Open Up - with Edward Schmit

Paul is joined by a new Ball Boy, Trey Mihal just in time for our Halloween show.  We’re covering every fright and sight from the ATP and WTA as we wind down Asia.  We celebrate the Final girls of Chwalinska and Davidovich Fokina and might have stumbled upon a new strategy for juicing the rankings.  We also cover some horrifying number 1s and delve into the late breaking news of the split of tour favorites Svitolina and Monfils.  Plus we have a new BaeTP and debate just who is the most cursed player on tour right now.  Enter if you dare!

Paul is joined by Ball Boys mainstay Matthew Coleman to chat all things locked, both on and off the court.  Who is locking in and winning titles like Alcaraz and Novak, who is having a ruined end to the year like Sabalenka, and who is locking in and coming out on top?  We have our Locksbians that cover Ostapenko’s changeovers and Sasnovich’s changed serve.  We also try to uncover the mystery of Jannik Sinner's year - we just want to know the secrets! And we have a heated debate about tipping culture for challengers.  Plus we have a new BaeTP featuring Vacherot and Fils, and a new game called Goldilocks to predict who is finishing the year off best.  

Join Paul and Reid for our US Open Recap show.  We’re bringing you the honey dues, honey dudes, honey news, and honey feuds of the tournament.  We start off with a speed round of Name that Butt and our Lobsbians including the first final ever between two game men.  And yes of course the Nipplelodeon that was the Open this year.  And at least one of us was ok when the girls were covered.  We unpack the dominance that was Elena Rybakina and debate what Sabalenka needs to do to get back to number 1.  On the men’s side, we’re still in an American drought, which might be matching the climate.  But along the way we found a slew of records from the Open and we’ll be discussing them like a broken record.  And we have our first democratically elected BaeTP.  Unless of course someone stuffed their box.  

Today’s show is a special one in honor of Dolly Parton.  Paul is joined by tennis super fan and GRUNT member Reid Rohling as we get ready for the final slam of the year, the US Open.  We play New Balls Please to probe Reid on just how gay he is for tennis.  And we round up our lobsbians which straddle everything from changeover beers to men’s makeovers.  We recap Cincinnati with our WKRP run down and then we turn our attention to the US Open.  We debate if the Mixed Doubles really counts as a slam, we brush off our crystal balls to predict the winners and losers.  And we have a special segment called Bally Pardons where we look for the silver lining in some chaotic US Open choices.   

On today’s show Paul is joined by Myles David, the creator of Tuned into Tennis as we recap the latest, greatest, and gayest in tennis.  Catch up with our Lobsbians including the bizarro schedule of the National Bank Open and the proliferation of men in sports bras.  And we recap all the highlights and lowlights with Up Sets, Upsets, and Upset.  Plus we have a brand new case for Cross Court, where it’s Ca-Nada versus Can-Ada and we decide what needs to happen to save the fate of the tournament.  

Join us on an Odyssey through the tours and while we put the diss in Odysseus. Ivy Pochoda is back to flex her classical Greek muscles as we explore the Isle of Lobsbos to find the things that made us gayer for tennis. Hint, it’s everything Jelena Ostapenko is doing on social media. Plus we cover the 250s and all the new winners in That’s So Hades and we debate what puts the Ick in Icarus more - the Alcaraz cornrows or Taylor Townsend’s mixed doubles announcement for the US Open. We also talk about the Trojan Horse that could be the new genetic testing system implemented by the WTA and offer up our solution. And we play Yes Gawd where we match top players to Greek gods. You don’t want to Artemis it. 

This Wimbledon served up plenty of hits, with a few misses, and some twists and turns that kept us on the edge of our seat.  We laughed, we cried, it was better than Cats. Kedzie Teller is back to break down all the action, from our Lobsbians that straddle Andy Roddick, diving divas, and Sabine Lisicki.  To our tournament highlights that had us in tears whether it was Alex Eala’s chubby cheeks or Noskova’s tribute to mom or the surprising hometown hero Arthur Fery.  And Jannik Sinner cements his status as the clear number 1 with another slam title, but makes us wonder if we are in a flop era for the ATP?  But at least we had the pretty match between Dmitrov and Berrettini.  And we play our favorite game SMASH back to help determine what will get Sabalenka her groove back before the US Open.  

Buckle up for the most unpredictable Wimbledon in years as Paul is joined by a brand new ball boy, Kedzie Teller.  Of course we start with New Balls Please, including the debut of Name that Butt.  Plus we debate the pros and cons of the Serena Williams singles wild card, highlight some new entrants into the BaeTP and have our credit cards out for Jelena Ostapenko's new line of merch. And we finish up with our green-themed Wimbledon deep dive and our always reliable crystal balls.  Find what seeds are bottoming out early and who is taking the crown. 

We’re getting read and booked on the latest episode with the return of The Ball Boys Book Club!  Paul is joined by Edward Schmit, author of the new gay tennis romance, The Open Era.  We play New Balls Please and then dive deep into his debut novel, the steamy romance between Austin and Diego in a fresh take on rivals to lovers.  From the anxiety players face, to the important relationships between players and coaches, to the way the media handles or mishandles LGBTQ+ stories this book takes us on a ride.  Whet your whistle with us then pick up a copy of The Open Era wherever you buy your favorite books.  

The Ball Boys are back to wrap up one of the most unexpected, chaotic Grand Slams in years.  Matthew Coleman joins Paul to recap the roller coaster that was Roland Garros and talking about the dangers of getting what you wish for.  And it’s Pride month, a time to remember our resilience no matter the hardship or who wins the title.  Also for Pride we’re switching things up our LGBTQ TWIT:L - Lobsbians and LobsessionsG - Grinds and Grass (including the return of Serena Williams)B - Births, Bad Behavior, and BaeTPT - Teen sensations making waves Q - Qross Qourt tries a new case