This week Erik and Aidan discuss the first two rounds of the Australian Open and preview what’s to come in the next few rounds. The tournament has had a few surprises so far, with young players putting on good performances to make it through the first two rounds. Meanwhile, veterans like Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka have returned to vintage form in order to battle through their opening rounds, giving tennis fans a hit of nostalgia. As the rounds go on, we will no doubt start to see more top seeded players fall, so be sure to check back next week for another episode!

Contents

Intro 0:00

First Round Upsets 3:05

Second Round Surprises 10:48

Are Rublev/Medvedev back? 14:34

Tsitsipas overhyped? 15:54

Round 3 Matchups 17:26

What’s New? 22:52

Bet of the Week 29:17

Match of the Week 31:37

In this Bonus Episode of Painting Lines, Erik and Aidan discuss their immediate reactions to the 2026 Australian Open Draw. Starting off with some potential upsets their looking at in the early rounds, they move on to discussing other exciting matches they are looking forward to in the opening rounds. They then project some possible underdog stories in the tournament, and talk about which of the top contenders have the best chances to win the tournament overall. Be sure to check back next week for an update on week one of the Australian Open!

Contents

Intro/Unlucky De Minaur 0:00

Potential Top 20 Upsets 1:30

Exciting Round 1 Matches 8:32

Potential Matchups 9:52

Surprise Runs 13:27

Sinner's Path to the Final 18:05

This week Erik and Aidan discuss the first big week of tennis in 2026. Starting off in Brisbane, where the field was stacked with talent. Seeds were dropping like flies, but Daniil Medvedev put on a vintage performance, looking like he may be able to return to the highest level. In Hong Kong, the top seeds stood out, with a 1 vs 2 final, and a Top 10 breakthrough for Alexander Bublik. Finally, in the United Cup Poland finally managed to win the title after 2 years of heartbreak, while Stan the Man and Switzerland battled to second place. Be sure to check back next week for another episode!ContentsIntro 0:00Brisbane Recap 1:35Hong Kong Recap 17:35United Cup 23:02What’s New 28:05Bet of the Week/Upset Alert 33:28Match of the Week 35:07

This week Erik and Aidan discuss the most controversial player in tennis, Nick Kyrgios. Known for his antics on and off the court, Kyrgios burst onto the scene around 2015 displaying incredible talent and taking out top opponents in big matches. However, talent can only take you so far, and Kyrgios has displayed huge amounts of inconsistency over the course of his career. He has played at tennis' biggest stage, the Wimbledon final, but has never truly been a next-level player, peaking at a ranking just outside the top 10. With all the talent in the world, Kyrgios may truly be the biggest what-if in tennis history. Be sure to check back next week for another episode!

Contents

Intro 0:00

AO Wildcard? 0:41

Breakout Moment 3:26

2015 - 2022 5:37

2023 - Present 10:43

The Controversies 15:17

Overall Opinions 27:10

What's New in Tennis 28:21

Bet of the Week 33:17

Match of the Week 34:26

This week Erik and Aidan give their thoughts on the upcoming 2026 ATP Tennis season. 2025 was an exciting year, but left a lot of questions about what will happen this year. Will the top players continue to dominate? Will Father Time finally catch up with Djokovic? The discussion ranges from predicted changes at the top to reflecting on last years predictions. Some of which were right, while others were very wrong. Enjoy a fun episode and be sure to check back next week for another update!

Contents

Intro 0:00

Top 5 Predictions 1:24

Players Trending Up 4:42

Players Trending Down 7:13

Fall from grace 8:33

Young Guys to Watch 11:52

Potentially Dangerous Players 15:23

Quick Hitter Questions 19:00

What's New in Tennis 24:50

Bet of the Week/Upset Watch 29:04

This week Erik and Aidan discuss the Next Gen Finals which took place this past week in Jeddah. In a lot of ways, this tournament was unique, featuring mainly unknown players outside the top 100, with Learner Tien being a massive favorite in the tournament. However, the tournament did still give us an interesting look at the next generation of talent that will be coming up on the ATP tour, as well as showing the level of this rising American talent. We hope you enjoy the episode and be sure to check back next week for another episode!

Contents

Immediate Reactions 0:00

Breaking down the Group Stage 1:53

Semifinals 4:38

The Final 6:12

Tien in 2026 11:20

What's New in Tennis? 17:31

Match of the Week 20:45

In this Bonus Episode of Painting Lines, Erik and Aidan join the pod to discuss the shocking split between Carlos Alcaraz and his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. Ferrero has been Carlos' coach for years, bringing him from his junior days to the height of professional tennis, winning grand slams and reaching the world number one ranking. However, in a surprising move, Alcaraz and Ferrero have parted ways, despite Alcaraz having won the most recent grand slam at the US Open, and ending the year in the top ranking position. It is the perhaps most out of the blue coaching change in the history of tennis, and has left the tennis world reeling.

This week Erik and Aidan discuss the biggest names in ATP Tennis that have retired from the tour in 2025. From Diego Schwartzman, the small Argentinian who proved that you can dominate no matter your size, to the frenchman Richard Gasquet, who battled with the big 4, these top players will be missed for their top level play and the moments they created on court over the course of their careers. Be sure to check back next week for another episode!Contents

Intro 0:00

Diego Schwarzman 3:29

Richard Gasquet 7:51

Fabio Fognini 13:09

Nicholas Mahut 18:06

What's New in Tennis 23:04#retirement #indoor #turín #vienna #paris #crazy #shanghai #beijing #tokyo #usopen #newyork #canada #london #paris #sunshine #dubai #rio #atp #nextgen #headlines #finals #masters #comment #response #murray #wilander #sinner #medvedev #indianwells #miami #analysis #tennis #podcast #tennispodcast #tennis #djokovic #nadal #federer #wimbledon #upsets #rivalry #debate #controversial #controversy #projection #betting #forecast #champion #news #mindset #bublik #rublev #ruud #rune #champion #news #alcaraz #usopen #wimbledon #frenchopen #australianopen #hurkacz #monfils #shelton #college #atp #paris #atpfinals #daviscup #nextgen #tsitsipas #cincinnati #shocking

This week Erik and Aidan discuss the future of tennis, giving a preview of the players who will be featured in the Next Gen ATP Finals later this month. The top players have already made a mark on tour, with Jakub Mensik winning the Masters 1000 title in Miami, while Learner Tien has begun to solidify himself as a threat to top players on tour. However, the majority of the players featured in this event have little to no name recognition, perhaps meaning this event could be a huge introduction of these players to the world stage. With the top young talent on display, it's sure to be an exciting tournament, so be sure to check it out and check back next week for another episode!

Contents

Fonseca Withdraws 0:00

Tournament Favorite 2:26

Tournament Format 3:48

Jakub Mensik 7:41

Learner Tien 9:30

Alexander Blockx 11:04

Dino Prizmic 12:38

Martin Landaluce 14:53

Nicolai Kjaer 16:26

Nishesh Basavarreddy 18:15

Rafael Jodar 20:05

What's New 24:17

This week Erik and Aidan reflect on the 2025 season in the annual Painting Lines ATP Award Show. From discussing players that have had a comeback year, to looking at the fastest rising players, to the best match overall, the guys go over some of the biggest moments of the 2025 season. Despite mainly being a season dominated by two players, there were still definitely some interesting moments, so be sure to check it out and check back next week for another episode!ContentsOverall Thoughts on 2025 Season 0:00Most Improved Player 3:25Comeback Player of the Year 6:23Best Server 9:03Most Entertaining Player 11:51Most Underrated Player 13:22Most Overrated Player 15:31Most Likely to Break into Top 10 18:52Most Likely to Drop out of Top 10 22:30Biggest Surprise of the Year 24:25Most Likely to Crash Out 26:10Favorite Moment of the Year 27:27Most fun to grab a beer with 29:56Best Rivalry 30:48Match of the Year 32:01Player of the Year 33:17What's New 35:31