Clay season is upon us! Rejoice in the red (and green) dirt with Joel and Kim as they check in on the first week of action as part of the European / American Clay swing in the build up to the French Open at Roland Garros.

It was an eventful seven days on the ATP and WTA Tours as Jessica Pegula clinched her first ever clay court title out in Charleston to put the disappointment of a final loss in Miami to Sabalenka behind her, whilst fellow American Jenson Brooksby fought his way to his maiden tour title in Houston as a qualifier wildcard saving multiple match points along the way! Italians Flavio Cobolli and Luciano Darderi also reversed their fortunes and won ATP 250 titles, whilst Camila Osorio defended her Bogota title on home turf at an event Joel questions whether should even exist in the first place.

The duo also discuss the use of electronic line calling with Hawkeye on clay courts, upcoming development changes to Henman Hill for the 2027 Championships at Wimbledon, and recent calls for increased Grand Slam prize money from the ATP/WTA Top 20 players. Joel also teases Kim’s knowledge again on singular Masters winners, and they reflect on Jannik Sinner’s recent comments with Sky Italia about his ongoing ban from the Tour.

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Sabalenka wins Miami as the Sunshine Swing ends with a downpour for Novak Djokovic as he lost out to 19 year old Jakob Mensik in straight sets. The title was Sabalenka’s first since that heartbreaking loss in the final of the Australian Open to Madison Keys and with it she cements her place a the top of the world rankings by opening up a 3000 point lead over No.2 Iga Swiatek. Swiatek went out to WC Alexandra Eala in another early shock loss for the former World No.1 and Joel, Kim and Chris question is it time for her to switch up her coach after not winning a title since Roland Garros last year?

Elsewhere Djokovic declared his Miami form to be the best he had played since the Olympics where he won the gold medal, it wasn’t enough for him to win the title in Miami but it did prove that the Murray partnership is on an upward trajectory. There is a 2010s themed mailbag that puts Kim and Chris to the test and Joel talks his anguish when Tim Henman used to face off against Andy Murray in a ‘favourite vs favourite’ mailbag! They also preview the return to clay as Charleston gets under way and a number of 250s on the ATP Tour before the Monte Carlo Masters begins the clay court season proper next week.

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Joel, Kim and Chris are back to catch up at the halfway point of the Miami Open, which has seen Indian Wells Champions Jack Draper and Mirra Andreeva bow out early, and Carlos Alcaraz enduring a surprise loss to a perennial David Goffin. Meanwhile, Britain’s Emma Raducanu earnt her first Top 10 win of the year and has made it through to the quarter-finals of a W1000 event for the first time in a upturn of her fortunes, whilst Novak Djokovic breaks his Lucky Loser curse to continue through the draw.

The trio also dissect the fallout from the latest news that the PTPA have filed a 163 page lawsuit to tennis’s governing bodies, a move that PTPA co-founder Novak Djokovic has himself not got behind. They also reflect on some of the sport’s most unusual or one-sided H2Hs (in honour of Goffin’s over Alcaraz) and Joel tests Kim and Chris’s Miami Open knowledge with a timely Par for The Courts: Back and Forth edition.

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JACK DRAPER! Need we say more. Ok if we must… We’re halfway into the Sunshine Swing and it’s been a very memorable couple of weeks for two individuals out in the desert of Palm Springs at Indian Wells. Join Joel, Kim and Chris as they get giddy with excitement over how the Brit secured the biggest title of his career to date whilst moving into the Top 10 rankings for the first time, in help thanks to a semifinal win over Carlos Alcaraz. The trio also ponder whether he is a genuine Major contender, could it happen at Wimbledon and is an ATP Tour Finals appearance on the cards.

And it was just as blockbuster in the women’s event as Mirra Andreeva kept up her hot streak with back-to-back W1000 titles by getting the better of World Number 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final. The gang discuss just where the seventeen (!) year old sensation could go next and whether a No. 1 ranking is possible this season. They also look at what’s going on with Iga Swiatek as she let frustration spill out onto court with a ball bash towards a ball boy that left her without reaching a tour level final for ten months and counting.

We also look ahead to the Miami Open with mens and womens draw previews, the usual spicy predictions and discuss Rafael Nadal’s sit down chat with Andy Roddick and decide for ourselves just what was Rafa’s second best surface. He thinks grass - we’re not so sure. Mysterious Player also returns with Joel hoping Kim doesn’t get it in such a quick time…

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The Sunshine Swing is here and whilst it’s been relatively plain sailing for the top ranked women on the WTA Tour, it has been anything but for the men out in the desert. Join Joel and Chris for a midway catch-up as they discuss *another* lucky loser loss for Novak Djokovic out in Palm Springs, this time to Botic van de Zandschulp. It was also a tournament to forget for top seed Alexander Zverev whose hopes of becoming World Number 1 took another dent with Jannik Sinner still firmly in the driving seat. There was also a worrying setback for Nick Kyrgios as retirement rumours spread and Carlos Alcaraz got a big buzz from bumblebee fans in the crowd.

On the women’s side, we wonder if this is two-time champ Iga Swiatek’s title to lose and who could potentially stop her with Sabalenka, Gauff and Rybakina all progressing. Madison Keys also returned for her first event back after becoming Australian Open champion and there was Great British success for lucky loser Sonay Kartal who was ready to pack her bags after a qualies defeat… but is now gearing up to face Aryna Sabalenka for a spot in the quarter-finals. We also discuss the WTA’s new maternity cover policy and the involvement of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund plus we might have just the quickest Par For The Courts in Tennis Weekly history!

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The Sunshine Swing is almost here as the ATP and WTA Tours gear up for the one-two hit of Indian Wells and the Miami Open. In the final week of build up events to Tennis Paradise out in Palm Springs, Stefanos Tsitsipas (with his mystery racket in tow) captured his first ever 500 title in Dubai to re-enter the ATP Top 10 whilst Emma Navarro dished out a very rare sighting - a 60 60 double bagel in a WTA Final at the Merida Open. There were also wins for Tomas Machac, Laslo Djere and Jessica Pegula who got a new tennis fan in the form of Oscar winner and Hollywood A-Lister Matthew McConaughey watching on from the cheap seats in Austin.

We also had a look to see what Jannik Sinner has been up to whilst serving his doping ban (clue - it involves fashion shows and ski trips) plus react to the news his Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award nomination has been withdrawn and seemingly replaced by his rival Carlos Alcaraz. Elsewhere, we preview what’s ahead in Indian Wells and question whether this might just be the most open Masters event yet of the season with both the top women and men still searching for their very best form.

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Tennis Weekly had an EXCLUSIVE scoop this week as we broke the story that tennis legend Venus Williams was NOT accepting the highly publicised wild card to Indian Wells after Chris and producer Alina attended an in person event with Venus in Denmark! Not only did the news story and Tennis Weekly catch the attention of tennis media WORLDWIDE but it also caught the attention of BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director Tommy Haas who after viewing our Instagram Story put out a statement to say he had been "informed" Venus wasn't accepting the wildcard. Interesting...

In other news It was also another blockbuster week on the ATP and WTA Tours come to an end with Joel, Kim and Chris on hand to dissect it all at Tennis Weekly HQ. Mirra Andreeva came of age in Dubai with a string of sterling performances to crack the Top 10 for the first time. Andrey Rublev also rediscovered his mojo in Doha with his first 500 title since 2022 whilst Jack Draper also made the final on return from injury. Sebastien Baez defended his title in a raucous Rio where there were epic doubles scenes as Matos and Melo became the first Brazilian champions of the event infront of a packed home crowd (who said doubles was dead??).

Off court, the fallout continues for both Jannik Sinner and Elena Rybakina. Novak Djokovic had his say on the Italian's doping ban and said 'favouritism' was at play whilst WADA said it was 'a million miles away from doping'. And the gang talk about the issue of safeguarding as Emma Raducanu was put into an uncomfortable situation in Dubai where she had to ask for a stalker to be removed during her match against Karolina Muchova. Elsewhere, Mysterious Player makes a long awaited return as Kim and Chris work together to reveal the tennis player past or present.

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A blockbuster week on the ATP and WTA Tours concludes with the tennis world still reeling from World No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s three-month ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency. Joel, Kim, and Chris break down the latest developments, the timing of the announcement, and the potential ramifications for the sport.

On the court, Amanda Anisimova claimed the biggest title of her career at the W1000 event in Dubai, while teenage sensation Joao Fonseca continued his meteoric rise by capturing the title in Buenos Aires. The team also explores why Jelena Ostapenko remains Iga Swiatek’s kryptonite, the ongoing drama surrounding Elena Rybakina and her suspended coach Stefano Vukov, and the swift return of Novak Djokovic to the tour in Doha—where he’s set to play both singles and doubles alongside a retiring Fernando Verdasco (who, admittedly, we didn’t realize hadn’t retired yet!).

Plus, the US Open shakes up the mixed doubles event with a drastic overhaul that has divided the tennis community, and Joel’s game returns with a Canada-themed edition.

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