BJK Cup Finals Day 5 - Sara Errani, what did you just do?!

Grigor Dimitrov has made a career out of promising much but failing to deliver, while Garbine Muguruza follows Grand Slam breakthroughs with slumps. Until now.This week’s Tennis Podcast discusses their impressive victories in Cincinnati and wonders whether they could be the forerunners to even bigger wins at the US Open, which starts next week.With Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori all out injured, and question marks over the fitness of Roger Federer and Andy Murray, is this Dimitrov’s time to shine? Could the man he beat in the final - Nick Kyrgios - make a run of his own? And wasn’t he supposed to be injured?Is Muguruza now a clear favourite for the women’s title? And what happened to Simona Halep in the final when she was just one match away from reaching World No.1? The podcast team also discuss the return of Rafael Nadal to World No.1, the US Open wild card given to Maria Sharapova, the likelihood of Andy Murray featuring in New York, and the sad case of Melanie Oudin.The Tennis Podcast is a downloadable tennis radio show, available on all platforms, including iPhones, iPads and Android phones and tablets. Presented by broadcasters Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport, BBC 5 Live) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport), it is produced weekly throughout the year, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport. Twitter - www.twitter.com/TennisPodcastFacebook - www.facebook.com/TheTennisPodcastInstagram - www.instagram.com/TheTennisPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21 Aug 201746min

Another week and another piece of evidence that both Alexander Zverev and Elina Svitolina are the real deal in tennis terms.Both Zverev and Svitolina won their fifth titles of 2017 in Montreal and Toronto respectively, and with the US Open just around the corner, the Tennis Podcast team are wondering whether they might reproduce those wins in the Big Apple?Zverev saw off Roger Federer in straight sets, inflicting only the third defeat of the year on the 19-time Grand Slam champion. But as well as Zverev played in his 6-3, 6-4 win, the talk between pod presenters Catherine Whitaker and David Law was as much about the apparent injury Federer was suffering from in the second set. How bad did it look? Should he pull out of Cincinnati? And will Nadal beat him to World No.1?Sviolina swept aside Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-0, but has yet to reproduce her stunning WTA tour form at the Grand Slam tournaments. Will that change in New York?The podcast team also discuss the arrival of 18-year-old Denis Shapovalov, who shocked Nadal last week, and then conversation turns to Nick Kyrgios. It gets heated. The Tennis Podcast is a downloadable tennis radio show, available on all platforms, including iPhones, iPads and Android phones and tablets. Presented by broadcasters Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport, BBC 5 Live) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport), it is produced weekly throughout the year, and daily at the Grand Slam tournaments, in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Aug 201756min

Three weeks have passed since Wimbledon, two weeks since our last podcast, and a lot has happened.Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka won’t be in New York. David Law and Catherine Whitaker speculate about whether Roger Federer’s decision not to play again in 2016, followed by such spectacular 2017 results, might have influenced the length of lay-off taken by his two rivals.Former French Open finalist Sara Errani has tested positive for a banned substance and yet only been banned for two months. The podcast team discuss one of the more bizarre doping stories and verdicts. There’s discussion of the immensely open men’s and women’s draws heading into the US Open, and discussion about whether one of the American players might be able to take advantage. Particularly after Madison Keys and Coco Vandeweghe contested the first all-American women’s final not featuring one of the Williams sisters for 14 years. And could youngsters Alexander Zverev or Denis Shapavalov make major runs over the next few weeks?The team touch on two of the off-court stories that have come up since Wimbledon - the reports that Amazon are about to buy the UK rights to broadcast the ATP World Tour from 2019, and the vote to try to change from best-of-5 set singles matches to best-of-3 at the Davis Cup.After Maria Sharapova’s stuttering return hit yet another bump in the road because of injury, Catherine and David wonder whether her body will ever allow her to return to the level that she hopes to reach. And can Dan Evans come back after whatever ban he is given for testing positive for cocaine in June? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Aug 201749min

We know about the 19 Grand Slam singles titles, the 302 weeks at World No.1, the incredible comeback to win an 8th Wimbledon title at the age of nearly 36.But where did it all start for Roger Federer? Where did he make his professional debut? What was he like as a teenager? Is it true that he had a bad temper? And were there really doubts about whether he would deliver on his talent?In a special edition of The Tennis Podcast, The Roger Federer Story is told through the eyes of BBC 5 Live commentator and Tennis Podcast presenter David Law, who met Federer for the first time the day before his professional debut as a 16-year-old in Gstaad, Switzerland in 1998. In his role as Communications Manager on the ATP World Tour, Law worked behind the scenes with Federer for four years, and remembers Federer’s growing pains as he went from boy to man with the eyes of the world waiting for him to fulfil his potential.We learn of his struggle to come to terms with the death of his first coach Peter Carter in a tragic car accident, and hear from Federer himself in a BBC 5 Live interview with Law less than an hour after his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003. The ‘Federer Years’ of domination are covered, as are the threats to his throne from Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the moments in 2013 when Law thought Federer was finished, and the comeback that made all those writing him off look stupid. Law and co-host Catherine Whitaker also delve into the debate as to whether Federer should be considered the greatest male tennis player of all time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Juli 201754min

After Roger Federer became the only man ever to win eight Grand Slam title singles titles and 19 Grand Slam crowns overall, The Tennis Podcast discussed where he sits in the pantheon of all-time greats - and not just in tennis. Is he better than Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, and Rafael Nadal (who has a winning record against him)? Are his achievements superior to those of Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Usain Bolt? Impossible questions to answer, perhaps, but that doesn’t stop David Law and the Telegraph’s Simon Briggs and Charlie Eccleshare from trying to on the podcast. The debate comes after Federer ruthlessly dispatched Marin Cilic, who’s movement was impeded by a bad blister, to win the title in straight sets. How much of Cilic’s capitulation was physical, and how much was mental and emotional, or did the former lead to the latter?We also review a mixed doubles title for Jamie Murray and Martina Hingis, the doubles successes of Marcelo Melo and Lukas Kubot, and Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makaraova, and the triumphs of Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, and Jordanne Whiley.The Tennis Podcast will return next week with a one-hour special - The Roger Federer Story - in which David Law remembers attending his debut when Federer was 16, and the years that followed.The Tennis Podcast is a downloadable tennis radio show, available on iPhones and android phones and tablets. It is produced in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Juli 201727min

Garbine Muguruza dashed the dream of Venus Williams in the Wimbledon final and the Tennis Podcast team were as perplexed by the vast difference in quality between the two sets played as everyone else. Williams was arguably the better player in a first set that she lost 7-5, so why did she fade so considerably in set two?Where did that Muguruza performance come from? Should she and will she now go and hire Conchita Martinez as a full-time coach? And can she take her Wimbledon form into the rest of the year and dominate the sport?The men’s singles final could, in the view of Tennis Podcast presenter David Law, be an absolute classic. But only if Marin Cilic is fully fit, and mentally ready to take on Roger Federer in his back yard. What does co-host Catherine Whitaker think? Find out on the show. Both make their predictions, as does Telegraph tennis correspondent Simon Briggs. The Tennis Podcast is a downloadable tennis radio show which is produced in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport. Highlights of the day’s play at Wimbledon can be seen on Eurosport every night, with the final screened live. A new Tennis Podcast is out after play every night during Wimbledon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 Juli 201722min

Roger Federer will appear in his 11th Wimbledon final, his 29th Grand Slam singles final overall, and against a man that thrashed him in the US Open semifinal in 2014. Tennis Podcast presenters Catherine Whitaker and David Law are joined by Telegraph tennis correspondent Simon Briggs to look back on Federer’s tight three-set win over Tomas Berdych, and the Marin Cilic defeat of Sam Querrey.After six minutes of Briggs talking and typing as he tried to make his deadline, the Federer press conference was announced, and the podcast team went in to throw a few questions of their own at the great man, including …Does he still get nervous after all these years, and how does that manifest itself if so? And would he feel disappointed in the court scheduling (putting him on Centre Court every day) if he were Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic?Afterwards, Whitaker and Law looked at the women’s final, speaking to New York Times correspondent Christopher Clarey about the Williams family that he has got to know over the last 20 years. Who will win between Muguruza and Venus? The podcast team make their picks. And as part of the #WhatMakesGreat debate, the podcast team discuss who they see as the most ‘adaptable’ tennis player in the world. The Tennis Podcast is a downloadable tennis radio show which is produced in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport. Highlights of the day’s play at Wimbledon can be seen on Eurosport every night, with the finals screened live. A new Tennis Podcast is out after play every night during Wimbledon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Juli 201727min

Jo Konta’s Wimbledon dream may have ended for 2017 but the journey of Venus Williams to the final is an extraordinary story, and one which The Tennis Podcast team review in the latest show.How has a woman of 37 been able to return to the final 17 years after her first title at the All England Club? Where did her match against Konta turn? And how will she get on against Garbine Muguruza in the final?For Konta it was a disappointing day. What happened after she held break point at 4 games all? Did the occasion get to her? And was it poor form that she didn’t wait for Williams before departing the stage?Muguruza’s win over Magdalena Rybarikova is assessed, the team look ahead to the men’s semifinals, and make their predictions for Roger Federer vs. Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic vs. Sam Querrey. We also hear about podcast presenter David Law’s doorstep-interview with Venus’ mother Oracene on BBC 5 Live, how Law was captioned ‘David Lloyd - former British Tennis Player’ on the Victoria Derbyshire show (much to his delight) and Telegraph tennis correspondent Simon Briggs tells Catherine Whitaker what he will be writing about in Friday’s newspaper.The Tennis Podcast is a downloadable tennis radio show which is produced in association with Telegraph Sport and Eurosport. Highlights of the day’s play at Wimbledon can be seen on Eurosport every night, with the finals screened live. A new Tennis Podcast is out after play every night during Wimbledon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Juli 201721min