The Tennis Podcast

Going into Wimbledon in 1991, Steffi Graf’s supremacy was under threat. She hadn’t won a Grand Slam title for 18 months, she’d lost her No.1 ranking to Monica Seles, her father’s scandalous private life meant she was being hounded by the tabloids, and Gabriela Sabatini had emerged as a real rival.But Graf rose above everything, dominating the draw before winning a classic final 8-6 in the third set against Sabatini. How did Seles’ withdrawal pave the way for Graf? In what way did Sabatini revolutionise her game during her run to the 1990 US Open title to try to combat Graf? What made Graf such a formidable player? And does her career get the credit it deserves? Finally, we hear from Christopher Clarey and Mary Carillo about why they loved watching Sabatini play and the reasons why they think she only won one Grand Slam title. 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.  * TENNIS RE-LIVED *We will be doing daily shows throughout the original Wimbledon dates, looking back on some of the tournament’s best matches and most important stories. The 1991 final between Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini is split into parts 1, 2 & 3 on YouTube, while tomorrow’s match, Andre Agassi vs. Goran Ivanisevic from 1992, is available in full. * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* 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 925 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 1985, a strawberry-blonde, unseeded, 17-year-old German named Boris Becker won Wimbledon, beating Kevin Curren in the final, and suddenly tennis had a new star. In what way did Becker bring levels of power and athleticism which hadn’t been seen before on a tennis court? And how did people react to his arrival on the world stage?We hear from Johan Kriek, the man who predicted Becker’s victory at Wimbledon after losing to him at Queen’s two weeks earlier, and Curren discusses his own run which saw him beat John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors without losing a set, before underestimating Becker’s big-match mentality in the final. Becker went on to have a lot more success at Wimbledon, including a hat-trick of finals against Stefan Edberg. The Swede tells us about their rivalry. Finally, we look at how fame changed Becker’s life forever, and not always for the better.  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. * TENNIS RE-LIVED *We will be doing daily shows throughout the original Wimbledon dates, looking back on some of the tournament’s best matches and most important stories. The 1985 men’s final between Boris Becker and Kevin Curren is available on YouTube. On Thursday we will re-watch the epic 1991 final between Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini which is split into parts 1, 2 & 3. * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* 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 925 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.

The 1980 Wimbledon men’s final between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe is one of the most famous tennis matches of all time, and it lived up to expectations as we re-watched it ahead of our second Wimbledon Re-Lived show.How was McEnroe viewed by British tennis fans at the time? How did his behaviour change when he played Borg? And in what way does this match carry a cultural influence which transcends tennis?The apex of the match was the epic fourth set tiebreak, won by McEnroe 18-16 as the level of tennis reached dizzying heights and the momentum swung back-and-forth. What was it like to play? Did McEnroe feel afterwards like he would go on to win the match? And how on earth did Borg recover for the deciding set? We hear from both men.Finally, Mary Carillo explains why it’s the best match she’s ever watched, reveals the extraordinary scene she witnessed as she flew home on the same plane as the McEnroe family, and sets up a discussion about the reasons why the Borg-McEnroe rivalry continues to shine such a bright light across the sport, despite its brevity.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. * TENNIS RE-LIVED *We will be doing daily shows throughout the original Wimbledon dates, looking back on some of the tournament’s best matches and most important stories. Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe can be watched in full here, while tomorrow’s match, the 1985 men’s final between Boris Becker and Kevin Curren, is available on YouTube.* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* 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 925 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.

With nine singles titles to her name, Martina Navratilova is the most successful player in Wimbledon history. In this episode, we focus on the first of her wins – in 1978 against Chris Evert – and the last of them – in 1990 against Zina Garrison.In between analysing those matches, there’s discussion about the leaner years at the start of Navratilova’s career, her rivalry with Evert, the way she developed athletically into the sport’s most dominant figure, her special connection with Wimbledon, and the longevity of her career.We also get Evert’s view on the 1978 final and hear Navratilova’s own reflections on her career. 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. * TENNIS RE-LIVED * We will be doing daily shows throughout the original Wimbledon dates, looking back on some of the tournament’s best matches and most important stories. You can watch extended highlights of Navratilova’s 1978 and 1990 victories on YouTube. Tomorrow we will be discussing John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg from 1980. Extended highlights and the full fourth set tiebreak are available.* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* 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 900 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.

The fallout from the Adria Tour continued on Tuesday as world number one and event organiser Novak Djokovic tested positive for covid-19. The Telegraph’s Simon Briggs joins Catherine Whitaker and David Law to talk through the situation.Djokovic’s second statement of the day was better than his first, but which questions remain unanswered? Is Djokovic’s position as president of the ATP player council still tenable? How much damage has he done to tennis and to his own reputation? And where will this story go from here?There’s also a quick chat about how Andy Murray looked on his return to tennis at the Battle of the Brits. 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. * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* 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 900 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.

With Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all testing positive for covid-19 after playing the Adria Tour, we discuss the inevitability and seriousness of the situation, Novak Djokovic’s role and responsibility in all this, and the possible implications for the sport. There’s also a preview of this week’s Battle of the Brits event and we hear from Andy Murray about last year’s run to the doubles titles at Queen’s with Feliciano Lopez. 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. * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* 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 900 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.

Tennis is on its way back, but not as we know it. The US Open, the French Open and many other big events in-between have been scheduled, and not everyone is happy about it.Catherine, David and Matt review the announcement, discuss the various issues it raises, and speculate about how many of the world’s leading players will opt out of competing in any of the events. Last weekend’s exhibition events - the Adria Tour and the ‘Ultimate Tennis Showdown’ also get the Tennis Podcast treatment. 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.  * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* 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 900 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 Catherine’s interview with Chris Evert, we take the chance to tell the story of the 18-time Grand Slam champion in full.We discuss her most extraordinary records and achievements, consider her influence and legacy in the sport, ponder the reasons why she might be under-appreciated, reflect on her comments about the struggle of developing as a person while playing professional tennis, and look at the way she uses her platform for good. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.  * CHRIS EVERT INTERVIEW * Catherine’s interview with Chris Evert is available here.* NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* TENNIS RE-LIVED *We have produced daily shows throughout the original Roland Garros dates, looking back on 15 classic matches and stories from the tournament’s history. We will also be doing editions for Wimbledon.* 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* 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 900 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Catherine speaks to 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Chris Evert about her extraordinary tennis career.Evert reflects on how her childhood shaped the rest of her life, the early years of the WTA Tour, the challenge of being a well-adjusted human being as well as a great champion, her rivalry with Martina Navratilova and the way they were each portrayed by the media, the achievements she's most proud of, and her period of self-discovery following retirement.The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.  * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* TENNIS RE-LIVED *We have produced daily shows throughout the original Roland Garros dates, looking back on 15 classic matches and stories from the tournament’s history. We will also be doing editions for Wimbledon.* 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* 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 900 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Simona Halep beat Sloane Stephens in the 2018 Roland Garros final, the tennis world could breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, she was a Grand Slam champion. We discuss her previous three final losses, analyse a memorable match against Stephens, and reflect on how she lived with that victory during the months that followed. In a fascinating interview, her coach, Darren Cahill, reveals the switch he made to his usual pre-match pep talk before the final, the tactical change that helped Halep turn the match around in the second set, the weight of expectation on Halep, and the reception and adoration she received when she returned to Romania with the trophy. The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners each December.  * NEWSLETTER *Sign up to get our news, isolation diaries and Matt’s Stat - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX* TENNIS RE-LIVED *We have produced daily shows throughout the original Roland Garros dates, looking back on 15 classic matches and stories from the tournament’s history. We will also be doing editions for Wimbledon.* 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* 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 900 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/*SOCIAL MEDIA *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/Twitter - https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.