WTA Insider Podcast

Since her return from foot surgery last summer, Sloane Stephens has won two of the six biggest titles on offer. This week she struck gold again on home soil, defeating four consecutive major champions to win the Miami Open, her first title since the US Open last fall. 

Stephens joins the podcast to recap her sizzling fortnight in Miami, bid adieu to Crandon Park, and celebrate her Top 10 debut. 

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Monica Niculescu has the most unique game on tour and a cult following to show for it. The 20-year-old Romanian relies heavily on a forehand slice that can drive her opponents batty, as evidenced by her gritty three-set win over Maria Sharapova in February. 

WTA Insider caught up with Niculescu at the BNP Paribas Open to get a better sense of how she's been able to build a successful career with a game built on the forehand slice.

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The statistics behind Petra Kvitova's last three weeks are astounding. The Czech returned to the Top 10 for the first time since June 2016 after scoring her 13th consecutive win, beating Garbiñe Muguruza in he final to win her second title of the year at the Qatar Total Open. Kvitova is now 6-0 against Top 10 players in 2018 and tallied wins over three Top 5 players in Doha to win back-to-back titles for the first time since 2011. 

And yet, we haven't seen the best of Petra yet.

The Czech champion joins the Insider podcast to discuss her three-week run, what she's proudest of, and why she can only improve as the season wears on. 

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Petra Kvitova dominated the week at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, losing just three games in the final against Kristina Mladenovic to lift her 21st career title and her first of the 2018 season. The Czech champion moved her astounding career-record in finals to 21-7 and moved to No.5 in titles among active players.

The big-hitting Czech joins the WTA Insider Podcast after the win to reflect on her week in Russia and explains (or at least attempts to explain) what it's like to have such a devastating game and why she's such a big-match player. 

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Nearly four years since making her last major final, Caroline Wozniacki silenced the doubters by winning her maiden major at the Australian Open, playing a gutsy, gritty, and emotional final to edge Simona Halep 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4. In addition to finally claiming her Slam glory, Wozniacki's title run ensured her the No.1 ranking for the first time in six years. 

A still-stunned Dane joined the WTA Insider Podcast just hours after the final to attempt to put it all into words. 

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It will be World No.1 Simona Halep vs. No.2 Caroline Wozniacki in the Australian Open final on Saturday, with the winner guaranteed their first major title and the No.1 ranking. Both finalists joined the podcast on the eve of the final to discuss their fortnights and what they expect on Saturday.

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What does the first Slam of the season have in store? It's set to be a showcase for the current strength of the women's game. 

The draw is out and French tennis journalist Carole Bouchard joins the podcast to preview the 2018 Australian Open and discuss the state of French and Belgian tennis. 

Spoiler alert: Keep an eye on that Elise Mertens.

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After an incredible 2016 season that saw her win two major titles, overtake Serena Williams at No.1, and make a total of eight event finals, Angelique Kerber started 2017 at No.1 and finished at No.22. After struggling to find her form throughout the year, Kerber took an extended off-season break from tennis, shook up her coaching team, and came into 2018 with a rested body and revitalized mind.

The payoff has been immediate.

Kerber joined the WTA Insider Podcast after saving two match points to defeat Lucie Safarova in the first round of the Sydney International to discuss how good it feels to start anew. 

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No one won more WTA titles in 2017 than Elina Svitolina, so of course the 23-year-old would kick off her 2018 season with yet another trophy, winning the Brisbane International. En route to her 10th career title, the Ukrainian defeated Carla Suarez Navarro, Ana Konjuh, Johanna Konta, and Karolina Pliskova, before rolling past surprise finalist Aliaksandra Sasnovich in Saturday's final. The title assured Svitolina the No.4 ranking on Monday and a Top 4 seeding at the Australian Open. 

Svitolina joins the WTA Insider Podcast for the first Champions Corner of the new season to discuss her off-season preparation, how her game meshes in Australia, and tells the story of the one time she played a match on zero sleep. 

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After an ill-timed hand injury derailed her 2017 season, Sam Stosur is healthy and ready to get back in the mix. WTA Insider caught up with the Aussie ahead of her home tournament at the Brisbane International to talk about her injury disappointment, how she spent her time off the tour, and why she's already got her eye on the Parisian clay. 

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