Épisodes

  • The Cusp Boys
    Oct 28 2025

    Almost there … Elena Rybakina booked her spot in the WTA Finals and dipped immediately (extremely injured). Basel saw three of its four quarterfinals end with a retirement. Naturally, the ATP decided this was the perfect time to announce an imminent 10th Masters 1000 tournament, in Saudi Arabia, which will require the shuttering of five current ATP tournaments. Elsewhere, Marta Kostyuk decides it’s not sour grapes, it’s testosterone; and Jannik Sinner gets torched by the Italian consumer protection agency for taking un pisolino after leading his country to two straight Davis Cup titles.

    2:50 À propos of nothing, Kostyuk dabbles in transvestigation

    15:00 Jannik might lose his honorary citizenship to the city of Turin, guys

    17:00 The ATP cusp boys + Fonseca

    22:55 Ale-ale-jandro

    24:00 Are people born with cramps or are cramps thrust upon them?

    26:40 Rybakina, Bencic, Li

    32:10 Saudi Arabia gets a Masters tournament

    36:00 Next up in tennis and on TBS

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    42 min
  • So Sorry, Bestie
    Oct 21 2025

    It’s late in the season but great stories are still being written: the world #204 Valentin Vacherot slips into the Shanghai qualifying draw and then wins it all, Coco Gauff rights the ship in Asia for the second year in a row, and two Canadians win titles in the same week. We also talk about Holger Rune’s Achilles injury, Finals qualification storylines, and the ongoing debates on scheduling and exhibitions in Timbuktu. Plus, a foray into pop culture featuring David Archuleta and the late great Diane Keaton.

    01:30 The cousin final

    07:35 Coco doing what she does best in Wuhan

    12:10 The Felix anti-jinx

    15:25 Other winners: Fernandez, Ruud, Rybakina, Medvedev (882 days, they’ve said many times)

    20:30 Rune’s catastrophic Achilles rupture

    24:00 Who can still qualify for the ATP/WTA Finals?

    28:40 The still-raging scheduling and exo debates + answering a listener question on Laver Cup

    37:15 Pop culture break: Archuleta grows up, RIP Diane Keaton

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    45 min
  • Dry Sockets
    Oct 11 2025

    Late in the season, the tennis tour is winding itself through the great cities of China. Anisimova wins Beijing, the women put together a banner lineup in Wuhan, while the men in Shanghai limp (literally) toward the season's end. We've still got so many great listener questions to answer, which cover topical stuff like the length of the tennis season and the Hall of Fame nominees; and less relevant but no less fun subjects like our work nemeses and the retirement of sprint queen and TBS all-time fave, Kingston native Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

    02:45 Marquee matchups in Wuhan

    10:10 Court speed wars; or, you sound like a loser

    16:05 Taylor Daynes of tennis

    24:05 Work enemies

    35:25 Tennis Hall of Fame nominees

    43:10 Any update on Peng Shuai?

    47:20 The schedule … six 500s?! Ten 1000s?!

    52:50 The GOAT Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce retires

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    59 min
  • Here For Some Of It
    Oct 5 2025

    The men’s season ticks on, same as it ever was, as Alcaraz and Sinner snag twin 500s in different countries. We talk a little (very little) about recent results and people being consistently weird in and about Asia. Then, we move into our listener mailbag segment, where we cover everything from how to address the late-season malaise to dealing with workplace narcissists. We finish with an extended review of Mariah’s new album Here For It All, her first studio album since 2018. By the way, the episode title does not refer to our feelings on the album!

    2:50 Carlos and Jannik add titles, Learner is your newcomer of the year

    9:00 No one’s talking to you

    13:00 Why can’t players just be normal in Asia?

    18:05 Does the tennis season end with a whimper? How to change it up?

    32:00 Balancing cultural issues with tennis on the show

    37:20 How much stock do put into year-end no. 1 rankings vs. the rolling ranking system?

    40:55 Off-topic: do you have advice for how to deal with workplace narcissists and bullies?

    50:10 Mariah album review!

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    1 h et 17 min
  • Oops I Did It Again
    Sep 23 2025

    The post-US Open stretch is always a little strange. Case in point, Lleyton Hewitt was suspended for two weeks because he pushed an anti-doping official last year(?!). Taylor Townsend squandered a lot of good will after she mocked Chinese cuisine (though she swiftly apologized). The Italian dynasty captures their 6th BJK Cup title via Paolini, Cocciaretto, and Errani heroics. Plus, we issue a … clarification(?) of our comments on the USTA last episode, discuss the Canada-Israel tie, and tackle the allegedly imminent Kyrgios-Sabalenka “battle of the sexes.”

    1:50 A retraction/clarification on our USTA crashout

    6:20 We read the Lleyton Hewitt v. ITIA reports so you don’t have to

    17:15 Results: Iga wins #25; WTA hatching and snatching continues

    24:45 Team Italia continues to dominate BJK Cup

    29:05 Taylor Townsend’s self-own

    37:45 USA crashes out of Davis Cup / Canada’s decision on Israel DC tie

    48:35 Kyrgios vs. Sabalenka will ultimately be a zero-sum game

    Theme music courtesy of Oleg Fedak from Pixabay

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    1 h et 2 min
  • The Corporate Sleaze
    Sep 10 2025

    Thanks for your patience as we finished up our US Open wrap! One of our birthdays coincided with Rolex inviting a certain president to the tournament, and we conscientiously objected. Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz are your winners (for the first time together). The tournament was a barnburner on the women’s side, a fantastic cap to a year which saw four different Slam winners and a few players rewriting their own stories. On the men’s side, Alcaraz faced only 10 break points (a record) and pushed a dominant Sinner into rethinking his own game. As is our wont, we talk extensively about other things … including using Mary Carillo’s commentary as an example of the necessary risk of expanding sports commentary into something more worldly and immediate.

    01:46 Aryna Sabalenka wins with smarts and steadiness

    08:56 Animisova-Osaka, now that was a moment

    18:27 The Townsend-Krejcikova match was a stunner

    21:31 Mary Carillo and the risk of telling the truth

    35:47 Carlos figures out Jannik (7 of the last 8 times)

    42:19 Thanks, Rolex! The USTA makes a problem worse

    50:34 Breaking down the prize money increase

    55:45 Allez Félix!

    64:50 Novak and everyone else

    71:11 Duchess of Kent, Wimbledon icon, dies at 92

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    1 h et 18 min
  • Packed Up and Gone
    Aug 31 2025

    We've just returned from the US Open, excited to share some stories from the site. We cover our night session with Venus, the debut of Carlos' buzz cut, Felix vs some fake fans, and the luck of seeing Barbie K's opening match at two consecutive Slams. This has been something of a whiny US Open, though -- kicked off by Medvedev’s calculated tantrum, then followed by Ostapenko’s shameful display against Townsend (which Jonathan witnessed in person!). Later, we chat about the experience of a stretched out schedule, Serena inducting Maria into the Hall of Fame, the draws as they stand now.

    1:30 Daniil Medvedev’s desperation

    11:10 Stefanos, another pissy baby

    15:50 Your primary source for Townsend-Ostapenko

    32:00 Victor Barber we are so sorry (this time)

    36:20 Night session with Venus Williams!

    43:10 An overwhelming sense of ickiness

    53:05 Félix and the fake fans

    62:50 How the Sunday start impacted the on-site experience

    70:20 Inductrination

    77:35 The draws at the cusp of week two

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    1 h et 33 min
  • Why Is It a Crime To Be Locked In? US Open Preview
    Aug 23 2025

    We're kind of winging it for this US Open preview. It's a bit too late for a Cincy recap, so we're talking about major themes -- like Coco’s coaching overhaul, Iga’s mid-season surge, the guys not named Carlos or Jannik -- and sprinkling in some results. We talk about what worked and what didn't in the mixed doubles exhib-- I mean the prestigious and successful mixed doubles tournament featuring the world's best players. Plus we settle some scores and probably create a few new beefs, but what the hell, this is the last major of 2025 and literally our 43rd Slam preview.

    1:00 The major storylines in the women’s draw: I warned you Iga was coming! + Coco drops the GripMD

    15:00 Men’s storylines: Djokovic LoseWatch, the also-rans

    21:05 The mixed doubles experiment

    31:30 Mardy Fish comes for Rajeev Ram out of nowhere

    35:50 Not Parks and Vavassori liking fake news homophobic posts on IG

    38:45 Women's draw preview

    51:25 Men's draw preview

    67:10 US Open artwork: Honoring Althea Gibson in death but not in life

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    1 h et 16 min