We are still grieving our late, beloved cat Dusty, so we looked at how grief has affected professional tennis players at different moments in their careers. From Iga's recent loss of her grandfather tanking her run at the Madrid Open to Barbora Krejčíková's 2021 French Open title in tribute to her deceased coach Jana Novotna, death affects us all...and keeps affecting us.

We are fully in the clay season ("playing in the dirt", as Jim Courier would put it), and certain players have taken their disputes over line calls to Instagram. This is kind of a problem! Also, Jannik Sinner is back in Rome, but at his request, he's been provided with a private locker room because some other players have said mean things about him. We don't think this will help!

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We are back to Alcaraz, specifically his (now fully released) 3-part DocuSeries about his grappling with the expectations around him versus his human need to enjoy life. Surprisingly personal and unexpectedly profound, My Way asks the big questions: How much do we owe those around us and what do we owe ourselves? Where do we set boundaries with those who are most invested in us? And so on...

Also, T2 is bad and Bryan applies to be a ball person at the US Open.

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This episode is dedicated to Dusty, my beloved cat of 18 years who passed away last Wednesday. Michele and I will never forget you Dusty, and may you be fed whenever you want wherever you are...

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As always tell your friends, rate this podcast, and send us feedback at https://www.perfectmatchpodcast.com/

You can also follow us on Bluesky at @perfectmatchpodcast.com or @shellsteak, Threads at @perfectmatchpodcast, Instagram at @perfectmatchpodcast

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Monogamy vs. Polygamy: these days it’s more of a choice than a default; a discussion rather than an assumption. But how does this new openness relate to tennis and who we root for? Does the true fan root for only one player or is it better to dip our toes into different waters?

This week we reveal our tennis fandom polycules and their organizing principles. Michele also reminisces about her time as Roger Federer's cuckquean fan, and how she had to move on to a hierarchical polycule with Carlos Alcaraz as her primary. Bryan discovers that his men's fandom polycule is almost identical to Michele's, and he discusses his non-hierarchical fandom polycule on the women's side.

Also, a Brit accuses a French player of smelling bad, Tennis Channel app woes, and the genius of Jelena Ostapenko.

As always tell your friends, rate this podcast, and send us feedback at https://www.perfectmatchpodcast.com/

You can also follow us on Bluesky at @perfectmatchpodcast.com or @shellsteak, Threads at @perfectmatchpodcast, Instagram at @perfectmatchpodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.