Fed Cup & Monte Carlo Re-Lived: Navratilova’s Homecoming, Muster’s Controversial Comeback

The second instalment of Tennis Re-Lived sees us travel back to the 1980s and 90s.

First, we tell the story of Martina Navratilova’s return to her homeland in 1986 when she represented the USA against Czechoslovakia in the Fed Cup Final. Why was this such an important moment in her life? How was she received by the people in Prague? And just how good was her tennis in the decisive match against Hana Mandlikova?

Matt unearths some stories from the week and Catherine speaks to Pam Shriver, Navratilova’s doubles partner, for a firsthand account. Pam describes the experience of being there and explains how Navratilova managed to control her emotions.

Then, we delve into David’s well of memories to cover Thomas Muster’s epic comeback victory against Boris Becker in the 1995 Monte Carlo Final. There’s chat about Muster’s dominance on clay during that period, his semi-final against Andrea Gaudenzi which left him hospitalised, and Becker’s controversial post match press conference in which he cast doubt over Muster’s methods of recovery.

Plus, there’s an update on the ATP player relief fund proposed by Novak Djokovic, and the planned exhibitions across Europe.

The Tennis Podcast is presented by Catherine Whitaker and David Law, featuring Matt Roberts. It is produced weekly year-round, and daily during the Grand Slam tournaments. It is crowdfunded by listeners every December.

* NEWSLETTER *

Sign up to get our news, predictions and Matt’s Stat. Daily at the Grand Slams and weekly throughout the rest of the year - http://eepurl.com/gbmzRX

* TENNIS RE-LIVED *

Tennis Re-Lived will be back in May when we look back on classic finals from Madrid and Rome. We will also be doing daily editions during the original Roland Garros and Wimbledon dates.

* EMAIL *

We hope that the podcast helps to provide some form of escape during these challenging times. If you ever feel like writing to us, our e-mail is open – [email protected]

*REDDIT *

We have a sub-reddit page! It's a growing online community where more than 800 listeners chat about the show and all things tennis. Join in - https://www.reddit.com/r/thetennispodcast/

*SOCIAL MEDIA *

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/

Twitter - https://www.instagram.com/thetennispodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.