The Tennis Podcast Has Laver Cup won us over?
Sep 23, 2025
Matt Futterman, a sports writer for The Athletic, shares his first-hand experience from the Laver Cup in San Francisco. Initially skeptical, he describes how the electric atmosphere and engaging format won him over. The hosts dive into the implications of the event on the tennis calendar and discuss Roger Federer's influence. They also analyze Iga Swiatek's impressive title win in Seoul, Alejandro Tabilo's comeback victory, and preview upcoming ATP and WTA events in Beijing and Tokyo.
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Short Format Sparks Intense Engagement
- Laver Cup's atmosphere flips from 'hit-and-giggle' to fierce competition once matches matter.
- Spectator-packed short format creates continuous tension and drives strong fan engagement.
Reporter Won Over By Bench Chatter
- Matthew Futterman describes arriving skeptical but being won over after the ball started to fly at noon.
- He watched players explode off the bench and loved hearing bench-talk and coaching live.
Experiment With Fan-Friendly Rules
- Try experimenting with fan-friendly formats like best-of-three with third-set match tiebreaks outside slams.
- Allow on-court coaching and audible bench interaction to deepen engagement.