Before anything else, our thoughts this week are firmly with teh family of Damian Kust. Damian was a cherished and passionate member of the tennis community whom we lost at the age of just 26. His work covering the Challenger Tour set him apart, but his passion and knowledge was what really made him shine. RIP Damian. Details of his funeral and donations to the foundation his parents have chosen are here: https://x.com/damiankust/status/2009644081207709969

It always feels utterly empty to follow such profoundly sad news with the mundanity of the week's tennis news. Here is what else Calvin Betton, James Gray and George Bellshaw discussed this week...

PLUS: No Australian Open wildcard for Nick Kyrgios; there is one for Stan Wawrinka; titles for Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Bublik, Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina; Emma Raducanu's return; and OF COURSE *that* wildcard in Nairobi.

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Calvin Betton is in Brisbane but that won't stop him getting on the podcast (even if it does stop him getting any sleep). He joins James Gray for the first half of this week's podcast before subbing out for George Bellshaw, who sleeps soundly in his childhood bedroom in the West Midlands.

They discussed...

- Emma Raducanu pulls out of her season debut (she eventually played Maria Sakkari)... ...and she's testing a new racket

- Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals he considered retirement after battling a back injury last year

- Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Calvin relaunch their defence of the 250

- Novak Djokovic pulls out of the PTPA

- Venus Williams gets an Australian Open wildcard but Nick Kyrgios is made to wait for his

- Katie Boulter links up with a new coach in Michael Joyce

- Iga Swiatek questions why we needed another "Battle of the Sexes"

And finally, could Lionel Messi really win 50 grand slams?!

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James Gray, George Bellshaw and Calvin Betton are back round the microphones to discuss not one but TWO weeks of tennis news - because the gossip train does not take Christmas off.

They discussed...

- Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero have ended their seven-year partnership - but no one quite knows why

- Nick Kyrgios says “there's nothing but positives that can be taken away from this” after beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in the so-called Battle of the Sexes in Dubai

- British number one Jack Draper will not play in next month's Australian Open because of an ongoing arm injury

PLUS

- Jennifer Brady is making a comeback (maybe?)

- Holger Rune is rushing his comeback (maybe?)

- Learner Tien is ready for a serious impact (maybe?)

And the sandwich shop Calvin was talking about? All'Antico Vinaio on Liberty Street in FiDi.

And finally, if you want to read what James wrote about the Battle of the Sexes, you can do so for FREE here: https://inews.co.uk/sport/tennis/battle-of-the-sexes-pixelated-mess-awful-4136957?utm_campaign=PNITUx1xSr1ai7e&ito=gifted_article&data-target=gifted_article&utm_source=XJPLeh5koSHChZEU

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With the three lads taking Christmas week off, we have a special interview with... James Gray.

Two years ago, he interviewed George and Calvin for special episodes around Christmas, and this time the microphone has been turned around and it is James who will have to try and talk about himself.

Do go back and listen to the two previous interviews for the perspectives on their lives, and even if you don't, have a happy, safe and peaceful Christmas.

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Calvin Betton, George Bellshaw and James Gray get together for the last episode of the 2025 campaign proper.

As well discussing the latest news about the Battle of the Sexes, the WTA's $500m (potentially) sponsorship deal and Piers Morgan (!), they picked out the highlights and lowlights of 2025.

That includes:

- Biggest letdown

- Best improvement

- Favourite moment

- Least favourite moment

And more!

****

Oh and to watch Luke Johnson teach James a tennis lesson, watch here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSUv0nhidls/?hl=en

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George Bellshaw, James Gray and Calvin Betton are all in London - but still can't all get in the same room! 🤣

Anyway, they were still able to discuss a week of bombshell news in the tennis world, including...

They also answered questions tennis at the Olympic Games, Michael Stich and the Davis Cup.

Enjoy!

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James Gray (The i Paper), Calvin Betton (grand slam-winning ATP coach) and George Bellshaw (tennis writer and broadcaster) answer your questions on all things tennis over the course of an hour.

Topics include...

- The Big 3/Big 4 era and was it good for tennis?

- The Sincaraz dominance

- Andy Roddick's scheduling ideas

- What happens when doubles pairs break up

- The Winter County Cup

- Dream coaching jobs

- Top 10 predictions for 2026

- Emma Raducanu's pre-season plans

And much, much more!

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George Bellshaw for part 1, Calvin Betton for part 2, and the dulcet tones of James Gray back on the airwaves for the whole blooming thing. What more could anyone want?

Here are the stories they discussed:

- Roger Federer has been voted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, but Juan Martin de Potro and Svetlana Kuznetsova did not make it

- The PTPA and Tennis Australia are engaged in "substantive and productive bilateral settlement discussions" to settle their lawsuit in New York, but cases against other tennis bodies including the other three grand slam organisers continue

- Katie Boulter says she is choosing between her ranking and her body ahead of the Australian Open because she is in danger of missing out on direct entry

- Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from a couple of pre-season exhibitions in January with some light bone bruise in her foot, and has also hired a new physio Emma Stewart, who has previously worked with the successful British Olympic Rowing team

- Joe Salisbury is taking six months out of tennis to deal with anxiety-related stress

- Italy have won a third consecutive Davis Cup, the first country to do so since the USA in the 1970s

Plus so much more!

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George Bellshaw grasps the reins as James Gray takes a week off. He is joined by Calvin Betton, fresh from ATP World Tour Finals victory with Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara.

Here are six bullet points summarizing this podcast episode:

Henry Patten and Harry Heliövaara's ATP Finals triumph: Calvin reflects on their dominant week in Turin, where they became the only pair not to lose serve all tournament and capped off a phenomenal end to the season with victories in Beijing, Paris, and the year-end finals in Turin, all after winning the Australian Open in January.

Sinner's indoor dominance continues: Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-5 in the ATP Finals, extending his remarkable indoor winning streak to 31 matches (fourth-longest in history) and demonstrating his superiority in fast court conditions.

Felix Auger-Aliassime poised for breakthrough: Calvin's bold prediction: FAA will establish himself as the world's third-best player in 2026, citing his newfound confidence, consistent results, injury-free status, and superior talent compared to players like Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz.

Zverev's coaching concerns: Despite being world number two, Calvin criticises Zverev's practice sessions as lacking proper structure and technical coaching, suggesting he needs to hire a proven coach rather than relying solely on family members if he wants to win majors.

ATP calendar controversy intensifies: Calvin and George discuss Andrea Gaudenzi's plans to expand Masters events and focus on "premium products," with Calvin arguing passionately against taking tennis away from passionate fanbases in places like South America and Italy in favour of lucrative but atmosphere-lacking Middle Eastern venues.

Djokovic's reality check: George and Calvin reflect on Novak Djokovic's interview with Piers Morgan, in which he admits the rise of Sinner and Alcaraz has forced him to re-evaluate his goals.

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George Bellshaw, Calvin Betton and James Gray unpick another "complicated" week of tennis news - because nothing is ever straightforward in this sport!

They discussed...

- A date has been confirmed for a new "Battle of the Sexes” with Aryna Sabalenka vs Nick Kyrgios set for 28 December in Dubai

- Elena Rybakina wins the WTA Finals and is then determined to embarrass WTA boss Portia Archer over her role in banning coach Stefano Vukov

- Aryna Sabalenka loses another big final and ends up in tears

- Jack Draper says players need to stop talking and start doing over complaints on the gruelling tennis schedule

- Novak Djokovic wins title No 101 in Athens, ripping off his shirt in celebration and becoming the oldest man to win a title in 48 years. It took him all of three gruelling hours against Lorenzo Musetti - whom he then told at the net that his defeat was meaningless and the Italian would still qualify for ATP World Tour Finals because Djokovic was pulling out

- Learner Tien beat Cam Norrie in a fine Metz final to claim his first career title and confirm a top 30 debut. Breakthrough player of the year?

- And finally, many congratulations to Ons Jabeur, who has announced that she is expecting a baby boy in April

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