The Tennis Podcast

Thursday at the US Open was a day of thrilling matches, significant upsets, and interesting storylines. In other words, it felt like a proper Grand Slam day. We discuss Tsvetana Pironkova’s return to tennis and victory against Garbine Muguruza, Sorana Cirstea’s stunning performance to knock out Jo Konta, Grigor Dimitrov’s concerning physical collapse against Marton Fucsovics, and the chaotic but entertaining match between Dan Evans and Corentin Moutet. 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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *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*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where over 950 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next Kickstarter in December, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 29 of the 32 seeds reached round two in the women's singles event, Wednesday saw many of them tumble, including Karolina Pliskova. We try to figure out, yet again, why her recent Grand Slam record is so poor. We also chat about Kiki Mladenovic's loss from 6-1 5-1 up, discuss her colourful comments about the restrictions placed upon her following her contact with Benoit Paire, and analyse Kyle Edmund's mid-match deflation against Novak Djokovic.Approximate episode time stamps:0.00 - 15.00 Zverev and Mladenovic20 minutes - Garcia vs. Pliskova30 minutes - Novak Djokovic vs. Kyle Edmund40 minutes - Thursday previewThe 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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *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*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where over 950 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next Kickstarter in December, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He was down two sets to love. He was down a break in the third. He was down match point. And he was down a break in the decider. But Andy Murray still managed to beat Yoshito Nishioka on Tuesday at the US Open in his first Grand Slam singles match since the 2019 Australian Open.We discuss how he did it, the reason for his slow start, and how he's holding up physically.We also cover Jo Konta's mood and form after her defeat of compatriot Heather Watson, Serena Williams' opener, an epic between Karen Khachanov and Jannik Sinner, and much more.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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *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*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where over 950 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next Kickstarter in December, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A two-part podcast covering the main talking points from Day 1 of this weird and wonderful US Open. Timecodes:3.00 - 8.40 Cameron Norrie vs. Diego Schwartzman8.40 - 10.30 Alexander Zverev10.30 - 12.40 Stefanos Tsitsipas and towels13.00 - Coco Gauff vs. Anastasia Sevastova17.00 - Other results22.00 - Benoit Paire and tests30.00 - Kyle Edmund32.00 - Novak Djokovic39.00 - Andy Murray45.00 - Jo Konta vs. Heather WatsonThe 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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *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*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where over 950 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next Kickstarter in December, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No shortage of talking points as we discuss the formation of the Professional Tennis Players’ Association with Simon Briggs, Naomi Osaka’s stand against racism, titles for Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka at the Western and Southern Open, a wide-open women’s draw at the US Open, the Bryan Brothers’ retirement, and the sad news that legendary commentator David Mercer has died.What do the players hope to achieve with the PTPA? Why set it up now? Where does it go from here? How does Djokovic keep winning despite his off court distractions? Is Azarenka now in the US Open mix? And what about Milos Raonic? 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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *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*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where over 950 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next Kickstarter in December, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following on from our most recent edition of Tennis Re-Lived on the life of Althea Gibson, in this episode we turn our attention to Arthur Ashe.We cover his formative years growing up in Virginia under the Jim Crow laws, his development as an amateur tennis player while at college, his Grand Slam titles, his fights for civil rights and social justice, his passing from AIDS, and his enduring legacy.Along the way, James Blake reveals how he indirectly credits Ashe with getting him into tennis, Leslie Allen talks about what it was like at Dr Johnson’s training facility for African-American players, Steve Flink analyses Ashe’s 1968 US Open victory and what made him so exciting to watch, Richard Evans discusses Ashe’s tactical masterclass against Jimmy Connors in the 1975 Wimbledon final , John McEnroe describes his special relationship with Ashe, Mary Carillo tells some of her favourite stories involving Arthur to explain what he was like, and Chanda Rubin reflects on his impact in tennis.After looking closely at Ashe’s activism, including how he took on the issue of apartheid and the way he was criticised in some quarters for not being militant enough, we also reflect on Naomi Osaka’s decision not to play her match on Thursday at the Western & Southern Open, a move which led to tennis taking a stand against racial inequality by suspending play for a day. In what way was Osaka acting in the spirit of Ashe? And has the tide turned enough for athletes to now be rewarded for speaking out?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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *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*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where over 950 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next Kickstarter in December, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition of Tennis Re-Lived, we examine the life, career and legacy of Althea Gibson, the first black player to compete in and win Grand Slam titles.We cover her early life growing up in Harlem, her development as a tennis player under the guidance of Dr Eaton and Dr Johnson, Alice Marble’s influential letter challenging the USLTA’s whites-only culture, Gibson’s dramatic first appearance at the US Nationals at Forest Hills in 1950, her friendship and doubles partnership with Angela Buxton, her US Open and Wimbledon titles in 1957 and 1958, the way tennis turned its back on her, and the desperately sad final few decades of her life as she lived in poverty.We also speak to people who knew her to get a sense of what she was like. Tennis historian Steve Flink tells us what made her such a good player, journalist Richard Evans remembers taking her to the Wimbledon ball, Mary Carillo recounts the first time she met Gibson and the WTA’s emergency meeting to raise funds for her, Zina Garrison looks back on her final encounter with Gibson, and Leslie Allen talks in depth about her experience of being a black person in tennis.What was it like following in Gibson’s footsteps and constantly being compared to her? How did racism in tennis manifest itself during her career? And how did Allen feel at the unveiling of Gibson’s statue at last year’s US Open?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.Coming soon: Tennis Re-Lived: Arthur Ashe and daily US Open podcasts. * PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *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*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where over 950 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next Kickstarter in December, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ATP Tour tennis is back with the first big, combined women's and men's tournament since the pandemic struck down Indian Wells in March. With the 'Cincinnati' draw made, Catherine, David and Matt assembled once more to discuss the highlights, catch up on latest news, and also release our big interview with Lindsay Davenport (from 38.00).Is the WTA draw now more star-studded than the men's draw, despite the withdrawals?What did we think of Novak Djokovic's interview with Chris Clarey in the New York Times (linked below)?And thoughts are exchanged about Denis Shapovalov's rap video.Later, Davenport talks about tennis in front of no fans, her own career, and the greatness of Serena and Venus Williams.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, and features Matt Roberts, and will be daily throughout the US Open.Next week, we will produce two big special editions, focusing on first Althea Gibson, and then Arthur Ashe.* TELL YOUR FRIENDS *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *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*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where over 950 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next Kickstarter in December, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast *RELATED READING *Novak Djokovic interview - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/sports/tennis/djokovic-us-open.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tennis’ return went up a notch last week with many of the biggest names competing in Lexington and Prague.We discuss the way in which champions Jennifer Brady and Simona Halep picked up where they left off six months ago, describe how it felt seeing top level tennis at a small club in Kentucky, assess Serena Williams’ form, marvel at Venus Williams’ remodelled service motion, and analyse yet another step forward for Coco Gauff.  David also speaks to Dan Evans about life inside the US Open bubble. What do players have to do when they arrive? What’s the hotel like? And how confident is he that players will follow the protocols?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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *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*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where over 950 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next Kickstarter in December, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, with actual tennis from Palermo to look back on and the Kentucky-Prague double-header to preview, we find ourselves in unfamiliar, but very welcome, territory.We react live to Fiona Ferro’s victory in Palermo, and discuss what the players have been saying in their pre-tournament press conferences, including Serena Williams on her caution over the virus, Coco Gauff on how she’s used her platform to tackle issues of social justice, Jo Konta on her American road trip, and Eugenie Bouchard on the possibility of a fresh start.Finally, after Roger Federer celebrated his 39th birthday last week, we get insight from Stefan Edberg about why he's advised Roger Federer not to retire in the same way he did. 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.* PODCAST LINK *If you enjoy listening to The Tennis Podcast, please spread the word and share our link on your social media platforms - https://podfollow.com/the-tennis-podcast* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, offers, predictions and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX*SHOP*Let everyone know how you feel with our new I LOVE TENNIS range - https://thetennispodcast.teemill.com/* EMAIL *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*REDDIT *We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where over 950 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/* KICKSTARTER * We are crowdfunded for 2020, but if you’d like to receive a reminder e-mail when we launch our next Kickstarter in December, then you can put your details here - http://eepurl.com/gwWILX*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - www.twitter.com/tennispodcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.