The Serena’s Coach Tells All Edition

Josh Levin and Stefan Fatsis speak with Rennae Stubbs of ESPN and Racquet about coaching Serena Williams at the U.S. Open. Alex Kirshner of Slate and Split Zone Duo joins to discuss the start of college football season and the new 12-team playoff. Finally, the New York Times’ Juliet Macur talks about her story on how the Afghan women’s soccer team escaped the Taliban.

• Support Hang Up and Listen by subscribing to Slate Plus.

• Follow Rennae Stubbs on Twitter and subscribe to the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.

• John Branch in the New York Times on Serena Williams’ final week in tennis.

• Follow Alex Kirshner on Twitter and subscribe to his podcast Split Zone Duo.

• In 2020, Alex argued that safeties should be worth 11 points.

• ESPN’s Bill Connelly on what a 12-team playoff would’ve looked like since 2014.

• Alex’s Slate piece: “Rumors of College Football’s Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated”

• Follow Juliet Macur on Twitter.

• Macur’s New York Times story, “The Keeper,” about the escape of the Afghanistan women’s national soccer team from Kabul.

• Macur’s account of how she reported the story.

Hang Up and Listen’s weekly Annie Borus:

Stefan’s Annie Borus: American soccer players on Scottish rivals Celtic and Rangers were spotted having dinner together after an Old Firm derby last weekend. Some fans were not pleased.

On this week’s bonus segment, Josh, Stefan, and Rennae Stubbs discuss Frances Tiafoe’s stirring U.S. Open win over Rafael Nadal. (Listen to Stubbs’ extended podcast interview with Tiafoe.)

Podcast production and edit by Kevin Bendis.

You can email us at hangup@slate.com.