Tennis with an Accent

Roland Garros is a tournament where some of the most attacking players on the men’s side have come in short. In this episode we talk about those very players - the best of their generation who could not lift the French Open title. 1990 Roland Garros champion Andres Gomez and Hall of famer Steve Flink join host Saqib Ali to share their respective lists of tennis greats who did not win the title in Paris. The lists carry a lot of the usual suspects like McEnroe, Edberg and Connors but there are also some names that will make this exercise a fun listen for the listenership of the pod. Gomez also gives his views on some of the attacking players of his era and how the surface posed them challenges. The conversation gradually finds its way to current players of today’s ATP and how the clay court prowess has evolved over the years.

Marta Kostyuk and Jannik Sinner won their maiden Madrid 1000 events over the weekend. TWAA panel of Andrew Burton, Skip Schwarzman and Matt Zemek break down some of the key talking points from Madrid and also look forward to Rome. The WTA event had three players - led by the eventual winner Kostyuk making their first semi final at a M1000 event. Madrid is an outlier on the road to Paris given that it's played in high altitude but we all know in sports there is no substitute for confidence and Kostyuk has not lost on clay this season. Sinner on the other hand is also unbeaten on clay this year on top of winning all four M1000 events on the men’s side. The trio also discussed other key players on both tours like Djokovic, Sabalenka, Zverev, Swiatek and Andreeva.

Hall of famer Steve Flink and Tennis Channel commentator Gill Gross reunite with host Saqib Ali to breakdown the clay power rankings of the ATP. The episode was recorded few days before Carlos Alcaraz's withdrawal from Roland Garros was announced. The other names discussed by the panel makes this a compelling listen given we are still in the heart of the clay season. Brew your favorite cup of coffee and get ready to compare our tiers of rankings with yours. There are some usual suspects and some surprise picks.

Hall of famer Mark Woodforde returns to the pod to give insights on why players chose Monte Carlo as their home base during playing days. In a typical and candid Woodforde fashion this episode is full of rich details on his journey as a Monte Carlo resident and also playing money tournaments in South of France while he was tryig to establish himself on the pro circuit. Also sheds light on some of the best clay courters of his era - Thomas Muster, Mats Wilander and Sergi Bruguera.

Host Saqib Ali shares his experience on being at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters this past week. Mert Ertunga plays host duties as the duo exchanges notes on watching Monte Carlo live on site. Mert also breaks down the patterns of the Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz finals and gives his views on the rise of Valentin Vacherot and the conundrum of the situation for Alex Zverev.

Former top 10 players Gene Mayer and Tim Mayotte join host Saqib Ali to discuss the depth of the American men. Currently US has 17 players in the top 100 and this resurgence is led by Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton. Both guests break down their set of players using a tier system. Tune in and see if your tiers have the same players as Mayer and Mayotte.

Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina have created their own history in Melbourne at this year's Australian Open. Host Matt Zemek is joined by TWAA panelists - Mert Ertunga, Andrew Burton and Skip Schwarzman to break down the finals weekend! In depth analysis on men's semis and both sets of finals - starring Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev, Sabalenka and Rybakina.

To kick off the 2026 podcasting season the TWAA crew came up with the list of “The greatest men’s matches of the century”. This was an incredibly fun exercise with a lot of minute details and the surrounding context of these great matches. The panelists are Steve Flink, Andrew Burton, Mert Ertunga and host Saqib Ali. Get ready for this detailed unpacking of some of the best men’s matches of last 25 years. Please tag us on twitter and share your list! Lists Mert Ertunga Nadal vs Federer Rome 2006 Nadal vs Federer Wimbledon 2008 Djokovic vs Nadal Wimbledon 2018 Alcaraz vs Sinner RG 2025 Safin vs Federer AO 2005 Sampras vs Agassi USO 2001 Nadal vs Djokovic RG 2013 Djokovic vs Federer Wimbledon 2014 Rafter vs Agassi Wimbledon 2001 Djokovic vs Wawrinka AO 2013 Steve Flink Nadal vs Federer Wimbledon 2008 Djokovic vs Nadal AO 2012 Alcaraz vs Sinner RG 2025 Djokovic vs Federer Wimbledon 2019 Sampras vs Agassi USO 2001 Djokovic vs Nadal Wimbledon 2018 Nadal vs Federer Rome 2006 Safin vs Federer AO 2005 Djokovic vs Murray Shanghai 2012 Nadal vs Medvedev AO 2022 Andrew Burton Nadal vs Federer Rome 2006 Mayer vs Souza Davis Cup 2015 Nadal vs Federer Wimbledon 2008 Alcaraz vs Sinner RG 2025 Wawrinka vs Djokovic RG 2015 Djokovic vs Federer Wimbledon 2019 Nadal vs Djokovic Rg 2013 Djokovic vs Nadal Miami 2011 Federer vs Del Potro Olympics 2012 Ivanisevic vs Rafter Wimbledon 2001 Saqib Ali Nadal vs Federer Wimbledon 2008 Djokovic vs Nadal AO 2012 Djokovic vs Nadal Wimbledon 2018 Safin vs Federer AO 2005 Nadal vs Federer Rome 2006 Alcaraz vs Sinner RG 2025 Rafter vs Agassi Wimbledon 2000 Djokovic vs Federer Wimbledon 2014 Djokovic vs Wawrinka AO 2013 Safin vs Agassi AO 2004

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.

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!

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!

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!

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!

In the latest episode of the podcast we preview the WTA and ATP draws for the US Open. The panel includes podcast regulars Andrew Burton, Mert Ertunga and host Matt Zemek. We tee off with the ATP side of the house as it's the more predictable event compared to the more deeply balanced WTA. The menu consists of tricky pockets, seeds who are a lock to go deep and party spoilers. Its all here - please dive right in!

In this week’s episode host Saqib Ali is joined by hall of famer Steve Flink and coach Skip Schwarzman to discuss the best ATP player who fell short at the US Open. In Skip’s words the book of “If” is a never ending book and fittingly the conversation covered a lot of ground from Tony Roche to Marat Safin. It is a free flowing discussion where Bjorn Borg was the unanimous choice as the best player to not have won the US Open men’s singles. To find out about other names please tune in.

In a special episode former major champions Pat Cash and Andres Gomez join TWAA podcast host Saqib Ali to relive the 1980’s ATP - especially the hard court tennis leading up to the Open. It’s a conversation super rich in anecdotal value and information on some of the big names of that generation. It is a great episode for fans of all generations given the guests are great story tellers and recall a fair bit of detailed experiences from the tennis circuit of the 80’s.

Former Wimbledon finalist Kevin Curren joins the podcast this week to look back at his tennis career. The conversation covers a lot of ground from his early days in his native country of South Africa to his move to play collegiate tennis in Austin, TX and all the way to his famous centre court date with Boris Becker in the 1985 final of Wimbledon. Curren is very forthcoming about all the facets of this incredible journey. He provides great anecdotal value along the way as the conversation touches upon some of his famous rivals like John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl. It is a detailed account of a great tennis career - brew a cup of coffee and dive right in!

Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner are your new Wimbledon champions! While doing that they respectively became first player from their respective nations to win their respective titles at Wimbledon. Host Matt Zemek is joined by resident guests Andrew Burton and Skip Schwarman to review The Championships. Sinner reversed the heartbreak of that result from Paris and defeated arch rival Carlos Alcaraz for his maiden title while Swiatek ended her year long title drought at the tour level in spectacular fashion by defeating first time major finalist Amanda Anisimova. The trio takes a deep dive into the fortnight and dissects all the major players who met with triumph and disaster during Wimbledon.

Coach Mert Ertunga joins host Matt Zemek to preview The Championships. Aryna Sabalenka comes in as a title favorite and she may have to deal with Australian Open champ Madison Keys in the quarter finals - which can be the match of the fortnight according to Mert in terms of determining the champion. The conversation highlights some dangerous first round matches as well as some possible dynamite matches in the second week - especially a mouth watering potential duel between Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina. Mert also feels Coco Gauff may not have enough match reps on grass to make a deep run at Wimbledon. Tune in to listen to the full WTA preview. On the men’s side Mert believes the winner will come out of the trio of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic. Is Djokovic more equipped to prevent the Alcaraz Sinner final here on grass compared to Roland Garros? Can Jack Draper come out of his murderer’s row of a draw? Tune in to listen to the full ATP draw preview as a highly compelling fortnight awaits.

In the latest episode of the podcast host Saqib Ali is joined by hall of fame tennis writer Steve Flink and noted tennis commentator Nick Lester to review the mid-point of the ATP season. The conversation is also geared towards the grass court swing which is in full flight - headed for Wimbledon. The episode covers the legitimacy of Jack Draper as a top Wimbledon favorite behind the esteemed trio of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic. Its a fun episode which covers lot of ground along with a peak at the Tennis viz insights data

It was the closing weekend at Roland Garros! Host Matt Zemek is joined by resident guests Andrew Burton and Skip Schwarzman to review RG 2025. It was the first time in more than four decades that it was number one vs number two at both the men's and women's final. And fair to say both finals delivered - which makes this episode a deeper dive in terms of our analysis! Brew your coffee and dive right in!

Mert Ertunga and Andrew Burton join host Matt Zemek to preview both draws - ATP and WTA ahead of this year's Roland Garros. Four time champion Iga Swiatek was handed a difficult draw compared to her arch rivals Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff. On the men’s side the top two seeds - Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz start as big favorites. Our experts looks at some of the potential upsets and tricky matchups while dissecting the draws. Tune in!

Former Wimbledon semi finalist Tim Mayotte and our in house analyst Skip Schwarzman join host Matt Zemek to review the Rome 1000 event for both ATP and WTA.The conversation includes a wide variety of topics from the recently concluded Rome event with the central focus on the Winners, finalists and the usual suspects. Tune in!

Resident Guests Mert Ertunga and Andrew Burton join host Matt Zemek to break down the recently concluded Madrid 1000 event for both WTA and ATP. Topics covered include the maiden win of Casper Ruud at the masters 1000 level, the bankability of Aryna Sabalenka's tennis and the loss of confidence of Iga Swiatek. Tune in to listen to the review and other relevant topics.

Steve Flink and Gill Gross return to the annual clay power ranking get together and discuss the atp hierarchy with host Saqib Ali. It is a fun conversation - get your own lists ready to compare and tune into the show.

The Australian Open review podcast is here with host Matt Zemek, Andrew Burton and Skip Schwarzman. The discussion is a rich one with focus on the breakthrough triumph of Madison Keys. As Andrew would say this was the perfect "Murderers row" of a draw for Keys. The discussion also covers the continued dominance of Jannik Sinner and another runners up result for Sascha Zverev. Tune in to get a detailed discussion from the TWAA crew!

Andrew Burton joins host Matt Zemek for a mid point check in for the Australian Open 2025. The discussion centers around some of the marquee matches that loom large in the second week - and none bigger than the Novak Djokovic- Carlos Alcaraz clash. Tune in for a complete QF and beyond preview.

In the latest edition of the podcast we look back at the ATP decade of 2010s. Usual suspects Steve Flink and Mert Ertunga join host Saqib Ali to breakdown the decade which was dominated by Novak Djokovic - who was closely followed by Rafa Nadal. The group looks back with fondness and immense respect at the historic ten year span of the sport which saw the term "big three" come into prominence. This was also a decade where only six men won a major title. This type of top heavy decade may never come around again! Tune in to relive the most glorious chapter of the men's game with emphasis on big matches, key moments and great careers.

Rafael Nadal is a former tennis player. Here is a little belated tribute episode to look back at the tennis career of Nadal. Host Matt Zemek is joined by the podcast regulars Andrew Burton, Skip Schwarzman and Mert Ertunga. The episode is a collection of how the group looks back at Nadal's impact, his legacy and his greatest hits among other memories.

Former tennis player Mark Lewis is the podcast guest in this episode. Lewis is also widely remembered as Michael Stich's coach during the German's most successful tennis phase. In this episode Lewis sheds light on the tennis scene in his native country of New Zealand. He also touches upon his brother's magical run to the Wimbledon final in 1983 before losing to John McEnroe. The episode is an extremely candid and generous account of Lewis's tennis journey where he shares lot of details about Stich and life on tour as a coach.

We review the ATP finals in this episode. Andrew Burton returns to the podcast to join fellow resident guest Skip Schwarzman and host Matt Zemek. The discussions centers on the best matches of the week where Taylor Fritz vs Alex Zverev is discussed at length. Other parts of this episode focusses on similar playing styles from the eight man field with Carlos Alcaraz being the outlier. Another question addressed here is who will be the leading candidate to challenge the Jannik Sinner- Alcaraz dominance at the top. Last but not the least the group takes stock of players who either had a breakthrough year or a missed opportunity at the highest level - Fritz, Zverev and Daniil Medvedev figure in this discussion.

Host Matt Zemek is joined by resident guest speaker Skip Schwarzman to review the recently concluded WTA finals. The episode is rich in topics such as court speed, visibility for doubles at big events and the significance of the WTA finals itself. Skip also weighed in with his observations on Coco Gauff's phenomenal run at the Riyadh finals where she had to go through a murderer's row of opponents in Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng. Last but not the least Skip expressed his displeasure about the number of ball tosses were being caught by the players! It is a great episode with Skip and Matt. Brew your favorite coffee and get settled - its a detailed view of a lot of relevant topics.

Tennis reporters Ravi Ubha and Steve Flink join host Saqib Ali to preview the year end field in Turin. Topics covered include the group breakdown with intriguing matchups and predicting the eventual winner. The conversation also relives some of the interesting moments from the event's history dating back to the inaugural years at Madison Square Garden. Ubha also shares his insights on Jack Draper - who once practiced at the same club as him.

Former top 10 player Lori McNeil joins host Saqib Ali on the podcast this week. McNeil was an accomplished singles player who also enjoyed a great doubles career. She is best remembered for reaching the semi finals of Wimbledon(1994) and US Open(1987) where she defeated Steffi Graf and Chris Evert respectively. In this episode McNeil relives some of those moments and also gives insights into her early days as a junior and how her journey was shaped as the WTA professional. Must listen for all tennis fans.

Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner have won their first US Open titles respectively. In the process they also swept the hard court majors for the year. Mert Ertunga and Andrew Burton join host Matt Zemek for the US Open review episode. The event also had two American finalists - Jessica Pegula on the WTA side and Taylor Fritz who became the first native man to reach the finals in New York since Andy Roddick's run in 2006. Dive in for a very rich conversation that looks back at the last major of the year and also tackles the big takeaways from the 2024 season.

Hall of famer and tennis historian Steve Flink joins host Matt Zemek in the latest episode of the podcast to talk about Novak Djokovic's golden slam. It is a monumental achievement even by Djokovic's illustrious standards and the duo discusses his revival in length. Also discussed in this episode are other Olympic tennis related topics and a look ahead to the already ongoing US summer hard court swing. https://www.amazon.com/Pete-Sampras-Greatness-Steve-Flink/dp/1937559947/ref=asc_df_1937559947/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693033695508&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3197514886592869182&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9193783&hvtargid=pla-925947799590&psc=1&mcid=ca7edb41a99d36718e96d52c8c0b4961&gad_source=1

It's a full house at the podcast this week as host Matt Zemek is joined by Andrew Burton, Skip Schwarzman and Mert Ertunga to talk about the championship weekend. Barbora Krejcikova won her second major title as she defeated Jasmine Paolini. Carlos Alcaraz defended his Wimbledon crown by defeating seven time champion Novak Djokovic. It's a packed episode which covers other players as well especially Lorenzo Musetti and Daniil Medvedev.

It is the middle Sunday episode of the Championships. We look back at the first week of Wimbledon 2024 with Andrew Burton and Matt Zemek. The episode also takes stock of the big stories from the first week and eventually transitions to what lies ahead as we approach the business end of the tournament. The WTA event as predicted in the preview show is living up to the chaotic billing while all the the top favorites from the ATP side are still in the draw. Tune in!

Andrew Burton and Sharada Iyer join host Matt Zemek to preview the draw for Wimbledon 2024. The trio dissects the favorites and larger stories going into the 137th edition of The Championships.

Former Wimbledon semi finalist Tim Mayotte and Hall of fame writer Steve Flink join host Saqib Ali as guest speakers to reminisce a shared decade at Wimbledon. In a conversation filled 80's nostalgia we unpack lot of popular players from Johnny Mac to Ivan Lendl through the memory prism of Mayotte and Flink. Its a fun filled episode with great recall and personal details from both men.

We put a wrap to our coverage of Roland Garros 2024 with an episode that covers the business end of the major and also some large themed takeaway into the season ahead. This episode has two segments - in the first segment Andrew Burton joins host Matt Zemek to look back at Iga Swiatek's continued dominance at the clay major. The duo also explores the possibilities for other top players like Gauff, Rybakina and Osaka as we approach the grass season. In the second segment of the episode Skip Schwarzman joins Matt to reflect on the Alcaraz Zverev final. A lot of analysis unpacked here - dive in folks!

Sharada Iyer and Andrew Burton join host Matt Zemek to talk about Swiatek-Osaka among other first week action from the clay major. The trio also look forward to the conclusion of the 2024 edition of Roland Garros in this middle sunday episode.

Andrew Burton joins host Matt Zemek to preview the WTA and ATP draws of the 2024 Roland Garros. The tide has clearly changed on both tours - WTA draws have displayed more top level stability while the ATP clay season has seen different winners at all key stops. Andrew and Matt also handpick their popcorn matches along with players expected to go deep on both draws. Its Iga and Aryna vs the field on the WTA. On the contrast the three ATP top favorites - Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner are all coming in with serious question marks and that makes this edition of RG the most wide open since year 2004. Tune in and please share your feedback on the draw with us on Twitter!

Gil Reyes joins the podcast this week as the guest speaker. He was a cornerstone in Andre Agassi's camp for nearly two decades. Reyes was the strength and conditioning coach for the basketball program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas before meeting Agassi in 1989. Together the duo pushed the fitness needle in the men's game during the late 90's. Agassi who started as a flashy shot maker were to become one of the fittest men on the ATP tour and won 8 majors. Reyes talks about his partnership with Agassi with a lot pf affection and reflect on the times that changed both their lives. It's a must listen conversation for all tennis fans.

Andre Agassi had an incredible career and the 1999 Roland Garros win is one of his career defining moments. In three week's time it will be the 25th anniversary of his famous French Open triumph. In this week's episode hall of famer Steve Flink and TWAA analyst Skip Schwarzman join host Saqib Ali to look back at the career of Andre Agassi. It is hard to capture the Agassi journey in an episode spanning seventy five minutes. However the trio looks back at some of the impactful moments and memories of Agassi's storied career.

Resident guest Andrew Burton joins host Matt Zemek to review the recently concluded Madrid Open - where Iga Swiatek and Andrey Rublev were victorious in the respective WTA and ATP draws. Burton highlights the women's final weekend as the top player stability talking point with the likes of Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina holding centre stage. It's exactly the kind of weekend which puts the quality of the WTA tour at the front. The duo also looks at the Madrid result as an opportunity for other ATP players to make an impression on the upcoming Rome masters given the injured state of top men like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and the lack of match play for the 6 time Rome champion Novak Djokovic. Intriguing plots await on both men and women tours as the big prize in Paris looms large. The episode touches upon all this and more!

Briana Foust and Sharada Iyer join host Matt Zemek to discuss the ongoing clay swing for the women of the WTA. In a conversation consisting of rich topics from Iga Swiatek's dominance to the form of Danielle Collins - the duo covers a lot of ground. Also covered are topics like the stability of the WTA tour and power ranks for this part of the season. Tune in!

Steve Flink and Gill Gross return to the podcast to discuss the ATP power rankings with the season in full swing. We take a look at the usual suspects of favorites and challengers for this part of the ATP swing. Tune in to find out how your list compares with Steve and Gill's choices.

Podcast regulars Mert Ertunga and Skip Schwarzman join host Saqib Ali to talk about the state of the single hand backhand. The stroke has witnessed a gradual decline over the years and it became a louder conversation after Stefanos Tsitsipas departed the top 10 of the ATP rankings a month ago. Being the true students of the game - both Skip and Mert chimed in with their choices and reasons on how the game has reached this point. Tune in for a very rich conversation. Tennis with an accent on twitter - https://twitter.com/accent_tennis Mert on twitter -https://twitter.com/MertovsTDesk Skip on twitter -https://twitter.com/TennisSkip1515

Former world number 38 Steve Darcis is the podcast guest this week. Darcis lets us in his world where he talks about his tennis career beginning and all the way to an injury forced retirement. Currently he does not miss the life on tour as he is happily married with kids and is incharge of the Davis cup team among other responsibilities with the Belgian tennis federation. He also talks about his wins over Nadal, Roddick, Berdych and other top pros. Last but not the least he gives us an insight on how public perception is for a top player like his compatriot David Goffin.