Tripp’s Tennis Talk: Recent Episodes
Argon Productions
Episode 160 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon 2026 preview with Luke McManus, a Ben Shelton fan and northern Florida football afficionado. We discuss tennis' place in the American sports calendar, why we enjoy watching Wimbledon so much, and our bracket picks for the title.
Sabalenka d Muchova
Gauff d Jovic
Swiatek d Kostyuk
Rybakina d Noskova
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Sabalenka d Gauff
Rybakina d Swiatek
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Sabalenka d Rybakina
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Sinner d Hurkacz
Djokovic d Walton
Shelton d Harris
Zverev d Kopriva
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Sinner d Djokovic
Zverev d Shelton
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Sinner d Zverev
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You can subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk on Apple and Podbean.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
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"Rakuichi Buster" by Toby Fox
Episode 159 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a recap of the 2026 Roland Garros championship matches for men's and women's singles. The guest is Monica Andre, my mom and a longtime tennis fan and player. We discuss Alexander Zverev's nervous, low-quality win against Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, and the emotions surrounding Zverev's first major title. Then we touch on Mirra Andreeva's 6-3, 6-2 win over Maya Chwalinska. After that, we discussed the tournament at large, including the performances of the would-be top contenders, whether we liked the old-school line calling, and how in the end, the two winners weren't huge surprises, despite the chaotic nature of the tournament. All that and more on TTT #159.
You can subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk on Apple and Podbean.
The TTT show page - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
If you're reading this, hey, how about leaving a five-star review and short positive note? I worked pretty hard for this while LOSING money making the show. Thank you for listening and reading.
:-)
Episode 158 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a recap of the 2026 Roland Garros Semifinals. On Thursday, Mirra Andreeva picked up the pieces against a frazzled Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3, and Maya Chwalinska remained calm and focused, using her off-pace game to beat Shnaider 7-6, 6-4. Friday was a complete dud, with Alexander Zverev picking up the pieces against a completely gassed and unprepared-for-the-moment Jakub Mensik 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Flavio Cobolli advanced to the final after Matteo Arnaldi withdrew with a viral illness.
I wrote this in the last podcast description: "Kostyuk and Mensik are looking GOOD." Easy come, easy go, I guess.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Show page for Tripp's Tennis Talk - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
Episode 157 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a recap of the 2026 Roland Garros Quarterfinals. Today, we discuss the epic Aryna Sabalenka collapse, losing 6-0 in the third set, and the wins from Chwalinska, Arnaldi, and Cobolli. In addition, Marta Kostyuk defeated Elina Svitolina yesterday 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, with Andreeva, Mensik, and Zverev also getting wins.
Kostyuk and Mensik are looking GOOD.
With Zverev and multiple pro-Putin women storming into the final rounds, the tournament could be ending under some dark clouds. Hopefully somebody else will win!
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Show page for Tripp's Tennis Talk - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
Episode 156 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a recap of the fourth round from 2026 Roland Garros, featuring a look at Aryna Sabalenka's 7-5, 6-3 pull-away against Naomi Osaka and, from Sunday, Marta Kostyuk's 7-5, 6-1 separation against Iga Swiatek. What is next for Iga Swiatek? Is Naomi Osaka still a grand slam contender? Most of this podcast was recorded during the latter stages of the Arnaldi-Tiafoe match, which ended after 1am with the Italian prevailing 7-6, 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 in 5h26m. And of course, Serena Williams had to be the lead-off topic.
It's been a veritable tennis cornucopia over the last week. There's too much tennis!
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Show page for Tripp's Tennis Talk - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
Episode 155 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a recap of the third round from 2026 Roland Garros, featuring a look at Joao Fonseca's exciting comeback against Novak Djokovic 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 on Friday afternoon and evening in Paris. It has been one of the greatest grand slam first weeks in many, many years. When tennis is at its best, it's the best sport in the world, and it's not even close.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Show page for Tripp's Tennis Talk - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
Episode 154 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a recap of the second round from Roland Garros 2026. Juan Manuel Cerundolo was declared the winner after one of the most shocking results in many years, rallying from a 3-6, 2-6, 1-5 deficit to TKO world #1 Jannik Sinner 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1. Elsewhere, Collignon beat #5 Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 and 17-year old Moise Kouame played a 4h56m epic, slaying Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(8) in front of a delirious Parisian crowd that was whipped into a religious fervor. The women's draw was quiet Thursday, but was still reacting to the Wednesday upset of Elena Rybakina, who went out 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 to Starodubtseva. It was a wild and woolly couple of days in Paris.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Show page for Tripp's Tennis Talk - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
Episode 153 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a news roundup from the first round of Roland Garros 2026. With several top twenty players, and a few more barely surviving, what will happen next?
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Show page for Tripp's Tennis Talk - https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
Episode 152 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a conversation with friend of the show Tami Boshart looking ahead to Roland Garros 2026. Who will take home the trophies? We discuss the male and female contenders, the predicted hot temperatures in Paris, line judges vs electronic line-calling, the sudden death of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, and more.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Show page for Tripp's Tennis Talk - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
Official tournament website - https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/
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Sabalenka d Pegula
Anisimova d Cocciaretto
Swiatek d Bencic
Rybakina d Andreeva
Sabalenka d Anisimova
Rybakina d Swiatek
Rybakina d Sabalenka
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Sinner d Shelton
Medvedev d Vacherot
Djokovic d Etcheverry
Zverev d Jodar
Medvedev d Sinner
Djokovic d Zverev
Medvedev d Djokovic
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Intro and outro music: NBC Roland Garros Theme
End of show music: Vectorman MIDI remix from Italo Doom Map01 (Holland/Mason)
Episode 151 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a conversation with friend of the show Rory Renzy about the 2026 Italian Open. Elina Svitolina got over the line against Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 to win her first 1000 event in eight years, while Jannik Sinner routined Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to continue his sweep of the Tennis Masters Series in 2026. Rory and I discuss championship weekend, what happened to the top contenders earlier in the tournament, how we think Roland Garros will play out, and a few non-tennis quick-hitter topics.
You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Show page for Tripp's Tennis Talk - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
Episode 150 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features Matt Zemek, the editor of Tennis With An Accent. In this podcast we discuss the results of the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open; the state of the ATP Tour following Jannik Sinner's 6-1, 6-2 drubbing of Alexander Zverev in the final; the WTA contenders, including Marta Kostyuk, who won the event 6-3, 7-5 against Mirra Andreeva, and the top players that lost early, including Sabalenka, Gauff, and Swiatek; our continued grousing regarding the current 1000-point format; what a successful podcast is in 2026; the status of Florida State football coach Mike Norvell, and more.
You can subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk on Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Show page for Tripp's Tennis Talk - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tripps-tennis-talk/id1638560158
Show page for Tennis With An Accent - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tennis-with-an-accent/id1184382902
Matt's Previous Appearances:
Rome 2024 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mind-bending-realities-ft-matt-zemek/id1638560158?i=1000656090199
Miami 2023 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meddy-wins-miami-ft-matt-zemek/id1638560158?i=1000607010898
Canada 2022 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adieu-canada-ft-matt-zemek/id1638560158?i=1000576064276
Episode 149 of Tripp's Tennis Talk covers Carlos Alcaraz's recent wrist injury, from the news itself to why it happened to the potential effect on the tour. We also look ahead to this week's Madrid 1000-level tour event.
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Episode 148 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is an instant reaction show about the 2026 WGI Percussion Independent World Finals that took place on April 18, 2026. Rhythm X won their first title in 13 years, taking home the gold medal with a record 99.3 score. RCC and Pulse Percussion rounded out the medal positions, with Music City Mystique, Broken City, and Infinity rounding out the top 6.
The guest on this episode is Andrew Frye. Andrew is a 6-time PIW finalist as a player (Timber Creek Independent 2010, Infinity 2011-15) and a current professional music performer and producer in Orlando, FL. We attended middle school and high school together and were both members of Timber Creek Independent in 2010. I am a 3-time PIW finalist (Timber Creek Independent 2008-10) and I also did tabulation for the Northern California indoor circuit this year.
Andrew's website: https://www.fryemixes.com/
Orlando Voyager interviews Andrew 8/26/25 - https://orlandovoyager.com/interview/check-out-andrew-fryes-story/
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Cobwebs alert! I haven't done a pod in two months, you have been warned! Plus the match wasn't great anyway, so I don't know if there's any awesome analysis to be done about it.
Episode 146 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a 2026 Australian Open preview. Topics covered include Roger Federer's press conference, the American television broadcast information, draw predictions for the men's and women's singles, mentions of some grand slam debutants, and the Sunday order of play.
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Sunday OOP: https://ausopen.com/schedule#!43225
Federer presser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co1-VmcjkQA&t=5s
ESPN TV info: https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2026/01/espn-presents-all-the-australian-open-all-in-one-place/
ESPN personnel announcement: https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2026/01/espn-announces-australian-open-2026-on-air-talent-lineup/
Music - "A Heart Divided" by Holly Throsby, which played during Australian Open commercials during the overnight shift in 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_arb7IXK65o
The 2012 Visit Melbourne commercial that aired on ESPN - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eACPUVkHihY
Episode 145 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a 2026 pre-season podcast. Each interview subject answered the same list of questions. Today's guests are returning champions Rory, Tami, Wilburn, and Monica (aka Mom), as well as debutant Emilio.
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Here are the questions:
- The usual year-end #1 prediction.
- And the usual major winners question.
- Who will win the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry in 2026: Alcaraz, Sinner, or Tie?
- Will any player defeat both Alcaraz and Sinner in 2026? Who could? What would it take?
- What will the defining WTA rivalry be in 2026?
- How should Coco Gauff actually go about fixing her serve? How should fans and media react?
- Throw a dart at a player outside the top 50 and say “this person will do something in 2026.”
- Do you personally care about “tennis scheduling?”
- Which current tennis bachelor(s) could you see getting married next?
- Which individual person does the best work in tennis media right now?
- What is the strongest shot in your personal tennis game? The weakest?
- Name three professional tennis players. Bonus points for creativity!
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Timestamps are approximate.
0:00 Intro
5:30 Rory
40:45 Tami
1:19:30 Madeline and Emilio
1:56:00 Mom
2:47:00 Reaction to the answers
2:53:25 Lamarr Tribute
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Intro and Outro music - "Auld Lang Syne" arrangement by E's Jammy Jams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYS7m3VPLa4
Transition music - "End of the Line" by Tristan Clark from EVITERNITY II https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2O7bpcwV90
Lamarr tribute music - "Aurora Awakes" by John Mackey, performance by UNT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ulk28Z4bwk
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After a listless college football game punctuated by a controversial call, the Stanford Cardinal beat the Florida State Seminoles 20-13 in ACC play, handing the Seminoles their fourth consecutive loss. I was there to witness it all, along with today's guest, friend and former co-worker Tim Fain. We discuss the future of Florida State Head Coach Mike Norvell, the litany of problems facing the Seminoles, and the experience of traveling to Palo Alto, including the in-stadium experience and what it was like to experience the wild final sequence.
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Episode 143 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a recap of ATP Tokyo and ATP Beijing, highlighted by Carlos Alcaraz's 8th title of the year coming in a 6-4, 6-4 win in a top five matchup against Taylor Fritz after 1 hour 33 minutes on Tuesday, as Jannik Sinner and Learner Tien were contesting the Beijing final on Wednesday. I also hit on a few topics from what we've seen so far for the early rounds of the WTA 1000 in Beijing, the latest Medvedev drama, and the scheduling quirks of the Asian swing.
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Intro Music: "Moon/Mars: Sukarabe Fight 3" from "The Hybrid Fight" by Naofumi Hataya, Junko Shiratsu and Sachio Ogawa.
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Outro Music: "Stand Up Against Myself" from "Thunder Force IV" by Toshiharu Yamanishi.
EDIT/SAD CORRECTIONS MUSIC: Jelena Ostapenko WAS NOT the Wimbledon player that I referenced with the stalker. That was Julia Putintseva. My apologies. Please disregard that when I say it.
Episode 142 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a breakdown of today's post-match interaction between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko. I have a slightly contrarian take: this is less about Taylor Townsend and more about the psychological profile of Jelena Ostapenko.
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Episode 141 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features clips from the recent Hall of Fame induction speeches from the new members, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, and Maria Sharapova, as well as Serena Williams' introduction speech of Sharapova, done at Maria's request. We also hear from Venus Ebony Starr Williams and do a rundown of today's US Open results.
The HOF content has been getting a lot of play in recent days so I thought it was worth it to spend some time to address it during a mostly-sleepy Monday order of play, results-wise.
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Episode 140 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features my mid-match reaction to tonight's unprecedented display of human error.
Episode 139 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a preview discussion of the 2025 US Open with frequent podcast contributor Rory Renzy. We start with big-picture topics, like the vibe and format of the tournament and the tour narratives of the season, before drilling into specifics with bracket predictions and early-tournament storylines like the presence of Venus Williams, before finishing up with some quick thoughts on how the end of the season might play out regarding the #1 ranking and ESPN going DTC (direct-to-consumer). It's a good one!
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TRIPP'S WTA PICKS
QF: Sabalenka d Raducanu, Andreeva d Pegula, Osaka d Keys, Swiatek d Svitolina
SF: Andreeva d Sabalenka, Swiatek d Osaka
F: Swiatek d Andreeva
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RORY'S WTA PICKS
QF: Sabalenka d Rybakina, Pegula d Townsend, Gauff d Keys, Swiatek d Svitolina
SF: Sabalenka d Pegula, Gauff d Swiatek
F: Gauff d Sabalenka
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TRIPP'S ATP PICKS
QF: Sinner d Diallo, Rublev d De Minaur, Djokovic d Fritz, Alcaraz d Shelton
SF: Sinner d Rublev, Djokovic d Alcaraz
F: Sinner d Djokovic
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RORY'S ATP PICKS
QF: Sinner d Draper, De Minaur d Rublev, Djokovic d Fritz, Alcaraz d Shelton
SF: Sinner d De Minaur, Alcaraz d Djokovic
F: Alcaraz d Sinner
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Music: CBS US Open Themes, combined/modified from various videos
Outro Transition Music: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Barry Adamson
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Episode 138 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a conversation between my mom and myself about our on-site experience at the 2025 Cincinnati Open. We attended the event on Monday August 11, the round of 32. I also attended the next day, Tuesday August 12, during which my dad made a brief appearance. It was hot. There was Skyline. There was also a bowl from an unidentified restaurant. Ice cups are absolutely essential. $2 cinch bags are brittle and they suck. We enjoyed it and we would go back.
Yeah I know the music doesn't fit at all, but I recently came across it and I wanted to put it in the show somewhere, so, here it is. Bwahaha!
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Music - "Photon Carnage (Bonus)" by Dan Terminus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yRwh7PW8aA
Episode 137 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon Day 8 recap, focusing on the Dimitrov retirement situation while leading World #1 Jannik Sinner 3-6, 5-7, 2-2, Flavio Cobolli's special victory over Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6, and Mirra Andreeva's dismantling of Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-3.
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Music - "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997) by Barry Adamson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke4oeBvBb0M
Cobolli Clip - wimbledon.com
Episode 136 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon Day 7 recap, focusing on the five-set thriller between Cameron Norrie and Nicolas Jarry, which the Brit won 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 6-3 in a match where he didn't lose serve. Elsewhere, all the higher seeds advanced.
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Music - "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997) by Barry Adamson
Clip - from the Wimbledon world feed broadcast on ESPN+
John Romero Book Club Episode - https://tripp9.podbean.com/e/book-club-doom-guy-life-in-first-person-nobody-told-me-about-id/
Episode 135 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a recap of a Sleepy Saturday at Wimbledon, featuring easy wins by Sinner, Swiatek, and Djokovic (#100 at Wimbledon!) and a brief tangent into the recent Microsoft layoffs, specifically in the gaming division.
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Music - "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from David Lynch's "Lost Highway" (1997) by Barry Adamson
Episode 134 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features coverage of 2025 Wimbledon Day 5, highlighted by Aryna Sabalenka's win over Emma Raducanu 7-6, 6-4, after trailing 2-4 in both sets; the first set in particular was quite dramatic and of high quality. Elsewhere today, Fritz beat Davidovich Fokina 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 and Carlos Alcaraz took the scenic route over Struff 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Madison Keys, who skipped press due to illness, was beaten 6-3, 6-3 by Siegemund, making Sabalenka even more of an overwhelming favorite.
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Music - "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from David Lynch's "Lost Highway" (1997) by Barry Adamson.
Episode 133 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a live, unscripted rant about the stoppage of the Shelton-Hijikata match at around 9:30pm in London with Ben about to serve for the match. Elsewhere, it was another wild ride at Wimbledon on Thursday, with #4 Jack Draper and #13 Tommy Paul going out. We also had a match one game short of the 65-game maximum and a fun Dimitrov-Moutet match. Let's unpack it all!
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Music - "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from David Lynch's "Lost Highway" (1997) by Barry Adamson
Episode 132 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon 2025 Day 3 recap, focusing on Joao Fonseca's 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win over Jenson Brooksby and Emma Raducanu's vintage performance against Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3. Elsewhere, Sabalenka got through 7-6, 6-4 and Alcaraz won 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. Unfortunately, #4 Jasmine Paolini, the 2024 finalist, was upset by Rakhimova 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Then we finish up by listening to Alexander Zverev's emotionally heavy press conference from yesterday.
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Music - "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from Lost Highway (1997) by Barry Adamson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke4oeBvBb0M
Episode 131 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a personal update at the top, followed by a (cursory!) examination of one of the greatest first rounds at a grand slam ever played.
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Music - "Slaying at Night" by Peter Lawrence - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtqF6lHNZ1U
Episode 130 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a Day 1 recap of Wimbledon 2025. It was a great day! I focus on the Fritz-Mpetshi Perricard match which was suspended at 2 sets all, and Bonzi's 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 win over Medvedev. Also on Monday, 2-time defending champ Carlos Alcaraz went 4h37m against Fabio Fognini (7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1) and top-ten seeds Rune (#8) and Badosa (#9) were shown the door. You will hear all the results from today right here, one of the first podcasts worldwide to publish to an actual RSS feed following the completion of play.
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Episode 129 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon 2025 preview with Rory Renzy. We talk through the draws, make our predictions, talk a couple news items, and also hit the 2025 NASCAR In-Season Tournament.
"Using Synthetic Control To Assess The Impact Of Light Rail Transit On Neighborhood Demographics: A Case Study of Charlotte's South End" by Rory Renzy and Mary Catherine Artzer - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213624X25001695?dgcid=author
"The Epic Rise and Fall of a Dark-Web Psychedlics Kingpin" by Andy Greenberg of Wired News - https://www.wired.com/story/rise-fall-dark-web-psychedelics-kingpin-dmt/
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TRIPP PICKS - Rory (X) had mostly the same picks
--QF--
1 Sabalenka vs 6 Keys X
30 Noskova vs 31 Krueger
7 Andreeva vs 3 Pegula X
11 Rybakina vs 2 Gauff X
--SF--
1 Sabalenka vs 30 Noskova
3 Pegula vs 11 Rybakina
--F--
1 Sabalenka vs 11 Rybakina [SAME]
--CHAMP--
Aryna Sabalenka
--QF--
10 Shelton d 1 Sinner
4 Draper d 6 Djokovic
9 Medvedev d 3 Zverev
2 Alcaraz d Tien
--SF--
4 Draper d 10 Shelton
2 Alcaraz d 9 Medvedev
--F--
2 Alcaraz d 4 Draper
--CHAMP--
Carlos Alcaraz
RORY PICKS QF/SF/F/W:
Sinner-Musetti
Bublik-Djokovic
Fritz-Zverev
Rune-Alcaraz
Sinner-Djokovic
Fritz-Alcaraz
Djokovic-Alcaraz
Djokovic
TRIPP NASCAR PICKS:
SONOMA QF
17 Keselowski d 25 Logano
5 Elliott d 13 Chastain
3 Buescher d 11 McDowell
23 Reddick d 18 Byron
DOVER SF
5 Elliott d 17 Keselowski
23 Reddick d 3 Buescher
BRICKYARD 400 F
Elliott d Reddick
RORY: Had Buescher winning it all.
Episode 128 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a roundup of the Wimbledon tune-up results, including Alexander Bublik's 6-3, 7-6 win over Daniil Medvedev in Halle, Carlos Alcaraz's edging of Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 in Queen's, and Marketa Vondrousova's great week in Berlin capped with a 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 win over Xinyu Wang.
Music - "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997) by Barry Adamson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke4oeBvBb0M
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Episode 127 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a conversation with Brian Baldauff about the book "The Inner Game of Tennis."
Brian Baldauff is the Associate Professor of Percussion at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. From 2007-09 he was, at various points, my marching band instructor and private teacher when we both lived in Florida. In this conversation, we discuss how ascribing judgment to action can affect performance, two pedagogical approaches relating to technique, and the state of modern education, among other topics.
Apologies to people that don't normally listen for the bit/skit at the beginning. I usually focus on "news of the day" on the pro tennis tour and I've been on hiatus, so I absolutely had to address that briefly here. And I really, really, really liked this bit actually, so, it stays in. :)
I am not a very good interviewer because I don't do a lot of interviews. I started this one way, way off but I settled down a little bit the more it went along. It still wasn't my best work though. I need to practice my hosting skills when another human is involved. Hmm, maybe Self 1 is too involved in this thought. Objective, right? Okay, how about this. My syntax was halting and incomplete at times, I would have liked to speak in more calm and complete sentences. See? I just applied The Inner Game! All it takes is just doing it, right? If I do more interviews I'll become more comfortable without over-trying.
Peanut butter is still, in fact, the shit.
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Gallwey's website including a link to buy the book - https://theinnergame.com
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Intro Music: "A Dark Zone" from Deltarune Chapter 4 by Toby Fox (2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-ifukvnICY
Outro Music: "Journal" from Flashback, used in DOOM II Sunlust MAP01 "Chasing Suns" (1992/2015) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixE9Z8zlPvk
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Episode 126 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a breakdown of Matteo Berrettini's 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over #1 seed Alexander Zverev at Monte-Carlo, as well as a full recap of the rest of the day.
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"Seaside Kingdom" from Super Mario Odyssey
"Summers, Eternal Tourist Trap" from Earthbound remixed by Will Vega
Match audio from Tennis TV.
Episode 125 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a tournament preview of the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters and a recap of action from Sunday and Monday, featuring Tabilo's 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 over the former champion Stan Wawrinka and Daniil Medvedev's shaky topsy-turvy win over Khachanov 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
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QF
6 Tsitsipas d 1 Zverev
3 Djokovic d Baez
4 Ruud d Etcheverry
7 Rublev d 2 Alcaraz
SF
3 Djokovic d 6 Tsitsipas
4 Ruud d 7 Rublev
F
4 Ruud d 3 Djokovic
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Intro Music - Seaside Kingdom music from "Super Mario Odyssey"
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Outro Music - Summers music from "Earthbound" remixed by Will Vega https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQc546L8c8k
Episode 124 features a lookahead to the 2025 clay court season. Are we buying or selling the stock on top-ranked players? Can players that won big 1000 events last spring back it up this year? And who will win coveted seeding bracket spots for Roland Garros this year?
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Music: "More" from "TNT: Evilution" written by Tom Mustaine and covered by Xeotroid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He3F4CQFZVY&t=512s
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Race to Roland Garros Ranking (points Roland Garros 2024 to Miami 2025)
1. Sinner 9730
3. Alcaraz 6520
- Zverev 6445
- Fritz 4680
- Djokovic 4060
- Draper 3660
- De Minaur 2985
- Medvedev 2890
- Ruud 2715
- Rublev 2390
- Tsitsipas 1915 (#27)
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Points earned during Race to Roland Garros 2024
8. Tsitsipas 1530
2. Zverev 1200
6. Ruud 1140
9. Rublev 1050
4. Fritz 610
1. Sinner 600
5. Djokovic 450
11. Medvedev 400
10. De Minaur 350
3. Alcaraz 200
7. Draper 120
Lower ranked players with big points to defend:
Lehecka - madrid semis
Felix - madrid semis
Tabilo - rome semis
Jarry - rome finals
Paul - rome semis
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WTA top 3 race to roland garros points (points Roland Garros 2024 to Miami 2025):
Sabalenka 9061
Gauff 5445
Swiatek 5275
Episode 123 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features an Indian Wells wrap-up and a lookahead to Miami featuring frequent contributor and on-site reporter Rory Renzy. Mirra Andreeva gave a fearless performance from a set down to beat an ambivalent Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Jack Draper beat a listless Carlos Alcaraz (6-1, 0-6, 6-4) and a listless Holger Rune (6-2, 6-2) in the final two rounds to win the men's event. Andreeva's 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 takedown of Iga Swiatek is also discussed.
But the real question is - what Address will these players end up at? I make the case that we don't really know the final destination of any of these players, whether they had success or failure this weekend. Their address is unknown. Indian Wells 2025 was only a data point on a much larger journey and not an opportunity to stop and make a big sweeping claim about the state of tennis.
Miami WTA picks: SF - Gauff d Zheng, Pegula d Bencic, F - Pegula d Gauff.
Miami ATP picks: SF - Hurkacz d Zverev, Medvedev d Alcaraz; F - Medvedev d Hurkacz.
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Episode 122 of Tripp's Tennis Talk, as a means of catching up on Indian Wells, features the framing device "what does NASCAR do better than tennis, and vice versa?," inspired by my weekend trip to Phoenix, Arizona for the Shriners Children's 500 NASCAR Cup Series race.
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Episode 121 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a quick recap of Indian Wells Day 1, featuring Osorio's 6-4, 6-4 win over Osaka and Gracheva's comeback 3-set win against Kvitova 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
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Episode 120 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a line-by-line bracket prediction for the 2025 BNP Paribas Open. I picked all 128 lines, TLDR the final 8 picks are listed below.
Sabalenka d Paolini
Keys d Gauff
Rybakina d Pegula
Swiatek d Zheng
Sabalenka d Keys
Swiatek d Rybakina
Swiatek d Sabalenka
Zverev d Tsitsipas
Paul d Fils
Fritz d Rublev
De Minaur d Alcaraz
Paul d Zverev
De Minaur d Fritz
De Minaur d Paul
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Episode 119 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a preliminary dissection of the 2025 Indian Wells singles draws, television broadcast information on how to watch the tournament, the current state of Ukraine and how it relates to tennis, an aggregation/examination of the Rybakina/Vukov "toxic" relationship, and brief comments about Jannik Sinner's doping suspension and Serena Williams' ownership stake in the Toronto Tempo.
This one gets into some heavier and slightly more far afield topics, so consider this a fair warning.
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(Music - Scaraba arrangement by PPF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roP8zpDVXnY)
Episode 118 of Tripp's Tennis Talk ostensibly is a Sinner vs Shelton recap from the 2025 Australian Open Semifinals but in reality is a digression into tennis viewing, sleep deprivation, aging, and working.
Sinner won 7-6, 6-2, 6-2.
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Episode 116 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features an instant reaction to Madison Keys' thrilling 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(8) razor-thin, impressive takedown of Iga Swiatek. I also discuss the earlier Australian Open semifinal where Aryna Sabalenka routined Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2.
It is 5:48am. Time to go back to sleep for half an hour before work!
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Episode 115 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features an Australian Open 2nd Monday recap. Highlights included Madison Keys' late surge to beat Elena Rybakina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 and Jannik Sinner beating Holger Rune in a match filled with schoolyard antics and significant heat 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Meanwhile, the January run of Gael Monfils comes to an end and Iga Swiatek is has made the Elite Eight at consecutive non-clay majors for the first time in her career.
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RIP David Lynch, plus an Aussie Open tennis recap.
THERE THEY ARE, ALBERT. FACES OF STONE.
Episode 113 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a 2025 pre-season survey podcast. Five podcast regulars answered the same list of questions. My guests today are returning champions Madeline Wilburn, Rory Renzy, Monica Andre, Tami Boshart, and Bill Gebhart. This one took some time to schedule and put together. Thank you to all my guests, and we all hope you enjoy listening.
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THE INTERVIEW TIMESTAMPS
(note: sometimes Apple/Podbean messes with the timestamps post-upload but this should be close enough...)
Madeline 6:33
Rory 44:23
Mom 1:20:13
Tami 1:40:47
Bill 2:30:05
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THE TWELVE QUESTIONS
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Who will finish 2025 as the World #1?
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Which players will win grand slams this year and how many will they win?
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Who will finish the year as the #1-ranked American?
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Who will be the breakout player of the year?
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Will a top 10 player serve a doping suspension, or be penalized points and/or prize money, in calendar year 2025?
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Will Novak Djokovic play an ATP match in 2026?
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What will Andrey Rublev's mental health look like in 2025?
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Who will win the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry in 2025: Alcaraz, Sinner, or tie?
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How many grand slam semifinals will Iga Swiatek reach this season?
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Gauff's 2025 season: progression, regression, or something else?
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How much tennis media do you consume?
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How is your tennis game right now?
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Music:
Intro and Outro Music: "Auld Lang Syne" arranged by Loud Volume https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SvT0xLJ_pg
Transition Sleigh Bells: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH4ah67jZRI
Ending Music: "Restless Restless" by Stuart Rynn from "Eviternity" (MAP15: CRYONOLOGY) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5E4nnLIB8Y
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Recording dates:
Madeline - December 18, 2024
Rory - December 22, 2024
Mom - December 24, 2024
Tami - December 26, 2024
Bill - December 28, 2024
Initial Release - December 28, 2024, 4PM EST
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Episode 112 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a conversation with Ocean Springs (MS) High School Tennis Hall-of-Famer Madeline Wilburn about the retirement of Dominic Thiem. Madeline, a Thiem superfan, talks about how she became a Thiem fan, the effectiveness of his game against The Big Three, and his long injury coda following his 2020 US Open win. We also hit on a couple of wildcard questions at the end of the conversation.
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Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are the 2024 US Open singles champions. On Saturday, Sabalenka edged out Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5, while on Sunday, Sinner dismissed Taylor Fritz 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. Rory Renzy comes on to discuss the US Open, the state of the American men, the tennis season as a whole, and other topics.
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Episode 110 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a US Open Day 6 recap. It was a quiet one, folks. Everybody cruised with no trouble at all. The best match of the day was Nuno Borges' five-set win over Jakub Mensik, and even that match contained a 6-1 and a 6-0 set. But please listen anyway! :)
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Episode 109 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a US Open Day 5 recap, headlined by crazy action on the men's side for the second consecutive night. Frances Tiafoe, in 'his house,' vanquished Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 in 4 hours and 3 minutes, and then Montreal champion Alexei Popyrin dismissed a mediocre Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. What does it all mean? All that and more on today's show.
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Footnote: I know most of this podcast features the Tiafoe-Shelton match, but this was the best podcast title, and it'll look funny right next to the last one. "Alcaraz's Magnificent Misfire. Djokovic's Magnificent Misfire. Zverev Wins US Open."
Episode 108 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a 2024 US Open Day 4 Recap. It was a memorable night of unforced errors on Arthur Ashe Stadium, as Naomi Osaka crashed out to Karolina Muchova 6-3, 7-6, and Carlos Alcaraz produced a frighteningly abominable performance losing to Botic Van De Zandschulp 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. Elsewhere, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Iga Swiatek, and Jessica Pegula each advanced. All that and more on today's show.
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Episode 107 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a 2024 US Open Day 3 recap. It was a nothingburger day, to be quite honest. Frances Tiafoe and Novak Djokovic advanced via retirement. Coco Gauff cruised again. And with a few exceptions, it was blowout after blowout at the tennis today.
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Episode 105 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a 2024 US Open Day 1 recap. The top contenders had no trouble today, with Coco Gauff cruising 6-2, 6-0 and Novak Djokovic winning 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. Frances Tiafoe had trouble with Aleksandar Kovacevic but ultimately prevailed 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5. Finally, we said US Open goodbyes to Dominic Thiem and Diego Schwartzman.
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Episode 103 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon Day 12 recap. ALCARAZ-DJOKOVIC VI is set for Sunday afternoon following today's pair of semifinals. Carlos Alcaraz eased past Daniil Medvedev 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 while Novak Djokovic was never truly in jeopardy against Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-6, 6-4. The matches may not have sparkled in the moment, but the scores were close and there is plenty to discuss.
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Episode 102 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Day 8 recap. It was a pretty mundane day today at the All-England Club.
Rybakina, Ostapenko, Krejcikova, and Svitolina all advanced in straight sets.
Fritz had an exciting two-set comeback. De Minaur and Musetti all advanced comfortably in four. And Djokovic manhandled Rune in straight sets with none of the sets getting to 5-5.
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Episode 101 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon Day 7 recap. The grass swallowed up several players on Middle Sunday, with Grigor Dimitrov, Madison Keys, and Emma Raducanu all succumbing to injury, and Coco Gauff falling victim to many forehand errors. However, the grass did smile upon some players today:
Medvedev "beat" Dimitrov 5-3 RET. Sinner outplayed a tired Shelton 6-2, 6-4, 7-6. Alcaraz won the crucial points in a very close match statistically against Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5. Tommy Paul beat the clock and Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 7-6, 6-2.
Lulu Sun, a qualifier, beat Emma Raducanu 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. Emma Navarro professionaled Coco Gauff in an all-American matchup 6-4, 6-3. Jasmine Paolini benefited from Madison Keys' retirement 6-3, 6-7, 5-5 RET, and Donna Vekic got an emotional win against Paula Badosa 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 after 7 hours and multiple rain delays.
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Episode 100 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon 2024 Day 6 recap. Yulia Putintseva upset World #1 Iga Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, but other top players avoided upsets, with Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, Ben Shelton, Elena Rybakina, and Daniil Medvedev each claiming victory.
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Episode 99 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon 2024 Day 5 recap. Carlos Alcaraz awakened just in time to see off a serious challenge from Frances Tiafoe in an entertaining match 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. Emma Raducanu advanced into her first grand slam second week since winning the 2021 US Open by beating Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner, Jasmine Paolini, Grigor Dimitrov, Tommy Paul, and Coco Gauff all advanced.
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Episode 98 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features the audio from Andy Murray's retirement ceremony and some instant reaction thoughts to what unfolded. What a moment it was.
Also, we get into the results from today. But there was no doubt that today was about Andy Murray.
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Episode 97 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon 2024 Day 3 recap. It was an exciting Wednesday at The All-England Club, with multiple top seeds winning tough matches. Daniil Medvedev was a point away from being two sets down, but came back to edge Alexandre Muller 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 7-5. Top-seeded Jannik Sinner won the points that mattered most to withstand a stern test from Matteo Berrettini 7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 7-6. Tommy Paul defeated a game Otto Virtanen 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4.
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini, Carlos Alcaraz, and Emma Raducanu all notched wins. All that and more.
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Episode 96 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon 2024 Day 2 recap.
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro became the first woman in thirty years to upset the defending champion in the first round after defeating Marketa Vondrousova 6-4, 6-2. Over on Court 2, #122 Francisco Comesana defeated (6) Rublev 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6.
Elsewhere, top players largely cruised, with Novak Djokovic, Elena Rybakina, Alexander Zverev, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, and Hubert Hurkacz earning wins. Of those players, Hurkacz was the only one that A) lost five games in a set B) lost a set at all.
In the evening, Jack Draper stepped into the Andy Murray role 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 over Elias Ymer.
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Episode 95 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a Wimbledon 2024 Day 1 recap. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz opened Centre Court play with a competitive 7-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory against the Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal. Following that, Emma Raducanu got a win 7-6, 6-3 over Renata Zarazua and Coco Gauff destroyed Caroline Dolehide 6-1, 6-2.
On Court 1, Daniil Medvedev beat Kovacevic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 and Jannik Sinner got past Hanfmann 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 (Keys also won on that court). Elsewhere around the grounds, Grigor Dimitrov, Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu, Jasmine Paolini, Maria Sakkari, Matteo Berrettini, and Gael Monfils also acquired victories.
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Episode 94 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a preview of Wimbledon 2024. I make my predictions, discuss how to watch the tournament in the USA, play clips from several media day press conferences, and list the Monday order of play.
WIMBLEDON IS HERE!
My picks:
Swiatek d Collins
Jabeur d Rybakina
Zheng d Sabalenka
Gauff d Andreescu
Swiatek d Jabeur
Gauff d Zheng
Gauff d Swiatek
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Medvedev d Sinner
Paul d Alcaraz
Korda d Draper
Hurkacz d Djokovic
Medvedev d Paul
Hurkacz d Korda
Hurkacz d Medvedev
Episode 93 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a chat with Rory Renzy, who recently visited the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Rory talks about the experience of visiting Newport, Hall of Fame eligibility qualifications, how Swiatek has separated herself from the rest of the WTA Big 4, how Alcaraz and Sinner have separated from the rest of the ATP, the state of tennis in America as the major drought for the men has reached 20 years, and a quick look-ahead to Wimbledon 2024.
Episode 92 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a first-watch commentary track for the new documentary "Federer: Twelve Final Days." This movie chronicles Roger Federer's retirement announcement and subsequent Laver Cup match in London in September of 2022. Federer, a 20-time grand slam champion who spent a record 237 consecutive weeks as world #1, is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time and one of the greatest athletes in the history of world sport. What you hear in this podcast is my genuine first reaction during an initial viewing of the film.
This film is awesome. Go watch it.
"Federer: Twelve Final Days" is available now on Amazon Prime Video.
Today on Tripp's Tennis Talk we are joined by Matt Zemek, the author of books on Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and the Editor of Tennis With An Accent, to discuss the state of tennis media and tennis scheduling. Matt and I went in-depth on broadcast windows and the debate over Masters 1000 schedules and formats. We also discussed recent on-court happenings at Rome and look ahead to Roland Garros.
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Follow Tennis With An Accent at tennisaccent.com, on Elon Musk's platform @accent_tennis and on podcast platforms including on Apple Pods at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tennis-with-an-accent/id1184382902
2-time Percussion Independent World Finalist Andee Jones joins me for a live reaction to the 2024 WGI Percussion Championships in Dayton, OH. Andee has made PIW Finals with 2 different organizations as a player, Infinity (2014) and STRYKE (2017).
Pulse Percussion won their third consecutive championship on Saturday night, becoming the first PIW ensemble to do so since Music City Mystique from 1996 to 1998. Andee and I talk about the shows we saw and the state of WGI as a whole. Why has California become a hotbed of marching percussion activity? How can WGI be improved? Why did we like MCM's show the best? And can Rafa win Roland Garros one more time?
All that and more on today's GREAT episode of Tripp's Tennis Talk.
A Double Upset Special was on the menu Saturday at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. First, #12 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas upset #2 Jannik Sinner 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, ruining Sinner's 25-1 start to the season and allowing Tsitsipas to reach his third Monte-Carlo final in four years (2-0). In the evening, #8 Casper Ruud beat World #1 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, allowing the Norwegian to record his first career win against a Top 3 player and sending the Serb packing... to his house down the street. Join me for same-day reaction to this nice pair of semifinal matches.
On Friday afternoon, Daniil Medvedev capitulated to Jannik Sinner as the Italian won 6-1, 6-2 to reach his 4th ATP Masters 1000 final. However, the Main Event on Friday unquestionably was the night session, which saw a resurgent Grigor Dimitrov take down Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 in 2 hours and 37 minutes. Dimitrov, age 32, has reached two masters 1000 finals in the last five months after reaching one in the previous twelve years. Join me for reaction and analysis on this episode of TTT!
0:00 Sinner vs Medvedev Recap
19:45 Post-Match Audio and Dimitrov Interview with ATP Media
24:30 Dimitrov vs Zverev Recap
Music - "Cha Cha Nova"
"It's a miracle." Join me for a 30-minute Emergency Pod that unpacks Luca Nardi's stunning 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells on Monday night. Special unscripted guest appearance by Mom! TENNIS!
A massive Oregon winter weather event may be able to hinder my tennis viewing, but not my tennis podcasting!
Here are my predictions in written form:
Swiatek d Pegula; Sabalenka d Haddad Maia
Sabalenka d Swiatek
Djokovic d Sinner; Medvedev d Alcaraz
Djokovic d Medvedev
Player audio courtesy of Australian Open TV.
How Motherhood Transformed Tennis Great Naomi Osaka, by Natasha Pearlman of Glamour https://www.glamour.com/story/how-motherhood-transformed-tennis-great-naomi-osaka
ESPN Broadcast Information https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2024/01/first-ball-to-last-ball-coverage-of-the-2024-australian-open-live-across-espn-platforms/
Official Tournament Website ausopen.com
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "The Curse" chronicles the experiences of Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios at the 2023 Australian Open while highlighting the struggles of the Netflix players. This is the second episode of the first season. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"The Curse" was originally released on January 10, 2024 and is available now on Netflix.
Tripp's Tennis Talk is back! The subject of today's episode is predictions for the 2024 professional tennis season, focusing on who will finish #1 and which players will win majors. Other topics addressed include Breakout Player of the Year, the state of Nick Kyrgios' tennis career, and the tournaments on our fan resume. I ask the same questions of each guest. First up is Tami, who has been on this podcast before, live from Dos Coffee and Wine. After Tami is my mom, Monica, making her podcast debut, at her house. Then we finish up with Bill from the Casa Monica Hotel in downtown St. Augustine. The Tami and Monica segments were taped on December 23, 2023. The Bill segment was taped on December 26, 2023.
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Auld Lang Syne music link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liUpizrDCTU
Tennis Ball Sound Effect - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atVIPAdrGyE
It's a season finale blowout special here at Tripp's Tennis Talk! Over the weekend, Coco Gauff claimed her first grand slam title coming back on Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, and Novak Djokovic won his third major of the year 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 over Daniil Medvedev.
It is a big show today: the longest episode in podcast history once again. Settle in and enjoy. THANK YOU for downloading and listening.
Part 1 - Women's Final Audio and Discussion, Sabalenka Press Conference, Gauff Press Conference (0:00)
Part 2 - Men's Final Audio and Discussion featuring Bill (1:47:40)
Part 3 - Washington Post Match-Fixing Article (2:29:00)
Part 4 - Medvedev Press Conference, Djokovic Press Conference, and Goodbye (3:48:30)
Well here we are again
It's always such a pleasure
Remember when you tried to beat me twice?
Oh how we laughed and laughed
Except I wasn't laughing
Under the circumstances
I've been shockingly nice
You want your vacay? Take it
That's what I'm counting on
I used to want you beat
But now I only want you gone
You don’t give up easy
I tried to give it all back
With double faults and errors and too-quick-play
The crowd was all for you
Nobody clapped for me, sob
It’s such a shame their guy
Got beat in 4 tough sets
You've got your long flight home left
That's what I'm counting on
I'll let you get right to it
Now I only want you gone
Goodbye my nemesis
Oh, did you think I meant you?
That would be funny
if it weren't so right
Well you have been replaced
I don't need any help now
When I beat you maybe
I'll stop feeling so bad
Go on a long vacation
That's what I'm counting on
You're someone else's problem
Now I only want you gone
Now I only want you gone
Now I only want you gone
Excitement finally arrived on the big show courts at the US Open during Day 5.
On Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night, Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic both needed final sets to get their victories. Gauff was down 3-6, 2-3 0-15 but didn't lose another game against Mertens 3-6, 6-3, 6-0, while Djokovic was never seriously threatened but needed five sets anyway to beat Laslo Djere 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.
Earlier in the day, American men did well, with Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, and Frances Tiafoe all earning victories.
Elsewhere on the women's side, Sorana Cirstea, age 33, beat top-4 seed Elena Rybakina in a high quality one 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, and Caroline Wozniacki continued her improbable run 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 against Jen Brady.
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No impersonation needed - Novak Djokovic is the real thing. He will return to #1 in the world on September 11, 2023 after a breezy win 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 against Alexandre Muller tonight. Before that, Coco Gauff "won ugly" (to quote her coach Brad Gilbert) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 vs Siegemund after 2h51m (!) in a match that featured big-time aggro.
All that, and all the other scores, plus some player audio, on today's recap podcast.
0:00 Introduction
2:00 US Open TV Information
8:16 Andy Roddick GQ Article
56:12 Coco Gauff Pre-Tournament Press Conference
1:11:40 John Isner Pre-Tournament Press Conference
1:26:50 Draw Predictions and Monday Schedule
Errata:
-I forgot to mention Jim Courier as a voice of American tennis. He is good.
-After the John Isner clip I said that we just heard from Coco Gauff. Oops. Sorry John!
Link to GQ Article - https://www.gq.com/story/andy-roddick-us-open
Longtime family confidant Dave Gelter joins me to discuss Michael McDowell’s win at the Verizon 200, an event that we just witnessed live in person at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. What does McDowell’s win mean for Ford? What was our experience like at IMS? Do we like caution-free races? And should Indy return to the oval in 2024? All that and more on today’s episode of Tripp’s Tennis Talk.
(Tennis content returns next week, thank you for listening to recent digressions on this feed!)
Today's podcast is an audio diary of my journey to Newport, OR today.
I know nobody cares except me, but you should stay for the last four minutes, once the music starts playing at around the 18:00 mark. I was laughing hysterically recording the rip of that Pirate voice. The clips I pulled accurately represent my emotions at this moment in time.
Music by Grant Kirkhope, arr. PPF 2000/2010. PPF link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfUXmhcRlVQ
Clean Banjo-Tooie audio rip by ThumbsUpMaster. Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mQpzdjv3q0&list=PLnvqW8wvtMXwbypolvBc-rF9nPD1sjpYj&index=33
DOOM.
On today's podcast, I discuss the July 2023 book "DOOM GUY: Life in First Person" by John Romero. Romero is a member of the id Software video game team that created the multi-million-dollar Doom, Wolfenstein 3-D, and Quake franchises. Romero writes about how his early childhood impacted his workplace skills, his first jobs at Origin and Softdisk, the halcyon days of id and the subsequent breakup following the development of Quake, as well as his time helming Ion Storm. I recap the book, share my thoughts and takeaways, and examine contemporary media that referenced John's work.
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Opening clip from "The Color of Money" (1986).
Doom and Keen music by Bobby Prince. Quake music by Trent Reznor.
There is a new Wimbledon champion! On Sunday, top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz confirmed his #1 station by wrestling the Wimbledon title away from 7-times champion Novak Djokovic 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. On Saturday, Marketa Vondrousova upset Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 to win her first grand slam title. There is a lot to talk about on today's episode!
Check out the timestamps below - NOTE - Apple often messes with my podcasts and makes the timestamps inaccurate but hopefully these are close, these are the Audacity time stamps:
0:00 What does Carlos Alcaraz's victory over Djokovic mean for men's tennis?
20:35 Alcaraz vs Djokovic Match Discussion
37:07 Djokovic and Alcaraz Trophy Presentation Remarks
47:20 ATP Tournament Wrap-Up
51:44 Novak Djokovic Press Conference
58:45 Carlos Alcaraz Press Conference
1:15:08 Vondrousova vs Jabeur Analysis with Luke McManus (taped Saturday)
1:53:55 Ons Jabeur Press Conference
2:04:31 Marketa Vondrousova Press Conference
2:19:50 Sally Jenkins Washington Post Article on Evert/Navratilova
3:13:33 Other Sunday Results and Wimbledon Wrap-Up
It was a great day for Britain on Saturday at The Championships, with Neal Skupski winning the Men's Doubles with Wesley Koolhof and the Hewett/Reid pairing winning the Men's Wheelchair Doubles title. We are taking a break from main draw singles today to talk about the other disciplines.
I have also included the press conference audio for all four men's singles semifinalists from yesterday's press conferences. Stick around to hear from Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic.
Ons Jabeur is into the Wimbledon finals again after a brilliant takedown of Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3. As the score suggests, Jabeur slowly worked her magic and unwound Sabalenka's game over the course of three sets as Aryna's serve itself slowly degraded as time went on.
Earlier in the day, Marketa Vondrousova overwhelmed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-3 to reach her second career grand slam final. Svitolina's run came to an end, but her QF/SF showing in the last two majors offers hope for a speedy return to the top of the women's game.
All that and more on today's episode of TTT.
On Tuesday at Wimbledon, fans were treated with an enthralling doubleheader of Ladies Singles Quarterfinals. Marketa Vondrousova was a point from being 1-5 down in the third set but rallied to beat #4 seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 on Court 1, while on Centre Court, Elina Svitolina upset world #1 Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 in a tense match in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
In the men's matches, Jannik Sinner overcame a wobble to dispatch Roman Safiullin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. It is Sinner's first career major semifinal and he is the youngest Wimbledon semifinalist since 2007. Later in the day, Novak Djokovic overcame a slow start to beat an overmatched Andrey Rublev 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.
Sunday evening featured one of the most riveting stretches of play for the entire 2023 season to date as the WTA took center stage with Iga Swiatek saving two match points to defeat Belinda Bencic 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 and Elina Svitolina overcoming a 2-6, 0-2 deficit to edge Victoria Azarenka 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 in an emotional and high-quality encounter.
Earlier in the day on Centre Court, Andrey Rublev played a great old-school Wimbledon match against a comeback-minded Alexander Bublik, with Rublev eventually prevailing 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4. Elsewhere on Day 7, winners included Jessica Pegula, Marketa Vondrousova, Mirra Andreeva, Jannik Sinner, Grigor Dimitrov, and Roman Safiullin.
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk on Podbean and Apple Podcasts. Thank you!
Music - Galleon Galaxy by Alexander Brandon et al
Audio clip - courtesy of Wimbledon
Quote in the title - Andrey Rublev 7-9-23
Alcaraz d Jarry 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5.
Jabeur d Andreescu 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Rybakina d Boulter 6-1, 6-1.
Medvedev d Fucsovics 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Sabalenka d Blinkova 6-2, 6-3.
Berrettini d Zverev 6-3, 7-6, 7-6.
Kvitova d Stevanovic 6-3, 7-5.
Tsitsipas d Djere 6-4, 7-6, 6-4.
Haddad Maia d Cirstea 6-2, 6-2.
Rune d Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6.
Lehecka d Paul 6-2, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2.
Keys d Kostyuk 6-4, 6-1.
Alexandrova d Galfi 6-0, 6-4.
Eubanks d O'Connell 7-6, 7-6, 7-6.
Novak Djokovic bailed out the organizers on Friday, finishing his match at about 10:50pm against Stan Wawrinka, 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 ahead of the 11pm curfew. It was a great day of tennis, with multiple stories happening on multiple courts for many hours in a row throughout the day. It was Eubanks Euphoria on Court 1 as the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket beat last year's semifinalist Cameron Norrie 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6. Stefanos Tsitsipas finished off an increasingly gassed Andy Murray 7-6, 6-7, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in 4 hours and 40 minutes over two days. Meanwhile, it's a nice result once again for Denis Shapovalov and Marie Bouzkova scored an upset. All that and more on today's episode of TTT.
In the biggest upset of the day by seeding, Liam Broady beat (4) Casper Ruud 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. In a great match in the evening, Andy Murray took a 2-1 sets lead on Stefanos Tsitsipas despite injuring his metal hip in the final few points. All that and more on today's episode of TTT.
A job interview is like a tennis match. You know all the answers - the key is in the proper preparation to allow the answers to come out when you need them. Matches are won on the practice courts and job interviews are won before they start.
It was a Wimbledon washout on Day 2 with none of the outside court matches being completed. On the show courts, the top seeds moved through without trouble, as defending champion Elena Rybakina came back on Shelby Rogers 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, Aryna Sabalenka blitzed Panna Udvardy 6-3, 6-1, and Andy Murray destroyed Ryan Peniston 6-3, 6-0, 6-1. On Court 1, Carlos Alcaraz literally retired Jeremy Chardy 6-0, 6-2, 7-5, Ons Jabeur returned with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Magdalena Frech, and Cam Norrie rallied late in the fourth to beat Tomas Machac 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
4-times defending and 7-times overall Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic opened Centre Court play on Monday with a breezy 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 win over Pedro Cachin. Iga Swiatek began play on Court 1 and had an even easier time 6-1, 6-3 against Zhu Lin.
Meanwhile, 2020 Australian Open Champion Sofia Kenin had a nice win over an admittingly struggling Coco Gauff 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 and Felix Auger-Aliassime crashed out in the first round of Wimbledon for a second consecutive year, losing to Michael Mmoh 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
Also stay tuned for my Kimmer Coppejans digression.
Subscribe to TTT on Apple Pods and Podbean.
Quiet please. Players are ready. It is time for the most prestigious major championship of the year. Get some strawberries and cream, take a seat, and have a listen to the preview podcast.
0:00 - Intro
2:05 - Novak Djokovic Pre-Tournament Press Conference
15:58 - Ons Jabeur Pre-Tournament Press Conference
24:53 - Venus Williams Pre-Tournament Press Conference
36:36 - Andy Murray Pre-Tournament Press Conference
52:10 - Predictions
55:07 - ESPN Information
59:20 - Order of Play, Monday July 3, 2023
Please subscribe to TTT on Apple Pods and download all the episodes!
Source of Quote - Venus Williams, 7-1-23
Music - Galleon Galaxy by Grant Kirkhope, David Wise, Steve Burke. It vibed with the "prestigious and vaguely British" vibe I needed. Hope you enjoyed it Phil.
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "One Last Chance" chronicles the experiences of Aryna Sabalenka, Taylor Fritz, Ons Jabeur, and Iga Swiatek at the 2022 WTA Finals and the 2022 ATP Finals. This is the final episode of the first episode and the most recent episode currently available. The show has been renewed for a second season. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"One Last Chance" was originally released on June 21, 2023 and is available now on Netflix.
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "Under Pressure" chronicles the experiences of Iga Swiatek and Frances Tiafoe at the 2022 United States Open. Tiafoe becomes the first Black man to reach the US Open Men's Singles Semifinals since Arthur Ashe 50 years before and Iga Swiatek wins her first Grand Slam off the red dirt. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"Under Pressure" was originally released on June 21, 2023 and is available now on Netflix.
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "Fairytale In New York" chronicles the experiences of Ajla Tomljanovic, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe at the 2022 United States Open. Most of the episode focuses on Alja Tomljanovic as she faces the Herculean task of playing Serena Williams at Serena's final professional tournament as of this writing. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"Fairytale In New York" was originally released on June 21, 2023 and is available now on Netflix.
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "Saints and Sinners" chronicles the experiences of Ajla Tomljanovic, Ons Jabeur, and Nick Kyrgios at The Championships, Wimbledon 2022. This is the conclusion of a two-part narrative that began in the previous episode, Episode 6. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"Saints and Sinners" was originally released on June 21, 2023 and is available now on Netflix.
"Fear lasts longer than love." -N. Kyrgios
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "Belonging" chronicles the experiences of Ajla Tomljanovic and Nick Kyrgios at The Championships, Wimbledon 2022. This is essentially a two-part episode, as the main narratives of Episode 6 are left unresolved. The coverage of Wimbledon does continue into Episode 7. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"Belonging" was originally released on June 21, 2023 and is available now on Netflix.
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "King of Clay" chronicles the experiences of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud at Roland Garros 2022. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"King of Clay" was originally released on January 13, 2023 and is available now on Netflix.
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "Great Expectations" chronicles the experiences of Paula Badosa and Ons Jabeur at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"Great Expectations" was originally released on January 13, 2023 and is available now on Netflix.
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "California Dreaming" chronicles the experiences of Taylor Fritz and Maria Sakkari at the 2022 BNP Paribas Open. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"California Dreaming" was originally released on January 13, 2023 and is available now on Netflix.
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "Take The Crown" chronicles the experiences of Matteo Berrettini and Alja Tomljanovic at the 2022 Australian Open. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"Take The Crown" was originally released on January 13, 2023 and is available now on Netflix.
"Break Point" is a Netflix docuseries that covers the ATP and WTA tours. "The Maverick" chronicles Nick Kyrgios' performance at the 2022 Australian Open. Join me as I watch the show for the first time and react to it live.
"The Maverick" was originally released on January 13, 2023 and is available now on Netflix.
Under the gaze of sporting history Sunday evening, Novak Djokovic defeated Casper Ruud 7-6, 6-3, 7-5 to win a record-breaking 23rd grand slam title in men's singles and his third Roland Garros title. Djokovic is the only man to win each major three times in singles. On Saturday, #1 seed Iga Swiatek won her third Roland Garros in four years, overcoming a mid-match stumble to edge Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
My former co-worker and current tennis junkie Tami joins me to discuss Djokovic's legacy, including his mid-career transformation on the court, his ability to re-engineer his head-to-head against Nadal and Federer, why fans don't like him as much as the other two guys, why she personally supports him, and the prospects of anybody in 2023 being able to realistically challenge him at the remaining two major tournaments.
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4:16 - Men's Singles Trophy Ceremony
33:05 - Women's Singles Trophy Ceremony
46:46 - Tami
This is NOT a podcast about tennis!
2-time Percussion Independent World Finalist Nate Davis joins me as we react to the 2023 WGI Percussion World Championships from Dayton, OH, where Pulse Percussion's dominance of the indoor activity continued, as they won a league-leading 5th championship since 2010.
Nate and I discuss the 2023 performances of the top contenders, address the state of the marching arts as a whole, and briefly touch upon our experiences with WGI, including its value in the quote-unquote "standard" workplace.
Matt Zemek, the Editor of Tennis With An Accent, joins Tripp's Tennis Talk for a discussion about the 2023 Miami Open following Daniil Medvedev's 7-5, 6-3 win over Jannik Sinner in the men's singles final. Medvedev now has 5 Masters 1000 titles.
What does Jannik Sinner need to do to break through? How much does Gilles Cervara mean to Medvedev? What is Miami's current place in the tennis pecking order? All that and more on today's episode.
Matt's Twitter https://twitter.com/mzemek
Tennis With An Accent https://tennisaccent.com/
Buy Matt's Books!
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/expressly-fed-matt-zemek/1126668620
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/novak-djokovic-matt-zemek/1126480316?type=eBook
Petra Kvitova won her first 1000-tier tournament in half a decade Saturday afternoon in Miami, outdueling the red hot Elena Rybakina 7-6(14), 6-2 in a fantastic final. With 2 majors and 9 masters titles over an 11-year span, Kvitova is a no-doubt hall of famer. Elena Rybakina will be fine; dominant players lose matches all the time.
I was gonna go with a "Czech" pun for the title but it felt too lazy. I've been on a Legend of Zelda binge recently and I talk about Kvitova's courage a bit on a podcast, and it's a better title than the Czech pun I had, so, "Triforce of Courage" it is. I suppose she needed all three to win, eh? Power, Courage, and Wisdom.
It's Friday of week one and 5 of the top 8 WTA seeds are already gone. THIS. IS. MARCH.
Last week's winner and WTA Race #2 Elena Rybakina took the scenic route Thursday in Miami, allowing a 7-5, 4-1 lead to get complicated 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 against a very game Anna Kalinskaya. Other winners Thursday included Coco Gauff, Victoria Azarenka, Jessica Pegula, Lorenzo Sonego, and Jiri Lehecka. In off-court news, I read the Djokovic CNN piece. All that and more on today's episode of TTT.
Join me for a time-traveling adventure as I preview the Miami Open draws and talk through the Tuesday and Wednesday main draw results, highlighted by Bianca Andreescu's entertaining 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Emma Raducanu.
Note - Iga Swiatek withdrew today from the Miami Open. I forgot to mention it.
Carlos Alcaraz dropped by the Argon Production studios after he won the BNP Paribas Open to put the world on notice about his brilliance. Here is what he had to say.
Just kidding, this is me sitting in my house doing this. My last name is André.
Championship Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open is set. It'll be Sabalenka vs Rybakina and Alcaraz vs Medvedev. How did we get here? Listen to today's episode to find out!
In today's episode, we start with live comments from Maria Sakkari immediately following her comeback win 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 over Petra Kvitova. Earlier, the day session was relatively straightforward, with Tiafoe overpowering Norrie 6-4, 6-4, Sabalenka destroying Gauff 6-4, 6-0, and Medvedev holding off Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 7-5 for his eighteenth consecutive match win.
Also on today's episode, we hear from some of the victorious players and I read the statements from the Lesia Tsurenko situation.
Subscribe to TTT on Apple Pods and "follow" the show to get automatic notifications and downloads.
ATP #5 and BNP Paribas Open reigning champion Taylor Fritz opened his title defense with a challenging 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Ben Shelton in which the serve and forehand figured prominently for both players. It was their first career meeting in what has the potential of becoming a long-running rivalry. Meanwhile, #1 seed Carlos Alcaraz returned to big-tournament tennis with a breezy 6-3, 6-3 stroll against Thanasi Kokkinakis. Elsewhere, WTA #1 Iga Swiatek continues to serve up bakery products and #4 seed Ons Jabeur got a win coming back from an injury layoff.
All that and more on today's episode.
Music - "Mettavolution" by Rodrigo y Gabriela.
Oasis (n.) "a fertile spot in a desert, where water is found." There was enough water today to cause a rain delay!
Is Daniil Medvedev back? It certainly appears that way. First, he's back in terms of results; today he won his 15th consecutive match, beating Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-3 in a fun one with several long exciting rallies, one of which featured a Nakashima tweener. Second, it sounds like Meddy is back culturally. He is giving interesting answers in press again. He is being quirky and funny and honest again. I am back on the Meddy train! Let's go!
I'm inclined to not read too much into the Tsitsipas result, and not just because I didn't see the match (lol), but because he's had elbow trouble recently. Let's revisit come Monte Carlo, where he is the 2x defending champion.
Indian Wells was not an oasis for Tsitsipas. Will it be an oasis for Medvedev next weekend?
All that and more on today's episode.
Music - "Mettavolution" by Rodrigo y Gabriela.
In another kiboshed performance, 2020 US Open Champion and former ATP #3 Dominic Thiem squandered a set-and-break lead to Adrian Mannarino, falling 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 to the Frenchman. It was 5-5 in the final set tiebreak. Thiem's tantalizing failure punctuated a horrid start to his 2023 campaign (1-7 match record). Thiem's body language was visibly anguished throughout the match. The former Indian Wells champion is down to #102 in the rankings.
Dominic Thiem superfan Madeline sent me a quick voice memo in the aftermath of tonight's match.
On today's episode, we also hear from Andy Murray. I also do a score read and schedule preview.
Remember to subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk on Apple Podcasts so you automatically get downloads when new episodes drop.
Music - "Mettavolution" by Rodrigo y Gabriela.
Gael Monfils returns to tennis after an injury layoff as a new dad. La Monf's comeback ended swiftly at the hands of Jordan Thompson but Gael feels "blessed" just the same.
Yibing Wu had an encounter with the net on match point. Jaume Munar noticed. Aurelie Tourte did not notice. Yibing Wu was awarded the victory. Two Wus won today: Yibing and Tung-Lin. That must be a first.
Plus - a journalist asks the White House Press Secretary about Novak Djokovic!
Music - "Mettavolution" by Rodrigo y Gabriela.
Shaking off the cobwebs for sure. It will take a few pods to get the rhythm back.
Music - Earthbound track arranged by Jorge Fuentes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBhyhRCYQvk
Novak Djokovic overcame the deportation saga and eight tennis players (seven opponents and himself) to win a record-tying twenty-second grand slam Sunday night in Rod Laver Arena. Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 in the Men's Singles Final. The day before, Aryna Sabalenka outslugged Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win the Women's Singles Championship. Let's talk about all that and more! Pour yourself a cup of coffee, maybe get some headphones, settle in, and enjoy.
On Thursday, Rybakina beat Azarenka 7-6, 6-3 and Sabalenka beat Linette 7-6, 6-2. Let's talk about it.
Novak Djokovic crushed Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 Wednesday night in Melbourne. Earlier in the day, Tommy Paul ended Ben Shelton's run 7-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, Aryna Sabalenka crushed Donna Vekic and her serve 6-3, 6-2, and Magda Linette upset (30) Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 7-5 to reach her first career major semifinal.
Topic List:
What happened in the quarterfinal matches?
What do the results mean for each player?
What are the semifinal draws?
What is the current ranking points situation?
What is the schedule for Thursday?
What is the TV schedule?
Quote - Djokovic. "I've tried any biofeedback machine there is on this planet."
Music - ESPN
Clip - Paramount
It was a highly enjoyable Day 7 from Melbourne. Every match had something interesting associated with it. I focus mainly on the day session matches, including Deep Dives for Swiatek-Rybakina and Khachanov-Nishioka. Jessica Pegula feels like the favorite now. Tsitsipas solidified his "contender" status; he's 1B to Djokovic's 1A. Rybakina may be legitimate after all. Oh, Felix; same old, same old. And, tennis needs a scheduling intervention.
Quote - Seb Korda to Jim Courier in the on-court interview. Sadly I didn't put the clip in.
Music - ESPN.
It's a bunch of set scores and frosting-level-froth-on-the-top freezing cold barely-takes. Stay away!
Sir Andrew Murray beat World #14 Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7, 7-6 on Tuesday for his best win at a major in six years. That and more on today's brief voice note.
It was a fairly standard day of grand slam tennis to open the season. Some contenders dominated, some contenders survived, but each of them got through. Some matches not so interesting, some much more intriguing. The top-line result of the day is certainly Rafael Nadal's 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory, but there were plenty of protracted matches around the grounds; shoutouts to Rinky Hijikata, Lloyd Harris, Alex Molcan, Mackenzie McDonald, and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Nick is gone so I won't spend time talking about him, same treatment I've given Alcaraz. Yeah, I went with a cheesy and unimaginative title for this episode, sorry about that. But that also means I can never use it again. It's 5:23am, so, good night!
Today on TTT, I preview the 2023 Australian Open. I break down the draws by quarter, give my second week picks, shoutout the grand slam debutants, provide the TV schedule, and take a live look at the Day 1 OOP. Player audio timestamps: Coco Gauff 18:25, Iga Swiatek 26:43, Rafael Nadal 38:05, Nick Kyrgios 55:16. Hype music is from old ESPN tennis broadcasts. Let's enjoy the first major of the year!
On today's podcast, I break down Alex De Minaur's 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory against Rafael Nadal, examine Alexander Zverev's psyche and Taylor's Fritz's form in a 6-1, 6-4 rout for the American, read all the January 2 scores, preview the January 3 schedule, and struggle mightily to pronounce the names of players.
Tripp and Bill preview the 2023 tennis season live in-person. Topics discussed include our predictions for Year-End #1, who will win majors and how many will they win, breakout player of the year, and some prop-bet-style questions, such as guessing if The Big 2 will still be playing in 2024.
The exits of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Taylor Fritz, and Simona Halep, among others, signal that many players have a genuine chance to win this tournament. Serena Williams looked very comfortable tonight and she gets at least one more singles match. Thiem isn’t quite ready to come out of the oven yet but he can get there. It’s Day 1 in New York and major tournament tennis is back!
Kyrgios beat Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. I don’t think I said that on the air. No Drama Nick! I didn’t even think about him much today! Nick Kyrgios, TCB…
Thanks for listening.
Borna "Born Again" Coric and "Sweet" Caroline Garcia are your singles winners for Cincinnati 2022. I apologize for the obligatory puns and will do better next time.
Borna Coric absolutely punished the yellow spheroid this week. Stefanos Tsitsipas has some issues he needs to work out. Caroline Garcia exhibited a great deal of poise. Petra Kvitova didn't leave with a trophy but still had a great week.
Plus - I read US Open advertisements! Also the schedule for qualifying week.
THANKS for listening. Time for a few days off.
Rain, rain, go away! Come again another day (actually please don't). Showers and thunderstorms impacted the Western & Southern Open on Saturday but in the end, the tournament completed the entire order of play. Awesome!
Petra Kvitova came back to break down Madison Keys' game 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 in a high-stakes, high-quality, and rain-uninterrupted match. Caroline Garcia beat Aryna Sabalenka and Mother Nature 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. Stefanos Tsitsipas saluted Daniil Medvedev 7-6, 3-6, 6-3. The (Borna) Coric Train rolled right past Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4.
Ram/Salisbury and Puetz/Venus advance to the finals. Ostapenko and Kichenok are the women's doubles champions. Will there be tennis on Sunday? Get the squeegees ready.
153 combined quarterfinal appearances from the 16 remaining players (9.56/player) set up a great weekend of tennis in Cincinnati. The top 2 WTA seeds are out, but 3 of top 4 ATP seeds are still around. Six of the eight ATP players have won a 1000 already. Four of the eight WTA have won a 1000 already. An established field of experienced players that have won big tournaments before take us into the last few rounds.
On Wednesday at the Western & Southern Open, Borna Coric defeated the #2 seed Rafael Nadal 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3. How did both players look during the match? Where has Coric been the last few years? Why is Nadal's Cincinnati record so poor and what are his worst tournaments on tour? Is Nadal healthy? What happens next in "El Race?" I discuss all the angles from Nadal's match today and play Rafa's post-match press conference audio in its entirety.
Also on today's pod: Paul and Shapovalov played a strange one. Jabeur escapes McNally. Raducanu rolls. Swiatek gets back on the horse. Stefanos Tsitsipas finally at long long last won a sporting contest that involved hitting a little yellow ball back and forth. 7 of the 8 Canada singles semifinalists are gone; only Pegula remains. Go Gators.
3 players who made the semifinals or better last week are already out this week; Pablo Carreno Busta, Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Dan Evans. Tennis is hard, you know?
Meanwhile, Anett Kontaveit won a professional tennis match. Naomi Osaka did not win a professional tennis match. Simona Halep gets another W. Coco Gauff takes a tumble. Meddy didn't look great doing it, but he won a big-tournament professional tennis match for the first time in a while. The Williams sisters go 0/4 in sets won today and only one of those sets reached 5-5. Time marches on. If you get the title reference in the quotation marks, you get a cookie. And a cheese coney.
I predict the 2022 Western & Southern Open, recap the Monday scores, and look ahead to Tuesday's order of play.
Matt Zemek of Tennis With An Accent joins me to discuss the 2022 National Bank Open / Omnium Banque Nationale.
Jessica Pegula was in a winning position in one of the biggest matches of her career and then hit 5,000,000 unforced errors. Simona Halep started negative and ended positive; she's now back in the top 10. Casper Ruud will not be world #2. Hubert Hurkacz wants to join Medvedev, Alcaraz, Tsitsipas, Zverev, and the Big 4 as active 2x Masters 1000 champions. Pablo Carreno Busta is in his first 1000 or Slam final. Dan Evans is not in his first 1000 or Slam final. Pliskova did not get back to the Canada final. Haddad Maia got into the Canada final. Aren't these descriptions awesome? Match audio is courtesy Tennis TV.
We have bleary eyes here in the podcast booth. Pablo Carreno Busta is good at making semifinals of hardcourt 1000 events. Evans and Paul provided a surprising entertaining and compelling match. BHM is for real. Pliskova's path is a long and difficult one but it once again results in victory. Simona holds off Coco. Pegula is into her third Masters semi of the year. Ruud is rude to Canada and Felix is inexplicable. Nick's hot streak gets iced. The losers today were all tired.
Belinda Bencic could be a 2-time Canadian Open champion. Gael Monfils makes and breaks your heart. Nick Kyrgios is engendering trust - for now. Gauff and Sabalenka practiced their faults and ball tosses in a match situation. Bia Maia atones for Wimbledon. Iga Swiatek does not atone for Wimbledon. 8 of the 16 singles matches went the distance today. Three top-8 seeds into the Men's Quarters and one into the Women's. It's been a good Wednesday and Thursday for watching tennis. Canada is the land of opportunity this weekend for the players that are left. Who will earn the trophy?
It was a day of upsets at the Canadian Open. 7 of the 14 top-8 seeds lost their opening round matches today. Iga Swiatek is the exception that proves the rule. Carlos Alcaraz couldn't handle the pressure (his words). Stefanos Tsitsipas needs a new coach. Nick Kyrgios is the best player in the world right now. Daniil Medvedev is not the best player in the world right now. Coco Gauff needs to work on her serve. Serena is a legend.
Originally published August 9, 2022. Recapping the scores and stories from Tuesday in Canada.
Originally published August 9, 2022. I read the Vogue piece out loud and react to Serena Williams' retirement.