WTA Insider Podcast

In what many would consider Petra Kvitova's best WTA season, the big-hitting Czech won six titles in 2011, capturing her first Wimbledon title before finishing the season as the WTA Finals champion. 

But how about this: Kvitova now has five titles under her belt, is up to No.2 in the Porsche Race to Singapore, and we haven't even hit the grass at Wimbledon yet. 

After defending her title at the Nature Valley Classic to tally her tour-best fifth title of 2018, Kvitova joined the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on her season and look ahead to her favorite Slam: Wimbledon. 

It always felt inevitable, but in sports you never know.

No.1 Simona Halep finally got her hands on the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen she's been dreaming of as a child, coming back to defeat Sloane Stephens to win the 2018 French Open title. 

Halep joins the podcast a day after her emotional triumph to reflect on her bumpy journey to her maiden major in Paris. 

The Roland Garros final is set and it will pit No.1 Simona Halep's quest to snap her 0-3 record in major finals to finally win the one tournament she holds dear to her heart, against No.10 Sloane Stephens' 6-0 record career record in finals. 

Something's gotta give. 

Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen re-assembles an international panel of tennis journalists - Reem Abulleil (Sport360), Ben Rothenberg (The New York Times), and Rene Denfeld (MyTennis) - to break down a final many are calling a 50-50 proposition.

With Week 1 of the French Open in the books, Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen assembles a roundtable of journalists in Paris to break down what we've learned so far, where Garbiñe Muguruza has looked impressive, Elina Svitolina's exit was surprising, and we buckle up for another installment of Serena vs. Maria XXII. 

Joining the podcast are Reem Abulleil, freelance journalist for Sport360 in Dubai, Ben Rothenberg, editor for Racquet Magazine and freelance journalist for The New York Times, Rene Denfeld, writer for MyTennis in Germany, and David Avakian, editor for Tennis Magazine in Holland. 

Elina Svitolina is now 8-0 in her last 8 finals after rolling to a 6-0, 6-4 win over Simona Halep to win her 3rd title of 2018 and defend her Internzaionali BNL d'Italia title. Is this the year the Ukrainian gets her Slam breakthrough?

Svitolina joins the WTA Insider Podcast to reflect on her confidence-boosting run in Rome, and her hitting partner and co-coach Andrew Bettles joins to give his perspective from the coach's box. 

The numbers speak for themselves. Petra Kvitova leads the tour in match-wins and has a tour-leading four titles to her name after winning her record-setting third Mutua Madrid Open title.

And it's not even mid-May. 

Kvitova and her coach Jiri Vanek join the podcast to reflect on a stunning two weeks, which saw her win 11 consecutive matches to win back-to-back titles in Prague and Madrid. Kvitova says she's in the best shape of her life and playing a season that means even more to her than her five-title 2011 breakout season. She's exhausted and her body may be falling apart, but Petra Kvitova has shown time and time again that her heart may just be the strongest muscle in her body. 

Karolina Pliskova captured her first title of the season in the indoor clay in Stuttgart, defeating CoCo Vandeweghe 7-6(2), 6-4 to win the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. 

The Czech joined the podcast to discuss how her game has evolved on her least favorite surface, the key to her winning week in Stuttgart, and why she's definitely not looking forward to her home tournament in Prague next week, where she's set to face-off with her sister in the first round. 

Laura Siegemund was on a clay-court roll last spring before she went down in a heap ahead of the French Open, blowing out her ACL during a match at the Nuremberg Open. Sidelined for 10 months, Siegemund used her time to further her psychology studies and dip her toe in public speaking. 

Siegemund returns to her hometown tournament at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix this week as the defending champion. WTA Insider caught up with the German two weeks ago at the Volvo Car Open, where she made her tour-level return.

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The first three and a half months of the WTA season are in the books and it's time to hit the pause button to reflect on what we've learned so far. Freelance tennis reporter and Sport360.com contributor Reem Abulleil joins this super-sized episode to reflect on the surprises and disappointments of the season so far and preview what should be an equally dramatic European clay season.

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You know it's the clay season when Kiki Bertens starts taking home titles. The 26-year-old clay court stalwart kicked off her clay season by capturing the biggest title of her career on Sunday, defeating Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-1 to win the Volvo Car Open. 

To win her first Premier title, Bertens had to do it the hard way. After rain washed out play on Semifinal Saturday, Bertens saved match point in a grueling 2 hour and 42 minute semifinal win over Madison Keys before turning around to play the final a few hours later. Not that Bertens minded all too much. The more hours she gets to spend on her favorite surface, the better. And it showed in Charleston.

Bertens was all smiles as she joined the WTA Insider Podcast after her long final day, to discuss her up and down season so far, why her game just makes sense on clay, and why she owes Aleksandra Krunic more than just a glass of wine after her title run.