The Body Serve

Madison Keys has been a major champion for over a week now! This episode isn’t really about that, but it bears repeating. Checking in on tennis in February, we’ve got Felix winning yet another indoor title, Mertens and Alexandrova making up for somewhat disappointing Australian Opens, and a whole heap of man drama at Davis Cup, featuring one of the only head-on collisions you’ll see in tennis and the current state of ATP umpiring. This episode covers lots of odds and ends including Petra’s imminent return(!), more from the AO men’s final protestor, Ymer’s unretirement, and the US Open’s expansion. 

0:35 WTA titlists Mertens and Alexandrova; Felix wins his second title of the year

6:55 Davis Cup: Garin gets literally run over by Bergs

17:40 Certainly not while wearing that moustache

20:00 Mikael Ymer did the opposite of “break up with your [tennis], I’m bored” 

20:55 Petra Kvitova is coming back, maple syrup magnate Vasek Pospisil is leaving

28:05 One more thing about Madi

34:20 Craig Tiley’s comments on the AusOpen protestor are … lacking 

39:35 The US Open’s manspread 

This was one of those rare finals weekends where pretty much everything we hoped for came true. A perennial fave of fans and her own coworkers, the one-time prodigy Madison Keys showed remarkable maturity and grit to win her first major title. She let go of the “need” to win a Slam, and then managed to defeat #2 Iga Swiatek and the 2-time defending champ #1 Aryna Sabalenka back-to-back. Jannik Sinner defended his title without facing a break point in the final. Tennis keeps trying to make his opponent happen, alas to no avail. Plus, we got cracker women's doubles matchups, Novak HIPAA-violating himself, and Sakkari attending the inauguration instead of winning tennis matches.

1:25 GoFundMe update: Thank you!!!

6:05 Once a tween prodigy, then a best-never-to-win, now a Slam winner

12:05 Madison said therapy works … can’t argue with that 

27:50 After a diversion, a few more notes on the women’s draw

33:40 The ceaseless pushing, literal and figurative 

38:00 “Australia believes Olya and Brenda”

46:45 Ben Shelton v. the media 

53:05 Women’s doubles: SMASH on the girls 

62:25 Call me OptaAce because I’ve got stats 

Just past the midway point of the 2025 Australian Open, the big favorites are mostly still here; a few NextGenners made a big splash in week one, including Joao Fonseca and the episode namesake Learner Tien. We'll take you through the draw, the first week highlights, the upsets, and the reverse hex I put on Alejandro ;)  As always, we spend a lot of time with all the extra stuff happening on top of the tennis: coaching pods, the Danielle Collins mini-controversy, Djokovic’s ‘boycott,’ Nick’s non-event, and a few notes on commentary.

1:55 The first week upsets (aka James was wrong about pretty much everything)

12:00 How the faves are doing? Monfils, Coco, Alejandro (you’re welcome)

24:15 The quarters and how we got here 

30:15 He came for the nepo baby and that was the last straw

33:30 Coaching pods! (At least they’re not mic’d)

38:50 The Danielle Collins (and Colleen?!) Fund

46:05 WADA will not appeal Swiatek’s case

50:30 Tony Jones gave Novak a grievance. Thanks a lot, Tony

55:05 Erin Routliffe with the quote of the tournament

57:25 The kits: Coco’s is a hit, but the Nike spaghetti straps … please 

And just like that, the 2025 Australian Open is nearly underway. It’s the 40th major we’ve covered as a podcast, and our draw previews are still as prediction-free as always. We touch on a few of the themes to watch out for in Melbourne – Sinner’s emotional state, Rybakina’s coaching situation, Novak as #7 seed and poisonee – but mostly this is a lighthearted preview with draw breakdowns and our most intriguing first rounds. 

GoFundMe: help fund our 2025 season!

3:15 Stories to follow: heavy metals, jumping ants

13:50 Comebacks and withdrawals

18:50 Women’s draw analysis: a tough one for Coco

27:40 Women’s bottom half: will Iga reverse her luck in Australia?

38:05 Men’s draw analysis: the top tier and the middlemen

54:50 Men’s bottom half: Djokovic as a #7 seed sounds wrong

Welcome to season 11 of The Body Serve! We're catching you up on the barely existent off-season, including the most important Joaos, Max Purcell turning himself in, and Jenson Broosky’s brave statement about autism. Even though one of us rejects any “2025” tennis that occurs before January 1, 2025, we talk through the season’s early results, including the United Cup fracas, the Opelka and Nishikori comebacks, and the shifting Big 4 allegiances due to the Murravic pairing. We also take on the decidedly more serious situation with Elena Rybakina’s former and would-be current coach, Stefano Vukov, who is currently under investigation by the WTA. Finally, we end with our 2025 breakout picks and a game that James was entirely unprepared for. Happy 2025!

1:05 GoFundMe update

4:05 First week results: Reilly, Kei, the pairing from hell, plus the top tier of the WTA smashes their first week

14:00 United Cup: the “drama” is honestly not that serious

23:30 Rybakina, Vukov, WTA safeguarding, and the childishness of “I told you so”

31:25 Max Purcell turns himself in for an anti-doping oopsie

35:55 Kyrgios’ obsession + Osaka’s allegiance to him (aka: I knew things would get rocky when he came for the nepo baby)

40:45 Jenson Brooksby tells the world that he has autism spectrum disorder

44:50 The Year of the Joao: Reis da Silva comes out as gay + Fonseca wins Next Gen Finals

50:15 Our breakout picks for 2025

54:50 James plays a game! Play along at home

We never knew how much we’d miss “hola a todos” until it turned into an adiós. Rafael Nadal Parera ended his tennis career at this year’s Davis Cup, leaving with with 22 major singles titles, a Career Golden Slam, every clay record you can think of, and a litany of quotable moments. We’ve been Rafa fans since the early days, when they said he was a dirtballer whose body would force him into retirement in his 30s. But it turned out Rafa was nothing if not adaptable -- a rational thinker whose love for the game made him a global superstar and helped build two of the sport’s most enduring rivalries. In this episode, we’re less interested in a chronological retelling of his career than complicating some of the cliches about him and talking about our favorite moments, Rafa’s inimitable Rafa-isms, and what made Nadal an athlete like no other.    

1:55 How we became fans

4:45 It’s not about stats, but here are some stats

10:00 Adaptability: the key to understanding Rafa as an athlete?

12:55 A quick career recap - the notable eras

32:35 Rafa as sufferer 

37:30 Fedal & Rafole: the cliches eventually fell away

43:45 Rafa as sex symbol 

52:05 (Not) talking about the GOAT conversation

62:25 Our favorite Rafa moments: the 2022 Australian Open was a gift

65:40 Rafa-isms : if if if …

Finally our 2024 season is coming to a close! Although bonus December content is coming soon, we finish regular coverage by wrapping the ATP season: it was basically the proof that Jannik Sinner’s late-2023 rise was for real, and that he and Carlos have taken the reins of the (mostly) post-Big 4 ATP. Just like the women’s wrap, we’ll take you through the events of the 2024 season, evaluate our picks for 2024 breakout players, and choose our ATP Award winners. We finish up with your memorable/funny/enraging moments (“do you want to change the lady?,” Indian Wells bee attack) and the many players saying goodbye to the sport. 

GoFundMe  

3:10 Where were we at the beginning of 2024?

10:30 Starting in Australia: Sinner risen

16:30 Clay: Rafa’s brief return, Watergate, and Carlos’ apology-fist pump-championship pipeline

22:20 Channel Slam and Novak’s white whale

29:20 Rafa’s retirement at Davis Cup

37:55 Off-court “drama” 

41:55 Our 2024 breakout players + thoughts on the ATP Awards

50:00 What will you remember? Bees.

53:25 Moments that pissed you off / made you laugh (sometimes both)

57:55 A ton of retirements this year, even beyond the big names

We were soooo close to wrapping this season, but we’ll always change the schedule for a doping story. The news of Iga Swiatek testing positive for a banned substance provoked shock, confusion, and even resignation among tennis watchers who are, by the day, becoming more versed on the fine details of doping cases. Our immediate questions were: Is the story plausible? Why is the suspension broken into pieces? When should news like this be made public? As always, we like to dive into the report itself, making sure we’ve got the facts straight before offering any hot takes. Later, we try to answer a few of our own questions, touching on player reactions and the danger of comparing one case to another. 

1:35 GoFundMe Update

3:25 Iga Swiatek tests positive for trimetazidine in Cincinnati, gets a 1-month non-consecutive suspension

9:05 A timeline to make sense of things

13:10 Iga’s team sends a boatload of evidence to the ITIA

17:30 What’s the difference between No Fault or Negligence and No Significant Fault of Negligence?

31:30 Public disclosure: balancing a player’s privacy with building transparency and trust 

36:05 Tara Moore has a more legitimate beef than most 

42:30 Simona said this case is identical to hers (it is not)  

This year in women’s tennis, the top tier took further steps to entrench themselves but the WTA retained its signature depth. Sabalenka, Swiatek, and surprise – Krejcikova – added majors to their hauls; Paolini and Zheng broke out in a big way; and Gauff managed to rewrite her season in the fall. We’ll take you through the highlights, the comebacks, the ‘remember whens,’ and moments both infuriating and hilarious. As usual, we also choose our WTA Award winners and do a self-assessment on our 2024 WTA breakout picks. Thanks for a great WTA season!

0:55 Launching our crowdfunding campaign!

3:00 The season’s major themes: Steadiness at the top (+ Babs!), the Zheng and Paolini breakthroughs, Coco’s two seasons, and many comebacks of varying success

12:20 Picture it: Australia, January 2024

17:20 Danielle makes a career-best run, Iga dominates clay

26:25 Babs snatches Wimbledon, Zheng ascendant

33:20 Aryna bookends her year at the US Open

38:30 Our choices for the 2024 WTA Awards

44:10 How did our 2024 breakout picks do?

47:55 Your most memorable moments: our listeners love Jasmine

50:55 Moments that pissed you off and moments that made you laugh: Babs and Qinwen keeping the girlies entertained  

64:35 Farewells and farewells for now

Coco writes a new story to end her year -- beating the bad season allegations, as she said -- by taking out Swiatek, Sabalenka, and finally Zheng Qinwen to win the WTA Finals. (Barbie K tried to shake the table, as usual.) In Turin, Jannik Sinner showed that anything you can do, he can do better. He won his first year-end title and notched a 70-win season, the first since 2016. After that, we talk about the retirement of legendary umpire Carlos Bernardes, Frances Tiafoe’s big fine, Jon Wertheim’s hot mic incident, and more.

0:30 Housekeeping: a transition to BlueSky?

6:40 Coco beats the bad season allegations!

19:55 Barbora Krejcikova will f*** it up if you invite her (respectfully)

24:45 ATP Finals: starting with the group photo

29:55 Nice job, Taylor! But Sinner does it better

41:35 #NameTheTennisPlayer is back!

45:15 Umpire Carlos Bernardes retires from tennis

48:00 Wertheim’s hot mic moment 

53:15 Tiafoe fined $120,000 for tirade 

The top women descend upon Riyadh, the photoshoot is a smash, and #1 Sabalenka sails into the semis. There are still questions around this business decision, and players have varying success in answering them. Paris, as always, suffers from late-season malaise, and the ATP Finals qualifiers start to firm up (almost), but we wonder about the value of grinding it out this late in the season. Plus, lot of et ceteras, including: Dev Patel is the next Zendaya(!), and off-court coaching is no longer a trial but still a tribulation (heh). 

0:30 And another thing about Sinner

2:55 Some meta-commentary on the show and getting older and less stan-oriented 

8:15 The WTA Finals looks: great job everybody!

16:10 Players answer inevitable questions on Saudi Arabia, some better than others

26:35 If a tree falls in Paris

38:10 ATP Finals qualifications: not many scenarios are left

44:55 WTA results: Shnaider wins #4 of the year and Somnez enters the top 100 

47:05 Sloane on protecting your peace

52:20 Et ceteras: Diego Forlan to play pro tennis, the incomparable Dev Patel to make a tennis movie

57:20 Off-court coaching is now the law

These October episodes are always all over the place. The tours are sputtering toward a finish as players are vying for the final spots in the year-end tournaments or securing their ranking for next season. We talk about the Six Kings Slam, its strange and corny happenings, and the Saudi efforts to diversify their economy with sports and entertainment. We go through some recent results -- Dasha back in the top 10! -- plus we discuss the Hall of Fame vote that inducted Sharapova, peruse the slightly confusing WTA ranking rules, and honor Dominic Thiem’s great career. 

1:00 Does Saudi Arabia even need to sportswash at this point? 

12:20 Results: Stan isn't going, Dasha back at #9, second titles for Draper and Mpetshi 

18:35 What’s left this season, and who’s in the running for an ATP Finals spot?

25:15 Danielle Collins is in fact not retiring this year

31:20 Sharapova inducted into the Hall of Fame: a test for voters 

42:45 Dominic Thiem retires

48:10 Aryna back at #1: arguments over ranking math

Autumn is supposed to be relatively quiet in tennis, no? Well, in the past week or so, Rafa announced his retirement, CAS released the full decision on Simona Halep's doping case, WADA appealed Jannik Sinner’s No Fault or Negligence ruling to CAS, and one of the most successful coaching pairings of the decade ended. We’ll take you through some key points of the Halep case, including how and why her suspension was so drastically reduced, and some learnings that might help us better understand the Sinner case. We cover the wave of cranky baby behavior in Shanghai, including Frances’ outburst and how it reads in comparison to similar behavior from his colleagues. Plus, Sabalenka nears no. 1 again, Coco resets, and why the continued whispers about Zheng’s personality aren’t sitting right with us.

2:05 Rafa says ‘Adiós a todos’

8:20 CAS finally releases the full decision on the Halep case

23:05 WADA appeals the Sinner decision - what have we learned from the Halep case and others?

32:15 It’s pissy cranky season

40:50 A few WTA players play stupid games, win stupid prizes 

43:55 Why is Qinwen becoming public enemy no. 1? 

52:30 Coco said “what crisis?”

55:25 Iga splits with Wiktorowski

Welcome to part two of our mailbag! We’re kicking things off with our review of Serena in the Arena (at long last). We can’t help but compare some of the things we’ve said about Serena’s career over the years with how Serena described those events in her own words. Like you all, we noticed a few notable omissions from the series, and a few things that were conveniently glossed over. Spoiler: we enjoyed it. We spend the rest of the episodes sifting through the remainder of your submissions. Hope y’all enjoy! 

00:52 Serena in the Arena, at last 

22:54 How would we schedule the tennis calendar?    

35:02 James grinds his Madrid axe, goes to bat for USO Series

40:25 Giving some grace to non-English speakers in pressers

45:47 The tennis opinion we disagree on most

52:51 Ramblings on the where we see the sport in the next few years

59:30 The prerequisite update on our Bravo TV watching habits

Tennis is a famously exclusive sport. So which forces and institutions determine who gets access? Who’s guarding the gates, and what’s the criteria for entry? In this episode, which is co-produced by Sheriece Matias Dick, we start to explore the barriers to entering tennis, the various paths into the sport, and how the gatekeeping institutions of tennis have jockeyed for power through the profound economic and cultural changes of the past 140 years. After exploring a few players’ journeys into pro tennis, we look into the founding ethos of the sport -- “gentlemanly amateurism” -- and how that obsession with status permeated the sport even as it became more accessible to working class people. Finally, we land in the present day, where the seat of power has shifted from aristocratic patrons to the corporate sponsor, with their own standards of conduct, inclusion, and ‘class.’

0:30 What is gatekeeping and how does it relate to tennis?

9:40 Various routes to becoming a pro tennis player

12:25 Comparing Tiafoe and Fritz

23:05 Tennis’ “working class champions”: various paths to the pro level

30:20 The financial barriers for kids entering tennis

36:50 Tennis as an activity for the leisure class

41:45 Code of etiquette: a surprisingly durable way to police the gate and perform class status 

48:30 The Open Era democratizes tennis, sort of

51:45 The new tennis economy: broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and the invention of the branded tennis celebrity

57:35 Connors, McEnroe, and their very American “class struggle”

65:00 From patron to sponsor

It’s the first day of fall, the players are burnt out, and instead of following Laver Cup we’re doing a mailbag. Your questions gave us enough to yap about over two separate episodes, which we’ll release over the next few weeks in addition to something else we’ve been cooking. We talk about Naomi’s surprising coaching changeup; trying to find joy in a sport after it’s presented you a tough ethical dilemma; Coco and Brad’s split; our favorite players who never really jumped off; and a lot more.

01:55 Naomi's coaching change

08:40 ‘Coco crisis’ or out of control expectations?

14:30 How would you conduct your social media profiles if you were a famous tennis player?

20:30 Facing an ethical dilemma in following men’s tennis

35:05 Vee as coach?

41:45 Our walk-out music 

44:50 Who are some players late in their careers who you thought would break into the top but never really did? Who were you excited to follow but they didn’t reach their full potential?

The final major of the year is over and the champions are the same as in January: Aryna Sabalenka stakes her claim as hardcourt queen while Jannik Sinner dominates mere days after being cleared in an anti-doping case. We recap some of our highlights from week two, which had a ton of potential but didn’t deliver many (any?) classics. We dig into why disliking billionaires is actually totally fine; conflicts of interest and their sometimes humorous results; online mean girl/mean boy behavior from some famous commentators; and more observations from the site. We finish up with a look at commentator Nick Kyrgios and the complacency that led broadcasters, journalists, and commentators to excuse his misogyny; plus the ongoing lawsuit over Ben Rothenberg’s reporting on the Zverev abuse allegations.      

0:35 Not the most brilliant three weeks of tennis in history but OK!

3:00 The women’s final was fun! Aryna Sabalenka bookends her year with hardcourt Slams

7:35 Billionaires, they’re just like us!

14:45 Notable week two matches: Navarro d. Badosa; Zheng d. Vekic; Aryna evolving into the most consistent Slam player on tour

19:00 Rennae cooks coach/commentator Brad Gilbert on air, and why that’s totally fine 

26:55 An unseasoned final 

30:50 The American narrative + Frances Tiafoe getting so close again

44:50 Penko a first-time Slam doubles winner; Taylor/Katka, Mladenovic/Zhang, D. Young

52:10 “Little grim reapers” and a few more observations from the grounds

63:40 ESPN commentators discover player name pronunciations and immediately get mean about it

71:10 Nick Kyrgios, misogyny, and the insider hypocrisy that protects him

79:45 Ben Rothenberg appeals a lawsuit from Alexander Zverev + its broader implications for journalism

Jonathan is back from New York after attending the first three days of the US Open. James quizzes him on the record crowds, the heat, where to find the frozen Honey Deuce, the tennis, and his advice for navigating the grounds. We chat about Naomi’s divisive kit, Adidas’ misstep, and of course the cornrow epidemic. Right, and there was tennis being played, too – Novak & Carlos crash out, the men’s draw could see a real breakthrough (or not), and Paolini and Gauff win for Slam consistency this year.   

1:50 The crowds: eased by free movement during matches

11:10 Experiences from the grounds: the heat, Taylor Townsend, Ngounoue/Tien

19:55 Searching for the frozen Honey Deuce

28:55 A Manhattan girlie now 

30:55 It’s called fashion: Ruffles and bows

39:50 The screaming follicles

42:50 First week highlights: Tiafoe d. Shelton, Muchova reminds everyone what she can do

54:30 Alcaraz and Djokovic both out before the second week

60:20 Women’s draw chugs along as top seeds remain

72:37 Men’s draw: even with the upheaval, the title could still go to the world #1

The US Open is around the corner, but you know what we really want to talk about: the news of Jannik Sinner’s positive doping tests, the lifted suspensions, and the hearing that cleared his name five months later, all before we heard a single peep on the subject. We take you through the facts of the case, the questions around transparency and the perception of fairness, and the privilege of having the means to mount a case and a spokesperson like Darren Cahill on your side. We end with our US Open draw previews: Sabalenka in great position, OsakaPenko, a soft landing for Novak, a tricky quarter for Carlos and a test for Iga.

2:25 But first, the Cincy results

4:10 Yevgeny, calm down

7:05 Frances’ middle finger

11:05 Sinner v. ITIA: the facts

23:10 What does No Fault or Negligence mean?

33:30 “One-billionth of a gram” + the privilege of great PR

47:50 Women’s draw preview: a quartet of cursed women’s 1st rounds

59:25 Men’s draw preview: Jannik, Carlos, and Daniil will have to battle it out on the top half

We asked for questions and you sent us so many great ones, many of which cover some of the major topics o’ the day, including the recent rule enforcement controversies and the groundswell of support for video replay. (Basically, video replay needs to happen and it will happen, but it won’t fix everything!) Beyond just the topical, we've got Olympics memories, favorite cake, a few great Coco questions, and the contradiction of having fewer and fewer opinions in a hot take-driven medium. Let’s have some fun before the US Open gets underway next week!

01:30 Which non-Slam event would you have liked to attend? 

06:30 Jamaican sprinting and our all-time dream 4x100 relay team

12:20 “What is the most objectively polarizing tennis topic that you have zero opinion on?”

20:25 Video replay: yes, we need it but it won’t fix everything

28:20 The FAA-Draper incident that launched a thousand opinions

38:40 Cleansing the palate from the above question … Favorite cake and favorite episodes (of our own)

42:00 The WTA matching ATP’s prize money: a moving target?

48:00 Toronto vs Cincinnati

52:00 “Coco crisis” or just alarmism?

62:05 WAGs and HABs

67:00 Favorite Olympics moments

Since we last spoke, the entire Olympic tennis tournament and the Canadian Open came and went. Our coverage isn’t comprehensive but more of a riff on the most interesting bits to us. We devote a good chunk of time to the tennis world’s incursions into the “gender controversy” involving Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif, including ugly, often defamatory statements by tennis legends and one current player (the latter being the only one to retract). We bounce over to Canada for some disjointed thoughts on the National Bank Open and finally touch on the end of an era, the dissolution of the stormy Stefanos-Apostolos working relationship.   

01:15 The Jamaican Olympic tragedy

11:00 Tennis at the Olympics: Novak, Zheng, Nadalcaraz 

23:00 The myth of the badly behaved American trio (it's not a trio)

33:25 Andy Murray’s last dance

34:54 Tennis covers itself in shame during the Imane Khelif “gender controversy”

51:35 Policing women’s bodies is not liberation, it’s more of the same

56:25 Random Canadian Open thoughts 

67:30 Shapovalov defaulted

70:35 Stef and Dad break up

We’re celebrating our 350th episode - thanks to all of you for sticking around and pushing us forward for all these years! On this episode, we’re sharing thoughts on the Olympics opening ceremony and the spotlight on tennis royalty; the Olympics tennis draws, rocked by withdrawals and the unique Olympic qualification rules; and the post-Wimbledon clay/grass season. Rafa reached the Bastad final plus, in Hamburg, Arthur Fils matched That Guy’s energy, saved 21/22 break points, and snatched the title in front of a hostile crowd (and opponent).

0:30 A milestone!

3:15 Back on clay: Shnaider’s very good year, Rafa plays a few epics in Bastad

9:40 Newport and the ATP’s hygiene problem

19:10 Hamburg: underarm serves and the tears of a clown

26:50 Tennis Channel debuts a Zverev brother podcast … because why wouldn’t they

28:55 Update from Halep, but where is the CAS report?

31:30 Olympics opening ceremony: Booty siblings together again!

45:00 Olympic tennis: retirement fatigue + late withdrawals are wreaking havoc on the already weird draws

So rarely does a championship weekend feel this great. The widely adored Babs Krejcikova has done it again, this time winning the Wimbledon title amidst an injury-plagued year. It’s her 12th major title across all disciplines. Carlos Alcaraz is now the youngest male Channel Slam winner, sweeping past 7-time champion Djokovic in a rematch of last year’s final. In more good news, Taylor Townsend claims her first major title and Sinikova and Hsieh add to their impressive resumes. Plus, we chat about some extraneous stuff, as usual, like Medvedev’s near-default, Djokovic’s lecture to the crowd, and the “4 the girls” controversy. 

2:55 This time, the tougher roads resulted in titles

7:40 Babs is a big match player

24:00 The men’s tournament: where’s the rest of the field?

26:50 Men’s final: all Carlos

37:25 Fritz, Riddle, and That Guy: 4 the girls?

44:55 I know all the tricks

53:15 Medvedev narrowly avoids a default in the semis

56:50 Doubles: Townsend is now a Slam winner! Siniakova & Hsieh add to their historic hauls

We made it to Middle Sunday at Wimbledon! (Well, not all of us.) The bottom half of the women’s draw is guaranteed to see a surprising finalist; in the top half, slightly more order prevails, even after the dismissals of Swiatek and Jabeur. The men’s draw is proceeding mostly as expected on the top half, while the bottom has seen the rapid rise of Perricard, the precarious state of Djokovic's repaired knee, and a slightly spicy beef between Taylor Fritz and Arthur Rinderknech. We also witnessed the last of Andy Murray at Wimbledon, featuring a moving tribute, a singles withdrawal, and mother Judy getting into a self-inflicted internet scrape.

1:00 Early upsets set up a very interesting and unexpected women’s bottom half

10:10 Navarro knocks out Gauff 

18:55 Iga and Ons out within 20 minutes of each other 

29:50 The return of Caroline Wozniacki, Esq.

35:50 Andy Murray’s last dance at Wimbledon

41:10 AstonishGate

47:25 Stefanos was just here for the *filmmaking*, not the tradwife content

50:40 Have a nice flight home 

53:25 Men’s results: top half going to form, bottom's a little messy

The year's third major is upon us as we face the first Williams-less Wimbledon in 28 years <sob>. Novak is back from knee surgery and sheltered from world #1 Sinner and defending champion Alcaraz, who share a balanced but tricky top half. Iga’s draw has done her no favors, but some of the grass stalwarts are questionable, including Rybakina, Vondrousova, and the injured Sabalenka. And buckle up, because early on we’ll be treated to the Your Behavior Is Terrible classic, featuring Steve Carell and Lil’ Wayne’s favorite tennis player.

0:35 The end of the Williams Wimbledon Era

3:20 This week’s results: Dasha, Shnaider, Tabilo, T. Fritz

9:20 Injury updates: Andy Murray intent on playing, Sabalenka dealing with shoulder problem

20:00 Men’s draw: Sinner’s tough draw, a potential Paul Rudd matchup 

32:15 Men’s bottom half: Djokovic, Hubert, de Minaur + a messy third quarter 

39:35 Women's draw: Iga in peril or does the draw not matter? 

50:15 Women’s bottom half hinges on Sabalenka’s health

Grass season is well underway -- almost over, actually -- and we’ve got British players coming out of hibernation, a tennis power couple winning again, the new ATP #1 switching surfaces with ease, and basically all the top WTA grass contenders out with injury or illness in Berlin. Elsewhere, Carlos is unhappy with the ATP’s latest rule experiment and a commentator is unhappy with a problem he just made up. We also cover Tsitsipas’ bizarre tradwife posting and the Olympic qualifications; and finally, it wouldn’t be a Slam without wild card drama.

1:55 Grass titlists: Draper, tennis’ actual power couple, and another birthday humiliation

7:10 FOMO in Berlin until all those retirements …

12:30 Castle’s totally unprovoked rant on pronunciation

14:10 Why are you messing with the shot clock rules during an actual tournament?

17:40 Unfortunately yes, we’re still talking about wild cards 

22:20 A bunch of Americans say thank you, next to Olympics 

29:25 Andy Murray not out yet 

34:00 Tsitsipas shares weird tradwife fantasy

41:45 Thoughts on the Federer documentary

Iga Swiatek further cements her position as the highly feared queen of Roland Garros and Carlos Alcaraz completes a “Surface Slam” amid injury problems and less than ideal preparation. The years-long ordeal surrounding domestic violence allegations and criminal charges against Zverev has been resolved, at least legally, but the tennis community will continue to reckon with its comprehensive failure in their handling of it. We’ve also got doubles news, WTA CEO announcement, and more takeaways from the tournament like umpire headcams (did they get headcam premium pay?).  

2:50 Alcaraz wins his first French title, that other guy loses another Slam final up 2 sets to 1

8:05 Zverev assault case has been settled

13:40 The sport has utterly failed in its handling of domestic violence 

22:15 Carlos & Jannik in ascendance, Novak out with meniscus tear 

32:55 Iga thoroughly dominates the field post-Naomi 

41:20 Coco Gauff wins her first Slam doubles title - and Siniakova her 8th!

45:45 WTA announces a new CEO 

47:00 Tournament et ceteras: first up, the umpire head cams

49:05 The Djokovic/Jockovic vowel shift 

53:30 Danielle Collins addresses the incredulity about her impending retirement

61:10 PTPA announces additional funds raised for its commercial arm, Winners Alliance

It’s been a rainy slog through the first week of Roland Garros. The weather has wreaked chaos on scheduling, the tournament banned alcohol on Philippe Chatrier because the fans didn’t know how to act, and the night session has no women (but who would want it anyway?). We analyze the draw as it stands and take you through the highlights and lowlights: Rafa may or may not have played his last match here, Swiatek-Osaka put on a clinic, Djokovic’s fire got lit at 2am on a Sunday, and Dimitrov completed his collection of Slam quarterfinals. 

1:55 Did Rafa play his last match at Roland Garros? Not 100%

7:05 Zverev goes to court for intimate partner violence, his colleagues remain (at best) indifferent

12:35 Musetti awakens the Djokovic beast

21:15 Rublev is upset as his on-court behavior gets worse 

27:00 Looking ahead to the men’s quarters

32:20 Iga & Naomi throw in a classic, Naomi’s performance inspires optimism

42:35 Upsets: Sakkari, Collins, Ostapenko

46:50 Looking ahead to the women’s quarters

60:25 Rybakina vs the press: the brief journey from drama to indifference

68:00 Nonstop rain + weird scheduling = misery

72:50 Roland Garros enters its Prohibition era

Roland Garros approaches, and the women's draw has a heavy favorite in Iga Swiatek plus a few major contenders. In contrast, the men's tour seems in a temporary state of disarray, as Djokovic enters without momentum and Sinner and Alcaraz are dealing with injuries. What's worse, the 14-time champion, the (possibly) retiring Rafa Nadal, draws a man who starts his domestic violence trial days after their match. As usual, no predictions here but lots of chatter about this clay season and who's primed to show out. And what's a major without a little wild card drama? 

0:50 Wild card drama is constant but a good chance to talk about maternity leave policy

9:00 Rafa draws That Guy

13:15 Men’s draw analysis: what to expect from Djokovic and the walking wounded?

21:20 Men’s draw: the tricky third quarter

28:05 Women's draw: it's Iga's world 

35:40 Women’s draw bottom half: opportunity knocks

47:00 Fedal goes mountaineering 

Halfway through Rome and it’s all peritonsillar abscesses and water bottles knocking down GOATs and Italian stars retiring and fleeing their home country amidst myriad legal problems. You know, the usual. 

0:35 Andrey does not have angina

3:25 Djokovic gets hit in the head by a falling water bottle

9:45 Camila Giorgi retired and lamming it

18:55 Rafa says there’s a tiny, tiny chance this isn’t the end

23:35 Qinwen says no to drama

25:30 More retirement talk: Dominic and Diego

31:45 So how does one qualify for the Olympics?

38:35 How will we know if the extended Masters tournaments are successful?

Madrid stretched nearly two weeks and few of the top men survived without injury. Felix Auger-Aliassime landed in the final after three walkovers/retirements but it was a very ill Andrey Rublev who snatched the title. Iga Swiatek won Madrid for the first time (be scared). Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur provided lots of food for thought -- in very different ways -- on women’s sports and continuing inequities. Plus, we’re bringing you our thoughts on Luca Guadagnino’s long awaited queer tennis drama Challengers (aka the crowning of Zendaya as a true movie star), and we answer some listener questions!

1:40 Women save the day (after Aryna steps in it)

14:30 More of Madrid women’s draw shining bright

18:25 Ons Jabeur makes a statement about women’s sports + Feliciano Lopez’s change of tone

25:30 Never stay for your farewell ceremony

30:00 Shirtgate: the height of idgaf-ness 

36:35 Men’s draw ravaged by injuries but Andrey overcomes

45:55 Cornet is retiring, Tsitsidosa is breaking up

47:50 Our thoughts on Challengers

65:15 What’s the first thing you’d change if you were in charge of the WTA/ATP merger?

73:45 Players who’ve taken us on journeys of like and dislike (or apathy or indifference or standom, etc.) … 

It’s time to play catch-up with the early results of the European clay swing: Tsitsipas wins his 3rd Monte Carlo title, Casper takes revenge the following week in Barcelona, and Elena Rybakina slays Iga in Stuttgart for her third title of the year. We also talk about Rafa’s return to tennis in Barcelona and Holger Rune’s commitment to remaining messy on social media even after signing with IMG. In off-court stuff: Muguruza retires, the WTA announces their year-end championships in Saudi Arabia, Keith Lee comes to Toronto (yes, there are one or two sneaks). We finish the episode with our thoughts on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, the “country” record that smashes genre and takes us to school. 

2:50 Stef takes his 3rd MC title + a Holger Rune dramatic reading 

9:05 What happen-ed in Barcelona happen-ed: Rafa’s return, Casper’s triumph

18:55 Rybakina drives off with Stuttgart title (or will once she gets her license)  

22:25 Sloane back in the winner’s circle

27:30 Live your life: Garbiñe Muguruza ends her HoF career

32:55 Saudi Arabia announcement + becoming an LGBTQ poster child  

39:45 Pop culture et ceteras: Challengers, Keith Lee in Toronto, Mariah in Vegas

54:20 Cowboy Carter!

We've just returned from an amazing experience at the Credit One Charleston Open, a tournament that's been hugely important to women's tennis and continues to be a favorite among players and fans. We do our best to place Charleston in the context of its host city's complex history and explore the tournament’s role in helping to develop women's tennis. Danielle Collins was unquestionably the main attraction of the tournament -- winning her second straight title with the loss of one set. We also chat about watching TBS faves Dasha Kasatkina and Taylor Townsend, Vika Azarenka, Jessie Pegula, and Sloane Stephens on the unique Har-Tru green clay. Plus, some tips on attending and our review of the signature cocktail. 

00:52 We <3 the Charleston Open (and this is not spon con!)

06:09 A little history of the Family Circle Cup, a hugely important women’s tournament 

11:44 Reckoning with the history of Charleston, South Carolina

19:06 Our impressions of green clay and other tournament etcs

28:28 Players and moments that stood out for us 

42:34 Just like Miami, Danielle was the standard

49:46 James is never beating the stalker allegations

52:15 First Serve vs Honey Deuce 

57:18 What does tennis IQ mean and who has it?

62:03 Other results while we were in the Lowcountry

Danielle Collins, you will always be famous. The 30-year-old charisma machine – she of 2 NCAA titles and an unorthodox journey through tennis – wins her biggest title in the final year of her career. On the men’s side, everybody’s fave Grigor Dimitrov beat three top 10 players but fell against the final one, the near-unbeatable Jannik Sinner. Plus, we have more tales from our time at the Miami Open, including one particularly impassioned rant and the key to why Casper Ruud is not beating the Karen allegations.

03:30 Danielle Collins, the woman you are

09:48 She’s still retiring, so stop asking

15:24 Jannik Sinner is the best (*right now)

18:25 Brother Grigor

24:53 Watching Andy Murray + his devastating injury

29:30 Not an impromptu quiz!

31:17 A nightmare on site … 

42:40 What’s the tournament director there for if not to field complaints?

47:43 Extras: Thiem injury, Leylah, Novak-Goran split

53:21 The USTA sexual abuse case will go to jury trial + the failed attempt to bar Pam Shriver from testifying

For the first time, we’re coming to you from Miami Gardens, Florida! Before recapping Indian Wells, we share our first impressions of the Miami Open site and some of the tennis we got to see early on: Halep’s first match back from her suspension, Azarenka-Stearns (with an appearance by early Berry Gordy’s son RedFoo), Ostapenko lighting up Court 1, and more. Alcaraz defends his Indian Wells title -- snapping a title-less stretch going back to Wimbledon -- and Iga regains her title while losing a mere handful of games. Later on, we talk about the competing proposals that aim to overhaul mostly everything about tennis (Premier vs. PIF).

0:35 Miami Open: Penko-Siegemund, Vika-Peyton (and why RedFoo is here)

9:35 Simona’s return and Woz’s take heard round the world: “It wasn’t a clearance”

18:48 Minding Our Own Business 

22:20 Belatedly wrapping Indian Wells

27:07  Non-problematic beef

29:41 Unnecessary beef

32:28 Miss Beswick strikes again

35:28:Tennis headed for fundamental change: Premier Tour vs. Saudi PIF bid

On March 5, the Court of Arbitration for Sport rendered its decision on the Simona Halep appeal: the doping was not intentional and the suspension was reduced to 9 months, time long since served. It’s the welcome end to a saga that has dragged on and shaken trust in the sport’s anti-doping institutions. But, we’re left with ever more questions: Why were the conclusions of the ITIA and CAS so starkly different? What of the biological passport results? What took so long? Why are tennis players often so successful at CAS? Aside from the Halep news, we talk about the early happenings at Indian Wells, the cancellation of Netflix’s Break Point, the ATP's annual awkward International Women’s Day video, and more. 

01:40 CAS accepts Simona’s contamination defense and throws out biological passport charge 

07:50 Why are the conclusions of ITIA and CAS so vastly different?

15:00 Comparisons to Sharapova, the question of “innocence” 

25:00 So where are the “real” dopers?

35:30 Indian Wells: withdrawals, Sinner’s win streak, Kerber-Woz revival

45:15 Break Point is over: what went wrong?

50:40 Ruby amends his apology, thanks to Sofya Tartakova

51:50 A (very) slight improvement in the ATP’s Women’s Day video!

Rublev’s default from Dubai generated tons of discourse this week, and we devote quite a bit of time to it: the facts, the question of proportionality (of both Rublev’s actions and the umpire’s decision), and why player reactions aren’t the final word. We also recap the end of the lead-up to Indian Wells, with several players showing off the best tennis of their lives. Plus, Murray’s retirement talk; the ATP’s partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund; and the suspension of a low-ranked player for cannabis and how WADA decides to ban a substance.

2:15 Quick results recap: de Minaur, Boulter, Yuan, Humbert, Baez 

8:30 The Rublev Default

13:10 The Act of (non)Contrition

25:35 Proportionality, in a few senses

34:45 Andy Murray talks about the end

38:40 #TheNetflixSlam: it was a bit tacky and very American, but overall a huge win for the sport

46:00 ATP partners with PIF

50:55 A 2-year suspension for weed? Also an opportunity for some nerdy anti-doping discussion

February concludes with another first-time winner at the WTA 1000 level, Jordan Thompson winning 3 matches in one night to double in Los Cabos, and a bunch of hatchers and snatchers in Doha and Rio. We're also talking about the Coco-umpire incident in Dubai, Holger Rune rehiring Patrick Mouratoglou but retaining his reckless social media brand, and the quagmire of ethics breaches with the influx of betting companies into tennis institutions. 

1:40 Jasmine Paolini wins Dubai + Kalinskaya’s fantastic run

7:40 Thompson wins Los Cabos singles and doubles

12:05 Hatching and snatching in South America

17:50 Andy Murray wins his 500th hard court match

21:15 Coco vs. an obstinate (and wrong) umpire

27:25 Holger is back with Patrick: how to fail up in tennis

37:50 James Blake sanctioned under the sport’s betting sponsorship rules; but why can tournaments and other institutions have betting sponsors?

We're catching up with the tennis tours as they wind through Transylvania, South America, the US, and the Middle East. Iga Swiatek threepeats in Doha, Rybakina racks up more wins, Pliskova surges, and Sinner wins his first tournament off becoming a Slam winner. Meanwhile, Ostapenko still hasn't lost a match to anyone but Azarenka. We've got updates on the high profile doping suspensions: Brooksby gets some clemency from the ITIA, and Halep pleads her case to the CAS and sues the supplement company (hey, Scarborough!). Plus: the last one-hander in the top 10 goes out, and major coaching shakeups at a strange time of the season. 

3:20 Iga threepeats in Doha

8:00 The state of Naomi’s return from mat leave 

16:45 Rybakina wins Abu Dhabi, Kasatkina slams the scheduling

19:30 Penko and the aborted racquet shake

24:30 Sinner keeps winning, other men’s results 

31:40 The death of the one-handed backhand

36:30 Doping updates: Brooksby’s suspension reduced, Simona Halep makes her case at CAS and sues the supplement company

41:20 Coaching breakups: Sakkari and Tom Hill; Holger and everybody

The Body Serve is back with what’s become a February tradition, an off-topic mailbag/pop culture episode. Fair warning to Sw*fties to proceed with caution through a few of the early segments (timestamps below). As we all switch modes from Australian Open to the global February tennis schedule, we offer our highlights and the broader themes raised by the Grammys with a massive dose of deja vu; we answer your questions, both tennis-related and not; we take on the idea of “tarnishing” a legacy by continuing to play past your prime; and chat randomly about the Naomi memoir, We Are the World, and The Traitors (spoilers abound). 

1:00 Grammys: the Swift of it all

10:00 The broader problem: the Grammys’ failure to recognize Black women

21:20 Sone actual highlights from the Grammys

30:15 Memoirs

41:25 Will tennis ever change its schedule due to climate change?

43:50 Who will be the next first-time Slam winners?

46:05 Why do they keep protecting that guy? The sunk cost fallacy

48:45 Traitors: spoilers ahead for all versions

55:45 Best-of-5 for women + court speeds

61:00 Ideal tennis dinner guests, the evolution of tennis kits

65:05 Andy Murray and the idea of “tarnishing” one’s legacy

The 2024 Australian Open wrapped with Aryna Sabalenka defending her title and Jannik Sinner snapping both Djokovic’s dominance and Medvedev’s almost inexhaustible energy to win his first major title. Amidst increasing coverage of the abuse charges against him, Zverev comes dangerously close to reaching a Djokovic-less final but Daniil says ‘calma.’ In good news, Zheng Qinwen breaks out even earlier than expected, Hsieh Su-Wei wins the third and fourth Slam titles of her return to tennis, and Rohan Bopanna reaches #1 at age 43.   

01:25 Sabalenka defends her Australian title without much trouble

13:50 Shakey shake! Coco’s run

19:05 Jannik Sinner’s patience and smarts help him win his first major title 

27:00 Daniil Medvedev finds the poetry in losing

30:40 The strangest Djokovic semifinal

35:10 Calma: Medvedev stops the Zverev momentum

42:00 The coverage of the abuse allegations against Zverev reach a peak 

49:15 Doubles! Bopanna at #1, Hsieh’s continued doubles dominance 

56:20 Et ceteras: record attendance doesn’t always make a pleasant experience; a few more fashion notes

We’ve reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where the women’s draw has swallowed up all but 4 seeded players. Amidst the chaos, we’ve still got the defending champion, the US Open champion, and a number of players who’ve been expected to break out for a while. On the men's side, only seeded players have made the quarters. We chat a bit about the surprises (Borges, Cazaux) and whether anyone will stop Novak from getting his 11th title. We also talk about the kits we liked (Coco and Grigor ftw); the Sports Illustrated layoffs; and, in light of so many mothers playing this Australian Open, we answer a listener question about maternity and paternity leave. 

4:05 Men’s quarters - Djokovic rounding into form

16:25 Women’s draw: some would say carnage, we would say chill 

28:40 Noskova d. #1 Swiatek 

33:10 The fashions: are the fashions in the room with us?

37:45 Eight mothers in the AO draw: what are the tours doing on mat/pat leave?

50:45 Sports Illustrated lays off all editorial staff

57:00 Andre and Steffi present … Simona?

Six days into the Australian Open and most of the comeback kids are gone (except for Anisimova). On day five, chaos reigned down in Melbourne: Rybakina is gone after losing the longest tiebreak in Slam history, Medvedev scrapes through at 3:30 am, Swiatek survives a tussle with Danielle Collins, and seeds Pegula, Rune, and Kasatkina exit. The news of Zverev’s trial date and his election to the Players Council converge to dominate coverage during week one; players flail in press conferences and the ATP appears inert. Finally, we take a look at Nadal's surprising(?) new role as ambassador to Saudi tennis.

02:39 Anisimova leads the way & other comebacks

14:52 Iga v Danielle 

20:36 Danielle announces her final year on tour 

23:40 Rybakina, further upsets, and other notable moments 

34:12 Players get wrapped up in the Zverev case 

44:40 What does a good answer to Zverev questions look like for players?

52:18 Speaking of rotting, Gimelstob is back 

54:02 Rafael Nadal: Ambassador or Sportswasher?  

65:06 Some sad tennis news to end the episode 

The 2024 Australian Open is coming whether you're ready or not, this time a day early. The top 4 women are in fine form; Iga’s quarter is cracking, Sabalenka's is less tricky, but the women's draw promises a wild fortnight. We ask whether there's a man who can stop Djokovic's 11th title run (can vs. will is a big distinction). Time is spent on the prevailing sleaziness of the following: the ATP electing Zverev to Players Council, the clueless promotion of Break Point, and Kyrgios' new Osaka-produced podcast and rebrand. We've got a full draw analysis, plus we submit our 2024 breakout picks (James has picked the same person for around 4 years straight). 

2:40 Zverev elected to ATP Player Council: they’re trying hard to find rock bottom

8:25 ATP and Break Point get cooked, flayed, sautéed on Twitter

12:20 Nick Kyrgios’ new podcast and rebrand as a righteous ‘disrupter’

25:40 Qualifying results: Hsieh retires from singles, Rodionova out

30:10 This week: Osta-kina, with their powers combined; Draper-Lehecka final

35:50 Breakout picks for 2024

39:05 Women’s draw analysis

55:05 Men’s draw analysis

Join our Australian Open bracket league on the TNNS Live app!

Happy new year and welcome to The Body Serve’s 10th season! The first week of the 2024 tennis season – which actually began in 2023 – started with high-profile comebacks and ended with the WTA’s top 4 setting the standard early. It was a great weekend for TBS faves Gauff, Rybakina, Rublev, and Dimitrov, but the good news was quickly followed by Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from the Australian Open and that team winning the United Cup. Eh, you win some, you lose some. Overall, the comeback kids performed well enough to inspire a lot of optimism, the United Cup presented a much better product compared to its 2023 debut, and we’re off to the races.

0:35 GoFundMe Update and what we’re looking forward to in 2024! 

7:10 Week one was about comebacks: Rafa says hola and adiós a todos 

16:50 Naomi back from maternity leave and having fun

20:05 Kerber gets the optimal preparation at United Cup: a bunch of match play even if you lose

25:45 United Cup is much improved

32:55 Rybakina stuns Sabalenka in AO ‘23 rematch

39:30 The Grishaissance continues as Dimitrov earns that Lacoste money

46:20 Cocofina defends a title for the first time

To round out our 9th season, we’re leaving you with one more bonus episode for the holidays. You sent us thoughtful questions and we answer them with probably more light-heartedness than usual. You challenged us to identify our guilty tennis pleasures, our take on the Simona-Patrick blame game, Steve Simon’s shift away from CEO, our favorite tennis era and would-be rivalries, and much more. Happy holidays and see you in 2024!   

4:15 Are you excited for next season?

8:30 Simona’s doping case: the shift toward blaming Patrick

15:10 Why do men … (I swear this isn’t going where you think)

19:40 FMK Reader submissions: this is the mildly problematic part

26:50 Back to tennis: what happens first …?

29:40 How have you kept your interest in tennis alive? Favorite era?

41:40 TV shows that have disappointed / Favorite movies of the year

51:25 What does the WTA’s leadership shakeup mean?  

55:45 Best player to win only one Slam + a rivalry that could/should have been 

66:35 The Riverdale to Academy Award pipeline

71:35 Guilty pleasure player?

78:20 Favorite concerts and who we’d love to see next year

Hana Mandlíková was, according to Bud Collins, “the least understood player of her generation.” A 4-time major champion, Hana was “some whimsical genius,” the presumed successor to the Evert-Navratilova reign, and at times she sure did make their lives difficult. But let’s dispense with the “next” whoever and the what ifs – Hana on her own is a fascinating figure, an explosive talent with a creative, athletic, and captivating serve-and-volley game. With the help of Hana’s memoir and contemporary accounts, we learn what it was like to be an internationally recognized athlete playing for a strict Communist government shaken by the defection of Martina Navratilova and other major athletes. We interrogate a bit about why Czech(oslovakia) has produced such a deep bench of tennis talent since the early 20th century. Hana Mandlíková is one of its greatest exports: a gifted, straight-talking tennis wunderkind who we hope is becoming both more understood and more appreciated.

4:40 You can’t argue with the résumé

11:00 A very quick history of Czechoslovakian tennis 

21:00 Hana’s origins and the Prague Spring

27:45 Life as an Eastern Bloc athlete abroad; and Martina’s defection

35:40 1980: the jump off 

39:00 Excitement builds around Mandlíková: those pesky “next Navratilova” proclamations 

49:15 Big chat: Hana’s mouth gets her in trouble

55:20 1985 US Open: The crowning achievement

60:55 No what ifs 

68:15 Hana & Jana

71:50 Learnings

The ATP season: it wasn’t always fun, but it’s over and that’s what matters! 2023 saw Novak Djokovic manage his schedule wisely and dominate players 15 years younger than him, even as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev attempted to wrest men’s tennis away from him. On this episode, we’ll take you through the season’s highlights and big winners, discuss off-court stuff, and evaluate our breakout picks and your own hopes and dreams for the season that was. All that plus a pop quiz!

03:45 Where were we at the start of 2023?

09:25 Novak returns to Australia and Craig outlaws booing (unrelated) 

16:15 Medvedev threatens the Djokovic-Alcaraz domination

20:00 Clay: Rafa’s absence looms large but Novak wins his third 

25:20 Carlos spoils the potential Grand Slam at Wimbledon

29:30 Summer hardcourts and the US Open: Sinner starts percolating, Ben emerges 

36:25 Italy wins Davis Cup! Exploring the Pietrangeli-Sinner beef

41:55 Season stats + a quiz!

49:50 Off-court: Players’s criminal cases; Kosmos & ITF suing each other; ATP business

56:35 Our breakout picks for 2023: how’d we do?

59:30 Our picks for the ATP Awards

66:45 What you’ll remember, what made you mad, and what you found funny this season: not much, it turns out

70:50 Looking back at your hopes for the 2023 season

The 2023 season started and ended with Iga Swiatek as the player to beat, but it wasn’t a repeat of her utterly dominant 2022. A new elite separated itself from the field, as Sabalenka won her first Slam and achieved the #1 ranking, Coco Gauff won the US Open, Marketa Vondrousova shocked Wimbledon, and Rybakina scored three wins over Iga. Off the court, it was an unusually busy year in terms of WTA business news and rising player discontent over scheduling, finances, and plain respect. We’ll do a chronological recap of the season and talk about the overarching trends and biggest winners, followed by your contributions for the things that made you angry in 2023, the funniest moments, and what you’ll remember about the season.    

01:20 Launching our 2024 Go Fund Me

09:35 The big winners of the 2023 season

16:10 Where was the WTA Tour at the start of 2023?

19:10 Recapping the season: Sabalenka’s Australian Open and the winter season

27:50 Clay was all about the “big 3,” but Muchova almost snatched 

35:10 Vondrousova, the unexpected

43:15 The hardcourt summer made Coco Gauff a superstar 

57:25 Superlatives, statistics, and picking the winners of the WTA Awards 

01:09:35 Our 2023 breakout players: how’d we do?

01:12:10 WTA Business: CVC investment, safeguarding, WTA Finals bids, and testing the waters on Saudi investment

01:17:10 The moments you’ll remember from the 2023 season

01:21:50 The moments that made you mad: the Madrid disaster takes the cake 

01:28:00 Your funniest moments of 2023: poor Kerrilyn

01:34:10 Retirements and comebacks

The 2023 tennis season is barreling toward the finish line. First up: the Canadian women win their first ever BJK/Fed Cup behind huge performances by Leylah Fernandez, Marina Stakusic, and Gaby Dabrowski. Novak Djokovic distances himself even farther from the field by dominating Alcaraz and Sinner to win the ATP Finals. There was a ton of discussion about throwing a round robin match to remove the #1 player – and plenty of good reasons for and against – but in the end it was moot, as Jannik Sinner went undefeated in round robin only to be overpowered by Djokovic in the final. Elsewhere, it’s the end of Newport, Atlanta, Krejcikova-Siniakova, and Murray-Lendl (for the third time). Plus, that Defector story about Racquet and some self-reflection about where we’ve been and where we’d like the podcast to go.  

01:30 Canada wins its first BJK Cup! 

06:30 Novak is not bothered by the field. At all. 

09:00 To tank or not to tank (Well, it’s actually a problem of design, not ethics) 

17:50 The final: Novak outhits and outserves Sinner

28:00 Newport and Atlanta out

30:10 Rafa returning? Plus the era’s best doubles pairing is over

34:15 Defector story about the upheaval at Racquet

41:30 Some meta-reflection on where we are with the podcast