WEBVTT - Day One at the US Open 0:00:01.360 --> 0:00:05.680 This is Bloomberg Business Wait inside from the reporters and 0:00:05.880 --> 0:00:09.440 editors who bring you America's most trusted business magazine, plus 0:00:09.520 --> 0:00:13.680 global business finance and tech news. The Bloomberg Business Week 0:00:13.720 --> 0:00:27.440 Podcast with Carol Messer and Tim Stenebeck from Bloomberg Radio 0:00:23.680 --> 0:00:28.680 Boom Bank. 0:00:29.040 --> 0:00:31.400 A lot of wide oppoot spaces that are filled with 0:00:31.520 --> 0:00:33.880 a lot of people. As I look around us, we're 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:36.400 so delighted to be back here at the US Open 0:00:36.440 --> 0:00:38.839 and delighted to have back with us. Kirsten Corio, she 0:00:38.920 --> 0:00:42.080 is chief Commercial Officer of USTA, and we were talking. 0:00:42.120 --> 0:00:45.280 You've actually been with the organization now for. 0:00:45.400 --> 0:00:48.120 For seven years. This is actually my eighth US Open. 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:50.960 And yes we do count the twenty twenty pandemic US 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:52.120 Open because it did occur. 0:00:52.240 --> 0:00:54.920 We did work, but we just weren't here well. And 0:00:54.960 --> 0:00:57.440 I will say last year felt like all right, everybody 0:00:57.560 --> 0:00:59.200 was back in a big way. You guys are having 0:00:59.200 --> 0:01:00.520 some record numbers to get this year. 0:01:00.560 --> 0:01:03.280 We are, We thought after twenty twenty two, the most 0:01:03.320 --> 0:01:07.560 spectacular US Open ever, Serena evolving away from tennis and 0:01:07.600 --> 0:01:09.720 the mania around Gosh, we got to see her one 0:01:09.800 --> 0:01:12.680 last time. How do we top that in twenty twenty three, 0:01:12.720 --> 0:01:15.080 and then here we are. You mentioned it, Tim, no 0:01:15.200 --> 0:01:19.440 Big Three, no Serena. You know, we've wondered us that 0:01:19.520 --> 0:01:21.520 are in the business, those of us that are fans, 0:01:21.560 --> 0:01:23.880 what will happen when they're no longer with us? And 0:01:23.920 --> 0:01:26.520 the truth is we've been just astonished at the demand 0:01:26.560 --> 0:01:27.200 we've experienced. 0:01:27.280 --> 0:01:28.280 Well, so, why do you think that is? 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:31.880 You know, I think the new stars began to break 0:01:31.920 --> 0:01:35.160 through a bit more last year, the Electric Carlos Alcarez, 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:38.679 Cocoke Goff, There's so many others, and I think people 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:42.600 have just rediscovered tennis is amazing. There are new stars 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:45.880 all the time. And also the US Open is just 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:49.360 a fantastic experience and there's so much more to do 0:01:49.480 --> 0:01:52.600 than just watch tennis. The tennis, of course is the anchor, 0:01:52.960 --> 0:01:55.880 but it's also just a great event for food and beverage, 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:57.920 for experience, for being out in a beautiful day. 0:01:58.120 --> 0:02:01.400 Carol mentioned record crowds here earlier this week yesterday top 0:02:01.440 --> 0:02:05.080 seventy three thousand people for the first time. What's capacity here? 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:06.840 How much bigger could you get if you wanted to 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:07.360 get bigger? 0:02:07.560 --> 0:02:09.560 I honestly think this is it. 0:02:09.639 --> 0:02:12.320 We're kind of at the cap right we want everyone 0:02:12.360 --> 0:02:14.720 to ensure that they have a great experience, that they 0:02:14.720 --> 0:02:17.160 can get around and get to the different courts, and 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:19.359 I'm not sure we can expand. 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:21.240 More than Actually I kind of agree with you, just 0:02:21.240 --> 0:02:23.280 based on my I was here Tuesday night and it 0:02:23.400 --> 0:02:25.960 was super crowded that night too, And you get to 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:28.000 the point where you know you want to get in 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:30.680 Court seventeen and you can't actually get in Court seventeen 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:33.639 because it's full, but there are so many other places 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:35.560 to go. So I guess I do wonder is like 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:38.040 how you balance the experience of making sure that people 0:02:38.080 --> 0:02:41.880 get there with money's worth, without maximizing, you know, without 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:45.079 putting at risk sort of being comfortable here. 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:46.600 Yeah, and so I think that's it. 0:02:46.639 --> 0:02:49.080 I think we'd love to be able to welcome everyone 0:02:49.120 --> 0:02:50.880 that wanted to come, but at the same time, we've 0:02:50.880 --> 0:02:53.400 got to protect the experience. And that's where the fan 0:02:53.480 --> 0:02:55.440 Week experience becomes really important too. 0:02:56.320 --> 0:02:59.480 How do you you know? I was curious actually thinking 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:03.120 about early metrics and did you guys quickly get an 0:03:03.120 --> 0:03:05.080 idea what the event was going to be, like, what 0:03:05.120 --> 0:03:06.080 was early demand? Like? 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:09.000 The earliest one we saw is when we went out 0:03:09.040 --> 0:03:11.400 with the full series subscriber renewal. That's kind of your 0:03:11.520 --> 0:03:13.920 season ticket holder, right if you're a team, And we 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:16.840 renewed it better than ninety five percent, and at that moment, 0:03:16.960 --> 0:03:19.000 that was in late January, we said wow. 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:21.840 So literally almost right after. 0:03:21.880 --> 0:03:24.359 Yeah, and at that point in time, you know, you 0:03:24.400 --> 0:03:28.000 don't know who's playing. You know, you know that certain 0:03:28.040 --> 0:03:30.360 players have retired and we'll not be back, but that 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:32.840 was really just the first indicator of Wow, this is 0:03:32.880 --> 0:03:34.040 going to be big again. 0:03:34.440 --> 0:03:36.280 Kirsten talked to us too about the people who come 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:38.800 and remind us of how diverse it is, and people 0:03:38.800 --> 0:03:39.880 coming from all over the world. 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:43.080 Yeah, and the international travel, you know, we've seen it 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:45.840 in New York is just seems to be really back. 0:03:46.360 --> 0:03:48.760 In a typical pre pandemic year, we'd be anywhere from 0:03:49.080 --> 0:03:52.880 twenty to twenty five percent international attendees at the US Open, 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:56.240 and we're back to that number. We're back to around 0:03:56.280 --> 0:03:59.640 twenty percent, maybe more. But it's just so so great 0:03:59.640 --> 0:03:59.920 to see. 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:02.840 So that's something that you actually can't even describe. You 0:04:02.920 --> 0:04:04.720 kind of have to be there to feel it, like 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:07.840 you're you're on one of these courts and you're seeing 0:04:07.840 --> 0:04:10.760 two players play from not the US, they don't speak 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:13.360 English as their first language is. And what you have 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:15.760 as fans who are from those countries or perhaps even 0:04:15.800 --> 0:04:18.240 from New York City, and they're cheering them on and 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:21.000 in their native languages, and it's like like, this is 0:04:21.080 --> 0:04:23.080 New York. This is New York at its past. 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:23.320 It is. 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:25.400 Yeah, you really feel it, and I'm glad you experienced 0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:26.080 that on the outside. 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:26.840 That's pretty cool. 0:04:26.920 --> 0:04:28.760 Yeah, all right, So talk to us about sponsors, right, 0:04:28.800 --> 0:04:30.960 you have to think about who you're sponsoring. And I 0:04:31.000 --> 0:04:33.320 feel like you have people that are companies and entities 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:34.919 that have been with you from year to year, but 0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:36.960 how you continue to evolve that or grow that. 0:04:37.560 --> 0:04:39.240 So we have twenty four sponsors. 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:43.680 We have few long term, very loyal, very deep partnerships 0:04:43.680 --> 0:04:45.960 with these sponsors. Over half of them have been with us, 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:49.400 actually seven have been with us for more than thirty years, 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:53.760 very long term partnerships. It's really been extraordinary for us 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:56.960 to experience. And these partners are are long term. We 0:04:56.960 --> 0:05:00.320 were new at long term, and we want to sure 0:05:00.360 --> 0:05:02.800 that they can meet their objectives here, that they can 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:05.279 activate their brands and waves that are fantastic, and I 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:07.400 really hope that you can experience it when you get 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:08.320 out there watching tennis. 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:09.880 Stop in some of the sponsor booths as well. 0:05:09.920 --> 0:05:10.359 I bought a. 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:12.640 Shirt like a Ralph lahmert like I do think about. 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:15.120 It's not just about somebody slapping a logo. 0:05:15.320 --> 0:05:17.680 No, it's a really deep activation. 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:20.720 They're really out here interacting with the fans and enhancing 0:05:20.960 --> 0:05:23.480 the experience for the fans in really diverse ways. 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:26.440 What did you hear from your sponsorship staff this year 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:29.560 in terms of the ease of getting these renewals, of 0:05:29.600 --> 0:05:31.760 going and getting new sponsors. There are some new partners 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:33.599 here this year. We like to talk to people like 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:35.880 you because you have a good read on the entire economy. 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:38.400 You get those updates each quarter from your staff, But 0:05:38.440 --> 0:05:39.880 what did they tell you throughout the year as they 0:05:39.880 --> 0:05:41.360 were trying to secure these partnerships. 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:45.000 So in all of our partnerships, I'll say the intent 0:05:45.040 --> 0:05:47.400 to renew is incredibly strong. It's just a question of 0:05:47.880 --> 0:05:49.520 what are your objectives and how do you see them 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:51.960 evolving over the next term, and how can we help 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:54.120 you meet those objectives. So that hasn't really been a 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:56.880 question for new partners. We've seen more demand than we 0:05:56.920 --> 0:05:59.320 can satisfy. We do reach a point where we sell 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:02.479 out of partnership positions, and we've reached that, and so 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:05.080 we've got more inbound demand than we can satisfy on 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:07.560 the partnership front. And that's really an indicator of how 0:06:07.640 --> 0:06:09.200 valuable the audience is to them. 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:12.400 Do you ever, though you said twenty four, right, is 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:14.839 there ever, Okay, let's make it twenty six or is 0:06:14.839 --> 0:06:17.200 there do you think about let's not make it where 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:19.360 we're slapping things, you know what I mean? 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:20.560 Yes, it's very deliberate. 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:23.320 Yeah, And so so you do have like kind of 0:06:23.320 --> 0:06:25.159 a top point that you just say that's in that 0:06:25.279 --> 0:06:25.520 we do. 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:28.440 We want to protect the exposure for the few partners 0:06:28.440 --> 0:06:30.719 that we have at the level that they have and 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:34.360 ensure that they get the exposure that that they've come 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:34.919 to expect. 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:36.280 One thing I want to ask you, because we're going 0:06:36.320 --> 0:06:38.719 to talk a lot. We have a book about Althia Gibson. 0:06:39.160 --> 0:06:41.359 We're going to talk a lot more about equality, university 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:43.120 and thinking about Billy j and King. At the beginning 0:06:43.200 --> 0:06:47.040 of the week, former First Lady Michelle Obama, how in 0:06:47.160 --> 0:06:50.440 terms of what you do the importance of diversity and 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:53.400 inclusion and thinking about that in our world and then 0:06:53.440 --> 0:06:54.000 when you think. 0:06:53.839 --> 0:06:57.760 About sponsors, Wow, it's all incredibly important. So okay, so 0:06:57.800 --> 0:06:59.960 you know, we're celebrating fifty years of equal prize. 0:07:00.320 --> 0:07:01.080 Fifty years. 0:07:01.120 --> 0:07:04.000 It's incredible, you know, when we're still seeing that fight 0:07:04.160 --> 0:07:07.320 for equal pay on many different stages and arenas, and 0:07:07.400 --> 0:07:10.560 especially in women's sports. So we're incredibly proud of that. 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:14.240 But we also like to and our sponsors love this 0:07:14.680 --> 0:07:17.280 that men and women's stay. They play on the same stage, 0:07:17.320 --> 0:07:19.240 they play on the same stage. The best men in 0:07:19.240 --> 0:07:21.360 the world, the best women in the world. They're watched 0:07:21.400 --> 0:07:25.200 by men and women equally. They're watched in person. You know, 0:07:25.240 --> 0:07:28.480 women buy tickets, men buy tickets, they both watch together. 0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:31.240 We're one of the most gender neutral audiences that you 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:33.520 could find in any sporting event, and so we're really 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:35.560 proud of that, and our partners love that too, of course, 0:07:35.600 --> 0:07:38.679 they love reaching a very gender neutral and very female 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:41.520 heavy when you think about sports audience that we offer. 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:44.520 So, Kirsten, how do you take the momentum from this event, 0:07:44.680 --> 0:07:48.760 again a record setting event, and use that to parlay interest. 0:07:49.400 --> 0:07:51.400 It's the next four or five year olds, the people 0:07:51.440 --> 0:07:53.320 who are going to be the next Francis Tiafo's the 0:07:53.320 --> 0:07:54.920 people are going to be the next Coco Govs. 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:58.040 So that's why we play, right, That's why we're here. 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:01.560 This event is here to inspire people to play tennis 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:03.400 in the United States. 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:05.400 You make sure they get to experience it though, that 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:06.920 everybody gets to experience it. 0:08:07.120 --> 0:08:10.720 So the qualifying tournament, which has played the week before 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:15.440 the main draw, has been repurposed into Fan Week. Okay, 0:08:15.440 --> 0:08:17.720 so the qualifying tournament is the anchor of that Fan Week. 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:20.119 We are free and open to the public that entire week, 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:23.360 and all of the main draw players are here practicing 0:08:23.400 --> 0:08:25.560 on courts that are free and open to the public 0:08:25.640 --> 0:08:28.000 to come and sit up close and personal and watch them. 0:08:28.440 --> 0:08:31.080 And so we had a record audience that week. Over 0:08:31.160 --> 0:08:33.280 one hundred and fifty five thousand people came through the 0:08:33.320 --> 0:08:36.800 gates that week. And really we're able to experience some 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:39.440 of the top pros in the world up close and personal, 0:08:39.679 --> 0:08:43.040 but also watch some incredibly competitive tennis in the qualifying side, 0:08:43.080 --> 0:08:46.800 and all fan activations with our partners, and opportunities for 0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:49.880 kids to get on courts and really hold a racket. 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:54.360 Wilson distributed tens of thousands of free rackets. That's great 0:08:54.360 --> 0:08:56.600 free rackets to those that had registered for the free 0:08:56.640 --> 0:08:59.800 fan access pass, and so we're literally getting rackets into 0:08:59.840 --> 0:09:02.240 kids hands during that first fan week and it's just 0:09:02.280 --> 0:09:04.440 so gratifying for us to see them then take those 0:09:04.440 --> 0:09:05.600 into their communities and play. 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:07.560 Just have about twenty five seconds left here. What have 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:09.959 you seen in terms of the interest among a younger 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:12.840 population in general, either coming to it and also just 0:09:12.840 --> 0:09:13.840 playing in tennis. 0:09:14.200 --> 0:09:16.840 Well, I think you may have some time with our CEO, Loocire, 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:18.800 and we love to talk about the growth over the 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:20.760 past three years that we've enjoyed in tennis. We've got 0:09:20.800 --> 0:09:23.240 over twenty three million active players in the United States, 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:26.480 over thirty percent increase over the past three years, and 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:29.360 much of that coming from diverse populations where we want 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:31.360 tennis to look like America and feel like America, and 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:31.920 that includes the. 0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:33.520 Youth population of the course as well. 0:09:33.600 --> 0:09:34.200 You're so fun. 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:36.840 I love being here with you guys. Thanks for having me. 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:37.599 We love talking to you. 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:39.160 We just wish we could do this more than two 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:39.679 days a year. 0:09:39.720 --> 0:09:40.679 Can be coming from you. 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:41.880 We will. 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:45.840 Absolutely Kirsten, thank you to be well. Thank you for 0:09:45.880 --> 0:09:49.080 having Kriston Courier, USTA Chief Commercial Officer right here at 0:09:49.080 --> 0:09:51.720 the US Open. You are listening and watching Bloomberg Business Week. 0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:55.640 You're listening to the Bloomberg Business Week podcast. Catch us 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:59.040 Live weekday afternoons from three to six Eastern Listen on 0:09:59.080 --> 0:10:03.120 Bloomberg dot com, the iHeartRadio app and the Bloomberg Business app, 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:06.800 or wan't just live on YouTube. 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:10.040 Call Master along with Tim Stenvik live at the US 0:10:10.160 --> 0:10:14.080 Open at the Arthur Ash Stadium. Literally right now, we're 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:15.360 just in the midst of everything. 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:18.720 I can hear, you can hear the officials, you can 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:22.439 hear the crowd hearing. Yes, you can sometimes hear a 0:10:22.440 --> 0:10:27.520 passionate player maybe grunter or scream. That's all part of 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:28.600 the fun here at the US Open. 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:31.040 It's so much fun, it's so alive. It's just a 0:10:31.040 --> 0:10:33.319 blast to be here. Having said that, we're sorry to 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:37.360 our Bloomberg News team in particular, who we know are 0:10:37.400 --> 0:10:37.840 fans of. 0:10:39.040 --> 0:10:42.440 That is so cruel. Okay, next year, you guys are 0:10:42.440 --> 0:10:43.280 coming here with us. 0:10:43.360 --> 0:10:45.800 Okay, all right, We've got two great stories. One is 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:48.480 about former US First Lady Michelle Obama. She spoke at 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:51.640 Arthur Ash earlier in the week advocating for equal pay 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:54.920 for female athletes. And she's really the latest prominent figure 0:10:54.960 --> 0:10:57.200 to push for progress in women's sports. We talked about 0:10:57.200 --> 0:10:59.200 it a little bit with Kirsten about the importance of 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:02.199 equality and diversity and then writing about how the US 0:11:02.240 --> 0:11:04.360 Open is a test for Carlos Alcoraz. 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:07.000 Yeah, is he the next great tennis player? Now that 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:08.839 the Big three is no longer the Big Three? We 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:12.120 got Ira Bouduat joining us. He is Bloomberg News Global 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:13.960 Business reporter on zoom in New York City. Also with 0:11:14.040 --> 0:11:16.840 us is Bloomberg News Senior reporter Jillian tan Back right 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:18.680 now in our Bloomberg Interactive Brokers studio. 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:20.160 I feel like, Jillian, we need to start with you 0:11:20.240 --> 0:11:23.839 because I feel like equality when it comes to sports 0:11:25.040 --> 0:11:28.960 remains an issue, and I know the USTA is working 0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:32.080 on it. But tell us about Misschelle Obama, the former 0:11:32.120 --> 0:11:34.079 First Lady, earlier in the week, because she had a 0:11:34.120 --> 0:11:35.000 pretty strong words. 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:37.880 Yes, so she kicked off sort of Monday night action 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:41.560 after Cocoa Golf one on Monday Night. She came out 0:11:41.760 --> 0:11:44.800 honored Billy Jan King, who where exactly you are? You 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:47.080 guys are in the Billy Jing King National Tennis Center, 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:51.120 and so Billy Jan King fifty years ago, went out 0:11:51.400 --> 0:11:54.559 found sponsors and was actually Bristol Meyer's squib that came 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:58.079 up with equal prize money for women's tennis. The year earlier, 0:11:58.120 --> 0:12:01.040 in nineteen seventy two, she cashed a ten thousand dollars 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:04.960 check her male counterpart, Gilli Nastazi twenty five thousand. So 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:07.880 it was Billy Jinking fifty years ago pioneered you know, 0:12:07.960 --> 0:12:11.040 equal pay in sport. It took the other Grand Slams, 0:12:11.200 --> 0:12:13.840 you know, decades to catch up. The Australian Open only 0:12:13.840 --> 0:12:16.280 did it in two thousand and one, the French Open 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:18.600 in six and Wimbledon was the last in two thousand 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:21.480 and seven, with Venus Williams sort of helping get that along. 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:24.680 But what's crazy is it's twenty twenty three and some 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:27.480 of the like lead up tournaments to the US opened 0:12:27.480 --> 0:12:30.720 in Cincinnati, in DC, there's still you know, women are 0:12:30.760 --> 0:12:32.320 owning a fraction of what the men are earning. 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:35.480 Yeah, I'm so glad you mentioned Cincinnati. I mean, it 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:39.719 was remarkable to see that the women's prize pot is 0:12:39.840 --> 0:12:43.560 less than half of what men men get. I mean, 0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:46.560 but it's not just tennis, Julian. This is like I mean, 0:12:46.559 --> 0:12:48.760 think about the struggle of the US national women's soccer 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:51.040 team and female soccer players that we've experienced here in 0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:51.440 the US. 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:52.240 Yeah, exactly. 0:12:52.280 --> 0:12:54.640 So the World Cup recently has thrown a huge spotlight 0:12:54.679 --> 0:12:57.360 on it. Like our colleagues wrote about how in Spain. 0:12:57.480 --> 0:13:00.680 You know, there's a lot of debate, especially in Spain one. 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:03.320 But it's not just in soccer, it's in basketball, It's 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:05.960 in pretty much every sport across the globe. You know, 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:09.240 tennis is one rare sport where prize money is equal, 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:11.960 but it only in certain events like the one that's 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:13.760 happening this fortnite at Flushing. 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:17.679 IIRA. We want to bring you into the conversation. You've 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:21.360 got a great story about Carlos Alcoraz, but before we 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:23.840 get to it, you know, you cover sports, you love sports. 0:13:23.880 --> 0:13:25.480 What do you think about, you know, when it comes 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:28.200 to still kind of this fight for equality between women 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:31.280 and men when it comes to sports, you. 0:13:31.280 --> 0:13:33.480 Know, I think tennis is are really good. I mean, 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:35.199 I don't think it's an accident that Billy jan King 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:37.200 has been a pioneer in this and that tennis is 0:13:37.240 --> 0:13:39.520 really part of what has led the way for equal 0:13:39.559 --> 0:13:42.800 pay because it is an individual sport primarily, and the 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:46.000 women have been a huge draw. Serena Williams one of 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:49.480 the biggest athletes of our generation, male or female, and 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:51.719 so I think they have some of that leverage and 0:13:51.760 --> 0:13:53.719 Billy Jing King really showed them how to use it. 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:55.640 But the job is still not done. What it is 0:13:55.720 --> 0:13:59.320 surprising to see at this stage in the game that 0:13:59.360 --> 0:14:01.600 we still have competitions on the tour that are not 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:04.280 with equal prize money. 0:14:04.360 --> 0:14:07.000 So the tour that's really surprising to oh, go ahead. 0:14:06.800 --> 0:14:07.880 You sorry, just to jump in. 0:14:07.920 --> 0:14:10.520 Like the tour actually has been feeling the heat from 0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:13.000 the whole world sort of saying, hey, what's going on, guys, 0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:16.240 And they've actually outlined a plan to have equal prize money, 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:18.199 but not till twenty twenty seven at some of these 0:14:18.200 --> 0:14:18.679 big events. 0:14:18.720 --> 0:14:21.080 Why so long? Why is everything so long? All you 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:23.440 have to do is like say. 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:24.160 Give me the money, wit, just do. 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:26.040 Sponsorship, Carol. 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:28.600 So it's about you know, the sponsors. You know they 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:31.520 don't believe the eyeballs. The viewership is there, but if 0:14:31.840 --> 0:14:34.920 you know, if your numbers are to believe, like the 0:14:35.040 --> 0:14:38.840 US up the soccer down in Australia, like the ratings 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:39.680 were off, the charts. 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:45.480 Well, we just talked with Curio. She is here, she's 0:14:45.600 --> 0:14:48.720 chief commercial officer, she's doing the sponsorships. We just talked 0:14:48.760 --> 0:14:50.600 to her about this issue. And even though you don't 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:55.160 have you know, Serena here, you know that things are changing. 0:14:55.240 --> 0:14:58.360 The older you know, elite if you will, from tennis 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:02.520 is moving on slowly. That still you're getting record numbers here. 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:06.000 So it's just interesting about this idea that the eyeballs. 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:07.760 I don't know, I feel like it's an old argument. 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:10.440 Having said that, we do want to get to Ara 0:15:10.560 --> 0:15:14.240 your story. Talk to us about Carlos Alcarez. He's a 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:17.560 young he's part of the next generation potentially. 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:18.640 Yeah, I mean for sure. 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:21.080 And this has been the question in men's on the 0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:25.280 men's side for decades. Now, what happens when Federer, Nadal 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:28.400 and Djokovic you're done? And now that Feder's retired and 0:15:28.400 --> 0:15:31.440 the Doll's about to retire, Djokovic looks like he has 0:15:31.560 --> 0:15:34.360 some you know, left in the tank, but is obviously 0:15:34.400 --> 0:15:38.040 in his twilight years or entering them. Who's next? And 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:40.800 I think Wimbledon and last year's Open, we kind of 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:43.320 got a glimpse anyway at the answer and it's Carlos 0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:47.000 Alcaraz and what I was writing about is the opportunity 0:15:47.000 --> 0:15:50.360 that that presents him because if he can sort of 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:53.200 consolidate that and dominate on the men's side for the 0:15:53.200 --> 0:15:56.840 next decade or two, because he is only twenty, he 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:59.760 could very realistically be the next sort of billion dollar 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:02.600 at fleet. You know, you look at Roger Federer's lifetime 0:16:02.680 --> 0:16:06.200 earnings on the court prize money, but also off it 0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:09.160 where you get the majority tennis players as in an 0:16:09.160 --> 0:16:13.120 individual sport, they can really cash in, and so Alcarez 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:16.880 stands to really profit from his brilliant play recently. 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:20.480 It's interesting, I right, tennis players can really cash in 0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:22.440 if they're the top of the top right five of 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:24.720 the fifty highest earning athletes of all time. This is 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:27.680 in your story according to estimates by Sportico are tennis players. 0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:29.600 The thing is is you have to be the top 0:16:29.600 --> 0:16:31.680 of the top and actually to actually make a living, 0:16:31.760 --> 0:16:34.560 because you know, there are so many players out there, 0:16:34.600 --> 0:16:37.200 many of whom qualified for the US Open this year 0:16:38.400 --> 0:16:42.280 that really, you know, essentially live tournament to tournament and 0:16:42.680 --> 0:16:45.520 paycheck to paycheck. Yeah, I mean, it is. 0:16:45.440 --> 0:16:48.560 A ruthless eat. What you kill sport and the pyramid. 0:16:48.880 --> 0:16:51.920 You know, the difference between one and ten is huge, 0:16:51.920 --> 0:16:53.840 and the difference between ten and one hundred and the 0:16:53.920 --> 0:16:58.360 rankings is even wider. It's just very difficult. But if 0:16:58.400 --> 0:17:01.800 you can get to the top with the mountain, the 0:17:01.800 --> 0:17:05.119 rewards are as rich as an in sport. And for Alcarez, 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:08.080 it's interesting because in talking to marketing people, talked with 0:17:08.160 --> 0:17:11.600 guy Bob Dorfman, who does sports marketing and clinical advertising, 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:14.359 he's saying, you know, the ceiling is the limit for 0:17:14.440 --> 0:17:18.439 him in terms of categories endorsement deals. Besides the obvious 0:17:18.440 --> 0:17:21.160 stay healthy, keep winning, he needs to sort of start 0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:24.440 to show his personality. Obviously, in US is the biggest market. 0:17:24.520 --> 0:17:26.960 Everyone's always waiting for the next US tennis star. But 0:17:27.640 --> 0:17:30.000 Alcarez can really capture that too if he works on 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:31.919 his English a little bit more and just kind of 0:17:31.960 --> 0:17:33.920 let's let's the world see who he is. I was 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:37.200 at this event at a low Ta Palace hotel before 0:17:37.200 --> 0:17:39.840 the Open, where they had him and a few other players, 0:17:39.840 --> 0:17:41.400 and he really was the star of the show. It's 0:17:41.400 --> 0:17:44.639 a little cocktail hour and he has a big, contagious smile. 0:17:44.760 --> 0:17:47.119 He clearly knew how to work a room. But I 0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:50.240