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The Body Serve

The Body Serve Tennis Podcast

Tennis podcast featuring casual, semi-respectable conversations about the ATP & WTA.

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29 episodes
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Avg 58 min
English

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#440
Monday · 51 min
I Guess He Deserved It
Elena Rybakina does exactly enough to lock up the year-end no. 1 ranking and Daniil Medvedev secures his seventh trip to the ATP Finals. The focus of this episode, however, is gossip: the collapse of diplomatic relations between Berrettini and Musetti, the relentless self-promotion of Juan Carlos Ferrero, and the GEMS Life comms mishap. Plus, a quick media literacy lesson and some changes to the WADA Code which impact tennis. Finally, World Team Tennis is back and it’s coming to Toronto! 0:45 The end of GEMS Life 6:15 World Team Tennis is back! 10:00 Stop falling for fake quotes, I beg 13:55 Camilo Ugo Carabelli defaulted for … leaving 15:30 Recent results: Rybakina secures year-end #1, Medvedev qualifies for Finals 20:20 La chiacchiera: Matteo contro Lorenzo 27:35 More results: Holger is back! 33:10 Changes to the doping rules: whereabouts, contamination, and K*lshi 37:45 I’m taking my talents to … 43:00 Farewell to Gael, Stanley, David 46:35 #Glitter25!
#439
October 19 · 59 min
Show Your Ass
It’s been a minute! We’re catching up on weeks of tennis during the Asia swing, so rather than run through a list of results, we’ve opted for a sort of word association game. Name a player, talk about them for a while. Some examples: Alejandro’s very good and very vindicating week; Coco Gauff dealing with racist abuse and the WTA’s fecklessness in the face of it; Qinwen tops off her Beijing triumph by running Mirra through a karaoke torture chamber; and Jodar’s penchant for screaming at children. Plus, a slightly shady question about the long WTA season, the state of the Race on both tours, and more! 3:55 Ale-ale-jandro 8:10 Rafa Jodar catches another case (deserved) 14:30 Novak is not dead yet! 20:25 The gays are coming 22:15 Carlos, stop embarrassing us in front of company 28:00 Coco Gauff beats Chinese teenager Sun Xinran, then things get racist 35:45 A tale of two tantrums 40:55 Zheng Qinwen: not a singer, but an entertainer 45:55 Chwalinska beats the fluke allegations 51:20 Race to the Finals update
#438
October 1 · 55 min
I Don't Think You're Ready: Mailbag Part Two
0:50 A self-referential question from James to Jonathan about the show itself 16:40 Best legs in tennis? 22:55 The National Bank Open equal pay ad - some Canadian Content for you 28:05 Do you like musicals? Well, yes … 34:00 Who do we want to the third guy in the Sincaraz rivalry? 42:00 Why did Svetlana Kuznetsova miss the Hall of Fame cut? 46:30 Some thoughts on ATP “weak eras” 53:00 FMK: thicc
#437
September 23 · 53 min
Yappa Yappa: Mailbag Part One
It's that time again: you submitted tons of great questions for our mailbag, enough to fill two episodes! In part one, we talk about our happiest ever moments as tennis fans; all-time favorite Bravo shows; and the trickiness of navigating players' missteps while learning which hills are worth dying on. 3:05 Favorite of the 3 Slams we’ve attended 7:30 Tips on navigating the busy US Open 16:25 Our happiest moments as tennis fans 19:20 Worst kits of all time 26:20 Favorite Bravo shows: all-time and current 36:35 A question about race, identity, and how much it’s fair to expect from players
#436
September 15 · 1 hr 8 min
The Stick Shoots
It turns out the stick shoots more than once a year. Elena Rybakina snatched the #1 ranking and the US Open title from Aryna Sabalenka with her suffocating, nearly nonchalant power game. On the men’s final Sunday, we witnessed the first match between two openly gay ATP players, as Mika Brunold and Joao Reis da Silva faced off in Austria. Also, yes, That Guy won his second major by defeating a revelatory Ben Shelton. We also chat about kits, the ickiness of an official “prediction market partnership,” and the best quarterfinal day in a long time, featuring a generous gesture from Frances Tiafoe and an epic that played Sabalenka into form. 1:20 Elena Rybakina sewed up #1 and never looked back 15:40 Aryna Sabalenka’s sour grapes 20:40 Other notes from the women’s draw: the top 4 seeds reach the semis 25:15 The real men’s final: Mika Brunold d. Joao Reis da Silva 28:40 There are no asterisks (unfortunately) 33:55 Ben Shelton breaks through 46:30 "Just let it go" … no 54:00 Throw it back into the ocean 58:15 A partnership with Kalshi: why this stinks
#435
September 6 · 1 hr 10 min
Loose Nips Sink Ships
Jonathan is back from the US Open with stories to share. What is it like attending the US Open now that it's allegedly overrun by influencers? We talk about the difficulty of paying attention to tennis on the sport’s biggest court. Plus, we hear about the experience of seeing Venus and Serena play doubles, staying up with Novak and Venus for the tournament’s latest ever start, and cold green beans and caviar. As for the tennis, the top women have mostly survived and the race for #1 is still on, while the men are offering precious little when so much is at stake. 1:00 The Louis Armstrong virtual queue 5:40 The women’s round of 16: Zheng, Osaka, Gauff, and more 17:40 Waiting around for Venus vs Kenin 20:00 Venus & Serena doubles: Venus was great! 24:35 Watching tennis in Ashe is not for the easily distracted 29:30 Men’s results: say goodbye to the top half 44:25 Consider me uninfluenced 53:25 Other stuff from the grounds: lotharios, palomas, and caviar
#434
August 28 · 1 hr 4 min
A Cup of Ambition
One of us is heading to New York for the 2026 US Open as we speak. On our preview episode, we talk about the first real fight for the women’s #1 ranking in a while; the surging Gauff, Swiatek, and Pegula; the absolute state of the men’s draw without Jannik and with a questionable Alcaraz; and those poised for huge breakthroughs if things shake out right (Fils? Eala?). We discuss the wild card snub and later non-snub of Stan Wawrinka. Later, some reflections on the mixed doubles exhibition – fun ‘til it wasn’t – and the joy of seeing Muchova and Mensik win and the extroversion twins Carlos and Serena hang out together. 1:30 Coco & Arthur take Cincinnati 7:50 The race for #1 and other WTA storylines 10:35 Women’s draw 24:05 Wild cards are not meritocratic (and they’re not supposed to be) 30:10 Men’s draw: Carlos is back, Jannik is not 42:05 The mixed doubles exhibition 51:10 The Roger Federer Laser Light Show 54:30 Remembering Dolly Parton
#433
August 22 · 53 min
Clap If You Care
Bring back the US Open Series! The summer hard court swing continues on its confusing cadence. We spent a few nights at the National Bank Open in Toronto – James unwittingly sat in Iga Swiatek Country and witnessed her return to form (ok, I’ve already said too much). The other biggest stories in tennis these days are: Alex Eala, Rafa Jodar, injuries, and the innumerable opinions on the Williams sisters. Should Venus ******? Should Serena take that wild card? I don’t know man, I’m just trying to enjoy the waning days of summer <sob>. Finally, Nick Kyrgios got ahead of the story and announced that he’d tested positive for cocaine in Mallorca, which is a substance of abuse under WADA guidelines. This means if it’s in-competition: very very bad; out of competition: meh. 1:10 Our visit to the Canadian Open in Toronto 9:05 A few more ball kid photoshoots should do the trick 12:25 Jannik out, Carlos in as injuries derail the North American hot boy summer 18:45 Was the Serena comeback always a lark and we all just took it too seriously? 24:20 Checking in on Cincinnati 29:05 Kyrgios and cocaine: looking for empathy, not always finding it 45:00 Funny like I’m a clown? Like I amuse you? 47:10 Kingston, Jamaica has a Challenger event!
#432
August 9 · 1 hr 7 min
Pick a Struggle
We're clocking back in for August, the month of two bloated Masters 1000 events; Eala-mania hits DC and Toronto while Montreal is rocked by high-profile withdrawals and general floppery. Next, we break down the full decision on Marketa Vondrousova’s refusal case, and let's just say she didn't give her lawyers much to work with. Let's not even mention the infamous text (we will). Next, we look at the fallout of the WTA gender testing announcement, then finish up with a day that will live in infamy: corn rows and fishnets and a demonic photoshoot, oh my. 3:40 We're in Toronto, but also not 16:15 Eala-mania in DC, plus Los Cabos & Memphis 28:10 Breaking down the Vondrousova decision so you don't have to read it (unless you’re an enthusiast like me) 39:55 Not the Italian Greyhound catching strays 47:45 Checking back in on the WTA gender testing fallout 60:35 A cursed trifecta
#431
July 28 · 1 hr 8 min
This Is Not a Test
The WTA recently announced that it will require all athletes who wish to compete to undergo a genetic cheek swab test to “prove” they are indeed a woman. This follows the IOC’s policy announcement from earlier this year, which itself followed a Trump executive order ahead of the 2028 Olympics. It exists within the larger context of anti-trans legislation and the inescapable language of “protection.” We spend the first half of the episode trying to understand the policy and what has prompted it; the historic context; the broader movement to bar trans women from women’s sport and, in some cases, to delegitimize trans identity altogether; and what the current science tells us. Later, we attempt to decipher the barely-followable PTPA infighting and who’s fighting for what. We also touch on some tennis results, wedding season, a doping story and a match fixing story, and finally the recently announced US Open mixed doubles pairings. 02:00 The WTA’s newest “Women’s Eligibility Policy” 08:45 What happens when someone’s gender becomes a matter of public speculation 24:30 What the current science tells us 31:00 Will the real PTPA please stand up? 39:10 A lesbian wedding! 46:05 Facundo Bagnis: before he speaks his vitamins bespoke 50:25 Speeding through recent results 56:25 US Open mixed doubles teams: subject to change (hopefully)
#430
July 14 · 51 min
Listen, Linda
Linda Noskova is your Wimbledon champion, the 3rd Czech woman in 4 years! Her imposing power, resilience, and capable hands pushed her past Karolina Muchova, who managed to save 5 championship points in the second set but couldn’t stem the tide. Jannik Sinner defends his title, rarely summoning his best but doing enough to beat an inspired That Guy and prevent what would have been a cursed and vexatious Channel Slam. In doubles, Patten takes aim at the ATP in his victory speech, Ostapenko gets blamed for something she didn’t do (for once), and Guo/Mladenovic knock out the top seeds and eventually win the title. We also chat about Czech tennis history and the everlasting effort to identify why they’re so good, plus the decades-long saga of the All England Club’s plans to expand its site and what still stands in the way. 0:40 Linda Noskova wins Wimbledon at 21 7:45 My ex-friend 10:15 Other notes from women’s second week: Gauff-Muchova and more 16:55 What’s the deal with Czech tennis? 23:00 Jannik Sinner averts disaster, but the Monster has already been created 34:35 What’s next for Novak? 38:35 Henry Patten takes on the ATP + other doubles results 44:45 Wimbledon expansion: locals say Not On My Church Road
#429
July 7 · 1 hr 2 min
Who's the Dumb B*tch Now?
Checking in as we face week two of Wimbledon: 6 of the top 8 women are out, including the #1 and last year’s finalists, but we’re left with a surging Coco Gauff, a Linda Noskova ready to break out (again), a healthy Karolina Muchova, and a Naomi Osaka who’s trying to shed the hard court specialist mantle. On the men’s side, Sinner and Djokovic are on a crash course, our faves Felix and Alejandro are beefing (hopefully briefly), and Grisha breaks our hearts. We spend some time on Serena’s comeback, which has, predictably, opened old wounds and reawakened old trolls. Overall, what do we make of her performance, and what do we hope for her presumed next stop? Spare a thought for Auntie Venus, who just wants to play some doubles. 2:05 The quarterfinal match-ups 7:25 Grass is an outlier 13:50 Notes on the women’s draw: Naomi stuns Aryna 22:30 Coco wins under the buzzer 28:30 Serena’s comeback 42:00 Men’s tournament: don’t trust the Sinner flop allegations; a “pretty match” 48:40 Our faves were fighting 54:50 Zeynep Sonmez’s loophole 58:10 Player protest starts then stops
#428
June 27 · 48 min
Who Will Fill It?
The 2026 Wimbledon tournament kicks off Monday, and along with it comes the disorienting experience of seeing the name Serena Williams in a singles draw again. Expectations are all over the place as she opens against the Australian Maya Joint. More broadly, the women’s draw is anyone’s guess, as the top players come in with less than optimal preparation but plenty of experience. On the men’s side, former world #4 Jack Draper breaks out of the injury asylum only to see Taylor Fritz in the first round. Sinner looks to be the prohibitive favorite with a very small second tier – Djokovic, Fritz, Shelton, and? – fighting for a shot. 1:45 This week’s results: Draper is back, Naomi in her first grass final 5:15 Notable qualifiers and not-qualifiers 7:30 Women’s draw: “tough draws” fall apart all the time (solace for Iga fans?) 23:05 Men’s draw: Sinnerstan 39:15 The most random et ceteras and one big lie
#427
June 23 · 56 min
Guess Who's Back
Grass season is about halfway done, and I don’t know what’s going on with the WTA (wishing them luck). Big results for Noskova – who just debuted in the top 10 – plus Robin Montgomery, Ben Shelton, Donna Vekic, and the Frans! The news that Serena Williams received the remaining Wimbledon singles wild card trumped everything this week, while her husband hung out at Trump’s UFC abomination. Recent Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova was given a 4-year suspension for refusing a doping test in December, a decision that will almost certainly be appealed. Lastly, we give some final thoughts on the Knicks and go down the Stevie rabbit hole again. 1:00 Yep, that singles wild card was for #thismama 14:10 Berlin bagel + it was a good week to be a Fran 24:30 Previous week’s results: s-’Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart, Queen’s 27:30 Diving into Marketa Vondrousova’s 4-year suspension 36:30 Alexis, your presence wasn’t actually required 40:50 Corentin Moutet gives up his prize money for what, exactly? 43:00 Catching up with the Knicks and Victor Wembanyama 48:20 Remembering Peabo and igniting the Stevie discussion again
#426
June 14 · 1 hr
S.W.V.
It’s been impossible to keep up with tennis news lately, with Serena’s return, the grass season starting, and the top players continuing to pressure the Slams on prize money and consultation. We had too much on our Roland Garros wrap agenda, so here’s the twin to episode 425. We talk about Serena’s long-simmering “comeback,” the product tie-ins with Ro and Zepbound, and her successful doubles match with Canadian star Victoria Mboko. We also check in with the ongoing player response to prize money increases (as a proportion of tournament revenue) and what could come next. Finally, we give our unorganized thoughts on the Rafa doc, check in with a kind Reddit user, and give you a Knicks segment that is now -- thankfully -- a time capsule of life before Jalen Brunson was an MVP and NBA champion! 1:30 The "wildfire" … was warranted 11:30 Serena and Vicky ace their first (and only) test 23:10 Is this comeback meant to be a proof of concept for GLP-1 use? 33:10 Wimbledon prize money -- will the increase be enough for “Project Red Eye?” 40:00 Netflix’s Rafa documentary was a somewhat harrowing experience 49:30 Admitting I was wrong is important! 52:40 A quick Knicks segment (now a time capsule)
#425
June 13 · 50 min
Not In My World
Yes, we’re finally back to recap the second week of Roland Garros. That thing we were all dreading has happened, and now we can move on with our lives. First, let’s celebrate 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva for expertly managing this unfamiliar moment and bagging her first major; and the qualifier Maja Chwalinska, for reaching her first Slam final and storming into the top 25! As for the men, Madison Keys really clocked their tea when she said the men’s anxiety over this opportunity was seeping into everyone’s lives. A lot of the late-’90s generation allowed a huge opportunity to slip by, and we kind of felt bad for them. The uncomfortable truth is that That Guy is now a major champion – of a decimated field, to be sure – but a champion nonetheless, and broadcasters, tennis organizations, and sponsors might now have an even easier time avoiding and ignoring the credible domestic violence allegations against him. But try as he (and they) might, the attention isn’t going away anytime soon. 4:00 Women’s wrap: Maja, Maja 11:00 Things not to do on Bluesky 14:20 Mirra Andreeva joins the top tier 21:45 A lot of guys saw a massive opportunity slip by 27:15 So That Guy won. Now what 36:10 Journalists keeping that man uncomfortable 42:30 Good news! Siniakova/Townsend three-quarters of the way to a Team Career Slam
#424
June 1 · 1 hr 34 min
She's Already Dead, Stop!
Back from our first trip to Roland-Garros, here is part 2 of our RG mid-tournament wrap, this one focusing on the tennis we saw, the happenings on-site, and how the chaotic first week played out more broadly. What’s it like to watch a tournament unfold in person while it’s already being branded online as chaotic and/or horrible? Well, sometimes your priority is just your next water refill. We’ll tell you about players we sought out (Swiatek, Rybakina, Medvedev, Vacherot, Jodar, Tiafoe, and more). We’ll take you through the experience of watching Naomi Osaka’s walkout and the surreal collapse of Jannik Sinner as it unfolded on Chatrier. As we always do, we’ll dip into the messier moments, like the Korpatsch-Wang dust-up, the monumental PR stumbles of Rafa Jodar, and Vallejo’s misogynistic bag-fumbling. What a week in Paris; it promises to get weirder before the fortnight is out. 1:00 Nothing new under the sun: Wang pulls a Hingis ’99 7:10 She’s taking it! Oh – actually, no, sorry 15:25 Iga Swiatek out to Kostyuk 23:10 Telling stories about players and matches we saw: Vacherot, Rybakina, Keys, and more 38:35 Rafa Jodar exonerated, sort of 46:50 Naomi’s debut on Lenglen 50:40 James, are you happy to be in Paris? 62:35 Being in Chatrier for the Sinner upset 73:10 Are we all amateur geneticists now? 80:45 These f—ing tarpaulins and Lacoste bollards! 85:25 Wrapping up the draw as it stands
#423
May 31 · 1 hr 2 min
Paris Is Burning
We’ve just returned home from our first trip to Roland-Garros! We’re bringing you two mid-tournament episodes, this one to cover our experience at the tournament and in Paris overall, while the next will focus on the tennis itself. Hear about the RG dining and beverage experience (hello, galette-sausicce and the falafel hummus flatbread), our pilgrimage to the Rafa statue, the idyllic setting of Court Simonne-Mathieu, how to get on the side courts, the unique personality of the Roland Garros grounds, and much more! 1:35 Setting the scene: getting to Paris 7:50 To be in Paris: cafes with tiny tables, boeuf bourguignon, rolling up on Jannik 15:50 Getting to the site 23:10 On the Roland Garros grounds: the stadiums, getting on the smaller courts, the availability of water (!) 43:30 The food: impressive 47:00 The low-key chill-out areas near Simonne-Mathieu 51:35 Overall impression of what it’s like to be a fan at Roland Garros
#422
May 22 · 56 min
Fifteen Minutes to Save the Tour
As The Body Serve heads to Paris for the first time, here’s our preview of the 2026 edition of Roland Garros, where Jannik Sinner seeks to make more history and a number of top women find themselves in position to snatch. As usual, we take you through both draws: a surprisingly balanced women’s draw (except for Iga -- sorry, girl) and a men’s draw with not much intrigue, at least on the surface. The players associated with Project Red Eye have staged a work-to-rule labour action, refusing rightsholder interviews and committing only 15 minutes to pre-tournament media activities. Also, the federal judge in the PTPA case couldn’t order Wimbledon and the French to give up those coveted press credentials. I guess they’re stuck buying tickets like everybody else! 1:05 Qualifiers: Sloane through; Plishy & Greg are not :( 4:45 This week: Casper, rest! 7:20 Women’s draw 20:20 Men’s draw 39:55 PTPA credentials drama: judge says it’s petty but what can I do, babes 42:50 Players stage a labour action! 49:05 Stevie Wonder, randomly
#421
May 18 · 55 min
Big Mama
Elina Svitolina wins her third Rome title with her most impressive run yet, while Jannik Sinner completes his box set of Masters titles and sets all sorts of records at the tiny age of 24. Daniil Medvedev tried his best to derail Sinner, and Casper went with a similar playbook – we shall see if prevailing through that rough semifinal will fuel Jannik further or give the other guys some hope (or both!). Darderi made a huge breakthrough on home soil, while That Guy crashed out in Tennis Channel’s IG replies (sad). Meanwhile, Carlos is on injury break and they’re still slutting him out in Vanity Fair. See you in Paris! 1:55 Mommy. Mamacita? 13:00 Jannik wins the Career Masters thing 19:25 Daniil, one of the few to shift a wig or two 28:05 Darderi breaks out, That Guy crashes out 34:50 Extras: Big Mama didn’t pay for Coco’s gelato; PTPA begs for a credential 38:35 Clay baby 42:50 We love delusion (respectful) 46:30 Random: trying Malta India from Puerto Rico (gracias, Francisco!)

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