The Body Serve

Episode 75 is our second dispatch from the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, South Carolina. The weather is moody and the top seeds are dropping like flies. Jonathan brings us two interviews: the first a casual chat with two Tennis Twitter pals, and then an engaging sit down with the one and only Mirjana Lučić-Baroni. Also, be on the lookout for an interview with Naomi Osaka on episode 76!

1:15 Jonathan's hectic day in Charleston

4:03 Keys, Venus & Vesnina headline a day of upsets

7:38 Richard Williams sightings all over Charleston

9:53 Assessing what's left of the draw

12:40 A parking lot chit chat with Twitter pals Chad (@CCSmooth13) & Bri (@4TheTennis)

27:43 The main draw: Jonathan's chat with Mirjana Lučić-Baroni.

Correction: James made a mistake - Laura Siegemund was not last year's Stuttgart champ; she was runner-up to Kerber.

We're in two different cities - Jonathan is calling in from Charleston, SC, where he is reporting on the Volvo Car Open. We have fun with our new audio equipment, while bringing you clips from Venus Williams, Madison Keys, and Sam Stosur talking to press at Charleston's All Access Hour. We also recap the results in Miami, which saw Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal for the third time this year, and hard court phenom Johanna Konta win a big title over Wozniacki.

0:40 James is in Toronto, Jonathan's in Charleston

Episode 73 is a change of pace: a whole episode full of our recurring segments, including The Rant, #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas, the Spelling Bey, and #NameTheTennisPlayer. We devote the first 20 minutes to a particularly enraging moment in John McEnroe history, one which is relevant to the continued debasement of young people of color in sport and elsewhere. After that, it's all fun and games. Your hosts take quizzes, spelling tests, and put forth their picks for the greatest players without a Slam singles title.

3:00 #NameTheTennisPlayer 

We begin episode 72 with an exciting announcement before segueing into the Indian Wells action. Of course, we couldn't leave the "desert oasis" without women's tennis being degraded in some way. Elena Vesnina and Svetlana Kuznetsova put on a show before Roger Federer continued his 2017 resurgence; we're miffed as to how Fed's been able to transform his backhand. James takes another tennis quiz and we finish the show with a few etceteras: good news on Kvitova's recovery, Sloane's star turn off the court, and some hilarious moments from finals day at Indian Wells.

1:34 A Body Serve announcement!

4:54 Damned if you do, damned if you don't - women's tennis just can't win

7:30 Just come out and admit you don't like women's sport & you hate women's tennis

9:30 A wonderful women's final at Indian Wells

13:58 Venus' bizarre week

16:14 James pulls out a receipt on Vesnina

18:10 Assessing the Williamses return to Indian Wells since 2015

24:20 Federer has zero chill and James is a bit pressed

25:47 How in the hell is Fed's backhand doing all THAT?!

36:35 Other Indian Wells standouts

39:20 Etceteras: Sloane's breakout TV turn, Petra's good news, Stan gets explicit & trophygate

46:35 James takes a quiz!!! (Apologies to James - Muguruza was not an ATROCIOUS guess)

51:50 Things we like and dislike

In Episode 71, we're bidding farewell to a breakneck month of tennis. On the docket: Kerber misses a chance to reclaim #1 in Dubai, but she will have no shortage of chances to do so in the coming months. Meanwhile, the Big Four returned in Dubai and Acapulco to mixed reviews. We're very pleased for Ash Barty and her breakout week in Kuala Lumpur, and we delve into the Sharapova wild card situation re: the French Open. 

1:52 Kerber's missed opportunity for #1, many more to come

4:44 Milos' brittleness holds him back...again

7:24 Thirsting for Thiem #BrokenRecord

8:18 Strange week in Dubai & Acapulco for the ATP

12:41 Federer's surprise collapse, virtuosity & mental strength

21:30 We ain't mad at Nole's 12-word presser

23:50 Rafa's week in Acapulco & the Querrey blitz

27:58 HUGE week for Ash Barty & we ain't mad about that either

30:22 You know Hingis is already on the phone after Garcia/Mladenovic split

35:10 The Sharapova French Open wild card situation

42:27 Tennis Channel Buys Tennis.com

46:03 Small preview of Indian Wells

56:43 One thing we like, one we don't: "One Day at a Time" & hideous male facial hair

February is jam packed with tennis tournaments. We attempt to keep up with tennis, while also catching you up on the extra-curricular happenings: the USTA plays the Nazi-era national anthem for Germany, Doug Adler sues ESPN and has a shit-fit on Twitter, Genie goes on that date, and the Grammys make us rage. All that and some discussion of Pliskova, Goffin, Sascha Bajin and Wozniacki, and the eponymous Roberto Bautista Agut.

2:15 Uncle Toni will leave his post after 2017

It's episode 69 AND our 10th anniversary. Somehow, even in the slow month of February, tennis is giving us big stories to cover, including: Denis Shapovalov's Davis Cup default, Canadians Bouchard and Pospisil making headlines for different reasons, the Davis Cup defending champs Argentina falling to Italy, Grigor Watch, Kiki and Svits winning titles, and Monfils vs. Noah drama.  

1:00 It’s our 10th anniversary!

3:30 Denis Shapovalov’s big mistake

10:30 Beyond Shapovalov, a conversation about fines and deterrents in tennis 

17:40 Genie Bouchard gets some good press for a change

20:30 Is Vasek Pospisil getting his mojo back? Other Davis Cup news

25:15 Mladenovic (St. Petersburg) and our breakout pick Svitolina (Taipei City) get titles; Grigor Dimitrov continues his great start to 2017

30:50 Gael Monfils left off French Davis Cup team, plays another sport instead

35:15 We’re launching The Body Serve’s Instagram feed (@thebodyserve)

40:30 Petition to induct Richard Williams & Oracene Price into Tennis Hall of Fame (credit to @mikeson30 and @Alatenumo)

46:50 James takes a Serena Williams quiz

It's episode 68, and we're recapping the entertaining and nostalgic 2017 Australian Open, which saw several of the all-time greats compete in the finals. 35-year-olds Serena Williams and Roger Federer won the titles and tightened their grasp on the GOAT title, despite what Margaret Court wants to say. 

4:15 Women's final: Serena def Venus to get #23

We're checking in midway through the 2017 Australian Open, a tournament marked by the shocking upsets of Djokovic, Murray, and Kerber, as well as the Old Guard (Federer, Venus, Nadal) reminding us that they're still here. We do close reads of a few matches, take another look at Novak's slump, share our frustrations about certain American players and commentators who should move on. 

1:15 Old Guard re-asserts itself, plus upset shockers

It's our second episode of 2017. Here, we're previewing the 2017 Australian Open - keep your draws handy or just listen along to our analysis. Who are our dark horse picks? What are the chances of Serena, Rafa, Angie, Roger, etc? Who do we hope against all odds will have a great showing? 

2:00 Jumping right in: Serena’s draw and her first-round opponent

8:00 Looking at the women’s bottom half – Pliskova is Serena’s biggest threat

9:30 Kerber’s chances – women’s top half

12:45 What kind of form is Garbine Muguruza in?

14:45 Elsewhere in the women’s draw: Halep, Konta, Radwanska, Kuznetsova, Venus

19:15 Women’s first round matches to watch

23:30 Men’s draw: Novak Djokovic is #2 seed, faces Verdasco in first round

32:30 The baffling Raonic-Monfils-Nadal-Zverev-RBA quarter

38:00 Men’s top half – Fed/Murray/Nishikori/Berdych share the same quarter

40:30 What are Stan’s chances based on his draw?

43:15 Interesting men’s first rounders

44:30 Jonathan’s dark horse picks

47:15 Our “wish upon a star” picks

51:30 Caroline Wozniacki gets a little mean

54:45 Sharapova and Stuttgart announce Maria’s momentous return, PR continues to be a challenge