1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, where we 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: explore some of the big money issues in the world 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: of sports. I'm Michael Barn, I'm Scarlett, and I'm Damien. Oh, 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: we got an old friend of the show here. Hello. 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: Bloomberg News senior reporter Jillian ten with the happy news about. 6 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: First of all, we got to give a shout out 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: to Carlos Alcarez of Spain. He is nineteen years old. 8 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: He is the winner of the US Open, the youngest 9 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: to ever be number one at that spot. Jillian, welcome, good, Hey, 10 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: thanks for having me. Uh let's start. First of all, 11 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, you wrote a story on this 12 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: about how this teenager, Uh, we gotta go all the 13 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 1: way back to like I want to say, Pete Sampras, 14 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: was it Pete Sampers or yeah, I mean that that's 15 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: amazing to do something like this. Yeah, it was huge. 16 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: So it was an interesting final as always, but um 17 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: all is good to see Wall streets elite, you know, 18 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: from the hedge fund world, from private equity, from banking, 19 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: um all show up, you know, to to cheer on 20 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: two men's finalists who actually were pretty unknown quantities. It 21 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 1: was another final way, there wasn't a Big three sort 22 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: of in the mix um and yeah, it's great to 23 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: see sort of the ushering in of a new era. 24 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: And you know, folks of all generations being excited for 25 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: these young guys. And you mentioned while street elite there. 26 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: I was looking through your story. You have Bill Ackman 27 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: of Pershing Square, the billionaire, you have Larry Fink of 28 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: black Rock, Stephen Schwartzman of Blackstone. I mean everyone that 29 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: you cover in your beat of finance and banking seemed 30 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: to be attending. And I know you've been covering the 31 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: US Open for the last five to ten years. What 32 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: was different this year in terms of the attendance to 33 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: feel the excitement? Yeah, well, I guess it was a 34 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: whole new buzz. Like it's very interesting to see what 35 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: ticket prices were doing. They were far more expensive in 36 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: the secondary market than they had been pre pandemic. I 37 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: think New Yorkers were just very excited to be back. UM. 38 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: Tendants was off the charts. There was a record actually, 39 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: and it was the first time that all Arthur Rash 40 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: sessions were sold out the first time ever in the 41 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: US Opens history. Arthur Rush Stadium has been in place 42 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: for twenty five years. So that's that's a big testament 43 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,639 Speaker 1: to you know, how excited folks are to be back 44 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: at it in person sporting event. We'll talk to us 45 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: about the vibe. I mean we we we know that 46 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: all these billionaire finance types were there, but you also 47 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: had John bon Jovia, You had you know, Jerry Seinfeld. 48 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: I mean, you had a lot of actors and actresses. 49 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: And it wasn't really just for alcades. It was first 50 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: as well. I mean, so so you know, talk to 51 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 1: us a little bit about that environment, about you know, 52 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: all those people under the same roof cheering them on. Yeah, 53 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: well I think it's great. You see, you know, a 54 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: collection of folks from all all parts of the world 55 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: come out to the tennis as you said, John bon 56 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: Jovia and had the way there was Rick Astley. They 57 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: always played the music of the stars as they appear 58 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: on screen, so never going to give you up and 59 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: he box along. Um we had, you know along when 60 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: that came. Yeah, yeah, that they all generally do, like um, 61 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: who was it? Dion Warwick came earlier and in the 62 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: tournament to see Serena Williams um and yet it's always 63 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: you know, fans get very excited to see whether it's 64 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: athletes or actors. Earlier in the week, who wasn't amount 65 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: of safe read who played Elizabeth Holmes in the Thorns 66 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: Hulu show. So yeah, there's been plenty of stars and athletes. 67 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: And you know, again it's not just for Wall Street 68 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: as for sure. And there was another name that made 69 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: news at the US Open, Francis Tfo, and it was 70 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: just a dynamic story behind that where he came from 71 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: Sierra Leone and we all know the troubles that happened 72 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: there and went on and went deep in the tournament. 73 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: We're seeing brand new names that looked like they're going 74 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: to revitalize tennis. And forgive me for putting in it 75 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: this term, the old standard names seemed to be now 76 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: being pushed aside. Are you talking about it passing on 77 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: the torch? Yeah, I was trying to be nice about it, 78 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: but that's what's happening. I see it now. No, I mean, 79 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: it's such a great story. It's a very feel good 80 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: story with Francis to IFO after his match he lost 81 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: the semifinal on Friday night, he said, I'm going to 82 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,119 Speaker 1: come back and I will win this thing one day, 83 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: and you know, you felt like the whole of America 84 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: was really rooting for him. You had the former First 85 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: Lady Michelle Obama sitting there with her you know, fist 86 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: clip clenched into her like heart like I felt I 87 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:17,919 Speaker 1: saw her, you know, she was leaping to her feeder. 88 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: Was it felt like everyone was riding the roller coaster 89 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: with t fos. So that was an awesome one to see. 90 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: So let's talk a little bit about Carlos Acas, who 91 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: certainly was the man of the hour. Um. I know 92 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: that in the US we're focused so much on this 93 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: being Serena Williams's last US open that maybe a lot 94 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: of people overlooked that he was rising so rapidly and 95 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: became such a name to keep an eye on. It 96 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: can feel like he came from out of nowhere, but 97 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: that certainly wasn't the case. He was steadily climbing the rankings, 98 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,919 Speaker 1: wasn't he yes, steadily climbing the rankings. One a huge 99 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: title in in Miami earlier this year, which I think 100 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 1: put him on the map with some you know, US audiences. UM. 101 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: And he's coached by a former French tripe and champion 102 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: one Carlos Ferrero. He's well known in in Spain. The 103 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 1: New York Times did a big profile on him earlier 104 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,159 Speaker 1: this year, and he's he's really at a breakout season. 105 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 1: And so he was playing Caspar Rude for the number 106 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 1: one ranking and you know, ended up resting that away 107 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: from him, and he actually also rested it away from 108 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: one of his I guess countrymen, Raphael Nadal, who actually 109 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: would have become number one if neither guy had won 110 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 1: the final. Yeah. No, I mean, I mean a lot 111 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: of people meet comparing him, comparing Alcrest to Rafa. I mean, 112 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: for me, the standout here is that Novak Djokovic really 113 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 1: didn't participate, right, So I wonder, you know, if there's 114 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: a little bit of an asterisk there. I mean, how 115 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 1: excited are we to see the next tournament where acaraz 116 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 1: And and perhaps Jocovic can square off. I think I 117 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: think most tennis fans, myself included, are looking forward to that. Yeah, 118 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: I think all eyes are now on the Australian Open. 119 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: We've got, you know, four and a half months to 120 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: wait till January. There's news out there that Djokovic will 121 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: not be banned from the Open like he was this 122 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: year due to his unvaccinated status. Um, but yeah, you know, 123 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: I personally don't think there was an asterix on this Open. 124 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: You still had Ralph, he still had a pretty full field. 125 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: But get all eyes on, you know, the entirety of 126 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: the competition in and maybe even Roger Federer will be back. 127 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: You hear all the names that you mentioned, the big 128 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 1: names from Wall Street, And before we went on, we 129 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: were talking about how COVID nobody was allowed to watch 130 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:22,039 Speaker 1: the tournament. And now I'm you hear the excitement coming back. 131 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: It's like, hey, all these big names are here and 132 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: they're the big stars watching the big names. Yeah, well 133 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: it's just magical. You know, you can't complain it was 134 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: an entirely crowdless US Open. Fast forward two years and 135 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,720 Speaker 1: you know, stadiums packed. Two people in nash on their fate. 136 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: Nothing better s twenty two. Wait, so let's go there, Jillian, 137 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: because you've been attending the US Open regularly and uh, 138 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: you know that getting a drink at the US Open 139 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:54,840 Speaker 1: costs a lot. I didn't realize it costs twenty two 140 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: dollars for a coke? What did the inflation look like 141 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: to you? How shocking was it, and did it put 142 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 1: a damper on people spending or people just spent regardless 143 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: dollars I could buy a bottle of bott ok. I've 144 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,359 Speaker 1: said too much already. I'm sorry. I actually don't know 145 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: if that's surprised, but Coke actually think the soda might 146 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: have been a little bit less than that. But yet, 147 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: honey juices. Obviously we're up with inflation by two dollars 148 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: to two. You know pizzas and that you know it's 149 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: not an inexpensive event. You know, pizzas like twenty dollars 150 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: burgers roughly that love scrolls are in the thirties. But 151 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: you know, for sure it doesn't stop a certain group 152 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: of people spending. The other thing, I think some folks 153 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: you can still bring your own snacks, so it's not 154 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: totally bring your own food to the US Open. Look, 155 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: I'm not a thousand percential because it's no bags aloud, 156 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: but I think you can, like, if you're holding something 157 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: in your head, I'm pretty sure you can. Like here 158 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: comes it comes to Dorrito's man from scarlets a bag, 159 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: you know, holding in a fistful of doritos. I feel 160 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: like that's you know, possible. Well, Jillian You've been so 161 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: to stop by, and I'm excited that the US Open 162 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: is back, and it's back in a big way. I 163 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: can't wait for what's going to happen next year. Jillian Tan, 164 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: who is one of our own Bloomberg's senior writers, thank 165 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: you so much for joining us here on the Bloomberg 166 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: Business of Sports. This has been the Bloomberg Business of 167 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 1: Sports podcast where we explore some of the big old 168 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: money issues and the world of sports. I'm Michael bar. 169 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: You can follow me on Twitter at Big Bar Sports, 170 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: and you can find me on Twitter at Scarlett Fold 171 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: and I'm on Twitter at de sas Hour and of 172 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: course our podcasts every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. And don't 173 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: forget to download this podcast wherever you get this show, 174 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: because this is the way we roll.