NEW EPISODE: Tiafoe in Studio, Serena's Possible Comeback, Agassi Wisdom & More
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Context-free soundbite: “I’d always be thinking about, Is Rafa doing this right now? Is Roger doing this right now? But then I was also like, is that healthy?”
This week on Served, fan favorite Frances Tiafoe drops by for a chat with Andy. Big Foe pulled no punches while assessing his disappointing season and how he plans to climb back up the rankings in 2026. He is currently No. 30 in the world.
Also, Andy and JW discuss the most plausible scenario for a Serena comeback and what she thinks of the WTA level now.
Looking ahead, who wants to be the first guest on our new show, Q&Andy? Enter on Instagram and follow us on socials for the latest news from Served.
Click below to watch this week’s full episode, then come back here for bonus tennis stories.
Three stories we love this week.
Garcia Rejects $270,000 From a Betting Company
Newly retired Caroline Garcia turned down $270,000 from an online betting company that wanted to sponsor her podcast, Tennis Insider Club. She cited a moral conflict for passing on what she called “a lot of money, especially for an independent sports show.”
The former world No. 4 has interviewed dozens of champions, coaches, and agents, including Iga Swiatek, Justine Henin, Taylor Fritz and Darren Cahill.
“One theme keeps coming back: betting has become one of the biggest sources of pressure, abuse, and hate in modern sports. I don’t want Tennis Insider Club to contribute, even indirectly, to a system that is creating addiction, destroying lives, and turning athletes into targets every single day,” Garcia wrote on Instagram.
Check out last week’s Q&A episode for Andy’s thoughts on solving betting-related cyber abuse in tennis.
Sabalenka’s New Weapon & More Exo Takeaways
Exhibitions aren’t all hot shots and marriage proposals. When the stars were back in front of mics this weekend, they dropped some good intel about next season.
Most notably, Aryna Sabalenka gave a revealing interview to Luke Jensen at the Atlanta Cup during the Ben Shelton–Nick Kyrgios match. While discussing her improved mindset and coachability, she mentioned that she plans to serve and volley in 2026.
“This is something I’ve been dreaming to do in a match. It’s so powerful, so dominating. That’s what we are currently working on, and hopefully it will be another tool in my game,” Sabalenka said.
Sabalenka practiced charging in during her shootout with Naomi Osaka in Atlanta. She has volleying skills to tap, having been ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles in 2021. Will she return to the doubles circuit this season to add another dimension to her singles game—particularly for the Wimbledon grass?
Other takeaways from the exhibitions:
Nick Kyrgios will compete at the 2026 Australian Open—against amateurs. He will join Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the tournament’s 1 Point Slam, pitting fans against pros in a bracket of sudden-death tennis for $1 million. (Tennis.com)
Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca faced off for the first time, and Alcaraz activated God mode at 0–5 in the third-set super tiebreak to win it 10–8. However, Fonseca anticipated the drop shot well. Foreshadowing a future rivalry?
Tommy Paul is feeling fit, refreshed and fired up after sitting out the fall to rehab a foot injury. He will start his season earlier than usual at the Brisbane International. (Tennis.com)
Ben Shelton took only two days off after playing the ATP Tour Finals in November before resuming training. At the Atlanta Cup, he said he is optimistic about putting together consistent stretches in 2026 like he showed on North American hard courts last summer.
Jessica Pegula’s coach, Mark Knowles, said she has been working on playing less conservatively down the middle, which allows her opponents to get into a rhythm.
Rybakina Records a Rare 500-Ace Season
Elena Rybakina scored 516 free points in 2025, leading the WTA in aces. The last player to reach the 500 Club was Karolina Pliskova in 2015 and 2016.
Records on ace leaders more than a couple of decades ago are hard to come by, but by most accounts, Pliskova and Rybakina are the only women to hit 500 aces in a season. Serena Williams cracked 400 several times, and Julia Goerges got close with 492 in 2018.
This year, Rybakina served 21 sets worth of aces. She also led the WTA Tour in ace percentage, not just raw number. She finished the year ranked No. 5 after winning her first WTA Finals title.
Rounding out the 2025 aces leaderboard are Linda Noskova (373), Clara Tauson (358), Ekaterina Alexandrova (339) and Naomi Osaka (307). (Tennis.com)
Quick Hits
Sorana Cirstea plans to retire after 2026 (WTA)
Andrey Rublev wins the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award for helping critically ill children (ATP)
37 minutes worth of the most ridiculous ATP points of the season, including the elusive tweener volley
Qinwen Zheng is the first athlete ever to appear on the cover of Vogue China (Instagram)
Joao Fonseca goes from heir apparent to hair apparent (Tennis.com)
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Global action beyond tennis.
PICKLEBALL: USA Pickleball will use a new rating system in 2026, and the Association of Pickleball Players is expected to follow suit. The switch from UTR to DUPR will affect competitive amateurs and pros alike and aims to consolidate results to reduce mismatches at tournaments. DUPR is already used by the pro pickleball tours. (Forbes)
BADMINTON: An underdog shocked the sport at the Guwahati Masters over the weekend—19-year-old Sanskar Saraswat, ranked No. 384, won his first Super 100 title, beating No. 76 Mithun Manjunath in the final 21-11, 17-21, 21-13. Tung Ciou-Tong won the women’s event over 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma 21-18, 21-18. (Olympics.com)
SQUASH: Both reigning world champions captured titles at the Hong Kong Squash Open on December 7. Nour El Sherbini was the women’s winner over Olivia Weaver 11-5, 11-5, 11-7. Men’s champ Mostafa Asal beat Youssef Ibrahim 11-6, 11-8, 11-6. The WSF Squash World Cup starts December 9 in Chennai, India. (The Squash Site)
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