Muchova’s moment - the first of many?

24:53Catherine Whitaker:And yet I would probably expect that to again feel weird at the time. Like, I don't know. I just don't feel like we've had a player be like a dominant world number one and then sort of be as kind of vulnerable as she as she seems right now without without anything like hugely having sort of happen. there's no like sort of big injury you can point to or big moment in time where you sort of think everything changed maybe the olympics and this and there's still some kind of sort of people pointed to that didn't there so the olympics hangover i suppose the the drugs ban as well there have been there have been things but i don't know like i thought that time would would sort of help with some of those and yet the game does feel still a little bit stuck under win for set.

25:48Matt Roberts:Yeah, I have exactly the same experience. You've described it really well there. Matt, a tight minute on Amanda Enesimova. She was the defending champion last week. Retired in the third against Karolina Pliskova. Illness was the reason given. She looked at me like she was maybe struggling with a few things. It wasn't the most reassuring Amanda Inesimova situation, I didn't think. How worried are you?

26:19Catherine Whitaker:Well, she plays Craig Chicova today in Dubai, which is a tough old draw, I would have thought. Not big picture worried. I do think there was a continuation from what we saw at the Australian Open where there's a lot of stress in her matches at the moment in this year. And maybe that's change of status. And as we talked about last week, knowing she's got a lot more to defend this year, there's more pressure, there's more expectation. I don't know. That's purely speculation on my part. But she doesn't quite seem to have the freedom in these matches that she was playing with for a lot of last year.

27:02Catherine Whitaker:Pliskova played really well and got that second set back and pushed her. and you just never felt like Anissa Mova quite had the same resilience in this match that she had last year. It was more stress rather than, right, I'm going to dig in and fight and find a way to win this. There did seem to be some physical issues that she had a medical timeout sort of on her ab region, I would say, and then retired, as you said, due to illness. So it's not great, of course, but you know last year she won Doha and then conked out first match in Dubai maybe she can flip the script

27:47Matt Roberts:Karenina Prishkova being a thing in 2026 is taking some adjusting to anyone else experiencing that?

27:53Catherine Whitaker:Yeah and then she retired in her next match

27:56Matt Roberts:Yeah things you didn't see coming

27:59David Law:She's from my BT sport commentating days and I stopped doing that seven years ago

28:06Matt Roberts:I feel like even though it feels like so long ago that she lost in Doha, I feel like we have to touch upon Coco Gauff because another really worrying defeat for her. Maybe not even defeat, but worrying performance from her. Four and two to Elizaveta Cotciareto. We had a real breakthrough week, by the way, Cotciareto. Matt, you texted the group during this match that I think we were all watching or certainly multi-screening saying Goff's game is in an absolute state. And yeah, I couldn't put it better. Her game was in a state in that match. Is she testing your Coco Goff is never as high as you think and never as low as you think theory?

28:51Matt Roberts:Because although I kind of back her mentally to not be too low, her game does feel pretty low. at the moment, like the game is a problem.

29:05Catherine Whitaker:And it feels like the longest like chunk of time maybe in her career that the game has been a problem. Like if you think back, it's really ever since Wimbledon last year that you've looked at the game and thought, oh dear, that's not in a particularly good state. She's had some moments since then, notably the United Cup, where things started looking a bit better back end of last season as well, but certainly not for any consistent length of time. She's never really played well in Doha. And if you look at her season, it is following a similar trend to last year. Good at the United Cup, quarterfinal loss in Australia, losing early in Doha.

29:52Catherine Whitaker:I think in terms of...

29:54Matt Roberts:She did say that thing once, didn't she, David? I feel like you were there for this, where she did make a quip in a press conference once about how little she cares about the Middle East swing. Do you remember that?

30:07David Law:My recollection was that it was after the US Open in terms of, right, well, the rest of the year is about improving my game. Because it's kind of like I've already been there and done that and I've already won a Grand Slam as well. She wasn't trying to be disrespectful, but she was trying to see a bigger picture of, I want to see improvements in my game, not just results because I know I can get results because of all of the other things in my game the athleticism the mental strength and there are some good parts of my game I think that the the concerning thing for me would be not only does the forehand and the serve look problematic but she's not finding ways to win the last two matches or even be competitive in them I mean I do think Cotchi Reto is a bit of a nightmare opponent she this is a woman who beat Jessica at Wimbledon and informed Jessica she's a very dangerous player and she played really well in this match and she's such a bundle of good energy that I think if you're feeling bad it probably makes you feel worse seeing how happy she looks down the other end but even so she just looked lost she looked bereft and that must be very strange for her because she never looks like that to me really very often.

31:23Catherine Whitaker:Yeah like you can see what she's trying to do on the serve at the moment in that she's got it to a passable phase. It's no longer a weapon which is a shame because at her best, her serve was a real weapon for her. But there weren't many double faults, it was kind of reliable and serviceable but it was a point starter essentially. But I can see that that's a stopgap measure en route hopefully to a better serve. The forehand unfortunately was absolutely dreadful in this match, you know, and so many different types of miss, you know, it's not like, it's not like she's got one miss that she can work on.

32:00Catherine Whitaker:Sometimes it's going in the bottom of the net. I've got variety. It's ballooning long, it's shanking wide, the footwork looked poor on it, like it was just bad and that seeped into her backhand as well. But as David said, the lack of grit and fight, and I remember her saying after the Svitolina loss in Melbourne, she said after the first set, she wasn't that worried because she thought, okay, I've been here before, I can get it back together. But it never came in the second set and actually things got worse. And that's what happened again here. And that ability, if she doesn't have that ability to sort of win ugly and win when she's not at her best, that is going to change sort of Coco Goff as a player because she needs that because she doesn't have a reliable enough game to always be playing well.

32:51Catherine Whitaker:But she's so good at winning when she's not at her best. But that's what's been missing, I would say, in the last two matches, that ability to turn a match around when she's not going well. And yeah, it's definitely concerning, that element.

33:10Matt Roberts:In the doubles, Danilina and Krunic, the Australian Open beaten finalists, They came from 6-love, 5-2 championship point down to beat Shane Ostapenko in the final. Love 6, 7-6, 10-8. Their second title together as a team. And they've lost five finals, including that Australian Open one. So this was a much needed breakthrough for them. They took out Defani again, David.

33:40David Law:Yeah, yeah. Tune in for that.

33:42Matt Roberts:Becoming a bit of a nemesis team.

33:44David Law:Yeah, that's two matches, big matches, that Stefani and Dubrovsky have failed to come out on top of against those two. And yeah, they need to get their act together, really, because they're the team of the tennis podcast for 2026. Matt Roberts and I are following every move. Yeah, there were several quite consequential singles

34:08Matt Roberts:and thrilling singles matches happening at one point last week. but David was exclusively streaming Gabby Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani, which was amazing. Right, that's it for part one. We'll be back in part two to talk about the three men's events that took place last week. Welcome back to part two of today's tennis podcast. Three men's events to discuss from last week, Rotterdam, Dallas and Buenos Aires. all three finals featured the number one seed against the number two seed. That's got to be at the very least extremely rare, if not unprecedented.

34:53Catherine Whitaker:It hadn't happened since 1981, the ATP said.

34:59Matt Roberts:Whoa. Of course you've got the stats. 45 years. Yeah, wild, right?

35:06Catherine Whitaker:and a big week for like the latter end of the top 10. You know, a lot of these finals were those guys, Orgielis, Seymour, Fritz, Dimon or Shelton.

35:17Matt Roberts:That's what they need to do, isn't it? Weeks when Sinner and Alcaraz aren't playing and you've got 500, so decent amount of points on offer, you have to clean up. If you're not Alcaraz or Sinner, you have to make the most of not having to play Alcaraz or Sinner, right? And them not playing as well. So you're essentially making up ground. And that is exactly what Alex de Minot did this week in Rotterdam and Félix Auger-Eliassime up until the final. 3-2, de Minot won the final. Félix Auger-Eliassime by the final that did not look physically right at all. A hip injury, I think, that he was struggling with.

35:59Matt Roberts:Real shame kind of took the sting out of this as a match. still a great week for Felix Orgelia really this match was this title was won by Dumenoor when he beat Bertrand van der Zanderskulp can anybody argue with that? Not really, as it turned out

36:18David Law:I didn't expect that to be the case at the time but yes, that was the closest he was run, wasn't it? But I think he more than any of the others is the one that I think that applies to of making hay whilst Alcraz and Sinner just aren't there. I mean, he'd lost the last two finals of this tournament to those two. And I know that's only one tournament, but that has been the story of his life for the last three years, really. He has made incremental improvements every single year. He has got to be the most consistently improving player, I think, of the pack. and a player that I, every year I think, no, no, that's it.

37:03David Law:He's got the most out of this game now. It's got nowhere else to go. And every year it seems to me that he finds a little something else extra. I mean, he was absolutely awesome in this Rottenham tournament. I mean, he started off, the first match was against Artifis, who's obviously my favourite player, but who's coming back from injury, but who absolutely came out rocking the ball in the first set. and Demenor just stayed with him and then just wore him down as a pro who hasn't had a long layoff would do. But it's also just the manner in which he has made what I consider to be the improvements, which is to just not back up, not back up off that baseline.

37:44David Law:And look, he tried to do it against Alcraz at the Australian Open and I thought he was hitting incredibly well at times in that match. It's just Alcraz has another level. It's like these guys have a grand slam level that they bring to the table that is just not something that players experience facing the rest of the time. But you stick Dimonor indoors where the ball can't move around and the spin doesn't take quite such a control of a match. And he's just parrying the ball with his forehand and bunting the ball on his backhand. Everything's going as flat as a pancake. And he's just not taking a backward step.

38:23David Law:And yes, I accept Oshiali's scene was compromised, but he was still hitting the ball incredibly well. And Dimino was just timing it back and turning defence into attack. And I just think it was a brilliant win. I mean, I'm just really happy for him. It's been one of those weeks where I found all the title winners kind of joyous. Mukova, obviously, will come on to talk about the other two. but Dimonor, I want him to experience glory at a tournament. I want to see him holding a trophy because so often he plays brilliantly and does himself proud and has just been duffed up by Sinner Oelkraz. And I find it kind of...

39:08David Law:I mean, look, he's having a great career. He's got... Of all players, he's got nothing to feel regrets about because he couldn't do any more. But I want him to get these moments because he deserves them.

39:22Matt Roberts:Matt, you watched Daniel Medvedev lose round one to Ugo Mbair. He had a rant about the balls mid-match, albeit a rant that seems to have some fairly solid foundations. He's got the backing of some other players. But in terms of the performance and the general vibe, you described it as a very 2025 Medvedev performance. Are we seeing a regression on the signs of hashtag growth that we thought we were seeing from Daniel Medvedev under the tutelage of Thomas Johansson?

39:59Catherine Whitaker:potentially I mean look um bear indoors round one is a very difficult draw I would I would say that but I think the the sign of regression is that and why this felt like 2025 to me is that it was going against him and he lost his head rather than actually digging in and finding his game and winning the match which we did see at the back end of last year he started to do that again and even the start of this year, you know, I think the Marajan match at the Australian Open, OK, he didn't have his game, he was two sets down, but he suddenly refocused and did well to win it. But here, he just, he let this thing about the balls, like, totally derail him, you know, and the direct opposite example is Alex Dimonor, who, as you said, clearly didn't like the balls either and felt that they weren't particularly great and they shouldn't be using them.

41:00Catherine Whitaker:But he, you know, he saved those comments for the press conference or... After he'd won. After he'd won, rather than literally during the match going on some huge rant about the head balls, we shouldn't be promoting them, they're square, not round. And look, I believe the players, these balls are probably bad. like they probably aren't great but i'm sorry a guy of medvedev's status and potential and talent just you just can't be letting that totally derail you like that and yeah it feels like a step back from from a guy who'd been making who'd been making quite good progress in that front This was a bit of a joke, really, to behave like that.

41:52Catherine Whitaker:It was funny, but not helpful.

41:57Matt Roberts:Stan Wawrinka is back in the top 100, won a match in Rotterdam that week, last week. That's good to see from Wawrinka. Huber Hercacz was in a winning position against Alexander Bublik, and in the words of Bublik, he did ace-ace, double fault, ace-ace, what the fuck is that? and they say, I'm the one who has no rhythm. I'm fucking Djokovic compared to him. Bublik went on to win that match and then put in an absolutely shocking performance against Felix Auger-Aliassime. It was like he knew he didn't have a chance of winning because Auger-Aliassime is a proper professional and he just kind of turned into the clown again, just like he did it against De Menor in Melbourne.

42:41Matt Roberts:Matt, the Dutch Davis Cup beef continues and, if anything, grows apace. Please, could you fill us all in on the latest agro developments?

42:59Catherine Whitaker:With pleasure. So, obviously, we had everything I laid out last week in terms of how unhappy Greeksport was with the Dutch Tennis Federation, calling them all unprofessional. Well, then we had the Dutch losing that tie to India. And then, of course, their big event, Rotterdam. So all the Dutch media are there. The Dutch players are all there. And they're all getting asked about losing in the Davis Cup to India. And there's this big fallout. And Greeksport's not been with the team. and well it has it has developed as you say and I mean my kingdom for the next Jesper de Jong Talon Greeks ball match I will I will be seated for that because those two seem to absolutely hate each other's guts at the moment um de Jong said he was obviously asked about Greeks Spores comments and he said you shouldn't disrespect your country it's disrespectful I don't talk to Talon anyway if someone treats their teammates like that I don't need to embrace them he was asked whether Greeks Spores comments had you know any kind of sense to them and whether they whether they checked out for him and Jesper de Jong said nonsense does he stand up for Dutch tennis I was there standing in the Netherlands together with the others who did stand up for Dutch tennis I'm certainly not pro KNLTB which I think is the is the Dutch federation I also see things that are going wrong and need to improved but just over a year ago we were in the Davis Cup final are things really that bad you shouldn't make it bigger than it is is what Jesper de Jong said that was then all put to Talon Greekspor the journalists having an absolute field day just jumping from one interview to another and Greekspor says to say I'm disrespecting the country with my comments is a bit rich coming from someone who just lost against the world number 500

45:18so

45:19Catherine Whitaker:that's the situation in the Netherlands meanwhile Bertik van der Zandt school just sort of no commenting everything is he is he even noticing what's going on probably not

45:33Matt Roberts:he's just zoning out oh wow uh they the draw gods have got to do us a favor here haven't they they those two need to but the problem is yes but young's ranking isn't because he keeps losing to the world number 500 um yeah get your ranking up yes so that we can see you play uh talon Greekspool. Greekspool was asked this week about playing the Gazprom event, wasn't he, in St. Petersburg at the end of last season. And he shrugged and said, basically big deal. He said the politicians can do their jobs and I'll do mine. So that's Talon Greekspool. Over in Dallas and the ATP500 event there. Ben Shelton saved three match points to beat the remains of Taylor Fritz in the final.

46:30Matt Roberts:3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Matt, I know you watched this match on a phone, in a pub with Billie Jean on your knee. David, in what circumstances did you tune into this match?

46:45David Law:I watched it on the big screen, every single ball. Hey, there's a professional. tell us about it i didn't have billy june around so but no i mean look i i was i was really into this event i i kind of when when when taylor fritz talked about it in melbourne the other week i was i was like what are you bothering about that for you know you've got knee tendinitis and you're trying to get yourself back for dallas a bit but then i i'd forgotten in a way i mean that it's a tournament i think it was staged in new york for a while i think at this the same week a few years ago and and that was very poorly attended this was just bouncing all week long it was a really good event on certainly on the screen anyway i i really enjoyed the atmospheres that were created and and so forth and it's a 500 and i think i mean i keep trying to get my head around what taylor fritz is doing what he's thinking because i i really i was one of the journalists in that press conference with him in Melbourne and I just don't I still don't really understand why you're not just taking more time off to get yourself physically right and um and he is absolutely adamant that his physio who he trusts believes you can both rehab knee tendinitis whilst playing with it and rest is is only going to do so much so much good and I get the sense that from Fritz that it's not just about this ranking thing with Sinner and Alclarez not playing.

48:15David Law:He has not won Dallas or this week. He's played it several times. He's got to the semis. And you can see he's like a dog with a bone. He's an incredible competitor. Despite the fact that I question the sense of doing what he's doing, it's incredible to watch him fight and battle and win four out of five tie-break sets that he played over the course of the week and get to this situation. He beat Giroud 7-6 in the third. He's fighting his way past Marin Cilic in two tie-break sets. And then against Shelton, I mean, this was another cracking match. Fritz goes three love up in the first set. It was one of those where I thought Shelton had lost it in the first ten minutes by just coming out cold.

49:05David Law:and because Fritz is so reliable usually on serve and he wins the set comfortably. Second set, honestly, I'm just expecting it to be straight sets. There's a little dip in Fritz but by then I thought, I think he could have already won the match. I think Shelton was having to hit out of his shoes in order to just kind of stay with Fritz through the first set and a half. And then the whole thing just turned around completely. you went into the third set, Shelton gets himself a break up, I go out for a cup of tea, honestly assuming I'm going to come back and you'll be serving for the match, next thing you know it's immediate break back, 3-all, Fritz then gets the upper hand, I mean atmosphere is just pumping inside the stadium, most of it pro Shelton, and you get to three match points for Fritz, and he's playing solid enough tennis it's just that Shelton just looks like he's jet propelled when he's back is against the wall he's coming up with shots that are a bit new to me this year from him on the forehand particularly if you give him a forehand he's gonna be prepared to just take it on and not give you another shot he may miss but you ain't getting another shot and he just landed enough for these big serves and big forehands.

50:27David Law:But even when he then had turned it around and got himself to 40 love, three match points, honestly, it still felt on a knife edge because Fritz won the first point of that game and was still quietly shaking the racket, shaking his fist. And I thought, crikey, you know, Shelton's going to have to hit cold winners here to actually get over the line because Fritz has decided to lock down into this game and he was getting everything back and Shelton was clearly tightening, but eventually one forehand did the job and just fell out of his reach. But it was an amazing scene. It was a good tournament.

51:07Matt Roberts:David's a Dallas guy. I love it.

51:11Catherine Whitaker:And Shelton generally, he won all of his last three matches, didn't he, from a set down. And against Manorino has been a problem for him in the past and it delivered again that match and he turned it around. And I think he managed to turn these matches into the kind of ones where he thrives. They became really physical and they became about delivering your best in the biggest moments, which I think Shelton, certainly on tour and through the first few rounds of slams until he plays Asino or Alcaraz, he's so good at that, coming up with the shots he needs to in the biggest moments. and as David described those match points, I want to shout out the backhand he hit to save the second one.

51:57Catherine Whitaker:I've never seen Shelton hit a backhand like that. Inside out backhand winner behind Fritz. Fritz must have been fuming at that. He got the ball on the backhand and Shelton still came up with that winner. And I think I like the look of Rotterdam and the way it looks on telly and the style of it. I thought the court there was a bit slow in Rotterdam this week, whereas in Dallas what I liked is I don't really like the really high camera angle that you have. To me, I find that a little bit off-putting, but I loved the speed of the court there, and it felt like it was bringing out these fast, exciting rallies.

52:40Catherine Whitaker:So you kind of had a bit of everything from the two indoor events this week. Yeah, it wasn't quite as sort of every match feeling amazing as Doha, probably because Doha is just a bigger event. I was just sort of more engaged with that. But there were a lot of good matches in Dallas this week, for sure. A lot of seven sixes in the third.

53:01Matt Roberts:Bit of everything except a win for Flavio Caballi. My kingdom for a win for Flavio Caballi received a troll text from my dad this week saying, are you a Jack Pennington Jones guy now? after Kabbali's latest defeat. He's got a new tattoo, Flavio Kabbali, Matt, of the Hulk, which in principle I love. You know, Kabbali's comments about the Hulk were part of my journey to becoming a Kabbali guy at the end of last season. It does feel like he's either gone really early with the Hulk tattoo, given results, or really late. He should have got it immediately after that. Davis Cup run or waited until he started winning tennis matches, which is not happening in 2026.

53:51Matt Roberts:Maybe the tattoo is to try and inspire him to better things.

53:56Catherine Whitaker:Pretty sure he did get it before the Jack Pennington Jones defeat.

54:04Matt Roberts:Yeah, that was that was a low point. David's holding up his Hulk mug. if you were to get a tattoo David would it be of the Hulk probably yeah

54:15David Law:I've got all the other things so you know

54:18Matt Roberts:David has produced so much Hulk paraphernalia like at the drop of a hat that was extraordinary over to Buenos Aires in the ATP 250 there where Joel Fonseca was the defending champion he crashed out to Alejandro Tabilo 7-6 in the third. It was a competitive match, but kind of a tough scene from a Fonseca point of view. He said after the match that being the defending champion made him feel tense and he lacked conviction and confidence on the court. Big week coming up for him in Rio this week. The title was won by Francisco Sarundolo. He beat Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-2 in the final. His first title at home for Sorundolo in his third final in Buenos Aires.

55:14Matt Roberts:He's somebody that I wish I had on my fantasy team, Sorundolo. He delivers for you, I think. He's reliable. That is not specifically aimed at Flavio Caballi, but it's also not. It's not not aimed at Flavio Caballi, David.

55:27David Law:and I have to say I mean look these were wonderful scenes I had this on my second screen because of course it was on exactly the same time as the Dallas final but I was quite happy to double screen this and it was a hard fought competitive match you could see Sir Underlaw was a bit stressed because this meant an awful lot to him you know he'd as you said his third attempt at winning a final in Argentina and finally got over the line and he fell on his back. You know, he fell with celebration. He was so emotional with his family and with his friends and with a crowd really cheering him on, you know, because he has been a reliable fixture at the top 20, 30 of the game, you know, and better over the last few years.

56:18David Law:But he still hasn't gone beyond the last 16 of a Grand Slam, you know, and he hasn't reached that many of those either. It feels to me like there should have been more Grand Slam progress for somebody of his skill set and his ability. And I always love listening to him. Even when I attended the press conference after the Zverev match in Melbourne, I thought, God, he's so sensible in the way he kind of just evaluates the match. He's very direct, very straightforward. And he's got this incredible forehand. He's just got a good all-round game. I always remember that match we saw in Paris of him against Holger Rune on court Susan Longland a few years ago.

57:01David Law:And he's just tended to fall the wrong side of matches like that over the years. So again, a bit like Dimonor, I just love to see these players get their moments. And you so rarely end up with the trophy and end up leaving a tournament just completely happy. And he will do that. And I'm really pleased for him.

57:20Catherine Whitaker:And it kind of felt to me a little bit like what they call the golden swing. You know, this series of tournaments in South America, which we know is kind of under threat in terms of as we know it because of the ATP's plans and the Monsters 1000 event coming in Riyadh. Like it definitely feels like this swing is not probably going to look like it does now in a few years time. It felt like he was almost playing for South America in a way and like giving, like having that moment at home, which would have been so visceral. And I think Gaudenzi was there in Buenos Aires as well. He would have been soaking up those scenes or at least seeing them.

58:01Catherine Whitaker:And like, I don't know, it just felt a bit sort of bigger than just that single match. Sarundolo managing to win in Argentina finally. It just felt like a real moment. It felt like everyone's saying, look, this is what tennis in this part of the world can be like. And it's the smallest of the events this week. And yet the passion on display and the crowds that come out, it's always amazing. When you just put on Buenos Aires in the winter here and you get this clay and you get all these crowds, it is a phenomenal scene. And yes, I think it needs to be packaged more. they probably need to have a bigger event rather than smaller events but oh it's it's it's such a wonderful swing this one and um interesting that darderi also is i discovered this this week or learned it this week he was actually born in argentina darderi and there is a feeling i think the argentine davis cup captain javier frano is like hoping that in a few years time he might be eligible to play for argentina because with all these italians he's not really been part of the Italian he's not really been part of the Italian team even though he's actually ranked higher than some of them at the trophy ceremony Sarundolo went to sit with Darderi and I think he's quite close with the Argentinian players so it feels like maybe something could happen there, I don't think he's eligible for a few years because he played in the Olympics for Italy but yeah maybe that's one to watch but yeah like you had three Argentinian players in the semis Sarundolo winning it, it just felt like a bit of a statement, I suppose, from the Argentinian players.

59:41Catherine Whitaker:Like, don't forget about us. We've got this amazing swing.

59:45Matt Roberts:OK, that's it for part two. Join us in part three for David's favourite news section, Instagram news.

59:56Matt Roberts:Welcome back to part three of this week's tennis podcast. Just before we look ahead to the events we've got this week in tennis, some bits of news from Instagram this week. David, do just interject with your thoughts as they occur. This is where I catch up

1:00:17David Law:because I don't know anything about this.

1:00:20Matt Roberts:We've had Nomi Asaka Matt beefing with Stefanos Tsitsipas' ex-girlfriend. Have we? Yeah. That is a thing that happened this week.

1:00:31Catherine Whitaker:Yes, not not directly but she she threw some shade towards well people with podcasts who've never played tennis but in particular making comments about grunting and you know why do you find grunting unsportsmanlike and disrespectful and it gives you the ick and then it transpired that Sitsapas's ex-girlfriend has now got a podcast and she had made those comments, sort of directed at Osarco about the whole Castella incident in Melbourne.

1:01:11David Law:So not Paola Bedossa then? No, not Paola Bedossa.

1:01:15Matt Roberts:You can be forgiven for thinking that, David. You're a different one. But pre-Bedossa.

1:01:20David Law:Yeah. Okay.

1:01:22Matt Roberts:Yeah. Next bit of Instagram news. Jack Draper has had a very severe haircut. I saw this. Fully in favour. Someone's made a mistake with the machine.

1:01:35David Law:Yeah. Great move.

1:01:36Matt Roberts:David loves it, obviously. I think it's... I'm worried about him. Jack, I hope you're OK. Matt, where do you come down?

1:01:45Catherine Whitaker:I just think he had such great hair. It's a... It feels like a shame to me.

1:01:51Matt Roberts:He thought he had such great hair. He loved his hair. Yeah. it'll grow back hope you're okay Jack it is it is worth checking out on Instagram if you haven't seen Jack Draper's new haircut it's definitely an extreme vibe I would say

1:02:09Catherine Whitaker:he sort of dropped it quite subtly didn't he it was in a it was in a carousel of images and you had to you had to go through quite a few of them to get to the new to get to the new hair it was a bit hidden

1:02:19Matt Roberts:there were quite a few ones with yeah with the old hair just to yeah emphasise how extreme the change is last bit of news from social media really sad news actually the Australian player Destiny Ayava will be retiring from professional tennis at the end of this year now okay you know that's not that's not going to shake up the whole tennis world but the way she announced the news was so profound and sad she posted on Instagram 2026 would be my final year on tour playing professional tennis. She said, from the moment I had my first lesson, my entire life was tennis. I often wondered what my life would have looked like if I'd chosen anything else.

1:03:04Matt Roberts:I'd reached, there was a time in my career and I'd reached the point that comes just before you make your big breakthrough when the world is at your feet and nothing can touch you. I was 17, unprepared and dangerously naive to the consequences of trusting the wrong people. The trajectory of my career was never the same after that. She goes on to say, sometimes I kept playing because I felt like I owed it to not only myself, but to everyone who'd helped me throughout my career. Other times I kept going because I was too scared to start again, or I was bored, or I also didn't know who I was outside of tennis and what my true passion was.

1:03:41Matt Roberts:I was constantly looking for that thing that gave me peace instead of grief. In other words, tennis was my toxic boyfriend. um she she goes on to talk about all the many things that that tennis has given her grateful for the the traveling some of her her best her best friends have come from the sport but she says it also took things from me my relationship with my body my health my family my self-worth would i do it all again i really don't know but one thing the sport taught me is there is always a chance to start fresh she said i want to say a ginormous fuck you to everyone in the tennis community who's ever made me feel less than fuck you to every single gambler who sent me hate or death threats fuck you to the people who sit behind screens on social media commenting on my body my career or whatever the fuck they want to nitpick and fuck you to a sport that hides behind so-called class and gentlemanly values behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that's racist misogynistic homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn't fit this mold she goes on as well there's more powerful stuff in there I'm so tremendously sad that that's been her experience of the sport and obviously that is not everyone's experience but that is an experience that should be listened to and people should be alarmed by I think and just very specifically on the gambling It feels like one of a number of chickens that's coming home to roost for tennis, right?

1:05:18Matt Roberts:We're going to come on to talk about Dubai in a moment and the fact that Igor Shiontek and Irina Sabalenka have chosen to skip Dubai. They've withdrawn from the tournament and the tournament director has spoken out about that. He's incredibly displeased and sceptical about the reasons for the withdrawal. And he's calling for change to the rules and greater punishments for players for skipping tournaments like these. These sort of long range dodgy bets that the sport has been placing, you know, its relationship with gambling. and it's kind of promising of stretching the product of tennis players too thin in terms of its promises to its tournaments.

1:06:11Matt Roberts:It feels like those chickens are starting to come home to roost in quite a worrying way, to me anyway. Yeah, the comments from the tournament director in Dubai, Salah Talak, he said the late withdrawals from Sabalenka and Shontek were a disappointing surprise. And he said the reasons for them were a bit strange. He said he thinks there should be harsher punishments for such withdrawals and that players should be docked ranking points rather than prize money for skipping mandatory events. Those quotes are from Reem Abelil reporting in Dubai. Now, look, I completely, David, understand why the Dubai tournament director feels that way.

1:06:57And it's completely legit for him to feel that way. He's paying a license fee to the WTA for a tournament that is mandatory for the top players,

1:07:08Matt Roberts:for a tournament whose value and the value they're offering to sponsor comes from the headline players, largely, that are going to feature there. I totally understand his grievance and yet I think it's totally the right decision for Igor Shiontek and Irina Sabalenka and I'm pleased big picture that they're not playing and I don't want to see them punished for such decisions. like tennis tennis has been writing checks that it can't cash and now the the tournaments are going to start asking them to cash them and and they they they can't like there isn't that much top tennis player to go around well jack draper was talking to us about this a few months ago

1:07:54David Law:wasn't he and he's not the first he's not going to be the last and the tour's answer to players concern over being on the road too much and not having any downtime or any time to work on the game is, well, just miss a few. Basically, they might not say that officially, but they're saying you control your own schedule. Yes, that might mean zero pointers. And yet so they are kind of docked ranking points in that regard. But Sabalenka's view would be, well, I win enough anyway. So I'm just going to game the system that way and absolutely all power to her, I say. And yes, I do feel sorry for Dubai and fans in Dubai who don't get to see Irina Sabalenka.

1:08:36David Law:But sorry, what you expect as a sport, you can't have it always. You cannot. And something has to give. So I think this is going to happen more and more. I'm glad that the Dubai tournament director has spoken out. I think it's important, not necessarily against the players, because I don't think the players are at fault here. but making their voices heard so that the organizers of the actual tour have to feel some heat because they need to understand that this is not going to be sustainable you should have more and more tournaments disappointed that star players aren't there you should have more and more star players unprepared to just play everything because it's not sustainable and it's damaging to their health and at that point i hope that pressure from both sides will make the tours and the organ just the sport generally think oh well we better change something then yeah it feels like the tours

1:09:37Matt Roberts:have sold the product that they just don't have supply for like i do wonder if there will if there's a you know a legal case in the future you paid a license fee for a tournament that's supposedly mandatory for top players and it's quite clearly not and shouldn't be. Yeah, like it's a bad situation and it's brewing into a catastrophic situation. That said, it is still a great field in Dubai. It is a 1 ,000 event. They have these back-to-back Doha, Dubai, 1 ,000 events on the WTA side. Mira Andrava, the defending champion, this tournament has already kicked off the Sunday start, their Sunday to Saturday events in the Middle East.

1:10:25Matt Roberts:Rabatkinner and Anisimova are the top two seeds. The ATP has 500 events in Doha and in Rio. In Doha, Novak Djokovic is withdrawn. He was at the figure skating this week. Do you see that? Him reacting to Ilya Malenin's backflip. It does have Carlos Alcaraz and Yannick Sinner, though, does Doha. And they're the top two seeds. Alcaraz faces Arta Rindeknesh in his opener. And Yannick Sinner faces Thomas Mahatch in his. That one is later on today. And that is what we'll all be watching. You've also got Medvedev, Sitsipas, Rublev, Bublik, Menshik and Karin Hashanov in the Doha draw. Rio has Francisco Sarundolo, Luciano Darderi, Joel Fonseca and Sebastian Baez.

1:11:18Matt Roberts:Those are the top four seeds. As I said earlier, big week feels like for Joel Fonseca. And then there's also the ATP 250 in Delray Beach, where you've got, of course, Taylor Fritz with his three injuries. You've got Caspar Rude making his return after becoming a father. Leonard Tien and Flavio Caballi seeking just a second win of the season. His first he scraped out against a 40 year old some weeks ago. Come on, Flavio. And you've got round ones that include Moutet against Paul. That's a big yes, please, I think, for David. And Vachero against Mickelson. Vachiro's still on the being picked out in agendas list for now, Matt.

1:12:08Matt Roberts:But he's on watch, isn't he? I'm just amused by Vachiro. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, I do. I absolutely do. The mascot, our mascot for this week's episode is Enzo. What a lovely face Enzo has. He's owned by Anand. Enzo comes from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He's a four-year-old golden doodle who loves toys he can fetch or use for tug of war. And he loves walking the streets and running the parks of New York City, smiling, lounging, spooning, sleeping by the fire and sleeping under our three-year-old's high chair at mealtimes. That is, Billie Jean has mastered that manoeuvre as well, loitering under a high chair.

1:12:56Matt Roberts:Enzo looks just a delight. Enzo looks like the kind of dog, David, that you would enjoy throwing tennis balls for in the park and then being brought back.

1:13:07David Law:Epic.

1:13:08Matt Roberts:David's rocket launcher right arm.

1:13:14Matt Roberts:I think both David Law and Enzo would love that. Enzo will be in our newsletter. If you're watching us on YouTube, then you've been looking at Enzo for the past minute. Lucky you. Hello to our mascots. Bodhi. it's you know it's tough being Caballi guys but we're going to stick with him and his Hulk tattoo didn't you have Mukava as well though Catherine didn't you? did have Mukava yeah it's actually been a great week let's not let Flavio Caballi's form sour things it's been a good week good week for you as well David and Macy yeah yeah

1:13:49David Law:I had runs for Mboko and Sacco and Fritz so Fritz I'm quite happy with you just battering your knee it's fine

1:13:57Matt Roberts:That's why you're a Dallas guy. Points for me. Matt and Roger, you're trucking along, aren't you? Upper mid table.

1:14:09Catherine Whitaker:Yeah, mixed bag. Bad on the women's side this week. A lot of retirements, but we did have Alex Dimonor. Reliable 500 points for me in Rotterdam.

1:14:19Matt Roberts:My men, the men on my team, have scored me a total of 40 points all year. Total. It's been a tough season. Hello to our top folks and executive producers, Greg, Chris and Jeff. Matt, could we have some quick shout outs today? Because I do have a tooth repair in 14 minutes.

1:14:45Catherine Whitaker:OK, let's see what we can do. We have Pamela Kennedy from Edinburgh.

1:14:51Matt Roberts:Hello, Pamela. Like Pamela Howard-Schriver.

1:14:55Catherine Whitaker:Pamela says, I'm a long-term listener and subscriber, so I think you've probably rung as much out of my name as possible, confirmed by the unexpected diversion onto John Arnerisa last year.

1:15:07Matt Roberts:I remember that.

1:15:09David Law:I know how we got there. Because your surname is Kennedy, which is the surname of an IMG agent I met in Monaco. And he introduced me to John Arnerisa in the pub.

1:15:28Matt Roberts:that's amazing any other tennis Pams?

1:15:33Catherine Whitaker:well no I mean it's Pam it's Pam Shriver isn't it it is okay alright Pamela says

1:15:39Matt Roberts:just trying to deliver for Pamela here

1:15:40Catherine Whitaker:well I've got something Pamela says I'll dedicate my shout out to my lovely partner Andy who can probably direct where you might go with his name because he's well aware that he's my second favourite tennis playing Andy

1:15:51Matt Roberts:oh okay that's perfect thank you Pam and Andy

1:15:55David Law:is your first one Murray or Ronnie? Well, Edinburgh. It's got to be Murray. Ah, okay.

1:16:02Catherine Whitaker:We've also got Mallory Mapes-Couture from Vermont. Hi, Mallory.

1:16:09Matt Roberts:Hello, Mallory. I'm going to say Moller Mallory and I think we've had Mallory before and I said Moller Mallory then and I think Mallory's going to point that out, isn't she?

1:16:20Catherine Whitaker:She actually doesn't. She's got some dog news though. Oh.

1:16:23Matt Roberts:Oh, better.

1:16:26Catherine Whitaker:recently adopted two dogs on the 30th of January

1:16:32Matt Roberts:they are brothers who look

1:16:34Catherine Whitaker:almost exactly alike and they're always thrilled and I've got the podcast on in my office and someone brings up their favourite topic squirrels squirrel

1:16:44Matt Roberts:oh gosh you didn't even look up need to check on Billie Jean's consciousness before I go and get my tooth chip done Mallory thank you very much And congratulations on your two new dogs.

1:16:56Catherine Whitaker:And finally, we have Dennis Curley from Minneapolis.

1:17:03Matt Roberts:Hello, Dennis.

1:17:05Catherine Whitaker:Dennis would like to dedicate this to his partner, Jim. Dennis says, Jim took me to the Australian Open in 2019 for my 50th birthday, a trip of a lifetime.

1:17:18Matt Roberts:So cool. You've got yourself a good in there, Dennis.

1:17:22Catherine Whitaker:Dennis says, I'm dedicating this shout out to him now because we've been going together side by side to wave signs, chant and protest the occupation of our city by our federal government. We're together in good times and bad times. And this is sent out in hope of better days to come.

1:17:44Matt Roberts:We're thinking of you, Dennis. Yeah. Fight the good fight. Dennis, Jim, Pam, Andy and Mallory thank you ever so much for your support of the Tennis Podcast we are part of the Athletic Podcast Network thank you for listening, we'll speak to you next week