The Big T, Episode 7: The biggest ‘What if?’ on tour; Gauff vs. Mboko; “Bank or Shank” is back

Episode 7 of The Big T, a Tennis Channel podcast, is now available to listen on your favorite streaming platforms—click here for the latest drop.

You can also watch specific segments and bonus content from every episode on the Tennis Channel app—click here and start digging in!

On this week’s episode, which for the first time featured three of our hosts in one room…

🏆 Czech Raise

What do Petra Kvitova and Barbora Krejcikova have in common? Two things, as many tennis fans know: they’re both Czech, and they’ve both won two Grand Slam singles titles.

But they shouldn’t be the only active Czech ladies with that designation, according to Brad Gilbert.

“I feel like she’s the biggest ‘What if?’ player on the women’s tour,” says BG of Karolina Muchova, the recently crowned champion in Doha.

The 29-year-old dropped just one set to win the 1000-level tournament, which for a while looked like Victoria Mboko’s event to lose. But the surging Canadian teen—who had defeated Mirra Andreeva and Elana Rybakina just to reach the semifinals—couldn’t handle Muchova’s signature blend of all-court craftsmanship in the title bout.

Yet despite having reached three Grand Slam semifinals, ascended as high as No. 8 in the world and posted a 338-163 win-loss record, this was just Muchova’s second WTA-level title of any sort, and her first since 2019!

I feel like she’s the biggest ‘What if?’ player on the women’s tour. Brad Gilbert on Karolina Muchova

Coco Vandeweghe heard Gilbert out, but offered another Muchova comp: Ash Barty.

Karolina “really disrupts the big power game…we haven’t seen for at least a good eight years now, since Ash retired.”

Muchova’s biggest problem has always been health. Could this year actually be different? And who do you think will have a better year: Muchova, or Mboko?

🆚 One-Two Punches

Last week marked the first time in 44 years that three tournaments featured finals pitting the No. 1 seed vs. the No. 2 seed:

• Dallas: (1) Taylor Fritz vs. (2) Ben Shelton
• Rotterdam: (1) Alex de Minaur vs. (2) Felix Auger-Alassime
• Buenos Aires: (1) Francisco Cerundolo vs. (2) Luciano Darderi

From an American perspective, at least, the highlight was Fritz vs. Shelton, which Andrea Petkovic lauded—especially their final set.

“It was exciting, the quality was great, the men were moving incredibly well,” she said. “I was very impressed.”

The drama also played into the appraisal. Fritz had three match points, but couldn’t capitalize on any. They were all on Shelton’s serve—and to Fritz’s credit, he returned each one and engaged in a rally—but painfully came up short.

“When you get a tournament win like that,” said Gilbert of Shelton, “the next place that you go to…you get in a same situation, I’m going to find another win.”

WATCH: Should Fritz, playing through injury, take some time off?

🤔 It’s back: Bank or Shank?

The Big T’s favorite game show, Bank or Shank? returned, with each of the hosts giving their proverbial thumbs up or thumbs down to a tennis hypothetical.

First statement: There is too much clay on the tennis calendar.

Shank, said Petkovic.

Safe to say that Coco disagreed:

Some other topics for the hosts:

👉 Vickie Mboko has a higher ceiling than Coco Gauff. (Watch here)
👉 Serena Williams will play a pro singles match this year.

And a follow-up question, from Petko to BG: How would you coach Serena?

🗓 The Calendar Conversation

Players are getting burnt out, and I think that’s the worst thing that can happen to a sport. Coco Vandeweghe

The 2025 tennis season saw the highest percentage of mid-tournament withdrawals and retirements on records. And despite advances in health technology, sports science and medicine, there were 25 percent more retirements on the ATP and 50 percent on the WTA, compared to 20 years ago.

While acknowledging the outsized length of the calendar, Gilbert also felt some players were retiring when they really didn’t have to—and worse, playing shortly after.

“There should be some sort of penalty for retiring, because you screwed the fans—you couldn’t have been that bad, you played the next week,” said BG. “They need to look at that.”

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (neither of whom retired last week) aren’t playing this week in Dubai, a 1000-level tournament, nor are Doha finalists Muchova and Mboko. Everyone is seemingly looking for answers.

“You blame the tours more than you blame the tournaments,” says Vandeweghe, noting that both tournaments were elevated to mandatory 1000s. “It makes it impossible for the women to pick and choose what they want. If you don’t play these two 1000s, then you have to put the load at the end of the year.”

📫 Calling All Questions!

In your experience, what do you think makes a good umpire, and what made you crazy that umpires sometimes do? Did you care who was in the chair for your matches?

Good question, Lynn from Seattle. The answer is only a click away (44-minute mark).

Want to see your questions on the show? Email thebigt@tennischannel.com or call 844-678-BIGT

🫖 Spilling the T: Code Violations

This week, we gave time for the hosts to get a few things off their chests. And Petko, fresh off flying to the U.S., gladly took the opportunity.

What grinds the German’s gears? Well, among other things:

1. Walking in an airport, only to have someone stop right in front of her to check their phone
2. Baggage claim etiquette
3. We’re withholding the third code violation—listen to it here—but we'll show you the reaction to it:

🎧 How to Listen and Watch

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Plus: Watch full episodes, individual segments and bonus content on the Tennis Channel app