Tennis star Naomi Osaka announced last week that she wouldn’t go to postmatch news conferences over mental health concerns and this week she dropped out of the tournament altogether. Caitlin Thompson of Racquet Magazine walks us through how this led to controversy in the tennis world and highlights broader problems surrounding the media culture in the sport.
Jun 2021
Naomi Osaka’s battle for mental health on the tennis court
The highest-paid female athlete in the world, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, decided to leave the French Open at the end of May citing her battle with depression and anxiety. Her withdrawal from the tournament created a media frenzy, and divided journalists and fans. But it has al ... Show More
18m 33s
Sep 2022
Serena Williams’s Final Run
The U.S. Open crowned its winners this weekend. But for a lot of fans, this year’s competition was less about who won, and more about a player who wasn’t even involved in the final matches.Serena Williams, who announced last month that she’d be retiring from tennis after this yea ... Show More
42m 36s
Dec 2017
Maria Sharapova Bounces Back
Maria Sharapova has won five Grand Slams since becoming a pro tennis player at just 14 years old— and she's faced her share of setbacks, too. Sharapova joins Katie at 92Y in New York City to discuss highlights from her new memoir, including emigrating from Russia at age 6, her ri ... Show More
51m 15s
Jul 2021
The Story of Simone Biles
This episode contains mentions of sexual abuse.Simone Biles, 24, showed up on the national stage at 16, when she competed in and won the national championships. She equally impressed at her first Olympics, in 2016 in Rio.Going into the Tokyo Games this year, Ms. Biles — who is co ... Show More
25m 52s
May 2017
The Punchy Podcast - Injury & wildcard misery for Sharapova; Nadal & Halep the ones to beat on clay; Murray, Djokovic woes continue; Federer out of Roland Garros
With nine days having passed since the last podcast was recorded, an awful lot has happened in the fast-moving tennis world, including the announcement that the FFT have denied Maria Sharapova a wildcard into either the main draw or the qualifying event at Roland Garros. Catherin ... Show More
1h 5m
Sep 2018
Naomi Osaka’s Lap Of Honour – How Will She Cope With Being US Open Champion?; France & Croatia To Contest Last Davis Cup Final In Its Traditional Format
The US Open may be over, but Naomi Osaka’s new life is just getting started. While her victory in New York was overshadowed, she’s capitalised brilliantly on the moment by signing an endorsement deal with Nissan and appearing on The Ellen Show.On The Tennis Podcast, Catherine and ... Show More
51m 25s
Jan 2019
Australian Open Day 2 - Mind Over Matter For Halep; Williams Sisters Impress; Dysfunctional Australian Tennis
There was less drama on day two of the 2019 Australian Open, but still plenty for David Law, Catherine Whitaker and Grad Matt to talk about on The Tennis Podcast.The biggest story was Simona Halep’s comeback victory against Kaia Kanepi. Just how significant was that for Halep? Wh ... Show More
31m 52s
Sep 2021
Tennis Star Mardy Fish On His Struggle With Severe Anxiety
A new Netflix documentary, released today, explores the life of American tennis star Mardy Fish, who famously withdrew from a U.S. Open match against Roger Federer back in 2012. In the years since that fateful day, Fish has opened up about his struggles with severe anxiety, and h ... Show More
14m 11s