Tennis Weekly

US Open Day 4: Alcaraz battles back as Sabalenka finds her level in New York

Tennis Weekly

Show Notes

Carlos Alcaraz puts a first-set blip behind him, Aryna Sabalenka is absolutely ruthless, and Rafael Jodar crashes out to a lucky loser in one of the shocks of the US Open so far! Join Joel and Chris at Tennis Weekly HQ for our US Open Day 4 catch-up as we debate whether Alcaraz’s four-set win over Jaime Faria was actually the perfect test for the defending champion. There was also more ‘nipple gate’ as Alcaraz debuted a new Travis Scott x Cactus Jack outfit… and this time the nipple managed to contain itself! Meanwhile, Sabalenka demolished Polina Iatcenko in just 53 minutes, but the real drama came afterwards as she hit back at questions about her pre-US Open ‘parties’. Is there a double standard when it comes to female tennis players and their lives away from the court?

We also debate the chaotic US Open schedule, with Jessica Pegula through to Round 3 before some players had even stepped onto court, while Ben Shelton came up clutch against Hubert Hurkacz. We come to terms with the fact that the summer of Nakashima is now over (sorry Kim!) and ask whether Rafael Jodar’s packed summer finally caught up with him following his one-sided loss to a lucky loser. Plus, we look ahead to Day 5, with Iga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff vs Paula Badosa all featuring, while ‘Eala-mania’ looks set to continue on Louis Armstrong in the Day Session.

SUBSCRIBE

Sign-up to Tennis Weekly: Ad-free + Extras to listen to ad-free episodes, enjoy monthly bonus podcasts, behind the scenes tournament content, member only quiz episodes and subscriber Q&A podcasts.

SOCIALS

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show [email protected].

MERCH

Purchase Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!

REVIEWS

***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from Tennis Weekly

Oct 19, 2026

Maja Chwalinska wins the Wuhan Open, Sonay Kartal’s dream run falls just short and Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils announce their shock separation! Join Joel, Kim and Chris at Tennis Weekly HQ as we catch up on a dramatic week on and off the court. Chwalinska followed up her incredible Roland Garros run with the biggest title of her career, but does her WTA 1000 triumph prove she’s an all-court threat rather than just a clay specialist, as previously suggested by Anna Kalinskaya? We also celebrate Sonay Kartal’s remarkable comeback from injury and discuss Alejandro Davidovich Fokina’s stunning Shanghai Masters title run (undefeated this year in Asia!) plus what his new coach José Clavet has brought to his game after beating fellow Spaniard Rafael Jodar in the final.

Oct 12, 2026

Qinwen Zheng makes history in Beijing, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz crash out in Shanghai, and Mirra Andreeva breaks into the world’s top three! Join Joel and Chris at Tennis Weekly HQ as we catch up on the Asian swing so far. ‘QUEENwen’ Zheng delighted the home crowd by becoming the first Chinese woman to win the China Open WTA 1000 title, but is she definitively back, and can she return to the top 10? We also unpack Shanghai’s shock results, from Djokovic and Ben Shelton’s early exits to Alcaraz’s ball-bashing outburst against Zizou Bergs. Plus, what’s gone wrong for Shelton since his US Open final run, and what was the Spaniard thinking with the debut look of ‘Moustachecaraz’?

Oct 6, 2026

Jannik Sinner is OUT for the rest of the season, Carlos Alcaraz defends his Tokyo crown and Novak Djokovic moves to 102 tour-level titles! Join Joel, Kim and Chris at Tennis Weekly HQ as we get stuck into a huge week in tennis, starting with the bombshell news that Sinner’s ongoing knee injury has ended his 2026 season. How do we assess his year ending with a 44-3 record and the fact this means Alexander Zverev will be the end of season World No. 1 despite being 2-9 against Top 10 players this year.

Sep 28, 2026

Fresh from Carlos Alcaraz inspiring Team Europe back to Laver Cup glory in London, we're back to unravel another busy week on the tour. Join Joel, Kim and Chris at Tennis Weekly HQ as we dissect Europe's triumph, clinched on Day 3 by Alexander Zverev, and ask whether the 13-5 scoreline really reflected how close the contest was. Was Team World's selection strategy off the mark from captain Andre Agassi and did Europe's doubles dominance decide it? We also get stuck into the court speed debate, the Federer-Alcaraz bromance, celebrity spotting featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, and whether players can complain about scheduling before adding exhibitions and team events to an already packed calendar. Away from London, Czechia underlined their status as the leading nation in women’s tennis with a 12th Billie Jean King Cup title, whilst Leylah Fernandez rediscovered her best form in Singapore and Kimberly Birrell claimed a maiden WTA crown in Seoul. We debate Novak Djokovic's place on the newly unveiled Grand Slam Player Council, ask why the biggest stars aren't involved, and look ahead to Beijing where Elena Rybakina begins life as World No. 1 and Tokyo where Carlos Alcaraz is back with his first tour level appearance since Barcelona.

Sep 27, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz puts on another show, saving two match points as Team Europe take a 7-5 lead at the Laver Cup! Join Joel and Kim at Tennis Weekly HQ as we catch up on a dramatic Day 2 in London, where every singles match delivered. Alcaraz produced another Laver Cup classic against Taylor Fritz in front of a spectating Roger Federer and Andy Murray, winning 6-3, 4-6, 13-11 to level the tie at 5-5. We also get stuck into Alex de Minaur’s incredible comeback against Alexander Zverev, his bizarre 4-0 record over him in team events, that chest bump celebration with captain Andre Agassi and why Zverev continues to struggle in Laver Cup singles. Plus, Learner Tien battled past Flavio Cobolli before Zverev and Casper Ruud put Europe back in front in the doubles - are Team World missing out on a true doubles lynchpin like they used to have with Jack Sock?

See all episodes →