BONUS: The 2025 Barge Awards - Live!

16:34Matt Roberts:But he didn't.

16:35David Law:But he didn't. Pretty sure we were having amazing galettes while it was going on, so I may have been a bit away. I think we watched on the telly. Yeah. I'm sure it was good.

16:45Matt Roberts:Right, third category, WTA match of the year. I suspect a slightly more contentious one. Here are nominees. Naomi Osaka against Karina Mukova at the US Open. Madison Keyes against Irina Sabalenka at the Australian Open. Amanda Anisimova against Irina Sabalenka at Wimbledon. Alexandra Ayala against Clara Towson at the US Open. Sabalenka Anisimova at the WTA Finals. Mukova Kastea at the US Open. Sabalenka Raducanu at Wimbledon. Svitolina Paolini at Roland Garros and Kies Svjantek at the Australian Open. David, what you are.

17:29David Law:I've actually gone for Kies Svjantek for this one, the Australian Open. I mean, I think it's very easy to say the other one because that was the crowning moment. And I think it's often you end up sort of almost saying them together more than anything else. but when I look at them just in isolation as matches, I think Kiesh Vyantec had exactly what I want out of a great match. Like the Alcraz Sinner, it had match points, you know, being saved, and it had the thrilling final set tie break and so on. So, yeah, I'd go for that one. I remember us being in the stadium for that and just watching Keyes just wrestle it out of the grasp of Sviantec.

18:18David Law:And that was so exhilarating to witness. Matt, which Amanda Anisimova match have you gone for?

18:29Catherine Whitaker:I've gone for Madison Keyes against Ego Sviantec, same as David at the Australian Open. Are you not an Amanda Anisimova guy anymore? Or are you just saving? saving your chips. Remember the noise I made in the press box when Igor Svantec hit that volley? It was borderline unprofessional. Maybe not even borderline. It was a slightly obscene noise. It was involuntary but it just had everything that match. David said it so well. Svantec served for the match before the tie break. keys saved it you did not know which way this was going to go and it felt huge you know it felt like either we're going to get a sviontek sabalenka final or we're going to get madison keys having another go at a major final in this form like it was it was magical um and look there are so many good contenders for wta match of the year like my second vote would be anisimova sabalenka at Wimbledon but there's so many here like two Mukova matches at the US Open and Mukova did not sort of go all that far in the US Open like just an absolutely stellar year on the WTA tour in terms of these big matches between great players.

19:50Matt Roberts:There are calls in the chat Matt for you to do the noise for you to recreate the moment.

19:55Catherine Whitaker:No no no no see I said it was involuntary I can't. I'll tell you folks it was high pitched it was a it was a yelp yeah and it is partly down to the yelp that I have chosen the same match because that yelp lives with me I loved watching Anisimova Sabalenka at Wimbledon with Matt that was an incredible moment watching Anisimov reach a Grand Slam final alongside Matt Roberts with Blonde on the line. But the yelp and also the fact that the ATP match of the year features several saved match points, I feel like for balance,

20:50Matt Roberts:the WTA match of the year should involve a saved match point as well. So that's what I've gone for. That's what we all have gone for. Strange moment of agreement. Let's find out what the barge went for. Oh, OK. Key Sabalenka, the Australian Open final.

21:12David Law:Love those percentages. Look at the top three there. All 29%, 21%, 21%.

21:19Matt Roberts:Yeah, 29 % for Key Sabalenka, Australian Open final. 21 % for Anisimova, Sabalenka, the Wimbledon semi-final and 21 % for the one we went for, Keyes-Swiątek, the Australian Open semi-final. And look, they're all just, it's much of a brilliant muchness. Yeah. So good.

21:42Catherine Whitaker:I think the reason I went for Keyes-Swiątek over the Keyes-Sabalenka was because of the drama. Like my memory of Keyes-Sabalenka is that actually in that final set, it was high quality, but I don't think there were break points until the very end when Keyes broke through and won it. They were both really impressive, but just Keyes-Fiontech, for me, just had that added drama that I'm sort of always looking for in a match. Yeah, agreed. I'd watch any of them again happily, though. Next category, category number four, ATP Player of the Year. Just the two nominees, folks. Let's not beat around the bush here.

22:28Yannick Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz? There's really no wrong answers, are there? Well, I mean... I don't know about that.

22:39Matt Roberts:Yeah, I mean, one of them did serve a three-month drugs ban this year, right? I mean, I suppose you could look at that the other way and say, OK, well, the fact that he's won two slams and is in contention for player of the year, having served three months on the sidelines, maybe that in itself makes him player of the year. But not for me, I don't think. I've gone for Alcaraz.

23:05Catherine Whitaker:I've gone for Alcaraz too. I think the strongest argument in favour of Sinner is that he reached all four major finals, which is a remarkable achievement. something that is quite rare and and he did that Alcaraz didn't and we do you know we do place a lot of emphasis on the majors and you know I know they I know they split them two two but Sinner has the extra final there so I think that's the strongest case you could make for Sinner personally but I went I went Alcaraz finished the year number one and I think he won two of his three most important matches against Sinner at the majors you know like he got he he got two of their three in the head-to-head at at the slams and also I felt like Sinner was largely more of the same this year like really impressive like he sprinkled in some variety towards the end of the season and like he's constantly making little improvements it's unfair to say just more of the same but I I think Alcaraz was more obviously improved and better and the best version of himself this year.

24:14Catherine Whitaker:That period of consistency he had through the season, the clay, the grass, the hard, the improvements he got out of his serve, the lack of just wandering off in the middle of matches and sort of all culminating in that brilliant US Open, which I think is the best Grand Slam he's ever played. For me, that's why I would give the H to Alcaraz. as hannah says if you win the match of the year you're probably the player of the year which is brutal for yannick sinner given that he was a point away from winning that match but it that is quite a compelling argument from hannah david yeah i've

24:57David Law:gone for the same answer i don't really have anything more to add because i think you both did up very well i suppose the only it does depend which way you look at sinner i mean some people feel like he was really unlucky and harshly treated to to to get that ban at all other people feel like absolutely you deserve the ban and if you deserve a ban then how can you be lauded in the same way as your opponent is um but there's no question that to to miss three months of the year and still be doing exactly what he did there's the benefit of the freshness but there's also the downside that you can't win the points and you lose you might lose your your routine.

25:33David Law:I mean, he is a marvel, really, in what he's actually able to do, despite all those off-court elements in his life.

25:42Matt Roberts:I decide who's a marvel, David.

25:45David Law:Well, would you disagree, Catherine? I'll put it to the important panel. Yeah, I know what you're saying, and I agree with the case you're making, but I'm quite protective of the word marvel. I don't think Yannick Sinner can be described as the same thing as Burtick van der Zandtschalk. Well, I definitely agree with that. I'm not sure that's good for Burtick, mind. You only like it because it's mildly amusing. Yeah, I think there has to be something mildly amusing about a marvel. Yes. I think that might be... Unlike a sensation. Yeah. Which is completely amusing. What the barge, or rather who, the barge went for, for ATP Player of the Year.

26:30Matt Roberts:It's Carlos Alcaraz. 67%. 33 % Yannick Sinner. There he is with his blonde hair or sort of white, grey hair. Now a thing of the past. What hair will he do in 2026? Is there any one way to find out? I have a new hair. Category 5. Category 5. WTA Player of the Year and rather more nominees. Sarah Irani, Iga Svjantek, Elena Rabakina, Coco Goff, Irina Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova. Matt, who have you gone for?

27:12David Law:Please, Irani.

27:14Catherine Whitaker:I do love the presence of Irani in this list. Shout out the Barge for their nominations there, making sure that she got in there alongside, you know, the best players in the world.

27:32Catherine Whitaker:I'm probably going to disappoint people again. I'm actually going to go with Sabalenka. And I don't think that I just automatically think that the WTA Player of the Year should go to the world number one. You know, I think we should be open enough to have other interpretations of that. And I think Anissimova is as close as you can get to getting this award without sort of being the number one and without being a major champion. But for me, I just feel like Savalenka has been the standard this year. And the way I sort of think of her is like the world record line in a swimming race at the Olympics or something.

28:14Catherine Whitaker:And everyone else has been trying to keep pace with that and keep up with that. And she's just been there for so many moments, you know, three major finals, a major title, a threat on all surfaces, so many compelling matches, the tie-break record that she had through the season. Look, she's sort of done her best in the last week to talk herself out of this award in terms of, you know, teaming up with Nick Kyrgios and going on a Piers Morgan show and punching down on trans people. Like, you know, these are things I have been considering. I don't really feel like giving Savalenka an award at the moment but if I'm being as objective as I can be I think she's the player of the year on the WTA side You're being very sensible and objective tonight Matt Journalist Matt is in the house I think I agree, she's been the main character

29:13Matt Roberts:She's been the main character of the year hasn't she She's felt like she's been a player in everybody else's storylines as well as her own. I genuinely do think there's really quite a strong case for Sarah Rani here because she's played for something bigger than the sport. Like she's represented and embraced representing doubles, her format of the sport. You know, so few players these days are prepared to really embrace playing for more than themselves. They're back away from any kind of, you know, not even sort of activism, but they just, you know, want to keep it to tennis, don't they? But she was like, no, I'm going to go out there.

29:59Matt Roberts:I'm going to win the US Open doubles with Andrea Varasso. We're going to stick it to the USDA and all the other doubles doubters.

30:08Catherine Whitaker:Why was Andrea Vavasori not up for ATP player of the year, I'm suddenly thinking. Right, right. So I really do think there's a case for Rani, but I also think the answer is Sabalenka, David.

30:25David Law:I've also gone for Sabalenka. I thought I was going to be unusual. but I just think I also think that is incredibly a mentally strong statement isn't it to reach the final of the first two and have them wrestled from you in pretty devastating fashion and also being kind of public enemy number one for a good month after the French Open then get ousted in the semis of the one that she probably wants to win the most right now at Wimbledon you know that's a tournament she feels she should win I think multiple times and she probably should and yet here she is you know she might run out of chances if if one doesn't go away soon and then to come out and win the US Open I think that's seriously tough um and I just think that consistency deserves to be recognized over the course of the year.

31:25David Law:You know, in the absence of somebody else matching that, I don't feel like anybody's quite matched that. So that's the standout for me.

31:33Matt Roberts:My dad's popped up in the chat to say the year doesn't end until after the battle of the sexes. So I'm being trolled by my dad. That's great. Let's reveal the winners. Don't I know it, dad? Oh, my goodness.

31:50Catherine Whitaker:Wow, we do love the Vodge. The barge voted for Amanda Anisimova overwhelmingly. 50%.

31:58Matt Roberts:The barge did what Matt Roberts didn't. 34 % Sabalenka, 7 % Sviontek.

32:10Matt, do you have a comment?

32:14David Law:Do you feel bad? I do a bit.

32:19Catherine Whitaker:I'm a fake.

32:24Matt Roberts:I do, I respect the barge Usually I really don't like voting for the world number ones in player of the year Because that's just like, well what's the point in us having a vote in a category here If it's just the player of the year, like we've already got the rankings, boom, done but I just felt like Sabalenka was so omnipresent this year in everything but yeah if I was following my rules of not voting for the world number one as much as I made a case for Sara Arani it is Amanda Onisabova I think

33:02Catherine Whitaker:Again I think we had a similar discussion and category last year I think probably Sabalenka was again the leading contender for player of the year but like Jasmine Paolini was such a deserving potential winner of that as well because of what she did in 2024 with the back-to-back slam finals. And again, this year we had a player in Anissa Mova reach back-to-back slam finals. And I can totally understand why people are drawn to that as much as they are like the sort of dominant player. But I have gone for Anissa Mova in another category. 50 % of the barge needs to go blonde.

33:39Matt Roberts:There is some unrest in the chat, Matt, about... journalist Matt showing up tonight. If there's any way you should feel comfortable not being the respectable journalist, this is it, Matt. Hannah says, so true, let your freak flag fly, Matt.

33:56Catherine Whitaker:Does that mean I've not been a responsible journalist for the rest of the year? Is that what people are saying? Well, we've discussed the noise you made during Shontek Keys. Right. I can't win. Next category. category number six surprise of the year. First nominee, Marketa Vondroshova winning Berlin. Even she was surprised by that. Valentin Vachero winning Shanghai. Igor Shiontek winning Wimbledon. Victoria Mboko winning Montreal. Tatiana Maria winning Queens. Madison Keys winning the Australian Open. Lois Boisson's Roland Garros run and the fact that Arthur Rindikinesh had a cousin who could beat him.

34:47Excellent final nominee. David, what have you got? A lot of strong contenders here, I think.

34:53David Law:Yeah, another one where I hovered several times before going for Lois Boisson and her Roland Garros run. um i don't think i'd heard of lois boisson at the start of this year um and then i heard about her for a reason i probably prefer not to have done um to do with harriet dart um and i really didn't know that she was that good um and but but the reason that i've gone for this aside from the the kind of just general run she reached the semi-finals is the scenes that i witnessed while she was on that run being in paris being around uh a tv in the media area where everybody was congregating there was like there was no other story of of that period of the tournament at all and i know everybody remembers the the tournament for coca goff winning and because of the Cinerary Crowds final.

36:00David Law:But Boisson at that point was like the biggest name in the sport in the country, you know, at that time. And when she beat Pegula and the comeback and, yeah, everybody was just totally intoxicated by it. And to think that this is somebody at the start of the tournament that I don't think I could have picked out in a lineup. So that was a massive surprise to me.

36:27Matt Roberts:Matt?

36:30Catherine Whitaker:Yeah, like David said, a lot of good contenders here. I kind of wanted to combine two of them. Like for me, it's Vachero. It's Vachero winning Shanghai and being Rindekanesh's cousin because that all happened in one week for me. You know, it all played out in real time. I was like, oh, that's Rindekanesh's cousin. Oh, he doesn't just exist in Monte Carlo. Oh, he's actually really good. Oh, he's beaten Novak Djokovic. Oh, he's won the tournament. Like it was like all of these Vachero things just happened at the same time. And it was, yeah, the cousin element added to the surprise and general sort of wonder of him.

37:13Catherine Whitaker:Vive la Cousinade. Yeah. My favourite, my favourite sign of the year. So I don't know whether I'm giving a vote there for the cousin one or the winning Shanghai, but Vachero. Well, I'm disappointed that Chloe Pache also popping up as a Rindiknesh cousin wasn't nominated. I've gone for Vachero as well because truly that was the thing I was most surprised by.

37:40Matt Roberts:It's not my favourite surprise, but it is the biggest surprise of the year for me. Like I thought he was just a sort of mascot wildcard at Monte Carlo. I didn't really think he was a serious tennis player. I thought he was a, I thought Monte Carlo got, you know, they got to have a local boy in their draw and they found one in a park somewhere. And, you know, Arta Rindekinesh said, I've got this cousin, he's a Monogask. Give him a wild card. I did not think he was anything. He was just a name in a Monte Carlo draw. and yeah, what a wild week that was or rather two weeks. Fascinating to see what happens next for him.

38:32David Law:I am. Me too.

38:36Matt Roberts:I'm not going to even ask for a prediction on that front. Let's find out who the barge voted for. We don't know. There we go. What a great post. Valentine Vasherly, there he is with his nose strip. Second place, so we've got 33 % of the vote for Vashiro. 19 % goes to Keyes winning the Australian Open. And 30 % for the fact that Arta Rindeknesh had a cousin who could beat him. So really, if we allow those nominations to be combined, it's a 46 % victory for the Vashiro-Rindeknesh situation.

39:20David Law:I do feel a bit like Caroline Wozniacki talking about Emma Raducanu now though but Lois Besson did it at a Grand Slam it's not the same

39:33Matt Roberts:as I said it's not my favourite surprise of the year or the most significant surprise of the year but it is the thing that surprised me most again interpretation of the question Fair enough Artur Rindukhneshi's cousin beat Novak Djokovic and won a Masters 1000 David Yeah

39:54David Law:That is a particularly good line

39:58Catherine Whitaker:I feel like a lot of people in the chat are sort of shouting out Sviantek there winning Wimbledon and I think that's a I think that's really an interesting reflection on the year because I agree that that really was a surprise like Igor Sviantek winning a Grand Slam not all that shocking But to consider where she was after Roland Garros and to consider her form at Wimbledon over the past few years, of all the slams I would have picked Igor Svantec to win, it just would not have been that one. And I think you can probably, you know, you can probably sort of write it now as not that much of a surprise.

40:37Catherine Whitaker:But I do think in the moment it really was a surprising, surprising thing. A very worthy nomination.

40:44Matt Roberts:I think it was a tremendous surprise. But if you come to me at the start of 2025 and said, what's more likely, Igor Shvontek winning Wimbledon or Valentin Vashiro winning Shanghai?

40:58Yeah, that would have been my reaction, David. Next category. We're spending too long talking about the Rindikinesh family. We're never going to get through all these. So let's be snappy with one of my favourite categories, Kit of the Year. Our nominees are...

41:18Matt Roberts:We have Victoria Mboko here at Roland Garros. We have Sonne Cartel at Wimbledon. We have Irina Sabalenka at the US Open. We have Marta Kostiuk in her lovely Wilson kit. I think Mboko's is Wilson as well, isn't it? Her red US Open one. We have Marta Kostiuk again at the US Open in Madrid. Hang on. Is this one, is this General Marta Kostiuk for the year?

41:46Catherine Whitaker:No, I think it's those three kits. The red one is the US Open, the dark blue is Madrid.

41:53Matt Roberts:The dark blue with a bit of white trim, that's Madrid. And then we have the fade, the blue faded one from the Rogers Cup, which reminds me of an ice skating dress that I had when I was younger that was a dupe of an ice skating dress that Michelle Kwan had. That's one for the bigger skating fans. Coco Goff's Roland Garros kit is inexplicably nominated, as is Thomas Mahatch's US Open kit. Lorenzo Mazzetti's Toga, the black edition from Rome. And Carlos Alcaraz's pink and purple US Open kit. kit david very intrigued by who you're going for here you know i was thinking how what a sort of

42:45David Law:role reversal you and i have gone because i because i remember catherine probably 10 years ago maybe more i remember doing a segment of a tennis podcast with you about favorite kits and you could barely look me in the eye to do it i mean admittedly i was talking about jim courier in the 1990s and so I perhaps didn't do myself any favours and now here I am I feel really out of my depth I don't know where to go with this one well just look at what's in front of you and say which you find most well I'm actually I'm actually going to go with Alcaraz and I think but I think I think that I might be I might be being swayed by the hair and the vibe that I got out of the whole thing.

43:34David had been wanting Carlos Alcaraz to shave his head for so long.

43:38David Law:I had. And I do love the fluorescent pink with the, I don't know even what colour shorts they are, the darker pink. I said purple, but yeah. Yeah, I do like that outfit. I think he looked really cool and he looked really tough.

43:56Matt Roberts:And his first US Open in sleeveless. So a significant moment for sleeveless. Mats, what have you gone for?

44:08Catherine Whitaker:I think best dressed for the year is Marta Kostiuk. I think Wilson never missed with those. And she always looks incredible. But kit of the year for me is Lorenzo Mazzetti's toga, if you want to use that word. And I have to correct you, I'm afraid, Catherine, it's not a black version it's it's it's dark blue that that rome one i promise you i've watched that match a lot that he was when he was wearing that and he beat alexander zverev in it and he got zverev to come up with this crazy analysis like that is my that is my kit of the year probably

44:48David Law:because mazetti was wearing it but yeah it didn't look quite so good on alex and generally and it That one was interesting because generally I think A6, it is A6, isn't it? They've done Lorenzo Mazzetti pretty dirty, really. You've got Lorenzo Mazzetti and you're dressing him like Peter Corder in the 90s.

45:19What a reference point. you're wasting you're wasting your best asset here and then suddenly, randomly, they came out with this one flash in the pan kit

45:32Matt Roberts:but collabs don't always go well do they? There was that weird Adidas collab at the US Open

45:38Catherine Whitaker:but I'm not sure they get the credit I don't think ASICS should get the credit here, I think it was more the collab

45:44Matt Roberts:ASICS kits are deeply uninspiring

45:47Catherine Whitaker:it did also prompt the article in GQ with Lorenzo Mazzetti's new kit tennis finally gets horny again not since the 80s has Centre Court been so steamy and now the thirst runneth over with one pair of short shorts maybe my favourite tennis article of the year love that you had that ready to go ok well Matt's voted for Mazzetti and he's got receipts He's got GQ on his side. I have nothing else appropriate to say.

46:26Let's find out what the barge went for. How horny is the barge? Not very. The winner is Marta Kostiuk. 22 % her red US Open kit. It's a great, it's a great, I mean,

46:42Matt Roberts:Wilson do great female kits, don't they? I mean, they dominated this category in terms of volume of nominees. Lorenzo Mazzetti in second, though, Matt. There you go. 18 % for Mazzetti's. People are insisting I call it a tunic rather than a toga. Inexplicable third place for Coco Gauff at Roland Garros. I thought that was awful. I mean, she looks great in everything. She obviously looked great, but objectively, that kit was terrible.

47:14Catherine Whitaker:I think Gauff's best kit of the year, Unfortunately, she only played one match in it. It was her kit that she had in Berlin, one of the Mew, Mew, is that how you say it? Yeah. Collabs. Yeah, but she lost early in Berlin. Matt's a collab guy. Apparently. Next category. I said we had to be quick, but then it was one of my favourite categories. So, oh, we're not going to be quick here either. Worst kit of the year. The nominees are the ball kids at the US Open, Jessica Pagula's enormous bridal skirt that she walked out onto court wearing at Wimbledon, Taylor Fritz's ATP Tour

47:57Matt Roberts:finals kit that was extremely beige, Maria Zachary's US Open kit that looked like she was about to do a Charleston on Strictly Come Dancing, Madison Keys' Nike kit at the Australian Open that a lot of the Nike players were wearing. It was this sort of faux, the illusion of the crop top over the dress. Yannick Sinner's dental nurse kit at Roland Garros and Yannick Sinner's pale yellow US Open kit that on somebody else might have been a good kit, but perhaps not on a ginger. I don't know. What have you got, David?

48:44David Law:I'm going for that one from Sinner at the Australian Open. I actually think, I know the headlines tend to come for the Roland Garros one, that green shirt with the blue shorts and blue cap, and I've heard Super Mario Brother comparisons made, etc. But at least I feel like that's got a bit of character. That Australian Open one, just so meh. It's just nothing, isn't it? It's not vivid and vibrant. I feel like give the guys some strong colours to work with, for goodness sake.

49:19Matt Roberts:You say that, but I actually think Yannick Sinner's best kit is when he goes Darth Sinner at Rome. Oh, yeah. He suits the black.

49:28David Law:Even that, I think, at least that's strong. You know, this just looks washed out and doesn't do him any favours at all.

49:37Matt Roberts:No. I think objectively the worst kiss is Taylor Fritz's at the ATV Tour Finals. It just made me sort of depressed to look at it. I struggled in your tennis anyway.

49:48David Law:A hundred in the world should be wearing that, not here.

49:50Matt Roberts:Yeah, we're all tired. It's dark. And you're wearing that, Taylor. Like, you know that feeling when you put a great outfit on and you look in the mirror and you're like, ooh, yeah, ready to party. Taylor Fritz's kit was the opposite of that. Like, it just made me want to go to bed. But I'm not going to vote for that. I'm going to vote for Madison Keyes' Nike dress at the Australian Open because I just think Nike need to be put on notice or were put on notice a long time ago. Do they give a shit about tennis anymore? And if you don't, then get out of the way and let some people with good designers get their hands on these players.

50:35Matt Roberts:Because it's like they're trolling their players sometimes with these kits. Nike. I don't know what they're playing at, but they're just churning out some absolute dreck. So there you go. And I particularly hated that awful crop top situation. Matt, what have you gone for?

50:57Catherine Whitaker:Same as you, Catherine. I went the Nike dresses in Australia. I think it was emphasised by the fact that we had Keys and Sabalenka playing the final in them. Yeah, just really odd effect with that sort of singlet thing. It was almost like they were wearing their bra on the outside. It was just odd. It didn't work at all, and we saw it a lot. And I felt like the players just did them a huge injustice. I can't believe Madison Keys won her slam wearing that.

51:34Matt Roberts:Yeah, that's what Nike are committing consistently. Injustices. Injustices. Anyway, you get the idea. Let's see what the barge voted for. Yannick Sinner's dental nurse kit at Roland Garros. It was bad. It was really bad. I didn't... I came around to the rugby shirts.

51:58Catherine Whitaker:Oh, I think the rugby shirts were great.

52:01Matt Roberts:Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I far preferred Yannick Sinner's version, his colourways, than the green and blue Yannick Sinner edition. But yeah, the rugby shirts, particularly Alcaraz's, were nice. But yeah, it was bad. There was something very hospital scrubsy about those colours, you know? I felt like I was watching The Pit, which is a great show, but not what I'm looking for from Roland Garros.

52:36Catherine Whitaker:Was Pagula's skirt, which has come in second with 27%, I'm not sure that was her kit. I would take slight issue with that even being in this category. She didn't attempt to play in it. She came onto court in it. I think that's

52:50David Law:and then she lost in the first round yeah you don't want to be doing that do you yeah no it wasn't great

52:56Matt Roberts:I think if you come onto court in it it's part of your kit okay you know her kit designer her kit manufacturer is Adidas isn't it designed that and you know like Naomi Osaka's big bow thing last year the whole that's the thing the USA yeah but I think

53:13Catherine Whitaker:you know you can't be losing

53:14David Law:in the first round wearing that sort of thing

53:16Catherine Whitaker:yeah I just think sometimes a lot of people come on in something and then take it off, you know?

53:21Matt Roberts:Yeah. But I think...

53:25David Law:It was bad.

53:26Matt Roberts:I think...

53:27David Law:I'm amazed that many people saw it, given that... If we go with your rule, Matt,

53:31Matt Roberts:then that means that Caroline Mosniacki's jacket with her achievements on wouldn't be eligible for worst outfit categories. And it's very important to me that that be eligible for any sort of lifetime... Yeah, that's fair. Bad kit nominations. Next category, we really are going to be... This is a good one too. But still, let's try and be punchy. Category nine, social media post of the year. The nominees are Igor Shvantec's epic failure to lie at the Roland Garros press conference, Igor Shvantec's run of Le Boo Boo's, Indian Wells players teaching the public, Alcaraz's haircut press conference Carlos Alcaraz and John Jones Rafa Junior high-fiving the big four, Draper Pagula press conference, not a crime to be locked in, Barge legend, Rachel's what the vlog cameo I've gone for Alcaraz and John Jones

54:36Catherine Whitaker:Me too That's what I've watched the most. I have a little emoji of John Jones on my WhatsApp, with him doing a little thumbs up. Yeah, I'm such a sucker for just players being really nice with kids. And Alcaraz just was ruffling his hair and John was a real jumper in excitement. He kept jumping up and down. And I quote, excited, excited, excited, daily. All the time. Yeah, it left such an impression on me. I love John Jones. Yeah, I am pretty anxious that Tennessee are going to invite John Jones back

55:19Matt Roberts:this, the next Australian Open and sort of ruin him. The sort of corporate commercialisation of John Jones is definitely in the works, but we'll always have, you know, the beauty of that first, that first John Jones encounter.

55:38Catherine Whitaker:We were starstruck, Catherine, when we saw him in the media restaurant. I didn't know what to do with myself. I watched him choosing a donut.

55:47David Law:He'll be there next year and his voice will have broken.

55:53Matt Roberts:I think he's about eight.

55:55David Law:He follows us on Instagram. He does. Hey! He's my number one then. Actually, I've gone for a different one altogether because I feel that you've got the spontaneous ones. The vast majority of them are all very spontaneous and they were just moments that became something really. But I've actually gone for the Indian Wells players teaching the public because I had a lot of respect for what they did there. You know, they choreographed something. And it's rare that sort of thing works for me. I often think, oh God, you're trying too hard. And actually I think that they really brought something out of players there.

56:37David Law:They showed different parts to their personalities and they were fun. And I really appreciated that. That was things like... Holgerun with the penis. Yeah. Players showing them how to smash rackets and stuff like that. It was really, really clever. Well done, I thought. Let's see what the barge went for. da da da it's Alcaraz's mistake with the machine

57:08Matt Roberts:the haircut press conference only just 20 % have gone for Alcaraz 19 % have gone for Shvantec's epic failure to lie at the Roland Garros press conference that was in response to Charlie's question about whether she wanted to play whether she was whether she'd rather play Osterpenko or whoever it was that was due to play and beat Ostopenko. And only 16 % for John Jones and Carlos Alcaraz. I think people are forgetting just how wonderful that was at the time. But fair enough. We all enjoyed Alcaraz's brother's Alvaro. Alvaro's mistake with the machine. Good stuff. Category 10 is Aggro of the Year.

57:58Matt Roberts:Our nominees are the Roland Garros crowd booing their own player, Terence Atman off court in round one. Nomination two, Blistergate between Amanda Anisimova and Mira Andreva at the Miami Open. Category three, sorry, nomination three is Harriet Dart accusing Lois Boisson of needing deodorant. Then we have Yulia Putinsaver against Maria Sakhry in the Bad Homburg fake bow. And finally, we have Daniel Altmaier against Stefano Sitsapas at the US Open, Matt?

58:34Catherine Whitaker:I think I know what's going to win here. I suspect it will be deodorant gates. But personally, that wasn't my favourite genre of aggro. I liked Boisson's response to it. I just didn't like it. For me, it's blister gate. It's absolute sweet spot. I'm Andronissimo over Andre. but people know I don't like it when my backhand listeners play one another. But this match was just simmering with tension and it was on late here. I think it might have been a sort of 7pm start in Miami, so it was sort of midnight here. I watched it in those early hours and it was great aggro in the moment. Like you could tell that they weren't really liking each other all that much.

59:23Catherine Whitaker:And then I went to bed and I woke up the next morning and I woke up and the aggro had continued and improved And Amanda Anissimova posting her middle finger up at Mira Andreva and saying, good one coming from a 2-1 first set medical is just iconic. So for me, for me, it's Blistergate. And that is my first vote for Anissimova this evening. I'm with Matt. I stand with Matt. That's my favourite too. There was a meanness about the Dart Boisson one that prevents me from voting for it. It wasn't, I mean, it sort of was funny because it involved deodorant, but not funny in the same way Anisimova and Andreeva and Goodwin coming from 2-1 first set medical was funny.

1:00:18David?

1:00:19David Law:Yeah, I mean, that's just hit the nail on the head. the only funny thing about the Boisson Dart thing was Boisson's post in reaction to it. Because I don't know, I just think, don't be so horrible. That's not funny. That wasn't funny to me. But Blistergate was bloody hilarious. And it's so rare you get two top players like that prepared to just go for it. Go for being horrible and bitchy to whatever. It's very, very funny. and I want to see them play each other now I can't wait I thought Putin's saver Zachary was fun but it was more just you know there was a lot of finger wagging and that sort of and going back for another bite and all the rest of it I enjoyed that didn't enjoy Altmaier's Sitsapass Sitsapass is whenever he does anything he just ends up feeling a bit awkward to me he doesn't even get the gist of the act

1:01:22Matt Roberts:Under-arm serve, didn't he?

1:01:23David Law:Yeah, I mean, come on, don't be ridiculous. The booing was quite funny from the Roland Garros crowd, but no, I'm definitely going for Blistergate.

1:01:33Matt Roberts:Let's see what the barge went for. Yeah, it's a slam dunk. 53 % for Harriet Dart, accusing Lois Boisson of needing deodorant. Blistergate is in second place with 17%, and 14 % goes to the Roland Garros crowd, booing their own player off court. And how little we knew about Terence Atman then. I'm not saying we know loads about him now, but we definitely know more. Brilliant. OK, category 11. Most Improved Player. Another really hotly contested category, I think. The nominees are Victorian Boko, Flavio Caboli, Amanda Anisimova, Alexander Bublik, Carlos Alcaraz, Ava Lise, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Valentin Vachero and Arthur Rindeknesh.

1:02:24David, over to you. Rindeknesh.

1:02:30David Law:I mean, to me. Explain yourself. he was if somebody had told you when we were laughing at him at various points of the last two years that he would knock out alexander zverev in itself very funny um in wimbledon and then beat him again and go to a career high as he's turning 30 of 29 in the world he was 60 at the start of the year i don't think anybody would have expected that at all and i think he's really just it's not I mean, fair play to Valentin Vashirov for what he's done, but he's done that at one tournament. Rinderkinesh has built this. He's built a career that we thought we knew what it was, and he's just kind of methodically improved himself.

1:03:22David Law:So I'm going for him. Matt?

1:03:27Catherine Whitaker:This is the category I feel most strongly should be Amanda Anissimova's. This is my second vote for her of the night. And I think this is, I actually think this is easy. I actually really think this is a slam dunk for Anissimova, I think, because it's about the type of improvement. Yeah, I think that we've got some players here who have gone from, you know, incredible sort of ranking jumps, you know, like Mboko, for example. Like amazing, like amazing achievement. But also the kind of improvement that you can make at that age, you know, like why was Mboko not ranked where she is? Because she just hadn't been playing, you know, like she suddenly was able to bring that talent.

1:04:09Catherine Whitaker:She got the opportunities and she rose sort of as she should. but Anissimova has transformed herself as a player and become a major contender which is the hardest thing to be in the sport she could have got stuck but she has just improved she's become relevant at all the biggest tournaments she's beaten all of the best players this is the one I will argue the strongest deserves to be Amanda Anissimova in 2025 for me no notes I too have gone for Anissimova let's see

1:04:48Matt Roberts:who the barge has gone for the barge seem to be very into Vachero and they're very into Anissimova they're very into Anissimova it's 59 % for Amanda Anissimova 13 % for Victoria Mboko in second place and sliding into third Felix Auger Aliassime

1:05:10David Law:I know, but Anissimov and Eloginale Yassim were just doing what they were supposed to do. Rindikinesh was never supposed to do what he's done.

1:05:19Matt Roberts:There's no supposed to. The problem with talent, David, is you could never really prove you didn't have it, to quote a brilliant line.

1:05:27David Law:Rindikinesh, Kath.

1:05:31Matt Roberts:But what do you mean supposed to do? There's no supposed to.

1:05:38David Law:Matt has been saying that Amanda Anissimov would do this for years Yeah but she wasn't doing it But she wasn't doing it

1:05:46Matt Roberts:No but I don't think Matt actually was saying that

1:05:49David Law:Yes he was Come on you would have been amazed if she hadn't had a No I find this year more amazing

1:05:58Catherine Whitaker:This is the amazing year Fair enough

1:06:04David Law:59 % of people agree with you

1:06:07Matt Roberts:and also like yeah I don't want to get into a Felix or Jay Lassim debate but I really don't think I think the supposed to was way overestimated for Felix he was never as good he was never as good or as talented

1:06:27Catherine Whitaker:I'm quite shocked that Felix came third on that list I must say I do I would arguably put Rinderkinesh ahead of it

1:06:37Matt Roberts:The Barge seemed really into Vashiro Yeah

1:06:41Catherine Whitaker:I'm less surprised that Rinderkinesh isn't there Yes

1:06:44David Law:You know They were all I said I'm less surprised But you know They were all very worthy nominees Moving on Maybe a slightly less contentious category Category 12 Funniest on-court moment Our nominees are Adrian Manorino This is the first time I'm winning a match from the toilet, which of course is something you said at the US Open.

1:07:07Matt Roberts:Annabelle Croft to Cam Norrie. You have a great big pair of Matt Roberts.

1:07:13Catherine Whitaker:Lungs.

1:07:15Matt Roberts:Lungs. Coco Goff coming onto court at Roland Garros round one without her rackets. Yelena Ostopenko getting foot faulted on the first point of electronic line calling at Wimbledon. Taylor Fritz wearing his headband upside down. Taylor Fritz's self-described mixed doubles expert Taylor Fritz's self-described mixed doubles expert making an unforced error of a 44 mile per hour first serve from sorry Ronnie. David, what have you got here?

1:07:57David Law:I have gone for Taylor Fritz's mixed double expert I just find him his he just goes to pieces and makes doubles and yet he loves it and he's so sure he's good at it and he wants to be good at it and then he's just not and I did find that highly amusing I really quite like Taylor Fritz I like his earnestness and then he sort of owns it I liked it Yeah, I kind of think even without the unforced error of the 44 mile per hour serve, like just his being so earnest about how good he is at mixed doubles, like just that alone is worthy of a nomination. Matt, what have you gone for?

1:08:50Catherine Whitaker:I actually went for the other Taylor Fritz one, the upside down headband that I found so funny. also because it was boss he turned it upside down it sort of looked like it said sob on his on it on his forehead the whole match and like he also you know he had a moment of realization because he came out after the bathroom break and he turned it round and i can't stop imagining that moment when he realized and like he's desperately trying to beat novat djokovic like that that that added to it was humiliating because he's desperately trying to beat this guy who's 10 years older than him and he just cannot beat and he's and he's walked out and he's wearing his headband upside down and it's like oh oh no you've got you've got no chance i'm afraid i just i just don't know how it happened i would want to know how he found out to turn it around it was just it was so funny to me but partly because of what you've said there about his kind of earnestness and seriousness generally it was yeah i found it highly amusing let's see who the winner is it's the Ostopenko foot folk call also iconic I can't argue with that that is extremely funny I also can't argue with second place on 21 % Adrian Manorino toilet quote yeah fantastic and in third percent on 17 % Annabelle Croft at Cam Norrie you have a great big pair of I would say though that's a Matt Roberts nomination really, not an Annabelle Croft nomination, it was the way, I think it was the way Matt told it and the delivery of the punch line but yep, can't argue with that, very strong category, very strong nominations

1:10:37Matt Roberts:a good worthy winner category 13 we're getting there folks podcast moment of the year moment of navel gazing for us, the nominees are the Roland Garros men's final episode opening. Can't remember that. I hope it was good. The big Jack Draper interview. Pam Shriver relived. Matt says he'll go blonde if Anisimova wins Wimbledon. I think we know what might be winning. Matt getting to hold the Wimbledon draw equipment. Matt Futterman's voice notes. Gottfried von Kram relived episode. David's description of Madison Keyes winning the Australian Open and the Tales from Queen's Friends episode David, it's Matt going blonde isn't it?

1:11:30David Law:It's a lovely list isn't it? Hearing that list of, I mean, listen I know this isn't navel gazing it and me bigging up a list about how great our show is probably isn't that good to hear but I am very proud and nostalgic when I hear that list. But yeah, it is. It's Matt going blonde if Anissa Merva wins Wimbledon. That was just an amazing moment. And then it was just so cool to be able to follow it all the way through and keep it going because it's still not done yet.

1:12:03Matt Roberts:I think that's why it wins for me because it's just a gift that keeps on giving, you know.

1:12:11Matt Roberts:Or maybe it won't. Maybe she'll win a slam this year and then Matt will go blonde and then we get one big gift and then the bit is over. But I'll find a way to extend it. Matt, what have you gone for?

1:12:24Catherine Whitaker:My vote would go to Pam Shriver Relived. I just thought that was so special getting to talk with Pam about her own career. You know, I love doing all the relives. I think Gottfried von Kram was up there as well. But I don't know, just Pam, I just can't quite believe still that Pam is our friend. And I'm so happy that she is. And yeah, I just loved doing that episode. Yep.

1:12:54Matt Roberts:No notes. Won't be mad if that wins. Won't be mad if any of these win. What was the Roland Garros men's final episode opening?

1:13:03Catherine Whitaker:I think just we were high, right? On the fact it was such a good match.

1:13:08Matt Roberts:That's probably why I don't remember it. Okay, let's find out what the barge voted for. I'm interested here. It's Matt going blonde or pledging to go blonde.

1:13:17Catherine Whitaker:It's sort of both because there's Jam Shriver in the photo. There is Jam Shriver in the picture. Pam's always there in the good times.

1:13:30Matt Roberts:41 % voting for Matt saying he'll go blonde. 15 % for the Roland Garros men's final episode opening and 9 % for Gottfried von Kram Relive, which really was a tour de force from Matt. I love that photo of you and Jam Shriver, Matt.

1:13:51Catherine Whitaker:You saw Jam in the museum, didn't you, yesterday? Yeah.

1:13:57Matt Roberts:Behind glass. You can't buy one in the shop. They sold their collector's pieces now. Okay. Category number 14. Best Vibes of the Year. Our nominees are Carlos Alcoraz and Emma Raducanu in the mixed doubles at the US Open. Andre Agassi at the Labour Cup. Mir Andreva with a sign and hat supporting Conchita Martinez at Wimbledon. Zora Rani and Andrea Vavasori winning the US Open mixed doubles. Rafael Nadal's farewell and the unveiling of his plaque at Roland Garros this year. Jasmine Paolini winning Rome. Igor Svontek and Kaspar Rood as a mixed doubles team. La Cousinade, of course, Vachero and Rinderknech.

1:14:45Matt Roberts:And then Venus Williams and Leila Fernandez's US Open doubles run. David?

1:14:52David Law:Another great list. I've gone for Irani and Vavasori winning the US Open mixed doubles. I really enjoyed that. And I just feel like they embraced their role so perfectly. And then they won it as well. And it was everything I wanted. Matt?

1:15:15Catherine Whitaker:Vibes, did you say? Jasmine Paolini winning Rome. Just loved it. Singles and doubles. Like I was just so desperate for Paolini to get a moment that somehow matched or topped last year. And I just think, you know, Rome was the only really place that could happen outside of a slam. I thought it was brilliant. Loved it.

1:15:38Matt Roberts:I've gone for Andrava and Conchita at Wimbledon. That made me feel warm inside. That filled my cup right up. okay no idea what's going to win here let's find out the big reveal oh it's Mir Andrava and that means I get to see the picture again here she is 25 % it was tight 25 % voting for Andrava supporting Martina with her let's go signory to top spin you are golden sign and the hat so great

1:16:17David Law:Do you know, yesterday when I was walking around the Wimbledon Museum in the entry for 2025's tournament, that sign is in the museum? Is it? Yeah, right there on display. Oh, I love that. They know what they're doing in the museum. Also, my favourite subplot of this was the fact that Martinez's partner was Greg Ruzedski. so Andreja was sort of also cheering for Greg Grzeski probably without really knowing who he was yeah

1:16:51Catherine Whitaker:your Greg sign just didn't get the same didn't get the same publicity

1:17:02second place is Sarovani and Andrea Vavasori's mixed doubles win that got 20 % and in third place 18 % for Jasmine Paolini winning Rome very good nominees in that category.

1:17:16Matt Roberts:Right, we have three more and then some honourable mentions. Category number 15, Vibe Killer of the Year. The nominees are, and bear in mind this was put together before the Battle of the Sexes really came on everybody's radar because I think that would probably be winning right now. But anyway, the nominees are the two-week-long Masters 1000s and their wider impact. Daniel Medvedev's behaviour, especially at the US Open. The Wimbledon women's final, ending six love, six love. Donald Trump at the US Open final, leaving many outside when it started due to all the additional security. Grigor Dimitrov's injury at Wimbledon.

1:17:58Matt Roberts:Elaine Ostopenko's behaviour at the US Open. Barbora Krejcikova crying at Wimbledon. And straight up, Alexander Zverev. David

1:18:10David Law:yeah I mean there's a lot of good entries here I feel as though I did hover over the Wimbledon women's final because of that scoreline and the feeling that I got from it and yet I feel like that's not fair to Iga Svante because she was celebrating and it was a virtuoso display so I can't go for that I can't go for Zverev he lost 25 matches So, you know, to 16 different players. So I'm actually going to go for the two-week Masters 1000s and their wider impact because they're not going anywhere, are they, at the moment? And they just feel like they just drag the year out in a way that is retrograde as a step for the sport.

1:18:57David Law:And I'm a bit deflated by it.

1:19:05matt uh donald trump for me yeah yeah it's the same for me you know we don't get many

1:19:16Catherine Whitaker:days of the year that are grand slam finals you sort of want them to be everything and that was just awful like the the cues of people outside when that started broke my heart a little bit i i I hated it. Yeah, I found that day incredibly hard. I was telling some barges that I saw last night after the history conference, there was a little drinks reception in the museum, actually, in the Wimbledon Museum.

1:19:48Matt Roberts:And I was telling them, I don't know why I end up telling this anecdote, but I was just having a meltdown during that final. It just wasn't okay. and we couldn't be there in the stadium to watch it. We eventually did get a media seat halfway through and then Matt and I shared it.

1:20:09Catherine Whitaker:Because a lot of the media seats were taken up by the White House press.

1:20:13Matt Roberts:By the White House and by Secret Service from both US Secret Service and Saudi Arabian Secret Service because there was a Saudi prince in the Rolex box with Donald Trump. I'm pretty sure I was sat next to a Saudi secret service agent and just this feeling of like, it was absolutely horrendous. You know, sitting at sitting, but I could see it was like looking at Hitler, you know, like it was crazy. Donald Trump just being there. But anyway, I went to get a glass of wine halfway through the match out in that I was out in the public areas. I just needed some air. I was like, I'm just going to go and get a glass of wine.

1:20:51and I went and ordered one from the public bar and the guy, I obviously looked bad. I looked like somebody that was having a bad day and the guy came back with a pint glass and just started doing that and he said, this is what people need today. And I burst out crying at him and I think I told him I loved him. So that was that day. It was a very bad day. Let's see what everybody else has voted for. Yeah, it was Donald Trump at the US Open final. God, that picture. Absolutely terrible. Grigor Dimitrov's injury at Wimbledon in second and Alexander Zverev existing in third with 18%. Right, let's bring the vibes back.

1:21:46Category number 16. Here we go. Best animal contribution. The Charlie and Darwin Award. The nominees are, and they're all very good boys and girls, and they're all winners, really. Apart from the first one. Very much apart from the first one. Nominees, the Melbourne mouse population. That was a bad night, wasn't it?

1:22:15Catherine Whitaker:Really was. Do you remember David had to thud across the floor to scare the mice away before we started recording.

1:22:23David Law:That's why I'm going for it. Al Karaz's rescue puppy at Roland Garros.

1:22:33Matt Roberts:Yatzi Shapovalov, great tennis dog. We all saw him at Denis Shapovalov's wedding, I think, in his little bow tie. Bella Kalinskaya on the court. Yannick Sinner's puppy being adopted at Roland Garros on that adorable video where you got to see the moment that he finds out that the puppy got adopted. And Manda Kostyuk.

1:23:00Matt Roberts:Who are we going for here? I think I'm going for...

1:23:05Catherine Whitaker:I'm going for Yatsi. I'm going for Yatsi. I love Yatsi.

1:23:10Matt Roberts:I love Yatsi too. I think he is my number one tennis dog at the moment. But I think I'm going to go for that video where Yannick Sinner finds out the puppy got adopted. It was so, he's so composed and controlled, Yannick Sinner. You got to see this really lovely, natural, in the moment reaction from him. It was very wholesome and nice. David?

1:23:36David Law:I am going for the mouse population because it provided just some epic podcast content.

1:23:44Catherine Whitaker:There's nothing David loves more than podcast content.

1:23:48David Law:It's amazing. I mean, it was the bees in 2018. It was the snakes in 2021. Now it's the mouse population who are just getting Matt Roberts to go, oh, my God, there's a mouse. It's just so fun. More than one. Let's see what the barge went for, shall we? They went for Bella Callensky. Well, she's a good dog, Bella.

1:24:14Catherine Whitaker:And we see a lot of Bella. We do. She's, yeah. Yeah. She's ditched Yannick Sinner and she's got a sausage dog. Call it an upgrade.

1:24:29Matt Roberts:Yannick Sinner's puppy being adopted in second and Yatsy Shapovalov is in at third. I think Yatsy being 11 % behind Bella. I think that's a bit tough for Yatzee. I'm not sure people have seen Yatzee in his little wedding suit. Exactly.

1:24:46Catherine Whitaker:I think Yatzee's been just too social media known. Right. Yatzee needs an on-court moment. He needs an on-court breakout moment. Which requires Shapovalov to do some winning. Yeah.

1:25:04Matt Roberts:A late nomination for Pippin Whittaker. Yes. Strong. And of course, you know, Billie Jean, always eternal winner. Right. We've arrived at our final highlighted category. Photograph of the year. We have Coco Gough in the moment of victory at Roland Garros taken by, is it Alain Joca?

1:25:33Catherine Whitaker:Yeah, let's go with that.

1:25:36Matt Roberts:She's on the ground. She's got a hand over her mouth. It is a look of total disbelief. We have Matteo Berrettini taken by Tiziana Fabi. It's him with the rest of the Italian Davis Cup team behind him in a huddle. He has his back to them, though, and he is celebrating to the camera a moment of pure joy and victory. while you have the big scrum behind him. You have Jasmine Paolini with the racket across her face the very famous photo with the Yonex, I think it's Yonex isn't it? The Yonex string pattern framing her facial features exactly and that is taken by Ray Jubilo is that right? Ray Jubilo let's go with that we have the triumph and disaster of Alfie Hewitt and Takedo Oda at Wimbledon that's a that's a tough photo I've looked at that photo a lot this week because I was preparing a slideshow for our history conference presentation on on the history of wheelchair tennis And then we have Andreeva's support of Conchita Martinez with her sign.

1:27:06Matt Roberts:And that one is taken by Julian Finney, who we all know. We also, oh, we have a second page of nominations. Yes, I thought there was a very important omission from that list. Second page of nominations, Reggie's selfie with Roger Federer.

1:27:26Catherine Whitaker:Shut the category down. we have a winner.

1:27:29Matt Roberts:Yeah. We have a shot of Yannick Sinner taken from above, a bird's eye view of Yannick Sinner that is taken by Dimitar Dikov. We have a sort of editorial black and white shot taken of an off-duty Igor Svantec that's taken by Radka Leitmeritz. We have Marta Kostyuk sort of beating her chest, taken by Lin Tao Zhang. And we have an airborne Flavio Caboli at the Davis Cup finals, a photo taken by Getty photographer Clive Brunskill. I mean, the winner is Reggie Selfie with Roger Federer, isn't it? Sorry to all these excellent professional photographers. I suspect Jasmine Paolini's, that photo will feature.

1:28:26Matt Roberts:and I totally respect that. It is obviously a fantastic feat of skill, that photo. This is entirely subjective. I hate it. It makes me feel a bit weird. I can't quite explain why, but I don't like looking at it.

1:28:45David Law:I know what you mean.

1:28:47Matt Roberts:Go back to Reggie's selfie, please.

1:28:48David Law:I think the thing is, for a tennis podcast barge awards, Reggie's selfie with Federer is perfection. It could not be bettered. So I'm going with that. I think it's the fact

1:29:01Matt Roberts:we saw it happen.

1:29:04David Law:We saw his little mind work. Big mind.

1:29:07Matt Roberts:Yeah.

1:29:10Catherine Whitaker:Yeah, and the fact that Federer doesn't look real. There's a hedge in the way. Reggie's just got this incredible grin on his face. It perfectly captures the moment. I love it. so much. Of the professional ones, I do love airborne caballi. I just love that tennis can give you those sorts of shots. But yeah, it's Reggie. It's an absolute slam dunk for me. In fact, I'm going to be annoyed if it doesn't win. Don't let us down, barge. What have you got? Should we shut down the barge? Oh my God! They've let us down at the end.

1:29:53Matt Roberts:I'm genuinely really shocked by that. 53 % have gone for that Jasmine Pauline. Does it not make anyone else feel weird? Obviously not. I think my sister said that as well, actually. Some people, coriander tastes like washing powder, you know? It just does something sensory.

1:30:12David Law:I think it is one of the most incredible photos I've ever seen taken of a tennis player live like that. but yeah I don't really like looking at it either I know what you mean and Reggie with Federer just makes me smile every time I think the barge has really let Reggie down there I agree Catherine, take it off the barge Reggie's a bit less bothered about it than I am Reggie is in second 24 % for his selfie with Roger Federer and Jules' photo of Mira Androva supporting Conchita Martinez ends with that incredible sign in third place with 12%.

1:30:54Matt Roberts:Just very quickly to round out today's show, we're going to do, there are a few categories that we didn't quite have time for because we absolutely knew that we'd spend far too much time on debating what was the best kit of the year. So we're going to do an Oscars style, Here are some winners from earlier. We have Female Wheelchair Tennis Athlete of the Year. And I think this one was a slam dunk for Yui Kimiji, the comeback queen of 2025. Helped a little by the injury to Dida Dukut. Next year is going to be really fascinating with Dukut coming back. But yeah, an incredible season for Yui Kimiji.

1:31:42Matt Roberts:And again... By the way, what a shirt she's got on.

1:31:45David Law:I like that kit. Yeah. David's popping up for some kit tapes. I feel a bit out of my comfort zone talking about kits, but that one, yeah. Well, you brought it up. Male wheelchair athlete of the year. Talk about a slam dunk, folks. It is, of course, taquito odour. What a guy. Looking at a picture of him here on his back. He does great celebration as well, doesn't he? He does. Honestly, searching him on Getty is such a joy

1:32:21Matt Roberts:because he just doesn't take a bad photograph. And there's just charisma oozing out of every single shot. So, yeah. Takedo Oda, the winner in that category. Coach of the Year was won by Conchita Martinez. Just the best vibes. We're looking at some of them now. That picture from Indian Wells. Of course, that moment at Wimbledon, really, really healthy player coach dynamic between those two. Umpire of the year, Matt, goes to...

1:32:53Catherine Whitaker:My guy, Greg Allensworth. Your guy, Greg. He's just at the scene of so many events and he managed to really rile up Riley Opelka, which I enjoyed. Well done, Greg. Keep being you. Commentator of the year was won by Andrea Petkovic. Tournament of the Year, David. Won by Roland Garros.

1:33:18David Law:Oh, I can't wait. It's only six months away, isn't it? Oh.

1:33:27Catherine Whitaker:Well done, Barge.

1:33:28Matt Roberts:Six months till our next Amelie Moresmo press conference.

1:33:32Catherine Whitaker:That finals weekend with Roland Garros was something else. Yeah, it was incredible, wasn't it? looking at a brilliant picture of Coco Gauff with a French Open trophy

1:33:44Matt Roberts:and the Eiffel Tower in the background. Incredible. Get me to Paris, but not to an Amélie Maresmo press conference. Court of the Year was won by Centre Court at Wimbledon. Can't beat it, can you? Worst decision of the year, Rolex inviting Trump to the US Open. Strong. No notes.

1:34:04David Law:That was a bad one.

1:34:06Matt Roberts:That was a bad one. It was confirmed this week. I think we knew at the time, but I don't know if it was public that Donald Trump had requested to hand out the trophy to the winner. And the USTA pushed back on that and managed to negotiate that he would have the trophy at the front of the Rolex suite instead. And of course, it wasn't the actual trophy. It was a dummy trophy. I think they did well there. They saved us. They saved us. And themselves. Upset of the year. First two rounds at Wimbledon. They've been nominated for that. It was chaotic, wasn't it? Personal achievement of the year. Madison Keys, Major Keys, finally getting over that Grand Slam hurdle and winning one.

1:34:59funniest pod moment of the year was David's prediction that Joel Fonseca would win the French Open

1:35:08David Law:You wait until 2026 folks We're looking at a picture of him looking disappointed at having let David down at Ronald Garrels. I haven't spoken to him Doubles pair of the

1:35:22Matt Roberts:year finally of course went to Sara Irani and Andrea Vavasori. Deserved. No notes, Barge. You've redeemed yourselves. You let Reggie down, but you didn't let Sarah and Andrea down. I think Sarah Ronnie has officially joined the Jasmine Paolini team for 2026, I read. I mean, she's already on the Jasmine Paolini team, isn't she? But presumably they've now arranged some sort of formal payment arrangement. is what that means.

1:35:59Catherine Whitaker:Hopefully it doesn't mean she's going to be playing less.

1:36:03I don't think so.

1:36:05Matt Roberts:I think doing the two things are fairly compatible, aren't they? She showed up... Paolini showed up to support Arani in the mixed doubles, didn't she? That was a good moment.

1:36:16Catherine Whitaker:Yes, it really was a nice moment.

1:36:19Matt Roberts:I think she'd get Sara Arani in the one-point slam.

1:36:24Catherine Whitaker:Hell yeah. although the one point slam has been ruined

1:36:29David Law:I think she can resurrect it imagine her and Alcraz playing in the one point slam that would be awesome that would be great folks those were

1:36:43Matt Roberts:the Barge Awards for 2025 can we have another big round of applause for Vicky

1:36:54Vicky put so much love and work into those awards and it's so rewarding to see how everybody on the barge

1:37:03Matt Roberts:responds to them and gets involved in them and goes with it and gets in the spirit of it and it's all very much in the spirit of the barge which is just such a lovely thing uh so thank you vicky thank vicky's also done all this stage managing tonight with the incredible presentation that Goran have put together for us. Vicky, you're a superstar. Hannah, you two in the chat, trolling Matt for not being fun enough. Big fan of that.

1:37:32David Law:Yeah, at least I'm fun, eh? Even if I'm wrong, every time.

1:37:38Catherine Whitaker:I said the word horny. What was not fun about that?

1:37:47he talked about Grindr in the Champions Room at Wimbledon yesterday folks Matt is fun proof but there are still more shows to come in 2025 more opportunities for Matt to prove that he is fun we have a final live show of the year for friends That will be a Q &A next week, six days from now, Tuesday, the 16th of December.

1:38:18Matt Roberts:So do join us for that live if you can. If not, it'll be available as a podcast. As always, you can get your questions in on the barge. We will try to answer as many of them as possible. We have our Review of the Year show coming up on Monday with voice notes. We already have one of them in. It's incredible. it's something the likes of which we've never had before on one of our voice note review shows, it's going to be very special indeed, so that is coming your way on Monday and then of course that live show next week as well, and then we'll be back on December 28th to talk about the battle of the sexes and I can't wait I just can't get enough of talking about it

1:39:12David Law:you keep getting asked to it's not going away why isn't it going away

1:39:23yeah okay is that it

1:39:27Matt Roberts:I feel like we've got another podcast in between anyway folks the podcast don't end the off season does not exist for the tennis podcast there's plenty and Matt will be fun so thank you very much

1:39:46Catherine Whitaker:about my podcasting now I like my golf swing am I being fun enough am I wiggling enough I've just got so many things going on in my head now very excited for the next time you play golf and your attempts to get rid of your wiggle

1:40:03David Law:oh did we mention Tee Tree Lived I can't remember that was another podcast yes

1:40:09Matt Roberts:Tennis Relived coming next week on Brad Parks and the 50 years of wheelchair tennis that he began back in the 70s that is the man that we focused on for our presentation at the Wimbledon History Conference yesterday it was received really well and we loved doing that and with our Relived episode on the same subject matter we'll be able to do and an even deeper dive and use more of the interview that David did with him a couple of weeks ago. And yeah, we're really excited about it. He's a fascinating guy, like ridiculously humble. It's crazy that his name is not more widely known. Like this guy single-handedly pretty much came up with wheelchair tennis.

1:41:00Matt Roberts:Like it would not exist without him. And yet he's Doesn't want any spotlight, doesn't want to take any credit for it. He's a really interesting guy. We're going to be talking about him in great detail for our final episode of Tennis Relived for 2025. And that is coming out next week as well. So as I said, no Maldives for us. Lots of podcasts continuing to come your way. Thank you so much for your company tonight, for being friends of the Tennis Podcast, for making all of this possible. One more huge thank you to the incredible Vicky Spreadbury. Thanks for listening. We'll speak to you soon.