Rafael Nadal continued his clay dominance with a second El Undécimo, this time in Barelona. We begin episode 121 with a look at some of the stats within his streak of 46 consecutive sets won on clay. Our #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas features Grigor Dimitrov's "as a man" moment in Barcelona, and we highlight (if you can call it that) some of the coaches who chimed in on social media last week. The episode wraps with a look at Serena's profile in the New York Times, and a Riverdale Daddy FMK. 00:35 46 p...
May 01, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 121
After an injury-riddled start to 2018, Rafael Nadal returned to his best in Monte Carlo. The King Of Clay won the tournament for the 11th time, while Novak Djokovic made signs of progress in an encouraging three match stretch. Some tennis folks have gone "a step too far" and we give our takes on Jared Donaldson, the continued disregard for player safety, and Caroline Wozniacki's foot-in-mouth syndrome. We finish the episode with a typical pop culture diversion via a Grown-ish/Riverdale FMK. 03:5...
Apr 24, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 120
Before the clay season kicks into gear, we're bringing you a mixed bag of topics: Madison Brengle alleging mistreatment at the hands of the WTA and anti-doping authorities; the controversy over the Davis Cup proposal seems to be heating up; Aussie favorite Casey Dellacqua retires from tennis; and we discuss the ways players create branded images and connect with fans outside of the traditional press. Stay tuned for our new segment on divas, the first of which celebrates our fave Mariah Carey. 4:...
Apr 15, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 119
Jonathan is back in Toronto after his trip to Charleston for the Volvo Car Open, and reunites with James to bring you #118. On deck for this episode: the WTA's uphill battle for equal footing with the ATP, a reflection on Naomi Osaka and her openness, Cornet's conundrum, the Davis Cup echo chamber, and #ThingsWeLike. 01:26 Tying up some Charleston odds and ends 05:37 The WTA's constant struggle for a piece of the pie 11:05 Naomi's sense of wonder and vulnerability 24:30 Bertens wins in Charlesto...
Apr 09, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 118
Episode 117 comes to you again from Charleston and Toronto. This time, Bri (@4thetennis) joins the show from the Volvo Car Open to "set the record straight" on all things Sloane and offer her insights on a potpourri of tennis topics. You will also hear from a handful of WTA players in a segment featuring audio from the players' All Access Hour in Charleston, before James makes his appearance to close the show with part two of our listener mailbag. This episode is a bit unorthodox, but we hope yo...
Apr 04, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 117
Episode 116 features two distinct halves: James & Jonathan tackle two listener suggestions at the top of the episode, then Chad (@ccsmooth13) returns to the show alongside Jonathan in Charleston to chat about some of the things he saw in Miami last week. :45 James getting his airtime before Jonathan left for Charleston 2:40 In the case of Thanasi vs. Fernando, you are not the father (ATP guys being rude in Miami) 14:30 Caroline Wozniacki levels huge accusations against Miami spectators and t...
Apr 01, 2018•48 min•Ep. 116
We begin episode 115 with a breakdown of Serena's return to professional tennis and her 3rd round loss to Venus, before segueing into a celebration of Naomi Osaka's star-making performance to take the title. Juan Martín del Potro is your men's champion; he defeats Federer in the final to solidify his position as nemesis of the world #1. Among the other topics on offer: Sharapova's current dilemma, more McEnroe mess, the Miami wild card debate, and we wade into new mothers returning to the WTA To...
Mar 21, 2018•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 115
At long last, we come to you with our long-promised pop culture episode. After Sunday night's Oscars, now seems like a good time to burden you with our thoughts on three of the most nominated films: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, The Shape of Water, and Call Me By Your Name. We segue into TV and tackle a couple of the medium's latest trends, before talking your ears off about some of the shows we absolutely love, some we think are woefully underrated, and (tragically) a handful that w...
Mar 06, 2018•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 61
We take a more moderate view (by our standards) of this week's big news: an ITF proposal that would revolutionize Davis Cup, and Genie Bouchard's victory over the USTA in federal court. Along the way, we make time for first-time titlist Frances Tiafoe, a young American cut from an altogether different cloth than his compatriots; Svitolina, who defended her title in Dubai; and Diego Schwartzman, the loveable Argentine who's just broken into the top 20. 1:00 An exercise in moderation 4:00 Davis Cu...
Mar 01, 2018•53 min•Ep. 60
In our peaches and cream episode (112), we've got a (still) blazing Petra, Federer becoming the oldest ever ATP #1, some Wozniacki messiness, and a discussion of the latest Harrison saga. Wow, that might have been the most succinct description of an episode we've ever done. Steep your tea, browse through the timestamps below, and enjoy our latest! 01:30 Petra with a 3! Kvitova wills her way back to the top 10 08:42 Gramps is back at #1; what's standing in his way? 16:22 New York Open: not a ston...
Feb 21, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 59
We're back after a two-week hiatus! In this episode, we've enlisted Chad (@CCSMOOTH13) to help us with Serena's return at Fed Cup and Venus' two wins to clinch the tie. We run down some of the tennis action we missed on both tours before Mr. Smooth gives us his birds-eye view of the happenings in Asheville. We finish with a discussion of the wild Darko Grncarov story and what it says about the state of the ATP, its negligence, and male tennis players in general. Be sure to check out Chad's Insta...
Feb 13, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 58
We are, at long last, at the end of the 2018 Australian Open. We're here to cover Caro's glow up and Tenny Sandgren's blow up. Wozniacki finally shed the label of "best to have never won a Slam," and returns to world #1 after winning the tournament. As for Sandgren, we try to address some of the issues that have lingered with us after the American's alt-right Twitter feed upended the majority of the tournament. In between, we salute Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber for their heroics, and tip ou...
Jan 29, 2018•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 57
We're checking in at the midpoint of the 2018 Australian Open, an altogether different experience than last year. The topic of most interest to us is Novak Djokovic's alleged call for a players' union at the recent ATP all-player meeting, and the questions this raises for the sport. We grapple with the coverage that openly ridiculed Djokovic's actions, the potential ways that a union can change tennis for the better, and the inevitable gender politics embedded in the discussion. But first, we re...
Jan 21, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 56
We're doing a close look at both draws, but first: the Australian Open draw ceremony and the accompanying commentary has given us much to talk about, a mere four days after our last episode. We wonder if Billie Jean King's fierce dedication to the survival of women's tennis sometimes clouds her vision, with her recent disavowal of Margaret Court Arena after lobbying for its naming only 15 years ago. We probe the questions of representation, boycotts, and the utility of demanding that players -- ...
Jan 13, 2018•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 55
TBS is back, back again to discuss the SEVEN titlists from week one of the 2018 season. Among the topics discussed: the myriad winners, Kerber's presumed resurgence, the state of Venus' game, Bartoli's revealing interview, Bellucci's "silent ban," Pat Cash acting like trash, and the Australian Open's decision to have Sharapova fill in for Serena at the draw ceremony. Afterwards, James takes a quiz on some WTA records, before we finish with a discussion of #TimesUp and the Golden Globes. 03:17 Th...
Jan 10, 2018•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 54
Happy New Year, y'all! We open 2018 and Season 4 of The Body Serve with a preview of the brand new tennis season. First up, we're partnering with Health IQ and encourage you to check them out to get a special rate on life insurance for health conscious folks (you!). We offer our insights on things to look for on both tours in 2018: monitoring the myriad injuries, breakout and comeback candidates, and the coaching carousel. We finish up with some piping hot tea, and be sure to stay right until th...
Jan 04, 2018•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 53
We're finally getting around to wrapping up the year in men's tennis, a year marked by both the resurgence of throwback stars Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer and the Big Four loosening its grip on the top. Again, we asked our listeners to answer a few questions about the ATP season. We shout you out while adding our own insights on a year that may well mark a transition in the long stable ATP Tour. 1:30 Where's the beef this year? What the hell happened? 7:00 The ATP is facing new challenges this y...
Dec 17, 2017•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 52
We’re back to put a bow on the 2017 WTA season with a little help from our listeners. Instead of doing a tournament-to-tournament recap, we’re going more macro and framing the season through four main questions: favourite moment, favourite breakout season, favourite tournament, and clutch performance of the year. Note we didn’t say “best,” and so there’s truly something for everyone in a season which saw so many different players help script a memorable year. 01:25 Kudos to the many players who ...
Dec 06, 2017•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 51
The tennis world received a punch to the gut with news of Jana Novotna's passing; Jonathan tells us how he will remember one of his all-time favourite players. We run through the year-end tennis news: Dimitrov winning the ATP Finals, CoCo's performance at the Fed Cup final, a pair of high-profile coaching breakups, a love match, and Stepanek's retirement. We also marvel at Serena's wedding, the YES vote winning in Australia, and the burgeoning Dimidal friendship, before ending the show with a pa...
Nov 21, 2017•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 50
We were compelled to record episode 102 by the heinous and embarrassing draw ceremony at the Next Gen Finals in Milan. But it gave us the opportunity to recap Julia Goerges' stunning run in Zhuhai and Jack Sock's top 10 debut and first Masters. The title of this episode comes straight from CoCo's mouth, while trailing Goerges in the Zhuhai final. Finally, James takes a quiz on the WTA season - did you do better than he did? 1:00 The reason we’re here: ATP Next Gen draw ceremony fiasco 9:15 Our n...
Nov 09, 2017•49 min•Ep. 49
101 episodes in and we're still finding lots to talk about. We praise Caroline Wozniacki for her career-best performance as she beats the best and wins Singapore. Plus, we discuss Venus' season, and the knocks on her for her press conference performances, sorting through some resentments and biases on all sides. We also take on Hingis' shocking retirement, Guy Forget shading the eff out of Roger Federer, and end with an impassioned #SeeWhatHadHappenedWas on Kevin Spacey. 1:30 Getting into Singap...
Nov 01, 2017•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 48
We're proud to share our 100th episode with you; we weren't always sure we'd get here. We skip the latest tennis news in favor of an extended listener mailbag, made possible by all of your clever and interesting questions. We chat about: the surprising absence of an out gay male player, some guesses as to why tennis is so popular among LGBTQ fans, our dream tournaments to cover and players to interview, our favorite curse words, and we ruminate a little on our purpose and mission as a podcast. W...
Oct 24, 2017•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 47
Welcome to episode 99 of The Body Serve, one episode away from an unlikely milestone. Thank you to listener @SholzTalks10s for his unwitting inspiration for the structure of this episode: we run through the tennis happenings from A-Z, serving up our usual flavours of tea, opinion, results, and levity. Hop on board The Body Serve train for one of our favourite episodes yet. 6:30 A-C: Agassi still on-board the Nole train, British media hysteria, and Cilic enters top 4 12:00 D-F: Dan Evans’ cocaine...
Oct 18, 2017•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 46
Simona Halep is your new no. 1, Caroline Garcia collected a whole heap of points in Beijing and Wuhan, and Rafael Nadal wins another tournament on hardcourts. In short, tennis' fall season is lit. We also wade against the Nick Kyrgios clickbait and look at the other happenings in the Asian swing. 1:30 We need to talk about Caroline, and we say I told you so (sorry, that's really obnoxious) 9:00 A very uncharitable comparison, and the Sharapova Curse 14:00 Johanna Konta fighting for her Singapore...
Oct 11, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 45
So what did you all think of Laver Cup? We share our thoughts on the inaugural event: the Fedal hysteria, Roger's ownership stakes, the "exhibition" argument, and the lopsided nature of the teams. Meanwhile the Asian swing is picking up steam, with Wozniacki defending in Tokyo for her first title of 2017 from seven finals. We update you on James Blake's ongoing battle with the NYPD before closing with a few etceteras, namely a bunch of things we like/dislike. 01:17 What was Laver Cup (exhibition...
Sep 28, 2017•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 44
Welcome to episode 96 and our U.S. Open recap. By now you know that Sloane Stephens and Rafael Nadal are your singles champions. It still doesn't seem real, but we try to get to the bottom of a truly inspired performance by Sloane in New York. Nadal put aside a shaky start to the tournament to find some of his best tennis, finishing with a sublime exhibiton against Kevin Anderson in the final for his 16th Slam title. We revisit some of the more memorable moments and performances from the tournam...
Sep 13, 2017•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 43
Despite the missing stars, the 2017 US Open has offered no scarcity of big stories: Sharapova's return, Peak Petra defeating Muguruza, Venus' continued good form at majors, and the excitement around Denis Shapovalov. We're so excited to welcome back the insightful Rene Denfeld to the show. The Tennis Twitter-lebrity is covering the US Open for the first time as a journalist, and he shares his thoughts on Sharapova, Fognini, the draws, and what it's like to be there. :35 What a day: James just go...
Sep 04, 2017•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 42
The last major of the year is here, and lots of top players are not *sob*. We're completely foregoing draw analysis this time around, instead asking broader questions and talking about players who we hope make a splash. Is it fair to call the women's tournament "wide open?" Did Andy owe it to anyone to pull out earlier? Will James ever learn not to pick Tsonga? :30 Back in Toronto! We saw Mariah & Lionel! 8:20 Where are the mens? Andy adds himself to the disabled list 14:00 What's with the p...
Aug 27, 2017•1 hr•Ep. 41
This is our final episode on the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. We're recording in the car again, chatting about the semis and finals, answering more listener questions, and talking through some issues around race, journalism, and access. The center of the episode, though, is our interview with Australian singles and doubles player Ash Barty, who took out Venus Williams in Cincinnati. :30 Hello from the car, again 3:30 White Castle *is* as bad as everyone said 6:30 Women's semis and ...
Aug 23, 2017•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 40
We're excited to bring you a sit-down chat with the first Canadian player on our podcast, up and coming Montrealer Francoise Abanda. We also answer some of the questions you all were so generous to ask us, with the help of friend and listener Chad. The rest is just us: recapping the stunning Muguruza-Kuznetsova quarterfinal, the perplexing men's draw, Querrey's rudeness, and more happenings from on-site. 2:00 Muguruza-Kuznetsova insta-classic 8:00 The odd men's draw: Rafa the only superstar left...
Aug 19, 2017•52 min•Ep. 39
