Tennis with an Accent

AO Retro Episode - Kooyong to Flinders Park with Woodforde, Mayotte and Curren

In an off season throw back episode we relive the Australian Open transition days of the 1980's - the move from Kooyong to Flinders Park now called RLA. Host Saqib Ali is joined by podcast repeat guests Mark Woodforde, Tim Mayotte and Kevin Curren. This is a classic conversation from the vault where the guests had so much shared experience and knowledge from their playing days to impart to the listeners. This is a special episode to recall and learn so much about the status of the AO back in the day - its place on the calendar and its prestige compared to the other three majors. Please tune in and enjoy the chat.

ATP Finals Review with Mert Ertunga

Mert Ertunga joins host Saqib Ali to review the Nitto ATP finals. The season finale was a fitting extension to the all year long dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. This level of dominance is a first according to Mert where the two players have separated themselves from the field by quite a distance. This has been the repeat mode of conversation on who can possibly disrupt the party of Sinner and Alcaraz. It is the same conversation but with a lot of nuance and introspection from the coach himself. We cover this topic through the prism of current challengers and potential challengers. Tune in as Mert holds court at TWAA!

Big Three and New Two reflections with Steve Flink

Hall of Famer Steve Flink joins host Matt Zemek on the the TWAA pod this week to create a timeless episode where they tackle some of the biggest what if questions through the prism of a historian. Matt brings his A game to extract the wealth of knowledge only has to offer. The conversation focuses on the extended dominance of the big three to the latest stranglehold the “new two” have on the men’s tour. Besides the usual suspects the episode creates “what if” scenarios which feature Borg, Laver. Sampras, Rafter and many others! It is a great end of season podcast for the TWAA listeners!

US Open Men's Review with Woodforde and Schwarzman

Carlos Alcaraz has won the US Open for the second time and in the process has regained the number one ranking. It also means for the second straight year the dynamic duo of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have cleaned up the four majors between them. We break down the final and speculate if this duopoly is good for the sport or do we need an intervention from a third player in 2026. To do the honors host Matt Zemek is joined by TWAA consultant Skip Schwarzman and Hall of Famer Mark Woodforde. It is a great deep dive of the US Open Men's edition. Brew a cuppa and get ready!

Sabalenka defends her US Open title

Aryna Sabalenka has successfully defended her US open title and in the process has salvaged her season which had her endure few heartbreaks in various big matches. Coach Mert Ertunga joins host Matt Zemek to review the WTA edition of the US open 2025. It was a tournament which lived up to the hype of the pre tourney draw and delivered many noteworthy matches and plot lines. One of those big stories was how Ananda Anisimova performed in New York after suffering a humiliating loss in the Wimbledon final. Return of one Naomi Osaka to the big stages of grand slam tennis also made this fortnight special. Tune in for more details and nuances as coach Mert holds court!