Alvin and Dasef dive into the 2025 Canadian Open (officially the National Bank Open), celebrating Ben Shelton’s Masters 1000 win and Victoria Mboko’s first WTA title on home soil.
They explore the appeal of watching tournaments between Grand Slams, noting how events like this preview form heading into the US Open and give players a chance to build confidence. On the men’s side, they dissect Shelton’s progression into a top-10 threat, his “Captain America” style, physical weapons, and areas for growth—especially in manipulating the ball like Alcaraz, Sinner, or Djokovic. They contrast Shelton with Taylor Fritz, praising Fritz’s tennis IQ and identifying limitations in lateral movement. The conversation highlights Shelton’s strong partnership with his father/coach, Brian, and the tactical in-match adjustments that helped secure tight wins.
On the women’s side, they break down Mboko’s calm demeanor, movement, and adaptability in defeating four Grand Slam champions (Kenin, Gauff, Rybakina, Osaka). They identify her forehand spacing as a potential technical weakness but applaud her ability to problem-solve mid-match.
They move on to Mboko’s final vs. Naomi Osaka, analyzing a dramatic shift in Osaka’s body language and intensity in the second set. They debate whether Osaka’s dip was tactical, mental, or crowd-influenced, while also weighing her unusual career résumé—four Grand Slams but few other titles—and what expectations are fair moving forward. They connect Mboko’s home-court moment to past examples like Coco Gauff’s US Open run, noting how crowd energy can tilt matches.
The episode closes with a broader reflection on men’s vs. women’s tennis viewing habits, the depth of the WTA field, and upcoming action in Cincinnati and the US Open.
Popular Podcasts
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!