US OPEN 2021 PODCAST TRILOGY

All episodes of The Body Serve are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, podbean.com, and your favorite podcast apps.

Episode 240: "Hatched and Snatched: US Open Wrap"

​Will history see this US Open as a watershed moment? On the women's side, is this just the most extreme example of a years-long trend of youngsters managing the moment and storming to victory? On the men's side, many felt Novak Djokovic was inevitably marching to a Calendar Year Grand Slam. But, whether it was due to fatigue from his long matches, the unfathomable weight of the moment, or Daniil Medvedev's mental and physical fortitude, the Grand Slam remains unfulfilled since 1988 (or 1969). Regardless of its place in history, this year's Open gave us storylines for the ages: the coronation of a longtime hardcourt menace and two young superstars to add to the WTA's already formidable roster.

02:15 Emma Raducanu & Leylah Fernandez stun the world 
09:10 Raducanu’s win -- while unprecedented due to ranking and number of matches won -- is actually the rule rather than the exception on the WTA these past few years. Are the kids just built differently these days?
28:35 It turns out it’s really, really hard to win the Grand Slam
33:45 Daniil Medvedev has been the solid #2 hard court player for a few years, and today he came with a game plan and incredible poise
49:00 Doubles: Stosur wins 8th Slam title; Krawczyk won ¾ of a Grand Slam this year; Salisbury doubles in men’s and mixed 
52:05 Other stories: Zverev story gets more mainstream media attention
58:00 Coaching during matches - it happens, so what should they do about it?
62:50 The Players Lounge: the Racquet magazine-produced roundtable on mental health

Episode 239: "Oh Yeah, They're All Scammers"

It was a first week for the US Open history books, full of entertaining matches and high-profile breakthroughs. Youngsters Fernandez, Raducanu, and Alcaraz notch huge wins, qualifier van de Zandschulp reaches the quarterfinals, and the undeniable stars Tiafoe & Auger-Aliassime face off in a blockbuster fourth round. BathroomGate threatened to overshadow the entire week, as fans and mainstream reporters became gamesmanship detectives and amateur clock-watchers. Oh yeah, and Djokovic is still on the hunt for the Grand Slam. 

0:35 Week one -- well, day one even -- exceeded all expectations
9:20 #HatchingandSnatching update: Fernandez, Alcaraz, Raducanu
17:40 Women’s fourth rounds - plus a tangent on the Krejcikova-Muguruza controversy
26:40 Men’s fourth rounds: the Tiafoe-Auger-Aliassime match was a blast
32:35 Zverev finally has to answer to the Sharypova abuse allegations, he deflects to BathroomGate, and the broadcasters comply
39:30 Accusations of scammery follow Tsitsipas all week, and to be honest they have merit; or, “you can be mad about two things at the same time”
54:05 US Open Pride Day sees various players wear rainbow gear and otherwise show support
58:05 Sloane Stephens was one of the best stories of the first week

Episode 238: "Withdrawal Symptoms: US Open Preview"

The year's final Grand Slam is upon us, and for the first time since the 90s, we won't see a Williams sister, Nadal, or Federer at the US Open. In two weeks, we'll know if Djokovic has completed the historic Calendar Year Grand Slam against a group of young challengers (Novak and the Seven Trees?). We also discuss the recent publication of part two of the Olya Sharypova story and why the ATP and tennis broadcasters will have a harder time ignoring it this time around. Plus: Barty surging in time for NY, Stef's laughably bad vaccine stance, and some lucky loser drama in Winston-Salem. 

1:15 Reflections on Cincinnati FOMO
7:00 Wrapping up the Canada results: Giorgi stuns the field and Medvedev beats Opelka
10:50 Cincinnati: Barty allows no doubt about who’s #1
21:30 Also happening last week: *that* Naomi presser, Yastremska gets called something mean, Lepchenko popped for a doping violation
33:00 Cincinnati men’s draw: the less said the better
38:20 The Tsitsipas Family’s wild and reckless vaccine takes
44:35 A lucky loser fracas at Winston-Salem 
47:15 Draw analysis: starting with the women. So … how about that third quarter?
70:55 Men’s draw: is there anyone here who will beat Novak in best-of-five?
85:10 Part two of Ben Rothenberg’s story on the Zverev allegations -- why he said/she said is a dog whistle and why tennis might finally be forced to reckon with this
98:30 Another historic week in women’s sprinting! From your faithful tennis / Jamaican track correspondents