The Exhibition Episode — Why They Matter (and Why Fans Debate Them)

This week, Anastasia and Nick take on one of the most debated topics in tennis — exhibitions. From the Six Kings Slam in 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!!! Ground Pass Shop - https://www.groundpasspodcast.com/ground-pass-shop 💬 Don’t forget to give us a rating 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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ground_pass Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GroundPass TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@groundpasspodcast X: https://x.com/groundpasspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.