WTA Insider Podcast

How will Simona Halep's title defense pan out? Can the clay courters continue to assert their dominance on the terre battue? Or will the big hitters crack through in Madrid's altitudinous conditions? The Insider Team previews the third Premier Mandatory of the season at the Mutua Madrid Open.

Germany's Laura Siegemund capped off her stunning week in her hometown to capture the biggest title of her career at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. En route to her second WTA title, Siegemund beat Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, and Svetlana Kuznetsova, before besting Kristina Mladenovic in a third-set tiebreak in Sunday's final. Siegemund joins the podcast to talk about what it means to win in her hometown, how she was able to out-hit some of the game's biggest hitters this week, and...how does she feel about my nickname for her: "The Siege." Come on. I had to ask.

2016 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global champion Dominika Cibulkova joins the podcast to discuss the tough tumble that left her wrist in a brace, and how she's approaching the clay, a surface that has always been good to her.

Former No.1 Kim Clijsters joins the podcast to discuss her new role as an ambassador for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Clijsters also discusses all the recent baby news between Victoria Azarenka's impending comeback and Serena Williams' impending special delivery, and reveals the though process behind her decision to return to the tour in 2009 after having her daughter Jada.

What does this mean for Serena's legacy? What does it mean for the tour? The Insider Team reacts to Serena Williams' pregnancy announcement and hopeful return to the tour in 2018. We'll be waiting for you, Serena!

The Insider Team breaks down the Top 10 players on the terre battue using the WTA Insider Clay Court Power Rankings, an empirical calculation based on a player's clay court results over the last four seasons. Courtney and David also take a moment to express their pure joy over Francesca Schiavone's fantastic title run at the Claro Open Colsanitas. You better lose yourself. Note: This episode was originally recorded before Serena Williams announced her pregnancy and plans to return to the tour in 2018. While much of the discussion remains the same, it has been updated to reflect the revised Insider Clay Court Power Rankings.

Seasons change. So do surfaces. Will clay slow down the tour's hottest hitters? The Insider Team fires up the Heat Index to discuss the 12 hottest players heading into the spring clay season. Karolina Pliskova, Serena Williams, Johanna Konta, Caroline Wozniacki, and Venus Williams dominated the hard courts, but can they sustain their momentum as the tour hits the clay? Courtney Nguyen and David Kane discuss.

"I was more of a kid a month ago. I became more mature. This is the key. You have to decide what you really want from your life." Hear from 2017 Volvo Car Open champion Daria Kasatkina after a breakthrough week in Charleston to win her first WTA title.

As a ballgirl at the Volvo Car Open, Shelby Rogers got a kiss on the cheek from Jennifer Capriati. Now the hometown girl is giving the Charleston crowd something to cheer about, booking a spot in the quarterfinal. On Thursday, Rogers backed up a strong win over top seed Madison Keys with a dominant straight-set win over Naomi Osaka. Hear Shelby recall her memories as a ballgirl and discuss what it means to show her hometown what she can do on the green clay she grew up on.

Hear from Laura Siegemund after her 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 win over Venus Williams in the second round at the Volvo Car Open. The 29-year-old German came into Charleston with just one win under her belt this season, but she's at her best on the clay, where she made the final of Stuttgart last year. Against Venus she saved two match points in a hotly contested match that saw her dazzle with dropshots and defense to beat one of the tour's most in-form players.