The Body Serve

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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