The Body Serve

Um, Hi, I'm Naomi Osaka: Indian Wells Recap

We begin episode 115 with a breakdown of Serena's return to professional tennis and her 3rd round loss to Venus, before segueing into a  celebration of Naomi Osaka's star-making performance to take the title. Juan Martín del Potro is your men's champion; he defeats Federer in the final to solidify his position as nemesis of the world #1. Among the other topics on offer: Sharapova's current dilemma, more McEnroe mess, the Miami wild card debate, and we wade into new mothers returning to the WTA Tour. We then finish with a few thoughts on 9-1-1, RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars, and Black Panther.

 

03:14 Serena is back! We take stock of where her game is at

12:33 Um, her name is Naomi Osaka...YA HEARD?!

21:02 Kasatkina put in one hell of a week

24:41 Asking the right questions: Venus in press

31:47 Nole makes an unsteady return

37:34 Contextualizing Pissy Federer

44:55 Sharapova's burden to validate pre-meldonium career

47:30 These f*@%ing McEnroe brothers

55:20 Wading into the Miami wild card drama

58:56 Discussing a WTA maternity leave policy

63:06 The wild 9-1-1, fraudulent RPDR All Stars, & smart Black Panther

TBS Pop Culture Bonanza

At long last, we come to you with our long-promised pop culture episode. After Sunday night's Oscars, now seems like a good time to burden you with our thoughts on three of the most nominated films: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, The Shape of Water, and Call Me By Your Name. We segue into TV and tackle a couple of the medium's latest trends, before talking your ears off about some of the shows we absolutely love, some we think are woefully underrated, and (tragically) a handful that we think are overrated. Thank you for indulging us with this diversion from the tennis, but be assured we will be back to our regular programming for episode 115!

 

02:35 Three Billboards: a lack of specificity, relatability, and context

12:45 The Shape of Water: an unexpected delight

15:40 CMBYN: a tale of (gay) first love, loss, and subtext

32:07 Relishing the myriad voices telling their stories on TV these days

37:28 Nostalgia and the remake phenomenon

42:26 Where the Golden Girls remake at?! More older folks on TV, plz!

47:24 Some of our fav shows this year

54:49 Riverdale: Is this show horrible or amazing?

60:11 In appreciation of The (Trailblazing) Fosters

63:06 A few overrated and underrated shows...in our opinions

Genie's Trial and Davis Cup Tribulations

We take a more moderate view (by our standards) of this week's big news: an ITF proposal that would revolutionize Davis Cup, and Genie Bouchard's victory over the USTA in federal court. Along the way, we make time for first-time titlist Frances Tiafoe, a young American cut from an altogether different cloth than his compatriots; Svitolina, who defended her title in Dubai; and Diego Schwartzman, the loveable Argentine who's just broken into the top 20.

 

1:00 An exercise in moderation

4:00 Davis Cupheaval

14:50 Does this proposal address the main concerns about Davis Cup?

26:50 L'Affaire Bouchard finally comes to a close: the USTA brings a flimsy little case to court

31:00 Genie's team threw everything at the wall, and some of it stuck

39:15 Bad news: Rafa pulls out of Acapulco

40:30 Good news: Althea Gibson honored, Dabrowski enters top 10

41:40 Results: Big Foe gets his first ATP title!

 

Petra With A 3, Fed Back At 1, & Ryan's Reckoning

In our peaches and cream episode (112), we've got a (still) blazing Petra, Federer becoming the oldest ever ATP #1, some Wozniacki messiness, and a discussion of the latest Harrison saga. Wow, that might have been the most succinct description of an episode we've ever done. Steep your tea, browse through the timestamps below, and enjoy our latest!

 

01:30 Petra with a 3! Kvitova wills her way back to the top 10

08:42 Gramps is back at #1; what's standing in his way?

16:22 New York Open: not a stone groove smash hit wonder

21:08 Caroline likes to get her lawyering on, but she hasn't studied for the bar

31:16 Any number of women can do what's not being done on the ATP right now

36:25 Tempering expectations for Serena's return

43:25 Harrison's latest: a whole lot we STILL don't know...no matter what they tell us

50:40 The Harrison interview on "Beyond The Baseline"

63:41 Darko is back, is very long-winded, and it's an almighty mess

Fed Cup Of Tea

We're back after a two-week hiatus! In this episode, we've enlisted Chad (@CCSMOOTH13) to help us with Serena's return at Fed Cup and Venus' two wins to clinch the tie. We run down some of the tennis action we missed on both tours before Mr. Smooth gives us his birds-eye view of the happenings in Asheville. We finish with a discussion of the wild Darko Grncarov story and what it says about the state of the ATP, its negligence, and male tennis players in general. Be sure to check out Chad's Instagram for his fabulous Fed Cup pics!

 

04:23 A blazing two week stretch for Petra, and Kiki's back!

06:36 Barty's going to be partnering WHO?

08:55 A brief recap of some of the ATP results

10:53 Davis Cup etcs: Zverev, Cam Norrie, and French depth

15:15 Chad joins us to chit chat about Fed Cup & Darko

24:26 Chad talks to Isha, Alexis, and Jill

34:30 Assessing Venus' game and the BIG doubles surprise

40:53 Chad the Darko Truther, and Aunt Jill goes awf

54:10 Why the idea of Darko took hold, filling an empathy gap on the ATP Tour

Caro's Glow Up & Tennys' Blow Up

We are, at long last, at the end of the 2018 Australian Open. We're here to cover Caro's glow up and Tenny Sandgren's blow up. Wozniacki finally shed the label of "best to have never won a Slam," and returns to world #1 after winning the tournament. As for Sandgren, we try to address some of the issues that have lingered with us after the American's alt-right Twitter feed upended the majority of the tournament. In between, we salute Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber for their heroics, and tip our hats to Roger Federer on his 20th career Slam title.  

 

03:23 Caroline Wozniacki gets to the end of her rainbow

12:30 HOW did Simona do what she did?

23:25 The match of the tournament: Halep vs Kerber

28:11 James' progress report on finding a new player to stan for

30:04 There was a men's tournament as well? Hat tip to Rog

38:02 What does this event say about the state of the ATP?

43:16 Shoutouts to Hyeon Chung and Kyle Edmund, plus the doubles winners!

53:44 A discussion on the Tennys Sandgren saga

72:41 Serena and Martina step in and steer the ship back on course

85:00 Say what? John McEnroe did something useful? Plus, sport IS political

The Unhappy Slam: Mid-Aussie Open Report

We're checking in at the midpoint of the 2018 Australian Open, an altogether different experience than last year. The topic of most interest to us is Novak Djokovic's alleged call for a players' union at the recent ATP all-player meeting, and the questions this raises for the sport. We grapple with the coverage that openly ridiculed Djokovic's actions, the potential ways that a union can change tennis for the better, and the inevitable gender politics embedded in the discussion. But first, we recap some of the biggest moments of the first week, including Naomi Osaka's big night, the Halep-Davis marathon, Tsonga's thrilling 5-setter against Shapovalov, and Kerber's convincing beatdown of Maria Sharapova.

 

1:00 Did anyone else feel that dark cloud above?
6:50 The heat rule: a quick meteorology lesson from an unqualified teacher
16:00 The bad news portion - Venus-Bencic
20:50 Naomi Osaka stuns in every way against Ash Barty
27:45 Other notable matches: Tsonga def. Shapo, Simona def. Davis 15-13 in the third; Woz, Wawrinka, Goffin, Zverev-Chung
38:30 Kerber is well and truly back, rolls Sharapova to the tune of 6-1 6-3
42:50 When you miss one big and important thing about the LAMP Tennys Sandgren (Last American Male Player?) - check out this and this from @BadToss
45:45 Umpires have HAD IT
50:05 Favorite and least favorite kits: Tsonga's Adidas shorts deserve a trophy of their own
54:30 Diving into Novak Djokovic's alleged call for unionization: the poor coverage, the potential for real change in tennis, the many questions that need to be asked

Change Your Draws: Australian Open Preview

We're doing a close look at both draws, but first: the Australian Open draw ceremony and the accompanying commentary has given us much to talk about, a mere four days after our last episode. We wonder if Billie Jean King's fierce dedication to the survival of women's tennis sometimes clouds her vision, with her recent disavowal of Margaret Court Arena after lobbying for its naming only 15 years ago. We probe the questions of representation, boycotts, and the utility of demanding that players -- rather than institutions -- be held accountable for implicitly supporting Margaret Court's destructive behavior.

 

01:45  The draw ceremony, or "draw reveal party" - What the hell?

07:00  Tennis continues to make itself look amateurish w/r/t anti-doping and celebrity worship

14:50  Billie Jean King defending women's tennis at all costs: what to do when we believe our heroes to be wrong

23:10  What does it accomplish to ask players about whether they'd play on Margaret Court Arena?

32:20  What we're really here for! Starting with the women's draw

35:00  Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza's difficult paths

43:05  A different look at Venus-Bencic

49:15  "She is the top-ranked white US tennis player" - Jonathan, why are you like this

52:10  Men's draw: addressing the Easy Draw Truthers

56:20  Why must mon cher Tsonga be made to suffer?

58:35  Thiem, Djokovic, Wawrinka, both Zverevs, and Monfils in the same quarter

01:08:30  "The Emancipation of ReRe": the Vogue story, health updates, her status as BJK's successor

 

 

Bespoke, Bothered, and Bewildered

TBS is back, back again to discuss the SEVEN titlists from week one of the 2018 season. Among the topics discussed: the myriad winners, Kerber's presumed resurgence, the state of Venus' game, Bartoli's revealing interview, Bellucci's "silent ban," Pat Cash acting like trash, and the Australian Open's decision to have Sharapova fill in for Serena at the draw ceremony. Afterwards, James takes a quiz on some WTA records, before we finish with a discussion of #TimesUp and the Golden Globes.

 

03:17 The first batch of winners in 2018: Simona, sans sponsor, wins Shenzhen to stay #1

16:55 Kyrgios' impressive title run in Brisbane and Alt-Ryan's true colours

22:50 The first runaway narrative of the young season: Kerber is back

28:28 Vickery and de Minaur break through Auckland and Brisbane

32:07 Bartoli gives us insight into her comeback

36:41 Bespoke vitamins y'all. BESPOKE VITAMINS!!!

49:13 #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas -> Pat Cash Trash

50:50 Sharapova appointed to fill in for Serena -> how many fucks do we have to give?

54:58 A RafAndy update: hips and arms

63:13 Quiz time -> how do you measure up to James' knowledge of WTA records?

73:03 #TimesUp and a discussion of the activism at the Golden Globes

 

This episode of The Body Serve was brought to you by Health IQ. Visit their website to get a special quote on affordable life insurance for folks (you) who lead active and healthy lifestyles.

 

WATCH: Harrison's obscene outburst in Brisbane against Yannick Hanfmann (0:14)

READ: Bartoli's interview with L'Equipe in French or translated into English by Tennis Translations

Found Our Tea

Happy New Year, y'all! We open 2018 and Season 4 of The Body Serve with a preview of the brand new tennis season. First up, we're partnering with Health IQ and encourage you to check them out to get a special rate on life insurance for health conscious folks (you!). We offer our insights on things to look for on both tours in 2018: monitoring the myriad injuries, breakout and comeback candidates, and the coaching carousel. We finish up with some piping hot tea, and be sure to stay right until the end of the show because we have a "moment of zen" instead of our usual outro.

 

04:05 Plans for the future of TBS, experimenting with the medium

07:55 Previewing the injured men: fingers crossed for Andeh

11:44 Assessing some of the reasons for the spate of injuries

15:15 What measures can the tours take to address this issue?

27:42 An American James can get behind & anything is Pospisil

36:05 The Queen is coming: Serena gets back on court

41:36 Challenging James to expand his favs list

45:08 Comeback candidates on the WTA Tour & going to bat for Bartoli

52:26 Venus & Serena's influence in changing the lifespan of a tennis player's career

55:35 Who's gonna bust out and eff up our lives this year?

58:29 Taking a ride on the coaching carousel

62:53 The sunken place: Kiki stole our man AND is working with Tipspieceofshit?!

66:06 Say my name, say my Shapolovorolorov

69:21 Mariah finding her tea & the vile Cohen & Cooper combo

77:52 Fuck them, but we're trash too: our new year's resolutions

It's a Wrap For You, Boys: ATP Year in Review

We're finally getting around to wrapping up the year in men's tennis, a year marked by both the resurgence of throwback stars Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer and the Big Four loosening its grip on the top. Again, we asked our listeners to answer a few questions about the ATP season. We shout you out while adding our own insights on a year that may well mark a transition in the long stable ATP Tour. 

 

1:30 Where's the beef this year? What the hell happened?

7:00 The ATP is facing new challenges this year, as a bunch of big stars burned out

11:30 What were y'all's favorite non-Fedal Slam moment of the year? Winner is Del Potro def. Thiem, US Open Round of 16

21:30 Players like Goffin stepped up to (partially) fill the void left by Murray, Djokovic, Wawrinka

26:10 Reckoning with Shapovalov's nicknames

30:15 What truly surprised you this year? 

31:05 Laver Cup "disrupts" the market - apologies for the tech bro vocabulary

38:40 Indulging your most petty and dark-sided self, what infuriated you in 2017? This is very on-brand for the Body Serve in 2017

39:45 Our pronunciation of gif, apparently

47:30 Men who need to do better next year; aka Men Are Trash

55:00 Discussing the ATP Awards - hashing out issues with sporting awards in general

Ribbon With A Bow On It

We’re back to put a bow on the 2017 WTA season with a little help from our listeners. Instead of doing a tournament-to-tournament recap, we’re going more macro and framing the season through four main questions: favourite moment, favourite breakout season, favourite tournament, and clutch performance of the year. Note we didn’t say “best,” and so there’s truly something for everyone in a season which saw so many different players help script a memorable year.

 

01:25 Kudos to the many players who put their hand up

10:44 Fielding our listeners' fav moments

12:45 The many trials, and triumphs of Venus Williams

16:16 Getting messy to kick things off

28:06 Mugu’s finger wag kick starting her swag

30:27 Sharapova: a highlight for some, tiresome for others

33:59 Sloane channels Whitney's "One Moment In Time"

37:40 Fav breakout season: a case for Olympia Williams-Ohanian

39:11 A plug, a scolding, and a Jersey Shore detour

44:52 Australian Open is the fav tournament in a landslide

46:59 All hail a host of clutch performers

50:15 Godspeed: farewell to this year’s retirees

53:58 The WTA year-end leaders & award winners revisited

62:55 The best revenge is your paper, Venus is the damn MVP

 

Say It Ain't So

The tennis world received a punch to the gut with news of Jana Novotna's passing; Jonathan tells us how he will remember one of his all-time favourite players. We run through the year-end tennis news: Dimitrov winning the ATP Finals, CoCo's performance at the Fed Cup final, a pair of high-profile coaching breakups, a love match, and Stepanek's retirement. We also marvel at Serena's wedding, the YES vote winning in Australia, and the burgeoning Dimidal friendship, before ending the show with a pair of things that really ticked us off and one that we absolutely adore.

 

00:45 Remembering the one-of-a-kind Jana Novotna

15:23 Grigor Dimitrov is your year-end champ and new world #3

29:40 Colleen helps the U.S. to Fed Cup glory, is gracious as always

33:34 Cleansing the palate with Serena's wedding

37:36 Cheers, Australia! Loves trumps hate down under

40:10 The Body Serve motto

41:41 The Dimidal phenomenon: we are HERE for it

45:40 Rafa's verdick & Bencic continues her climb

47:40 Splitsville: Caro & Sascha, Murray & Lendl

52:15 Stepanek joins Hingis in retirement; Thiem/Mladenovic confirm love match

55:18 #SeeWhatHadHappendWas: Richard Ingham Evans

61:05 Xtina attempts to climb Mount Whitney

63:53 Thing we dislike: the abhorrent JAMES CORDEN

66:10 Thing we love: the delightful SKAM

Get That S%&$ Outta Here

We were compelled to record episode 102 by the heinous and embarrassing draw ceremony at the Next Gen Finals in Milan. But it gave us the opportunity to recap Julia Goerges' stunning run in Zhuhai and Jack Sock's top 10 debut and first Masters. The title of this episode comes straight from CoCo's mouth, while trailing Goerges in the Zhuhai final. Finally, James takes a quiz on the WTA season - did you do better than he did?

 

1:00 The reason we’re here: ATP Next Gen draw ceremony fiasco

9:15 Our new fav past time: ragging on Zverev

12:00 Sorry ATP, this wasn't a one-off, this is who you are

14:00 Julia Goerges puts exclamation on stellar year

18:30 Complicating and complimenting Colleen?

26:50 Paris Masters recap: put a Sock in it

30:30 Krajinovic trumps Isner/Querrey; Julien’s fairytale

32:40 Rafa scores year-end #1 for 4th time

36:45 ATP Finals draws revealed

39:30 James gets quizzed on the WTA season

 

Woz Wallops WTA Finals Field

101 episodes in and we're still finding lots to talk about. We praise Caroline Wozniacki for her career-best performance as she beats the best and wins Singapore. Plus, we discuss Venus' season, and the knocks on her for her press conference performances, sorting through some resentments and biases on all sides. We also take on Hingis' shocking retirement, Guy Forget shading the eff out of Roger Federer, and end with an impassioned #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas on Kevin Spacey.  

 

1:30 Getting into Singapore: surface slowness, round robin intrigue

9:35 Showing some respect to Caroline Wozniacki, who stomped the field with aggression, movement, forehands and backhands

17:30 A final thought on Venus' resurgent and ever less stubborn game

22:35 Venus' press conferences: is something up with her?

28:40 Who EXACTLY is WTA player of the year? Who knows ...

36:15 Comparing the WTA top 10 year-over-year

39:45 The complex, enduring, and great Martina Hingis retires at no. 1

44:00 Paris Masters tournament director Guy Forget drags Federer in the press

50:10 Men's et ceteras: Tsonga notches big wins but loses Vienna final; Fed wins 8th hometown title; the men's player of the year debate marches on

54:35 A few thoughts on Zhuhai

56:30 #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas So Kevin Spacey wants to be part of the community now?

TBS 100: Having a Gay Ole Time

We're proud to share our 100th episode with you; we weren't always sure we'd get here. We skip the latest tennis news in favor of an extended listener mailbag, made possible by all of your clever and interesting questions. We chat about: the surprising absence of an out gay male player, some guesses as to why tennis is so popular among LGBTQ fans, our dream tournaments to cover and players to interview, our favorite curse words, and we ruminate a little on our purpose and mission as a podcast. We finish up with a review of Battle of the Sexes, and our genuine awe at what Billie Jean and the Original Nine accomplished.

 

:30 We made it to 100!!!

2:00 TBS Mailbag - answering your very smart questions

4:45 What's the theme of this podcast? What do we do? A Body Serve mission statement of sorts.

7:05 An extended segment on the potential of an out gay male tennis player - where are they, and what are the barriers?

15:20 A related question: What about tennis is so appealing to LGBTQ people?

22:10 Counting on SholzTalk10s for another F-Marry-Kill

35:50 Our favorite moments/episodes from the podcast

38:30 Friends ask us personal questions! Thanks Meg and Agnes.

48:55 Monica and Maria in Puerto Rico

52:40 Elina Svitolina, the latest victim of Rena's Army

57:50 We finally saw Battle of the Sexes, and liked it!

1:05:00 The birth of women's tennis, still framed by the spectacle of the Battle of the Sexes; also Shit Chrissie says & the wicked Margaret Court

1:10:20 The WTA needs to record and promote its history

TBS A to Z

Welcome to episode 99 of The Body Serve, one episode away from an unlikely milestone. Thank you to listener @SholzTalks10s for his unwitting inspiration for the structure of this episode: we run through the tennis happenings from A-Z, serving up our usual flavours of tea, opinion, results, and levity. Hop on board The Body Serve train for one of our favourite episodes yet.

 

6:30 A-C: Agassi still on-board the Nole train, British media hysteria, and Cilic enters top 4

12:00 D-F: Dan Evans’ cocaine ban, Errani emerges from pasta-gate, and Fedal XXXVIII

23:10 G-I: Grisha presses Rafa again, parsing through Hong Kong, and Belinda’s back from injury

27:50 J-L: Jo Konta’s class & the British affinity for cakes, Kremlin Cup, and Linz results

34:15 M-O: Maria wins Tianjin, Nadal excels in Asia, and we are OVER the Fedal fandom outrage

40:15 P: Fabio’s peanuts

47:45 Q: Jonathan takes a Quiz

59:10 R-U: Roselyne Bachelot faces the music, Shanghai doing THE MOST, feeding the trolls, and unlucky delPo

1:06:30 V-X: Osaka’s dream win vs Queen Vee, WTA #1 race, and we’re Xcited for episode 100!!!

1:11:30 Y&Z: Fedal year-end #1 talk and Zhuhai is on the come up

Can We Talk About Caroline Garcia?

Simona Halep is your new no. 1, Caroline Garcia collected a whole heap of points in Beijing and Wuhan, and Rafael Nadal wins another tournament on hardcourts. In short, tennis' fall season is lit. We also wade against the Nick Kyrgios clickbait and look at the other happenings in the Asian swing.  

 

1:30 We need to talk about Caroline, and we say I told you so (sorry, that's really obnoxious)

9:00 A very uncharitable comparison, and the Sharapova Curse

14:00 Johanna Konta fighting for her Singapore spot, two years in a row

18:50 Simona Halep is the WTA's 25th no. 1 player! And the 5th of 2017

24:20 Rafa wins Beijing for his 6th title

26:00 We gotta talk about Nick, but without psychoanalyzing him (big up to the NK Foundation!)

33:00 Back to Rafa: Mr. Federer reminds us that Rafa isn't a one-surface wonder

36:40 Odds and ends: Goffin doubles in Asia, Venus is back, Hingis/Chan keep win 9th title of 2017

41:00 QUIZ: guessing WTA players' ages ... play along with James!

49:00 Things we like/dislike, and it's not food this time

Roger's Cup & Other Tennis Etcs

So what did you all think of Laver Cup? We share our thoughts on the inaugural event: the Fedal hysteria, Roger's ownership stakes, the "exhibition" argument, and the lopsided nature of the teams. Meanwhile the Asian swing is picking up steam, with Wozniacki defending in Tokyo for her first title of 2017 from seven finals. We update you on James Blake's ongoing battle with the NYPD before closing with a few etceteras, namely a bunch of things we like/dislike.

 

01:17 What was Laver Cup (exhibition or nah) and should we care?

06:34 Roger's Cup

09:54 Men-only problem? What would a women’s (or joint) event look like?

14:47 Roger and Rafa continue to carry a fortunate ATP & men's tennis

17:30 A very strange fairytale analogy & no sympathy for Berdych

29:05 Wozniacki finally crosses the finish line, defends in Tokyo

30:25 Kerber making it through the rain?

33:33 Other winners: Ostapenko wins, James thirsts for Dzumhur & tears flow in Metz

39:23: Singapore udpate: everybody's qualified all of a sudden

44:02 James updates us on James Blake's ongoing battle with the NYPD

47:12 Things we like/dislike: a bunch of TV (surprise) & a pedestrian rant.

Sloane Storms NY & El Decimosexto de Rafa

Welcome to episode 96 and our U.S. Open recap. By now you know that Sloane Stephens and Rafael Nadal are your singles champions. It still doesn't seem real, but we try to get to the bottom of a truly inspired performance by Sloane in New York. Nadal put aside a shaky start to the tournament to find some of his best tennis, finishing with a sublime exhibiton against Kevin Anderson in the final for his 16th Slam title. We revisit some of the more memorable moments and performances from the tournament, and induct our second ever member of The Body Serve Hall of Fame. We finish with another trip to the Maria well, this time to call out the racist BS from the Serena chapter of her book.

 

01:18 Jonathan apologizes to Venus fans and to Sloane

03:20 How exactly did Sloane do ALL THAT?!?!

11:21 Sloane evolves before our eyes, pitch perfect on and off the court

16:52 Venus and Petra are THE TRUTH; they deliver the goods again!

22:50 El Decimosexto de Rafa: proving the doubters wrong yet again

29:06 All the credit in the world to Kevin Anderson

34:33 Relitigating the start of 2013 and "I Made You"

44:36 Doubles Standards: time to up the ante

49:43 TBS Hall of Fame: Arigato, Kimiko

54:10 Parsing through the post-Open rankings

60:58 Alicia "Tornado" Black: GO FUND HER!!!

63:08 Sashay away, Tom Rinaldi!

66:54 Maria is truly unstoppable...with the MESS! We have had it.

US Op-ocalypse 2017: A Mid-Major Chat Featuring Rene Denfeld

Despite the missing stars, the 2017 US Open has offered no scarcity of big stories: Sharapova's return, Peak Petra defeating Muguruza, Venus' continued good form at majors, and the excitement around Denis Shapovalov. We're so excited to welcome back the insightful Rene Denfeld to the show. The Tennis Twitter-lebrity is covering the US Open for the first time as a journalist, and he shares his thoughts on Sharapova, Fognini, the draws, and what it's like to be there.

 

:35 What a day: James just got Twitter famous, Venus won, and Maria lost

8:00 The great women's round of 16s

11:00 Unpacking Sharapova - the scheduling, the "shade," the reception; or as James calls it, "a feeling of grossness"

21:45 Roger and Rafa's rocky starts to the tournament

26:15 The wild men's bottom half - Querrey, Anderson, PCB or Schwartzman in a major final

29:00 The Shapovalov hype!

33:00 #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas Fabio does Fabio. There's a reason that fogna means sewer

38:00 The problem with "I'm only here for the handshake"

42:10 The wonderful Rene Denfeld is back on the pod, straight from Queens

50:40 Talking with Rene about the weird men's draw, Shapo, Rafa's slow starts

1:00:30 What's it like to be on camera as a reporter? (Rene gets gif-ed)

1:03:50 Did you know? Rene was responsible for Naomi Osaka's excellent 'mesothelioma' monologue

1:08:30 Rene's favorite moments so far

US Open Preview: Where My Boys At?

The last major of the year is here, and lots of top players are not *sob*. We're completely foregoing draw analysis this time around, instead asking broader questions and talking about players who we hope make a splash. Is it fair to call the women's tournament "wide open?" Did Andy owe it to anyone to pull out earlier? Will James ever learn not to pick Tsonga?

 

:30 Back in Toronto! We saw Mariah & Lionel!

8:20 Where are the mens? Andy adds himself to the disabled list

14:00 What's with the pressitude about Andy's timing?

18:00 Halep & Shapovalov ... err, Sharapova will meet in the first round

22:00 Troubling the "wide open" draws discussion

24:30 Looking at the big performers at non-Slam events (Svitolina & Zverev) and how they will perform at the Open

31:00 You can lead James to water but you can't make him drink (there must be a thirst joke in here somewhere)

32:45 The players with momentum: Dimitrov, Kyrgios, Muguruza

38:45 Who do we hope to see break through?

49:50 Things we dislike: the USTA loves to talk about itself; and how will the flag-waving be received this year?

52:45 Things we like: that Nike shoot with the les Canadiens!

Cincy Wrap: Barty Party and More Mailbag

This is our final episode on the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. We're recording in the car again, chatting about the semis and finals, answering more listener questions, and talking through some issues around race, journalism, and access. The center of the episode, though, is our interview with Australian singles and doubles player Ash Barty, who took out Venus Williams in Cincinnati. 

 

:30 Hello from the car, again

3:30 White Castle *is* as bad as everyone said

6:30 Women's semis and finals in Cincinnati

16:30 Kyrgios def. Ferrer - an entertaining match

21:00 Men's final: Dimitrov's moment

24:00 Our interview with 4-time Grand Slam doubles finalist Ash Barty!

38:15 More listener mailbag: why was Sloane on court 4? How did we get into tennis?

46:30 Which players were our favorite interviews/press conferences? Some brief audio clip from our favs

58:30 More questions

1:08:00 Some thoughts about access, journalism, and getting good content 

Cincy Special: Francoise Abanda and Listener Mailbag

We're excited to bring you a sit-down chat with the first Canadian player on our podcast, up and coming Montrealer Francoise Abanda. We also answer some of the questions you all were so generous to ask us, with the help of friend and listener Chad. The rest is just us: recapping the stunning Muguruza-Kuznetsova quarterfinal, the perplexing men's draw, Querrey's rudeness, and more happenings from on-site.

 

2:00 Muguruza-Kuznetsova insta-classic 

8:00 The odd men's draw: Rafa the only superstar left

9:20 Odds and ends - Giorgi's no handshake, Sam Querrey's abominable behavior, Makarova-Kerber epic

15:00 Thiem - our analysis of Thiem proved to portentous (lost to Ferrer after we taped)

18:00 Our sit-down with Francoise Abanda, our first Canadian player on the pod!

32:20 Our listener mailbag, with the silky Southern stylings of Chad (@ccsmooth13)

36:30 Most importantly, what's good to eat here?

45:30 Question from @AnnaMarseille: have any players changed your impression of them after speaking with them in person?

Catching Up With The Stars Pt. 2

Join us for Round 2 of player pressers - you'll hear good stuff from no. 1 Pliskova, Kerber, Domi Thiem, Wozniacki, Halep, and Svitolina. But first, we catch you up with what's been going on in Cincinnati in our own words: Venus blazing through her first match, Fabio-Dominic play a strange one, the heat, and balancing the packed schedule despite of the withdrawals.

 

1:00 What we've been up to in Cincinnati today

6:00 The men's draw was already a huge mess - and then Fabio barfed on court

9:15 Venus plays an efficient, powerful match against Alison Riske

14:30 Watching Ash Barty in singles and doubles (Venus' next opponent)

20:50 Meeting tons of Tennis Twitter folks in Cincinnati

25:45 What is going on with the famous Applebee's?

27:00 Getting into the player interview snippets 

32:00 Simona on another level no passengers on her plane ....

40:00 Elina Svitolina talks about her steady rise

44:30 Mega Thiem talks about why he recaps his matches on Facebook

46:26 Angie Kerber brings the honesty

51:00 Karolina Pliskova is funny!

54:45 A few words from Caroline Wozniacki

 

Venus Blazes Past Riske In Cincinnati

Madison Trumps CoCo Again In Cincinnati

Catching Up With The Stars Pt 1

Welcome to our second episode from the 2017 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. We are again recording in our car, but this time we've also got outtakes from Monday's player roundtables. On this episode, you'll hear from Muguruza, Nadal, Kuznetsova, and Konta ahead of their opening matches. Nadal dishes on today's news that he will officially regain the world #1 ranking after Cincinnati, a thoughtful Muguruza reflects on her career as a two-time Slam winner, while Kuznetsova and Konta provide a whole lot of levity to the proceedings. Stay tuned to our upcoming episodes this week for more player outtakes from Monday's roundtables.  

 

02:00 James gives his thoughts on his first ever player roundtable interviews

11:20 Muguruza reflects on being a two-time Slam champion

13:36 Garbiñe gives insight into learning how to keep things closer to the vest, navigate media

16:26 "I like that I like to be in those situations" - Muguruza on embracing the big stages

20:45 Reflecting on her emotional French Open press conference

26:22 Nadal responds to news of reclaiming world #1 ranking

31:35 Sveta for President?

34:29 Who Sveta texts with most, and a BIG BIG laugh

35:36 Konta commits to fun and games, segues to Wimby reflections

40:29 How Jo deals with the trolls: block block block block

44:59 Jo's take on some of the funniest players on the WTA

On the Road to Cincy

We're on the road to Cincinnati, Ohio from Toronto, basking in Dr Peppers & American junk food. This is our first totally unedited podcast, recorded and uploaded straight from the car. We're catching up on the summer hardcourt season: seeing Venus, Ostapenko, and Kvitova in Toronto; Rafa-Shapovalov in Montreal; Sloane's return and Madison's win in Stanford. We also preview the blockbuster first rounds in Cincy: Madison-Coco and Sharapova-Ostapenko.

 

:30 What we really sound like, without edits!

5:00 Opening Monday at the Rogers Cup Toronto

7:30 Ostapenko loses to Lepchenko but shows how great she can be

13:45 Petra's back!

15:30 Venus takes the long way, but beats Begu at 11 pm

18:10 A bit of kvetching about annoying fans

26:00 Young Canadian Shapovalov beats Nadal in MTL

30:15 Is it Fedal the rest of the way in 2017? Who else? Zverev.

35:50 Madison Keys is here! And other US hardcourt news

38:00 Previewing the Cincinnati Masters, big first round match-ups

46:00 What we're personally looking forward to in Cincy

Preacher Teachers: Anything You Have In Mind

We're back with a bit of a mixed bag for episode 88. We begin with a podcast announcement before segueing into the tennis action post-Wimbledon: Novak is done for the year, Andy and Kim are inducted into the Hall of Fame, and David Ferrer resuscitates his career in Bastad. We then parse through the Nastase ITF ban, James takes another tennis quiz, and we introduce the TBS Mailbag! Seriously, we had such a blast answering Twitter questions from some of our listeners. Finally, we close with a segment on some of this year's Emmy nominations.

 

01:10 TBS announcement

04:47 Novak is out for the rest of the year

08:14 Looking back at Kim and Andy's Hall of Fame careers

14:10 David Ferrer is feeling himself again

16:03 Here we are again: horrendous security at tennis matches

18:13 A Seles side note, pondering the many what ifs

21:58 A Goerges dressing down, a very lucky loser, and weddings galore

25:12 Parsing through the Nastase ITF verdict

29:36 James takes a quiz; SURELY you all can beat him this time around

35:28 TBS Mailbag: we get a bit personal & have a blast! Thanks y'all!

55:55 Emmy nominations chit chat

SW 19 Wrap: Muguruza Spoils Vee's Party & Federer as Non-Religious Experience

We've got the Wimbledon blues after Venus couldn't get it done in the final against Muguruza. But, we're here to give full credit to Garbine & Roger for their outstanding fortnights at SW19. When one of the "Big Four" win a Slam, a lot of false narratives pop up from various corners; we're here to debunk a few of those. We also welcome Karolina Pliskova to the WTA penthouse, launch our Hall of Fame, and finish with a holdover discussion of two TV shows we're currently watching.

 

01:30 Muguruza slays, but why'd it have to be against Venus?!?!

02:25 A lost opportunity for Venus? Why this was different from Australia

09:30 Muguruza is the TRUTH, take a bow

12:20 Assessing the Garbine/Venus pre-finals juju: Conchita is the ex-factor

16:40 Take Venus at her word as a serious contender, and stop infantilizing her in defeat

22:02 Roger and Rafa have both benefited from Djokovic/Murray dip. So what? Enjoy it

25:53 Federer continues to amaze; he is amazing. But, a God he is not

34:25 Fedal fatigue? Rubbish. The men's events just need more competitive tennis

37:05 Hingis swaps Paes for Murray, wins Mixed Doubles...and other doubles news.

40:40 Let me see your underwear, Serena on SportsCenter, & Andy Murray's feminism

47:07 Girl, BYE: Piers Morgan (Trash) and The Telegraph (Trash)

51:14 Karolina Pliskova signs lease for WTA penthouse

52:45 Body Serve HOF: You're a winner for a lifetime, if you seize that one moment in time

59:34 Non-tennis segment: two shows we're watching right now

Mid-Wimbledon Check-up: Head On Doorframe

Welcome to our mid-Wimbledon show where we recap all the tennis from week one at SW19. We begin with the tennis stories capturing most of the headlines: Rafa's lawsuit against Bachelot is moving forward, "bad boys" Tomic, Medvedev, and Kyrgios generate lots of ink in the British rags, and Venus is exonerated! We also take a few digs at Rena's Army, the AELTC, and Taylor Fritz, before finishing up with the actual tennis, culminating with Manic Monday action.

 

03:04 Tomic's truth tea & HEAD's BS moralizing

11:32 Medvedev's racist past & boorish Wimbledon behaviour

16:03 Girl, BYE: Palm Beach Gardens Police Department  

23:28 Girl, BYE: The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club

31:20 Wading into the Kyrgios gossip rag nonsense

34:35 Upsets: Stan, Pliskova, and Ferrer beating Gasquet?

38:06 Why is Rena's Army so relentlessly messy, mean-spirited and dark-sided?

40:12 The Fritz "Daddy of the Year" PR video

47:10 So how did those WTA 11-15 seeds fare in week one?

51:51 Manic Monday recap

61:35 Rafa bumps his head, Muller bumps him out of Wimbledon

Wimbledon Preview: Who's Coming for the No. 1 Spots?

Join The Body Serve for some Wimbledon draw analysis, some bold predictions, and some tea. Five women and four men can potentially grab the no. 1 ranking after the tournament is over - who has the nerve? We'll chat about the three comeback queens (Petra, Vika, Sloane), the tough men's bottom half, and why 'wide open' may not be the best desriptor for the women's draw.  

 

2:55 So many trolls, so little time

7:30 Men's draw - local gentleman Andrew Murray leads the draw

11:00 Wimbledon seeding formula hits Stan hard

13:30 Nadal's quarter: some big hitters and a few grass specialists

18:10 Raonic, Inc., Federer, Dimitrov, and Sascha

23:45 Djokovic's path is lined with tricky opponents

32:00 Interesting things are going on in women's tennis!

35:40 5 women could become no. 1, but some of the biggest favorites are out of the top 10

38:50 Women's top half: Kerber's been done no favours

43:10 Is Pliskova the one to win it all?

46:15 VENUS, Ostapenko, and some huge top 8 question marks

53:45 Comeback queens Kvitova & Azarenka in the Halep/Konta quarter

57:00 More Evans & a potential Wimbledon drinking game

Hello Grass, BYE J Mac: Don't Come For Serena Unless She Sends For You

The grass season is upon us and we recap the tennis since Nadal's La Decima, as well as some of the off court happenings ahead of Wimbledon. James Blake showed us he truly cares that the racial justice system changes, while Venus Williams made an All Lives Matter misstep again. We debut "Girl, BYE!" -> a brand new segment where we discuss Dan Evans' positive test for cocaine, and John McEnroe coming for Serena in an effort to sell his book. Finally, we have a kiki about Toronto Pride in our "Things We Like/Dislike" segment.

 

02:40 Rank 'em: How do you view the four slams?

10:50 Vika's BACK! Wonderful news, but let's temper expectations

12:40 Petra did THAT y'all! Temper those expectations too

17:49 Federer wins Halle again; a word for his fans

21:48 "Classy Federer, powerful Nadal"  -> STOP talking down to us!

28:23 Donna Vekic and the constant sexism directed at her

32:00 James Blake shows us who he is: smart, ethical, and someone who cares the system changes

36:00 Venus steps in the "All Lives Matter" mess again #Disappointed

39:42 Gurl, BYE! Dan Evans tests positive for cocaine

45:34 Girl, BYE! John McEnroe comes for Serena AGAIN; Serena claps back

58:33 Things we like and dislike: Toronto Pride edition

La Décima: 10 Reflections From Rolly G

Rafael Nadal motored through the French Open field to claim his 10th title at Roland Garros, or La Décima. While his latest French triumph was expected, the same cannot be said for Jelena Ostapenko, who rifled winners past her opponents at will to grab the Suzanne Lenglen trophy. Join us as we relive the most memorable and newsworthy moments from championship weekend at the year's second Slam.

 

02:20 La Décima, the men's final, and Rafa's annihilation of the field

19:22 Fearless Ostapenko did THAT!

28:20 Halep's missed opportunities on court and off

37:00 Nole lost at sea? We don't have any answers

40:50 Concerned about Dominic Thiem or nah?

43:48 WTA etceteras: Cash aboard the CoCo train, French drama, & Maria is out

51:04 ATP etceteras: Murray's "shock and awe" performance, Stan readies for Wimbledon

54:16 Our most expansive segment on doubles ever? We take some Canadian pride in Dabrowski

60:59 Watching the rankings, the various roads and races

66:38 Test your Nadal knowledge alongside James!

Mid-Roland Garros Report: All Tea and No Comment

 

Welcome to our week one recap of the 2017 French Open. We kick things off with a look back at some of the big (albeit few) upsets, as well as the biggest surprises left in both singles draws. Rafa and Novak remain on course for a crackerjack semifinal, while Andy and Stan motor along under the radar on the other half of the men's draw. As for the women, your guess is still as good as ours. We talk about Kiki Mladenovic's possible role as villain on the WTA, before following up on our discussion from last time on the real villain at the moment, Margaret Court.

 

02:12 Kicking things off with the upsets: throwing Zverev in James' face

06:20 Can we talk about the tarp thing? James goes off

07:51 Petko goes to bat for Angie

10:20 Any bigger surprise than Caroline Wozniacki?

17:02 Women's Draw: your guess is still as good as ours

20:32 Talking the Venus-Timea matchup

28:22 Kiki refuses to lose but how much can she have left?

32:26 Men's Draw: marching right along to another Rafole humdinger?

42:42 Good sportsmanship/humanity the big motif of week one?

47:15 Is Kiki a villain? Is she the villain tennis needs? Does tennis need one?

50:15 Forza, Muguruza!

53:45 Margaret Court is definitely a villain

59:55 Why you say "no comment?"

Are You There, Margaret? It's Me, God: Roland Garros Preview

We're breaking down the draws for Roland Garros 2017, perhaps the most unpredictable women's major in memory. We talk about the overarching themes (La Decima, Novak-Andre, notable absences, and the 10+ female contenders) but we also go in-depth with the draws. After that, we devote a long time to addressing Margaret Court's continued and unprovoked attacks on the lgbt community. We consider what exactly free speech means, the responsibility that comes with it, and the necessity to push back when our queer personhoods and families are under attack.

 

1:30 The themes of the Roland Garros draw: the wiiiide open women's draw

4:45 Some surprising favorites: Svitolina, Mladenovic, Stosur?

14:00 Going through the draw - which quarterfinals are most likely to happen?

24:00 Our bold and probably wrong predictions for the women's draw

27:15 Men's draw storylines: La Decima, Djokovic-Agassi, Thiem hopes to put a bow on his clay season

37:00 Men's draw analysis: follow along at home!

47:30 Men's bottom half: Nadal, Djokovic, Thiem, and?

50:45 The Rant: Margaret Court gets personal with her bigotry

57:50 The meaning of free speech: why "Everyone is entitled to an opinion" falls short

1:01:00 Why we need to fight back

1:09:00 Finishing on a happier note: WTA players Tara Moore and Conny Perrin are engaged!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The big news this week is that Sharapova will not play Roland Garros, as she was denied a wild card by the French Federation. There's so much tennis news to talk about that we've broken it down into good, bad, and ugly. And man, is there a lot of bad and ugly. But first: Rafa beats Djokovic for this first time since 2014 and wins his third consecutive title.

 

1:20 The Good: Rafa beats Novak in Madrid - sizing up Rafa and Novak's form

7:30 Hard-hitting Madrid men's final

12:25 Thiem's tournament: looking at Thiem vs. Dimitrov

15:15 Women's final and Mladenovic's endless stream of blunt commentary

22:00 Roland Garros is wide open on the women's side - is there room for Venus?

24:20 Other good: coaching changes, Madrid ball MEN, Schiavone has another great run

28:30 The Bad: Bouchard keeps it petty, with cameos from Maria and Serena

35:00 Juan Monaco announces his retirement

36:15 Federer withdraws from RG

37:45 What to make of the rule changes for the Next Gen Finals?

45:25 Also bad: the two no. 1s are not doing so hot

47:50 The Ugly: persona non grata Nastase hands out the Madrid trophy to Simona ... is Simona problematic?

52:30 Burying the lede: Sharapova will not get a wild card to Roland Garros, main draw or qualifying

56:15 WTA CEO blasts the French Federation, but is their decision technically a "penalty?" Nah.

Sharapova Is Back, Let's Have A Kiki

Maria Sharapova made her return to tennis last week in Stuttgart after missing 15 months for a doping ban. René Denfeld was on site and joins us to recap how it all went down. For the second successive week, Nadal makes double digit history, this time winning his tenth Barcelona title. We finish up with a follow-up to last episode's discussion on geopolitics and nationalism, this time regarding Dan Evans and his continued xenophobia.

 

01:30 Etceteras: Serena claps back, Roger in Paris, and Khachanov's thighs

07:30 Maria's pressers in Stuttgart

13:43 Maria and Max: an alternate theory

18:34 Talk shit, get hit? Not Kiki

20:35 Noooooobody wants to face Siegemund on clay

26:44 René Denfeld: "one of the brightest lights of Tennis Twitter" reports on Stuttgart

53:04 What to make of Mladenovic and her breakout season

60:04 What's going on with WTA Reactions?

62:32 Rafa's La Décima tour continues in Barcelona

66:07 Dan Evans renews his anti Aljaz Bedene campaign

Hitting The Fan

Episode 78 is our attempt to make sense of the strange happenings of the past week: the Nastase-fueled nightmare at the Romania vs. GB Fed Cup tie; Max Eisenbud's petty and rude comments; Serena's pregnancy and Patrick Mouratoglou's response; and Rafael Nadal's history-making 10th Monte Carlo title. This episode also features an interview with the engaging and hilarious Caitlin Thompson, publisher of Racquet Magazine and co-host of The Main Draw podcast. Caitlin and James talk about Maria, journalism, Racquet's new issue, and the philosophy that drives the magazine. Stick around for Caitlin's take on the Serena/Beyonce vs. Maria/T-Swift analogy.

 

0:45 So, uh, did something happen this weekend?

4:30 How are we feeling about Serena's pregnancy now? Are we ok?

10:30 Fed Cup results: USA def. Czech, Belarus def. Suisse

12:40 Romania-GB Fed Cup nightmare

19:30 Geopolitics & nationalism in Fed Cup

33:15 Max Eisenbud, what a mess - but does anyone believe that Max doesn't speak for Maria? - "You are the company you keep"

43:30 Rafa Nadal wins La Decima at Monte Carlo, and it's practically an afterthought

46:50 Cedric Mourier royally screws Goffin, everyone blames Rafa

55:30 James' interview with Racquet magazine publisher Caitlin Thompson - we talk tennis aesthetics, Maria as capitalist, and the new issue 

01:05:00 Caitlin talks sports journalism and the perils of preserving access

01:23:30 Where/how to get Racquet magazine

Serena Is With Child, And Other Tennis News

Episode 77 truly struggled to be born, interrupted and amended by the news that shook the tennis world: Serena might be -- and then, definitely is -- pregnant. The night before, we recorded a perfectly fine look at the upcoming clay season and a fun #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas about the French Fed Cup madness. All that is still here, but first, we ride the wave of emotions inflicted upon us by the GOAT troll, Serena Jameka Williams. All that and an interview with tennis photographer Daniel Ward, whom Jonathan met at the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, SC.

 

0:00 Serena's team confirms what we feared: she's pregnant & missing all of 2017

5:00 Our first - now irrelevant - take on the Serena Snapchat bombshell

12:35 The original episode 77, before Serena messed everything up

14:50 Let's talk about the clay season - Novak & Andy are back, Roger's out

22:30 Male players we're watching on the clay

26:45 WTA on clay - Serena's nowhere to be found, but Maria is coming

32:00 The race for WTA no. 1 and other women to watch this clay season

34:35 Schiavone wins title at Bogota, makes RG main draw

38:25 Vicky Duval beats Tomljanovic & Bouchard at Challenger

40:55 #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas #FedCupDrama #LOL

54:30 Jonathan's interview with tennis photog Daniel Ward (@uncdanward)

 

Charleston, It's A Wrap

Episode 76 marks the end of our Charleston coverage. We're bringing you our interview with rising WTA star Naomi Osaka, social media phenom and all-around great personality. We recap the Charleston final, the Davis Cup quarterfinals, Eugenie Bouchard's years-long court battle with the USTA, and on-court coaching. We wrap up with some thoughts about protecting queer spaces from bachelorette party madness.

 

4:25 Wrapping up our reporting from Charleston

12:40 Laura Siegemund's antics - give me the f$#@ing towel

16:20 Kasatkina def. Ostapenko in all-teen final

20:25 Our interview with Naomi Osaka!

36:30 Et ceteras: Serena will retake no. 1 without playing, Sharapova announces name of autobiography, Vika's back in Stanford

41:05 Bouchard v. USTA: the lawsuit that won't end

46:45 Mary Carillo grills WTA CEO Steve Simon - how do y'all feel about on-court coaching?

52:35 Davis Cup quarterfinals: AUS-USA is the only interesting match-up

57:30 Things we dislike - our treatise on bachelorette parties in gay bars

1:02:40 Things we like: food

Charleston Chat: Mirjana Lučić-Baroni

Episode 75 is our second dispatch from the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, South Carolina. The weather is moody and the top seeds are dropping like flies. Jonathan brings us two interviews: the first a casual chat with two Tennis Twitter pals, and then an engaging sit down with the one and only Mirjana Lučić-Baroni. Also, be on the lookout for an interview with Naomi Osaka on episode 76!

 

1:15 Jonathan's hectic day in Charleston

4:03 Keys, Venus & Vesnina headline a day of upsets

7:38 Richard Williams sightings all over Charleston

9:53 Assessing what's left of the draw

12:40 A parking lot chit chat with Twitter pals Chad (@CCSmooth13) & Bri (@4TheTennis)

27:43 The main draw: Jonathan's chat with Mirjana Lučić-Baroni.

 

Correction: James made a mistake - Laura Siegemund was not last year's Stuttgart champ; she was runner-up to Kerber.

Greetings From Charleston: Speak on it, Venus

We're in two different cities - Jonathan is calling in from Charleston, SC, where he is reporting on the Volvo Car Open. We have fun with our new audio equipment, while bringing you clips from Venus Williams, Madison Keys, and Sam Stosur talking to press at Charleston's All Access Hour. We also recap the results in Miami, which saw Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal for the third time this year, and hard court phenom Johanna Konta win a big title over Wozniacki.

 

0:40 James is in Toronto, Jonathan's in Charleston

4:20 Recapping the Miami men's final - Federer def. Nadal

9:00 Federer is damn near unbeatable right now

15:25 Konta def. Wozniacki: Konta on a hard court is a scary proposition

18:45 Venus beats no. 1 Kerber, makes semifinal

22:45 Jonathan saw AND spoke to Queenus, in the flesh - DEAD

27:25 Let's hear from Venus herself

36:50 Sam Stosur impresses in press

41:45 Madison Keys talks Twitter, fans, and what she's most proud of

Fun and Games With The Body Serve

Episode 73 is a change of pace: a whole episode full of our recurring segments, including The Rant, #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas, the Spelling Bey, and #NameTheTennisPlayer. We devote the first 20 minutes to a particularly enraging moment in John McEnroe history, one which is relevant to the continued debasement of young people of color in sport and elsewhere. After that, it's all fun and games. Your hosts take quizzes, spelling tests, and put forth their picks for the greatest players without a Slam singles title.

 

3:00 #NameTheTennisPlayer 

4:00 #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas #TheRant This one time John McEnroe acted a damn fool (2000 Edition)

9:15 What is it about successful black women that makes people so mad?

16:00 Why are we dredging up an old story now? Echoes in the present

23:45 Poll: who are the greatest players never to have won a Slam?

26:00 Our cases for Elena Dementieva and Helena Sukova

32:15 The men: Rios, Tsonga, Nalbandian, and more

43:10 Jonathan takes a VENUS QUIZ!

49:30 Jonathan's favorite Venus match ever

50:45 The Spelling Bey, Part 2: Retired Players

58:35 Answer to #NameTheTennisPlayer

1:00:10 Big Ups to: Venus, Taylor Townsend, Alex Zverev, Hingis/Chan, and more

Federer Has Zero Chill

We begin episode 72 with an exciting announcement before segueing into the Indian Wells action. Of course, we couldn't leave the "desert oasis" without women's tennis being degraded in some way. Elena Vesnina and Svetlana Kuznetsova put on a show before Roger Federer continued his 2017 resurgence; we're miffed as to how Fed's been able to transform his backhand. James takes another tennis quiz and we finish the show with a few etceteras: good news on Kvitova's recovery, Sloane's star turn off the court, and some hilarious moments from finals day at Indian Wells.

 

1:34 A Body Serve announcement!

4:54 Damned if you do, damned if you don't - women's tennis just can't win

7:30 Just come out and admit you don't like women's sport & you hate women's tennis

9:30 A wonderful women's final at Indian Wells

13:58 Venus' bizarre week

16:14 James pulls out a receipt on Vesnina

18:10 Assessing the Williamses return to Indian Wells since 2015

24:20 Federer has zero chill and James is a bit pressed

25:47 How in the hell is Fed's backhand doing all THAT?!

36:35 Other Indian Wells standouts

39:20 Etceteras: Sloane's breakout TV turn, Petra's good news, Stan gets explicit & trophygate

46:35 James takes a quiz!!! (Apologies to James - Muguruza was not an ATROCIOUS guess)

51:50 Things we like and dislike

Farewell Frantic February, Hello Indian Wells

In Episode 71, we're bidding farewell to a breakneck month of tennis. On the docket: Kerber misses a chance to reclaim #1 in Dubai, but she will have no shortage of chances to do so in the coming months. Meanwhile, the Big Four returned in Dubai and Acapulco to mixed reviews. We're very pleased for Ash Barty and her breakout week in Kuala Lumpur, and we delve into the Sharapova wild card situation re: the French Open. 

 

1:52 Kerber's missed opportunity for #1, many more to come

4:44 Milos' brittleness holds him back...again

7:24 Thirsting for Thiem #BrokenRecord

8:18 Strange week in Dubai & Acapulco for the ATP

12:41 Federer's surprise collapse, virtuosity & mental strength

21:30 We ain't mad at Nole's 12-word presser

23:50 Rafa's week in Acapulco & the Querrey blitz

27:58 HUGE week for Ash Barty & we ain't mad about that either

30:22 You know Hingis is already on the phone after Garcia/Mladenovic split

35:10 The Sharapova French Open wild card situation

42:27 Tennis Channel Buys Tennis.com

46:03 Small preview of Indian Wells

56:43 One thing we like, one we don't: "One Day at a Time" & hideous male facial hair

In a February Mood: RBA Is Our Valentine

February is jam packed with tennis tournaments. We attempt to keep up with tennis, while also catching you up on the extra-curricular happenings: the USTA plays the Nazi-era national anthem for Germany, Doug Adler sues ESPN and has a shit-fit on Twitter, Genie goes on that date, and the Grammys make us rage. All that and some discussion of Pliskova, Goffin, Sascha Bajin and Wozniacki, and the eponymous Roberto Bautista Agut.

 

2:15 Uncle Toni will leave his post after 2017

4:40 Doug Adler sues ESPN and launches a Sharapovian social media blitz

9:35 Are Tennis Twitter and Ben Rothenberg being sued too?

13:40 The USTA's German national anthem fiasco

18:50 Tennis results! Grigor, Zverev, Estrella Burgos win titles

21:00 Tsonga & Pliskova win titles; Goffin reaches top 10

26:00 Nishikori skips Memphis, unleashes hell

29:10 Keeping up with Genie Bouchard's dating life

32:40 Roberto Bautista Agut stands up against homophobia, again

38:00 Grammys update - Travesty 2017 

46:20 Clickbait trash taking aim at Beyonce and Serena (the success of black women is very upsetting to some people)

50:30 Watch Please Like Me on Netflix!

Never a Dull Moment, Even in February

It's episode 69 AND our 10th anniversary. Somehow, even in the slow month of February, tennis is giving us big stories to cover, including: Denis Shapovalov's Davis Cup default, Canadians Bouchard and Pospisil making headlines for different reasons, the Davis Cup defending champs Argentina falling to Italy, Grigor Watch, Kiki and Svits winning titles, and Monfils vs. Noah drama.  

 

1:00 It’s our 10th anniversary!

3:30 Denis Shapovalov’s big mistake

10:30 Beyond Shapovalov, a conversation about fines and deterrents in tennis 

17:40 Genie Bouchard gets some good press for a change

20:30 Is Vasek Pospisil getting his mojo back? Other Davis Cup news

25:15 Mladenovic (St. Petersburg) and our breakout pick Svitolina (Taipei City) get titles; Grigor Dimitrov continues his great start to 2017

30:50 Gael Monfils left off French Davis Cup team, plays another sport instead

35:15 We’re launching The Body Serve’s Instagram feed (@thebodyserve)

40:30 Petition to induct Richard Williams & Oracene Price into Tennis Hall of Fame (credit to @mikeson30 and @Alatenumo)

46:50 James takes a Serena Williams quiz

 

 

 

Aussie Open Recap: GOATs March Through Melbourne

It's episode 68, and we're recapping the entertaining and nostalgic 2017 Australian Open, which saw several of the all-time greats compete in the finals. 35-year-olds Serena Williams and Roger Federer won the titles and tightened their grasp on the GOAT title, despite what Margaret Court wants to say. 

 

4:15 Women's final: Serena def Venus to get #23

7:45 A household divided (ours, not the Williams')

9:20 Venus doing God's work by taking out CoCo

18:10 Venus is not just a ceremonial figure, she's a contender

22:45 GOAT talk reignited - Margaret Court is salt personified.

29:45 Et ceteras: rankings watch, Konta's run, Lucic-Baroni's return to a Grand Slam semi

33:20 Men's final: Fedal is back, and Roger had a new game plan

42:15 Federer's weird comments about his medical timeout

48:30 Did we miss Novak and Andy?

55:10 Mattek-Sands/Safarova and Peers/Kontinen win doubles titles

56:15 One last Williams topic: Alexis debuts as fiance

Mid-Aussie Open Report: Old Guard Takes the Happy Slam By Storm

We're checking in midway through the 2017 Australian Open, a tournament marked by the shocking upsets of Djokovic, Murray, and Kerber, as well as the Old Guard (Federer, Venus, Nadal) reminding us that they're still here. We do close reads of a few matches, take another look at Novak's slump, share our frustrations about certain American players and commentators who should move on. 

 

1:15 Old Guard re-asserts itself, plus upset shockers

3:40 Venus Williams is feeling herself

8:50 Nadal def. Zverev, in what could be a tide turner for Rafa

15:30 Djokovic stunned by Istomin - what's up with Novak?

24:15 Andy Murray goes out to Mischa Zverev

30:15 Grandpa Roger is back, beats Berdych and Nishikori

33:20 Johanna Konta is playing great tennis, will face SW

35:00 Ashleigh Barty reaches 3rd round in singles, beats Hingis/Coco in doubles

37:00 The Bad: Trump-supporting, early-losing, badly behaving American men

44:00 A digression on politics

50:15 Also Bad: TV Commentary

54:30 John McEnroe is mean, hypocritical, and obsessed with demeaning Nick Kyrgios

59:45 Kyrgios' press conference and our shifting feelings

1:05:20 Looking at some potentialities/possibilities of the second week (including a vocal performance from Jonathan) 

2017 Aussie Open Preview: Big 4 Back Together

It's our second episode of 2017. Here, we're previewing the 2017 Australian Open - keep your draws handy or just listen along to our analysis. Who are our dark horse picks? What are the chances of Serena, Rafa, Angie, Roger, etc? Who do we hope against all odds will have a great showing? 

 

2:00 Jumping right in: Serena’s draw and her first-round opponent

8:00 Looking at the women’s bottom half – Pliskova is Serena’s biggest threat

9:30 Kerber’s chances – women’s top half

12:45 What kind of form is Garbine Muguruza in?

14:45 Elsewhere in the women’s draw: Halep, Konta, Radwanska, Kuznetsova, Venus

19:15 Women’s first round matches to watch

23:30 Men’s draw: Novak Djokovic is #2 seed, faces Verdasco in first round

32:30 The baffling Raonic-Monfils-Nadal-Zverev-RBA quarter

38:00 Men’s top half – Fed/Murray/Nishikori/Berdych share the same quarter

40:30 What are Stan’s chances based on his draw?

43:15 Interesting men’s first rounders

44:30 Jonathan’s dark horse picks

47:15 Our “wish upon a star” picks

51:30 Caroline Wozniacki gets a little mean

54:45 Sharapova and Stuttgart announce Maria’s momentous return, PR continues to be a challenge