Roland Garros Re-Lived 2018: Halep lays Grand Slam ghosts to rest

Taylor Fritz was not on the schedule today so Catherine, David and Matt were live at the scheduled time of 9.30pm to bring you all the news from Day 6 at Wimbledon. In Part 1 we cover the women’s results, starting with Iga Swiatek’s statement win over Danielle Collins, her ebullient interviews, and what jt might all mean for this tournament. Combined with Clara Tauson’s victory over Elena Rybakina, it was surely a good day for Swiatek. We also discuss Mirra Andreeva’s comfortable victory over Hailey Baptiste, and the sad scenes of Barbora Krejcikova being physically compromised in the latter stages of her defeat to Emma Navarro. In Part 2 (40m19s) we discuss Novak Djokovic beating fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic and whether Alex de Minaur has any chance against him this year. Jannik Sinner has been imperious to the point of it being statistically significant and he saw off Pedro Martinez with no trouble at all. We also cover victories for Lorenzo Sonego, Ben Shelton, Flavio Cobolli and also for Grigor Dimitrov, who finally seems to be stringing some matches together without injury. In part 3 (62m25s) we look ahead to tomorrow’s order of play. Can Sonay Kartal and Cameron Norrie continue the British run by beating Anastasia Pavyluchenkova and Nicolas Jarry? Will Carlos Alcaraz be focused on the job in hand? And can Taylor Fritz win in less than five sets? 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.

5 Jul 20251h 15min

Catherine, David and Matt react to the events of Day 5 at Wimbledon, moments after Aryna Sabalenka wrapped up victory over Emma Raducanu. In Part 1 we discuss the final match of the day and the improvements shown by Raducanu despite her eventual loss to the world no 1. We also look at the defeat of Madison Keys by Laura Siegemund and ask if that’s something we should have seen coming, analyse the losses for Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina, and discuss big wins for Sonay Kartal and Amanda Anisimova.In part 2 (49m48s) we look at all the men’s results including Alcaraz’s four set victory against Struff, Fritz’s continued progress through the draw, and Rublev’s improved form as he beat Adrian Mannarino. There was even more Matt-coded content as Jarry beat Fonseca and Ben Shelton added to history with a 70 second serve-dominated winning game on the resumption of his match. In part 3 (77m27s) we look look ahead to tomorrow’s order of play. 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.

4 Jul 20251h 28min

We were live after close of play on a busy day 4 at the Championships. In part 1 we discuss Draper’s shock loss to former finalist here Marin Cilic. What does this mean for both of them? How can Draper still improve both on grass and at Wimbledon? And Can Cilic go even further? We also cover Novak Djokovic and Jannik cruising through, as well as an intriguing epic between August Holmgren and Tomas Machac which was notable not only for four tie-break sets out of five, but also some unexpected clothing-rule-related-drama. In part 2 (43m05s) we wrapped up the women’s results. Mirra Andreeva held firm despite being tested by Lucia Bronzetti, and defending champion Krejcikova slipped past Dolehide to set up a match with Emma Navarro. Swiatek too made it through; we discuss how her confidence is holding up as she progresses through the draw. And another former champion, Elena Rybakina, is looking strong, swatting away Sakkari with the kind of skills we wish we could employ to dispatch the insects currently plaguing our podcast bench! In part 3 (57m49s) we run through tomorrow’s order of play, consider how Alcaraz might fare against Struff, preview Sabalenka-Raducanu, and come to the conclusion that tomorrow, Court 2 is where it’s at in terms of excitement, as Fonseca takes on Jarry and Keys plays Siegemund.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.

3 Jul 20251h 13min

On Day 3 at Wimbledon, the tennis continued to be dramatic, with more seeds falling in what is rapidly becoming the major theme of this tournament. In part 1 Catherine, David and Matt begin by discussing the defeat of a weary-looking Jasmine Paolini by Kamilla Rakhimova. Emma Raducanu impressed against Marketa Vondrousova, but what chance does she have against Aryna Sabalenka? We also talk about a strong performance from Madison Keys, Matt's getting excited and nervous about Amanda Anisimova's draw, and we cover disappointment for Boulter who once again lost a match at Wimbledon when she was the favourite. In part 2 (40m34s) we look at the men’s draw, which has opened up further with the loss of Frances Tiafoe to a revitalised Cameron Norrie, and Lehecka to an inspired Bellucci. There’s excitement about the match that’s been set up between Fonseca (who beat Brooksby in arguably the best match of the day) and the resurgent Nicolas Jarry. The prospect of Chilean against Brazilian fans in round 3 is tantalising. And Taylor Fritz will finally get a day off tomorrow after delaying the pod once again with his late night five-set victory over Gabriel Diallo. There's also plenty of coverage of Carlos Alcaraz's victory over plucky Brit Oliver Tarvet. In part 3 (66m58s) we look ahead to tomorrow’s order of play, in particular Dan Evans getting the chance to take on Novak Djokovic on Centre Court. 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.

2 Jul 20251h 18min

Day 2 at Wimbledon was hot, it was humid, and there was havoc as more seeds fell at the first hurdle. In Part 1 we discuss the shock exit of Coco Gauff at the hands of Dayana Yastremska and what it says about the difficulty of backing up a French Open win when Wimbledon is right around the corner. We also lost recent title winner Jessica Pegula and then Zheng Qinwen. Some big names did go through, most notably Iga Swiatek and defending champion Barbora Krejcikova. Finally, we cover Petra Kvitova’s last match on the grass courts of SW19. In Part 2 (36m44s) we talk though the matches held over from last night, in which there were very different fates for a fang-tastic Fritz who fought back to beat Giovanni MPetshi Perricard, and a chastened Zverev who went down to Arthur Rinderknech. We discuss some difficult moments in his press conference and what he needs to change to find his form. There were emotional wins today for veterans Dan Evans and Gael Monfils, and whilst Musetti struggled with his post-injury form, big names Sinner, Draper and Djokovic all went through with relative ease. In Part 3 (72m08s) we look ahead to tomorrow’s order of play and its tantalising line-up of second round matches, many of which are now not quite what we expected.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 Jul 20251h 25min

It was a crazy first day at Wimbledon, but Catherine, David and Matt were live to help process it all. Part 1 - Carlos Alcaraz took a scenic route to eventually beat Fabio Fognini. We discuss the potential reasons why and what if anything it means for his 2025 Championships bid. The original Next Gen members Medvedev and Tsitsipas continue to struggle and continue to provide unconvincing responses in press, We will have to wait until tomorrow though to find out the fate of two other members of that group, as both Fritz and Zverev are suspended overnight. The new next generation on the block, however, as represented by Joao Fonseca, was looking good. Part 2 (42m08s) - We discuss Sonay Kartal’s unexpected win over an out of sorts Jelena Ostapenko, solid performances for Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu, and a reasonably comfortable victory for dormant-volcano-due-for-eruption Marketa Vondrousova. Sabalenka made short work of Branstine, but reigning Australian Open Champion Madison Keys had a tough time of it against Ruse. We are concerned about how Jasmine Paolini is looking despite having made it through to Round 2, and an incredible performance by Amanda Anisimova which thoroughly delighted Matt was overshadowed by security concerns around Putintseva and by Ons Jabeur retiring injured from her match. In Part 3 (66m18s), we finally name our strawberry mascot, and run through the order of play for Day 2, now supplemented with matches held over from today.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.

30 Jun 20251h 20min

It’s Wimbledon Eve and Catherine, Matt and David are live from the grounds to get hyped.In Part 1 we catch up with some more press conferences, including a cautiously optimistic Iga Swiatek, coming off a decent week in Bad Homburg, and the player that beat her there in the final, Jessica Pegula. What do we think about their prospects at Wimbledon? There’s also news from Madison Keys, and David details his exchange with Naomi Osaka about recent comments by her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, on the “lack of stars” in women’s tennis. There’s also word on Joao Fonseca who is delighted to be here and Eastbourne champion Taylor Fritz.In Part 2 (27m58s) we discuss that order of play in more detail, running through the full schedule of matches and looking ahead particularly to Sabalenka vs Branstine, Rinderknech vs Zverev, and Fonseca vs Fearnley.In Part 3 (47m22s) there’s a teaser for the bonus show for Friends of the Podcast, “TTP Meets”, our exclusive interviews with Alexander Bublik, Matteo Berrettini, Hailey Baptiste, Ons Jabeur, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Marketa Vondrousova, before we dive into questions from the live chat.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 Jun 20251h 11min

Catherine, David and Matt were back for their second live show with news from media day at the Championships. Part 1 – Men’s Draw. We discuss what the top players said in press today, including Jannik Sinner’s reluctance to state his reasons for changing his team right before a major tournament. There’s further chat about the apparent “blind date” nature of the US Open doubles partnerships, and about a cheerful Carlos Alcaraz being beaten by Andy Murray – at golf. Novak Djokovic showed he’s clearly still hungry for big titles, and we discuss whether a professional and mature Jack Draper is feeling the pressure to succeed on home turf. We’ve spoken as well to Matteo Berrettini, Alexander Bublik, and Alexander Zverev, and an emotional Dan Evans gave us a insight into the internal struggles that can loom over you at the end of your career. Part 2 – Women’s Draw (36m28s). How long and dark a shadow has been cast by Aryna Sabalenka’s post US Open press conference? We talk about how both Sabalenka and Coco Gauff feel about the situation now and their reactions at the time. There is concern about where Ons Jabeur is with her game these days, and fears about Emma Raducanu’s fitness as well. But there was cheer from an unexpected encounter with Marketa Vondrousova. Part 3 – Results (56m49s). Jessica Pegula wrote herself into the narrative by winning Bad Homburg, beating Iga Swiatek. Is she now firmly in the mix for the Wimbledon crown? And there is huge news from the women’s tournament in Eastbourne as Maya Joint defeated an emotional Alexandra Eala in a hard fought final, leading to a big Backhand List announcement.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.

28 Jun 20251h 12min