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Tennis Unfiltered

Tennis Unfiltered delivers honest, in-depth analysis of professional tennis. Get expert commentary on ATP and WTA tours, Grand Slam tournaments, player rankings, and the biggest stories in tennis. From Wimbledon to the US Open, we break down matches, strategies, and tennis news without the corporate filter. Perfect for tennis fans who want real talk about their favorite sport.
- 534 - The demise of the Davis Cup has been greatly exaggerated
EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼https://nordvpn.com/tennisunfiltered Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee. **** 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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 22 Sep 2026 - 533 - US Open review: Zverev fills the gap while Rybakina reigns supreme
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... *** CORRECTION: James erroneously claimed Elena Rybakina is based in Dubai. She has in fact lived in Slovakia for the last six years. *** 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 15 Sep 2026 - 532 - US Open, Day 11: A day of debates and debacles
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/ *** 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' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, 10 Sep 2026 - 531 - US Open, Day 6: The Serena show is over, even if it has not finished
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 *** 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, 05 Sep 2026 - 530 - US Open, Day 1: Novak Sickovic
Are you a member of the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club yet? Why not?! Come join the fun: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, 31 Aug 2026 - 529 - US Open draw analysis: Picking our favourites and unpicking the bracket
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, 29 Aug 2026 - 528 - Fils comes of age, Gauff the new USO favourite, mixed doubles kicks off
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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 25 Aug 2026 - 527 - Shelton is the two-time king of Canada and Swiatek is a contender again
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! **** 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 18 Aug 2026 - 526 - The kids are taking over in Canada as Sinner and Alcaraz injury worries go on
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.) **** 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 11 Aug 2026 - 525 - Is it time to slash the Masters? + Vondrousova's damning texts
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. Tap here to join now: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered We love making Tennis Unfiltered, and the Tuscers enable us to make even more. Anyway, on with this week's podcast... **** 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 **** A link to the story re: the PTPA threatening to sue Andy Roddick is here: https://x.com/KaplanSportsBiz/status/2084257820149457262 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 04 Aug 2026 - 524 - Sinner and Novak skip Montreal, Korpatsch ends the German curse, and a teenage takeover with a one-hander
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 **** 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 28 Jul 2026 - 523 - The WTA reopens the trans debate, Alcaraz eyes Cincy comeback, and some throwback title winners
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. **** 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) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 21 Jul 2026 - 522 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 14 in full: Sinner waits out Zverev + Cruz Hewitt makes a mark + Henry and Calvin's night out
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 **** 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, 13 Jul 2026 - 521 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 13: Noskova beats the choke + Henry and Harri win again!
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 **** 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. 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 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, 11 Jul 2026 - 520 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 12: The end of the Fery-tale (for now)
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-2026-163473940 **** George Bellshaw hoped he would be able to nip down after work and watch the final few sets of Sinner-Djokovic - but the one-sided nature of both men's semi-finals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, 10 Jul 2026 - 519 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 11: Noskova bags maiden GS final + Gauff blows a huge chance
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-2026-163383368 **** It's always a pleasure to have Eleanor Crooks sub in on the podcast: the Press Association's tennis correspondent is one of the very best tour-mates in tennis and what she doesn't know about tennis probably isn't worth knowing. She was covering the women's semi-finals on Thursday, so who better to have on while James waits for Calvin to gladhand his way round the locker-room after guiding Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara to a third grand slam final. Here is the big news from the second Thursday of Wimbledon. Coco Gauff dumps a drop shot into the net on match point and is dumped out of the tournament four points later by Karolina Muchova Linda Noskova makes it an all-Czech final as she beats Marta Kostyuk in straight sets, twice breaking at 4-5 to ensure she never had to serve it out Calvin assesses the chances of a player he has known for years, Arthur Fery, who is preparing for the biggest challenge of his life, up against Alexander Zverev in the first semi-final on Friday Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic will follow them on Centre Court in a blockbuster semi-final, the world No 1 against the all-time GOAT Carlos Alcaraz has already pulled out of the Masters event in Montreal, taking his wrist injury layoff to four months at least Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, 09 Jul 2026 - 518 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 10: The Arthur Fery train just keeps on rolling
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-2026-163287160 *** Arthur Fery, Wimbledon semi-finalist. We can still barely believe they are words that you can write down and no one can say "hang on, that's not right". But they are, no matter how little George or James can believe it. Arthur Fery beats Flavio Cobolli in straight sets to book his place in the last four, only the fifth British man in the Open Era to do so He will face Alexander Zverev, after he served Taylor Fritz off the court to catch his pigeon and end a long-running streak of defeats to the American Marta Kostyuk's display of clean hitting knocks out Jasmine Paolini and moves the Ukrainian into her second straight grand slam semi-final Linda Noskova's destiny awaits (if you ask James) as she picks up another win, this time beating Elise Mertens in straight sets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, 08 Jul 2026 - 517 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 9: Bryan brothers on doubles + Petko on Zverev + Osaka out + Gauff through
We've decided to make this episode free for all listeners, because we're feeling nice. But we still want and frankly need your support. For 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. **** George Bellshaw, James Gray and Calvin Betton get together on the first day of quarterfinals to discuss everything that has been going on at Wimbledon and more - and are joined at various points by Jamie Murray, Andrea Petkovic and the Bryan Brothers - Naomi Osaka is out, well beaten by Karolina Muchova in straight sets and admits to pain in her feet due to plantar fasciitis - Coco Gauff lost the first set and appeared to be having "one of those days" but turned around her 23rd three-set match of the year to roar into a first ever Wimbledon semi-final, seeing off her often doubles partner Jessica Pegula - Alexander Zverev comes in on his day off to (eventually) see off Jiri Lehecka - Jannik Sinner absolutely cruises past Jan-Lennard Struff - Mike and Bob Byran weigh in the ATP's efforts to turn the doubles circuit upside down and downsize it up... - ...and so does Calvin - Henry and Harri make it through to the men's doubles semi-finals - And Arthur Fery is about to take on the biggest match of his life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, 08 Jul 2026 - 516 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 8: All aboard the Arthur Fery + Eala crashes out + Zverev loses his day off
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. **** Look, it’s fair to say that George and James were a little sleep deprived after both making bad football-related decisions on Sunday night. So if they got a little bit silly at Wimbledon on Monday, that’s why. Genuinely, no drink had been taken. They even forgot to mention Alex de Minaur. We’re sorry. We don’t really know what got into them. Arthur Fery keeps British hopes alive by winning a five-set thriller over Grigor Dimitrov, but is that the worst defeat of the Bulgarian’s career? James’s Linda Noskova prediction gets better every day as Madison Keys is the latest victim Alexander Zverev gets shafted by the schedule and loses his day off Does Alexandra Eala have the worst serve in the draw? James certainly was blown away by her first serve bottoming out at 65 miles per hour in defeat to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini Taylor Fritz’s serene progress continues with a speedy win over Alexander Bublik Marta Kostyuk is done by lunchtime and slips under the radar into the quarter-finals AND FINALLY, George has finished his novel. **** To become a member of the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club, head to: https://www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, 06 Jul 2026 - 515 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 7: Osaka brings the power
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-2026-7-163003363?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link **** It is hard not to feel like you are missing something on fourth-round day: it makes you realise that Manic Monday really was completely insane from a journalistic perspective. But we've done our best to pick up all the best stories from Middle Sunday (once a day off for the overworked courts and reporters). Naomi Osaka handed Aryna Sabalenka her first straight-sets defeat at a slam for six years, overpowering the world No 1 on Centre Court to reach her first ever Wimbledon quarter-final She will face Karolina Muchova in the last eight after she won the battle of the Czechs against Barbora Krejcikova Jessica Pegula produced an impressive comeback win over the ever-improving Iva Jovic and will play Coco Gauff (see below) Novak Djokovic is safely through but did drop a set and expended more energy than he would have liked in the sun, while Jannik Sinner played in a cool evening and bagged victory in three sets Jan-Lennard Struff is the oldest-ever first-time major quarter-finalist at 36, after Hubert Hurkacz's back caught up with him in the fifth set And Felix Auger-Aliassime is NOT happy about Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's badly timed medical timeout AND WE MISSED... Coco Gauff reaching her first Wimbledon quarter-final in the nick of time, beating Belinda Bencic and the SW19 curfew by just two minutes. Sorry, we were already heading to bed... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, 05 Jul 2026 - 514 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 6: Swiatek is out but Cobolli wins a cracker
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-2026-6-162921714?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link **** Whew, what a day! And it really was George Bellshaw's day as he took the lead on the podcast group chat account - and sauntered around some of Wimbledon's best courts in search of the best story. Was it... Defending champion Iga Swiatek downed by slow-serving Alexandra Eala on Centre Court Elena Rybakina backing up George's assertion that she is not a consistent slam performer by losing to Elise Mertens Serena Williams having fluid drained from her knee and pulling out of the women's doubles with Venus Williams Arthur Fery ensuring the Brits WILL have singles representation in the second week with an unlikely five-set win over Grigor Dimitrov A comeback win for Flavio Cobolli over Karen Khachanov after stomach trouble and a Davis Cup-like atmosphere on No 2 Court We covered them all and more in our daily podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 - 513 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 5: Fonseca and Jodar crash out to ruin Super Sunday
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. These podcasts are only possible with YOUR support, for which we are eternally grateful. To get our full-length daily podcasts from grand slams, go to www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered and sign up for the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club. You'll have a great time, we promise. (Promises are not legally binding. Terms and conditions apply. This promise may cause nausea, fainting, dizziness and a powerful sense of existential dread.) **** George Bellshaw and James Gray are back to discuss everything that happened on the fifth day of Wimbledon, including... Rafa Jodar is beaten by Shintaro Mochizuki and Joao Fonseca loses to Roman Safiullin to leave our "Super Sunday" dreams in tatters... ...but at least Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka won to keep up their ends of the bargain Novak Djokovic gets his daytime match, still slips around and then drops another set, this time to Arthur Rinderknech Belinda Bencic wins a thriller against Anna Kalinskaya Daniil Medvedev is out And so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, 03 Jul 2026 - 512 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 4: Calvin on ATP's controversial doubles proposals
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. These podcasts are only possible with YOUR support, for which we are eternally grateful. To get our full-length daily podcasts from grand slams, go to www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered and sign up for the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club. You'll have a great time, we promise. (Promises are not legally binding. Terms and conditions apply. This promise may cause nausea, fainting, dizziness and a powerful sense of existential dread.) **** Calvin Betton, James Gray and George Bellshaw discuss the last day of second-round action at Wimbledon, including... - The ATP's controversial plans to downsize doubles draws at tour events, slash prize money in half and reallocate it to singles players - Serena Williams's comeback and whether she lived up to the wildcard - Arthur Fils crashes out at the hands of Matteo Berrettini - Grigor Dimitrov records another emotional victory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, 03 Jul 2026 - 511 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 3: The burden of the French Open champ
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. These podcasts are only possible with YOUR support, for which we are eternally grateful. To get our full-length daily podcasts from grand slams, go to www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered and sign up for the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club. You'll have a great time, we promise. (Promises are not legally binding. Terms and conditions apply. This promise may cause nausea, fainting, dizziness and a powerful sense of existential dread.) **** Our top stories from Wednesday are... - Mirra Andreeva manages one more Wimbledon win than last year's French Open champion but still crashes out in the face of a gruesome draw with Barbora Krejcikova - Coco Gauff survives a scare against Solana Sierra to win 10-7 in the final-set tie-break - "Super Sunday" is still on thanks to wins for Sabalenka, Osaka, Sinner, Djokovic and Fonseca - but Jodar is wobbling - Learner Tien, Katerina Siniakova and Ignacio Buse among the seeds to fall - An injury scare for Serena Williams - And finally... Nick Kyrgios's Wimbledon career is over, for now The full episode is available here: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered/posts/wimbledon-2026-3-162647483 **** To donate to George's JustGiving page, head here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/gd-bellshaw-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, 01 Jul 2026 - 510 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 2: The Serena show has started
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. These podcasts are only possible with YOUR support, for which we are eternally grateful. To get our full-length daily podcasts from grand slams, go to www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered and sign up for the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club. You'll have a great time, we promise. (Promises are not legally binding. Terms and conditions apply. This promise may cause nausea, fainting, dizziness and a powerful sense of existential dread.) **** Our top stories from Tuesday are... - Serena Williams is out of the singles after defeat by Maya Joint, but did she deserve a wildcard in the first place? - British tennis is BACK with wins for Arthur Fery, Jan Choinski, Katie Swan and Jacob Fearnley - Ben Shelton is out in the first round, what he called the toughest loss he has had to take - George is just glad he called Donna Vekic's doom **** To donate to George's JustGiving page, head here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/gd-bellshaw-1#supportersList Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, 01 Jul 2026 - 509 - Wimbledon 2026, Day 1: Terrible start for the Brits + double injury shock + a statement win
Are you a TUSCer yet? It's the only way to listen to daily episodes from Wimbledon this year. You're lucky, so here is Day 1's extended episode for free. But remember, it's just £3.60 for the first month to join the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club, and it really is a lot of fun. Join here: https://www.patreon.com/c/TennisUnfiltered *** George Bellshaw, James Gray and Calvin Betton are ALL in Wimbledon (mostly down to the TUSCers) and chatting about the biggest issues in tennis, as well as the first day of Wimbledon. They covered... - Injuries to Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu on the eve of Wimbledon - More reaction to Marketa Vondrousova's four-year ban over a refused anti-doping test - A statement win for Daniil Medvedev - The least surprising upset for a while as Hubert Hurkacz beats Casper Ruud And LOADS more... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, 29 Jun 2026 - 508 - Wimbledon preview and draw analysis: Swiatek's shocker and Sinner's breeze
For ad-free listening, daily grand slam updates and access to group chats with the lads, subscribe to our Patreon from £3.60 for the first month. Tap here to join now: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered *** In the meantime, here are James Gray and George Bellshaw breaking down the Wimbledon draw in the men's and the women's singles. *** Fantasy Tennis Unfiltered, Wimbledon 2026 is LIVE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Yf28lm97QpO_BhTzFDQGiSGoBe0YDM-XmwfJ8Zuv7Mo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, 27 Jun 2026 - 507 - Serena to play singles, Tiafoe finds form and Sabalenka is in a wobble
Are you a TUSCer yet? Join the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club for just £3.60 for the first month. TUSCers get ad-free listening to the main pod, an extra episode every Friday, daily coverage of the grand slams and loads more exclusive content. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/TennisUnfiltered *** This week, George dials in from Mexico while James and Calvin are down in Eastbourne trying to avoid the heatwave. Here are the stories they discussed - Serena Williams has been handed a wildcard for Wimbledon, where she will play her first singles match for four years - Dan Evans meanwhile is going to have to battle through qualifying if he wants to play the main draw at Wimbledon one more time - Francisco Cerundolo is the Queen's champion, watched by his father Alejandro who had taken a flight for the first time to see him. He beat Tommy Paul in the final. - Frances Tiafoe won a title too, beating Taylor Fritz in the Halle final to confirm his advances this year and suggest he could be a dangerous man to face in the Wimbledon draw - Aryna Sabalenka was bagelled in the final set for the second tournament in a row, Jessica Pegula dishing it out, but it was Linda Noskova who came up trumps in the final - And finally, Paula Badosa calls out Stefanos Tsitsipas's 'toxic' behaviour Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 23 Jun 2026 - 506 - Wildcards, wildcards and more wildcards
Are you a member of our Patreon channel yet? It's the only way to get ad-free listening, daily podcasts from Tennis Unfiltered during grand slams, access to weekly bonus episodes every Friday and group chats with other Patreon members. Join the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club here: https://www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered **** NB: This podcast was recorded BEFORE the Wimbledon wildcards were confirmed on Tuesday. We can only apologise. Blame the All England Club. Calvin Betton (west London), James Gray (south London) and George Bellshaw (actual Mexico) are back to go through another week of tennis news. And it really is all about wildcards. - Donna Vekic, with Dave Felgate back in tow, wins the women's title at Queen's, seeing off Emma Raducanu in her biggest final since winning the US Open five years ago - Serena Williams was back playing, in doubles for now, with Victoria Mboko, although a nasty knee injury stopped her progress and ruled the teenager out of Wimbledon - Meanwhile, Queen's defending champion Tatjana Maria had to come through qualifying for the chance to play at the west London WTA 500, after organisers handed all the WTA wildcards to Brits - Dan Evans is retiring but he is also not happy at Queen's, after they failed to give him a wildcard to the main draw... will he get one at Wimbledon? - Speaking of Wimbledon, they have announced their prize money with a 20 per cent uplift for players, but not all players... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 16 Jun 2026 - 505 - French Open review: A divisive winner in Zverev and a charming champ in Andreeva
Are you a TUSCer yet? Subscribers to our Patreon get a bonus podcast every Friday outside of grand slams (this week it's our Roland Garros Q&A, answering your questions from the French Open), daily coverage of every grand slam, ad-free listening to our Tuesday pods and access to all the group chats for just £3.60 for your first month. PRO TIP: To avoid paying extra (and extortionate) Apple Store fees, set up your account and sign up on browser: www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered. You can then download the Patreon app, log in, go to our page, hit the three dots in the corner and add the subscription feed to your podcast app. ***** With George Bellshaw gallivanting in Mexico, Myles David of Tuned into Tennis steps in to the breach, joining Calvin Betton (WORLD NO 1 COACH) and James Gray (WORLD NO 1... er, of being himself) to review Roland Garros 2026. They discussed: - Mirra Andreeva is a grand slam champion, overcoming an awkward clash with qualifier Maja Chwalinska in Saturday's final - Is this the beginning of a significant run at the top of the game for the Russian? - Will Maja Chwalinska get a wildcard? - Are the big hitters going to bounce back from big upsets? - Alexander Zverev has finally ended his quest for a grand slam title, winning his maiden major at the fourth time of asking, but will it change anything for the German going forward? - Can anyone expect to challenge Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon? And does the Italian have something to prove after his heat-related exit from Roland Garros? - What does it take to become world No 1? Just ask Calvin Betton! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 09 Jun 2026 - 504 - The best French Open first week ever?
Calvin Betton and James Gray are in Paris, while George Bellshaw holds the fort in London (while dodging celebrating Arsenal fans). Serena Williams confirms her comeback to tennis and will play doubles with Victoria Mboko at Queen's next week Jannik Sinner suffers one of the biggest shocks in French Open history as cramp and fatigue beats him (and Juan Manuel Cerundolo) Novak Djokovic is beaten for just the second time ever from two sets up, smoked off the court by Joao Fonseca in a compelling five-setter in the heat of Chatrier Iga Swiatek's return to form comes to an end with a shock defeat to Marta Kostyuk that she blames on being "tense" on the court Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff are also early casualties to leave the draw relatively open in the second week For daily podcast updates from the grand slams, join the TUSCers on our Patreon channel for just £3.60 a month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 02 Jun 2026 - 503 - Did the players' 15-minute protest really work?
Are you a TUSCer? For ad-free listening, daily grand slam podcasts and group chats with the hosts, join the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club for just £3.60 for the first month, just tap the link here: https://www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/tennis-rich-players-french-open-prize-money-4434620 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 26 May 2026 - 502 - French Open preview: Draw analysis as Djokovic and Swiatek get tricky assignments
Are you a TUSCer? For ad-free listening, daily grand slam podcasts and group chats with the lads, join the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club for just £3.60 for the first month, just tap the link here: https://www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered And if you want to play Fantasy Tennis Unfiltered for FREE, then you can enter here before 1pm BST on Sunday: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gBnATXVxgHeKD-Ihek5woFg0RciA9SaXXiBhHvVjMJE The basic concept is simple: predict the quarter-finalists. Do that successfully, and play your captaincy chip right, and you'll win! You must pick one player from each section of the draw, and hope that they go as far as possible - as well as nominating a men's captain and a women's captain. (To help you, the players are presented as they are in the draw, so you know who plays who!) SCORING Players are split into four categories: Top Seed (a top 8 seed), Minor Seeds (9-32 seeds), Unseeded (self-explanatory) and Bolter (a wildcard or a qualifier). Unlike previous years, you do not HAVE to pick any qualifier or wildcards - but they will score points more quickly if you do pick a successful one. Top Seed - 10 points per win Minor Seed - 15 points per win Unseeded - 20 points per win Bolter - 30 points per win The overall tournament winner also receives a bonus of 20 points. CAPTAINS You must select a captain in the men's and the women's draw. Captains will score double points. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, 23 May 2026 - 501 - Sinner's history in Rome, the impressive Svitolina and two big British coaching hires
Are you a TUSCer yet? Join the Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club, just £3.60 for the first month. Sign up ON BROWSER for the best price and offer: https://www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered You can then use the Patreon app to connect the podcast to your existing podcast app. **** Calvin Betton, James Gray and George Bellshaw are here to look back on Rome and start thinking about Roland Garros favourites... - Jannik Sinner became only the second man to win every single Masters event since it was introduced in 1990, joining Novak Djokovic in extremely rarefied air - Can anyone stop Sinner? Probably not, but his own body might betray him... as Daniil Medvedev nearly found out - Alexander Zverev will be No 2 in Paris but was unhappy with court in Rome, blaming the clay for his defeat to Luciano Darderi - Elina Svitolina won arguably the biggest title of her career, beating Coco Gauff after already knocking off Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina to claim the title - Svitolina is now the first Ukrainian player to win 20 WTA titles PLUS... - Andy Murray is back in a coaching box after agreeing to work with Jack Draper for the grass-court season, including Wimbledon - Emma Raducanu has re-hired Andrew Richardson, the man who guided her to the 2021 US Open title, to coach her nearly five years after letting him go NEWS - Andy Murray is to coach Jack Draper over the course of the grass court season “I am very grateful for everything Jamie Delgado has done for me over these past six months. “He is a world class coach and a great man. “In the interim, I will continue to be supported by the excellent team at the LTA, with the addition of Andy Murray, who will be supporting me throughout the grass court season.” - In other coaching news, Emma Raducanu has announced she is back with Andrew Richardson, the man who coached her to US Open glory five years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 19 May 2026 - 500 - No form Novak, Sinner winners and a looming boycott dispute
Calvin Betton calls in from Rome (and a rather echo-y Airbnb) to join George Bellshaw and James Gray for another look back at a week of news leading up to the French Open - and to break some exciting podcast news! We are launching Patreon channel because we want to bring you even more unfiltered content throughout the year - that means daily podcasts from every grand slam, bonus premium content every other week, group chats with all three of us, the chance to help shape the podcast, and loads more. But that’s not easy - by launching a Patreon, it will give us more time to spend putting together great podcasts, making sure we have a presence at every slam, and going deeper on the sport we all love than we ever have before. Sign up for just £3 for the first month at https://www.patreon.com/tennisunfiltered and join The Tennis Unfiltered Supporters Club. In the meantime, here is this week's free podcast: - Novak Djokovic returns to Rome but it is in vain as he is beaten in three sets by Dino Prizmic... - ...and the 24-time grand slam champion admits battling physical issues is "a new reality" for him at the age of 38 - Jannik Sinner is on the verge of breaking one of Djokovic's records as his Masters 1000 winning streak extends into the 30s - can anyone stop him? - Aryna Sabalenka's Roland Garros favourite tag is under threat after another shock defeat, this time to the retiring Sorana Cirstea - ...so who is in line to take favouritism to Paris? - And there's a dispute brewing between the top players and the tennis authorities with Sabalenka, Sinner and Gauff all among those threatening a boycott of a grand slam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 12 May 2026 - 499 - Hola, Rafa Sinner? One surprise Madrid winner and one... not so much
James Gray, Calvin Betton and George Bellshaw are all back around the microphones to discuss another week of tennis news - and as we always say, what a week! Here's what they talked about - Jannik Sinner crushed his pigeon Alexander Zverev in the men's final to claim a fifth straight Masters title - Eight years after breaking through as a 15-year-old, Marta Kostyuk finally won the biggest title of her career and then of course failed to shake hands with her Russian opponent Mirra Andreeva - Calvin had to coach both sides of semi-final but the match was marred by a horrific warm-up injury... - ...but Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara did at least win the title a day later to sweeten the pill a little - Kei Nishikori announces his retirement (and it's not fake news this time) - Jack Draper is out of the French Open with a new injury - Novak Djokovic is back in Rome And so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 05 May 2026 - 498 - Who will Jannik Sinner beat in the French Open final?
Calvin Betton is in Madrid, George Bellshaw is in recovery again and James Gray is in a dark, lonely Pembrokeshire car park. They discussed... - Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the French Open, and perhaps beyond, with an ongoing wrist injury - Jannik Sinner is now a 70 per cent favourite to win Roland Garros, but who is his closest challenger? Alexander Zverev can't beat him, Novak Djokovic isn't fit... the lads assess the challengers - Rafa Jodar is on a breakout run and beat fellow young gun Joao Fonseca - might he join the Possibles in Paris? - Has a sickness bug ruined our chances of understanding the WTA power rankings at Madrid? - Venus Williams has lost 10 (TEN) singles matches in a row but is still getting wildcards - The players are torn over electronic line-calling after a number of marks appeared to differ from the call made by Hawk-Eye Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 - 497 - A Fils comeback, Shelton powers through, Rybakina on form and Jamie Murray retires
Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray are all back around a microphone - in different parts of London but nevertheless all in London, yet nowhere near organised enough to get in the same room together. This week, they are talking about... Arthur Fils's comeback arc Ben Shelton's ability to power through slow care The apparent invincibility of Elena Rybakina Jamie Murray's retirement Marketa Vondrousova's fight to clear her name An injury epidemic in Madrid And underarm serves! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 21 Apr 2026 - 496 - Sinner pegs back Alcaraz, Medvedev's meltdown, and a cupset Down Under
Every Tuesday at 6pm, another hour of tennis news, reviews and opinions drops from James Gray, Calvin Betton and George Bellshaw. This week they discussed... Jannik Sinner wins his first major clay-court title by beating Carlos Alcaraz in a wind-swept Monte Carlo final Has Sinner finally cracked the last surface on which he has not won a slam? What does Alcaraz have to do to arrest his slump in their head-to-head battle? Daniil Medvedev produced one of the all-time meltdowns in Monaco, beaten 6-0, 6-0 by Matteo Berrettini and marmalising a racket on court Valentin Vacherot reached the semi-final of his home tournament and said he would rather win that than a grand slam! Mika Stojsavljevic and Harriet Dart led Great Britain to an unlikely Billie Jean King Cup victory over Australia And more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 14 Apr 2026 - 495 - The coaching roundabout, (almost) a Marrakesh miracle and a no holds barred Q&A
Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray are back to look back at a week of 250s and answer your questions on the tennis world. Here are the big stories they discussed in this week's episode... Wim Fisette has "broken his silence" after splitting with Iga Swiatek in a "tell-all" (well, not quite all) interview but in the meantime... ...Swiatek has a new coach, picking up Emma Raducanu cast-off Francisco Roig... ...who was on trial with Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard and didn't even mention that he was leaving to the Frenchman... ...who in turn has hired Greg Rusedski! They also talk about a title for Rafael Jodar (denying Marco Trungelliti a historic win), the colour of the clay in Houston, and answer your questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 07 Apr 2026 - 494 - Miami review: The Sinner-Sabalenka double double
Calvin Betton is on R&R in NYC but he is not MIA - he's bang up to speed to join James Gray in south London and George Bellshaw back from Benidorm for another Tennis Unfiltered podcast. They discussed most things that happened in tennis over the last week, including... - Jannik Sinner ended Jiri Lehecka's rather charmed run to the Miami final with a brutal serving performance to complete the 'Sunshine Double', the eighth man to complete the feat - Sinner has also now won three Masters titles in a row WITHOUT DROPPING A SET... no one had ever even won two in a row - Aryna Sabalenka also doubled up, winning Miami after Indian Wells, in an entertaining final win over Coco Gauff. She is only the fifth woman to win it, joining an elite club of Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek. - Arthur Fils is most certainly back, winning the match of the tournament against Tommy Paul - Amanda Anisimova splits with her coach Hendrik Vleeshouwers - David Goffin announces he is retiring - The WTA are done with Finals in Saudi Arabia And more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 - 493 - Alcaraz is stunned by Korda and Swiatek sacks coach in dramatic Miami first week
Calvin Betton gives us the lowdown on court conditions in Miami... while George Bellshaw updates us on his "internet box". James Gray, as usual, is just trying to hold everyone together. They discussed... - Joao Fonseca faced Carlos Alcaraz a week after playing Jannik Sinner, but how much will he learn from his own Sunshine Double? - Alcaraz won but was them stunned by Sebastian Korda, a Florida native excelling on home soil once again. Is this his moment to arrive again in the top 10? - Iga Swiatek was beaten by Magda Linette, a shocking defeat with some tortured quotes afterwards... - ...and then sacked her coach Wim Fisette mid-podcast - Pat Cash is pitching for a job at Tennis Australia - Wimbledon is introducing video review for the first time And more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 24 Mar 2026 - 492 - Indian Wells review: Sinner dominates, but is this the return of Medvedev?
Calvin Betton is on training camp in North Carolina, George Bellshaw is dragging himself through Ironman regimes and James Gray is, well, still here. They're back to talk all about tennis from the last seven days, which included the end of Indian Wells, a whole host of withdrawals from Miami and another glimpse of the new structure of the tennis tour post-Saudi spend. Jannik Sinner won his first Indian Wells title, finally ending Daniil Medvedev's winning run... ...but is the Russian, who is now back in the top 10, ready to become the third guy in men's tennis? Jack Draper is back to winning ways, beating Novak Djokovic en route the quarter-finals... ...but was he unfairly "hindered" by a hindrance call in his last eight defeat? Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka slogged it out in the women's final... ...and while Sabalenka won to ding-dong the head-to-head back in her favour, is it really a match-up that helps the women's game? That and SO much more... LINKS Charlie Eccleshare and Matt Futterman on the new tennis tour: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7106736/2026/03/12/tennis-atp-calendar-tournaments-saudi-arabia-buybacks/ THAT hindrance call: https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2032299932947005764 An interview with Eugenie Bouchard: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2026/03/16/eugenie-bouchard-interview-i-understand-raducanu-pressure Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 17 Mar 2026 - 491 - The greed of Indian Wells, a rare Gauff injury and more fallout from the Middle East
George Bellshaw is back from India and reclaims his seat, Calvin Betton is still in California and James Gray is holding them all together. They discussed... - A new ticketing system at Indian Wells has turned one of tennis's better courts into a ghost town - There's a rare injury retirement, only the second of her career for Coco Gauff - Naomi Osaka is dressing to impress - Venus Williams's return to Indian Wells ends in a bad-tempered rant at tournament staff - Calvin reveals how Henry and Harri finally got out of Dubai, but not in time to play Indian Wells - Emma Raducanu talks about trying to get back to her natural game - but then gets hammered by Amanda Anisimova in the third round Do go read Harri's blog: https://www.harriheliovaara.fi/2026/03/03/tilannepaivitys-dubaista-vol-2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 10 Mar 2026 - 490 - Inside the chaos in Dubai as Iranian air strikes leave players stranded
Calvin Betton gives us the inside scoop on what life in Dubai is like right now with Henry Patten, Harri Heliovaara and Boris Chernov all stuck in the United Arab Emirates, where at time of recording the airspace remains closed until further notice as a result of Iranian air strikes. And with George Bellshaw away, Ben Rothenberg of Bounces (https://www.benrothenberg.com/) fills in as our resident red head, while James Gray anchors as usual. They discussed.. - The chaos in Dubai where no one seems to have a good way out of the city - Harri and Henry winning the doubles title with explosions in the background - Daniil Medvedev finally ends the curse by winning a repeat title, but with an asterisk after Tallon Griekspoor pulls out injured - WTA Austin introduces a "Rage Room" for private racket smashes, but no one knows if Taylor Townsend used it after losing to Peyton Stearns in the final - Taylor Fritz says the Dunlop ball at Indian Wells is going to get very slow indeed - And finally, Jack Draper's haircut Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 03 Mar 2026 - 489 - The 'perfect' Alcaraz, Pegula finally wins one and it's Gauff vs her coach
Calvin Betton is perfectly safe in Acapulco, James Gray is finally home and George Bellshaw is about to head off to India - but for now at least two of the Tennis Unfiltered gang are in the same timezone. Here are the stories they're talking about this week... - Carlos Alcaraz only needed 50 minutes to beat Arthur Fils and claim the 26th title of his young career in Doha - It extends his ranking lead over Jannik Sinner, after he came unstuck against Jakub Mensik in the quarter-finals - Jessica Pegula finally converted one of her semi-final appearances into a title, winning in Dubai (and proving Calvin right) - She beat Elina Svitolina, who spent three hours eliminating Coco Gauff, who in turn seems to be falling out of love with her biomechanics coach - Alexandra Eala keeps selling tickets - The WTA are forming a 13-player council to fix the schedule - Emma Raducanu has signed for Uniqlo (See James's story here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/emma-raducanu-nike-uniqlo-4255160) And SO much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, 25 Feb 2026 - 488 - What even IS a mandatory?
Calvin Betton is in Delray, James Gray is in Bormio and George Bellshaw is our northern (London) star, constant and unchanging. They're back round at the microphone to talk about the last week of tennis... - Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka pull out of the mandatory Dubai tournament... - ...and the tournament director calls them out on it! - Victoria Mboko beats Elena Rybakina en route to the Doha final... but then loses to Karolina Muchova - Destinee Aiava announces her shock retirement with a massive FU to the tennis establishment - No meat in Acapulco - Serena Williams officially reinstated - A great run for Jack Pinnington Jones ...and SO much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 - 487 - Coachless Raducanu's run, Boulter's title and digging into PTPA and Tiley plans to fix tennis
Calvin Betton is back from Turkey, James Gray is now up in the mountains and George Bellshaw still doesn't really know what a pun is. They discussed... - Katie Boulter winning the title in Ostrava, claiming her fourth career WTA win - Emma Raducanu made the final in Cluj but was then battered by Sorana Cirstea... - ...is she fit enough? Does she need a coach? What now? - The PTPA's $1bn plans for tennis are scrutinised... - ...as are Craig Tiley's wild and wacky ideas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 10 Feb 2026 - 486 - Australian Open review: Alcaraz vs McEnroe and Sabalenka's Achilles heel
The Australian Open 2026 is in the books. Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina are our two singles champions, and we have ANOTHER British doubles champion and everyone can take a deep breath (for a bit). ATP Tour coach Calvin Betton, The i Paper sports news editor James Gray and tennis broadcaster and writer George Bellshaw are here to look back at it all. They discussed... - Is Novak Djokovic a genuine contender in other slams this year or will this prove to be his last hurrah? - Which slams with Carlos Alcaraz win this year and is the calendar year grand slam achievable? - Has Aryna Sabalenka got a problem in finals? - Will Elena Rybakina wait another four years to go from two majors to three? - How will we remember the 2026 Australian Open? And SO much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 03 Feb 2026 - 485 - Australian Open, Day 15: Dejected Djokovic downed at the last
Calvin Betton returns, albeit from Turkey, to join George Bellshaw and James Gray to look back at the Australian Open men's final - Was Novak Djokovic's gameplan the right one? - How did Carlos Alcaraz turn it around? - Was Djokovic injured? Will he ever come back as an active player? All that and more... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, 01 Feb 2026 - 484 - Australian Open, Day 14: Rybakina's wild celebrations after pipping Sabalenka
Molly McElwee subs in for George Bellshaw to review the women's singles final at the Australian Open with James Gray. - Elena Rybakina came from 3-0 down in the deciding set to win her second grand slam title - World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka has now lost three of her last four major finals, including two in a row in Melbourne - Rybakina's coach Stefano Vukov was presented with a trophy too, despite his chequered history working with Rybakina Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, 31 Jan 2026 - 483 - Australian Open, Day 13: Tennis is ALIVE! Cramp drama and two five-set thrillers
- Carlos Alcaraz came through cramps, vomiting and an Alexander Zverev comeback to win his Australian Open semi-final and reach the final in Melbourne for the first time ever - Jannik Sinner could not join him, denied a three-peat by an inspired Novak Djokovic, who is now just one win away from the 25th grand slam title of his career Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, 30 Jan 2026 - 482 - Australian Open, Day 12: Hindrance or no hindrance? + Raducanu sacks another coach
James Gray and George Bellshaw are back around the microphone after two MORE straight-sets wins - Aryna Sabalenka saved break points in the opening game against Elina Svitolina but never looked back after that.. - ...except when she was called for a hindrance in the fourth game of the match, a decision she says "p***ed her off" but also inspired her to win the match - Elena Rybakina came through the challenge of the religiously consistent Jessica Pegula to set up a repeat of the 2023 final Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, 29 Jan 2026 - 481 - Australian Open, Day 10 & 11: The Coco privacy debate and Djokovic's fluke
James Gray and George Bellshaw get down to it after a series of last eight matches in which... - Coco Gauff sparked a privacy row after she complained about her racket smash in a corridor being broadcast to millions - Novak Djokovic was "going home" after losing two sets to Lorenzo Musetti... and then the Italian pulled out injured - Iga Swiatek was knocked out by a familiar opponent Elena Rybakina - Michael Chang's kids turned up in Learner Tien's press conference Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, 28 Jan 2026 - 480 - Australian Open, Day 9: Boring, boring Melbourne...
Calvin Betton is back and anything BUT boring... however, is the Australian Open turning into a boring tournament? George Bellshaw and James Gray join him to discuss... - Ben Shelton knocking out Casper Ruud to add another top-eight seed to the men's quarter-finals, making it seven in total and 13 across the two singles draws - Lorenzo Musetti sets up a clash with Novak Djokovic by putting Taylor Fritz out of his misery - All four women's matches end in straightforward straight sets victories for the favourites AND, as a special treat, here is a free link to read James's column for The i Paper: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/novak-djokovic-getting-lucky-4193977?utm_campaign=PNITUx1xSr1ai7e&ito=gifted_article&data-target=gifted_article&utm_source=XJPLeh5koSHChZEU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, 26 Jan 2026 - 479 - Australian Open, Day 8: Novak's luck is in?
- Novak Djokovic has been handed a free pass into a record 65th grand slam quarter-final after Jakub Mensik pulled out of their fourth-round clash - Are the stars aligning for Djokovic slam No 25? - Daniil Medvedev is out, beaten in straight sets by Michael Chang-coached Learner Tien - Elina Svitolina crushed Mirra Andreeva's AO dream with an efficient performance - Coco Gauff fought fire with fire to beat Karolina Muchova And much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, 25 Jan 2026 - 478 - Australian Open, Day 7: Sinner's sweaty battle - with Ben Rothenberg
Ben Rothenberg of Bounces and James Gray look back (mostly) at the seventh day of action at the Australian Open. - Jannik Sinner lost the opening set to Elliot Spizziri in sweltering conditions, which triggered the heat rule, shut the roof and seemingly swung the match in the Italian's favour - Madison Keys's title defence goes on in fine style - And why Daniil Medvedev vs Le-arn-er Tien is the match of the day on Sunday And loads more! Go check out Ben's work on Bounces (https://www.benrothenberg.com/), it really is excellent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, 24 Jan 2026 - 477 - Australian Open, Day 6: Sabalenka and Gauff both wobble, Brits crash out of singles
George Bellshaw is back for his last podcast of the week with James Gray in tow. - Aryna Sabalenka admits she felt 'disconnected' from her body in a double tie-break win over Anastasia Potapova - Coco Gauff came from a set down to beat Hailey Baptiste after a tactical adjustment on her forehand side - Daniil Medvedev delivered on his annual AO five-setter - The British interest in the singles is over for another year, Cam Norrie beaten in four sets by an imperious Alexander Zverev - Yulia Putintseva did NOT disappoint! And so much more... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, 23 Jan 2026 - 476 - Australian Open, Day 5: Stan the MAN and Naomi the shade-master
James Gray and George Bellshaw look back at the fifth day of action at the 2026 Australian Open. - No 10 seed Belinda Bencic is shocked by qualifier Nikola Bartunkova, the teenage sensation who served a six-month ban for inadvertently ingesting banned substance TMZ - Stan Wawrinka kept rolling back the years to beat Arthur Gea in five sets and set up a third-round clash with Taylor Fritz - Naomi Osaka wound up Sorana Cirstea, knocked her out the tournament and then hung her out to dry. Just watch: https://x.com/tntsports/status/2014296632775336143 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, 22 Jan 2026 - 475 - Australian Open, Day 4: Is Raducanu about to sack another coach?
James Gray and George Bellshaw are back around the microphones for another review of a relatively drama-free day at the Australian Open, but... - Emma Raducanu is out after defeat to Anastasia Potapova and seems ready to ditch the tactical overhaul being overseen by Francis Roig - Cam Norrie is the last Brit standing after grinding out a win over Emilio Nava in rarefied, late-night air - Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Kamil Majchrzak both fell out with the crowd but for different reasons - Diana Shnaider saves three match points to roar into the third round back at the tournament where she broke through three years ago LINKS Check your fantasy progress here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/125MgiVs97Xnbi9OQ5UdXck-VM2liwwxbQMVxeevJIIY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, 21 Jan 2026 - 474 - Australian Open, Day 3: Naomi Osaka's hat
Yes, the hat. Not Brooklyn Beckham, not the actual tennis. Naomi Osaka's incredible hat. George Bellshaw and James Gray are keen to focus on some other things... eventually. Because THAT. HAT. It was also a cracking first-round tennis match. But the hat. Where does she go from now?! LINKS The hat in question: https://x.com/tntsports/status/2013590606128263313https://x.com/tntsports/status/2013590606128263313 How are you faring in fantasy tennis? Check here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/125MgiVs97Xnbi9OQ5UdXck-VM2liwwxbQMVxeevJIIY/edit?resourcekey=&gid=1734778613#gid=1734778613 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 20 Jan 2026 - 473 - Australian Open, Day 2: Eala fever, Swiatek survives a scare and a day of cramps
James Gray and George Bellshaw look back on the second day of first-round action in Melbourne including... - Felix Auger-Aliassime retires after cramping just two sets into his match against Nuno Borges - Iga Swiatek is made to work hard by Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue - Alexandra Eala fans overcrowd Court 6, but it's not a problem the Australian organisers will have to deal with again this year - Naomi Osaka lifts the lid on her leaving the Evolve agency - Why hasn't Carlos Alcaraz won the Australian Open yet? LINKS - The wild scenes of Parks vs Eala: https://x.com/christianscourt/status/2013099697431298256 - Naomi Osaka talks to Ben Rothenberg: https://www.benrothenberg.com/p/naomi-osaka-interview-australian-open-evolve-img-australian-open-day-2-schedule-preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, 19 Jan 2026 - 472 - Australian Open, Day 1: Brits on the march as 100,000 hit Melbourne Park
Day 1 of the Australian Open is in the books, a record day at Melbourne Park as more than 100,000 ticketholders streamed through the gates. The headlines were... - Qualifier Zeynep Sonmez pulled off the biggest win of her career by knocking out No 11 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova - Ukrainians Dayana Yastremksa and Marta Kostyuk both also suffered first-round defeats as three WTA seeds fell on Day 1 - Arthur Fery knocked out the only men's seed to lose on Sunday, although Flavio Cobolli called the doctor after one game because of illness and was clearly short of his best - Emma Raducanu looked like she was in trouble against Mananchaya Sawangkaew but saved break points at 1-3 down and lost two more games in the entire match. And so much more! LINKS Daria Kasatkina interview: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6978334/2026/01/16/tennis-daria-kasatkina-australia-russia/ Putintseva being Putintseva: https://x.com/TheTennisLetter/status/2012724674036183423 FTU League Table: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/125MgiVs97Xnbi9OQ5UdXck-VM2liwwxbQMVxeevJIIY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, 18 Jan 2026 - 471 - Australian Open draw analysis: Sabalenka or bust, Zverev's nightmare and the search for dark horses
James Gray and George Bellshaw are in St Pancras Station. Yes, really. Don't ask why. Anyway, they are going through the Australian Open draw line by line for your entertainment - and to help you pick your fantasy tennis team! Enter here: https://forms.gle/vMwznVdH4Yh5HgRx8 DEADLINE: SATURDAY 17 JANUARY 11PM BST The basic concept is simple: predict the quarter-finalists. Do that successfully, and play your captaincy chip right, and you'll win! Below, you must pick one player from each section of the draw, and hope that they go as far as possible - as well as nominating a men's captain and a women's captain. (To help you, the players are presented as they are in the draw, so you know who plays who!) SCORING Players are split into four categories: Top Seed (a top 8 seed), Minor Seeds (9-32 seeds), Unseeded (self-explanatory) and Bolter (a wildcard or a qualifier). Unlike previous years, you do not HAVE to pick any qualifier or wildcards - but they will score points more quickly if you do pick a successful one. Top Seed - 10 points per win Minor Seed - 15 points per win Unseeded - 20 points per win Bolter - 30 points per win The overall tournament winner also receives a bonus of 20 points. CAPTAINS You must select a captain in the men's and the women's draw. Captains will score double points. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 - 470 - United Cup review, Sinner and Alcaraz land in Oz, and our tribute to Damian Kust
Before anything else, our thoughts this week are firmly with teh family of Damian Kust. Damian was a cherished and passionate member of the tennis community whom we lost at the age of just 26. His work covering the Challenger Tour set him apart, but his passion and knowledge was what really made him shine. RIP Damian. Details of his funeral and donations to the foundation his parents have chosen are here: https://x.com/damiankust/status/2009644081207709969 It always feels utterly empty to follow such profoundly sad news with the mundanity of the week's tennis news. Here is what else Calvin Betton, James Gray and George Bellshaw discussed this week... Novak Djokovic has pulled out of Adelaide, his only planned warm-up for the Australian Open, saying he is not physically ready for the challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have not played an ATP event yet this year either, but were busy playing an indoor practice match in front of 15,000 people in Seoul, South Korea. Poland FINALLY won the United Cup, Hubert Hurkacz gaining redemption for spurning two championship points against Alexander Zverev in 2024, beating the German en route to leading his nation to victory... ...but Iga Swiatek's form was far from impressive, and it was Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski, Luke Johnson's new partner, who were instrumental in securing the title PLUS: No Australian Open wildcard for Nick Kyrgios; there is one for Stan Wawrinka; titles for Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Bublik, Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina; Emma Raducanu's return; and OF COURSE *that* wildcard in Nairobi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 - 469 - Raducanu racket testing, Venus and Kyrgios wildcard dilemmas, and Djokovic's PTPA exit
Calvin Betton is in Brisbane but that won't stop him getting on the podcast (even if it does stop him getting any sleep). He joins James Gray for the first half of this week's podcast before subbing out for George Bellshaw, who sleeps soundly in his childhood bedroom in the West Midlands. They discussed... - Emma Raducanu pulls out of her season debut (she eventually played Maria Sakkari)... ...and she's testing a new racket - Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals he considered retirement after battling a back injury last year - Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Calvin relaunch their defence of the 250 - Novak Djokovic pulls out of the PTPA - Venus Williams gets an Australian Open wildcard but Nick Kyrgios is made to wait for his - Katie Boulter links up with a new coach in Michael Joyce - Iga Swiatek questions why we needed another "Battle of the Sexes" And finally, could Lionel Messi really win 50 grand slams?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 06 Jan 2026 - 468 - Battle of the Sexes 'farce' and the truth behind the Alcaraz-Ferrero split
James Gray, George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton are back round the microphones to discuss not one but TWO weeks of tennis news - because the gossip train does not take Christmas off. They discussed... - Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero have ended their seven-year partnership - but no one quite knows why - Nick Kyrgios says “there's nothing but positives that can be taken away from this” after beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in the so-called Battle of the Sexes in Dubai - British number one Jack Draper will not play in next month's Australian Open because of an ongoing arm injury PLUS - Jennifer Brady is making a comeback (maybe?) - Holger Rune is rushing his comeback (maybe?) - Learner Tien is ready for a serious impact (maybe?) And the sandwich shop Calvin was talking about? All'Antico Vinaio on Liberty Street in FiDi. And finally, if you want to read what James wrote about the Battle of the Sexes, you can do so for FREE here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/battle-of-the-sexes-pixelated-mess-awful-4136957?utm_campaign=PNITUx1xSr1ai7e&ito=gifted_article&data-target=gifted_article&utm_source=XJPLeh5koSHChZEU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 30 Dec 2025 - 467 - Christmas special: Our mystery guest talks about boarding school, tennis against a wall and true love
With the three lads taking Christmas week off, we have a special interview with... James Gray. Two years ago, he interviewed George and Calvin for special episodes around Christmas, and this time the microphone has been turned around and it is James who will have to try and talk about himself. Do go back and listen to the two previous interviews for the perspectives on their lives, and even if you don't, have a happy, safe and peaceful Christmas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 23 Dec 2025 - 466 - 2025 in review: The biggest letdown, grand slam highlights and more
Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray get together for the last episode of the 2025 campaign proper. As well discussing the latest news about the Battle of the Sexes, the WTA's $500m (potentially) sponsorship deal and Piers Morgan (!), they picked out the highlights and lowlights of 2025. That includes: - Biggest letdown - Best improvement - Favourite moment - Least favourite moment And more! **** Oh and to watch Luke Johnson teach James a tennis lesson, watch here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSUv0nhidls/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 16 Dec 2025 - 465 - Is Serena Williams REALLY coming back to tennis?
George Bellshaw, James Gray and Calvin Betton are all in London - but still can't all get in the same room! 🤣 Anyway, they were still able to discuss a week of bombshell news in the tennis world, including... Serena Williams's name appeared in the ITIA testing pool, shortly before she vehemently denied that she was "coming back" to tennis. But why else would she have signed up for whereabouts drug testing? Mika Brunold came out as gay on Instagram this week, the second male professional player to do so in the professional game in the last 12 months. https://www.instagram.com/p/DRpXksmDACU Anastasia Potapova has changed nationality - from Russia to Austria - and in doing so managed to copy Daria Kasatkina's statement virtually word for word on social media... And the BBC has picked up the TV rights for Battle of the Sexes, which will be shown on BBC One, boosting its TV audience They also answered questions tennis at the Olympic Games, Michael Stich and the Davis Cup. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 09 Dec 2025 - 464 - Q&A: Your queries answered on Sincaraz, scheduling, top 10 predictions and more!
James Gray (The i Paper), Calvin Betton (grand slam-winning ATP coach) and George Bellshaw (tennis writer and broadcaster) answer your questions on all things tennis over the course of an hour. Topics include... - The Big 3/Big 4 era and was it good for tennis? - The Sincaraz dominance - Andy Roddick's scheduling ideas - What happens when doubles pairs break up - The Winter County Cup - Dream coaching jobs - Top 10 predictions for 2026 - Emma Raducanu's pre-season plans And much, much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 02 Dec 2025 - 463 - Federer in the Hall of Fame, PTPA lawsuit news and ANOTHER Davis Cup win for Italy
George Bellshaw for part 1, Calvin Betton for part 2, and the dulcet tones of James Gray back on the airwaves for the whole blooming thing. What more could anyone want? Here are the stories they discussed: - Roger Federer has been voted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, but Juan Martin de Potro and Svetlana Kuznetsova did not make it - The PTPA and Tennis Australia are engaged in "substantive and productive bilateral settlement discussions" to settle their lawsuit in New York, but cases against other tennis bodies including the other three grand slam organisers continue - Katie Boulter says she is choosing between her ranking and her body ahead of the Australian Open because she is in danger of missing out on direct entry - Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from a couple of pre-season exhibitions in January with some light bone bruise in her foot, and has also hired a new physio Emma Stewart, who has previously worked with the successful British Olympic Rowing team - Joe Salisbury is taking six months out of tennis to deal with anxiety-related stress - Italy have won a third consecutive Davis Cup, the first country to do so since the USA in the 1970s Plus so much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 25 Nov 2025 - 462 - ATP Tour Finals CHAMPIONS, a bold prediction and more calendar arguments
George Bellshaw grasps the reins as James Gray takes a week off. He is joined by Calvin Betton, fresh from ATP World Tour Finals victory with Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara. Here are six bullet points summarizing this podcast episode: Henry Patten and Harry Heliövaara's ATP Finals triumph: Calvin reflects on their dominant week in Turin, where they became the only pair not to lose serve all tournament and capped off a phenomenal end to the season with victories in Beijing, Paris, and the year-end finals in Turin, all after winning the Australian Open in January. Sinner's indoor dominance continues: Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-5 in the ATP Finals, extending his remarkable indoor winning streak to 31 matches (fourth-longest in history) and demonstrating his superiority in fast court conditions. Felix Auger-Aliassime poised for breakthrough: Calvin's bold prediction: FAA will establish himself as the world's third-best player in 2026, citing his newfound confidence, consistent results, injury-free status, and superior talent compared to players like Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz. Zverev's coaching concerns: Despite being world number two, Calvin criticises Zverev's practice sessions as lacking proper structure and technical coaching, suggesting he needs to hire a proven coach rather than relying solely on family members if he wants to win majors. ATP calendar controversy intensifies: Calvin and George discuss Andrea Gaudenzi's plans to expand Masters events and focus on "premium products," with Calvin arguing passionately against taking tennis away from passionate fanbases in places like South America and Italy in favour of lucrative but atmosphere-lacking Middle Eastern venues. Djokovic's reality check: George and Calvin reflect on Novak Djokovic's interview with Piers Morgan, in which he admits the rise of Sinner and Alcaraz has forced him to re-evaluate his goals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, 19 Nov 2025 - 461 - WTA embarrassed, Battle of the Sexes, Jack Draper takes aim at the ATP
George Bellshaw, Calvin Betton and James Gray unpick another "complicated" week of tennis news - because nothing is ever straightforward in this sport! They discussed... - A date has been confirmed for a new "Battle of the Sexes” with Aryna Sabalenka vs Nick Kyrgios set for 28 December in Dubai - Elena Rybakina wins the WTA Finals and is then determined to embarrass WTA boss Portia Archer over her role in banning coach Stefano Vukov - Aryna Sabalenka loses another big final and ends up in tears - Jack Draper says players need to stop talking and start doing over complaints on the gruelling tennis schedule - Novak Djokovic wins title No 101 in Athens, ripping off his shirt in celebration and becoming the oldest man to win a title in 48 years. It took him all of three gruelling hours against Lorenzo Musetti - whom he then told at the net that his defeat was meaningless and the Italian would still qualify for ATP World Tour Finals because Djokovic was pulling out - Learner Tien beat Cam Norrie in a fine Metz final to claim his first career title and confirm a top 30 debut. Breakthrough player of the year? - And finally, many congratulations to Ons Jabeur, who has announced that she is expecting a baby boy in April Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 11 Nov 2025 - 460 - Can anyone stop Jannik Sinner? Paris Masters review, WTA Finals kick-off and a legend retires
Welcome back to Tennis Unfiltered, the weekly podcast about tennis that does not hold back. Host James Gray risked his marriage this week by taking two hours out of his holiday to do the podcast, logging on from Athens to discuss the last seven days of tennis with Calvin Betton, Paris Masters-winning coach, and tennis writer and broadcaster George Bellshaw. Here are the stories they discussed: Jannik Sinner won his fifth Masters title and returned to world No 1, for a week at least with Carlos Alcaraz set to overtake him again next week. It also took Sinner to exactly 10,000 points for the 2025 season despite having served at three-month ban in the middle of it. Sinner beat Felix Auger-Aliassime (the indoor GOAT) in the final, having battered Alexander Zverev in the semi-final for the loss of just one game. Carlos Alcaraz meanwhile was knocked out by Cam Norrie, who maintains an impressive record against the Spaniard. But Norrie was beaten by Valentin Vacherot, who followed up his Shanghai title with proof that he is no flash in the pan, and moves into the top 30 in the world for the first time. In the best social media beef of the week, Zizou Bergs managed to catch both Reilly Opelka and Nick Kyrgios in a web of their own egos. The WTA Finals kicked off over the weekend in Riyadh, albeit not in particularly grand style. Coco Gauff was beaten by Jessica Pegula and served 17 double-faults, which meant missing more than a quarter of her second serves, and was broken nine times in all. It begs the question, do year-end finals ever really produce the best tennis? Plus Gauff claimed the WTA is “more interesting” because it has more grand slam champions, while Alcaraz and Sinner clean up on the men’s side Three breakout stars won titles on the WTA Tour in the meantime: Janice Tjen of Indonesia; Canada’s Victoria Mboko; and a 17-year-old from Austria named Lilli Tagger with a one-handed backhand and a grand slam winner in her box Rohan Bopanna has announced his retirement after 20 years on tour at the age of 45. He won 26 tour-level doubles titles, including the 2024 Australian Open doubles. That also took him to world No 1 at the age of 43, the oldest man ever to do so. He won 539 tour-level matches, won titles with 15 different partners and also picked up a mixed doubles grand slam title at Roland Garros in 2017. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 04 Nov 2025 - 459 - Saudi gets its way, Sinner conquers Vienna, a stunning new venue in Paris
Calvin Betton joins from Paris to talk to James Gray about most things (not everything) that has been going on in tennis this week. George Bellshaw is off sick and we send him our best! In his absence, they talked about… - Saudi Arabia's ATP Masters 1000 tournament, now finally confirmed, with a start date expected in 2028 and a one-week, non-mandatory format. - Analysis of Jannik Sinner's win in Vienna, beating Alexander Zverev in the final. - Sinner also pulled out of the Davis Cup Finals this week, citing prep time for Australia, which went down badly in Italy. There were controversies surrounding player selections for the Spanish and Austrian team too - The Paris Masters has moved to La Defense Arena in Nanterre in western Paris, a spectacular new 16,500-seater venue - Joao Fonseca won the biggest title of his career in Basel And much, much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 28 Oct 2025 - 458 - The Medvedev-back, Six Kings revelations and the coaching roundabout continues
Calvin Betton in Vienna joins James Gray and George Bellshaw in London to look back at a week of 250s and exhibitions, plus another one falls off the coaching roundabout. They discussed... - Daniil Medvedev ended an 882-day title drought and triumphed for the first time since Rome 2023 by winning the Almaty Open. He now has 21 career titles in 21 different cities. - Felix Auger-Aliassime beats Jiri Lehecka to win Brussels - FAA landed 83 per cent of his first serves in the final, and registering a 9.4 serve rating on Tennis Insights - and Casper Ruud wins Stockholm with a smaller racket by beating Ugo Humbert. - Jannik Sinner won the Six Kings Slam and $6m, but did not seem that bothered about it all - Novak Djokovic talked about his future saying: “Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. If you see across all the global sports, LeBron James he is still going strong, he is 40, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady played until he was 40-something years old, it is unbelievable." - Holger Rune suffered a serious injury on court in Stockholm this week, rupturing his Achilles tendon and faces months on the sideline - Jack Draper started a storm on Twitter by talking about fatigue and injuries, with Taylor Fritz getting involved too - James Trotman has left Team Draper, saying he can’t square the circle of family life and weeks on tour, leaving new addition Jamie Delgado as sole coach - Leylah Fernandez wins Japan Open, beating in the final 18-year-old Tereza Valentova - Elena Rybakina won the Ningbo Open and is in a very intense battle for the last spot at WTA Finals with Mirra Andreeva… - Emma Raducanu has ended her season early after battling illness in China, and will miss tournaments in Tokyo and Hong Kong as a result. In more positive news, she has signed a new contract with Francisco Roig, the Spanish coach formerly of the Nadal camp whom she has had on trial since July. (James wrote about this for The i Paper, read it for FREE here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/emma-raducanu-rocky-year-reasons-for-optimism-3982254?utm_campaign=PNITUx1xSr1ai7e&ito=gifted_article&data-target=gifted_article&utm_source=XJPLeh5koSHChZEU) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 21 Oct 2025 - 457 - Vacherot's shock in Shanghai, the Djokovic soap opera and Gauff waltzes in Wuhan
As the Beatles almost sang, we’re BACK… in the UK! Remember, if you want a question answered, you can DM us @tennisunfilteredpod on Instagram or email us on tennisunfiltered at gmail dot com **** This week, he's jet-lagged and jaded, but Calvin Betton is back from his sojourn in the Far East, George Bellshaw is bang up for his head to head and James Gray is just trying to keep everyone calm. Here are the stories they discussed… 00:00 Welcome back to Tennis Unfiltered 01:27 Your questions answered 23:43 Valentin Vacherot made history as the lowest ranked Masters champion ever, beating his own cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the Shanghai final having knocked out Novak Djokovic in the semi-final - and Rinderknech revealed afterwards that he had thought about quitting tennis only a few months before, but was helped through his rough patch by coach Lucas Pouille 40:28 For his own part, Djokovic was a surprise entrant in Shanghai and was pushed to his limit by Yannick Hanfmann, Jaume Munar and Zizou Bergs before Vacherot finished the job in the last four 51:15 Coco Gauff triumphed in Wuhan, a rare one-week Masters, but her run to the title hardly felt impressive given the players she beat, including 11 breaks of serve in two sets against Jasmine Paolini and then a more credible win against former doubles partner Jessica Pegula 58:51 Aryna Sabalenka had been unbeaten at the event since 2018 but she was downed by Pegula in the semi-finals, but not before the Belarusian had sewn up year-end world No 1 for the second time in a row 01:03:07 Jack Draper has appointed Jamie Delgado, a former coach of Andy Murray, to work with him ahead of the 2026 season - but long-time coach James Trotman is very much still involved, and simply wants to travel less on the main tour 01:04:46 Goncalo Oliveira, a Portuguese-born player who represents Venezuela, has been banned for four years after testing positive for methamphetamine last year. He claimed that a girl he met in a bar in Mexico, who did testify at the tribunal, had taken drugs that evening and contaminated him through kissing - but the director of the lab that tested the samples said that there was between “four and 36” times too much methamphetamine in his system to have been transferred by kissing 01:07:27 Under a trial scheme, the ITIA are offering up to $5k in costs to players who want to test supplements or medication at a Wada lab, or to investigate meds contamination. The package also includes a degree of free legal support and confidential third-party counselling. And the PTPA already offers free support from two law firms. The trial is going to run until the end of next season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 14 Oct 2025 - 456 - Sweating Shanghai, Anisimova's golden year goes on, plus H&H are champions again
Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray are all back to discuss the last week of action in tennis, as the Far East swing continues apace and the weather really starts to bite... Jannik Sinner wins the title in Beijing, incredibly his first non-slam title of the year, but then limps out of the Shanghai Masters with severe cramps At least he didn't get coded for lack of effort, like Daniil Medvedev did in Beijing the week before... Gael Monfils is to retire at the end of next season, bringing to an end the golden generation of French players that included Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Alexander Zverev calls out tournament directors for making all surfaces the same to benefit Alcaraz and Sinner Amanda Anisimova wins in Beijing to continue her sensational 2025 Sonay Kartal shocks Mirra Andreeva to secure her first ever top-10 win Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic get into it during a bad-tempered last-16 match Heather Watson is taking a forced break from tennis until February 2026 And more! You can also watch a version of the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpO0ako_jKQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 07 Oct 2025 - 455 - The exhausted swing? Latest from Tokyo, Beijing and what remains of the Shanghai draw
George Bellshaw (from London) and Calvin Betton (from Shanghai) call in to have their say on all things tennis from the last seven days, with James Gray trying to marshal the troops. They discussed... Carlos Alcaraz wins the title in Tokyo, himself taped up from an earlier injury, against Taylor Fritz who was also carrying a leg problem. They both join Daniil Medvedev, Lorenzo Musetti and Jakub Mensik in the physio room, as the last stretch of the season starts to bite. Novak Djokovic is fit though, and has signed up to play Emma Raducanu blows match points against Jessica Pegula in Beijing Roger Federer talks court speeds Boris Becker on winning Wimbledon at 17 PLUS your questions answered on the BATS, the Californian takeover, coaching individual sports and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 30 Sep 2025 - 454 - Laver Cup, BJK and Taylor Townsend's major U-turn
Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw, Molly McElwee and James Gray all have their say on the last week of tennis including... Italy win the Billie Jean King Cup for the second year in a row, led by Jasmine Paolini and powered by "good vibes" Great Britain reach another semi-final without No 1 Emma Raducanu and, despite winning the first set of both singles matches, are beaten 2-0 by the United States Taylor Townsend gets in trouble over her criticism of Chinese cuisine in Shenzhen https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/09/17/tennis-player-involved-in-us-open-racism-row-mocks-chinese/ The other American Taylor - Fritz - and Alex de Minaur starred for Team World as they beat Team Europe in San Francisco to claim the Laver Cup 15-9, but did anyone notice or care? Bjorn Borg has been diagnosed with an "extremely aggressive" form of prostate cancer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 23 Sep 2025 - 453 - Davis Cup review, Laver Cup dropouts - and what was life like before podcasting?
George Bellshaw and James Gray answer your questions from the Instagram mailbag, before being joined by Calvin Betton from Chengdu to look back at a dramatic week of Davis Cup play-offs in Poland, Spain and beyond. Great Britain are back in the elite of the Davis Cup for next year, but can they actually win it? How many "hairs" does Holger Rune REALLY have on his chest? The USA are out, but was that much of a shock? Belgium have been doing a madness in Australia... ...while Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt has been doing a madness in Malaga And loads more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 16 Sep 2025 - 452 - US Open final review: Alcaraz dominates Sinner, Sabalenka gets a 2025 slam at last
The US Open 2025 is in the history books and all we can do now is talk about it. George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton join James Gray to do exactly that, focusing on finals weekend after Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka both won their second titles at Flushing Meadows. Was Sinner vs Alcaraz inevitable? And what does that say about men's tennis right now if it was? (James also wrote about this for The i Paper, read it for FREE at the bottom of these notes.) Did George approve of Aryna Sabalenka's celebration? And how did the USTA get the trophy ceremony quite so wrong? How did Skupski-Salisbury NOT beat Granollers-Zeballos in the men's doubles final? And much more! Alcaraz vs Sinner is getting boring - tennis needs a third wheel: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/alcaraz-vs-sinner-getting-boring-tennis-third-wheel-3904393?utm_campaign=PNITUx1xSr1ai7e&ito=gifted_article&data-target=gifted_article&utm_source=XJPLeh5koSHChZEU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 09 Sep 2025 - 451 - US Open, Semi-finals: Djokovic smoked out of contention
Calvin Betton is back in the UK and joins George Bellshaw and James Gray to review the US Open semi-finals and look ahead to a weekend of finals. They discussed... Novak Djokovic says he can't beat Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner at a grand slam any more Jannik Sinner beats Felix Auger-Aliassime, but are we going to see the Canadian follow up on his strong run? Can Amanda Anisimova get under Aryna Sabalenka's skin again? Should Naomi Osaka have made it back to the final? And who will win the men's doubles? And so much more! Check out our men's final Twitter spaces: https://x.com/UnfilterTennis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, 07 Sep 2025 - 450 - US Open, Quarter-finals: One step closer to Alcaraz vs Sinner
The usual suspects look back at the US Open quarter-finals... Novak Djokovic takes down Taylor Fritz for the 11th time in a row, becoming the oldest man ever (Open era) to reach the semi-finals of all four grand slams in a single year. He says he was ‘lucky’ to win and did at one point complain to the umpire about spectator noise, but nevertheless set up a blockbuster semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz, after the Spaniard eased past Jiri Lehecka. Can he beat Alcaraz 3 times in a row and extend his 5-3 head-to-head? In the top half, Jannk Sinner battered fellow countryman Lorenzo Musetti, losing just five points in first five games, and will now face the tournament's surprise package Felix Auger-Aliasime. Aryna Sabalenka got a walkover into the semi-finals after Marketa Vondrousova was forced to withdraw, and will face a 2024 US Open rematch against Jessica Pegula who breezed past Barbora Krejcikova, who struggled badly on serve And finally, Amanda Anisimova avenged her Wimbledon final humiliation at the hands of Iga Swiatek, calling it ‘the most meaningful victory of my life’. She will face Naomi Osaka, who beat Karolina Muchova, played brilliantly and looks utterly relaxed. Dare we say it: Naomi Osaka is back? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, 04 Sep 2025 - 449 - US Open, Round Four: Townsend run is over, Felix shock and Medvedev splits with coach
James Gray and George Bellshaw are back as the US Open locks in its quarter-finalists. Naomi Osaka hammers Coco Gauff but was it closer than the scoreline suggested? Taylor Townsend's run is over - in the singles at least - after failing to convert eight match points in the second-set tie-break against Barbora Krejcikova Felix Auger-Aliassime is back in the US Open last eight for the first time since 2021 Sinner vs Alcaraz is still on and looks inevitable Follow your fantasy team here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZeTX3XeWLVICU_sSsf9Z-KOkNsE6ne6BGInPGmfbm1g And remember to send your questions to tennisunfiltered at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 02 Sep 2025 - 448 - US Open, Round Three: What next for Raducanu, sad Shelton exit, the Townsend 'job' goes on
'Chunky' George Bellshaw and James Gray go through the last 32 of the US Open with only 22 of 64 seeds now remaining. Emma Raducanu was thrashed by Elena Rybakina, her third such chastening grand slam exit of the year. Where does she go from here? Ben Shelton retired in tears after injuring his left shoulder in a fall against Adrian Mannarino Taylor Townsend 'has a job to do' and keeps on doing it, while Jelena Ostapenko scrambles to save her reputation PLUS: Djokovic injury concern; Shapovalov draws quality out of Sinner; Gauff vs Osaka is locked Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sun, 31 Aug 2025 - 447 - US Open, Round Two: Ostapenko race row erupts, Draper out injured, Gauff in tears
George Bellshaw is back off his cruise and relishing dry land - and US Open drama! He joins James Gray to look back at a controversial second round of action. Jelena Ostapenko is forced to deny allegations of racism after calling Taylor Townsend "not educated" and "no class" after a fractious second-round match Jack Draper pulls out of the second round with an arm injury (just a week after playing in the mixed doubles exhibition) Coco Gauff beats Donna Vekic having been sobbing into her towel during the first set - and says it was a vulnerable moment that she was able to "reset" from Stefanos Tsitsipas warns Daniel Altmaier for hitting a string of underarm serves against him that he will keep trying to hit him - but nevertheless the Greek is out PLUS How are you faring in Fantasy Tennis Unfiltered? Check out the league table here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZeTX3XeWLVICU_sSsf9Z-KOkNsE6ne6BGInPGmfbm1g Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, 29 Aug 2025 - 446 - US Open, Round One: Medvemeltdown, Alcaraz buzzing and a mixed reception
George Bellshaw is all at sea - literally - while Calvin Betton is in NYC (that rhymes!) and James Gray is trying to wrangle them together from London. In a unique "voicenote" format, the Tennis Unfiltered crew unpick... Daniil Medvedev's Bonzi-infused meltdown earned him a massive fine, a first-round defeat and a fair bit of flak - but did he deserve it? Carlos Alcaraz has got a buzz cut and a new vibe, but he still had hair when he was trying to win the mixed doubles (and failing) Venus Williams is a 45-year-old wildcard, but she was beaten by Karolina Muchova. Was it really worth it? More "as live" podcasts will return later in the tournament! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, 28 Aug 2025 - 445 - Alcaraz takes Cincy over stricken Sinner before Swiatek hammers Paolini
Calvin Betton calls in from North Carolina before Molly McElwee joins from Barcelona as James Gray holds the good ship Tennis Unfiltered together from home in London. They discuss... Carlos Alcaraz wins all five games of the Cincinnati Masters final before Jannik Sinner is forced to retire due to illness. Sinner was in tears afterwards and was clearly hampered before shaking hands with Alcaraz. He said: “I tried to come out and make it at least a small match but I couldn’t handle more.” The Alejandro Davidovich Fokina verdict we've all been waiting for? “A Monday final at 3pm in August in Cincinnati, after the whole Toronto–Cincinnati swing, with so many retirements and players dead tired… something needs to change.” Earlier, 23-year-old qualifier Terence Atmane - without any clothes or shoe sponsor, or an agent - reached the semi-finals with wins over Flavio Cobolli, Joao Fonseca, Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune. The man with an IQ of 158 is the 7th lowest ranked player to reach masters 1000 semi, and apparently also has one of the biggest Pokémon card collections in France The US Open Mixed Doubles kicks off... (!) Kyle Edmund has retired Iga Swiatek hammers Jasmine Paolini, her sixth consecutive win over the Italian Emma Raducanu loses narrowly to Aryna Sabalenka and talks to Tumaini Carayol about dating, therapy, the US Open legacy and how her stalking ordeal changed her life: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/aug/15/i-am-tough-emma-raducanu-on-legacy-of-her-us-open-win-stalking-ordeal-and-why-therapy-wont-help-her Monica Seles speaks out about neuromuscular disease: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/c99mg51032ko Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 19 Aug 2025 - 444 - Mboko breaks out, Osaka's faux pas, Cincinnati's £193m makeover and Federer is back
James Gray joins George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton for another episode of Tennis Unfiltered, picking their way through the big topics and issues from the last week of tennis Cincinnati Reflections: Calvin shares his experiences and observations from the Cincinnati tournament, discussing the revamped site and player feedback. Another new star is born: Is Vicky Mboko, the 18-year-old Montreal champion, about to "do an Andreescu"? Vukov is back: A candid discussion on the WTA's handling of Stefano Vukov's ban and subsequent return to the sport. (More here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6542878/2025/08/08/elena-rybakina-coach-suspension-lifted-stefano-vukov-wta/) US Open Prize Money confirmed: Calvin and George debate the implications of the latest prize money announcements and the ongoing arms race among grand slams. And finally... Here is that piece from Matt Lambwell on the weird and wacky US Open... https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-14986287/Tennis-richest-prize-fund-listers-influencers-galore-reality-dating-YouTube-years-US-Open-promises-wildest-wackiest-yet.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 12 Aug 2025 - 443 - Alexander Zverev's Nadal plea and another new coach for Emma Raducanu
In this episode of Tennis Unfiltered, James Gray, Calvin Betton, and George Bellshaw answer your questions on court speeds, the current state of tennis, the Masters events, player celebrations, and the ethics of interviewing controversial figures. The conversation also touches on... - Emma Raducanu's new coaching decision, bringing on board Francisco Roig - Alexander Zverev begs Toni Nadal to come and coach him after a productive week at his academy, even on court with Rafa - Dan Evans starts a fight with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina while Ben Shelton starts a fight with Flavio Cobolli - Eugenie Bouchard retires - Novak Djokovic the minimalist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 05 Aug 2025 - 442 - Sinner rehires tainted fitness trainer, why Tsitsipas sacked 'dictator' Ivanisevic and Osaka's pointed Raducanu barb
Support the podcast by subscribing to NordVPN. Make sure you use this link to get our special offer and so they know you came from here! Four months extra, discounted rate and a 30-day moneyback guarantee: https://nordvpn.com/tennisunfiltered In this episode of Tennis Unfiltered, host James Gray and guests George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton discuss the latest happenings in the tennis world. They delve into Jannik Sinner's controversial decision to rehire his fitness coach Umberto Ferrara, Cam Norrie's impressive comeback, and Stefanos Tsitsipas' return to working with his father after parting ways with Goran Ivanisevic. The trio also covers Emma Raducanu's recent performances and win over a slightly spiky Naomi Osaka, Daniil Medvedev's dramatic match point against Corentin Moutet, and Venus Williams' enduring (!) talent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 29 Jul 2025 - 441 - Unfiltered Q & A and a chat with Wimbledon champion Lloyd Glasspool
Join James Gray, Calvin Betton and George Bellshaw as they welcome Wimbledon doubles champion Lloyd Glasspool to Tennis Unfiltered. As well as a lengthy question and answer session, Lloyd shares insights into his recent Wimbledon triumph (and 3am celebrations), the unique dynamics of playing against former partners Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, and the challenges faced by doubles players in gaining recognition. The conversation also touches on the broader issues within the tennis world, including the marketing of doubles and the ongoing debate about its value. Guest: Lloyd Glasspool, Wimbledon doubles champion; Ben Rothenberg, Bounces Hosts: James Gray, Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw CHAPTERS 00:00: Introduction and Overview of the Episode 05:03: Reflections on Wimbledon 2025 14:05: Commentary and Broadcasting in Tennis 18:05: Potential Pundits: Ex-Players as Commentators 28:40: The Impact of Player Withdrawals on Masters Events 33:44: The Challenges of Tennis Scheduling 43:31: The Future of Tennis: Addressing Climate Change 53:26: Wildcards in Washington: Fairness vs. Star Power 01:03:58: Dream Guests for the Podcast: Who Would You Choose? 01:08:10: Analysing Tennis Matches: A Coach's Perspective 01:13:09: Training Young Tennis Players: Balancing Fun and Discipline 01:21:07: HEAD TO HEAD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tue, 22 Jul 2025 - 440 - Wimbledon 2025, Day 14: Sinner makes it revenge not repeat against Alcaraz
Calvin Betton is back! He dials in from Barnsley to join James Gray and George Bellshaw at Wimbledon for one last daily podcast. - Jannik Sinner avenges French Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz with a four-set victory on Centre Court - Alcaraz said he was "just better than me" from the baseline and looked short of answers as his serving fell apart - Sinner said it had been emotionally challenging to turn around the Roland Garros result but that he had been pushing every day in practice, even when he didn't feel like he could - Veronika Kudermetova & Elise Mertens win the women's doubles the day after Lloyd Glasspool & Julian Cash secure the men's title Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mon, 14 Jul 2025 - 439 - Wimbledon 2025, Day 13: Anisimova lays two eggs to gift Swiatek title
George Bellshaw and James Gray spend almost as long talking about the women's final as Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova spent playing it... - Swiatek becomes only the eighth woman ever to win the career "Surface Slam" - Anisimova is the first woman since 1911 to be handed a 6-0, 6-0 defeat in a Wimbledon, and first in any slam since 1988 - Swiatek moves clear of Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova with her sixth grand slam title and back up to No 3 in the world - Nick Kyrgios predicts Carlos Alcaraz will overcome Jannik Sinner in the men's final - Ben Rothenberg (cameo, brief) says the opposite, and explains his shoes! James's Nick Kygrios interview here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/nick-kyrgios-tennis-boring-right-now-ill-be-back-soon-3802975 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sat, 12 Jul 2025 - 438 - Wimbledon 2025, Day 12: Can Novak Djokovic ever win another slam?
George Bellshaw and James Gray look back at men's semi-final day at Wimbledon, in which Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner booked a rerun of the French Open final. Novak Djokovic admitted afterwards that age has caught up with him and that he keeps turning up to matches against Sinner and Alcaraz with the tank half-empty... ...but the Serb says it is not his last Wimbledon Meanwhile Jannik Sinner is a fourth-round lucky loser into the SW19 final for the first time... ...but what would have happened if Grigor Dimitrov HAD beaten him in the last 16? Carlos Alcaraz produces a near-perfect performance, barring one brain-fart service game, to down Taylor Fritz The American still has an unimpressive record against top 10 players at grand slams and must be wondering when these two will stop winning And Andre Agassi was a welcome surprise commentator on the first semi-final, outshining Andrew Castle and Tim Henman with his pithy and analytical breakdowns: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/andre-agassi-bbc-coverage-tennis-watchable-3801983 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fri, 11 Jul 2025 - 437 - Wimbledon 2025, Day 11: Angry Sabalenka beaten by emotional Anisimova, Swiatek one win from history
Molly McElwee subs in for George Bellshaw and joins James Gray to talk about the aftermath of women's semi-final day at Wimbledon. - Amanda Anisimova booked her place in a first ever grand slam final in front of her family and friends, coming full circle from her eight-month break from tennis in 2023 (Read James's piece here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/artist-psychologist-wimbledon-final-amanda-anisimova-3799855) - Aryna Sabalenka once again lost at Wimbledon at the semi-final stage and insisted she was not going to "do a Roland Garros" again (but sort of did) - Belinda Bencic's remarkable run, 15 months on from starting a family, comes to an end in a one-sided semi-final - Iga Swiatek is within one victory of the career Surface Slam, winning a grand slam on hard, clay and grass (Read Molly's piece here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/iga-swiatek-time-become-superstar-3799968) Mollie McElwee is a freelance journalist and the author of "Building Champions": https://www.amazon.co.uk/Building-Champions-Success-Womens-Tennis/dp/1913759237 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Thu, 10 Jul 2025 - 436 - Wimbledon 2025, Day 10: Djokovic and Sinner book showdown despite double injury scare
James Gray and George Bellshaw are back on the microphones at a pleasantly early hour after four relatively straightforward quarter-finals on the second Wednesday of Wimbledon. - Novak Djokovic "played with his food" by dropping the first set to Flavio Cobolli but came through in four sets, despite a nasty looking fall behind the baseline - Iga Swiatek is doing her best to grow her reputation in Britain with five straight match wins at Wimbledon, into her first SW19 semi-final - Jannik Sinner's elbow seems to be fine, judging by the smacking he handed a downtrodden Ben Shelton - Mirra Andreeva is out, beaten by Belinda Bencic, who had a baby just 15 months ago Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, 09 Jul 2025 - 435 - Wimbledon 2025, Day 9: Alcaraz wipes out Brits, Sinner's serious scare and Sabalenka avoids an upset
George Bellshaw and James Gray are at Wimbledon at the end of the first half of the quarter-finals and enjoying an (alcohol-free) lager to celebrate. Here are the top stories from the second Tuesday at SW19 - Carlos Alcaraz thrashed Cam Norrie and ending British interests at Wimbledon - Aryna Sabalenka came within a few games of a serious upset at the hands of 37-year-old world No 107 Laura Siegemund - Jannik Sinner barely practised after an MRI scan on his right elbow is an injury doubt to face Ben Shelton - Taylor Fritz overcome "rubbed raw" patches on his feet to beat Karen Khachanov in four sets (despite a Hawk-Eye malfunction) - Amanda Anisimova beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to complete a weird stat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wed, 09 Jul 2025
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