The Tennis Podcast

The latest ever start to a match at the Australian Open, and one of the latest ever Tennis Podcast recordings, as David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt got together at 12:46am, with tennis still being played, to discuss the events of Day 4 at the Australian Open.The day began with Grad Matt’s quarter-final pick Viktoria Kuzmova being beaten. What happened? Is Elina Svitolina playing better than expected? And was it appropriate to ask her about her relationship with Gael Monfils?The match of the day was Milos Raonic vs. Stan Wawrinka. Did we see Goran Ivanisevic’s influence on Raonic? Despite losing, is Stan Wawrinka properly back now?In the women’s event, Serena Williams and Simona Halep remain on a collision course. But how much is Halep struggling physically?Elsewhere, contrasting late-night wins for Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic are discussed, there’s chat about the new Dunlop balls being used this year, and a look ahead to Day 5.The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australi

Dan Evans didn’t beat Roger Federer, but he pushed him hard, and did himself proud. That’s the view of David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt on The Tennis Podcast at the end of day three at the 2019 Australian Open.How did Evans cause Federer problems? Should he have won the opening set? And how confident should we be that Evans has got his career back on track and won’t have another lapse?Elsewhere, the biggest shock of the tournament so far saw Kevin Anderson lose to Frances Tiafoe. How much was Anderson’s injury a factor? And why does this feel like a significant step forward for Tiafoe?Anderson’s loss opens up the draw for Grigor Dimitrov. How did he look today against Pablo Cuevas?In the night session, David’s man-of-the-tournament Roberto Bautista Agut won a second straight five-setter, this time against John Millman. How does he keep doing it? There was better news for home fans when Alex de Minaur held his nerve to win in five. But is he showing signs of fatigue?There’s also discussion about Bob

There was less drama on day two of the 2019 Australian Open, but still plenty for David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt to talk about on The Tennis Podcast.The biggest story was Simona Halep’s comeback victory against Kaia Kanepi. Just how significant was that for Halep? What was she like when she spoke to Catherine? And can she now go far in the tournament?Halep might run into Serena Williams in the fourth round. Serena thrashed Tatjana Maria in less than an hour. But why did she not do a pre-tournament press conference? Venus Williams was also a winner on Tuesday. Does she get the credit she deserves for her longevity? Is it understandable why she doesn’t give much time to the media?The biggest off-court story was Bernard Tomic’s criticism of Lleyton Hewitt. Why are there so many rifts within Australian tennis?There’s also a look ahead to day three. Can Katie Boulter beat Aryna Sabalenka? And how much will the heat of the day help Dan Evans against Roger Federer? The Tennis Podcast will be produc

We thought we’d seen it all from Andy Murray, but in what could be his final ever match, he left us spellbound once more.On The Tennis Podcast, David Law and Catherine Whitaker discuss one of the most extraordinary opening days in Grand Slam history, as Murray produced a rousing comeback in a match of unrivalled poignancy and significance. It wasn’t quite enough for him to beat Roberto Bautista-Agut, but it provided hours of compelling drama. What were David and Catherine feeling as they watched Murray look like Murray again?They also consider his possible next steps. Have we really seen the last of Murray? What was he like in press? Was this match the perfect send off?It was a day of mixed fortunes for the other six Brits in action. Harriet Dart lost 0-6, 0-6 to Maria Sharapova. Was that a harsh scoreline or did it reflect the match? Since when has Katie Boulter been capable of the gritty, aggressive tennis that saw her beat Ekaterina Makarova? And what about Dan Evans? Catherine’s description of his victory

With less than 24 hours to go until the start of the 2019 Australian Open, the time has come for David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt to dissect the draws and make their predictions.There are some potentially dangerous players in Djokovic’s section, but will any of them actually stop him? How will Nadal’s body hold up? And will Zverev reach a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time?On the women’s side, the consensus is that Simona Halep’s draw is as tough as it gets. How will she cope with it? Will the dream quarter-final of Sabalenka against Barty actually happen? And how will Naomi Osaka deal with the new pressure that comes with being a Grand Slam champion?The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australian Open (and at all the Slams) after our Kickstarter was funded by our listeners.If you would like to chip in and have your name on the Tennis Podcast website backers page, you can, until it closes on Monday – http://po.st/TP_Kickstarter2019  See acast.com/privacy for

With two days to go before the 2019 Australian Open, the main story in town is still Andy Murray’s announcement that he will retire before the end of the year. Following their immediate reaction to the news yesterday, David Law and Catherine Whitaker were joined for further reflections on Saturday by The Telegraph’s Simon Briggs.The self-proclaimed ‘Andy Murray correspondent’ has spent eight years covering Murray’s career, so what does he make of yesterday’s events? What was Murray like in his half hour sit-down with the British press corps? And has he given himself some wriggle room by talking about a possible hip resurfacing operation?Nick Kyrgios was one of many players to pay tribute to Murray. In an interview with Catherine, he even hinted that he’d like to be coached by Murray one day. How might that work? And what of Kyrgios’ own chances this fortnight?Finally, Simon gives his take on the political storm surrounding tonight’s player council meeting in Melbourne. Why do some players want to eject C

Hours after David Law joined Catherine Whitaker in Melbourne, Andy Murray came into the interview room, choked up with emotion, and revealed that he could no longer play with the pain that he is experiencing while trying to play tennis. He will retire at Wimbledon, if not before.Afterwards, David and Catherine got together, and instead of dissecting the draws, they reacted to the news that so many had feared was coming.They explain what the atmosphere was like in the room, what he said to Catherine in their Eurosport interview, and Catherine describes an emotional scene with his coach, Jamie Delgado.The Tennis Podcast will be produced daily throughout the Australian Open (and at all the Slams) after our Kickstarter was funded by our listeners.If you would like to chip in and have your name on the Tennis Podcast website backers page, you can, until it closes on Wednesday - http://po.st/TP_Kickstarter2019  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The opening week of the 2019 tennis season has come and gone, and there’s a lot for David and Catherine to discuss before they set off to Melbourne for the Australian Open.The Hopman Cup once again proved a big hit. Does anyone actually want the ATP Cup to replace it next year? What makes the Hopman Cup feel more significant than other exhibitions? And shouldn’t tennis be promoting mixed team competitions, not getting rid of the best one?After despairing at the whole situation (04:40), David and Catherine turn their attention to the tennis on display in Perth. Has Federer’s sparkling form boosted his prospects in Melbourne? (09:07) And did Serena Williams show enough to be considered the favourite for the Australian Open? (17:56)Elsewhere, how did Andy Murray perform in Brisbane? Can we look beyond the limp and find reasons for optimism? (23:02)In Doha, Novak Djokovic lost to Roberto Bautista-Agut. Does that defeat make any difference to his chances at the Australian Open? (37:48)David and Catherine also asse

The calendar hasn’t even ticked over to 2019 yet, but the new tennis season is officially here and that can only mean one thing: Catherine and David are back together on The Tennis Podcast to preview it!Most of the top players appear to be in better health than they were twelve months ago, but two men with question marks still hanging over their physical condition are Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal. Is there cause for concern after Nadal withdrew from an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi? (09:56) And what should we make of Murray’s recent comments about his hip injury? (19:50)Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, looked sharp during his matches in Abu Dhabi. Is there anyone in the locker room who won’t feel intimidated by Djokovic’s form and aura ahead of the Australian Open? (14:10)In Brisbane, Jo Konta has yet another difficult-looking first-round match against Sloane Stephens. But could it actually be the ideal time to play the American? (28:48). Stephens is currently “on a break” from her coach Kamau Murray. Is th

The first ever Tennis Podcast LIVE took place in London on Tuesday 11th December at Café Rouge as David and Catherine handed out their awards for the 2018 tennis season in front of an audience of Kickstarter backers and friends of the podcast. It was a special evening, and you can now listen to the full show in podcast form! Who was the player of the year? What was the best match? What was the biggest surprise? Who made the best breakthrough? And what was the worst podcast prediction? David and Catherine discuss 15 categories in total. No Tennis Podcast awards show would be complete without an adjudicator, to settle the inevitable disputes between Catherine and David, and this year we were delighted to have the incomparable Mary Carillo on hand via video link to give her verdict for each category. Her word is final, but will she agree more with David or Catherine? Finally, after the results of our year-long predictions competition are revealed, overall winner Greg Gaynor sends us his accep

With the support of our Kickstarter backers, 2018 has been an exciting year for The Tennis Podcast. We produced well over 100 episodes, including daily shows at all four Grand Slams, the Fever-Tree Championships, the ATP Finals, and the Davis Cup Final.We love talking about tennis, and we don't want to stop. In 2019, we want to keep the podcast going and growing, making it bigger and better than ever before. But, to do that, we need your help once again.On this mini episode, David and Catherine set out their plans for next year with the launch of our third Kickstarter campaign.See below for details of where to go if you want to chip in and back us on Kickstarter.The Tennis Podcast is produced in association with The Telegraph. ***KICKSTARTER 2019***If you want The Tennis Podcast to return in 2019, you can do your bit here: http://po.st/TP_Kickstarter2019There are some special categories if you want to get really involved, but we are grateful for any contribution and all your support. ***MAILING LIST

Croatia are Davis Cup champions for the second time after Marin Cilic clinched the decisive point to earn them a 3-1 win over France. On The Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts react to Sunday’s action, and look ahead to an uncertain future for the competition. Will Marin Cilic and Borna Coric be propelled to even greater heights in 2019 following their flawless performances this weekend? Could France have done anything differently? As the Davis Cup enters a new era, we hear from Lucas Pouille about why he won’t be playing the competition in 2019, and also from Yannick Noah as he delivers an extraordinary speech about why he’s loved the Davis Cup, and why he is “disgusted” at the changes. What do David, Catherine and Matt make of Noah’s comments? And what do they think of the changes? Don’t we all need to give the new format a chance? The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. &nbs

The 2018 Davis Cup Final will head into Sunday with the tie still in the balance after Saturday’s doubles rubber delivered a thrilling match and a crucial point for France. On The Tennis Podcast, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts react to Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert’s victory over Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic, and we hear from Yannick Noah who explains why he was moved to tears during La Marseillaise. What gave the French pair the edge? How was the atmosphere different from the opening day? What caused the fourth set aggro? What is it about doubles that suits Davis Cup so well? And, with today’s best-of-five set doubles match being the last of its kind in a Davis Cup final, what are some of the best doubles matches in the competition’s history? Looking ahead to Sunday, David, Catherine and Matt agree that Noah will surely select Lucas Pouille. But might he also be tempted to pick Herbert? And how likely is it that France can pull off the comeback? The reverse singles

Six sets played, six sets won by Croatia, and the chances of France winning the last Davis Cup final played using the traditional format are looking minuscule.The Tennis Podcast team of Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts, who is courtside in Lille, discuss what went on, and we hear from a happy Croatia captain - Zeljko Krajan.Has Borna Coric come of age? Is Marin Cilic over the jitters that seem to afflict him when he is ahead? And has Yannick Noah dropped a massive clanger with his team selection? The podcast team discuss them all.Looking ahead to the doubles rubber, could France do what the United States so nearly did in the semifinals, and come back from 2 rubbers down to win it in 5?The doubles action in the final of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas starts at 1pm GMT, with Nicolas Mahut and Pierre Hugues Herbert needing to beat Ivan Dodig and Matej Pavic to keep the tie alive. To watch a stream in the UK, go to www.daviscup.com. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegr

On the eve of the last traditional Davis Cup by BNP Paribas final, David and Catherine are joined by Grad Matt in Lille to preview France vs. Croatia. For the second year in a row, Yannick Noah sprung a surprise at the draw ceremony, this time selecting Jeremy Chardy ahead of Lucas Pouille. What does that decision say about both players? Can Noah sprinkle his magic dust on this French side to overcome the strongly-favoured Croatian team? Will Jo-Wilfried Tsonga be able to replicate Henri Leconte’s heroics from 1991? And which team will prefer the clay?Later, listen to Grad Matt’s interview with ITF President David Haggerty about the new-look Davis Cup for 2019. What does Haggerty make of the reaction to the reform? Does he feel threatened by the ATP Cup? And does he agree with Chris Kermode that it would be “insane” to have two team competitions? Find out if there’s a realistic chance of a combined team event in the future, and the reaction of David and Catherine in this week’s show. The Tennis Podc

Alexander Zverev delivered on his gargantuan talent in London to add a straight sets win over Novak Djokovic to his one against Roger Federer the day before. It landed him the ATP Finals title, and Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts got together to discuss it on The Tennis Podcast.With The O2 Arena being disassembled around them, the trio talked about where the final was won and lost, what changed since Djokovic’s 6-4, 6-1 win over Zverev in the round-robin stages, and what the result might mean for 2019.Could Zverev-Tsitsipas be the next compelling rivalry on the ATP circuit? Will it feature some of the aggro that has been in evidence between the two in recent months?There’s also a look at the doubles final, won by Jack Sock and Mike Bryan. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the immediate aftermath of Alexander Zverev’s victory over Roger Federer, David is joined by Simon Briggs and Grad Matt to discuss Zverev’s excellent performance, the moment of controversy that overshadowed the ending, and the crowd’s reaction. Firstly, was the incident with the ball-boy handled correctly? Was Annabel Croft right to step in and tell the crowd off for their booing? Could Zverev’s humble response endear him to more people? And what did both players say about the incident in their press conferences? None of the controversy should detract from Zverev’s efforts. David, Simon and Matt agree he played brilliantly. Did we see the Lendl effect on his forehand? Has he found extra pop on his serve this week? And what happened to Federer’s serve in the tight moments? In the second half of the pod, David and Grad Matt catch their breath after Djokovic’s dismantlement of Kevin Anderson. Is Djokovic playing better than ever? Does Zverev stand a chance in tomorrow’s final? The Ten

As Alexander Zverev reached the last four of the ATP Finals for the first time, Leon Smith joined David and Grad Matt to talk all about him.What does Leon make of Zverev’s progress? When will he start breaking through at the Grand Slams? Are we expecting too much too soon, bearing in mind he’s still up against the likes of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer? What will Ivan Lendl bring him? And has he possibly played the Lendl card too soon?Leon also looks ahead to Saturday’s semi-finals at the O2. Will Federer’s variety be too much for Zverev? What makes Djokovic such a brilliant returner?Finally, Leon shares his thoughts on the ATP Cup launch and reminisces about captaining Britain to Davis Cup glory.The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 1976 French Open champion Sue Barker is our special guest as we digest the launch of the ATP Cup and what it means for the Davis Cup finals in the future. What did the power-brokers say in response to Novak Djokovic’s assertion that it could lead to two ‘average’ events? What does Sue, Catherine Whitaker, Simon Briggs and David Law make of it all? And should Davis Cup have changed in the first place? Sue isn’t so sure.The BBC’s long-time tennis presenter also talks about the matches at The O2, gives her predictions for the next few days, her thoughts on whether Andy Murray will make it back to the top of the game, and whether Johanna Konta can return to her peak.The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alexander Zverev has already won a trio of Masters 1000 titles, been ranked as high as No.3, and qualified for the ATP Finals for two straight seasons. He’s a major player in the sport, and promises to be for years to come. We know he isn’t afraid to complain about the length of the season and the content of interview questions, but do we really know what he’s like? To find out more about him, David chats to his long-time friend and colleague Andrej Antic, a German tennis writer who has worked for Tennis MAGAZIN for over two decades. How is Zverev viewed in Germany? Could he create a tennis boom in the country, like during the days of Boris Becker and Steffi Graf? And what is his relationship like with Ivan Lendl? Antic reveals all before discussing his own career. How has his job of producing a magazine changed in the era of social media? On court today, Zverev was beaten by Novak Djokovic. What happened in the match? And are we entering ‘foregone conclusion’ territory with Djokovic this week?