French Open Day 9 - Sabalenka shines as Serena announces return
The Tennis Podcast
David Law
4.5 • 2.6K Ratings
🗓️ 2 June 2026
⏱️ 68 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Catherine, David and Matt wrap up another eventful day, headlined at Roland Garros by Aryna Sabalenka vs Naomi Osaka in the night session, and elsewhere in the tennis world by the news that Serena Williams is making a comeback.
Part one - We discuss Sabalenka’s statement win, how the match-up against Osaka reveals just how much she’s improved as a player over the years, and the use of Sabalenka’s drop shot. Elsewhere, victories for Diana Shnaider, Maja Chwalinska and Anna Kalinskaya are covered.
Part two (22:04) - On an extraordinary day for Italy, we react to Matteo Arnaldi’s crazy late night win over a devastated Frances Tiafoe, Flavio Cobolli s*** on his pants but still winning, and Matteo Berrettini making it back to a Grand Slam quarter-final. Plus, Felix Auger-Aliassime is quietly through to the last eight. Should he be the favourite to make the final?
Part three - Day 10 Order of Play & predictions and our reaction to Serena Williams announcing her comeback (47:14)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast coming to you from Roland Garros on day nine of the French Open. |
| 0:17.1 | A slightly calm a day today, relatively speaking least although serena williams did come |
| 0:23.0 | along at lunchtime and confirm the worst kept secret in tennis which of course we will be talking |
| 0:28.4 | about later on in the show we are coming to you tonight once again from the best spot in roland |
| 0:35.0 | garos the media seats overlooking a dormant court Philippe Chetre |
| 0:39.2 | where they've just watered the clay |
| 0:40.9 | after a cracking battle between Arena Sabalenko |
| 0:44.7 | and Naomi Asaka this evening. |
| 0:47.0 | And that is where we'll start |
| 0:48.1 | with the first women's night session match |
| 0:50.2 | in more than three years here at the French Open won by the world number one Sabalenko |
| 0:56.8 | 7563. |
| 0:59.1 | Matt, a great match that certainly for me anyway wasn't able to develop into a classic |
| 1:06.3 | because Arena Sabalenko was too damn good. |
| 1:10.4 | I was blown away by her level tonight. |
| 1:14.7 | Yeah, it was the kind of thing we have seen her do before |
| 1:19.4 | at this kind of stage of a grand slam |
| 1:22.0 | where the quality of opponent goes up. |
| 1:25.2 | She just raises her game. |
| 1:27.5 | And when she plays like that, I think she's just head and shoulders the best player in |
| 1:32.1 | the world, someone with more options and other people. |
| 1:36.8 | And that was really the thing that stood out to me today. |
... |
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