka’s 7-6 4-6 6-0 win over Iga Swiatek. Was this a good match? What on earth happened in the final set? And where does Swiatek go from here now her ranking has dropped to No.7 and her streak in Paris is over? Part two (29m26s) - Coco Gauff ended Lois Boisson’s remarkable run in Paris with a straightforward victory. Where was this match won and lost? And what does their head-to-head so far tell us about what might happen when Gauff and Sabalenka meet on Saturday? Part three (49m05s) - A round up of some other results from the tournament so far, including a big shock in the women’s wheelchair event and mixed doubles success for Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. Plus, a preview of the men’s semi-finals. Does Lorenzo Musetti stand a chance against Carlos Alcaraz? And can Novak Djokovic replicate what he did to Alexander Zverev against Jannik Sinner?Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Check out our new merch shop! Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.1381. Roland Garros Day 11 - Dream semis set, but who wins them?
01:06:09||Ep. 1381Part one - The Lois Boisson fairytale continues! We cover her remarkable win over Mirra Andreeva, the way the crowd got to Andreeva during the match, and whether Boisson can beat Coco Gauff after the American’s three-set win over Madison Keys in a match filled with unforced errors. Part two (31m34s) - We discuss how Novak Djokovic dissected the game of Alexander Zverev in the night session and start looking ahead to a semi-final between Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. Part three (54m25s) - A look ahead to the women’s semi-finals on Thursday, especially Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka.Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Check out our new merch shop! Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.1380. Roland Garros Day 10 - Swiatek vs. Sabalenka is ON, but who wins?
01:05:05||Ep. 1380Part one - There’s only one place to start and that’s with Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek setting up a tantalising semi-final clash. We discuss how they both got there with impressive wins over Zheng Qinwen and Elina Svitolina respectively. And then our hype for the match begins!Part two (31m29s) - We cover Carlos Alcaraz racing through in the night session against an injured Tommy Paul and Lorenzo Musetti’s slightly controversial win over Frances Tiafoe. Should he have been defaulted? And can Musetti challenge Alcaraz on Friday? Part three (50m46s) - A look ahead to Day 11 in Paris which includes Coco Gauff vs Madison Keys and Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev.Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Check out our new merch shop! Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.1379. Roland Garros Day 9 - Bublik, Boisson, what is happening??
01:04:49||Ep. 1379Part one. We start by reacting to Alexander Bublik’s extraordinary performance to knock out Jack Draper. Just how good was he? And could Draper have done anything differently? We then look ahead to Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev as both men reached the last eight with ease. Part two (30m40s). The remarkable run of Lois Boisson continued as she beat third seed Jessica Pegula in an enthralling encounter on Chatrier. We discuss the experience in the stadium and how Boisson’s game disrupted Pegula. But can she keep it going against Mirra Andreeva? Plus, let the hype begin for Coco Gauff vs Madison Keys. Part three (48m08s). We cover Jannik Sinner’s routine win in the night session and the Day 10 order of play as the tournaments reaches the quarter-finals stage.Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Check out our new merch shop! Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.1378. Roland Garros Day 8 - A game-changing day for Iga Swiatek?
01:11:34||Ep. 1378Part one - It was a quite extraordinary day of action in the women’s draw. We discuss how Iga Swiatek overcame a 6-0 2-1 deficit to defeat Elena Rybakina, the way Elina Svitolina has completely transformed herself as a tennis player, the importance Zheng Qinwen places on Roland Garros, and how Aryna Sabalenka showed how she’s developed as a player to defeat Amanda Anisimova in straight sets. Part two (39m56s) - Carlos Alcaraz’s victory over Ben Shelton took centre stage for the men on Sunday. David commentated on two sets of it and we assess Alcaraz’s level, discuss the fun moments which punctuated the contest, and wonder whether Tommy Paul will pose a threat to Alcaraz in the next round. Part three (49m42s) - We cover Lorenzo Musetti’s victory in the night session over Holger Rune and look ahead to Day 9.Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Check out our new merch shop! Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.