PODCAST · sports
Perfect Match?
by Bryan Keller & Michele Drohan
Perfect Match? is a tennis podcast where we talk about tennis as it relates to the culture (and sometimes our relationship as it relates to tennis). Co-hosts, partnered couple and dare we say doubles partners, Bryan and Michele get into it exploring the big game, their own game and anything else that's making tennis fans talk from the sidelines. Episodes drop weekly. Stay in touch: Bluesky at @perfectmatchpodcast.com or @shellsteak, and Instagram at @perfectmatchpodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy</a
Episodes
-
Butt Seriously: Which Are the Best Asses in Men's Tennis?
Apparently lots of men are "glutemaxxxing" these days, so we thought we'd survey the tuchus landscape over at the ATP. Michele lays out her scoring system for the top male players' tushies, while Bryan awkwardly engages. Also, tennis needs a timeout: bad vibes at the end of the tennis season.…
more -
How to Explain Tennis Scoring
Love, 15, 30, 40: Music to tennis fans' ears and seemingly more complicated than A.P. Calculus to non-tennis people. This week, we attempt to explain how to explain tennis scoring. Bryan takes particular joy in this exercise as a man who loves to explain things (they should have a word for…
more -
Happy Bisexual Awareness Week!
Michele is out of town this week, which happens to also be Bisexual Awareness Week. I kept myself occupied by recording this short, (I believe) thoughtful essay on bisexuality. For all our bisexual listeners, you are awesome 💜 Send us your hot takes at [email protected] As always…
more -
Bro Hard or Bro Home: The 5 Types of Bros in Men's Tennis
On Sunday, we had a Brodown: (Total Bro) Ben Shelton battled (Toxic Bro) Alexander Zverev, not for the title of Top Bro but for the adjacent title of 2026 US Open Men's Champion. This week we break down Bros in Tennis: the Total Bro, Partial Bro, Nouveau Bro, Not a Bro and Toxic Bro. We feel that...
-
The Open Era: Your Gay Sports Romance Novel Companion to the US Open
In this extended episode we talk about the emerging Gay Sports Romance genre and nerd out on behind-the-scenes library stuff with New York Public Library Senior Librarian and Cataloger Julia Lubey! How do books get tagged as Queer Fiction vs. Bisexual vs. Young Adult? What about The Open Era…
more -
Postcard from the US Open Fan Week
The US Open Fan Week: loud, crowded, disorganized, chaotic! But we got a chance to see Serena and Carlos play doubles as well as the return of the one and only Roger Federer. Michele refrained from putting them on the glass for Roger, and Bryan remained relatively sober despite spending ~$200 on...
-
What the Hair?
No sooner did we record an episode about Carlos' cornrows than he took them out (and pulled out of Cincy 😞). Regardless, there's a history of white people adopting/appropriating(?) black style with mixed results. We were initially becringed by the cornrows, but a new generation of social media...
-
Are Gen Z Players "Quiet Quitting"?
Jannik Sinner made headlines last week because he passed on a potentially unprecedented and historic opportunity: win all Masters 1000s tournaments in a single year. Nobody has ever done it. With all the talk about how maladapted, weird and lazy Gen Z is purported to be, we wondered if there's a...
-
The WTA: Prove You're a Woman
The Women's Tennis Association, arguably the most progressive sports association in history, has decided to require every female professional tennis player to prove that they are a woman. What certification will be acceptable to pass this new test? Oh, it's something called an SRY test, which...
-
A Performance Improvement Plan for Men's Tennis
Men's tennis is failing us, in our view. It's top priority should be preventing Zv*r*v and Djokovic from winning a Grand Slam, and with Carlos out, the only one up to the challenge is Jannik Sinner. This is unsustainable! This week, Michele puts on her HR hat and puts Men's Tennis on a…
more -
What Do We Want from Serena?
Serena's comeback at Wimbledon was impressive, adequate, or perplexing, depending on who is commenting on it. This week, we take on Serena's choice, as well as the odd circumstances around her dropping out of doubles at the last minute. What is all this really about? Does Serena herself even…
more -
Don't Call It "The Comeback" (How's That?)
As Michele predicted in the first episode of this season, Serena Williams will be playing singles this year at Wimbledon. But don't call it a comeback (as they say), for she is insisting she doesn't care if she wins: she's just wants her daughters to see her play. Hard to believe. Also…
more -
We Do Not Speak His Name (Or, At Least, Pronounce It Correctly)
The bonkers 2026 French Open has concluded with the most disappointing Men's Final since Wimbledon 2019 (if you know, you know). The "deeply polarizing" winner (as the NY Times put it) has become a symbol of society's inability to properly address domestic violence allegations, leading to the...
-
The French (Wide) Open
This week we marvel at the surprises the French Open has produced so far. Is it weird that we are enjoying the Sincaraz absence? And we get early exits on the Women's side to mix it up? This is shaping up to be one of the most interesting Frenches (?) in a very long time. Also: Bryan apologizes...
-
Je Ne Sais Quoi: Myriad Thoughts on the French Open
This week we're all over the place (or lieu, if you must), going back and forth about the French Open. Alcaraz not playing Wimbeldon 😢 No one is going to beat Sinner at the French Open 😕 Heat wave in Paris 🥵 An emergency "medical timeout" 💩 Naomi Osaka's outfit is 🔥 And...the TV Coverage…
more -
Players Threaten Slam Boycott Over Money! Will It Matter?
Before we talk about the current issue of players threatening to boycott a slam, let’s go back in time to 1973 when an historic boycott of Wimbledon by the top men’s players completely changed the power dynamic between the grand slams and the players. Also: We got blocked by a Bluesky user. We…
more -
Riddle Me This: Why Were They Together So Long?
Relationships are delicate entities, and breakups should be handled with care, but it does not appear that the high profile uncoupling of Taylor Fritz and Morgan Riddle is unfolding as planned. This week, we go a bit gossipy and snarky, but get into questions around what people expect out of a...
-
Lukewarm Rivalry: Can Alcaraz Beat Sinner When They're Cool Budz?
After losing the Monte-Carlo Masters Final to Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz posted a fun video of his bestie Jannik diving into the club's pool. Cute! Good for engagement! Bad for winning. This week we talk tennis rivalries and question whether Carlos needs to go darker if he wants to beat Sinner. We…
more -
Moving to Monte Carlo
The Clay Season is officially in session now with the symbolic opener, the Monte-Carlo Masters, taking place. Why don't we all live in Monte Carlo, with it's zero percent personal income tax, European adjacency and $6300/sq. ft. real estate? Perhaps because we don't have $6.3 million dollars for…
more -
Is Dark Woke the New Way to Look at Tennis?
A lively, bad faith debate in which Michele defends what Bryan calls "Woke 1.0" while he posits that so-called "Dark Woke" can be better for one's tennis fandom. Do we need to broaden our tolerance for players' questionable posts and comments in order to enjoy the sport more? It's a weird one!…
more -
"Fuck You All!": On Meltdowns and Disappointments
This week due to shifting forces in our lives, we home in on the perennial vignette in which one person lashes out at a crowd that stares on in horror. But who among us hasn't wanted to just flip off everyone around them and storm out forever(ish)? Also, Carlos Alcaraz announces on court in…
more -
Indian Wells, Paramount, Monopolies...Good Times!
The Indian Wells tournament is upon us, as is the tenth anniversary of your hosts bumping into one another at the tourament, encountering an implausible series of rom-com meet-cutes, and somehow staying together for all these years. To commemorate, we dive into the ennui surrounding MAGA…
more -
Can Professional Tennis Players Ever Organize?
Professional tennis players are some of the least represented athletes in professional sports. From the grueling schedule to the relatively low share of revenue, even down to the type of balls used in tournaments, the players have little to no say in decisions that affect their lives and health...
-
Should the Women Play Longer Matches in Slams?
There's long been an argument in tennis against women receiving equal pay that it's because they don't play full Best of Five matches in the Grand Slams. It's a weak and weird argument because outside of the Slams, everyone plays Best of Three, and some of those tournaments *still* don't have…
more -
Is A Little Bit of Lying Okay?
In which we draw the line between a "lie" and a "lie-lie". We all lie! Whether it's your "colonoscopy appointment" on the day of your sister's "baby shower", or "does a hangover qualify as a 'sick day'?", we all lie at least once in our life. What kinds of lies are okay? Who gets to decide? What...
-
The Australian Open's Safety Culture Problem
The Aussie Open closes the roof when their bespoke heat index level reaches 5. The AO knows beforehand exactly when this index will reach 5 because we all know this, because we all have a weather app on our phones. Is it antithetical to their "Safety Culture" that they don't close the roof when...
-
Adios! Alcaraz' Split With His Coach Seems Permanent
Carlos Alcaraz is playing his first matches on tour without the help of his only coach since childhood, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and we are all wondering how this will go. What we aren't wondering anymore is if Juan Carlos will be coming back. We don't usually talk about who is coaching which player...
-
Do You Come From a Land Down Under?
While the temperature plunges here in the Northeast US, it's high summer Down Under, and how we wish we were there. But due to the miracle of low-cost audio equipment and free podcast hosting, we can at least talk about the Australian Open on the internet. So, that's something! Roger Federer's...
-
Michele's 2026 Tennis Predictions
Happy New Year! Wait, it's too late to say "Happy New Year", everyone stop saying "Happy New Year". But it's Tennis New Year here in the run-up to the Australian Open, and Michele has predictions for 2026: How long will Venus Williams play (and how long will the sun continue to shine)? Will…
more -
2025 Wrap Up: Good Riddance 2025!
Let's face it: 2025 sucked. Life got measurably worse for most people in the world who are not billionaires (although life got measurably better for them, so there's that). But within this swirling sewer of a year, we dug up some memories that reminded us why we need tennis in our lives and why…
more -
🎃👻 Scary Things: What We Fear for Tennis 👻🎃
It’s spooooooky season, and for our final episode of the year we are summoning the ghouls and goblins of tennis and counting down the scariest trends we are seeing. What evil lurks on the tennis courts of the world? In the stadia and tennis villages, from the hard courts of Melbourne to the grass...
-
No Kings Please
Today, we dive into the 2nd edition of the Six Kings Slam. On the same day that millions of people rallied around the world in the No Kings protests to defy Trump and defend democracy, the final match of the tennis exhibition “The Six Kings Slam” was played in Saudi Arabia between Carlos Alcaraz...
-
Replay the Point: Player Politics - The Good, The Bad, and The Useless
This one we recorded in March when we were all fairly new to this political reality. Since then, we've see politics become a taboo subject, and supporting any form of liberalism feels almost risky. But fuck it, we have to talk about politics and take a stand. This is our take on several current…
more -
Tennis Players and Sleep: The New Secret Weapon?
Proper sleep impacts every aspect of one's life. For tennis players – and athletes in general – it’s a relatively new insight. Only in the last 20 years have experts and players realized just how much sleep can affect performance. Even the smallest adjustment can help a player reach peak...
-
Trailer: What Is Perfect Match (Question Mark)?
We are not a podcast that assesses the pricing and collectibility of Labubu dolls. We are not a companion podcast to the hit TLC series "Sister Wives". We are not a MAGA podcast that aims to take down and take out the woke left. We are a podcast that discusses the culture through the lens of…
more -
The Tennis Channel, Sinclair Broadcasting and the Authoritarian Attack on Free Speech
As we have all heard, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended at the behest of the Trump administration, then reinstated after an enormous public outcry. What is less discussed is the influence of the two main networks that own many of the local ABC affiliate stations, Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcast...
-
A Weighty Topic: Serena, GLP-1s, and the Era of Thin
With Serena Willams' recent announcement that she takes a GLP-1 (and that she is the global spokeswoman for the online drug compounder Ro), these drugs are more visible and talked about than ever before. While they are a miracle for some, Michele has questions. Bryan mostly stays out of the way…
more -
The 2025 US Open's Best and Worst People
The US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, has concluded. While always outsize among slams in its sheer lunacy, this is 2025, and boy did the US Open deliver! Today we countdown the worst people and the best people the last 3 weeks has presented us. God help us all. Send us your hot takes at...
-
The US Open Makes You Crazy: Tennis and the American Berserk
It's not easy putting together a tennis podcast episode when something completely bonkers is happening at the US Open every day. Oh, you thought Medvedev's mimicking a blowjob on national TV was bad? Haha, welcome to 2025. Is it New York and all its weed that makes this tournament crazy? Is it…
more -
US Open Mega Episode! There's Too Much Happening!
This week we are talking US Open: Medvedev's (homophobic) breakdown, Alcaraz' interesting new haircut, Casper Ruud thinks New York smells like weed, and much more. Also: Are Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova really BFFs now? Hot takes from listeners! To send us your hot take, record a Voice…
more -
Field Trip to the US Open Mixed Doubles Semis and Final!
This time, we report back from the new controversial US Open Mixed Doubles event, in which Singles stars who don't necessarily know how to play doubles flounder their way to a $1 million prize! (Spoiler alert, the actual Doubles team wins.) We drink and talk our way through monsoon weather and...
-
"The Inner Game of Tennis"...and Life
This week, we read Timothy Gallwey's classic 70s self-help tome "The Inner Game of Tennis", because why not? Part of the wave of spiritual self-help books of the era, "Inner Game" has a lot to say about the way our conscious, judgmental self gets in the way of the more intuitive, subconscious…
more -
Special Guest: Eva Warren Talks Design and Tennis, And There's a Quiz!
Today, we are thrilled to have designer extraordinaire Eva Warren on the pod! We were lucky to have her take us through a full rebrand of Perfect Match?, and the result is what you’re seeing across our channels. She’s one of our most reliable listeners, although she doesn’t follow tennis closely....
-
Replay the Point: Monogamy vs. Polyamory in Tennis Fandom
It's summer and we are off doing summer things, so here's a favorite episode of ours all about the different ways we tennis fans love our players. ----------------------------------- Monogamy vs. Polygamy: these days it’s more of a choice than a default; a discussion rather than an assumption.…
more -
Post Wimbledon Blues and the Hardcourt Season
We're back after an unplanned week off (Bryan went to the beach) with thoughts about Wimbledon, hardcourt season, Venus Williams, Genie Bouchard and a bunch of other random tennis shit. It's summertime and the livin' is easy. Enjoy the show! Send us your hot takes at [email protected]...
-
Wimbledon Wars! Neighbors Fight the Tournament's Planned Expansion
As Wimbledon plans to add 39 more courts and 8,000 more annual visitors, residents of the surrounding London hamlet sue to prevent the tournament's expansion. How do we balance the needs of a world famous sporting event with long time residents' needs? And what to do with recent transplants who...
-
Wimbledon: "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
Michele describes Wimbledon the way some people describe Christmas: "the most wonderful time of the year". She's not entirely wrong! This week we run down some Wimbledon updates, some controversies and random thoughts about why Brits don't believe in room fans. Also: Bryan goes to Pride and his...
-
Who Was Brian Watkins and Why Are NYC's East River Courts Named for Him?
On September 2, 1990, after attending the US Open, Brian Watkins and his family got on the subway at 53rd St. and 7th to go to dinner in the West Village. While waiting for the train, 8 teenagers allegedly attacked Watkins’ father with a boxcutter and kicked and attacked his mother. Brian...
-
Grass Season: The Weird, Confusing Road to Wimbledon
Grass Season: players slipping and sliding! serve and volley winning matches! five weeks and then the Most Important Slam in Tennis (Wimbledon)! This time, Michele explains to Bryan some things! The grass surface, some grass history, the schedule and what it means for Wimbledon 2025. Also…
more -
Carlos and Coco: Magic People
Our dreams came true: Carlos Alcaraz won the French Open Men's Final and Coco Gauff won the Women's. But more than just winning, they demonstrated the intrinsic magic in how they move through the world. They bring joy wherever they go, they are on hero journeys and they uplift us all. Also, this…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Perfect Match? is a tennis podcast where we talk about tennis as it relates to the culture (and sometimes our relationship as it relates to tennis).
Co-hosts, partnered couple and dare we say doubles partners, Bryan and Michele get into it exploring the big game, their own game and anything else that's making tennis fans talk from the sidelines.
Episodes drop weekly. Stay in touch: Bluesky at @perfectmatchpodcast.com or @shellsteak, and Instagram at @perfectmatchpodcast.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy</a
HOSTED BY
Bryan Keller & Michele Drohan
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Perfect Match? have?
Perfect Match? currently has 106 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Perfect Match? about?
Perfect Match? is a tennis podcast where we talk about tennis as it relates to the culture (and sometimes our relationship as it relates to tennis). Co-hosts, partnered couple and dare we say doubles partners, Bryan and Michele get into it exploring the big game, their own game and anything else...
How often does Perfect Match? release new episodes?
Perfect Match? publishes regularly with 106 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Perfect Match??
You can listen to Perfect Match? on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Perfect Match??
Perfect Match? is created and hosted by Bryan Keller & Michele Drohan.
URL copied to clipboard!