In this episode of Ground Pass, hosts Nick Carter and Anastasia Folorunso dive into the excitement of the Australian Open, discussing the first day's events, including rain delays, match highlights, and the historic win of Hady Habib. They explore the new on-court coaching innovations, reflect on veteran players like Kei Nishikori and Gael Monfils, and preview the packed schedule for Day Two. The hosts emphasize the importance of planning for Grand Slam matches and encourage listeners to engage with their social media for updates and insights throughout the tournament.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the Happy Slam

02:53 Day One Highlights and Rain Delays

06:02 Match Insights and Watch Lists

08:50 Historic Wins and Feel-Good Stories

11:58 Coaching Innovations at the Australian Open

17:52 Day Two Preview and Scheduling Challenges

20:46 Grand Slam Leave and Social Media Engagement

Mentioned on the Podcast:

• Australian Open YouTube Channel [BlueZone] - https://www.youtube.com/live/Qsn35Pn3pPw?si=n2dfCPUz0ZjkRJx-

Visit Our Website at - www.groundpasspodcast.com

Email us at - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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

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

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GroundPass

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Anastasia is joined by Tony Wright, a coaching pro and podcaster from California, for an engaging conversation, discussing the intricacies of the Australian Open, including the draw process, seeding, and the impact of current events on the tournament. They share insights on key matches to watch, strategies for attending tournaments, and how to effectively follow the action from home. The episode emphasizes the importance of planning ahead for tournaments like this and fan engagement in the world of tennis.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background of Tony Wright

02:48 Current Events: California Fires and Their Impact

05:36 Understanding the Australian Open Draw

08:43 The Importance of Seeding and Qualifiers

11:23 How Draws Are Conducted in Tournaments

14:19 Fan Engagement and the Draw Experience

17:09 Analyzing the Australian Open Draw Matchups

19:01 First round matches we are looking forward to

23:30 American Players in the Draw

24:23 Player Dynamics and Rivalries

26:31 Qualifiers and Their Challenges

28:37 WTA Highlights and Key Matchups

30:30 Revisiting Familiar Faces

31:26 Emerging Talents and Gritty Competitors

33:05 Player Personalities and Off-Court Lives

34:49 Strategies for Tournament Viewing

37:53 Navigating the Tournament Schedule

39:31 Maximizing Your Grand Slam Experience

47:31 Strategizing Your Match Schedule

55:08 Essential Tips for Tournament Days

56:41 Upcoming Podcast Announcements

Relevant Links:

• Relief links for California Wildfires:
• Tennis Channel - https://www.tennis.com/californiawildfiresrelief
• Brain Dead clothing brand - https://www.instagram.com/p/DEpvpNSvzLK/?igsh=MXRiOGZ5eGozZ3AxYw==
• Balanced Tennis on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/balanced_tennis?igsh=MTI2b3Q5cDA0NmE5Zw==
• Tennis Today Podcast - https://podfollow.com/1725696267
• Tennis Today on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tennistodaypodcast?igsh=NnFkZDlwZmtncGJz
• Australian Open Daily Schedule- https://ausopen.com/schedule#!41183

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In this episode, Anastasia and Nick celebrate the New Year and discuss the upcoming Australian Open, reflecting on the United Cup and its significance in the tennis calendar.

We then jump into our Australian Open preview with the help of tennis content creator Jess Adjua. Just is a resident of Sydney, Australia and has been attending the Australian Open in Melbourne for years. She gives us her tips and tricks and what to look forward to at the tournament.

Chapters

00:00 New Year, New Tennis Season

01:56 Intro

03:45 United Cup Review

10:06 Australian Open Preview

14:40 The other tournaments that happened this week

31:37 Australian Open 2025 preview

34:00 Introduction of Jess Adjua and our "Okay Stop" segment

41:31 Best time to go to a Grand Slam

43:52 Ticket Options at the Australian Open

57:11 Planning Your Grand Slam Experience

01:11:36 Emerging Players to Watch

01:18:17 Players of the Fortnite

01:27:08 Outro

Mentioned on the Podcast:

• Kaylan Bigun is the Junior American Tennis Player whose twin is Meecah Bigun who also plays tennis. Kaylan is the current French Open Junior champion.
• Jess Adjua Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessadjua/profilecard/?igsh=dTV4Zmp5Mm1hdHhh
• ATP Challenger TV: https://www.atptour.com/en/atp-challenger-tour/challenger-tv

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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So you watched the movie, but what do you know about the Real Challengers?

The movie Challengers took over the spring of 2024 and brought in some new fans interested in the sport of Tennis. But what are the REAL CHALLENGERS? Ground Pass went to the last challenger of the year in Champaign, IL to find out.

We spoke to players like Rajeev Ram, Ethan Quinn and Evan King about their experiences on the Challenger Tour

Watch the short doc on our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@GroundPass

Relevant Links:

• GroundPass’ Interview with one of the Assistant Directors on the movie - https://youtu.be/nYCV3kJahsA?si=CTu4ZKCEDK5Y4Pmp
• Challenger TV, were you can watch matches for free - https://www.atptour.com/en/atp-challenger-tour/challenger-tv
• Cleveland Open website (first challenger of the year in the States) - https://www.topnotchtennisevents.com

Visit Our Website at - www.groundpasspodcast.com

Email us at - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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NOTE: This episode was recorded on Nov 30th. Since then Jack Draper, Diane Parry and Qinwen Zheng have withdrawn from the tournament.

Welcome to the new tennis season! We are excited to chat with you about the upcoming United Cup and its exciting format that brings together men’s and women’s tennis. We delve into the team event, the players’ interactions, and the thrill of mixed doubles. We’ll also talk about the players in the field - Iga Swiatek, Hubi Hurkacz, Maria Sakkari, Katie Boulter & Alex De Minaur and some memorable moments from past tournaments. Plus, we discuss the impact of coaching changes and rise of the super coach. And to start of the new year we touch on the importance of environmental responsibility in tennis. So, grab a racket and get ready for some fun!

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the New Season - Intro

02:01 United Cup 2025 - First tournament of the season

04:45 Where Can you watch the United Cup - Tennis Channel

06:26 Love for Tennis team events

17:12 A "Super Coach" diversion

20:39 Who else we are excited to see

21:45 Exciting matches to look forward too

28:46 Doubles Dynamics and Player Returns

39:08 Sustainability in Tennis: A New Year’s Reflection

43:21 Outro

Mentioned on the Podcast:

• Ep 7 of GroundPass - https://pod.fo/e/20f7cd
• United Cup ticket sales - https://www.unitedcup.com/en/tickets/2025-tickets
• United Cup schedule - https://www.unitedcup.com/en/tournament/schedule

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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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GroundPass

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@groundpasspodcast

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It’s time to find out who’s next. Arthur Fils, Jakub Mensik, Learner Tien, Joao Fonseca, Alex Michelsen, Shang Juncheng, Luca Van Assche and Nishesh Basavareddy will all be vying for the chance to win the title of Next Gen this week in Jeddah. This is one of Anastasia’s favorite tournaments and she talks about what is great about it and why its such an important tournament.

But what about the WTA? Well that’s where Nick puts together the potential top 8 women who would take part if there was a WTA version of this tournament. Tune in to see who they are.

Mentioned on the Podcast:

• Ep 5 of GroundPass - https://pod.fo/e/205d40
• Next Gen Basecamp 2023 - https://youtu.be/reULcHoy5S0?si=BHv4fiQv4lPP0FMz

Visit Our Website at - www.groundpasspodcast.com

Email us at - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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A couple of exhibitions filled the void of competitive tennis in the US over the off season last week. Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro, Madison Keys & Sloane Stephens entertained sold out crowds in Madison Square Garden, New York, NY and Charlotte, NC.

What are tennis exhibitions and our thoughts on the genre; Anastasia breaks it down.

Mentioned on the Podcast:

YouTube Link to this Podcast Episode: https://youtu.be/GIpJ2i_wpo4

Served Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/servedpodcast?igsh=eHk1Z3pyNnZlY2dw

Christian’s Court Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianscourt?igsh=bG4ydGdqa3plcW1k

The cutest video ever: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDSV-w5xAYm/?img_index=3&igsh=ejZheHltcGlpNHgx

Form for Ground Pass Year in Review: https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/blog/ground-pass-year-in-review

Visit Our Website at - www.groundpasspodcast.com

Email us at - groundpasspodcast@gmail.com

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It’s time to pick our favorite moments from the 2024 season. Join Nick and Anastasia as they go through their favorite moments and what they are looking forward to in 2025.

When you are done, share yours with us. Link below to a form you can fill.

Mentioned on the Podcast:

Nick’s Wimbledon Ticket Guide: https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/blog/znfq0dmuw8v0f1b7gqqos44a5uuikg

Nick picking Rebecca Sramkova: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7aZMkAgeX2/?igsh=MTV2cnJvOW52d2gybg==

Form for Ground Pass Year in Review: https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/blog/ground-pass-year-in-review

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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