Explore every episode of the podcast The Body Serve

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

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