Rybakina, Ruud conquer clay, Rafa's ready to ‘die’ on Chatrier, and Muguruza retires

Catherine, David and Matt round up the results from another hectic week on the clay, headlined by Elena Rybakina’s victory in Stuttgart. We discuss her win over Iga Swiatek and what that might mean for the pair’s rivalry, and pay tribute to an incredible week for Marta Kostyuk.  Elsewhere, Sloane Stephens’ run to the title in Rouen had us checking the Roland Garros odds and Catherine was trolled by Casper Ruud avenging his Monte Carlo defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas by winning in Barcelona. Is Ruud now in the French Open Mix?  There’s also discussion about Rafael Nadal’s form in Barcelona and his quote that he’s ready to die on the court in Paris, Jan-Lennard Struff’s first career title in snowy Munich, Garbine Muguruza announcing her retirement, and a quick preview of Madrid. 

OUR LINKS: Join The Barge! Become a Friend of the Tennis Podcast to also help us to produce the show year-round, receive exclusive access to bonus podcasts throughout 2024, including Tennis Re-Lived and Grand Slam review shows, read Hannah's Column and watch monthly live shows on YouTube.  Hannah’s latest column about Emma Raducanu is available for Friends - https://bit.ly/HannahOnEmmaRaducanu Sign up to receive our Newsletter (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt’s Stat, mascot photos, predictions, and more) Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram (@thetennispodcast) Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Shop Read our New York Times profile Tennis Podcast Terminology Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.