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This year in womenâs tennis, the top tier took further steps to entrench themselves but the WTA retained its signature depth. Sabalenka, Swiatek, and surprise â Krejcikova â added majors to their hauls; Paolini and Zheng broke out in a big way; and Gauff managed to rewrite her season in the fall. Weâll take you through the highlights, the comebacks, the âremember whens,â and moments both infuriating and hilarious. As usual, we also choose our WTA Award winners and do a self-assessment on our 2024 WTA breakout picks. Thanks for a great WTA season!
0:55 Launching our crowdfunding campaign!
3:00 The seasonâs major themes: Steadiness at the top (+ Babs!), the Zheng and Paolini breakthroughs, Cocoâs two seasons, and many comebacks of varying success
12:20 Picture it: Australia, January 2024
17:20 Danielle makes a career-best run, Iga dominates clay
26:25 Babs snatches Wimbledon, Zheng ascendant
33:20 Aryna bookends her year at the US Open
38:30 Our choices for the 2024 WTA Awards
44:10 How did our 2024 breakout picks do?
47:55 Your most memorable moments: our listeners love Jasmine
50:55 Moments that pissed you off and moments that made you laugh: Babs and Qinwen keeping the girlies entertained
64:35 Farewells and farewells for now
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Coco writes a new story to end her year -- beating the bad season allegations, as she said -- by taking out Swiatek, Sabalenka, and finally Zheng Qinwen to win the WTA Finals. (Barbie K tried to shake the table, as usual.) In Turin, Jannik Sinner showed that anything you can do, he can do better. He won his first year-end title and notched a 70-win season, the first since 2016. After that, we talk about the retirement of legendary umpire Carlos Bernardes, Frances Tiafoeâs big fine, Jon Wertheimâs hot mic incident, and more.
0:30 Housekeeping: a transition to BlueSky?
6:40 Coco beats the bad season allegations!
19:55 Barbora Krejcikova will f*** it up if you invite her (respectfully)
24:45 ATP Finals: starting with the group photo
29:55 Nice job, Taylor! But Sinner does it better
41:35 #NameTheTennisPlayer is back!
45:15 Umpire Carlos Bernardes retires from tennis
48:00 Wertheimâs hot mic moment
53:15 Tiafoe fined $120,000 for tirade
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Fehlende Folgen?
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The top women descend upon Riyadh, the photoshoot is a smash, and #1 Sabalenka sails into the semis. There are still questions around this business decision, and players have varying success in answering them. Paris, as always, suffers from late-season malaise, and the ATP Finals qualifiers start to firm up (almost), but we wonder about the value of grinding it out this late in the season. Plus, lot of et ceteras, including: Dev Patel is the next Zendaya(!), and off-court coaching is no longer a trial but still a tribulation (heh).
0:30 And another thing about Sinner
2:55 Some meta-commentary on the show and getting older and less stan-oriented
8:15 The WTA Finals looks: great job everybody!
16:10 Players answer inevitable questions on Saudi Arabia, some better than others
26:35 If a tree falls in Paris
38:10 ATP Finals qualifications: not many scenarios are left
44:55 WTA results: Shnaider wins #4 of the year and Somnez enters the top 100
47:05 Sloane on protecting your peace
52:20 Et ceteras: Diego Forlan to play pro tennis, the incomparable Dev Patel to make a tennis movie
57:20 Off-court coaching is now the law
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These October episodes are always all over the place. The tours are sputtering toward a finish as players are vying for the final spots in the year-end tournaments or securing their ranking for next season. We talk about the Six Kings Slam, its strange and corny happenings, and the Saudi efforts to diversify their economy with sports and entertainment. We go through some recent results -- Dasha back in the top 10! -- plus we discuss the Hall of Fame vote that inducted Sharapova, peruse the slightly confusing WTA ranking rules, and honor Dominic Thiemâs great career.
1:00 Does Saudi Arabia even need to sportswash at this point?
12:20 Results: Stan isn't going, Dasha back at #9, second titles for Draper and Mpetshi
18:35 Whatâs left this season, and whoâs in the running for an ATP Finals spot?
25:15 Danielle Collins is in fact not retiring this year
31:20 Sharapova inducted into the Hall of Fame: a test for voters
42:45 Dominic Thiem retires
48:10 Aryna back at #1: arguments over ranking math
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Autumn is supposed to be relatively quiet in tennis, no? Well, in the past week or so, Rafa announced his retirement, CAS released the full decision on Simona Halep's doping case, WADA appealed Jannik Sinnerâs No Fault or Negligence ruling to CAS, and one of the most successful coaching pairings of the decade ended. Weâll take you through some key points of the Halep case, including how and why her suspension was so drastically reduced, and some learnings that might help us better understand the Sinner case. We cover the wave of cranky baby behavior in Shanghai, including Francesâ outburst and how it reads in comparison to similar behavior from his colleagues. Plus, Sabalenka nears no. 1 again, Coco resets, and why the continued whispers about Zhengâs personality arenât sitting right with us.
2:05 Rafa says âAdiĂłs a todosâ
8:20 CAS finally releases the full decision on the Halep case
23:05 WADA appeals the Sinner decision - what have we learned from the Halep case and others?
32:15 Itâs pissy cranky season
40:50 A few WTA players play stupid games, win stupid prizes
43:55 Why is Qinwen becoming public enemy no. 1?
52:30 Coco said âwhat crisis?â
55:25 Iga splits with Wiktorowski
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Welcome to part two of our mailbag! Weâre kicking things off with our review of Serena in the Arena (at long last). We canât help but compare some of the things weâve said about Serenaâs career over the years with how Serena described those events in her own words. Like you all, we noticed a few notable omissions from the series, and a few things that were conveniently glossed over. Spoiler: we enjoyed it. We spend the rest of the episodes sifting through the remainder of your submissions. Hope yâall enjoy!
00:52 Serena in the Arena, at last
22:54 How would we schedule the tennis calendar?
35:02 James grinds his Madrid axe, goes to bat for USO Series
40:25 Giving some grace to non-English speakers in pressers
45:47 The tennis opinion we disagree on most
52:51 Ramblings on the where we see the sport in the next few years
59:30 The prerequisite update on our Bravo TV watching habits
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Tennis is a famously exclusive sport. So which forces and institutions determine who gets access? Whoâs guarding the gates, and whatâs the criteria for entry? In this episode, which is co-produced by Sheriece Matias Dick, we start to explore the barriers to entering tennis, the various paths into the sport, and how the gatekeeping institutions of tennis have jockeyed for power through the profound economic and cultural changes of the past 140 years. After exploring a few playersâ journeys into pro tennis, we look into the founding ethos of the sport -- âgentlemanly amateurismâ -- and how that obsession with status permeated the sport even as it became more accessible to working class people. Finally, we land in the present day, where the seat of power has shifted from aristocratic patrons to the corporate sponsor, with their own standards of conduct, inclusion, and âclass.â
0:30 What is gatekeeping and how does it relate to tennis?
9:40 Various routes to becoming a pro tennis player
12:25 Comparing Tiafoe and Fritz
23:05 Tennisâ âworking class championsâ: various paths to the pro level
30:20 The financial barriers for kids entering tennis
36:50 Tennis as an activity for the leisure class
41:45 Code of etiquette: a surprisingly durable way to police the gate and perform class status
48:30 The Open Era democratizes tennis, sort of
51:45 The new tennis economy: broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and the invention of the branded tennis celebrity
57:35 Connors, McEnroe, and their very American âclass struggleâ
65:00 From patron to sponsor
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Itâs the first day of fall, the players are burnt out, and instead of following Laver Cup weâre doing a mailbag. Your questions gave us enough to yap about over two separate episodes, which weâll release over the next few weeks in addition to something else weâve been cooking. We talk about Naomiâs surprising coaching changeup; trying to find joy in a sport after itâs presented you a tough ethical dilemma; Coco and Bradâs split; our favorite players who never really jumped off; and a lot more.
01:55 Naomi's coaching change
08:40 âCoco crisisâ or out of control expectations?
14:30 How would you conduct your social media profiles if you were a famous tennis player?
20:30 Facing an ethical dilemma in following menâs tennis
35:05 Vee as coach?
41:45 Our walk-out music
44:50 Who are some players late in their careers who you thought would break into the top but never really did? Who were you excited to follow but they didnât reach their full potential?
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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 didnât 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 Rothenbergâs reporting on the Zverev abuse allegations.
0:35 Not the most brilliant three weeks of tennis in history but OK!
3:00 The womenâs final was fun! Aryna Sabalenka bookends her year with hardcourt Slams
7:35 Billionaires, theyâre 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 thatâs 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 âLittle grim reapersâ 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 Naomiâs divisive kit, Adidasâ misstep, and of course the cornrow epidemic. Right, and there was tennis being played, too â Novak & Carlos crash out, the menâs 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 Itâs 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 Womenâs draw chugs along as top seeds remain
72:37 Menâs draw: even with the upheaval, the title could still go to the world #1
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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 Sinnerâs 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 Francesâ middle finger
11:05 Sinner v. ITIA: the facts
23:10 What does No Fault or Negligence mean?
33:30 âOne-billionth of a gramâ + the privilege of great PR
47:50 Womenâs draw preview: a quartet of cursed womenâs 1st rounds
59:25 Menâs 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 oâ 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 wonât 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. Letâs 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 âWhat is the most objectively polarizing tennis topic that you have zero opinion on?â
20:25 Video replay: yes, we need it but it wonât 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 ATPâs prize money: a moving target?
48:00 Toronto vs Cincinnati
52:00 âCoco crisisâ 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 isnât comprehensive but more of a riff on the most interesting bits to us. We devote a good chunk of time to the tennis worldâs incursions into the âgender controversyâ 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 Murrayâs last dance
34:54 Tennis covers itself in shame during the Imane Khelif âgender controversyâ
51:35 Policing womenâs bodies is not liberation, itâs 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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Weâre celebrating our 350th episode - thanks to all of you for sticking around and pushing us forward for all these years! On this episode, weâre 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 Guyâs 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: Shnaiderâs very good year, Rafa plays a few epics in Bastad
9:40 Newport and the ATPâs hygiene problem
19:10 Hamburg: underarm serves and the tears of a clown
26:50 Tennis Channel debuts a Zverev brother podcast ⊠because why wouldnât 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. Itâs 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 yearâs 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 Medvedevâs near-default, Djokovicâs lecture to the crowd, and the â4 the girlsâ controversy.
2:55 This time, the tougher roads resulted in titles
7:40 Babs is a big match player
24:00 The menâs tournament: whereâs the rest of the field?
26:50 Menâs 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 womenâs 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 menâs 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 womenâs 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 Murrayâs 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 Menâs 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. Igaâs 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 weâll be treated to the Your Behavior Is Terrible classic, featuring Steve Carell and Lilâ Wayneâs favorite tennis player.
0:35 The end of the Williams Wimbledon Era
3:20 This weekâs results: Dasha, Shnaider, Tabilo, T. Fritz
9:20 Injury updates: Andy Murray intent on playing, Sabalenka dealing with shoulder problem
20:00 Menâs draw: Sinnerâs tough draw, a potential Paul Rudd matchup
32:15 Menâs 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 Womenâs bottom half hinges on Sabalenkaâs health
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Grass season is well underway -- almost over, actually -- and weâve 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 ATPâs latest rule experiment and a commentator is unhappy with a problem he just made up. We also cover Tsitsipasâ bizarre tradwife posting and the Olympic qualifications; and finally, it wouldnât be a Slam without wild card drama.
1:55 Grass titlists: Draper, tennisâ actual power couple, and another birthday humiliation
7:10 FOMO in Berlin until all those retirements âŠ
12:30 Castleâs totally unprovoked rant on pronunciation
14:10 Why are you messing with the shot clock rules during an actual tournament?
17:40 Unfortunately yes, weâre 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 âSurface Slamâ 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. Weâve 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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Itâs 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 didnât 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, Djokovicâs 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 menâs quarters
32:20 Iga & Naomi throw in a classic, Naomiâs performance inspires optimism
42:35 Upsets: Sakkari, Collins, Ostapenko
46:50 Looking ahead to the womenâs 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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