Jannik Sinner defends at the ATP Finals, again without losing a set, beating his chief rival #1 Carlos Alcaraz. The final was fine, even quite good at times, albeit a bit momentum-less; but hey, they can’t all be classics. Novak makes some valid points about Sinner’s doping case – yes, well-tread territory to be fair – and gets subtweeted by Darren Cahill for his troubles. Plus, Aryna is displeased with Nike (which itself seems indifferent to tennis), and we take a quick tangent into health care and politics.

1:55 Jannik repeats at the ATP Finals

7:05 The Big 3 broke tennis analysis

11:50 Semis and group stage: every era needs a de Minaur

17:45 The ATP fits and haircuts + the Nike snowsuit

21:50 Novak on Sinner’s doping case and Darren’s subtweet

32:05 Aryna is unhappy with Nike, and Nike doesn’t seem to care

38:30 Not a great week for churches! Plus a tangent on Canadian health care

It’s our 400th episode! Elena Rybakina makes a stunning run through the WTA Finals field, but the ending is overshadowed by an awkward non-photo with the WTA CEO. Novak Djokovic is a stunt queen til the end, winning Athens and then telling Musetti at the net that he won’t be playing Turin anyway, so thanks for playing! Meanwhile, newcomers Learner Tien and Victoria Mboko cap their breakout seasons with titles, Ons Jabeur is having a baby, and we reflect on our Toronto Blue Jays and our 400th.

2:15 Rybakina dominates the WTA Finals field

6:35 The photo snub and the tough Rybakina-Vukov situation

12:40 Sabalenka’s hot mic moment

19:00 Djokovic wins Athens, everyone plays in Lorenzo’s face

24:00 The Djokovic exodus from Serbia to Greece

32:20 Youngsters Tien and Mboko win late-season titles

40:00 The Body Serve Baseball Podcast

50:45 What does 400 mean to us?

Almost there … Elena Rybakina booked her spot in the WTA Finals and dipped immediately (extremely injured). Basel saw three of its four quarterfinals end with a retirement. Naturally, the ATP decided this was the perfect time to announce an imminent 10th Masters 1000 tournament, in Saudi Arabia, which will require the shuttering of five current ATP tournaments. Elsewhere, Marta Kostyuk decides it’s not sour grapes, it’s testosterone; and Jannik Sinner gets torched by the Italian consumer protection agency for taking un pisolino after leading his country to two straight Davis Cup titles.

2:50 À propos of nothing, Kostyuk dabbles in transvestigation

15:00 Jannik might lose his honorary citizenship to the city of Turin, guys

17:00 The ATP cusp boys + Fonseca

22:55 Ale-ale-jandro

24:00 Are people born with cramps or are cramps thrust upon them?

26:40 Rybakina, Bencic, Li

32:10 Saudi Arabia gets a Masters tournament

36:00 Next up in tennis and on TBS

It’s late in the season but great stories are still being written: the world #204 Valentin Vacherot slips into the Shanghai qualifying draw and then wins it all, Coco Gauff rights the ship in Asia for the second year in a row, and two Canadians win titles in the same week. We also talk about Holger Rune’s Achilles injury, Finals qualification storylines, and the ongoing debates on scheduling and exhibitions in Timbuktu. Plus, a foray into pop culture featuring David Archuleta and the late great Diane Keaton.

01:30 The cousin final

07:35 Coco doing what she does best in Wuhan

12:10 The Felix anti-jinx

15:25 Other winners: Fernandez, Ruud, Rybakina, Medvedev (882 days, they’ve said many times)

20:30 Rune’s catastrophic Achilles rupture

24:00 Who can still qualify for the ATP/WTA Finals?

28:40 The still-raging scheduling and exo debates + answering a listener question on Laver Cup

37:15 Pop culture break: Archuleta grows up, RIP Diane Keaton

Late in the season, the tennis tour is winding itself through the great cities of China. Anisimova wins Beijing, the women put together a banner lineup in Wuhan, while the men in Shanghai limp (literally) toward the season's end. We've still got so many great listener questions to answer, which cover topical stuff like the length of the tennis season and the Hall of Fame nominees; and less relevant but no less fun subjects like our work nemeses and the retirement of sprint queen and TBS all-time fave, Kingston native Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

02:45 Marquee matchups in Wuhan

10:10 Court speed wars; or, you sound like a loser

16:05 Taylor Daynes of tennis

24:05 Work enemies

35:25 Tennis Hall of Fame nominees

43:10 Any update on Peng Shuai?

47:20 The schedule … six 500s?! Ten 1000s?!

52:50 The GOAT Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce retires

The men’s season ticks on, same as it ever was, as Alcaraz and Sinner snag twin 500s in different countries. We talk a little (very little) about recent results and people being consistently weird in and about Asia. Then, we move into our listener mailbag segment, where we cover everything from how to address the late-season malaise to dealing with workplace narcissists. We finish with an extended review of Mariah’s new album Here For It All, her first studio album since 2018. By the way, the episode title does not refer to our feelings on the album!

2:50 Carlos and Jannik add titles, Learner is your newcomer of the year

9:00 No one’s talking to you

13:00 Why can’t players just be normal in Asia?

18:05 Does the tennis season end with a whimper? How to change it up?

32:00 Balancing cultural issues with tennis on the show

37:20 How much stock do put into year-end no. 1 rankings vs. the rolling ranking system?

40:55 Off-topic: do you have advice for how to deal with workplace narcissists and bullies?

50:10 Mariah album review!

The post-US Open stretch is always a little strange. Case in point, Lleyton Hewitt was suspended for two weeks because he pushed an anti-doping official last year(?!). Taylor Townsend squandered a lot of good will after she mocked Chinese cuisine (though she swiftly apologized). The Italian dynasty captures their 6th BJK Cup title via Paolini, Cocciaretto, and Errani heroics. Plus, we issue a … clarification(?) of our comments on the USTA last episode, discuss the Canada-Israel tie, and tackle the allegedly imminent Kyrgios-Sabalenka “battle of the sexes.”

1:50 A retraction/clarification on our USTA crashout

6:20 We read the Lleyton Hewitt v. ITIA reports so you don’t have to

17:15 Results: Iga wins #25; WTA hatching and snatching continues

24:45 Team Italia continues to dominate BJK Cup

29:05 Taylor Townsend’s self-own

37:45 USA crashes out of Davis Cup / Canada’s decision on Israel DC tie

48:35 Kyrgios vs. Sabalenka will ultimately be a zero-sum game

Theme music courtesy of Oleg Fedak from Pixabay

Thanks for your patience as we finished up our US Open wrap! One of our birthdays coincided with Rolex inviting a certain president to the tournament, and we conscientiously objected. Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz are your winners (for the first time together). The tournament was a barnburner on the women’s side, a fantastic cap to a year which saw four different Slam winners and a few players rewriting their own stories. On the men’s side, Alcaraz faced only 10 break points (a record) and pushed a dominant Sinner into rethinking his own game. As is our wont, we talk extensively about other things … including using Mary Carillo’s commentary as an example of the necessary risk of expanding sports commentary into something more worldly and immediate.

01:46 Aryna Sabalenka wins with smarts and steadiness

08:56 Animisova-Osaka, now that was a moment

18:27 The Townsend-Krejcikova match was a stunner

21:31 Mary Carillo and the risk of telling the truth

35:47 Carlos figures out Jannik (7 of the last 8 times)

42:19 Thanks, Rolex! The USTA makes a problem worse

50:34 Breaking down the prize money increase

55:45 Allez Félix!

64:50 Novak and everyone else

71:11 Duchess of Kent, Wimbledon icon, dies at 92