Podcast
The Tennis Podcast
Hosted by The Tennis Podcast · EN
Your definitive tennis round up, daily at the Slams. Part of the Athletic Network. Named in Time Mag's Top 100 podcasts of all time.
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21episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Madrid - What do Sinner & Kostyuk's titles mean for the French Open mix?
2w ago01:22:12Tap to summarizeCatherine, David and Matt are joined by The Athletic’s Matt Futterman to discuss finals weekend in Madrid and what it might all mean for Roland Garros. Part one - ATP (00:00 - 38:00). We start with Jannik Sinner’s demolition of Alexander Zverev and what it told us about their match up and the gap between Sinner and everyone else in the field in the absence of Carlos Alcaraz. Why was Zverev so poor in the final? Is Sinner in a mix of one at Roland Garros? And who or what might be his biggest obstacles? Part two - WTA (38:01 - 1:05:01). We discuss Marta Kostyuk winning the biggest title of her career over Mirra Andreeva, the keys to that victory, and whether this puts her in contention to win in Paris. Plus, can Andreeva learn to do that really hard thing of separating self-worth from results, and why does The Mix feel bigger on the women’s side? Part three - Rome preview (1:05:02 - 1:22:11) Full details of the Mike Dickson Award can be found 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Madrid - Sabalenka stopped, but what about Sinner?
3w ago01:12:07Tap to summarizeCatherine, David and Matt look ahead to the women’s final and the men’s semis in Madrid. Part one - WTA (00:00 - 29:59). The Athletic’s Matt Futterman provides a report from on the ground in Madrid before we discuss Hailey Baptiste’s thrilling upset of Aryna Sabalenka as well as the paths that Mirra Andreeva and Marta Kostyuk have taken to the final. Part two - ATP (30:00 - 56:16). After Jannik Sinner’s impressive victory over Rafael Jodar, can Arthur Fils stop him? In the other semi-final, we discuss how Alexander Blockx has got there to face Alexander Zverev. Part three - News (56:17 - 1:12:07). Jack Draper is out of Roland Garros and will drop outside of the Top 100. We also have some insight into Emma Raducanu’s coaching developments…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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Madrid - Can Rafael Jodar fill the Alcaraz void?
3w ago01:21:51Tap to summarizeCatherine, David and Matt catch up on all things Madrid - a tournament which has been hit by a bout of apparent food poisoning, but with plenty of interesting plot lines still developing. Part one - WTA (00:00 - 32:38). We cover Post Puke Gauff’s gutsy victory over Sorana Cirstea, Elena Rybakina coming through a couple of testing three setters, and a nice run for Hailey Baptiste. Plus, David fills us in on the return to form of Caty McNally and we make some predictions for the week ahead. Part two - ATP (32:39 - 1:05:44) Rafael Jodar’s win over Joao Fonseca was the standout moment of the tournament so far. How did Jodar win it? What happened to Fonseca in the decider? And did their match prove how good they are or reveal some potential weaknesses? There’s also chat about Lorenzo Musetti beginning to rediscover his confidence, some wild Terence Atmane scenes, and debate about who might come through the bottom half to (probably) face Jannik Sinner in the final. Part three - News (1:05:45 - 1:21:51). We get some extra information from the ITIA about Marketa Vondrousova’s case and we react to the news that Portia Archer has left her role as WTA CEO. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Emergency pod - Alcaraz out of Roland Garros
4w ago00:43:28Tap to summarizeCatherine, David and Matt convened for an emergency live show to react to the sad news that defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from next month's Roland Garros due to a wrist injury.We discussed what this means for Alcaraz, how it might affect Jannik Sinner going for the Career Slam, and the different feel the tournament will have without Alcaraz. Who can step up in his absence?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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Arthur Fils - future Roland Garros champion?
Apr 2001:28:49Tap to summarizePart one - WTA (00:00 - 32:07). We start with Elena Rybakina’s title in Stuttgart which takes her to the top of the WTA Race for 2026. What were the keys to her victory? How did she come through an extraordinary match with Leylah Fernandez? And what might this mean for the rest of the clay court swing? There’s also chat about Karolina Muchova’s brilliant run and another loss from a set up for Iga Swiatek. But were there some positive signs for Swiatek in her defeat to Mirra Andreeva? Over in Rouen, we cover Marta Kostyuk’s victory in an all-Ukrainian final against Veronika Podrez. Part two - ATP (32:08 - 1:05:08). Arthur Fils is a title winner again and David is a very happy man! We discuss Fils’ level to beat Lorenzo Musetti, Rafael Jodar and Andrey Rublev in Barcelona before David makes a very big prediction. In Munich, we analyse Ben Shelton’s improvement on clay and an emotional week for Flavio Cobolli. Part three - News and Madrid preview (1:05:09 - 1:28:49). We cover the news that Marketa Vondrousova is facing investigation for refusing a doping test before looking through the Madrid draws. How concerning is Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal? Full details of the second edition of the Mike Dickson Award can be found 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Has women’s tennis served its purpose for Saudi Arabia?
Apr 1601:34:58Tap to summarizeCatherine and Matt are together for a mid week catch up with events in Stuttgart, Barcelona, Munich and Rouen in full swing. Part one - ATP (00:00 - 34:41). How concerning is Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal from Barcelona with a wrist injury? We react to his press conference and discuss the difficulty of his clay court season scheduling. Elsewhere in Barcelona, Lorenzo Musetti has picked up some much-needed wins and now plays Arthur Fils, while Rafael Jodar has become the favourite for the title. In Munich, there’s excitement ahead of Joao Fonseca vs Ben Shelton but also more dispiriting Stefanos Tsitsipas scenes. Part two - WTA (34:42 - 59:02). We look ahead to a brilliant quarter-final line-up in Stuttgart, despite a slow start to the event. Iga Swiatek’s new era is underway and we chat about her win over Laura Siegemund and preview her match against Mirra Andreeva. And can Coco Gauff keep up her perfect record against Karolina Muchova? Part three - News (59:03 - 1:34:58). We discuss tennis’ place in the quickly changing landscape of Saudi investment in sport, with reports that the WTA Finals will not be renewing in Riyadh. Could Czechia or Poland be good hosts? There’s also bits and pieces from Roland Garros’s pre tournament press conference, retirement announcements from Jamie Murray and Roberto Bautista Agut, and a Rafael Nadal documentary coming to Netflix. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Monte Carlo - Was Sinner’s statement win a game-changer?
Apr 1301:21:01Tap to summarizeCatherine, David and Matt are here to look back on the first Sinner-Alcaraz match of the 2026 season. Part one - Monte Carlo (00:00 - 30:59). We discuss Jannik Sinner’s victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the final and how it sets up their rivalry and the clay court season ahead. In what way did Sinner cope best with the windy conditions? How much confidence will he take from his? And how might Alcaraz respond? There’s also chat about the gap between them and the rest of the field after Sinner’s comprehensive win over Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals as well as a final word on Valentin Vacherot’s incredible run. Part two - Linz and BJK Cup (31:00 - 59:29). Lilli Tagger’s run may have stopped in the quarter-finals, but the fun continued in Linz as Anastasia Potapova made it all the way to the final, only to lose to Mirra Andreeva. Just how impressive was that win for Andreeva? What’s the significance of her doing it without Conchita Martinez in her box? And how do we look back on the first edition of Linz on indoor clay? In the BJK Cup, we cover Great Britain’s shock win in Australia, USA’s defeat to Belgium, a compelling comeback from the Czechs to beat Switzerland, and a devastating day for Bianca Andreescu and Canada. Part three (59:30 - 1:21:01) - Preview and predictions for the week ahead which sees Alcaraz go to Barcelona and Iga Swiatek return in Stuttgart. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Monte Carlo - What on earth was Daniil Medvedev doing?
Apr 901:04:21Tap to summarizePart one (00:00 - 41:30) David and Matt catch up on all things Monte Carlo which has seen Daniil Medvedev get double bagelled, Jannik Sinner actually drop a set, Valentin Vacherot win some thrillers, Joao Fonseca look impressive, and Alexander Zverev come back from the brink of defeat. How might the rest of the week unfold? Part two (41:31 - 56:11) - The Lilli Tagger show in Linz and a preview of the BJK Cup Qualifiers. Part three (56:12 - 1:04:21) - Aryna Sabalenka withdraws from Stuttgart and Holger Rune announces his comeback. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Will Nadal inspire a Swiatek surge?
Apr 601:24:13Tap to summarizeCatherine, David and Matt are together to discuss the start of the clay court season and a fascinating week of coaching changes on both tours. Part one - Coaching carousel (00:00 - 33:55). With the news that Iga Swiatek has hired Francisco Roig, we talk about whether her training block in Mallorca with Rafael Nadal can help inspire her for the clay court season ahead. Could this be just the boost Swiatek needs? What are some of the potential challenges in this partnership with Roig? Elsewhere, there’s a rundown of how Roig ditched Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard who has now hired Greg Rusedski, and Amanda Anisimova’s ongoing search for a new coach. Part two - WTA and ATP Tour Results (33:56 - 1:10:50). We cover Jessica Pegula’s title run in Charleston which was filled with three set matches, Matt makes an unsolicited Pegula prediction, and there’s a note on the importance of Charleston offering equal prize money and the incredible story of finalist Yulia Starodubtseva. On the men’s side, Tommy Paul won his first clay court title in Houston and Rafael Jodar made everyone pay attention to his talent by winning the title in Marrakech. Plus, David gets to talk about two of his favourite things - the Drop Shot Dragon and playing football with Diego Maradona - thanks to Marco Trungelliti and Roman Andres Burruchaga both having career best weeks. Part three - Monte Carlo Preview (1:10:50 - 1:24:13). Will we get our first Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz match of 2026? 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Miami - Are Sinner & Sabalenka getting even better?
Mar 3001:33:33Tap to summarizeDavid, Catherine and the Athletic's Matt Futterman had plenty to talk about after Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka completed the rare Double Sunshine Double with their Miami Open titles. Part one - ATP (00:00 - 37:45) We start with the extraordinary dominance of Jannik Sinner who has won the Indian Wells & Miami titles without dropping a set. With the points gap quickly closing on Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner is being open about his desperation to reclaim the top spot in men's tennis - will he do it, and if so, when?Part two - WTA (37:45 - 1:08:23) We cover Aryna Sabalenka's imperious run to the Miami title, including her significant final victory over resurgent Coco Gauff. How does Sabalenka manage to peak at every tournament she plays, and is Gauff coming good at just the right time?Part three - News (1:08:24 - 1:35:17) The WTA finals is set to move from Saudi Arabia - we wonder why, and where to? Plus there's discussion of Amanda Anisimova's shock coaching split and what it might lead to, and a general preview of the clay court season ahead (with punchy predictions). 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →