The Body Serve

It’s hard to know where to start with the WTA Finals in Cancun, where the poor conditions and seemingly shoddy preparation overshadowed much of the actual play. The WTA is suffering a reputational crisis and a player rebellion, with players complaining publicly and demanding better conditions, scheduling, income, and leave policies. Amidst all this noise, Iga Swiatek stomps through the field and regains the #1 ranking. Elsewhere, Alexander Zverev was issued a penalty order in the domestic abuse case brought by his ex-partner Brenda Patea. Of special interest to us is the ATP’s continued mishandling of the Zverev problem and abuse allegations in general. In et ceteras, Patrick Mouratoglou “feels” responsible for Simona’s ban but stops short of saying he is responsible.

01:30 Novak wins Paris Masters and the gulf has hardly ever felt bigger

08:10 Iga Swiatek’s deeply impressive run in Cancun + the hellish conditions, natural and otherwise

17:10 The backdrop of the player frustrations: a letter of player demands and the WTA’s late response

28:20 The PTPA’s media blitz 

30:00 Wrapping the WTA Finals chat with doubles

33:05 Zverev issued a penalty order for bodily harm against former partner and mother of his child

39:40 The ATP’s inaction: a timeline

50:15 Patrick, do you feel responsible or are you responsible?

TBS 320 arrives as the tours (mercifully) make their final few stops of the season. We recap the results of the past week: Sinner, Auger-Aliassime, and Haddad Maia all score big wins for their respective careers. As you know, James is the resident tennis-player-catches-a-doping-case enthusiast (?) and he’s back to provide updates about Brooksby and Halep. There’s WTA Finals talk as well as a few things we’ve HAD IT with.

02:49 Jannik’s red wig isn’t budging

06:20 Felix says he’s back!

07:15 Haddad Maia doubles up in Zhuhai

12:47 In-depth look at Jenson Brooksby’s case of negligence 

33:04 Serena catches a photo-cropping case

36:35 WTA Finals arrives in Cancun – we did it (barely)

43:49 We’ve HAD IT

Admittedly, this hasn’t been our most productive October ever, but we’re here! First, we’re recapping two weeks of results, including a 12th title for Monfils, a first for Shelton, Mertens remaining the only ever winner of Monastir, and Zheng Qinwen triumphing shortly after coach Fissette dipped. Also: Holger Rune hires Boris Becker, recently released from prison and deported from the UK; the Cincinnati Masters will stay put; Craig Tiley promises something he can’t promise; and Naomi sells her likeness to Mark Zuckerberg. And what’s the deal with the lack of women on Tennis Channel and the WTA Board and Tournament Council?

0:30 Autumn fatigue, for players and podcasters alike

4:00 Monfils, Shelton, Fils, and Townsend make it a fantastic weekend for Black players

11:15 WTA results: Mertens, Siniakova, Korpatsch; Zheng wins Zhengzhou, Peggy wins one for mom

20:10 WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai gets underway with a stellar field

23:55 Holger Rune hires Boris Becker

26:55 Zumba instructor Garbiñe Muguruza isn’t thinking about tennis

31:15 Cincinnati will stay in Cincinnati after getting Ohio to put up enough taxpayer money

35:25 Craig Tiley announces Rafa Nadal’s appearance at the Aus Open and no one is more surprised than Rafa

44:10 Naomi Osaka and Candle Gender sell their likenesses to Meta 

47:20 Diana Nyad changes her mind on trans inclusion (it relates to tennis, I swear)

55:35 Where are all the women on the WTA Board and the Tournament Council?

Tennis returns to China after four years away, as Iga Swiatek reminds us who's boss and Jannik Sinner takes a huge step forward by beating Alcaraz and Medvedev for the Beijing title. Meanwhile, the Cancun organizers are building their Field of Dreams in less than a month and several top players are already bowing out of BJK Cup. We also cover the growing chorus of abuse survivors who are taking aim at the USTA, and why this is far from the last time we'll hear about it. Plus, a few diversions about Zheng, "athleticism," Safarova's extremely brief non-return, and how tennis babies its players when it comes to endangering the people who work on court. 

1:05 WTA returns to China with none of what it demanded

7:00 Iga sets things straight with Beijing title

12:25 Jannik Sinner gets his first Meddy win by using a tactic that’s becoming more common … 

18:35 WTA Finals in Cancun: stadium is loading ... (currently at 1%)

27:15 Can you ever forgive me? Qinwen says definitely not 

33:30 It’s not only about trans people’s participation in sports and it never was

38:30 Tennis is very unserious about hitting staff with flying objects

42:40 USTA legal team under fire for how they’ve handled sex abuse cases

54:30 Lucie Safarova’s very brief return to tennis

56:25 We saw Stevie Nicks!

Hiiiiiii, we’re back to discuss the fallout from the Simona Halep verdict and the tennis results since the U.S. Open. Now that Simona has been officially handed a four year suspension, we have a bit more clarity as to what’s been going on in actuality, not just on social media. Spoiler: it doesn’t look good for the former world #1 and two-time Slam champ. Maria Sakkari did what needed to be done (at long last) in Guadalajara, it’s just too little too late for Félix at Laver Cup, and we weigh in on Elena’s performance bye disgust in Tokyo

01:10 Patrick goes on CNN to claim Coco’s success and divert attention

04:00 The Simona verdict is handed down: the fallout

15:01 Darren is still going to bat for Simona 

19:33 Why are players and journalists undermining the anti-doping process?

27:47 Now, why did Serena wade into this mess?

29:52 Sakkari headlines the post-USO results. Good on ya, mate

37:38 Barbie K is back and Kenin is on the come up  

38:55 The men: All of a sudden Félix has something to say 

43:29 Rafa news and it doesn’t sound good (to us)

45:16 Ryabkina and coach let it rip at the WTA and on social media

51:11 Some concerning news about Holger Rune’s health 

Welcome to Part II of our US Open wrap, this time focusing on the men’s draw. Djokovic wins #24 and the challengers (aside from Alcaraz) have gotten no closer to cracking him mentally or physically … they’ve perhaps gotten even farther away. We talk about the semis, including the straight boy shade fest over PhoneGate and Medvedev’s 12 out of 10 performance against Alcaraz. The other major story of the week is Simona Halep’s 4-year ban for doping, handed down by an independent tribunal. It doesn’t look good, folks. We finish up with the Williams-Ohanian tweets, some trophy size comparison, the WaPo match fixing story, and a few more odds and ends. 

0:30 ND24: sharing a throne with Margaret Court (and if you don’t like it you’ll be told to “cry more”)

6:00 Stubborn Medvedev against serve and volleying Djokovic

16:45 My country, my tax shelter + more semiotics!

30:30 Djokovic-Shelton: the phone thing and banking on Shelton’s overall appeal to the youths

45:30 Doubles: Ram/Salisbury threepeat, Bopanna runner-up at 43

51:45 The Spectrum-Disney stalemate blacks out US Open tennis for millions

55:20 Simona Halep’s 4-year ban: first, the news

62:15 The Halep fallout: Patrick, Serena, Genie

77:35 US Open trophies: if size doesn’t matter then why … nevermind

83:40 Reporting from the Washington Post on the largest match fixing ring in tennis history

Coco Gauff -- a child prodigy who built her career step by step -- grabs her first major title at 19 to cap a stunning turnaround this summer. She slays every question, embraces gratitude, thanks her haters, and will leave New York a superstar. Aryna Sabalenka ascends to world no. 1 for the first time, reaching the semifinals in every Slam this year, but couldn't stop Gauff in the final. The US Open leaves women's tennis in a truly exciting place, with a clear top tier and a number of women with diverse playing styles always a threat to win. We're also talking about the WTA Finals announcement, the second annual ball controversy, doubles, and Pegula's rich girl confidence.

0:30 Cori Dionne Gauff is the US Open champion!

7:15 The final: fighting back from a first set blowout 

25:45 How we talk about male coaches in women’s tennis

31:15 Aryna’s disarming honesty 

40:05 Madison zones for 70 minutes but comes up short against Sabalenka

48: Other notes from the second week: Ostapenko’s fitness should not be in doubt

53:20 Doubles: Dabrowski/Routliffe win the title and Townsend lit up the courts all week

59:35 The WTA Finals are where?

63:35 What is up with the US Open balls?

71:30 Speaking of haters

We're fresh off our second visit to the US Open (and James' first!) and sharing our observations of the grounds, the big stadiums, the Honey Deuces, and the record crowds. James tells the story of night one on Ashe, something he's wanted to experience for a long time. Coco Gauff wrested control of the match but Laura Siegemund and her antics spurred *discourse* that crossed into the mainstream. We discuss the matches we saw, the big breakthroughs, and where we are in the draw. We're also covering the mysterious "respiratory [and apparently gastro] illness" ripping its way through the site, the competing bids for the WTA Finals, some big American retirements we're not torn up about, and finally, celebrating Black excellence at the US Open. 

5:10 Night 1: Siegemund's scams and her failure to own them

13:40 Michelle Obama?!

17:30 The overcrowding is no joke but finding respite with Dasha on Court 6 made my Tuesday

28:30 There’s marijuana in the park?! Plus observations of the stadiums

31:55 Everybody is sick - what have we *not* learned a few years into a pandemic? 

38:10 Round of 16 lineup: 4 Americans each in the men's and women's draws, very few major upsets 

53:00 Court 5 and Holgerian hubris

55:55 Another delay with Simona Halep’s doping case

61:20 Isner and Sock retire and do we care?

66:55 The bad publicity surrounding a potential WTA Finals move to Saudi Arabia

73:15 A few thoughts before signing off

It’s The Body Serve’s second visit to the US Open (James’ first!). We recorded part of this episode in Toronto, minutes before leaving for the airport, and then broke down the draws after arriving in Queens. There was a lot of news to get through, namely the ATP’s financial security pilot program and the rumors of the WTA Finals taking place in Saudi Arabia. Our draw analysis focuses on first round matches to watch, the Americans’ chances, the fourth consecutive Iga-Coco quarter, and the contenders hoping to spoil another coronation.

1:05 Where are the WTA Finals going to be played? Riyadh, Prague, Washington, DC are options 

7:35 The ATP’s Baseline program: guaranteed income, injury protection, and money for up and comers 

14:20 State of the tours ahead of the US Open, compared to last year

21:45 Mother is a mother again!

24:40 Previewing the draws from NY!

26:15 Men’s draw: another Alcaraz-Sinner quarter? Anyone stopping Novak? 

40:15 Women’s draw: Iga is the favorite but the hype is high for Gauff, Pegula + Muchova, Sabalenka, and Rybakina are top challengers

Cincinnati was starting to feel like a hangover from the Canadian tournaments but finals Sunday turned that all around. Coco Gauff grabbed her first 1000 title -- going 11-1 since her loss at Wimbledon -- and Djokovic beat Alcaraz over 4 hours in one of the more dramatic three-set matches you'll see. Are we seeing a May-December rivalry in the vein of Martina-Steffi? We've also got the bee story and the return of The Rant, with each of us giving it a go.

1:05 The blazing women’s 100m final because this is a Jamaican track and field stan podcast 

5:35 Coco Gauff wins her first 1000 title (and the defunct US Open Series)

15:55 Townsend & Parks win the women’s doubles title

18:55 The rivalry that men’s tennis desperately needs

24:35 Give me the juice

34:10 Bees in the trap: Tsitsipas vs Bee Lady 

38:40 Was that too harsh? (a common refrain in our household)

42:00 Vaya con Dios, Robert y Juan Sebastian 

44:35 The Rant is back (Parental Advisory)

Tennis returned to Canada as weather wreaked bedlam on the women's draw in Montréal. Jessie Pegula won her second 1000 title and scored a great win over #1 Iga Swiatek, but we need to talk about some horrendous scheduling decisions that impacted Rybakina and runner-up Samsonova. Jannik Sinner wins his first Masters title on the men's side, while de Minaur and Paul record massive wins of their own. We've also got Casper Ruud's tour of Canadian Content, the weird rules revelation in the Raonic-Tiafoe match, and the strange persistence of American high school line dance standard "Cotton Eye Joe." Most importantly, we ask you all to decide once and for all: is Danielle Collins a Karen or an icon? 

01:04 : Cincy FOMO and our initial forays into Toronto tennis this year

07:20 Recapping the men's action in TO amidst intermittent weather

13:41 Casper Ruud's many many looks off the court 

19:51 The women's tournament is rocked and wrecked by rain

27:38 The Notebook: an Iga hate story 

31:52 Where did you come from, where did you go?

33:59 Is she a Karen or is she iconic? 

38:23 Caro's back and the reviews are mixed 

41:46 A net is not a net, when there's no doubles players there

45:49 Coco's revival and Brad's involvement 

51:38 Now, why is Dasha in it? Kyrgios is unthinking, unserious, and unsavory 

Welcome to the brief, post-Wimbledon grass-clay-hardcourt-Euro-American-Hopman Cup season, with players fighting for money and points across various countries on all surfaces. We start with the news of Mikael Ymer’s 18-month suspension for missing doping tests (the ITF didn’t like the first ruling so they went back to the well). Then we move on to the news that Alexander Zverev’s ex-partner has pressed criminal charges for bodily harm, which are currently winding their way through German courts. We talk newcomers Akugue and Michelsen, Ruud’s bagels, and what’s next for the summer hard court swing. 

1:00 Mikael Ymer banned for missing doping tests after the ITF appealed his innocent verdict

8:35 New criminal charges filed against Zverev for intimate partner violence, Berlin prosecutor applies for penalty order

17:10 The Zhang/Toth incident in Budapest - Toth was wrong but the reaction swung wildly out of proportion

25:50 Kei Nishikori is back!

28:05 Breakthroughs for Noma Noha Akugue, Clervie Ngounoue and Queenwen!

34:20 ATP updates: Mannarino at home on grass, plus Alex Michelsen, Fils, Ruud, and Stanley

43:05 Canadian Open ticket prices, my word!

47:20 RIP Sinéad

Well well well, what has Wimbledon wrought?! Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova are your singles champions, defeating Novak Djokovic and Ons Jabeur respectively. We try to get to the bottom of how both results happened, while touching on some of the other happenings from the final stretch of the tournament. Many congratulations to Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty on the births of their babies, and a closing rant by James on Novak hagiography

01:12 Carlos Alcaraz did WHAT?

14:00 Does this shift the best men's player narrative?

17:00 Will Alcaraz’s win signal that the field has a chance? No

25:16 Put some respect on Vondrousova's name

35:10 Jabeur disappointment and moving forward 

40:48 WTA consistency: Svitolina, Swiatek & Pegula

44:24 Rounding out the Wimbledon champions

47:48 Babies Osaka and Barty have arrived!

49:25 Jennifer Brady is back & one final rant from James on Novak hagiography

Wimbledon’s first week is in the books (almost), dominated by talk of rain, curfews, scheduling, and the queue. We highlight the big stories and top performers of the week – Svitolina, Eubanks, Berrettini, Vondrousova, etc. – and a few of the stumbles, including ADF’s shocking mental wobble against Rune and an unnamed reporter’s gaffe toward an unflappable Paula Badosa. We spend a good chunk of time on Wimbledon’s stubborn peculiarities and finish with a quick rant on Cirstea’s odious presence on social media.

0:35 Big stories in the first few days: Venus, Elina, Eubanks, Berrettini

14:35 “Congratulations on your win” … “I lost” 

21:10 The round of 16 lineup and how we got there

33:20 Tradition! Queues, debentures, and pineapples

45:15 It’s not the curfew, it’s the scheduling 

52:10 Kontaveit and Chardy retire, Brooksby catches a case for missing three doping tests

58:00 Tsitsidosa s*x dreams?!

63:10 Cirstea clarifies who she is - thanks for saving us the time!

We’re back from Europe just in time to recap the brief grass season, share our experiences at the bett1open in Berlin, preview the Wimbledon draw, give our takes on Break Point part two, chat about the ATP/WTA overtures to Saudi Arabia … anything else?! Buckle up because we’re covering a lot of ground – get it? 'Cuz it’s on grass – on this episode. Feel free to join our Wimbledon bracket challenge on the TNNS app using the code laver-ace-9494. 

0:30 Our experience at the German Open in Berlin!

18:20 The other grass results: Frances & Carlos, Penko, Babs K, and Venus’ return

27:35 Break Point actually gets better: Ajla’s story pays off 

41:00 Trying to avoid a LIV-style disaster, tennis goes straight to the source: the Saudi Public Investment Fund

44:45 WTA announces new calendar and a “pathway to equal prize money”

48:10 A few retirements and one huge unretirement: Wozniacki to return, gets US Open wild card

54:45 Men’s draw: who is stopping Novak? (no one) 

68:20 Women’s draw: Yes, it is lopsided

We’re on the road, so we have a mailbag episode to tide you over until we get back on our thrones up North. So much tennis stuff has happened already since we’ve been away, and we’ll be back next time to recap all of that alongside our Wimbledon preview. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy our yappa yappa yappa on a whole host of subjects as we dive into as many of your questions as possible.

Here are some of the major questions and themes:

1:30 Does the LIV-PGA merger have an impact on tennis? (Is that thing still happening?)

15:45 Which tennis player would be the best travel companion?

26:30 Which player is most likely to have a burner social media account? And who could you convincingly imitate on social media?

33:55 Create your own tournament: surface, location, dress, mascot … 

38:35 Lots of questions about the likeliest next first-time Slam winner

48:38 If women played best of 5, who would gain/lose the most?

55:05 WTA girl group!

68:20 Are certain players just better at tiebreaks? How much stock do you put into the tiebreak records vs match-ups and other factors?

79:20 Plan a dinner party with 6-8 tennis people, alive or dead

Roland Garros 2023 is in the books, as Iga Swiatek extends her dominance and Novak Djokovic beats a field that offered very little resistance to the new major singles title leader. All respect and admiration goes to Karolina Muchová, so far the toughest challenger to Iga in a Slam final. We talk the science of cramping and answer listener questions about Sabalenka's approach to press and what we expect of athletes speaking on politics. Finally we tackle the doubles default controversy -- a strict rule that should be strict -- and praise the wheelchair winners and everyone's favorite doubles pairing (or ours, at least): Taylor Townsend and Leylah Fernandez.

0:35 Men’s draw: Dedicated hateration

13:25 Cramping: what’s the science? Well, it’s not entirely clear … 

24:50 Women’s final: Karolina Muchová gives Iga a scare 

33:55 The Sabalenka handshake controversy leads into a few questions from listeners about what we expect from athletes

54:40 The default of Miyu Kato

60:50 Doubles results: Hsieh is back + Fernandez-Townsend, Ivan Dodig schools the French Federation in public

65:00 Wheelchair singles: de Groot wins her 10th straight major(!!!) + Oda becomes the youngest male Slam champ in history

We're halfway through Roland Garros -- most of the favorites are still around plus a few clay sensations on the bottom halves of both the men's and women's draws. We're talking Sloane, Svitolina, Muchova, Iga, Carlos, Jannik, Meddy and more. We were reminded that politics and sport are, in fact, intertwined and inextricable with Djokovic's commentary on Kosovo and Sabalenka's response to questions about Lukashenko. Last week we asked for updates on Seyboth Wild's case and we got more than we bargained for. Plus, the RG crowd, our favorite looks, and a Rafa update. 

2:30 Starting with the men … Frances, why???

15:00 Where we are in the draw: the bottom half lacks a few seeds but shouldn't be a surprise

18:00 Iga’s bakery: Iga says don’t be disrespectful

21:00 Plenty of upsets but were they actually surprising?

27:45 Sloane Stephens is tailor made for this tournament

37:35 Aryna Sabalenka vs. the press

47:50 Novak’s politics

55:10 Nanotechnology to the rescue

58:15 The elusive Thiago Seyboth Wild: abuse allegations, journalist intimidation, and … N*zis? Wtf?

66:05 Et ceteras: Taylor Fritz shushes the obnoxious crowd; Gasquet crypto captain?

70:45 The looks: Grigor is Lacoste 

Roland Garros will begin without Rafael Nadal in the draw, for the first time since 2004. In his stead, Alcaraz and Djokovic are favorites, but Medvedev’s Rome win and Rune’s consistency might complicate things. On the women’s side, the fabled “new big 3” have kept up their sides of the bargain through the clay season and it’s made for a fairly balanced draw. Iga remains the favorite but Rybakina, Sabalenka, Jabeur, Krejcikova, or Ostapenko could snatch (among others). Join us for our draw analysis and recap of the clay season so far! 

2:20 Who are the WTA contenders apart from Iga? WTA clay so far: the “new Big 3” is still winning

13:00 WTA draw analysis

20:20 Come hell or high pasta: some outrageous early match-ups in the women’s bottom half

32:55 Rafa’s absence looms large + the men’s clay winners this year

41:20 Men’s draw analysis: ultimate troll Medvedev engineers a potential Djokovic-Alcaraz semi

48:00 Bottom half: the Rune-Ruud rematch we deserve?

57:00 Join our league on TNNS Live and fill out your bracket 

58:35 Et ceteras: more from Simona + Break Point part two announcement

Another clay Masters, another disastrous finale. They couldn’t help the rain, but between the weird scheduling and the fumbled women’s singles trophy presentation, Rome left a bad taste in our mouths after this expanded clay experiment. Rybakina and Medvedev prevailed: Rybakina recording her third straight win over Iga Swiatek and Medvedev shakes up Roland Garros predictions with his first clay title. We dive into the proposal to move the Western & Southern Open to Charlotte, NC, plus a segment on the latest Simona Halep anti-doping news and Hugo Gaston’s shocking behavior and fine. 

1:00 Rafa pulls out of RG, gives career update

3:05 Another fortnight, another Master disaster

9:55 Rybakina emerges from the Rome ruins

13:20 Daniil Medvedev did WHAT?!

18:10 Djoko smashed, new Iga allegations & Aryna’s deft touch

26:05 Cincinnati moving to Charlotte? More public money for what …

31:55 RG withdrawals: Thiem didn’t get a wild card but it didn’t matter

35:00 Gaston unsportsmanlike conducts his way to one of the largest fines in history

36:45 More bad anti-doping news for Simona Halep: what is an athlete biological passport? 

39:40 Simona & Patrick accuse the ITIA of “harassment”

Episode 301 takes us crashing back to Earth in the wake of genuine concerns over the Madrid Open’s treatment of women players. The overlong, overcooked tournament ended in a flurry of bad press, which started with some symbolically loaded cakes and ended with a tournament terrified of letting women speak at all. Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz continue fine seasons, each winning their second titles here. To wrap up, we cover some depressing injury news, Murray-Stephens Challenger wins, and an addendum to “SERENA” which features *your* favorite Serena moments. 

3:35 Madrid experiments with a longer format, and honestly let’s leave it in 2023

7:50 The model ball women: the culottes are worse than the crime?

9:45 Ceci n’est pas un cake 

19:45 The women’s doubles finalists are literally silenced

28:15 Imagine, the original controversy of Madrid was Genie Bouchard’s possibly defamatory tweet about dopers

30:15 Onto actual tennis! Sabalenka d. Swiatek as this rivalry really heats up

33:15 Alcaraz title #10, Struff’s clay serve and volley, Zhang’s breakthrough

37:40 “Hola a todos” should come with a warning

41:00 Anisimova to take a break from tennis to take care of her mental health

44:40 Your favorite Serena moments: oh, he’s still … ?

Episode 300 of The Body Serve is our meditation on the career of Serena Williams - an episode we’d put off, partly out of denial and partly because we wanted so badly to do it justice. In 1999, just before beating Steffi Graf at Indian Wells, Serena said: “I’m tired of losing to people I should beat. Whatever my potential is, I want to reach it. Now.” She did just that for over two decades, amassing 23 major singles titles, 14 major doubles titles with Venus, international fame and cultural influence, and hundreds of Open Era tennis records. The hardest thing about covering Serena is to take her out of the realm of metaphor: she is (rightfully) an icon, someone who means even more than what she did on court, but how do you take a measure of the woman herself? What follows is not a full biography. We look at distinct eras in Serena’s career and weave in themes of misogynoir, body shaming, integrity, sisterhood, shade, and finally, a celebration of Serena’s legendary kits and press conference moments. 

3:00 Let’s look at the receipts: the resume and the records 

7:25 The early years: a “perfect bond of union” and Serena’s first WTA match

20:45 You can’t tell the story of Serena without Venus

27:20 Domination Part One (2002-2003): Serena Slam and prophecy fulfilled

32:00 The desert (2004-2006): acceptance is conditional; the Great White Hope

40:40 The Chris Evert letter

50:50 Getting back to #1 (2007-2010)

57:00 The myths of 2012 lead to one of the greatest stretches in tennis history (2012-2017)

1:02:25 Returning to Indian Wells, 2015

1:10:45 Twilight (2018- )

1:14:50 Misogynoir

1:23:10 Controversy: why is it always the US Open?

1:36:10 Serena in press: there is truly nothing like it

1:45:25 Serena dropped a massive bombshell while we were recording, and it gave us closure

1:49:10 Legacy

1:58:20 The legendary fits: Cameroon, catsuits, and Puma supremacy

Episode 299 (almost there!) brings us to Andrey Rublev's first Masters title with his win over young menace Holger Rune. Medvedev & Zverev fire a few shots at each other, culminating in Daniil's clear 'we are not friends and keep my wife's name out of your mouth' moment. We talk about the WTA's decision to suspend their boycott and return to China, despite the Chinese government failing to meet the WTA's demands. Plus, a very depressing injury update, a few more thoughts on 'fairness' and what trans exclusion means for cis women, and celebrating the trans excellence of Sasha Colby, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race season 15. 

1:15 Ruby wins his first Masters title!

10:20 The testy exchanges between that guy and Medvedev: “Look at yourself in the mirror” 

17:45 Grigor and Andrey besties ❤️

22:45 Stuttgart so far: the fourth straight Krejcikova-Sabalenka match, Badosa rising, and an impromptu QUIZ!

33:00 WTA decides to return to China: they took a big swing on the boycott but didn’t get much solidarity

42:55 Blue Check Novak Djokovic playing in the Djokovic-owned Srpska Open but he is not enjoying the conditions

45:15 Quick bites: Conchita-Garbiñe split, horrible injury news followed by encouraging injury news

51:00 The Zendaya-Guadagnino tennis film is guaranteed to be wild

52:30 An addendum to last episode’s segment on trans inclusion: the trap of ‘fairness’

59:40 Sasha Colby wins Drag Race, rightfully!

Rain across the Southern US nearly derailed a few tennis tournaments this weekend, but Ons Jabeur and Frances Tiafoe held on to win Charleston and Houston, respectively. We chat about the early clay season, Naomi's post-baby goals, and some updates on Wimbledon, Carlos, and Iga. For a good chunk of the episode, we take on Martina Navratilova's escalating takes on trans athletes, and more broadly, trans women. How did this expand past trans women's participation in sport to a more generally exclusionary worldview? What will it take for the tennis establishment to say something?

0:35 Don’t count out Ons Jabeur just yet!

7:55 Frances Tiafoe makes it through the rain, wins career title #2 

12:25 Other first-week clay events: Casper, Tatjana Maria, Dominic Thiem 

16:20 Naomi Osaka’s recent interview on Japanese TV had everything; injury updates

21:10 Plus: updates from Wimbledon on their policy change on Russian and Belarusian players; a few huhs(?) and a surprise from Del Potro

Trigger warning: this is tough subject matter and there is some coarse language to follow

28:10 Martina’s history and evolution on the subject of trans women: the infamous 2019 op-ed, the apology, the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, and their misleading “facts vs feelings” rhetoric

37:05 It’s become about much more than “protecting women’s sport” - what type of womanhood is authentic?

45:50 “LGB” is a lie 

49:20 It’s been time for tennis to say something

Our Miami champs – Kvitova and Medvedev – underscore how tough it is to win the Sunshine Double. Petra Kvitova completes one of her most unexpected tournament runs by winning her 30th WTA title and ninth at the 1000 level. On the men’s side, Daniil Medvedev caps an astonishing run of tournaments with title #4, and Alcaraz and Sinner’s electrifying semifinal gets widespread attention. We've also got Eubanks, Gauff/Pegula, a decision from Wimbledon, and Pouille's openness about mental health.

01:35 So much rain, so much discourse

05:25 Petra wins title #30!  

16:15 Barbie K says WTA Big 3 is fake news!

18:55 Yes, Sinner vs. Alcaraz is becoming a really good rivalry

27:35 Medvedev turns his whole trajectory around these past few months: 4 titles in 5 tries

30:50 Chris Eubanks makes his career-best run and enters the top 100

34:45 Between Gauff, Pegula, and Townsend (and more!), American women’s doubles is lit

38:20 Wimbledon will allow Russian & Belarusian players who sign neutrality declarations

42:20 When is Rafa returning?

44:20 Lucas Pouille opens up about depression, substance use, and learning humility

We’re coming to you mid-Sunshine Double, which at this point is more like Sunshine Month? Sunshine Quarter? Anyway, pack your SPF. We’re seeing storylines emerge for the year: is there a WTA Big 3 emerging? Who else will join that top tier? Is Carlos poised to dominate? Will the racquet talk? Beyond the tennis being played, we’re covering two continuing stories: the attempts by the WTA to protect players from abuse and exploitation, and the CVC/WTA deal and what that means for revenue. We also have a discussion on one of our favorite topics: the state of tennis journalism and its many challenges.

0:35 Hashtag tyranny

4:55 Rybakina beats Iga & Aryna to win Indian Wells - a new “big 3?” 

14:20 Carlos comprehensively picks apart the draw in IW

19:00 Miami so far: is Bianca “back?” Taro Daniel bagels AZ, the world cheers

24:30 Iga debuts a new clothing sponsor

29:40 Continuing story: new developments with the WTA’s efforts to combat abuse 

37:45 More on the CVC deal: finding new revenue opportunities based on the social (and real) value of equal prize money

43:50 The conundrum of tennis, or any sport, having a diligent, critical, and *paid* press corps

55:10 Listener questions: Scream 6 and Daddy Pedro Pascal

It’s a little bit of everything this week -- first, some thoughts on the first week of Indian Wells, whose courts are slower than Daniil Medvedev’s bathroom breaks (his words). We chat about Murray, Medvedev, Raducanu, Muchová, and the undeniable Ben Shelton. In business news, we talk about the WTA’s official partnership with CVC Capital Partners, a private equity firm that has just promised a $150m in new and better revenue streams for women’s tennis. Plus, Denis Shapovalov goes all in on gender pay equity, Netflix’s Break Point announces a season two, and Rafa’s all-time top 10 record is lost.   

0:30 Some housekeeping and a thank you

3:10 Indian Wells week one: Daniil says it’s not a hardcourt (and is he really wrong?) plus some chatter about the women’s draw

10:00 Jonathan’s new fave Ben Shelton

12:50 Private equity firm CVC invests $150m in WTA Ventures, a new commercial subsidiary

17:50 The Tsurenko-Steve Simon story - where is the reporting?

23:00 You got nothing to say now? Holger Rune gives himself the rare Double L 

26:40 Denis Shapovalov honors his mom and says equal pay for equal work NOW!

38:25 Big up Sloane Stephens Foundation! 

39:40 We’re getting a Break Point season two whether we like it or not 

45:10 Rafa’s record for consecutive weeks in the top 10 will end at 912

46:25 Injury updates: Kontaveit plus where is Jen Brady?

It’s been a rough week in the Body Serve household, as we said goodbye to our beautiful 16-year-old beagle Vince. He’s felt like a third co-host over the years, a presence who was always just off-mic (and sometimes on it when he snored).

In tennis, Barbora Krejcikova did the thing – taking out #1-2-3, saving match points, serving and getting served bagels, and pummeling Iga’s second serve to win Dubai. On the men’s side, Medvedev won three titles in three weeks, getting back into the top 10 and stopping Novak’s dominance of their head-to-head. Andy and Ruby have great weeks, plus Chaka comes for Mariah and Joe Biden catches strays over the literally endless Novak vaccine drama.

0:30 Vince

February in tennis: four continents, three Iga bagels, two male US Open champs winning titles, and one white woman wearing racially inappropriate hairstyles. This month is nothing if not eclectic. We also chat about Hsieh dropping in then dropping out of Dubai, what the hell is going with Schwartzman and Muguruza, and the breakout star who will change tennis in his country forever.  

0:45 Iga generously doles out bagels; Sakkari Semifinal Segment

13:45 Wu Yibing becomes first Chinese man to win a title, also gets people to watch an Isner match

20:10 Carlos is back; plus a rankings factoid 

22:50 Finance pro Matija Pecotić leaves work early to beat wild card king Jack Sock 

25:45 What’s going on with Diego Schwartzman and Garbiñe Muguruza?

28:45 The disingenuous comparison of men’s records to women’s 

31:50 Counting inches: Novak, the Sunshine Double, and the “proof” that nobody needs

36:15 Hsieh resurfaces, Ostapenko’s appropriation, and Eubanks’ near miss

44:40 Things we like/dislike: withholding stars, oats, and beans

Post-Australian Open tennis continues around the world, but this week we’re mostly talking about the seeming conclusions of the ATP’s two highest profile domestic violence cases (but not their only cases, btw). The ATP quietly dropped a new release shortly after the AO that the Zverev investigation had concluded and that the results were, well, inconclusive. Days later, Nick Kyrgios pled guilty to common assault against his ex-girlfriend but the charges were dismissed. A lot of tennis talkers and front-office folks will likely be relieved, but where does this leave us? Are we any closer to tennis organizations handling DV with care and responsibility? Also, more about the business side of tennis: the spectacular collapse of the Davis Cup-Kosmos deal, billionaire “disruptors,” and looking at PTPA financing and its latest presentation.

01:55 Results: Parks, Zhu, Stanley!

05:40 ATP quietly drops the news of the Zverev investigation

17:40 Nick Kyrgios pleads guilty to common assault, court drops the charges

23:50 Lots of concern about the consequences to the perpetrator 

26:00 What will the ATP do? …. Bueller? Bueller?

30:10 US says COVID is over, we’re not paying for your shit anymore (and also Novak is coming)

32:40 ITF ends its Davis Cup contract with Kosmos a mere TWENTY years early

37:05 Money in tennis: the “disruptors”

40:30 What are the PTPA’s goals? Looking at their recent presentation 

51:20 Lepchenko ban reduced … these supplements get ‘em every time

53:45 The Grammys do it again! 

On the 14th day since the Australian Open started, we rested while Novak wept. The victimhood tour is complete, Jonathan is annoyed, and we pay it as much (or as little) attention as we can muster. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka did THAT. Wow, what a moment. From her grit, skill, and determination on court, to her goofy glamour the following day, we put some respect on that incredible women's final! Other matters of business: lots of geopolitical tensions boil over, the Djokovic pater creates yet more headache for his son, Tursunov comes for Pam, the ballkids work for free, and Babs and Kat simply don’t lose Slam matches anymore. 

3:00 Sabalenka & Rybakina give us an insta-classic

16:15 The men: so …… anyway

23:45 The bweh tragedy; and Shelton’s upside and areas for improvement

31:15 Doubles: Krejcikova/Siniakova haven’t lost a Slam match since 2021; Sania plays her final Slam

35:10 Et ceteras: so, nationalism eh?

43:05 Papa Djokovic ignites a flag scandal

52:05 Pam’s tweet brings Tursunov out of the woodwork, why?

63:55 Is it work? Pay the ballkids 

67:45 Tiafoe wins best dressed by a mile

72:00 ESPN keeps its team Stateside

74:30 Punting the Kosmos mess but staying for the strawberry jam

77:15 Extras: rankings movers, TBS fantasy, and a disclaimer

Welcome to the third installment of our Australian Open series! We're at the quarterfinals, and the men's draw is giving chaos while the women's seems kind of … correct? We talk about Djokovic's mini-battle with the press and overall less than sunny mood, the state of safeguarding against abuse on the WTA, and another induction into our Hall of Fame. Finally, we offer our review of episodes 4 & 5 of Break Point (much improved!) and our favorite segment, Alison Riske-Amritraj's vociferous defense of the rules. 

0:00 Don’t skip the intro this time

3:50 The women’s quarters - being able to appreciate tennis as more non-partisan than ever

15:00 Azarenka captures magic again, Sabalenka fixes her f***ing serve

20:55 The men’s draw has been a touch chaotic, no?

24:25 Novak Djokovic’s resentment tour 

32:40 Korda, Shelton, Ruby, Rune

42:20 The PTPA’s nothing salads

45:40 That's Not The Rule, Kerrilyn 

54:15 Sabalenka gets inducted into the TBS HOF

55:00 Recapping Break Point 4 and 5 - some depth and more real insights than the previous installments

63:50 Continuing to look at the effort to curb abuse and exploitation of women on the WTA Tour 

70:35 The charges against Tsitsipas and why they don’t stick

Hey there, just popping in to offer some thoughts on the first few days of the 2023 Australian Open and the first three episodes of Netflix’s tennis docuseries Break Point! We talk about a few standouts from a pretty rocky and wet week one (don’t be offended if we missed your fave, it’s not comprehensive); we discuss the Netflix Curse chatter that seems to be dooming 8 of the 10 featured players; and we think about some fascinating press conference moments from Taylor Townsend, Rafael Nadal and, in a rather different way, Camila Giorgi.   

2:50 The Netflix Curse or the Netflix picking the wrong players syndrome?

5:10 Standouts in the first few days: Parrizas Diaz, Volynets, Brooksby, Shelton

11:00 Let me complain for a minute: the AO app is not good; and the rain highlights tennis’ built-in inequities

14:20 Andrew Murray plays for 10.5 hours over two matches

17:10 TBS Hall of Fame gets two new inductees!

21:35 Rafa leaves Australia with a new injury, smashes a cliche about athlete ‘sacrifice’

32:05 Taylor Townsend shines in doubles, gets real about tennis finances 

34:25 Camila Giorgi faces the music about alleged vaccine fraud and blissfully exists on her own planet 

40:25 Novak: hamstring, hamstrung

42:25 Recommendation for tennis from James’ parents, only one of whom watches tennis

47:00 Discussing Break Point - who is it for, what’s it meant to accomplish, and does it do that?

51:20 The tennis brat / bad boy trying to reform -- it’s not giving us anything new 

55:35 Go to the business center

The first Slam of the year doesn't give us many weeks of tennis to form opinions, but it's delivered on story lines, with one taking the cake: Naomi Osaka -- having already withdrawn from the Australian Open -- announced she's pregnant and will miss the 2023 season. This barely a week after defending champ Ash Barty announced her own pregnancy. Tournament director Craig Tiley is up to his usual hijinks, this year banning booing, rolling out NFTs in an inhospitable market, and extracting surplus labour from what used to be free (player practices). All that plus draw analysis, January standouts, PTPA news, a complete diversion on our take on Rolling Stone's greatest singers list. Ready?

2:30 Naomi Osaka is missing the Australian Open, yes … but why, pray?

10:50 What kind of mess will Craig get into this year? Well, funny you should ask

16:00 Booing Novak Djokovic is illegal. Is this a real thing?

19:50 Scamming scammers: extracting surplus value from player practices plus the AO NFT gallery

29:10 The PTPA announces an executive committee

33:50 Who’s standing out in the first two weeks of 2023? Peggy, Sabs, Linda, Novak, Taylor, Cam

44:50 Carlos Alcaraz misses the Australian Open but gets an international Calvin Klein underwear spread

49:50 Women’s draw analysis

60:55 Men’s draw analysis

71:35 Our greatest singers - fie, Rolling Stone!

Welcome to The Body Serve 9! We're recovering from our first-ever bout with COVID but tennis never stops and the show must go on. We offer some things to look out for in 2023 -- a true rival to Iga? A few more Big 4 retirements? -- and share some of our (and your) hopes and dreams for the upcoming season. We also catch up with the tennis news cycle, including the latest Camila Giorgi controversy, Simona's doping suspension, Venus' return, and the debut of United Cup.

00:28 Season NINE: Housekeeping & #NameTheTennisPlayer 

07:25 Things to look out for this season (The Giorgi Syndicate)

18:53 Nepo babies & the sprawling United Cup

29:53 Queen Vee is BACK and looking evergreen

35:07 Wading into the homosexual waters

45:47 James is definitely going to reach his breaking point this season 

51:52 Boris is back and updates on the Simona sitch 

54:59 Breakout candidates for the 2023 season 

60:35 Our hopes and wishes for the 2023 season 

To cap off our 8th season and tide you over until 2023, we’re bringing you the rare TBS culture episode. No tennis talk whatsoever -- we even had a few tennis-related items on the agenda which we deleted. We’ve got: an hour of TV talk including spoilers for The White Lotus and a few lightning-round rants; thoughts on “queerbaiting” and Kit Connor’s forced coming-out; Mariah Christmas concert review; and takes on blackfishing, digital minstrelsy, T Swift, and more!

5:55 Spoilers ahead for The White Lotus, one of the few remaining watercooler shows

15:45 MVPs Aubrey Plaza & Meghann Fahy

20:50 Siamo tutti gay!

27:30 Is the Golden Age of Television over? It’s ok if it is, all things must pass

31:50 Some shows we enjoyed: Mo, Industry, Better Things, Heartstopper, Somebody Somewhere, The Bear, P-Valley, and more

53:25 Each of us do a mini-rant about TV

01:02:00 Heartstopper and the extratextual: Kit Connor comes out after the fandom accuses him of queerbaiting

01:10:20 David Archuleta from American Idol comes out 

01:15:15 So what happened with Bros?

01:20:55 Recapping Mariah’s Christmas concerts in Toronto!

01:30:30 We need to talk about Taylor Swift (without losing half of our listeners)

01:40:00 Miss Patti has still got it at 78

01:44:30 Terrible news about Celine Dion’s health

01:47:00 Kardashian-Jenner hegemony: when will it end?

01:57:30 Asking each other a tough and a not-so-tough question

It’s time to wrap up the 2022 ATP season, and we’re treating the guys with a healthy (and earned!) dose of suspicion, starting with a rundown of the most badly behaved children of the year. But it’s not all bad - we also cover Rafa’s personal-best start to the season, Carlos’ rise, Novak’s disappearing and reappearing acts, Felix fixing his finals bugaboo, Holger’s Paris breakdown and later his Paris Masters title, and Roger’s retirement. And since tennis news will stop for no one, we had to recap Canada’s historic win at Davis Cup and the implosion of Team USA.    

0:00 Cold Open

Men behaving badly 

4:25 Starting with the worst: That Guy

9:20 The Nick Kyrgios redemption nightmare

13:50 Craig! What the hell, dude?!

18:00 Jaaa-gate, Moutet, poop shorts, and Shapo gets scolded by Daddy

25:55 Davis Cup: USA cancels themselves, does the work for us

31:20 The Verdasco ban and Reilly’s basement tweeting

Notable Moments

40:30 Djokovic removed from Australia + Rafa wins a very memorable Australian final

48:35 Carlos Alcaraz breaks out in March; Rafa’s injuries start and never end; weird Wimbledon

57:20 US Open was our first major (and Carlos’ too)!

61:30 Laver Cup, frat behavior, G***k y*g*rt, Federer retirement

65:30 Other retirements: Del Potro, Tsonga, Anderson, and many more

68:55 Three other players we need to mention: Feliz, Casper, Holger

79:25 How’d we do on our choices for breakout players of 2022?

The 2022 WTA season had everything: a 37-match win streak, the retirements of the current #1 (abrupt) and the GOAT (expected), a Wimbledon with no ranking points, and a major drug suspension. Iga Swiatek’s dominance didn’t leave much room for her competitors, but other highlights included Ons Jabeur’s steady rise to world #2 and two Slam runner-up finishes, Caroline Garcia’s singles renaissance and WTA Finals title, and utter doubles dominance from Krejcikova/Siniakova. We’ve also got some juicy listener-generated “things you loved/hated” content and the kind of typically bizarre moments that keep us coming back every year. 

Plus, we’ve just launched our GoFundMe - please read a bit about we do and donate if you can!   

0:30 Announcing our GoFundMe 2022 and reiterating our mission

6:05 Three key moments: Ash’s Australian win + retirement, Iga’s win streak, and Serena’s evolution

11:00 The other major stories: the instability at the top for everyone but Iga, Simona Halep’s remarkably odd year, and the total breakdown of COVID protocols

18:40 Starting the year with Barty as the undisputed #1

25:20 Ash’s retirement coincides with the start of Iga’s 37-match win streak 

34:45 Grass season: Serena dominates the conversation from Eastbourne to the US Open; Rybakina wins the points-less Wimbledon 

42:00 Summer hardcourt stretch: our own return to live tennis; Halep & Garcia grab titles but Swiatek restores order in New York

54:55 Discussing the WTA year-end award nominees

60:45 Our own picks for 2022 breakout players - how’d we do?

63:25 Remember when? A broken necklace, a broken doubles team, and Ostapenko's ... everything

72:45 Things you loved about WTA tennis in 2022

81:50 Things you loathed in 2022: no points at Wimbledon, no more business buns

85:55 The WTA’s finances: Hologic sponsorship and a potential deal with private equity 

The WTA regular season comes to a close with comeback kid Caroline Garcia grabbing her biggest career title, dispatching Iga-vanquisher Aryna Sabalenka in a boom-boom final. We discuss the last-minute nature of the event and the tough financial and ethical positions the WTA continues to occupy in light of the China situation. On the men’s side, Holger Rune caps a momentous autumn swing that brings him from #33 to the brink of the ATP Finals, but not without a lecture from daddy. Elsewhere in bad behavior, the FFT disowns Moutet, Reilly earns lifelong haters, and Kyrgios settles a silly (disclaimer: this is James’ opinion; please don’t sue) defamation suit. 

0:45 Garcia’s Finals title and Sabalenka’s upset of #1 Swiatek add unexpected layers to this WTA season

8:35 Some props for Sakkari, Kasatkina, and doubles champ and singles-almost-made-it Kudermetova

17:30 Lots of commentary about attendance and the choice of venue – what the WTA has been up against vs. what is of their own making

28:55 Holger beats Djokovic, ends Felix’s win streak, and becomes first alternate for Torino

33:30 Magic potions and goofy huddles; it’s not actually a ‘thing’ but it’s no surprise that people think it’s a thing!

39:00 WTA CEO Steve Simon’s strange and conflict-heavy statements on the ongoing Halep doping situation

41:10 James’ tormentor Gilles Simon finally retires

47:45 Et ceteras: Moutet loses the bag; WTA institutes coaching program to attract and develop female coaches; safeguarding against abuse in tennis

57:00 Reilly thinks telling people to vote is cringe and that tennis used to be free of politics … ok hun

63:50 The biggest merch sale of the year: The Body Serve’s RedBubble Store

Canadian King Félix Auger-Aliassime. As Rihanna said, let’s start there. Félix has turned around his final-round performances to the tune of three straight titles, beating world #1 Alcaraz twice in the past few weeks. Elsewhere, in Texaaaas, the world’s best women have a blast dressing up but will soon look to take on the dominant force of Iga Swiatek at the WTA Finals. We’re also covering Rune’s on-court and online hissy fits, previewing Paris and the ATP Final scenarios, and getting the Iga starfish case off the docket to make room for worse offenders. 

01:45 Félix with 13 straight wins! Momentum is a hell of a drug

06:15 Holger’s temper tantrum(s)

14:00 Medvedev steadies the ship in Vienna, Shapo on a consistent run

16:00 ATP Finals qualifications: Wimbledon is the tournament that is and isn’t

23:30 The WTA women dress up and have a blast … stop with the amateur fashion critiques unless you’re being nice!

29:25 James takes a shot at WTA social media marketing and Jonathan is way more fair 

35:50 Is anyone beating Iga?

41:00 United Cup, what’s it all about?

47:00 Case dismissed: Iga addressed the handwaving and yes, we must move on

49:00 Coaching carousel: Garcia’s coach splits with literary flair and Stan & Magnus are back together

52:20 What’s next for TBS

Just when we thought we could go away for a spell without anything crazy happening, the ghost of an ugly hotel carpet threw things into disarray with Simona Halep testing positive for a banned substance. We begin the episode by wading through these doping waters, before catching up on the 7,000 tournaments since we last dropped an episode. Just take a look at the timestamps for the remainder of the docket: a lot of MESS before we finish with a salute to two all-timers who left an indelible mark on this fraught world we live in 

01:55 Simona Halep tests positive for a banned substance

17:44 Catching up on the results

23:36 When are the authorities going to arrest Belinda Bencic?

28:45 WTA Finals qualifiers and James’ obsession with the Napoli mess

36:40 An update on one of the handful of ATP players accused of domestic violence

38:16 Coaching carousel: Tursunov’s self-serving MESS

44:10 Does pickleball want the sloppy seconds of tennis?

52:12 TENNIS BABIES!!!

55:00 Our top three Mariah studio albums

58:24 In memoriam: Queer icons Dame Angela Lansbury & Leslie Jordan 

This is a hodgepodge episode, catching up with the recent tournament results across four continents, including Tunisia’s first WTA event, Djokovic’s clearing of the Next and CurrentGen, and Tiafoe’s continuing run of good form. We spend a good amount of time on Ostrava - the destined-to-be-a-classic final, Iga’s status as an activist #1, and Krejcikova’s return as a top singles player. All that plus some news about the Kyrgios case, WTA Final qualification scenarios, and a WTA coming-out (Happy National Coming Out Day!). 

1:00 So who’s been winning all these tournaments around the world?

5:45 Novak clobbers an incredibly stacked ATP 500 draw 

10:35 Fritz wins Tokyo, he and Tiafoe reach career high rankings

15:45 Thanks to Ons Jabeur and IMG, WTA tennis comes to Tunisia!

19:35 Ostrava has become a real autumn highlight - Krejcikova and Swiatek deliver a classic

25:40 Why do some see Iga as the complainer-in-chief?

33:30 Kiki Mladenovic knows her brand!

35:25 Kyrgios’ lawyers will ask his case to be dismissed on mental health grounds

40:35 Et ceteras: RaducanuOUT, Podoroska *out*, tour finals qualification

Thanks to you, our listeners, we’re back with a special mailbag episode, answering your questions about any and everything. You asked about tennis, of course – lots of questions lingering from Laver Cup and Roger’s retirement, and about the states of various players’ games on the women’s tour – but you also allowed us to be self-indulgent and talk about what we’re watching and listening to, our favorite breads and cheeses (a new one!), and our nerdiest qualities. 

1:40 Rapid-fire from @SamsBiceps: Federer matches, Beyonce, desserts, and Oscar best actress predix

13:50 Daria Saville’s IG post after her injury: interesting insight or just too much honesty?

18:15 What’s up with Naomi? Will she be back in form next year?

24:00 Dream WTA Team World - Team Europe lineups (and we added thoughts about what a dream Laver Cup should set out to accomplish

32:15 What are we watching/listening to/reading lately? It’s been a great year for horror fans

41:35 Pair any five tennis players with a Mariah track, which would then be their theme song (hey, Grigor) 

46:25 Us as commentators: what’s our green room rider? How will you diplomatically call out your colleagues for bad takes? 

53:15 What is the nerdiest non-tennis thing about each of us? Well, there’s a lot

59:10 If one of the Big 3 never played tennis, how many majors would the other two have won?

65:00 Our favorite breads and cheeses! Amazing question!

69:20 An FMK from our most reliable contributor 

71:40 What is happening with Garbine? And some thoughts on a coach’s role

78:45 Our own tennis playing styles

And just like that, another GOAT says goodbye. This time, it’s Roger Federer at Laver Cup, giving tennis and his fans one last glimpse at his greatness. Confession: we haven’t always been the biggest FedFans, but we’re still paying respect to the man and his genius, offering some of our most enduring Federer memories. Along the way, we chime in on Laver Cup itself, the tender Fedal moments, where the event worked, and where it falls short for us. ‘Til next time, Roger!  

0:30 Federer retires: regret over letting stan wars cloud our appreciation 

14:35 Federer’s imperial period: if you know, you know

17:05 Our favorite Roger memories

21:10 A non-recap of Laver Cup

29:40 The racist abuse leveled at Frances Tiafoe; fans now trying to find their next prop to prove they’re not racist

37:40 The touching retirement punctuated by truly absurdist theatre

41:20 Rafa & Roger’s unique and genuine bond - men showing affection!

52:20 Big Three or Big Four? Yes, we want to go there, just for a minute

55:10 What exactly is Federer’s legacy? What did he bring to tennis that no one had before? (thanks @seasaltandrum for the question!)

The final Slam of the season sees Iga Swiatek troubleshoot and learn now to extend her dominance, and the coronation of the (not very) long awaited Carlos Alcaraz as a major winner and youngest male #1 in history. As always, we try to be skeptical of hype and take a fresh look at the results and what they might mean for the near future. Also at this US Open: the shambolic choice to have Supreme Court Justice Patrick McEnroe helm the women's doubles presentation, profiteering off Serena's name, and more awful revelations about sexual abuse in women’s tennis. 

2:30 Iga Swiatek doesn’t always play her best but proves why she’s the dominant #1

14:40 The women’s draw gets a wonderful crop of quarterfinalists, representative of many of the year’s best

21:45 Are we in the Iga Era? How do we define a deserving number one? What do we want from women's tennis? Who cares! Sit back and watch 

24:35 Men’s champ: from barely bleating to curry-ready

35:10 Frances Tiafoe! Not to say I told you so but …  

42:50 Listen to Jonathan stretch a subordinate clause far past its breaking point 

44:55 Women’s doubles: Krejcikova/Siniakova win the Career Slam; plus, the massive insult of Patrick McEnroe presiding over this trophy ceremony

56:10 TW: SA - Fiona Ferro’s case against her former coach puts another spotlight on abuse and exploitation in women’s tennis

60:55 Et ceteras: bootleg Serena merch, the too-late night matches, and the partisan but only partially engaged US Open crowd

69:25 WTA Finals is moving to … Texas?

73:11 Randomly, our favorite and least favorite types of pasta 

Well folks, that was quite the first week of the US Open, wasn't it? Jonathan is back from his trip to Flushing Meadows, and we are back to talk about Serena's last dance (or at least our first stab at it). There's a lot to unpack from the first week of the season's last major, so grab a honey deuce and join us for the ride.

2:35 Serena d. Kontaveit

12:00 The Farewell: Serena bows out to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round 

26:10 Jonathan’s observations from the US Open: Venus, Danielle, The Penko Experience 

43:00 Thoughts on Arthur Ashe Stadium

54:40 Indulge me for a moment: the sound mix and off-court coaching

64:45 Commentary, a lifetime appointment?

69:20 Quickly running through where we’re at in the draw: women’s round of 16 is stacked

81:35 Rafa’s first week: nerves and a shocking smack in the nose

We're piecing together a preview for the US Open on precarious hotel wifi, but the show must go on! After all, this is Serena's final Slam. Jonathan is in NY taking in the action, while James holds down the TBS fort (i.e. Vince) in Toronto. Hear Jonathan's initial thoughts on TBS’s first trip to a Slam, plus we're talking about Novak’s eleventh hour withdrawal, this year’s version of the bathroom break distraction, and of course the just released US Open draws, seemingly some of the most balanced draws in recent memory.

01:05 Jonathan's initial thoughts on Flushing Meadows and the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

12:25 To no one’s surprise the entry requirements did not change and Novak Djokovic pulls out of the US Open at the last minute 

20:00 Kyrgios legal update plus a perfect distraction, a ridiculous defamation suit

27:30 WTA draw: hey, it could have been a lot worse

30:30 Women’s top half: cracking first rounds, including Queenwen vs. Ostapenko and Raducanu vs. Consecutive Slam Queen Cornet 

42:00 Women’s bottom half: Madison gets a tough road early on; Serena’s fourth quarter … what to make of it

48:30 Men’s draw: a historic #1 seed leads a wide open draw 

Cincinnati lost its stars early but still brought us a wickedly good weekend, with comeback kids Borna Coric and Caroline Garcia taking the titles. We talk new shoulder (Borna), new confidence (Caro), new professionalism (Stef?), and the resurgent Petra and Madison. We take a stab at the ball controversy and how it speaks to a larger battle in tennis governance. The second part of this episode features an interview with author and illustrator Tom Humberstone, whose gorgeous graphic novel Suzanne hits bookstores in September. Suzanne Lenglen was one of the very first sporting superstars; Tom tells Suzanne’s story with specificity, avoiding comparisons with today’s greats, exploring what made her so compelling and how the well worn cliches about her fail to do justice to her life and accomplishments.  

3:30 OG NextGen kid Borna Coric is back in the conversation, wins Cincinnati with his new serve (and new shoulder)

14:30 Iga, Ons, Serena out early? No problem - Petra, Caro, and Madison are getting butts in seats

21:20 Tennis ball controversy: Iga Swiatek vs. Wilson Regular Duty

27:00 Whom does it serve to tweet about someone skipping a press conference? (Check the replies, that’s who)

30:05 Jonathan’s preferred Serena match-up and Vika’s slightly anticlimactic announcement

35:10 Interview with Tom Humberstone, author of Suzanne and Body Serve illustrator!

47:45 Translating the unique visual spectacle of Lenglen to the page 

55:15 How to balance “legacy” while honoring a person’s specific life experiences

59:20 Lenglen forced the skeptical press to respect women’s sport

We’re back after attending our first live tennis in THREE YEARS! Wow, what a moment. A moment most pleasing to us in our podcasting careers. The happy feelings didn’t last long as we had to grapple with the end of Serena’s career when she announced her imminent retirement at the US Open. We also chat about Simona and PCB’s wins in Canada before sharing a few of our observations from seeing the women in person last week. Buckle up folks, it’s going to be a hell of a ride the next few weeks 

01:53 Serena rocks our world with news of her impending retirement

10:52 The relief, the joy, and the pain of grappling with this announcement

15:16 Simona Halep fightergirls herself to the Toronto title

17:33 The pusher discourse has gotten way out of control

20:32 Putting some respect on Haddad Maia and Zheng Qinwen’s names

23:45 PCB wins his biggest career title in Montreal

32:53 Observations: Watching Serena live in Toronto

36:36 Sloane’s defence, Kenin’s comeback, and endless deuces

44:32 Loving Bianca off the court and struggling with the mess on it

49:44 Why is it always MEN who are super loud and clueless at tennis?

58:19 Let serves and Giorgi/Ostapenko live lasers

The unbearable August heat and humidity means it’s time for the North American hardcourt swing, for a brief magical period known as the US Open Series. Instead of a typical recap, we decided to present a summer hardcourt preview to mark this distinct segment of the season. Who are the old reliables on this surface? Will Medvedev extend his mastery over these courts? Will Iga add some more titles to that expanding hardcourt resume? What will Venus and Serena’s matches look like? Will Djokovic become a wedge issue in the midterms? (No.) Plus a snapshot of our favorite moments from Beyonce’s stunner, Renaissance.

2:55 What are the main storylines going into the greatest rrrrroad trip in esport?

11:20 DC: Serena descends upon the capital, creates confusion

16:55 Venus’ first match since last August - what’s the takeaway?

25:35 Hardcourt preview: the comebacks, reboots, redos, and those with something to prove

35:25 The hardcourt stalwarts of the past few years, women first: Naomi, Iga, Vika, Aryna, and more

41:20 The hardcourt “kings” and we use the term loosely

45:20 Novak Djokovic and US Republican members of Congress: with their powers combined … 

52:35 Medvedev and the race for the men’s #1

54:05 Raducanu’s choice of coach riles the British press

58:35 Our upcoming tennis plans

62:35 Beyonce’s Renaissance - a postmodern tour of Black dance music and reveling in the face of a plague