Tennis Unfiltered

Calvin Betton tunes in from Cincinnati, James Gray from back home in London and George Bellshaw from the sharp end of his anecdotal yardstick. Calvin gives us an update on Henry and Harri's bizarre concussion retirement: https://www.atptour.com/en/video/tennis-a-contact-sport-wimbledon-champs-collide-in-montreal Denis Shapovalov is defaulted for swearing at a fan: https://www.skysports.com/tennis/video/12110/13190123/denis-shapovalov-defaulted-after-heated-exchange-with-fan Hunter Reese and partner Scott Duncan are defaulted after ONE game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCONS88kPpo Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper having a blast playing doubles Rafael Nadal to skip US Open because he will not be 100 per cent but will play Laver Cup, is this the end? Stefanos Tsitsipas sacks his Dad as coach Coco Gauff loses to a player who is younger than her for the first time Emma Raducanu skips qualifying in North America and Novak Djokovic is barely going to play before the US Open Greg Rusedski to coach Victoria Azarenka: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/greg-rusedski-coach-victoria-azarenka-3220235 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of our more international podcasts as tennis coach Calvin Betton joins us from the Rogers Cup in Montreal, James Gray from the Olympics in Paris and George Bellshaw... still at home in London. They discussed... Novak Djokovic exacted revenge on Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday and ‘completes tennis’ with Olympic gold. He is just the fifth player to complete the career golden slam, joining Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams and first man to win gold without dropping a set, although it was pretty close in the final. Zheng Qinwen became the surprise women’s champion, beating in-form Donna Vekic. Zheng had an eventful tournament: she retired Angelique Kerber, ended Iga Swiatek’s Roland Garros winning streak and had a fall-out with Emma Navarro after which it became clear that basically no-one seems to like her. Iga Swiatek barely spoke after semi-final defeat to Zheng, says she cried for about six hours after defeat but did come back to win bronze. Andy Murray’s career is finally over, beaten by Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the Olmypic men's doubles. Sponsored by AG1, click here (https://drinkag1.com/tennisunfiltered) for free Vitamin D3/K2 and 5 travel packs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First, an apology: James is covering the Olympics in Paris and the technological conditions are challenging to say the least, so his audio is not in great shape this week. However, he has identified the problem and has a solution in place for next week. In the meantime, here is this week's episode with Calvin from Porto, George from London and James from Paris. Calvin talks about Harri Heliovaara wearing a microphone on a live match court Rafael Nadal is drummed out of the Olympic singles by Novak Djokovic Coco Gauff loses her temper in defeat to Donna Vekic Late withdrawals fire Matt Ebden and Petros Tsitsipas into the singles draw Andy Murray and Dan Evans keep the dream alive And SO much more... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton, James Gray and George Bellshaw answer your questions on all sorts of topics, including some from the very bottom of the mailbag. Here's what we got into... Veteran Athlete: Is there a future for grass court tennis? Wazza: Is it time for Wimbledon to re introduce grass court seeding? Having Swiatek as number 1 seed when she has lack of ability on the surface makes a mockery of the draw in my opinion. Ian Warren: Hi guys question about the BBC coverage of Wimbledon. Do you think it’s time to pension off John McEnroe, Pat Cash and other players winning slams 40 to 50 years ago? As great as it was how many more times do we have to hear from John McEnroe about his rivalry with Borg. JG: Why is no one excited about the Olympics? Jari Jarvinen: Who do you think are best dubs players all time and why? This came to my mind because of Leander Paes Hall of Fame election. He won a lot and with so many different partners, that's a strong case for him. Definitely one of the best dubs volleyers Tennis Ranter: We see tennis players throughout the year jetting off to lots of locations, with air travel being the most used. What would your thoughts be on a carbon cap for players to limit the amount of carbon they use and encourage the use of less carbon intensive transport? Matt Gunner: For the modern great male players, is it the new normal to win 20+ majors? Pundits that played in the 80s and 90s often say how hard it is to win 7 matches over 2 wks and how remarkable it is to see numbers the big 3 have. For me, in the yrs ahead, these numbers will be the norm. Lynney Pin: Not really a question…. Just wanted to say I HATE seeing the ball kids passing the sweaty germ ridden towels to the players. Why the flip have they brought that back??!!! It’s revolting. GB1: Of the current crop of young players (let's say under 25), who has the best tennis IQ ? Would Alcaraz be lost without Juan Carlos ? How far would Ben Shelton get without his Dad's coaching ? For me, the Big Four and Meddy are high IQ players, but what about the next gen ? Also, do you think players like eg Shapovalov, Tiafoe, and certainly in the past Dimitrov, haven't reached full potential because they use their natural game without developing their tennis IQ brains as much ? Sponsored by AG1, click here (https://drinkag1.com/tennisunfiltered) for free Vitamin D3/K2 and 5 travel packs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin, George and James are reunited for the first time since Wimbledon to discuss... Who will challenge Carlos Alcaraz? Is Novak Djokovic on the decline? Would Jasmine Paolini have been a more popular winner than Barbora Krejcikova? Should the Brits be pleased with their championships? What was the Champions' Ball like? And *so much* more. Sponsored by AG1, click here (https://drinkag1.com/tennisunfiltered) for free Vitamin D3/K2 and 5 travel packs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Men's doubles champion Henry Patten joins his coach Calvin Betton and host James Gray to look back at a 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 victory alongside Harri Heliovaara over the Australian pair of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson. We laughed, we cried, we sat around and couldn't believe what was going on. My favourite podcast of the year. Sponsored by AG1, click here (https://drinkag1.com/tennisunfiltered) for free Vitamin D3/K2 and 5 travel packs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray sets his Wimbledon doubles nerves aside to look back at... How Daniil Medvedev nearly got disqualified from his Wimbledon semi-final Carlos Alcaraz finding an extra gear to seal victory and reach a fourth grand slam final Novak Djokovic barely got booed Lorenzo Musetti gave his best but his best wasn't good enough Sponsored by AG1, click here (https://drinkag1.com/tennisunfiltered) for free Vvtamin D3/K2 and 5 travel packs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton, Wimbledon finalist, joins James Gray to talk about Henry and Harri's brilliant run to the final, and why he was holding up one finger at the end of the match. Plus, Donna Vekic in tears during defeat to Jasmine Paolini and Barbora Krejcikova's comeback against Elena Rybakina. Sponsored by AG1, click here (https://drinkag1.com/tennisunfiltered) for free Vvtamin D3/K2 and 5 travel packs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Bellshaw comes out of hiding to join James Gray to discuss the first week of Wimbledon, including... Emma Raducanu's run to the fourth round Emma Navarro's shock win over Coco Gauff Carlos Alcaraz and his inability to win in straight sets Who will win Wimbledon? How much will anyone care? And more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Friday… - Carlos Alcaraz survives a thriller against Frances Tiafoe - Emma Raducanu beats Maria Sakkari in shades of the US Open with a draw that is yawning wide open - Jannik Sinner continues his serene progress in the draw, while there were defeats for Bianca Andreescu and Gael Monfils Then on Saturday… - Emma Raducanu dominates headlines by pulling out of the mixed doubles and inadvertently retiring Andy Murray - World No 1 Iga Świątek is beaten by Yulia Putintseva, yet another underperformance at Wimbledon by the Pole Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Bellshaw joins James Gray to discuss the fourth day of action at Wimbledon on and off the court. Andy Murray and his brother Jamie were beaten in doubles and Centre Court took its chance to say thank you to its two-time champion Cam Norrie surprised Jack Draper Katie Boulter blew her chance against Harriet Dart The draw is opening up for Emma Raducanu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray looks back at the second day of action at Wimbledon where rain was seen for the very first time and Andy Murray gave in to the inevitable, conceding that he has played his last singles match at Wimbledon. Andy Murray pull out of the singles but confirms he will play doubles with brother Jamie Novak Djokovic proves he has fully recovered from knee surgery Caroline Wozniacki hints at her form Jack Draper goes five sets but pulls victory out Sebastian Korda suffers an upset loss And much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray looks back at Day 1 of Wimbledon 2024, and discusses… Carlos Alcaraz’s title defence getting underway Emma Raducanu playing her first match at Wimbledon for two years Coco Gauff thrashing Caroline Dolehide Jannik Sinner arguing about the roof but winning in four PLUS: Dramatic wins for Lloyd Harris, Frances Tiafoe and Brenda Fruhvirtova. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Bellshaw helps out in the first half before Calvin Betton joins James Gray in Eastbourne in the second half. They discussed... Jack Draper beats Carlos Alcaraz at Queen's to secure the biggest win of his career but... He lost to Tommy Paul the day after as the American made his way to the Queen's title, beating Lorenzo Musetti Jannik Sinner won a title too, triumphing over Hubert Hurkacz in Halle to confirm some of his grass-court credentials Emma Raducanu is back and very happy about it Jessica Pegula won a title in Berlin And much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tennis coach Calvin Betton, journalist James Gray and writer/broadcaster George Bellshaw answer your questions about tennis. We talked about everything from doubles to divas, from Olympics to eye contact, and from TV to Fritz tea. This week's episode is sponsored by the Tennis Channel's coverage of every court at Birmingham, Queen's and Eastbourne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray are back together again to look back at the French Open and discuss what it means for tennis more broadly. Carlos Alcaraz now has a grand slam title on every surface, and a total of three - but how many will he go on to win? Has Iga Swiatek ruined women's tennis, on clay at least? How do we fix the night sessions at Roland Garros And so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray looks back after Carlos Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev in five thrilling, if not always high-quality, sets and Iga Swiatek thrashed Jasmine Paolini to claim her fourth French Open. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray looks back at an 'underwhelming' day of men's semi-finals as Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in five sets, before Alexander Zverev knocked out an ailing Casper Ruud. Latest French Open fantasy tennis table is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MLjysGmg_c_oRNRAa7yjWkxJ4pspiaO2Px9xXbc5zow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray is joined by Calvin Betton from the National Tennis Centre in London to look back at the women's semi-finals, predict Iga Swiatek's crowning and cast an eye over who might win the men's. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray looks back at two women's quarter-finals and Novak Djokovic's knee surgery on a bustling Rue d'Auteuil Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray looks back at Day 10 of Roland Garros, where Novak Djokovic pulled out and Ons Jabeur was knocked out, and looks ahead to the last round of quarter-final matches including Mirra Andreeva vs Aryna Sabalenka. To read what Lucie Safarova and Agnieszka Radwanska said about the rise of Andreeva, click here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/mirra-andreeva-tennis-emma-radacanu-comparison-french-open-3092320 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Bellshaw joins James Gray to look back at yet another four-and-a-half-hour comeback from Novak Djokovic, who looked done and dusted when behind in the fourth set and struggling with a knee injury. There were also wins for Casper Ruud, Elena Rybakina, Alex de Minaur, Jasmine Paolini, Mirra Andreeva and Aryna Sabalenka in the rarified atmosphere of fourth-round day at Roland Garros. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray looks back at a packed and lengthy weekend of French Open action at Roland Garros. Novak Djokovic finished at 3am Calvin Betton had to sit on his hands while watching his two players face off Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are eating people for breakfast And more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton joins James Gray to talk about winning two doubles matches in the space of a few hours, look back at a busy (if wet) week of tennis at Roland Garros. Plus James predicts Alcaraz vs Korda - and is immediately proved wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray looks back at Thursday's action - all of which took place indoors - and featured Novak Djokovic shaking out the cobwebs, a ban on booze in the stands and some late-night drama Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray looks back at Wednesday's action - all of which took place indoors - and featured Iga Swiatek scraping past Naomi Osaka, Carlos Alcaraz beating Jesper de Jong and Stan Wawrinka leaving Roland Garros in tears Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray of inews.co.uk and the i newspaper talks through the third day of action as... Dan Evans and Katie Boulter are beaten to knock the Brits out of the French Open before the second round for the fourth time this century David Goffin was spat at and insulted for three hours and 35 minutes as he beat France's own Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard Novak Djokovic beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert in straight sets but still did not look great Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Bellshaw checks into the game with James Gray to look back at the day Rafael Nadal (possibly) said goodbye to Roland Garros (in its French Open form anyway) and lost to Alexander Zverev in the first round, plus a bad day at the office for the Brits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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George Bellshaw and James Gray go through the French Open draw line by line and highlight their picks for Roland Garros glory. To sign up for Fantasy Tennis Unfiltered, click here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_Gm_DiUpvzODXG3UUXKFo82UQekz0PR4RQZiABgxivI/ Follow the leaderboard here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MLjysGmg_c_oRNRAa7yjWkxJ4pspiaO2Px9xXbc5zow/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton calls in from the ATP 250 in Lyon, James Gray is packing for Paris and George Bellshaw is here too. We discussed... Emma Raducanu reveals she will not be playing the French Open in order "to do a healthy block before the grass and subsequent hard court seasons", and to prioritise fitness over Roland Garros Jannik Sinner has been under an injury cloud but arrived in Paris this week to suggest he is ready to compete for his second grand slam Novak Djokovic is also battling fitness concerns but has flown to Geneva in search of form Andy Murray is there too but has already lost, beaten by Yannick Hanfmann - and will now head to Roland Garros for singles and doubles And more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With George Bellshaw otherwise engaged (football...), freelance journalist Molly McElwee joins James Gray and Calvin Betton to discuss all the latest news in the tennis world. And there was a lot, so sorry we went on so long! Andy Murray is back, playing on the clay in Bordeaux and signing up for Geneva, as well as changing 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem says he will end his career at the end of this season after years spent battling a wrist injury Naomi Osaka is playing regularly and starting to look like a threat on clay - and she's even enjoying press conferences Novak Djokovic was hit on the head by a water bottle and then lost comprehensively to Alejandro Tabilo, seeming to blame concussion symptoms afterwards Tsitsidosa is no more! QUESTIONS FROM THE MAILBAG David asks: "You can pick two former players, one male and one female, that you would like to have seen win Wimbledon. It can be for any reason, a favourite player, unfortunate not to have won etc. The third answer is a wild card, any other player to have won any other grand slam." Elam asks: "What do you guys think needs to be done to address all of the concerns about scheduling in tennis that's been going on recently? With all of the recent chatter from the players and fans about the scheduling issues in tennis, like these 1000 level tournaments being extended to 10 days, all of the recent injuries that have been linked to these lengthened tournaments, and the already busy schedule these players face, how does tennis fix this problem? I've wondered about a shortened calendar, say a 9-month schedule that allows for a longer off season for the players to rest from the game." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray do their very best to set the tennis world to rights, discussing... Iga Swiatek's continued dominance of the women's game Her Madrid Open victory over Aryna Sabalenka Felix Auger-Aliassime's remarkable run to the final of Madrid and his defeat to Andrey Rublev Jack Draper hires Wayne Ferreira as a coach PLUS your questions answered on... Tennis documentaries French Open night sessions Promoting doubles tennis Shirt-gate follow-ups Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton, James Gray and George Bellshaw are all at home for once and ready to answer your questions on... Momentum shifts in tennis The perfect tennis body The new format of doubles in Madrid They also discuss... Anne Keothavong's criticism of Emma Raducanu Rafael Nadal's run in Madrid Whether Pedro Cachin should have waited to ask for his shirt And so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton and James Gray talk through the last seven days of tennis news while George Bellshaw recovers from food poisoning. (Get well soon, George!) Garbine Muguruza says she didn't miss "the discipline and the difficulty of the life" in her year off tennis and has decided to retire at the age of 30 Novak Djokovic is playing golf, playing with his dogs but not playing tennis after withdrawing from the Madrid Masters for a "non-medical reason" Emma Raducanu picks up two more wins in Stuttgart before a creditable defeat by Iga Swiatek, and now heads to Madrid after picking up a wildcard Rafael Nadal is beaten by Alex De Minaur in Barcelona Casper Ruud gets his own back on Stefanos Tsitsipas in Barcelona Elena Rybakina shows her form on red dirt PLUS We answer your questions from the mailbag Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton calls in from Bucharest to chat with James Gray and George Bellshaw in London about... Calvin's team win another title! Stefanos Tsitsipas has now won Monte Carlo three times, more than Novak Djokovic even (although we all acknowledge he is probably more successful at other tournaments...) ... but perhaps Jannik Sinner should have beaten him, except for a blown line-call overrule by the umpire Sinner was not the only player to suffer from a bad call over the last two weeks: Nuno Borges got an extraordinarily bad call in Estoril against Cristian Garin so we ask... Is it time to bring in video reviews for almost anything that happens on a tennis court? Emma Raducanu is back, winning two ties for Great Britain against France to qualify for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals Good news out of Andy Murray's camp that he is not having surgery on his ankle and is due back hitting this week Great Twitter shithousing from Corentin Moutet, Holger Rune and more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray are back behind the microphones to look at all the biggest stories of the week - and celebrate Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara's victory in Marrakesh. The WTA has confirmed that its biggest tournament, the WTA Finals, will be held in Riyadh for the next three years in a deal worth around $50m in prize money Rafael Nadal is out of the Monte Carlo Masters saying his body 'simply won't allow me' Danielle Collins wins her second title in a row, this time in Charleston, and has only lost two sets in the last three weeks. We talk about her incredible numbers on return of second serve It was a good week for the big servers as Ben Shelton, Hubert Hurkacz and Matteo Berrettini all won titles on clay across three different continents But it was a bad start to the clay season for the Brits with Dan Evans and Cam Norrie both bounced out in the first round in Monaco LINKS Calvin's week in crazy Marrakesh: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5ehdtLN5-QeJTvUq00oTY_TOTHje-QD50BMYY0 James ran a half-marathon on Sunday, raising money for his local community cricket club. You can donate here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/james-runs-london-1 Jeff Sackmann has written this excellent blog on Danielle Collins's second serve return: https://www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2024/04/03/danielle-collins-destroyer-of-second-serves/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FACTCHECK FROM JAMES: I said I was watching Charleston on red clay. I was of course watching *Houston*, not Charleston. Houston = reddish brown clay, Charleston = still equals mucky grey-green. Apologies... Calvin Betton joins James Gray (inews.co.uk) and George Bellshaw (man of the people) from the ATP 250 in Marrakesh to discuss a very busy few days in tennis... Danielle Collins is the surprise Miami champion after beating Elena Rybakina in the final, losing the first set of the tournament and then not another one after that But Collins also made headlines after clapping back at the suggestion she might reconsider retirement, due at the end of this year, given she is now playing the best tennis of her life Sofia Kenin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands won the women's doubes: an unlikely duo or a force to be reckoned with? Jannik Sinner comfortably beat Grigor Dimitrov in the men's final, having beaten Daniil Medvedev in the semi, their first meeting since the Australian Open final. Andy Murray has chosen not to have surgery on a “full rupture of my ATFL” and a “near full thickness rupture of my CFL” - that is the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and calcaneofibular ligament (CFL) to give them their full names. Novak Djokovic has split with Goran Ivanisevic and does not know if he will replace him. Who would be the perfect coach for Djokovic at this point in his career? Djokovic said: “First of all, Goran is my friend for life, mine and of my family’s. I will always remember that he was there for me as a person, as a human being, first and foremost, and that he brought the right set of values into our relationship. That kind of chemistry was followed by great results. I wish Goran all the best. I still don’t have a clear idea who a new coach would be, or whether there will be one at all. I’ve had coaches since I was a kid, now I am trying to feel by myself what I need, what I feel most comfortable with. You will be informed in case someone joins the team.” PLUS... We answer your questions on Dominic Thiem and whether there really is "a dominant eye". LINKS MENTIONED James's piece on everything we know about Andy Murray's injury: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/andy-murray-wimbledon-injury-hopes-2976945 Novak Djokovic's quotes in full on his coaching situation: www.tennismajors.com/atp/djokovic-trying-to-feel-by-himself-what-he-needs-without-a-coach-for-the-moment-752469.html John McEnroe's penchant for the dramatic: https://twitter.com/Calvbetton/status/1774855117725933985 Hubert Hurkacz loses his mind: https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/1772784378717823397 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Bellshaw, James Gray and Calvin Betton are back round the microphone to discuss Andy Murray picks up two valuable wins in Miami - but then tears two ligaments in his ankle while losing to Tomas Machac Simona Halep loses on return and gets into a fiery spat with Caroline Wozniacki over wildcards and doping bans There were defeats for Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans and Christopher Eubanks Holger Rune was thrashed by Fabian Maroszan (and blamed illness for winning just two games Denis Shapovalov wins the battle of the one-handers with Stefanos Tsitsipas Naomi Osaka is beaten by Caroline Garcia again and Katie Boulter picks up a couple of wins including beating Beatriz Haddad Maia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Bellshaw, James Gray and Calvin Betton are back to talk about another week of tennis after the final of Indian Wells... Carlos Alcaraz won first title since June, beating Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev along the way - although he was temporarily halted by a swarm of bees... Novak Djokovic was stunned by lucky loser Luca Nardi, his third ever Masters loss to someone outside top 100, and has pulled out of Miami too Iga Swiatek thumped Maria Sakkari in just 69 mins to win Indian Wells for a second time Emma Raducanu picks up valuable points but is beaten well by Aryna Sabalenka Hsieh Su-Wei is the world No 1 in doubles after spending 18 months out of the game Roger Federer says today’s game is starting to lack variety, his goal when he was on tour was to mix things up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

EMERGENCY PODCAST with James Gray (inews.co.uk) and Calvin Betton (ATP tour coach) to talk about the alleged Saudi Arabian takeover of tennis, and the games reaction to it. We are indebted to Simon Briggs of the Telegraph, friend of the podcast, for breaking this story and writing some brilliantly detailed stories about it. Read his original pieces below.. On the Premium Tour: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2024/03/11/wimbledon-aeltc-equal-prize-money-atp-wta-contender-tour/ On Saudi Arabia's bid: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2024/03/12/saudi-arabia-launches-tennis-takeover-1-billion-pound-offer/ On the civil war brewing in tennis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2024/03/13/tennis-civil-war-saudi-arabia-pif-wta-atp-tour/ We will do a full podcast on this on Monday when we will know more, but in the meantime please send your questions to [email protected] and we will try to answer them, or at least discuss them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James Gray, George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton are back together to look back at a dramatic week off the court (and occasionally on it), discussing the following... Rafael Nadal pulls out of Indian Wells at the last minute, citing an injury issue - although he seemed fine at The Netflix Slam... Simona Halep gets a successful ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, her doping ban reduced from four years to nine months and a verdict that she had not deliberately ingested a banned substance Katie Boulter follows up the best result of her career with... a first-round defeat to Camila Giorgi Andy Murray beats David Goffin and then loses a one-sided match to Andrey Rublev Netflix follows up its first live tennis event by cancelling its behind-the-scenes documentary Queen's is set to host a WTA 500 event from 2025, according to the BBC Calvin calls out the ATP on the doubles entry system - and gets a lot of blowback on Twitter LINKS Calvin's viral tweet: https://twitter.com/Calvbetton/status/1766779797554762071 James's piece on Simona Halep and doping: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/simona-halep-doping-tests-reform-tennis-2945955 George's interview with Tim Mayotte: https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/24/tim-mayotte-bemoans-conflict-ridden-tennis-after-snub-from-noval-djokovic-and-player-council-9648485/ Full story on WTA and Queen's: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/68497148 Stu Fraser's piece on Netflix cancelling tennis: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/netflix-cancels-break-point-tennis-documentary-series-kbx0t9fzm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Bellshaw returns to join James Gray (inews.co.uk) and Calvin Betton (ATP tennis coach) to discuss a controversial week on and off the court. Andrey Rublev was DQed for abuse of an official on Friday - but had his points and prize money reinstated on Monday after appealing to the ATP (More on that story here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/andrey-rublev-line-judge-default-120k-prize-money-2938316) Carlos Alcaraz "beat" Rafael Nadal to win "The Netflix Slam" in Las Vegas, but was it more circus than spectacle? Katie Boulter won the biggest title of her career, coming from behind to beat Marta Kostyuk to the WTA 500 title in San Diego (For an opinion piece by James, click here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/katie-boulter-emma-raducanu-british-tennis-2938499) Titles also for Alex De Minaur, Yuan Yue, Ugo Humbert and Sebastian Baez Corentin Moutet with the best shithousery of all-time: https://twitter.com/juanignacio_ac/status/1763732566526321120 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eleanor Crooks, the Press Association's tennis correspondent, joins James Gray and Calvin Betton (with George temporarily unavailable). They discussed... Andy Murray's first win of 2024 before losing to Jakub Mensik - and then coming back next week and beating Denis Shapovalov. Is this still the game for him? Has he only got a few months left? Ivo Karlovic has finally confirmed his retirement after years out of the game. Was he really just an enormous server and nothing else? What other athletes's freakish size has made them a spectacle to watch? Anna Kalinskaya beat Jelena Ostapenko, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek consecutively to reach the Dubai final. Is she another woman we are going to have to consider in the melting pot of women's tennis? And speaking of, Calvin defends his take on Azarenka-Ostapenko handshake-gate PLUS Wildcards for Irishmen in Dubai, Cam Norrie's struggles in South America and paying $150,000 for a private lesson with Carlos Alcaraz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray go through all the big tennis stories from the last seven days, including... Iga Swiatek becomes the first woman since Serena Williams in 2015 to win the same WTA title three years in a row, beating Elena Rybakina to win in Doha Maria Sakkari has dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in two years Jannik Sinner continues his unbeaten 2024, winning the title in Rotterdam and beating Alex De Minaur Carlos Alcaraz loses to Nicolas Jarry in South America PLUS we answer your questions on: The I formation in amateur doubles Andrey Rublev - the new David Ferrer? Felix Auger-Aliassime's ceiling LINKS The death of the one-handed backhand in The Times (£): https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/death-one-handed-backhand-tennis-roger-federer-pfl2gwwp6 Gay doubles player Demi Schuurs talks about she has to go to Saudi Arabia because if she doesn't, someone else will: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/saudi-arabia-womens-tennis-2874511 Jelena Ostapenko's "handshake" with Victoria Azarenka: https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1757863285339177406 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the Middle East swing and James Gray, George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton are back home in the UK, picking the bones out of the action. They answered your questions too, including: What does British tennis get from players switching allegiance to play under the Union Flag? And why does Kazakhstan do it? (Thanks to Matthew on email for that one) Can you remember anyone doing such a good job of improving on their weaknesses, at least so quickly, as Aryna Sabalenka has on second serve? (Nikos via email) Danny asks "What's the deal with the ITF events held in places like Monastir and Sharm El Sheikh, how do they afford to host tournaments every week of the year without the backing of wealthy federations, at the bottom tier of the sport with no TV or gate money?" And in this week's news Elena Rybakina wins the title in Abu Dhabi Naomi Osaka talks about failure - but then gets the best win of her comeback so far over Caroline Garcia in Doha Emma Raducanu is beaten by Anhelina Kalinina in a one-sided encounter And so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thanks to everyone who voted for us in the Sports Podcast Awards. We came SECOND, a one-place improvement on last year, but still losing out to Dan Kiernan. We shall overcome! We're back as a trio this week, a little later after James took the slow boat home from Australia, answering as many questions as possible from the bulging mailbag. Justin Cerny on Twitter/X asked: “Thoughts on the variety of surfaces & locations for events during weeks like this? (ATP, Challengers, WTA tour & 125s) Does it help bring opportunity & exposure or does it lack a uniform brand for professional tennis? Something in between? Keep up the good work” John Williamson on Twitter/X wrote: “After a joyful 2 weeks of loads of televised #tennis games courtesy of a month’s UK Discovery subscription, the potential spectre of Sky Sports thin pickings is appearing over the horizon – any chance of bluer skys?” Fab Miss Ana asked on Twitter/X: “What are possible penalties for (WTA / ATP) players for complaining about tour or tournament? Have they ever been enforced? Asking as Daniela Hantuchova (now appointed the infamous Madrid WTA director?) criticised players for complaining and asked for penalties to be enforced." Andy Lee on email asks: “Looking at the results from the Davis Cup this weekend, including a shock for Serbia (will that affect Novak's plans post US Open this year?) and to a lesser extent Croatia I noticed the finals group stages venues haven't been announced. I'm completely biased being from here but do the panel think Manchester should be a permanent finals venue as per last year? Yes, there were attendance problems at say Switzerland v Australia but the GB games were bouncing. Fill the other games with schools and club tickets if necessary. We suffer from a lack of top class tennis in the North, we have the Ilkley Challenger and then it's down to Nottingham/ Birmingham pre Wimbledon. This would fit the bill very nicely in my opinion.” We also discussed... Andy Murray's savage reaction to an article questioning whether his current form threatens to "tarnish his legacy" Emma Raducanu is one and done in Abu Dhabi, but with no added injury concerns and a win under her belt Heather Watson is back in the headlines, making a run at AD to return to the top 150 Holger Rune has got rid of Boris Becker and Severin Luthi, and signed for IMG Saudi Arabia is going to offer eight top players up to £5m to play an exhibition there later this year, more on the story here from Simon Briggs of the Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2024/02/06/saudi-atp-rules-6-kings-slam-novak-djokovic-rafael-nadal/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

That's it! The Australian Open is in the books once and for all. Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are the champions (the first men and women's champion at any slam since the early 1990s to share the same first letter of their surname) and James, George and Calvin have (almost) caught up on their sleep. They ask... Having broken his duck, how many grand slams will Jannik Sinner go on to win? Will Daniil Medvedev ever add to his solitary US Open victory? What's going on with Andy Murray? Can anyone stop Aryna Sabalenka? What else has the women's game got to offer? Will Emma Raducanu get back to her US Open heights? Remember to leave us a positive review if you enjoy the podcast - and if you want to ask Calvin a question, email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

THANK YOU to everyone who voted for us in the Sports Podcast Awards. The results will be revealed later this year and we look forward to seeing the fruits of your endeavours. To review both singles finals, George Bellshaw in London joins James Gray in Melbourne to discuss... Jannik Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3, coming from two sets down to become Australian Open champion and win his first grand slam title Medvedev has now lost five of his six major finals, and twice been two sets up in a final in Melbourne before losing Aryna Sabalenka dominated her Australian Open final, losing just five games to continue her streak of 14 matches unbeaten at Melbourne Zheng Qinwen would rather her first grand slam final had gone better, but does she have what it takes to sustain a lucrative Chinese presence in the top 10? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

VOTE FOR US. We have once again been short-listed for a Sports Podcast Award in the tennis category - but now we need YOU to help us win it. Time is running out as voting closes on January 28th. Vote for us NOW: https://www.sportspodcastgroup.com/sports_category/best-tennis-podcast/ Novak Djokovic lost at the Australian Open for the first time in six years, with Jannik Sinner not facing a single break point along the way. (James's analysis with input from Boris Becker, Darren Cahill and both players is here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/novak-djokovic-slowing-down-sinner-2875415) Daniil Medvedev went two sets down to Alexander Zverev but fought back to win in five and reach his sixth grand slam final Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices