The Sit-Down

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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Viv and Matt are joined by not one, but two guests: Daria and Luke Saville. During a rare week at home in Melbourne together in 2024, the Savilles left dog Tofu with Dasha's mum and sat down for their first proper interview together. In a wide-ranging chat, they recall how they met as juniors, Daria's relocation to Australia, and how their professional tennis careers have unfolded in tandem: hitting together, offering each other advice, and learning from one another, shining a light on their various strengths as players, and their respective coaching ambitions. Also, Viv refreshes Luke's memory with his original letter to Australian Tennis Magazine 20 years ago!

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Since making his ATP-level debut on home soil in Antwerp, Belgian Zizou Bergs has made methodical progress in his career. From his position outside the top 500 then, to cracking the top 50 this year, Bergs has emerged as a compelling player on court with a well-rounded attitude to life off it. In this week’s episode, we share Jackson Mansell’s interview with Bergs in Sydney at last month’s Davis Cup tie, when Bergs helped Belgium to a 3-2 win over Australia at Ken Rosewall Arena. In a wide-ranging chat we learn of the origin of his name, his dedication to improvement and extracting the very best from himself, his breakout run at Roland Garros in 2024, and how he emphasises reading, learning and overall self-improvement in his time away from the court.

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Having competed on tour for the better part of a decade, 27-year-old Priscilla Hon is enjoying her best season to date. The Queenslander this week made her top-100 debut, reward for a purple patch of form during which she has flourished on the biggest stages. After qualifying for Wimbledon, Hon did the same at the US Open, going on to reach the third of the main draw in a career-best Slam performance. She then headed to the China Open and powered into the third round, her best WTA 1000 result. Hon joined Viv and Matt on screen from Beijing — where she also reached the doubles semifinals alongside Karolina Muchova — and talked candidly about what's been clicking in 2025 as well as her "up-and-down" journey to this point.

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In his burgeoning pro career, Rinky Hijikata has shone on the doubles court. At just 21 years of age, he combined with fellow Aussie Jason Kubler to win Australian Open 2023, and in 2025 reached the Wimbledon men’s doubles alongside Dutchman David Pel. Those results have given Hijikata invaluable exposure to the pressure of huge moments on the game’s biggest stages; experience he hopes to translate to his singles game. As he discusses with Jackson Mansell on this week’s episode, the Sydneysider – who’d made a rare return to his hometown for Australia’s Davis Cup tie against Belgium — was keen to put physical niggles behind him in a bid to improve on his career-high singles ranking of world No.62. Inspired by Australian legend Lleyton Hewitt and Japanese icon Kei Nishikori, Hijikata discusses his journey — which went through the US college system — to arrive at this point.

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