Tennis Unfiltered

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

They discussed...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Felix Auger-Aliassime appointing Ivan Ljubicic as his new coach

Audio Edited by Joshua Harrison.

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

Daniil Medvedev’s disqualification against Novak Djokovic

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

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

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

Sonay Kartal’s encouraging return from injury

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

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

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

Audio Edited by Joshua Harrison.
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PART ONE, LIVE FROM THE LAVER CUP

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

PART TWO, WITH CALVIN BETTON

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