Black Spin Global: The Podcast

Lucy and Eugene share their thoughts on the hard-court season so far.Celebrate Coco Gauff securing her first WTA 500 crown in Washington, Germany’s Noma Noha Akugue [Naija girl] going all the way to the final on the clay in Hamburg on her WTA Tour debut, and Arthur Fils making a run to the semis, taking out Casper Ruud in the process.Among other things, we also get into Venus Williams wowing in the US, the Vanity Fair feature and difficulties of following tennis on television.Head over to blackspinglobal.com for show notes in full.Keep commenting, liking, sharing and subscribing – we appreciate you all!#BlackSpinGlobal

Eugene and Lucy are joined by The Mentor aka That Guy Tumaini Carayol to talk all things Wimbledon or "Wimbly" [sic] 2023! Among a host of things, we get into Mikael Ymer’s harsh 18-month ban, Naomi Osaka giving birth, Clervie Ngounoue crushing it in the Girls’ event, Christopher Eubanks reaching the last eight and share our personal highlights from an amazing two weeks at SW19. Head over to blackspinglobal.com for show notes in full. Keep commenting, liking, sharing and subscribing – we appreciate you all! #BlackSpinGlobal

Clervie Ngounoue is the Girls’ champion after seeing off Nikola Bartunkova in straight sets in Sunday's final out on Court 12! The 16-year-old American did not drop a set all tournament. Class act! During recording, top seed Carlos Alcaraz and second seed Novak Djokovic were scrapping it out on Centre Court in the men’s final. (Shouts out to Carlitos) In the women’s final, our North African sis Ons Jabeur was unable to get over the line against Marketa Vondrousova. Big congrats to the low-key Czech. Interview snippets from Ngounoue’s press conference. And that’s a wrap, guys. Thanks for riding the Wimbledon 2023 wave with us!

Madison Keys falls to second seed Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 4-6 in what was by far her toughest test on grass this year. Sabalenka is playing some good ball at the moment and it was an experience witnessing her ferocious power and incredibly audible grunting on No 1 Court. Keys was upbeat in press afterwards, which was very nice to see. Christopher Eubanks’ dream run is over after another five-set epic against third seed Daniil Medvedev – 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, (4)6-7, 1-6. Eubanks made a nervy start but boy did he find his groove in sets two and three and went to six-all in the fourth but was unable to close out the match in the tiebreak. So immensely proud of Eubanks after this fortnight and excited for his future. Elsewhere, in the Girls’ draw Ranah Stoiber and Clervie Ngounoue are both through to the quarter-finals after impressive straight-set wins. The girls will be in action on Thursday. Interview snippets from Eubanks and Keys included.

Christopher Eubanks is a Wimbledon quarter-finalist after taking down fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in five entertaining sets. The American who had the Gauffs cheering him on from his box, spoke in press about the people who have influenced his career. Daniil Medvedev, the third seed, is his next opponent.Madison Keys is also into the last eight after coming back from a set and 1-4 down against 16-year-old Russian qualifier Mirra Andreeva. Keys is now a two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist after her appearance in 2015. In press, the American was bombarded with questions centered around Andreeva which was a little jarring.Elsewhere, in the Girls’ draw Ranah Stoiber and Clervie Ngounoue are both through to the third round after getting straight-sets wins today. Interview snippets from Keys and Eubanks included.

Chrostopher Eubanks’ dream Wimbledon run continues after seeing off Christopher O’Connell in three tiebreak sets. The American spoke about his new-found affection for grass in his press conference while his fourth-round opponent, fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, revealed what he knows about Eubanks’ game.Madison Keys continues to cruise through the draw and upped her level against Marta Kostyuk in another straight-sets victory. Keys, who seems to be playing better than she did in Eastbourne, faces 16-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva next in what has the potential to be a quality match.Elsewhere, there was disappointment for Frances Tiafoe who had to play over two days due to the rain. The 10th seed eventually fell in straight sets to 21st seed Grigor Dimitrov. Understandably dejected in press afterwards, Tiafoe spoke honestly about not feeling any extra pressure following his rise up the rankings.Interview snippets from Eubanks, Tsitsipas and Tiafoe included.

Madison Keys books her spot in the third round with a businesslike performance, while Christopher Eubanks scores the “biggest win” of his career to secure his place in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time. Meanwhile, Mikael Ymer gets into another five-set tussle for the second day in a row but falls short after cooking Eugene in the opening set. Interview snippets from Keys’ and Eubanks’ pressers included.

Mikael Ymer and Frances Tiafoe book their spots in the third round in different fashion. While Arthur Fils, Alycia Parks, Michael Mmoh, Sloane Stephens and Ben Shelton all suffer second-round defeats. Interview snippets from Ymer and Tiafoe pressers included.

Sloane Stephens, Frances Tiafoe, Madison Keys, Ben Shelton and Christopher Eubanks all bagged impressive wins to book second-round spots.While George Loffhagen, Jasmine Paolini and Heather Watson put in decent efforts before falling at the first hurdle.Interview snippets from Stephens, Shelton and Eubanks pressers included.

Alycia Parks v Anna-Lena Friedsam American looked impressive – first serve was firing and net-play was super clean which frustrated Friedsam who was visibly rattled towards the closing stages of the match. Parks has Ana Bogdan next who upset 15th seed Liudmila Samsonova. Michael Mmoh v (11) Felix Auger-Aliassime Massive win for lucky loser Mmoh who played an incredible match against a hampered but solid FAA who actually hit more winners during the tight four-set contest. Mmoh plays German qualifier Maximilian Marterer next. Eugene did go to FAA’s press conference where he spoke about his knee issue Laurent Lokoli v Casper Ruud Very entertaining match after a one-sided opening set, Lokoli fought his way back into it and took the second. Big congrats to qualifier Lokoli though who definitely won some new fans on Wimbledon debut. (7) Coco Gauff v Sofia Kenin Unexpected loss for the sixth seed (our pick for the women’s title). Qualifier Kenin came in hot and played extremely well. Gauff’s errors, on both wings, ultimately cost her and she alluded to that in her post-match press. Venus Wiliams vs Elina Svitolina Five-time champion hurt the same knee that caused her trouble in Birmingham against Camila Giorgi but pushed through. Ended up losing 4-6, 3-6, which was a respectable scoreline and she was in good spirits in press afterwards where Lucy asked her about her new coach Hugo Armando. Mikael Ymer v Alex Molcan We did not get to catch any of Ymer’s first-round match as it was going on at the same time as Mmoh, Gauff and Venus, but stats-wise his performances on day one – 39 winners vs 16, 81% 1st serve points won, 95% net-points won. Could get ninth seed Fritz next. Tuesday’s schedule Sloane Stephens vs Rebecca Peterson (moved from Monday) Heather Watson vs (10) Barbora Krejcikova George Loffhagen vs (6) Holger Rune (25) Madison Keys vs Sonay Kartal (10) Frances Tiafoe vs Wu Yibing Arthur Fils vs (31) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Christopher Eubanks vs Thiago Monteiro (32) Ben Shelton vs Taro Daniel

Lucy and Eugene – with accreditations around necks (allow us) – dissect the draws and recap events on the grass these past few weeks at Queen’s, Birmingham and Eastbourne. Venus Williams, the five-time champion, starts against fellow wildcard Elina Svitolina in one of the standout first-round matchups. Coco Gauff, seeded seventh, faces fellow American Sofia Kenin in another opening-round belter. Madison Keys, the 25th seed who had a brilliant week in Eastbourne, starts against British wildcard Sonay Kartal. On the men’s side, 10th seed Frances Tiafoe, winner on grass this season in Stuttgart, opens against China’s Wu Yibing. Debutant Ben Shelton is also seeded (32) and starts against lucky loser Taro Daniel. Felix Auger-Aliassime, seeded 11th, was due to face Filip Krajinovic at the time of recording but the Serb has withdrawn and been replaced by lucky loser Michael Mmoh. Head over to blackspinglobal.com for show notes in full. Keep commenting, liking, sharing and subscribing – we appreciate you all! #BlackSpinGlobal

Friend of the pod Tumaini Carayol joins us in the studio for another fun episode.We share our Wimbledon accreditation news – yes, Black Spin Global will be at The Championships this year as media!Roland Garros men's "demi-finals" day was a lot of fun (courtesy of Rodney Rapson aka The Plug). Find out how we got on in Paris (and why Lucy calls it "The Ghetto") where Novak Djokovic made history after winning his 23rd Grand Slam. Tumaini also brilliantly articulates why Djokovic and Serena Williams should never be compared.On the women's side, Iga Swiatek secured her third Roland Garros title – second in a row. 22-year-old joins Naomi Osaka on four Grand Slams. Swiatek really did her thing again this year in an entertaining final against Karolina Muchova.Handshake-gate and fascinating behind-the-scenes insight regarding Aryna Sabalenka. Did the French crowd really understand what was really going on when the Ukrainian players refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusians?Gael Monfils was talk of week one after his epic five-set victory over Sebastian Baez. La Monf suffered severe cramps and was 0-4 down in the fifth before coming back to take it. Was very emotional afterwards. Sadly withdrew the following day due to a wrist injury.Coco Gauff made a run to the quarter-finals where she fell to eventual champ Swiatek in straights. One of the better matches played against the Pole so far in their seven meetings. Also came through a nice three-set match with 16-year-old talent Mirra Andreeva in the third round. Also reached the women’s doubles semi-final.Frances Tiafoe was rocking a custom Nike + IDK collaboration kit which paid homage to his Sierra Leone roots – super clean. (IDK’s music goes hard too thoroughly recommend the F65 project) The 12th seed made a run to the third round where he fell to Alexander Zverev in four sets. Loved the win over Aslan Karatsev in R2.Sloane Stephens, who is "a good time in press", stunned in her FP Movement kit. That blue she was wearing in round two was an absolute scene. The 2018 runner-up made a run to the last 16 where she fell to Sabalenka in two tight sets in the one only women’s “night session” match this year. We share our thoughts on the sexist scheduling.We had success in doubles where Clervie Ngounoue and Tyra Caterina Grant secured the girls' doubles title after beating the top seeds in the final. Taylor Townsend and Leylah Fernandez, looking pretty in pink, finished runners-up in the women’s doubles event. The American-Canadian duo are a serious team.Also shout out Kgothatso Montjane and Yui Kamiji – women’s wheelchair doubles champions. And Donald Ramphadi and Andy Lapthorne – Quad men’s doubles champions.And to close, bi-lingual king Tumaini talks about his seven-week stint on the road including his trip to Murcia, to carry out a Spanish interview with the people who knew world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz before he became That Guy! Nice long read is here: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/26/born-to-be-no-1-tennis-the-making-of-carlos-alcarazKeep commenting, liking, sharing and subscribing – we appreciate you all!#BlackSpinGlobal

Lucy and Eugene – in full 4K-colour-glory, for the very first time (head over to our YouTube channel)– talk all things clay-court season so far and much more. We get into Frances Tiafoe bagging his second ATP Tour title after an epic weekend in Houston. Alycia Parks reaching the third round in Madrid under the guidance of her father and coach Michael Parks. We shine a light on Elias Ymer, the first Swede to be invited to Harvard Business School, who had a good week in Marrakech after coming through qualifying. A lot went down in Charleston where Sachia Vickery, Hailey Baptiste, Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens all featured (shout out to the winner Ons Jabeur, our North African sister). We spend time talking about the stacked Porsche Tennis Grand Prix field in Stuttgart with Coco Gauff (no longer working with Diego Moyano), Parks and Emma Raducanu – read our guy Tumaini Carayol’s article on the event’s limited field. Ben Shelton, aka the “Human Highlight Reel”, continues to wow the crowds in his first full season on the tour where he’s enjoying seeded-player privileges. Queen Serena Williams gets a shout out after her pregnancy announcement, we also give Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard props for winning his first Challenger Tour title. And finish up with our opinions on Rafael Nadal and his injury woes, Novak Djokovic being allowed in America and the ATP’s plans to adopt electronic line calling across all events from 2025. Don't forget to subscribe and share your comments. *This episode was recorded on Wednesday 3 May #BlackSpinGlobal

Lucy and Eugene talk about what they’ve been up to, including applying for Wimbledon 2023 accreditation, interviewing Erick Mathelier (Furi Sports co-founder) and also touch on Wimbledon’s decision to lift the ban on Russian and Belarusian players. Alycia Parks’ stunned in Lyon beat top seed Caroline Garcia in the final to claim her biggest title to date (WTA 250). Since then she’s been experimenting with her set-up – was working with Jarmere Jenkins during the Sunshine Double as well as strength and conditioning trainer Josh Evenden. Coco Gauff’s been going along nicely – reached a few quarter-finals, won a couple doubles titles with Jessica Pegula too including Miami where Taylor Townsend and Leylah Fernandez were fellow finalists. Robin Montgomery secured her first win on the WTA Tour in Miami and then faced Madison Keys in the second round where she put up a good fight. Clervie Ngounoue won the prestigious girls’ event in Indian Wells. Ngounoue also won the doubles event with partner Qavia Lopez. Arthur Fils is about to crack the top 100 after making back-to-back semi-finals at ATP 250 level – picked up some big wins en route including one over Stanislas Wawrinka. Young Frenchman is such a joy to watch. Christopher Eubanks was the story in Miami and is now a top 100 player for the first time after a career fortnight at the Masters 1000 event where he reached the quarter-finals after coming through qualifying. Was very emotional after the win that confirmed his place in top 100. Frances Tiafoe reached his first Masters 1000 semi-final in Indian Wells – didn’t drop a set en route before going down 5-7, 6-7 to eventual runner-up Daniil Medvedev. Jill Smoller also has him signing all the endorsement deals too and rightly so. Felix Auger-Aliassime, defending champ in Rotterdam, reached the quarters – lost to eventual champion Medvedev. Went on to reach the semis in Qatar the following week where he lost to Medvedev again who went on to win the tournament. Gael Monfils returned to the tour in the US after seven months away due to a foot injury. Lost in the first round in Indian Wells and was forced to retire from his first-round match in Miami due to a wrist injury. To close, we quickly preview clay-court events in Charleston, Houston, Estoril and Marrakech. Don't forget to subscribe and share your comments. #BlackSpinGlobal

Lucy and Eugene say good riddance to the 2023 Australian Open but not before giving props to maiden Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka and 10-time AO champion Novak Djokovic. We discuss Ben Shelton's dream debut – the 20-year-old reached the quarter-finals and showed his match-toughness coming through a couple of five-setters. Shelton is now a top 50 player – No 44 in the current rankings. Michael Mmoh, who was hours away from leaving the country, reached the third round and recorded the biggest win of his life in the process – four-set victory over 13th seed Alexander Zverev. Shout out to Zack Evenden for giving us the backstory to that first-round win. Frances Tiafoe (and that incredible fit!) also reached the third round – fell to Karen Khachanov. There isn’t a look Big Foe isn’t able to pull off. Tiafoe is also at a career high 15 in the world rankings after his solid start to the season. Felix Auger-Aliassime, who was not playing his best tennis, still managed to reach the fourth round, before falling to Jiri Lehecka. He was the last man standing as well if we’re buying into the “Netflix curse” (listen up for our Break Point takes). Coco Gauff reached the second week – lost to Jelena Ostapenko in the round of 16, but did win all her matches in straight sets up until then. Her second-round match against Emma Raducanu had everyone very excited about the future/before and after. Madison Keys lost to two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in the third round. Despite not protecting her semi-final points from last year, Keys seems to be in a good place after her solid start to the year after moving house. Ranah Akua Stoiber had a breakthrough tournament reaching the last four in the girl’s competition (her first Grand Slam semi-final). The 17-year-old Brit looks like an exciting prospect. Elsewhere, Mikael Ymer reached a Challenger final in Belgium, Arthur Fils, 18, reached a Challenger final in France, following his first title in Portugal earlier in the year. And to close, we talk about events happening in Thailand and Lyon where Heather Watson, Alycia Parks and Jasmine Paolini are all in action. Please subscribe and share your comments. #BlackSpinGlobal

Lucy and Eugene, joined by Myles David, get to know the Tuned Into Tennis founder a bit better as he shares his early memories of the sport and tells us why he started the platform. We share our thoughts on Naomi Osaka's amazing pregnancy news (Lucy suspected it). The four-time Grand Slam champion says she plans to return to action in 2024 and we cannot wait to see her back. Dive into all the action of 2023 so far and talk Australian Open draws.... Coco Gauff secured the ASB Classic title in Auckland without dropping a set. What can we expect from the seventh seed who starts against Katerina Siniakova in Melbourne? Taylor Townsend, unbeaten on the doubles court after winning the Adelaide titles (1 with Asia Muhammad and 2 with Luisa Stefani) is a wildcard and takes on fellow Frenchwoman Diane Parry in the first round. We give our takes on the United Cup. Frances Tiafoe and Madison Keys, America’s No 2 players, both went undefeated (Keys is back inside the top 10 as a result and Big Foe is back up to his career-high ranking of 17). Keys, an AO semi-finalist last year, is seeded 10th and starts against Anna Blinkova. Tiafoe is seeded 16th and opens against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier. Sloane Stephens, now working with Fransisco Roig (Rafael Nadal’s former alternate coach), is still searching for her first win of 2023 after first-round exits in Auckland and Hobart. Stephens, a semi-finalist in 2013, faces Anastasia Potapova. Jasmine Paolini has a 1-2 record heading into Melbourne after losing out in qualifying in Adelaide and in the second round (main draw) in Hobart. The Italian has a tough opener against 18th seed Liudmila Samsonova. Felix Auger-Aliassime lost in the first round in Adelaide to Alexei Popyrin. From there the Canadian went straight to Melbourne to prepare for the first Slam of the year where he is seeded sixth and starts against compatriot and PTPA co-founder Vasek Pospisil. Mikael Ymer has four wins under his belt ahead of the AO after making the quarter-finals of Adelaide 2 – beat Emil Ruusuvuori and Mackenzie McDonald en route. The Swede faces 31st seed Yoshito Nishioka in round one. Christopher Eubanks put in some good work in Auckland, beating the 2020 champion Ugo Humbert in round one after coming through qualifying. Wildcard Eubanks faces South Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon in the first round. Staying in Auckland, wildcard Ben Shelton, playing in his first tournament outside the US, upset seventh seed Sebastian Baez 7-6, 6-1. The 20-year-old begins his AO campaign against Zhizhen Zhang. New name to look out for 28-year-old Frenchman Laurent Lokoli who came through qualifying. His father Dominique (French-Congolese dual national) played professional football for Paris St Germain and Auxerre in the 70s and 80s. Lokoli faces Goffin in round one. Please subscribe and share your comments. Episode was recorded on the Friday before the Australian Open

Lucy and Eugene, joined by friend of the pod Tumaini Carayol, recap the epic 2022 season. We share our favourite Black Spin Global moments – including getting accreditation for grass-court events (courtesy of the LTA), our Eastbourne experience made extra special thanks to Jarmere Jenkins on Serena Williams's return (where Lucy got her journalism game on) and our day at Wimbledon.Retirement talk after legends Serena, Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all called time on their incredible playing careers.Some of faves had career-best years... Coco Gauff (year-end finals qualifier in singles and doubles) reached her first Grand Slam final and ended the year inside the top eight in singles and got to No 1 in doubles after winning three titles with Jessica Pegula. Felix Auger-Aliassime won four singles titles (including three in row in October), reached No 6 in the world and qualified for the year-end finals and helped Canada win the Davis Cup for the first time in their history. Frances Tiafoe reached the last four at the US Open, made two finals (Estoril and Tokyo), secured Team World’s first ever Laver Cup title and finished the year inside the top 20 for the first time.Ben Shelton turned pro after before the US Open. The 2022 NCAA champ ended the year at a career-high No 97 after going on a Challenger Tour tear winning three titles in a row.Alycia Parks *cracked the top 100 after we finished recording* got big wins in Ostrava en route to the quarter-finals as a qualifier and won the doubles title with Caty McNally.Honourable mentions for Taylor Townsend who returned to action after maternity leave and reached the US Open doubles final among other highlights, and Angella Okutoyi, the first Kenyan to win a Grand Slam at any level after securing the girls’ doubles title with Marie Nijkamp.We also talk about what are we looking forward to in 2023? And share some predictions ahead of the 2023 season and much more.Please subscribe and share your comments.*Episode was recorded just before the World Cup round of 16*

We recently caught up with friend of the pod Jordaan Sanford.Jordaan’s been super busy working as a body double for one of the lead actresses in the television drama series ‘All American: Homecoming’ on The CW.As well as putting her groundstrokes to good use, the Baylor University alum and ardent storyteller also serves as a technical advisor on the show. She breaks it all down for us.We also talk about her important role at the USTA Foundation where she’s been tasked to help grow their social media presence among other things.Don’t forget to subscribe and share your comments.

Frances Tiafoe and Felix Auger-Aliassime picked up pivotal wins to secure the title for Team World for the first time in five attempts!The match everyone was anticipating was the Friday night doubles with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal taking on Tiafoe and Jack Sock. The Americans got the win for Team World and Tiafoe was subjected to racist abuse on social media afterwards which was completely out of line!On the Sunday, Auger-Aliassime dispatched the Novak Djokovic in straight sets to put Team World in a winning position and just one match victory away from winning the Laver Cup for the first time.Enter man of the moment, Big Foe who lost the first set to Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1 but rallied back in now typical fashion, taking the second-set tiebreak and closed out the decider to secure the title and his second win over the Greek in a row (third overall)."Greek Yoghurt" controversy… people were losing it on social media and criticising Team World’s behaviour during the Tiafoe-Tsitsipas match. Mic’s picked up Tiafoe, surrounded by Americans on the bench, saying he wants “that Greek yoghurt”.Other bits…Davis Cup – Ymer brothers picked some good wins for Sweden – Mikael beat Italy's Jannik Sinner and Diego Schwartzman of Argentina. Elias picked up an impressive win over Argentine Sebastian Baez.FAA also beat Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic to secure Canada’s place in the Finals. Gabriel Diallo (confident his Dad is from Senegal or Guinea TBC), a 20-year-old Kentucky Wildcats senior, also made his debut for the Canadians.WTA – Naomi Osaka withdrew from her second round match in Tokyo due to illness. Not sure if she will play again this season.Don’t forget to subscribe and share your comments.

The final Grand Slam of the year did not disappoint. Frances Tiafoe made a historic run (Lucy has all the stats) to the semi-finals where he lost to eventual champion and world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz in five exhilarating sets. Big Foe, now a top 20 player for the first time, chalked off impressive wins against 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev en route and had the NBA and former First Lady Michelle Obama cheering him on. Coco Gauff reached the last eight in New York for the first time where she lost to in-form Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia. The American 18-year-old, now a top 10 player for the first time, outplayed compatriot Madison Keys in the third round and came through impressively against Zhang Shuai in round four. Lucy gives coach Diego Moyano his flowers. Serena, in her final match as a professional, lost to Australia’s Alja Tomljanovic in an epic three-hour tussle. The 23-time Grand Slam champion had everyone believing after her incredible performance and three-set victory over second seed Anett Kontaveit in round two. The GOAT also played doubles with sister Venus for the first time in a long time in New York – they did lose in the first round but it was a very special night. Taylor Townsend and Caty McNally came up short in the women’s doubles final, losing to seasoned campaigners Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in three sets. Our girl Taylor was rightly talking her ‘ish’ after the match which left us all excited about her 2023 season. There are also notable mentions for qualifier Christopher Eubanks who reached the second round, Grand Slam debutant Ben Shelton who gave a good account of himself, and juniors Victoria Mboko, Clervie Ngounoue and Ranah Akua Stoiber who all made deep runs. Don't forget to subscribe and share your comments!

Charrisha Watkins, founder of Love In Tennis and now friend of the pod, links up with us for a collaborative episode. We talk college tennis at Gettysburg College; Tipsy Tennis and favourite drinks; favourite Grand Slams and much more. As we were last on just after Wimbledon, we catch up with everything that has happened since then, paying particular attention to Serena Williams announcing her “evolution” away from tennis in that beautiful Vogue essay. We share our thoughts on the GOAT and the legacy she leaves behind. We give huge props to Coco Gauff for reaching world No 1 in the doubles rankings after securing her second WTA 1000 title of the season in Toronto with Jessica Pegula. Madison Keys took out world No 1 Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati and went on to reach the semi-finals. On the men’s side, Mikael Ymer reached the last four in Washington. Felix Auger-Aliassime made back-to-back Masters 1000 quarter-finals in Montreal and Cincinnati. We also share our thoughts on NCAA champion Ben Shelton who announced he is turning pro. And to close, some on-brand – for the most part – US Open predictions. Don't forget to subscribe and share your comments!

Lucy and Eugene are joined by friend of the pod Tumaini Carayol aka The Mentor. This episode is all about Wimbledon 2022! We celebrate girls’ doubles champion Angella Okutoyi who put Kenyan tennis on the map after becoming the first Grand Slam winner from the country. We also talk about the women’s and men’s finals, paying particular attention to Tunisia's Ons Jabeur and what her run means to Africa and the Arab world.From a Black Spin Global perspective, icons Serena and Venus Williams both competed – Serena in singles and Venus in mixed doubles with Jamie Murray. Was nice to see Venus at the Centre Court centenary celebrations alongside all the legends but Serena's absence did not feel right. We discuss.We give props to the wildly underrated Heather Watson, our guy Frances Tiafoe and the ever impressive Coco Gauff. Watson broke new ground at a Grand Slam after reaching the last 16 – she was also the last Brit standing in the women’s draw. Tiafoe, who was 0-2 on grass coming in, also put in a good showing and reached the fourth round for the first time. Gauff reached the third round in singles but went all the way to semi-finals in mixed doubles with Jack Sock.Don't forget to subscribe and share your comments!

Serena Williams is back! We had the honour of watching her return to action – with Ons Jabeur – at Eastbourne from her players’ box courtesy of our guy Jarmere Jenkins. We’re still buzzing!Black Spin Global was media accredited for Eastbourne, too. We talk about our experiences – Lucy casually asking Serena and Jabeur quality questions in press – and who we got to see while we were there – Mikael Ymer, Paul Jubb, Heather Watson, Jay Clarke, Frances Tiafoe and Madison Keys among others.We also preview Wimbledon and dissect the draws; give thanks to the tennis Gods for decent-ish first rounds for our peoples. We reveal our picks for the men’s and women’s crown. There's also our off-court coaching takes.Don’t forget to subscribe and share your comments!

Black Spin Global was officially accredited for this year's cinch Championships. Friend of the pod Tumaini Carayol joins for this quick episode recorded on day 3 in the Queen's Club press room.Eugene had the pleasure of seeing Brit Paul Jubb get two top 100 wins in qualifying and put up a good fight in a first-round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp – spoke to Jubb in press afterwards. Also met Frances Tiafoe for the first time in person which was special. The American was involved in a high quality battle with Stanislas Wawrinka.Serena Williams is back! We talk about the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s return to the tour at Eastbourne where she is scheduled to play doubles with Ons Jabeur. Tumaini also talks about his French Open experience and how it differed from 2019 and Coco Gauff.Plus, a shout out for Alycia Parks who secured her first top 50 win in Berlin.Don’t forget to subscribe and share your comments! Please also subscribe to our YouTube channel if you haven't already. We appreciate you!

Black tennis really shined in Paris this year (hence the title of this episode). We review a historic French Open for 18-year-old singles and doubles runner-up Coco Gauff. Our girl Taylor Townsend, a doubles semi-finalist, did her thing with Madison Keys. As did Sloane Stephens, who reached the quarter-finals and played beautifully in one of her favourite cities. We also talk about Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s emotional and well-deserved send-off; reveal why we think Felix Auger-Aliassime – the only player to take champion Rafael Nadal to five sets – should tell Toni Nadal to kick rocks; show Mikael Ymer and Frances Tiafoe some love for picking up momentous wins; and give a mention to some juniors who competed.And finally, we have exciting news regarding our whereabouts during this grass-court season… Shouts out to the Lawn Tennis Association!Don’t forget to subscribe and share your comments! Please also subscribe to our YouTube channel if you haven't already. We appreciate you!

We recap our Instagram Live chat with the wonderful Taylor Townsend and her coach John Williams – shout out to The Plug Rodney Rapson for setting it up. We also congratulate Mr and Mrs Monfils who are expecting their first child and give our opinion on the Wimbledon ranking points row.There is also a clay-court review, including Frances Tiafoe making the final in Estoril and Coco Gauff, now working with Diego Moyano, beating Angelique Kerber in Rome. Naomi Osaka continues to secure the bag after setting up her own sports agency (EVOLVE) with agent Stuart Duguid.We close with a preview of the French Open draw (we recorded this episode on Saturday 21 May). And try and pick winners... Don’t forget to subscribe and share your comments!

The gang is back! We gave our flowers to 25-year-old Ash Barty who surprisingly announced her retirement. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is also calling it a day after this year's French Open. We also get into Patrick Mouratoglou's new "short-term" coaching arrangement with Simona Halep and ponder whether or not Serena Williams will be at Wimbledon this year.There is also Miami Open talk – where our girl Naomi Osaka reached the final – Charleston, Felix Auger-Aliassime in Marrakesh, Frances Tiafoe reaching the quarter-finals in Houston and we close with Monte Carlo.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ We're also on YouTube now – Black Spin Global!⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

We're back with our first-ever visual pod!We started off by celebrating our second pod-anniversary and then our recent trophy winners: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff.After a couple of shoutouts to players doing their thing on and off court, we had a long talk about Indian Wells, paying particular attention to that Naomi Osaka-Stephens first round and the unfortunate heckling incident during Osaka’s second-round match.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ We're also on YouTube now – Black Spin Global!⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Right after securing the doubles ITF title in Orlando with partner Whitney Osuigwe, we had a chat with rising American Hailey Baptiste whilst she was on the road. As well as answering follower questions, Baptiste spoke about career highlights, working with coach Zack Evenden, short- and long-term goals and much more. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ We're also on YouTube now – Black Spin Global! ⁣ Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Lucy and Eugene are back with the first episode of the new season. We mostly talk AO 2022, but also share our thoughts on the year ahead, including plans for the podcast and much more. *Please note, although originally intended, this episode is not available as a video. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ ⁣ Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Jermaine and Jarmere Jenkins speak to us about their impressive careers in the game that includes working with two of the most decorated siblings in tennis, Venus and Serena Williams.The brothers also share their thoughts on King Richard, talk about the black tennis landscape and so much more.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ We're also on YouTube now – Black Spin Global!⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

So many highlights from the 2021 season including Osaka winning in Australia again, Auger-Aliassime cracking the top 10 and Gauff continuing her impressive rise. We also shout out the guest co-hosts that have joined us this year.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

We recap Frances Tiafoe's dream run to the final in Vienna, talk USA and Canada at the Billie Jean King Cup and look ahead to events in Stockholm and Linz.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Dustin Brown aka Dreddy Tennis shouts us out, we recap Tiafoe-Murray in Antwerp and look ahead to events in Vienna and Courmayeur. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ ⁣ Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Eugene and Lucy re-break exclusive coaching news – courtesy of Zack Evenden – and get into everything happening at Indian Wells among other things. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ ⁣ Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Eugene and Lucy celebrate Serena turning 40, Paolini winning big in Portoroz, Monfils reaching the semis in Metz and look ahead to events in Chicago, San Diego and Sofia.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

In this two-part special, Eugene and friend of the pod Tumaini Carayol recap events in New York in part one. Lucy shares her thoughts on this year's US Open in part two.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

The brilliant Tumaini Carayol joins us to recap events in Toronto, Montreal and Cincinnati. We also get into the US Open draws.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Eugene (in London) and Lucy (in Paris) roundup recent events, talk about the upcoming King Richard movie and dissect the Montreal and Toronto draws. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ ⁣ Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Lucy and Eugene roundup events from the past two weeks before getting into Naomi Osaka's Netflix documentary and the Tokyo Olympics. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ ⁣ Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Eugene and Lucy recap events at SW19 and talk about their Manic Monday experience as well as Naomi Osaka's powerful essay in Time Magazine. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ ⁣ Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Eugene and Lucy – coming to you from the Viking International in Eastbourne – roundup the Wimbledon lead-up events; talk player withdrawals; and dissect the draws at SW19. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ ⁣ Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

Lucy and Eugene look back at events from the past fortnight in Paris, celebrate trophy success on the WTA and ATP Challenger tours and preview upcoming grass-court events.⁣ ⁣ Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review.⁣ ⁣ Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣

We talk all things French Open 2021 with Tumaini Carayol; share our thoughts on Naomi Osaka not doing press; give Jo-Wilfried Tsonga his flowers and much more.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣⁣

Eugene and Lucy look back at events in Rome where Coco Gauff reached the semi-finals and Serena Williams and Gael Monfils both returned to action. Also preview Parma and Lyon. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣ ⁣ Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣ ⁣ Follow us:⁣⁣ ⁣ Black Spin Global⁣ https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal/ https://blackspinglobal.com/ Lucy⁣ https://twitter.com/LucyyKT https://www.instagram.com/lifestylewithlucyy/ Eugene⁣ https://twitter.com/EugeneOEA https://www.instagram.com/eugeneoea/ Greg (Music & Production) https://www.instagram.com/gr3gisthatyou/

As well as the exclusive interview with recent WTA Tour debutante Alycia Parks, Lucy and Eugene spend some time talking about Naomi Osaka's new skincare line and all the action in Madrid among other things.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣⁣Follow us:⁣⁣⁣Black Spin Global⁣https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobalhttps://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal/https://blackspinglobal.com/Alycia Parkshttps://twitter.com/alycia91838799https://www.instagram.com/alycia.parks/Lucy⁣https://twitter.com/LucyyKThttps://www.instagram.com/lifestylewithlucyy/Eugene⁣https://twitter.com/EugeneOEAhttps://www.instagram.com/eugeneoea/Greg (Music & Production)https://www.instagram.com/gr3gisthatyou/

Great Britain's Heather Watson secures singles win number 22 in the Billie Jean King Cup. Alycia Parks, 20, is the latest WTA debutante after a good run in Charleston. We speak exclusively to LTA coach Miles Daley about the newly-formed IDEA Group among other things. Also preview events in Barcelona and Stuttgart.Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣⁣Follow us:⁣⁣⁣Black Spin Global⁣https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobalhttps://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal/https://blackspinglobal.com/Miles Daleyhttps://mobile.twitter.com/milehiworldhttps://www.instagram.com/milehiworld/Lucy⁣https://twitter.com/LucyyKThttps://www.instagram.com/lifestylewithlucyy/Eugene⁣https://twitter.com/EugeneOEAhttps://www.instagram.com/eugeneoea/Greg (Music & Production)https://www.instagram.com/gr3gisthatyou/

Lucy and Eugene review the Miami Open which was a success despite the Big Three's absence; some Hawk-Eye Live issues; and reduced crowds. Props to Tournament Director James Blake!Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina announce their engagement and it's officially clay-court season as we look ahead to WTA events in Charleston and Bogota. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣⁣Follow us:⁣⁣⁣Black Spin Global⁣https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobalhttps://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal/https://blackspinglobal.com/Lucy⁣https://twitter.com/LucyyKThttps://www.instagram.com/lifestylewithlucyy/Eugene⁣https://twitter.com/EugeneOEAhttps://www.instagram.com/eugeneoea/Greg (Music & Production)https://www.instagram.com/gr3gisthatyou/

Jordaan Sanford, from the Tennis Channel, sits in with us all the way from sunny Los Angeles.We look back at events in Mexico; discuss whether women should join the men and play best-of-five at Grand Slams; get to know our guest co-host Jordaan (who beat Madison Keys in juniors and took Jennifer Brady the distance in college); and finish with Miami Open thoughts (pre-draw) where we also reveal our tournament picks. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣⁣Follow us:⁣⁣⁣Black Spin Global⁣https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobalhttps://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal/https://blackspinglobal.com/Jordaan Sanfordhttps://twitter.com/JordaanSanfordhttp://baseline.tennis.com/Lucy⁣https://twitter.com/LucyyKThttps://www.instagram.com/lifestylewithlucyy/Eugene⁣https://twitter.com/EugeneOEAhttps://www.instagram.com/eugeneoea/Greg (Music & Production)https://www.instagram.com/gr3gisthatyou/

Among other things, Eugene and Lucy discuss Coco Gauff's impressive rise up the rankings; Madison Keys' winning return in Qatar; tech giant SAP partnering up with the Sloane Stephens Foundation; and the Jenkins brothers' USTA interview. We also preview events in Dubai, Chile, Marseille and Doha. Don’t forget to subscribe & leave us a rating and a review!⁣⁣Share your thoughts and comments with us using: #BlackSpinGlobal⁣⁣⁣Follow us:⁣⁣⁣Black Spin Global⁣https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobalhttps://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal/https://blackspinglobal.com/Lucy⁣https://twitter.com/LucyyKThttps://www.instagram.com/lifestylewithlucyy/Eugene⁣https://twitter.com/EugeneOEAhttps://www.instagram.com/eugeneoea/Greg (Music & Production)https://www.instagram.com/gr3gisthatyou/