​#ThisWeekInTennis recaps the tennis happenings of the last week via news reports, social media, featured articles, rankings, and podcasts.

RUNDOWN
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• Serena Williams announced her pregnancy last week. The 23-time Grand Slam champion also declared her intent to return to the WTA in 2018. Despite not playing since winning the Australian Open in January, Williams also returns to world #1. 
• Rafael Nadal became a 10-time winner at an event last week in Monte Carlo. Nadal beat Albert Ramos Viñolas in the final, and will get two more opportunities to match the feat in Barcelona and at Roland Garros.
• Albert Ramos Viñolas "already looking ahead" after losing to Nadal in Monte Carlo final. 
• Ilie Nastase cast a long and bigoted shadow over Fed Cup play last weekend. 
• The USA and Belarus teams both scored 3-2 wins to advance to the Fed Cup final in November. 
• Wang Qiang won the Zhengzhou Women's Tennis Open for the first WTA title of her career. 
• David Goffin beat Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals before losing to Rafael Nadal amidst a controversial call in the semifinal. Goffin also jumps three ranking spots to return to the ATP top 10.
• The decision on whether Maria Sharapova will receive a wild card into the French Open will be made known on May 16. 
• Max Eisenbud, Maria Sharapova's agent, calls Radwanska and Wozniacki "journeyman" players.
• The WTA website relaunches after makeover. 

#ThisWeekInTennis recaps the tennis happenings of the last week via news reports, social media, featured articles, rankings, and podcasts.

RUNDOWN

• Francesca Schiavone, in her final season on the WTA Tour, scored the 8th title of her career last week in Colombia. Schiavone jumps 64 spots in the rankings to #104 and secures her direct entry into the French Open. 
• Borna Coric narrowly survived a round of 16 match against #555 Reda El Amrani, then saved five match points against Philipp Kohlschreiber in the Marrakech final to win his first ATP Tour title.
• American Steve Johnson won the 2nd ATP title of his career when he beat Thomaz Bellucci in the final of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, Texas. 
• Marketa Vondrousova, 17, won her first WTA title last week at the Biel Ladies Open in Switzerland.
• Caroline Garcia describes French Fed Cup saga as the "worst moment of her career."
• Petra Kvitova announced her name will appear on the entry list for Roland Garros, but her participation is still dependent on her continued recovery from a knife attack last December. 
• Vicky Duval made her return to the WTA Tour, scoring wins over Ajla Tomljanovic and Eugenie Bouchard at the Indian Harbour Beach Challenger event. She lost in the semifinals to Amanda Anisimova.
• Ernesto Escobedo reached the semifinals of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, losing to Tomaz Bellucci in three sets. The young American climbs 18 spots to #73 in the new ATP rankings.
• Roger Federer cast doubt as to whether he will compete at this year's French Open. 
• Previewing the Monte Carlo Masters with Steve Tignor

The Body Serve was on site for the recently concluded Volvo Car Open in historic Charleston, South Carolina. Jonathan and James bring you three episodes of insights, interviews, and general tennis musings. The first episode features glimpses into the All Access Media Hour and audio from Venus Williams, Madison Keys, and others. Part Two spotlights the inimitable Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in her sit-down interview with Jonathan, while Part Three brings you Naomi Osaka and a tournament wrap-up. 

You can find The Body Serve on iTunes, Podbean, and any major podcast app. Also, get in touch with Jonathan and James on Twitter (@TheBodyServe) and on Instagram.

​Part One: Speak On It, Venus

​We're in two different cities - Jonathan is calling in from Charleston, SC, where he is reporting on the Volvo Car Open. We have fun with our new audio equipment, while bringing you clips from Venus Williams, Madison Keys, and Sam Stosur talking to press at Charleston's All Access Hour. We also recap the results in Miami, which saw Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal for the third time this year, and hard court phenom Johanna Konta win a big title over Wozniacki.


0:40 James is in Toronto, Jonathan's in Charleston
4:20 Recapping the Miami men's final - Federer def. Nadal
9:00 Federer is damn near unbeatable right now
15:25 Konta def. Wozniacki: Konta on a hard court is a scary proposition
18:45 Venus beats no. 1 Kerber, makes semifinal
22:45 Jonathan saw AND spoke to Queenus, in the flesh - DEAD
27:25 Let's hear from Venus herself
36:50 Sam Stosur impresses in press
41:45 Madison Keys talks Twitter, fans, and what she's most proud of

​Part Two: Mirjana Lučić-Baroni

​Episode 75 is our second dispatch from the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, South Carolina. The weather is moody and the top seeds are dropping like flies. Jonathan brings us two interviews: the first a casual chat with two Tennis Twitter pals, and then an engaging sit down with the one and only Mirjana Lučić-Baroni. Also, be on the lookout for an interview with Naomi Osaka on episode 76!
 
1:15 Jonathan's hectic day in Charleston
4:03 Keys, Venus & Vesnina headline a day of upsets
7:38 Richard Williams sightings all over Charleston
9:53 Assessing what's left of the draw
12:40 A parking lot chit chat with Twitter pals Chad (@CCSmooth13) & Bri (@4TheTennis)
27:43 The main draw: Jonathan's chat with Mirjana Lučić-Baroni.

​Part Three: Charleston, It's A Wrap

​Episode 76 marks the end of our Charleston coverage. We're bringing you our interview with rising WTA star Naomi Osaka, social media phenom and all-around great personality. We recap the Charleston final, the Davis Cup quarterfinals, Eugenie Bouchard's years-long court battle with the USTA, and on-court coaching. We wrap up with some thoughts about protecting queer spaces from bachelorette party madness.

4:25 Wrapping up our reporting from Charleston
12:40 Laura Siegemund's antics - give me the f$#@ing towel
16:20 Kasatkina def. Ostapenko in all-teen final
20:25 Our interview with Naomi Osaka!
36:30 Et ceteras: Serena will retake no. 1 without playing, Sharapova announces name of autobiography, Vika's back in Stanford
41:05 Bouchard v. USTA: the lawsuit that won't end
46:45 Mary Carillo grills WTA CEO Steve Simon - how do y'all feel about on-court coaching?
52:35 Davis Cup quarterfinals: AUS-USA is the only interesting match-up
57:30 Things we dislike - our treatise on bachelorette parties in gay bars
1:02:40 Things we like: food

​#ThisWeekInTennis recaps the tennis happenings of the last week via news reports, press snippets, social media, featured articles, rankings, and podcasts.

RUNDOWN

• Daria Kasatkina won the first title of her career last week in Charleston. The Russian teenager returns to the WTA top 30 at #29. 
• Jelena Ostapenko, in her third WTA final, was unable to capture her first title in Charleston; she lost in straight sets to fellow teenager Kasatkina in the final. 
• Shelby Rogers, hometown favourite in Charleston, made the quarterfinals by scoring impressive wins over Madison Keys and Naomi Osaka.
• Mirjana Lucic-Baroni is up to a career high #21 ranking after making the semifinals in Charleston. She also sat down with The Body Serve tennis podcast for a one-on-one interview.
• Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won her fourth Monterrey Open title, beating Angelique Kerber in the final. The Russian's latest triumph in Mexico was also the ninth overall WTA title of her career. 
• Angelique Kerber, world #1,  continues without a title in 2017, falling to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the Monterrey Open final. 
• Davis Cup quarterfinal results: Belgium d. Italy, Australia d. U.S.A., France d. Great Britain, and Serbia d. Spain. Accordingly, Belgium will face Australia in the semifinals, while Serbia will play France for a spot in the final. 
• Serena Williams, despite not playing a WTA match since winning the Australian Open, will regain the #1 ranking from Angelique Kerber after last year's Stuttgart points fall off the rankings.
• Victoria Azarenka has set a date for her return to the WTA Tour: her comeback will commence in Stanford. 
• The Memphis Open will relocate to Long Island starting in 2018.

#ThisWeekInTennis recaps the tennis happenings of the last week via news reports, social media, featured articles, rankings, and podcasts.

RUNDOWN
​

• Jo Konta won the biggest title of her career last week in Miami. The new world #7 (career high) beat Venus Williams in the semifinals then Caroline Wozniacki in the final. 
• Roger Federer completed the Sunshine Double, adding the Miami title to his Indian Wells crown from two weeks ago. His win over Nadal in the final was his fourth successive over the Spaniard and third of 2017.
• Rafael Nadal is up to world #5 after making his third hard court final of 2017. Nadal's loss to Federer in the Miami final narrows his lead in their head-to-head to 23-14.
• Caroline Wozniacki's consistent run of form continued in Miami where she reached at least the quarterfinals for the sixth time in the seven events she's played this year. Her runner-up finish matched her results in Doha and Dubai.  
• Venus Williams returns to the WTA top 10 after making the Miami Open semifinals. Williams beat Kuznetsova in the fourth round before upsetting world #1, Angelique Kerber, in the quarterfinals. 
• In unfortunate injury news, Yoshihito Nishiokatore his ACL in Miami.
• Nick Kyrgios made the quarterfinals in Miami before losing to Roger Federer in three tiebreak sets. 
• Kimiko Date announced plans to return to the WTA Tour 
• Victoria Azarenka is aiming for a U.S. Open Series return
• Roger Federer plans to skip the majority of the clay court season and play only the French Open.