Talking 'The Warrior - The Rafael Nadal story' with Chris Clarey
A career relentlessly put together by Rafael Nadal has been painstakingly chronicled and analysed by author Christopher Clarey in his new book 'The Warrior - Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay'. In conversation with David Law, Chris describes the teenage Nadal he knew, his unprecedented, absurd dominance at Roland Garros, and the backlash to his success that followed in France. They talk about the process of putting the book together, and what might follow next, for Nadal, for tennis, and possibly a Novak Djokovic follow-up for the author.The Warrior is available this week, wherever you get your books.Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
13 Touko 202556min
Rome - Sinner returns, Swiatek struggles and the rest search for form
Catherine, David and Matt catch up to discuss the opening week of action in Rome, where Jannik Sinner’s return and Iga Swiatek’s loss have been the big talking points. Part one - A voice essay from The Athletic’s Matt Futterman on his time in Rome and the main ATP Results so far, including Sinner’s winning return and Arthur Fils’s comeback win over Stefanos Tstisipas which featured some aggro of sorts. Part two - WTA Results (from 40m40s). We discuss Swiatek’s third round defeat to Danielle Collins and where she goes from here. Plus, good form for Bianca Andreescu, Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka has thrilled us. Part three - News (from 1h13m40s). Novak Djokovic enters Geneva. Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.Check out our Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
12 Touko 20251h 28min
Madrid - Sabalenka, Ruud seal titles, but what do they mean for Paris?
Catherine, David and Matt hopped on YouTube mere moments after the Madrid men's final had finished to talk about the concluding days of the 2025 Madrid Open and What It All Means. Part one - ATP Results. We hail Casper Ruud after his thrilling victory over Jack Draper in the final, debate whether he’s In The Mix for Roland Garros, and throw some cold water on the Draper Grand Slam hype, despite his incredible form and improvements. Part two - WTA Results (from 37m50s). Is Aryna Sabalenka the favourite for Roland Garros after her victory in Madrid? The answer to that probably depends on Iga Swiatek. We discuss her shockingly one-sided defeat to Coco Gauff in the semi-finals and how we read this concerning trend. Part three (from 60m). Naomi Osaka wins a WTA 125 title on clay and we look ahead to the return of Jannik Sinner in Rome. Buy tickets for Tennis Podcast Live in London on Thursday 26th June at Shoreditch Town Hall. Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.Check out our Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 Touko 20251h 26min
Madrid - WTA big guns clash, but it’s a men’s Mix of many
Ahead of the women’s semi-finals and men’s quarter-finals, Catherine, David and Matt discuss the last few days of action in Madrid since Monday’s blackout.Part one - WTA Results. We discuss Iga Swiatek’s fascinating week, look ahead to her intriguing semi-final against Coco Gauff, and wonder whether Elina Svitolina can keep her incredible run going against Aryna Sabalenka. Part two - ATP Results (from 24m39s). Who is the favourite for the title and which of the eight remaining players is most likely to carry this form into Roland Garros? Part three - News (from 48m07s). Max Purcell is banned for 18 months and Novak Djokovic pulls out of Rome. Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.Check out our Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 Touko 20251h 4min
Madrid - Early winners & losers, what now for Djokovic, and what were Team Alcaraz thinking?
Catherine, David and Matt discuss the opening week of action in Madrid which has seen plenty of shocks (and shadows). Part one - A voice note from The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare, a chat about the ATP draw so far including defeat for Novak Djokovic, and our impressions of Carlos Alcaraz’s Netflix documentary. Part two (from 59m) - The WTA results from Madrid including Coco Gauff discovering some better form, Iga Swiatek surviving Alexandra Eala and not having to face Jelena Ostapenko again, and one-sided defeats for Elena Rybakina, Zheng Qinwen and Jasmine Paolini. Part three (from 1h16m) - Madrid power cut, mascot and shout outs.Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.Check out our Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28 Huhti 20251h 27min
Ostapenko stuns Sabalenka and beats Swiatek again in Stuttgart; Rune rules Barcelona as Zverev steadies ship
Catherine, David and Matt cover the main headlines from tournaments in Stuttgart, Rouen, Barcelona and Munich. Part one - WTA Results. Jelena Ostapenko wins Stuttgart and becomes the third woman this year to beat Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in the same event. We discuss her incredible form, Sabalenka’s final performance, Ostapenko’s now 6-0 head to head against Swiatek, and what it all means as Roland Garros approaches. There’s also chat about Elina Svitolina winning Rouen and a dreadful moment from Harriet Dart. Part two - ATP Results (from 33m). Holger Rune won his first title in two years, beating a physically compromised Carlos Alcaraz in the final. We discuss Rune’s strategy, an extraordinary trophy ceremony, and Alexander Zverev rediscovering his form to win the title in Munich. Part three - A look ahead to Madrid (from 54m). Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.Check out our Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
21 Huhti 20251h 10min
Monte Carlo - Alcaraz wins, but questions persist; BJK Cup update, Coaching Carousel
With Matt away, Catherine and David go old school to make sense of Monte Carlo.Part one - Monte Carlo. Carlos Alcaraz won the title, but did it feel convincing? Not really. Why, and what next? Big weeks for Lorenzo Musetti, Arthur Fils and Alejandro Davidovic Fokina. Loads to get our teeth into.Part two - BJK Cup Qualifiers (from 46m). The names were mostly not of the household variety, but the stories were electric.Part three - Coaching Carousel (from 55m). Emma Raducanu, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexei Popyrin have all been reported or rumoured to be making coaching moves. We talk about them all.Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.Check out our Shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
14 Huhti 20251h 19min
Charleston, Houston and would you rather have Pegula, Kenin or Ostapenko’s career?
Catherine, David and Matt discuss the start of the clay court season, headlined by victories for Jessica Pegula and Jenson Brooksby. Part one - WTA Results. Pegula shows her toughness and her variety to win the first clay court title of her career in Charleston over Sofia Kenin. We discuss her reascension to American number one and compare her career with players like Jelena Ostapenko and Sofia Kenin who have won a slam but don't have her consistency. Plus, Camila Osorio wins Bogota for the third time. Part two - ATP Results (from 30m). Brooskby saves match point in three different matches to win the first title of his career in Houston. We discuss his return to the tour, why we enjoy watching him play, and his final victory over Frances Tiafoe. There’s also chat about Flavio Cobolli not only snapping his 8-match losing run, but doing so by winning the title in Bucharest. Part three - News (from 50m27s). Top players send a letter to the Grand Slams asking for more prize money, so what does that mean for the PTPA lawsuit? There’s also change at the top of the ATP, Coco Gauff leaving Team8, and a look ahead to Monte Carlo and the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers this week. Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts, including Tennis Re-Lived episodes, Grand Slam Review Shows, and monthly Live Shows on YouTube. Friends also get access to The Barge, Hannah’s Column, and an ad-free listening experience to all episodes of The Tennis Podcast. 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.Check out our Shop - We have recently launched a range of caps! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
7 Huhti 20251h 21min
