In this special edition of the Talkin' Tennis Podcast, hosts Chris and Adrian dive into a fun challenge: naming all 29 male tennis players who have held the title of world number one since the rankings began in August 1973. This engaging battle, dubbed the "Battle of the Spuds," is not only entertaining but also a great way for tennis fans to test their knowledge of the sport's history.

To kick off, each contestant has three strikes, and the first one to hit three strikes loses the game. The pressure is on as Adrian leads the current season of the Battle of the Spuds with a score of 11 to 8 against Chris, creating a competitive atmosphere. This format adds a layer of excitement as they must recall names under pressure.

Adam discusses their strategies for the game, with Adrian feeling quietly confident despite limited preparation, while Chris hopes for a chance to catch up. As they begin to name players, they highlight the historical significance of each player mentioned, discussing their achievements and contributions to tennis. For example, they mention Roger Federer, who has been world number one for a remarkable 310 weeks, and Rafael Nadal, who held the title for 209 weeks.

Two first-time Grand Slam champions, a German ending a 30-year drought and a teenager announcing herself as the next force in women's tennis. Adam, Chris and Adrian wrap up Roland Garros 2026 and turn their attention to a grass court season that has already delivered some headline moments of its own.

Alexander Zverev is finally a Grand Slam champion. The German ended his wait at the fourth time of asking, beating first-time finalist Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-1 in a four-hour and 16-minute French Open final. After heartbreaking losses to Thiem at the 2020 US Open, Alcaraz at Roland Garros 2024 and Sinner at the Australian Open last year, Zverev has his major. He is the first German man to win Roland Garros since Henner Henkel in 1937 and the first German to win any Grand Slam since Boris Becker in 1996. Cobolli leaves Paris as the new World No. 10 and was class in defeat. The boys debate whether this is the first of more to come for Zverev.

On the women's side of the French Open 2026, Mirra Andreeva is a Grand Slam champion at just 19 years of age. The Russian handled the wind, the nerves and a partisan Paris crowd roaring for qualifier Maja Chwalinska, winning 6-3, 6-2 to become the youngest woman to win Roland Garros since Monica Seles in 1992. Chris predicted Andreeva to win this tournament from the start and is now apparently considering a career in professional tennis gambling. Spare a thought for Chwalinska, who leaves Paris with her ranking rocketing nearly 100 spots to 21 and her career prize money tripled in three weeks. The boys discuss whether Andreeva is the next great force in the women's game.

The grass court season is already delivering. Nick Kyrgios is back at Stuttgart, dispatching Corentin Moutet in round one in just his seventh match since the end of 2022. Taylor Fritz returns to defend his title. Over at the Libema Open in 's-Hertogenbosch, Felix Auger-Aliassime leads the field while Alex de Minaur headlines the Australian contingent. And at Queen's, Serena Williams steps on court for her first competitive match in almost four years, teaming up with teenager Victoria Mboko to knock off the third seeds in the doubles. There is some unfortunate news on that front overnight though.

Plus the boys go head to head on the great debate: Zverev versus Kyrgios at their absolute best. ATP Fantasy grass season picks, and the Battle of the Spuds returns.

Talkn Tennis — the only tennis podcast you need.

The French Open 2026 has been turned on its head and the boys are back to make sense of it all. Adam, Chris and Adrian break down the biggest talking point of Roland Garros so far, preview the quarter finals on both sides of the draw, and find time to welcome back one of the greatest tennis players who ever lived.

The talk of the tournament at Roland Garros 2026 has been Jannik Sinner, who led Juan Manuel Cerundolo by two sets and 5-1 in the third before full body cramps brought the world number one to a standstill. What followed was one of the most extraordinary collapses in recent French Open memory, with Sinner losing the third set 7-5 and then 6-1, 6-1 in scenes the boys watched live after recording last week's episode. The cramp debate has taken over tennis, with talk online pointing to genetics. Chris, armed with his minor degree in human studies and biology, weighs in.

On the men's side of the French Open, Jakub Mensik is into his first Grand Slam semi-final after defeating 19-year-old Joao Fonseca in a battle of the young guns, capping a remarkable run that included a five-set war with Navone, coming back from a bagel against De Minaur and outlasting Rublev across five brutal sets. Fonseca exits Roland Garros with his reputation significantly enhanced after stunning Djokovic from two sets down in the third round. Alexander Zverev comfortably accounts for Spanish teenager Rafa Jodar to firm as tournament favourite, setting up a blockbuster semi-final against Mensik. The boys also preview an intriguing quarter final between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Flavio Cobolli, and an all-Italian clash between the two Matteos, Berrettini and Arnaldi, who has logged close to 18 hours on court and played eight tiebreaks getting to this stage.

On the women's side of the French Open 2026, Mirra Andreeva dismantles Sorana Cirstea in 56 minutes to reach her second Roland Garros semi-final, while Marta Kostyuk continues her extraordinary clay season, now 17-0 on the surface in 2026, after defeating compatriot Elina Svitolina in an all-Ukrainian quarter final. The women's quarter final previews pit qualifier and fairy-tale story Maja Chwalinska against Anna Kalinskaya, while world number one Aryna Sabalenka, chasing her first Grand Slam title off hard court and in the middle of a run of 14 consecutive Slam quarter finals, takes on aggressive left-hander Diana Shnaider.

And in news that has nothing to do with the French Open 2026 but everything to do with tennis, Serena Williams is returning to professional tennis at Queen's Club in London, nearly four years after her last competitive match at the 2022 US Open. The 23-time Grand Slam champion, now 44, has accepted a wildcard to play women's doubles alongside young Canadian Victoria Mboko. The boys react.

Talkn Tennis — the only tennis podcast you need.