Live from Wimbledon - Draw puts Serena, Swiatek on collision course

**Catherine Whitaker** (0:11)
Hello, and welcome to The Tennis Podcast, live from Wimbledon, presented by Barclays, who are the official banking partner of Wimbledon, and we're very pleased to have them along for the wild, wild Wimbledon ride this year. I'm Catherine Whitaker, alongside me, Matt Roberts, and David Law, as always. Behind the camera is Matthew, who likes to remain anonymous, but we don't like to keep him anonymous. And behind us are the grounds of SW19, looking absolutely perfect, just a couple of days away from the Championships 2026 We see, I mean, look, we love it when the tennis starts, but we secretly love this time the most, don't we? When it's all pristine and perfect and we have the place to ourselves.

**Matt Roberts** (0:57)
Yeah, never feel luckier, really, than in these build up days to Wimbledon. And, you know, I think the other slams do such an amazing job, obviously, putting on those big opening weeks.
But there is still something special about the way the anticipation builds here to the start of the tournament, where it all goes quiet after qualifying at Royal Hampton. And then it all just arrives on Monday morning. And yeah, we're very lucky getting to witness this build up as the grounds come to life.

**Catherine Whitaker** (1:28)
Yeah, it's good to be back, David.

**David Law** (1:29)
Yeah, I've just gone with Matthew for a little walk around the grounds. We actually forgot a cable, so we went home and got it. But on the way out of the grounds and getting back in good time for the show, we walked past Henman Hill over there, and we had to go around it because there are signs that say, keep off the grass, and it is perfection. I mean, it looks like you want to just lie on it and just engulf yourself in the most gorgeous mattress in the world.
But no, I mean, what is it? Nine o'clock at night here right now, there is nobody else here. There is nobody around. It is just, we have got the place to ourselves. It is incredible.

**Catherine Whitaker** (2:09)
Yeah, it is incredibly special. And the most special day of the Tennis Calendar, certainly for Matt Roberts, Draw Day at Wimbledon. For the uninitiated, Matt, please briefly explain why Wimbledon Draw Day, of all the magical days in the very, very long Tennis Calendar, why is today the very best one?

**Matt Roberts** (2:32)
I love draws generally. I love knowing or having an idea of how the tournament is going to unfold in front of us. I think it just, you know, something in my brain chemistry that likes that order and sort of knowing what's ahead of us. And Wimbledon does draw ceremonies better than anyone. They cut to the chase, no faff, 10am start.

**Catherine Whitaker** (2:53)
I can't tell you how faff-free this thing is.

**Matt Roberts** (2:55)
It is on time and it is straight into the names of the women's draw. No faff, no speeches. It just gets on with it. It also is done on the Friday of this week once the qualifying has finished. So we know the 128 names in each draw. We don't just have qualifier popping up a lot. And the drama of it, the theatre of it, one by one pulling out the names from the velvet bag.
It's perfection.

**Catherine Whitaker** (3:24)
I mean, it literally is held in a theatre, isn't it? The main press conference room, they call the media theatre here and it is, well, there's a reason for that. It feels like a theatre and it is also beautifully air-conditioned, which I do appreciate.

**David Law** (3:39)
I arrived in the room and thought I'd make a little bit of chat with the assistant referee who takes out the names from the velvet bag, which Matt got to hold last year. And I said, you've got the best job in the world, the coolest job in the world. And he looked at me and said, what? I'm busy.

**Catherine Whitaker** (3:56)
It was like you were breaking the fourth wall. He was like, you're not supposed to reach across.

**David Law** (3:59)
I know.
I just, you get to hold the velvet bag and do the ball. It's great. And he's like, yes, let's just hope nothing goes wrong. And nothing went wrong. Nothing went wrong.

**Catherine Whitaker** (4:09)
No, it was, I mean, it was wonderful for drama. We'll get onto that. But there was nothing funny this time. Sometimes things go wrong and it's funny.

**David Law** (4:18)
I was trying to create funny at that moment, but no, it didn't really land.

**Catherine Whitaker** (4:22)
Let's talk about the drama, shall we? Because look, there was always going to be drama, no matter where Serena Williams came out in this draw, making her singles comeback here at Wimbledon, where she's a seven-time champion at the age of 44