The Asian swing is here and we are back for our first episode since the US Open with plenty to catch up on and even more to look forward to. We recap what happened while we were away, break down the Tokyo and Beijing ATP 500 draws, preview the China Open WTA 1000 and celebrate the biggest week in Australian women's tennis in years.

The Japan Open 2026 in Tokyo is one of the strongest ATP 500 fields in recent memory. Carlos Alcaraz headlines as defending champion and top seed, with Taylor Fritz, Rafael Jodar, Frances Tiafoe, Holger Rune, Casper Ruud and Tommy Paul all in a 32-man draw with no easy matches anywhere. Rune makes his return to Tour tennis after 11 months out with an Achilles injury, Joao Fonseca could feature through qualifying after an administrative mix-up, and Jodar arrives as the fourth seed fresh off a remarkable 2026 season. We make our picks and debate how close Alcaraz actually is to his best tennis.

In Beijing, the China Open 2026 ATP 500 has one unmissable storyline. Novak Djokovic is 29-0 at this tournament and has not played in Beijing since winning his sixth title there in 2015. Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Learner Tien and Alex de Minaur complete a stacked field. We debate whether Djokovic's unbeaten Beijing record or his 2026 form tells you more about what to expect.

On the women's side, the China Open WTA 1000 in Beijing features world number one Elena Rybakina as top seed, with Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova all in contention. Gauff and Swiatek are projected to meet in the quarter-finals and Sabalenka against Naomi Osaka looms as another blockbuster. We break down every quarter and make our picks.

And we celebrate the biggest week in Australian women's tennis since Ash Barty. Kimberley Birrell won her first WTA title in Seoul, beating compatriot Maya Joint in an all-Australian final. Talia Gibson reached the Singapore WTA 500 final before falling to Leylah Fernandez. Three Aussie women in two finals in one week. We give it the flowers it deserves.

You gotta earn your serves.

New York has delivered two champions and a stack of questions that will shape the remainder of the 2026 tennis season. We break down both US Open finals, assess what the results mean for the biggest names in the game and ask the question the sport cannot seem to answer: when will a non-European man finally win a Grand Slam again?

Elena Rybakina is the US Open champion, beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a final that said as much about composure as it did about tennis. Rybakina was clean, composed and utterly unshaken, finishing with 36 winners and 24 unforced errors while Sabalenka found a way back through sheer intensity in the second set before Rybakina simply went back to work in the third. With 85 percent of first-serve points won and 12 aces, the Kazakh was the better player when it mattered most. She has now beaten Sabalenka in five of their seven finals, including the WTA Finals, the Australian Open and now the US Open. We debate whether Rybakina, not Sabalenka, is now the best women's player in the world.

Alexander Zverev is a two-time Grand Slam champion, adding the US Open title to his Roland Garros crown with a 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 win over Ben Shelton. Zverev was the steadier, smarter player throughout, winning 86 percent of his net points and keeping his errors considerably lower than Shelton despite the American generating more winners. The third set, which Shelton took to raucous crowd approval, was the defining moment of the match, and Zverev's response in the fourth was the most impressive part of his US Open. We discuss what Shelton needs to learn about emotional maturity on the biggest stages, whether Zverev needed to beat Sinner or Alcaraz to fully earn his place among the greats, and how the German has now rewritten the ghosts of his infamous 2020 US Open collapse.

And then there is the stat that puts it all in context. 88 of the last 89 men's Grand Slams have been won by Europeans, with Juan Martin del Potro's 2009 US Open title the only exception. Shelton reached the final and beat Carlos Alcaraz on the way there. The world is getting closer. But Europe keeps finding another answer. We debate who will finally break the streak.

The US Open finals are set.

Ben Shelton is into his first Grand Slam final after defeating Frances Tiafoe in four sets and will face Alexander Zverev, who has gone from early-round five-set battles to cruising through the second week.

On the women’s side, Elena Rybakina comes from behind again to defeat Coco Gauff and set up a heavyweight final against Aryna Sabalenka.

Chris and Adam review both semi-finals, assess where the key matches turned, and preview the men’s and women’s finals. Can Shelton solve a match-up that has troubled him before? Will Zverev’s fresher legs and experience make the difference? And who gets the edge when Sabalenka and Rybakina meet again with a Grand Slam title on the line?

The US Open is down to its final four.

Ben Shelton pulls off the biggest win of his career against Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe survives an epic five-set comeback, and Alexander Zverev suddenly looks like the man to beat. We break down the men’s semi-finals, with Shelton facing Tiafoe and Zverev taking on the resurgent Karen Khachanov.

On the women’s side, the top four seeds remain. Sabalenka meets Pegula, while new world No.1 Rybakina faces an in-form Gauff.

Plus, we discuss what Alcaraz’s US Open return reminded us about his importance to tennis, Tommy Paul’s fascinating tactical comments about Carlos’ evolving game, and make our picks for all four semi-finals.

The US Open is into the business end, and the American men are making serious noise in New York.

Chris and Adam break down the runs of Tiafoe, Michelsen, Shelton and Tien, including whether Shelton can finally get past Carlos Alcaraz in what shapes as a blockbuster quarter-final.

Alcaraz has dropped just one set and barely been tested, but does that make him the man to beat, or is Shelton about to expose where his level really sits after four months away?

We also look at Zverev’s path through the top half, Tien’s chances of making a deep run, and whether the early five-set battles could eventually catch up with the German.

On the women’s side, the top seeds continue to hold firm. We preview Rybakina v Osaka, Swiatek v Zheng, Gauff v Jovic and Sabalenka v Noskova before giving our updated men’s and women’s title picks.

Plus, the usual chance for our predictions to age horribly over the next 48 hours.

You gotta earn your serves.

Rafael Jodar is OUT of the US Open after one of the biggest shocks of the tournament, demolished 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 by lucky loser Yunchaokete Bu.

Chris goes solo to unpack how a player who has spent the past four months pushing some of the best in the world could suddenly produce such a dramatic drop in level, and whether fatigue from Jodar’s relentless 2026 schedule finally caught up with him.

Elsewhere, Alexander Zverev survives an almost five-hour battle with Lorenzo Sonego after coming within two points of defeat, Daniel Mérida backs up the hype by knocking out Andrey Rublev, and Alex Michelsen sends the in-form Brandon Nakashima packing in straight sets.

Ben Shelton survives a gruelling four-set battle with Hubert Hurkacz, Alex de Minaur finally gets his US Open underway after the rain delays, and Gael Monfils celebrates his 40th birthday with one of the feel-good wins of the tournament.

On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka continues to look ominous, Maya Joint pushes Elina Svitolina to three sets, Rybakina and Andreeva cruise through, while Maria Sakkari produces a huge comeback after Robin Montgomery led 6-2, 4-0.

Plus, Draw Watch looks ahead to Mérida v Michelsen, Monfils v Tien, Zverev v Halys, Auger-Aliassime v Khachanov, Gauff v Badosa and more.

You gotta earn your serves.

Novak Djokovic is OUT of the US Open in the first round after a five-set loss to Mariano Navone.

But is this the end for Novak, or simply the beginning of a very different final chapter?

Chris goes solo to unpack what Djokovic’s shock exit means for the 39-year-old, why retirement might still be a long way off, and whether his focus now shifts away from Grand Slams towards selected tournaments, records and a potential final run at the 2028 Olympics.

Also on the episode:

Stefanos Tsitsipas finally breaks his 0-5 record against Arthur Fils, coming from a set down and denying Fils the chance to go two sets to love up. After all the hype around Fils entering New York, was Tsitsipas’ recent improvement overlooked?

Elsewhere, Carlos Alcaraz cruises through his opener, Andrey Rublev and Frances Tiafoe survive five-set scares, while Alexei Popyrin and James Duckworth lead the Australian charge.

Plus, Draw Watch looks ahead to Ben Shelton v Hubert Hurkacz and Daniel Mérida v Andrey Rublev.

On the women’s side, Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula and Anisimova all make comfortable starts, while Maya Joint leads a promising group of Australians into the next round.

Talkn Tennis Podcast covering all the biggest stories from the 2026 US Open.

You gotta earn your serves.

The 2026 US Open women’s draw is wide open, with Aryna Sabalenka chasing a third straight title in New York and a deep group of contenders looking ready to stop her.

In this episode, Chris and Adam break down all four quarters of the women’s draw and look at the biggest storylines heading into the final Grand Slam of the year.

We discuss:

• Sabalenka’s chances of winning a third consecutive US Open
• Whether her recent form is good enough to survive a tricky top quarter
• Linda Noskova’s chances of continuing her rise
• Jessica Pegula’s pathway through a very manageable section
• Coco Gauff’s momentum after Cincinnati
• Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, Sara Bejlek and Alexandra Eala as dangerous names in quarter three
• Iga Swiatek’s return to form
• Elena Rybakina’s injury question
• The loaded final quarter featuring Swiatek, Rybakina, Osaka, Keys and Bencic
• Which player we trust most to come through each quarter
• Sabalenka versus the field

With Gauff, Swiatek, Pegula and Rybakina all bringing different strengths into New York, and a younger generation continuing to push through, the women’s tournament looks extremely difficult to predict.

Follow the Talkn Tennis Podcast on Spotify and X for US Open reactions, previews and coverage throughout the tournament.

You gotta earn your serves.