Breaking Back, a tennis podcast

Recorded Thursday, October 29.

Alexander Zverev becomes world No. 1 on November 2 with Jannik Sinner out since Wimbledon, and Nat says the asterisk depends on how long he holds it.

• Sinner ended his season with the knee, then signed back on when the Six Kings Slam moved to December. Norm says he's taking the money. Nat says it's the best tune-up available before Melbourne. Learner Tien loses the $1.5 million.
• Quentin Folliot got 20 years. He says he was first approached at 16 and fixed his first match at 20 to stay on tour. The ITIA found 27 breaches and a central role in a match-fixing syndicate. JB on what the lower tour costs the players grinding through it.
• The ATP's 2028 plan cuts Masters 1000 doubles draws from 32 teams to 16 and moves about $20 million to singles. Nat sets it against MLB's $245.3 million salary cap fight. JB on why tennis players have no union, and the one match he stopped working to watch at Delray Beach.
• Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils are done. Elina Svitolina took the backlash, and JB has no patience for the people dishing it out.
• Venus Williams is 0-16 and says she's earned the right to decide how it ends. Nat on the legacy, JB on the first-round money and points that spot costs someone else.

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The Asian swing lost its mind. In Beijing, Medvedev got defaulted for hitting a fan. In Shanghai, Bublik punched through a cooler, Jodar cursed at a ball kid, and Atmane threw his racket at the stands and stayed on court. We draw a line: ball kids are untouchable. Then Bodo’s throwdown: legendary tennis writer Peter Bodo takes aim at the US Open’s party and the fanboy media covering it. Is he right, or is the Open just selling tennis’s Super Bowl? Plus the Six Kings Slam’s move to December, the NBA’s new betting bans, Nat’s Shanghai semis picks, and Norm’s Numbers on Wake at Cal.

A tennis podcast covering the ATP, WTA and college tennis.

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Win a Breaking Back hat! Just like, follow, subscribe or share content from this episode and you will be entered to win. Winner announced on E11.

21+. Not betting advice. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Emma Navarro says her health problems began almost three years ago. Norm, JB and Natalie ask who is supposed to notice when a winning player is struggling, and what a comeback looks like.

In this episode:

• Navarro's RED-S and Hashimoto's announcement, and what RED-S actually is
• Athletes who came back: Venus Williams (Sjögren's), Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning, Ivo Karlović
• Why the tour season runs into November while players drop out of Beijing
• Kei Nishikori's farewell in Tokyo
• Should Venus Williams get another wild card? Norm and JB disagree
• World TeamTennis, the Riyadh exhibition and the year-end championships

Hosts: Norm Archer, JB and Natalie Cutter

#TennisPodcast #BreakingBack #EmmaNavarro #VenusWilliams #WTA #Nishikori

No gambling disclaimer: there is no betting content in this episode.

Zverev won the US Open without knowing it was match point, and his ball bouncing between serves has Norm, JB and Natalie Cutter debating a second-serve clock.

Recorded before the Laver Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals wrapped.

In this episode:

• Zverev's ball bouncing between serves, and whether it is a weapon or a tic
• Natalie on the serve clock, and what MLB's pitch clock teaches tennis
• The 3:33am finish, and JB on why start times are the problem
• A Laver Cup preview, Rafael Jódar's climb and Juan Carlos Ferrero's 2027 return
• JB on what is wrong with the Davis Cup format

Hosts: Norm, JB and Natalie Cutter.

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Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube @BreakingBackMedia. More at breakingbackmedia.com.

Betting discussion is for entertainment only. 21+. Please gamble responsibly.

We were wrong about Alcaraz. All three of us said he was gone before the semis. Ben Shelton just proved him wrong—beat him in five on court. And then there was Tiafoe and Mickelson: five hours, a comeback, and an embrace at the net where Mickelson lost it and Tiafoe became his shoulder to cry on.

• Shelton vs Alcaraz: two different sports. Mickelson and Tiafoe: five sets, a comeback, and an unscripted embrace that made everyone in the stadium forget the score.
• The semifinal bracket: one American guaranteed. Could be two. Coco or Sabalenka on the women's side, and everybody's rooting for the American.
• Match scheduling debate: why night matches run to 2am, why you can't move them earlier, and whether a best-of-four would fix tennis without breaking what makes tennis special.
• Nike's nipplegate. Alcaraz's jersey had a gap. The fishnets are "street walker chic." And why nobody is happy with the way anybody dresses anymore.
• Influencers watching the US Open on their phones while sitting court-side. Finance bros in Ashe. Wimbledon said no more creator credentials ever.
• Andy Roddick on commentary: he's gotten good. Really good. Better than the Sirius XM coverage, which is brutal.

Money · Drama · Nat's Numbers.

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Gambling disclaimer. This episode discusses sports betting odds and wagering markets. It is for entertainment and informational purposes only and is not betting advice. All odds cited were accurate at the time of recording on September 3, 2026, and have since moved or resolved. Nothing here should be used to place a wager. You must be 21+ (18+ where applicable) and physically located in a jurisdiction where sports wagering is legal. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Venus and Serena get Friday night on Ashe against Maya Joint, the player who put Serena out of Wimbledon. Combined age ninety. Nobody at the USTA has called it a farewell tour and everybody is selling it like one.

The rest of week one was about who this tournament is for now. An influencer at Arthur Ashe stood with his back to the court. His own box asked him to sit down. He said he was watching it on the TV.

• Nat filed ten hours from the grounds. Drake coming out of Ashe into a Tommy Paul match on Grandstand, nobody in the stadium able to hear Shelton's on-court interview, thirty-six minutes to get out of the building.
• Eleven hundred dollars for a lower bowl floor seat on a Wednesday afternoon, and the lower bowl forty percent full. Packed grounds, empty good seats, and Nat on exactly who that prices out.
• Alex Eala doubled the get-in price of a US Open ticket in twelve hours. ESPN put the Czech flag next to her name.
• JB ran influencers at the Delray Beach Open for twenty years. The Porsches, the handlers, the lanyards, and what happens when someone used to being the show works out that he isn't.
• The board at the top of round two. Nat likes Zverev and Fritz, won't separate Alcaraz and Shelton, and explains why DraftKings won't sell you a semifinal.

Sebastian Gorzny won a college wild card playoff and saved five match points to reach round two. At fifteen he was given a five percent chance to live.

The 2026 US Open main draw is out and it's wide open. Sinner's out, Alcaraz is back but rusty, and nobody looks like the guy to beat.

Norm, JB, and Natalie Cutter break down both draws: whether Alcaraz gets out of a quarter stacked with Shelton, Fils, and Tommy Paul; why the last three Cincinnati winners went on to win the Open; Menšík's path through the soft second quarter; and a fourth quarter on the women's side with Świątek, Osaka, Rybakina, Keys, and Bencic that reads like a bracket unto itself.

Plus: the Wawrinka wild card mess and what actually goes into handing them out, JB on how draws really get made after years inside ATP events, the ticket-price backlash against a $23 honey deuce that somehow didn't go up this year, Federer's exhibition night and why Andre was the awkward one, and Sabalenka's fishnet kit getting torched online.

Then Nat's Numbers on where the value actually sits in round one — set betting on Berrettini/Wawrinka, live-betting angles on Fils/Tsitsipas, and futures on Shelton and Djokovic if you think Alcaraz goes early.

Wimbledon Eve 2026 — and we've got plenty to talk about. We open with Markéta Vondroušová's shocking four-year suspension and whether the punishment fits the crime. Then we break down Serena's wildcard into singles and doubles — was it a gift or a no-brainer? We run through both draws, flag the matches you can't miss (Fritz vs. Draper, round one — seriously), and close with Nat's Numbers breaking down where the real value is heading into the fortnight.

He was up two sets and serving for the match. Then Paris got hot.

Jannik Sinner — world No. 1, on a 30-match winning streak, with Alcaraz sidelined by injury — had Roland Garros gift-wrapped for him. The one Grand Slam missing from his collection. No rival standing in the way. And he was cruising, up 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 on Court Philippe-Chatrier… until his body said no.

World No. 56 Juan Manuel Cerúndolo came back from two sets down to beat the top seed 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 in one of the biggest upsets in Roland Garros history. The first time a men’s No. 1 seed has lost before the third round here since Andre Agassi in 2000. The career Grand Slam dream? On hold again.

We break down what actually happened on that court — the heat, the dizziness, the collapse from 5-1 up in the third — and ask the harder question: is this a brutal bad day, or does Sinner have a Paris problem?

Want me to tweak the tone, punch up the opening hook, or adjust the length?

In this episode, the hosts discuss various challenges facing tennis, including revenue discrepancies between players and tournaments, the impact of college tennis on American players, and the need for better media coverage of the sport. They explore how tennis compares to other sports in terms of revenue sharing and the implications of the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) changes in college athletics. The conversation highlights the importance of unifying the sport and addressing the financial challenges that players and programs face. The conversation delves into the evolving landscape of sports, particularly focusing on the professionalization of youth sports and the dynamics of the upcoming French Open. The discussion highlights the dominance of players like Jannik Sinner and the challenges faced by others, including Novak Djokovic. The women's side of the tournament is also explored, emphasizing the competitive nature and the potential of players like Coco Gauff. The conversation wraps up with insights on betting strategies and the future of tennis coverage. In this segment, the conversation delves into the excitement of the Premier League, particularly focusing on Leeds and Tottenham's current standings. The discussion transitions into tennis, analyzing player dynamics, particularly Medvedev and Sinner, and their performance metrics. The group also explores the logistics of broadcasting and sharing sports experiences, contemplating the future of live streaming and Altcasting. In this conversation, the participants discuss various sports events, focusing on golf and tennis. They analyze recent tournaments, player performances, and the challenges faced by athletes. The discussion also touches on broadcasting innovations and the excitement surrounding upcoming events.

Breaking Back Season 3 opens with bold 2026 tennis predictions, Australian Open betting analysis, and the biggest storylines in the sport.

The crew dives into Novak Djokovic’s departure from the PTPA, the coaching carousel at the top of the men’s game, Coco Gauff and the WTA landscape, and what it all means heading into the first Grand Slam of the year. Plus: over/under props, AO futures odds, ace and fine analytics, gear and fashion watch, and Nat’s numbers-driven betting insights to help frame the Australian Open men’s and women’s draws. Tennis talk for fans, by fans — unfiltered and without a net.

🎾 Breaking Back – Episode Guide

Title: US Open 2025: Taylor Townsend Steals the Show Amid Honey Deuce Highs & Weed-Filled Skies

Episode OverviewThe first week of the 2025 US Open had it all: big serves, big drama, and bigger cocktails. In this episode, the Breaking Back crew dives into the chaos and color of tennis’ final slam of the year.

What We Cover:

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Taylor Townsend vs. Jelena Ostapenko – the fiery net-side clash that lit up Ashe and why Townsend’s calm response stole the headlines.

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Weed in the Air, Honey in the Cups – how $12 million in Honey Deuces (and a contact high or two) define the modern US Open experience.

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Medvedev’s $42,500 Meltdown – racket smashes, court delays, and why Daniil’s patience snapped.

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Sinner’s Recovery & Coco’s Struggles – questions around fitness, form, and the odds that shifted overnight.

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Fashion Court – from Lacoste’s GOAT merch sellout to Coco’s New Balance jacket, the brands making waves.

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Fan Hacks – how to beat the lines, find the shortest Honey Deuce stand, and skip the subway squeeze.

Why Listen:Week 1 served up as much tension as tennis — and we’ve got the hot takes, laughs, and insider tips you won’t hear on ESPN.

Norm and Peter break down the most upset-filled week one of Wimbledon's 148 year history, where the sharp money is going at SW19—and how you can get in on it.

They’re joined by Natalie Cutter, betting guru and gambling aficionado, who drops serious intel on unique player props and actionable data to outwit the books this fortnight.

Plus, John Butler, Executive Director of INTENNSE, shares how this fast-paced, team-based tennis league is transforming the sport with simplified scoring and a fan-first experience.

Today’s guest is René Vidal, head coach of Northern Illinois University’s men’s tennis team and a published author. With a dynamic coaching style and an unstoppable drive for excellence, René embodies a rare spirit of leadership that ignites transformation both on and off the court. His passion, energy, and commitment to greatness have set him apart — and today, we’re uncovering the powerful mindset and principles that make him a true force of inspiration.”

In S2 E1 we discuss BREAKING NEWS about Simona Halep's retirement, the Davis Cup drama between Cristian Garin and ZZ Bergs, and the lackluster and poorly kitted Australian Open highlighted by media antics more than on-court action.

Meet Natalie Cutter, a Boston native whose love for sports started at age 4, wielding a tennis racket at a Greensboro, NC sports camp. From playing to coaching, her days were filled with tennis, cheering for Roger Federer, making NFL game picks, and catching Red Sox and Patriots games—sports has always been her world.

Fast forward to 2023, Natalie graduated from Wake Forest (GO DEACS!) with a double major in Economics and Psychology earning High Honors for her fascinating thesis exploring how betting markets responded to the introduction of the serve clock in tennis.

Since then, Natalie’s presented her research at the Eastern Economics Association for the North American Association of Sports Economics and working on getting her study published in the Journal of Sports Betting.

In this episode, we chat about her journey from tennis courts to academic conferences, what sparked her interest in sports economics, and how her work could change the way we think about betting markets. Whether you’re a tennis fan, sports nerd, or just curious about the numbers behind the game, this is a conversation you’ll love.

Join us for an insightful and entertaining conversation with the incomparable Canadian tennis journalist, Stephanie Myles. With decades of experience covering the sport, Stephanie has become a trusted voice in tennis media known for her sharp opinions, in-depth analysis, and unparalleled dedication to covering the game.In this episode, we delve into her journey from a budding baseball journalist to a prominent figure in tennis reporting. We discuss her work with Open Court and the challenges of covering a global sport in an ever-changing media landscape. Stephanie also shares anecdotes from her time appearing on television, offering expert commentary and analysis for major tennis events, and what it takes to balance print, online, and broadcast journalism.

Chris introduces us to Brian Drewes, founder of ZERO VFX, a visual effects and creative studio specializing in high-quality visual effects for film. Some of their work includes “Gran Turismo,” “Black Mass,” and “The Equalizer.” Brian takes us behind the scenes of “Challengers,” a film about three star-crossed lovers told through the lens of tennis, a sport that serves as an apt metaphor for internal conflict.

Nathan Roach, Sr. Category Manager at adidas, takes us behind the scenes of the legendary tennis brand where he’s worked for over 14 years. We learn about future predicting colorists and kit design, the logistics of athlete distribution, and the incredibly rich tennis history at adidas, including Billie Jean King’s blue suede shoes.

In E5 we talk all things Wimbledon ahead of the final, namely Djokovic’s meniscus, the meteoric rise of Jasmine Paolini, the cons of on-court coaching and the Americans playing for Old Glory in Paris. We also welcome back prodigal podster, Chris Jennings, who leads us off with his normal non-sequitur, this time adventures in Eagle Rock.