In short
The episode previews the WTA Finals in Riyadh (second straight year), including the group draw, match-up dynamics, and predictions for who advances and wins. It also briefly covers ATP/Paris (Sinner vs Alcaraz fallout, plus “La Cousinade” Rindeknes vs Vachero), then shifts to Yannick Sinner’s Guardian comments about Grand Slam prize money and player welfare.
Guests
Matt Roberts and David (Holly David is mentioned as a co-host/producer figure, but the on-mic guests are Matt Roberts and David).
Key claims
The Serena Williams group is stacked with Iga Swiatek vs big hitters; Amanda Anisimova is the most intriguing player because she’s new to these head-to-heads and is now “reliable.” Fatigue/form varies: Madison Keys is an unknown due to inactivity; others have played different amounts since the US Open. Crowd/atmosphere concerns remain for Saudi Arabia.
Notable examples
Predicted Serena group top two: Anisimova and Swiatek (Anisimova 3-0 vs Swiatek suggested). Steffi Graf group predicted: Sabalenka and Pagula (Paolini seen as on fumes). Title pick: Anisimova. Doubles groups highlighted, especially the Liesl Huber group featuring Luisa Stefani with Tamir Babos.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOPreviewing the WTA Finals Draw
0:45 to 3:16
Discussion about the upcoming WTA finals in Riyadh and the groups involved.
“It said it was going to drizzle all day today, which made me think it was this time next week.”
Analysis of Player Matchups
3:16 to 6:00
In-depth analysis of the matchups in the WTA finals draw and their significance.
“and then Coco Gough against Jessica Pagula.”
Player Forms and Fitness Dynamics
6:00 to 10:45
Exploration of player conditions and fitness levels leading into the finals.
“She might not love how things have shaken out, although I suspect she'd be pretty circumspect given, you know, top eight players in the world.”
Comparing WTA and ATP Final Dynamics
10:45 to 14:00
Comparison of the WTA finals dynamics with the ATP finals, focusing on player schedules.
“And I think that's going to be an interesting element to it.”
Comparing ATP and WTA Finals
14:00 to 15:00
Explore the differences in the ATP and WTA finals, including event prestige and player burnout.
Concerns Over Saudi Arabia's Hosting
15:00 to 17:09
Discuss apprehensions about the crowds and atmosphere for the WTA finals in Saudi Arabia.
“I mean, all discomfort about Saudi Arabia being the host nation remains.”
Predictions for the Serena Williams Group
17:09 to 18:38
Predictions about the outcomes and players in the Serena Williams group.
“So, yeah, I think proof will be in the pudding.”
Analyzing Anisimova's Strengths
18:38 to 21:39
An in-depth look at Anisimova's consistency and matchup against top players.
“Yeah I think she's going 3-0 You got a little nod of approval from Matt Roberts there during that answer.”
Evaluating the Stephanie Graf Group
21:39 to 25:45
Insights and predictions regarding the players in the Stephanie Graf group.
“And I share your thoughts about this new normal of Anissa Mova just feeling like a reliable top four player.”
Debating Goff's Performance Potential
25:45 to 28:01
Discussion on Goff's unpredictable performance and potential outcomes against Pagula.
“in that she's not got players who are going to like totally just like hit her off the court if she's having a bad day.”
Show all 23 chapters
Predictions for WTA Finals
28:01 to 29:28
Discussion on players' prospects, including Anisimova, Sabalenka, and Gough.
“So are you picking Paolini to come through?”
Anisimova's Journey and Aspirations
29:28 to 31:10
Reflecting on Anisimova's growth and her goals throughout the season.
“I love that she, I think it was in Beijing, not when she won the title, or maybe it was when she won the title.”
Doubles Groups Breakdown
31:10 to 32:36
Analyzing the doubles groups for the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
“We'll have a little look at what Yannick Sinner has been saying this week about some big picture tennis stuff in the Guardian newspaper.”
Excitement for the WTA Finals
32:36 to 35:37
Anticipation for the upcoming WTA Finals and potential matchups.
“I was so ready to go on a rant about why it wasn't the Pam Shriver group, if we've got the Martina Navratilova group.”
Discussion on Tennis Draws
35:37 to 37:50
Exploring the concept of draws in tennis and their implications.
“Very good Thank you Matt Matt likes order and structure as we established last night we're having an existential chat about draws while waiting for the Carabao Cup quarterfinal draw which did not go as hoped.”
Paris Tournament Preview
37:50 to 42:00
Previewing the new venue in Paris and discussing player performances.
“The right people are not in charge of enough tournaments.”
Cousins in Competition: Rindeknesh Vachero vs. Norrie
42:00 to 45:00
Discussing the exciting match between cousins Rindeknesh Vachero and Cameron Norrie and its implications.
“he moves on to Turin and tries to really play well there for the first time you know so yeah I think he said there are some matches you learn from and some you forget about and this is one of the ones you forget about.”
Mazzetti's ATP Finals Hopes Hang by a Thread
45:00 to 46:45
Analyzing Lorenzo Mazzetti's chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals and the competition he faces.
“Well, I think even considering that question, he's giving him his due.”
Alternates and Outside Chances for Turin
46:45 to 49:26
Exploring potential alternates for the ATP Finals and the dynamics affecting their qualifications.
“it feels a little bit like he's hanging on as well.”
Davidovich Fokina's Drama and Crowd Interaction
49:26 to 51:42
Discussing Davidovich Fokina's matches and his interactions with the crowd during recent games.
“So Davidovic Fikina has something to chase.”
Player Advocacy and Prize Money
56:00 to 58:28
Learn about the challenges players face in advocating for equal prize money and representation.
“And they did get equal prize money at all the Grand Slams.”
Fragmentation in Player Representation
58:28 to 1:01:09
Discuss the disunity among players and the effects of multiple organizations on their goals.
“So you do end up with this slightly sort of scattergun approach and, you know, sort of priority for one person is not a priority for another.”
The State of Tennis Today
1:01:09 to 1:01:48
Explore the complexities of the current tennis landscape and its challenges.
“It's the sport we all know and love and choose to talk about for a living.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:10Well, hello and welcome to the tennis podcast, our second tennis podcast of this week.
0:16Matt Roberts:We are here to preview the season ending WTA finals in Riyadh, held in Riyadh for the second straight year, the second edition of this tournament in Riyadh. We'll also have a little update on all things Paris and La Cousinade, the latest edition of La Cousinade between Artur Rindeknes and Valentin Vachero, the connoisseurs, great rivalry of the ATP tour. David remains, Holly David, still trying to make that happen. He's in Croatia. How are you doing, David?
0:52David Law:Very well. Very well. It said it was going to drizzle all day today, which made me think it was this time next week. But it turns out it hasn't drizzled. It's lovely and sunny. And the WTA finals are on the horizon with my fave Luisa Stefani. And so, you know, life's good. We know all about drizzle, Matt, here in sunny old London. Yeah, yesterday. In fact, yesterday was more than drizzle. It was just solid rain all day. But this morning is all right. It was get me to Australia weather yesterday. Yeah. Yep.
1:32Matt Roberts:No such issues in Riyadh. It's an indoor tournament, isn't it? That was a surprise to me last year. I was expecting it to be outdoor. But no, indoor tournament. Obviously, we know a little bit more about what to expect because it is the second edition of the tournament in Riyadh, part of Saudi season. I think you'll be seeing some Saudi season branding. No, Riyadh season. What do they call it? Maybe they do need the branding. I need the branding. What is it? It's Riyadh season, isn't it?
2:06David Law:Riyadh season, yeah. Is there going to be an aggravating amount of Riyadh season branding on the court for you, Matt Roberts? almost certainly any amount of that branding is quite aggravating and I suspect it will be everywhere the draw has been done
2:29Matt Roberts:in fact we have a first order of play as well so we have two groups four players in each group we have the Serena Williams group that is populated by Iga Svjantek Amanda Anisimova, Elena Rabakina and Madison Keyes. And then we have the Steffi Graf group, which I think is actually officially called the Stephanie Graf group. And that features Irina Sabalenka, Coco Goff, the defending champion, Jessica Bagula and Jasmine Paolini. And we know that it'll be the Serena Williams group that kicks things off on Saturday. We will have Iger Svjantek against Madison Keyes as an opener and Amanda Anisimova against Elena Rabakina to follow.
3:16Matt Roberts:And then on Sunday, we will open with Jasmine Paolini against Irina Sabalenka and then Coco Gough against Jessica Pagula. Matt, what was your initial reaction to this draw? Well, obviously, it just appeared on the internet with no fanfare at all. So that was, of course, my initial reaction to be angry about the way it was done. but once I got past that my initial reaction was that I really like how these groups have
3:47Catherine Whitaker:have come out actually I think in the Serena Williams group you've got Iga Sviontek up against all the possible big hitters that she could have faced out of the various combinations that it could have been all of them landed in Sviontek's group and that you know traditionally over the last couple of years has been a really fascinating style of match on the WTA tour, Igor Svontek versus big hitters. She's got a lot better at playing them, I think. We've seen that with her record against Rabatkinna this year, 4-0. She's really turned that head-to-head round in particular. But still, it's an interesting match-up generally.
4:30Catherine Whitaker:And we've also got some new match-ups there because Amanda Nisimova has never played Elena Rabatkinna and she's never played madison keys so there's some intrigue there whereas the other group i think we've got known interesting matches as well you know i don't think there's been a match up all year that has driven narrative and caused as much discussion and powered talk shows in the states as much as sabalenka golf and we're going to get to see that again pagula sabalenka has been a really good match the last few times they've played, whether it be in Wuhan recently or at the US Open in the last couple of years as well.
5:11Catherine Whitaker:And then Paulini-Gough has also been an interesting matchup this year. Paulini's had the better of it. Gough got a win recently. So I'm looking all the way through these groups and these matchups and there are very few duds, I think. I think it's really lined up well. So, yeah, I was pretty excited to see those draws on paper as they are. Yeah, I felt the same. I think the only kind of individual match-up that I'm minorly bummed out about is Gough-Pagula. I don't love their matches against one another. I think they tend to be just a little bit weird. But pretty much every other match-up I'm into here, David.
5:55I think this is a good draw from a fan perspective, potentially not a great Igor Svantec draw. She might not love how things have shaken out, although I suspect she'd be pretty circumspect given, you know, top eight players in the world. There are no great draws to be had. But yeah, for fans, this is, I think this is pretty much a 10 out of 10.
6:18David Law:yeah and actually I think although it's probably more concerning for her in terms of her prospects of actually going further by having this draw it the intrigue and the challenge makes it pretty enticing from her perspective as well because she's you know she's had a really really good season okay it might have been a little bit unusual in terms of what she's won and how she's won things but what if what if she would have come out here and just beat them all you know That would probably mean more than if it were the other way around. And so you're right. From a fan perspective, I'm so excited to just see that as a prospect.
6:58David Law:Maybe there's one or two matches in that group, probably Keyes-Rabakina that I'm not sure is going to be a great match because they're both trying to just destroy the ball so much and it might lead to a lot of errors. but I kind of feel like the most interesting player in the the entire competition really is Amanda Anissimova because she's new I was looking at all the other players they've all played it before and she hasn't and and throwing her into that mix just makes things fascinating um I'm curious to see how she takes to it I suspect she'll she'll take to it very well but also I like the matches from her perspective because although she's a big hitter she's also that really fluid clean hitter as well so I like watching big hitters trying to hit through her knowing that she can time it back and and whenever you get her up against Svantec to kind of continue the narrative of what they've had all year that's that's fascinating in the other group yeah it is interesting how you've ended up with kind of the one big hitter and then the three more counter-punching players.
8:08David Law:That is somewhat surprising, but I'm really quite excited about this line-up generally. I think it's a great eight players for a start. Yeah, at minimum, they've all reached, I think the least credentialed player in terms of Grand Slam CV is Jessica Begula with just the one Grand Slam final. Then you've got Paulini and Anisimova with two Grand Slam finals each, and then everybody else is a Grand Slam champion. This is a stellar line-up in terms of credentials and quite different in terms of depth to what we're going to get at the ATP finals in Turin, I think. I am quite enjoying seeing Lorenzo Mazzetti desperately trying to find a way to qualify for the finals for the first time.
8:59But he's in a completely different category to anybody in the WTA finals field, I think. Like, this is A grade. For sure. Yeah, for sure. I also think another really interesting dynamic
9:19Catherine Whitaker:going into these finals is the very different weeks that these players have had since the US Open. You know, there's a few players in here who have played a lot. You know, Pagoula's played three tournaments, 13 matches, including eight three-setters in a row. Rabatkin has played five tournaments, 13 matches. Paolini played four tournaments, 14 matches since the US Open. Shviontek, three tournaments, 10 matches. But then you've got Keyes, who hasn't played since the US Open. It's a real unknown, I think, coming in here in terms of form and fitness. and then you've got Sabalenka and Anissimova who've just played the one tournament each as well and are pretty rested really so I think that dynamic could play out through the groups as well the sort of players who have really not played a lot because they haven't needed to versus the players who have been pushing and are probably match sharp and match tight but are they fatigued and I think that's quite even in the groups in terms of that fatigue It's sort of spread across the groups, I think.
10:30Catherine Whitaker:But that could be an element as well that influences how some of these matchups go. So, yes, there's this heavyweight feel to it. But there's also people coming in in slightly different forms, slightly different fitness. And I think that's going to be an interesting element to it. And generally speaking, it does feel like burnout is less of a kind of ghost at the feast with the WTA finals than it's going to be with the ATP finals. Like Pagula is maybe my one player that I think, God, I just feel like I've watched a lot of Jessica Pagula playing tennis since the US Open. Like not only the number of tournaments she's played, but the length of those matches.
11:12I just feel like she's been on my telly a lot, running around a lot. But in terms of your big hitters,
11:21Matt Roberts:a lot of them have been able to be, as you say, pretty prudent with their post-US Open schedule. You know, Anisimova was able to win Beijing and then sit out on the sidelines for a bit. Shontek and Sabalenka have picked and chosen since then. And OK, you've got Rabatkinner, who's had a slightly more Muzetti-esque chasing arc. But generally speaking, I have less of a feeling of like hunger games about these WTA finals than I fear I'm going to have with Turin. I don't know how you feel about that, David.
12:02David Law:yeah I probably agree and and Pegula is generally speaking I think the player who just feels durable she feels like she can keep coming out and delivering performances pretty much regardless um she may not have the ceiling of some but what a battler she is and what a consistent player I mean I do remember it was I think a couple of years ago when she very clearly hit the wall at this event and and just lost everything singles and doubles she was playing doubles with with Coco Gauff, I think, as well. And they just couldn't play. And maybe the fact that she's playing... Was that when it was in...
12:38Was that Fort Worth? Was that the Fort Worth year?
12:42David Law:Might well be. Certainly two or three years ago. Which was the year before Cancun. It's Cancun that lives rent-free in my head. Yeah, that's the one with the hurricane that was blowing through us at the time. Yes. What felt like it anyway. Yeah. And just basically... basically court furniture flying around yeah uninhabitable tennis courts basically uh not ideal um but you know a few years have passed since then and and she's not playing the same level of doubles now the same amount of doubles maybe that's maybe that's a factor in being able to do this a little more throughout a full season um so yeah i i i do think i mean look there are probably there are fewer tournaments really back to back banked into this event in quite the same way yes there are tournaments going on in tokyo and and other places but it it's it's it's almost as though there's a three-week run and then they get a bit of time off and then they come into it and it's earlier in the season you know you've got another couple of weeks for for the atp finals or another week at least and and you've got you've got a real race going on and you've got them all banked up including a masters 1000 right at the end of it as well and shanghai you know it's it's
14:00Catherine Whitaker:a heck of a lot in the men's side of things and it's the european indoor swing that the atp has that the wta doesn't you know like the men have been to asia as well they played beijing and tokyo and shanghai you know in in kind of the same weeks that the women have been in asia but then the men have these really great prestigious events you know your bars or vienna paris they're good events but they do elongate the season and they they do mean that that race continues right up to the final day before the atp finals start whereas it's just a bit more runway with the wta finals after the asian swing because they they don't have that history of those prestigious indoor events at this time of the year that the men have and you know the men want to play those events and I get that they're really good events they're really well attended they they maybe feel a bit bigger than they are even even even at this time of the season but it does lead I think to a lot of burnout and I think that ATP finals have suffered because of that in in the last few years you know we've had several ATP finals where there have been a lot of one-sided matches whereas you know I am coming into this WTA finals pretty pretty pumped about a lot of these players and and the form I'm expecting them to be in, considering they've had just a couple of weeks off.
15:26Yeah, absolutely. I feel the same. I mean, all discomfort about Saudi Arabia being the host nation remains. We talked about that at length in our most recent podcast episode with Charlie Eccleshare. And taking a different angle on that, My anxiety about crowds and atmosphere remains in the amount of appetite there is to watch women's tennis in Saudi Arabia. Last year, I think the best crowds were for Zhang Chinwen's matches, as I recall, because of the Chinese population in Saudi Arabia. Well, there's no Zhang Chinwen this year. So what are crowds going to be like? Will this event get anywhere near the atmosphere and the vibe that it deserves?
16:21I hope so, but I do have anxiety about it on that front. You know, Paris that we've been watching this week, the Men's 1000 event, is so elevated by the vibe and the energy of the crowd, of that French crowd. You know, it is too much. They shouldn't be playing a Masters 1000 event right now. Everyone is absolutely on their last legs.
16:48Matt Roberts:It does feel like the Hunger Games. And yet you look at that French crowd and the Roland Garros energy they're bringing to it all. And it just gets me going. It's pretty irresistible. And you need that at this stage of the season when everyone's running on fumes. So, yeah, I think proof will be in the pudding. But I have that anxiety about the tournament, just as I did last year. Some predictions, I think, feels like the order of the day. The Serena Williams group. Do we like, do they just pluck legendary names out of a hat? Like, how have we landed on Serena and Stephanie here? It feels like Serena and Stephanie, like, I know they played.
17:37I know they did play against each other, but they're from different eras. They're not a couplet. No, no. I feel like they could have gone Steffi and Conchita Martinez or Aranxious Anxious Vicario or Monica Seles. Yeah, it feels a bit weird that we've got these two paired together. But I do like them being the names of the group.
18:02Catherine Whitaker:I prefer that to just, you know, the white and green group or something. I think it's quite fun to have the players. But yeah, a bit of an odd couplet to choose. Who is going to win the Serena Williams group and who else is going to qualify from the group? So who are going to be the top two finishes in Serena Williams? Let's call it the Serena Williams group. I think that I would go with
18:37David Law:Inissimova to top the group
18:42David Law:and to me it's between Rebecca and Esfiantic and I'm going to go for Esfiantic because I do think although Rebecca has got the momentum I do think at some point surely she's going to run out of gas you know she's played so much recently so I think I'm going to go for those two in that order Anissimova and then Svantec So do you think Anissimova is beating Svantec David? Yeah I think she's going 3-0 You got a little nod of approval from Matt Roberts there during that answer. Yeah he's beaming Love it, love it Looks like a proud parent She does feel like one of the more reliable players. I expect Anissamova to play well now.
19:32Do you know what I mean? Like there was definitely a time in her career where you really didn't know what you were going to get.
19:36Catherine Whitaker:But we've just had months and months of real consistency. And yeah, she is pretty fresh, I think, coming in. I know she's been in Riyadh like a while. I think she's had quite a long time to get used to the conditions. So yeah, no surprise at all that I will agree with David there. I think the Rabatkaner matchup is interesting because, as I said, they've never played before. We get that match straight away on Saturday. That feels pretty pivotal because I do expect Keyes to be the weak link in this group just because of her lack of matches. Is she fully fit, Madison Keyes? I don't know. She's certainly a question mark on the fitness front.
20:15Catherine Whitaker:So I think Anisimova-Rabakina right out the gate is big in terms of who comes through this group. But match-up-wise, just thinking about it, one of Anissimova's great strengths is her return of serve you know the way she can attack that shot ordinarily but how does that match up against when it's firing the best serve on the WTA tour I would say in Elena Rubakina can Anissimova be as effective on the return I think will be a key element to that match I do back Anissimova and I do ultimately back Shiontek as well she is, I was looking at all the various head-to-heads between everyone in the field.
20:56Catherine Whitaker:She's the only one in the field who doesn't have a losing head-to-head against anyone here, Igor Sviontek, which is pretty impressive. You know, this is the other best players in the world. And at worst, she's even against everyone or she's got a winning record. And I think we can look at her and think maybe she's a bit vulnerable against these big hitters because she has been at times and she's talked about the fatigue she's feeling. But I do think she'll have enough to get through this group considering how she's turned the head-to-head round against Rebacca this year. In fact, the only set she's lost against Rebacca this year was at Roland Garros, oddly.
21:33Catherine Whitaker:She's won their hardcourt matches in straight sets. So yes, I will go with David and go Anissa Mova and Svantec to get out of that group. Yeah, boring. I think I will as well. And I share your thoughts about this new normal of Anissa Mova just feeling like a reliable top four player. That is just who she is now. It's so cool. But yeah, it is a new normal that I'm still adjusting to. Stephanie Graff. Who is going to come through Stephanie Graff? We have Sabalenka, Gough, Pegula and Paolini. How is this going to shake down, Matt? Very tricky, this one, I think. Paolini, I'm going to, you know, I'm going to commit the cardinal sin and probably underestimate Jasmine Paolini.
22:35I'm a bit concerned that she's also playing the doubles and I think she is the most running on fumes, maybe out of anyone.
22:44Catherine Whitaker:certainly her and Rebecca because they've just had to make that push I just think it's a lot and I think she can play good matches I don't think she's going to get absolutely hit off the court she's shown that she belongs but she is the one that I'm looking at and thinking it's going to be tougher to get through this group so obviously my apologies in advance for underestimating Jasmine Paolini when we do our... I'm fully prepared to lead the next podcast with an apology to Jasmine Paolini after what I've just said. Maybe I'm leaning towards Sabalenka and Pagula here.
23:31Catherine Whitaker:Sabalenka, you know, speaks for itself, really. I think most people would probably be wrecking Sabalenka to come through. I know Goff just beat Pagula in the final. in Wuhan, but I did think Pagula was... She almost had nothing left. I think the rest will have done her good in the last couple of weeks. And she just feels a bit more reliable with her game right now. But Coco Goff has shown that she can cause Sabalenka problems. She can come through matches even when she's not at her best. I just think it's a lot for Coco Goff, for someone who is struggling with her game a little bit at the moment, to be up against top players straight away.
24:14Catherine Whitaker:You know, there's no like playing yourself in, getting used to it. I'm leaning Pagula for that reason, but don't feel strongly. But yeah, Sabalenka and Pagula would be my prediction on the eve of the tournament. David? I am going to go for Sabalenka and Goff. Goff has got the track record at this event. And I think that she is helped by the fact that to some degree, she isn't results oriented in quite the same way at the end of the season as she is earlier on in the season when it's the grand slam.
24:55David Law:She said that outright at the US Open, that the rest of the year to me is about improving. And I think that that clears her head. I think that sort of, I think she's a brilliant competitor when she does need to win. I mean, she always wants to win, but when there's not that pressure, that absolute, if I don't get the final point, then it's all worthless. When you relieve that from her, I think that she probably becomes more dangerous. Very difficult to do, of course. You know, players often talk in other sports, if I could only play how I practice, if I could only relax, not grip the racket so tightly or the club so tightly.
Read the full transcript
25:32David Law:And I think that maybe that's what happens to Goff at the end of the season. So I'm not entirely sure. I would probably go Sabalenka first and Goff second, but it could easily be the other way around. But I would go for those two.
25:44Catherine Whitaker:And I also think the draw is decent for Goff in that she's not got players who are going to like totally just like hit her off the court if she's having a bad day. Like I know she couldn't have faced Anissimov in the groups because they're in the same pot being the third and fourth ranked players. But, you know, getting Pagula rather than Rabakina, I think is maybe helpful. And getting Sabalenka rather than Sviantek, I think is maybe helpful, considering that Sviantek, when she's at her best, has proven to be a match-up problem for Goff in a way that Sabalenka never has been. So, yeah, that's maybe on her side too.
26:25Catherine Whitaker:It's tough to call. It's great. I love that I'm so unsure. I keep thinking about those US Open quotes from Goff as well, where she was kind of like, yeah, I won the WTA finals last year kind of by accident because I didn't care that much. yeah I mean gosh I mean Koko Goff is sort of in the inexplicable category for me like she definitely could win the thing or she could crash and burn with 25 double faults in every match like I really don't know
27:02Matt Roberts:is it will this be the first time we've seen Goff Sabalenka since the French Open final I think it is right yeah that's really cool yeah
27:13Catherine Whitaker:we had them practicing together didn't we on was it Court 1 or Centre yes in Wimbledon with Pam with Pam immediately after when they were yeah and they were all very friendly there was a TikTok very quick to play it down yeah yeah yeah but put them in a match scenario again yeah yeah there's no TikTok here I mean I'm sure there will be but okay right I'm into it Who's going to win the... Well, are you leaning Goff, Catherine, over Pergoula in that group? I've just said she's inexplicable, which is my way of saying I'm getting myself off the hook of making Goff predictions. I feel like Jessica Pergoula is my Jasmine Paolini, my I always underestimate her.
28:08But then... So are you picking Paolini to come through? No. The person I'm not picking to come through is Paolini. I think she must be on fumes. People are listening to this and laughing at us right now. Here they go again. Doing singles and doubles. I'm going to pick her to win the doubles, Matt. There you go. That's having my cake and eating it, isn't it? I'm going to come out.
28:34I am backing Saurat Irani. I'm going to go Savalenka and Pagula OK I think Gough struggles with the Pagula matchup more than Pagula does I think it's weirder for Gough somehow I think it's got a bit less weird though neither of them struggle with it as much as I do I just don't I don't like it I don't like those matches but yeah okay I'm going to go for Sabalenka and Pagula and I'm going to underestimate Jasmin Paolini and defending champion Coco Goff there we go who's going to win the whole title? Anissa Mova do you actually think that? I do I actually do I think I do too you know oh my god yeah I know who am I?
29:34I love that she, I think it was in Beijing, not when she won the title, or maybe it was when she won the title.
29:44Matt Roberts:It was whatever match that confirmed her qualification for Riyadh, for the WTA finals. And she said in her on-court interview, this is huge for me. That was my goal at the start of this season. Yeah, she said it was the only goal she achieved. Yeah, yeah. What were the others?
30:10Matt Roberts:It's probably unfair, but that really surprised me because I didn't have anything like these aspirations for her at the start of this season. And it wasn't until the spring that she brought on Shadi and the new fitness team and everything. And I think of kind of that as the massive turning point for Amanda Ellis-Amova when I would have assumed that kind of her goals and aspirations changed around as well. But it was obviously far, far earlier than that. And I, yeah, I love that she was kind of putting that out there in the universe right at the start of this season. And yeah, I think she's going to win it.
30:54Catherine Whitaker:By the way, interesting if she does play Pugula, for example, in the semis or final, you know, they can't play in the group. She's never beaten Pugula. She's got an 0-3 record against Pugula as Anisimova. So that's something to watch out for. has David got a rational pick for the title no so who are you picking who's your Nisimov oh okay are you really of course oh god you're asking me to be the rational one no one's picking
31:31Matt Roberts:Shontek or Sabalenka no I was I thought I'm the I'm the out there guy and you've gone to me for sensible stuff ridiculous okay so we're all picking in a Samova great imagine how cool we'll look if we get it right
31:52yeah it's quite a lot of it's quite a lot of eggs in one basket isn't it it's quite a lot of credibility eggs in one in one basket I don't worry about that but okay we are where we are join us in part two
32:08Matt Roberts:and we will We'll look at Paris. We'll look at the doubles group. We'll have a little look at what Yannick Sinner has been saying this week about some big picture tennis stuff in the Guardian newspaper. Join us in part two for that. Welcome back to part two of today's tennis podcast. A quick look at the doubles groups in Riyadh at the WTA finals. Again, don't necessarily think of Martina Navratilova and Liesl Huber as a couplet, but here we are.
32:43Catherine Whitaker:I was so ready to go on a rant about why it wasn't the Pam Shriver group, if we've got the Martina Navratilova group. However, I did just go back and check and we have had a Pam Shriver group in 2022. Who was she paired with? Any guesses who she was paired with? It's a tough one to get. Rosie Casals is the answer. Fun. Right. I think they put fun together. Rosie and Pam is a good time. Yeah, they're sort of personality matches. Yeah. Yeah. OK. In the Martina Navratilova group, we have Sara Arani and Jasmine Paolini,
33:24Matt Roberts:Veronica Kudamatova and Elisa Mertens, Suey Shea and Yelena Ostopenko and Asia Mohamed and Demi Scherz. In the Liesl Huber Group, we have Katarina Siniagov and Taylor Townsend, Gabby Dabrowski and Erin Routliff, Mira Andraver and Dana Schneider and Tamir Babos and Louisa Stefani. David, according to an early morning WhatsApp we received this morning, is very pumped about the Liesl Huber Group. Explain yourself, David. I think it's amazing. It's more or less perfection. I mean, I suppose I'd like to have Arani and Paulini in there as well.
34:02David Law:But actually, the whole thing's great because Osterpenko and Shea are in the other group too. But I mean, look, my favourite player is Luisa Stefani, right, in doubles. I think she's absolutely wonderful. And she's playing with Tamir Babos. She's such a dynamic player. Stefani, Jedi-like, as I always like to think of these players who can just read shots and just end up there where they're supposed to be. And the fact that she's in a group with Andreeva and Schneider, that's cool. Isn't Dubrovsky your favourite, Matt? Yes. I think. She's my water player. And I think that's... I thought so. I think that's aged really well.
34:41I think we... Oh, yes.
34:42David Law:So is Luisa Stefani. Thank you very much. Not quite as well. And Katarina Sinjakova and Taylor Townsend is exceptional fun. I mean, they're brilliant doubles players. So that's an amazing group. Can't wait for it. Holly David is a big Liesl Huber guy who knew okay that's it for the WTA finals in Riyadh we will of course be back with extra pods to cover that event so our next pod is when? I think it's planned for a group stage wrap up
35:20Catherine Whitaker:so I think that's like Friday next week for the focusing on WTA finals but we'll also have a regular pod on Monday to talk mostly about Paris but we'll discuss the first few days of the WTA finals and what we've seen Very good Thank you Matt Matt likes order and structure as we established last night we're having an existential chat about draws while waiting for the Carabao Cup quarterfinal draw which did not go as hoped. Yeah, Catherine came up with the idea that tennis should do a draw after every round in the way that football does.
36:01Matt Roberts:Which is what football does. Yeah. So we were waiting for the quarterfinal draw of the Carabao. You know, they redraw everyone. Now, I'm not suggesting tennis should adopt this across the board, but, like, could we not try it? I don't know. I like it. Wouldn't that be fun? I love it. Yeah? Yeah. It's a bit like my let's not have seeds draw. Yeah. Yeah, there would be some things to iron out about seeds and whether you have seeds, whether you reseed after every round. Look, I'm prepared to workshop that with whichever tournament director wants to come with me on this. But, like, let's give it a go.
36:41Yeah, it'd be fun. And then I said, well, I initially said it would be great fun because I love draws. I want as many draws as possible. but then I love draws last night well I did really I didn't like the outcome of the draw but I liked I liked the feeling of of trying to find out who full am I going to play um but then I realized I
37:03Catherine Whitaker:like I do like the initial buzz of what's going to happen but then what I really like is the structure that a draw gives my life and I I know what the next week or couple of weeks are roughly going to look like i'm a i'm a planner i like to have my days lined up i know what i'm doing a week from today all that kind of thing and i think a draw gives me that organization and structure in my life i had a real moment of realizing what it is i like about draws last time you but the thing is you would still have that structure you'd still know a week from wednesday is quarterfinals day you just wouldn't be able to project forward okay i like the projection okay too much chaos
37:48Matt Roberts:for matt in my system i mean it might it might be too much chaos for me and and for the wider public as well but until we try we don't know it's definitely too much chaos for tennis like tennis can't even do one draw properly for tournament let alone five six can do it matt It just needs the right people in charge. Yeah, you're right. Right, yeah. Someone come with me on this. My DMs are open. The right people are not in charge of enough tournaments. Catherine's the ideas person on this. Catherine's come up with the idea. We need Wimbledon's organisers. I think you'll find the Carabao Cup came up with the idea.
38:25Well, you're the one who's adapted it to tennis. Get Jamie Redknapp involved. No, we're all right. Yes, thank you very much, David. Jamie Rednack was responsible for was it him that picked ball number three out of the bag? We were the last team left with the words tough draw for Fulham
38:51I've come round I think we're going through tough draw for Newcastle I think yes David turning our attention to Paris and its new venue, the Accor Arena. I have to say... No, it's La Défense Arena. Oh, La Défense Arena. Accor is the old one. Is it? I thought that was Bercy. Yeah, but it's the Accor Hotel or something that it was. Right, okay. Accor Hotel, don't want this one. Okay. La Défense Arena.
39:28The new venue for Paris, Bercy. I have to say Visually, it's remarkably similar, isn't it, in terms of on the TV.
39:35Matt Roberts:They've kept the look and feel very consistent from how it used to look in Bear Sea. We've had a big shock. It will not be a Sinner-Alcaraz final. Carlos Alcaraz's streak of reaching nine consecutive tour finals has been snapped by Cameron Norrie. 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Alcaraz's opener. More than 50 unforced errors from Carlos Alcaraz. And it means that should Yannick Sinner win Paris, he will return to world number one. But just for a week before inevitably handing it back to Carlos Alcaraz ahead of the ATP finals because his 1 ,500 points from winning the ATP finals last year will drop off the computer.
40:28Matt Roberts:Do we read anything into this loss from Alcaraz other than it's October, it's indoors, it's the end of the season, it's in the scheme of things, let's face it, fairly meaningless for Carlos Alcaraz. Like, I don't want to diminish this achievement for Cameron Norrie. He's beaten a world number one. That is massive. But I think this is one of those, tell me if you disagree, that means an awful lot more on one end of the court than it does on the other. Matt, what do you think? Yeah, I mean, our trade is to have takes, right, about matches. and I think sometimes that can maybe lead us to read into something that isn't there and I'm not going to do that.
41:24I really don't think this matters.
41:28Catherine Whitaker:You know, Carlos Alquez has had an incredible season, the best of his career, remarkable consistency, one match where he didn't really have the feel against an opponent who has been a little bit tricky for him in the past, has beaten him before Cameron Norrie, he's an awkward opponent for him, I think. yeah I'm not gonna sound the alarm bells here at all I think it was just one of those days and he's shown this season that those days are happening a lot less and you know he moves on he moves on to Turin and tries to really play well there for the first time you know so yeah I think he said there are some matches you learn from and some you forget about and this is one of the ones you forget about.
42:15Catherine Whitaker:And that's pretty much where I am at with it. Although, you know, as you said, nice moment for Cameron Norrie. Big win for him.
42:26Yeah. Yeah, it's tough, isn't it? That part of me feels relief, like that he's kind of, that he's going to sort of save some canister, you know, which isn't how I want to be feeling when watching tennis matches
42:46Matt Roberts:but who needs Sineral Kras anyway when you've got Rindeknesh Vachero am I joking? I don't know I friggin loved Rindeknesh Vachero yesterday in the words of the bloke with the incredible sign in the crowds vive la cuisinade live long the cousins Yeah, I'm so into these two, David. And this was an even, the story's always been great, but this was a great match to boot.
43:21David Law:Quite an achievement for them as cousins to produce something so watchable because on paper, it's your worst nightmare, Catherine, as a match-up. It's two people who love one another and want the best for one another. Surely that's not going to lead to an intoxicating mix of competition and dramatic scenes. And yet it does. And it's, I mean, look, they make absolutely no secret of the fact that they think the world of one another. And yet they're trying to absolutely take each other down with every shot. Every shot is hit with intent. It's not all laughs and giggles all the time throughout the match, but it's nice afterwards.
44:05David Law:and I don't feel like either one of them is inhibited by being the other's cousin. They're a great watch. They're a great watch. And the Vashiro story just generally, I mean, look, I've loved Rindikinesh this year, but Vashiro is just such a bonus at the end of the year because he's already proving it's not a one-off. And, I mean, look, I hope it carries on to the new year because he's a guy I want to see more of. I want to see him on different – well, I want to see him outdoors. I want to see what it looks like to watch him not under lights. It's just really fascinating to see whether this is just a hot streak of a few weeks or not.
44:47David Law:But I kind of feel like it's not. Well, the run continues. He has just beaten Cameron Norrie. So we will be seeing more of Valentin Vachero this week. Genuine question, Matt. Is he the second favourite for this title behind Yannick Sinner?
45:06very good question my instinct was to laugh at it but then i realized he might be i mean he's on the other he's on the other side of the drawer isn't he uh to sinner uh i think i'd probably go fritz ahead of bacchero i think fritz is still there I think we have to give Fritz his due. But then it might be Vachero. What about Valentin's due? Well, I think even considering that question, he's giving him his due. He's giving him his due. Okay, fair enough. Yeah. He's got Félix Auger-Aliassime or Daniel Altmaier next.
45:51Matt Roberts:It does Auger-Aliassime. Altmaier took out Kasper Rude, ending his faint hopes of qualifying for the ATP finals. Lorenzo Mazzetti, we watched him lose to Lorenzo Sonnego last night. Matt, poor old Lorenzo Mazzetti is probably going to have to drag himself to Mets to try and qualify for Turin. Well, not necessarily. I mean, he's still in the driving seat. what he does need is Orjali Asim to lose because we're now in a situation where if Orjali Asim reaches the final here,
46:31Catherine Whitaker:he will pass Mazzetti in that eighth spot. So he definitely needs Orjali Asim to lose. And that's been close to happening in two straight matches. He's had to dig very deep, has Felix, against Comissania and against Muller. it feels a little bit like he's hanging on as well. Urjali has seen him. He is a bit there for the taking, but he's getting through these matches and that is making Mazzetti nervous. So, you know, there's definitely quite a lot of play there. Medvedev is still in with a big outside chance as well. You know, I think he would need to win the title and then also potentially do something in a Mets or an Athens.
47:16Catherine Whitaker:But, you know, he's in the mix as well. but he is in Sinner's section, isn't he? Medvedev. So he would probably have to get past Sinner to even make the final in Paris. It's going to be tough for him. So basically, I think Mazzetti, who should have won that match in straight sets against Sonnego last night, he had break points deep in that second set to potentially put himself in a winning position. When he didn't take them, he absolutely fell to pieces, had absolutely nothing to give in that third set and is now just in a situation where I think he'd be absolutely best off not playing Mets. I think the only good outcome now for Mazzetti is hoping that everyone else around him loses and he gets in that way because, yeah, he's said it's a nightmare and now he's feeling it physically as well.
48:05Like, poor Mazzetti. But it is quite compelling to see whether Orgelia's team can keep his run going and really pile on the pressure. Alexander Bublik seems to be in with a totally outside shot of qualifying,
48:21Matt Roberts:certainly of being an alternate, which I think is a carrot in itself. He beat Quarantan Moutet yesterday, did some aggro on the camera, told him to, he did some sort of have a safe flight home energy, didn't he? Which is, you know, all pretty par for the course.
48:42Catherine Whitaker:Yes, because I think Moutet had said something about wanting to send him home and then public one and wrote on your way home on the camera or something.
48:53Matt Roberts:Yes, and lent into it further with his on-call interview, didn't he? He only lives in Paris, so it's a short taxi ride for him. And then Moutet said, I actually live in Dubai.
49:06Oh, that's the equivalent of I'm still in the doubles. Still in the doubles, yeah. I live in Dubai.
49:16Matt Roberts:Alejandro Davidovic Fikina has a chance of being an alternate in Turin. My understanding is that Daniel Medvedev is not interested in being an alternate. He would give up the alternate spot in Turin were he to qualify there in an alternate spot. So Davidovic Fikina has something to chase. he takes on Alexander Zverev later on tonight. I got involved in some aggro with the French crowd last night, Matt, did Davidovich for Kino. Very funny. Did you watch this, David?
49:52David Law:Can you explain the celebration to me? He was playing Arta Cazzo, and I saw the pictures of him blowing kisses to the crowd in a very dramatic manner, and I thought, oh, yes, this is perfect. he also hit them with the Steph Curry go to sleep celebration a couple of times yeah I don't think of Davidovich Vakina as that guy I think the French crowd can do that to anyone it's what we love about it you know like remember Taylor Fritz turned into that guy you know that's where the Windekinesh stuff was born wasn't it on Suzanne Longlen at Roland Garros yeah great
50:35Catherine Whitaker:I really enjoyed it. It was one of those where we had the option of, it was Sinner-Bergs, wasn't it, on the main court. And we watched Sinner go up a break. And then I thought, I think I know how this match is going. Let's get on to court one, which used to be tiny in Bear Sea. It used to be a tiny court. I don't know, 500 people maybe. Now you've still got the low camera angle on the TV. It's a good watch court one, but there's also a massive stand at the side. so it's really enhanced I would say in terms of atmosphere you get you get the intimate feeling watching it on the telly but you also get massive atmosphere because there's a lot of people watching um and yeah it was a good time Kazo against Davidovich Vakina and uh yeah very interested by Davidovich Vakina Zverev later today that that that feels like one where Davidovich Fakina's probably going to have a shot right like he's it's a question of whether he can it's will he shit himself a little bit I think yeah it's it's the eternal Davidovich Fakina question
51:43Matt Roberts:okay that's it for part two important stuff to come in part three though Yannick Sinner has had some things to say this week and he said them to the Guardian we'll cover that in part three Welcome back to part three of today's tennis podcast where we need to talk about Yannick Sinner and some things that he has taken it upon himself to say this week. He's stuck his head above the parapet. He's gone to The Guardian, the British newspaper, an exclusive interview by Matt Hughes there. I'll read you some important sections from the write-up. Yannick Sinner has criticised the Grand Slam tournaments for failing to engage with repeated requests from the world's top stars to discuss prize money and welfare benefits for lower-ranked players.
52:40Matt Roberts:The Guardian has learned that detailed proposals from the world's top 10 male and female players over alterations to prize money were rejected by the Grand Slam tournaments in August, while their request for a meeting to discuss their concerns at the US Open was also turned down. Grand Slam tournaments are understood to have told the players that they cannot hold substantive talks until a separate legal case brought by the Professional Tennis Players Association, the PTPA, has been resolved. They also referenced ongoing negotiations over the tennis calendar and plans for a so-called premium tour.
53:19Matt Roberts:Sinner expressed frustration at the refusal of Grand Slam tournaments to discuss welfare benefits in particular, as well as repeating the players' call for greater prize money. We had good conversations with the Grand Slams at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, he said. So it was disappointing when they said they cannot act on our proposals until other issues are resolved. Calendar and scheduling are important topics, But there is nothing stopping the slams from addressing player welfare benefits like pensions and health care right now. The Grand Slams are the biggest events and generate most of the revenue in tennis.
53:55Matt Roberts:So we're asking for a fair contribution to support all players and for prize money that better reflects what these tournaments can earn. We want to work together with the slams to find solutions that are good for everyone in tennis. The players argue that the ratio of prize money to overall tournament income is too low at about 12 to 15 percent across the four Grand Slam tournaments compared to 22 percent on the ATP and WTA tours. At Wimbledon last year, the total prize pot of 50 million represented 12.3 percent of the championship's 406.5 million pound total revenue. David what Yannick Sinner is saying here and calling for here is nothing new a lot of players Novak Djokovic the most prominent of them has been talking about this and calling for this for a long time so that kind of position and line of thinking is not necessarily a surprise or a shock but was it a surprise or a shock to you that Yannick Sinner has chosen to put his head above the parapet like this?
55:10David Law:I think in a vacuum it would be because he is not somebody I associate with looking for additional outside distractions who has a lot on his plate already trying to be the best player in the world in the men's tennis and is doing a pretty good job of it but when you consider in in the context of the fact that there have been these two letters sent to the Grand Slams by the top 10 players in both men's and women's tennis organized and this is key to me organized via Larry Scott who used to be the the CEO of the WTA who was the man who told us, who did an interview with us for the Journey to Equal Prize Money show that we did for Friends of the Tennis podcast in which he explained how he kind of helped in conjunction with Billie Jean King and then later Venus Williams to orchestrate and pressurize publicly in order to manage to get what they wanted.
56:19David Law:And they did get equal prize money at all the Grand Slams. you know they'd already had at the US Open they got Wimbledon to to to to go along eventually took years but he was the the choreographer of all of that and the fact that the the the top 10 players as as groups have hired him to run the show for them or to to to run their campaign effectively tells me that that you've got somebody in charge who really knows what they're doing Now, I don't know exactly what's happened here, but I wouldn't mind a bet that he has told the players, if you want to get what you want, you better be outspoken about it.
57:00David Law:He's attended meetings with Yannick Sinner and with other top players in order to try to get movement here. It seems to all be confused and held up by the fact that there's the PTPA's ongoing suit as well, which is a separate organization, which is also purporting to represent players. And then you've got the tours themselves, the ATP and the WTA. So the whole thing is very difficult to get a clear idea of who's doing what and what's going to happen. But to me, it's not that surprising that Yannick Sinner, and I suspect we'll hear from other players, other top players in the future, who are going to pressurise and try to get their word out there.
57:52Do you think Matt that seeing this was manna from heaven for the ATP and Andrea Gaudenzi just as they're getting a load of flack for the schedule and players dropping like flies and the optically untimely announcement of the 10th Masters event in Saudi Arabia
58:19Matt Roberts:Yannick Sinner, the world number two, sticks his head out and goes, yeah, that stuff does matter. But actually, look over here is this other bigger problem. Look at the Grand Slams. They're more to blame. Let's focus on that problem right now.
58:35Catherine Whitaker:Yeah, I suppose so. And I think it, A, speaks to the array of issues that the players have, you know, whether it be in terms of the amount of prize money that they're getting from the slams or the scheduling of the ATP you know there's like there's two very big issues there that are prominent issues but it also speaks to the lack of united player approach to actually solving these issues you know David's laid it out really well there on the one hand you've got these groups of top 10 players and and they're targeting the one thing you've got the ptpa with that very broad lawsuit that they put forward and i i just i always think this would be more effective you know done properly together you know targeting targeting one thing at a time i suppose and and all on a united front and we just don't have that obviously the ptpa has tried um but by no means has achieved that and been that.
59:43So you do end up with this slightly sort of scattergun approach and, you know, sort of priority for one person is not a priority for another. But I think they're all good points that Yannick Sinner makes. Like, I wouldn't disagree at all with what he's saying there. And it must be frustrating if they've had promising conversations and then it's been held up by, well, what the slams are saying, the PTPA, you know, and Sinner's thinking, Surely we should all be on the same page here, but they're not. And that's why it's quite stagnant, I think. Yeah, there's a great irony of the PTPA's stated aim is to unite the players in their goals and their approach.
1:00:30But actually, as much as that might be their intention, the real life impact seems to be one of further fragmentation. Now, they would say that that's not our fault. If everybody gets on board with us, then we can be united. But in real terms, what we're actually seeing happening is just total disunity. even if everybody's aims are aligned like just going about those aims in a disunited way seems to be having quite a negative impact
1:01:09Matt Roberts:but yeah like the number of organisations involved in just this one element of this story like I can understand if listeners just sort of glaze over when we start talking about this stuff because like god it's so overwhelming isn't it It's a pretty crazy state of affairs. But that is tennis. It's the sport we all know and love and choose to talk about for a living. And we wouldn't have it any other way. It's going to be a fun weekend of tennis. Climax in Paris. WTA finals getting underway. David on holiday. What more could we all want? hello to our mascots Phoebe, Maisie and Roger hello to our top folks and executive producers Greg, Chris and Jeff shall we have some shout outs Matt?
1:02:03yes we have Sharon from Boston who says that she's been a listener since before Matt was an intern wow the bad old days like Samantha Murray sharon wow that's good sharon murray murray sharon sharon murray that's very good what about uh sharon fishman uh a canadian former tennis player who got to a career high ranking of 77 in the world in that would be great if it weren't you've got to style out better the fact that you've googled it david how how can you possibly accuse me of that i can see that you're reading well Yes, that is happening. I can see you. She is now 34 years of age.
1:02:58David Law:And actually, I did remember her name, but I completely spelt it wrong. And then it turned out she was no longer the player that I thought she was. But she is a player.
1:03:13Sharon. I think Sharon's a very underrepresented name in our shout out. So I'm pleased to have a Sharon. Thank you, Sharon. we've also got Pooja from Sunnyvale California Pooja that is so nearly Sunnydale California the fictional setting of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I'm sure Pooja has heard that before Pooja has in fact referenced that in her shout out oh god
1:03:45go on then hit me with it who just says no connection to sunny down that was in southern california this is in northern california close to san francisco almost ideal tennis playing weather i wonder why we don't have any tournaments here in the france san francisco bay area with beautiful tennis weather and dedicated fans so she's she's making a come and get me plea in her in her shout out i like it There used to be one at Stanford University, didn't there, which is in the Bay Area, but no longer. I'm sorry, Pooja, if I've offended you with my immediate Buffy the Vampire Slayer reference. But I'm grateful to you for enabling me to think about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is iconic TV.
1:04:36And Pooja has a 13-year-old rescue shih tzu poodle called Michi. A sheepoo? Michi, who perks up every time she hears Billie Jean in the background. Oh, Michi. Hello. That's great. All good stuff, Pooja. Thank you. And finally, we have Natalie from New York. Hello Natalie Hi Natalie Natalie says I was able to fulfil a lifetime dream by attending Wimbledon for the first time this year and I saw Carlos Alcaraz versus Fabio Fanini remember that match oh my god what a dog's dinner that one wow crikey like Natalie Deschie was that five sets or four it was too many sets
1:05:32Matt Roberts:it was too many sets I think it was five, you know. Yeah, I've got a feeling it was as well. I think there was a moment when I was wondering whether, you know, Fanini was going to join Berrettini as, you know, the people, you know, the Italians to have won a fifth set against Carlos Alcaraz. I think I remember having that thought. Wow. Natalie Tozier coach of Mira no coach of Victoria Mboko yes and Natalie despite attending Wimbledon for the first time this year has been a long time attendee of the US Open and says that I must admit leaving an epic match due to the late hour the 2001 men's quarter final between Agassi and Sampras.
1:06:30Agassi love late night matches more than I did, says Natalie. I get it. I'm not gonna call Natalie out for that. People have lives. No. People have lives. Natalie has a life to lead. Good for you, Natalie. She now says that she's eyeing up the fan slam it hadn't been a bucket list thing for her before but she's now now she's got Wimbledon she's halfway there and she thinks she's going to go for it two to go so I love that two good ones Natalie keep us posted Natalie Pooja Sharon thank you ever so much
1:07:15Matt Roberts:for your support of the Tennis Podcast if you'd like to get yourself a shout out become a friend of the pod get access to all of our bonus content and ad free listening and plenty else besides then the link to do that is in our show notes. We'll be back on Monday with our pod as normal and we'll have extra ones coming at you over the next few weeks as we cover the WTA finals and then the ATP finals in Turin as well. Thank you for listening. David, go and enjoy your holiday. We'll speak to you on Monday.
From the publisher
The groups have been drawn for the WTA Finals in Riyadh and Catherine, David and Matt are here to preview the tournament and reflect on the opening stages of the ATP 1000 event in Paris.
Part one - WTA Finals singles preview. We break down the groups and make predictions for the week ahead. How will Iga Swiatek fare against the big hitters? What will happen when Coco Gauff faces Aryna Sabalenka for the first time since Roland Garros? And can Amanda Anisimova keep up her superb form?
Part two - WTA Finals doubles preview and Paris results so far (32:26). We cover Carlos Alcaraz’s shock loss to Cameron Norrie, the latest instalment of the cousin clash between Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech, and how Lorenzo Musetti’s defeat leaves the Race to Turin.
Part three - Jannik Sinner calls out the Grand Slams for delaying player welfare and prize money talks (51:58).
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