WTA Finals - why is it weird and what’s up with Sabalenka?

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Catherine (1:39)

Hello, and welcome to The Tennis Podcast. It is bright and early on Saturday morning as we record this show. We're here to digest the group stages of the WTA finals in Indian Wells and look ahead to the semis and final. We'll also have a little look at the draw for the ATP finals in Turin. The draw was done on Thursday. That gets underway tomorrow. When I say bright and early, I really do mean that. We think we're setting a early-ness recording record for today's show, which means we get peak David.

No pressure, David, but you're like an anti-vampire. This is your time.

David (2:21)

Yes, I mean, I feel great. Whether that will actually translate into quality podcasting, let's find out, but no, this is my time, you're right.

Catherine (2:30)

I'm worried David's going to be so excellent that the listeners are going to clamor for more pre-8 AM podcasts. At that point, I will have to say it's been lovely, but good wishing you luck.

David (2:44)

I did promise to be a bit worse, didn't I, in this one, just to try to temper the enthusiasm.

Catherine (2:51)

Matt, you're the reason we're all here pre-8 AM.

Tell us why. It's not for them this time.

Matt Roberts (3:00)

No, it's not. I'm going to see my friend Andy, who I've not seen in months because he and his wife had a baby daughter. I'm going to meet said baby daughter for the first time. I've had this in the calendar for a while, and then a few weeks ago, it dawned on me, oh shit, we need to do a podcast on that day.

So I love curfews so much. I've put a curfew on us for today, and we've got to wrap this thing up in an hour.

Catherine (3:26)

Which we will do. It's going to be a punchy show, folks. We have got takes about Indian Wells in the WCA finals. The WhatsApp group has been alive this week. Before we get on to our takes, let's start with the perspective from the ground in Indian Wells. Here is the Athletics Ava Wallace, brilliant Ava Wallace, reporting in for us with her impressions of the first six days of the tournament.

Ava Wallace (3:53)

Hello, Tennis Podcast. I am coming to you from Indian Wells, where I am taking shelter from the cool desert night in my nice warm car, which is parked next to a gorgeously garish Ford Bronco, painted the colors of the check flag that all week I have been pretending is Linda Noskova's, because I think it fits her vibe. Aside from that, I have been thinking of the word I want to use to sum up these WTA finals for you guys, and I have landed on sleepy.

For the stopgap WTA finals, which is kind of how I've been thinking of this event, I have a hard time believing that the WTA could have chosen a much better location on such short notice. And that's because the facilities of this tournament and the place that it's set in do a lot of the work of making this event feel special as is. The grounds are super nice, the stadium is top notch, parking is great amenities, the food is excellent. It all feels up to a level that's appropriate for the WTA's signature event, this event that they're working really hard to try to get people to care more about and kind of believe in as a large scale tournament. It's the same thing with the crowd. This is a super Tennessee place. You walk to a coffee shop during the day and there's a lot of people toting tennis bags around. The bars and restaurants have playing have tennis channel playing at night and you get the sense that it's that way year round. People have a knowledge and kind of facility with the sport that you don't get everywhere. Those crowds are showing up for the day matches.