The Tennis Tragic #057 / Astonishing / David and Matte stage an Upset Game trophy ceremony, before diving into the most astonishing topics and personalities of the day with Alex, such as Lulu Sun, T20 World Cup Cricket, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Roger Federer's commencement speech, Djokovic's tiny violin, Alex de Minaur's injury on match point, H…

The Tennis Tragic #056 / The Guy Who Got the Walkover / The Roland Garros semi-final lineups have been established, and the Tragic Three turn their cybernetic camera eyes towards all (or most) of the action and drama. We share Jannik Sinner's enthusiasm at becoming World No. 1 while discussing the unlikelihood of Paolini's rise, Alex (and "Paul") d…

The Tennis Tragic #055 / Carota Boys and the River Styx / At long last! The fifty-fifth Tragic episode! All three tragics are together again, to discuss the first few days of the 2024 French Open and related topics. Was the draw not rigged - setting up a disappointing Rafa finale versus Zverev - only in order to ensure future rigging? Should the La…

The Tennis Tragic #054 / Hang-Up / Coco dials up her first major trophy, Ben Shelton calls into his first major semi-final, Novak rudely hangs up on Ben, Matte calls for action on climate change (without gluing ones' self to level 4 of Arthur Ashe Stadium), and we get a busy signal when trying to find out what ever happened to Hyeon Chung. David an…

The Tennis Tragic #053 / It Ain't Happening / It's happening! The Tragic Three have returned from a luxurious and restful break with a Double Slam Episode. We look back at Wimbledon and forward to the US Open. Does anything matter in light of the Novak-Carlos rivalry? Should we believe that Ons will eventually get to the mountaintop? Will we stop f…

The Tennis Tragic #052 / Ley Tay Hsieh and Wang / David and Matte unite to review Roland Garros 2023. Matte falls asleep, Alcaraz falls apart, and Novak’s date with destiny is rewarded with a special Spider Man jacket! Miyu Kato turns that frown upside down, and Muchova’s all-court game impresses David. What could Bianca Andreescu and Michael call …

The Tennis Tragic #051 / The Multitude / The Tragic Three reconvene after a lengthy hiatus to dip our toes back into the great wide pool of tennis, in anticipation of the 2023 French Open. We belatedly discuss a range of topics - Rafa's sad absence from Roland Garros, Netflix's middling tennis docu-series "Break Point", justice for Simona and disci…

The Tennis Tragic #050 / Curses Are Real / Are curses real? Can a curse truly affect the course of our lives? What form does a curse take at the “Cyber Slam” (aka Australian Open 2023)? How might curses manifest at the highest levels of sport? What does a curse sound like? What do the sounds of professional tennis sound like? What curses might we w…

The Tennis Tragic #049 / Upset Game II / Matte and David convene to discuss the results of the second historically significant edition of the Upset Game, where David is still in the running for a new World Record! We discuss the results of the first four days of the 2023 Australian Open, no-lose gambling strategies, the progress of young stars Leyl…

The Tennis Tragic #048 / Lucky Lucky / Matte and David engage in an indulgent pre-AO chat, as David makes his Tragic Return to Melbourne. Follow along in real-time as Richard Gasquet wins a title in Auckland, Lucky Loser Leolia Jeanjean gains entry to the main draw, and Matte and David casually saunter through the AO2023 singles draws, projecting o…

The Tennis Tragic #047 / Both Flesh and Not / David reads from David Foster Wallace's seminal 2006 Federer essay. Roger reflects on the bitterness and the sweetness. Matte sheds some tears for tennis royalty. Alex suggests potential partners for the future doubles world Number One. We also recap the US Open - a torch passed to Carlos Alcaraz, a pro…

The Tennis Tragic #046 / Leaning In / Alex, Matte, and David reconvene during the US Open middle weekend to keep things Tragic and lean properly into the podcast vibe. We reveal the results from the inaugural edition of the Upset Game, look forward to incoming on-court drama, debate the merits of human net cord judges versus malfunctioning robotics…

The Tennis Tragic #045 / The Upset Game / David introduces the world to The Upset Game: a fantasy Grand Slam tennis experience where legions of devoted fans select five upsets per draw in the pursuit of glory. Will Cornet defeat Raducanu in the first? Will Evans defeat Cilic in the third? How might Soon Woo Kwon reach the quarterfinals!? We think i…

The Tennis Tragic #044 / Fatal Consequences / At long last, the Tragic Three received their first letter from a listener! Despite being threatened with legal action, the gang remain undeterred; committed to offering the choicest fact-based tennis analysis and opinion around. For this episode, we cut our teeth on the 2022 grass, and dig into the Wim…

The Tennis Tragic #043 / Even With a Numb Foot / Three Tragics talk tennis in summary of the 2022 French Open. Topics include: Rafa's foot, Zverev's ankle, Toni's courtside seats, Iga's invincibility, Ruud's reported rage, Rune's graduation, Coco's double dish, Mourtaglou's empire, and Trevisan's expressions. Matte turns us onto deep internet cuts …

The Tennis Tragic #042 / Tsitsipas's Tsadness / Matte and David convene in the thick of the dirt to discuss the events of Roland Garros leading up to the semi-finals. Topics include: the dangers of yoga, Amelie Mauresmo's night session faux pas, Iga Swiatek's 33rd consecutive court killing, Coco Gauff's 18 year-old maturity, non-traditional solutio…

The Tennis Tragic #041 / Double Dirt Draw, Delayed / Returning from a dirt hiatus, David meets separately with Alex and Matte to dissect another major draw and discuss the events of the day. Topics include: who among the women's draw will earn the right to lose to Swiatek in the final, McEnroe vs McEnroe, the Half of Doom, Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune…

The Tennis Tragic #040 / Paradise Lost / The Tragic Three are stunned by Ash Barty's unexpected retirement as David reflects on the experience of awaiting entry to Tennis Paradise. We also rate our satisfaction from watching Tommy Paul take down Zverev (average score: 9.5/10), discuss Naomi Osaka's response to a heckler, continue to express our com…

The Tennis Tragic #039 / No War Please / Matte and David discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine and how it has impacted the world of professional tennis. We discuss sanctions, protests in Russia, Medvedev at #1, Rublev asking for peace, Svitolina's statement and victory over Potapova, the Yastremska sisters' humanitarian wildcard, Wladimir Klitschko,…

The Tennis Tragic #038 / The Kid Stopped Dreaming / Rafa and Ash concluded the 2022 Australian Open with two perfect days of tennis, but defeated Daniil's childhood dream may have died in the process. David and Matte discuss the Special K's, the theoretical value of tennis etiquette, coaching from the box, string tension, Daniil's somber press conf…

The Tennis Tragic #037 / Toil and Trouble / If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly... The tragedy of Novak casts a long shadow... but the Australian Open 2022 Draw hath been released, and here, upon this bank and shoal of time, we imagine the many-fork'd road ahead. Who might win or lose? How might the swirling chaos …

The Tennis Tragic #036 / Signs of True Tragedy / The gang reconvene after a humane period of rest to try and recall events of the past year. We reflect on Novak's triumph and heartbreak, Emma Raducanu's future, Krejickova's double, the Andreescu roller-coaster, missing Rafa, the coming Age of Darkness, Medvedev's occasional edge, and exchange Tenni…

The Tennis Tragic #028 / God / In this special, "lost" episode, spiritual consultant Callie Collins joins the pod for a special conversation about sport and religion. Callie and David discuss Dan Evan's Crown of Thorns tattoo, suffering, sacrifice, surrender, the spiritual lives of the Big Three, Roger Federer at confession, self-awareness, perform…

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 celebratio…

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…

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 gras…

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 th…

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.…

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 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 Suar…

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…

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 cl…

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.…

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

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 Victo…

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.…

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 t…

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.

The Tennis Tragic #019 / Fig Ignorant / Roger goes under the knife, Vasek spoons out a little maple, and Matte and David stick a fork in the GOAT convo. Is it fully cooked? Hard to say!

The Tennis Tragic #018 / Dreams-Come-True-Girl / Do dreams really come true? Do you just need to believe in your dreams? Is that enough? Matte and David discuss childhood dreams, premonitory dreams, endings, Margaret Court, Godwin's Law, John McEnroe, Martina Navratalova, Evonne Goolagong, Colin Kaepernick, Ash Barty, Tennys Sandgren, commerce, Gar…

The Tennis Tragic #017 / AO 2020 Day Six / The gang discuss the finer points of Kyrgios's performance (and behavior) in his match against some Russian guy? Hatch-a-something? Khachanov! That guy is pretty good. Also: Goffin-Rublev, Bethany Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin on the doubles court, and a look forward to a desperately tedious Raonic-Cilic ma…

The Tennis Tragic #016 / AO 2020 Day Five - The Demons Are Always There / Federer summons forth another unholy victory against a righteous John Millman. Coco defeats elder stateswoman Osaka. Serena bows out to Wang Qiang. Tennys Sandgren's guns were out, as the suns... were out?

The Tennis Tragic #015 / AO 2020 Day Three - More Sweetie / We doubled down on a couple of long and delightful five-setters and explored some on-site commercial activations.

The Tennis Tragic #014 / AO 2020 Day Two - Tragic Tuesday / 88 Completed Matches! 88 pro athletes, fallen in fierce competition! We gathered the morning after this epic day at Melbourne Park to discuss the highlights, the smashed racquets, the heartbreak, the occasionally sublime play, Court 3 acoustics, and RESPECT.…

The Tennis Tragic #013 - AO 2020 Day One - Are we doing daily episodes? We're doing daily episodes! Or mini-episodes? Whatever the case, Matte, Alex, and David rolled down to the AO grounds under the threat of rain and got stuck in the squall. The tennis was unexceptional and mostly water-logged, and we came away musing mostly about the season's ne…

The Tennis Tragic #012 / AO 2020 Draw Show / Matte and Alex just arrived in Melbourne and we immediately started talking about brackets, the space-time continuum, possible future screaming matches, and whether or not anything is truly inevitable.

The Tennis Tragic #011 / January 14 2020 / For the first time since meeting at the 2019 Australian Open, The Tragic Three convened in Brisbane, Australia to watch real, live tennis - checking out the inaugural ATP Cup's Group Stage with a little WTA Brisbane International bonus action on the side! We witnessed grown men smashing racquets, speculate…

The Tennis Tragic #010 / November 24 2019 / The tennis season is finally coming to a close... or is it? What will we do with our lives? Well, for now, we've recorded 80+ minutes of chat about the new Davis Cup, the ATP Finals, the WTA Finals, World Team Tennis, Team Tennis, Tennis Teams, the Tennis Tragic Slam, Bill Gates, Milos Raonic, and more! W…

The Tennis Tragic #009 / November 2 2019 / The gang delves into the controversy surrounding Darren Cahill's coaching methodology, shows the love for the WTA Finals and ATP Paris Masters events, delves into Matte's subconscious, discusses the inequitable prize money distribution at Wimbledon in 1982, and debate the pros and cons of the Round Robin f…

The Tennis Tragic #008 / On Kid Mascots Asia keeps on swinging, as do the Tragic Three. Our gang sneaks into the ATP Shanghai Masters event just after Novak and Roger departed, and just prior to Daniil's eventual triumph. We recap the epic battle between Naomi and Bianca in Beijing, revisit the topic of weirdo umps, say hello to our fifth Instagram…