WTA Finals: Hot Mics, Round Robin and the Photo Shoot (with Ava Wallace and Lucy Deuce)

From Ground Pass: A Tennis Podcast · 1:18:32

Show by Anastasia Folorunso, Nick Carter

Ava Wallace of The Athletic and Lucy Deuce join me for WTA Finals week at Indian Wells. We recorded on Wednesday, November 11, in the middle of the round robin stage.We start with the move from Riyadh to an outdoor event in the California desert: the sold-out Sunday, the Coco Gauff fans, and Gunna in the stands. Ava shares what the director of the Pop It video told her about Coco’s cameo. Then we get into Jessica Pegula’s hot mic and the WTA taking responsibility for it, and whether Mirra Andreeva should take “diva” personally. We also cover her win over Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk’s wrist, and Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the doubles.Coco Gauff says round robin has to change. Lucy and Ava agree with her, and I’m the lone defender. After that, we review the WTA Finals photo shoot like it’s the Met Gala. We also talk about why the Finals need promotion from January, what Charlotte has to get right next year, and Madison Keys in the commentary booth.We wrap with the men: Holger Rune back in Stockholm, Taylor Fritz adding tournaments, Casper Ruud and David Ferrer, and Juan Carlos Ferrero joining Ben Shelton’s team.Read Ava Wallace and Matthew Futterman’s piece in The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7763263/2026/11/08/tennis-wta-sponsorships-media-rights-business-tour-finals/Watch the full episode on YouTube, and find more at groundpasspodcast.com.Follow Ava Wallace: https://www.instagram.com/avarwallaceFollow Lucy Deuce: https://www.instagram.com/lucyydeuceChapters00:00 Intro Weather check-in04:48 Back to the Tennis - WTA Finals is heating up11:33 WTA Finals in the desert is a vibe14:05 Cultural Connections in Tennis16:25 Our take on the Hot mic22:33 Mirra Andreeva handled the drama well26:40 Marta Kostyuk is getting her bag28:06 Injury Concerns and Player Attitudes28:57 Doubles Surprises and Unexpected Performances30:31 Round Robin Format: Pros and Cons38:41 Fashion Police: The WTA Finals Photo Shoot50:26 Untapped Potential of Women's Tennis58:11 Madison Keys new role01:02:22 Holger Rune returns01:05:36 Taylor Fritz: Stubbornness and Strategy01:10:20 Coaching Changes and Future Prospects01:17:37 Outro💬 Thank you for Listening.Leave us a 5⭐️ star rating and drop us a comment we would love to hear from you.For Bonus Content and find out what tournament we are off to next, subscribe to our free newsletter - https://groundpass.substack.comTo Support Ground Pass - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/supportShop the Ground Pass Merch - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/shop Where You can Find us Online:Website - www.groundpasspodcast.com Email - [email protected] Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ground_pass Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/groundpass.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ground_pass Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GroundPass TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@groundpasspodcast X: https://x.com/groundpasspodAbout Us: Ground Pass is a tennis podcast for the rest of us. Hosted by Anastasia Folorunso and Nick Carter, it breaks down the pro tour for casual fans and anyone new to the sport, no jargon, no gatekeeping. From Grand Slam drama to the players you should know, we make tennis easy to follow and fun to obsess over.Disclaimer: This video does not contain a paid for advertisement. PR samples are denoted by the term ‘ad - gifted’. Links containing ad affiliate links are denoted by a '*'. This means that if you click on an affiliate link, go through to the retailer and purchase an item, we will receive a small percentage of your purchase. Check out our website for a full disclaimer: https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/about Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More episodes of Ground Pass: A Tennis Podcast

More episodes

PodSearch is a free, independent podcast search engine. Read about PodSearch, the privacy policy or contact us.