This podcast currently has no reviews.
Submit ReviewThis podcast currently has no reviews.
Submit ReviewEpisode 299 (almost there!) brings us to Andrey Rublev's first Masters title with his win over young menace Holger Rune. Medvedev & Zverev fire a few shots at each other, culminating in Daniil's clear 'we are not friends and keep my wife's name out of your mouth' moment. We talk about the WTA's decision to suspend their boycott and return to China, despite the Chinese government failing to meet the WTA's demands. Plus, a very depressing injury update, a few more thoughts on 'fairness' and what trans exclusion means for cis women, and celebrating the trans excellence of Sasha Colby, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race season 15.
1:15 Ruby wins his first Masters title!
10:20 The testy exchanges between that guy and Medvedev: “Look at yourself in the mirror”
17:45 Grigor and Andrey besties ❤️
22:45 Stuttgart so far: the fourth straight Krejcikova-Sabalenka match, Badosa rising, and an impromptu QUIZ!
33:00 WTA decides to return to China: they took a big swing on the boycott but didn’t get much solidarity
42:55 Blue Check Novak Djokovic playing in the Djokovic-owned Srpska Open but he is not enjoying the conditions
45:15 Quick bites: Conchita-Garbiñe split, horrible injury news followed by encouraging injury news
51:00 The Zendaya-Guadagnino tennis film is guaranteed to be wild
52:30 An addendum to last episode’s segment on trans inclusion: the trap of ‘fairness’
59:40 Sasha Colby wins Drag Race, rightfully!
Rain across the Southern US nearly derailed a few tennis tournaments this weekend, but Ons Jabeur and Frances Tiafoe held on to win Charleston and Houston, respectively. We chat about the early clay season, Naomi's post-baby goals, and some updates on Wimbledon, Carlos, and Iga. For a good chunk of the episode, we take on Martina Navratilova's escalating takes on trans athletes, and more broadly, trans women. How did this expand past trans women's participation in sport to a more generally exclusionary worldview? What will it take for the tennis establishment to say something?
0:35 Don’t count out Ons Jabeur just yet!
7:55 Frances Tiafoe makes it through the rain, wins career title #2
12:25 Other first-week clay events: Casper, Tatjana Maria, Dominic Thiem
16:20 Naomi Osaka’s recent interview on Japanese TV had everything; injury updates
21:10 Plus: updates from Wimbledon on their policy change on Russian and Belarusian players; a few huhs(?) and a surprise from Del Potro
Trigger warning: this is tough subject matter and there is some coarse language to follow
28:10 Martina’s history and evolution on the subject of trans women: the infamous 2019 op-ed, the apology, the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, and their misleading “facts vs feelings” rhetoric
37:05 It’s become about much more than “protecting women’s sport” - what type of womanhood is authentic?
45:50 “LGB” is a lie
49:20 It’s been time for tennis to say something
Our Miami champs – Kvitova and Medvedev – underscore how tough it is to win the Sunshine Double. Petra Kvitova completes one of her most unexpected tournament runs by winning her 30th WTA title and ninth at the 1000 level. On the men’s side, Daniil Medvedev caps an astonishing run of tournaments with title #4, and Alcaraz and Sinner’s electrifying semifinal gets widespread attention. We've also got Eubanks, Gauff/Pegula, a decision from Wimbledon, and Pouille's openness about mental health.
01:35 So much rain, so much discourse
05:25 Petra wins title #30!
16:15 Barbie K says WTA Big 3 is fake news!
18:55 Yes, Sinner vs. Alcaraz is becoming a really good rivalry
27:35 Medvedev turns his whole trajectory around these past few months: 4 titles in 5 tries
30:50 Chris Eubanks makes his career-best run and enters the top 100
34:45 Between Gauff, Pegula, and Townsend (and more!), American women’s doubles is lit
38:20 Wimbledon will allow Russian & Belarusian players who sign neutrality declarations
42:20 When is Rafa returning?
44:20 Lucas Pouille opens up about depression, substance use, and learning humility
We’re coming to you mid-Sunshine Double, which at this point is more like Sunshine Month? Sunshine Quarter? Anyway, pack your SPF. We’re seeing storylines emerge for the year: is there a WTA Big 3 emerging? Who else will join that top tier? Is Carlos poised to dominate? Will the racquet talk? Beyond the tennis being played, we’re covering two continuing stories: the attempts by the WTA to protect players from abuse and exploitation, and the CVC/WTA deal and what that means for revenue. We also have a discussion on one of our favorite topics: the state of tennis journalism and its many challenges.
0:35 Hashtag tyranny
4:55 Rybakina beats Iga & Aryna to win Indian Wells - a new “big 3?”
14:20 Carlos comprehensively picks apart the draw in IW
19:00 Miami so far: is Bianca “back?” Taro Daniel bagels AZ, the world cheers
24:30 Iga debuts a new clothing sponsor
29:40 Continuing story: new developments with the WTA’s efforts to combat abuse
37:45 More on the CVC deal: finding new revenue opportunities based on the social (and real) value of equal prize money
43:50 The conundrum of tennis, or any sport, having a diligent, critical, and *paid* press corps
55:10 Listener questions: Scream 6 and Daddy Pedro Pascal
It’s a little bit of everything this week -- first, some thoughts on the first week of Indian Wells, whose courts are slower than Daniil Medvedev’s bathroom breaks (his words). We chat about Murray, Medvedev, Raducanu, Muchová, and the undeniable Ben Shelton. In business news, we talk about the WTA’s official partnership with CVC Capital Partners, a private equity firm that has just promised a $150m in new and better revenue streams for women’s tennis. Plus, Denis Shapovalov goes all in on gender pay equity, Netflix’s Break Point announces a season two, and Rafa’s all-time top 10 record is lost.
0:30 Some housekeeping and a thank you
3:10 Indian Wells week one: Daniil says it’s not a hardcourt (and is he really wrong?) plus some chatter about the women’s draw
10:00 Jonathan’s new fave Ben Shelton
12:50 Private equity firm CVC invests $150m in WTA Ventures, a new commercial subsidiary
17:50 The Tsurenko-Steve Simon story - where is the reporting?
23:00 You got nothing to say now? Holger Rune gives himself the rare Double L
26:40 Denis Shapovalov honors his mom and says equal pay for equal work NOW!
38:25 Big up Sloane Stephens Foundation!
39:40 We’re getting a Break Point season two whether we like it or not
45:10 Rafa’s record for consecutive weeks in the top 10 will end at 912
46:25 Injury updates: Kontaveit plus where is Jen Brady?
It’s been a rough week in the Body Serve household, as we said goodbye to our beautiful 16-year-old beagle Vince. He’s felt like a third co-host over the years, a presence who was always just off-mic (and sometimes on it when he snored).
In tennis, Barbora Krejcikova did the thing – taking out #1-2-3, saving match points, serving and getting served bagels, and pummeling Iga’s second serve to win Dubai. On the men’s side, Medvedev won three titles in three weeks, getting back into the top 10 and stopping Novak’s dominance of their head-to-head. Andy and Ruby have great weeks, plus Chaka comes for Mariah and Joe Biden catches strays over the literally endless Novak vaccine drama.
0:30 Vince
February in tennis: four continents, three Iga bagels, two male US Open champs winning titles, and one white woman wearing racially inappropriate hairstyles. This month is nothing if not eclectic. We also chat about Hsieh dropping in then dropping out of Dubai, what the hell is going with Schwartzman and Muguruza, and the breakout star who will change tennis in his country forever.
0:45 Iga generously doles out bagels; Sakkari Semifinal Segment
13:45 Wu Yibing becomes first Chinese man to win a title, also gets people to watch an Isner match
20:10 Carlos is back; plus a rankings factoid
22:50 Finance pro Matija Pecotić leaves work early to beat wild card king Jack Sock
25:45 What’s going on with Diego Schwartzman and Garbiñe Muguruza?
28:45 The disingenuous comparison of men’s records to women’s
31:50 Counting inches: Novak, the Sunshine Double, and the “proof” that nobody needs
36:15 Hsieh resurfaces, Ostapenko’s appropriation, and Eubanks’ near miss
44:40 Things we like/dislike: withholding stars, oats, and beans
Post-Australian Open tennis continues around the world, but this week we’re mostly talking about the seeming conclusions of the ATP’s two highest profile domestic violence cases (but not their only cases, btw). The ATP quietly dropped a new release shortly after the AO that the Zverev investigation had concluded and that the results were, well, inconclusive. Days later, Nick Kyrgios pled guilty to common assault against his ex-girlfriend but the charges were dismissed. A lot of tennis talkers and front-office folks will likely be relieved, but where does this leave us? Are we any closer to tennis organizations handling DV with care and responsibility? Also, more about the business side of tennis: the spectacular collapse of the Davis Cup-Kosmos deal, billionaire “disruptors,” and looking at PTPA financing and its latest presentation.
01:55 Results: Parks, Zhu, Stanley!
05:40 ATP quietly drops the news of the Zverev investigation
17:40 Nick Kyrgios pleads guilty to common assault, court drops the charges
23:50 Lots of concern about the consequences to the perpetrator
26:00 What will the ATP do? …. Bueller? Bueller?
30:10 US says COVID is over, we’re not paying for your shit anymore (and also Novak is coming)
32:40 ITF ends its Davis Cup contract with Kosmos a mere TWENTY years early
37:05 Money in tennis: the “disruptors”
40:30 What are the PTPA’s goals? Looking at their recent presentation
51:20 Lepchenko ban reduced … these supplements get ‘em every time
53:45 The Grammys do it again!
On the 14th day since the Australian Open started, we rested while Novak wept. The victimhood tour is complete, Jonathan is annoyed, and we pay it as much (or as little) attention as we can muster. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka did THAT. Wow, what a moment. From her grit, skill, and determination on court, to her goofy glamour the following day, we put some respect on that incredible women's final! Other matters of business: lots of geopolitical tensions boil over, the Djokovic pater creates yet more headache for his son, Tursunov comes for Pam, the ballkids work for free, and Babs and Kat simply don’t lose Slam matches anymore.
3:00 Sabalenka & Rybakina give us an insta-classic
16:15 The men: so …… anyway
23:45 The bweh tragedy; and Shelton’s upside and areas for improvement
31:15 Doubles: Krejcikova/Siniakova haven’t lost a Slam match since 2021; Sania plays her final Slam
35:10 Et ceteras: so, nationalism eh?
43:05 Papa Djokovic ignites a flag scandal
52:05 Pam’s tweet brings Tursunov out of the woodwork, why?
63:55 Is it work? Pay the ballkids
67:45 Tiafoe wins best dressed by a mile
72:00 ESPN keeps its team Stateside
74:30 Punting the Kosmos mess but staying for the strawberry jam
77:15 Extras: rankings movers, TBS fantasy, and a disclaimer
Welcome to the third installment of our Australian Open series! We're at the quarterfinals, and the men's draw is giving chaos while the women's seems kind of … correct? We talk about Djokovic's mini-battle with the press and overall less than sunny mood, the state of safeguarding against abuse on the WTA, and another induction into our Hall of Fame. Finally, we offer our review of episodes 4 & 5 of Break Point (much improved!) and our favorite segment, Alison Riske-Amritraj's vociferous defense of the rules.
0:00 Don’t skip the intro this time
3:50 The women’s quarters - being able to appreciate tennis as more non-partisan than ever
15:00 Azarenka captures magic again, Sabalenka fixes her f***ing serve
20:55 The men’s draw has been a touch chaotic, no?
24:25 Novak Djokovic’s resentment tour
32:40 Korda, Shelton, Ruby, Rune
42:20 The PTPA’s nothing salads
45:40 That's Not The Rule, Kerrilyn
54:15 Sabalenka gets inducted into the TBS HOF
55:00 Recapping Break Point 4 and 5 - some depth and more real insights than the previous installments
63:50 Continuing to look at the effort to curb abuse and exploitation of women on the WTA Tour
70:35 The charges against Tsitsipas and why they don’t stick
This podcast could use a review! Have anything to say about it? Share your thoughts using the button below.
Submit Review