The Body Serve

And just like that, another GOAT says goodbye. This time, it’s Roger Federer at Laver Cup, giving tennis and his fans one last glimpse at his greatness. Confession: we haven’t always been the biggest FedFans, but we’re still paying respect to the man and his genius, offering some of our most enduring Federer memories. Along the way, we chime in on Laver Cup itself, the tender Fedal moments, where the event worked, and where it falls short for us. ‘Til next time, Roger!  

0:30 Federer retires: regret over letting stan wars cloud our appreciation 

14:35 Federer’s imperial period: if you know, you know

17:05 Our favorite Roger memories

21:10 A non-recap of Laver Cup

29:40 The racist abuse leveled at Frances Tiafoe; fans now trying to find their next prop to prove they’re not racist

37:40 The touching retirement punctuated by truly absurdist theatre

41:20 Rafa & Roger’s unique and genuine bond - men showing affection!

52:20 Big Three or Big Four? Yes, we want to go there, just for a minute

55:10 What exactly is Federer’s legacy? What did he bring to tennis that no one had before? (thanks @seasaltandrum for the question!)

The final Slam of the season sees Iga Swiatek troubleshoot and learn now to extend her dominance, and the coronation of the (not very) long awaited Carlos Alcaraz as a major winner and youngest male #1 in history. As always, we try to be skeptical of hype and take a fresh look at the results and what they might mean for the near future. Also at this US Open: the shambolic choice to have Supreme Court Justice Patrick McEnroe helm the women's doubles presentation, profiteering off Serena's name, and more awful revelations about sexual abuse in women’s tennis. 

2:30 Iga Swiatek doesn’t always play her best but proves why she’s the dominant #1

14:40 The women’s draw gets a wonderful crop of quarterfinalists, representative of many of the year’s best

21:45 Are we in the Iga Era? How do we define a deserving number one? What do we want from women's tennis? Who cares! Sit back and watch 

24:35 Men’s champ: from barely bleating to curry-ready

35:10 Frances Tiafoe! Not to say I told you so but …  

42:50 Listen to Jonathan stretch a subordinate clause far past its breaking point 

44:55 Women’s doubles: Krejcikova/Siniakova win the Career Slam; plus, the massive insult of Patrick McEnroe presiding over this trophy ceremony

56:10 TW: SA - Fiona Ferro’s case against her former coach puts another spotlight on abuse and exploitation in women’s tennis

60:55 Et ceteras: bootleg Serena merch, the too-late night matches, and the partisan but only partially engaged US Open crowd

69:25 WTA Finals is moving to … Texas?

73:11 Randomly, our favorite and least favorite types of pasta 

Well folks, that was quite the first week of the US Open, wasn't it? Jonathan is back from his trip to Flushing Meadows, and we are back to talk about Serena's last dance (or at least our first stab at it). There's a lot to unpack from the first week of the season's last major, so grab a honey deuce and join us for the ride.

2:35 Serena d. Kontaveit

12:00 The Farewell: Serena bows out to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round 

26:10 Jonathan’s observations from the US Open: Venus, Danielle, The Penko Experience 

43:00 Thoughts on Arthur Ashe Stadium

54:40 Indulge me for a moment: the sound mix and off-court coaching

64:45 Commentary, a lifetime appointment?

69:20 Quickly running through where we’re at in the draw: women’s round of 16 is stacked

81:35 Rafa’s first week: nerves and a shocking smack in the nose

We're piecing together a preview for the US Open on precarious hotel wifi, but the show must go on! After all, this is Serena's final Slam. Jonathan is in NY taking in the action, while James holds down the TBS fort (i.e. Vince) in Toronto. Hear Jonathan's initial thoughts on TBS’s first trip to a Slam, plus we're talking about Novak’s eleventh hour withdrawal, this year’s version of the bathroom break distraction, and of course the just released US Open draws, seemingly some of the most balanced draws in recent memory.

01:05 Jonathan's initial thoughts on Flushing Meadows and the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

12:25 To no one’s surprise the entry requirements did not change and Novak Djokovic pulls out of the US Open at the last minute 

20:00 Kyrgios legal update plus a perfect distraction, a ridiculous defamation suit

27:30 WTA draw: hey, it could have been a lot worse

30:30 Women’s top half: cracking first rounds, including Queenwen vs. Ostapenko and Raducanu vs. Consecutive Slam Queen Cornet 

42:00 Women’s bottom half: Madison gets a tough road early on; Serena’s fourth quarter … what to make of it

48:30 Men’s draw: a historic #1 seed leads a wide open draw 

Cincinnati lost its stars early but still brought us a wickedly good weekend, with comeback kids Borna Coric and Caroline Garcia taking the titles. We talk new shoulder (Borna), new confidence (Caro), new professionalism (Stef?), and the resurgent Petra and Madison. We take a stab at the ball controversy and how it speaks to a larger battle in tennis governance. The second part of this episode features an interview with author and illustrator Tom Humberstone, whose gorgeous graphic novel Suzanne hits bookstores in September. Suzanne Lenglen was one of the very first sporting superstars; Tom tells Suzanne’s story with specificity, avoiding comparisons with today’s greats, exploring what made her so compelling and how the well worn cliches about her fail to do justice to her life and accomplishments.  

3:30 OG NextGen kid Borna Coric is back in the conversation, wins Cincinnati with his new serve (and new shoulder)

14:30 Iga, Ons, Serena out early? No problem - Petra, Caro, and Madison are getting butts in seats

21:20 Tennis ball controversy: Iga Swiatek vs. Wilson Regular Duty

27:00 Whom does it serve to tweet about someone skipping a press conference? (Check the replies, that’s who)

30:05 Jonathan’s preferred Serena match-up and Vika’s slightly anticlimactic announcement

35:10 Interview with Tom Humberstone, author of Suzanne and Body Serve illustrator!

47:45 Translating the unique visual spectacle of Lenglen to the page 

55:15 How to balance “legacy” while honoring a person’s specific life experiences

59:20 Lenglen forced the skeptical press to respect women’s sport

We’re back after attending our first live tennis in THREE YEARS! Wow, what a moment. A moment most pleasing to us in our podcasting careers. The happy feelings didn’t last long as we had to grapple with the end of Serena’s career when she announced her imminent retirement at the US Open. We also chat about Simona and PCB’s wins in Canada before sharing a few of our observations from seeing the women in person last week. Buckle up folks, it’s going to be a hell of a ride the next few weeks 

01:53 Serena rocks our world with news of her impending retirement

10:52 The relief, the joy, and the pain of grappling with this announcement

15:16 Simona Halep fightergirls herself to the Toronto title

17:33 The pusher discourse has gotten way out of control

20:32 Putting some respect on Haddad Maia and Zheng Qinwen’s names

23:45 PCB wins his biggest career title in Montreal

32:53 Observations: Watching Serena live in Toronto

36:36 Sloane’s defence, Kenin’s comeback, and endless deuces

44:32 Loving Bianca off the court and struggling with the mess on it

49:44 Why is it always MEN who are super loud and clueless at tennis?

58:19 Let serves and Giorgi/Ostapenko live lasers

The unbearable August heat and humidity means it’s time for the North American hardcourt swing, for a brief magical period known as the US Open Series. Instead of a typical recap, we decided to present a summer hardcourt preview to mark this distinct segment of the season. Who are the old reliables on this surface? Will Medvedev extend his mastery over these courts? Will Iga add some more titles to that expanding hardcourt resume? What will Venus and Serena’s matches look like? Will Djokovic become a wedge issue in the midterms? (No.) Plus a snapshot of our favorite moments from Beyonce’s stunner, Renaissance.

2:55 What are the main storylines going into the greatest rrrrroad trip in esport?

11:20 DC: Serena descends upon the capital, creates confusion

16:55 Venus’ first match since last August - what’s the takeaway?

25:35 Hardcourt preview: the comebacks, reboots, redos, and those with something to prove

35:25 The hardcourt stalwarts of the past few years, women first: Naomi, Iga, Vika, Aryna, and more

41:20 The hardcourt “kings” and we use the term loosely

45:20 Novak Djokovic and US Republican members of Congress: with their powers combined … 

52:35 Medvedev and the race for the men’s #1

54:05 Raducanu’s choice of coach riles the British press

58:35 Our upcoming tennis plans

62:35 Beyonce’s Renaissance - a postmodern tour of Black dance music and reveling in the face of a plague

It’s the hottest part of the summer and the post-Wimbledon haze is the perfect time to outsource our agenda planning by asking our readers for questions. Fortunately, your questions were well in sync with important topics of the day and what we wanted to cover. We discuss the documentary/vlog featuring Dasha Kasatkina and Andrey Rublev; the intimacy of the format; and the considerable fallout caused by Dasha’s coming out and their tough words on their home country. We spend a little time chatting about recent tennis news but that’s really not the focus – look out for questions on the world track and field championships, climate change, R&B covers of songs from other genres, and our current favorite snacks and TV shows. 

2:00 Etceteras: Coaching splits, Matteo’s racist IG story, and TBS pet merch!

Mailbag

7:35 The Kasatkina-Rublev doc and the immediate fallout

19:35 What to make of the ATP’s partnership with You Can Play to improve LGBTQ inclusion? 

23:25 The Jamaican women continue to dominate sprinting; Shelly-Ann is the GOAT

33:45 Climate change as an existential threat to tennis 

39:45 We’re not here for the scamming

42:25 Quick diversion about snacks

45:20 What are our favorite R&B covers of songs from another genre?

48:30 Why pundits are critical about Serena’s comeback(s) and fitness level 

55:00 New TV we’ve been watching

61:50 To live and *let* live? To asterisk or not to asterisk?

Let's start with the good news: Elena Rybakina powered her way to a major title, and Ons Jabeur reached another career milestone while winning hearts and eyeballs around the world. The men's side was, uh, less appealing. Nick Kyrgios reached his first major final on the heels of an assault accusation (that's 4 ATP players currently accused of domestic violence if you're keeping count); a cursed bromance emerges; Rafa pulls out with an abdominal tear; and the younger generations fail again to capitalize on legends who weren't even close to their best tennis. 

3:05 Elena Rybakina, another surprising but not surprising Slam winner on the WTA

14:45 Ons Jabeur, self-proclaimed Minister of Happiness – and this government ain’t falling 

26:25 Tatjana Maria and reconsidering the narrative surrounding mothers in tennis

31:45 An unconventional recap of the men’s final

33:05 Nick Kyrgios is accused of assault by his ex-girlfriend, will face charges in court 

38:35 Bromance from hell

49:30 The greatest fighter narrative works for Rafa but should we be celebrating the suffering?

58:50 Doubles: Krejcikova/Siniakova earn legend status 

63:05 The ranking jumps are a little more dramatic than usual

65:40 The Telegraph spun the Serena Williams controversy wheel and came up with “five cars”

Wimbledon week one saw a GOAT come and go, her sister light up the doubles court, the two male legends anchor their sides of the draw, and the loquacious Cornet end Swiatek's 37-match win streak. Saturday lit up the tournament for reasons good and bad; after Anisimova notched an impressive win over Gauff, Kyrgios and Tsitsipas gave an absolute shit show of code violations, toxic behavior, and occasionally compelling tennis. All the while, COVID reared its ugly head despite the tournament's determination to ignore it. 

2:05 Serena, queen of net rushing and accepting her tennis mortality

14:30 Tami Korpatsch: a social media star is born

18:35 Venus & Jamie: you bring me joy

25:15 The upsets: the surprising (Hubi) and the less so (Muguruza & Kontaveit)

34:10 Round of 16 match-ups: Cornet ends Iga’s streak 

41:40 Men’s draw: Covid wreaks havoc on the bottom half

48: 50 Covid is still here, surprise! On tennis’ players’ “civic spirit”

54:05 The All England Club as an extension of the British government 

56:20 Novak’s new tennys text buddy 

58:55 The men get messy: ADF, Rafa, Nick & Stefanos