Cheap, flat and shallow. Did anyone really win the Battle of the Sexes?
Catherine and Matt are joined by The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare to review The Battle of the Sexes and look ahead to the new tennis season. Part one (00:00 - 27:12) How did the reality of the Battle of the Sexes compare to our low expectations? Part two (27:13 - 45:51) Juan Carlos Ferrero opens up on his split from Carlos Alcaraz. Part three (45:52 - 1:20:13) 2026 season preview starting with the United Cup as Jack Draper withdraws. 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.
29 Joulu 20251h 20min
Off season intrigue grows
Catherine, David and Matt catch up on bits and bobs of news as the off season begins to draw to a close. Part one (00:00 - 26:20) We start with some more reaction to Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero splitting including reports out of Spain about tensions between Ferrero and the Alcaraz team. There’s also chat about Grigor Dimitrov’s situation as he and Dani Vallverdu part ways, as well as the surprising news that Naomi Osaka is leaving Evolve, the agency she co-founded. Part two (26:21 - 45:51) We cover the news that the WTA has signed a long-term deal with Mercedes-Benz, the ATP’s new heat policy, and give various takes about the Next Gen Finals, with Alexander Blockx attracting our attention. Part three (45:52: 1:11:46) Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff sign up for the One Point Slam, Matt’s got a backhand list announcement, and we share some Stan Wawrinka memories as he reveals that 2026 will be his final year on tour. 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.
21 Joulu 20251h 11min
Alcaraz-Ferrero split!
Hours after the bombshell news that Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero have split, Catherine, David and Matt were joined by The Athletic's Matt Futterman to try to make sense of it, and speculate about how it might affect Alcaraz's career. 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.
17 Joulu 202557min
2025 Season Review
Catherine, David and Matt, with the help of voice notes from an esteemed list of colleagues and Friends, look back on the 2025 tennis season. Part one (00:00 - 40:24) - A very special discussion between Pam Shriver and Mary Carillo on Amanda Anisimova’s resilience, a year of two halves for Coco Gauff, and the way Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz separated themselves from the field. Part two (40:25 - 1:03:53)- Charlie Eccleshare talks about the Roland Garros men’s final, while Simon Briggs discusses men’s tennis’ hunt for its third man. Part three (1:03:54 - 1:44:33) - Hannah Wilks shares her perspective on how the sport’s politics got in the way of the actual tennis in 2025 and Matt Futterman helps to close the show with reflections on how a player’s narrative can change over the course of a long season. FRIENDS OF THE TENNIS PODCAST: Our premium categories for Friends of The Tennis Podcast are now open! New pet mascot, guest editor, Grand Slam predictions and Fantasy League slots are all available. You can also get yourself a shout out, intro or personal greeting, all while helping to support what we do, and gaining access to our bonus content. Friends get 12 Live Shows on YouTube, 8 editions of Tennis Re-Lived, 4 Grand Slam Review shows, episodes of Tennis Podcast Meets, access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and significantly fewer ads. Check 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.
15 Joulu 20251h 44min
Should the BBC be showing the ‘Battle of the Sexes’?
The tennis off season is here and so are Catherine, David and Matt for their first catch up since the Davis Cup. Part one (00:00 - 26:12) - Reaction to our interview with Andy Murray and concerns as Jack Draper pulls out of playing UTS. Part two (26:13 - 51:49) - Everything we dislike about the upcoming ‘Battle of the Sexes’ including the platforming of Nick Kyrgios, Aryna Sabalenka’s involvement, and the broadcasting of it on BBC One in the UK. Part three (51:50 - 1:21:10) - We discuss lots of news such as Serena Williams shutting down comeback rumours despite reentering the anti-doping testing pool, Anastasia Potapova’s nationality switch just days after taking part in a Gazprom-funded exhibition in Russia, and the death of Italian tennis great Nicola Pietrangeli. FRIENDS OF THE TENNIS PODCAST: Today is the day we re-launch the premium categories for Friends of The Tennis Podcast.New pet mascot, guest editor, Grand Slam predictions and Fantasy League slots will be opening up at 3pm UK time. You can also get yourself a shout out, intro or personal greeting, all while helping to support what we do, and gaining access to our bonus content. Friends get 12 Live Shows on YouTube, 8 editions of Tennis Re-Lived, 4 Grand Slam Review shows, episodes of Tennis Podcast Meets, access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and significantly fewer ads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
8 Joulu 20251h 21min
The Big Andy Murray Interview
In this very special episode, Catherine, David and Matt sit down for an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with former World No.1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray, just over a year since his retirement from tennis. Murray talks about what coaching Novak Djokovic was really like, how he reflects on his career, his place in the ‘Big Four’ and his rivalries with them, some of the biggest issues facing tennis today, and the joys of life at home with his family. 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.
1 Joulu 20251h 34min
Davis Cup Final - Cobolli clinches cup, is he Italy’s next big star?
Flavio Cobolli clinched a third successive Davis Cup for hosts Italy, and Catherine, David and Matt were in awe at his comeback win. The young Italian came back from losing a first set 1-6 against Jaume Munar of Spain to win a thrilling three-setter in front of stadium-shaking crowd. He was given the perfect platform by veteran Matteo Berrettini, who joined Cobolli in going unbeaten, meaning Italy’s doubles team were not even called into action once. In the show, we ask what the future might hold for Cobolli - will he break the Top 10 in 2026? Plus, there’s chat about where the Davis Cup should go in the future, whether it should be played every other year instead of annually, and how this year’s event went overall. Check 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.
23 Marras 20251h 10min
Davis Cup - Italy vs. Spain final; Who needs Sinneraz?
The Davis Cup Final for 2025 is set, and even though Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are not there, it still features Italy and Spain!Part One00.00 General euphoria from Catherine, David and Matt after a brilliant couple of semifinals ensured that Italy and Spain would meet in the Davis Cup title. There’s a blow-by-blow account of how and why we’re now all ‘Cobolli guys’, his incredible tie-break against Zizou Bergs, and the beautiful friendship between the younger Italian and his team partner Matteo Berrettini. Part Two31.00 Spain vs. Germany went down to the doubles and what a battle that was. The trio talk about how the absence of Alcaraz and Sinner (and Lorenzo Musetti) has enabled Pedro Martinez, Pablo Carreno Busta, Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli to shine.Part Three41.17 Punchy predictions are called for a delivered ahead of the Davis Cup final. Who are we all going for?Check 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.
22 Marras 202554min
