The 2023 season started and ended with Iga Swiatek as the player to beat, but it wasn’t a repeat of her utterly dominant 2022. A new elite separated itself from the field, as Sabalenka won her first Slam and achieved the #1 ranking, Coco Gauff won the US Open, Marketa Vondrousova shocked Wimbledon, and Rybakina scored three wins over Iga. Off the court, it was an unusually busy year in terms of WTA business news and rising player discontent over scheduling, finances, and plain respect. We’ll do a chronological recap of the season and talk about the overarching trends and biggest winners, followed by your contributions for the things that made you angry in 2023, the funniest moments, and what you’ll remember about the season.    
 
01:20 Launching our 2024 Go Fund Me
09:35 The big winners of the 2023 season
16:10 Where was the WTA Tour at the start of 2023?
19:10 Recapping the season: Sabalenka’s Australian Open and the winter season
27:50 Clay was all about the “big 3,” but Muchova almost snatched 
35:10 Vondrousova, the unexpected
43:15 The hardcourt summer made Coco Gauff a superstar 
57:25 Superlatives, statistics, and picking the winners of the WTA Awards 
01:09:35 Our 2023 breakout players: how’d we do?
01:12:10 WTA Business: CVC investment, safeguarding, WTA Finals bids, and testing the waters on Saudi investment
01:17:10 The moments you’ll remember from the 2023 season
01:21:50 The moments that made you mad: the Madrid disaster takes the cake 
01:28:00 Your funniest moments of 2023: poor Kerrilyn
01:34:10 Retirements and comebacks

Let Them Eat Cake: 2023 WTA Wrap

The 2023 tennis season is barreling toward the finish line. First up: the Canadian women win their first ever BJK/Fed Cup behind huge performances by Leylah Fernandez, Marina Stakusic, and Gaby Dabrowski. Novak Djokovic distances himself even farther from the field by dominating Alcaraz and Sinner to win the ATP Finals. There was a ton of discussion about throwing a round robin match to remove the #1 player – and plenty of good reasons for and against – but in the end it was moot, as Jannik Sinner went undefeated in round robin only to be overpowered by Djokovic in the final. Elsewhere, it’s the end of Newport, Atlanta, Krejcikova-Siniakova, and Murray-Lendl (for the third time). Plus, that Defector story about Racquet and some self-reflection about where we’ve been and where we’d like the podcast to go.  
 
01:30 Canada wins its first BJK Cup! 
06:30 Novak is not bothered by the field. At all. 
09:00 To tank or not to tank (Well, it’s actually a problem of design, not ethics) 
17:50 The final: Novak outhits and outserves Sinner
28:00 Newport and Atlanta out
30:10 Rafa returning? Plus the era’s best doubles pairing is over
34:15 Defector story about the upheaval at Racquet
41:30 Some meta-reflection on where we are with the podcast

Novak and the Seven Jokers

It’s hard to know where to start with the WTA Finals in Cancun, where the poor conditions and seemingly shoddy preparation overshadowed much of the actual play. The WTA is suffering a reputational crisis and a player rebellion, with players complaining publicly and demanding better conditions, scheduling, income, and leave policies. Amidst all this noise, Iga Swiatek stomps through the field and regains the #1 ranking. Elsewhere, Alexander Zverev was issued a penalty order in the domestic abuse case brought by his ex-partner Brenda Patea. Of special interest to us is the ATP’s continued mishandling of the Zverev problem and abuse allegations in general. In et ceteras, Patrick Mouratoglou “feels” responsible for Simona’s ban but stops short of saying he is responsible.
01:30 Novak wins Paris Masters and the gulf has hardly ever felt bigger
08:10 Iga Swiatek’s deeply impressive run in Cancun + the hellish conditions, natural and otherwise
17:10 The backdrop of the player frustrations: a letter of player demands and the WTA’s late response
28:20 The PTPA’s media blitz 
30:00 Wrapping the WTA Finals chat with doubles
33:05 Zverev issued a penalty order for bodily harm against former partner and mother of his child
39:40 The ATP’s inaction: a timeline
50:15 Patrick, do you feel responsible or are you responsible?

Shambles

TBS 320 arrives as the tours (mercifully) make their final few stops of the season. We recap the results of the past week: Sinner, Auger-Aliassime, and Haddad Maia all score big wins for their respective careers. As you know, James is the resident tennis-player-catches-a-doping-case enthusiast (?) and he’s back to provide updates about Brooksby and Halep. There’s WTA Finals talk as well as a few things we’ve HAD IT with.
 
02:49 Jannik’s red wig isn’t budging
06:20 Felix says he’s back!
07:15 Haddad Maia doubles up in Zhuhai
12:47 In-depth look at Jenson Brooksby’s case of negligence 
33:04 Serena catches a photo-cropping case
36:35 WTA Finals arrives in Cancun – we did it (barely)
43:49 We’ve HAD IT

Catching A Case

Admittedly, this hasn’t been our most productive October ever, but we’re here! First, we’re recapping two weeks of results, including a 12th title for Monfils, a first for Shelton, Mertens remaining the only ever winner of Monastir, and Zheng Qinwen triumphing shortly after coach Fissette dipped. Also: Holger Rune hires Boris Becker, recently released from prison and deported from the UK; the Cincinnati Masters will stay put; Craig Tiley promises something he can’t promise; and Naomi sells her likeness to Mark Zuckerberg. And what’s the deal with the lack of women on Tennis Channel and the WTA Board and Tournament Council?
 
0:30 Autumn fatigue, for players and podcasters alike
4:00 Monfils, Shelton, Fils, and Townsend make it a fantastic weekend for Black players
11:15 WTA results: Mertens, Siniakova, Korpatsch; Zheng wins Zhengzhou, Peggy wins one for mom
20:10 WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai gets underway with a stellar field
23:55 Holger Rune hires Boris Becker
26:55 Zumba instructor Garbiñe Muguruza isn’t thinking about tennis
31:15 Cincinnati will stay in Cincinnati after getting Ohio to put up enough taxpayer money
35:25 Craig Tiley announces Rafa Nadal’s appearance at the Aus Open and no one is more surprised than Rafa
44:10 Naomi Osaka and Candle Gender sell their likenesses to Meta 
47:20 Diana Nyad changes her mind on trans inclusion (it relates to tennis, I swear)
55:35 Where are all the women on the WTA Board and the Tournament Council?

Smooth Criminal

Tennis returns to China after four years away, as Iga Swiatek reminds us who's boss and Jannik Sinner takes a huge step forward by beating Alcaraz and Medvedev for the Beijing title. Meanwhile, the Cancun organizers are building their Field of Dreams in less than a month and several top players are already bowing out of BJK Cup. We also cover the growing chorus of abuse survivors who are taking aim at the USTA, and why this is far from the last time we'll hear about it. Plus, a few diversions about Zheng, "athleticism," Safarova's extremely brief non-return, and how tennis babies its players when it comes to endangering the people who work on court. 
 
1:05 WTA returns to China with none of what it demanded
7:00 Iga sets things straight with Beijing title
12:25 Jannik Sinner gets his first Meddy win by using a tactic that’s becoming more common … 
18:35 WTA Finals in Cancun: stadium is loading ... (currently at 1%)
27:15 Can you ever forgive me? Qinwen says definitely not 
33:30 It’s not only about trans people’s participation in sports and it never was
38:30 Tennis is very unserious about hitting staff with flying objects
42:40 USTA legal team under fire for how they’ve handled sex abuse cases
54:30 Lucie Safarova’s very brief return to tennis
56:25 We saw Stevie Nicks!

Bloviation Station

Hiiiiiii, we’re back to discuss the fallout from the Simona Halep verdict and the tennis results since the U.S. Open. Now that Simona has been officially handed a four year suspension, we have a bit more clarity as to what’s been going on in actuality, not just on social media. Spoiler: it doesn’t look good for the former world #1 and two-time Slam champ. Maria Sakkari did what needed to be done (at long last) in Guadalajara, it’s just too little too late for Félix at Laver Cup, and we weigh in on Elena’s performance bye disgust in Tokyo
 
01:10 Patrick goes on CNN to claim Coco’s success and divert attention
04:00 The Simona verdict is handed down: the fallout
15:01 Darren is still going to bat for Simona 
19:33 Why are players and journalists undermining the anti-doping process?
27:47 Now, why did Serena wade into this mess?
29:52 Sakkari headlines the post-USO results. Good on ya, mate
37:38 Barbie K is back and Kenin is on the come up  
38:55 The men: All of a sudden Félix has something to say 
43:29 Rafa news and it doesn’t sound good (to us)
45:16 Ryabkina and coach let it rip at the WTA and on social media
51:11 Some concerning news about Holger Rune’s health 

Performance, BYE!

Welcome to Part II of our US Open wrap, this time focusing on the men’s draw. Djokovic wins #24 and the challengers (aside from Alcaraz) have gotten no closer to cracking him mentally or physically … they’ve perhaps gotten even farther away. We talk about the semis, including the straight boy shade fest over PhoneGate and Medvedev’s 12 out of 10 performance against Alcaraz. The other major story of the week is Simona Halep’s 4-year ban for doping, handed down by an independent tribunal. It doesn’t look good, folks. We finish up with the Williams-Ohanian tweets, some trophy size comparison, the WaPo match fixing story, and a few more odds and ends. 
 
0:30 ND24: sharing a throne with Margaret Court (and if you don’t like it you’ll be told to “cry more”)
6:00 Stubborn Medvedev against serve and volleying Djokovic
16:45 My country, my tax shelter + more semiotics!
30:30 Djokovic-Shelton: the phone thing and banking on Shelton’s overall appeal to the youths
45:30 Doubles: Ram/Salisbury threepeat, Bopanna runner-up at 43
51:45 The Spectrum-Disney stalemate blacks out US Open tennis for millions
55:20 Simona Halep’s 4-year ban: first, the news
62:15 The Halep fallout: Patrick, Serena, Genie
77:35 US Open trophies: if size doesn’t matter then why … nevermind
83:40 Reporting from the Washington Post on the largest match fixing ring in tennis history

Not Gon’ Cry

Coco Gauff -- a child prodigy who built her career step by step -- grabs her first major title at 19 to cap a stunning turnaround this summer. She slays every question, embraces gratitude, thanks her haters, and will leave New York a superstar. Aryna Sabalenka ascends to world no. 1 for the first time, reaching the semifinals in every Slam this year, but couldn't stop Gauff in the final. The US Open leaves women's tennis in a truly exciting place, with a clear top tier and a number of women with diverse playing styles always a threat to win. We're also talking about the WTA Finals announcement, the second annual ball controversy, doubles, and Pegula's rich girl confidence.
 
0:30 Cori Dionne Gauff is the US Open champion!
7:15 The final: fighting back from a first set blowout 
25:45 How we talk about male coaches in women’s tennis
31:15 Aryna’s disarming honesty 
40:05 Madison zones for 70 minutes but comes up short against Sabalenka
48: Other notes from the second week: Ostapenko’s fitness should not be in doubt
53:20 Doubles: Dabrowski/Routliffe win the title and Townsend lit up the courts all week
59:35 The WTA Finals are where?
63:35 What is up with the US Open balls?
71:30 Speaking of haters

Miss Gauff

We're fresh off our second visit to the US Open (and James' first!) and sharing our observations of the grounds, the big stadiums, the Honey Deuces, and the record crowds. James tells the story of night one on Ashe, something he's wanted to experience for a long time. Coco Gauff wrested control of the match but Laura Siegemund and her antics spurred *discourse* that crossed into the mainstream. We discuss the matches we saw, the big breakthroughs, and where we are in the draw. We're also covering the mysterious "respiratory [and apparently gastro] illness" ripping its way through the site, the competing bids for the WTA Finals, some big American retirements we're not torn up about, and finally, celebrating Black excellence at the US Open. 
 
5:10 Night 1: Siegemund's scams and her failure to own them
13:40 Michelle Obama?!
17:30 The overcrowding is no joke but finding respite with Dasha on Court 6 made my Tuesday
28:30 There’s marijuana in the park?! Plus observations of the stadiums
31:55 Everybody is sick - what have we *not* learned a few years into a pandemic? 
38:10 Round of 16 lineup: 4 Americans each in the men's and women's draws, very few major upsets 
53:00 Court 5 and Holgerian hubris
55:55 Another delay with Simona Halep’s doping case
61:20 Isner and Sock retire and do we care?
66:55 The bad publicity surrounding a potential WTA Finals move to Saudi Arabia
73:15 A few thoughts before signing off

Lollygagging at the US Open: Week One

It’s The Body Serve’s second visit to the US Open (James’ first!). We recorded part of this episode in Toronto, minutes before leaving for the airport, and then broke down the draws after arriving in Queens. There was a lot of news to get through, namely the ATP’s financial security pilot program and the rumors of the WTA Finals taking place in Saudi Arabia. Our draw analysis focuses on first round matches to watch, the Americans’ chances, the fourth consecutive Iga-Coco quarter, and the contenders hoping to spoil another coronation.
 
1:05 Where are the WTA Finals going to be played? Riyadh, Prague, Washington, DC are options 
7:35 The ATP’s Baseline program: guaranteed income, injury protection, and money for up and comers 
14:20 State of the tours ahead of the US Open, compared to last year
21:45 Mother is a mother again!
24:40 Previewing the draws from NY!
26:15 Men’s draw: another Alcaraz-Sinner quarter? Anyone stopping Novak? 
40:15 Women’s draw: Iga is the favorite but the hype is high for Gauff, Pegula + Muchova, Sabalenka, and Rybakina are top challengers

Flush(ing) With Possibility: 2023 US Open Preview

Cincinnati was starting to feel like a hangover from the Canadian tournaments but finals Sunday turned that all around. Coco Gauff grabbed her first 1000 title -- going 11-1 since her loss at Wimbledon -- and Djokovic beat Alcaraz over 4 hours in one of the more dramatic three-set matches you'll see. Are we seeing a May-December rivalry in the vein of Martina-Steffi? We've also got the bee story and the return of The Rant, with each of us giving it a go.
1:05 The blazing women’s 100m final because this is a Jamaican track and field stan podcast 
5:35 Coco Gauff wins her first 1000 title (and the defunct US Open Series)
15:55 Townsend & Parks win the women’s doubles title
18:55 The rivalry that men’s tennis desperately needs
24:35 Give me the juice
34:10 Bees in the trap: Tsitsipas vs Bee Lady 
38:40 Was that too harsh? (a common refrain in our household)
42:00 Vaya con Dios, Robert y Juan Sebastian 
44:35 The Rant is back (Parental Advisory)

Bee For Real

Tennis returned to Canada as weather wreaked bedlam on the women's draw in Montréal. Jessie Pegula won her second 1000 title and scored a great win over #1 Iga Swiatek, but we need to talk about some horrendous scheduling decisions that impacted Rybakina and runner-up Samsonova. Jannik Sinner wins his first Masters title on the men's side, while de Minaur and Paul record massive wins of their own. We've also got Casper Ruud's tour of Canadian Content, the weird rules revelation in the Raonic-Tiafoe match, and the strange persistence of American high school line dance standard "Cotton Eye Joe." Most importantly, we ask you all to decide once and for all: is Danielle Collins a Karen or an icon? 
01:04 : Cincy FOMO and our initial forays into Toronto tennis this year
07:20 Recapping the men's action in TO amidst intermittent weather
13:41 Casper Ruud's many many looks off the court 
19:51 The women's tournament is rocked and wrecked by rain
27:38 The Notebook: an Iga hate story 
31:52 Where did you come from, where did you go?
33:59 Is she a Karen or is she iconic? 
38:23 Caro's back and the reviews are mixed 
41:46 A net is not a net, when there's no doubles players there
45:49 Coco's revival and Brad's involvement 
51:38 Now, why is Dasha in it? Kyrgios is unthinking, unserious, and unsavory 

Is She A Karen, Or Is She Iconic?

Welcome to the brief, post-Wimbledon grass-clay-hardcourt-Euro-American-Hopman Cup season, with players fighting for money and points across various countries on all surfaces. We start with the news of Mikael Ymer’s 18-month suspension for missing doping tests (the ITF didn’t like the first ruling so they went back to the well). Then we move on to the news that Alexander Zverev’s ex-partner has pressed criminal charges for bodily harm, which are currently winding their way through German courts. We talk newcomers Akugue and Michelsen, Ruud’s bagels, and what’s next for the summer hard court swing. 
1:00 Mikael Ymer banned for missing doping tests after the ITF appealed his innocent verdict
8:35 New criminal charges filed against Zverev for intimate partner violence, Berlin prosecutor applies for penalty order
17:10 The Zhang/Toth incident in Budapest - Toth was wrong but the reaction swung wildly out of proportion
25:50 Kei Nishikori is back!
28:05 Breakthroughs for Noma Noha Akugue, Clervie Ngounoue and Queenwen!
34:20 ATP updates: Mannarino at home on grass, plus Alex Michelsen, Fils, Ruud, and Stanley
43:05 Canadian Open ticket prices, my word!
47:20 RIP Sinéad

Mikael Me Maybe

Well well well, what has Wimbledon wrought?! Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova are your singles champions, defeating Novak Djokovic and Ons Jabeur respectively. We try to get to the bottom of how both results happened, while touching on some of the other happenings from the final stretch of the tournament. Many congratulations to Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty on the births of their babies, and a closing rant by James on Novak hagiography
01:12 Carlos Alcaraz did WHAT?
14:00 Does this shift the best men's player narrative?
17:00 Will Alcaraz’s win signal that the field has a chance? No
25:16 Put some respect on Vondrousova's name
35:10 Jabeur disappointment and moving forward 
40:48 WTA consistency: Svitolina, Swiatek & Pegula
44:24 Rounding out the Wimbledon champions
47:48 Babies Osaka and Barty have arrived!
49:25 Jennifer Brady is back & one final rant from James on Novak hagiography
 

The Audacity Of It All: Wimbledon Wrap

Wimbledon’s first week is in the books (almost), dominated by talk of rain, curfews, scheduling, and the queue. We highlight the big stories and top performers of the week – Svitolina, Eubanks, Berrettini, Vondrousova, etc. – and a few of the stumbles, including ADF’s shocking mental wobble against Rune and an unnamed reporter’s gaffe toward an unflappable Paula Badosa. We spend a good chunk of time on Wimbledon’s stubborn peculiarities and finish with a quick rant on Cirstea’s odious presence on social media.
0:35 Big stories in the first few days: Venus, Elina, Eubanks, Berrettini
14:35 “Congratulations on your win” … “I lost” 
21:10 The round of 16 lineup and how we got there
33:20 Tradition! Queues, debentures, and pineapples
45:15 It’s not the curfew, it’s the scheduling 
52:10 Kontaveit and Chardy retire, Brooksby catches a case for missing three doping tests
58:00 Tsitsidosa s*x dreams?!
63:10 Cirstea clarifies who she is - thanks for saving us the time!

Policing the Panties: Wimbledon Week One

We’re back from Europe just in time to recap the brief grass season, share our experiences at the bett1open in Berlin, preview the Wimbledon draw, give our takes on Break Point part two, chat about the ATP/WTA overtures to Saudi Arabia … anything else?! Buckle up because we’re covering a lot of ground – get it? 'Cuz it’s on grass – on this episode. Feel free to join our Wimbledon bracket challenge on the TNNS app using the code laver-ace-9494. 
0:30 Our experience at the German Open in Berlin!
18:20 The other grass results: Frances & Carlos, Penko, Babs K, and Venus’ return
27:35 Break Point actually gets better: Ajla’s story pays off 
41:00 Trying to avoid a LIV-style disaster, tennis goes straight to the source: the Saudi Public Investment Fund
44:45 WTA announces new calendar and a “pathway to equal prize money”
48:10 A few retirements and one huge unretirement: Wozniacki to return, gets US Open wild card
54:45 Men’s draw: who is stopping Novak? (no one) 
68:20 Women’s draw: Yes, it is lopsided

The Rothesay Wimbledon Classic: SW19 Preview

We’re on the road, so we have a mailbag episode to tide you over until we get back on our thrones up North. So much tennis stuff has happened already since we’ve been away, and we’ll be back next time to recap all of that alongside our Wimbledon preview. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy our yappa yappa yappa on a whole host of subjects as we dive into as many of your questions as possible.


Here are some of the major questions and themes:
1:30 Does the LIV-PGA merger have an impact on tennis? (Is that thing still happening?)
15:45 Which tennis player would be the best travel companion?
26:30 Which player is most likely to have a burner social media account? And who could you convincingly imitate on social media?
33:55 Create your own tournament: surface, location, dress, mascot … 
38:35 Lots of questions about the likeliest next first-time Slam winner
48:38 If women played best of 5, who would gain/lose the most?
55:05 WTA girl group!
68:20 Are certain players just better at tiebreaks? How much stock do you put into the tiebreak records vs match-ups and other factors?
79:20 Plan a dinner party with 6-8 tennis people, alive or dead

TBS Mailbag: Tethered to Nothingness

Roland Garros 2023 is in the books, as Iga Swiatek extends her dominance and Novak Djokovic beats a field that offered very little resistance to the new major singles title leader. All respect and admiration goes to Karolina Muchová, so far the toughest challenger to Iga in a Slam final. We talk the science of cramping and answer listener questions about Sabalenka's approach to press and what we expect of athletes speaking on politics. Finally we tackle the doubles default controversy -- a strict rule that should be strict -- and praise the wheelchair winners and everyone's favorite doubles pairing (or ours, at least): Taylor Townsend and Leylah Fernandez.
0:35 Men’s draw: Dedicated hateration
13:25 Cramping: what’s the science? Well, it’s not entirely clear … 
24:50 Women’s final: Karolina Muchová gives Iga a scare 
33:55 The Sabalenka handshake controversy leads into a few questions from listeners about what we expect from athletes
54:40 The default of Miyu Kato
60:50 Doubles results: Hsieh is back + Fernandez-Townsend, Ivan Dodig schools the French Federation in public
65:00 Wheelchair singles: de Groot wins her 10th straight major(!!!) + Oda becomes the youngest male Slam champ in history

The Next (De)Generation: Roland Garros Wrap

We're halfway through Roland Garros -- most of the favorites are still around plus a few clay sensations on the bottom halves of both the men's and women's draws. We're talking Sloane, Svitolina, Muchova, Iga, Carlos, Jannik, Meddy and more. We were reminded that politics and sport are, in fact, intertwined and inextricable with Djokovic's commentary on Kosovo and Sabalenka's response to questions about Lukashenko. Last week we asked for updates on Seyboth Wild's case and we got more than we bargained for. Plus, the RG crowd, our favorite looks, and a Rafa update. 
2:30 Starting with the men … Frances, why???
15:00 Where we are in the draw: the bottom half lacks a few seeds but shouldn't be a surprise
18:00 Iga’s bakery: Iga says don’t be disrespectful
21:00 Plenty of upsets but were they actually surprising?
27:45 Sloane Stephens is tailor made for this tournament
37:35 Aryna Sabalenka vs. the press
47:50 Novak’s politics
55:10 Nanotechnology to the rescue
58:15 The elusive Thiago Seyboth Wild: abuse allegations, journalist intimidation, and … N*zis? Wtf?
66:05 Et ceteras: Taylor Fritz shushes the obnoxious crowd; Gasquet crypto captain?
70:45 The looks: Grigor is Lacoste 

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