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Danielle Collins, you will always be famous. The 30-year-old charisma machine – she of 2 NCAA titles and an unorthodox journey through tennis – wins her biggest title in the final year of her career. On the men’s side, everybody’s fave Grigor Dimitrov beat three top 10 players but fell against the final one, the near-unbeatable Jannik Sinner. Plus, we have more tales from our time at the Miami Open, including one particularly impassioned rant and the key to why Casper Ruud is not beating the Karen allegations. 03:30 Danielle Collins, the woman you are 09:48 She’s still retiring, so stop asking 15:24 Jannik Sinner is the best (*right now) 18:25 Brother Grigor 24:53 Watching Andy Murray + his devastating injury 29:30 Not an impromptu quiz! 31:17 A nightmare on site … 42:40 What’s the tournament director there for if not to field complaints? 47:43 Extras: Thiem injury, Leylah, Novak-Goran split 53:21 The USTA sexual abuse case will go to jury trial + the failed attempt to bar Pam Shriver from testifying
For the first time, we’re coming to you from Miami Gardens, Florida! Before recapping Indian Wells, we share our first impressions of the Miami Open site and some of the tennis we got to see early on: Halep’s first match back from her suspension, Azarenka-Stearns (with an appearance by early Berry Gordy’s son RedFoo), Ostapenko lighting up Court 1, and more. Alcaraz defends his Indian Wells title -- snapping a title-less stretch going back to Wimbledon -- and Iga regains her title while losing a mere handful of games. Later on, we talk about the competing proposals that aim to overhaul mostly everything about tennis (Premier vs. PIF). 0:35 Miami Open: Penko-Siegemund, Vika-Peyton (and why RedFoo is here) 9:35 Simona’s return and Woz’s take heard round the world: “It wasn’t a clearance” 18:48 Minding Our Own Business 22:20 Belatedly wrapping Indian Wells 27:07 Non-problematic beef 29:41 Unnecessary beef 32:28 Miss Beswick strikes again 35:28:Tennis headed for fundamental change: Premier Tour vs. Saudi PIF bid
On March 5, the Court of Arbitration for Sport rendered its decision on the Simona Halep appeal: the doping was not intentional and the suspension was reduced to 9 months, time long since served. It’s the welcome end to a saga that has dragged on and shaken trust in the sport’s anti-doping institutions. But, we’re left with ever more questions: Why were the conclusions of the ITIA and CAS so starkly different? What of the biological passport results? What took so long? Why are tennis players often so successful at CAS? Aside from the Halep news, we talk about the early happenings at Indian Wells, the cancellation of Netflix’s Break Point, the ATP's annual awkward International Women’s Day video, and more. 01:40 CAS accepts Simona’s contamination defense and throws out biological passport charge 07:50 Why are the conclusions of ITIA and CAS so vastly different? 15:00 Comparisons to Sharapova, the question of “innocence” 25:00 So where are the “real” dopers? 35:30 Indian Wells: withdrawals, Sinner’s win streak, Kerber-Woz revival 45:15 Break Point is over: what went wrong? 50:40 Ruby amends his apology, thanks to Sofya Tartakova 51:50 A (very) slight improvement in the ATP’s Women’s Day video!
Rublev’s default from Dubai generated tons of discourse this week, and we devote quite a bit of time to it: the facts, the question of proportionality (of both Rublev’s actions and the umpire’s decision), and why player reactions aren’t the final word. We also recap the end of the lead-up to Indian Wells, with several players showing off the best tennis of their lives. Plus, Murray’s retirement talk; the ATP’s partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund; and the suspension of a low-ranked player for cannabis and how WADA decides to ban a substance. 2:15 Quick results recap: de Minaur, Boulter, Yuan, Humbert, Baez 8:30 The Rublev Default 13:10 The Act of (non)Contrition 25:35 Proportionality, in a few senses 34:45 Andy Murray talks about the end 38:40 #TheNetflixSlam: it was a bit tacky and very American, but overall a huge win for the sport 46:00 ATP partners with PIF 50:55 A 2-year suspension for weed? Also an opportunity for some nerdy anti-doping discussion
February concludes with another first-time winner at the WTA 1000 level, Jordan Thompson winning 3 matches in one night to double in Los Cabos, and a bunch of hatchers and snatchers in Doha and Rio. We're also talking about the Coco-umpire incident in Dubai, Holger Rune rehiring Patrick Mouratoglou but retaining his reckless social media brand, and the quagmire of ethics breaches with the influx of betting companies into tennis institutions. 1:40 Jasmine Paolini wins Dubai + Kalinskaya’s fantastic run 7:40 Thompson wins Los Cabos singles and doubles 12:05 Hatching and snatching in South America 17:50 Andy Murray wins his 500th hard court match 21:15 Coco vs. an obstinate (and wrong) umpire 27:25 Holger is back with Patrick: how to fail up in tennis 37:50 James Blake sanctioned under the sport’s betting sponsorship rules; but why can tournaments and other institutions have betting sponsors?
We're catching up with the tennis tours as they wind through Transylvania, South America, the US, and the Middle East. Iga Swiatek threepeats in Doha, Rybakina racks up more wins, Pliskova surges, and Sinner wins his first tournament off becoming a Slam winner. Meanwhile, Ostapenko still hasn't lost a match to anyone but Azarenka. We've got updates on the high profile doping suspensions: Brooksby gets some clemency from the ITIA, and Halep pleads her case to the CAS and sues the supplement company (hey, Scarborough!). Plus: the last one-hander in the top 10 goes out, and major coaching shakeups at a strange time of the season. 3:20 Iga threepeats in Doha 8:00 The state of Naomi’s return from mat leave 16:45 Rybakina wins Abu Dhabi, Kasatkina slams the scheduling 19:30 Penko and the aborted racquet shake 24:30 Sinner keeps winning, other men’s results 31:40 The death of the one-handed backhand 36:30 Doping updates: Brooksby’s suspension reduced, Simona Halep makes her case at CAS and sues the supplement company 41:20 Coaching breakups: Sakkari and Tom Hill; Holger and everybody
The Body Serve is back with what’s become a February tradition, an off-topic mailbag/pop culture episode. Fair warning to Sw*fties to proceed with caution through a few of the early segments (timestamps below). As we all switch modes from Australian Open to the global February tennis schedule, we offer our highlights and the broader themes raised by the Grammys with a massive dose of deja vu; we answer your questions, both tennis-related and not; we take on the idea of “tarnishing” a legacy by continuing to play past your prime; and chat randomly about the Naomi memoir, We Are the World, and The Traitors (spoilers abound). 1:00 Grammys: the Swift of it all 10:00 The broader problem: the Grammys’ failure to recognize Black women 21:20 Sone actual highlights from the Grammys 30:15 Memoirs 41:25 Will tennis ever change its schedule due to climate change? 43:50 Who will be the next first-time Slam winners? 46:05 Why do they keep protecting that guy? The sunk cost fallacy 48:45 Traitors: spoilers ahead for all versions 55:45 Best-of-5 for women + court speeds 61:00 Ideal tennis dinner guests, the evolution of tennis kits 65:05 Andy Murray and the idea of “tarnishing” one’s legacy
The 2024 Australian Open wrapped with Aryna Sabalenka defending her title and Jannik Sinner snapping both Djokovic’s dominance and Medvedev’s almost inexhaustible energy to win his first major title. Amidst increasing coverage of the abuse charges against him, Zverev comes dangerously close to reaching a Djokovic-less final but Daniil says ‘calma.’ In good news, Zheng Qinwen breaks out even earlier than expected, Hsieh Su-Wei wins the third and fourth Slam titles of her return to tennis, and Rohan Bopanna reaches #1 at age 43. 01:25 Sabalenka defends her Australian title without much trouble 13:50 Shakey shake! Coco’s run 19:05 Jannik Sinner’s patience and smarts help him win his first major title 27:00 Daniil Medvedev finds the poetry in losing 30:40 The strangest Djokovic semifinal 35:10 Calma: Medvedev stops the Zverev momentum 42:00 The coverage of the abuse allegations against Zverev reach a peak 49:15 Doubles! Bopanna at #1, Hsieh’s continued doubles dominance 56:20 Et ceteras: record attendance doesn’t always make a pleasant experience; a few more fashion notes
We’ve reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where the women’s draw has swallowed up all but 4 seeded players. Amidst the chaos, we’ve still got the defending champion, the US Open champion, and a number of players who’ve been expected to break out for a while. On the men's side, only seeded players have made the quarters. We chat a bit about the surprises (Borges, Cazaux) and whether anyone will stop Novak from getting his 11th title. We also talk about the kits we liked (Coco and Grigor ftw); the Sports Illustrated layoffs; and, in light of so many mothers playing this Australian Open, we answer a listener question about maternity and paternity leave. 4:05 Men’s quarters - Djokovic rounding into form 16:25 Women’s draw: some would say carnage, we would say chill 28:40 Noskova d. #1 Swiatek 33:10 The fashions: are the fashions in the room with us? 37:45 Eight mothers in the AO draw: what are the tours doing on mat/pat leave? 50:45 Sports Illustrated lays off all editorial staff 57:00 Andre and Steffi present … Simona?
Six days into the Australian Open and most of the comeback kids are gone (except for Anisimova). On day five, chaos reigned down in Melbourne: Rybakina is gone after losing the longest tiebreak in Slam history, Medvedev scrapes through at 3:30 am, Swiatek survives a tussle with Danielle Collins, and seeds Pegula, Rune, and Kasatkina exit. The news of Zverev’s trial date and his election to the Players Council converge to dominate coverage during week one; players flail in press conferences and the ATP appears inert. Finally, we take a look at Nadal's surprising(?) new role as ambassador to Saudi tennis. 02:39 Anisimova leads the way & other comebacks 14:52 Iga v Danielle 20:36 Danielle announces her final year on tour 23:40 Rybakina, further upsets, and other notable moments 34:12 Players get wrapped up in the Zverev case 44:40 What does a good answer to Zverev questions look like for players? 52:18 Speaking of rotting, Gimelstob is back 54:02 Rafael Nadal: Ambassador or Sportswasher? 65:06 Some sad tennis news to end the episode
The 2024 Australian Open is coming whether you're ready or not, this time a day early. The top 4 women are in fine form; Iga’s quarter is cracking, Sabalenka's is less tricky, but the women's draw promises a wild fortnight. We ask whether there's a man who can stop Djokovic's 11th title run (can vs. will is a big distinction). Time is spent on the prevailing sleaziness of the following: the ATP electing Zverev to Players Council, the clueless promotion of Break Point, and Kyrgios' new Osaka-produced podcast and rebrand. We've got a full draw analysis, plus we submit our 2024 breakout picks (James has picked the same person for around 4 years straight). 2:40 Zverev elected to ATP Player Council: they’re trying hard to find rock bottom 8:25 ATP and Break Point get cooked, flayed, sautéed on Twitter 12:20 Nick Kyrgios’ new podcast and rebrand as a righteous ‘disrupter’ 25:40 Qualifying results: Hsieh retires from singles, Rodionova out 30:10 This week: Osta-kina, with their powers combined; Draper-Lehecka final 35:50 Breakout picks for 2024 39:05 Women’s draw analysis 55:05 Men’s draw analysis Join our Australian Open bracket league on the TNNS Live app!
Happy new year and welcome to The Body Serve’s 10th season! The first week of the 2024 tennis season – which actually began in 2023 – started with high-profile comebacks and ended with the WTA’s top 4 setting the standard early. It was a great weekend for TBS faves Gauff, Rybakina, Rublev, and Dimitrov, but the good news was quickly followed by Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from the Australian Open and that team winning the United Cup. Eh, you win some, you lose some. Overall, the comeback kids performed well enough to inspire a lot of optimism, the United Cup presented a much better product compared to its 2023 debut, and we’re off to the races. 0:35 GoFundMe Update https://www.gofundme.com/f/rwprw-the-body-serve-tennis-podcast and what we’re looking forward to in 2024! 7:10 Week one was about comebacks: Rafa says hola and adiós a todos 16:50 Naomi back from maternity leave and having fun 20:05 Kerber gets the optimal preparation at United Cup: a bunch of match play even if you lose 25:45 United Cup is much improved 32:55 Rybakina stuns Sabalenka in AO ‘23 rematch 39:30 The Grishaissance continues as Dimitrov earns that Lacoste money 46:20 Cocofina defends a title for the first time
To round out our 9th season, we’re leaving you with one more bonus episode for the holidays. You sent us thoughtful questions and we answer them with probably more light-heartedness than usual. You challenged us to identify our guilty tennis pleasures, our take on the Simona-Patrick blame game, Steve Simon’s shift away from CEO, our favorite tennis era and would-be rivalries, and much more. Happy holidays and see you in 2024! 4:15 Are you excited for next season? 8:30 Simona’s doping case: the shift toward blaming Patrick 15:10 Why do men … (I swear this isn’t going where you think) 19:40 FMK Reader submissions: this is the mildly problematic part 26:50 Back to tennis: what happens first …? 29:40 How have you kept your interest in tennis alive? Favorite era? 41:40 TV shows that have disappointed / Favorite movies of the year 51:25 What does the WTA’s leadership shakeup mean? 55:45 Best player to win only one Slam + a rivalry that could/should have been 66:35 The Riverdale to Academy Award pipeline 71:35 Guilty pleasure player? 78:20 Favorite concerts and who we’d love to see next year
Hana Mandlíková was, according to Bud Collins, “the least understood player of her generation.” A 4-time major champion, Hana was “some whimsical genius,” the presumed successor to the Evert-Navratilova reign, and at times she sure did make their lives difficult. But let’s dispense with the “next” whoever and the what ifs – Hana on her own is a fascinating figure, an explosive talent with a creative, athletic, and captivating serve-and-volley game. With the help of Hana’s memoir and contemporary accounts, we learn what it was like to be an internationally recognized athlete playing for a strict Communist government shaken by the defection of Martina Navratilova and other major athletes. We interrogate a bit about why Czech(oslovakia) has produced such a deep bench of tennis talent since the early 20th century. Hana Mandlíková is one of its greatest exports: a gifted, straight-talking tennis wunderkind who we hope is becoming both more understood and more appreciated. 4:40 You can’t argue with the résumé 11:00 A very quick history of Czechoslovakian tennis 21:00 Hana’s origins and the Prague Spring 27:45 Life as an Eastern Bloc athlete abroad; and Martina’s defection 35:40 1980: the jump off 39:00 Excitement builds around Mandlíková: those pesky “next Navratilova” proclamations 49:15 Big chat: Hana’s mouth gets her in trouble 55:20 1985 US Open: The crowning achievement 60:55 No what ifs 68:15 Hana & Jana 71:50 Learnings
The ATP season: it wasn’t always fun, but it’s over and that’s what matters! 2023 saw Novak Djokovic manage his schedule wisely and dominate players 15 years younger than him, even as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev attempted to wrest men’s tennis away from him. On this episode, we’ll take you through the season’s highlights and big winners, discuss off-court stuff, and evaluate our breakout picks and your own hopes and dreams for the season that was. All that plus a pop quiz! 03:45 Where were we at the start of 2023? 09:25 Novak returns to Australia and Craig outlaws booing (unrelated) 16:15 Medvedev threatens the Djokovic-Alcaraz domination 20:00 Clay: Rafa’s absence looms large but Novak wins his third 25:20 Carlos spoils the potential Grand Slam at Wimbledon 29:30 Summer hardcourts and the US Open: Sinner starts percolating, Ben emerges 36:25 Italy wins Davis Cup! Exploring the Pietrangeli-Sinner beef 41:55 Season stats + a quiz! 49:50 Off-court: Players’s criminal cases; Kosmos & ITF suing each other; ATP business 56:35 Our breakout picks for 2023: how’d we do? 59:30 Our picks for the ATP Awards 66:45 What you’ll remember, what made you mad, and what you found funny this season: not much, it turns out 70:50 Looking back at your hopes for the 2023 season
The 2023 season started and ended with Iga Swiatek as the player to beat, but it wasn’t a repeat of her utterly dominant 2022. A new elite separated itself from the field, as Sabalenka won her first Slam and achieved the #1 ranking, Coco Gauff won the US Open, Marketa Vondrousova shocked Wimbledon, and Rybakina scored three wins over Iga. Off the court, it was an unusually busy year in terms of WTA business news and rising player discontent over scheduling, finances, and plain respect. We’ll do a chronological recap of the season and talk about the overarching trends and biggest winners, followed by your contributions for the things that made you angry in 2023, the funniest moments, and what you’ll remember about the season. 01:20 Launching our 2024 Go Fund Me 09:35 The big winners of the 2023 season 16:10 Where was the WTA Tour at the start of 2023? 19:10 Recapping the season: Sabalenka’s Australian Open and the winter season 27:50 Clay was all about the “big 3,” but Muchova almost snatched 35:10 Vondrousova, the unexpected 43:15 The hardcourt summer made Coco Gauff a superstar 57:25 Superlatives, statistics, and picking the winners of the WTA Awards 01:09:35 Our 2023 breakout players: how’d we do? 01:12:10 WTA Business: CVC investment, safeguarding, WTA Finals bids, and testing the waters on Saudi investment 01:17:10 The moments you’ll remember from the 2023 season 01:21:50 The moments that made you mad: the Madrid disaster takes the cake 01:28:00 Your funniest moments of 2023: poor Kerrilyn 01:34:10 Retirements and comebacks
The 2023 tennis season is barreling toward the finish line. First up: the Canadian women win their first ever BJK/Fed Cup behind huge performances by Leylah Fernandez, Marina Stakusic, and Gaby Dabrowski. Novak Djokovic distances himself even farther from the field by dominating Alcaraz and Sinner to win the ATP Finals. There was a ton of discussion about throwing a round robin match to remove the #1 player – and plenty of good reasons for and against – but in the end it was moot, as Jannik Sinner went undefeated in round robin only to be overpowered by Djokovic in the final. Elsewhere, it’s the end of Newport, Atlanta, Krejcikova-Siniakova, and Murray-Lendl (for the third time). Plus, that Defector story about Racquet and some self-reflection about where we’ve been and where we’d like the podcast to go. 01:30 Canada wins its first BJK Cup! 06:30 Novak is not bothered by the field. At all. 09:00 To tank or not to tank (Well, it’s actually a problem of design, not ethics) 17:50 The final: Novak outhits and outserves Sinner 28:00 Newport and Atlanta out 30:10 Rafa returning? Plus the era’s best doubles pairing is over 34:15 Defector story about the upheaval at Racquet 41:30 Some meta-reflection on where we are with the podcast
It’s hard to know where to start with the WTA Finals in Cancun, where the poor conditions and seemingly shoddy preparation overshadowed much of the actual play. The WTA is suffering a reputational crisis and a player rebellion, with players complaining publicly and demanding better conditions, scheduling, income, and leave policies. Amidst all this noise, Iga Swiatek stomps through the field and regains the #1 ranking. Elsewhere, Alexander Zverev was issued a penalty order in the domestic abuse case brought by his ex-partner Brenda Patea. Of special interest to us is the ATP’s continued mishandling of the Zverev problem and abuse allegations in general. In et ceteras, Patrick Mouratoglou “feels” responsible for Simona’s ban but stops short of saying he is responsible. 01:30 Novak wins Paris Masters and the gulf has hardly ever felt bigger 08:10 Iga Swiatek’s deeply impressive run in Cancun + the hellish conditions, natural and otherwise 17:10 The backdrop of the player frustrations: a letter of player demands and the WTA’s late response 28:20 The PTPA’s media blitz 30:00 Wrapping the WTA Finals chat with doubles 33:05 Zverev issued a penalty order for bodily harm against former partner and mother of his child 39:40 The ATP’s inaction: a timeline 50:15 Patrick, do you feel responsible or are you responsible?
TBS 320 arrives as the tours (mercifully) make their final few stops of the season. We recap the results of the past week: Sinner, Auger-Aliassime, and Haddad Maia all score big wins for their respective careers. As you know, James is the resident tennis-player-catches-a-doping-case enthusiast (?) and he’s back to provide updates about Brooksby and Halep. There’s WTA Finals talk as well as a few things we’ve HAD IT with. 02:49 Jannik’s red wig isn’t budging 06:20 Felix says he’s back! 07:15 Haddad Maia doubles up in Zhuhai 12:47 In-depth look at Jenson Brooksby’s case of negligence 33:04 Serena catches a photo-cropping case 36:35 WTA Finals arrives in Cancun – we did it (barely) 43:49 We’ve HAD IT
Admittedly, this hasn’t been our most productive October ever, but we’re here! First, we’re recapping two weeks of results, including a 12th title for Monfils, a first for Shelton, Mertens remaining the only ever winner of Monastir, and Zheng Qinwen triumphing shortly after coach Fissette dipped. Also: Holger Rune hires Boris Becker, recently released from prison and deported from the UK; the Cincinnati Masters will stay put; Craig Tiley promises something he can’t promise; and Naomi sells her likeness to Mark Zuckerberg. And what’s the deal with the lack of women on Tennis Channel and the WTA Board and Tournament Council? 0:30 Autumn fatigue, for players and podcasters alike 4:00 Monfils, Shelton, Fils, and Townsend make it a fantastic weekend for Black players 11:15 WTA results: Mertens, Siniakova, Korpatsch; Zheng wins Zhengzhou, Peggy wins one for mom 20:10 WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai gets underway with a stellar field 23:55 Holger Rune hires Boris Becker 26:55 Zumba instructor Garbiñe Muguruza isn’t thinking about tennis 31:15 Cincinnati will stay in Cincinnati after getting Ohio to put up enough taxpayer money 35:25 Craig Tiley announces Rafa Nadal’s appearance at the Aus Open and no one is more surprised than Rafa 44:10 Naomi Osaka and Candle Gender sell their likenesses to Meta 47:20 Diana Nyad changes her mind on trans inclusion (it relates to tennis, I swear) 55:35 Where are all the women on the WTA Board and the Tournament Council?
Tennis returns to China after four years away, as Iga Swiatek reminds us who's boss and Jannik Sinner takes a huge step forward by beating Alcaraz and Medvedev for the Beijing title. Meanwhile, the Cancun organizers are building their Field of Dreams in less than a month and several top players are already bowing out of BJK Cup. We also cover the growing chorus of abuse survivors who are taking aim at the USTA, and why this is far from the last time we'll hear about it. Plus, a few diversions about Zheng, "athleticism," Safarova's extremely brief non-return, and how tennis babies its players when it comes to endangering the people who work on court. 1:05 WTA returns to China with none of what it demanded 7:00 Iga sets things straight with Beijing title 12:25 Jannik Sinner gets his first Meddy win by using a tactic that’s becoming more common … 18:35 WTA Finals in Cancun: stadium is loading ... (currently at 1%) 27:15 Can you ever forgive me? Qinwen says definitely not 33:30 It’s not only about trans people’s participation in sports and it never was 38:30 Tennis is very unserious about hitting staff with flying objects 42:40 USTA legal team under fire for how they’ve handled sex abuse cases 54:30 Lucie Safarova’s very brief return to tennis 56:25 We saw Stevie Nicks!
Hiiiiiii, we’re back to discuss the fallout from the Simona Halep verdict and the tennis results since the U.S. Open. Now that Simona has been officially handed a four year suspension, we have a bit more clarity as to what’s been going on in actuality, not just on social media. Spoiler: it doesn’t look good for the former world #1 and two-time Slam champ. Maria Sakkari did what needed to be done (at long last) in Guadalajara, it’s just too little too late for Félix at Laver Cup, and we weigh in on Elena’s performance bye disgust in Tokyo 01:10 Patrick goes on CNN to claim Coco’s success and divert attention 04:00 The Simona verdict is handed down: the fallout 15:01 Darren is still going to bat for Simona 19:33 Why are players and journalists undermining the anti-doping process? 27:47 Now, why did Serena wade into this mess? 29:52 Sakkari headlines the post-USO results. Good on ya, mate 37:38 Barbie K is back and Kenin is on the come up 38:55 The men: All of a sudden Félix has something to say 43:29 Rafa news and it doesn’t sound good (to us) 45:16 Ryabkina and coach let it rip at the WTA and on social media 51:11 Some concerning news about Holger Rune’s health
Welcome to Part II of our US Open wrap, this time focusing on the men’s draw. Djokovic wins #24 and the challengers (aside from Alcaraz) have gotten no closer to cracking him mentally or physically … they’ve perhaps gotten even farther away. We talk about the semis, including the straight boy shade fest over PhoneGate and Medvedev’s 12 out of 10 performance against Alcaraz. The other major story of the week is Simona Halep’s 4-year ban for doping, handed down by an independent tribunal. It doesn’t look good, folks. We finish up with the Williams-Ohanian tweets, some trophy size comparison, the WaPo match fixing story, and a few more odds and ends. 0:30 ND24: sharing a throne with Margaret Court (and if you don’t like it you’ll be told to “cry more”) 6:00 Stubborn Medvedev against serve and volleying Djokovic 16:45 My country, my tax shelter + more semiotics! 30:30 Djokovic-Shelton: the phone thing and banking on Shelton’s overall appeal to the youths 45:30 Doubles: Ram/Salisbury threepeat, Bopanna runner-up at 43 51:45 The Spectrum-Disney stalemate blacks out US Open tennis for millions 55:20 Simona Halep’s 4-year ban: first, the news 62:15 The Halep fallout: Patrick, Serena, Genie 77:35 US Open trophies: if size doesn’t matter then why … nevermind 83:40 Reporting from the Washington Post on the largest match fixing ring in tennis history
Coco Gauff -- a child prodigy who built her career step by step -- grabs her first major title at 19 to cap a stunning turnaround this summer. She slays every question, embraces gratitude, thanks her haters, and will leave New York a superstar. Aryna Sabalenka ascends to world no. 1 for the first time, reaching the semifinals in every Slam this year, but couldn't stop Gauff in the final. The US Open leaves women's tennis in a truly exciting place, with a clear top tier and a number of women with diverse playing styles always a threat to win. We're also talking about the WTA Finals announcement, the second annual ball controversy, doubles, and Pegula's rich girl confidence. 0:30 Cori Dionne Gauff is the US Open champion! 7:15 The final: fighting back from a first set blowout 25:45 How we talk about male coaches in women’s tennis 31:15 Aryna’s disarming honesty 40:05 Madison zones for 70 minutes but comes up short against Sabalenka 48: Other notes from the second week: Ostapenko’s fitness should not be in doubt 53:20 Doubles: Dabrowski/Routliffe win the title and Townsend lit up the courts all week 59:35 The WTA Finals are where? 63:35 What is up with the US Open balls? 71:30 Speaking of haters
We're fresh off our second visit to the US Open (and James' first!) and sharing our observations of the grounds, the big stadiums, the Honey Deuces, and the record crowds. James tells the story of night one on Ashe, something he's wanted to experience for a long time. Coco Gauff wrested control of the match but Laura Siegemund and her antics spurred *discourse* that crossed into the mainstream. We discuss the matches we saw, the big breakthroughs, and where we are in the draw. We're also covering the mysterious "respiratory [and apparently gastro] illness" ripping its way through the site, the competing bids for the WTA Finals, some big American retirements we're not torn up about, and finally, celebrating Black excellence at the US Open. 5:10 Night 1: Siegemund's scams and her failure to own them 13:40 Michelle Obama?! 17:30 The overcrowding is no joke but finding respite with Dasha on Court 6 made my Tuesday 28:30 There’s marijuana in the park?! Plus observations of the stadiums 31:55 Everybody is sick - what have we *not* learned a few years into a pandemic? 38:10 Round of 16 lineup: 4 Americans each in the men's and women's draws, very few major upsets 53:00 Court 5 and Holgerian hubris 55:55 Another delay with Simona Halep’s doping case 61:20 Isner and Sock retire and do we care? 66:55 The bad publicity surrounding a potential WTA Finals move to Saudi Arabia 73:15 A few thoughts before signing off
It’s The Body Serve’s second visit to the US Open (James’ first!). We recorded part of this episode in Toronto, minutes before leaving for the airport, and then broke down the draws after arriving in Queens. There was a lot of news to get through, namely the ATP’s financial security pilot program and the rumors of the WTA Finals taking place in Saudi Arabia. Our draw analysis focuses on first round matches to watch, the Americans’ chances, the fourth consecutive Iga-Coco quarter, and the contenders hoping to spoil another coronation. 1:05 Where are the WTA Finals going to be played? Riyadh, Prague, Washington, DC are options 7:35 The ATP’s Baseline program: guaranteed income, injury protection, and money for up and comers 14:20 State of the tours ahead of the US Open, compared to last year 21:45 Mother is a mother again! 24:40 Previewing the draws from NY! 26:15 Men’s draw: another Alcaraz-Sinner quarter? Anyone stopping Novak? 40:15 Women’s draw: Iga is the favorite but the hype is high for Gauff, Pegula + Muchova, Sabalenka, and Rybakina are top challengers
Cincinnati was starting to feel like a hangover from the Canadian tournaments but finals Sunday turned that all around. Coco Gauff grabbed her first 1000 title -- going 11-1 since her loss at Wimbledon -- and Djokovic beat Alcaraz over 4 hours in one of the more dramatic three-set matches you'll see. Are we seeing a May-December rivalry in the vein of Martina-Steffi? We've also got the bee story and the return of The Rant, with each of us giving it a go. 1:05 The blazing women’s 100m final because this is a Jamaican track and field stan podcast 5:35 Coco Gauff wins her first 1000 title (and the defunct US Open Series) 15:55 Townsend & Parks win the women’s doubles title 18:55 The rivalry that men’s tennis desperately needs 24:35 Give me the juice 34:10 Bees in the trap: Tsitsipas vs Bee Lady 38:40 Was that too harsh? (a common refrain in our household) 42:00 Vaya con Dios, Robert y Juan Sebastian 44:35 The Rant is back (Parental Advisory)
Tennis returned to Canada as weather wreaked bedlam on the women's draw in Montréal. Jessie Pegula won her second 1000 title and scored a great win over #1 Iga Swiatek, but we need to talk about some horrendous scheduling decisions that impacted Rybakina and runner-up Samsonova. Jannik Sinner wins his first Masters title on the men's side, while de Minaur and Paul record massive wins of their own. We've also got Casper Ruud's tour of Canadian Content, the weird rules revelation in the Raonic-Tiafoe match, and the strange persistence of American high school line dance standard "Cotton Eye Joe." Most importantly, we ask you all to decide once and for all: is Danielle Collins a Karen or an icon? 01:04 : Cincy FOMO and our initial forays into Toronto tennis this year 07:20 Recapping the men's action in TO amidst intermittent weather 13:41 Casper Ruud's many many looks off the court 19:51 The women's tournament is rocked and wrecked by rain 27:38 The Notebook: an Iga hate story 31:52 Where did you come from, where did you go? 33:59 Is she a Karen or is she iconic? 38:23 Caro's back and the reviews are mixed 41:46 A net is not a net, when there's no doubles players there 45:49 Coco's revival and Brad's involvement 51:38 Now, why is Dasha in it? Kyrgios is unthinking, unserious, and unsavory
Welcome to the brief, post-Wimbledon grass-clay-hardcourt-Euro-American-Hopman Cup season, with players fighting for money and points across various countries on all surfaces. We start with the news of Mikael Ymer’s 18-month suspension for missing doping tests (the ITF didn’t like the first ruling so they went back to the well). Then we move on to the news that Alexander Zverev’s ex-partner has pressed criminal charges for bodily harm, which are currently winding their way through German courts. We talk newcomers Akugue and Michelsen, Ruud’s bagels, and what’s next for the summer hard court swing. 1:00 Mikael Ymer banned for missing doping tests after the ITF appealed his innocent verdict 8:35 New criminal charges filed against Zverev for intimate partner violence, Berlin prosecutor applies for penalty order 17:10 The Zhang/Toth incident in Budapest - Toth was wrong but the reaction swung wildly out of proportion 25:50 Kei Nishikori is back! 28:05 Breakthroughs for Noma Noha Akugue, Clervie Ngounoue and Queenwen! 34:20 ATP updates: Mannarino at home on grass, plus Alex Michelsen, Fils, Ruud, and Stanley 43:05 Canadian Open ticket prices, my word! 47:20 RIP Sinéad
Well well well, what has Wimbledon wrought?! Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova are your singles champions, defeating Novak Djokovic and Ons Jabeur respectively. We try to get to the bottom of how both results happened, while touching on some of the other happenings from the final stretch of the tournament. Many congratulations to Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty on the births of their babies, and a closing rant by James on Novak hagiography 01:12 Carlos Alcaraz did WHAT? 14:00 Does this shift the best men's player narrative? 17:00 Will Alcaraz’s win signal that the field has a chance? No 25:16 Put some respect on Vondrousova's name 35:10 Jabeur disappointment and moving forward 40:48 WTA consistency: Svitolina, Swiatek & Pegula 44:24 Rounding out the Wimbledon champions 47:48 Babies Osaka and Barty have arrived! 49:25 Jennifer Brady is back & one final rant from James on Novak hagiography
