Black Spin Global: The Podcast

Shout out to Iga Swiatek, double-bagelling Amanda Anisimova in the ladies' final in 57mins. The Pole is now 6-0 in Grand Slam finals which is quite bossy. Also, shout out to the  men's champion Jannik Sinner who came back from a set down to see off defending champ Carlos Alcaraz in four – these two are playing a different sport. Lucy was spot on with her men's take (she knows ball), while Eugene had Anisimova as his second pick. From a BSG perspective, Ben Shelton reaching the quarter-finals, where he lost to the eventual champ was very good going – went one round better than last year. The American is up to a career high world No 9 in the rankings.  Hailey Baptiste making a run to the third round on her singles main-draw debut was also a standout. Her second-round match against lucky loser Victoria Mboko was a nice moment. Naomi Osaka looked good on the grass and had opportunities against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in round three. Glad to see the four-time major winner already hitting on the grounds at Flushing Meadows. Gabriel Diallo gave a good account of himself on his debut, very nearly taking out eventual semi-finalist Taylor Fritz in five sets in the second round. Big shout out to 2024 ladies' doubles champions Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova who bowed out in the semi-finals this year. Congrats to Siniakova for securing the mixed doubles crown though with Sem Verbeek. We absolutely loved celebrating the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe winning Wimbledon with the oral histories before each episode during week 1! The Wimbledon Watchalong at PlayBox, BoxPark was such a blast and year 3 at the Championships overall was a great experience. We feel blessed and privileged to be part of the growing community of podcasters in this space – shouts out to Tennis Weekly, Quality Shot and Tennis Unfiltered. Happening this week, Mikael Ymer returns to ATP Tour action for the first time since 2023 – playing Bastad with his brother Elias. Noma Noha Akugue is playing Hamburg where she was runner-up in 2023. Don't forget to rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom.  For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Ben Shelton fell to world No 1 Jannik Sinner in straight sets – 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 – on a busy No 1 Court. The American 10th seed, who admitted he felt under pressure on serve throughout the contest, was up a mini-break in the first-set tiebreak before Sinner rattled off six points in a row to win it. In set two, Sinner, who was rocking a sleeve on his right arm, was in the zone. Serving at 4-5, Shelton got broken which handed the second set to the Italian. The third set was on serve until 4-5, with Shelton serving to stay in the match. Sinner turned up the heat on return and broke the American for the second and ultimately final time. In his post-match press conference, we asked Shelton to reflect on reaching the *quarter-finals or better at all four of the Grand Slams at the age of 22 (Shelton corrected us as he is yet to reach the last eight in Paris). We did have something to celebrate after defending women's doubles champions Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova booked their spot in the semi-finals after a 7-6, 6-3 win over 10th seeds Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Before we get into the action, massive big up to everyone who showed up and showed out for us at Boxpark Croydon on Sunday (Day 7). We had a blast and it was a pleasure meeting you all. Ben “10” Shelton is through to his first Wimbledon quarter–final after a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(1), 7-5 victory over Lorenzo Sonego. The head-to-head now reads 4-1 to the American. The 10th seed made a sluggish start and dropped his first set of the tournament to the Italian who he was facing for the third Grand Slam in a row. Shelton recovered well in the second set, winning it 6-1. At 1-1, Shelton held from 15-40 down and took over after that, breaking Sonego in the next game, then holding with ease before breaking the Italian again en route to securing it. The third set was a much tighter affair. The pair exchanged breaks at 3-3, then both held until 6-6. It was one-way traffic in the tiebreak with Shelton wrapping it up 7-1. The fourth set followed the third, both men were holding comfortably until Sonego, serving to stay in the match at 5-6, fumbled. Shelton hit a clean return winner at the start of the game and would eventually break the Italian for a fourth time to seal victory. Jannik Sinner or Grigor Dimitrov await in the last eight. Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Friend of the pod Tumaini Carayol joins in Lucy's absence to go through the day's action. Hailey Baptiste versus Mirra Andreeva did not feel like a 6-1, 6-3 match. The American, playing on No 1 Court for the first time in her career, made a nervy start but tightened things up in the second set. Baptiste though can be proud of her third-round run at Wimbledon on debut. The 23-year-old American is trending in the right direction in the rankings and has “a game made for the natural surfaces”, according to Tumaini. The Guardian man also shares his thoughts on Iga Swiatek-Danielle Collins, which was the match he was assigned to for the day, and also talks about the Aryna Sabalenka-Emma Raducanu third-round match that took place on Day 5. In the final match on No 1 Court, Ben Shelton looked good against lucky loser Marton Fucsovics. Shelton, making a habit of winning in straight sets at SW19 this year, won 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2. The match felt like it was on American's racket from ball one – even in the second-set tiebreak, a devilish slice backhand set the American on his way to stamping further authority on the match. The 10th seed will face Lorenzo Sonego in the fourth round. It will be the third Grand Slam in a row the two have faced each other. Listen out for a post-match press snippet from Shelton. We also talk you through a funny/awkward exchange between the American and a US-based journalist. Grab a FREE ticket to our Wimbledon watch party at Playbox at Box Park Croydon for the 6th July! https://boxpark.co.uk/events/black-spin-global-wimbledon-watch-along/ Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections John Barrett, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, Nov 6, 2023, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project, an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Credits for instrumental: Caught in the Middle (Instrumental) by Amarent, Free Music Archive, CC BY

Ben Shelton needed just 71 seconds to get the job done against Rinky Hijikata – 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. The American 10th seed served out the match to love, and with an ace on match point, to book his place in the third round. Lucy asked Shelton to talk about the technical changes he has made this season and how they have impacted his grass-court game. The 10th-seeded American's next opponent will be Marton Fucsovics after the Hungarian lucky loser won the one-set shootout against Gael Monfils final score was 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. This match was also carried over from Day 4 after being suspended for bad light. La Monf got broken at 2-2 and was unable to recover. In his post-match presser, Monfils spoke about what he thought went wrong in the decider. Naomi Osaka made a great start against Anastasia Pavlychenkova taking the first set but lost in three – 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. The four-time Grand Slam champion trailed 0-3 in the second and third sets, before drawing level but serving at 4-5 in the decider, Pavlyuchenkova broke and took the match. Osaka was understandably low during press but did give a positive, upbeat answer in response to a question from a Japanese journalist. Madison Keys, the sixth seed, lost 6-3, 6-3 sets to Laura Siegemund which was in keeping with the top seeds falling in the first week at SW19 – Aryna Sabalenka is the only top-10 seed left in the top half of the women's draw. Was a puzzling defeat for the American who seemed to struggle with the German's variety. Listen out for post-match press snippets from Shelton, Monfils and Osaka. Grab a FREE ticket to our Wimbledon watch party at Playbox at Box Park Croydon for the 6th July! https://boxpark.co.uk/events/black-spin-global-wimbledon-watch-along/ Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections Leslie Allen, interviewed by Chinyere Nwonye, Nov 19, 2021, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project, an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Credits for instrumental: Caught in the Middle (Instrumental) by Amarent, Free Music Archive, CC BY

It was a later start for us today and the match we were most looking forward to did not disappoint. Wimbledon main-draw debutants Hailey Baptiste and Victoria Mboko faced off in the second round and it was the American that came out on top winning 7-6(6), 6-3. Mboko led in the first set and even built up a lead in the tiebreak, but Baptiste's fighting spirit and experience saw her through. Ben Shelton and Rinky Hijikata will finish their match on Day 5 after bad light halted their second-round encounter. Shelton was leading 6-2, 7-5, 5-4 and actually had three match points at 5-3 on Hijikata's serve but the Australian managed to hold. The American 10th seed will serve for the match on Day 5. Gael Monfils lost the first set against Marton Fucsovics but put things right in the second, winning it 6-1. La Monf won the third 6-4 and served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth before Fucsovics broke back – the Hungarian went on to take the set in the tiebreak. They will play out the deciding fifth on Day 5. Felix Auger-Aliassime fell to Jan-Lennard Struff in four sets – 3-6, 7-6(9), 6-3, 6-4. This match started on Day 3 but was suspended due to bad light. It was a tough loss for the Canadian who was looking forward to the prospect of facing defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the third round. Listen out for post-match press snippets from Baptiste, Mboko and Auger-Aliassime. Grab a FREE ticket to our Wimbledon watch party at Playbox at Box Park Croydon for the 6th July! https://boxpark.co.uk/events/black-spin-global-wimbledon-watch-along/ Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections Otis Smith interviewed by Chinyere Nwonye, Sept 4, 2022, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project, an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Credits for instrumental: Caught in the Middle (Instrumental) by Amarent, Free Music Archive, CC BY

We had rain on Day 3 at the Championships which caused a slight delay to proceedings. When play did begin, Madison Keys wasted no time against Olga Danilovic, winning in straight sets. Naomi Osaka also secured an impressive straight-sets win over last year's ladies doubles champion Katerina Siniakova. Felix Auger-Aliassime took the first set against Jan-Lennard Struff before the German secured the second. Their match, tied at one-set-all, was suspended due to bad light and will resume on Day 4. Elsewhere, last year's runner-up and this year's fourth seed Jasmine Paolini fell in three sets. Frances Tiafoe lost to an inspired Cameron Norrie in four and Gabriel Diallo, involved in the match of the day, went down in five epic sets to fifth seed Taylor Fritz. Listen out for post-match press snippets from Keys, Osaka, Tiafoe and Diallo. Grab a FREE ticket to our Wimbledon watch party at Playbox at Box Park Croydon for the 6th July! https://boxpark.co.uk/events/black-spin-global-wimbledon-watch-along/ Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections Charlie Pasarell, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, June 20, 2023, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project, an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Credits for instrumental: Caught in the Middle (Instrumental) by Amarent, Free Music Archive, CC BY

It was another sizzling day under the sun at SW19 and it started slowly for us in terms of victories, but we did see the likes of lucky loser Victoria Mboko more than make the most of her opportunity. Hailey Baptiste, the Canadian's next opponent (skull face emoji) also came back from a set down to win on her singles main-draw debut. In the men's draw Ben (10) Shelton secured his first-ever straight-sets win at SW19 while Gael Monfils upset 18th seed Ugo Humbert in a five-set epic – standard La Monf these days. Unlike Day 1, we did have several defeats on Day 2 where the likes of Christopher Eubanks, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Jay Clarke, second seed Coco Gauff, Heather Watson and Taylor Townsend among fell in the first round. Listen out for post-match press snippets from Mboko, Baptiste, Clarke and Gauff. Grab a FREE ticket to our Wimbledon watch party at Playbox at Box Park Croydon for the 6th July! https://boxpark.co.uk/events/black-spin-global-wimbledon-watch-along/ Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections Sir Keith Ajegbo, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, Nov 2, 2023, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project, an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Credits for instrumental: Caught in the Middle (Instrumental) by Amarent, Free Music Archive, CC BY

On a scorching hot day at SW19, Frances Tiafoe, Madison Keys, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jasmine Paolini, Naomi Osaka and Gabriel Diallo all secured first-round wins. Some found their path through to the second round easier than others. We discuss and share post-match press snippets from Tiafoe, Osaka and Diallo. Grab a FREE ticket to our Wimbledon watch party at Playbox at Box Park Croydon for the 6th July! https://boxpark.co.uk/events/black-spin-global-wimbledon-watch-along/  Richard Evans, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, July 9, 2021, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Instrumental: Caught in the Middle (Instrumental) by Amarent, Free Music Archive, CC BY

Black Spin Global, in collaboration with PLAYBOX at BOXPARK Croydon bring to you a beginners guide to Wimbledon 2025. BSG will be having a special Wimbledon Watchalong on Sunday 6 July at PLAYBOX, so be sure to join us as the Championships enters week two: https://boxpark.co.uk/events/black-spin-global-wimbledon-watch-along/ In this special episode, Lucy and Eugene share some top tips, breaking down how the ticket process works and ways to get your hands on them, etiquette on the grounds and much, much more. We also get into how the draws work, give our predictions and reveal BSG players to look out for and Brits. Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections Intro 00:00 Three top tips 2:37 Wimbledon app 5:03 Bringing your own food 6:03 Strawberries and cream 6:44 Wimbledon etiquette 9:00 Resale tickets 10:40 Ticket ballot 12:25 Queuing for tickets 17:34 Qualifying and main draws 21:20 Predictions for men and women 24:11 Players to watch (BSG) 31:40 Brits to look out for 33:42 One player you need to see 39:21 Fits to look out for 42:48 Two underdogs 45:30

“It's the most wonderful time of the year” – Wimbledon 2025 is upon us and Lucy and Eugene are here to walk through the draw. French Open champion Coco Gauff, seeded second, has a tricky opening round, while (4)Jasmine Paolini, fresh from a semi-final run in Bad Homburg, finds herself in the top half alongside world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Australian Open champion (6)Madison Keys and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka also occupy top-half spots. Last year's women's doubles champion, Taylor Townsend, made it through qualifying and can look forward to a first-round match against fellow American and 28th seed Sofia Kenin. In the men's draw, 10th seed Ben Shelton, in the same section as top seed Jannik Sinner, starts against a qualifier, while 12th seed Frances Tiafoe, in the bottom half, is projected to meet world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz in quarter-finals. As is draw-show tradition, we close with our picks for the men's and women's titles. We're looking forward to bringing you daily audio pods from the grounds from Day 1. Also, with this being the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe winning Wimbledon, we'll be paying tribute to the trailblazer throughout the fortnight. Don't forget to rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom.  For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections 00:00 Intro 07:07 Coco Gauff's path 11:50 Jasmine Paolini's path 16:34 Madison Keys's path 20:47 Alycia Parks's path 21:54 Naomi Osaka's  25:06 Hailey Baptiste 25:20 Heather Watson 25:47 Taylor Townsend  26:59 Rest of the women's draw standouts  30:15 Ben Shelton's path 34:20 Frances Tiafoe's path 39:42 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard's path 44:14 Gabriel Diallo's path 45:25 Gael Monfils's path 48:40 Christopher Eubanks 49:35 Jay Clark 50:48 George Loffhagen 51:46 Rest of men's draw standouts 55:45 Predictions

In this Arthur Ashe special and in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe winning Wimbledon, Black Spin Global pays particular attention to the South Africa trip in 1973 and 1974. Lucy and Eugene touch on the apartheid regime, the role Ashe played in getting tennis authorities to enforce sanctions on the country, visa issues he faced, his time on the ground travelling around the country, the pressure he was under from the locals and playing in the South African Open. This podcast also features interview snippets from Ilana Kloss, Richard Evans, Owen Williams, Donald Dell and Dr Robert Green, courtesy of the Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. Interview credits: Ilana Kloss, former South African tennis player, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, October 23, 2023, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project, an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Richard Evans, tennis journalist and author, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, July 16, 2021, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project, an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Owen Williams, former South African tennis player, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, May 5, 2021, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project, an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Donald Dell, former tennis player and sports agent, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, February 10, 2020, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project, an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Dr Robert Green, civil rights activist and friend of Ashe, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, May 29, 2021, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project, an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal Bluesky: https://app.bsky.cz/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The images used are included under fair use for the purpose of commentary, historical documentation and education. All rights belong to their respective owners. Intro 00:00 Explaining apartheid in South Africa 05:05 Ashe being vocal and visa denials 09:47 Ashe in South Africa in 1973 14:52 Bonnie Logan the first African American to play at the SA Open 21:25 Letter from Winnie Mandela to Arthur Ashe 23:42 Arthur Ashe in South Africa in 1974 30:21 Closing with the impact of Ashe in South Africa 35:03

For the second consecutive year, Black Spin Global was the official podcast partner of the Tennis Black List awards, presented in association with Dante Talent. This year's event was held at the prestigious Queen's Club in west London during the women's WTA 500 event. Lucy and Eugene spoke to winners on the night, including Jabilayh Asante, Sena Akpo-Young, and Veronica Mwondela. We also heard from esteemed tennis journalist and good friend of Arthur Ashe, Richard Evans, who was present to collect the Icon award on behalf of the Ashe family. Massive congratulations to all the award winners and big, big shout out to founders Anne-Marie Batson and Richard Sackey-Addo. Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Friend of the pod Sachia Vickery joins us to talk about all things OnlyFans. We caught up with Vickery on the eve of Roland Garros where she was continuing her rehab, supporting good friend Alycia Parks in the main draw and taking advantage of some rare downtime in Paris before her return to action at this year's US Open. The American, who recently turned 30, is the most high-profile female player on the platform, following the likes of Australia's Nick Kyrgios and France's Alexandre Muller from the ATP Tour. Vickery, who has Guyanese roots, talks about body image and becoming empowered, unlocking a new mental realm and finances among other topics. *This episode was recorded on Tuesday 20 May. Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections Intro 00:00 Rehabbing in Paris 1:11 Return to action date 2:12 Joining OnlyFans 3:58 Any reservations 6:07 Becoming empowered 7:42 Reaction from fellow players 10:11 Unlocking a new mental realm 11:40 Seeing both sides financially 14:00 Advice for aspiring members 17:34 Any pushback from the WTA 21:20 Thoughts on the PTPA 22:40 Closing comments 27:37

This is a celebratory podcast! Coco Gauff is a two-time Grand Slam champion after securing the French Open title. The 21-year-old American came back from a set down to beat world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 in the championship match. Lucy and Eugene share their thoughts on the dramatic final as well as Sabalenka's comments post-match. We also hail the world No 2's incredible mental fortitude and wonder when people will stop counting her out. Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections 00:00 Intro 03:22 Coco's Journey to the Final 07:09 Mental Resilience and Technical Mastery 10:09 Analysing the Final Match Stats 14:18 Coco's Performance Under Pressure 18:38 Debunking the Underdog Narrative 21:27 Post-Match Reactions and Reflections 24:31 Coco vs. Iga: The Rivalry 28:31 Sabalenka's Comment 31:18 Coco's Rise and Performance 36:56 Destiny and Determination 38:55 Quick shoutout to the rest of the players 43:49 Reflections on Women's Coverage in Tennis

Lucy and Eugene are back to break down the Roland Garros draw. Second seed Coco Gauff has a decent one for a change, while Arthur Fils, looking to record his first win in Paris, is scheduled to meet top seed Jannik Sinner in the fourth round. We get into all of it and reveal our predictions to close. Don't forget to rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom.  For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections 00:00 Intro 01:52 French Open Coverage in the UK 06:30 Coco Gauff's draw 09:45 Jasmine Paolini's draw 14:18 Madison Keys draw 17:43 Naomi Osaka's draw 26:13 Take on Iga 30:11 Rest of the women 32:51 Hailey Baptise 34:12 Robin Montgomery  35:11 ATP this clay season 37:35 Arthur Fils's draw 42: 39 Ben Shelton's draw 45:15 Frances Tiafoe's draw 47:32 Take on Alcaraz  52:01 Rest of the men's draw 58:09 Predictions

In this emergency, no-notes pod, Lucy and Eugene discuss Jasmine Paolini's magical run in Rome. The “Queen of Italy” secured her second WTA 1000 title in style, blitzing Coco Gauff in the final in front of a packed Campo Centrale. The Italian No 1, now back up to world No 4 in the singles ranking, also defended the doubles crown with Sara Errani. As well as giving Paolini her well-deserved props, we also give Gauff, the new world No 2, her flowers after making it to back-to-back WTA 1000 finals and share our thoughts on some of the other moments in Rome. Don't forget to rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom.  For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

We're kicking things off with exciting news — you can now send us a voice message directly through our website to join the conversation! Got a hot take, a question, or just want to say hi? We want to hear from you!: https://blackspinglobal.com/#:~:text=Join%20the%20conversation In this episode, we discuss how Naomi Osaka is back in the winner's circle, capturing the Saint-Malo title — her first since becoming a mom and her first since the 2021 Australian Open. Eliakim Coulibaly makes history as the first Ivorian to win a Challenger title — and in his home country, no less!  We break down the Madrid Open with Lucy sharing her experience on-site — from Coco Gauff's strong run to the final to Aryna Sabalenka's consistent excellence this season. Shoutout to Gabriel Diallo, who made the quarterfinals as a lucky loser, now jumping up to World No. 53! In tennis news: Jannik Sinner is back after his 3-month ban, and rising star Tyra Grant announces she's switching from the USA to represent Italy, her country of birth. We wrap things up with early takeaways from the Rome Open. Rate, review and share on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Audioboom. And join the conversation on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Bluesky. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Lucy and Eugene dissect Serena's Jannik Sinner comments in TIME magazine (2:50), salute Coco Gauff after her power player agency move (11:06) and discuss the possible outcomes as players demand more cash from the Grand Slams (13:39). And that is just the news. As far as action on the court, Billie Jean King Cup debutants Victoria Mboko and Hailey Baptiste both shine (21:38), Frances Tiafoe reaches his third final in Houston (26:09), Arthur Fils brings his strong hard-court form to the clay (32:00), Ben Shelton goes all the way to the championship match in Munich (40:40), Jasmine Paolini gets another statement win in Stuttgart (46:17). To close, we share our Madrid predictions (49:10). For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Lucy and Eugene sing Victoria Mboko's praises after her strong showing at the Miami Open where Jasmine Paolini – “The Queen of Italy” – made a run to the semi-finals after taking out Naomi Osaka en route. Osaka, who saw off Hailey Baptiste in the third round, also turned in some good performances during her run to the round of 16. Florida girl Coco Gauff, who dished out a bagel, also reached the last 16. Arthur Fils made it back-to-back Masters 1000 quarter-finals, getting the better of Frances Tiafoe and world No 2 Alexander Zverev along the way, before getting done in by some unfortunate scheduling. We also share our thoughts on the PTPA lawsuit, Daria Kasatkina becoming an Aussie, Sloane Stephen's Doc&Glo brand winning an award, Serena's tennis watching habits and grade the first quarter of 2025. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Lucy and Eugene are joined by Ground Pass founder Anastasia Folorunso to go over events at Indian Wells 2025. Anastasia talks about her experience on the grounds for Black Spin Global in Tennis Paradise where Madison Keys, playing in her first event since the Australian Open, cruised to the semi-finals and Arthur Fils and Ben Shelfon both made the last eight. Listen out for Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova's candid US Open mixed doubles takes. We also share our thoughts on the WTA rebrand, Coco Gauff taking the Oscars and shoutout Asia Muhammad and Demi Schuurs for taking the doubles crown. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal Bluesky: https://app.bsky.cz/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Legend of the game and Grand Slam champion Zina Garrison joins Lucy and Eugene for a special episode to mark International Women's History Month. We spotlight the trailblazer who had a storied career that included a junior world No 1 ranking, junior major titles at Wimbledon and the US Open; 14 singles crowns and 20 in doubles (including three mixed Grand Slam titles) on the professional tour; gold and bronze medals at the Olympics, three Fed Cups and a career-high ranking of No 4. Garrison, who spent the majority of her career inside the top 10, talks about her run to the Wimbledon final in 1990, being put in a box as an African American player, disparities in the game in her era and today, the coaching landscape (especially for women), Portia Archer running things at the WTA, athletes and mental health pressures and much more. The three-time mixed doubles Grand Slam champion also shares her thoughts on the US Open switching things up for 2025 and gives her former charge Taylor Townsend, the current doubles world No 2, her flowers. *Special shoutout to Michael Parks for the assist. Career highlights 1:40 Quick-fire questions 3:23 Wimbledon 1990 5:27 Winning Junior Wimbledon 12:48 Eye-opening moments 14:30 Being put in a box 16:50 Clothing deal snub 19:40 Sponsorship deals today 22:40 Coaching landscape 25:49 Celebrating Portia Archer 34:07 Venus and Serena paving the way 37:13 Influence on today's players 40:47 US Open mixed doubles 43:24 Athletes and mental health pressures 47:34 Doubles' standing and its importance 52:51 Taylor Townsend putting in work 54:26 Working with Serena 57:15 On-court coaching 59:40 Bringing back the foundation 1:00:55 For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackspinglobal GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Lucy and Eugene celebrate title winners Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is now a two-time champion on the ATP Tour in 2025, Evan King and Christian Harrison who secured their first tour-level doubles title in Dallas, Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova (the doubles No 2 and No 1) winning their first WTA 1000 crown and Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani winning the title in Qatar. Mikael Ymer is back! The Swede, playing for the first time since Wimbledon 2023, won on his return to action in an ITF event back in January and has played Davis Cup and a series of Challengers since. The WTA Tour is the gift that keeps on giving this year. The latest WTA 1000 winners Amanda Anisimova and Mirra Andreeva prove anyone can get it. We discuss… We also share our thoughts on Serena's cameo in the Super Bowl halftime show, Jannik Sinner's three-month ban, Elena Rybakina and Emma Raducanu news and the US Open doing things differently for mixed doubles in 2025. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  jttps://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal Bluesky: https://app.bsky.cz/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections Intro 00:00 FAA wins title No 2 of 2025 4:06 King and Harrison first-time winners 9:05 Townsend and Siniakova win Dubai 11:12 Paolini and Errani win Qatar 13:19 Paolini singles 15:05 Mikael Ymer's back 18:13 Anyone can get it on the WTA Tour 21:11 Serena's Super Bowl 29:30 Sinner's three-month ban 33:10 Rybakina and Vukov 40:14 Raducanu stalker 45:51 US Open mixed doubles 49:16 Happening this week 53:25

To celebrate Black History Month in the United States, and in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe winning Wimbledon, Black Spin Global dedicated a special episode to the pioneer who was one of the founders of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Lucy and Eugene delve into Ashe's early career that included graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in business administration, serving his country, his civil rights work and his significant influence on tennis governance. This podcast also features interview snippets from Bob Lutz, Richard Evans, Butch Buchholz, Marshall Happer and Owen Williams, courtesy of the Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. Interview credits: Butch Buchholz, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, May 26 2021, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Bob Lutz, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, Dec 14, 2022, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Richard Evans, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, July 9, 2021, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Owen Williams, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, May 5, 2021, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. Marshall Happer, interviewed by Yolanda Hester, Feb 2, 2022, for the Arthur Ashe Oral History Project an initiative of Arthur Ashe Legacy at UCLA. The oral history is from the Center for Oral History Research, University of California. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  jttps://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal Bluesky: https://app.bsky.cz/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Lucy and Eugene are joined by Christian Basnight, founder of Christian's Court, to review the 2025 Australian Open where Madison Keys secured her first Grand Slam title, Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova did it again in women's doubles and Ben Shelton made another major semi-final. We talk about Keys's championship-winning run in detail, paying particular attention to her semi-final against world No 2 Iga Swiatek and the thrilling three-set final against world No 1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, and give the 29-year-old American her flowers for staying true to her game. Townsend and Siniakova, the top seeds in the women's doubles draw, added to their Wimbledon crown to become two-time slam champions. We discuss Townsend's incredible impact on doubles and her understanding of how poignant and important her achievements are. Coco Gauff, everybodies pick for best-dressed player, looked good during her quarter-final run where she fell to Paula Badosa. Despite talk from the “internet coaches”  we saw marked improvements in the world No 3's game, especially the serve – she finished second in the aces leaderboard which feels significant. Shelton, who lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the last four, had another great AO. Not only did the young lefty make an impact on the tennis court, the charismatic American also spoke out about the awkward on-court interviews he and some of his fellow players endured. We discuss. And to close we rate this year's tournament out of 10 and reveal some of our other favourite moments. Follow Christian Instagram: https://x.com/christianscourt YouTube: Christian's Court Twitter: christianscourt For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter:  jttps://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal Bluesky: https://app.bsky.cz/profile/blackspinglobal.bsky.social GET OUR MERCH HERE: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

With week one of the 2025 Australian Open in the books, Lucy and Eugene go through all the action including No 3 seed Coco Gauff steamrolling through to the fourth round where Belinda Bencic awaits*. Listen out for who was pretty much spot on with their prediction for this match. Madison Keys, coming off the back of her title-run in Adelaide, has also looked very good in Melbourne. The newly-married American has made tweaks to her game, and her equipment, and it seems to be paying off. On the men's side, Ben Shelton and Auckland champion Gael Monfils face-off in round four in what should be a thriller! La Monf has played inspired tennis en route to week two and Shelton has looked more impressive in each round. Naomi Osaka had to retire in the third round due to abdominal trouble but the four-time Grand Slam champion picked up two good wins. Jasmine Paolini, who may be carrying an injury, fell to Elina Svitolina in round three but is still going strong in doubles with Sara Errani. So is Taylor Townsend with Katerina Siniakova and Asia Muhammad in mixed with Andres Molteni. *Episode was recorded before any fourth-round matches were played. ***Apologies in adance, this episode is explicit. Merch: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal

Happy New Year! The 2025 season is up and running and so are Lucy and Eugene who get into all the goings-on from an eventful first week. What's the deal with Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov? The Kazakh tops our news round-up. Coco Gauff, the United Cup MVP, carries the USA to victory and scores another significant win against Iga Swiatek. Jasmine Paolini and Felix Auger-Aliassime also got their campaigns under way at the team competition. The ASB Classic (or the Black Girl Magic Open) in Auckland provided us with amazing tennis and some incredible storylines from Naomi Osaka reaching her first final post-maternity, to Robin Montgomery making her maiden WTA Tour semi-final. Mpetshi Perricard beat the “serve-bot” allegations with his brilliant run to the semi-finals in Brisbane.  Frenchman showed he can play with variety and ingenuity in wins over Nick Kygrios, Frances Tiafoe and Jakub Mensik. Arthur Fils and Gabriel Diallo play Hong Kong and experience a mixed bag. Keep the comments and likes coming guys. And please continue, sharing and subscribing! Feel free to leave us a review too. Merch: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal

*Disclaimer this interview was done in December 2024.  To close out 2024 Lucy and Eugene are joined by Kenyan No 1 Angella Okutoyi! The Auburn University junior, studying business administration, talks us through her historic run at the junior Australian Open and winning the Wimbledon Girls' doubles title in 2022, making history in 2023 after winning her first pro tournament at ITF level, playing one of the matches of her life en route to African Games gold for Kenya earlier this year, the heartache after missing out on the Paris Olympics, life as a college athlete and helping grow the sport in Africa. Give Angella a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angella_okutoyi/# Keep commenting, liking, sharing and subscribing – we appreciate you all! Merch: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal

Lucy and Eugene, joined by friends of the pod Tumaini Carayol and Uche Amako, go through the highs and lows of the 2024 season. Does tennis have a doping problem? Iga Swiatek serving a quiet ban was not the best look, nor was Jannik Sinner testing positive earlier in the year. The Grand Slams (and the Olympics) provided a lot of joy, especially the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open – shout out all the winners and Jasmine Paolini for reaching back-to-back finals. Naomi Osaka was involved in a match-of-the-year contender as were Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton. Outlandish takes for 2025 include a new major winner on the women's side and someone coming out of retirement to play doubles at Wimbledon. Merch: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) joins Lucy and Eugene to talk all things WTA Finals but before getting into festivities in Riyadh, flowers are duly given to Almaty runner-up Gabriel Diallo and Basel champion Giovani Mpetshi Perricard. This year's elite eight on the WTA Tour are all either Grand Slam champions or WTA 1000 titleholders. The Purple Group is made up of Jasmine Paolini, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Zheng Qinwen. The Orange Group contains Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula and Barbora Krejcikova. Taylor Townsend will also be making her debut at the Finals in the doubles event with Katerina Siniakova. The Wimbledon champions are in the Green Group. Paolini will also compete with Sara Errani, the Olympic gold winners are in the White Group. Follow Tuned Into Tennis https://x.com/TunedIntoTennis  Merch: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal

Lucy and Eugene talk Laver Cup where Team Europe were victorious, but Team World's Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton did record impressive singles wins over Daniil Medvedev. Changes in the coaching camps for Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek. Brand Patrick Mouratoglou joins up with Osaka and while technical guru Matt Daly steps into Gauff's camp – exciting times ahead. Asian Swing has already provided us with a champion after Arthur Fils's epic run in Tokyo where the Frenchman secured his second ATP 500 crown of the season. The 20-year-old beat multiple top 20 players en route, including a dramatic encounter against Shelton. Gauff did her thing in Beijing (had not played the final at the time of recording) played great tennis at the WTA 1000 including comeback victories in the latter stages of the tournament. We also shout out Hailey Baptiste, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Eliakim Coulibaly, and close with WADA's appeal against Jannik Sinner.

In recognition of Black History Month in the UK, Black Spin Global got to record a special episode at Wimbledon to showcase the achievements of black tennis players at SW19 from the past to the present. Althea Gibson, the first black player (male or female) to win a Grand Slam; Arthur Ashe, the last black man to reach world No 1; storied sisters Venus and Serena Williams; father and son duo Bryan and Ben Shelton; teenage phenom Coco Gauff and doubles champions Taylor Townsend and Heather Watson are all spotlighted in this one-off episode. For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal

*Disclaimer: this interview was recorded during the 2nd week of Wimbledon 2024.  Coach John B Williams joins us to talk about his latest book The Champions Code: 5 Attributes of Winners. Find out what the inspiration was, what the writing process entailed and some of the takeaways to expect. “Knowledge/information serves no purpose if it's not shared and it's not applied.” Williams also reviews Taylor Townsend's 2023 season where she achieved career success in Cincinnati which she would go on to top this year at Wimbledon. In closing Williams gives credit to Daniil Medvedev and Jasmine Paolini, two players who have impressed him in 2024. Grab a copy of The Champions Code: 5 Attributes of Winners  https://www.amazon.com/Champions-Code-Attributes-Winners/dp/B0D5D93H9F

Retiring Donald Young and Taylor Townsend take the runners-up crown in mixed doubles after falling in straight sets to Italian third seeds Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. We appreciate Townsend acknowledging the significance of the presence of black players in the latter stages of the tournament during the trophy presentation. Frances Tiafoe's nerve got the better of him in a thrilling all-American semi-final against eventual runner-up Taylor Fritz. Big Foe was the better player for the majority of the match but he admirably admitted afterwards the occasion caught up with him towards the end of the match. We salute women's singles winner Aryna Sabalenka who beat Jessica Pegula in the final and Jannik Sinner who saw off Fritz in straights in the men's final. Listen out for post-match snippets from Young, Townsend and Tiafoe and to close we share our favourite fits, matches and moments from this year's Open and discuss whether Honey Deuce is actually better than Pimm's. Merch: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal Audio: Spotify: https://spotify.link/iFXEgcG36Ab Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/black-spin-global-the-podcast/id1502016933

Lucy and Eugene sit down with #ChristopherEubanks in New York to catch up on his 2024 season which has been challenging but rewarding in equal measure. Among other things, the American talks us through his Davis Cup debut at the start of the year, the Paris Olympics where #CocoGauff was the star attraction, adjusting to life as an ATP Tour regular and his "excellent commentary" work for #ESPN at this year's #USOpen where he's starred in the booth and on-court with the mic in hand. Keep commenting, liking, sharing and subscribing – we appreciate you all! Merch: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal

Jasmine Paolini falls to Karolina Muchova in straight sets – the talented Czech was the more solid player throughout the encounter. Been a good Grand Slam season for Paolini who reached the fourth round or better at all the majors this year. Enjoyed her comments about having Anna Wintour watch her match. Frances Tiafoe, yet again, rises to the occasion and sees off Grigor Dimitrov who was forced to retire in the middle of the fourth set. Big Foe can look forward to his second US Open semi-final and an all-American matchup against Taylor Fritz. The Donald Young-Taylor Townsend feelgood story reaches the final of mixed doubles where Young will retire. Listen out for post-match press snippets from Paolini and Tiafoe and hear our thoughts on stewards allowing kids to run down and wait courtside for player autographs.

Coco Gauff goes down to Emma Navarro again, but this time in three. The 2023 champion's serve deserted her at crucial times and she spoke openly about getting “other opinions” to help remedy the issue. Frances Tiafoe put on another show under the lights, fending off a comeback by the in-form Australian Alexei Popyrin in four quality sets. Big Foe is now looking forward to his third consecutive quarter-final in New York where ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov awaits. In the junior competition, Akasha Urhobo, Tyra Grant, Christasha McNeil and Matthew Forbes all secured first-round wins. And in women's doubles, Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova ousted Heather Watson and Asia Muhammad. Shout out to Anastaia from Ground Pass Pod for joining us.

Jasmine Paolini booked her place in the fourth round in comfortable fashion, seeing off fellow shorty Yulia Putintseva in straight sets. The Italian used the word “solid” to describe her performance which is exactly what it was. She has now reached the second week at all the Grand Slams in 2024 and is the first Italian woman in the open era to achieve that feat.  Gabriel Diallo, playing in the third round of a major for the first time, showed he belonged at this level, going down in four sets to world No 14 Tommy Paul of America. The Canadian, ranked 143 in the world coming into New York, is on the brink of cracking the top 100 for the first time after a great US Open run and solid Challenger results in the lead up. Listen out for post-match presser snippets from Paolini and Diallo. Merch: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal

Coco Gauff stayed the course against Elina Svitolina, coming back from a set down in similar fashion to the match she played against the Ukrainian in Auckland earlier this year. Good to see the reigning champ find good form heading into the second week in New York. Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton provide box office, primetime entertainment in the afternoon on Ashe as Tiafoe registers his first win against his compatriot. Novak Djokovic will not be his next opponent. Madison Keys fell in three and we also had a few casualties in women's doubles. Taylor Townsend and Donald Young did get their mixed doubles campaign off to a winning start though. Listen out for interview snippets from Gauff, Shelton and Tiafoe.

Jasmine Paolini was through to the third round before we even got to the grounds after Karolina Pliskova retired due to a rolled ankle. Gabriel Diallo vs Arthur Fils did not disappoint and produced a result that we did not see coming. Two-time champion Naomi Osaka fell to last year's semi-finalist Karolina Muchova but had her chances in the two-set defeat – she was in relatively good spirits afterwards during her post-match press conference. Listen out for interview snippets from Paolini, Diallo and Osaka. Merch: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal

We had Madison Keys get things off to a winning start on Arthur Ashe, where Frances Tiafoe followed and looked impressive before Alexander Shevchenko retired. We're getting the third-round matchup we all wanted after Ben Shelton got the job done against Roberto Bautista Agut. Coco Gauff played her first night match and handed Tatjana Maria a bagel en route to victory. The day did start (and end) with a defeat after Taylor Townsend fell to Paula Badosa on Louis Armstrong. Rain and thunder halted Gael Monfils and Casper Ruud but play did resume as we were recording – La Monf eventually falling in four. Listen out for interview snippets from Tiafoe, Shelton and Gauff. We also address the Marketa Vondrousova cornrows situation. Merch: https://blackspinglobal.com/collections For daily tennis updates:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackspinglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackSpinGlobal

Day 2 was special! Naomi Osaka provided two shows, a fashion show and a tennis show, on Louis Armstrong as she saw off Jelena Ostapenko in straights. Arthur Fils and Gabriel Diallo will do battle in round two after both won their first-round matches in four. There were defeats for Felix Auger-Aliassime and 18-year-old wildcard Matthew Forbes who looks like he has a bright future ahead. Listen out for interview snippets from Osaka, Fils and Forbes.

Our first day at the US Open is in the books, and boy… what a day it was! Ben Shelton, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys and Taylor Townsend all won in straight sets, while Gael Monfils and Frances Tiafoe took the four-set route. There were defeats for debutant Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Christopher Eubanks who went down in five, and Sloane Stephens who fell after dishing out a bagel. Listen out for interview snippets from Shelton, Gauff and Townsend.

Lucy and Eugene big up Frances Tiafoe for making it to his first Masters 1000 final in Cincinnati – the American, back inside the top 20, fell to Jannik Sinner who escaped a ban after testing positive for a steroid that was unknowingly administered by his physio. Hear our thoughts and opinions.  The final Grand Slam of the year (#USOpen) is here and we dive into the draw – Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini and Madison Keys are all seeded, third, fifth and 14th respectively. Seeds on the men's side include Ben Shelton (13th), Felix Auger-Aliassime (19th), Tiafoe (20th) and Arthur Fils (24th). Notable first-rounds include two-time champion Naomi Osaka taking on 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko, Paolini against 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu. Shelton opens against 2020 champion Dominic Thiem and is projected to meet compatriot Tiafoe in the third round. As is tradition for Slam review pods, we reveal our picks for the men's and women's titles. For our merch https://blackspinglobal.com/collections

Black Spin Global had the pleasure of being the official podcast partner of the 2024 Tennis Black List awards. The event, in its second year, was supported by the LTA, Barclays and YC Sports.  We won the Media category, which was a huge honour, and were able to speak to some of the award winners including Tatenda Makoni, recipient of the Game Changer in the Community award as well as Leonard Ogbanna, who was also recognised for the work he does in his community. We also spoke to co-founders Anne-Marie Batson and Richard Sackey-Addo who shared their thoughts on how the evening went and to close, the brilliant Alexis Simms, LTA EDI Development Partner, told us about his role at the LTA and the importance of such an event. Follow Tennis Black List on X and Instagram (tennisblacklist). Keep commenting, liking, sharing and subscribing – we appreciate you all!

Lucy and Eugene shout-out Arthur Fils, Alycia Parks and doubles pair Taylor Townsend and Asia Muhammad who all picked up titles since we were last on. We share our thoughts on the Olympics and the huge role tennis played in the opening ceremony – great to see Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Amelie Mauresmo represent and what a time for Team USA flag bearer Coco Gauff alongside LeBron James.  Props to Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani who won women's doubles gold for Italy, Felix Auger-Aliassime who secured mixed doubles bronze with Gabriela Dabrowski for Canada – FAA also made it to the bronze-medal match in singles. American Swing is well and truly underway and Townsend is having herself a time in singles. Frances Tiafoe confirmed he is now working with David Witt, Naomi Osaka is back on familiar ground and continues to show good signs (admirably played Cincinnati qualifying). Keep commenting, liking, sharing and subscribing – we appreciate you all!

Ladies' finals day did not disappoint, but it was not to be for our girl Jasmine Paolini who lost out to 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova in three quality sets. Paolini more than gave a good account of herself in a match that was a great advert for women's tennis and doubles, as both had their moments with great net play. The Italian, understandably not as upbeat in press afterwards, was still positive about her incredible Wimbledon campaign and her remarkable 2024 season. In the doubles final, fourth seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova secured the title after beating second seeds Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski in two tiebreak sets on Centre Court.  First-time Grand Slam doubles champion Townsend was emotional afterwards and both ladies were in great form in press.

Day 11 saw Jasmine Paolini book her place in her second consecutive Grand Slam final, and first at Wimbledon, after a three-set epic against Donna Vekic. The Croatian was the first to settle and took the opening set before Paolini upped it in set two to draw level and then persevered in the third to take it in the match tiebreak. The Italian was good vibes in press, as always, and spoke about how “crazy” it is to make two major finals in a row and also the prospect of facing Elena Rybakina or Barbora Krejcikova in Saturday's championship match. We look ahead to Day 12 where Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova will be in ladies' doubles semi-final action and Lucy reveals what she expects to see from the men in the singles semi-finals.

Day 9 was a historic one for our Italian-Ghanaian sister Jasmine Paolini who secured her place in the semi-finals with a fine 6-2, 6-1 victory over 19th seed Emma Navarro. The 28-year-old becomes the first Italian woman to reach the last four at SW19. Paolini is one match away from her second consecutive Grand Slam final but will have to get past Donna Vekic on Thursday. Listen out for presser snippets from a typically upbeat Paolini. Tumaini also shares some nice anecdotes from this year's Championships.

Day 8 saw our young French first-timers Giovanni Mpetishi Perricard and Arthur Fils fall in the fourth round to two talented seeded opponents – (25)Lorenzo Musetti Musetti and world No 9 Alex de Minaur respectively. Birthday boy Mpetshi Perricard was in good spirits in press and spoke about looking forward to playing the US Open as a direct main-draw entrant. As for Fils, he shared his thoughts about playing on No 1 Court for the first time. Listen out for an interview snippet from Musetti who spoke about what it was like facing Mpetshi Perricard's serve. We preview Jasmine Paolini's quarter-final against Emma Navarro on Centre Court on Day 9 and highlight some juniors.

Day 7 was an eventful one, starting with the women's match of the tournament thus far – Madison Keys vs Jasmine Paolini, where Keys unfortunately retired due to a left thigh injury. We then discussed Paolini's next opponent for the quarter-finals, Emma Navarro who beat Coco Gauff 6-4 6-3, ending Gauff's singles journey at SW19.  We also get into Ben Shelton's straight-sets defeat to world No 1 Jannik Sinner on No.1 Court – the American had not had a day off coming into the fourth-round. And to close we shoutout some of the doubles winners. Listen out for interview snippets from Gauff, Shelton and a funny one from Paolini.