The Body Serve

Bring back the US Open Series! The summer hard court swing continues on its confusing cadence. We spent a few nights at the National Bank Open in Toronto – James unwittingly sat in Iga Swiatek Country and witnessed her return to form (ok, I’ve already said too much). The other biggest stories in tennis these days are: Alex Eala, Rafa Jodar, injuries, and the innumerable opinions on the Williams sisters. Should Venus ******? Should Serena take that wild card? I don’t know man, I’m just trying to enjoy the waning days of summer <sob>. Finally, Nick Kyrgios got ahead of the story and announced that he’d tested positive for cocaine in Mallorca, which is a substance of abuse under WADA guidelines. This means if it’s in-competition: very very bad; out of competition: meh.

1:10 Our visit to the Canadian Open in Toronto

9:05 A few more ball kid photoshoots should do the trick

12:25 Jannik out, Carlos in as injuries derail the North American hot boy summer

18:45 Was the Serena comeback always a lark and we all just took it too seriously?

24:20 Checking in on Cincinnati

29:05 Kyrgios and cocaine: looking for empathy, not always finding it

45:00 Funny like I’m a clown? Like I amuse you?

47:10 Kingston, Jamaica has a Challenger event!

We're clocking back in for August, the month of two bloated Masters 1000 events; Eala-mania hits DC and Toronto while Montreal is rocked by high-profile withdrawals and general floppery. Next, we break down the full decision on Marketa Vondrousova’s refusal case, and let's just say she didn't give her lawyers much to work with. Let's not even mention the infamous text (we will). Next, we look at the fallout of the WTA gender testing announcement, then finish up with a day that will live in infamy: corn rows and fishnets and a demonic photoshoot, oh my. 

3:40 We're in Toronto, but also not

16:15 Eala-mania in DC, plus Los Cabos & Memphis

28:10 Breaking down the Vondrousova decision so you don't have to read it (unless you’re an enthusiast like me) 

39:55 Not the Italian Greyhound catching strays

47:45 Checking back in on the WTA gender testing fallout

60:35 A cursed trifecta

The WTA recently announced that it will require all athletes who wish to compete to undergo a genetic cheek swab test to “prove” they are indeed a woman. This follows the IOC’s policy announcement from earlier this year, which itself followed a Trump executive order ahead of the 2028 Olympics. It exists within the larger context of anti-trans legislation and the inescapable language of “protection.” We spend the first half of the episode trying to understand the policy and what has prompted it; the historic context; the broader movement to bar trans women from women’s sport and, in some cases, to delegitimize trans identity altogether; and what the current science tells us. Later, we attempt to decipher the barely-followable PTPA infighting and who’s fighting for what. We also touch on some tennis results, wedding season, a doping story and a match fixing story, and finally the recently announced US Open mixed doubles pairings.

02:00 The WTA’s newest “Women’s Eligibility Policy”

08:45 What happens when someone’s gender becomes a matter of public speculation

24:30 What the current science tells us

31:00 Will the real PTPA please stand up?

39:10 A lesbian wedding!

46:05 Facundo Bagnis: before he speaks his vitamins bespoke

50:25 Speeding through recent results

56:25 US Open mixed doubles teams: subject to change (hopefully)

Linda Noskova is your Wimbledon champion, the 3rd Czech woman in 4 years! Her imposing power, resilience, and capable hands pushed her past Karolina Muchova, who managed to save 5 championship points in the second set but couldn’t stem the tide. Jannik Sinner defends his title, rarely summoning his best but doing enough to beat an inspired That Guy and prevent what would have been a cursed and vexatious Channel Slam. In doubles, Patten takes aim at the ATP in his victory speech, Ostapenko gets blamed for something she didn’t do (for once), and Guo/Mladenovic knock out the top seeds and eventually win the title. We also chat about Czech tennis history and the everlasting effort to identify why they’re so good, plus the decades-long saga of the All England Club’s plans to expand its site and what still stands in the way. 

0:40 Linda Noskova wins Wimbledon at 21

7:45 My ex-friend

10:15 Other notes from women’s second week: Gauff-Muchova and more

16:55 What’s the deal with Czech tennis?

23:00 Jannik Sinner averts disaster, but the Monster has already been created

34:35 What’s next for Novak?

38:35 Henry Patten takes on the ATP + other doubles results

44:45 Wimbledon expansion: locals say Not On My Church Road

Checking in as we face week two of Wimbledon: 6 of the top 8 women are out, including the #1 and last year’s finalists, but we’re left with a surging Coco Gauff, a Linda Noskova ready to break out (again), a healthy Karolina Muchova, and a Naomi Osaka who’s trying to shed the hard court specialist mantle. On the men’s side, Sinner and Djokovic are on a crash course, our faves Felix and Alejandro are beefing (hopefully briefly), and Grisha breaks our hearts. We spend some time on Serena’s comeback, which has, predictably, opened old wounds and reawakened old trolls. Overall, what do we make of her performance, and what do we hope for her presumed next stop? Spare a thought for Auntie Venus, who just wants to play some doubles.

2:05 The quarterfinal match-ups

7:25 Grass is an outlier

13:50 Notes on the women’s draw: Naomi stuns Aryna

22:30 Coco wins under the buzzer

28:30 Serena’s comeback

42:00 Men’s tournament: don’t trust the Sinner flop allegations; a “pretty match”

48:40 Our faves were fighting

54:50 Zeynep Sonmez’s loophole

58:10 Player protest starts then stops