Tennis Unfiltered

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It is George Bellshaw off gallivanting this week, but he took his microphone so he tunes in from Madrid to join James Gray and Calvin Betton and talk all about this week's tennis.

- Juan Carlos Ferrero is back on tour, but not with Rafa Jodar, instead announcing that he has joined Team Ben Shelton to work with the American

- Jannik Sinner has also signed a new coach, bringing on Magnus Norman, for a long time the right-hand man of Stan Wawrinka, to work with Simone Vagnozzi

- Alexander Zverev has been confirmed as the second-oldest man to become world No 1 for the first time, but still has an awful record against other top-10 players

- Carlos Alcaraz is on fire, winning the Vienna title at a canter and producing endless highlight reels

- Valentin Vacherot has proven he is no one-trick pony

- Harriet Dart has finally won a WTA title at the age of 30, coming through qualifying and 15 hours of tennis to win in Guangzhou

- Elena Rybakina has confirmed she will be year-end world No 1

- Leylah Fernandez has hit a purple patch of form with Eric Hechtman

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James is back! Vietnam completed, James Gray of The i Paper returns to marshal George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton through another week of tennis news.

They discussed...

• Doubles open letter: More than 150 doubles players, including Calvin's own Henry Patten, a host of national federations and a number of legendary retired doubles players, have urged the ATP to rethink 2028 plans that would halve draws and cut doubles’ share of prize money from 20 per cent to 10 per cent, with a board vote due at the ATP Finals in Turin.

• Svitolina and Monfils split: After Elina Svitolina announced the end of her marriage to Gaël Monfils, he publicly defended her from what he called “unkind at best, and venomous at worst” criticism.

• Swiatek ends her season: Iga Swiatek has ended a tough season (one title, no slam run beyond the quarter-finals) after a thigh injury forced her out of Ningbo, so she misses the WTA Finals for the first time since 2020.

• Djokovic takes a Basel wild card: Novak Djokovic returns to Basel for the first time since 2011 to boost his bid for Turin, sitting 11th in the race with Sinner now out for the rest of 2026.

• Sinner on the Six Kings poster: Jannik Sinner appears on a new Six Kings poster and looks to be ready to come back in late December.

• Dellavedova closing in on 100 wins: Australian Matthew Dellavedova, 26, is chasing 100 wins in a calendar year, which no player has reached since Ivan Lendl in 1982.

And more!

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Tom steps into the host’s chair alongside George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton to discuss what’s been happening across the tennis world this week, including...

Sonay Kartal’s remarkable run to the Wuhan final and what her comeback could mean for her ranking in 2027

Iga Swiatek’s struggles, Daniela Hantuchova’s controversial comments about player behaviour and the demands placed on tournament staff

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina winning his first Masters 1000 title in Shanghai, and the questions surrounding Rafa Jodar’s on-court behaviour

Alexander Zverev’s complaints about fatigue and whether the ATP schedule is really to blame

The Six Kings Slam being postponed until December amid unrest in the Middle East, reigniting debate around Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in tennis

A 24-year ban for Serbian player Stefan Milicevic and a wider discussion about match-fixing, tanking and the sport’s failure to protect lower-ranked players

Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils announcing their separation, and what the news tells us about the personal challenges athletes face away from the court

Audio Edited by Joshua Harrison.

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Tom steps into the host’s chair alongside George Bellshaw to discuss what’s been happening across the tennis world this week, including...

Coco Gauff speaking out against the racist abuse she received following the China Open video review controversy

Zheng Qinwen making history with a triumphant return to win the China Open

Novak Djokovic claiming his seventh China Open title and closing in on Roger Federer’s career title tally

Carlos Alcaraz returning to winning ways in Tokyo and his prospects for the rest of the season

Jannik Sinner bringing his season to an early close and Alexander Zverev becoming the new World No.1

The latest tennis bungles, including a name mix-up from the new Australian Open chief and Wimbledon’s comments on social media influencers

Kei Nishikori’s retirement and his lasting impact on Japanese tennis

Felix Auger-Aliassime appointing Ivan Ljubicic as his new coach

Audio Edited by Joshua Harrison.

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With James away on honeymoon, Tom steps into the host’s chair alongside George Bellshaw to discuss what’s been happening across the tennis world this week, including...

Daniil Medvedev’s disqualification against Novak Djokovic

Djokovic setting a new record for the most consecutive opening-match wins at a single tournament

Alexander Zverev’s struggles against the world’s top players and whether he is a genuine future No.1

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina suffering early exits at the China Open

Sonay Kartal’s encouraging return from injury

Emma Navarro opening up about her health struggles and the physical and mental demands of life on tour

The latest development in Tara Moore’s legal case against the WTA

Tom will be back later this week with Calvin Betton, live from China, to discuss the Japan and China Open results, Kei Nishikori’s retirement, the Rafa Nadal Academy Slam and Jannik Sinner bringing his season to an early close.

Audio Edited by Joshua Harrison.

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PART ONE, LIVE FROM THE LAVER CUP

James Gray and George Bellshaw take in the atmosphere of the Laver Cup on Day 2, which featured arguably the best matches of the entire weekend. They also made up for lost time last week, when Iva Jovic's title in Mexico passed under the radar, as did a shock defeat for Alexander Eala.

PART TWO, WITH CALVIN BETTON

ATP tour coach Calvin Betton gives his assessment of the Laver Cup in London, including which player would make the best coach (and which one the worst!). He also chats with James about Luke Johnson's progress through the Chengdu draw, why Arthur Fils is in qualifiers and the formation of the Grand Slam Player Council.

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PART ONE, LIVE FROM THE COPPER BOX ARENA

James Gray and George Bellshaw headed to Great Britain vs Ecuador on Sunday to watch Henry Patten and Neal Skupski close out the tie, before Harry Wendelken made his Davis Cup debut.

They discussed the future of tennis's premier and most historic team tournament, why home and away ties really are still the best, and huge performances from Canada, South Korea and Austria in particular to book their place in the Final 8, due to take place in Bologna at the end of November.

PART TWO

Calvin Betton joins George and James to look back at the rest of this week's tennis news, including...

- Jack Draper reveals he will miss the rest of the year as he continues his recovering from a complicated arm injury

- Four-time grand slam doubles champion and former world No 1 Joe Salisbury has retired from tennis

- The WTA Finals will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina from 2027

- Juan Carlos Ferrero is coming back on tour next year... but won't confirm with whom!

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Have you been missing us?

That's because you're not in the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club.

Join here for daily podcasts during grand slams, exclusive group chats with the lads, and loads of bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered

It is only with continued support of the TUSCers that we can keep doing the podcast the way we want to: covering the slams in-depth, retaining our unfiltered brand and not kowtowing to the tennis authorities. We are eternally gratefully to anyone who wants to keep helping us do this.

Now, on with the weekly podcast...

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CORRECTION: James erroneously claimed Elena Rybakina is based in Dubai. She has in fact lived in Slovakia for the last six years.

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Back together again! James Gray, Calvin Betton and George Bellshaw assess the US Open 2026.

In order, they discussed...

- Calvin reveals Henry Patten and Luke Johnson's plans for the rest of the year

- Elena Rybakina confirms her status as the best player in the world, leaving Aryna Sabalenka playing catch-up

- Where next for Iga Swiatek? Another collapse, another apparent inability to turn the tide when it starts going against her.

- Was Serena Williams a positive impact on the tournament?

- Alexander Zverev wins another slam this year, but has only had to play one top-10 player across the 14 matches at the majors he won. Lucky or opportunist?

- Ben Shelton makes his "big breakthrough" with a first appearance in a grand slam final, but we have seen this film before...

- Carlos Alcaraz came back, but not as 100 per cent Carlos Alcaraz

And more!

LINKS

- US Open report cards with every top-10 seed graded on their performance: https://substack.com/home/post/p-215571457

- Open Tabs, James empties his imaginary notebook filled with all the spare thoughts you might have missed from the US Open: https://substack.com/home/post/p-215928948

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If you want to listen to daily podcasts from the US Open - and every other grand slam - sign up for the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered

NB: MAKE SURE YOU SIGN UP ON BROWSER - IF YOU SIGN UP THROUGH THE APP IT WILL COST YOU MORE IN APPLE FEES. After you sign up on browser, download the Patreon app and link the bonus podcasts to your normal feeds.

If you want a FREE newsletter every day as well, you can sign up for that here: https://tennisunfiltered.substack.com/

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Today, Calvin and James discussed:

- Henry and Harri's continued success in the US Open men's doubles draw

- The Australian Open chief deciding it might be good to re-open the best-of-five debate in his first month in the job

- Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton finishing at 3.33am and whether players really care about late finishes

- Mirra Andreeva choking two match points against Coco Gauff, who won in three sets

- Elena Rybakina beating Zheng Qinwen and becoming world No 1

And later...

- It's Alexander Zverev's US Open to lose after he cruised into the last four against Botic van de Zandschulp

- And he will play Karen Khachanov after Alexander Blockx's body 'gave up'

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The only way to get daily podcasts from the US Open in your feed every day is to subscribe to the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered

Every subscriber makes what we do possible: without TUSCers, the podcast literally would not be running, and every new person who joins makes it even more likely that we will be able to keep going in 2027.

Please get involved if you can. We need so many more of you.

In the meantime, here is the Day 6 podcast from Friday, and part of the newsletter below. Enjoy

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Women’s seeds out: No 7 Karolina Muchova (lost to Emma Navarro), No 15 Diana Shnaider (lost to Taylor Townsend), No 18 Ekaterina Alexandrova (lost to Marta Kostyuk)

Men’s seeds out: No 15 Alexander Bublik (lost to Tommy Paul); No 26 Arthur Rinderknech (lost to Daniil Medvedev)

I think the Serena Williams thing has run its course. That is not to say she is not a legend of the game, the GOAT in many people’s eyes, or that she will not continue to fill stadiums if she keeps playing. But you have to think the integrity of a tennis tournament will start to come under threat if she - in singles or doubles - does not start winning some matches. Caroline Wozniacki on ESPN hinted she was planning to play singles again in 2027. I’m not sure it’s a great idea.

This was the second time in four years that she and her sister had graced night session on Arthur Ashe for a first-round doubles match, beaten then and beaten on Friday night. The match against the No 14 seeds Maya Joint and Angel Chan did not even get onto ESPN’s main channel, instead relegated to ESPN2 so they could build up to Miami vs Stanford uninterrupted. Perhaps that is not such a big deal in the age of streaming but it felt significant.

And the Williamses weren’t particularly good, either. Chan and Joint are a decent pair - they won a WTA title only last week - but they were so much more polished and efficient than their more experienced opponents, who racked up unforced errors at a far greater rate. They did manage to nick the second set and Chan-Joint did get tight, but from 5-0 up in the deciding breaker, the Williams sisters choked, frankly. Joint has now beaten Serena twice this year but otherwise endured a difficult year, and it showed in pressure moments. Even when match point had been sealed, Joint was still apologising to her partner.

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In the meantime, here is a free daily podcast from the US Open, offered free and in full because we're feeling generous.

It features Calvin's thoughts on a lucky losers who pulled out injured, a very noisy train at one point, Novak Djokovic vomiting on court and a whole lot more.

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George Bellshaw and James Gray go line by line through the women's and men's US Open draw to decipher who has come out of the randomiser with the best chance of winning the title.

PLAY our US Open FREE fantasy game here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kg8IlgjCao8ZWuuiR49TZs5Xlf29xPeMMtc3SfJZBhg/edit

You have until 6pm Sunday (UK time) to enter. Good luck!

Remember, the only way to get full daily episodes from the US Open this year is by subscribing to the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club via Patreon. DO NOT SIGN UP VIA THE APP, IT WILL COST YOU MORE. Instead, sign up via your browser (and then enjoy the Patreon app to your heart's content.)

Head to www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered.

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Calvin Betton is in Winston-Salem, the penultimate stop on his North American tour, while James Gray is sitting on his suitcase at home, waiting for a flight... paid for by members of the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club! Thanks to the TUSCers, James is heading to New York to make daily podcasts exclusively for members of our Patreon.

To avoid missing out on our US Open coverage, head to: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered

Meanwhile, here's what James and Calvin discussed in this week's free pod:

- Arthur Fils is hitting his straps with a first-ever Masters 1000 title, beating Frances Tiafoe in a ding-dong final that ended remarkably quickly for a three-set match - but maybe that is how the paper-thin Frenchman has to play in order to maintain condition at big tournaments

- Coco Gauff overcame her sometime doubles partner Jessica Pegula to win in Cincinnati for a second time: only Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka have managed that in the Open Era

- The controversial mixed doubles championship has kicked off in New York

- Jannik Sinner, Jack Draper, Joao Fonseca and a whole host of other men have pulled out leaving the singles wide open - and we even think Carlos Alcaraz might not play

And loads more!

Remember, the only way to listen to our US Open coverage is to sign up for the our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered⁠

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Thank you to the literal hundreds of you who have signed up for the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club. TUSCers have enabled James to secured (budget) accommodation in New York and he will be wheels up to the US in just a few days' time.

If you want to hear daily podcasts with James and Calvin from the US Open, enjoy ad-free listening to the weekly podcast, get extra pods outside of the slams (like this week's one about the rise of Boris Becker), just tap here: www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered

In the meantime, on with the podcast!

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George Bellshaw is on a ferry to Finland so misses out this week, while Calvin Betton tunes in from Cincinnati after zipping down from Montreal. What jet-setters we all are!

They discussed...

- Ben Shelton's serve is absolutely popping to help him "defend" the Canadian Open title (in a different city)

- Iga Swiatek is looking red hot too as she calls out the haters after winning her first title since September last year

- Venus Williams gets hammered in the singles again

- The US Open mixed doubles wildcards are confirmed and we go inside the qualification system that the doubles specialists have to go through

- Novak Djokovic is struggling in the heat, vomiting on court en route to defeat

And SO much more

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Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club members are listening to this podcast ad-free! You could be too, and all you have to do is sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered

(TUSCers also get an extra podcast every week, access to daily slam coverage, and great group chats with the lads and other TUSCers. Give it a whirl.)

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OFF-COURT NEWS

- Jannik Sinner is out of the Cincinnati Masters with a knee injury, raising concerns about the US Open

- Emma Raducanu has already confirmed she will miss Flushing Meadows as part of her continued recovery from a stress fracture

- Serena and Venus Williams will play doubles together for the first time in years at Cincinnati, presumably preparing for a US Open reunion

- Coco Gauff addresses the WTA trans policy (with her usual eloquence)

WTA TORONTO

- Aryna Sabalenka's poor run of form continues with a last-16 defeat to Ekaterina Alexandrova

- Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva also lose early

- Alexandra Eala goes on another raucous run but this time she is stopped by Belinda Bencic

- Iga Swiatek is marching through the draw and it looks like Francisco Roig is having the desired effect

- Elena Rybakina is still in but looking increasingly rusty on serve

ATP MONTREAL

- Jack Draper is left in tears on court after struggling with his arm again against Terence Atmane

- Cam Norrie saves match points against Alex de Minaur but then is stopped comprehensively by Arthur Fils

- The youngest line-up ever in the quarter-finals includes 8 players born in the 2000s for the first time

- Rafa Jodar is on the verge of breaking a long-standing Boris Becker record

FUNDRAISING

- If you want to sponsor George's Iron Man effort, tap here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/gd-bellshaw-1

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The Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club is the best way to experience Tennis Unfiltered: ad-free listening, an extra podcast every week, exclusive group chats with other members and daily grand slam updates from James, George and Calvin.

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We love making Tennis Unfiltered, and the Tuscers enable us to make even more. Anyway, on with this week's podcast...

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There's no Calvin Betton this week owing to a variety of circumstances, so it's just James Gray and George Bellshaw - but there was no shortage of topics to discuss...

- Carlos Alcaraz has a new (questionable) haircut... but the real news is that he will be joined at the Cincinnati Masters by Novak Djokovic

- The 24-time slam champ confirmed his participation, a growing trend that sees players more likely to miss than attend these flagship ATP events which begs the question...

- When will someone turn around and say "let's get rid of the Canadian Open"?

- Marketa Vondrousova's full judgment is out... and it does not look great for the Czech player, who will surely appeal her four-year ban from the sport to the Court of Arbitration for Sport

- Alexandra Eala comes back the next day a set down to beat Jessica Pegula and win the biggest title of her career in Washington...

- ...before Rafael Jodar falls short of what would have been his, beaten in straight sets by Taylor Fritz

- Kristina Liutova is the youngest player in the WTA top 500 but is now a 250 champion at the age of just 16, coming behind in a tight final to claim her maiden title

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A link to the story re: the PTPA threatening to sue Andy Roddick is here: https://x.com/KaplanSportsBiz/status/2084257820149457262

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Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray are back with another look at the week in tennis. This week: the doubles fightback starts in Washington, more Masters 1000 withdrawal fallout, the 2028 Olympic schedule is announced, the most epic Davis Cup finish ever, and three new tour title-winners.

Here's what they discussed

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Washington tournament owner Mark Ein has been doing the media rounds this week (including a stop on Ben Rothenberg's Bounces), and it caught our ear when he declared himself a doubles superfan.

• Ein says Washington has gone as far as almost any tournament to promote doubles, including proactively engineering eye-catching pairings rather than leaving it to chance
• His pitch: nothing beats watching top players mixing it up in doubles on a 1,500–3,000 seat side court, right on top of the crowd.
• He acknowledges the counter-argument other tournaments make that doubles soaks up a lot of prize money, but argues the format needs to "add unique value" to earn its keep.
• Washington will live mic doubles players again this year, the third year running.

Tournament director Valerie Tetreault has called for change after both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic pulled out of the Canadian Masters 1000, a repeat of last year, when both skipped Toronto.

• Tetreault is disappointed but understanding of the players' need to prioritise health given the schedule.
• Her broader point is that repeated last-minute withdrawals from Masters 1000s raise a real issue for the sport, since fans "rightfully expect to see the world's best compete."
• She's calling for adjustments to better protect the integrity of Masters 1000 events.

The 2028 Olympic tennis event, to be held in Carson, near where the Williams sisters grew up in Compton, will start just three days after the Wimbledon men's final.

• Kicks off the Wednesday after Wimbledon, running as a 10-day event
• Mixed doubles starts July 19, singles draws begin July 20, doubles from July 21
• Will top players get involved in the mixed? Not likely

World No. 1043 Ammar Alhogbani was serving for the match against Malaysia when he was violently sick on the baseline, and then a monsoon hit at 5-3, 40-15 in the third set.

• Play resumed seven hours later. Alhogbani came back and won it
• Saudi Arabia are promoted to World Group 2 in the most dramatic fashion imaginable

Kitzbuhel: Quentin Halys

• Wins his maiden title at 29. Once a highly-rated junior with four Grand Slam finals (singles and doubles), he never translated it into a senior career until cracking the top 100 four years ago - and has now broken into the top 50.

Estoril: Luca van Assche / Titouan Droguet & Kyrian Jacquet

• An all-French sweep: Van Assche took the singles, while Droguet and Jacquet won the doubles as alternates — including a first-round win over Calvin's pair Luke and Jan.

Prague: Lilli Tagger

• Beat Daria Snigur 7-6, 6-2 to win the title, becoming the youngest player in the top 50 at 18 and the first player born in 2008 to win a WTA title.
• Also beat home favourite Barbora Krejcikova in the semis. Won the girls' French Open title last year.
• Austrian, trained at the Schiavone academy near Milan and coached by Francesca Schiavone.

Hamburg: Tamara Korpatsch

• Beat Hungary's Anna Bondar 6-3, 6-3 to become the first German champion in Hamburg since Steffi Graf in 1992. Germans had gone 0-4 in finals there since.
• Born in Hamburg. Her dad was a truck driver and the pair used to tour ITF events around Germany in a borrowed camper van to save money

EXTRA, EXTRA

• Australian Open caps cheap tickets after overcrowding problems
• US Open mixed doubles entries have been announced so far, but could change before the deadline
• Jiri Lehecka has snapped up Fred Fontang as coach, freshly departed from Felix Auger-Aliassime's box

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Are you a member of the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club yet?

Tuscers get all sorts benefits, including ad-free listening, an extra podcast every week, access to full grand slam dailies and the chance to participate in our Patreon group chats.

Some of those group chats are completely free, so you can create a Patreon account and join in anyway. Just tap here to get started: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered⁠

NB: IF YOU WANT TO SIGN UP AS A PAID MEMBER, DO NOT DO IT THROUGH THE PATREON APP. YOU WILL GET CHARGED EXTRA FEES. Head to the website, create your account, pay there and then use the Patreon app to your heart's content.

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This week, James, George and Calvin tackle the trans debate, after the WTA announced a change to their gender eligibility policy. (Read the whole story here: ⁠https://www.benrothenberg.com/p/wta-require-genetic-sex-tests-dna-trans-women-tennis-womens-tennis-document⁠)

They also discussed...

- Carlos Alcaraz spotted at the World Cup final and on the entry list for the Cincinnati Masters

- Joao Fonseca shows off the Brazilian pulling power

- Barbora Krejcikova, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev all win titles in a throwback week (but so does Daniel Merida, to claim his maiden ATP title)

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Welcome to your weekly, full-length free episode of Tennis Unfiltered. It contains more James, George, Calvin and two-time Wimbledon champion Henry than you could ever dream of, all for the low, low price of £0 per month.

If that seems like a bargain, wait until you hear about the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club. For £6 a month (plus VAT, if you're in the UK - sorry, there is nothing we can do about this!), you get ad-free listening, an extra weekly bonus, full episodes every day during grand slams, access to our Patreon group chats and loads more.

Join here, support the podcast, and help get George through his Iron Man: https://www.patreon.com/c/tennisunfiltered/membership

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Well, there you have it. Wimbledon 2026 in the books. Doesn't the player protest over prize money feel an awfully long time ago? Since then, so much has happened. Here's what this last podcast for a few days covers...

• Cruz Hewitt, son of Lleyton, reaches the boys' final but loses to an American qualifier called Jordan Lee
• It's a serve-fest in the men's final with one of the lowest average rally lengths in years
• Alexander Zverev takes the first set and seems to have grown a forehand...
• ...but Jannik Sinner hangs tough and waits him out, sticking to the gameplan and eventually breaking the German down
• Zverev is in real danger of becoming likeable, charming the Wimbledon crowd with his acceptance speech
• Meanwhile, Sinner remains a character with whom the British public struggle to connect

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This is a short preview of our daily podcast from Wimbledon, to give you a flavour of what we are doing each day during the Championships.

If you want to support the podcast, get full-length daily podcasts from grand slams, ad-free listening and so much more, go to ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered⁠⁠ and sign up for the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club.

Listen to the full version of this episode here: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered/posts/wimbledon-2026-163552660

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Grand slam champions - AGAIN! Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara have done the TUSCers proud at Wimbledon by triumphing in straight sets over Arevalo and Pavic.

We've given Calvin Betton the evening off - and he was about four beers deep by the time we sat down to record. Instead, Eleanor Crooks is back to join James and chat about a straightforward (thank goodness...) win for the lads and the women's final.

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Linda Noskova very nearly goes all Jana Novotna and chokes a stunning lead - but completed an impressive reset after the second set to make sure she secured her first grand slam title

•

Karolina Muchova produces her best line of the tournament by congratulating her "ex-friend" in her post-match speech

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Henry and Harri win two more tie-breaks to claim their third grand slam title - and Henry takes a well-aimed swipe at the ATP in his own speech

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