The State of Play with Rowan Ricardo Phillips

We hope you have had fun listening to Series 2 of GST as much as we have had making it. Here's a quick message about the future of the podcast.Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or Acast. If you like what you hear, leave us a review!Music by Drive Me Home Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Sunday Times tennis correspondent Barry Flatman joins Finn to talk Osaka's stand and Pospisil's new players' union. There is also a comprehensive US Open preview: is Djokovic's only enemy himself? Is Serena Williams a favourite? How will Sofia Kenin embrace being top dog? Barry also gives his memories of the great David Mercer, former umpire and legendary BBC commentator, who sadly passed away this week.Music by Drive Me Home Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author of The Circuit and award-winning poet Rowan Ricardo Phillips joins Finn to talk about why he is not watching tennis right now.Phillips unpicks the ethics of tennis' return to his hometown, New York, and tells us why we should celebrate the sport's socially conscious players when tennis so often pretends disengagement from the world. He also reveals how he created his epic, a lyrical record of the bewildering and inspiring 2017 season, and describes what the events of that year - in tennis and the world - mean for him now. The Circuit: A Tennis Odyssey won the 2019 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing and is available from Picador for $17.00.You can find Louisa Thomas' essay for The New Yorker here.Subscribe to The Grand Slam Tennis Podcast on Apple and Spotify and leave us a review. You can also find us on the podcast page of Grand Slam Tennis Online.Music by Drive Me Home Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week New York Times best-selling author Robert Weintraub joins Finn Ranson to tell the incredible story of Alice Marble, who rose to stardom in the late 1930s but has since faded from the history books. Last month, Robert published the first biography of her life, The Divine Miss Marble. We spoke about the mysteries that inspired him to take her story on and her transformative - and turbulent - relationship with her coach, Eleanor Tennant, who inspired Alice to one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history.The Divine Miss Marble: A life of Tennis, Fame, and Mystery is published by Dutton and is available from Penguin Random House for $29.00.Music by Drive Me Home. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before Murray, there was Marray.In 2012, Jonathan Marray pulled off one of sport's great upsets by winning the Wimbledon men's doubles title with Freddie Nielsen, ranked 111 in the world.Marray talks about that run and what happened next. He also reflects on his new coaching career and builds his ultimate doubles player.Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify and leave us a review. Find us on the GST website. Music by Drive Me Home  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In June, David Berry published a groundbreaking new study: "A People's History of Tennis".Through the histories of the sport’s clubs and players, David’s book sets out to show that beneath its “establishment image, tennis is a surprisingly radical game”. He argues that tennis has been a nexus for various social forces, many of them progressive, in Britain and beyond – from feminist protest and reform, to forming new notions of masculinity, to the sport’s emphasis on volunteering and community spirit. He also underlines those forces in tennis that have sadly not been so inclusive. We talked about the book and how these histories bear on the tennis world today. Can Jack Kramer's tax in the mid-80s become a reality post-Covid? And why should the British Lawn Tennis Association look no further than Phillipe Chatrier's legacy?A People's History of Tennis is available to purchase from Pluto Press for £14.99. Music by Drive Me Home Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Jubb talks to Finn about turning pro, Murray's words of wisdom and what next as tennis hits the comeback trail.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finn Ranson spoke to actor and filmmaker Sarah Tullamore about the great Norah Gordon Cleather, who steered Wimbledon through the Second World War and oversaw its peacetime return. She was the last woman to run Wimbledon. Next week, Sally Bolton, new Chief Executive of the All England Club, will become the second. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Grand Slam Tennis podcast is back for a second series.  From players and coaches, to authors and filmmakers, we’ve spoken to some unique people from across the tennis world about their stories, passions and histories. Here's a taste of what's to come.  Music by Drive Me Home Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3-time Davis Cup winner Fred Stolle is back on the pod talking the Madrid Finals, Kyrgios’ return to the Australia team and Barty’s secret weapon. We discuss burnout and scheduling after Nadal's revealing interview, and Fred opens up to us about the circumstances of his own retirement and the importance of friends on tour. But we kick off with his memories of Harry Hopman’s famous Australia team back in the 60s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.