WTA Insider Podcast: Recent Episodes
WTA Insider
The official podcast of the Women's Tennis Association, hosted by Courtney Nguyen, Senior Writer, WTA Insider. Bringing fans closer to the WTA with weekly analysis and interviews with players, broadcasters, and the men and women behind the scenes who drive women's tennis.
The first Grand Slam of the 2025 Hologic WTA Season is in the books and Madison Keys is the Australian Open champion. The feel-good story of January sealed the deal on Saturday at Melbourne Park, where she became the first woman in nearly 20 years to defeat World No.1 and No.2 in the semifinals and finals of a Grand Slam.
The elated and exhausted champion joins the podcast to explain why she wouldn't trade her rollercoaster career for anything.
Coco Gauff picked up right where she left off to start the 2025 Hologic WTA Tour season. The World No.3 went undefeated at the United Cup to help lead Team USA to its second title at the mixed-teams event, punctuated by a hard-fought win over No.2 Iga Swiatek.
Coco Gauff heard it all. After being written off after the US Open, the 20-year-old American surged to the finish to take her biggest title of the year at the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF. She joined the podcast during her mad dash to the airport to break down another milestone achievement.
Aryna Sabalenka joins the podcast after her historic three-peat at the Dongfeng Voyah · Wuhan Open. Fast courts, slow courts, power or small ball, Sabalenka is proving she can win anywhere.
Karolina Muchova joins the podcast from the China Open, where she continues to excel at what she jokes is "her part-time job, this tennis thing." The mission for this episode, if she chooses to accept it: no talking about tennis.
A year on from helping lead North Carolina State to the NCAA Championship Final, Diana Shnaider is firmly rooted in the Top 20 on the Hologic WTA Tour and rising. The 20-year-old joins the podcast to discuss her very foreign college experience and remarkable surge up the rankings.
Aryna Sabalenka joins the podcast from the makeup chair after her redemptive run to the US Open title, her second Grand Slam win of the season and third overall. Her next mission? Chasing down the World No.1.
Madison Keys is all about improvement, whether at home or on the court. The American joins the podcast to discuss the key technical changes that boosted her clay-court success this year and the hilarious months-long process of home renovation.
What's it like growing up five minutes away from one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world? Peyton Stearns joins the podcast to reminisce about her time at the Cincinnati Open and reflect on her season full of career milestones.
Donna Vekic is a woman of the world. And she has the excess baggage to prove it. The Croatian star joined the podcast from the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in April to evaluate her level after the first three months of the season and reveal the hard truths about tennis' glamour side.
Daria Kasatking joined the podcast at the start of the Berlin Ladies Open. Two weeks later, she won the Rothesay International, her first career grass-court title. Coincidence? We think not.
Karolina Muchova is set to return this week from a 10-month injury layoff, which included surgery on her right wrist. She joins the podcast from the Rothesay International to discuss her comeback, why she never panicked during her tough rehab, and why she can't blame her bum wrist for her guitar skills.
Bianca Andreescu didn't know it yet, but she was in for a big week at the Libema Open. The 2019 US Open champion joined the podcast mid-tournament to reflect on her injury-addled career so far and explain why she remains confident her best tennis is ahead of her.
2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova joins the podcast from the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix as she rebuilds her season after injury and illness sidelined her in the spring.
Marta Kostyuk will always be an emotional person and player. But in 2024, the 21-year-old Ukrainian has found a way to make peace with it. The result? A career-best season full of outstanding milestones. Kostyuk joined the podcast during her run to the final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix to explain how she's been able to stay grounded.
Iga Swiatek isn't one to take a backseat to anyone, but after becoming the first woman since Serena Williams to sweep the titles in Madrid and Rome, the World No.1 was happy to make an exception. Swiatek joins the podcast from the backseat of a BMW after winning her third Internazionali BNL d'Italia to detail her ability to adapt, evolve and improve.
As the Hologic WTA Tour winds through the clay season, Maria Sakkari joins the podcast to discuss the realities of life as a touring professional. From reviewing invoices to enduring daily performance reviews, sometimes a job is still just a job.
How'd she do that? Iga Swiatek isn't entirely sure. The World No.1 joins the podcast to discuss her incredible match-point-saving win over Aryna Sabalenka to win her first Mutua Madrid Open title and 20th Hologic WTA Tour title overall.
Taylor Townsend isn't here for any asterisks or qualifiers next to her name. The fan-favorite American joins the podcast in Miami to discuss the challenges of living a full and balanced life as a professional tennis player.
From a prodigious junior career to World No.2, Spain's Paula Badosa has been through it all. Now, as she plots her comeback from a serious back injury, she joins the podcast to discuss the struggle to get back where she belongs.
At just 21 years old, Zheng Qinwen started her season by becoming the first Chinese player to make a Grand Slam final since her idol, Li Na. But she's not resting on her laurels. Zheng joins the podcast to discuss her preternatural confidence and how she's keeping her feet planted firmly on the ground.
Katie Boulter's hard work is paying off. The top-ranked Brit picked up her second career title at the Cymbiotika San Diego Open in February and boosted her to a new career-high ranking at No.27. As she looks to build on that momentum during the clay season, Boulter joined the podcast to discuss why everything is coming together for her now.
Danielle Collins couldn't dream up a better farewell tour after her stunning run to the biggest title of her career at the Miami Open. After announcing her decision to retire at the end of this season, Collins is already having one of the best seasons of her career. She joins the podcast after her emotional win to reflect on her bare-knuckled 10-year journey to become a WTA 1000 champion.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek did not lose a set on her way to winning her second BNP Paribas Open title. After a quick coast-to-coast turnaround, she's gearing up for the Miami Open, where she could become the second woman to win the Sunshine Double twice.
Swiatek joins the podcast to discuss the challenge of trying to do something you already know you can do.
Emma Navarro is living the good life. The 22-year-old from Charleston is closing in on her Top 20 debut after beating No.2 Aryna Sabalenka at the BNP Paribas Open, the biggest win of her career so far. Navarro joins the podcast to discuss the evolution of her self-belief and relive her sobering Hologic WTA Tour debut in 2019.
Anna Blinkova is in the midst of an incredible season. The 25-year-old has already beaten two top-five players and won a historic tiebreak at the Australian Open in January. She joins the podcast from the BNP Paribas Open to reflect on her rise, re-live her wild ride on Rod Laver Arena, and discuss her passions for language and literature.
Jasmine Paolini didn't play a hard court tournament until she was a teenager. But the 28-year-old Tuscan found a way to go from dirtballer to shot caller, as evidenced by her run to her first WTA 1000 title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
World No.3 Coco Gauff joins the podcast to celebrate Black History Month and shares five inspiring moments or aspects of the culture that have left a lasting impression.
After winning titles in Adelaide and Linz, Jelena Ostapenko has her swagger back. Then again, was it ever really gone?
The big-hitting Latvian joins the podcast from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to discuss her surge, her innate confidence, and her joyous shopping habits.
Aryna Sabalenka stormed through the draw to defend her title at the Australian Open. She didn't lose a set -- or her cool -- to capture her second major title. And she looked like she had a whole lotta fun doing it.
Coco Gauff is the moment. The 19-year-old bested Aryna Sabalenka in a physical three sets to win her first major and become the youngest American to win the US Open since Serena Williams.
Gauff joins the podcast to discuss the star-studded crowds, ASMR sounds, and, yes, the haterade that fueled her in New York.
Coco Gauff won the biggest title of her career at the Western & Southern Open, sealing a sizzling summer that has seen her win two titles and 11 of 12 matches.
But is she ready for the roiling cauldron of New York City?
Gauff joins the podcast to discuss the highlights of her week, her win over Iga Swiatek, and how she plans to keep things in perspective at the US Open.
Jessica Pegula's week in Montreal didn't start well, but it finished with a flourish. In a week that saw the American defeat No.1 Iga Swiatek and No.7 Coco Gauff en route to her first title of the season and second WTA 1000 title, Pegula kept her cool and went to work. She joins the podcast after winning the Omnium Banque Nationale to discuss her growing comfort at the top fo the game.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek shut out the noise and the chaos to defend her French Open title, becoming the youngest woman to win four majors since Serena Williams.
Swiatek explains how she managed to keep her mind quiet to win the toughest Grand Slam final of her career.
Elena Rybakina won her second WTA 1000 of the season and her biggest title on clay at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.
As the new World No.4 explains, it was a week where everything seemed to break her way.
Aryna Sabalenka took home her third title of the season after fending off No.1 Iga Swiatek to win her second Mutua Madrid Open title.
The World No.2 joins the podcast to reflect on the foundations of her game and how she's evolved into the tour's winningest player this season.
No.1 Iga Swiatek stormed through her competitive return to defend her title at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, defeating No.2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-4 in the final.
Swiatek joins the podcast to discuss her week in Stuttgart, look ahead to the challenge of winning Madrid, and talk about her love of books.
Petra Kvitova captured her 30th Hologic WTA Tour title at the Miami Open, where she defeated Elena Rybakina 7-6(14), 6-2 in the final. The victory vaults Kvitova back in the Top 10 for the first time since 2021.
Kvitova joins the podcast to reflect on her stunning run to the title and explain why practice doesn't always make perfect.
Elena Rybakina put her stamp on the 2023 Hologic WTA Tour season with a rousing run to the title at the BNP Paribas Open, where she defeated No.1 Iga Swiatek and No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in back-to-back matches to win her first WTA 1000 title.
Rybakina joins the podcast to discuss why her game is coming together and yielding big results in 2023.
Aryna Sabalenka still hasn't lost a match in 2023. The 24-year-old will return to World No.2 after winning her maiden major title at the Australian Open. She joins the podcast to discuss her winning fortnight and how she learned to a new side of her fighting instincts.
The 2023 Hologic WTA Tour season is here and Aryna Sabalenka is already bored. The World No.5 kicked off her season by winning her first title since 2021 Madrid, winning the Adelaide International 1. Sabalenka's title run was not without its adversity, but the 24-year-old showed a calmer, more zen approach to her tennis. She joins the podcast to discuss her evolution.
Jessica Pegula captured the biggest title of her career at the Guadalajara Open Akron, winning her first WTA 1000 title after defeating Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in the final.
Pegula joins the podcast to discuss the title that felt like a long time coming, tapping into her ambition, and why she now feels like the main character of her own story.
Jessica Pegula captured the biggest title of her career at the Guadalajara Open Akron, winning her first WTA 1000 title after defeating Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in the final.
Pegula joins the podcast to discuss the title that felt like a long time coming, tapping into her ambition, and why she now feels like the main character of her own story.
Liudmila Samsonova captured her third title of the season at the Toray Pan Pacific Open and took her record to 18-1 since the start of August. For the second time this season, the 23-year-old did not lost a set in her title run.
Samsonova joins the podcast by phone from Tokyo to discuss the mental work she's done with her sports psychologist and why she's keeping her blinders on for her last two tournaments of the year.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek became the youngest three-time major champion since 2008 after winning her second Slam of the season at the US Open. The win is her seventh title of the season and 10th overall.
Yet despite her domination this year, which included three hard-court WTA 1000 titles, the 21-year-old had reason to doubt whether she could go deep in New York. Swiatek joins the podcast to explain why.
Caroline Garcia made history at the Western & Southern Open, becoming the first qualifier in tour history to win a WTA 1000 title. The 28-year-old Frenchwoman will return to the Top 20 after capturing her 10th career title and third WTA 1000 title, after defeating Petra Kvitova in straight sets.
Garcia joins the podcast to discuss her return to a more aggressive game and how difficult it was to navigate the five years between her breakout 2017 season and now.
Elena Rybakina went into Wimbledon wondering if she would ever feel as confident as she felt when she announced herself in the first two months of the 2020 season. She leaves as the first player representing Kazakhstan to win a major title, beating Simona Halep and Ons Jabeur in back-to-back matches to win The Championships.
Rybakina joins the podcast to discuss her doubts, her shock, and her growing belief that she can do it again.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek's astounding win streak remains intact. The 21-year-old dominated once again in Paris, losing one set en route to her second major title.
Swiatek joins the podcast and tries to find the words to explain how it feels to win 35 consecutive matches and six consecutive titles.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek continued her winning ways to successfully defend her title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. The 20-year-old has now won five consecutive tournaments and extended her win streak to 28 straight wins.
Ons Jabeur continues to blaze trails. The Tunisian became the first Arab or North African player to win a WTA 1000 title at the Mutua Madrid Open, defeating Jessica Pegula.
Ons reveals the secrets to her success, which include the whispered secrets of the animal kingdom.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek continued her winning ways at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, winning her fourth consecutive title and extending her win streak to 23 straight matches.
But how does she feel about being a meme queen?
Belinda Bencic captured her first clay title at the 2022 Credit One Charleston Open, holding off Ons Jabeur in three sets in the final. The win comes eight years after the Swiss star marched her way to her first WTA semifinal as a teenage qualifier ranked No.140 in the world.
World No.13 Jessica Pegula joins the podcast from the Credit One Charleston Open to dish about the highs and lows of her hard court season, marvel at Iga Swiatek's rise to No.1, and laugh about being a rookie on the WTA Player Council.
New World No.1 Iga Swiatek and her sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz join the podcast to reflect on the 'Swiatek Sweep', after Swiatek dominated the Miami Open to become the youngest player to win the Sunshine Double and first to ever win the first three WTA 1000 events of the season.
On Monday, the 20-year-old will become Poland's first-ever World No.1.
Undefeated on the season and firmly entrenched as the World No.1 Ashleigh Barty stunned the world after announcing her retirement from the Hologic WTA Tour. Barty joins the podcast to discuss her decision to hang up her racquets.
WTA Web Editor Alex Macpherson returns to discuss Iga Swiatek, Maria Sakkari, and the biggest storylines from the BNP Paribas Open and look ahead to the Miami Open presented by Itaú.
Iga Swiatek captured her second straight WTA 1000 title on Sunday, defeating Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 to win the BNP Paribas Open. The 20-year-old Pole is now on a career-best 11-match win streak and will rise to a career-high No.2 on Monday.
Swiatek joins the WTA Insider Podcast to try and process what's she's accomplished so early in the season.
Doubles champions Yang Zhaoxuan and Xu Yifan also sit down to reflect on their 'lucky' title run.
WTA Web Editor Alex Macpherson joins the podcast to reflect on the lessons learned from the Middle East and Mexican swings and preview the BNP Paribas Open, a WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells, California.
Note: This episode was recorded before top seed Barbora Krejcikova withdrew due to elbow injury.
In their fourth tournament together, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula captured their first team title and it was a big one. The American duo came from a set down to win the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, a WTA 1000 event, defeating No.3 seeds Elise Mertens and Veronika Kudermetova in the final.
Gauff and Pegula join the podcast to discuss their team chemistry, how they handle pressure in both doubles and singles, and how the win sets them up for the Sunshine Swing.
Iga Swiatek captured her second WTA 1000 title at the 2022 Qatar TotalEnergies Open, defeating Anett Kontaveit, 6-2, 6-0. Playing a more aggressive game style, the 20-year-old Polish star defeated three Top 10 opponents at a single event for the first time in her career. Swiatek joined the podcast by phone from Doha to explain the changes she's made to her game under new coach Tomasz Witkorowski.
Anett Kontaveit has no idea how she's doing it, but she's doing it. The Estonian extended her indoor winning streak to 20 matches after a resilient comeback to defeat Maria Sakkari in the final to win the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. It's the longest indoor winning streak in over a decade and it earned Kontaveit her sixth career title. Kontaveit joined the podcast from St. Petersburg to reflect on her winning week.
How dominant is Ash Barty right now? Who left a lasting impression in Melbourne? What does it all mean for the remainder of the spring hard-court season?
WTA Web Editor Alex Macpherson joins the podcast to break down the 2022 Australian Open.
Ashleigh Barty capped off a perfect fortnight in Melbourne by becoming the first homegrown singles champion at the Australian Open, capturing her third major title with a straight-set win over Danielle Collins in the final. The World No.1 joined the podcast after a whirlwind media tour in Melbourne to explain why her Melbourne run was different from her first two major wins and what's next after a dominant start to the year.
Paula Badosa finds her comfort on the clay. Which is why her victory at the Sydney Tennis Classic cemented the Spaniard as an all-court threat.
Badosa joined the podcast after her hard-fought victory to reveal the adjustments she's made to her game to succeed on quick hard courts.
After a short hiatus, the WTA Insider Podcast is back!
WTA Web Editor Alex Macpherson joins the podcast to ring in the new 2022 WTA season. We break down the key takeaways from the first two weeks of the season, dive deep into the draw for the Australian Open, and analyze the favorites, dark horses, and match-ups that matter.
Iga Swiatek captured her second title of the 2021 season and third overall with a stunning week at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, defeating Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0 in the final to capture her first WTA 1000 title. The 19-year-old saved match points in the third round and went on to tally two Top 10 wins to book her own spot in the Top 10 for the first time in her career.
Swiatek joined the podcast after her dominating final performance to reflect on a week of winning ugly that ended with perfection.
Aryna Sabalenka won her 10th career title at the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open, defeating World No.1 Ashleigh Barty 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 to capture her first title on clay. As a result, the 23-year-old will rise to a career-high No.4 in the rankings and zoom up to the No.3 position on the Porsche Race to Shenzhen Leaderboard. Only Barty and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka have earned more points this season.
Sabalenka joined the podcast after her Madrid win to discuss her magical week, why she needed it, and what she expects with Roland Garros around the corner.
World No.1 Ashleigh Barty tallied her 11th career title and a tour-leading third of the season at the 2021 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, rallying from a set down in her last three matches to take the title in her tournament debut.
Barty reflects on the success of her long overseas trip so far, which has seen her win titles in Miami and Stuttgart and race to No.1 on the Porsche Race to Shenzhen Leaderboard.
Petra Kvitova captured her 28th career title at the 2021 Qatar Total Open, defeating Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 6-1 in the final. With the win, Kvitova won her first title since 2019 Stuttgart and tallied her tour-leading 20th victory in Doha.
Kvitova joins the podcast to break down the keys to her Doha title run. The Czech star also discusses her two Wimbledon titles and explains why her 2014 title run may have been career-defining.
Iga Swiatek captured her first hardcourt title and second career title, winning the 2021 Adelaide International with a 6-2, 6-2 win over No.2 seed Belinda Bencic in the final.
Everything came together perfectly for Swiatek in Adelaide, where she steamrolled through the field to drop just 23 games over five matches, finishing her successful week by winning her final 18 service games.
Swiatek joins the podcast from Adelaide to reflect on what went right in Adelaide and explain how her mind, which craves logic and rationality, can produce a game that is so unpredictable.
Naomi Osaka captured her fourth major title at the Australian Open, defeating Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 to win her 2nd title in Melbourne. Osaka has now pulled off the New York-Melbourne double twice in her young career, and she will leave Australia riding a 21-match winning streak.
Osaka joined the podcast by phone from Melbourne to reflect on her win and look ahead to her prospects at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Aryna Sabalenka can't lose. The 22-year-old Belarusian finished the 2020 season with back-to-back titles and she kicked off her 2021 season with another, defeating Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-2 to win the Abu Dhabi WTA Women's Tennis Open. Her winning week extended her career-best winning streak to 15 matches, secured her third consecutive title and ninth of her career, and will propel her to a new career-high ranking on Monday at No.7.
That's not a bad week of work.
Sabalenka joined the WTA Insider Podcast from Abu Dhabi and reveals how losing her father put her tennis in perspective and how she plans to deal with the heightened expectations as she heads to the Australian Open as the hottest player on tour.
Julia Goerges has announced her retirement, ending a 15-year career that that saw her break into the Top 10, make a Wimbledon semifinal, capture seven WTA singles titles, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder alongside Germany's Golden Generation of talent, with Angelique Kerber, Andrea Petkovic, and Sabine Lisicki.
Goerges leaves behind a legacy of professionalism and respect that left an indelible mark on the WTA locker room, as evidenced by the outpouring of well-wishes from her colleagues and friends.
Goerges joins the podcast to reflect on her decision to hang up her trusty Babolat racquets, detail what it was like playing in the long shadow of Stefanie Graf, and why her straight-shooting ways left a mark on the tour's younger generation.
Aryna Sabalenka came back from the brink at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open to become the first player to sweep the singles and doubles titles at a Premier-level or higher since 2016.
After being five points from losing in her first two rounds of the tournament, Sabalenka dominated down the stretch, defeating Victoria Azarenka to win her 7th WTA singles title, and then teaming up with Elise Mertens to capture the doubles title.
Sabalenka joins the podcast after her successful week to reflect on what she learned from her slow starts and what she needs to do to apply this successful tour-level formula to the Slams.
The youngest Roland Garros champion since Monica Seles. The most dominating Roland Garros title run since Stefanie Graf. The first Grand Slam singles champion from Poland.
19-year-old Iga Swiatek checked off quite a few boxes in Paris, where she lost just 28 games to capture her first major title.
The thoughtful teenager joins the podcast to reflect on her triumphant fortnight, reveal the keys to her nerveless play, and what her future holds.
Simona Halep extended her winning streak to 14 matches by finally capturing the one big clay-court title that has eluded her. The World No.2 came through in her third final in Rome to win the Internazionali BNL d'Italia for her third title of 2020 and 22nd title overall.
Halep joins the podcast to reflect on her seven-year journey in Rome, the site of her breakout tournament in 2013, and looks ahead to Roland Garros.
Naomi Osaka became the youngest woman to capture her third major title since 2008, rallying from a set and a break down to defeat Victoria Azarenka in the final of the 2020 US Open.
Osaka joins the podcast to reflect on her 11-match win-streak in the New York bubble, the keys to her title run, and how she hopes her concurrent activism will impact the sport and the world at large.
On this episode we continue our series on the 50th anniversary of the Original 9, who came together on September 23rd in 1970 to sign a one dollar contract with promoter and World Tennis Magazine founder Gladys Heldman to form the first women's professional tour, a precursor to the WTA which would be formed three years later in 1973.
Today, thanks to our friends at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, we are excited to share a wonderful radio interview with Gladys Heldman herself, which was done during her induction to the Hall of Fame in 1979.
As Billie Jean King has said, “Without Gladys Heldman, there wouldn't be women's professional tennis. She was a passionate advocate for women tennis players and, as the driving force behind the start of the Virginia Slims Tour in 1970, she helped change the face of women's sports."
Victoria Azarenka ended a 12-month winless drought in style at the 2020 Western & Southern Open, not only capturing her first main draw match win since the summer of 2019, but her first title since 2016 and her first title since returning to the tour as a mother.
Azarenka joins the podcast to reflect on her resurgent week in New York, why she came close to retirement in January, and why, no matter whether she's winning or losing, we just can't stop talking about her.
Simona Halep and and Jennifer Brady join the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on their successful season restarts, which were punctuated by title runs at the Prague Open and Top Seed Open in Lexington, respectively.
World No.2 Halep extended her winning streak to nine matches after coming through a pair of early scares in Prague to win her 21st career title.
American Jennifer Brady captured her 1st WTA Title in dominant fashion, rolling through the Lexington field to win the title without losing a set and being broken just three times all week.
For both Halep and Brady, their title runs last week simply underlined their fabulous starts to the season. Not even a five-month shutdown could derail their progress.
Billie Jean King will never stop fighting.
As part of the WTA's month-long celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month, the WTA Legend and founder joins the podcast to reflect on how far the tennis LGBTQ community has come and where it still needs to make further inroads.
King also discusses her recent conversation with Roger Federer on the topic of tennis unity, what it was like to juggle her tennis career with her advocacy, and what she hopes today's generation of WTA players understands about the tour's groundbreaking history.
Aryna Sabalenka rediscovered her game en route to the 2020 Qatar Total Open title, defeating tricky opponents, and mind-numbing wind, and Petra Kvitova in the final, 6-3, 6-3, to capture her first title of the season.
The 21-year-old joins the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on what went right during her Doha debut, what could have gone terribly wrong, and why her reunion with coach Dmitry Tursunov yielded immediate results.
Top seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Barbora Strycova dominated the tour's swing through the Middle East, becoming just the second doubles team to ever sweep the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and Qatar Total Open. Hsieh and Strycova rebounded from their quick Dubai turnaround to power through to their third title of the season at in Doha, defeating No.6 seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Jelena Ostapenko, 6-2, 5-7, 10-2 in the final.
Hsieh and Strycova join the WTA Insider Podcast to discuss their scintillating 2020 season start, what it means to them to complete a rare sweep, and dish on the difficulties of celebrating the phenomenal achievement.
The WTA Insider Podcast is excited to kick off our Original 9 podcast series, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic One Dollar Photo and the formation of the Virginia Slims Tour in 1970, which led to the foundation of the WTA three years later.
To kick off the series, we head down to Melbourne to sit in conversation with former World No.7 Judy Dalton, one of the two Australians to break away to join ranks with the Original 9.
Dalton reflects on her decision to risk it all to join the Virginia Slims Tour, the encouraging results of the survey on women's tennis she administered at Forest Hills, and what it's like to see an Australian World No.1 collect the biggest prize money check in professional tennis history.
Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic picked up right where they left off in 2019. Having capped off the season by winning the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, the duo became the first team since 2004 to win the Australian Open title without dropping a set, extending their win streak to 11 matches.
The pair catch up with WTA Insider after their title run in Melbourne, to go deep on how their true friendship was formed and why, without it, Team Babos/Mladenovic would not exist.
Sofia Kenin became the youngest Australian Open champion since one of her idols Maria Sharapova and is set to become the youngest American to make her Top 10 debut since her other idol, Serena Williams.
Now she's ready for her close-up after winning her maiden Slam by defeating Garbiñe Muguruza 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Karolina Pliskova became the winningest player in Brisbane International history after becoming the first woman to win the title three times, defeating Madison Keys to capture the first Premier title of the season.
Pliskova joins the podcast to discuss what made her 2020 title run her toughest (she also won in 2017 and 2019) and looks ahead to how she'll prepare for the Australian Open with a new team in her box.
World No.1 Ashleigh Barty sealed her outstanding WTA season by winning the 2019 Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, defeating defending champion Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3 to tally her tour-leading 56th win of the season and fourth title of the year. For her efforts, the Queenslander took home over $4.4 million, the biggest prize money check in the history of professional tennis.
The 23-year-old reflects on her evolution into one of the most clutch players in the game and looks ahead to 2020, which will kick off under the intense spotlight of the Australian summer.
The season-long Porsche Race to Shenzhen is over and it's Australia's 23-year-old phenom Ashleigh Barty who takes the checkered flag.
The World No.1 joins the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on her standout season, which saw her win three titles on three different surfaces, including her maiden major at Roland Garros and Premier Mandatory at the Miami Open, and finish the regular season as the tour leader in match wins.
Naomi Osaka extended her win-streak to 10 consecutive matches since the US Open, defeating World No.1 Ashleigh Barty 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win the China Open. The title is Osaka's third of the season and fifth of her career, paving the way for a resurgent fall as the reigning Australian Open champion eyes her final event at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen in three weeks.
Osaka joins the podcast to reflect on the key to winning her second Premier Mandatory title, which included tough wins over Barty and US Open Champion Bianca Andreescu, and how some soul-searching after a disappointing summer has steeled her resolve.
Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open title, defeating Alison Riske 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to win her second title of the season and move her undefeated record in Wuhan to 12-0.
Sabalenka joins the podcast to discuss the lessons learned from her rocky sophomore season, what she wished she knew on January 1st of this season, and how a change in mindset triggered her dominant run to the title.
Former No.1 and four-time major champion Kim Clijsters joins the WTA Insider Podcast to discuss her decision to return to the tour over eight years since retiring in 2012. A popular player in the locker room and fan-favorite all over the globe, the 36-year-old Belgian reflects on her path back to competitive tennis, what she defines as success, and how she plans to juggle family life and tour life.
19-year-old Bianca Andreescu made Canadian history at the 2019 US Open, becoming the first Canadian singles Slam champion ever with her 6-3, 7-5 win over Serena Williams in the final.
After starting the season ranked No.152m, Andreescu will rise to No.5 in the WTA Rankings on Monday and zoom up the Porsche Race to Shenzhen at No.4.
Andreescu joins the podcast after her title run to reflect on her breakout season, how she'll redefine her goals for the remainder of the season, and reveal the US Open playlist that inspired her to victory.
Madison Keys blasted 245 winners, including 45 in her 7-5, 7-6(5) win over Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the Western & Southern Open and return to the Top 10. The 24-year-old defeated four Slam champions - Garbiñe Muguruza, Simona Halep, Venus Williams, and Kuznetsova - en route to her 5th title of her career and 2nd of the season.
Keys joins the podcast to discuss her breakthrough week of controlled, aggressive tennis, her mindset going into the pressure-filled fortnight at the US Open, and how her grandparents felt after witnessing her triumph from the sidelines.
Simona Halep played the match of her life to defeat Serena Williams 6-2, 6-2 to win 2019 Wimbledon. The World No.7, who will rise to No.4 on Monday, dropped just one set over the fortnight to become the first Romanian to win the Wimbledon singles title, her second major title in the last two years.
Hear Halep address reporters after her big win and then sit down with WTA Insider for a candid chat about what triggered her renewed mindset at Wimbledon and what it portends for the future.
Former World No.2 Andrea Jaeger joins the podcast at Wimbledon after the launch of her Little Star Foundations Global Art Competition, to discuss how she grappled with the platform her early success gave her and offers advice for current athletes on how to give back to the communities the sport touches on a weekly basis.
Jaeger also weighs in on the story of the tournament so far, 15-year-old Coco Gauff. Jaeger turned pro when she was 14-years-old and made two major finals as a teenager before stepping away from the sport due to injury.
Ashleigh Barty's first overseas trip from Australia took her to Paris 10 years ago as a 13-year-old. Now, the 23-year-old, who will rise to No.2 in the rankings on Monday, is the 2019 French Open champion. Barty became the first Australian woman to win a major since Samantha Stosur at the 2011 US Open and is set to become the highest-ranked Australian woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976.
Barty joins the podcast the day after her big win to reflect on the journey to her maiden major, which included a stint away from the sport and a heartbreaking moment right here on Court Philippe Chatrier two years ago.
Karolina Pliskova came to Rome with zero expectations and she leaves with the biggest clay title of her career. The Czech, who will rise to No.2 on Monday, rewrote her history in Rome, defeating Johanna Konta in the final to win the Internazionali BNL d"Italia.
The plain-speaking champ joins the podcast to reflect on the evolution of her game, her title run in Rome, and what it's like to travel the world with her husband Michal.
Kiki Bertens became the first woman to ever win the Mutua Madrid Open title without losing a set, defeating reigning Roland Garros champion Simona Halep 6-4, 6-4 to win the biggest title of her career. The 27-year-old will make more history on Monday, when she rises to No.4 to become the highest-ranked Dutchwoman ever.
That's not a bad week's work.
Bertens and her coach Raemon Sluiter join the podcast to reflect on their monumental title run, and preview what's next as Roland Garros looms.
In the end, Petra Kvitova raced away with her first Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title in Stuttgart, defeating Anett Kontaveit 6-3, 7-6(2) to win her 27th career title.
It wasn't always easy sailing for the Czech, who is set to return to No.2 on Monday, but Kvitova leaves Stuttgart with a load of confidence after winning her first clay title of the season in her first clay event.
Julie Heldman, a member of the Original 9, marvels at what the WTA Tour has become in the 49 years since her brave cohorts signed the famous one dollar contract to form what would become the WTA. But she also wants the world to know that it wasn't all fun and games.
The author of "Driven: A Daughter's Odyssey", joins the podcast to the difficult dualities of her life on tour. From her fraught relationship with her mother Gladys Heldman, one of the instrumental figures in the formation of the tour, her battles with mental illness, to finding inspiration in being surrounded by a hard-nosed group of outcasts, Heldman candidly discusses her truth and her experience in hopes of educating the masses.
Madison Keys can win on clay. Now that she has, maybe she'll finally believe it. The 24-year-old took home her first clay title at the Volvo Car Open, defeating Caroline Wozniacki 7-6(5), 6-2 in the final.
The win capped off a resurgent week for Keys, who came into Charleston off two back-to-back heartbreaking three-set losses, and leaves with her 1st title since 2017 Stanford, having beaten three major champions - Jelena Ostapenko, Sloane Stephens, and Wozniacki - to win her fourth WTA title.
Hear from both Keys and her coach Juan Todero after their wildly successful reunion.
Australia's Ashleigh Barty capped off a Sunshine Swing full of surprises by defeating Karolina Pliskova to win the biggest title of her career at the Miami Open. The 22-year-old's title run included big wins over two of the most in-form players of the hardcourt season in Petra Kvitova and Pliskova, and cemented her Top 10 debut on Monday.
The Aussie sat down on the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on her successful fortnight, her comeback after her early-career hiatus, and to give some love to retired doubles partner Casey Dellacqua.
Bianca Andreescu didn't believe she'd win the BNP Paribas Open title when she arrived in Indian Wells and she almost bowed out in the first round. But the winningest player across all levels this season put together a statement run to her first WTA title, defeating four seeds and two Top 10 players in Elina Svitolina and Angelique Kerber in the final, coming back from a break down in the third to win.
The overwhelmed Canadian teen joins the podcast to reflect on her week in the California desert and the evolution of her game, which made everyone sit up and take notice over the Indian Wells fortnight.
Belinda Bencic capped off a stunning and dramatic run to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title, defeating Petra Kvitova 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to win her second Premier 5 title.
En route to her biggest title since 2015, the 21-year-old Swiss saved match points against Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 16, came back from a set down to oust Simona Halep, came back from 3-5 in the third to defeat two-time defending champion Elina Svitolina, and outlasted Kvitova in the final.
In all, Bencic tallied four consecutive Top 10 wins to secure her first tour-level title in over three years after injuries derailed her prodigious climb, which saw her rise to as high as No.7 in 2016.
Naomi Osaka is set to rise to World No.1 on Monday after her hard-fought fortnight in Melbourne, where she walked away with her second major title, defeating Petra Kvitova 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-4 to win the Australian Open.
It's deja vu for Osaka, who joins the WTA Insider Podcast the day after her win to reflect on her big milestone, which is finally starting to sink in.
Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai tallied their 10th consecutive win to win the Australian Open title, defeating No.2 seeds Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-4 to win their first major title as a team.
Stosur and Zhang join the podcast to discuss their seed slaying run to the title - they knocked off the No.1 and No.2 seeds - their dramatic semifinal win over Barbora Strycova and Marketa Vondrousova, and how the title is even sweeter given it was Stosur who talked Zhang out of retiring in 2015.
Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova have never faced each other. Neither have won the Australian Open. Neither has ever been World No.1.
All that changes on Saturday, as the two champions face-off in the Australian Open final, with the winner also being crowned the new WTA World No.1.
Osaka and Kvitova join Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen in Melbourne, to reflect on their different journeys to Saturday's final, and reveal how they've managed to keep their heads on straight in the first Slam of the season.
The first Slam of the 2019 season is already upon us! Freelance tennis reporter Reem Abulleil joins the podcast to analyze the draw and highlight the biggest storylines heading into the 2019 Australian Open.
Karolina Pliskova kicks off the 2019 Champions Corner Season after taking home her second Brisbane International title, coming back from the brink in the final to defeat Lesia Tsurenko 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
The Czech reflects on her week on the Gold Coast, the key pep talk from coach Rennae Stubbs, and how her scrappy title run gives her confidence heading to the Australian Open.
WTA Insider catches up with reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka at the Brisbane International after her off-season recharge. The 21-year-old discusses how things have changed at home after her breakout 2018 season, her New Year's resolutions, and how fame has impacted her biracial identity.
For the second consecutive year, Simona Halep was awarded the WTA Year-End World No.1 Singles Award presented by Dubai Duty Free, receiving the Chris Evert World No.1 Trophy at a ceremony at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Her doubles counterparts, the Czech duo of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova finished their two-Slam winning season atop the rankings as well.
Halep and her coach Darren Cahill join the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on their emotional ride in 2018, while Krejcikova and Siniakova recount their surprising finish at World No.1.
Ashleigh Barty came through a tough draw to win the biggest title of her young career at the 2018 Hengqin Life WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, defeating Wang Qiang 6-3, 6-4 to win her second title of 2018. With the win, the 22-year-old is set to finish the season at a new career-high and begin her off-season hungry for more.
Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic started their 2018 season by winning the biggest title in January at the Australian Open and they sealed a dream season with the title at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. The win was Mladenovic's first WTA Finals title, while it was a successful title defense for Babos.
The duo join the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on their season and why this title means so much to them.
Elina Svitolina capped off a dramatic final Singapore staging of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global by winning the biggest title of her career and becoming the 1st woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to go undefeated at the WTA Finals.
An exhausted but ecstatic Svitolina joins the podcast to break down how she pulled off her Singapore Surprise.
Doubles legend and ESPN commentator Rennae Stubbs joins the podcast from the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global to discuss her coaching partnership with former No.1 Karolina Pliskova, her call to bring more former players into the WTA coaching ranks, and why she's putting her job on the line to help the Czech learn how to win ugly.
It's been a fantastic season for Daria Kasatkina, but she saved her biggest moment for the last weekend of the 2018 WTA regular season. The 21-year-old Russian came back from a set and 4-1 down in the final to defeat Ons Jabeur 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 to win the Kremlin Cup.
Kasatkina joins the podcast to discuss her triumphant week in Moscow, the coaching timeout heard 'round the world with coach Philippe Dehaes, and why it means the world to her to win Moscow and finally make her Top 10 debut.
Simona Halep tops off her dream 2018 season by finishing the year atop the Porsche Race to Singapore Leaderboard for the second consecutive season.
The World No.1 and 2018 WTA Player of the Year joins the podcast from the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global to reflect on her smart and efficient season, which saw her race away from the field.
The draw is done and the groups are set for the 2018 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, and the WTA World Feed commentary team can't contain their excitement.
Pete Odgers, Sophie Amiach, and Mikey Perera join the podcast from the glamorous Gala Evening in Singapore to give their thoughts on the Elite Eight set to compete in WTA's crown jewel event.
World No.2 Caroline Wozniacki pitched up to the China Open and laid down the perfect week. En route to her 30th career title in Beijing, the reigning Australian Open champion booked her spot for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global and won her 3rd title of the season without dropping a set.
Wozniacki joined the the WTA Insider Podcast after her win over Anastasija Sevastova in the final to reflect on a week that began with doubts but ended with a trophy, on her phenomenal 12 month run, and she reveals what she'll be dreaming about during her 10 hour flight home.
Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka consolidated her incredible summer hardcourt season with the biggest title of her career, dominating the field to win the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.
Now up to a career-high No.16, Sabalenka and her coach Dmitry Tursunov join the podcast to unpack how she's been able to evolve her game and her mindset to become one of the most dangerous players on tour.
The doubles field for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore is nearly set, as two more teams booked their spots at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open. Hear from both teams on this episode.
First up are the Czech duo from Plzen, Andrea Sestini Hlavackova and Barbora Strycova, who became the third team to qualify by making the final in Wuhan. Hear from #TeamAngryBirds (Andi = Angry, Bara = Birds) on what makes their team click and why they don't want to be painting coffee cups in Singapore. It all makes sense after you listen.
Second, you'll hear from Elise Mertens and Demi Schuurs, who won their fourth title this year in Wuhan to book their Singapore debut. Demi discusses her unbelievable season, how you pronounce her name, and why they've tried and failed to come up with a good team name. Maybe you can help!
Karolina Pliskova boosted her chances for Singapore with the best serving performance of her career to win her second title of 2018 at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. En route to the title, Pliskova saved match points in her third round against Alison Riske before dominating US Open champion Naomi Osaka in Saturday's final.
Pliskova joins the podcast from the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open to reflect on what sparked her mid-season resurgence and why there's nothing like having your dad in your corner.
Naomi Osaka became the 1st Japanese player, man or woman, to win a major title at the US Open, by defeating her self-professed idol Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday's final.
Hear from the 20-year-old in her own words, as she reflects on her triumphant fortnight and how the win positions her for the rest of the season.
Courtney Nguyen is joined by Ava Wallace (Washington Post) and Akatsuki Uchida (Smash Magazine) to preview the 2018 US Open final between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.
Simona, Sloane, and Serena. Those are the three names on everyone's lips as the 2018 US Open is set to begin.
And they're all in the same half of the draw.
Reem Abulleil joins the podcast to break down the draw and look ahead at what we can expect at the final Slam of the season.
Kiki Bertens put an exclamation mark on her stellar summer hardcourt season, saving match point to defeat No.1 Simona Halep in three sets to win the biggest title of her career at the Western & Southern Open.
The win Berten's 6th straight over a Top 10 player during the US Open Series, and the Dutchwoman became the 1st player to defeat the World No.1 and World No.2 to lift a title since Garbiñe Muguruza here in Cincinnati last year.
The 26-year-old from the Netherlands joins the podcast to reflect on her incredible 10 months, which saw her go from contemplating retirement to putting together the best season of her career.
World No.1 Simona Halep put in a "brutal effort" to win her third title of the season and second in Montreal at the Coupe Rogers. Coming off a lengthy break after Wimbledon, the Romanian defeated four Top 20 players and came through a grueling top-quality final against Sloane Stephens, winning 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4 in a rematch of the French Open final.
Halep's effort was rewarded with not just the Montreal trophy, but the 26-year-old became the first player to qualify for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Halep is the only player to qualify for all five editions of the WTA Finals in Singapore.
Simona joins the podcast to reflect on her barrier-breaking week in Canada and breaks down how she's been able to bring a consistent high-level week in and week out on the WTA Tour.
Mihaela Buzarnescu secured her 1st WTA title and Top 20 debut with a dominant win over Maria Sakkari to capture the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose.
It's easy to forget just how far this result seemed 12 months ago, when the Romanian was ranked No.147 and just at the beginning of her comeback to the sport after years of injuries and surgeries. In fact, this time last summer, the 30-year-old had yet to make her WTA main draw debut, let alone win a match. Now she's tied for fourth in most wins this year.
If it's hard to get your head around Buzarnescu's 2018 success, don't worry: it blows her mind, too.
Former No.1 and four-time major champion Kim Clijsters joins the podcast from Wimbledon to discuss her returning role as a WTA Finals Legends Ambassador and how she's found herself in a mentoring role for the game's young stars.
In what is quickly becoming a Wimbledon tradition, Connecticut Open Tournament Director Anne Worcester joins the podcast once again from the All England Club to reflect on the progress she's seen over the years in women's tennis and looks ahead to see where the tour, tournaments, players, and fans can take things forward.
In what many would consider Petra Kvitova's best WTA season, the big-hitting Czech won six titles in 2011, capturing her first Wimbledon title before finishing the season as the WTA Finals champion.
But how about this: Kvitova now has five titles under her belt, is up to No.2 in the Porsche Race to Singapore, and we haven't even hit the grass at Wimbledon yet.
After defending her title at the Nature Valley Classic to tally her tour-best fifth title of 2018, Kvitova joined the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on her season and look ahead to her favorite Slam: Wimbledon.
It always felt inevitable, but in sports you never know.
No.1 Simona Halep finally got her hands on the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen she's been dreaming of as a child, coming back to defeat Sloane Stephens to win the 2018 French Open title.
Halep joins the podcast a day after her emotional triumph to reflect on her bumpy journey to her maiden major in Paris.
The Roland Garros final is set and it will pit No.1 Simona Halep's quest to snap her 0-3 record in major finals to finally win the one tournament she holds dear to her heart, against No.10 Sloane Stephens' 6-0 record career record in finals.
Something's gotta give.
Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen re-assembles an international panel of tennis journalists - Reem Abulleil (Sport360), Ben Rothenberg (The New York Times), and Rene Denfeld (MyTennis) - to break down a final many are calling a 50-50 proposition.
With Week 1 of the French Open in the books, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen assembles a roundtable of journalists in Paris to break down what we've learned so far, where Garbiñe Muguruza has looked impressive, Elina Svitolina's exit was surprising, and we buckle up for another installment of Serena vs. Maria XXII.
Joining the podcast are Reem Abulleil, freelance journalist for Sport360 in Dubai, Ben Rothenberg, editor for Racquet Magazine and freelance journalist for The New York Times, Rene Denfeld, writer for MyTennis in Germany, and David Avakian, editor for Tennis Magazine in Holland.
Elina Svitolina is now 8-0 in her last 8 finals after rolling to a 6-0, 6-4 win over Simona Halep to win her 3rd title of 2018 and defend her Internzaionali BNL d'Italia title. Is this the year the Ukrainian gets her Slam breakthrough?
Svitolina joins the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on her confidence-boosting run in Rome, and her hitting partner and co-coach Andrew Bettles joins to give his perspective from the coach's box.
The numbers speak for themselves. Petra Kvitova leads the tour in match-wins and has a tour-leading four titles to her name after winning her record-setting third Mutua Madrid Open title.
And it's not even mid-May.
Kvitova and her coach Jiri Vanek join the podcast to reflect on a stunning two weeks, which saw her win 11 consecutive matches to win back-to-back titles in Prague and Madrid. Kvitova says she's in the best shape of her life and playing a season that means even more to her than her five-title 2011 breakout season. She's exhausted and her body may be falling apart, but Petra Kvitova has shown time and time again that her heart may just be the strongest muscle in her body.
Karolina Pliskova captured her first title of the season in the indoor clay in Stuttgart, defeating CoCo Vandeweghe 7-6(2), 6-4 to win the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
The Czech joined the podcast to discuss how her game has evolved on her least favorite surface, the key to her winning week in Stuttgart, and why she's definitely not looking forward to her home tournament in Prague next week, where she's set to face-off with her sister in the first round.
Laura Siegemund was on a clay-court roll last spring before she went down in a heap ahead of the French Open, blowing out her ACL during a match at the Nuremberg Open. Sidelined for 10 months, Siegemund used her time to further her psychology studies and dip her toe in public speaking.
Siegemund returns to her hometown tournament at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix this week as the defending champion. WTA Insider caught up with the German two weeks ago at the Volvo Car Open, where she made her tour-level return.
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The first three and a half months of the WTA season are in the books and it's time to hit the pause button to reflect on what we've learned so far. Freelance tennis reporter and Sport360.com contributor Reem Abulleil joins this super-sized episode to reflect on the surprises and disappointments of the season so far and preview what should be an equally dramatic European clay season.
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You know it's the clay season when Kiki Bertens starts taking home titles. The 26-year-old clay court stalwart kicked off her clay season by capturing the biggest title of her career on Sunday, defeating Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-1 to win the Volvo Car Open.
To win her first Premier title, Bertens had to do it the hard way. After rain washed out play on Semifinal Saturday, Bertens saved match point in a grueling 2 hour and 42 minute semifinal win over Madison Keys before turning around to play the final a few hours later. Not that Bertens minded all too much. The more hours she gets to spend on her favorite surface, the better. And it showed in Charleston.
Bertens was all smiles as she joined the WTA Insider Podcast after her long final day, to discuss her up and down season so far, why her game just makes sense on clay, and why she owes Aleksandra Krunic more than just a glass of wine after her title run.
Since her return from foot surgery last summer, Sloane Stephens has won two of the six biggest titles on offer. This week she struck gold again on home soil, defeating four consecutive major champions to win the Miami Open, her first title since the US Open last fall.
Stephens joins the podcast to recap her sizzling fortnight in Miami, bid adieu to Crandon Park, and celebrate her Top 10 debut.
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Monica Niculescu has the most unique game on tour and a cult following to show for it. The 20-year-old Romanian relies heavily on a forehand slice that can drive her opponents batty, as evidenced by her gritty three-set win over Maria Sharapova in February.
WTA Insider caught up with Niculescu at the BNP Paribas Open to get a better sense of how she's been able to build a successful career with a game built on the forehand slice.
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The statistics behind Petra Kvitova's last three weeks are astounding. The Czech returned to the Top 10 for the first time since June 2016 after scoring her 13th consecutive win, beating Garbiñe Muguruza in he final to win her second title of the year at the Qatar Total Open. Kvitova is now 6-0 against Top 10 players in 2018 and tallied wins over three Top 5 players in Doha to win back-to-back titles for the first time since 2011.
And yet, we haven't seen the best of Petra yet.
The Czech champion joins the Insider podcast to discuss her three-week run, what she's proudest of, and why she can only improve as the season wears on.
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Petra Kvitova dominated the week at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, losing just three games in the final against Kristina Mladenovic to lift her 21st career title and her first of the 2018 season. The Czech champion moved her astounding career-record in finals to 21-7 and moved to No.5 in titles among active players.
The big-hitting Czech joins the WTA Insider Podcast after the win to reflect on her week in Russia and explains (or at least attempts to explain) what it's like to have such a devastating game and why she's such a big-match player.
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Nearly four years since making her last major final, Caroline Wozniacki silenced the doubters by winning her maiden major at the Australian Open, playing a gutsy, gritty, and emotional final to edge Simona Halep 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4. In addition to finally claiming her Slam glory, Wozniacki's title run ensured her the No.1 ranking for the first time in six years.
A still-stunned Dane joined the WTA Insider Podcast just hours after the final to attempt to put it all into words.
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It will be World No.1 Simona Halep vs. No.2 Caroline Wozniacki in the Australian Open final on Saturday, with the winner guaranteed their first major title and the No.1 ranking. Both finalists joined the podcast on the eve of the final to discuss their fortnights and what they expect on Saturday.
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What does the first Slam of the season have in store? It's set to be a showcase for the current strength of the women's game.
The draw is out and French tennis journalist Carole Bouchard joins the podcast to preview the 2018 Australian Open and discuss the state of French and Belgian tennis.
Spoiler alert: Keep an eye on that Elise Mertens.
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After an incredible 2016 season that saw her win two major titles, overtake Serena Williams at No.1, and make a total of eight event finals, Angelique Kerber started 2017 at No.1 and finished at No.22. After struggling to find her form throughout the year, Kerber took an extended off-season break from tennis, shook up her coaching team, and came into 2018 with a rested body and revitalized mind.
The payoff has been immediate.
Kerber joined the WTA Insider Podcast after saving two match points to defeat Lucie Safarova in the first round of the Sydney International to discuss how good it feels to start anew.
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No one won more WTA titles in 2017 than Elina Svitolina, so of course the 23-year-old would kick off her 2018 season with yet another trophy, winning the Brisbane International. En route to her 10th career title, the Ukrainian defeated Carla Suarez Navarro, Ana Konjuh, Johanna Konta, and Karolina Pliskova, before rolling past surprise finalist Aliaksandra Sasnovich in Saturday's final. The title assured Svitolina the No.4 ranking on Monday and a Top 4 seeding at the Australian Open.
Svitolina joins the WTA Insider Podcast for the first Champions Corner of the new season to discuss her off-season preparation, how her game meshes in Australia, and tells the story of the one time she played a match on zero sleep.
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After an ill-timed hand injury derailed her 2017 season, Sam Stosur is healthy and ready to get back in the mix. WTA Insider caught up with the Aussie ahead of her home tournament at the Brisbane International to talk about her injury disappointment, how she spent her time off the tour, and why she's already got her eye on the Parisian clay.
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As she readies for the 2018 season, Petra Kvitova joins the podcast after being awarded the WTA Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award for the sixth time in the last seven years.
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World No.9 Johanna Konta joins the podcast from London to discuss her 2017 Player of the Year award from the Lawn Tennis Writer's Association and how she's navigated the media maelstrom during her best season ever.
The British No.1 also reveals how her pre-season is going so far after a foot injury forced an early end to her season.
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Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst Pam Shriver joins the podcast to reflect on the sad and stunning news that former World No.2 Jana Novotna has died at the age of 49. The Czech legend passed away peacefully after a private battle with cancer on Sunday, November 19th.
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After losing her first three finals of the season, Julia Goerges surged to the 2017 finish line, winning her last nine matches and back-to-back titles at the Kremlin Cup and WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai to finish the year at a career-high No.14.
The 28-year-old joins the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on her resurgent year, her new outlook on her game and life on tour, and why crunching numbers keeps her relaxed and sane on this crazy adventure.
Martina Hingis joins the WTA Insider Podcast one last time as an active player, after announcing the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global would be her final tournament. Hingis reflects on her storied 23-year-career, which began as a 14-year-old at the Zurich Open and ended on top, as she capped off a nine-title final season by finishing the year atop the doubles rankings with her partner Latisha Chan.
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Caroline Wozniacki capped off one of the best seasons of her career with the biggest title of her career, capturing her first season-ending title at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
The 27-year-old sits down to reflect on her resurgent season, how her injury problems in 2016 may have been a blessing in disguise, and why making her opponents suffer is all part of the plan.
Was this Wozniacki's best season ever? Caroline weighs in.
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Simona Halep sits down for one last chat after finishing the season as the WTA year-end No.1 presented by Dubai Duty Free.
Halep reflects on her "crazy good" 2017 season and takes the No.1 quiz. No.1 food? No.1 drink? No.1 decision she's made in her career? A very happy Halep reveals all in her 2017 exit interview.
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(Photo: Jimmie48 Photography)
Where was Caroline Garcia when she found out she qualified for her first BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global? Why at the Grand Stade de Lyon watching her favorite football team play.
Garcia joined the WTA Insider Podcast ahead of the WTA Finals to reflect on her incredible run through China and why she's so excited to see her favorite women footballers following her progression through the tournament.
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WTA CEO Steve Simon and President Micky Lawler sit down with the media at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global to look back on the WTA season, both on the court and off the court.
Simon discusses the "new era" of stars ushered in by the 2017, discusses the tour's decision to diversify its digital offerings for fans, and looks ahead to the 2018 season. Will the WTA Finals stay in Singapore or move to a new city in 2019? Simon breaks down the bid process.
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Martina Navratilova joins the podcast to discuss the different challenges of winning a Slam vs. finishing a year No.1, and gives us on a history lesson on why the majors were not the top priority for players in the 70s and 80s.
Navratilova also breaks down the surprising field at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global and reflects on a 2017 season that saw four different Slam winners and over 40 different title winners.
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