The Body Serve

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

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

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. 

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 

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 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 

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)

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

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

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

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

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

17:40 Certainly not while wearing that moustache

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

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

28:05 One more thing about Madi

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

39:35 The US Open’s manspread 

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

1:25 GoFundMe update: Thank you!!!

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

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

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

33:40 The ceaseless pushing, literal and figurative 

38:00 “Australia believes Olya and Brenda”

46:45 Ben Shelton v. the media 

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

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

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

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

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

24:15 The quarters and how we got here 

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

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

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

46:05 WADA will not appeal Swiatek’s case

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

55:05 Erin Routliffe with the quote of the tournament

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

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

GoFundMe: help fund our 2025 season!

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

13:50 Comebacks and withdrawals

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

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

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

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

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

1:05 GoFundMe update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

50:15 Our breakout picks for 2025

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

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

1:55 How we became fans

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

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

12:55 A quick career recap - the notable eras

32:35 Rafa as sufferer 

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

43:45 Rafa as sex symbol 

52:05 (Not) talking about the GOAT conversation

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

65:40 Rafa-isms : if if if …

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

GoFundMe  

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

10:30 Starting in Australia: Sinner risen

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

22:20 Channel Slam and Novak’s white whale

29:20 Rafa’s retirement at Davis Cup

37:55 Off-court “drama” 

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

50:00 What will you remember? Bees.

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

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

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

1:35 GoFundMe Update

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

9:05 A timeline to make sense of things

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

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

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

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

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

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

0:55 Launching our crowdfunding campaign!

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

12:20 Picture it: Australia, January 2024

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

26:25 Babs snatches Wimbledon, Zheng ascendant

33:20 Aryna bookends her year at the US Open

38:30 Our choices for the 2024 WTA Awards

44:10 How did our 2024 breakout picks do?

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

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

64:35 Farewells and farewells for now

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

0:30 Housekeeping: a transition to BlueSky?

6:40 Coco beats the bad season allegations!

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

24:45 ATP Finals: starting with the group photo

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

41:35 #NameTheTennisPlayer is back!

45:15 Umpire Carlos Bernardes retires from tennis

48:00 Wertheim’s hot mic moment 

53:15 Tiafoe fined $120,000 for tirade 

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

0:30 And another thing about Sinner

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

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

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

26:35 If a tree falls in Paris

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

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

47:05 Sloane on protecting your peace

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

57:20 Off-court coaching is now the law

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

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

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

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

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

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

42:45 Dominic Thiem retires

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

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

2:05 Rafa says ‘Adiós a todos’

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

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

32:15 It’s pissy cranky season

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

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

52:30 Coco said “what crisis?”

55:25 Iga splits with Wiktorowski

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

00:52 Serena in the Arena, at last 

22:54 How would we schedule the tennis calendar?    

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

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

45:47 The tennis opinion we disagree on most

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

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

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

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

9:40 Various routes to becoming a pro tennis player

12:25 Comparing Tiafoe and Fritz

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

30:20 The financial barriers for kids entering tennis

36:50 Tennis as an activity for the leisure class

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

48:30 The Open Era democratizes tennis, sort of

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

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

65:00 From patron to sponsor

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

01:55 Naomi's coaching change

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

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

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

35:05 Vee as coach?

41:45 Our walk-out music 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

26:55 An unseasoned final 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19:55 Searching for the frozen Honey Deuce

28:55 A Manhattan girlie now 

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

39:50 The screaming follicles

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

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

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

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

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

2:25 But first, the Cincy results

4:10 Yevgeny, calm down

7:05 Frances’ middle finger

11:05 Sinner v. ITIA: the facts

23:10 What does No Fault or Negligence mean?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

48:00 Toronto vs Cincinnati

52:00 “Coco crisis” or just alarmism?

62:05 WAGs and HABs

67:00 Favorite Olympics moments

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

01:15 The Jamaican Olympic tragedy

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

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

33:25 Andy Murray’s last dance

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

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

56:25 Random Canadian Open thoughts 

67:30 Shapovalov defaulted

70:35 Stef and Dad break up

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

0:30 A milestone!

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

9:40 Newport and the ATP’s hygiene problem

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7:40 Babs is a big match player

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

26:50 Men’s final: all Carlos

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

44:55 I know all the tricks

53:15 Medvedev narrowly avoids a default in the semis

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

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

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

10:10 Navarro knocks out Gauff 

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

29:50 The return of Caroline Wozniacki, Esq.

35:50 Andy Murray’s last dance at Wimbledon

41:10 AstonishGate

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

50:40 Have a nice flight home 

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

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

0:35 The end of the Williams Wimbledon Era

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7:10 FOMO in Berlin until all those retirements …

12:30 Castle’s totally unprovoked rant on pronunciation

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

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

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

29:25 Andy Murray not out yet 

34:00 Tsitsipas shares weird tradwife fantasy

41:45 Thoughts on the Federer documentary

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

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

8:05 Zverev assault case has been settled

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

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

32:55 Iga thoroughly dominates the field post-Naomi 

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

45:45 WTA announces a new CEO 

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

49:05 The Djokovic/Jockovic vowel shift 

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

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

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

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

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

12:35 Musetti awakens the Djokovic beast

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

27:00 Looking ahead to the men’s quarters

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

42:35 Upsets: Sakkari, Collins, Ostapenko

46:50 Looking ahead to the women’s quarters

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

68:00 Nonstop rain + weird scheduling = misery

72:50 Roland Garros enters its Prohibition era

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

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

9:00 Rafa draws That Guy

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

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

28:05 Women's draw: it's Iga's world 

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

47:00 Fedal goes mountaineering 

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

0:35 Andrey does not have angina

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

9:45 Camila Giorgi retired and lamming it

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

23:35 Qinwen says no to drama

25:30 More retirement talk: Dominic and Diego

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

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

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

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

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

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

25:30 Never stay for your farewell ceremony

30:00 Shirtgate: the height of idgaf-ness 

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

45:55 Cornet is retiring, Tsitsidosa is breaking up

47:50 Our thoughts on Challengers

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

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

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

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

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

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

22:25 Sloane back in the winner’s circle

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

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

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

54:20 Cowboy Carter!

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

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

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

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

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

28:28 Players and moments that stood out for us 

42:34 Just like Miami, Danielle was the standard

49:46 James is never beating the stalker allegations

52:15 First Serve vs Honey Deuce 

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

62:03 Other results while we were in the Lowcountry