The AO Show Tennis Australia

Former world No.33 Paolo Lorenzi, who retired from the tour in 2021, is now the Italian Open tournament director. Having trained and competed with Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini in his playing career, Lorenzi has witnessed first-hand the spectacular rise of Italian tennis, and believes the best is yet to come. He sits down with Ursin Caderas at the Foro Italico in Rome to discuss Sinner’s enormous popularity, and how the Australian Open 2024 champion could soon not only be world No.1, but potentially one of 10 Italian men ranked inside the world’s top 50 players.

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Iga Swiatek has bolstered her impressive clay-court credentials by taking the title in Madrid in a pulsating women’s final against Aryna Sabalenka lasting more than three hours — Wally Masur and Viv Christie join the panel to discuss the Pole’s main threats in Rome and Roland Garros, and preview a men’s draw missing Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, giving Rafael Nadal even more impetus in his final appearance in the Italian capital, plus we discuss the outlook for former Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem, and Brie reveals her top 5 show-stoppers of Met Gala 2024.
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Wim Fissette is on tour with Naomi Osaka again following the birth of her daughter Shai and subsequent return to the court. The Belgian coach believes the four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No.1 can reach even greater heights, and has room to grow on clay. Fissette joins Matt and Viv from Madrid to discuss her potential, and his passion for coaching over a 15-year career that has featured stints with other top-ranked major champions Kim Clijsters, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, and Angelique Kerber.

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Host handles:@Viv_Christie@MattyAT
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AO 2023 women’s finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina renew hostilities in the semifinals of Madrid, while Iga Swiatek battles Madison Keys for the other spot in the final — Casey Dellacqua and Simon Rea preview the last four for the women’s draw discuss the outlook for the men’s draw, which lost top two seeds Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz with injury concerns weeks out from Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal has another four matches under the belt as he looks to take the next step towards Roland Garros in Rome, and as Alize Cornet prepares to bid au revoir, we look back on her momentous quarterfinal run at AO 2022.AusOpen.comiHeartApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotify
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You'd be hard-pressed to find someone with more passion for tennis than Paul McNamee, a Davis Cup and Wimbledon champion who later became Australian Open tournament director. Atypically for an Australian, McNamee's favourite surface is clay — a love-affair he documents in his book Welcome to the Dance. Matt and Viv sit down with McNamee to discuss the nation's relationship with clay, his favourite clay-courts around the world, and who he most loves watching compete on the surface today.AusOpen.comiHeartApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotify 

Host handles:@Viv_Christie@MattyAT
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Jelena Dokic joins The AO Show for our 200th episode! After conquering Iga Swiatek en route to the title in Stuttgart, Elena Rybakina claims she can win a Grand Slam on any surface — our panel discusses her chances ahead of Roland Garros and who stands in her way of a second major crown, Casper Ruud claims his biggest title of his career in Barcelona and is back Grand Slam title contention, Rafael Nadal takes the next step in his Paris preparations in Madrid, and the tennis world bids farewell to Australian Open finalist and two-time major champion Garbine Muguruza.
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