This week on Ground Pass, Anastasia and Nick are back with a full-length episode packed with tennis storylines from the Canadian Open and a preview of what’s ahead in Cincinnati. We break down Naomi Osaka’s new coaching setup, Amanda Anisimova’s bounce-back, and why Victoria Mboko’s win over Coco Gauff was absolute cinema. Plus, a big rant on why Alexei Popyrin’s 2024 Canada title deserves more respect, doubles teams you should be watching, and a lot of dispatch updates ahead of our on-site coverage at the Cincinnati Open. Also, the US Open has… a dating show?? We’ve got thoughts.

Don’t forget to follow us on Substack for our Ground Pass On Site series from Cincinnati, and hit up our new YouTube Memberships to fuel Anastasia’s coffee habit.

Links

• Meet The Player: Victoria Mboko: https://youtu.be/aYGYLxe0Nl4?si=5ilXPw5Dg04rLILr
• Cincinnati Open Guide: https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/tournament-guides/ground-pass-tournament-guide-cincinnati-open
• Served Iga interview: https://youtu.be/AGs3pPCMh3c?si=Q0PCAToRGo0hBb1M

Chapters

00:00 Welcome Back to Ground Pass

03:40 Canadian Open - the two city tournament

13:54 The Tennis In Canada - WTA

30:57 The Tennis in Canada - ATP

43:10 Cincinnati Open Preview

53:00 YouTube Memberships and Community Engagement

56:22 The US Open Dating Show Discussion

01:04:54 Player of the Fortnight: Victoria Mboko

01:06:51 Player of the Fortnight: Alexei Popyrin

01:11:49 Closing Thoughts and Future Episodes

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Washington Post sports writer Ava Wallace joins Anastasia from Ground Pass to unpack the 2025 Citi Open. From Venus Williams’ joyful return to the pro tennis tour, to Leylah Fernandez’s run to the final, to a finals lineup nobody predicted — this is a full, unfiltered recap of one of the most vibrant tournaments on the U.S. summer swing.

Topics include:

– Venus’ comeback and her impact on the sport

– The challenge of playing at home for Hailey Baptiste & Frances Tiafoe

– Why the Citi Open crowds are the best in tennis

– A closer look at Kalinskaya, De Minaur, and Corentin Moutet

– The burnout problem with the tour schedule

– What makes DC such a special stop on the tennis calendar

Plus: a quick look ahead to the Canadian Masters and the road to the US Open.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:00 The Citi Open - The Heat , Humidity and Fans

04:51 Venus Williams: The Joy of Playing Tennis Again

19:08 The Tennis and The Players at the Citi Open

30:23 Whats Next on Tour

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In this solo mini pod, Nick recaps the week in tennis while Anastasia is on-site at the Citi Open. We break down the winners across ATP and WTA clay events, including Shapovalov’s hard-court return in Los Cabos. Plus, we dive into important injury news from Ons Jabeur and Zheng Qinwen, and look ahead to what’s shaping up to be an electric week in Washington DC. Expect doubles drama, wild card legends, and a stacked women’s field.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Weekly Tennis Update: Highlights and Events

02:54 ATP Updates

06:13 WTA Updates

08:31 Injury Updates and Player Withdrawals

11:41 Looking Ahead: Upcoming Tournaments

15:31 Excitement at the Washington Open

21:20 Final Thoughts and Future Prospects

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We’re back with our full Wimbledon 2025 recap! Iga Swiatek drops a double bagel in the women’s final, Jannik Sinner wins his first Slam—and the new era of tennis is officially here. We unpack both finals, the best and worst moments from the tournament, and why this felt like a true generational handoff. Plus, we take you inside the Newport Open, talk about Bill Ackman’s infamous doubles wildcard, and preview the absolutely stacked Citi Open. Our Players of the Fortnight: Caty McNally and Eliot Spizzirri. Let’s go.

🎥 More from this episode:

➤ Meet the Player: Caty McNally - https://youtu.be/hzzLNzENGcY?si=ZQMI9b6e2Sn9yaLh

➤ Meet the Player: Chris Eubanks -

➤ Citi Open Tournament Guide - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/tournament-guides/citi-open

➤ Cinnicinati Open documentary trailer - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/tournament-guides/citi-open

00:00 Wimbledon Tournament Overview - Intro

01:25 Men's and Women's Finals Analysis

18:46 Emergence of a New Era in Tennis

22:09 Best and Worst Moments of Wimbledon

35:14 Looking Ahead: Newport Open and US Summer Swing

36:51 Meet the Players: Insights from Chris Eubanks

44:01 Controversy at the Hall of Fame Open

49:33 Upcoming Tournaments: Citi Open and Beyond

52:32 Wimbledon Doubles Highlights

56:24 Cincinnati Open: A New Era

58:19 Whats coming up this week

01:01:47 Player of the Fortnight: Rising Stars in Tennis

01:07:41 Outro

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We’re down to the final four—now two! Anastasia and Nick recap the Wimbledon 2025 semifinals and preview a finals weekend filled with storyline-rich matchups: Amanda Anisimova’s comeback arc continues after her stunner against Aryna Sabalenka, while Iga Swiatek dismantles Belinda Bencic with the kind of form that wins majors.

On the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz squeezes past Taylor Fritz, and Jannik Sinner breezes past an injured Novak Djokovic in a match that felt like watching Novak 2.0 take over the baton. We also break down a wild doubles semifinal (shoutout to Hijikata & Pèll!), toast to Arthur Ashe’s legacy, and explain why heading to smaller tourneys like Newport is still a tennis fan’s best move.

This one’s packed. Let’s get into it.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

02:38 Semifinals recap

37:32 Newport Tournament Insights

42:53 Final's Preview

47:35 The Rise of American Women's Tennis

50:08 Outro

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Wimbledon Round 4 delivered high drama—and heartbreak. In this episode, Anastasia and Nick unpack a brutal day of tennis headlined by Grigor Dimitrov’s devastating injury while leading Jannik Sinner. They also dive into standout performances from Mirra Andreeva, Iga Swiatek, and Ben Shelton, the rise of Flavio Cobolli, and the unexpected power of listening to matches on the radio. Plus, a quick dispatch from the Hall of Fame Open in Newport and the latest on electronic line calling drama. Sports is cruel—but we’re still watching.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:42 Round 4 wrap up

28:13 Looking ahead to the quaterfinals

33:53 Outro

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NOTE: Said Aryna was the only player left in the top 11 but meant in her section of the draw not the whole tournament. She is the only player left in the top ten in the top half of the draw.

The seeds keep falling, the storylines keep building, and Ground Pass is here to break it all down. Anastasia is joined by tennis broadcaster Mitch Michals to unpack Round 3 of Wimbledon 2025—including the end of Barbora Krejcikova’s title defense, Emma Raducanu’s battle with Aryna Sabalenka, and the rising tide of British players led by Sonay Kartal and Cam Norrie.

We talk about Hailey Baptiste’s breakout summer, Naomi Osaka’s emotional post-match, and the real reasons why grass court season leads to all this unpredictability. Plus: Iga’s statement victory, and why the Lost Boys generation may never catch up.

Catch up before the round of 16 kicks off.

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Here’s to all the seeds we lost in Round 2. Wimbledon 2025 is fully in its unpredictable era, and Ground Pass is here for every twist.

In this episode, Anastasia recaps the standout moments from Day 3 and Round 2—including big breakthroughs, major exits, and a little tennis history in the making.

Highlights include:

• 🇹🇷 Zeynep Sönmez becomes the first Turkish player to reach a Grand Slam third round
• 🇭🇷 Marin Čilić turns back the clock with a win over Jack Draper—his first Top 5 victory at age 36
• 🎾 The “seeds we lost” update: we’re moving past denial and into acceptance
• 🧠 Why some wins are more than just rankings—and how Round 2 reshaped the draw
• 🔥 A preview of which matchups are heating up for Round 3

Round 2 had drama, surprise, and legacy moments—and we break it all down in classic Ground Pass style.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods.

📍 Follow on social media for daily updates and behind-the-scenes content all tournament long.

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