WTA Finals - Goran to guide Rybakina as Draws revealed

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 Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Nov 201834min

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Nov 201826min

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 Nov 201831min

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? In the evening session, Marin Cilic won just his second ever match at the ATP Finals, closing out John Isner in the tournament’s first singles three setter. Bearing in mind his recent lapses when playing with the lead, how important will this win prove to be for Cilic? Finally, there’s a moment to pay tribute to Agnieszka Radwanska who has announced her retirement. How will she be remembered? And did she under-achieve or maximise her potential? The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Nov 201841min

Catherine is back! And there’s plenty to talk about…Does Roger Federer receive preferential treatment from tournament directors? That was the allegation made by Julien Benneteau on French radio last week. On today’s podcast, Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Simon Briggs discuss the ins and outs of the story, including Federer’s relationship with CEO of Tennis Australia Craig Tiley, the conflicts of interest within the sport, and the importance of market forces in all this. Later in the podcast, hear from Federer himself as he answered Benneteau's reported allegations. David and Grad Matt, who were both there, describe the atmosphere in the room. David says it was one of the steeliest looks he’s ever seen Federer give. On court, Federer was a comfortable winner against Dominic Thiem. How much better did he play than on Sunday night? And how bad was Dominic Thiem? Less bad than Kei Nishikori, who was thumped 0-6, 1-6 by Kevin Anderson. What are the qualification scenarios for that group? And why have there been so many one-sided matches? There’s also a look ahead to tomorrow’s play. How can Alexander Zverev possibly trouble Novak Djokovic? And what makes John Isner the slight favourite against Marin Cilic? The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Nov 201841min

Former British doubles player Colin Fleming spent the day at the O2 arena as a fan, and afterwards he joined David and Charlie Eccleshare on The Tennis Podcast. Beers in hand, they start by discussing a masterclass from Novak Djokovic who dispatched John Isner in the evening session.How did he handle the Isner serve so easily? And can anyone realistically stop Djokovic this week? The day’s other singles match saw Alexander Zverev defeat Marin Cilic. It was a match in which Cilic once again let a lead slip. Why does this keep happening? And how can he stop it? As for Zverev, how well did he play? Why was he talking to his coaching team so often? And what does Fleming think of Zverev’s partnership with Ivan Lendl? Finally, discussion turns to the Next Gen Finals, and specifically the different format showcased. Fleming was in Milan for the event and is a big proponent of many of the innovations. Why does he believe short sets could add intrigue to the ATP Tour? He defends his views against a host of counter-arguments. Do short sets not take away the ebb and flow of a set? Do they not introduce an unwanted element of randomness? The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Nov 201836min

London arrived in numbers to celebrate another year of Roger Federer, but his fans left disappointed as Kei Nishikori became the first man to beat him in straight sets in the round robin stages of the ATP Finals. After a tumultuous, but error-strewn night, David Law was joined on The Tennis Podcast by Grad Matt Roberts to discuss what happened. What happened to Federer? Why did he lose his temper with umpire Damien Steiner? And what did Nishikori do differently to beat a man he had trailed 2-7 in head-to-head meetings?Earlier, David and Matt were joined by Simon Briggs of the Telegraph to cover the afternoon’s match between Kevin Anderson and Dominic Thiem. Why does Anderson always beat Thiem, and how much further can he go?Memories of O2 events gone by are discussed, including the Federer-Wawrinka-Mirka saga, and Andy Murray reaching World No.1 in 2016. In the Fed Cup final, the Czech Republic defeated the United States 3-0, but the third rubber was an absolute epic. Why are the Czech’s such an amazing tennis nation?In coaching news, World No.1 Simona Halep and Darren Cahill parted ways. Find out what the podcast team make of it all. The Tennis Podcast is produced weekly in association with Telegraph Sport, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Nov 201833min

With the ATP Finals just a couple of days away, Catherine and David get together on The Tennis Podcast to preview all the major storylines and make some predictions.After Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are heavily favoured to come through their groups, but who do Catherine and David think will join them in the semi-finals? Is Kevin Anderson the tournament’s dark horse? Can Marin Cilic overcome his recent habit of losing from a winning position? And might John Isner capitalise on his late-entry?Elsewhere, Grad Matt was on the ground at the O2 on media day, and he’s told David and Catherine all about what the players have been saying, including Federer’s comments about his scheduling and the developing ‘aggro’ between Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, has opened up in a rare newspaper interview with Simon Briggs of Telegraph Sport, part of which you can hear on the podcast. Why did Djokovic feel ‘guilty’ after having surgery? Was he surprised that he lost motivation to compete? And how has fatherhood changed him?Finally, the Telegraph’s Charlie Eccleshare gives his impressions of the Next Gen Finals in Milan. Which players stood out? Does the event offer a glimpse into tennis’ future? And which of the rule experiments stand a chance of coming into effect on the main tour? The Tennis Podcast is uploaded weekly throughout the year and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments. It is produced in association with Telegraph Sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Nov 201853min