Avsnitt
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The final major of the year is over and the champions are the same as in January: Aryna Sabalenka stakes her claim as hardcourt queen while Jannik Sinner dominates mere days after being cleared in an anti-doping case. We recap some of our highlights from week two, which had a ton of potential but didn’t deliver many (any?) classics. We dig into why disliking billionaires is actually totally fine; conflicts of interest and their sometimes humorous results; online mean girl/mean boy behavior from some famous commentators; and more observations from the site. We finish up with a look at commentator Nick Kyrgios and the complacency that led broadcasters, journalists, and commentators to excuse his misogyny; plus the ongoing lawsuit over Ben Rothenberg’s reporting on the Zverev abuse allegations.
0:35 Not the most brilliant three weeks of tennis in history but OK!
3:00 The women’s final was fun! Aryna Sabalenka bookends her year with hardcourt Slams
7:35 Billionaires, they’re just like us!
14:45 Notable week two matches: Navarro d. Badosa; Zheng d. Vekic; Aryna evolving into the most consistent Slam player on tour
19:00 Rennae cooks coach/commentator Brad Gilbert on air, and why that’s totally fine
26:55 An unseasoned final
30:50 The American narrative + Frances Tiafoe getting so close again
44:50 Penko a first-time Slam doubles winner; Taylor/Katka, Mladenovic/Zhang, D. Young
52:10 “Little grim reapers” and a few more observations from the grounds
63:40 ESPN commentators discover player name pronunciations and immediately get mean about it
71:10 Nick Kyrgios, misogyny, and the insider hypocrisy that protects him
79:45 Ben Rothenberg appeals a lawsuit from Alexander Zverev + its broader implications for journalism
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Jonathan is back from New York after attending the first three days of the US Open. James quizzes him on the record crowds, the heat, where to find the frozen Honey Deuce, the tennis, and his advice for navigating the grounds. We chat about Naomi’s divisive kit, Adidas’ misstep, and of course the cornrow epidemic. Right, and there was tennis being played, too – Novak & Carlos crash out, the men’s draw could see a real breakthrough (or not), and Paolini and Gauff win for Slam consistency this year.
1:50 The crowds: eased by free movement during matches
11:10 Experiences from the grounds: the heat, Taylor Townsend, Ngounoue/Tien
19:55 Searching for the frozen Honey Deuce
28:55 A Manhattan girlie now
30:55 It’s called fashion: Ruffles and bows
39:50 The screaming follicles
42:50 First week highlights: Tiafoe d. Shelton, Muchova reminds everyone what she can do
54:30 Alcaraz and Djokovic both out before the second week
60:20 Women’s draw chugs along as top seeds remain
72:37 Men’s draw: even with the upheaval, the title could still go to the world #1
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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The US Open is around the corner, but you know what we really want to talk about: the news of Jannik Sinner’s positive doping tests, the lifted suspensions, and the hearing that cleared his name five months later, all before we heard a single peep on the subject. We take you through the facts of the case, the questions around transparency and the perception of fairness, and the privilege of having the means to mount a case and a spokesperson like Darren Cahill on your side. We end with our US Open draw previews: Sabalenka in great position, OsakaPenko, a soft landing for Novak, a tricky quarter for Carlos and a test for Iga.
2:25 But first, the Cincy results
4:10 Yevgeny, calm down
7:05 Frances’ middle finger
11:05 Sinner v. ITIA: the facts
23:10 What does No Fault or Negligence mean?
33:30 “One-billionth of a gram” + the privilege of great PR
47:50 Women’s draw preview: a quartet of cursed women’s 1st rounds
59:25 Men’s draw preview: Jannik, Carlos, and Daniil will have to battle it out on the top half
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We asked for questions and you sent us so many great ones, many of which cover some of the major topics o’ the day, including the recent rule enforcement controversies and the groundswell of support for video replay. (Basically, video replay needs to happen and it will happen, but it won’t fix everything!) Beyond just the topical, we've got Olympics memories, favorite cake, a few great Coco questions, and the contradiction of having fewer and fewer opinions in a hot take-driven medium. Let’s have some fun before the US Open gets underway next week!
01:30 Which non-Slam event would you have liked to attend?
06:30 Jamaican sprinting and our all-time dream 4x100 relay team
12:20 “What is the most objectively polarizing tennis topic that you have zero opinion on?”
20:25 Video replay: yes, we need it but it won’t fix everything
28:20 The FAA-Draper incident that launched a thousand opinions
38:40 Cleansing the palate from the above question … Favorite cake and favorite episodes (of our own)
42:00 The WTA matching ATP’s prize money: a moving target?
48:00 Toronto vs Cincinnati
52:00 “Coco crisis” or just alarmism?
62:05 WAGs and HABs
67:00 Favorite Olympics moments
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Since we last spoke, the entire Olympic tennis tournament and the Canadian Open came and went. Our coverage isn’t comprehensive but more of a riff on the most interesting bits to us. We devote a good chunk of time to the tennis world’s incursions into the “gender controversy” involving Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif, including ugly, often defamatory statements by tennis legends and one current player (the latter being the only one to retract). We bounce over to Canada for some disjointed thoughts on the National Bank Open and finally touch on the end of an era, the dissolution of the stormy Stefanos-Apostolos working relationship.
01:15 The Jamaican Olympic tragedy
11:00 Tennis at the Olympics: Novak, Zheng, Nadalcaraz
23:00 The myth of the badly behaved American trio (it's not a trio)
33:25 Andy Murray’s last dance
34:54 Tennis covers itself in shame during the Imane Khelif “gender controversy”
51:35 Policing women’s bodies is not liberation, it’s more of the same
56:25 Random Canadian Open thoughts
67:30 Shapovalov defaulted
70:35 Stef and Dad break up
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We’re celebrating our 350th episode - thanks to all of you for sticking around and pushing us forward for all these years! On this episode, we’re sharing thoughts on the Olympics opening ceremony and the spotlight on tennis royalty; the Olympics tennis draws, rocked by withdrawals and the unique Olympic qualification rules; and the post-Wimbledon clay/grass season. Rafa reached the Bastad final plus, in Hamburg, Arthur Fils matched That Guy’s energy, saved 21/22 break points, and snatched the title in front of a hostile crowd (and opponent).
0:30 A milestone!
3:15 Back on clay: Shnaider’s very good year, Rafa plays a few epics in Bastad
9:40 Newport and the ATP’s hygiene problem
19:10 Hamburg: underarm serves and the tears of a clown
26:50 Tennis Channel debuts a Zverev brother podcast … because why wouldn’t they
28:55 Update from Halep, but where is the CAS report?
31:30 Olympics opening ceremony: Booty siblings together again!
45:00 Olympic tennis: retirement fatigue + late withdrawals are wreaking havoc on the already weird draws
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So rarely does a championship weekend feel this great. The widely adored Babs Krejcikova has done it again, this time winning the Wimbledon title amidst an injury-plagued year. It’s her 12th major title across all disciplines. Carlos Alcaraz is now the youngest male Channel Slam winner, sweeping past 7-time champion Djokovic in a rematch of last year’s final. In more good news, Taylor Townsend claims her first major title and Sinikova and Hsieh add to their impressive resumes. Plus, we chat about some extraneous stuff, as usual, like Medvedev’s near-default, Djokovic’s lecture to the crowd, and the “4 the girls” controversy.
2:55 This time, the tougher roads resulted in titles
7:40 Babs is a big match player
24:00 The men’s tournament: where’s the rest of the field?
26:50 Men’s final: all Carlos
37:25 Fritz, Riddle, and That Guy: 4 the girls?
44:55 I know all the tricks
53:15 Medvedev narrowly avoids a default in the semis
56:50 Doubles: Townsend is now a Slam winner! Siniakova & Hsieh add to their historic hauls
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We made it to Middle Sunday at Wimbledon! (Well, not all of us.) The bottom half of the women’s draw is guaranteed to see a surprising finalist; in the top half, slightly more order prevails, even after the dismissals of Swiatek and Jabeur. The men’s draw is proceeding mostly as expected on the top half, while the bottom has seen the rapid rise of Perricard, the precarious state of Djokovic's repaired knee, and a slightly spicy beef between Taylor Fritz and Arthur Rinderknech. We also witnessed the last of Andy Murray at Wimbledon, featuring a moving tribute, a singles withdrawal, and mother Judy getting into a self-inflicted internet scrape.
1:00 Early upsets set up a very interesting and unexpected women’s bottom half
10:10 Navarro knocks out Gauff
18:55 Iga and Ons out within 20 minutes of each other
29:50 The return of Caroline Wozniacki, Esq.
35:50 Andy Murray’s last dance at Wimbledon
41:10 AstonishGate
47:25 Stefanos was just here for the *filmmaking*, not the tradwife content
50:40 Have a nice flight home
53:25 Men’s results: top half going to form, bottom's a little messy
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The year's third major is upon us as we face the first Williams-less Wimbledon in 28 years <sob>. Novak is back from knee surgery and sheltered from world #1 Sinner and defending champion Alcaraz, who share a balanced but tricky top half. Iga’s draw has done her no favors, but some of the grass stalwarts are questionable, including Rybakina, Vondrousova, and the injured Sabalenka. And buckle up, because early on we’ll be treated to the Your Behavior Is Terrible classic, featuring Steve Carell and Lil’ Wayne’s favorite tennis player.
0:35 The end of the Williams Wimbledon Era
3:20 This week’s results: Dasha, Shnaider, Tabilo, T. Fritz
9:20 Injury updates: Andy Murray intent on playing, Sabalenka dealing with shoulder problem
20:00 Men’s draw: Sinner’s tough draw, a potential Paul Rudd matchup
32:15 Men’s bottom half: Djokovic, Hubert, de Minaur + a messy third quarter
39:35 Women's draw: Iga in peril or does the draw not matter?
50:15 Women’s bottom half hinges on Sabalenka’s health
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Grass season is well underway -- almost over, actually -- and we’ve got British players coming out of hibernation, a tennis power couple winning again, the new ATP #1 switching surfaces with ease, and basically all the top WTA grass contenders out with injury or illness in Berlin. Elsewhere, Carlos is unhappy with the ATP’s latest rule experiment and a commentator is unhappy with a problem he just made up. We also cover Tsitsipas’ bizarre tradwife posting and the Olympic qualifications; and finally, it wouldn’t be a Slam without wild card drama.
1:55 Grass titlists: Draper, tennis’ actual power couple, and another birthday humiliation
7:10 FOMO in Berlin until all those retirements …
12:30 Castle’s totally unprovoked rant on pronunciation
14:10 Why are you messing with the shot clock rules during an actual tournament?
17:40 Unfortunately yes, we’re still talking about wild cards
22:20 A bunch of Americans say thank you, next to Olympics
29:25 Andy Murray not out yet
34:00 Tsitsipas shares weird tradwife fantasy
41:45 Thoughts on the Federer documentary
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Iga Swiatek further cements her position as the highly feared queen of Roland Garros and Carlos Alcaraz completes a “Surface Slam” amid injury problems and less than ideal preparation. The years-long ordeal surrounding domestic violence allegations and criminal charges against Zverev has been resolved, at least legally, but the tennis community will continue to reckon with its comprehensive failure in their handling of it. We’ve also got doubles news, WTA CEO announcement, and more takeaways from the tournament like umpire headcams (did they get headcam premium pay?).
2:50 Alcaraz wins his first French title, that other guy loses another Slam final up 2 sets to 1
8:05 Zverev assault case has been settled
13:40 The sport has utterly failed in its handling of domestic violence
22:15 Carlos & Jannik in ascendance, Novak out with meniscus tear
32:55 Iga thoroughly dominates the field post-Naomi
41:20 Coco Gauff wins her first Slam doubles title - and Siniakova her 8th!
45:45 WTA announces a new CEO
47:00 Tournament et ceteras: first up, the umpire head cams
49:05 The Djokovic/Jockovic vowel shift
53:30 Danielle Collins addresses the incredulity about her impending retirement
61:10 PTPA announces additional funds raised for its commercial arm, Winners Alliance
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It’s been a rainy slog through the first week of Roland Garros. The weather has wreaked chaos on scheduling, the tournament banned alcohol on Philippe Chatrier because the fans didn’t know how to act, and the night session has no women (but who would want it anyway?). We analyze the draw as it stands and take you through the highlights and lowlights: Rafa may or may not have played his last match here, Swiatek-Osaka put on a clinic, Djokovic’s fire got lit at 2am on a Sunday, and Dimitrov completed his collection of Slam quarterfinals.
1:55 Did Rafa play his last match at Roland Garros? Not 100%
7:05 Zverev goes to court for intimate partner violence, his colleagues remain (at best) indifferent
12:35 Musetti awakens the Djokovic beast
21:15 Rublev is upset as his on-court behavior gets worse
27:00 Looking ahead to the men’s quarters
32:20 Iga & Naomi throw in a classic, Naomi’s performance inspires optimism
42:35 Upsets: Sakkari, Collins, Ostapenko
46:50 Looking ahead to the women’s quarters
60:25 Rybakina vs the press: the brief journey from drama to indifference
68:00 Nonstop rain + weird scheduling = misery
72:50 Roland Garros enters its Prohibition era
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Roland Garros approaches, and the women's draw has a heavy favorite in Iga Swiatek plus a few major contenders. In contrast, the men's tour seems in a temporary state of disarray, as Djokovic enters without momentum and Sinner and Alcaraz are dealing with injuries. What's worse, the 14-time champion, the (possibly) retiring Rafa Nadal, draws a man who starts his domestic violence trial days after their match. As usual, no predictions here but lots of chatter about this clay season and who's primed to show out. And what's a major without a little wild card drama?
0:50 Wild card drama is constant but a good chance to talk about maternity leave policy
9:00 Rafa draws That Guy
13:15 Men’s draw analysis: what to expect from Djokovic and the walking wounded?
21:20 Men’s draw: the tricky third quarter
28:05 Women's draw: it's Iga's world
35:40 Women’s draw bottom half: opportunity knocks
47:00 Fedal goes mountaineering
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Halfway through Rome and it’s all peritonsillar abscesses and water bottles knocking down GOATs and Italian stars retiring and fleeing their home country amidst myriad legal problems. You know, the usual.
0:35 Andrey does not have angina
3:25 Djokovic gets hit in the head by a falling water bottle
9:45 Camila Giorgi retired and lamming it
18:55 Rafa says there’s a tiny, tiny chance this isn’t the end
23:35 Qinwen says no to drama
25:30 More retirement talk: Dominic and Diego
31:45 So how does one qualify for the Olympics?
38:35 How will we know if the extended Masters tournaments are successful?
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Madrid stretched nearly two weeks and few of the top men survived without injury. Felix Auger-Aliassime landed in the final after three walkovers/retirements but it was a very ill Andrey Rublev who snatched the title. Iga Swiatek won Madrid for the first time (be scared). Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur provided lots of food for thought -- in very different ways -- on women’s sports and continuing inequities. Plus, we’re bringing you our thoughts on Luca Guadagnino’s long awaited queer tennis drama Challengers (aka the crowning of Zendaya as a true movie star), and we answer some listener questions!
1:40 Women save the day (after Aryna steps in it)
14:30 More of Madrid women’s draw shining bright
18:25 Ons Jabeur makes a statement about women’s sports + Feliciano Lopez’s change of tone
25:30 Never stay for your farewell ceremony
30:00 Shirtgate: the height of idgaf-ness
36:35 Men’s draw ravaged by injuries but Andrey overcomes
45:55 Cornet is retiring, Tsitsidosa is breaking up
47:50 Our thoughts on Challengers
65:15 What’s the first thing you’d change if you were in charge of the WTA/ATP merger?
73:45 Players who’ve taken us on journeys of like and dislike (or apathy or indifference or standom, etc.) …
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It’s time to play catch-up with the early results of the European clay swing: Tsitsipas wins his 3rd Monte Carlo title, Casper takes revenge the following week in Barcelona, and Elena Rybakina slays Iga in Stuttgart for her third title of the year. We also talk about Rafa’s return to tennis in Barcelona and Holger Rune’s commitment to remaining messy on social media even after signing with IMG. In off-court stuff: Muguruza retires, the WTA announces their year-end championships in Saudi Arabia, Keith Lee comes to Toronto (yes, there are one or two sneaks). We finish the episode with our thoughts on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, the “country” record that smashes genre and takes us to school.
2:50 Stef takes his 3rd MC title + a Holger Rune dramatic reading
9:05 What happen-ed in Barcelona happen-ed: Rafa’s return, Casper’s triumph
18:55 Rybakina drives off with Stuttgart title (or will once she gets her license)
22:25 Sloane back in the winner’s circle
27:30 Live your life: Garbiñe Muguruza ends her HoF career
32:55 Saudi Arabia announcement + becoming an LGBTQ poster child
39:45 Pop culture et ceteras: Challengers, Keith Lee in Toronto, Mariah in Vegas
54:20 Cowboy Carter!
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We've just returned from an amazing experience at the Credit One Charleston Open, a tournament that's been hugely important to women's tennis and continues to be a favorite among players and fans. We do our best to place Charleston in the context of its host city's complex history and explore the tournament’s role in helping to develop women's tennis. Danielle Collins was unquestionably the main attraction of the tournament -- winning her second straight title with the loss of one set. We also chat about watching TBS faves Dasha Kasatkina and Taylor Townsend, Vika Azarenka, Jessie Pegula, and Sloane Stephens on the unique Har-Tru green clay. Plus, some tips on attending and our review of the signature cocktail.
00:52 We <3 the Charleston Open (and this is not spon con!)
06:09 A little history of the Family Circle Cup, a hugely important women’s tournament
11:44 Reckoning with the history of Charleston, South Carolina
19:06 Our impressions of green clay and other tournament etcs
28:28 Players and moments that stood out for us
42:34 Just like Miami, Danielle was the standard
49:46 James is never beating the stalker allegations
52:15 First Serve vs Honey Deuce
57:18 What does tennis IQ mean and who has it?
62:03 Other results while we were in the Lowcountry
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Danielle Collins, you will always be famous. The 30-year-old charisma machine – she of 2 NCAA titles and an unorthodox journey through tennis – wins her biggest title in the final year of her career. On the men’s side, everybody’s fave Grigor Dimitrov beat three top 10 players but fell against the final one, the near-unbeatable Jannik Sinner. Plus, we have more tales from our time at the Miami Open, including one particularly impassioned rant and the key to why Casper Ruud is not beating the Karen allegations.
03:30 Danielle Collins, the woman you are
09:48 She’s still retiring, so stop asking
15:24 Jannik Sinner is the best (*right now)
18:25 Brother Grigor
24:53 Watching Andy Murray + his devastating injury
29:30 Not an impromptu quiz!
31:17 A nightmare on site …
42:40 What’s the tournament director there for if not to field complaints?
47:43 Extras: Thiem injury, Leylah, Novak-Goran split
53:21 The USTA sexual abuse case will go to jury trial + the failed attempt to bar Pam Shriver from testifying
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For the first time, we’re coming to you from Miami Gardens, Florida! Before recapping Indian Wells, we share our first impressions of the Miami Open site and some of the tennis we got to see early on: Halep’s first match back from her suspension, Azarenka-Stearns (with an appearance by early Berry Gordy’s son RedFoo), Ostapenko lighting up Court 1, and more. Alcaraz defends his Indian Wells title -- snapping a title-less stretch going back to Wimbledon -- and Iga regains her title while losing a mere handful of games. Later on, we talk about the competing proposals that aim to overhaul mostly everything about tennis (Premier vs. PIF).
0:35 Miami Open: Penko-Siegemund, Vika-Peyton (and why RedFoo is here)
9:35 Simona’s return and Woz’s take heard round the world: “It wasn’t a clearance”
18:48 Minding Our Own Business
22:20 Belatedly wrapping Indian Wells
27:07 Non-problematic beef
29:41 Unnecessary beef
32:28 Miss Beswick strikes again
35:28:Tennis headed for fundamental change: Premier Tour vs. Saudi PIF bid
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On March 5, the Court of Arbitration for Sport rendered its decision on the Simona Halep appeal: the doping was not intentional and the suspension was reduced to 9 months, time long since served. It’s the welcome end to a saga that has dragged on and shaken trust in the sport’s anti-doping institutions. But, we’re left with ever more questions: Why were the conclusions of the ITIA and CAS so starkly different? What of the biological passport results? What took so long? Why are tennis players often so successful at CAS? Aside from the Halep news, we talk about the early happenings at Indian Wells, the cancellation of Netflix’s Break Point, the ATP's annual awkward International Women’s Day video, and more.
01:40 CAS accepts Simona’s contamination defense and throws out biological passport charge
07:50 Why are the conclusions of ITIA and CAS so vastly different?
15:00 Comparisons to Sharapova, the question of “innocence”
25:00 So where are the “real” dopers?
35:30 Indian Wells: withdrawals, Sinner’s win streak, Kerber-Woz revival
45:15 Break Point is over: what went wrong?
50:40 Ruby amends his apology, thanks to Sofya Tartakova
51:50 A (very) slight improvement in the ATP’s Women’s Day video!
- Visa fler
