The Main Draw

The Lone Wolf

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 23:18:40 GMT

The Main Draw is back with some bold predictions for the Australian Open—will only children have an advantage? We also conduct a proper breakdown of vanity racquets, and satisfy our fan by doing what we do best, evaluating tennis fashion.

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Bubble in a Bubble

Sat, 05 Sep 2020 20:10:36 GMT

Chris joins a courtside Caitlin to talk about the Paire 11, bubble drama, and embracing your inner villain.

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Oy

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 23:31:01 GMT

Come for the obligatory talk about Novak Djokovic's disastrous Adria Tour, stay for the detours into Scientology, GOOP and Tr*mpism.

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Five Minute Increments

Sat, 02 May 2020 13:43:51 GMT

Chris and his son discover a strangely fulfilling way to watch tennis during the pandemic, and we revisit the greatness of Mal Washington, Stan the Man and Goran Ivaneisevic.

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Pretty Like a Woman

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 17:37:26 GMT

Chris and Caitlin introduce the self-growing lawn tennis solution, long for the days of surface specialists and talk about which men on tour are pretty, like women.

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Hypebeasts

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 23:35:48 GMT

Sure we love tennis here at The Main Draw, but we mainly like tennis style—and today we go deep on sneaker culture and why so few sneakers that look good with jeans work well on court (and vice versa).

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Unchained, uncensored

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 23:12:48 GMT

By semi-popular demand, we provide you with the HOTTEST OF TAKES about how tennis can improve in the wake of this year's bananas US Open.

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The Scales Fall From Our Eyes

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 21:53:20 GMT

Novak superfan, friend of the pod, and host of the tremendously popular Vox show Today, Explained,Sean Rameswaram shares how his feelings on Nole have evolved in our Wimbledon recap episode.

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La Terre Battue

Sun, 10 Jun 2018 08:38:34 GMT

Caitlin gives a report from the road at Roland Garros, slags on dumb journalist questions while Chris makes dated predictions about French Open winners and losers that will make no sense by the time you listen.

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Why pushers, WHY??

Thu, 10 May 2018 14:54:35 GMT

Chris and Caitlin expound on the futility (or is it beauty?) of trying to improve way past your prime, and talk through their own individual meltdowns and panic attacks on the court.

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Nerding Out

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 18:25:56 GMT

Caitlin talks with Sean Kent, host of the Tennis Nerd Podcast (who's also a host with the most who'll make you chicken fried steak and biscuits) about learning to love the game, shitty commentators and Trader Joe's.

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Award-Winning Podcast!

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 04:00:00 GMT

No it's not this one. Co-host Chris is a Peabody nominee for a show he produced about the Civil War, but we BET being a part of the 5th or 6th most popular tennis podcast (out of 10) didn't hurt. What we're saying is we have range.

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I'm on a Boat

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 04:14:11 GMT

Caitlin and Chris gloss over the happenings from the Sunshine Double to bring you essential anecdotes about Gigi Fernandez' temper, which old person Caitlin WOULDN'T lose to, and yellow vs. green.

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It Happened, It's Fine

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 05:00:00 GMT

Chris and Caitlin ditch the Australian Open recap to focus on tattoos, hotel bathroom products and a the hottest of takes.

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The Golden Age of Uncertainty

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 16:00:00 GMT

After a thorough examination of sportsmanship, bananas and civil disobedience, Caitlin & Chris return to familiar waters in discussing the Australian Open's showcase of pink and thicc arms.

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Meet the Silver Belles

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 23:00:00 GMT

Journalist Claire Suddath takes us behind the scenes of her Racquet magazine feature on the sept- and octogenarian stars of the women's recreational tennis scene, as well as her affinity for old people's stories in this very special episode.

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Ayo Technology

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMT

Thirty Love's Carl Bialik sets aside his Twitter beef with Caitlin and joins us to fix all the problems. Hint: it involves doubles, gimmicky formats and copious amounts of data!

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Things Get Really Bleak

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMT

Who knew talking about Toni Nadal's Whatsapp tennis academy would inspire a dark visit with Caitlin's tennis demons? Plus, a new May/December challenge, your Project Voltron responses and some resolutions for the new year.

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Project Voltron

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 05:00:00 GMT

Chris and Caitlin (finally) address their many glaring inaccuracies/haters, and come up with a dream participatory scenario... Project Voltron.

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Ready for 2018

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 05:00:00 GMT

We waited so long to release our latest episode, we might as well just talk about 2018. Caitlin shares a shocking (panhellenic) revelation, Chris rebrands the Australian Open, and we recap 2017 as only the Main Draw can haplessly do.

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Juicin'

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 08:00:00 GMT

#pedpod marches on—hear about Caitlin's triumphant Meldonium Phase 1, and hear about what's planned for Phase 2.

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Mary Pierce, Never Number 1

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 06:00:00 GMT

We celebrate the warrior woman in the return of our "popular" segment where we salute the greats who never quite reached the top, and bleeding edge news from the juicing front, from Caitlin's Meldonium adventure to tortellini.

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Caitlin takes Meldonium (Maybe)

Sat, 05 Aug 2017 07:00:00 GMT

A chance encounter gives one of us a shot at performance-enhanced greatness. But at what cost? Plus: we rave over WTA TV and give an update from the start of American hardcourt season.

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Casting Tennis' Bond

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Sure, we talk about Wimbledon, but The Main Draw is for people who like to imagine which tennis stars will populate James Bond's universe or make up the next Battle of the Network Stars. You're welcome.

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Wimbledon in Person

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 04:04:00 GMT

How much better is seeing tennis live in person? It's hard to overstate. Caitlin's back from London with a blow-by-blow.

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We're All Living a Lie

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Chris and Caitlin grapple with being too good looking to develop other skills, blast Johnny Mac's unnecessary Serena comments and celebrate the purest tennis experience of them all: grass.

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Non-tennis Tennis Commentary

Tue, 30 May 2017 20:45:00 GMT

We take on all of the happenings OFF the court, such as: What do you do when the elder statesmen of the game don't behave? Where are each of us on our own personal parabolas? And forget the television, the best commentating is on the radio.

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Novak Attack

Thu, 25 May 2017 20:00:00 GMT

It's the most wonderful time of the year—The French Open—when the clay is red, the socks are dirty and the air is filled with accordion music. We check in with Novak Djokovic superfan Sean Rameswaram to get hyped about Roland Garros.

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Maria, Maria

Mon, 08 May 2017 18:54:40 GMT

We dig into the cover story from Racquet's third Issue with writer Sarah Nicole Prickett. What follows is a wide-ranging discussion about sexuality, the depiction of women in media and adult learning! Plus, Chris has a brilliant suggestion for Nole's new coach.

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Sportsmanship Awards

Tue, 02 May 2017 15:56:11 GMT

We rake the pro players (and ourselves) over the coals for a look at what constitutes being a good sport, what doesn't, and who's on the right side of history along with actor/producer/director/part-time sock model Wes Needham.

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Specific Set of Skills

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 10:00:00 GMT

After three years of The Main Draw, the public has taken notice, and they don't like what they're hearing. Chris and Caitlin issue retractions and apologies about hair rankings, pronunciations and Cincinnati. Featuring Valerie David from Tennis Inside Out, and favored spouse of the pod, Caitlin's wife Clare.

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Moroccan Asses in Moroccan Seats

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 14:04:10 GMT

In this episode, The Main Draw does what it does best: Fashion critiques and locker-room cattiness. We examine the return of '80s shorts, Maria's reception on the tour and practice our Swiss German ahead of Monte Carlo.

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Posturing Toward Masculinity

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 10:00:00 GMT

No, it isn't a Sarah McLachlan album. Come for the gendered examination of tennis' next generation, from Nick Kyrgios to Johanna Konta, stay for Caitlin's wooden-racquet hot take.

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Mystery Brunette

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 22:26:15 GMT

We get personal with essayist Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who talks about her love/hate relationship with the tennis lifestyle and the perks of being a celebrity profile specialist.

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Grappling with David Foster Wallace

Wed, 08 Feb 2017 17:55:07 GMT

You can't talk about tennis without talking about the literary giant. We invite two amazing writers - Sasha Frere-Jones and Sam Riches - to talk about grappling with the DFW legacy.

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Bathing in Stem Cells

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 02:40:51 GMT

The Main Draw is back after a lengthy hiatus, celebrating everything from our geriatric Australian Open finalists to a whole new season of comebacks, hair emergencies and sartorial splendor.

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Rumours and Innuendoes

Sat, 03 Dec 2016 21:43:14 GMT

We spend the last episode of the year talking about some 2016's shadier stories - from an alleged Djokovic affair to a full-scale Nadal hair emergency - and preview what we hope is the terrifying return of Maria Sharapova.

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Rebranding Maria Sharapova

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 21:54:43 GMT

We offend Uzbekistan, talk about Racquet magazine's debut, and offer some suggestions for new looks Maria Sharapova can employ upon her return to the tour next year.

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Maximal Hijinks

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 17:48:01 GMT

From Monfils' rope-a-dope to Tomic's fan engagement strategy, we post-mortem the bad behavior on the men's side of the US Open and celebrate new world number 1 Angelique Kerber.

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!Viva el tenis!

Fri, 09 Sep 2016 15:37:05 GMT

We celebrate Juan Martin del Potro's deep run at the US Open, advocate getting rid of five-set matches, and talk about how fun tennis is in Spanish.

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Low Points in Broadcast History

Fri, 19 Aug 2016 17:58:36 GMT

We discuss our own least favorite commentator moments - from Charlie Rose's asking Rog how to hold a racquet to Dick Enberg's Oh My - with our friend Erik Fabian.

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We Fix the Olympics

Sat, 06 Aug 2016 11:27:00 GMT

A battle of nations? More ancient greek poetry? Tennis moved to ice courts and played during the winter? A thorough examination of all the things we could do to make tennis matter at the international olympic games.

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Oh Canada!

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 17:51:21 GMT

We check in on the Coupe Roger (and spill a LOT of tea) with our friends from the North, The Body Serve hosts James Rogers and Jonathan Newman.

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Wimbletea

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 21:44:37 GMT

We spill the tea and do a Wimbledon walk through of our own, with Grand Slam sanitation expert Katie Rogers.

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Grand Slam Jam

Fri, 24 Jun 2016 18:55:12 GMT

Eurosport's Anders Rasmussen joins us to preview The Championships at Wimbledon, and we offer some bold proposals to fix tennis on TV once and for all!

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Mugs & Maria

Sat, 11 Jun 2016 19:06:08 GMT

One just won a Grand Slam for the first time, the other is totally blowing this doping stuff. We have some thoughts on both, as well as some FREE advice for Novak Djokovic to win American hearts and minds.

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Le Champion Que Nous Attend?

Tue, 31 May 2016 01:42:53 GMT

A late-career surge from Richard Gasquet has French hearts aflame at Roland Garros, and we talk about the Williams Invitational, Serena and Venus' VIP tennis/ping-pong/dance competition. Plus: bonus parenting advice from C&C.

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Game, Set Mats!

Tue, 24 May 2016 22:40:07 GMT

One of the many ways Europe is better than America? It takes tennis tv coverage seriously. Plus, Caitlin makes a new friend in Sweden.

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The Big Announcements Episode

Mon, 16 May 2016 04:00:00 GMT

We're launching a tennis quarterly magazine, and YOU can be on the podcast. Plus, talking French Open and we give Andy Murray a new coach.

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Draft Bill Walton

Sat, 09 Apr 2016 13:11:06 GMT

Get off our lawns and help us figure out how to stream tennis on our computers, or join our campaign to draft DeadHead NBA announcer - and all around zen poet - Bill Walton into tennis commentating. The game needs it.

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The Confirmed Lesbian Edition

Mon, 21 Mar 2016 23:00:00 GMT

After Maria Sharapova admits she failed a drug test in early 2016, we explore the many kinds of cheating and why we're inclined to defend our beloved Ruski. Plus: A glistening Tommy Haas for all!

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Crop Tops and Commentators

Sat, 06 Feb 2016 19:08:25 GMT

Sure, they played some tennis down under, but we spend most of this episode chronicling the sartorial highs and lows, as well as which tennis commentators deserve their jobs. Hint: Not many. Plus, pod friend Sean Rameswaram is back to gloat about his boy - Novak Djokovic.

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The Fix is In

Wed, 27 Jan 2016 09:56:01 GMT

After a huge investigation into match fixing implicates male players at the top of the game, we engage in wild speculation about who's involved.

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It's Ok to Love Novak

Thu, 14 Jan 2016 06:43:30 GMT

Just in time for the 2016 season, friend of the pod Sean Rameswaram stops in to talk about why denying the charm and greatness of Novak Djokovic means you're a dick.

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Get Your Outrage Hats On

Wed, 30 Dec 2015 19:24:33 GMT

Somehow Sports Illustrated's selection of Serena Williams as Sportsperson of the year over American Pharaoh - the horse - stirred up some controversy. Plus we learn what kind of Republican Jennifer Capriati is these days.

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Lies and Recriminiations

Sat, 05 Dec 2015 13:36:46 GMT

The USTA fires back against Eugenie Bouchard's lawsuit over a concussion she sustained while playing at the US Open, citing the player's Instagram account as evidence she's been partying - not suffering - since the tournament. Plus, will Federer's evil Jeff Gordon beard help him topple Djokovic at the year-end Masters?

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James Blake, Back in Our Hearts

Sat, 07 Nov 2015 16:50:37 GMT

Although he wasn't the easiest player to love on tour, James Blake pens a thoughtful - and stirring ode to his hometown of New York after the disgraceful NYPD incident, and we check in on who's aged gracefully in the tennis world - hint: Sabatini, yes. Becker, no.

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Rivalry Week

Fri, 23 Oct 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Garbine Muguruza's closing the gap on Maria and is the best contender Serena's gonna get in the coming months. But if you want a compelling rivalry, wheelchair tennis stars Shingo Kunieda and Stephane Houdet might have the best one going.

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The Newest Fishheads

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 14:55:50 GMT

We salute Mardy Fish - an American male tennis star who was never number 1 - who retired after a wave of panic attacks sidelined his career. And our friend the Allusionist, Helen Zaltsman, gives us a linguistics lesson on origin of tennis.

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Everybody Hates Hingis

Mon, 12 Oct 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Tiny South African Amanda Coetzer married the most interesting man in the world, we still have ill feelings towards Martina Hingis and freelance writer Dave Shaftel tells us about his 24-minute Rogers Cup interview with Novak Djokovic.

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A Battle of Nations

Mon, 05 Oct 2015 13:49:51 GMT

What if the world's best tennis players draped themselves in their flags and battled each other for global supremacy? It happens already and nobody cares. In this episode, we fix the Davis and Fed Cup problems with pirates, bad news bears and a heady dash of Rocky IV.

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We Can't Talk About It

Sun, 13 Sep 2015 10:14:58 GMT

We haven't recovered from what happened with Serena at this year's U.S. Open, so we talk about everything else: Why we hate Marin Cilic, why Rafa wants to show us his penis, and the redemption of Eugenie and Nick. Then we crown a new Never Number 1: Jana Novotna.

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Drake + Serena

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 11:36:09 GMT

Internet delight Aminatou Sow, co-host of Call Your Girlfriend, predicts that Drake will soon be carrying Serena's babies, and to talk about her favorite player who was Never Number 1: Goran Ivanisevic.

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The Cormac McCarthy of Tennis Podcasts

Mon, 10 Aug 2015 01:40:11 GMT

We tip our hats to Billie Jean King's World Team Tennis (go Boston Lobsters!), decide that we've earned the right to drop the occasional swear, and introduce a new segment: Never Number 1, an appreciation of players who never quite reached the pinnacle of the sport.

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Rekindling America's Love Affair with Tennis

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 20:53:37 GMT

Remember the heyday of American tennis, when Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras ruled the rankings? Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison does, and he's single-handedly trying make tennis America's premiere sport. Businessweek's Ashlee Vance explains how, from the the NCAA to a pop-up Nobu.

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Too Many Cocks

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 13:22:29 GMT

Our faces are fiery with anger after the New York Times body shamed Serena, and we give HBO's new tennis TV movie 7 Days in Hell a review, of sorts.

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We Were Wrong About You, Redfoo

Tue, 07 Jul 2015 04:00:00 GMT

Let no one say we aren’t benevolent here on the podcast: We backtrack on our scathing indictment of Redfoo’s tennis game, check in on the Championships at Wimbledon (the tournament and the fashions) and profess our love for tennis on the radio.

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Meet Us at Wimble Don

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 02:29:05 GMT

Should tennis players have caddies? How do you pronounce Nick Kyrgios' name? None of that matters, because we introduce you to a man who built his own private lawn tennis club.

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Salad Days of Tennis Shorts

Thu, 18 Jun 2015 00:51:40 GMT

We get excited about Wimbledon by talking about which pros look like Bond villains, where we stand on tennis whites and our next president, Serena Williams.

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French Open: Favorites and Fashions

Thu, 04 Jun 2015 02:04:45 GMT

The Main Draw is back - and we spare nobody in our cold assessment of who came to play, and who just came to look good at this year's French Open.

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