Four European champions. One podcast. And plenty to talk about!

Shuttle Squad is back with the full squad as Thommy Fox, Kirsty Gilmour, Christo Popov and Marvin Seidel catch up during the French Open week for episode 69 of the ShuttleSquad badminton podcast.

From on-court mind games to the future of badminton scoring, this episode goes beyond the results and gets into what it's really like to compete at the highest level.

In this episode:

The 25-second shot clock: Is it improving the game, putting unnecessary pressure on players, or even affecting the quality of rallies? The players share their experiences and debate a possible solution.

Christo Popov vs. Anders Antonsen: Christo looks back at their Denmark Open encounter, the infamous Apple Watch moment, and what really frustrated him during the match.

Life as a badminton dad: Marvin talks about becoming a father, finding perspective on court, and why a little extra confidence might be coming his way.

Coaching from a different perspective: Kirsty and Christo discuss what it's like to have different coaches in the chair, the value of fresh input, and why understanding a player's game matters.

Life on tour: Recent wins, tough losses, the return of confidence and the realities of competing week after week.

Join the discussion! Let us know in the comments what you think about this episode and the topics discussed!

#shuttlesquad #badminton #badmintonpodcast #episode69

Episode 68 of the ShuttleSquad Podcast is here! Thommy is joined by Kirsty Gilmour and Marvin Seidel for a catch-up packed with badminton talk, personal stories and a few controversial opinions.

Kirsty is back on court at the Arctic Open in Finland, while the gang discusses recent badminton performances and the latest developments on the international tour.Marvin shares some exciting personal news as he prepares to become a dad, while the gang catches up on life beyond badminton — from golf to wedding celebrations. They also dive into the growing world of alternative racket sports and debate whether they help or distract from traditional badminton.

Plus, we discuss the HYLO Open’s ambitious live coverage plans and why making badminton more accessible to fans around the world matters.Subscribe to ShuttleSquad for more badminton conversations every two weeks.

Thommy is joined by Kirsty Gilmour and Christo Popov to talk about the latest weeks on tour, the World Championships, life under the spotlight, and the reality of dealing with online abuse and betting-related messages.

Christo reflects on his World Championship exit, his rise to World No. 2 and becoming the first non-Danish European men's singles player to reach the top of the European rankings in more than 800 weeks.

Kirsty also talks about a difficult season, finding momentum again and the different challenges of playing against men in training compared to women in tournaments.

And of course, we had to discuss the upcoming 15-point scoring system. What will shorter matches mean for badminton? Could different scoring systems make the biggest tournaments feel more special? And should tournaments have their own identity?

Plus: German Open kebabs, questionable haircuts, tournament colours and plenty of classic ShuttleSquad nonsense.