The Body Serve

The Body Serve Tennis Podcast

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

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300 episodes
Updated July 28
Explicit

Episodes300

Newest first

Nov 7, 2020 · 1 hr 26 min
Yes or Mess: A Pop Culture Experience
Grab a cocktail and dive into the pop culture garbage our tattered brains have been thinking about these past few weeks. 2020 has demanded we seek out diversions when possible, and we've got you on that front: 90 Day Fiance, Mariah's memoir and her lost tracks album The Rarities, TV we've been loving, and the week-long election coverage that birthed a million crushes on the #chartthrob Steve Kornacki. Every topic is either a yes or mess - some are both! 1:30 The US election! Are you tired yet? 14:55 Thirsting for the cable news map guys -- we've got a big batch for ya 19:10 Nene Leakes' new venture 25:25 The Hocus Pocus reunion - this movie is perfectly crafted for millennial gays 28:55 2020 has been Mariah Season all year -- highlights of the memoir 42:00 The Rarities, an album of Mariah's b-sides and unreleased tracks 51:50 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way -- still exploitative but, like, exploitative lite 59:00 TikTok: minstrelsy, WAPs, and a welcome Fleetwood revival 1:09:40 There is a lot of injustice in the world, but nothing worse than Chris Pratt being selected as the least of the four Chrises 1:14:30 TV report: watch The Queen's Gambit, Grand Army, and the Dolly Parton Netflix doc!
Oct 28, 2020 · 46 min
Das ist mein Haus
Alexander Zverev will be building his latest house in Cologne, Germany after nabbing back-to-back titles at the same event. The German's twin triumphs headline this abridged episode recapping the tennis events of the last two weeks. Aryna Sabalenka joined the fun with double titles of her own in Ostrava. After rolling through the results, we say "YES" or "MESS" to other tennis happenings off the court. 5:10 Zverev wins Cologne eins und zwei - why are there two? (we'll tell you) 16:30 Sabalenka tears through the Ostrava singles and doubles draws 19:50 Humbert wins Antwerp, Khachanov gives Lumberjack 2.0 24:40 Ruby joins the top 10 - the Harry Styles of tennis (or at least the Niall Horan) 28:55 What's the deal with the Race to London? Do the rankings make sense? 34:20 From Russia With Haste: Sam Querrey flees the Four Seasons under cover of night 38:55 Other yeses and messes: Basilashvili's domestic abuse case becomes a cultural touchstone in Georgia; auf wiedersehen, Julia; auf wiedersehen, Boris (for a different reason)
Oct 12, 2020 · 1 hr 28 min
I Want Your Sets
The 2020 Fall French Open is in the history books! Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal swept through their respective fields on their ways to historic title runs in Paris. For Nadal, it was his 13th time lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires, while Swiatek blitzed her way to a first Slam title, both efforts coming without the loss of a set. We go through most of the matches from week two that led to the weekend’s coronations, push back against the idea that the younger men are just “happy to be there,” and try to get to the bottom of why so many folks do not like Sofia Kenin. We finish the 2020 Grand Slam season with a dramatic reading of a captivating Danielle Collins moment. 4:00 Rafa wins his 13th at Roland Garros without losing a set 19:15 Fedal and the record books 26:00 Next Gen isn't breaking through quite yet, but not for lack of trying 37:25 Fly Like an Iga: the 19-year-old Swiatek stuns the women's draw 46:10 Flourishing without the benefit of wild cards 52:20 Why is Sonya Kenin so polarizing? 68:05 Mladenovic/Babos overcome coronadversity to win doubles; Jelena Djokovic and Neil Harman, partners in grievance; will FoxTenn Real Bounce be the solution? 81:50 Dramatic Reading: in which no grace was given
Oct 6, 2020 · 1 hr 12 min
Kick Rocks, Eat Dirt
Welcome to our mid-Roland Garros 2020 dispatch. Those sounds you may have heard over the last few days were those of players often being loud and wrong. We’ve got a fairly predictable final eight on the men’s side, while the women’s draw has turned out some truly shocking yet inspiring results. We dive into the latest Zverev mess, Novak’s quip, Hawkeye misinformation, Sara’s cursing, retiring players before they’re ready, and finish with a rant on calling Naomi’s man her “rapper boyfriend.” Who’s deserving of being told to kick rocks and eat dirt? 5:00 A lot of surprises in the men's draw, but the quarterfinals are still pretty standard 10:30 Sooo many first-time third rounders on the men's side 14:40 Zverev has a fever. Oh? 27:50 Women's draw: Swiatek destroys the clear tournament favorite, among many surprises 32:30 Errani loses the match and her mind as Bertens cramps 44:00 Damn, it's tough to be an umpire these days: the HawkEye saga 56:20 Keep your saliva in your mouth; keep your dad in his seat 59:40 Et ceteras: don't retire players before they're ready 65:20 Why are we still telling players how to schedule and whom to date, during a pandemic?
Sep 26, 2020 · 1 hr 1 min
Drip It Like It's Hot
Roland Garros 2020 is upon us, en automne, barely two weeks after the US Open and perhaps against better judgment. But what happen-ed happen-ed and here we are in Paris. The cool, damp conditions will likely produce grinding and unpredictable tennis, which has made predictions futile. The best predictor is how players have fared so far during the restarted season. In addition to the draw preview, we've got a few Covid updates, several messes to check in on, and a Dramatic Reading full of Canadian Content. 0:30 Against all odds, Roland Garros is happening 4:50 Men's draw preview: who will benefit from these tough conditions? Rafa gets Thiem, Djoko gets Tsitsipas/Meddy/Berrettini 19:00 We both failed probability but no, Virginia, the draw's not rigged 28:20 Women's draw preview: for the first time in a while, there's a clear favorite (but her road's not easy) 37:20 Women's bottom half - what to expect of Pliskova's health? Will someone other than Simona win her third Slam here? 42:15 Covid updates: spectator limit reduced to 1000 per day; Paire is in, but Verdasco is out 47:10 Buckle up for lots of commentator talk about weather and new balls 52:50 An enduring, recurring mess by Boris Becker 55:35 Dramatic Reading, a tribute to the trap king of Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Sep 15, 2020 · 1 hr 26 min
Bubble Wrap: Women Save The Day
It wasn’t that long ago that we didn’t think we would -- or should -- have any tennis for the rest of 2020. Now, here we are recapping the final week of a fanless U.S. Open. Naomi Osaka and Dominic Thiem are your champions, a third Slam triumph for Naomi and a first at last for someone not named Federer, Djokovic, or Nadal. We cover the matches of week two leading up to the finals, as well as so much of the commentary and discourse surrounding the tournament. Sadly, and maddeningly, the commentariat simply did not meet the moment. All this and more on our Bubble Wrap! 02:02 Mariah saves the day: Jonathan has a word for the haters 10:20 The road to the women's final 20:38 Naomi Osaka wins her 3rd Slam title, against a reborn Vika 30:27 Naomi starts a conversation, the commentators have no clue how to talk about it 46:08 The sloppy path to the men's final? 52:07 The "low quality" of the men's matches doesn't exist in a vacuum 59:54 What to make of the men's final 65:18 Moments that made us cringe 78:14 Moments of levity: things we enjoyed from the fortnight 81:59 Dramatic Reading: Serena (out of nowhere) shades tf out of ______.
Sep 7, 2020 · 1 hr 14 min
Double Bubble, Toil, and Trouble
We knew it would be an unusual first week of the US Open. It started with Benoit Paire's positive test, and continued with the double bubble regulations and warring health departments. We got non-stop drama surrounding Kiki Mladenovic's singles loss and last-minute ejection from the doubles draw. But no one was prepared for the default of the undefeated #1 seed Novak Djokovic after hitting a line judge with a ball. Nostalgic for five-set collapses and parent-coach-player psychodramas? Oh, we still have those too. 0:30 Djokovic defaulted in the 4th round 9:15 Highlights of the men's first week: Felix grows up, Tsitsipas melts down 18:00 Three Canadian men in the second week of a Slam, a first! 26:00 Women's side: Rogers and Brady stun, Pironkova parachutes in to torture your faves, and Vika gets that Vika mojo back 41:20 Some thoughts on Sloane-Serena 49:45 Benoit and the original 10 - a double bubble and a not-quite-double bubble 53:40 Kiki does not love the US Open 59:10 Inconsistency, jurisdiction issues, and a lack of transparency 70:10 Thoughts on Djokovic's statement
Aug 30, 2020 · 1 hr 30 min
Be Careful Who You Association With
This week saw many major stories come and go until one stuck: the breaking away of Novak Djokovic and others from the ATP Player Council to start a separate player association (not a union btw). Before that, we saw Naomi Osaka's solitary act of resistance stop the tennis world in its tracks; a strange and troubling end to Sakkari-Serena; the rebirth of Victoria Azarenka; and the rebranding of Milos Raonic as widely beloved. Oh yeah, and the US Open preview. 2:30 American sports react to the shooting of Jacob Blake 9:15 Naomi Osaka announces that she won't play her Cincinnati semifinal to draw attention to BLM 16:30 "Shut up and dribble" doesn't work in tennis, especially women's tennis 20:50 Meanwhile, the Western & Southern Open is happening under strange circumstances - Vika's resurgence 24:45 Milos Raonic: new hair, new thighs, new me 28:20 The bizarre end to Serena Williams-Maria Sakkari 33:50 The girl who cried wolf 39:15 Friday night news dump: Djokovic and others break away from the ATP Player Council to form the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) 53:30 Federer, Nadal, et al send a letter with some ... concerns (and some very good questions) 63:20 So what about women tennis players? #TennisUnited am I right 71:00 Oh, the US Open is happening in like two days?
Aug 22, 2020 · 1 hr 12 min
The Long Island Project
Tennis has resumed in the US and Europe as the pandemic rages on. We catch up on a few weeks' worth of news, including: recent title winners Brady, Ferro, and Halep; early life in the Cincy/NY "bubble"; the non-sensical ramblings of vaccine skeptics and conspiracy theorists; and that Novak interview. We close with a tribute to two titans of 20th century tennis, who contributed even more off-court than they did on: Bob Ryland and Angela Buxton. 1:40 WTA site adds pronunciation guide - let’s try again,fail again, fail better 3:40 Tennis returns in Palermo, then Prague - Ferro is your first title winner of the resumed 2020 season 7:45 Lexington’s Top Seed Open gets a field they didn’t expect; thoughts on Venus’ new game, plus Coco, Serena, Vika, Jil, Ons, and Jenn 22:30 First-time titlist Jennifer Brady sweeps her side of the draw 25:00 Welcome to the bubble 37:55 The NYT interview with Djokovic - ehrm, um, how do we put this 46:15 Virologists and physicians are great and all - but let’s listen to vaccine-skeptic conspiracy theorists instead; also known as Occam’s Checkered Head Band 56:45 US Open:who’s in, who’s out 60:45 How are the rankings going to work this year? 63:15 Tributes to the late, great Bob Ryland and Angela Buxton
Jul 31, 2020 · 1 hr 49 min
What's The Point Of The WTA If We Don't Stick Together?
We are back from hiatus to bring you an episode that we have been working on for months, one that serves as a continuation of our previous dive into Pre-Open Era tennis. With tennis players now able to earn a living while also competing against the best at all the tournaments, we follow the development of the WTA Tour after its inception, the persistent struggles for equality over the decades, and the players who played major roles in making it happen. 04:02 Why do this episode now? 07:21 Cultural context for equal prize money and conditions under which movement arose 20:25 Tennis at the onset of the Open Era & the emergence of the women’s tour 37:51 Chris Evert emerges at the exact right time for women’s tennis 43:43 The WTA takes off; the women take Wimbledon to task 57:42 What were the arguments back then surrounding equal pay? 71:08 Ebbs and flows in the 80s and 90s, but the fight continues 83:00 Wimbledon’s decades-long petty misogyny against EPM 97:20 Our cautions and takeaways from this episode
Jul 7, 2020 · 47 min
When Zina Speaks, You Listen
We've just had the pleasure of chatting with the legendary Zina Garrison, gold medalist in Seoul, 3-time major mixed doubles champ, and the 1990 Wimbledon runner-up. Zina chats about her origins in tennis, shares her experience as a black woman in a very white sport, and takes us through some of the highlights of a great career. As Zina herself says, "Zina doesn't say much but when she does . . . " -- well, you listen. 4:10 Our chat with Lady Z 8:50 Zina takes us through her introduction to tennis, the first all-black WTA final (with Lori McNeil), and getting a kick out of her own record against Martina Navratilova 18:00 That Monica Seles flowers incident (lol) and beating Chris Evert in her final match 22:00 Zina's 1990 Wimbledon run, 30 years later 26:00 "Now people can't say those things didn't happen" - how Black Lives Matter has shone a light on inequality in tennis 34:10 Althea Gibson as more than just an icon 38:00 So ... about the wiggle 41:00 The game since Zina retired - who's she watching now?
Jul 2, 2020 · 1 hr
The Doughnut Chronicles
Well folks, this is not how we envisioned bringing up our double century, but here we are! Truly, we never imagined still being here, and we owe you everything for your support in making it happen. Now, the ATP men remain a hot mess, and it’s the latest round of shenanigans that bring us to your ears today. We're bringing you our thoughts on the Adria Tour Covid collapse (crazy that it feels like old news now), plus Zverev’s very public dumbassery and the doughnut chronicles between an out-of-pocket Boris Becker and his target, Nick Kyrgios. 4:00 A brief diversion to celebrate our double century, on cricket legend Brian Lara 7:00 Adria Tour results in several players testing positive for COVID-19 19:40 Fandom has made this conversation all but impossible 30:15 Blame game between players, coaches, Djokovic's dad, heads of state 32:30 Dominic Thiem, king of obliviousness 34:45 Alexander Zverev spotted acting the fool, stans jump ship 42:25 We're in trouble because managing this pandemic requires people caring about others 48:15 A dramatic reading of The Doughnut Chronicles, starring Boris Becker and Nick Kyrgios
Jun 20, 2020 · 1 hr 23 min
A Pandemic Dahhhling, Do You Know What That Means?!
So ... anything interesting happen lately? This week, tennis has swiftly put itself back together again, introducing an ambitious summer/fall schedule that includes the US Open, Roland Garros, and smaller tournaments on three continents, with nary a week of rest in between. We discuss the risks, the stakeholder concerns, and the simple WTF of the US Open's bombastic announcement. Because it's Pride month, we also address the sorry state of content coming from the tennis institutions and how it can be done better. 2:30 US Open is going full steam ahead 11:50 USTA trusts players to be "judicious" and careful about public safety ... where is the evidence tho 22:30 Novak Djokovic continues to take L after L after L 30:00 Revised WTA and ATP schedules: Quarantine? Never heard of her 40:30 Revisiting the 2018 US Open trophy ceremony- does it read differently now? 57:10 Venus Williams turns 40! Also, what is Tennis Majors? 60:35 Tennis United and the general failure of tennis orgs to confront LGBTQ issues and racism
Jun 11, 2020 · 1 hr 23 min
I Hope That Fish Eats You
The past few weeks have felt like a watershed moment in confronting anti-black racism across the US & the world. Tennis is not impervious to this. Players like Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, and Sloane Stephens have stepped forward as key leaders and activists in a moment when this sport truly needs them. Beyond tennis, we talk about the larger movement for transformative justice and the destruction of systemic racism in the U.S. The non-tennis stuff begins around the 1-hour mark. 2:40 A timeline: how did we get to the present moment? 6:45 How has tennis responded? Naomi & Coco assert themselves 15:50 Venus, Serena, and faith; Frances Tiafoe, Sloane Stephens, Sachia Vickery, Taylor Townsend 27:00 We expect a lot of black players - but what about non-black players? What say the Big 4? 36:45 Look over there! The Art of Distraction by Lisa Raymond and her side Kiick; Chanda Rubin sets her Twitter fingers to stun 44:30 An example of how to move toward allyship: is Chris Evert becoming the Jane Fonda of tennis? 48:55 What to make of Alexis Ohanian relinquishing his seat on the Reddit Board? 54:45 Our comment on Courtney Nguyen's apology for past use of transphobic language 63:50 The non-tennis section of the episode - how the current anti-racist movement is a reaction to centuries of structural & state-enforced racism in the US 70:35 What does "defund the police" mean? Well, a few different things
May 25, 2020 · 1 hr 21 min
TBS Live: The Remix
Welcome to our second ever Zoom session - The Remix, where we take listener questions, talk about Dominic Thiem's unfortunate comments and clarifications on those comments, and the larger inequities built into professional tennis. There's not much actual tennis news to talk about, so kick back and enjoy a much more relaxed Body Serve chat. 2:15 Catching up with player social media exploits: Venus, Naomi & Stef, Nick & Andy 7:25 The Dominic Thiem controversy - how to support lower-ranked players and how to answer this question better 11:15 The Ines Ibbou video response sheds light on the inequalities built into international tennis 18:30 This is bigger than Dominic! Bootstraps individualism and tennis' flawed governance 29:15 The WTA/ATP have announced how they will distribute player relief money 33:55 Merger updates 46:40 Please indulge us while we play a "newlywed game," guessing each other's favorite stuff & more 64:00 Live questions - which results would you reverse? Will tennis resume before a vaccine is available?
May 17, 2020 · 1 hr 52 min
For the Quarantainment
The Body Serve is back with a tennis-free episode meant to entertain you during these trying times. We've broken this rather long episode into three parts: 1) trending topics, in which we take up a few non-COVID-related topics that have grabbed our interest recently; 2) TV talk, which is just us having fun talking about the long list of TV series we've been watching; and finally, 3) Body Serve and Soul, our first crack at an audio advice column, answering five questions submitted by listeners. Sending everyone our best wishes and strength while we all do our best to make it through this mess. Part One: Trending Topics 2:45 Do you remember how messed up Tyra's shows were? Twitter does 10:20 A conversation about "cancel culture," how powerful it is, and who actually deserves it 22:30 Verzuz battles: who would we pick? 29:15 What is going on with Karens and Chads across America?! Part Two: TV Talk - *Warning: spoilers ahead for Hollywood and How to Get Away With Murder (the other series are mostly safe from spoilers) 35:00 Hollywood on Netflix 40:00 Shows we enjoy: We're Here, Normal People, Little Fires Everywhere 51:20 Real Housewives of Atlanta does its first online reunion 55:40 Insecure looks at a friendship in decline 61:40 RuPaul's Drag Race 67:00 The Good Fight, Upload, Never Have I Ever, and the finale of How To Get Away With Murder Part Three: Body Serve and Soul, our advice column 79:40 We answer listener questions on relationships, love, social media, and quarantine issues
Apr 26, 2020 · 1 hr 35 min
TBS Live!
This week, we attempted our very first live show on Zoom. We recorded a live TBS episode covering the bizarre news of the past week or so (think vaccines, mergers, missteps), and followed that up with some games and live Q&A. Thanks to the folks who joined in, contributed to the live chat, and submitted questions. If you weren't able to make it, here's the entire session along with a quick intro. 0:30 Intro - the fandoms had quite a week, huh? 8:30 TBS Live: starting with Roger Federer's bombshell tweet on ATP/WTA merger 18:30 Billie Jean weighs in: "The WTA on its own was always Plan B" 26:05 Novak's no good very bad week 37:00 ND clarified: I said what I said 40:00 Tennis powers announce a $6 million player support fund 49:15 A live F-Marry-Kill from @SholzTalks10s 53:00 Name the Tennis Player 55:20 A live mailbag from the Zoom live chat - starting with best player social media accounts 59:30 Who benefits the most and least from the suspension of tennis? 75:30 Flukiest Slam champ of the century?
Apr 22, 2020 · 58 min
Hidden Figures in Tennis
While tennis remains on hiatus, we're diving back into the history of tennis by highlighting some fascinating players you may not be familiar with. We look at: Ora Washington, one of the premier women athletes of the 20th century, ignored and overlooked even in her own sport; Richard Russell, Jamaican tennis icon; Ruia Morrison, the Maori trailblazer finally getting her due in her 80s; and the Amritraj tennis family, major stars in India, but who we wanted to learn more about. 0:30 Another Body Serve special presentation - what choice do we have? 3:00 Ora Washington, of whom Arthur Ashe said in 1988, "she may have been the best female athlete ever" 13:20 While dominating tennis, Washington decides to dominate basketball as well 19:30 Richard Russell puts Jamaican tennis on the map 37:50 Ruia Morrison, pioneering Maori tennis star 46:30 The Amritraj family, Indian sporting dynasty
Apr 13, 2020 · 1 hr 15 min
Wiggle It Like Zina
What do you know about Zina Garrison? We undertook this episode because we knew we didn’t know enough. Zina Garrison is often seen as a bridge between Althea Gibson and the Williams sisters, a trailblazer along with Lori McNeil; but, we want to spend some time highlighting her own accomplished career and electrifying game. We look at Garrison’s unique story and ask what it tells us about tennis history and where we are now. With the benefit of hindsight, how do we view Zina differently in 2020 than journalists did in 1985? How do we situate her achievements? And why doesn’t the tennis world -- including us, up until a few days ago -- know more about Zina Garrison? 0:30 What we hope to accomplish with this episode and what our reservations are 6:10 Zina’s resume - gold medal, 14 titles, Wimbledon runner-up 10:10 Zina’s origins - Houston, Texas baby 14:00 What did her game look like? The speed, volleys, slice, overhead, and the wiggle 22:15 Wimbledon 1990, a run for the ages: Zina beats Sukova, Seles, Graf and garners a million in endorsements 35:15 You can’t tell Zina Garrison’s story without Ora Washington, Althea Gibson, and of course, Lori McNeil 43:00 How Zina was covered by the 1980s/90s sports media: poverty, insularity, and underachievement 53:40 What was it like to be a black woman in the 1980s WTA? 60:45 Zina’s post-career philanthropy and activism: the Zina Garrison Academy welcomes tens of thousands of kids, free of charge 72:00 Reflecting on what we learned, and Garrison’s place in the game
Apr 4, 2020 · 1 hr 18 min
Stay the F#@* at Home
These are strange times for the world and for tennis. We look at the rolling cancellations, the narrowing possibility that tennis will be played at all this year, and the consequences for players, tournaments, and fans. James takes you through the complicated governing bodies of tennis - hopefully he's not the only one who enjoys it. Does anyone have a responsibility to support out-of-work players? We say yes, but who is in the position to help? We finish up with some fun: bored players getting creative on social media, things we like, and what's in the pipeline for us. 1:55 USTA says get off the tennis court 4:30 Wimbledon is officially cancelled in 2020, players see an opportunity for self-promotion 17:25 What are the chances we see any more tennis in 2020? What could be the impact of cancelling the 2020 season? 29:00 How can players support themselves during the shutdown? Sofia Shapatava’s petition 34:30 Let’s learn! The complicated organization structure of tennis 41:00 The national federations, governing bodies, media partners, sponsors, tournament owners. Who, if anyone, is responsible -- and who is able -- to support tennis players during this crisis? 53:20 Lightening the mood: players cut up on social media 67:00 The Thiem/Bresnik feud, Tatishvili retires 70:40 Thing we like & what’s next for The Body Serve