The Tennis Podcast

Catherine, David and Matt are home from Melbourne and here to look back on another busy week of tennis as the tours moved onto the Middle East and indoors in Europe.
Part one (00:00 - 34:52) - Women’s results. We discuss the rise of another young Czech as Sara Bejlek won her first career title in Abu Dhabi, a title in her home country for Sorana Cirstea, an eventful week for Emma Raducanu as she reached her first final since the US Open in 2021, and a much-needed title for Katie Boulter in Ostrava!!!.
Part two (34:53 - 56:49) - Men’s results. We cover Felix Auger-Aliassime picking up yet another title indoors and all the results from the Davis Cup Qualifiers, headlined by incredible wins for South Korea, India and Ecuador.
Part three (56:50 - 1:22:49) - Some tennis politics, a look ahead to this week on tour, and a tribute to Mark Hodgkinson, the former tennis correspondent of the Telegraph who sadly died last week at the age of 46.
Become a ⁠Friend of The Tennis Podcast⁠
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.

History was made at the Australian Open on Sunday as Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic to become the youngest man to win the career Grand Slam. Catherine, David and Matt react to a special night in Melbourne.

Part one - Djokovic’s incredible start to the match, Alcaraz’s tactical adjustments and impressive mindset, a tense fourth set as Djokovic upped his intensity, and Alcaraz proving the doubters wrong.

Part two (39:57) - Could Alcaraz now win the calendar slam? And where does this extraordinary tournament leave Djokovic?

Part three (1:01:25) - Sensation of the day and Craig Tiley’s big plans for the Australia Open.

The Tennis Podcast throughout the Australian Open is sponsored by Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours - the Premium Hospitality and Experience Provider! For 10% off the best official ticket packages for Roland Garros, go to Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast, select your tickets and use the discount code Tennis10 at checkout.
Official ticket and travel packages are offered and fulfilled by Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours.
Specifically for our promotions, Steve Furgal’s Tennis Tours is the Official Travel Provider of the USTA and the US
Open, and an Official Provider of Roland-Garros packages. Exclusive Tennis Podcast listener offers expire
February 28, 2026. Terms, pricing, availability, and restrictions apply. See website for details
(www.Tours4Tennis.com)

AND - if you’d like to really go to town (2) spots available for our add-on riverboat cruise down the Danbue River, as part of our 50th Anniversary celebration.
•⁠ ⁠Your chance to be ON THE BOAT - for 7 Nights
•⁠ ⁠Departing Pre-Roland-Garros and arrives for the opening rounds
•⁠ ⁠Starts in Budapest, Hungary and ends in Giurhiu, Romanian

Full Details Here: https://www.flipsnack.com/E5BE57EEFB5/sfitt_rg26_riverboat-cruise/full-view.html

Become a ⁠Friend of The Tennis Podcast⁠
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.

At the end of women’s final night, Catherine, David and Matt discuss Elena Rybakina’s 6-4 4-6 6-4 win over Aryna Sabalenka as she became a two-time major champion.

Part one - All the talking points from the women’s final including Rybakina’s incredible start and finish, how Sabalenka lost her 3-0 lead in the decider, whether or not Sabalenka has a Grand Slam finals problem, the optics of Stefano Vukov receiving a trophy, and what this win could mean for Rybakina’s career.

Part two (39:59) - A round up of all the doubles and wheelchair results, including an emotional Niels Vink completing the career Grand Slam, and our in-person Tokito Oda experience.

Part three (58:06) - Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic preview and predictions.

The Tennis Podcast throughout the Australian Open is sponsored by Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours - the Premium Hospitality and Experience Provider! For 10% off the best official ticket packages for Roland Garros, go to Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast, select your tickets and use the discount code Tennis10 at checkout.
Official ticket and travel packages are offered and fulfilled by Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours.
Specifically for our promotions, Steve Furgal’s Tennis Tours is the Official Travel Provider of the USTA and the US
Open, and an Official Provider of Roland-Garros packages. Exclusive Tennis Podcast listener offers expire
February 28, 2026. Terms, pricing, availability, and restrictions apply. See website for details
(www.Tours4Tennis.com)

AND - if you’d like to really go to town (2) spots available for our add-on riverboat cruise down the Danbue River, as part of our 50th Anniversary celebration.
•⁠ ⁠Your chance to be ON THE BOAT - for 7 Nights
•⁠ ⁠Departing Pre-Roland-Garros and arrives for the opening rounds
•⁠ ⁠Starts in Budapest, Hungary and ends in Giurhiu, Romanian

Full Details Here: https://www.flipsnack.com/E5BE57EEFB5/sfitt_rg26_riverboat-cruise/full-view.html

Become a ⁠Friend of The Tennis Podcast⁠
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.

The Dud Slam is no more! Catherine, David and Matt react to an extraordinary day as Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic both reached the final in impossibly dramatic fashion.

Part one - We start with Djokovic’s late night comeback victory over Jannik Sinner. How did he do it? What was new from him and what was vintage? And what more could Sinner have done on his many unconverted break points?

Part two (26:55) - Moving on to Carlos Alcaraz’s 5h27m win over Alexander Zverev, how did Alcaraz’s mid match cramps change everything and how smartly did he manage them? What part did the crowd play in Alcaraz’s victory? And how does Zverev reflect on this defeat?

Part three (55:51) - Sensation of the Day, doubles and wheelchair results, and predictions for Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina in the women’s final.

The Tennis Podcast throughout the Australian Open is sponsored by Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours - the Premium Hospitality and Experience Provider! For 10% off the best official ticket packages for Roland Garros, go to Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast, select your tickets and use the discount code Tennis10 at checkout.
Official ticket and travel packages are offered and fulfilled by Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours.
Specifically for our promotions, Steve Furgal’s Tennis Tours is the Official Travel Provider of the USTA and the US
Open, and an Official Provider of Roland-Garros packages. Exclusive Tennis Podcast listener offers expire
February 28, 2026. Terms, pricing, availability, and restrictions apply. See website for details
(www.Tours4Tennis.com)

AND - if you’d like to really go to town (2) spots available for our add-on riverboat cruise down the Danbue River, as part of our 50th Anniversary celebration.
•⁠ ⁠Your chance to be ON THE BOAT - for 7 Nights
•⁠ ⁠Departing Pre-Roland-Garros and arrives for the opening rounds
•⁠ ⁠Starts in Budapest, Hungary and ends in Giurhiu, Romanian

Full Details Here: https://www.flipsnack.com/E5BE57EEFB5/sfitt_rg26_riverboat-cruise/full-view.html

Become a ⁠Friend of The Tennis Podcast⁠
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.

Catherine, David and Matt are in Garden Square to talk about Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina reaching the women’s final.
Part one - Women’s semi-finals. Some actual drama as Jessica Pegula tried to mount a dramatic comeback in the second set against Rybakina, a dominant display from Sabalenka versus Elina Svitolina which was propelled by a controversial hindrance call, and some early thoughts on what might happen in Saturday’s final.
Part two (33:50) - Sensation of the day, doubles and wheelchair results, and Matt’s experience playing in the media one point slam.
Part three (50:34) - Previewing Carlos Alcaraz vs Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner vs Novak Djokovic. Can we make a case for any upsets?

The Tennis Podcast throughout the Australian Open is sponsored by Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours - the Premium Hospitality and Experience Provider! For 10% off the best official ticket packages for Roland Garros, go to Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast, select your tickets and use the discount code Tennis10 at checkout.
Official ticket and travel packages are offered and fulfilled by Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours.
Specifically for our promotions, Steve Furgal’s Tennis Tours is the Official Travel Provider of the USTA and the US
Open, and an Official Provider of Roland-Garros packages. Exclusive Tennis Podcast listener offers expire
February 28, 2026. Terms, pricing, availability, and restrictions apply. See website for details
(www.Tours4Tennis.com)

AND - if you’d like to really go to town (2) spots available for our add-on riverboat cruise down the Danbue River, as part of our 50th Anniversary celebration.
•⁠ ⁠Your chance to be ON THE BOAT - for 7 Nights
•⁠ ⁠Departing Pre-Roland-Garros and arrives for the opening rounds
•⁠ ⁠Starts in Budapest, Hungary and ends in Giurhiu, Romanian

Full Details Here: https://www.flipsnack.com/E5BE57EEFB5/sfitt_rg26_riverboat-cruise/full-view.html

Become a ⁠Friend of The Tennis Podcast⁠
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.