Madrid Open Chaos, Carlos Alcaraz Injury, and Challenger Highlight

Anastasia and Nick are back with a full episode, and it’s a packed one! They kick off with a spoiler-free discussion of the new Carlos Alcaraz documentary on Netflix, sharing thoughts on Carlos’ mindset, why it’s refreshing to see athletes prioritize happiness, and a few can’t-miss moments (including a sweet encounter with Roger Federer!). Then it’s onto the latest tennis news: The chaos unfolding at the Madrid Open 🎾 Carlos Alcaraz’s tough clay season scheduling and injury news 🇪🇸 Big first-round exits for top players like Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune Why Jannik Sinner’s absence might be changing the men’s tour energy Alejandro Davidovich Fokina’s strong season so far 🔥 Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff surviving early-round scares at Madrid Naomi Osaka’s next steps after an early Madrid exit—and the rising trend of players taking Challenger wildcards for match play Updates on Emma Raducanu, Maria Sakkari, and other names heating up the women’s tour Plus: a historic run at the Côte d’Ivoire Challenger 🏆 No Player of the Fortnight this week — and Anastasia and Nick explain why they’re waiting for a breakout story worth highlighting. Don’t miss: ➔ A little tease about the next Meet the Professionals episode ➔ Some love for Challenger events (and why you should absolutely go to one near you!) Chapters 00:00 Intro 04:14 Our thoughts on the Carlos Alcaraz Documentary 17:13 The Chaotic Madrid Open 38:54 What Happens After Early Exits? 48:25 Spotlight on Local Talent 51:10 Player of the Fortnite Dilemma Relevant Links: Eliakim Coulibaly’s historic win: https://www.instagram.com/p/DI99yV4ti85/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Challenger TV: https://www.atptour.com/en/atp-challenger-tour/challenger-tv WTA Unlocked: https://www.wtatennis.com/unlocked 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ground_pass Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GroundPass TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@groundpasspodcast Podcast Theme by Breakmaster Cylinder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.