Ground Pass: A Tennis Podcast

The ATP and WTA Finals bring the eight best players in the world together at the end of the season. Anastasia Folorunso and Ian Mondul talk about how players qualify, how the race differs from the rankings, how the round robin and tiebreak rules work, and why Anastasia thinks simplifying tennis for new fans is the wrong move.

Then they talk about why the Finals aren't a bigger event. Ian wants the tours to stop for two weeks beforehand and spend that time on the eight players. Anastasia wants the race talked about from January. They also go through where the WTA and ATP races stood when they recorded on October 18.

Next up is Rafael Jódar: his first season as a pro, his year of college tennis, the ball-kid incident in Shanghai and his apology, and Anastasia's three interviews with him this year. Anastasia makes her pitch for Jódar as the rival tennis needs. Ian isn't fully sold.

To finish, Matej Dodig, a former top 200 pro, has signed with Texas. Ian asks whether pros should be taking college roster spots.

Ground Pass is a tennis podcast for curious newcomers and longtime fans alike.

In the Realm of Perfection: McEnroe documentary - https://tubitv.com/movies/684798/john-mcenroe-in-the-realm-of-perfection?utm_source=web_share&utm_medium=Share&utm_campaign=copy_link&utm_content=title_detail_page
Valarie Camillo interview on Served - https://youtu.be/Fohc1DwBZ3g?si=jvafJiPWOTwrizw3

Chapters:
00:00 Intro and movie chat
07:09 Part 1 - End of Year Finals - Why should you care
11:45 Does the WTA and ATP Finals Structure make it hard to promote?
23:20 Location, Location and how important its is to the Finals
27:14 How would we fix the End of Year Finals
33:40 Who is in and who is out of the Finals?
42:52 Part 2 - The Tennis News of the Week
43:20 Sonay Kartal and Maja Chawalinska played the perfect final
47:32 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Rafa Jodar play the all Spanish Final
55:33 Rafa Jodar's villain origin story
01:04:49 The Six King Slam is off and Alcaraz, Djokovic and Fritz are not taking the week off
01:07:12 Joao Fonseca and Eva Lys are the recent players to end their season early
01:09:29 Part 3 - This Week in Tennis
01:14:48 A Bit of College Tennis Drama
01:19:16 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.com

To Support Ground Pass - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/support

Shop the Ground Pass Merch - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/shop

Where You can Find us Online:

Website - www.groundpasspodcast.com
Email - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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/groundpasspod

About 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.

Tennis Rules can feel so subjective depending on the tournament or the umpire in the chair. Coco Guaff and Daniil Medvedev bore the brunt of these rules last week in different ways that could have been avoided.

Check out our Newsletter - https://groundpass.substack.com

This week on the podcast we are looking into two tennis rules that dominated the headlines last week. Video Review and Ball Abuse violations were back in the headlines and not for the right reasons. Tennis rules can seem either obscure or subjective which doesn’t seem ideal in a sport where things normally land in the black-or-white column; here we had many shades of gray. Nick and Anastasia get into these rules, what they are, how they are implemented and if more clarity is needed.

We also get into Qinwen Zheng winning the China Open, Novak Djokovic surviving, Jannik Sinner ending his season which means Zverev ends the year as number 1 and does having fun make Carlos Alcaraz unstoppable?

Chapters

00:00 Intro
03:51 Part 1 - Know the Rules - How tennis complicates itself
04:41 Video review in Tennis and how it changed in 2026
06:53 The Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev Case
11:39 The Coco Gauff v Sun Xinran Case
18:58 The fallout of the Gauff incident
26:58 Ball abuse rule and recent incidents
39:52 Part 2: The News - Qinwen Zheng wins in Beijing
45:36 Mirra Andreeva is the New World no. 3
48:41 Carlos Alcaraz is back with a mustache
52:25 Survive and Advance the Novak Djokovic story
54:58 Jannik Sinner is out for the season
59:21 Players of the fortnight - Arthur Gea and Nikola Bartunkova
01:04:12 Upcoming tournaments and local events
01:06:22 Outro

Links:
Ground Pass Newsletter on Substack - https://groundpass.substack.com
Eurovision song (its real!!!) Moustache (France) 2014 - https://youtu.be/hWJFfnHNOWI?si=rp9y0tGo31NfatKK

💬 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.com

To Support Ground Pass - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/support

Shop the Ground Pass Merch - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/shop

Where You can Find us Online:

Website - www.groundpasspodcast.com
Email - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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/groundpasspod

About 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.

Laver Cup brought the fun back into tennis this week with Carlos Alcaraz in full highlight reel form. And Singapore delivered on the tennis storylines, concussions and all.

My Davis Cup picks - https://youtu.be/WnDw9_XLXao?si=ucBtnKACae_0BMT6

Laver Cup has single handedly gotten me excited again about the ATP tour and upcoming events in Tokyo and Beijing. Team Europe took the crown but Team World Captain Andre Agassi brought the vibes. And on the WTA Leylah Fernandez does what she does during the Asian Swing, win titles. But the real story was of Tatiana Prozorova and a possible concussion.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and podcast anniversary
02:57 Discussion on tennis TV subscriptions and coverage
07:31 Changes in tennis broadcasting and accessibility
09:39 Ground Pass newsletter and tennis history corner
11:34 Laver Cup overview and format analysis
14:25 Laver Cup as a rival to traditional team events
17:20 Player interactions and behind-the-scenes moments
22:06 Andre Agassi is a gift to Laver Cup
25:03 Understanding the Asian Swing
26:44 Leylah Fernandez wins Singapore but Tatiana Prozorova was the story
34:10 Head injury protocols and player safety
36:04 WTA Doubles race is getting fun
41:31 Davis Cup and team USA strategy
45:37 Player selection and team strategy in Davis Cup
51:57 Billie Jean King Cup results and analysis
54:26 Arthur Fils playing qualies in Tokyo
56:31 Jannik Sinner might need knee surgery
59:48 Season overview and player storylines
01:03:08 What's next in tennis: Beijing, Tokyo, and Asian Games
01:08:05 Player motivation and the mental reset in tennis
01:10:16 Outro - send us your questions

Links:
• Ground Pass Newsletter on Substack - https://groundpass.substack.com

💬 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.com

To Support Ground Pass - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/support

Shop the Ground Pass Merch - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/shop

Where You can Find us Online:

Website - www.groundpasspodcast.com
Email - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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/groundpasspod

About 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.

For the second year in a row Team USA has not made the Final 8 of the Davis Cup, even with top players Ben Shelton and Learner Tien on the team. Houston we have a problem.

Missed our other US Open Recap? Find it here - https://youtu.be/P85BFnvKBUU?si=ey4D07SM-8g8tsBl

Its was a slow week, sort of, post US Open but we still has the WTA in Guadalajara and Sao Paolo with Iva Jovic trying to defend her title in Mexico. And the Davis Cup took over the ATP tour. I build my perfect US Davis Cup team, let me know what you think. Also some news updates on what’s next for Jack Draper, Jannik Sinner and more.

Chapters

00:29 Introduction and Episode Overview
02:05 Iva Jovic Defends her Guadalajara title
07:27 The US has a Davis Cup problem
16:43 Ground Pass US Davis Cup Team
22:09 Draper out for the season and questions about Sinner
27:33 Up Next on Tour
33:05 Outro

Links:

Ground Pass Newsletter on Substack - https://groundpass.substack.com
Holger Rune mini doc - https://youtu.be/JMEui5IuhaI?si=PRlF45-WFBOkwB2x

💬 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.com

To Support Ground Pass - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/support

Shop the Ground Pass Merch - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/shop

Where You can Find us Online:

Website - www.groundpasspodcast.com
Email - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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/groundpasspod

About 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.

The US Open 2026 is finally over and some of us are happy about that. Find out who in our US Open Recap.

Missed our other US Open Shows? Find them here - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZEVwWfsDIfA&si=kFbIKK47ljI2M01w

Elena Rybakina and Alexander Zverev are the US Open Champions no one saw coming and so ends the most unpredictable Grand Slam season. Anastasia and Nick are joined by Lucy, of Lucy Deuce, to look back at this US Open. Does Aryna Sabalenka have a problem? Did Ben Shelton have a chance at the title? Were the influencers really a problem? We answer all those questions and more.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: The Depth of the WTA Top Ten
03:52 Elena Rybakina wins twice and does Aryna Sabalenka have a problem?
19:31 Did Ben Shelton have a chance against Alexander Zverev?
30:43 A look back at all the slam winners of 2026
37:48 Review of the US Open on TV
51:01 The biggest stories from this US Open
51:31 The Influencers were not the problem
56:03 Nick solves the tennis 5 sets issue!
01:04:24 The US Open Tickets are too damn high
01:08:14 Outro

Links:
Shop the Ground Pass Hat - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/shop
Lucy Deuce - https://www.instagram.com/lucyydeuce?stkn=MWM2MGVrZDhsbjd1cA==

💬 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.com

To Support Ground Pass - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/support

Shop the Ground Pass Merch - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/shop

Where You can Find us Online:

Website - www.groundpasspodcast.com
Email - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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/groundpasspod

About 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.