Served with Andy Roddick

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5 SETTER: This Week in Racket Sports, where we bring you the top five headlines across tennis, padel, pickleball, and more.

Jannik Sinner made history at the Italian Open in Rome, breaking Novak Djokovic's all-time Masters 1000 consecutive wins record with his 32nd straight victory — and Roland Garros is right around the corner with some big names already out.

In this episode, we cover the biggest stories shaking up the world of racket sports:
1. Sinner Breaks the All-Time ATP Masters 1000 Win Streak Record at Rome 2026
2. Fireworks from the Coppa Italia Final Smoke Out Campo Centrale — Delaying a Rome Quarterfinal
3. University of Arkansas Reinstates Men's & Women's Tennis Programs After $5M Donor Effort
4. Jack Draper Parts Ways with Jamie Delgado, Teams Up with Sir Andy Murray for Grass Season
5. Roland Garros Pre-Preview: Alcaraz & Musetti Out, Venus Williams Returns, Fritz Goes CastleCore

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If you follow pro tennis, play padel or pickleball, or just want to stay in the loop with the fastest-growing sports on the planet, this is your weekly fix. Subscribe for weekly episodes covering major stories, sharp insights, and fun surprises in the world of racket sports.

COMMENT BELOW 👇 What was your favorite racket story from this week?

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#TennisNews #RacketSports #JannikSinner #RolandGarros #ItalianOpen #AndyMurray #JackDraper #ATP #WTA #ServedPodcast #5Setter #TennisPodcast #WeeklyRecap
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Andy Roddick dives into all things tennis rackets. He breaks down the racket and string tech that shaped his career and changed the modern game. Andy explains why he trusted his stringing team with almost complete control and what really changed when Roger Federer made his famous racket switch, including why Rafael Nadal called Federer’s 2018 version the toughest he ever faced. He also gets into string tension strategy across different surfaces and weather conditions, reveals that James Blake secretly used Dunlop rackets inside a Prince bag for years, and argues that strings, not rackets, have been the biggest revolution in modern tennis power. Andy then reacts to his brutally accurate PS2 ratings in Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2, where the game nailed his serve and roasted almost everything else.

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⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Welcome to Q&Andy 

1:00 Racket weight, balance, and trusting your stringer 

3:59 How much does racket technology actually matter at the pro level? 

5:27 How do pros choose rackets and strings? 

7:25 Did Andy ever get offers to switch racket brands? 

11:01 How many rackets do pros actually bring to a match? 

13:05 Should Federer have switched to a larger racket head sooner? 

15:44 Random Question of the Day: Andy's appearance in Smash Court Tennis PS2
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4x Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters and tennis reporter Blair Henley are joined by WTA pro and model Carson Branstine to discuss the realities of life on tour outside the top 100. Carson, currently recovering from a torn labrum, opens up about funding her career without a coach or physio, her viral TikTok calling out player welfare failures, and how she balances tennis with modeling and a new finance venture. Kim adds perspective from her time on the WTA board and her own battles with the tour's injury fine system. 

Kim and Blair also break down a busy week in Rome: Sorana Cirstea beating Sabalenka at 36 years old and reconsidering her retirement and Coco Gauff's admission of off-court struggles. They also weigh in on Project Red Eye, the player-led push for greater Grand Slam revenue sharing, and the story of Ukrainian player Oleksandra Oliynykova, who is using her platform to raise funds for the Ukrainian military. Kim closes with a tactical breakdown of Iga Swiatek's backhand slice, explaining why it has become one of the most effective weapons on tour heading into Roland Garros.

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'

Kim’s Recs

Mouth Tape:

https://zippit.nl/en/products/mouth-tape?shpxid=6de1bfcf-6ccc-45df-81f6-c3866e134212 

Powder SPF:

https://www.nomige.com/en/pages/leeray?srsltid=AfmBOoqztTF81pHzn42YLvMfTi3r66QSCxEpBvuZY26Q-9wmEN9j1Og3 

Blair’s Rec

SPF Setting Spray

https://www.onesizebeauty.com/products/on-til-dawn-mattifying-sunscreen-makeup-setting-spray-spf-28-full?srsltid=AfmBOorYde4DM29IipIoN4yJZqGzsR5_8PeRY3XihUDevWe_f1odVst6&variant=45363114574023 

⏰ TIMESTAMPS: 

0:00: Welcome to Love All

1:09: Carson Branstine joins Love All

3:02: Carson on Kim Clijsters as her idol & inspiration to play tennis

5:28: Injury update

8:29: Carson's life off court

11:28: Carson's viral TikTok: The realities of life on the WTA tour

13:54: Reaction to the TikTok

18:51: Kim & Carson on player costs, prize money & the financial grind of pro tennis

25:02: Can you have quality of life and compete at the highest level in tennis?

35:22: Henley's Headlines: Rome Open update & Sorana Cîrstea’s retirement year story

44:13: Aryna Sabalenka's form heading into Roland Garros

45:55: Coco Gauff's emotional struggles 

51:03: Oleksandra Oliynikova: Using her platform to support Ukraine & challenging the WTA

59:09: Kim-formation: Iga Świątek's renewed joy with coach Francisco Roig

1:01:40: Iga’s backhand tactics against Osaka

1:04:16: Francisco Roig ruptures his Achilles at practice & returns immediately

1:07:15: Holger Rune skips Roland Garros to protect his Achilles recovery

1:08:42: Rec Room: Mouth tape, SPF setting spray & brush-on sunscreen 

1:14:07: Closing thoughts 
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Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim break down the absolute chaos at the 2026 Rome Masters (Italian Open). From Sabalenka’s shocking loss and potential hip injury to Novak Djokovic’s first-round exit to a qualifier they ask the question: who is looking the best heading into the 2026 French Open?

Andy and Jon also dive deep into Jannik Sinner’s continued dominance, the atmosphere that Joao Fonseca’s fans bring to every tournament, and Rafael Jodar’s potential heading into Roland Garros. Finally, they get into more of the slam boycott conversation as we get closer to RG.

COMMENT BELOW:

Who do you think is taking it all in Rome?

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Theme music composed, produced, and mixed by Dan Whittemore. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwhit.wav/

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TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Ads

0:45 Welcome to Served & Rome Storylines

1:50 Sabalenka’s Loss to Sorana Cirstea

4:43 Does Sabalenka’s Form Open the Field for Roland Garros?

14:26 Sorana Cirstea: 36 and Playing Her Best Tennis

18:48 Novak Djokovic Loss to Dino Prižmić

24:39 Jannik Sinner’s Unprecedented Dominance

26:14 Is Sinner a Rafa-Level Favorite This Year?

33:05 Joao Fonseca & The Rome Crowd

42:42 Analyzing Breakout Stars: The Rise of Rafael Jodar

48:58 Player Boycotts & Grand Slam Revenue Share Debate

54:21 Can the Tours Actually Withhold Points from Slams?

59:40 Rome Recap & French Open Bracket Challenge
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5 SETTER: This Week in Racket Sports, where we bring you the top five headlines across tennis, padel, pickleball, and more.

In this episode:

1. Top Players Mention Slam Boycott include Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff & More

2. Arkansas Alumni Raise $5 million to save tennis program

3. Jannik Sinner and Kimi Antonelli keep winning at the same time

4. Venus and Serena Williams & Naomi Osaka take over Met Gala

5. Stan Wawrinka’s last tennis match is set

All of Newsletter Megan's bonus content and write-ups are in today's 5 Setter Newsletter! https://www.newsletter.servedpodcast.com/

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