The Tennis Tragic #040 / Paradise Lost / The Tragic Three are stunned by Ash Barty's unexpected retirement as David reflects on the experience of awaiting entry to Tennis Paradise.  We also rate our satisfaction from watching Tommy Paul take down Zverev (average score: 9.5/10), discuss Naomi Osaka's response to a heckler, continue to express our complicated fascination with Nadal, dissect the new unified Grand Slam final set rules, try to talk ourselves onto Team Alcaraz, and imagine Taylor Fritz as a fifties-era All-American high school football team captain.

The Tennis Tragic #039 / No War Please / Matte and David discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine and how it has impacted the world of professional tennis.  We discuss sanctions, protests in Russia, Medvedev at #1, Rublev asking for peace, Svitolina's statement and victory over Potapova, the Yastremska sisters' humanitarian wildcard, Wladimir Klitschko, team competitions, the refugee crisis, nationalism in sport, David's visit to ATP Dallas, Jenson Brooksby, George Bush, Stefan Kozlov lost at sea and subsequent Rafa bloodletting, and Sacha Zverev's most recent expression of Darkness.

We conclude on a lighter note with an examination of style and color in our first Fashion Update of 2022.

The Tennis Tragic #038 / The Kid Stopped Dreaming / Rafa and Ash concluded the 2022 Australian Open with two perfect days of tennis, but defeated Daniil's childhood dream may have died in the process.  David and Matte discuss the Special K's, the theoretical value of tennis etiquette, coaching from the box, string tension, Daniil's somber press conference, whether one would rather win a 250 or defeat Roger Federer in the first round, Mark Shorter's painting of Ash Barty's fist, David's feelings about Rafa's aesthetic, and our loss of credibility following Episode 037's audacious predictions.

The Tennis Tragic #037 / Toil and Trouble / If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly...

The tragedy of Novak casts a long shadow...  but the Australian Open 2022 Draw hath been released, and here, upon this bank and shoal of time, we imagine the many-fork'd road ahead.  Who might win or lose?  How might the swirling chaos and high-level professional competition conspire to delight and disappoint us during the coming fortnight?  We patiently pick our way through the branches of the draw, discuss various injustices perpetrated by the Australian government, make an impassioned argument in favor of player-based tennis merchandise, and conclude by selecting two radically unlikely future champions.

The Tennis Tragic #036 / Signs of True Tragedy / The gang reconvene after a humane period of rest to try and recall events of the past year.  We reflect on Novak's triumph and heartbreak, Emma Raducanu's future, Krejickova's double, the Andreescu roller-coaster, missing Rafa, the coming Age of Darkness, Medvedev's occasional edge, and exchange Tennis Tragic parenting tips in anticipation of Alex's future Slam champion and World Number One.

The Tennis Tragic #028 / God / In this special, "lost" episode, spiritual consultant Callie Collins joins the pod for a special conversation about sport and religion.  Callie and David discuss Dan Evan's Crown of Thorns tattoo, suffering, sacrifice, surrender, the spiritual lives of the Big Three, Roger Federer at confession, self-awareness, performative religion and ritual, Serena, Senna, and our Lord and Savior Mickey Mouse.

Also: Matte and David are moved to poetry by springtime events in Munich and Davy Gravy asks Callie if it is possible for artificial intelligence to possess an immortal soul.

The Tennis Tragic #035 / Wall Street and the Dead Fish / The 2021 US Open has swept through like a hurricane, unearthing a bounty of priceless dramatic treasure.   The Tragic Three examine nuggets of intrigue under the microscope - from the player's bathroom to the trophy grandstand and everywhere in-between.  Gems include: Daniil's victory celebration, Raducanu's unsettling perfection, Leylah's spirit and soul, Novak winning in defeat, Zverev's first age of darkness averted, Bianca Andreescu channeling the end of Braveheart, Jack Sock summoning otherworldly energies, the absence of line umpires, and Stefanos Tsitsipas taking his sweet time.  We send intrepid AI field reporter Matte Blacke into the bowels of Arthur Ashe for an interview with Stefanos, and close with a mindfulness meditation for Medvedev.

The Tennis Tragic #034 / Zverev's First Age of Darkness / The Tragic Three convene to discuss ill omens and dark premonitions, and also the US Open 2021 Draw.  Many greats have fallen into the pit of despair; will the tainted Alexander Zverev begin a reign of terror?  Or will other, more enjoyable villains emerge from the ruins?  We also discuss human nature and pre-class society, debating the possibilities of a better, more cooperative world.  Is competition a natural byproduct of our being?  Or is it a reflection of the age in which we live?

The Tennis Tragic #033 / Wonderful Wimbledon / The Tragic Three gather to revel in the glory and pageantry of the inspiring 2021 Wimbledon Championships.  Ash Barty realizes her childhood dreams, the Duke of Kent is taken out of cold storage for a final time, Tom Cruise makes a case for inclusion in the royal family, and Novak Djokovic eats the grass (again).  Also: Matte and David take a closer look at the sport's summer fashion (in white, with trims of color), look forward to a strangely quiet Olympics, and Davy Gravy educates us on the history of the Calendar Slam and the Grandfather Collar.

The Tennis Tragic #032 / It's Alive!! / The living surface claims blood and souls at Wimbledon.  We reflect on many that have been taken - Serena Williams, Sara Sorribes-Tormo, Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu - while pondering the fate of those who remain unscathed.  Will Novak Djokovic's Wolf Energy result in him eating the grass once more?  Or will the grass instead eat Novak?  Also: talk about the magic in the tennis balls, the towels and the chairs, and Andy Murray championing the cause of the working class.