Send us Fan Mail

The never-ending summer feels like it’s now quite close to ending, which makes this a perfect time to look at who’s celebrating the most as another Apsley comes to a close.

Thornden look odds-on for a pretty magnificent double this weekend, but we talk abut how Twyford - and all in their ilk - can only focus on what’s reasonably within their control as the season hits its finale. Speaking of controlling the controllables, Totton & Eling seem to have quietly but clearly turned things around. We reflect on their very successful summer.

Elsewhere, the gunshots have been silenced in Winchester and padel is out of the dog house. With a two-year battle now in the rear view mirror, are we about to see a burst of investment into Winchester padel?

Send us your thoughts for (or about!) the show:

hello@thpod.uk

Speakpipe.com/THPOD

WhatsApp: +44 (0) 74 7039 5289

Follow us at:

Instagram @thampshirepod

TikTok: hampshiretennispod

Facebook: The Tennis Hampshire Podcast

Youtube: @tennishampshirepodcast

Send us Fan Mail

We’ve only got four weeks to go and there’s everything to play for in just about every Apsley division. It’s been a competitive summer to say the least.

Things will start to get settled from this weekend though, especially in Divisions Three and Four, which started that bit earlier.

The MAIN EVENT is definitely Thorden A taking on Riverside A for the right to try and hunt down Warsash A for the Premier Division title. We examine the squads that have made both teams strong again this year.

The Singles Groups have also sprung back into life, although Rob offers Dave a walkover live on air. Shenanigans? Listen to the end of the episode to find out.

Plus there’s good news for West Hants, Waterside and Romsey & Abbey in this week’s local tennis news.

Send us your thoughts for (or about!) the show:

hello@thpod.uk

Speakpipe.com/THPOD

WhatsApp: +44 (0) 74 7039 5289

Follow us at:

Instagram @thampshirepod

TikTok: hampshiretennispod

Facebook: The Tennis Hampshire Podcast

Youtube: @tennishampshirepodcast

Send us Fan Mail

Dave’s back from the US Open, where the ratio of influencers to fans was getting a little out of control. Rob held the fort at the Winter League meeting for Twyford Men, getting the job done on the fixtures that will take us through the rest of the 2026-2027 season.

But first: Winchester-born Toby Samuel rakes in the cash with a career-high performance in Flushing Meadows, and Wellow take a punt on high profile Hampshire coach Taz Keens. Will it work?

We also take a look at last week’s Apsley results and the weekend ahead.

Send us your thoughts for the show:

hello@thpod.uk

Speakpipe.com/THPOD

Follow us at:

Instagram @thampshirepod

TikTok: hampshiretennispod

Facebook: The Tennis Hampshire Podcast

Send us Fan Mail

With just two fixtures left across all five of Hampshire’s Ladies Doubles leagues, we’re ready to call the results for the summer - the champions are in!

Tom’s had an email from the leagues about promotions and relegations in the men’s doubles, and he’s not particularly thrilled with the logic.

Meanwhile Mixed and Mens Doubles exploded into life at the Hampshire & IOW County Championships, while we get ready for singles finals day on Saturday, August 29th.

Plus Dave won in his Twyford A team debut, and we have six Apsley fixtures to preview for this weekend.

Send us your thoughts for (or about!) the show:

hello@thpod.uk

Speakpipe.com/THPOD

WhatsApp: +44 (0) 74 7039 5289

Follow us at:

Instagram @thampshirepod

TikTok: hampshiretennispod

Facebook: The Tennis Hampshire Podcast

Youtube: @tennishampshirepodcast

Send us Fan Mail

The Hampshire & IOW County Championships get started on Sunday, August 23rd and they’ll be running all week. Dave and Tom call their favourites for Mens, Ladies, and the doubles events that are going on.

Most categories are wide open. Will we see some batons being passed, or will some of the current big names keep their prime spots?

Elsewhere, Paul Scullard puts Hampshire’s singles league players on the naughty step, and we support his message to the players. And that includes both Tom and Dave, who are among the players who are yet to get off the mark seven weeks into the summer. Hey… Spain, Wales, stuff… you know….

Well, the league has had enough! We reflect on our crimes against tennis, and think of ways singles could generate more momentum in what is already a pretty good event.

And there are 14 Apsley fixtures this weekend including a few very exciting ones. As I write the show notes here on Saturday, I already know of at least one upset in the higher divisions. Speaking of batons being passed.

But we recorded this on Friday, when all the matchers were still to be played, so no spoilers here.

Send us your thoughts for (or about!) the show:

hello@thpod.uk

Speakpipe.com/THPOD

WhatsApp: +44 (0) 74 7039 5289

Follow us at:

Instagram @thampshirepod

TikTok: hampshiretennispod

Facebook: The Tennis Hampshire Podcast

Youtube: @tennishampshirepodcast

Send us Fan Mail

Born in Bracknell, raised in Basingstoke, trained in Totton… Esther Adeshina eventually left Hampshire for the University of Tennessee and, a couple of years ago, joined the pro circuit.

Unlike so many local juniors, Esther made the jump and pushed up the world rankings. In June she started to attract national attention with a big win at the Wimbledon qualifiers.

Esther joins us to talk about managing life as a pro, staying away from injury, mental health and more.

This one’s a must listen, especially if you dream of being a pro one day, or indeed, if you ever did.

Check out Esther on Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/esther.adeshina?igsh=OGRlY3B3bnc2OXVk

Send us your thoughts for (or about!) the show:

hello@thpod.uk

Speakpipe.com/THPOD

WhatsApp: +44 (0) 74 7039 5289

Follow us at:

Instagram @thampshirepod

TikTok: hampshiretennispod

Facebook: The Tennis Hampshire Podcast

Youtube: @tennishampshirepodcast

Send us Fan Mail

Mind games are part of the core test that tennis offers, whatever level you’re playing at. Bluff, counter-bluff, these are table stakes. But what about the Cheeky Changeover, the Hooker and the Revenge Caller?

Do you ever do the Slow Roll or the Switch-Up? If you listen to this podcast, you’ve definitely been Al Pacino’d and dealt a Michael Chang or two, whether you know it or not.

This week we’re joined by Sam Tapsell, founder and host of the Absolute Football Podcast. He's also a father of two little ones and a top 10 player from Division Two in the Apsley League. Where does he find the time?.

Who better than a tennis/football crossover to help us examine the Dark Arts of tennis. In this show we compare our top five mind games, including the acceptable stuff with a little bit of Beast Mode thrown in for when things start to get off the rails.

There are also 14 Apsley fixtures to look back on from August 1-2, and eight more to come this weekend, as long as the Amber Heat Health Alert ends at 10am on Saturday like it’s supposed to.

Meanwhile all hell breaks loose with the government’s new emergency alerts on our phones. Who’s setting off fireworks while we’re all sitting on a giant island full of dry grass? Sheesh.

The barbecuing I get... don't they do that in Manchester too?

Check out Sam Tapsell’s Absolute Football Podcast on YouTube at @absolutefootballpodcast

You can find Sam himself on Instagram at @samabsolutefbl

Michael Chang talking about his underarm serve against Ivan Lendl at the French Open: https://youtu.be/u0NkCiZsAJ4?is=Hgy0zm9PyiDzNvMz. (to think all these kids think it was invented by Kyrgios!)

The conversation about Cam Norrie on The Tennis Podcast taken from “Does Sinner’s injury open US Open door?” Published on August 10, 2026.

Thornden’s coverage of the solar eclipse from their tennis courts is worth a watch: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db9CitoN6um/?igsh=bDYwbGhwbmk3dDc0

Send us your thoughts for (or about!) the show:

hello@thpod.uk

Speakpipe.com/THPOD

WhatsApp: +44 (0) 74 7039 5289

Follow us at:

Instagram @thampshirepod

TikTok: hampshiretennispod

Facebook: The Tennis Hampshire Podcast

Youtube: @tennishampshirepodcast

Send us Fan Mail

We take a break from all the league action to check in with Freddie Bott, young entrepreneur and founder of Preserva, makers of re-pressurizing tubes for tennis and padel balls.

Have you noticed a proliferation of these devices on courts near you? Balls certainly aren’t getting any cheaper in what is already quite an expensive sport to play. Plus, it’s pretty wasteful to move through balls too quickly. But are these balls really any good?

We put these questions and more to Freddie, who joins from Crondall, northeast Hampshire.

Find out more about Preserva here: https://www.preserva.co.uk

Send us your thoughts for (or about!) the show:

hello@thpod.uk

Speakpipe.com/THPOD

WhatsApp: +44 (0) 74 7039 5289

Follow us at:

Instagram @thampshirepod

TikTok: hampshiretennispod

Facebook: The Tennis Hampshire Podcast

Youtube: @tennishampshirepodcast