Anastasia and Nick are back for a full episode as the 2025 tennis season winds down. This week, they preview the WTA Finals in Riyadh — from format and field breakdowns to the Elena Rybakina vs. Mirra Andreeva qualification drama — and dive into the final Masters of the year in Paris. Plus: the ATP’s new Saudi Masters event, Davis Cup updates, and how the fall swing revealed just how worn out players are after a long year.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

04:06 Audience Q&A

07:39 WTA Finals Preview

36:38 Preview of the Paris Masters

48:58 Tour News Round-Up

01:00:28 Winners this Week on Tour

01:11:07 Tournaments This Week On Tour

01:13:11 Outro

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This week, Anastasia and Nick take on one of the most debated topics in tennis — exhibitions. From the Six Kings Slamin Saudi Arabia to Laver Cup, Hopman Cup, and UTS, they unpack why players play them, why fans argue about them, and how events like these actually shape tennis culture.

• They explore the three main types of exhibitions — money events, charity exhibitions, and rival tours — and what makes each unique. Plus, a packed week in tennis.

And Players of the Fortnight: Valentin Vacherot and Tereza Valentova.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:27 Audience Question

09:10 All about Tennis Exhibitions

10:03 The Controversy of Exhibitions

12:18 What is An Exhibition

14:23 Type 1 - The Money Exo

21:01 Type 2 - Charitable Exo

24:11 Type 3 - Competitive Exo

30:22 Why do players Play Exo

30:43 The Appeal of Exhibitions for Players

33:23 Reason 1: Mental Breaks

35:45 Reason 2: Money

37:44 Reason 3: Experiment & Train

40:48 Audience Perception

49:02 Exo's help promote the sport & The Issue of SA

52:04 Concluding Thoughts on Enjoying Tennis

53:08 Last week in Tennis

54:29 ATP Update

01:02:34 WTA Update

01:08:50 Injury Woes

01:11:25 Upcoming Tournaments

01:13:05 Player of the Fortnight: Vacherot and Valentova

01:20:39 Outro

Links:

• Fedal South African Exhibition: https://youtu.be/BA5ti_6rFro?si=f1yK79J8iWlBKVic
• Hailey Baptiste On Tour With Tokyo: https://groundpass.substack.com/p/on-tour-with-hailey-baptiste-tokyo
• Nothing Major interview with Valentin Vacherot: https://youtu.be/lzQxsTPBxHs?si=3PEcAXqgiFe-VfB0

We have Merch!!!

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Anastasia breaks down the most surprising and satisfying weekend in tennis — the all-American final in Wuhan and the cousin showdown in Shanghai. From Coco Gauff perfecting the art of “winning ugly” to Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech’s once-in-a-lifetime Masters final, this episode captures everything that made the weekend unforgettable.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:21 Coco Gauff's Journey to the Wuhan Final

05:53 Jessica Pagula's Gritty Path to the Final

10:46 The All-American Final: Gauff vs. Pagula

18:54 The Cousin Final: A Unique Tennis Story

36:33 Wrap-Up and Upcoming Events

Links:

• Hailey Baptiste On Tour With post - https://groundpass.substack.com/p/on-tour-with-hailey-baptiste-beijing
• Jessica Pegula post Sabalenka Press Conference transcript - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/bestweekintennis
• Link to Winning Ugly Book - https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Ugly-Mental-Warfare-Tennis-Lessons/dp/067188400X
• Lost Boys Video - https://youtu.be/9maE1Nb8e3o?si=kxwhVV5cnVUSFKk8
• Quote from Vacherot’s Coach - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/bestweekintennis

Also We have Merch!!!

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💬 Don’t forget to give us FIVE STARS and drop us a comment ⭐️

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Beijing wrapped, Shanghai rolls—and we’ve got a voice note from Eddie McGhee (Tennis Asia) on what it’s like on the ground in Shanghai: humidity, facial-recognition entry, and a downtown fan zone screen. Plus: Anisimova’s title, Learner Tien’s breakout, Double-H back in the winner’s circle, Americans in Shanghai, and Players of the Fortnight: Eva Lys and Jerry Shang. Q&A lightning round too.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:59 Catching Up on Asian Tennis

17:30 Voice Note from Eddie of Tennis Asia

30:50 WTA Insights: Beijing Tournament Dynamics

55:25 Q&A Session: Listener Questions

01:00:59 Upcoming Tournaments and Player Highlights

01:02:57 Players of the Fortnite: Celebrating Achievements

01:08:45 Outro

Links:

• Meet the Players: Henry Patten & Harry Heliovarra - https://youtu.be/b1W8amIALyg?si=qma0_egV9H9fsET3
• Match Stories Playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMv2o_TqSl7Z2nZcXDbu7X8edwtWJsBL4&si=CLYiT48EYcWIq-jR
• Eddie From Tennis Asia Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TennisAsiaTV/videos
• Eddie From Tennis Asia X: https://x.com/tennisasia?s=21&t=34KFRaMxpc-93mq_1EOI7A

Also We have Merch!!!

Ground Pass Shop - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/ground-pass-shop

💬 Don’t forget to give us FIVE STARS and drop us a comment ⭐️

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Visit Our Website at - www.groundpasspodcast.com

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Ground Pass is turning 2! 🎉 In this special birthday episode, Anastasia and Nick look back on how Ground Pass began, what it stands for, and how it’s grown into a home for new and curious tennis fans.

They revisit the mission to make tennis more accessible, share the stories that shaped the show (including that first-ever voice memo), and reveal what it’s like building the podcast with just the two of them behind the mic. You’ll hear their first live tennis memories, favorite moments, dream collaborations, and what they want Year 3 to look like — more listener stories, more guides, and more chances to help fans experience tennis from the ground up.

Plus, audience Q&A! From Ben Shelton’s first Slam to Coco Gauff’s serve, US Open ticket tips, and the reality behind Ground Pass merch — your questions answered.

🎂 Happy Birthday to us… and to all Ground Passers who’ve been here since day one or just joined the family.

Chapters:

00:00 Birthday Celebrations and Groundpass Introduction

02:48 The Origins of Groundpass

18:16 The Evolution of Ground Pass

30:47 Get to know Anastasia & Nick

51:35 Audience Q&A

01:04:10 The Future of Ground Pass

Links:

• Our Merch graphic designer: Yevheniia Petrova - https://www.instagram.com/yev.hen.iia?igsh=Z2xrb2VjZXBzdGZl
• Match Stories: The Lost Boys - https://youtu.be/9maE1Nb8e3o?si=hepJlBSTSWaOzs7Z
• Ground Pass Tournament Guides - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/tournament-guides

Also We have Merch!!! And its on Sale for our birthday!

Ground Pass Shop - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/ground-pass-shop

💬 Don’t forget to give us FIVE STARS and drop us a comment ⭐️

Subscribe to Our Substack at - https://groundpass.substack.com

Visit Our Website at - www.groundpasspodcast.com

Email us at - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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This week’s mini pod covers three big topics:

🎾 The Asian Swing – ATP action in Tokyo & Beijing, WTA 1000 in Beijing, Challenger winners, and the growing “Ground Pass Effect.”

✈️ Our New Substack Series – On Tour With… featuring players like Ethan Quinn and Hailey Baptiste, following their first (or second) Asian swing experiences.

🎂 Ground Pass Turns 2! We’re celebrating with special birthday content, a bonus episode, merch discounts, and listener Q&A.

📅 Don’t forget: send your questions and voice notes by Friday, October 3 at 10PM ET for our special birthday episode dropping October 4.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:00 Asian Swing Recap

26:07 On Tour With... Substack Series

30:24 Its Our Birthday & Whats Up this week in Tennis

Links:

• Chinese Fans Nicknames for players - www.groundpasspodcast.com/asian-swing-chinese-fans
• Meet The Player: Eliot Spizzirri - https://youtu.be/5rT6hbsJJWI?si=uRSfdVXStz2dNLM9
• On Tour With Ethan Quinn Tokyo - https://open.substack.com/pub/groundpass/p/on-tour-with-ethan-quinn-in-tokyo?r=47h9qh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Also We have Merch!!!

Ground Pass Shop - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/ground-pass-shop

💬 Don’t forget to give us FIVE STARS and drop us a comment ⭐️

Subscribe to Our Substack at - https://groundpass.substack.com

Visit Our Website at - www.groundpasspodcast.com

Email us at - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

Follow us for daily updates on Social:

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ground_pass

Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/groundpass.bsky.social

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Anastasia (recording from California) and Nick tackle the Asia swing’s time-zone brain melt, introduce our new Substack series On Tour With… (featuring Ethan Quinn’s first trip to Asia), and relive a wild team-events fortnight: Spain-Denmark grit, Belgium’s upset over Australia, and a tense USA-GB semifinal at the BJK Cup. We also unpack the Taylor Townsend IG controversy, share a listener voice note straight from the Korea Open (Pimm’s + Coke?!), debate the value of the Laver Cup, and crown our Players of the Fortnight: Rafael Collignon and Janice Tjen.

Links:

On Tour With Ethan Quinn - https://groundpass.substack.com/p/on-tour-with-ethan-quinn-in-chengdu

Ellie Ma Jelly: Documenting following her boyfriend on tour - https://www.instagram.com/elliemajelly?igsh=MWdteHU4Zjlkd2gxcA==

Served Live Podcast with Team Captains - https://youtu.be/8tj4Qh4WbrI?si=shKXvY4tuw60LHTk

Also We have Merch!!!

Ground Pass Shop - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/ground-pass-shop

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Time Zone Challenges

02:45 Recap of Previous Episodes and Meet the Professionals

05:31 The Asian Swing & New Substack Series: On Tour With

12:54 Cultural Sensitivity and Recent Controversies

24:07 A Voice Note from the Korea Open

30:47 Emerging Players from Underrepresented Countries

32:47 Team Tennis - Davis Cup, BJK Cup & Laver Cup

33:42 Davis Cup Recap

43:17 Billie Jean King Cup

51:15 The Laver Cup: A Different Kind of Team Spirit

01:10:35 Next Week on Tour...

01:14:10 Player of the Fortnight

💬 Don’t forget to give us FIVE STARS and drop us a comment ⭐️

Subscribe to Our Substack at - https://groundpass.substack.com

Visit Our Website at - www.groundpasspodcast.com

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Anastasia sits down at the Cincinnati Open with Brian Garber, coach of Ethan Quinn, for a candid conversation about the realities of life as a pro tennis coach. From starting out feeding balls to kids and ladies’ teams, to learning under Brad Stine, to now guiding one of America’s most promising young players, Brian shares his coaching philosophy, the importance of relationships, and what it takes to survive the grind of the ATP Tour.

Also We have Merch!!!

Ground Pass Shop - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/ground-pass-shop

💬 Don’t forget to give us FIVE STARS and drop us a comment ⭐️

Subscribe to Our Substack at - https://groundpass.substack.com

Visit Our Website at - www.groundpasspodcast.com

Email us at - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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