WTA Insider Podcast

Madison Keys can win on clay. Now that she has, maybe she'll finally believe it. The 24-year-old took home her first clay title at the Volvo Car Open, defeating Caroline Wozniacki 7-6(5), 6-2 in the final.

The win capped off a resurgent week for Keys, who came into Charleston off two back-to-back heartbreaking three-set losses, and leaves with her 1st title since 2017 Stanford, having beaten three major champions - Jelena Ostapenko, Sloane Stephens, and Wozniacki - to win her fourth WTA title. 

Hear from both Keys and her coach Juan Todero after their wildly successful reunion. 

Australia's Ashleigh Barty capped off a Sunshine Swing full of surprises by defeating Karolina Pliskova to win the biggest title of her career at the Miami Open. The 22-year-old's title run included big wins over two of the most in-form players of the hardcourt season in Petra Kvitova and Pliskova, and cemented her Top 10 debut on Monday. 

The Aussie sat down on the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on her successful fortnight, her comeback after her early-career hiatus, and to give some love to retired doubles partner Casey Dellacqua.

Bianca Andreescu didn't believe she'd win the BNP Paribas Open title when she arrived in Indian Wells and she almost bowed out in the first round. But the winningest player across all levels this season put together a statement run to her first WTA title, defeating four seeds and two Top 10 players in Elina Svitolina and Angelique Kerber in the final, coming back from a break down in the third to win. 

The overwhelmed Canadian teen joins the podcast to reflect on her week in the California desert and the evolution of her game, which made everyone sit up and take notice over the Indian Wells fortnight. 

Belinda Bencic capped off a stunning and dramatic run to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title, defeating Petra Kvitova 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to win her second Premier 5 title.

En route to her biggest title since 2015, the 21-year-old Swiss saved match points against Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 16, came back from a set down to oust Simona Halep, came back from 3-5 in the third to defeat two-time defending champion Elina Svitolina, and outlasted Kvitova in the final.

In all, Bencic tallied four consecutive Top 10 wins to secure her first tour-level title in over three years after injuries derailed her prodigious climb, which saw her rise to as high as No.7 in 2016.

Naomi Osaka is set to rise to World No.1 on Monday after her hard-fought fortnight in Melbourne, where she walked away with her second major title, defeating Petra Kvitova 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-4 to win the Australian Open.

It's deja vu for Osaka, who joins the WTA Insider Podcast the day after her win to reflect on her big milestone, which is finally starting to sink in. 

Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai tallied their 10th consecutive win to win the Australian Open title, defeating No.2 seeds Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-4 to win their first major title as a team. 

Stosur and Zhang join the podcast to discuss their seed slaying run to the title - they knocked off the No.1 and No.2 seeds - their dramatic semifinal win over Barbora Strycova and Marketa Vondrousova, and how the title is even sweeter given it was Stosur who talked Zhang out of retiring in 2015. 

Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova have never faced each other. Neither have won the Australian Open. Neither has ever been World No.1.

All that changes on Saturday, as the two champions face-off in the Australian Open final, with the winner also being crowned the new WTA World No.1.

Osaka and Kvitova join Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen in Melbourne, to reflect on their different journeys to Saturday's final, and reveal how they've managed to keep their heads on straight in the first Slam of the season. 

The first Slam of the 2019 season is already upon us! Freelance tennis reporter Reem Abulleil joins the podcast to analyze the draw and highlight the biggest storylines heading into the 2019 Australian Open.

Karolina Pliskova kicks off the 2019 Champions Corner Season after taking home her second Brisbane International title, coming back from the brink in the final to defeat Lesia Tsurenko 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

The Czech reflects on her week on the Gold Coast, the key pep talk from coach Rennae Stubbs, and how her scrappy title run gives her confidence heading to the Australian Open. 

WTA Insider catches up with reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka at the Brisbane International after her off-season recharge. The 21-year-old discusses how things have changed at home after her breakout 2018 season, her New Year's resolutions, and how fame has impacted her biracial identity.