The Tennis Podcast

Ahead of his return to The Queen's Club for doubles in the Fever-Tree Championships, Lleyton Hewitt sat down with David Law and Charlie Eccleshare of the Telegraph for half an hour to talk about why he can't and doesn't want to give the sport up, what it was like facing a man arguably even more intense than him - Rafael Nadal on Clay, and why he thinks the plans to try to change the Davis Cup must be stopped.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rafael Nadal is the French Open champion. Sound familiar?On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine and David look back on the way Nadal overcame Dominic Thiem and a bout of cramp to win at Roland Garros for the eleventh time.The scoreline shows that Nadal won 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Does that reflect harshly on Thiem? Could he have done anything differently? And has his run to the final justified his decision to play such a packed schedule?As for Nadal, he came through a closely-fought first set and then took control. Is his game more complete than ever? How does he continue to dominate at Roland Garros after all these years?There was a moment of concern for Nadal in the third set when he had to call the trainer for cramp in his finger. What was going on? Should he have been allowed the treatment he received?Elsewhere, David and Catherine react to the positive reports about Andy Murray’s recovery, and respond to the rumours that Roger Federer might be switching clothing sponsor.There’s also a tribute to Brazilian great Maria B

Simona Halep is a Grand Slam champion at last.Having lost her previous three finals, Halep finally ended her drought by battling past Sloane Stephens in a captivating contest at Roland Garros. On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine and David pay tribute to her resilience.Trailing by a set and a break to Stephens, who was looking close to unbeatable, it felt like Halep would fall short once again. So how did she turn it around? Did the quality of Stephens' tennis actually help Halep to play more aggressively? Catherine says that Halep had to become "not afraid to lose".Halep’s win has been greeted by an outpouring of goodwill from fellow players. What makes her such a popular champion? How might she celebrate? And can she now become a multiple Grand Slam champion?Elsewhere, David and Catherine look ahead to tomorrow’s men’s final. Thiem is the only man to have beaten Nadal on clay in the past two seasons. But can he possibly do it over five sets in his first Grand Slam final? And is the challenge more physical or me

The one and only Mary Carillo is back! After debuting on The Tennis Podcast at last year’s US Open, Carillo is at her storytelling best as she joins Catherine from Roland Garros to preview Satuday’s women’s final between Simona Halep and Sloane Stephens. Carillo is the first to admit that this year’s French Open hasn’t caught fire. But that doesn’t dampen her enthusiasm for the women’s final. Will it live up to expectations? Find out why Carillo’s nerves are jangling for Halep, how she’s got to know and love the real Sloane Stephens, who she sees as the slight favourite and who she thinks the crowd will be supporting. As well as all that, there’s time to get Carillo’s thoughts on a range of other topics, including whether she thinks Sharapova is playing to prove that she can win without meldonium. Carillo also talks about her “jam”, coins a new word, explains her love for Judy Murray, and gives Catherine some advice on how to get more dog-related work gigs. All in the space of 25 minutes. As ever, she’s hila

Simona Halep has lost all three of her Grand Slam finals. Will she make it fourth time lucky on Saturday at Roland Garros when she faces Sloane Stephens?On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine and David discuss how both players got there, marvelling at the way in which they handled their big-hitting opponents with relative ease in Thursday’s semi-finals. Halep put up an impenetrable wall to defeat Garbiñe Muguruza in surprisingly straightforward fashion. Why was it not the blockbuster we were expecting? Stephens, meanwhile, continued her serene dominance over Madison Keys. Halep vs. Stephens will be an intriguing clash between two players with similar game-styles, but very different personalities. Who will the crowd be supporting? As the preview for that match develops, there’s plenty of praise for the way Halep exhibits her human side, while Catherine brings Stephens’ developing relationship with the media into focus. Who will win? David believes Halep will break her Grand Slam duck eventually. But Catherine wonder

David and Catherine convene on The Tennis Podcast to discuss another rain-hit day at Roland Garros.Before play was suspended prematurely, a huge upset was brewing on Court Philippe Chatrier when the free-swinging Diego Schwartzman took the first set against Rafael Nadal.That’s right. Nadal lost a set. On clay. At Roland Garros. It ended his streak of 38 consecutive sets won on the Parisian clay. Schwartzman also led by a break in the second set and David and Catherine are full of praise for his aggressive game-plan.Nadal eventually swung the momentum back in his favour, but to what degree was he saved by the rain? And why did he tape up his wrists? Can Schwartzman possibly win another two sets tomorrow?Elsewhere on Wednesday, the women’s semi-final line-up was completed as Garbiñe Muguruza demolished an erratic Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep displayed great mental fortitude to come from behind and beat Angelique Kerber.Muguruza and Halep will now meet in a match that will determine who ends the French Open

The match of the tournament came a day later than expected at Roland Garros.Just 24 hours after the Serena-Sharapova non-event, World No.72 Marco Cecchinato stunned Novak Djokovic in an exhilarating encounter, and one that will be remembered for a pulsating fourth-set tiebreak that transfixed everyone watching.Catherine Whitaker is joined on The Tennis Podcast by The Telegraph’s tennis correspondent Simon Briggs in the immediate aftermath. Speaking from inside the press centre at Roland Garros, they try to make sense of what happened.First of all, there’s plenty of praise for Cecchinato. The Italian, who was embroiled in a match-fixing scandal two years ago, had never won a match at a Grand Slam prior to this tournament. But he played with heart to defeat Djokovic, impressing everyone with his blend of on-court craft, penetrative groundstrokes and smooth movement.Can he keep this improbable run going? He will certainly be the underdog against Dominic Thiem in the semi-finals. Thiem brushed aside Alexander Zve

It was the match everyone wanted to see. But in the end, it didn't happen.Catherine and David come together on The Tennis Podcast to discuss a day of immense frustration at Roland Garros after Serena Williams was forced to withdraw before taking to the court against Maria Sharapova due to a right pectoral injury.Were there warning signs from Serena’s doubles match yesterday? Should Serena have even played doubles? And when was the last time the tennis world was so disappointed because a match didn’t happen?Fortunately, there was some tennis to talk about elsewhere as the quarter-final line-ups were confirmed. World No.1 Simona Halep was in blistering form against Elise Mertens and Angelique Kerber breezed past Caroline Garcia. Those two will meet in a mouth-watering last eight clash.On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal pulverised Maximilian Marterer, whose pre-match chat with Catherine helped him to a flying 2-love start, and then it was all downhill. Marin Cilic just about outlasted Fabio Fognini in 5, and Diego

Cancel your plans, Serena vs Sharapova is happening. After days of speculation, Catherine and David are giddy with excitement on the latest Tennis Podcast. But will the match live up to expectations? To preview a showdown of such magnitude, Catherine speaks to the perfect guest – esteemed New York Times writer Christopher Clarey. He’s the man who first described this match-up as an ‘un-rivalry’, but does he think Sharapova is primed to score her first victory against Serena since 2004? Clarey also gives his take on why Serena has historically had such a hold over Sharapova, debates who has more of a point to prove and explains why Serena vs. Sharapova matches still have such a fierce edge, despite the lopsided head-to-head. Elsewhere, for the third time this week, Catherine and David find themselves discussing a 5-set victory for Sascha Zverev. Is this shaping up to be a coming of age tournament for the German? Or might his exertions so far be his downfall against Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals? There’s

Kyle Edmund is out of the French Open. His five-set loss to Fabio Fognini brought an end to the British challenge at Roland Garros for another year. David and Catherine assemble on The Tennis Podcast to talk about it.Edmund vs. Fognini had looked thrilling on paper, but it ultimately failed to catch fire. Why was it such an ordeal? Why was Edmund unable to nullify the Fognini threat? And how much of a missed opportunity was this for the British No.1?Meanwhile, there was a familiar feeling on Court Philippe Chatrier as Rafael Nadal swept aside Richard Gasquet for the sixteenth time. Catherine bemoans Gasquet’s lack of belief and ponders why most players are so reluctant to do something completely different to try and perturb Nadal.The predictability of that contest sparked debate over the scheduling logic, particularly because the women’s No.1 Simona Halep was shunned to Court 18. Would that ever happen to a men’s No.1? Catherine and David have their say.Elsewhere, there’s no doubt that the women’s draw i

David and Catherine are back together on The Tennis Podcast to discuss yet another intriguing day at Roland Garros.The biggest story is the defeat of Elina Svitolina. The No.4 seed was among the favourites for the title, but once again she failed to transfer her fantastic tour form to a Grand Slam. Why does this keep happening?Svitolina was beaten by the unheralded Mihaela Buzărnescu of Romania whose remarkable ranking rise – from outside the Top-400 to inside the Top-40 in the space of twelve months – is lauded.Much like Svitolina, Sascha Zverev has also struggled to play his best at Grand Slams. After coming through a 5-setter against Dusan Lajovic in round two, the German was pushed to the brink and forced to save a match point on Friday against Damir Džumhur.Does it bode well for Zverev that he’s coming through these physical tests? Or does he need to be winning these matches more convincingly? David and Catherine give their thoughts.Novak Djokovic was also a winner on Day 6, beating Roberto Bautista-Agut

Serena Williams stole the show on Day 5 at Roland Garros, roaring back to defeat Ashleigh Barty in a vintage display. Shortly afterwards, The Telegraph’s Charlie Eccleshare joined David Law on The Tennis Podcast to reflect on the drama.Trailing by a set and a break, Serena looked out of sorts. But then she started playing like the Serena we all know so well, summoning her ferocious intensity and imposing her aura to turn the match around. Just how well did she play in those last two sets?Whisper it quietly, but Serena and Sharapova are on a collision course. David and Charlie are salivating at the prospect. Will it happen?Elsewhere, it was a day of mixed success for the Brits. Heather Watson fell in the second round for the sixth time, Norrie gave a very good account of himself against Lucas Pouille, and Kyle Edmund took the scenic route in beating Marton Fucsovics in a rather strange contest. Those matches are discussed in depth.What is it that makes Norrie such a nuisance for opponents? And how will Edmund

It was an action-packed Wednesday at Roland Garros, with thrilling matches everywhere you looked. On the Tennis Podcast, David and Catherine begin by assessing the comeback victories of Sascha Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and Kei Nishikori. In particular, was Zverev’s win today a significant step in his bid to end his Grand Slam curse? David thinks it might be. And Catherine explains how Zverev has been showing off his lighter side while speaking to the media.Elsewhere, what caused Jared Donaldson to hit an underarm serve against Dimitrov? And what on earth is going on with Benoit Paire’s hair-beard combo?Novak Djokovic’s victory is also discussed. The Serb is the only player in the bottom half of the men’s draw not to drop a set, but how well is he actually playing?Meanwhile, David has predicted Simona Halep to win her first Grand Slam this fortnight. No wonder he was panicking when she lost the opening set against Alison Riske. Predictions disaster was averted, however, when Halep recovered to win in three. Is t

The story on everyone’s lips on Day 3 at Roland Garros was the return of Serena Williams. The American beat Kristyna Pliskova 7-6, 6-4 to win her first Grand Slam match since giving birth. Catherine is joined by Simon Briggs, tennis correspondent for The Telegraph, to talk all about it. How well did Serena play? How will she cope with the tactical nous of Ashleigh Barty in the next round? And what was the story behind the catsuit she wore on court?Speaking of fashion, Simon thinks Kyle Edmund’s latest outfit might be inspired by Liquorice Allsorts. There’s plenty of chat about that, as well as Edmund’s tennis, which was mightily impressive. Tougher tests await the in-form Brit.Rafael Nadal was also a winner on Day 3 after overcoming the stern challenge posed by Simone Bolelli in their rain-interrupted match. How convincing was the 10-time champion? And has the cavalier Italian provided the blueprint for threatening Nadal?There’s also condemnation of Jack Sock’s behaviour. The American caused a stir durin

Despite some late drama, the Sunday start at Roland Garros had felt a little flat. Fortunately, that all changed on day two and there was plenty for David (at a wildlife centre) and Catherine (at the tennis) to talk about.While a number of big names may have taken to the court, it was the World No.190 Marco Trungelliti who stole the headlines. The lucky loser’s 9-hour road trip from Barcelona, which caught the imagination of everyone at Roland Garros, got the Hollywood finale it deserved as he defeated Bernard Tomic to reach the second round. Catherine and David delight in the sheer romance of the story.It was also a successful day from a British perspective as Cameron Norrie and Heather Watson won convincingly. Both players are talking with real confidence. How might they fare in the next round?Elsewhere, there were wins for Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki, Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic. Who impressed most?But there was no such luck for Wawrinka. His ranking will drop alarmingly after a first round loss

As The Tennis Podcast turned six-years-old, Catherine & David celebrated by discussing the opening day of action at Roland Garros.But there was no cause for Johanna Konta to celebrate. The British No.1 lost in the first round at the French Open for the fourth consecutive year, beaten by Yulia Putintseva. Catherine gives us the lowdown on the talking points from Konta’s post-match press conference, which at one stage turned a little more feisty than usual. With these disappointing losses beginning to stack up for Konta, how concerned should we all be about her form?Elsewhere, there was a big shock as defending champion Jelena Ostapenko lost in straight sets to Kateryna Kozlova.Those upsets brought some much-needed drama to an opening day which felt underwhelming at times, and left Catherine & David debating the pros and cons of a Sunday start.There’s also a brief chat about Monday’s play, when a number of the big names will get their campaigns underway. Plus, David reveals how lucky loser Marco Trungel

As the French Open prepares to get underway at Roland Garros in Paris, Catherine Whitaker sits courtside as Serena Williams goes through her preparation for the year’s second Grand Slam tournament.What did Simona Halep and Jelena Ostapenko have to say ahead of Roland Garros? Catherine has been talking to them.Who is scheduled to meet Rafael Nadal as he tries to win his 11th French Open title? Catherine and David look at his likely route.And what on earth is Dominic Thiem doing playing and winning the Lyon tournament the day before a Grand Slam tournament gets underway? Is he not going to have worn himself out? Or does he know something we don’t?There’s talk of Kyle Edmund, Jo Konta, and a resurgent James Ward, who has reached the final in the Loughborough challenger tournament.There will daily editions of The Tennis Podcast throughout the French Open, in association with Telegraph Sport. It is presented by Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport).  See acast.com/privacy fo

Just moments after Rafael Nadal was crowned Champion in Rome for the eighth time, Catherine & David bask in the London sunshine to discuss the King of Clay's rain-assisted victory over Sascha Zverev, and the extraordinary performance of Elina Svitolina earlier in the day to dismantle an out-of-sorts Simona Halep. Other Rome talking points are also in the spotlight, including Karolina Pliskova's uncharacteristic outburst of on-court anger, and the WTA's decision not to disclose her punishment. Plus we ask for the thousandth time this year... Is Djokovic finally back?And with the main French Open warm-up events now done and dusted, David & Catherine examine the runners and riders for the second Grand Slam of the year - how likely is Jelena Ostapenko to repeat her heroics of 2017? And can Zverev really be considered second favourite for a maiden Grand Slam title?Oh, and of course there is mention of the Royal Wedding and a certain GOAT's attendance...The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the y

Sheltering just metres from Craven Cottage and an army of angry Derby County football fans, David & Catherine digest the extraordinary and contrasting title wins in Madrid for Alex Zverev and Petra Kvitova. Who of the two will go further at Roland Garros? And why did David not think to ask that question as a poll vault?Plus there's analysis of Nadal's (not so) shock defeat to Dominic Thiem, and chat about the (not quite) biggest win of Kyle Edmund's career over Novak Djokovic. And speaking of Djokovic.. Mary Carillo gives her astoundingly excellent thoughts about what's going on with him and why, all via the medium of Whatsapp.All that as well as a Serena Williams comeback update, pronunciation corner, and a rare mention for Tom Okker. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport. It is presented by Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport).   See acast.com/privacy fo

After a week when the Munich, Estoril and Prague titles were all won by home favourites, attention now turns to Madrid, which is a veritable who’s who of the best, healthy tennis players in the world. Catherine Whitaker, sitting in a car park, and David Law in a window-less room, go through a draw that has thrown up some corkers. The wins of Alexander Zverev in Munich, Petra Kvitova in Prague and Joao Sousa in Estoril are covered, and David wants to know why Portugal, where Sousa’s triumph was celebrated, has produced so few top players over the years.The awful stabbing of Monica Seles is remembered, 25 years on. Just how good could she have been if that had not happened?Seles features in many listeners’ memories of the best matches of the 1990s.The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly throughout the year and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport. It is presented by Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport).