The Body Serve Tennis Podcast

We started The Body Serve from our apartment in January 2015, with very few podcasting skills but a lot to say. Seven years later, we're still here, plugging away at this thing we created together, and still managing to be surprised about the things we learn along the way. We’ve worked hard and invested a ton in creating what we believe is a unique product in the tennis podcasting world. We love tennis but our interests are much bigger -- we ask how tennis intersects with gender, class, sex, race, politics, money, and of course, pop culture. We’ve always been self-funded, but were fortunate enough to launch a GoFundMe in 2019 and were blown away by the generosity of our listeners.

 

What we’re asking for is help funding our future. Funding from our listeners helps us remain as independent and accountable as we can. Now that travel is more attainable, we want to start traveling to tournaments again. We’d like to invest more in our technology and buy ourselves time to create more meaningful, lasting tennis content. You can also think of this as a tip jar: if you’ve enjoyed what we do and want to show your appreciation, this is a way to do it.

 

 

 

 

When we last (and first) ran a fundraising campaign, it was late 2019 and the future seemed bright. And then … well, you know. When the pandemic struck and many were forced to remain at home, we did our best to continue pumping out content and keep our listeners entertained and distracted. It helped us stay distracted, too, as reality seemed too strange and too awful to comprehend. When anti-racism protests erupted across the United States and the world, we knew that distraction was no longer the right choice; we dug in and recorded our most emotional and difficult episodes ever.

 

During the various lockdowns and quarantines, we had fun breaking into new formats: Zoom sessions with listeners, Twitch streams, Q&As, "greatest hits" episodes, and more. We finally had time to dig into more of tennis history, like the career of Zina Garrison, a new look at Steffi Graf, the first decade of the women’s tour, and some international tennis figures you may have never heard of.

 

Below is a sample of what we’ve been up to for the past two years, and the type of content you’ll see more of.

 

"Finding Stefanie” -- an attempt to understand Steffi Graf’s legendary career as it was, and how the contemporary assumptions about her were far from the truth.

 

“What’s the Point of the WTA If We Don't Stick Together?" -- we dive into the wild early years of the WTA Tour through the lens of second-wave feminism, women’s sports, and the tour as a labour movement made of superstars fighting for its very existence.

 

“Wiggle It Like Zina” and “When Zina Speaks You Listen” -- one of our early quarantine projects was a heavily researched dive into Zina Garrison’s career. A few months later, Zina herself was gracious enough to come on the show and talk with us about her achievements and legacy.

 

“I Hope That Fish Eats You” -- the police violence that sparked the latest and biggest incarnation of Black Lives Matter knocked us out the ‘quarantainment’ vibe. In this episode, we looked at the unbroken history of anti-Black racism and violence and how tennis players like Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, and Frances Tiafoe forced the issue -- that sports are never not political and that these intersections are the name of the game, not a distraction from it.

 

“It Stays Between Us, But . . ." -- one of the toughest episodes to record and edit. We tackled the ‘trans panic’ legislation that is seeking to limit trans girls’ and women's participation in sport, and the tennis legend helping to push it forward.

 

 

 

 

 

Donate $150 or more -- The first five donors in this range will be eligible for a digital illustration of their favorite player, commissioned by our illustrator Tom Humberstone, who is responsible for all TBS graphics. All claimed - BUT, all donors at this level will get a special TBS swag bag delivered to your home.

 

 

$100+ - You will receive a handwritten TBS postcard from both of us, a TBS bookmark; and you’ll also be placed in a random drawing for a TBS swag bag delivered to your home.

 

$50+ - A newly designed TBS postcard handwritten by the both of us, as well as a TBS bookmark!

 

$25+ - Thank you email and our endless gratitude

 

 

*Donating any amount at all is so greatly appreciated

 

*Be sure to send us your address/reach out via email if you qualify for any of the prizes