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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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