PODCAST · sports
The Tennis Tragic
by David Kalina, Matte Rochford, and Alex Dawson
The Tennis Tragic is a talk opera about dreams, romance, style, grace, conflict, history, art, and service motions.
Episodes
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The Retirement Plan
The Tennis Tragic #077 / The Retirement Plan / What will we do when it's all over? When our body and spirit can no longer hold up to the rigors of life on tour? This week, we learned that Gael Monfils will be working in wealth management; Stefanos Tsitsipas, meanwhile, will be starting the…
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Belinda, You Are A Gift
The Tennis Tragic brings you its 2026 US Open Draw Show, coming hot on the heels of a delightful Fan Week. We recap post-match expressions of platonic love, the joy and the struggle of fighting through the Qualifying round, and the lighthearted stakes-free practice matches that kick off an event...
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The Diamond Episode
The Tennis Tragic #075 / The Diamond Episode / David and Matte get together to celebrate their 75th episode with the Tennis Tragic! We revisit our dreams of making it to the Tennis Podcast Hall of Fame one day, while recognizing the reality that we're still just grinding away on the Futures Tour....
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Hello Upended Earth
The Tennis Tragic #074 / Hello Upended Earth / Matte and David gather in advance of Wimbledon 2026 to discuss the state of the world, and how everything is forever changed. The Knicks won the championship. Zverev won a Major. Nothing will ever be the same. Also: Roger does a Tennis Tarot reading...
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Is There a God?
The Tennis Tragic #073 / Is There a God? / Will the Knicks win a championship for the first time in 53 years? Are we entering Zverev's Second Age of Darkness, or is this actually the first? Do the outcomes we observe indicate the presence or absence of a higher power? Also: Mirra thanks herself,...
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The King of Balls
The Tennis Tragic #072 / The King of Balls / David and Matte finally reconvene to discuss Marco Trungelliti's triumphant rise to glory (and fall to Jodar). Roger draws a three-card Tennis Tarot spread. Who is the real King of Balls? Which Rising Star will arrive too soon? And in a world where the...
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We Digress
The Tennis Tragic #071 / We Digress / Butch Buchholz. Who is Butch Buchholz? Matte and David discuss recent events, including Sabalenka stealing the Upset Game title for David at Indian Wells, the Tennis Robot picking the Opelka Servebot at Miami, and various other tangential topics. Johnny Five,...
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The Crunching Sound
The Tennis Tragic #070 / The Crunching Sound / David and Matte leave voicemails for each other and accidentally make a podcast. Tsitsipas defeats Medvedev, which means nothing. David recounts his two weeks as a curling tragic. David and Matte discuss the merits of dentistry. Matte shatters his...
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Fading Into Her Prime
The Tennis Tragic #069 / Fading Into Her Prime / Matte and David find a little time to recap the 2026 Australian Open... eventually! But first... Matte tries to cast a spell, and fails to influence the #1 tennis tournament for vampires. David speculates about Sinner's potential dominance in ice...
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The Tragedy Watchlist
The Tragic Three reconvene for the first time in a long time, to pay tribute to Milos Raonic (sort of), marvel at Roger Federer (yet again), and unveil the 2026 Tragedy Watchlist as we move into the first Major of the year down under. We discuss Matte's unfortunate withdrawal from the One Point...
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Bidi Labubu Badu
The Tennis Tragic #067 / Bidi Labubu Badu / Matte and David meet to talk about the style selections on show at the 2025 US Open. First, Ian collects his plate graciously, while Adi slides into his World Number One ranking with a US Open trophy and an impassioned Rublev defense. Then, we break out...
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The Tribunal of Tennis Etiquette
The Tennis Tragic #066 / The Tribunal of Tennis Etiquette / Matte and David begin the hard work of establishing a committee for regulating behavior on a tennis court (and in the stands). Given their recent statements and actions, as well as their consistent efforts to model proper behavior for...
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Return to Doubles Alley
The Tennis Tragic #065 / Return to Doubles Alley / The US Open spotlight shines brightest on the Mixed Doubles exhibition (tournament). Matte and David re-visit the dark and mysterious zone between the tram lines, while glancing back at the US hardcourt summer and peeking forward towards the...
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Goran's Knee
The Tennis Tragic #064 / Goran's Knee / Must we suffer for our art? Have we been coddled, and can we triumph in spite of our soft hearts? The great ship Wimbledon finds itself mid-stream. Matt finds the random button, and we all discover August Holmgren as a result. Players get more serious about...
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What's in the Trophy?
The Tennis Tragic #063 / What's in the Trophy? / Coco Gauff triumphs in Paris and discovers that the Coupes des Mousquetaires has a lid. David and Matte battle difficult conditions - the same as every other podcaster - to cover the outstanding women's final, Lois Boisson's delightful run, Amelie...
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Best Story of Roland Garros (So Far)
The Tennis Tragic #062 / Best Story of Roland Garros (So Far) / Darkness descends upon Paris, and lightning strikes! Matte and David meander through the topics of the day - the draw, the Upset Game, Gasquet, Djokovic's 100th title, Maya Joint's chances vs Jasmine Paolini, Hubie "The Retirement...
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The Kid Stopped Dreaming
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…
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Hey Ump! Got a Light?
The Tennis Tragic #061 / Hey Ump! Got a Light? / From Dubai to Acapulco, from Indian Wells to Miami, from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro... David and Matte travel the world in their imagination, recapping and reliving recent events. Matte pays tribute to Richard Gasquet in advance of his final...
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Sunset Diarrhea
The Tennis Tragic #60 / Sunset Diarrhea / Matte and David forget to celebrate their diamond anniversary episode, instead choosing to focus a critical eye on the fashion of the 2025 Australian Open. Needless to say, we came away a bit disappointed. We also talk about Madison Keys' thrilling…
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L'ouef-Fifteen (A Beginner's Guide)
The Tennis Tragic #059 / L'ouef-Fifteen (A Beginner's Guide) / In this episode, David and Matte welcome all newcomers into the wonderful world of tennis, because tennis is cool, and everyone should l'ouef it passionately, as we do. We roll out a comprehensive "Beginner's Guide" to the Australian...
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The Year of the Tragic
The Tennis Tragic #058 / The Year of the Tragic / Is this our year? Is there enough wind in our sails? Matte is experiencing new love; David is experiencing new back; the world of tennis has taken its annual 12 day hiatus and we are READY! Surely we can record ... I dunno, ten episodes this year?...
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Astonishing
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...
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The Guy Who Got the Walkover
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…
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Carota Boys and the River Styx
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 -...
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Hang-Up
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...
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It Ain't Happening
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...
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Ley Tay Hsieh and Wang
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...
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The Multitude
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...
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Curses Are Real
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...
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Upset Game II
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...
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Lucky Lucky
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...
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Both Flesh and Not
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...
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Leaning In
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...
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The Upset Game
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…
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Fatal Consequences
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...
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Even With a Numb Foot
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...
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Tsitsipas's Tsadness
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...
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Double Dirt Draw, Delayed
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...
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No War Please
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…
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Toil and Trouble
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....
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Signs of True Tragedy
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...
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God
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,...
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Wall Street and the Dead Fish
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...
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Zverev's First Age of Darkness
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...
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Wonderful Wimbledon
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…
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It's Alive!!
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...
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Common Standards of Decency
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...
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The Soiled and the Clean
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.
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To Play a Few Good Points
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…
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Going to the Dirt Shop
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...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Tennis Tragic have?
The Tennis Tragic currently has 63 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Tennis Tragic about?
The Tennis Tragic is a talk opera about dreams, romance, style, grace, conflict, history, art, and service motions.
How often does The Tennis Tragic release new episodes?
The Tennis Tragic has 63 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Tennis Tragic?
You can listen to The Tennis Tragic 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 The Tennis Tragic?
The Tennis Tragic is created and hosted by David Kalina, Matte Rochford, and Alex Dawson.
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