Podcasts by The Main Draw

The Lone Wolf from 2021-02-05T23:18:40

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 wh...

Bubble in a Bubble from 2020-09-05T20:10:36

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

See

See Listen

Five Minute Increments from 2020-05-02T13:43:51

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.

Listen

Hypebeasts from 2019-02-04T23:35:48

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 ver...

Unchained, uncensored from 2018-09-12T23:12:48

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.

See Listen

The Scales Fall From Our Eyes from 2018-07-18T21:53:20

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.
<...

La Terre Battue from 2018-06-10T08:38:34

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 tim...

Why pushers, WHY?? from 2018-05-10T14:54:35

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.

Listen

Nerding Out from 2018-04-23T18:25:56

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...

Award-Winning Podcast! from 2018-04-13T04:00

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. W...

I'm on a Boat from 2018-03-28T04:14:11

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.<...

It Happened, It's Fine from 2018-02-01T05:00

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

See Listen

Meet the Silver Belles from 2018-01-10T23:00

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 pe...

Ayo Technology from 2017-12-27T05:00

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!

Listen

Project Voltron from 2017-12-06T05:00

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

Se...

Ready for 2018 from 2017-11-22T05:00

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 ...

Juicin' from 2017-08-16T08:00

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

See Listen

Mary Pierce, Never Number 1 from 2017-08-10T06:00

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 Meldo...

Caitlin takes Meldonium (Maybe) from 2017-08-05T07:00

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.

Listen

Casting Tennis' Bond from 2017-07-19T04:00

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 wel...

Wimbledon in Person from 2017-07-11T04:04

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

See from 2017-06-26T04:00

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.
Listen

Non-tennis Tennis Commentary from 2017-05-30T20:45

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 televis...

Novak Attack from 2017-05-25T20:00

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 Rameswar...

Maria, Maria from 2017-05-08T18:54:40

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 learni...

Sportsmanship Awards from 2017-05-02T15:56:11

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/par...

Specific Set of Skills from 2017-04-26T10:00

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 ...

Moroccan Asses in Moroccan Seats from 2017-04-17T14:04:10

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...

Posturing Toward Masculinity from 2017-04-03T10:00

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.

Listen

Mystery Brunette from 2017-02-13T22:26:15

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.

Listen

Bathing in Stem Cells from 2017-01-31T02:40:51

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.
...

Rumours and Innuendoes from 2016-12-03T21:43:14

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 r...

Rebranding Maria Sharapova from 2016-10-14T21:54:43

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.

Se...

Wimbletea from 2016-06-30T21:44:37

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

See

Listen

Game, Set Mats! from 2016-05-24T22:40:07

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

See Listen

The Big Announcements Episode from 2016-05-16T04:00

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.

See Listen

Draft Bill Walton from 2016-04-09T13:11:06

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 Confirmed Lesbian Edition from 2016-03-21T23:00

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! Listen

Crop Tops and Commentators from 2016-02-06T19:08:25

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, ...

The Fix is In from 2016-01-27T09:56:01

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.

S...

It's Ok to Love Novak from 2016-01-14T06:43:30

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.

Listen

Lies and Recriminiations from 2015-12-05T13:36:46

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 suff...

James Blake, Back in Our Hearts from 2015-11-07T16:50:37

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 age...

Rivalry Week from 2015-10-23T04:00

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 Steph...

The Newest Fishheads from 2015-10-16T14:55:50

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...

Everybody Hates Hingis from 2015-10-12T04:00

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 Rog...

A Battle of Nations from 2015-10-05T13:49:51

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 ...

We Can't Talk About It from 2015-09-13T10:14:58

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 E...

Drake + Serena from 2015-08-26T11:36:09

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 Ivanis...

The Cormac McCarthy of Tennis Podcasts from 2015-08-10T01:40:11

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 appre...

Rekindling America's Love Affair with Tennis from 2015-07-28T20:53:37

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 ...

Too Many Cocks from 2015-07-22T13:22:29

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.

Listen

French Open: Favorites and Fashions from 2015-06-04T02:04:45

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.

...