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Painting Lines Podcast
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This week Erik and Aidan discuss an eventful week in Montpellier, which had a lot going on for a relatively small ATP 250 tournament. FAA returned to action with a dominant tournament victory after a disappointing first round loss in Australia. Arthur Fils had his first tournament back after getting injured last summer, and Stan Wawrinka collected a win before falling to the eventual tournament champion. The draw also featured 16-year old Moise Kouame, who showed flashes of being the next tennis star. Stay tuned for a fun one and be sure to check back next week for another episode!ContentsTop Canadian Ever? 0:00FAA's indoor dominance 3:04Mannarino's Surprise Run 7:12Fils returns from injury 8:33Stan's Last Match 10:38Quailfiers to Semis 11:3316 year old Phenom 13:48What's New 16:17Bet of the Week / Upset Alerts 20:13Match of the Week 22:13
This week Erik and Aidan recap the final few rounds of the Australian Open, which is where the tournament really started to get interesting. Despite nearly all the top seeds making it through to the quarterfinals, most of the matches were blowouts until the semis. It was then that we started to see some excellent matches, starting off with the marathon match between Zverev and Alcaraz, a truly gutsy performance. Then came Djokovic's shock victory against Sinner, a result nobody could have expected. Then a Final with history on the line for both players, with Alcaraz emerging as the youngest player to ever complete the career grand slam. Be sure to check back next week for another episode!ContentsIntro 0:00Quarterfinals 5:07Djokovic NBA Comparison 8:45Alcaraz Outlasts Zverev 11:46Alcaraz Cramping Situation 15:34Djokovic Takes Down Sinner 19:02The Final 24:30Overall Tournament Reflections 27:02What's New 42:35Bet of the Week 47:38
This week Erik and Aidan discuss rounds 3 and 4 of the Australian Open and preview what’s to come in the quarterfinals. The tournament has seen the majority of the top seeds dominate, as 7 of the the top 8 seeds made the quarterfinals. The remaining player, Learner Tien, has been the story of the tournament, making the QF as the No. 25 seed, and upsetting Daniil Medvedev in his path. These final few rounds should feature some massive matchups, with top 10 players clashing in their path to the final. The guys also discuss the controversial third round win of Jannik Sinner over Elliot Spizziri, where an argument has been made that the tournament closed the roof mid match in order to give Sinner a chance to recover and get back into the match. Be sure to check back next week for another episode!ContentsSinner Match RIGGED? 0:00Round 3 Recap 6:47Round of 16 Recap 14:30Quarterfinal Preview 20:50What's New 23:37Bet of the Week 25:48
This week Erik and Aidan discuss the first two rounds of the Australian Open and preview what’s to come in the next few rounds. The tournament has had a few surprises so far, with young players putting on good performances to make it through the first two rounds. Meanwhile, veterans like Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka have returned to vintage form in order to battle through their opening rounds, giving tennis fans a hit of nostalgia. As the rounds go on, we will no doubt start to see more top seeded players fall, so be sure to check back next week for another episode!ContentsIntro 0:00First Round Upsets 3:05Second Round Surprises 10:48Are Rublev/Medvedev back? 14:34Tsitsipas overhyped? 15:54Round 3 Matchups 17:26What’s New? 22:52Bet of the Week 29:17Match of the Week 31:37
In this Bonus Episode of Painting Lines, Erik and Aidan discuss their immediate reactions to the 2026 Australian Open Draw. Starting off with some potential upsets their looking at in the early rounds, they move on to discussing other exciting matches they are looking forward to in the opening rounds. They then project some possible underdog stories in the tournament, and talk about which of the top contenders have the best chances to win the tournament overall. Be sure to check back next week for an update on week one of the Australian Open!ContentsIntro/Unlucky De Minaur 0:00Potential Top 20 Upsets 1:30Exciting Round 1 Matches 8:32Potential Matchups 9:52Surprise Runs 13:27Sinner's Path to the Final 18:05
This week Erik and Aidan discuss the first big week of tennis in 2026. Starting off in Brisbane, where the field was stacked with talent. Seeds were dropping like flies, but Daniil Medvedev put on a vintage performance, looking like he may be able to return to the highest level. In Hong Kong, the top seeds stood out, with a 1 vs 2 final, and a Top 10 breakthrough for Alexander Bublik. Finally, in the United Cup Poland finally managed to win the title after 2 years of heartbreak, while Stan the Man and Switzerland battled to second place. Be sure to check back next week for another episode!ContentsIntro 0:00Brisbane Recap 1:35Hong Kong Recap 17:35United Cup 23:02What’s New 28:05Bet of the Week/Upset Alert 33:28Match of the Week 35:07
This week Erik and Aidan discuss the most controversial player in tennis, Nick Kyrgios. Known for his antics on and off the court, Kyrgios burst onto the scene around 2015 displaying incredible talent and taking out top opponents in big matches. However, talent can only take you so far, and Kyrgios has displayed huge amounts of inconsistency over the course of his career. He has played at tennis' biggest stage, the Wimbledon final, but has never truly been a next-level player, peaking at a ranking just outside the top 10. With all the talent in the world, Kyrgios may truly be the biggest what-if in tennis history. Be sure to check back next week for another episode!ContentsIntro 0:00AO Wildcard? 0:41Breakout Moment 3:262015 - 2022 5:372023 - Present 10:43The Controversies 15:17Overall Opinions 27:10What's New in Tennis 28:21Bet of the Week 33:17Match of the Week 34:26
This week Erik and Aidan give their thoughts on the upcoming 2026 ATP Tennis season. 2025 was an exciting year, but left a lot of questions about what will happen this year. Will the top players continue to dominate? Will Father Time finally catch up with Djokovic? The discussion ranges from predicted changes at the top to reflecting on last years predictions. Some of which were right, while others were very wrong. Enjoy a fun episode and be sure to check back next week for another update!ContentsIntro 0:00Top 5 Predictions 1:24Players Trending Up 4:42Players Trending Down 7:13Fall from grace 8:33Young Guys to Watch 11:52Potentially Dangerous Players 15:23Quick Hitter Questions 19:00What's New in Tennis 24:50Bet of the Week/Upset Watch 29:04
This week Erik and Aidan discuss the Next Gen Finals which took place this past week in Jeddah. In a lot of ways, this tournament was unique, featuring mainly unknown players outside the top 100, with Learner Tien being a massive favorite in the tournament. However, the tournament did still give us an interesting look at the next generation of talent that will be coming up on the ATP tour, as well as showing the level of this rising American talent. We hope you enjoy the episode and be sure to check back next week for another episode!ContentsImmediate Reactions 0:00Breaking down the Group Stage 1:53Semifinals 4:38The Final 6:12Tien in 2026 11:20What's New in Tennis? 17:31Match of the Week 20:45
In this Bonus Episode of Painting Lines, Erik and Aidan join the pod to discuss the shocking split between Carlos Alcaraz and his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero. Ferrero has been Carlos' coach for years, bringing him from his junior days to the height of professional tennis, winning grand slams and reaching the world number one ranking. However, in a surprising move, Alcaraz and Ferrero have parted ways, despite Alcaraz having won the most recent grand slam at the US Open, and ending the year in the top ranking position. It is the perhaps most out of the blue coaching change in the history of tennis, and has left the tennis world reeling.
This week Erik and Aidan discuss the biggest names in ATP Tennis that have retired from the tour in 2025. From Diego Schwartzman, the small Argentinian who proved that you can dominate no matter your size, to the frenchman Richard Gasquet, who battled with the big 4, these top players will be missed for their top level play and the moments they created on court over the course of their careers. Be sure to check back next week for another episode!ContentsIntro 0:00Diego Schwarzman 3:29Richard Gasquet 7:51Fabio Fognini 13:09Nicholas Mahut 18:06What's New in Tennis 23:04#retirement #indoor #turín #vienna #paris #crazy #shanghai #beijing #tokyo #usopen #newyork #canada #london #paris #sunshine #dubai #rio #atp #nextgen #headlines #finals #masters #comment #response #murray #wilander #sinner #medvedev #indianwells #miami #analysis #tennis #podcast #tennispodcast #tennis #djokovic #nadal #federer #wimbledon #upsets #rivalry #debate #controversial #controversy #projection #betting #forecast #champion #news #mindset #bublik #rublev #ruud #rune #champion #news #alcaraz #usopen #wimbledon #frenchopen #australianopen #hurkacz #monfils #shelton #college #atp #paris #atpfinals #daviscup #nextgen #tsitsipas #cincinnati #shocking
This week Erik and Aidan discuss the future of tennis, giving a preview of the players who will be featured in the Next Gen ATP Finals later this month. The top players have already made a mark on tour, with Jakub Mensik winning the Masters 1000 title in Miami, while Learner Tien has begun to solidify himself as a threat to top players on tour. However, the majority of the players featured in this event have little to no name recognition, perhaps meaning this event could be a huge introduction of these players to the world stage. With the top young talent on display, it's sure to be an exciting tournament, so be sure to check it out and check back next week for another episode!ContentsFonseca Withdraws 0:00Tournament Favorite 2:26Tournament Format 3:48Jakub Mensik 7:41Learner Tien 9:30Alexander Blockx 11:04Dino Prizmic 12:38Martin Landaluce 14:53Nicolai Kjaer 16:26Nishesh Basavarreddy 18:15Rafael Jodar 20:05What's New 24:17
This week Erik and Aidan reflect on the 2025 season in the annual Painting Lines ATP Award Show. From discussing players that have had a comeback year, to looking at the fastest rising players, to the best match overall, the guys go over some of the biggest moments of the 2025 season. Despite mainly being a season dominated by two players, there were still definitely some interesting moments, so be sure to check it out and check back next week for another episode!ContentsOverall Thoughts on 2025 Season 0:00Most Improved Player 3:25Comeback Player of the Year 6:23Best Server 9:03Most Entertaining Player 11:51Most Underrated Player 13:22Most Overrated Player 15:31Most Likely to Break into Top 10 18:52Most Likely to Drop out of Top 10 22:30Biggest Surprise of the Year 24:25Most Likely to Crash Out 26:10Favorite Moment of the Year 27:27Most fun to grab a beer with 29:56Best Rivalry 30:48Match of the Year 32:01Player of the Year 33:17What's New 35:31
This week Erik and Aidan recap the final ATP tournament of the year, the ATP Finals. Featuring the top 8 players in the world, this tournament gives high quality matchups between the best players in the world. This year not only featured standout performances from the world's top two, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, but also standout wins from underrated players. The only player to leave winless was Ben Shelton, who found himself in a tough group, while Alex De Minaur somehow survived to the semis after a great win over Taylor Fritz. Overall, it was an exciting way to close out the year, but we will continue to have fun episodes throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back next week for another episode!ContentsWrapping up the season 0:00Alcaraz Group 6:10Sinner Group 11:58Semifinals 15:58Final Showdown 18:13Upcoming Episodes 26:05What's New 27:00
This week Erik and Aidan preview the ATP finals which will be taking place this week in Turin. Breaking down each player, from the top 2 of Alcaraz and Sinner, who split the season’s slams and separated themselves from the pack, to Lorenzo Musetti, who barely snuck in as an alternate. Each player had a unique season that gives than an interesting position entering Turin, some playing the best tennis of their careers while others seem to be trending down. In the end, it’s all to play for with the ATP finals trophy on the line and the world number one ranking up for grabs between the top 2. Be sure to check back next week for another episode!Battle for the Final Spot 0:00Alcaraz 1:35 Sinner 4:59Zverev 10:10Djokovic 14:27Ben Shelton 16:23Taylor Fritz 18:56Alex De Minaur 23:30FAA 26:08Musetti 28:45What’s New 33:43Match of the Week 39:08
This week Erik and Aidan discuss the Paris Masters 1000 tournament that wrapped up this week. The final Masters event of the year proved to be an eventful one, with the world number one player Carlos Alcaraz falling early in the tournament to British tennis player Cam Norrie. This opened up a lot of the draw, but still, Jannik Sinner seemed unbeatable. He cruised through his matchups, with a standout performance coming in the semifinal where he obliterated Alexander Zverev. However, while Sinner ended up winning the tournament, Felix Auger Aliassime's runner up performance earned him enough points to leapfrog his way into the final spot in the year end finals depending on how Lorenzo Muesetti does this week in Athens.Contents: Intro 0:00 Sinner Domination 2:38Early Upsets 5:40Dimitrov's Return 15:34Cousin Rematch 16:09Bergs-Opelka Beef 16:48Quarterfinals 18:21Semifinals 21:37Expected Outcome? 25:03What's New in Tennis 26:31Bet of the Week 30:25Match of the Week 31:55
This week Erik and Aidan discuss the two ATP 500 tournaments that took place this past week in Vienna and Basel. The Swiss Indoors in Basel featured a wild draw, with the top seeds exiting early and opening the door for an underdog champion. The player that rose to the occasion was Joao Fonseca, the rising Brazilian star who seems poised to take his position at the next level of the game. In Vienna, the tournament proceeded much more according to plan, as the top 4 seeds all made the semis and the final featured Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. In the end, the two champions seemed to be a model of what the future may look like with these two young players. Contents: Intro 0:00 Swiss Indoors 2:12 ATP Vienna 16:27 What's New in Tennis 23:31 Bet of the Week 29:25 Upset Alerts 30:16 Match of the Week 32:09
This week Erik and Aidan discuss a busy week of Tennis following the Asian Swing. With three ATP 250s, talent was spread out, giving some struggling players chances to succeed. Meanwhile, Top ATP players convened for the second Six Kings Slam. However, as an exhibition, the tournament garnered less interest from hard core tennis fans. Meanwhile, those still hoping to make a run to Turin at the end of the season each found success. Felix Auger Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, and Casper Ruud each collected 250 points to inch closer to the top 8 ranking positions.Contents: The Six Kings Slam 0:00Medvedev Ends Title Drought 7:19The Indoor King 11:41Ruud’s Shocking Victory 16:05Rune Injury 21:06What's New 27:15Bet of the Week 35:55Match of the Week 38:45
This week Erik and Aidan discuss one of the wildest tournaments in the history of tennis. With the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner dropping early with a cramping issue, the tournament seemed wide open. Djokovic eventually fell apart late in the tournament, which opened the door for one of the craziest Masters tournament finals in history. Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech, cousins that entered the tournament as unranked players, made the runs of their lifetime, defeating top opponents en route to a Cinderella story in the final. In winning, Vacherot became the lowest ranked player ever to win a Masters 1000 level tournament.Contents: WHAT JUST HAPPENED!? 0:00Records Broken 8:16Tournament Quality 9:25Tournament Storylines 13:48Who failed to capitalize? 20:10What's New 26:28Bet of the Week 29:57Match of the Week 32:19
This week Erik and Aidan discuss the opening rounds of the Shanghai Masters 1000 event that is going on this week. With Carlos Alcaraz withdrawing from the tournament before it started, Jannik Sinner seemed to have an easy walk to the title. However, struggling with the conditions, the top seed was forced to retire, leaving a wide open draw. Other top players like Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz have also fallen, perhaps creating a chance for Novak Djokovic to pull off a cinderella run at 38 years old to take this Masters 1000 title. But other young talents are waiting in the wings, hoping for a chance to seize a masters 1000 title.Contents: Intro 0:00Sinner Injury Discussion 1:50Seeded Players Dropping 4:27Headline Results 5:45Zverev Comments/Backlash 10:35Upcoming Matches 15:37What's New 20:20Bet of the Week 26:37Match of the Week 29:50




