Big couple of weeks in tennis and we’re back with the headlines, results, and the unfiltered takes. Medvedev “wins” Dubai in walkover madness before travel chaos leaves players stranded. Cobolli grabs a huge Acapulco title (and his first on hard courts), while Cristina Bucsa breaks through in Merida with a singles + doubles sweep. Then we preview Indian Wells on both tours, run Buy/Sell, and finish with Battle of the Spuds + a WTA-special Who Am I?

Dubai 500 (ATP)

1. Daniil Medvedev claims a second Dubai title via walkover
2. Tallon Griekspoor withdraws pre-final with a left hamstring injury (suffered in the semi vs Rublev)
3. Medvedev didn’t drop a set all week, including a semi win over top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime
4. Post-trophy chaos: airspace closures leave players stranded in Dubai, throwing Indian Wells prep into doubt

Acapulco 500 (ATP)

1. Flavio Cobolli def. Frances Tiafoe 7-6(4), 6-4
2. Cobolli’s first hard-court title and third ATP crown
3. 10 aces, clutch tiebreak comeback, and a late break to seal it
4. Big ranking move: projected Top 15 debut

Merida Open (WTA 250)

1. Cristina Bucsa wins her first WTA singles title: def. Magdalena Frech 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
2. First career Top 10 win (upset Jasmine Paolini in the semis)
3. Doubles sweep as well with Jiang Xinyu
4. Projected career-high ranking around No. 31

ATP

1. Top half collision course: Alcaraz, Djokovic, and defending champ Jack Draper
2. Bottom half anchor: Jannik Sinner chasing his first IW title (travelling with only Darren Cahill)
3. If seeds hold: Sinner projected QF vs Ben Shelton
4. Travel chaos from Dubai could blow open sections of the draw

WTA

1. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka headlines the top half
2. Possible Sabalenka vs Naomi Osaka (2018 champ) storyline
3. Swiatek projected path includes a potential QF vs defending champ Mirra Andreeva
4. Venus Williams returns with a main-draw wildcard

1. Who are we buying? Who are we selling?
2. Adrian’s picks + Chris’ picks
3. Updated leaderboard check (22 Feb 2026 snapshot)

1. Battle of the Spuds
2. Who Am I? (WTA Special)

1. "Third Time Lucky": De Minaur Masters Rotterdam

Alex de Minaur is officially the King of Rotterdam! After falling in the finals in 2024 and 2025, "The Demon" finally lifted the trophy at the ATP 500 Rotterdam Open, putting on a clinic against Felix Auger-Aliassime (6-3, 6-2).

1. The Blueprint: How De Minaur used aggressive baseline play and a flawless serving performance (zero break points faced) to dismantle the indoor specialist.
2. Ranking Rise: With his 12th career title, De Minaur continues his push into the upper echelon of the Top 10. Is he now a legitimate dark horse for the sunshine double?
3. The "Power Couple" Trend: We look at the "Katie and Alex" winning streak—Alex’s win comes just one week after partner Katie Boulter claimed her own title in Ostrava.

2. The Craig Tiley Bombshell: From the AO to the USO?

Reports are swirling that Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley is finalized as the new chief of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

1. End of an Era: After two decades transforming the Australian Open into the "Happy Slam," what does Tiley's departure mean for the future of Melbourne Park?
2. The US Open Vision: From removing the umpire's chair to "mini performance centers" for players, we discuss the radical innovations Tiley might bring to New York.
3. The Succession Plan: Who is in the running to replace the most influential man in Australian tennis? We look at names like Gillon McLachlan and the potential for a split CEO/Tournament Director role.

1. Alex de Minaur joins Lleyton Hewitt as the only Australians to win the Rotterdam title.
2. Craig Tiley’s move to the USTA is expected to be officially announced next week.
3. Innovation Watch: Tiley’s vision includes translucent roofs and AI-driven officiating—is the US Open ready for a total tech overhaul?

1. Rotterdam Final: De Minaur def. Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-2 (77 minutes).
2. Career Titles: De Minaur moves into a tie for 6th on the all-time Aussie list with Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter.

1. Intro

Hello everybody and welcome back to Talkn Tennis, the only tennis podcast you need to be listening to to get all your headlines, results and well informed unfiltered opinions. Thanks to all the new followers and listeners in this past few week, we appreciate your support, if you haven’t done so already, gives us a follow on whatever podcast platform you listen to us on

I'm your host, they call me Adam the Animal, and I'm joined by my two partners in crime.

Firstly the man who has had to take a break from tennis as he has been spending the week researching cheap tattoo parlours in Bali, its Chrissy P, how are you Chris?

Secondly the man, responsible for deigning said tattoo for Chris but he first needs to learn how to spell Kazakhstan its Vargos, how are you Adrian

1. Life Updates
2. Chris: Tattoo?
3. Age: Back to School to prove to dada im not a fool
4. AO Recap

Men’s Singles

1. Winner: Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)
2. Runner-Up: Novak Djokovic (SRB)
3. Score: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5
4. The Story: History was made. At just 22 years old, Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam, defeating the 10-time champion Djokovic.

Women’s Singles

1. Winner: Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
2. Runner-Up: Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
3. Score: 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

Men’s Doubles

1. Winners: Neal Skupski & Christian Harrison (GBR/USA)
2. Runners-Up: Jason Kubler & Marc Polmans (AUS)
3. Score: 7-6(4), 6-4

Women’s Doubles

1. Winners: Elise Mertens & Zhang Shuai (BEL/CHN)
2. Runners-Up: Anna Danilina & Aleksandra Krunic (KAZ/SRB)
3. Score: 7-6(4), 6-4

Mixed Doubles

1. Winners: Olivia Gadecki & John Peers (AUS)
2. Runners-Up: Kristina Mladenovic & Manuel Guinard (FRA)
3. Score: 4-6, 6-3, [10-8]
4. The Story: A historic defense! Gadecki and Peers became the first team in 37 years (since 1989) to successfully defend the Australian Open Mixed Doubles title. They saved their best for the Match Tiebreak to keep the trophy in...