Backhanded Compliments: A Chat with Author & Tennis Fan Katie Chandler

The US Open is here! And after the mixed doubles, we're stoked for it. Bring on the honey deuces! Here's what you can expect in this solo episode: Tony's predictions on the celebrities going to this year's US Open. His tips on how to enjoy Honey Deuces this year. The most homophobic early matches at this year's tournament. The "busted brick" section of the draw. Which section reminds Tony of the Lady Gaga Mayhem Ball? Plus, he discusses the rainbow crosswalks near the Pulse nightclub shooting and offers his gayest moment of the week! We've got a lot of content coming up during the US Open, so join the fun by following us on Twitter and Instagram. And if you're enjoying the podcast, please rate us a 5 on whatever platform you listen on! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony is joined by his friend guest co-host Brennan Marshall, who is a tennis player and doubles fan. They talk about what worked and what didn’t with the reimagined US Open Mixed Doubles Championship. They discuss: How could the tournament have been gayer? Hint: Drag queens. How did the fast four scoring go over? Should ESPN have used different commentators? Did the tournament feel too much like an exhibition? And what are the other slams going to do in response? Hear Tony and Brennan answer all these questions and more! We've got a lot of content coming up during the US Open, so join the fun by following us on  or ! And if you're enjoying the podcast, please rate us a 5 on whatever platform you listen on! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony and guest host Hanlon Walsh debate the pros and cons of the US Open’s mixed doubles format. Hanlon is a former collegiate tennis player and writes about pro doubles for The Tennis Tribe. Tony is an annoying gay with a microphone. So it works perfectly. Read Hanlon’s (thorough as hell!) US Open Mixed Doubles Preview, and don’t miss his LGBTQ+ Tennis Roundtable featuring prominent community members in tennis. Here’s what you can expect from this episode: Hanlon talks about his collegiate tennis experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community Tony explains why he likes the new scoring system for mixed doubles at the US Open (controversial, I know) They discuss how the draw is made for this year's tournament Plus, find out which players Tony and Hanlon see themselves asWe've got a lot of content coming up during the US Open, so join the fun by following us on Twitter or Instagram! And if you're enjoying the podcast, please rate us a 5 on whatever platform you listen on! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why does the tennis world feel weird right now? The US Open is right around the corner. Tony shares his thoughts and then gets into really important topics like: Tennis fans are joking that Jannik Sinner got a BBL (he didn't). Mboko has a dream run at home in Canada. Should tennis stop having runner up speeches? Ben Shelton is giving Andy Roddick vibes (especially Andy's era with Mandy Moore). Lindsay Lohan is officially back and Tony is thrilled. The US Open is having a mid-life crisis. Join the fun by following us on Twitter or Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony is solo this week and has a fun gay time answering questions from the pod’s Instagram followers. He talks about: What player is having the worst summer? Who is the hottest coach? What WTA player *should* be in the top 10? Where does Venus place in history? As gay fans, how do players’ looks impact our fandom? Thoughts on Ons Jabeur.And SO many more questions!To listen to one of our episodes about casting the Traitors, click here. Join the fun by following us on Twitter or Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can you believe it has been 10 years (!!) since Serena completed her second Serena slam in 2015?! We can’t. And we’re still not over her quest for the Calendar Year Slam. Join us and fellow Tony, Serena stan and creator of the Tennis Watchers substack (tjc05 on Twitter and Bluesky) as we break down Serena’s 2015 tournament by tournament.In Part 3, we gab over: Serena's tough Wimbledon draw, including an epic against Heather Watson and tussle with Vika AzarenkaThe lead up to the US Open and calendar year hype (NYT, Sports Illustrated and more!)A hilarious TMZ article exposing her and Drake kissing after Drake was watching her at tournamentsHer stop at the Swedish Open (!?) before playing in Canada and Cincinnati ahead of the 2015 US Open Don't miss this fun breakdown with tons of random stories from this historic season that saw Serena truly become mother. Need to catch up on Part 1 about Serena's run to the AO title, her return to Indian Wells and 8th title in Miami? Listen on Spotify or Apple.You can also catch part 2 about the clay season on Spotify or Apple. Stay tuned for more installments as we look back at Serena’s 2015 season by subscribing to the podcast! And for more from us, find us on Twitter and Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony is joined by Stephen (@slomo_delpo) and they review Maria Sharapova's episode of Hot Ones. They also use the episode to kick off a quick kiki about their favorite Maria shots and moments. In this bonus episode, they discuss: Maria's funny anecdote about her 4th round Wimbledon win in 2004. Her "trick shots" Her *perfect* answer on pickleball And how well Maria poured a beer on the showIt's a must-listen even for people who weren't huge Maria Sharapova fans - she absolutely crushed this interview. We get into it all! For more from us, find us on Twitter and Instagram! And if you're enjoying the pod, please give us a 5-star review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're (finally) back to talk Wimbledon and the grass court season with our friend Stephen (@slomo_delpo). Stephen and Tony discuss - and also debate - all things grass court season. Then they look ahead. Listen to hear more about: Is grass still the gayest season? What were the highs and lows of Wimbledon? Was Naomi Osaka's run a success? Where does Amanda Anisimova go from here? And most importantly, is Scheena Shay from Vanderpump Rules a good reality star? We get into it all! For more from us, find us on Twitter and Instagram! And if you're enjoying the pod, please give us a 5-star review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony records a quick update 3 days into Wimbledon. Topics include: Musetti lost: Is it because he shaved his leg hair? Alcaraz vs Fognini Seeds are losing everywhere: Where do we go from here? What 3 WTA players are Tony obsessing over because of their draws? Hint: One is Alexandrova. Learn that and more in our latest episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony presents guest co-host David Kane (@dktnnis) about whether this grass season is the gayest of the year. It is historically, but 2025 has been…weird. Hear them discuss the start of the grass season and why it stands out as particularly gay. Then join them as they discuss the recently-announced cast for the US Traitors season 4, including Monet Xchange, Colton Underwood (why?) and many more. For more from us, find us on Twitter and Instagram! And if you're enjoying the pod, please give us a 5-star review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.