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The Body Serve

Tennis podcast featuring casual, semi-respectable conversations about the ATP &amp; WTA.

The Body Serve Tennis Podcast

Bring back the US Open Series! The summer hard court swing continues on its confusing cadence. We spent a few nights at the National Bank Open in Toronto – James unwittingly sat in Iga Swiatek Country and witnessed her return to form (ok, I’ve already said too much). The other biggest stories in tennis these days are: Alex Eala, Rafa Jodar, injuries, and the innumerable opinions on the Williams sisters. Should Venus ******? Should Serena take that wild card? I don’t know man, I’m just trying to enjoy the waning days of summer <sob>. Finally, Nick Kyrgios got ahead of the story and announced that he’d tested positive for cocaine in Mallorca, which is a substance of abuse under WADA guidelines. This means if it’s in-competition: very very bad; out of competition: meh.
1:10 Our visit to the Canadian Open in Toronto
9:05 A few more ball kid photoshoots should do the trick
12:25 Jannik out, Carlos in as injuries derail the North American hot boy summer
18:45 Was the Serena comeback always a lark and we all just took it too seriously?
24:20 Checking in on Cincinnati
29:05 Kyrgios and cocaine: looking for empathy, not always finding it
45:00 Funny like I’m a clown? Like I amuse you?
47:10 Kingston, Jamaica has a Challenger event!

Clap If You Care

We're clocking back in for August, the month of two bloated Masters 1000 events; Eala-mania hits DC and Toronto while Montreal is rocked by high-profile withdrawals and general floppery. Next, we break down the full decision on Marketa Vondrousova’s refusal case, and let's just say she didn't give her lawyers much to work with. Let's not even mention the infamous text (we will). Next, we look at the fallout of the WTA gender testing announcement, then finish up with a day that will live in infamy: corn rows and fishnets and a demonic photoshoot, oh my. 
3:40 We're in Toronto, but also not
16:15 Eala-mania in DC, plus Los Cabos & Memphis
28:10 Breaking down the Vondrousova decision so you don't have to read it (unless you’re an enthusiast like me) 
39:55 Not the Italian Greyhound catching strays
47:45 Checking back in on the WTA gender testing fallout
60:35 A cursed trifecta

Pick a Struggle

The WTA recently announced that it will require all athletes who wish to compete to undergo a genetic cheek swab test to “prove” they are indeed a woman. This follows the IOC’s policy announcement from earlier this year, which itself followed a Trump executive order ahead of the 2028 Olympics. It exists within the larger context of anti-trans legislation and the inescapable language of “protection.” We spend the first half of the episode trying to understand the policy and what has prompted it; the historic context; the broader movement to bar trans women from women’s sport and, in some cases, to delegitimize trans identity altogether; and what the current science tells us. Later, we attempt to decipher the barely-followable PTPA infighting and who’s fighting for what. We also touch on some tennis results, wedding season, a doping story and a match fixing story, and finally the recently announced US Open mixed doubles pairings.
02:00 The WTA’s newest “Women’s Eligibility Policy”
08:45 What happens when someone’s gender becomes a matter of public speculation
24:30 What the current science tells us
31:00 Will the real PTPA please stand up?
39:10 A lesbian wedding!
46:05 Facundo Bagnis: before he speaks his vitamins bespoke
50:25 Speeding through recent results
56:25 US Open mixed doubles teams: subject to change (hopefully)  

This Is Not a Test

Linda Noskova is your Wimbledon champion, the 3rd Czech woman in 4 years! Her imposing power, resilience, and capable hands pushed her past Karolina Muchova, who managed to save 5 championship points in the second set but couldn’t stem the tide. Jannik Sinner defends his title, rarely summoning his best but doing enough to beat an inspired That Guy and prevent what would have been a cursed and vexatious Channel Slam. In doubles, Patten takes aim at the ATP in his victory speech, Ostapenko gets blamed for something she didn’t do (for once), and Guo/Mladenovic knock out the top seeds and eventually win the title. We also chat about Czech tennis history and the everlasting effort to identify why they’re so good, plus the decades-long saga of the All England Club’s plans to expand its site and what still stands in the way. 
0:40 Linda Noskova wins Wimbledon at 21
7:45 My ex-friend
10:15 Other notes from women’s second week: Gauff-Muchova and more
16:55 What’s the deal with Czech tennis?
23:00 Jannik Sinner averts disaster, but the Monster has already been created
34:35 What’s next for Novak?
38:35 Henry Patten takes on the ATP + other doubles results
44:45 Wimbledon expansion: locals say Not On My Church Road 

Listen, Linda

Checking in as we face week two of Wimbledon: 6 of the top 8 women are out, including the #1 and last year’s finalists, but we’re left with a surging Coco Gauff, a Linda Noskova ready to break out (again), a healthy Karolina Muchova, and a Naomi Osaka who’s trying to shed the hard court specialist mantle. On the men’s side, Sinner and Djokovic are on a crash course, our faves Felix and Alejandro are beefing (hopefully briefly), and Grisha breaks our hearts. We spend some time on Serena’s comeback, which has, predictably, opened old wounds and reawakened old trolls. Overall, what do we make of her performance, and what do we hope for her presumed next stop? Spare a thought for Auntie Venus, who just wants to play some doubles.
2:05 The quarterfinal match-ups
7:25 Grass is an outlier
13:50 Notes on the women’s draw: Naomi stuns Aryna
22:30 Coco wins under the buzzer
28:30 Serena’s comeback
42:00 Men’s tournament: don’t trust the Sinner flop allegations; a “pretty match”
48:40 Our faves were fighting
54:50 Zeynep Sonmez’s loophole
58:10 Player protest starts then stops  

Who's the Dumb B*tch Now?

The 2026 Wimbledon tournament kicks off Monday, and along with it comes the disorienting experience of seeing the name Serena Williams in a singles draw again. Expectations are all over the place as she opens against the Australian Maya Joint. More broadly, the women’s draw is anyone’s guess, as the top players come in with less than optimal preparation but plenty of experience. On the men’s side, former world #4 Jack Draper breaks out of the injury asylum only to see Taylor Fritz in the first round. Sinner looks to be the prohibitive favorite with a very small second tier – Djokovic, Fritz, Shelton, and? – fighting for a shot.   
1:45 This week’s results: Draper is back, Naomi in her first grass final 
5:15 Notable qualifiers and not-qualifiers 
7:30 Women’s draw: “tough draws” fall apart all the time (solace for Iga fans?)
23:05 Men’s draw: Sinnerstan  
39:15 The most random et ceteras and one big lie

Who Will Fill It?

Grass season is about halfway done, and I don’t know what’s going on with the WTA (wishing them luck). Big results for Noskova – who just debuted in the top 10 – plus Robin Montgomery, Ben Shelton, Donna Vekic, and the Frans! The news that Serena Williams received the remaining Wimbledon singles wild card trumped everything this week, while her husband hung out at Trump’s UFC abomination. Recent Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova was given a 4-year suspension for refusing a doping test in December, a decision that will almost certainly be appealed. Lastly, we give some final thoughts on the Knicks and go down the Stevie rabbit hole again.
1:00 Yep, that singles wild card was for #thismama 
14:10 Berlin bagel + it was a good week to be a Fran
24:30 Previous week’s results: s-’Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart, Queen’s
27:30 Diving into Marketa Vondrousova’s 4-year suspension 
36:30 Alexis, your presence wasn’t actually required
40:50 Corentin Moutet gives up his prize money for what, exactly?
43:00 Catching up with the Knicks and Victor Wembanyama 
48:20 Remembering Peabo and igniting the Stevie discussion again

Guess Who's Back

It’s been impossible to keep up with tennis news lately, with Serena’s return, the grass season starting, and the top players continuing to pressure the Slams on prize money and consultation. We had too much on our Roland Garros wrap agenda, so here’s the twin to episode 425. We talk about Serena’s long-simmering “comeback,” the product tie-ins with Ro and Zepbound, and her successful doubles match with Canadian star Victoria Mboko. We also check in with the ongoing player response to prize money increases (as a proportion of tournament revenue) and what could come next. Finally, we give our unorganized thoughts on the Rafa doc, check in with a kind Reddit user, and give you a Knicks segment that is now -- thankfully -- a time capsule of life before Jalen Brunson was an MVP and NBA champion!
1:30 The "wildfire" … was warranted 
11:30 Serena and Vicky ace their first (and only) test
23:10 Is this comeback meant to be a proof of concept for GLP-1 use?
33:10 Wimbledon prize money -- will the increase be enough for “Project Red Eye?”
40:00 Netflix’s Rafa documentary was a somewhat harrowing experience
49:30 Admitting I was wrong is important!
52:40 A quick Knicks segment (now a time capsule) 

S.W.V.

Yes, we’re finally back to recap the second week of Roland Garros. That thing we were all dreading has happened, and now we can move on with our lives. First, let’s celebrate 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva for expertly managing this unfamiliar moment and bagging her first major; and the qualifier Maja Chwalinska, for reaching her first Slam final and storming into the top 25! As for the men, Madison Keys really clocked their tea when she said the men’s anxiety over this opportunity was seeping into everyone’s lives. A lot of the late-’90s generation allowed a huge opportunity to slip by, and we kind of felt bad for them. The uncomfortable truth is that That Guy is now a major champion – of a decimated field, to be sure – but a champion nonetheless, and broadcasters, tennis organizations, and sponsors might now have an even easier time avoiding and ignoring the credible domestic violence allegations against him. But try as he (and they) might, the attention isn’t going away anytime soon.
4:00 Women’s wrap: Maja, Maja 
11:00 Things not to do on Bluesky
14:20 Mirra Andreeva joins the top tier  
21:45 A lot of guys saw a massive opportunity slip by
27:15 So That Guy won. Now what 
36:10 Journalists keeping that man uncomfortable
42:30 Good news! Siniakova/Townsend three-quarters of the way to a Team Career Slam

Not In My World

Back from our first trip to Roland-Garros, here is part 2 of our RG mid-tournament wrap, this one focusing on the tennis we saw, the happenings on-site, and how the chaotic first week played out more broadly. What’s it like to watch a tournament unfold in person while it’s already being branded online as chaotic and/or horrible? Well, sometimes your priority is just your next water refill. We’ll tell you about players we sought out (Swiatek, Rybakina, Medvedev, Vacherot, Jodar, Tiafoe, and more). We’ll take you through the experience of watching Naomi Osaka’s walkout and the surreal collapse of Jannik Sinner as it unfolded on Chatrier. As we always do, we’ll dip into the messier moments, like the Korpatsch-Wang dust-up, the monumental PR stumbles of Rafa Jodar, and Vallejo’s misogynistic bag-fumbling. What a week in Paris; it promises to get weirder before the fortnight is out.     
1:00 Nothing new under the sun: Wang pulls a Hingis ’99
7:10 She’s taking it! Oh – actually, no, sorry
15:25 Iga Swiatek out to Kostyuk
23:10 Telling stories about players and matches we saw: Vacherot, Rybakina, Keys, and more 
38:35 Rafa Jodar exonerated, sort of
46:50 Naomi’s debut on Lenglen
50:40 James, are you happy to be in Paris? 
62:35 Being in Chatrier for the Sinner upset 
73:10 Are we all amateur geneticists now? 
80:45 These f—ing tarpaulins and Lacoste bollards!
85:25 Wrapping up the draw as it stands

She's Already Dead, Stop!

We’ve just returned home from our first trip to Roland-Garros! We’re bringing you two mid-tournament episodes, this one to cover our experience at the tournament and in Paris overall, while the next will focus on the tennis itself. Hear about the RG dining and beverage experience (hello, galette-sausicce and the falafel hummus flatbread), our pilgrimage to the Rafa statue, the idyllic setting of Court Simonne-Mathieu, how to get on the side courts, the unique personality of the Roland Garros grounds, and much more!
1:35 Setting the scene: getting to Paris
7:50 To be in Paris: cafes with tiny tables, boeuf bourguignon, rolling up on Jannik
15:50 Getting to the site
23:10 On the Roland Garros grounds: the stadiums, getting on the smaller courts, the availability of water (!)   
43:30 The food: impressive 
47:00 The low-key chill-out areas near Simonne-Mathieu
51:35 Overall impression of what it’s like to be a fan at Roland Garros

Paris Is Burning

As The Body Serve heads to Paris for the first time, here’s our preview of the 2026 edition of Roland Garros, where Jannik Sinner seeks to make more history and a number of top women find themselves in position to snatch. As usual, we take you through both draws: a surprisingly balanced women’s draw (except for Iga -- sorry, girl) and a men’s draw with not much intrigue, at least on the surface. The players associated with Project Red Eye have staged a work-to-rule labour action, refusing rightsholder interviews and committing only 15 minutes to pre-tournament media activities. Also, the federal judge in the PTPA case couldn’t order Wimbledon and the French to give up those coveted press credentials. I guess they’re stuck buying tickets like everybody else!  
1:05 Qualifiers: Sloane through; Plishy & Greg are not :( 
4:45 This week: Casper, rest!
7:20 Women’s draw 
20:20 Men’s draw 
39:55 PTPA credentials drama: judge says it’s petty but what can I do, babes
42:50 Players stage a labour action!
49:05 Stevie Wonder, randomly 

Fifteen Minutes to Save the Tour

Elina Svitolina wins her third Rome title with her most impressive run yet, while Jannik Sinner completes his box set of Masters titles and sets all sorts of records at the tiny age of 24. Daniil Medvedev tried his best to derail Sinner, and Casper went with a similar playbook – we shall see if prevailing through that rough semifinal will fuel Jannik further or give the other guys some hope (or both!). Darderi made a huge breakthrough on home soil, while That Guy crashed out in Tennis Channel’s IG replies (sad). Meanwhile, Carlos is on injury break and they’re still slutting him out in Vanity Fair. See you in Paris!
1:55 Mommy. Mamacita?
13:00 Jannik wins the Career Masters thing 
19:25 Daniil, one of the few to shift a wig or two
28:05 Darderi breaks out, That Guy crashes out
34:50 Extras: Big Mama didn’t pay for Coco’s gelato; PTPA begs for a credential 
38:35 Clay baby 
42:50 We love delusion (respectful)
46:30 Random: trying Malta India from Puerto Rico (gracias, Francisco!)

Big Mama

Jannik Sinner extends his Masters series win streak and his utter dominance over That Guy, while Marta Kostyuk back handsprings through her unbeaten clay season, grabbing her biggest career title over a bereft Mirra Andreeva. Now in Rome, the top players are demanding a fairer prize money split and genuine player consultation with Slams; several top players even endorsed a boycott if they can’t make progress, an utterance that would have been unheard of even a few years ago. We take some forays outside of the week’s news, as usual, chatting about tennis history, Whitney Houston, and the provenance of one of our social media handles. 
1:50 Jannik wins 5 Masters in a row
5:10 The Gap™ 
13:20 Absolute cinema: the Madrid trophy presentation
26:05 Et ceteras: Prakash and Arthur, the Bezos Gala, Flavio says NO
31:05 Players take aim at RG: prize money/revenue split, player welfare, and consultation are the big issues
41:00 Italian Federation president said “Yes, and” 
49:50 Whitney Houston dedicates Arthur Ashe Stadium
57:25 10 years ago: one of tennis’ great unhinged moments

Get In Loser, We're Going On Strike

Whether it was bad shrimp or a virus, the outcome – or the output, rather – was the same. Week one of Madrid was rocked by player illness and withdrawals, with Iga retiring for only the second time in her career and Coco getting sick on court before pulling through against Cirstea. We take a scattershot approach to Madrid, highlighting Pliskova, Jodar, and Grant (and a few lowlights). Plus, we take an extended look at electronic line calling on clay, the untrustworthiness of ball marks, and the imperfections and idiosyncrasies of tennis that make the sport sing. We finish up with some offcourt news – including the surprising departure of the WTA’s CEO – plus rapid-fire listener questions. 
1:40 Carlos is out of Rome and Roland Garros <sob>
4:35 Virus or food poisoning … either way, the players were sick as dogs 
11:40 Plisko, Naomi, Tyra Grant, Rafa J
21:05 Alex and Grigor down bad, Stefanos crashing out but actually winning
26:20 Electronic line calling on clay: the ball mark isn’t as clear-cut as you’d think
35:15 Maria Sharapova is in the podcast business
38:15 WTA CEO Portia Archer has resigned
40:35 The Fritz-Riddle breakup
43:55 A few listener questions

Good Riddance to Bad Shrimp

Arthur Fils caps his successful comeback to the tour with the Barcelona crown, while official tennis outlets act h-word on main while they trade on his good looks. Ben Shelton wins his first clay title outside of Texas and marks a surprising milestone for US men. Clay queens Coco and Iga are down bad while Elena, Karolina, and Marta soar; and Carlos’ status is questionable for who knows how long. Finally, we talk about the news that interests me most: Marketa Vondrousova has been charged with refusing to give a sample to a doping control officer. Her social media posts about the incident provide interesting context but – as we’ve seen before – could come back to bite. 
2:15 Arthur Fils is the truth!
8:55 Rybakina wins Stuttgart again, Muchova exorcises some demons
14:00 Join Elena’s crypto community … 
18:35 Ben Shelton, American king of clay?
26:35 Vondrousova’s case
37:40 James talks about books and takes another quiz!

Decades of Destitution

In Monte Carlo, Sinner’s 4th consecutive Master’s title and reclaiming of the #1 ranking adds another wrinkle to the Sincaraz rivalry. We talk about our desire for a little less golden retriever energy from Carlos – or, at least one of us does – but ultimately an unfriendly rivalry is no longer advantageous for today’s player brands. Last week, Pegula defended her Charleston title, 3 Argentines made 3 different finals, and Iga appeared at the Rafa Nadal Academy with her new coach Francisco Roig. We also talk about golf, double bagels, Coco having to defend herself online (again), and an intriguing FMK about three celebrated tennis careers.
1:05 Bestie rivals, a hallmark of this era
13:35 A double bagel to Berrettini, come on man 
16:35 I thank myself 
20:40 Coco defends her Miu Miu look and her hair from online waste yutes and losers
24:05 Pegula wins the first equalized 500 prize money in Charleston
29:10 Men’s results last week: Tommy Paul, first career titles for Jodar and Navone
33:00 Coaching carousel 
36:20 Rory McIlroy defends his Masters title; Caroline still has shooters
39:45 FMK Tennis careers: Sharapova, Hingis, Davenport

How Can We Be Rivals If We Can't Be Friends?

Jannik Sinner wins the Sunshine Double without losing a set – a first! – and upends the mini-narrative that said Carlos was running away with the season. Aryna Sabalenka, for her part, snatches back momentum in the Rybakina rivalry and bests bugaboo Coco Gauff in the Miami final. The actual star of Miami turned out to be thirst magnet Arthur Fils, who reached the semis, stunned four-match-point-haver Tommy Paul, and broke containment. We’ve also got: close reading a tweet about the IOC’s new gender policy; the Charleston draw and prize money increase; and the WTA Finals’ departure from Saudi Arabia.
2:30 Sinner’s win reminds the tennis world to chill with the proclamations
9:55 Sabalenka keeps her head on straight for the final
18:35 Coco’s hat: saying nothing was always an option!  
26:35 Arthur Fils breaks out in a big way; a thick way, even
33:30 Charleston increases prize money to match the ATP 500 level
37:50 IOC’s announcement on trans athletes and what it has to do with Wertheim and Navratilova
46:00 What is holding you back from buying a yacht? 
47:45 Listener question: which tennis player would you go on vacation with?

Whack Him Again

Sebastian Korda is making like Gloria Estefan and coming out of the dark: in a career interrupted by injuries, Seb follows up his Delray Beach title by sending #1 Carlos Alcaraz out of Miami. Iga Swiatek’s frustration continues as her countrywoman Magda Linette packs her up; shortly after, Iga does the same to coach Wim Fissette. On the docket we’ve also got the Matosevic doping story, Danielle and Corentin (we’re way too old for this), a painful and hopefully temporary Body Serve ban, and an ASMR taste test of Vegemite - sure, a few months late in tennis terms, but whatever, we didn’t have Vegemite then. 
2:00 Carlos out of Sunshine swing
5:40 Iga loses her incredible streak of 73 straight opening-round wins
9:40 Let them eat bagels: Arthur Fils is back! 
14:30 Sorry, Leylah
18:45 Danielle et Corentin, you’re both doing A LOT right now
23:05 Marinko Matosevic’s brazen doping scandal
31:40 ATP schedule changes, in concert with the Saudi sports fund
35:15 Betting is a scourge and the players suffer
42:15 Our first (and last) ASMR segment

A Dark Hole

Indian Wells saw two new champs settling old scores – Sabalenka winning her first and upending a  worrying finals trend vs. Rybakina, and Sinner flying under the radar to grab the title over the more headline-grabbing Medvedev. Daniil has managed to refashion his game without losing the old antics, including asking for (and getting) a confounding hindrance call – and no, I don’t feel bad for Jack. We talk about Mirra’s crashout, IW misplacing the Venus-Leylah wild card, my certified hater status, and Iga’s trajectory. Plus, James takes another quiz and we give our Letterboxd 4, just like the players did this week.
03:45 Aryna hit the I Will Always Love You drum kick and the rest was gravy
15:20 Jannik overcomes Medvedev in two tiebreaks
21:00 Medvedev had an interesting week, to say the least
26:35 Let’s not make “F*** you all” your new tagline
33:30 They lost Venus and Leylah’s wild card
38:55 Letterboxd 4
46:25 The Oscars
56:20 Not another quiz!

Mar-a-Lago West

Sports and politics … it turns out they DO mix! A few dozen ATP players and staff are stuck in Dubai as a result of Trump’s attack on Iran, as the Mexican tournaments go forward without a hitch after last week’s unrest. On court, Medvedev wins a second Dubai title, Longhorn Stearns grabs Austin by the horns, Bucsa becomes the Spanish #1, and Darderi and Cobolli win Latin tournaments on two continents. For fun, James takes a tennis geography quiz and we do an extended diatribe (requiem?) on The Traitors.   
1:40 ATP players and personnel stuck in Dubai
6:45 This is not a drill!! 
9:00 The Ellison data-media-government-tennis empire  
15:35 Craig Tiley is coming to America 
19:50 Results: Dubai, Acapulco, Merida, Austin  
31:10 They didn’t tell Stefanos you’re not supposed to talk about appearance fees
34:35 James takes a tennis geography quiz!
44:55 A Traitors diatribe

20/20

A gatekeeper, a consistent threat, not-a-pusher, and the social and political glue behind the scenes: Jessica Pegula has gone from tennis’s rich girl to a key piece of the bloc of players who reliably fight for the biggest titles on the WTA Tour. This week, she’s just won her 4th 1000-level title and has been announced as the chair of the new tour working group: the Tour Architecture Council. Elsewhere, Carlos continues his dominant start, Fils notches a runner-up spot in his third tournament back, Korda impresses in Florida, and Etcheverry plays for six hours in one day to grab his first career title. Plus, Tara Moore is not taking her suspension lying down, as she sues the WTA for failing to warn players about contaminated meat.
0:35 A trip down figure skating memory lane
7:15 Carlos dominates Doha 
10:45 Korda’s comeback, Etcheverry’s endurance run through Rio 
17:15 Consistency Queen Jessica Pegula wins Dubai 
22:40 Qinwen’s Emmy-winning guest appearance on The Player's Box
28:00 Peggy to lead the Tour Architecture Council 
32:25 Tara Moore sues the WTA 
40:30 Monica and Brandy

The Glue

Welcome back to regularly scheduled podcasting! The tours have gone to South America, Transylvania, the Netherlands, Texas, and the UAE -- regional tours ftw, btw -- over the past two weeks. Karolina Muchova finally gets a big title, Mboko notches an incredible run to the Doha final, Zheng announces herself, Felix becomes king of Canada, and most importantly we’re back from Mexico, caught up on sleep and armed with fresh takes. We decide to finally dip our toes in the apparently imminent Serena comeback, whatever it shall be, and how it interacts with her endorsement of GLP-1 drugs (and her family’s vested interest). We’ve also got random takes on Bad Bunny, Brad, Puerto Vallarta, and Destanee Aiava’s eye-opening retirement announcement.
0:30 Catching up with us
12:00 Shelton Does Dallas; Canada’s Indoor King; the ATP’s hottest final 
17:05 Muchova finally gets that elusive second title. A big one!
25:30 Zheng, Sakkari, Iga’s d****e b****e  
36:00 Red card!
39:50 I guess we should tackle the “comeback” 
50:15 Odds and ends: Jack’s gateway haircut, Naomi picks on a podcast (not us, confirmed)
55:20 Destanee Aiava drops a hell of a retirement announcement

What's the 411?

The first Slam of the year is in the books, and we’ve got the youngest Career Slam winner in the history of maleness, Novak’s 38th major final, and Rybakina continuing her hot streak and bagging her second Slam. We talk you through the scintillating men’s semifinals that injected the tournament with a much-needed spark. You’ll also hear about the smoking gun pickle juice bottle, That Guy’s tantrum, Coco’s semi-covert racquet smash, and Djokovic religious iconography. We finish up with a few serious matters: Craig Tiley’s future, the investigation into coach Rafael Font de Mora, and the PTPA’s latest proposal for … something.
2:30 Youngest male player: Carlos makes history
6:15 I’m not chasing anyone, let’s start there 
13:15 Excuses, excuses 
21:30 The 5-set king 
26:10 Rybakina: don’t underestimate WTA Finals swagger!
37:30 Women’s semis, Cocosmash; Mertens is Australian Open queen 
47:50 WTA launches investigation into WTA coach
51:15 What is the PTPA actually going for?
58:00 Remembering Canadian icon and the world’s mom, Catherine O’Hara

Charles in Charge

It's not officially a Slam until Jelena Djokovic accuses Naomi Osaka of being so nasty and so rude while Jelena’s husband narrowly avoids a default for something completely of his own making (again). Anyway, how was your first week??? The Australian Open has given us some exciting breakouts (Jovic, Bartunkova, Tien again) and a marquee quarterfinal lineup, with the top 6 men and women through for the first time in the Open Era. Osaka reminded us who she is – and what tennis is missing – with her audacious walk-out jellyfish look. But to be serious for a minute, American players are being asked to speak during this unprecedented and dangerous period in our history, and most are failing miserably. It's time to be brave.
3:45 A historically great quarterfinal lineup
5:45 Highlights of the first week of the men’s draw
11:30 The extreme heat rule: Jannik gets lucky, but it’s not unfair 
18:35 Women’s first week: Mboko and Jovic break out; Sabalenka sails; Iga wants a day session, dammit
32:05 The Osaka-Cirstea dustup + a Dramatic Reading
45:25 American players, it’s time to be brave
57:25 It’s fashion! God forbid a girl wants to be a jellyfish! 
66:15 Lulu, K-Swiss, New Balance, and a shoulder blade

Be Brave

We had a little time and a lot to cover, so why not jump in for a mid-first round Australian Open episode? First, we cover the upsets, injuries, and highlights of the first few days. It wasn’t a great day two for Canada. Jonathan brings you the in-depth coverage about Venus Williams you’ve come to expect. We also pick up stories on Frances’ gallon-a-day habit and nonfiction reading schedule, Naomi’s break with Evolve, Novak’s split with the PTPA, and the PR moment That Guy couldn’t have scripted better himself.
2:10 Upsets and injuries: Knowing too much about Flavio
8:20 Other highlights from the first few days
15:50 Venus Williams is always learning
27:40 But why nonfiction?
33:15 My people are not sending their strongest soldiers
43:25 Australian Open our favorite TV viewing Slam?
49:40 Tennis Australian settles with the PTPA

In Your Feelings

Who, if anyone, will challenge Aryna? Will the Alcaraz-Sinner machine make it nine in a row? What's Craig Tiley up to this year? We're dusting off the cobwebs to bring you our Australian Open preview, complete with draw analysis (if you want to call it that), major storylines, and a quick review of the “Opening Week” and the successful 1 Point Slam. Tune in to find out the new hottest man in the ATP and who Jonathan thinks might have a career resurgence this year (there's two). 
2:30 Catching up with this week’s results
8:45 The 1 Point Slam: success!
16:50 This year’s (and last year’s) major questions
27:25 Women’s draw: “… or Mboko!”
38:15 Men’s draw: will Novak slice through his section?
54:15 Qualifying intrigue: Nishesh and the choking gesture

He Knows His Angles: Australian Open Preview

We’re back from break with season 12 of The Body Serve! The off-season didn’t let up for a second, with its fair share of surprising breakups: Carlos and Juan Carlos, Naomi and Evolve, and Novak splitting from the players’ organization he co-founded. We also cover Potapova’s copypasta, Venus’ wedding, the ESPN commentary reshuffle, Iga’s viewing habits, and more off-season stuff. We look ahead to the coming season with our usual breakout picks – no ADF this time – plus we recap the opening week Down Under, as Bencic leads her team to the final while Poland snatches their first United Cup.
3:25 Alcaraz and Ferrero split
10:35 Naomi Evolves away from the agency she co-founded
15:10 Djokovic quits the PTPA
22:10 Other off-season stuff: Iga didn’t watch, ATP rolls out safeguarding program, Next Gen Finals, Venus at the altar! 
35:30 Looking ahead: our breakout picks for 2026
45:30 Changes to the ESPN commentary lineup
51:50 United Cup highlights: Hubie, Belinda, Zizou
60:00 Titles for Sabalenka, Svitolina, Medvedev, Bublik
65:35 The podcast landscape

I Don't Watch Stuff Like That

For our last episode of 2025, we each wrote our own separate agendas with the plan to just chat and see what happens. There’s some tennis, mostly not -- but we do cover that crass spectacle Evolve has been stumping over on right-wing media. We’ve got quick-fire complaints (It is that deep! Bring back gatekeeping in restaurant criticism!), favorite TV series of 2025, server rants, movie etiquette, and Mariah. Timestamps seemed against the more chaotic spirit of this episode, so just jump in and enjoy. Thanks for a great season - see you in 2026!

I Said No

At long last, our ATP “hot list,” in our signature TBS style. Our mission: have fun, be sex-positive, not put anyone down, and marvel at how subjective and silly all this is. We talk about the ethics of objectifying men, the male gaze and male gays, and the “structures of looking” from Laura Mulvey on into the 21st century. After that bit of (hopefully interesting) table-setting, we get right into our categories of hotness (brains, aura, and ass are a few key examples). Finally, each of us share our hot lists of both active and retired players. Stay tuned for a few embarrassing crushes and lots of Rafa/Bjorn/Grigor mentions; and remember, with men the ick is always just around the corner.
4:05 Is objectifying men ok?
14:00 The straight male gaze, the straight woman gaze, and the gay gaze 
19:20 “The male figure cannot bear the burden of sexual objectification” (Mulvey, 1975)
27:25 So why are we doing this? Well, first of all, it’s fun
32:55 Categories that make up hotness, starting with Aura 
38:05 A key category: slutty shorts
56:00 The daddy archetype and faces that belong on a coin
60:15 Our lists 
68:40 Embarrassing or disavowed crushes: we all have them 
73:30 The retired players who would have made the list

ATP Thirst: Full Release

For many, the 2025 ATP season has been about one heated rivalry and, well … not much else. We’re not necessarily here to contradict that narrative. But, there were five first-time Masters 1000 winners, and that’s not nothing! We’ll take you through the year’s highlights, month by month; question some tennis conventional wisdom; and go through your most memorable and funniest moments (math is hard!). Also, find out how our breakout picks fared and which ATP Awards need a rethink.  
4:30 How we finished 2024
10:00 Themes of this season: duopoly, futility
15:00 The season’s notable moments in chronological order
35:35 Italy’s Davis Cup threepeat / RIP Nicola Pietrangeli 
39:30 How did we do with our 2025 breakout picks?
43:40 ATP Awards: wheel and come again
48:05 Your most memorable moments of the ATP season
60:30 Your funniest moments: leave Jack alone!
65:50 Retirements, comebacks, and first-time titlists

Heated Rivalry: 2025 ATP Wrap

It’s time to wrap the 2025 WTA season! We saw 5 different players split the Slams and the WTA Finals to form a season with a clear top tier but no outright dominance, allowing for surprises (Mboko, Andreeva, Swiatek at Wimbledon) and steady reliables (Sabalenka). As always, we’ll take you through the season chronologically while highlighting some key themes of the year both on- and off-court. We’ll survey the WTA Awards candidates, discuss our listeners’ most memorable and funniest moments of the season, and hold our own feet to the fire by seeing how our 2025 breakout picks performed. Thanks for joining us for an amazing season of women’s tennis!
We’ve just launched our 2025 GoFundMe -- thanks for all the support through the years. If you’d like to contribute, you can find it here. 
0:35 Launching our 2026 GoFundMe 
06:00 Major stories of 2025: parity but also not 
11:40 Off-court stories: Mat leave, PTPA, plus Rybakina-Vukov test the WTA’s new safeguarding policy
24:25 Chronological recap, kind of 
44:25 Awards season!
49:05 How did we do with our breakout picks?
52:50 What you’ll remember from the season
59:55 Your funniest moments of the season
68:35 Retirements, comebacks, maternity leaves

Chat To Mi Back: 2025 WTA Wrap

Jannik Sinner defends at the ATP Finals, again without losing a set, beating his chief rival #1 Carlos Alcaraz. The final was fine, even quite good at times, albeit a bit momentum-less; but hey, they can’t all be classics. Novak makes some valid points about Sinner’s doping case – yes, well-tread territory to be fair – and gets subtweeted by Darren Cahill for his troubles. Plus, Aryna is displeased with Nike (which itself seems indifferent to tennis), and we take a quick tangent into health care and politics. 
1:55 Jannik repeats at the ATP Finals 
7:05 The Big 3 broke tennis analysis
11:50 Semis and group stage: every era needs a de Minaur 
17:45 The ATP fits and haircuts + the Nike snowsuit
21:50 Novak on Sinner’s doping case and Darren’s subtweet
32:05 Aryna is unhappy with Nike, and Nike doesn’t seem to care
38:30 Not a great week for churches! Plus a tangent on Canadian health care

Big Simping

It’s our 400th episode! Elena Rybakina makes a stunning run through the WTA Finals field, but the ending is overshadowed by an awkward non-photo with the WTA CEO. Novak Djokovic is a stunt queen til the end, winning Athens and then telling Musetti at the net that he won’t be playing Turin anyway, so thanks for playing! Meanwhile, newcomers Learner Tien and Victoria Mboko cap their breakout seasons with titles, Ons Jabeur is having a baby, and we reflect on our Toronto Blue Jays and our 400th.
2:15 Rybakina dominates the WTA Finals field
6:35 The photo snub and the tough Rybakina-Vukov situation
12:40 Sabalenka’s hot mic moment 
19:00 Djokovic wins Athens, everyone plays in Lorenzo’s face 
24:00 The Djokovic exodus from Serbia to Greece
32:20 Youngsters Tien and Mboko win late-season titles
40:00 The Body Serve Baseball Podcast
50:45 What does 400 mean to us?

Photo Opps

Almost there … Elena Rybakina booked her spot in the WTA Finals and dipped immediately (extremely injured). Basel saw three of its four quarterfinals end with a retirement. Naturally, the ATP decided this was the perfect time to announce an imminent 10th Masters 1000 tournament, in Saudi Arabia, which will require the shuttering of five current ATP tournaments. Elsewhere, Marta Kostyuk decides it’s not sour grapes, it’s testosterone; and Jannik Sinner gets torched by the Italian consumer protection agency for taking un pisolino after leading his country to two straight Davis Cup titles.
2:50 À propos of nothing, Kostyuk dabbles in transvestigation 
15:00 Jannik might lose his honorary citizenship to the city of Turin, guys
17:00 The ATP cusp boys + Fonseca 
22:55 Ale-ale-jandro 
24:00 Are people born with cramps or are cramps thrust upon them?
26:40 Rybakina, Bencic, Li
32:10 Saudi Arabia gets a Masters tournament
36:00 Next up in tennis and on TBS 

The Cusp Boys

It’s late in the season but great stories are still being written: the world #204 Valentin Vacherot slips into the Shanghai qualifying draw and then wins it all, Coco Gauff rights the ship in Asia for the second year in a row, and two Canadians win titles in the same week. We also talk about Holger Rune’s Achilles injury, Finals qualification storylines, and the ongoing debates on scheduling and exhibitions in Timbuktu. Plus, a foray into pop culture featuring David Archuleta and the late great Diane Keaton.
01:30 The cousin final
07:35 Coco doing what she does best in Wuhan
12:10 The Felix anti-jinx
15:25 Other winners: Fernandez, Ruud, Rybakina, Medvedev (882 days, they’ve said many times)
20:30 Rune’s catastrophic Achilles rupture 
24:00 Who can still qualify for the ATP/WTA Finals?
28:40 The still-raging scheduling and exo debates + answering a listener question on Laver Cup
37:15 Pop culture break: Archuleta grows up, RIP Diane Keaton

So Sorry, Bestie

Late in the season, the tennis tour is winding itself through the great cities of China. Anisimova wins Beijing, the women put together a banner lineup in Wuhan, while the men in Shanghai limp (literally) toward the season's end. We've still got so many great listener questions to answer, which cover topical stuff like the length of the tennis season and the Hall of Fame nominees; and less relevant but no less fun subjects like our work nemeses and the retirement of sprint queen and TBS all-time fave, Kingston native Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. 
02:45 Marquee matchups in Wuhan
10:10 Court speed wars; or, you sound like a loser
16:05 Taylor Daynes of tennis 
24:05 Work enemies
35:25 Tennis Hall of Fame nominees
43:10 Any update on Peng Shuai?
47:20 The schedule … six 500s?! Ten 1000s?!
52:50 The GOAT Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce retires

Dry Sockets

The men’s season ticks on, same as it ever was, as Alcaraz and Sinner snag twin 500s in different countries. We talk a little (very little) about recent results and people being consistently weird in and about Asia. Then, we move into our listener mailbag segment, where we cover everything from how to address the late-season malaise to dealing with workplace narcissists. We finish with an extended review of Mariah’s new album Here For It All, her first studio album since 2018. By the way, the episode title does not refer to our feelings on the album! 
2:50 Carlos and Jannik add titles, Learner is your newcomer of the year
9:00 No one’s talking to you
13:00 Why can’t players just be normal in Asia?
18:05 Does the tennis season end with a whimper? How to change it up?
32:00 Balancing cultural issues with tennis on the show
37:20 How much stock do put into year-end no. 1 rankings vs. the rolling ranking system?
40:55 Off-topic: do you have advice for how to deal with workplace narcissists and bullies?
50:10 Mariah album review! 

Here For Some Of It

The post-US Open stretch is always a little strange. Case in point, Lleyton Hewitt was suspended for two weeks because he pushed an anti-doping official last year(?!). Taylor Townsend squandered a lot of good will after she mocked Chinese cuisine (though she swiftly apologized). The Italian dynasty captures their 6th BJK Cup title via Paolini, Cocciaretto, and Errani heroics. Plus, we issue a … clarification(?) of our comments on the USTA last episode, discuss the Canada-Israel tie, and tackle the allegedly imminent Kyrgios-Sabalenka “battle of the sexes.” 
1:50 A retraction/clarification on our USTA crashout 
6:20 We read the Lleyton Hewitt v. ITIA reports so you don’t have to
17:15 Results: Iga wins #25; WTA hatching and snatching continues
24:45 Team Italia continues to dominate BJK Cup 
29:05 Taylor Townsend’s self-own
37:45 USA crashes out of Davis Cup / Canada’s decision on Israel DC tie 
48:35 Kyrgios vs. Sabalenka will ultimately be a zero-sum game
Theme music courtesy of Oleg Fedak from Pixabay

Oops I Did It Again

Thanks for your patience as we finished up our US Open wrap! One of our birthdays coincided with Rolex inviting a certain president to the tournament, and we conscientiously objected. Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz are your winners (for the first time together). The tournament was a barnburner on the women’s side, a fantastic cap to a year which saw four different Slam winners and a few players rewriting their own stories. On the men’s side, Alcaraz faced only 10 break points (a record) and pushed a dominant Sinner into rethinking his own game. As is our wont, we talk extensively about other things … including using Mary Carillo’s commentary as an example of the necessary risk of expanding sports commentary into something more worldly and immediate. 
01:46 Aryna Sabalenka wins with smarts and steadiness
08:56 Animisova-Osaka, now that was a moment
18:27 The Townsend-Krejcikova match was a stunner
21:31 Mary Carillo and the risk of telling the truth
35:47 Carlos figures out Jannik (7 of the last 8 times)
42:19 Thanks, Rolex! The USTA makes a problem worse 
50:34 Breaking down the prize money increase
55:45 Allez Félix!  
64:50 Novak and everyone else
71:11 Duchess of Kent, Wimbledon icon, dies at 92

The Corporate Sleaze

We've just returned from the US Open, excited to share some stories from the site. We cover our night session with Venus, the debut of Carlos' buzz cut, Felix vs some fake fans, and the luck of seeing Barbie K's opening match at two consecutive Slams. This has been something of a whiny US Open, though -- kicked off by Medvedev’s calculated tantrum, then followed by Ostapenko’s shameful display against Townsend (which Jonathan witnessed in person!). Later, we chat about the experience of a stretched out schedule, Serena inducting Maria into the Hall of Fame, the draws as they stand now. 
1:30 Daniil Medvedev’s desperation
11:10 Stefanos, another pissy baby
15:50 Your primary source for Townsend-Ostapenko 
32:00 Victor Barber we are so sorry (this time)
36:20 Night session with Venus Williams!
43:10 An overwhelming sense of ickiness 
53:05 Félix and the fake fans
62:50 How the Sunday start impacted the on-site experience
70:20 Inductrination 
77:35 The draws at the cusp of week two 

Packed Up and Gone

We're kind of winging it for this US Open preview. It's a bit too late for a Cincy recap, so we're talking about major themes -- like Coco’s coaching overhaul, Iga’s mid-season surge, the guys not named Carlos or Jannik -- and sprinkling in some results. We talk about what worked and what didn't in the mixed doubles exhib-- I mean the prestigious and successful mixed doubles tournament featuring the world's best players. Plus we settle some scores and probably create a few new beefs, but what the hell, this is the last major of 2025 and literally our 43rd Slam preview.
1:00 The major storylines in the women’s draw: I warned you Iga was coming! + Coco drops the GripMD
15:00 Men’s storylines: Djokovic LoseWatch, the also-rans 
21:05 The mixed doubles experiment
31:30 Mardy Fish comes for Rajeev Ram out of nowhere
35:50 Not Parks and Vavassori liking fake news homophobic posts on IG
38:45 Women's draw preview
51:25 Men's draw preview 
67:10 US Open artwork: Honoring Althea Gibson in death but not in life

Why Is It a Crime To Be Locked In? US Open Preview

The Canadian Open (finally) ends, and with a shocker: Burlington, Ontario’s Victoria Mboko snatches her first WTA title after starting the year outside the top 300, and Ben Shelton wins his first Masters event. Honestly, the longer format, the withdrawals of the top men, and the Cincinnati overlap all really hurt this tournament (the second-longest running in tennis history, btw!). We didn’t want to contribute to this Naomi speech discourse, but I guess we do in a small way. Plus: Stefano Vukov’s suspension has been overturned, That Guy is delulu (but in a very intentional PR type of way), and we take a question or two from the mailbag.
0:40 Burlington’s Very Own
13:50 The Naomi Discourse - not doing it again! (well, a little) 
25:00 Performance, Bye
29:20 The longer format is sucking the life out of the Canadian Open
39:45 Shelton wins his first Masters 1000, electronic line calling loses (again) 
48:00 Stefano Vukov’s ban by the WTA has been overturned in arbitration 
59:50 A few questions from the mailbag

I Think I've Done Enough

Starting off hot with two updates in doping cases: first, Jannik Sinner has rehired one of the men responsible for the clostebol contamination. In Tara Moore’s case, CAS ruled that the actual beef was legitimate, but the figurative beef with the ITIA, sadly, was not. The DC tournament had outsized buzz this year, thanks to Venus Williams’ wild card and surprising performance, owner Mark Ein’s boosterism for DC-area tennis, Fernandez’s impressive run, and de Minaur’s late-stage heroics. Later, we touch on the Canadian Open, coaching drama, some big local retirements, and answer a few fun listener questions. 
01:30 Sinner rehires fitness coach Ferrara after a year in timeout 
10:35 Tara Moore’s case concludes with a 4-year ban
14:20 She’s still The Venus Williams
30:25 de Minaur wins a heartbreaker against ADF
33:55 Leylah Fernandez wins biggest career title (+ scheduling complaint in Montreal)
39:50 Canadians in the Canadian Open: retirements, withdrawals, but at least Mboko remains standing!
46:30 Coaching changes: two “supercoaches” constantly putting themselves in the talk
51:30 Listener questions: Toronto recs
57:50 Tournament essentials
62:25 An FMK like no other 

The Mubadala Citi Destiny's Child Open

Presenting part two of our interview with Courtney Nguyen, tennis podcaster, blogger, and former Senior Writer, WTA Insider! This time around, we chat about tennis commentary, the various ways the ATP encroaches upon the WTA, and Courtney's evolving approach to podcasting while also working for the tour. We had to ask about Courtney's favorite players to cover while at the WTA (and the most challenging), her favorite commentators, and the inevitable(?) day when opinion-havers like the three of us simply run out of opinions.

TBS x Courtney Part II

Wimbledon ends with maybe not the champions we chose but the ones we were given. Iga Swiatek honed her grass game and unleashed an almighty tempest to beat Amanda Anisimova with the loss of zero games. Jannik Sinner snapped his 5-match skid against chief rival Carlos Alcaraz by pounding his way to the title. We cover the very human and predictable limitations of electronic line calling, Sally Jenkins’ (warranted) hit piece on John McEnroe, and our lasting impressions of London. You can also expect us to discuss the embarrassing display of billionaire worship that occurred when “activist investor” Bill Ackman got an undeserved wild card to the Hall of Fame Open.
2:10 Dorothea Lambert Chambers thought her record was safe; Iga thought otherwise
16:10 Amanda’s journey to the Wimbledon final 
21:05 Dimitrov and Djokovic injuries ease Sinner’s path
26:15 What happened, Carlitos?
35:15 Jonathan’s addendum on Swiatek’s season so far
38:50 Electronic line calling is fallible after all!
45:15 Ackman at the Newport Casino as we enter a new and dark Gilded Age 
52:20 Sally Jenkins says what fans have been saying for years: fire McEnroe 
58:20 Last notes from London

Luck Be a Sinner This Fortnight

We’re back from our first ever trip to Wimbledon with lots of stories from the grounds and our impressions of the whole British Empire of it all (it's intoxicating at the same time). We were there for the hottest opening day in Wimbledon’s history, and the heat seemed to wreak havoc on the draw, with 36 seeds out by the end of round two. We’ll take you through the draws and some notable matches we saw -- Fritz-Mpetshi Perricard, Krejcikova-Eala, Sabelanka-Branstine, plus Mboko, Baptiste, and ‘Cos’ Giron. Plus, if you’re curious about the various ways to get Wimbledon tickets, we’ve got you (even though it’s still not easy).   
2:00 What it was like being at Wimbledon: Let’s start with the food
10:05 Around the grounds: ivy, flowers, Henman Hill, Hailey the Baptist 
30:30 How does one get tickets to Wimbledon?
39:30 It was really hot and a bunch of seeds fell
47:00 Women’s draw: #2-6 are out but Andreeva and Swiatek remain in the bottom half …
57:30 Men’s draw: Fritz hanging on, Alcaraz playing entirely too many sets
Theme music courtesy of Oleg Fedak from Pixabay

Strawberries and WHAT?!

Presenting the first part of our interview with Courtney Nguyen, tennis blogger, podcaster, and journalist, and until recently the Senior Writer at WTA Insider. First, we chat about Courtney's exit from the WTA and what's next. You'll hear about the first time we met back in 2015 at the dearly missed Mason Applebee's. We also asked Courtney for her thoughts on the state of AI and tech in tennis, some misconceptions about the WTA, and our mutual love of mess -- not just drama, which is fun, but the deeply human imperfection of this sport, how it's played, and how it's governed. 

TBS x Courtney Part I

The Body Serve lands in London for the very first time! For our Wimbledon preview, we'll take you through some news from qualifying, discuss the players who rallied in the last week before Wimbledon, and outline the top stories of the draw. How long will the Alcaraz-Sinner duopoly last? Is Aryna the favorite or will a grass court demon snatch the title? Will Marketa send the draws crashing down? Will Fritz beat that guy for the 6th consecutive time? 
2:55 Qualifying news: Canadian Branstine stuck playing #1s everywhere she goes
5:55 Major stories: the Sinner-Alcaraz chokehold and at least a dozen contenders for the women’s title
10:30 This week’s results: Peggy, Iga, Eala, Fritz and more
14:45 Men’s draw offers Djokovic a chance, throws Draper a curve ball
25:50 Women’s draw preview: Sabalenka’s rough go 

Rawdogging to Wimbledon

The tours have begun their brief stop on grass, and here’s what we know: Marketa has risen, Bublik is dangerous, Carlos won’t stop winning, and the WTA hasn’t yet figured out Tatjana Maria’s spins. Outside of the results, we cover the end of Kyrgios’ stint with the BBC and its possible causes. Plus: Sinner and Bocelli’s camp collaboration and the US Open’s mixed doubles pairings, which appear to have been drafted by agents and some very online fans.
03:50 Grass results: Tatjana Maria stuns the big hitters at Queen’s
11:05 Marketa has awoken, Bublik wins second Halle title 
18:50 Kyrgios won’t be broadcasting this year (now why is Chris Eubanks in it?)
26:30 Too late to Kei-pologize?
29:15 Sinner & Bocelli Grammy when?
32:10 A Slam title for fan-fic?!
38:00 A listener question
42:35 Et ceteras: coaching changes, Petra’s imminent retirement, Mariah’s new single 

Fan Fics and Side Chicks

Roland Garros closes with Coco Gauff’s second major title and a true classic of a men’s final, with Carlos Alcaraz defending his title after weathering three championship points and over five hours of punishing tennis from Jannik Sinner. Of course you’ll get our thoughts on Aryna Sabalenka’s less than pleasant commentary after the match, plus notes on Iga, Novak, and Musetti’s ill-conceived kick. Stay tuned for our fashion segment (Lululemon FTW this time), our impression of TNT’s coverage, and the scheduling nightmare that got even worse. 
3:30 Coco Gauff is a two-time major champ!
12:10 Aryna talks shit, gets whacked by fans and locals alike
20:15 Other notes about the women’s draw
29:30 Men’s final: a true classique
39:00 Semi and quarter notes: Musetti’s kick and That Guy’s futility 
48:50 Reviewing the kits: Nike, go home; Wilson and Lulu, you can stay
58:00 TNT’s coverage created some real energy

I Love This Song

All Round of 16 matches are set at the 2025 Roland Garros, after a number of top men crashed out early (though none of the true favorites) and most of the women’s contenders remain on a crash course toward some fiery week two matchups. We look at what’s to come and discuss our week one highlights – including Svitolina-Pera, Keys-Kenin, Draper-Monfils, and Mboko’s run. The episode’s title comes from the tournament’s refusal to schedule women during its flawed night session concept and the ensuing controversy, with a fight led by Ons Jabeur and much of the tennis press. Plus, a review of the Rafa Nadal tribute (a job well done!).  
1:25 RG does the Rafa tribute right
8:05 Upsets galore on the men’s side
13:45 The men’s draw as it stands
24:25 Our women’s draw highlights
38:45 RG night session scheduling is a fight worth fighting 
52:50 Et ceteras: Jasmine “Solomon” Paolini, Ivanisevic joins Team Tsitsipas
Theme music courtesy of Oleg Fedak from Pixabay

A Fight Worth Fighting

Roland Garros is here, and it’s the first edition since Rafael Nadal’s retirement. We start with a few recollections of our favorite Nadal RG moments, then head straight into draw previews. Is Aryna the favorite? What to make of Iga’s tough draw? Will Novak take advantage and make one more stand in Paris? Is Carlos King? After talking through the draws, we recap some investigative reporting into Muller’s OnlyFans, plus we update you on some imminent retirements, the latest very typical happenings in Camila Giorgi’s life, and That Guy’s 37 trips to -- well, you can just listen.
0:45 Our favorite Rafa Roland Garros moments
3:25 Women’s draw preview 
17:45 Mboko makes it in, Bianca doesn’t qualify, Errani retires from singles 
24:45 Men’s draw preview
39:00  Prayers up for that guy’s esophagus
40:15 Assorted mess: An OnlyFans scammer, Giorgi does reality TV

Watch This Space: Roland Garros Preview

At the Italian Open, Jasmine Paolini wins in singles and doubles while Carlos Alcaraz puts on his thinking cap to stop Jannik Sinner at the finish line. We take a beat to compare Sinner’s triumphal return from a doping suspension to that of Sharapova in 2017 (for one thing, she didn’t get to meet the pope). Plus, Djokovic breaks with Murray, Barbie is back, the US Open announces a construction project, and the surprising fallibility of something called Gorillalpha Yeti Juice.  
01:45 Welcoming Jannik back from a <checks notes> unexplained absence
12:30 When a delusional era lasts forever
15:45 A note about Lorenzo
20:00 Paolini brings the title back to Italy
31:15 Barbie K is back
33:30 Kicking off Roland Garros qualifying
35:50 Contamination cases have a Gorilla grip on tennis
39:50 US Open announces updates to its site – whether it’s an upgrade remains to be seen

Habemus Papi

Madrid ends with Aryna Sabalenka further extending her lead as number one, Casper Ruud grabbing his first Masters, and a lot of discourse around Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka. We’ve got updates on: Jannik Sinner’s hero's welcome in Rome, Bianca Andreescu, Anastasija Sevastova, Tyra Grant, and more. We do a quick review of the strange but sometimes interesting Alcaraz Netflix documentary before wrapping the episode with a dive into the Max Purcell doping suspension, which is way more fascinating than he first let on. 
Theme music courtesy of Oleg Fedak from Pixabay
01:45 Penko being Penko
5:05 Madrid: the Iga discourse 
9:45 Sabalenka d. Gauff to win Madrid, joins the 11,000 points club 
13:40 Casper wins his first Masters 1000
20:20 Osaka drops a level and wins! 
23:15 Jannik, the ironic vir triumphalis, returns to Rome
26:15 Updates on Andreescu, Sevastova
30:20 The perplexing Alcaraz Netflix doc
40:00 Is Venus quiet quitting (or did she already)?
43:05 The Max Purcell doping case gets a lot more interesting

This Sport Is Brutal

Clay season is underway, and we’ve seen a Runeaissance, a re-Alcarization, a Penkopalypse even. Stuttgart -- always reliable -- brought a stunning quarterfinal lineup and a surprise winner, while Holger reminded the class that there’s still tons of time to fulfill his promise. There’s much tennis business to talk about, including the first hearing in the PTPA antitrust suit and Opelka’s testimony; Lesia Tsurenko’s lawsuit against the WTA and Steve Simon; and a somewhat voyeuristic ITIA press release. Plus, Dart’s out of left field comment, Shelly Ann clearing the field, and wondering what happened in that Met Gala bathroom meeting.
Theme music courtesy of Oleg Fedak from Pixabay
0:40 Housekeeping: catching a case, getting postcards out
4:50 Holger’s back; Alcaraz wins Monte Carlo, returns briefly to #2
15:45 Stuttgart moves like a 1000-level bitch 
22:15 Another spectator calls out That Guy, this time in Germany
26:50 PTPA gets their first hearing, Opelka testifies
35:00 Harriet why?!  
37:00 Serena on Jannik and … Maria?
42:20 I always feel like somebody’s watching me 
45:35 Lesia Tsurenko sues the WTA
56:25 Our other sporting interests: Shelly Ann & Rory

Hateration, Holgeration In This Dove Soiree

Yes, it’s been a minute, but we’re back to catch up on Monte Carlo, Charleston, and sadly yes, all the way back to Miami. The top men have utterly failed to capitalize on Sinner’s mandatory vacation, while on the women’s side, Sabalenka extends her rankings lead and Pegula snatches #3 with her strong start to the year. We’ve also got: Kasatkina’s move to Australia, the top WTA and ATP players sending a letter to the Slams a few weeks after the PTPA lawsuit, a few listener questions, and more. 
1:10 Monte Carlo updates: why, Grigor, why?
9:10 Charleston results
14:20 Miami: Eala stuns Iga, Aryna extends her lead
25:30 Don’t count your chickens before they hatch 
28:20 Dasha Kasatkina is now representing Australia 
31:00 The players do love an epistle 
37:20 Coaching and baby news
40:35 A listener question

Futility

This week, we’re diving into the antitrust lawsuit brought by the PTPA against the tennis ‘cartel.’ The wide-ranging complaint takes aim at prize money, scheduling, ranking points, anti-doping, and what they broadly view as anticompetitive and illegal activity by the tennis governing bodies. What does the PTPA hope to gain? Which parts make sense, and which leave us with some skepticism? Is unionization a goal, and if so, is it even possible? After spending most of the episode breaking down the major issues in the lawsuit, we hop over to Miami, where all 4 male Indian Wells semifinalists have crashed out, Rafa Nadal Academy grads are making waves, and Djokovic is hobnobbing with the Establishment.
0:55 PTPA files an antitrust lawsuit in three countries - first up, yes we know it doesn’t technically matter, but why these plaintiffs?
06:55 What are the allegations?
24:15 What is the desired outcome?
28:05 Is unionization possible (and is it even a goal)?
36:10 What works and what doesn’t
40:05 The parallels with LIV Golf
46:00 Crashing out in Miami 
55:00 You are the company you keep

Vibes Cartel

Well, well, well, what do we have here? Have we entered the Mirra era? If you know us, you know we’re not saying that, we just wanted to say Mirra era. Andreeva fashioned a Keys-esque run to the title in the desert, beating the same four players Madison did to win the AO from the fourth round onward...in the same order! We talk about Iga, we talk about Jack, and we field some more listener questions on TBS 375
02:15 The Mirra Era
12:19 The Conchita Effect
17:01 What’s up with Iga?
26:28 Jack Draper arrives
37:34 Taking a question about Larry Ellison …
46:32 Finding joy in tennis when things outside of tennis are generally terrible 
51:22 If tennis were played on only one surface, which would you keep?
53:38 RHOP and other Bravo musings 

Waste Management

We’re back to a regular schedule, and up first it’s week one of Indian Wells: Nick and Novak struggling with injury and form, That Guy simply struggling to avoid the #1 ranking. We chat about the draw, the WTA’s new maternity leave benefits program, plus Danielle Collins’ clothing collab and the impetus behind it. Later on we get into some fun listener questions, with subjects as diverse as cricket, gospel music, the Knicks, and public transportation.  
03:15 Question from @lisacrispin on Bluesky: how long does it take to produce each episode?
08:35 Nick’s wrist injury
12:50 Dutch tennis rolls over Novak and That Guy  
17:25 Danielle Collins’ merch drop
24:55 IW draw recap
29:15 WTA announces maternity leave benefits program funded by PIF
33:55 How are we feeling about the Knicks? (question from @dabigjoker on Bluesky)
38:00 Jonathan picks his test cricket XI from tennis players (question from @edwardpolsen)
46:55 Public transit fun (@irascibly) 
49:25 Since it's Oscars season, what actors could you see playing various players in imaginary biopics? (@lobjan) 
54:45 And finally, what’s with our nickname for Kimberly Birrell? (@tomcharles2710)

Indian Hells

February ends with Andreeva’s arrival, players getting flewed out by Jessie Pegula, Stef’s mystery racquet saving his career, and Andrey live laugh loving in Doha (but in all seriousness, happy for him!). We’re also covering the WTA’s anti-purple rebrand alongside Billie Jean King’s “tear it all down” approach, Venus Williams’ momentary wild card to Indian Wells, and Serena coming to our town with the WNBA!
1:20 My favorite season: awards
5:25 Stef’s boat 
8:35 Something rotten in the state of Guerrero
15:35 Other results: Navarro, Djere, and Peggy’s private plane
20:30 Rublev wins Doha, opens up about learning to be kind to himself
23:40 Andreeva arrives as a genuine teen prodigy 
28:00 Who jumped out the gate in 2025?
32:20 Venus is back! Oh wait, no, she’s giving a talk in Denmark!
36:25 Indian Wells surface change - let’s wait and see, ok?
38:40 The WTA rebrand: no more charity language and no. more. purple. 
54:45 The WNBA (and Serena!) are coming to Toronto

Sh*t's Creek

Tennis, stop. Give us a minute, my God. The chaotic February schedule gives us a first-time 1000 title winner (Anisimova), a first-time ATP titlist (Fonseca), Ostapenko’s fifth unanswered defeat of Swiatek, and Bencic winning a big title soon after her return from maternity leave. While trying to keep track of tennis results, we also saw the resolution of the Sinner’s WADA appeal, the conclusion of the WTA’s investigation into Stefano Vukov, and Simona Halep's retirement. 
01:40 Anisimova wins Doha, Penko turns her year around
5:35 Fonseca’s first title, Schwartzman’s swan song, and will the South American swing go hardcourt?
11:40 Alejandro, por qué???
15:10 Last week: Bencic, Alcaraz, Shapo
19:40 The Sinner Agreement
31:05 US Open makes mixed doubles a glorified exhibition
40:55 Compton’s most famous daughter
47:05 Rybakina’s coach Vukov suspended for a year 
53:30 Simona Halep retires
62:20 We don’t need straight men’s takes on which men are hot

Stay In Your Lane

Madison Keys has been a major champion for over a week now! This episode isn’t really about that, but it bears repeating. Checking in on tennis in February, we’ve got Felix winning yet another indoor title, Mertens and Alexandrova making up for somewhat disappointing Australian Opens, and a whole heap of man drama at Davis Cup, featuring one of the only head-on collisions you’ll see in tennis and the current state of ATP umpiring. This episode covers lots of odds and ends including Petra’s imminent return(!), more from the AO men’s final protestor, Ymer’s unretirement, and the US Open’s expansion. 
0:35 WTA titlists Mertens and Alexandrova; Felix wins his second title of the year
6:55 Davis Cup: Garin gets literally run over by Bergs
17:40 Certainly not while wearing that moustache
20:00 Mikael Ymer did the opposite of “break up with your [tennis], I’m bored” 
20:55 Petra Kvitova is coming back, maple syrup magnate Vasek Pospisil is leaving
28:05 One more thing about Madi
34:20 Craig Tiley’s comments on the AusOpen protestor are … lacking 
39:35 The US Open’s manspread 

Intent Intent Intent Doesn't Exist

This was one of those rare finals weekends where pretty much everything we hoped for came true. A perennial fave of fans and her own coworkers, the one-time prodigy Madison Keys showed remarkable maturity and grit to win her first major title. She let go of the “need” to win a Slam, and then managed to defeat #2 Iga Swiatek and the 2-time defending champ #1 Aryna Sabalenka back-to-back. Jannik Sinner defended his title without facing a break point in the final. Tennis keeps trying to make his opponent happen, alas to no avail. Plus, we got cracker women's doubles matchups, Novak HIPAA-violating himself, and Sakkari attending the inauguration instead of winning tennis matches.
1:25 GoFundMe update: Thank you!!!
6:05 Once a tween prodigy, then a best-never-to-win, now a Slam winner
12:05 Madison said therapy works … can’t argue with that 
27:50 After a diversion, a few more notes on the women’s draw
33:40 The ceaseless pushing, literal and figurative 
38:00 “Australia believes Olya and Brenda”
46:45 Ben Shelton v. the media 
53:05 Women’s doubles: SMASH on the girls 
62:25 Call me OptaAce because I’ve got stats 

Truly Madi Deeply

Just past the midway point of the 2025 Australian Open, the big favorites are mostly still here; a few NextGenners made a big splash in week one, including Joao Fonseca and the episode namesake Learner Tien. We'll take you through the draw, the first week highlights, the upsets, and the reverse hex I put on Alejandro ;)  As always, we spend a lot of time with all the extra stuff happening on top of the tennis: coaching pods, the Danielle Collins mini-controversy, Djokovic’s ‘boycott,’ Nick’s non-event, and a few notes on commentary.
1:55 The first week upsets (aka James was wrong about pretty much everything)
12:00 How the faves are doing? Monfils, Coco, Alejandro (you’re welcome)
24:15 The quarters and how we got here 
30:15 He came for the nepo baby and that was the last straw
33:30 Coaching pods! (At least they’re not mic’d)
38:50 The Danielle Collins (and Colleen?!) Fund
46:05 WADA will not appeal Swiatek’s case
50:30 Tony Jones gave Novak a grievance. Thanks a lot, Tony
55:05 Erin Routliffe with the quote of the tournament
57:25 The kits: Coco’s is a hit, but the Nike spaghetti straps … please 

I Learned From The Best

And just like that, the 2025 Australian Open is nearly underway. It’s the 40th major we’ve covered as a podcast, and our draw previews are still as prediction-free as always. We touch on a few of the themes to watch out for in Melbourne – Sinner’s emotional state, Rybakina’s coaching situation, Novak as #7 seed and poisonee – but mostly this is a lighthearted preview with draw breakdowns and our most intriguing first rounds. 
GoFundMe: help fund our 2025 season!
3:15 Stories to follow: heavy metals, jumping ants
13:50 Comebacks and withdrawals
18:50 Women’s draw analysis: a tough one for Coco
27:40 Women’s bottom half: will Iga reverse her luck in Australia?
38:05 Men’s draw analysis: the top tier and the middlemen
54:50 Men’s bottom half: Djokovic as a #7 seed sounds wrong

Mercury Rising: Australian Open Preview

Welcome to season 11 of The Body Serve! We're catching you up on the barely existent off-season, including the most important Joaos, Max Purcell turning himself in, and Jenson Broosky’s brave statement about autism. Even though one of us rejects any “2025” tennis that occurs before January 1, 2025, we talk through the season’s early results, including the United Cup fracas, the Opelka and Nishikori comebacks, and the shifting Big 4 allegiances due to the Murravic pairing. We also take on the decidedly more serious situation with Elena Rybakina’s former and would-be current coach, Stefano Vukov, who is currently under investigation by the WTA. Finally, we end with our 2025 breakout picks and a game that James was entirely unprepared for. Happy 2025!
1:05 GoFundMe update
4:05 First week results: Reilly, Kei, the pairing from hell, plus the top tier of the WTA smashes their first week
14:00 United Cup: the “drama” is honestly not that serious
23:30 Rybakina, Vukov, WTA safeguarding, and the childishness of “I told you so”
31:25 Max Purcell turns himself in for an anti-doping oopsie
35:55 Kyrgios’ obsession + Osaka’s allegiance to him (aka: I knew things would get rocky when he came for the nepo baby)
40:45 Jenson Brooksby tells the world that he has autism spectrum disorder
44:50 The Year of the Joao: Reis da Silva comes out as gay + Fonseca wins Next Gen Finals
50:15 Our breakout picks for 2025
54:50 James plays a game! Play along at home
 

Obsessed

We never knew how much we’d miss “hola a todos” until it turned into an adiós. Rafael Nadal Parera ended his tennis career at this year’s Davis Cup, leaving with with 22 major singles titles, a Career Golden Slam, every clay record you can think of, and a litany of quotable moments. We’ve been Rafa fans since the early days, when they said he was a dirtballer whose body would force him into retirement in his 30s. But it turned out Rafa was nothing if not adaptable -- a rational thinker whose love for the game made him a global superstar and helped build two of the sport’s most enduring rivalries. In this episode, we’re less interested in a chronological retelling of his career than complicating some of the cliches about him and talking about our favorite moments, Rafa’s inimitable Rafa-isms, and what made Nadal an athlete like no other.    
1:55 How we became fans
4:45 It’s not about stats, but here are some stats
10:00 Adaptability: the key to understanding Rafa as an athlete?
12:55 A quick career recap - the notable eras
32:35 Rafa as sufferer 
37:30 Fedal & Rafole: the cliches eventually fell away
43:45 Rafa as sex symbol 
52:05 (Not) talking about the GOAT conversation
62:25 Our favorite Rafa moments: the 2022 Australian Open was a gift
65:40 Rafa-isms : if if if …

Adiós a Todos

Finally our 2024 season is coming to a close! Although bonus December content is coming soon, we finish regular coverage by wrapping the ATP season: it was basically the proof that Jannik Sinner’s late-2023 rise was for real, and that he and Carlos have taken the reins of the (mostly) post-Big 4 ATP. Just like the women’s wrap, we’ll take you through the events of the 2024 season, evaluate our picks for 2024 breakout players, and choose our ATP Award winners. We finish up with your memorable/funny/enraging moments (“do you want to change the lady?,” Indian Wells bee attack) and the many players saying goodbye to the sport. 
GoFundMe  
3:10 Where were we at the beginning of 2024?
10:30 Starting in Australia: Sinner risen
16:30 Clay: Rafa’s brief return, Watergate, and Carlos’ apology-fist pump-championship pipeline
22:20 Channel Slam and Novak’s white whale
29:20 Rafa’s retirement at Davis Cup
37:55 Off-court “drama” 
41:55 Our 2024 breakout players + thoughts on the ATP Awards
50:00 What will you remember? Bees.
53:25 Moments that pissed you off / made you laugh (sometimes both)
57:55 A ton of retirements this year, even beyond the big names

Sinners and Ain'ts: 2024 ATP Wrap

We were soooo close to wrapping this season, but we’ll always change the schedule for a doping story. The news of Iga Swiatek testing positive for a banned substance provoked shock, confusion, and even resignation among tennis watchers who are, by the day, becoming more versed on the fine details of doping cases. Our immediate questions were: Is the story plausible? Why is the suspension broken into pieces? When should news like this be made public? As always, we like to dive into the report itself, making sure we’ve got the facts straight before offering any hot takes. Later, we try to answer a few of our own questions, touching on player reactions and the danger of comparing one case to another. 
1:35 GoFundMe Update
3:25 Iga Swiatek tests positive for trimetazidine in Cincinnati, gets a 1-month non-consecutive suspension
9:05 A timeline to make sense of things
13:10 Iga’s team sends a boatload of evidence to the ITIA
17:30 What’s the difference between No Fault or Negligence and No Significant Fault of Negligence?
31:30 Public disclosure: balancing a player’s privacy with building transparency and trust 
36:05 Tara Moore has a more legitimate beef than most 
42:30 Simona said this case is identical to hers (it is not)  

Receipts! Proof! Timeline! Screenshots!

This year in women’s tennis, the top tier took further steps to entrench themselves but the WTA retained its signature depth. Sabalenka, Swiatek, and surprise – Krejcikova – added majors to their hauls; Paolini and Zheng broke out in a big way; and Gauff managed to rewrite her season in the fall. We’ll take you through the highlights, the comebacks, the ‘remember whens,’ and moments both infuriating and hilarious. As usual, we also choose our WTA Award winners and do a self-assessment on our 2024 WTA breakout picks. Thanks for a great WTA season!
0:55 Launching our crowdfunding campaign!
3:00 The season’s major themes: Steadiness at the top (+ Babs!), the Zheng and Paolini breakthroughs, Coco’s two seasons, and many comebacks of varying success
12:20 Picture it: Australia, January 2024
17:20 Danielle makes a career-best run, Iga dominates clay
26:25 Babs snatches Wimbledon, Zheng ascendant
33:20 Aryna bookends her year at the US Open
38:30 Our choices for the 2024 WTA Awards
44:10 How did our 2024 breakout picks do?
47:55 Your most memorable moments: our listeners love Jasmine
50:55 Moments that pissed you off and moments that made you laugh: Babs and Qinwen keeping the girlies entertained  
64:35 Farewells and farewells for now

Bookends: 2024 WTA Wrap

Coco writes a new story to end her year -- beating the bad season allegations, as she said -- by taking out Swiatek, Sabalenka, and finally Zheng Qinwen to win the WTA Finals. (Barbie K tried to shake the table, as usual.) In Turin, Jannik Sinner showed that anything you can do, he can do better. He won his first year-end title and notched a 70-win season, the first since 2016. After that, we talk about the retirement of legendary umpire Carlos Bernardes, Frances Tiafoe’s big fine, Jon Wertheim’s hot mic incident, and more.
0:30 Housekeeping: a transition to BlueSky?
6:40 Coco beats the bad season allegations!
19:55 Barbora Krejcikova will f*** it up if you invite her (respectfully)
24:45 ATP Finals: starting with the group photo
29:55 Nice job, Taylor! But Sinner does it better
41:35 #NameTheTennisPlayer is back!
45:15 Umpire Carlos Bernardes retires from tennis
48:00 Wertheim’s hot mic moment 
53:15 Tiafoe fined $120,000 for tirade 

Get a Grip(MD)

The top women descend upon Riyadh, the photoshoot is a smash, and #1 Sabalenka sails into the semis. There are still questions around this business decision, and players have varying success in answering them. Paris, as always, suffers from late-season malaise, and the ATP Finals qualifiers start to firm up (almost), but we wonder about the value of grinding it out this late in the season. Plus, lot of et ceteras, including: Dev Patel is the next Zendaya(!), and off-court coaching is no longer a trial but still a tribulation (heh). 
0:30 And another thing about Sinner
2:55 Some meta-commentary on the show and getting older and less stan-oriented 
8:15 The WTA Finals looks: great job everybody!
16:10 Players answer inevitable questions on Saudi Arabia, some better than others
26:35 If a tree falls in Paris
38:10 ATP Finals qualifications: not many scenarios are left
44:55 WTA results: Shnaider wins #4 of the year and Somnez enters the top 100 
47:05 Sloane on protecting your peace
52:20 Et ceteras: Diego Forlan to play pro tennis, the incomparable Dev Patel to make a tennis movie
57:20 Off-court coaching is now the law 

And Another Thing

These October episodes are always all over the place. The tours are sputtering toward a finish as players are vying for the final spots in the year-end tournaments or securing their ranking for next season. We talk about the Six Kings Slam, its strange and corny happenings, and the Saudi efforts to diversify their economy with sports and entertainment. We go through some recent results -- Dasha back in the top 10! -- plus we discuss the Hall of Fame vote that inducted Sharapova, peruse the slightly confusing WTA ranking rules, and honor Dominic Thiem’s great career. 
1:00 Does Saudi Arabia even need to sportswash at this point? 
12:20 Results: Stan isn't going, Dasha back at #9, second titles for Draper and Mpetshi 
18:35 What’s left this season, and who’s in the running for an ATP Finals spot?
25:15 Danielle Collins is in fact not retiring this year
31:20 Sharapova inducted into the Hall of Fame: a test for voters 
42:45 Dominic Thiem retires
48:10 Aryna back at #1: arguments over ranking math 

Washed

Autumn is supposed to be relatively quiet in tennis, no? Well, in the past week or so, Rafa announced his retirement, CAS released the full decision on Simona Halep's doping case, WADA appealed Jannik Sinner’s No Fault or Negligence ruling to CAS, and one of the most successful coaching pairings of the decade ended. We’ll take you through some key points of the Halep case, including how and why her suspension was so drastically reduced, and some learnings that might help us better understand the Sinner case. We cover the wave of cranky baby behavior in Shanghai, including Frances’ outburst and how it reads in comparison to similar behavior from his colleagues. Plus, Sabalenka nears no. 1 again, Coco resets, and why the continued whispers about Zheng’s personality aren’t sitting right with us.
2:05 Rafa says ‘Adiós a todos’
8:20 CAS finally releases the full decision on the Halep case
23:05 WADA appeals the Sinner decision - what have we learned from the Halep case and others?
32:15 It’s pissy cranky season
40:50 A few WTA players play stupid games, win stupid prizes 
43:55 Why is Qinwen becoming public enemy no. 1? 
52:30 Coco said “what crisis?”
55:25 Iga splits with Wiktorowski 

Million Dollar Babies

Welcome to part two of our mailbag! We’re kicking things off with our review of Serena in the Arena (at long last). We can’t help but compare some of the things we’ve said about Serena’s career over the years with how Serena described those events in her own words. Like you all, we noticed a few notable omissions from the series, and a few things that were conveniently glossed over. Spoiler: we enjoyed it. We spend the rest of the episodes sifting through the remainder of your submissions. Hope y’all enjoy! 
00:52 Serena in the Arena, at last 
22:54 How would we schedule the tennis calendar?    
35:02 James grinds his Madrid axe, goes to bat for USO Series
40:25 Giving some grace to non-English speakers in pressers
45:47 The tennis opinion we disagree on most
52:51 Ramblings on the where we see the sport in the next few years
59:30 The prerequisite update on our Bravo TV watching habits

In the Arena

Tennis is a famously exclusive sport. So which forces and institutions determine who gets access? Who’s guarding the gates, and what’s the criteria for entry? In this episode, which is co-produced by Sheriece Matias Dick, we start to explore the barriers to entering tennis, the various paths into the sport, and how the gatekeeping institutions of tennis have jockeyed for power through the profound economic and cultural changes of the past 140 years. After exploring a few players’ journeys into pro tennis, we look into the founding ethos of the sport -- “gentlemanly amateurism” -- and how that obsession with status permeated the sport even as it became more accessible to working class people. Finally, we land in the present day, where the seat of power has shifted from aristocratic patrons to the corporate sponsor, with their own standards of conduct, inclusion, and ‘class.’
0:30 What is gatekeeping and how does it relate to tennis?
9:40 Various routes to becoming a pro tennis player
12:25 Comparing Tiafoe and Fritz
23:05 Tennis’ “working class champions”: various paths to the pro level
30:20 The financial barriers for kids entering tennis
36:50 Tennis as an activity for the leisure class
41:45 Code of etiquette: a surprisingly durable way to police the gate and perform class status 
48:30 The Open Era democratizes tennis, sort of
51:45 The new tennis economy: broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and the invention of the branded tennis celebrity
57:35 Connors, McEnroe, and their very American “class struggle”
65:00 From patron to sponsor

Gatekeeping Tennis

It’s the first day of fall, the players are burnt out, and instead of following Laver Cup we’re doing a mailbag. Your questions gave us enough to yap about over two separate episodes, which we’ll release over the next few weeks in addition to something else we’ve been cooking. We talk about Naomi’s surprising coaching changeup; trying to find joy in a sport after it’s presented you a tough ethical dilemma; Coco and Brad’s split; our favorite players who never really jumped off; and a lot more.
01:55 Naomi's coaching change
08:40 ‘Coco crisis’ or out of control expectations?
14:30 How would you conduct your social media profiles if you were a famous tennis player?
20:30 Facing an ethical dilemma in following men’s tennis
35:05 Vee as coach?
41:45 Our walk-out music 
44:50 Who are some players late in their careers who you thought would break into the top but never really did? Who were you excited to follow but they didn’t reach their full potential?

It's Not Right But It's OK

The final major of the year is over and the champions are the same as in January: Aryna Sabalenka stakes her claim as hardcourt queen while Jannik Sinner dominates mere days after being cleared in an anti-doping case. We recap some of our highlights from week two, which had a ton of potential but didn’t deliver many (any?) classics. We dig into why disliking billionaires is actually totally fine; conflicts of interest and their sometimes humorous results; online mean girl/mean boy behavior from some famous commentators; and more observations from the site. We finish up with a look at commentator Nick Kyrgios and the complacency that led broadcasters, journalists, and commentators to excuse his misogyny; plus the ongoing lawsuit over Ben Rothenberg’s reporting on the Zverev abuse allegations.      
0:35 Not the most brilliant three weeks of tennis in history but OK!
3:00 The women’s final was fun! Aryna Sabalenka bookends her year with hardcourt Slams
7:35 Billionaires, they’re just like us!
14:45 Notable week two matches: Navarro d. Badosa; Zheng d. Vekic; Aryna evolving into the most consistent Slam player on tour
19:00 Rennae cooks coach/commentator Brad Gilbert on air, and why that’s totally fine 
26:55 An unseasoned final 
30:50 The American narrative + Frances Tiafoe getting so close again
44:50 Penko a first-time Slam doubles winner; Taylor/Katka, Mladenovic/Zhang, D. Young
52:10 “Little grim reapers” and a few more observations from the grounds
63:40 ESPN commentators discover player name pronunciations and immediately get mean about it
71:10 Nick Kyrgios, misogyny, and the insider hypocrisy that protects him
79:45 Ben Rothenberg appeals a lawsuit from Alexander Zverev + its broader implications for journalism

The Sins of Our Fathers

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

Cornrow USO

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

Multiple Things: US Open Preview

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 

Pon De Replay

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

Daddy Lessons

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

GOATs on a Boat (Cheek to Cheek)

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

I Love Good News! Wimbledon Wrap

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

Eternal Sunshine of the Astonished Mind

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

Wimbledon Sister

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

This Is Going to Ruin the Tour

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

Waiting to Exhale

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 

Teetotaled at Roland Garros

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 

We Are In Paris

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?

Watergate

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.) … 

Doing The Best I Can With What I GOT

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!

Whatever Happens

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

Charleston Renaiissance

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
 

Miami Requiiem

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
 

The Bees Are Back In Town

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!

Contaminated With Questions

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