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

The 2026 Wimbledon tournament kicks off Monday, and along with it comes the disorienting experience of seeing the name Serena Williams in a singles draw again. Expectations are all over the place as she opens against the Australian Maya Joint. More broadly, the women’s draw is anyone’s guess, as the top players come in with less than optimal preparation but plenty of experience. On the men’s side, former world #4 Jack Draper breaks out of the injury asylum only to see Taylor Fritz in the first round. Sinner looks to be the prohibitive favorite with a very small second tier – Djokovic, Fritz, Shelton, and? – fighting for a shot.    1:45 This week’s results: Draper is back, Naomi in her first grass final  5:15 Notable qualifiers and not-qualifiers  7:30 Women’s draw: “tough draws” fall apart all the time (solace for Iga fans?) 23:05 Men’s draw: Sinnerstan   39:15 The most random et ceteras and one big lie

Grass season is about halfway done, and I don’t know what’s going on with the WTA (wishing them luck). Big results for Noskova – who just debuted in the top 10 – plus Robin Montgomery, Ben Shelton, Donna Vekic, and the Frans! The news that Serena Williams received the remaining Wimbledon singles wild card trumped everything this week, while her husband hung out at Trump’s UFC abomination. Recent Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova was given a 4-year suspension for refusing a doping test in December, a decision that will almost certainly be appealed. Lastly, we give some final thoughts on the Knicks and go down the Stevie rabbit hole again. 1:00 Yep, that singles wild card was for #thismama  14:10 Berlin bagel + it was a good week to be a Fran 24:30 Previous week’s results: s-’Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart, Queen’s 27:30 Diving into Marketa Vondrousova’s 4-year suspension  36:30 Alexis, your presence wasn’t actually required 40:50 Corentin Moutet gives up his prize money for what, exactly? 43:00 Catching up with the Knicks and Victor Wembanyama  48:20 Remembering Peabo and igniting the Stevie discussion again

It’s been impossible to keep up with tennis news lately, with Serena’s return, the grass season starting, and the top players continuing to pressure the Slams on prize money and consultation. We had too much on our Roland Garros wrap agenda, so here’s the twin to episode 425. We talk about Serena’s long-simmering “comeback,” the product tie-ins with Ro and Zepbound, and her successful doubles match with Canadian star Victoria Mboko. We also check in with the ongoing player response to prize money increases (as a proportion of tournament revenue) and what could come next. Finally, we give our unorganized thoughts on the Rafa doc, check in with a kind Reddit user, and give you a Knicks segment that is now -- thankfully -- a time capsule of life before Jalen Brunson was an MVP and NBA champion! 1:30 The "wildfire" … was warranted  11:30 Serena and Vicky ace their first (and only) test 23:10 Is this comeback meant to be a proof of concept for GLP-1 use? 33:10 Wimbledon prize money -- will the increase be enough for “Project Red Eye?” 40:00 Netflix’s Rafa documentary was a somewhat harrowing experience 49:30 Admitting I was wrong is important! 52:40 A quick Knicks segment (now a time capsule)

Yes, we’re finally back to recap the second week of Roland Garros. That thing we were all dreading has happened, and now we can move on with our lives. First, let’s celebrate 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva for expertly managing this unfamiliar moment and bagging her first major; and the qualifier Maja Chwalinska, for reaching her first Slam final and storming into the top 25! As for the men, Madison Keys really clocked their tea when she said the men’s anxiety over this opportunity was seeping into everyone’s lives. A lot of the late-’90s generation allowed a huge opportunity to slip by, and we kind of felt bad for them. The uncomfortable truth is that That Guy is now a major champion – of a decimated field, to be sure – but a champion nonetheless, and broadcasters, tennis organizations, and sponsors might now have an even easier time avoiding and ignoring the credible domestic violence allegations against him. But try as he (and they) might, the attention isn’t going away anytime soon. 4:00 Women’s wrap: Maja, Maja  11:00 Things not to do on Bluesky 14:20 Mirra Andreeva joins the top tier   21:45 A lot of guys saw a massive opportunity slip by 27:15 So That Guy won. Now what  36:10 Journalists keeping that man uncomfortable 42:30 Good news! Siniakova/Townsend three-quarters of the way to a Team Career Slam

Back from our first trip to Roland-Garros, here is part 2 of our RG mid-tournament wrap, this one focusing on the tennis we saw, the happenings on-site, and how the chaotic first week played out more broadly. What’s it like to watch a tournament unfold in person while it’s already being branded online as chaotic and/or horrible? Well, sometimes your priority is just your next water refill. We’ll tell you about players we sought out (Swiatek, Rybakina, Medvedev, Vacherot, Jodar, Tiafoe, and more). We’ll take you through the experience of watching Naomi Osaka’s walkout and the surreal collapse of Jannik Sinner as it unfolded on Chatrier. As we always do, we’ll dip into the messier moments, like the Korpatsch-Wang dust-up, the monumental PR stumbles of Rafa Jodar, and Vallejo’s misogynistic bag-fumbling. What a week in Paris; it promises to get weirder before the fortnight is out.      1:00 Nothing new under the sun: Wang pulls a Hingis ’99 7:10 She’s taking it! Oh – actually, no, sorry 15:25 Iga Swiatek out to Kostyuk 23:10 Telling stories about players and matches we saw: Vacherot, Rybakina, Keys, and more  38:35 Rafa Jodar exonerated, sort of 46:50 Naomi’s debut on Lenglen 50:40 James, are you happy to be in Paris?  62:35 Being in Chatrier for the Sinner upset  73:10 Are we all amateur geneticists now?  80:45 These f—ing tarpaulins and Lacoste bollards! 85:25 Wrapping up the draw as it stands

We’ve just returned home from our first trip to Roland-Garros! We’re bringing you two mid-tournament episodes, this one to cover our experience at the tournament and in Paris overall, while the next will focus on the tennis itself. Hear about the RG dining and beverage experience (hello, galette-sausicce and the falafel hummus flatbread), our pilgrimage to the Rafa statue, the idyllic setting of Court Simonne-Mathieu, how to get on the side courts, the unique personality of the Roland Garros grounds, and much more! 1:35 Setting the scene: getting to Paris 7:50 To be in Paris: cafes with tiny tables, boeuf bourguignon, rolling up on Jannik 15:50 Getting to the site 23:10 On the Roland Garros grounds: the stadiums, getting on the smaller courts, the availability of water (!)    43:30 The food: impressive  47:00 The low-key chill-out areas near Simonne-Mathieu 51:35 Overall impression of what it’s like to be a fan at Roland Garros