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

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Mar 27, 2020 · 1 hr 25 min
For Once We Do Have The Bandwidth
As promised, we’re back with part two of TBS Rewind. In this iteration, we take a look at some of the more serious topics and themes we’ve covered over the years, and reflect on what we think of what we said then...now. For the most part, we’re pretty proud of the work we’ve done, but James gets something off his chest that doesn’t sit well with him. We finish up by telling y’all about a couple things that we really really like at the moment. 02:25 Our mission statement/theme for the podcast 06:43 Why Andy Murray’s feminism still matters 22:24 USO 2018: What does it take for people to see blackness at play? 34:24 Revisiting Kevin Anderson’s comments to us about gays in tennis 39:56 One of our all-time fav bits: Helen Jacobs’ love letter 48:21 James corrects his record on our Colleen segment from 3 years ago 59:16 Riffing on equal prize money in tennis 71:49 Fandom as a fetish 78:44 Ending on a moment of levity: Things We Like!
Mar 18, 2020 · 1 hr 4 min
TBS Rewind: Just For Laughs
Things are rough right now: there is no tennis, and the world is in panic mode over the COVID-19 pandemic, so we thought we’d bring a bit of levity to the proceedings. We dived into The Body Serve archives to find some of the more light-hearted moments we’ve had over our five year run. Some of the segments may be familiar, while you might be hearing of others for the first time (#NameTheTennisPlayer). Either way, we hope to brighten your day a bit. Be safe and take care of yourselves. 00:32 Tennis is a whole ass mess right now, Rolly G leading the way 12:02 Things that stick out to us as we go back and listen to old episodes 16:49 Stakhovsky’s bonermeter and wayward gaydar 27:20 Tennis Divas revisited: Diana Ross and Ariana Grande 36:40 A throwback dramatic reading by popular demand (Letter To Santa) 42:17 Thirst Trap Olympics: The devil works hard, but Stan Wawrinka works harder 53:10 #NameTheTennisPlayer is back! Five one-word clues, you guess the player 54:53 Bloopers (FINALLY): Spoiler, James cusses a lot
Mar 11, 2020 · 1 hr 20 min
Much Ado About Something
We come to you on the heels of the huge tennis news that the Indian Wells event “will not be held,” has been cancelled, postponed, whatever. We are well and truly in the dark about what the tennis schedule will look like in the coming months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In short, we have no answers. But, we’re back to get you up to date as to what has been happening. After talking about ALL THAT, we get into the tennis results last week, the heinous International Women’s Day ATP video spot, before finishing with another TBS Mailbag. 01:58 The BNP Paribas event in Indian Wells has been cancelled 30:44 Results: Svitolina, Zvonareva, Leylah, Jack Sock and more 36:01 Do ATP players know any women other than their mothers? 42:02 Are we still going to Miami if the tournament is still on? 45:35 Taking a 'bathroom break' to compose oneself mentally after losing a set 49:05 The Body Serve goes country! Who do we like? 56:30 FMK 90s edition: Sampras, Agassi, Rafter 60:53 A pop culture diversion: our thoughts on handling the Sherry Pie RPDR mess 69:09 What the ATP can do to ensure its players treat WTA players as equals 74:14 Are we hopeful we’ll see an active, openly gay ATP player in the near future?
Mar 1, 2020 · 1 hr 12 min
It's Sharapover: A Complicated Affair
Maria Sharapova became the richest woman in sport, a 5-time Slam champ, and one of the most polarizing figures in tennis. We have not always been Masha proponents, but it's important for us to contextualize her excellent career, her clever self-branding, and the many contradictions and mysteries at the heart of Maria Sharapova, superstar. We'd be remiss if we didn't interrogate the textured relationship between Maria and Serena, and the complex racial and sexual dynamics that colored and drove their money, images, and matches. After that, we chat about the Persian Gulf swing (is that a thing?): Rybakina's 21 wins, Djokovic's 21-match win streak and Monfils' heartache, Sabalenka's huge performance in Doha, and Ons Jabeur's ever increasing confidence. We end with some mess, as is our wont. :45 Maria Sharapova announces her retirement from tennis in an essay for Vogue & Vanity Fair - let's look at her vast influence and great career 10:15 It's complicated! Talking about the Great White Hope myth; the contradictions at the heart of Maria's sparkling image and her gritty, pugilistic game 18:15 Constructing a sex symbol out of an underage girl 25:25 Meldonium - how has it changed the way we talk about her career? 37:00 Results! Rybakina & Halep in Dubai, Garin in Rio, Felix in another final 41:30 Acapulco: Watson & 17-year-old Canadian Fernandez in final; Mexican Renata Zarazua stuns; Venus & Sloane do not 45:00 Doha (Sabalenka! Jabeur!) and Dubai (Djokovic at 21 straight wins!) 52:50 HEALTH: Roger gets surgery, Andy clarifies his injury problems 56:30 MESS: Nick takes his road most travelled (the low one), Naomi claps back, Youzhny writes a sonnet 67:30 RIP Jeanne Evert Dubin (1957-2020)
Feb 23, 2020 · 1 hr 31 min
A Body Serve Over Troubled Water
It's been a while since we last brought you a mailbag episode. They're fun to do, and we get to rely on our listeners to drive the conversation. Thanks to your thoughtful questions, we cover everything topics like the role of Tennis Twitter in the sport, things we'd change about the Slams, to opinions we've changed and our favorite Mariah songs. The questions mentioned below are only a sampling of the whole thing: 1:30 Which cities would you like to see host a tournament? (@ShaneBullen) 4:30 Why are tennis players politically silent compared to athletes in other sports? (@bloodbaymare); AND, how do we reckon with the "platitudinous non-voice voices" of the Big 3 with regard to the Margaret Court controversy (@perspicaciousam) 17:25 What thing, person, incident have we changed our opinions on? (@AnnaClxxmxnn and @DamianTerbiler) 27:30 Tennis journalists we like, plus a tangent 32:40 FMK: Drama Kings (@SholzTalks10s) 35:28 An anonymously submitted question for Jonathan 37:15 What do we expect from Clijsters' return? (@fabianigiraneza) 46:35 What behind-the-scenes stuff in tennis would people be surprised by? (@AfrikaMsanifu) 55:00 How important is Tennis Twitter to the success of the sport? (@theswingvolley) 65:50 An extended meditation on our favorite Mariah songs; and picking just ONE from MC, Whitney, and Aretha (@hextreat)
Feb 17, 2020 · 59 min
Where's the Beef?
February is always a frantic time on the tennis calendar. We've just gotten back from a quick vacation in Mexico, and are readjusting to the Toronto winter and the podcast grind. This episode has recaps of Fed Cup and two weeks of tournaments; a segment on the recent anti-doping developments with Farah and Spears; the WTA's new permissive policy toward coaching, and many more odds and ends. 3:00 Fed Cup qualifiers: USA d. Latvia amid concerning play from Serena, Swiss d. Canada, Russia d. Romania, and other notables 10:15 A quick note on the Clijsters comeback 14:50 Catching up on results: Monfils wins Montpellier and Rotterdam back-to-back, Felix reaches 4th ATP final, Pospisil's great runs, Bertens d. Rybakina to win St Petersburg 23:30 New York Open, that was a thing that happened 27:45 WTA implements coaching from the stands 33:00 Las drogas, la carne, las vitaminas malditas; and, the economic context that makes lower-ranked tennis players vulnerable to bettors and PEDs 44:00 Harrison and Sock, and the Benjamin of wild cards between them 48:30 Larry Ellison, owner of Indian Wells, to host a Trump fundraiser! Ok! 50:25 Naomi Osaka announces Netflix documentary about her life
Feb 3, 2020 · 1 hr 19 min
She's Got Spunk
The 2020 Australian Open has mercifully come to a close and we’re back to complete our coverage of the decade’s first Grand Slam tournament. Your winners: Novak Djokovic, for an 8th time in Melbourne; and Sonya Kenin, who shocked the tennis world for her first Slam, beating #1 Barty and the resurgent Muguruza for the title. We’ve also got old-timers taking on Tennis Australia’s dithering on Margaret Court, while Novak and Roger played from the crease and were trapped in front lbw. What else? The Big 3 would like to speak to your manager, the Muguruza and Zverev comeback stories, and what men’s tennis might look like over the next few months. 02:18 Djokovic conquers an ever improving Thiem to win his 8th AO 10:44 The ATP through March, Zverev’s turnaround & other week 2 results 18:53 The Big 3 would like to speak to the manager....of the umpires 32:55 James is feeling a bit hamstrung by a tenet of our show 40:08 Sonya Kenin has got spunk! 54:07 Ash Barty, and her niece, cause all that conversation 60:26 Thomas Muster and Sam Sumyk have incredibly bad, forgettable fortnights 65:27 Martina and McEnroe protest Margaret Court, Novak and Roger remain feckless 74:47 Makarova retires, Delpo has knee surgery (again), and HoF inductees
Jan 26, 2020 · 1 hr 20 min
I Am Not A Tennis Expert
The first week of this Australian Open has been something. Serena and Naomi lost on the same night Caroline Wozniacki retired from the sport, Milos Raonic is blasting his way through the men's draw, Rublev extends his win streak, and Novak Djokovic's dominance here shows no signs of slowing. We also take a few moments to ponder a certain 8th-seeded Italian, who allowed Sandgren to flourish. But mostly, we're looking at the many -- often delightful -- surprises of the first week. It's been a ride. 01:20 Camila Giorgi, minimalist tennis philosopher 3:20 Coco Gauff's run 12:15 Team Canada disappoints, except for Milos Raonic & Gaby Dabrowski 17:00 Honoring Caroline Wozniacki's great career: 71 weeks at #1, a heroic Australian Open title, a fighting spirit, and a juris doctor 25:30 Serena Williams loses to Wang Qiang 38:10 M----- B----tt--i enters tennis prison for allowing Tennys to prosper 42:55 Other surprises: Pliskova's Grand Slam problems; Federer snatches victory from Millman; Raonic, Muguruza, Kontaveit, Fucsovics, Ernie 55:25 Zverev slides through the first week by figuring out his serve issues 57:15 Previewing the men's and women's second week 64:20 Swiatek: the pronunciation politics 67:30 What is happening in the press room? Fidanzata & fake feuds 71:15 Dramatic Reading: Serena explains her post-US Open schedule in the past 5 years
Jan 18, 2020 · 1 hr 6 min
A Bespoke Approach to Natural Phenomena
The Body Serve is back with our 6th annual (!) Australian Open preview. We break down the soon-to-be-broken draws, key first round match-ups, the dozens of floaters in the women's bracket, and whether the Big 3 stranglehold shows any signs of ending (it doesn't). We also cover the Australian Open's reliably unique approach to internationally accepted science, with their roll-out of a new air quality policy. 2:30 The Australian Open draw ceremony ... err, Power Point presentation? 8:40 Breaking down the women's draw, starting with the Serena-Venus-Naomi-Dayana-Coco-etc quarter 21:55 Women's bottom half - a tough out for #2 Pliskova in a fascinating fourth quarter 31:00 A few probably wrong predictions 32:00 Men's draw: Nadal and Medvedev's paths; Kyrgios, Zverev, Ruby, Dominic, and so much speculation 39:20 Men's bottom half: Djokovic and Federer stuck with each other 46:55 James takes you through the Australian Open's new bespoke air quality policy, "inspired" by science 54:10 Et ceteras: union talks rear their head again, Sir Andy injury, GoFundMe update
Jan 15, 2020 · 1 hr 23 min
ATP Sippy Cup
Thank you to everybody for listening to our Monica Seles episode! We’re back to officially launch Season SIX of The Body Serve. If you’ve donated to our GoFundMe, please listen to the segment at the top of the show to find out what we’ve done, what we’re planning to do, and the prizes that we’ll be distributing at the end of the campaign. We start the tennis proceedings with a recap of a dizzyingly strange and moody ATP Cup before segueing into Serena Williams’ reassuring week in Auckland. Other topics on the docket: a note on climate change as it relates to tennis, the failures (thus far) of the Australian Open in dealing with the poor air quality in Melbourne, the need for unions in tennis, and a few predictions/wishes for the 2020 season. 01:45 An update on our GoFundMe 09:35 ATP Sippy Cup: an exercise in largesse and insolence 20:18 You get all these men together and they act a fool and a mess 31:44 Pliskova repeats in Brisbane 35:51 Serena has herself a tournament in Auckland, wins title #73 41:24 What this win could mean for Serena in 2020 48:05 A note from us on climate change in tennis and our coverage 51:25 Australian Open puts players’ health at risk & the need for unions 63:02 Jarry and Farrah catch a pair of cases 68:25 Breakout/comeback candidates and our tennis wishlists for 2020
Jan 4, 2020 · 1 hr 38 min
How Do We Talk About Monica Seles?
It's clear that from the moment Monica Seles arrived on the tennis stage as a precocious teenager, the tennis world didn't quite know what to do or say about her. She's been constructed as, at varying times: the grunting and giggling wunderkind, an enigmatic superstar, a tragic victim of violence, a worldwide symbol of resilience, and the tour's elder stateswoman. In this episode, we try to make sense of the creation of Monica Seles as a public figure, by combing through the journalism written about her and several books written by her. How did we arrive at the Monica we 'know' today? How do we make sense of her incomprehensible stabbing? Does tennis know how to reckon with this superstar and her place in history? What this isn't: it's not a comprehensive biography, not a litigation of who's The Greatest, nor is it a deep dive into the Seles-Graf rivalry and relationship. This is instead about trying to understand how sports media creates celebrity, how patterns are repeated through generations, and a reminder that your heroes are complicated. :30 Why are we doing this episode? 6:45 The first stage of Monica discourse: prodigy and peculiarity (1988-90) 15:45 Grand Slam debut at 1989 Roland Garros 20:45 Seles' run of firsts in 1989/1990 and the Bolletieri falling out 30:25 The second phase: dominance and drama (1991-93) 33:20 The '91 Wimbledon withdrawal and reappearance at Mahwah 46:30 Let's talk about the endless grunting conversation, which blew up at 1992 Wimbledon 57:00 The stabbing and the subsequent 27-month hiatus (1993-95) 75:20 Monica's return to the WTA Tour, entering another phase of Monica discourse: embraced and beloved (but often underestimated) champion (1995-present) 83:00 Assessing Monica's post-comeback career: full of contradictions and lots of greatness
Dec 3, 2019 · 1 hr 12 min
OK, We Move to 2020, Cause That's Bull$#!t
Y'all, we made it to the end of Season FIVE! First, we MUST thank you for all your generous contributions to the GoFundMe we launched last week. Truly, we are bowled over and so grateful. As for this finale, we're back to recap the year on the men's tour, replete with your responses to our questions we threw at you on Twitter. The season closes with James taking a quiz on the men's season, and be sure to let him know if you fared any better! Thanks again for all your support this season and over the years; we are here only because of y'all! 02:36 Our general thoughts and a rundown of the titlists 12:56 Bautista Agut the Forrest Gumpian bookend to the season? 16:45 Thinking out loud about Nadal and Djokovic's seasons 20:30 Andy Murray's wild ride this year 25:23 Davis Cup. That's it. That's the timestamp 37:45 Y'alls most memorable moments 40:39 Thirst trappers of 2019 44:09 "Federer one good swing from the greatest moment of his career?" 48:06 Your most surprising & funny moments 53:39 Vote for the pettiest moment of the year 57:17 Comeback player and Player of the Year 59:07 Farewell to these men and goodBYE to Tipsarevic 62:44 James takes a quiz
Nov 24, 2019 · 1 hr 16 min
WTA Wrap 2019: But Wow, What A Moment
Our penultimate episode of 2019 is exciting for 2 reasons: we get to wrap this hugely entertaining WTA season and launch our first ever crowdfunding campaign. We're asking our loyal listeners to consider throwing a few coins our way to help us expand on our already 5(!) seasons of podcasting. But back to tennis -- we daresay that top tier of the WTA is shaping up a bit more clearly this year. Between stone-cold killers like Andreescu, a consistent no. 1 in Barty, up-and-comers like Gauff and Anisimova, and multi-Slam winners in Halep and Osaka, the WTA is in a great place. With help from our listeners, we chat about the most surprising, funniest, feel-good, and favorite moments of the WTA season. After that, cap off your WTA season by taking our quiz alongside Jonathan (and tell us how you did). 0:30 Announcing our first ever crowdfunding campaign - #GoFundTBS - here's why we're asking and how we'll invest in the podcast 6:00 Assessing the themes of the WTA season: parity but the hierarchies are becoming clearer 10:00 The winners of the WTA's 14 big titles - Barty & Andreescu with 3 each 21:10 Our listeners' favorite moments of the WTA season: Murrena, Townsend, Su-Wei everything, Bianca-Angelique Drama Queen-Gate, Strycova's Wimbledon, and more 31:30 You Did That: Coco Gauff 34:00 Feel Good Moments: Bianca comforts Serena in Toronto, Barty's entire season, Kristie Ahn's US Open 39:15 Most surprising moments: Konta's clay run, Barty/Halep/Andreescu's Slam wins, Serena-Pliskova at AO, Clijsters' comeback announcement 48:10 Funniest Moments: "If it's not one scam" ... you know the rest 55:00 Keeping ourselves honest - how did we do on our January predictions for the year-end top 10 and breakout players? 60:30 Checking in on the #HatchingandSnatching crowd 62:20 Comebacks, retirements, breakups, makeups 65:30 WTA Year-end Quiz - She said WHAT? Our GoFundMe - #GoFundTBS
Nov 20, 2019 · 1 hr 3 min
Back On That Bull$#!t
After this episode, we've only got two more to go before we wrap season FIVE of The Body Serve. We try and keep things on topic, but the TBS train gets a bit derailed on occasion in this one. First, we recap the ATP Finals, Tsitsipas' superb title run, and the ramifications from the week's play in London. We then segue into retirements, comebacks, and yet ANOTHER dramatic reading. 01:48 Stefanos soars to London ATP Finals title 17:29 Nadal finishes YE #1 for a 5th time 20:30 Bellis is back, so is Colleen, and Sinner wins again 22:58 An update on the India/Pakistan Davis Cup tie 26:40 Retirement wave begins: Cibulkova, Berdych & Blah Brothers 35:33 Kiki & Dominic call it quits 38:36 Dramatic reading: That's Bullshit! 42:18 An NFL diversion on the latest Kaepernick developments 58:37 James talks his basketball husband & Lizzo
Nov 12, 2019 · 1 hr 2 min
Letter To Santa
The ATP has a new fella on the rise after Jannik Sinner's bold win in Milan. Team France overcame Ash Barty and Australia in a thrilling Fed Cup final to put a bow on the WTA season. We wade into the latest Margaret Court shitstorm before delivering our latest book reports on John Millman and Ons Jabeur. Also, many many thanks to Sara Errani for providing the material for our latest dramatic reading! 02:20 Sinner blazes through Milan Next Gen field 07:20 A bit of background on Jannik Sinner 10:02 What to make of all this innovation? 15:48 Fed Cup delivers stellar WTA finale 26:24 A follow-up on last week's WTA prize money segment 29:05 Abigail Spears caught up in doping scandal 32:49 Brace yourselves for Hurricane Margaret's shitstorm 40:13 An update on the India/Pakistan Davis Cup tie 42:34 Book Report: Ons Jabeur & John Millman 53:02 An hors d'oeuvre before our dramatic entrée 56:51 Dramatic Reading: Go tell it to Santa
Nov 5, 2019 · 56 min
She Don't Bat Now, She Make Money Moves
Ash Barty finesses the year-end number one ranking with a tidy and patient display in Shenzhen, with it snatching the largest ever payout in tennis history. Djokovic edges closer to both the year-end number one and the Masters 1000 record with a fifth victory in Paris. Plus, we chat about Shapovalov, Svitolina, and the surface problems that caused a slew of retirements in Shenzhen. Oh, and we've got a dramatic reading for you, too! 04:20 Djokovic dominates in Paris, closes in on year-end #1 14:42 Barty caps breakout year, makes money moves in Shenzhen 18:05 How Ash did it, and why people like/don't like her 23:09 The professionalism of Elina Svitolina 28:43 What's the deal with these retirements and slow ass courts? 33:45 WTA Legacy Fund & taking care of the Tour's elders 39:31 Evolution of WTA Prize Money: It takes more than $4.42 million 44:13 Mariana Alves retires after game-changing start to her umpiring career 46:36 Dramatic reading: Setting the record straight about Chicago's Kamau Murray
Oct 29, 2019 · 1 hr 6 min
Say It To My Face
Wow, what a moment: Episode 175. The 2019 season (our fifth doing The Body Serve) is coming to a close, and we're back to recap the last two weeks of play. The list of winners is all sorts of impressive: Roger Federer, Aryna Sabalenka, Dominic Thiem, Andy Murray, Andrey Rublev, and Jelena Ostapenko. We give these folks their due before laughing at Nick Kyrgios' absurd tough guy act, coaching changes, ATP leadership appointments, and the ongoing tournaments in Paris and Shenzhen. We close the episode with things we like and dislike, before teasing something exciting? on the horizon for us. 03:28 Catching up on the tennis results, Zhuhai first 07:23 Hats off to Federer on a 10th Basel crown & 103rd singles title 14:34 Dominic Thiem (home)coming of age in Vienna 18:38 Other winners: Andy Murray, Shapovalov, and Ruby 25:06 Wow, what a pairing: Ostapenko & Bartoli arrive 28:30 Current tennis talk: Paris & Shenzhen 35:10 We're not doing this again: Kyrgios flailing in the wind 40:57 The ATP gets new leadership: Andrea Gaudenzi & Mark Knowles 44:18 Spicy B, Sascha splits with Kiki, and Next Genning 52:34 Things we like, things we disklike 62:03 Our hand dem long out ah beg fi tings
Oct 14, 2019 · 1 hr 10 min
The Kids Are All Fight
It's been a minute since we've covered tennis week-to-week. We're making up for lost time by speeding through the Asian/European fall swing, highlighting the huge steps taken by the ATP's younger generation, Coco Gauff's first title, and Naomi Osaka's dominance in Asia. That's followed by a rapid-fire segment, in which we discuss everything from Kim Clijsters' shocking comeback announcement to the Pospisil-led player movement toward better prize money. 1:45 Coco Gauff, age 15, wins her first WTA title at Linz 5:00 Next Gen steps forward at Shanghai, Medvedev cements his status as the next big thing 9:10 Grumpy Gramps makes an appearance in Shanghai 17:10 Catching up with the rest of the fall swing results - Djokovic recovers from shoulder injury, Thiem bounces back to win Beijing, and Grouchy Andy is back! 27:30 Naomi Osaka wins Osaka & Beijing, beats Andreescu; is this the launch of a new rivalry? Does the WTA "need" it? 39:15 Rapid-fire topics: the Clijsters & Golovin comebacks (?!); revisiting a bad take on Nadal's Hilfiger campaign; Gold badge umpire Moscarella suspended for a whole mess of things 55:30 Players, led by Vasek Pospisil, demand bigger piece of the pie from Grand Slams 64:45 Race to Shenzhen; Shout-outs to all-time greats Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Simone Biles!
Oct 1, 2019 · 1 hr 20 min
Toward A Better Understanding Of Pre-Open Era Tennis
TBS Special: In the vein of our Pride episode from last year, we've gone and done a bit of research into the history of tennis and are coming to you with our findings on what tennis was like before and leading into the Open Era. 04:28 What was amateurism and why did it exist? 18:36 So, what did tennis look like in the first 90 years or so? 21:48 What happened when a player turned professional in the pre-Open Era? 29:34 Jack Kramer, professional kingpin & thorn in side of amateur tennis 34:48 The relative quality of amateur vs pro tennis 43:43 The rumblings of professionalization/Open Tennis 51:59 What about the women, you might be asking? 57:50 Margaret Court's record gets a bad rap? It's complicated 64:40 Richard Pancho Gonzalez and his undervalued place in history 71:37 A trio that stood out to us and a story about BJK Partial Reading List: “Open the Door, Stockholm!” - Martin Kane, Sports Illustrated, July 10, 1961 "Goodbye Billie Jean, With Love From Nancy" - Kim Chapin, Sports Illustrated, April 8, 1968 “Open Season For a Test of Time” - Kim Chapin, Sports Illustrated, August 26, 1968 “The Lone Wolf” - S.L. Price, Sports Illustrated, June 24, 2002 “For Love or For Money: A History of Amateurism in the Olympic Games” - L.A. Jennings, Vice, June 7, 2016 The Right Set: A Tennis Anthology, Caryl Phillips.
Sep 10, 2019 · 1 hr 21 min
Racing With Destiny
Bianca Andreescu busted out in a big way at the U.S. Open, beating Serena Williams in straight sets to win her first Slam title. For Serena, it was a 4th finals loss since coming back from having baby Olympia. And for Rafael Nadal, it was an emotional 19th career Slam title, leaving him just one behind Roger Federer for the all-time lead. All this is to say, Championship weekend at the U.S. Open was A LOT! Join us as we recap the action and fill you in on some of the etceteras from week two of 2019's final Grand Slam action. 01:28 Just a bunch of tangential gibberish about the women's final 06:25 The women who were complicit in Bianca's rise 24:21 James makes a case for the similarities between Bianca & Daniil 33:54 Is Nadal playing better than ever or differently than ever? 38:55 Berrettini & Dimitrov get their due 48:41 Crowd control, trashy crowd behaviour, and umpiring discretion 55:11 James gets a better understanding of the Serena/Patrick relationship 58:35 Doubles results and a dramatic reading! 67:57 Jonathan gets DUPED by Naomi Osaka