In our first episode of 2026, Viv and Matt are joined by Stan Wawrinka for a live-recorded interview on the Grand Slam Oval fan stage. Wawrinka is embarking on his final season on tour, drawing a close to a glittering pro career of more than 20 years. That career vaulted to the next level when the Swiss star broke through for his first Grand Slam singles title at Australian Open 2014, beating Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal along the way in a famous victory. Wawrinka would go on to win Roland Garros and US Open trophies to cement himself among the legends of the game. Now 40 years old and a wildcard entry at AO 2026, Wawrinka opened up ahead of his 20th campaign at Melbourne Park about his career, his mentality, his memories, what lies ahead in 2026 – and what life might look like when he hangs up his racquets for good.

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In our final episode of The Sit-Down for 2025, Viv and Matt are joined by Daria Kasatkina, who in March made the switch to representing Australia. It was a big decision in an emotionally intense season that the 28-year-old ended early due to burnout. Now more refreshed, Kasatkina chatted from her base in Spain, where she is preparing for her first Summer of Tennis representing the green and gold. She takes listeners right back to the beginning: how her parents, both professional athletes themselves, set her up for success, and how she developed her crafty, nuanced style of play. She reflects on her junior Slam success, memories of watching idol Rafael Nadal, and career milestones which include cracking the top 10 in 2018 and reaching the 2022 Roland Garros semifinals. Plus, there’s some hot tennis takes in there too. This is a candid conversation with one of the sport’s more thoughtful stars, and one who is excited to continue representing her adopted nation – where she loves the nature, coffee and people – in 2026.  

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Carolyn Broderick joins Viv and Matt in Pod Laver Arena to give listeners an insight into her role as Chief Medical Officer at Tennis Australia and for the Australian Open. Hundreds of tennis players are soon to arrive in Australia in January, the majority from a Northern Hemisphere winter. It means they face a huge adjustment — after having traversed multiple time zones — when they begin preparing and competing in the Australian summer. We learn about the “self-sufficient medical centre” that operates for four weeks at the AO, staffed by a multi-disciplinary team that offers physical and mental health services, plus annual scans and checks for players who might not be able to easily access these given their constant travel schedule. We also hear about Broderick’s roles with the Australian Olympic and Billie Jean King Cup teams, her work in academic and children’s health spheres, and how she juggles it all while pursuing her many passions outside of work.

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After a brief off-season, 2026 preparations are already underway for Alex de Minaur, who joined Viv and Matt on this week’s episode from his base in Monte Carlo. The Aussie No.1 enjoyed the chance to reflect on his 2025 season, during which he reached his first AO quarterfinal and won his 10th career ATP title in Washington DC – while also overcoming burnout and shifting perspective – to achieve his highest year-end ranking. Those performances saw him nominated once again for the prestigious Newcombe Medal, awarded to Australia’s most outstanding player and ambassador for the sport. ‘Demon’, as he is affectionately known, also dived into his passion for collecting vintage cars, his wedding plans, how he switches between English and Spanish, plans for his foundation, and how he’d love nothing more than a deep run at Australian Open 2026.

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Wheelchair tennis star Heath Davidson, whose profile exploded after he and partner Dylan Alcott claimed quad doubles gold for Australia at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, joins Viv and Matt this week in Pod Laver Arena. Davidson’s prominence in the sport, and wheelchair tennis advocacy, have helped shape the upcoming summer of tennis; January will see wheelchair events integrated into the United Cup and the Brisbane and Adelaide Internationals leading into Australian Open 2026. More motivated than ever to compete during the new-look summer, Davidson remains a fixture in the top 10 at age 38, all the more inspiring given the hurdles he was forced to overcome – including addiction, homelessness and “falling into the wrong crowd” – during his teens and 20s, a time he recounts in candid detail during this wide-ranging interview.

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American Patrick Kypson joined The Sit-Down this week in a great place in his career. The 26-year-old sits at a peak ranking of No.117, thanks to results on the Challenger circuit which also helped him secure a main-draw wildcard at Australian Open 2026. After missing three months of 2025 due to a foot stress fracture and dropping outside the world’s top 450, Kypson soared when he returned, winning four ATP Challenger titles and benefitting from a commitment to more aggression and a better transition game to compliment the counterpunching instincts he honed from childhood on the green clay courts of North Carolina. During this interview Viv and Matt also learned about Kypson’s connection with leading Americans on the ATP Tour, his journey through the US college system, and what he’s targeting when his 2026 season begins Down Under.

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A revered name in modern Australian tennis, Casey Dellacqua is universally admired for her on-court achievements, commentary insights and humility through success. The West Australian-turned-Sydneysider played eight Grand Slam finals through her peak, claiming the French Open mixed doubles title in 2011. A famous partnership with Ash Barty delivered finals at all four Slams, but her name first went up in lights after a defeat of Amelie Mauresmo and a fourth-round run at AO 2008. Her singles career is oft underappreciated; Dellacqua progressed to at least the third round at every major. The former world No.26 stepped into Pod Laver Arena to tell Matt and Viv about the moment that flipped her career "on its head",  victories she claimed through periods of physical and emotional turmoil and her current life with the "best job in the world".

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The last time Maya Joint sat down with us, in April, she was the world No.78 preparing to make her Billie Jean King Cup debut for Australia. Seven months on, she's a two-time WTA title winner, ranked 32nd and was the first player selected to lead the Culture Amp Australian Billie Jean King Cup team into action for this week's Play-offs in Hobart. Joint's return to The Sit-Down gave us a chance to chat to the teenager about just how far she's come, and the fact she's put herself in contention for a Grand Slam seeding in 2026. Now living in Melbourne, Joint joined Jackson Mansell in Pod Laver Arena to discuss her most recent career highlights, how she's adjusting to the brighter glare of the spotlight, her thoughts on representing Australia, plus what she's doing off court to celebrate her successes and maintain work-life balance.

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In the second part of Matt's chat with Judy Murray, the Scottish matriarch talks about her passion for the investment in and visibility of women's sports. Inspired by the Billie Jean King quote, "if you don't use your voice, nobody will hear you," Murray discusses her work in the women and girls space, including with the WTA to foster more tennis opportunities at a grassroots level in Saudi Arabia — current home of the WTA Finals — and in her previous role as British Fed Cup captain, where she brought more women into high-performance roles. Be sure to check out Part 1 of The Sit-Down with Judy Murray, in which she discusses raising her Grand Slam champion sons Andy and Jamie.

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Mark Philippoussis joins Viv Christie in Pod Laver Arena to reflect on a career that saw him crack the top 10, reach two Grand Slam finals and star in two triumphant Australian Davis Cup teams. The Melburnian's star soared when he stunned world No.1 Pete Sampras as a teenager, in his home city, at Australian Open 1996, and two years later appeared in his first major final at the 1998 US Open. Philippoussis admits his second major final defeat, to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2003, was more painful to process. Yet just a few months later he ended that year on a high, playing through a torn pectoral muscle to clinch the winning rubber over Spain at Rod Laver Arena, which saw Australia crowned 2003 Davis Cup champions. Since retiring, Philippoussis has pursued an interest in fashion yet has remained connected to the sport through legends events and coaching, revealing how much he enjoys watching the current generation of men's and women's stars.

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