Share
The Tennis Podcast
US Open Day 9 - The Shelton Show meets Novak The Great; Gauff vs. Muchova - Yes Please!
Ep. 1157
•
In part one, Catherine, David and Matt are joined by Pam Shriver, in between her shifts on ESPN, to talk mainly about Coco Gauff reaching the semi-finals. Pam was courtside for her match against Jelena Ostapenko and shared all her insights, including a chat about scheduling biases and inequalities at major tournaments.
Elsewhere, there’s great excitement about the prospect of Gauff meeting Karolina Muchova in the semis, analysis of Novak Djokovic’s victory over Taylor Fritz, and chat about Ben Shelton beating Frances Tiafoe in primetime on Ashe. How does Shelton make David feel young? And what caused Tiafoe to be so flat?
Win The Tennis Trip of a Lifetime!
As you’ll know if you’ve been listening to our US Open podcasts, The Tennis Podcast throughout this fortnight is brought to you in partnership with AO Travel, who operate the travel programme for the first grand slam of the calendar year, the Australian Open.
AO Travel can take care of your flights, premium accommodation, tournament tickets and behind-the-scenes experiences, including the all-new AO Travel Lounge, which overlooks Rod Laver Arena and Grand Slam Oval and is exclusively available for AO Travel Guests.
To celebrate the launch of the AO Travel Lounge, one lucky Tennis Podcast listener is going to WIN an AO Travel Premium Lounge Package for themselves and a friend to visit the Australian Open in style next January!
The winner will receive two return economy flights to Melbourne from their nearest international airport, tickets to Rod Laver Arena tennis over the middle weekend of the Australian Open for two people, and three nights’ accommodation at the five-star Pullman on the Park Hotel in Melbourne, as well as two-day access to the luxurious AO Travel Lounge.
You can enter the Prize Draw today until Monday 22nd September at 11.59pm New York time. Terms and Conditions apply. Good luck!
ENTER - ausopentravel.com/the-tennis-podcast/
OUR LINKS:
Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to help us to produce the show year-round, and receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts throughout 2023, including Tennis Re-Lived, listener questions pods, and Grand Slam review shows.
Sign up to receive our Newsletter (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt’s Stat, mascot photos, predictions, and more)
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Instagram (@thetennispodcast)
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Check out our Shop
Read our New York Times profile
Tennis Podcast Terminology
More episodes
View all episodes
1437. Is this the Amanda Anisimova era?
01:24:31||Ep. 1437Catherine, David and Matt are finally back together on a Monday to talk all about Amanda Anisimova’s title in Beijing and events so far in Shanghai. Part one - WTA Beijing. We discuss Anisimova’s final three matches in Beijing en route to the title, analysing how she’s become such a consistent force at the top of the sport. How helpful could this title be in turning her into a major champion? And what’s left to improve? There’s also chat about Linda Noskova’s extraordinary semi-final win over Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff’s struggle for form, and Emma Navarro winning a final set bagel against Iga Swiatek. Part two - ATP Shanghai (38m16s). The heat and humidity have been the main talking points in Shanghai so far and we focus on the large number of retirements, headlined by Jannik Sinner’s against Tallon Griekspoor. There’s also chat about what a chance this is for Novak Djokovic to win another big title, the other possible contenders for the title, and Alexander Zverev’s controversial comments about court speed on tour. Part three - WTA Wuhan Preview and News (64m55s). We look forward to Aryna Sabalenka’s return in Wuhan, there’s a moving statement from Daria Kasatkina as she shuts down her season, and we celebrate Mary Carillo’s Hall of Fame nomination. Tickets are now on General Sale for The Tennis Podcast - Live in Wrexham on Wednesday October 22nd! Buy here.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.1436. Alcaraz and Sinner circle each other with titles
01:28:42||Ep. 1436Catherine, David and Matt discuss titles for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as well as the opening stages of the WTA 1000 in Beijing. Part one - Men’s results. We start by reacting to Alcaraz’s triumph in Tokyo, despite an injury scare. Is this the best tennis of Alcaraz’s career? We also discuss Alcaraz’s decision to withdraw from Shanghai and the over-saturation of two week Masters 1000 events as the injuries and retirements pile up. Over in Beijing, Sinner experimented with his game en route to the title and Lorenzo Musetti got booed and was forced to apologise after a rant about Chinese fans. Part two - Women’s results (54m). With the quarter-finals taking shape in Beijing, we cover Amanda Anisimova’s comeback victory over Karolina Muchova, the impressive Eva Lys and Sonny Kartal, and some aggro in the match between Belinda Bencic and Coco Gauff. Part three - News (72m30s). There’s chat about Gael Monfils announcing his farewell tour in 2026 before looking ahead to ATP Shanghai. Tickets are now on General Sale for The Tennis Podcast - Live in Wrexham on Wednesday October 22nd! Buy here.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.1435. Has Laver Cup won us over?
01:14:28||Ep. 1435Catherine, David and Matt are here, unusually, on a Tuesday to look back on Laver Cup, Iga Swiatek’s title in Seoul, and a couple of ATP events in China. Part one - Laver Cup. We start by hearing from The Athletic’s Matt Futterman who spent the weekend in San Francisco at Laver Cup. He explains why and how he entered the week with skepticism only to be won over by the crowds, the format and the vibe of the event. After that, despite promising not to get into an existential discussion about Laver Cup like we always do, we get into an existential discussion about Laver Cup. Part two - Tour results (36m41s). We cover Iga Swiatek’s victory in Seoul, her gutsy performance to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in a dramatic final, and the race for year-end #1 on the WTA Tour. On the men’s side, there’s chat about Alejandro Tabilo’s sudden resurgence to triumph in Chengdu, the utter devastation for beaten finalist Lorenzo Musetti, and whether Alexander Bublik can qualify for Turin after his fourth title of the season. Part three - Preview of the week ahead (59m47s). We discuss what to expect from a stacked field for the WTA 1000 in Beijing as well as two ATP 500 events in Beijing and Tokyo. Tickets are now on General Sale for The Tennis Podcast - Live in Wrexham on Wednesday October 22nd! Buy here.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.1434. BJK Cup - Italy's Dynasty
59:21||Ep. 1434Catherine, David and Matt were live to review Italy’s 2-0 triumph over USA which saw them defend their Billie Jean King Cup title in Shenzhen. Part one - Italy d. USA 2-0 Review. How good were the victories for Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Jasmine Paolini? Were Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula a bit flat or Italy just too good? Did the scheduling favour Italy? What's the solution which will allow the USA to leverage its strength in depth? And what’s the secret to Italy’s current domination of tennis? Part two - Reflections on the event as a whole (33m35s). We cover the calendar slot, new format and new home in Shenzhen. How do we feel about it all? And what, if anything, can be done to make this event what it should be?Tickets are now on General Sale for The Tennis Podcast - Live in Wrexham on Wednesday October 22nd! Buy here.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.1433. BJK Cup - Can USA stop Italy?
42:34||Ep. 1433Catherine, David and Matt react to a a couple of enthralling semi-final ties as Italy and the United States booked their spots in Sunday’s final. Part one - Semi-finals review. We start by covering Italy’s dramatic comeback to beat Ukraine. There’s an apology for underestimating Jasmine Paolini, analysis of how the match devastatingly slipped away from Elina Svitolina, and praise for Sara Errani’s leadership in the decisive doubles. Turning our attention to USA’s victory over Great Britain, we discuss how both Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula came back from a set down to see off impressive performances from Sonny Kartal and Katie Boulter. Part two - Final preview (starts 29m50s). Will Italy stick with Elisabetta Cocciaretto? How much can we read into Pegula’s 5-0 head-to-head over Paolini? And do the United States have a doubles team which could stop Errani and Paolini? We get stuck into it all and give our predictions!We will be live on YouTube at 8pm UK time on Sunday to review the Final. Tickets are now on General Sale for The Tennis Podcast - Live in Wrexham on Wednesday October 22nd! Buy here.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.1432. BJK Cup - Italy survive, but can they defend their crown?
01:02:06||Ep. 1432Catherine, David and Matt are here to look back on all four quarter-finals at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen and ahead to the semis. Part one - Italy d. China 2-0 & Ukraine d. Spain 2-0. We discuss the remarkably similar comebacks pulled off by Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Jasmine Paolini for Italy, ponder whether Yuan Yue and Wang Xinyu choked for China, and praise the brilliant Ukrainian team. Can Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina get it done in the singles for Ukraine against Italy? And what will they do if that tie goes to the doubles? Part two - USA d. Kazakhstan 2-1 & GB d. Japan 2-0 (from 30m31s). We cover the way in which USA came through despite strong performances from Yulia Putintseva and Elena Rybakina for Kazakhstan, the comments made by Taylor Townsend online mocking Chinese food and her subsequent apology, and whether Great Britain stand any chance of progressing through to the final despite a dominant win against Japan. Tickets are now on General Sale for The Tennis Podcast - Live in Wrexham on Wednesday October 22nd! Buy here.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.1431. BJK Cup Finals Preview - A new era in Shenzhen begins
01:20:41||Ep. 1431Catherine, David and Matt were live on the eve of the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals to preview the event and look back on a weekend of thrilling Davis Cup action. Part one - BJK Cup Finals Preview. We discuss the new format and new venue in China, the slew of big name withdrawals in the last week, and all four of the quarter-final clashes. Are Italy the favourites? Can USA live up to their potential? Who will play for Great Britain without Emma Raducanu? And where might Spain vs Ukraine be decided? Part two - Davis Cup Review (43m25s). We discuss the extraordinary success of the away teams in last weekend’s Qualifiers, the European feel to the final eight, and how Spain came back from 0-2 down to beat Denmark without Carlos Alcaraz. Part three - Tour results and schedule (63m). There’s chat about titles for two teenagers on the WTA Tour - Iva Jovic and Sarah Rakotomanga - as well as a look ahead to a week which includes WTA Seoul 500 and Laver Cup. Tickets are now on General Sale for The Tennis Podcast - Live in Wrexham on Wednesday October 22nd! Buy here.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.1430. US Open Day 15 - Alcaraz has final answer, Sinner seeks change
01:03:37||Ep. 1430On a pretty surreal day at the US Open, Carlos Alcaraz won his sixth Grand Slam title and became the new World Number One by beating Jannik Sinner in four sets. Catherine, David and Matt discuss it all. Part one - Match reaction. We cover what made Alcaraz’s performance so impressive, the way in which both players talked in press about how much they’re trying to improve because of the other, and the future of the rivalry. We also discuss the shocking scenes as the match was delayed and fans were delated getting into the stadium because of security in place for Donald Trump. Part two - Our plans (53:27). We discuss our upcoming coverage of the Billie Jean King Cup and what’s going to be available soon for Friends of The Tennis Podcast.Tickets are now on General Sale for The Tennis Podcast - Live in Wrexham on Wednesday October 22nd! Buy here.If you'd like to make a day of it, TTP listeners can get a 50% discount on tickets to the Lexus Wrexham Open on Wednesday October 22nd. Just head to the ticket page below and enter the code TTP50 at checkout: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/world-tennis-tour-wrexham/lexus-wrexham-open-wednesday-22nd-october/e-egrabyGet a dream tennis trip with Steve Furgal's International Tennis Tours - Tours4Tennis.com/PodcastBecome 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.1429. US Open Day 14 - Sabalenka’s fitting finale to 2025
01:06:40||Ep. 1429Aryna Sabalenka has her Grand Slam title in 2025, Matt won’t be going blonde (yet), and we’re here to talk about it all and look ahead to Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner. Part one - Sabalenka’s victory over Amanda Anisimova. We cover the key moments from the match, the way Sabalenka handled the big match emotions better than Anisimova, the most interesting lines from the press conferences, and what might be next for both players. Can Sabalenka win a major on grass or clay? Will Anisimova’s time come at the Grand Slams? Part two - Results round up (38m12s). All the wheelchair, doubles and junior results from the day. Part three - Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner preview and predictions. (46m33s). Tickets are now on General Sale for The Tennis Podcast - Live in Wrexham on Wednesday October 22nd! Buy here.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.