The Tennis Tragic #035 / Wall Street and the Dead Fish / The 2021 US Open has swept through like a hurricane, unearthing a bounty of priceless dramatic treasure.   The Tragic Three examine nuggets of intrigue under the microscope - from the player's bathroom to the trophy grandstand and everywhere in-between.  Gems include: Daniil's victory celebration, Raducanu's unsettling perfection, Leylah's spirit and soul, Novak winning in defeat, Zverev's first age of darkness averted, Bianca Andreescu channeling the end of Braveheart, Jack Sock summoning otherworldly energies, the absence of line umpires, and Stefanos Tsitsipas taking his sweet time.  We send intrepid AI field reporter Matte Blacke into the bowels of Arthur Ashe for an interview with Stefanos, and close with a mindfulness meditation for Medvedev.

The Tennis Tragic

Wall Street and the Dead Fish

The Tennis Tragic #034 / Zverev's First Age of Darkness / The Tragic Three convene to discuss ill omens and dark premonitions, and also the US Open 2021 Draw.  Many greats have fallen into the pit of despair; will the tainted Alexander Zverev begin a reign of terror?  Or will other, more enjoyable villains emerge from the ruins?  We also discuss human nature and pre-class society, debating the possibilities of a better, more cooperative world.  Is competition a natural byproduct of our being?  Or is it a reflection of the age in which we live?

Zverev's First Age of Darkness

The Tennis Tragic #033 / Wonderful Wimbledon / The Tragic Three gather to revel in the glory and pageantry of the inspiring 2021 Wimbledon Championships.  Ash Barty realizes her childhood dreams, the Duke of Kent is taken out of cold storage for a final time, Tom Cruise makes a case for inclusion in the royal family, and Novak Djokovic eats the grass (again).  Also: Matte and David take a closer look at the sport's summer fashion (in white, with trims of color), look forward to a strangely quiet Olympics, and Davy Gravy educates us on the history of the Calendar Slam and the Grandfather Collar.

Wonderful Wimbledon

The Tennis Tragic #032 / It's Alive!! / The living surface claims blood and souls at Wimbledon.  We reflect on many that have been taken - Serena Williams, Sara Sorribes-Tormo, Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu - while pondering the fate of those who remain unscathed.  Will Novak Djokovic's Wolf Energy result in him eating the grass once more?  Or will the grass instead eat Novak?  Also: talk about the magic in the tennis balls, the towels and the chairs, and Andy Murray championing the cause of the working class.

It's Alive!!

The Tennis Tragic #031 / Common Standards of Decency / The 2021 Wimbledon Dress Code is revealed!  And also:  the 2021 Wimbledon Draw!  Matte and David go a layer deep and discuss classism, pageantry, aging bodies, scalloped dresses, austerity measures, lessons from modern dance, middle names, Carla Suarez Navarro, Ricardis Berankis, and Rendy Lu.

Common Standards of Decency

The Tennis Tragic #030 / The Soiled and the Clean / Novak savors victory, Barbora doubles down, Roger takes time for a towel, Stefanos feels so much of everything, Lorenzo gets a lesson in sporting behavior, and Davy Gravy calculates the statistical probability of unlikely events at Roland Garros.

The Soiled and the Clean

The Tennis Tragic #029 / To Play A Few Good Points (against Nadal in the Second Round) / It's time for another Draw Show!  We visit every quarter and sub-quarter of the 2021 Roland-Garros tournament brackets for Women and Men alike.  Naomi Osaka ducks out of the press room, chair umpires get dunked, tie-dyed ogres hit the festival circuit, Carla Suarez-Navarro returns, and we wonder: who strikes a tragic enough figure for Matte to turn to once Richard Gasquet retires?

To Play A Few Good Points

The Tennis Tragic #027 / Going to the Dirt Shop / The gang professes its love for clay court tennis (of various colors); scrappy Dan Evans gets the royal treatment in Monte Carlo; Alex recaps Rublev and Rafa's rumble; we engage in our regularly scheduled debate about whether or not Hawkeye should be adopted on clay; Matte imagines socialist utopian tennis clubs; Davy Gravy reveals his favorite blue thing.

Going to the Dirt Shop

The Tennis Tragic #026 / Avocado or Pear? / The Tragic Three reconvene to discuss the events of Acapulco, Doha, and Miami.  Talking points include:  fruit-shaped trophies, muscle locations, players who may have sold their souls to the Devil, Roger Federer's beautiful serve, whether the post-match lie-down celebration is appropriate, how to procure clay for your court, player unions, and the vibe of the Miami Dolphins' stadium parking lot.  David introduces new AI friend "Davy Gravy" and offers up a monologue about the joy of watching dramatic Bianca Andreescu matches during the Miami Open.

Avocado or Pear?

The Tennis Tragic #025 / The King of Hard / Novak reigns.. but what are his powers?  Jayne Hrdlicka works the crowd.  Protestors disrupt the match.  Predictions fail to manifest.  The impact of athlete endorsements is considered. Please send all high dollar value marketing opportunities to tennistragicpod at gmail dot com.  We await your call.

The King of Hard

Tennis Tragic #024 / Bit of a Legend / Reflections on herbal tea, birdsong, service motions, Naomi Osaka, Jen Brady, and doubles (doubles!)

Bit of a Legend

The Tennis Tragic #023 / Body Positive / David pens a letter to the Tennis Podcast and receives an unexpected response.  Features the AO2021 Fashion Roundup with Matte and David.  Discussion topics include the meaning of the word 'journeyman', Alex Bolt's post-playing career, the trend towards meditation and mental training, joyless tennis, and Victoria's flash Covid lockdown.

Body Positive

The Tennis Tragic #022 / Next Door to Yulia / The Tragic Three imagine conditions in the hard quarantine, remember The Match That Time Forgot and Michael Pervolarakis, and discuss general topics during the lead-up to the AO, including (but not limited to) doping bans, blackface, clickbait, vaccines, and the throng of the AO crowd.

Next Door to Yulia

THE TENNIS TRAGIC #021 / The Fake Crowd Noise Era / Alex returns and Maritsa joins for various Tragic Chats discussing the US Open 2020, fake crowd noise, Djokovic's default, line judge conspiracy theories, the value of towel kids, Patrick McEnroe's walkabout, Medvedev, Thiem, Vika, Serena, Osaka, Zverev, players eating salads, and more.  Features the First Ever Segment of "Tennis and the Arts"; Matte brings our attention to Cigdem Aydemir's performance piece "The New National Sport." 

The Fake Crowd Noise Era

The Tennis Tragic #020 / Hiding Under The Bed / Rafa calls in from quarantine, Matte catches Linsanity, David and his father discuss formative sports memories, and more dreams of great players retiring from matches.

Hiding Under The Bed

David, Matte, and Alex met at the Australian Open 2019 when an older gentleman cheekily cut the line - opening the path to a tennis friendship of intercontinental proportions. It's hard to make friends who can get super nerdy about the tours, player personalities, relationships, and tennis fashion - so we're dipping our toes into the podcast waters as an excuse to hang out and talk. If we meet some other tennis romantics along the way, all the better!

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The Tennis Tragic

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