The Sports Agents

At 22 years old, Carlos Alcaraz has done what some of the best players in history chase their entire careers - winning the Australian Open to become the youngest man ever to win all four Grand Slams - with Novak Djokovic across the net and Rafa Nadal in the stands.Where Rafa annoyed his rivals and Novak sometimes felt like public enemy no. 1, is there any limit to what a seemingly universally loved player like Alcaraz can achieve? Do we need to be worried about Aryna Sabalenka's record in Grand Slam finals? And you have to hear Gabby's story about getting pranked by Michael McIntyre and Roger Federer!Gabby and Mark are joined by Charlie Eccleshare, Senior Tennis Writer at The Athletic, and tennis broadcaster, Marcus Buckland.Plus, we chat about Ronaldo going on strike, Man City women bulldozing Chelsea and their hopes of a WSL title, throwback performances from Man United and Spurs, and boxer Jarrell Miller winning by a hair... literally!📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

You’ve likely seen the viral video of Coco Gauff smashing her racket in a corridor at the Australian Open. She tried to go somewhere without cameras and failed. Now she's complaining the only private place is the locker room, Novak Djokovic says it's like "big brother", Iga Swiatek thinks they're "animals in a zoo". Content is king but at what cost to player privacy? Isn’t this the kind of access we all wanted to drive sports broadcasting forward and grow the sport? The bigger the sport - the more financial reward for players, so why complain? Or are we in danger of forgetting they’re only human? Jamie Murray, former world number one doubles player, and Molly McElwee, tennis journalist and author of "Building Champions", join Gabby and Mark. Plus, we look back at the best bits of The Sports Agents from Manchester United to a very English embarrassment at Champions League success to two-time World Cup winner Tobin Heath. 📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Five English teams finished in the Champions League top 8 to reach the last 16 without a playoff. If Newcastle join them it will be the first time ever that six Premier League teams have made the knockouts.But how are these sides dominating Europe when all we keep being told is that the Premier League quality hasn’t been all that this season? Is it about time with all the Premier League money? Do English fans still have an inferiority complex when it comes to European giants? And how does it reflect on the new-look Champions League if one country is dominating? Football journalist Guillem Balague joins Gabby and Mark.And later, we welcome two-time World Cup winner and double Olympic gold medallist, Tobin Heath. Ahead of the new Women's Champions Cup final we chat about growing the club game globally, her friend Trinity Rodman becoming the highest paid women's footballer and how investor and multi-club owner Michele Kang is thriving in the grey areas.📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Michael Carrick couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to life as Man United’s interim boss after successive wins against the Premier League’s top two - in Arsenal & Manchester City.A few more performances like Sunday’s at the Emirates and the clamour for him to stay on will be deafening - in some quarters it’s already started! ... But United have been here before.The Athletic's Man United writer Carl Anka & Neil Redfearn (who's no stranger to the 'caretaker's job') join Chappers to work out if lessons been learnt at the club internally, if there's really a better choice than Carrick for the permanent job and what Premier League history can teach us about how it usually works out for the caretakers who get the job full-time.📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Everyone’s been talking about the Beckhams and Naomi Osaka this week. Hard to believe a family feud and a jellyfish outfit at the Australian Open have anything in common - but where Sir Alex Ferguson used to fight to keep David Beckham's focus on the pitch, sport is now embracing fashion like never before...Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams pictured at the Met Gala, Stella McCartney designing Arsenal kits, and the famous NBA Tunnel Walks.Have we all grown up enough to appreciate that athletes having other interests doesn’t mean they aren’t distracted from getting the win? How much money does Naomi Osaka going viral as a jellyfish make for brands and athletes? And should more sports be using fashion to grow the game?Gabby is joined by The Athletic's Tennis Correspondent, Charlie Eccleshare, and Mayowa Quadri, Football Culture Writer and Head of Brand at Versus.Plus, we look back at the best bits of The Sports Agents this week: should managers like Oliver Glasner and clubs like Crystal Palace should accept their place in the football food chain? And is a female coach in the Premier League really the holy grail or not?📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

In this insightful discussion, Jess Thirlby, Head Coach of England Netball, and Paula Dunn, Former International Sprinter and Performance Director at UK Athletics, tackle the ongoing challenges for female coaches. They highlight alarming rates of bullying and the need for a supportive culture. Jess shares how netball remains female-focused despite systemic bias, while Paula discusses the importance of representation and visibility. They also explore whether coaching in the Premier League should be considered the ultimate goal and how a diverse coaching staff enhances team performance.

Just eight months ago Crystal Palace and their manager Oliver Glasner were lifting the FA Cup. Fast forward to now - no wins in 10 games, captain Marc Guehi sold to City, knocked out of the FA Cup by 6th tier Macclesfield. And then Glasner, who’d already admitted he’s leaving at the end of the season, tells the media he feels "abandoned completely" by the club.As we record this he’s not been sacked, but does Glasner’s anger over player sales ignore the reality of Crystal Palace’s place in food chain? Is it cynical to suggest Glasner was trying to get sacked? And why are so many managers throwing their toys out the pram this season?Former Crystal Palace player Clinton Morrison and Dan Cook from the HLTCO Fan Channel, join Gabby and Mark.Plus, we discuss the chaos of the AFCON Final, Manchester United winning the derby and a shock British win at the Australian Open.📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam Trudgill and BogdanSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Hosts Morocco face Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final on Sunday. At this AFCON almost 40% of players were born outside Africa, like the face of the tournament Ashraf Hakimi.So where should teams be putting their money - improving recruitment from the diaspora or investing more at home? What needs to change to attract these players? And can Sadio Mane and Senegal stop the powerhouse of Morocco from winning their first AFCON in 50 years?Gabby and Mark are joined by former Premier League defender and Sierra Leone captain, Steven Caulker, and The Athletic's Jay Harris.Plus, we look back at the best bits of The Sports Agents this week, from the civil war in golf after Brooks Koepka's departure, to the unbelievable story of Macclesfield's rise from the ashes to pull off the greatest FA Cup upset ever against holders Crystal Palace.📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

At the start of this week the PGA tour made a big move. Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka was given special permission to return from the breakaway LIV tour. This limited-time offer was extended to only three other players - Jon Rahm, Cam Smith and Bryson DeChambeau - who are staying put... for now.So has this backfired on the PGA Tour or has the first domino fallen and LIV are in trouble? What is LIV's aim in all of this? Is DeChambeau's YouTube channel doing more to sell golf than anyone else right now?Plus Gabby and Mark chat about Arsenal's chances of ending their trophy drought after the Carabao Cup semi-final win over Chelsea, Shaun Wane stepping down as England rugby league head coach, and an amateur winning one million Australian dollars by beating the likes of Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open.📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

It was the greatest FA Cup upset of all time. Last year's champions Crystal Palace knocked out by Macclesfield - 5 divisions and 117 places below them.First to storm the pitch after the final whistle was owner Robert Smethurst who joins us today. He bought the club on Rightmove… while drunk on holiday.The story of the phoenix club that has soared from liquidation into the FA Cup fourth round is amazing, and with Brentford making the trip to Moss Rose next, it’s not over yet.Plus, Mark and Gabby say their prayers for Michael Carrick as he joins Manchester United as interim manager, Mark can't contain his excitement at the dramatic NFL play-offs, and Gabby's taken back to her school days as an earring issue stopped a WSL player from making her debut.📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents