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Speaker 1: Hey, Renee Stubbs Senna's podcast listeners.

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Speaker 2: This is our second of two interviews coming to live

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Speaker 2: directly from the Racket B and P party by Aces

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Speaker 2: for Trees tent during the incredible Indian Wells tournament known

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Speaker 2: as the Fifth Slam. For good reason, I had a

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Speaker 2: chance to sit down before Renee got to the desert

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Speaker 2: with a fellow Assi, a fellow double specialist, and the

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Speaker 2: other half.

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Speaker 1: Of the Woodies.

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Speaker 2: Keen listeners might remember we interviewed Todd Woodbridge in one

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Speaker 2: of the early seasons of the show, and now we

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Speaker 2: complete the collection with Mark Woodford, who in his own

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Speaker 2: right was one of the greatest doubles players of all time.

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Speaker 2: One every single Grand Slam has a gold medal, has

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Speaker 2: a silver metal. We talk about all of it, including

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Speaker 2: his daughter bringing his gold medal to school, which was awesome.

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Speaker 2: He also lives out there in the desert, so it

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Speaker 2: was really wonderful to get to talk to him and

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Speaker 2: get some local perspective about what it's like to live

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Speaker 2: near this incredible tournament and have access to it year round.

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Speaker 2: I hope you enjoy, and our next episode will be

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Speaker 2: with Renee's return. Thanks for listening and enjoy.

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the podcast. It's so nice to have you on.

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Speaker 1: We're gonna edit it. We're gonna edit it out most

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Speaker 1: of that stuff. No, but it's truly a joy because

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Speaker 1: now I have completed the Woodies collection. It is so

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Speaker 1: nice to have you. Thank you for joining us.

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Speaker 3: Thank you. I appreciate being having the invitation. And I

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Speaker 3: mean it literally is tennis in Paradise and I had

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Speaker 3: to tear myself away from watching Jordan Thompson.

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Speaker 1: I'm going to keep this really brief so we can

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Speaker 1: get back in there and watch Jordan Thompson, your fellow

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Speaker 1: ASSI against Stefan Sisibas. That's a match.

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Speaker 3: It's it's great to see him, you know, get out

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Speaker 3: there against a marquee name SITSI pass and give it

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Speaker 3: a shake.

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Speaker 1: Come in.

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Speaker 3: You know of no one Jordan, since he was sixteen

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Speaker 3: years of age, actually was the junior Davis cupcaptain for Australia.

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Speaker 1: I ask you all about that actually because Tom.

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Speaker 3: I was a part of the team and just a

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Speaker 3: neat kid. You know, look, generally teenagers that very impressionable.

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Speaker 3: They're you know, a sponge for information and just it was.

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Speaker 3: It was a good experience for me and I knew

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Speaker 3: his dad. We played with it around.

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Speaker 1: I didn't know his dad was a player.

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Speaker 3: His dad used to play and kind of at the

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Speaker 3: same time, when we were going through the early part

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Speaker 3: of your journey, when you're just like traveling in Europe.

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Speaker 1: And you're you know, it's your first time in your yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Speaker 3: I mean you were. You try to all travel together

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Speaker 3: because you know, you'd save a few.

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Speaker 1: Butts on the breakfast buffet, load up so that you

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Speaker 1: don't spend.

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Speaker 3: More monde of Italian restaurants and wait for the families

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Speaker 3: to leave their food when they left, you went over it.

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Speaker 1: Wow, that's a scavenger level that I didn't realize. But

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Speaker 1: it's good to know that that was it.

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Speaker 3: That was what I was welcome to. But but yeah,

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Speaker 3: his dad, so you know, you can look back with

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Speaker 3: some fondness, but of course fondness seeing that his son

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Speaker 3: is playing and he's just started to work with Marinko Matossovich,

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Speaker 3: you I had worked with for a number of years. Amazing,

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Speaker 3: So I've you know, I do take joy. I like

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Speaker 3: to see Marinko do well. On the coaching side, he

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Speaker 3: wasn't always the easiest of people to coach. When he

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Speaker 3: was a player, din'd you say? And to see him

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Speaker 3: working with Chris O'Connell and Jordan Thompson now, and and

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Speaker 3: you know, luck, I think he's going to have a

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Speaker 3: real positive impact on those guys. He has on Chris

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Speaker 3: O'Connell already, he's just started with Jordan Thompson. And I

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Speaker 3: think you know the way he blitzed mom Feasts the

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Speaker 3: other night. Now, impressive, good shake.

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Speaker 1: So you have won every title there is to win

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Speaker 1: that really matters in sport. You've got twelve Grand Slams,

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Speaker 1: you won the tour finals two times. Yes, you have

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Speaker 1: a world number one next to your name. You also

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Speaker 1: have a gold medal, which to me is one of

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Speaker 1: the coolest things you could possibly I mean that that

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Speaker 1: is such a cool thing. Just curious. Where do you

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Speaker 1: keep your gold medal?

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Speaker 3: It actually was out today out of the box.

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Speaker 1: You're like, Oh, I couldn't possibly prepare it. Oh, it's

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Speaker 1: in my pocket. I just happen to carry it around

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Speaker 1: a case.

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Speaker 3: I almost I almost had it here today. I was

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Speaker 3: this morning, was doing an appearance. I do some some

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Speaker 3: work with the Harper for kids. So Peanut, Louis Harper

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Speaker 3: and her husband Tim, they have this a charity that

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Speaker 3: they work with. It's called Based on John Wooden's Pyramid

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Speaker 3: of Success. She's written a book, and so it's just

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Speaker 3: these attributes that that John Wooden, I guess, you know,

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Speaker 3: carved his career out and probably lived exactly and and

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Speaker 3: I think it is very relevant for tennis players, but

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Speaker 3: also for I think for just kids in general and

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Speaker 3: human beings. That's it. I have a copy of it

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Speaker 3: on my desk deal I've enlarged a frame from daughters

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Speaker 3: to have in their playroom in our in our house.

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Speaker 3: But it's just something that I, you know, I do

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Speaker 3: look at. And this morning I just happened to be

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Speaker 3: we were doing an appearance at one of the elementary

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Speaker 3: schools nearby.

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Speaker 1: That's good.

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Speaker 3: Part of it is taking my gold medal and the

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Speaker 3: silver medal. You forgot the silver metal.

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Speaker 1: I mean, yes, you won aggle medal in nineteen eighty

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Speaker 1: six at Atlanta, and then you want a silver medal

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Speaker 1: and a silver medal.

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Speaker 3: Unfortunately that was the last match for the for the Woodies.

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Speaker 3: Actually that the silver medal.

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Speaker 1: That's a great way to end it was you already

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Speaker 1: had a gold anyway, you need something else.

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Speaker 3: A couple of minute it would have been nice to

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Speaker 3: have if we could have got the trio as well

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Speaker 3: with a bronze, but we only played two Olympics. But

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Speaker 3: I so part of that is taking those medals. And

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Speaker 3: we talk about success. What is success and it's it's

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Speaker 3: it changes, It changes changes for me now.

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Speaker 1: But is it a feeling? Is it a trophy? Is

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Speaker 1: a relation?

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Speaker 3: Kids? We were saying it and these are you know,

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Speaker 3: seven eight year olds at their school and saying, you know,

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Speaker 3: success for you is turning up every day. Success is,

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Speaker 3: you know, walking home with a smile on your Maybe

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Speaker 3: your parents might think success is when you come home

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Speaker 3: and you give them a hug. I know that. I

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Speaker 3: feel amazing as a as a dad when my daughters

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Speaker 3: come in the door and say hi Dad. Just hearing

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Speaker 3: dad to me that success.

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Speaker 1: When my son can have a conversation with another adult

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Speaker 1: without me moderating it. I think to myself, Okay, I've

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Speaker 1: done something that is scrid. He can be out in

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Speaker 1: the world a little bit. So I know what you mean.

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Speaker 1: And there's something about a gold medal that is a

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Speaker 1: little bit tangible as a marker of that age is everybody,

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Speaker 1: I mean, they have to their eyes wide and Atlanta

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Speaker 1: Olympics was a special I love it.

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Speaker 3: I love and I know even at the time when

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Speaker 3: we won the gold medal and traveling with it to

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Speaker 3: it the next tournament, going through security leaving Atlanta even

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Speaker 3: bypassed many security guards. I just it was almost like

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Speaker 3: you could just take that and got well. I have

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Speaker 3: told the story my daughter did over here that they

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Speaker 3: went to school locally and they had a paper bag, Dad.

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Speaker 3: They had to have three it was three personal effects

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Speaker 3: that related to your your family. And so my wife

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Speaker 3: is part Italian, her mother is Italian, and so there

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Speaker 3: was something from her from her grandmother, and my wife

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Speaker 3: gave her I think it was a birth certificate because

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Speaker 3: she was also born in Ethiopia. And so my daughter

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Speaker 3: came into the.

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Speaker 1: Office because was part of Italy at the time, right

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Speaker 1: of course, pretty cool.

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Speaker 3: And so she said, Dad, I need to take I'd

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Speaker 3: like to take a trophy of yours to say that

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Speaker 3: you show that you were a tennis player. Sure, I said, okay,

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Speaker 3: in my office on a bookcase there.

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Speaker 1: Well, you're like, well, I've won every Grand Slam there is,

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Speaker 1: so why don't you just take your back. I will

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Speaker 1: brag for you. I can tell you're not going to to.

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Speaker 3: The gold medal, and she said, can I take this?

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Speaker 3: And of course that the Atlanta one is in a box,

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Speaker 3: and I said, well, the box is not going to

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Speaker 3: fit in the paper bag around, so she said, well

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Speaker 3: I can just and she lifted it up and just

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Speaker 3: placed it in there. And I kind of smiled to

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Speaker 3: myself and thinking, I wonder what the effect is going

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Speaker 3: to be with the kids and the teachers, as she says,

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Speaker 3: you know, and by the way, my dad won this,

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Speaker 3: and kind of like we've got a call from the

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Speaker 3: school from the principal like an eleven am saying, mister

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Speaker 3: and missus Wifford, your daughter a lovely presentation, but she

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Speaker 3: brought something that we think is of too great a

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Speaker 3: value to be here at the school. Could you come

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Speaker 3: and clean we can? It was It was quite funny.

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Speaker 3: But but you know, to see even some of the

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Speaker 3: teachers at the school today and I've been doing this

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Speaker 3: for for years, they they hold it like it is.

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Speaker 1: It is so special that it's like the treasure in

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Speaker 1: Indiana Jones. There's something really special about that it is.

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Speaker 3: And I think at the time I didn't I didn't

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Speaker 3: really I mean, going through the throes of you know,

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Speaker 3: match by match, you're marching towards.

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Speaker 1: The jay is smaller, not everybody's there. It was only

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Speaker 1: the third time that tennis was in.

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Speaker 3: The Olympics, backs.

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Speaker 1: Eighty eight and Saul and ninety two and Barcelona, so

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Speaker 1: it was really not It's not always the biggest deal

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Speaker 1: to tennis players, but it's the biggest deal to me

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Speaker 1: because I love the Olympics so much and I love

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Speaker 1: the fact that tennis is this global sport that participates

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Speaker 1: in this thing.

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Speaker 3: So that's why I was glad to hear it to me.

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Speaker 3: I grew up watching all of the Olympics. I had

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Speaker 3: those books that they would produce at the end. And

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Speaker 3: you know, in Australia growing up, we have the Commonwealth Games,

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Speaker 3: so every second year outside of the four year cycle,

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Speaker 3: so I had, you know, the Olympic Games and then

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Speaker 3: two years later the Commonwealth which Australia did even better

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Speaker 3: at because they are less countries.

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Speaker 1: And well also you beat the crap out of Canadians

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Speaker 1: like me, very sportingly representative at the time. Now we're

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Speaker 1: a little better, but at the time a.

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Speaker 3: Much but it was a major part and for us

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Speaker 3: to win, and I like I said this morning in

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Speaker 3: front of the school that probably as they had a

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Speaker 3: photo up on the screen, that probably the most difficult

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Speaker 3: part of that day was for Todd and I not

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Speaker 3: getting ahead of ourselves. We were we'd beaten the our

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Speaker 3: longtime opponents. The toughest opponents for us were the Dutch

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Speaker 3: pair Yaco Elting and Paul Purhouse. We've beaten them in

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Speaker 3: the semi finals in the in the silver medal match

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Speaker 3: and we had to play against a British pair, Tim

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Speaker 3: Henman and abroad, so we really did start the favorites

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Speaker 3: and all of a sudden, the Australian athletes so any

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Speaker 3: I'm sure it happens people that when there's a gold

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Speaker 3: medal match and all.

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Speaker 1: Of a sudden, you're looking out in the crowd is

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Speaker 1: yellow and green, and all of a sudden, this means

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Speaker 1: a lot to everybody.

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Speaker 3: And here hearing you know, you're seeing these great athletes

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Speaker 3: that you've seen around the village and here they are.

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Speaker 3: They're supporting you. And we were on the same floor

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Speaker 3: as the basketball team who the Boomers, who were having

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Speaker 3: a pretty good run at the games themselves. But I

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Speaker 3: remember that these giants are standing there just so we

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Speaker 3: felt ever so powerful because we had these giants you know,

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Speaker 3: supporting us as well. But to actually remember the anthem,

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Speaker 3: that was what we were conscious of that getting up

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Speaker 3: onto the dais, I couldn't I couldn't wait to you know,

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Speaker 3: you get the track suit on and the country colors,

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Speaker 3: you see the dais being taken out. You know that,

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Speaker 3: you know the anthem is going to be played in,

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Speaker 3: the flag is going to go up, and you know,

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Speaker 3: practically saying to Todd, how do we remember the anthem?

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Speaker 3: You know, whilst we're kind of in tears breaking down

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Speaker 3: because I just knew it was this is going to

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Speaker 3: be emotional for course of us. So we had an

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Speaker 3: agreement that I had remembered the first verse, Todd new

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Speaker 3: the second verse. And there's our team work. That really

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Speaker 3: is the epitome of Hoodies was that the team working

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Speaker 3: had each other's back and singing not so gracefully. I

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Speaker 3: just wanted to belt it out. See our flag share, uh,

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Speaker 3: you know, kind of arm around, you know, my my

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Speaker 3: best buddy, and just a huge achievement. And to see

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Speaker 3: the other Australians singing along with.

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Speaker 1: Us, Yeah, that's so cool.

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Speaker 3: And then just trying to mouth it for the second verse,

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Speaker 3: it's took over.

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Speaker 1: Well, you've left me about four possible follow up questions

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Speaker 1: because I want to ask you about a number of

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Speaker 1: different things. Let's start with Australia. Australian tennis. We had

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Speaker 1: a grade showing from de Monar this past two weeks.

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Speaker 1: You've coached junior Davis Cup, You've coached Davis Cup, you've

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Speaker 1: coached fed cup. Now that you've transitioned fully into coaching

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Speaker 1: being a commentator, where is your head in terms of

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Speaker 1: the Australian wave that's happening. It's so exciting to watch.

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Speaker 1: I know Renee won't shut up about it on the

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Speaker 1: podcast and she murdered me if if I did not

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Speaker 1: mention it to you. So from where you sit, what's

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Speaker 1: It's a breadth of talent. We were just talking about

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Speaker 1: Jordan and Thompson. You know obviously Nick in Tanasi won

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Speaker 1: the Australian Open last year. Just I mean it's a

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Speaker 1: really really this year out of the Rinky Rinky and

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Speaker 1: Jason Jason Coopler. What it's a really deep, deep field,

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Speaker 1: especially on the men's after seeing you know, Ashberdy dominated.

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Speaker 3: Finally, Yeah, you know it's and it's I think as

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Speaker 3: as as any Australian that has has played in the

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Speaker 3: last couple of decades. I mean you you you want

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Speaker 3: to see that ongoing success and I think you know

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Speaker 3: I was a part of along with Todd in a

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Speaker 3: very successful era with Pat Rafter, Mark Philippusis. We had

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Speaker 3: John Uke and Tony Roach as ou.

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Speaker 1: Were your generational mentors.

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Speaker 3: Right, yeah, there were, and I don't want to say

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Speaker 3: fringe as in that they weren't up to our standard,

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Speaker 3: but they were a part of the Davis Cups squad,

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Speaker 3: So San and Stolly, Jason Stoltenberg. Whilelym Seu was hanging

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Speaker 3: on there. He was a little older than the rest

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Speaker 3: of us, and but it was such a fantastic era

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Speaker 3: to be a part of. Of course, Late Surett was fast.

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Speaker 1: Coming up, but he was young, he was the new

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Speaker 1: He was around the corner, a.

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Speaker 3: Little different from the way that generally we played as Australians.

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Speaker 3: And then we went through a periods. As you said,

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Speaker 3: I entered into some of the coaching arena. I first

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Speaker 3: started out with the Fed Cup, which was the Fed

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Speaker 3: Competition now the Billaging King Cup competition.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for correcting.

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Speaker 3: Probably probably look, I had to be introduced at some stage,

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Speaker 3: whether you know, I felt like I could, I could

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Speaker 3: do a good job coaching. I wasn't as confident. I

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Speaker 3: think I was more assured of myself with being on

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Speaker 3: the tennis court. Sure, but I had years under my belt.

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Speaker 3: I mean I was going in fresher as a as

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Speaker 3: a tennis coach. But you know, I had the luck

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Speaker 3: of working with Evon girl Gone Cowley, one of my idols,

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Speaker 3: and the girls on the team one of their idols

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Speaker 3: as well. I wish I'd lasted a little longer. I

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Speaker 3: would have liked it. It was I kind of I

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Speaker 3: think when you're you're trying to be a leader and

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Speaker 3: a guide, you know you're having to deal with all

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Speaker 3: these personalities as well.

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Speaker 1: And tennis players don't naturally convene around a team interest.

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Speaker 1: And so that's why I asked you about it, just

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Speaker 1: because you're so famously cohesive with TAD as a team,

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Speaker 1: and then the FED and Davis Cup squads BJK Cup

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Speaker 1: squads are it's a very different animal.

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Speaker 3: And in our Davis Cup team, we were cohesive. We

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Speaker 3: had our we had our moments like any team does.

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Speaker 3: I'm not not here to say that we never none

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Speaker 3: of us had an eye.

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Speaker 1: I wouldn't believe you if you did, of course, so.

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Speaker 3: But I think look overall, we worked well together. It

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Speaker 3: was a team effort, so I was when I in

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Speaker 3: in as as the coach of the fed Cup team

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Speaker 3: at the time. It was just really different and having

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Speaker 3: to actually I do have to pay attention to you know,

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Speaker 3: how this person is waking up and what their needs are.

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Speaker 1: And what's the chemistry today between these two and maybe

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Speaker 1: they're not gelling or something. Yeah, you really have to

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Speaker 1: be so much more externally focused, right.

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Speaker 3: I had to be an open book and to be

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Speaker 3: able to accept that everyone is a little different, but

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Speaker 3: at the same time still hold everyone to a standard.

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Speaker 3: I mean, to pride yourself as representing Australia and that

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Speaker 3: you know, we could actually go deep in the competition.

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Speaker 3: It was an experience. It's experience that I needed that

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Speaker 3: I think I look back on and even though I

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Speaker 3: would have liked to have stayed a little longer involved

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Speaker 3: in it, it was it was. It was just a

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Speaker 3: part of that pathway.

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Speaker 1: I have to say, I think it's the toughest job

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Speaker 1: in tennis. Maybe that's just me from where I said,

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Speaker 1: which is kind of panned not having been in it,

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Speaker 1: but the Davis Cup itself obviously, and I want to

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Speaker 1: focus specifically on the Davis Cup just because you've played

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Speaker 1: on it and also coached it. It's sort of in

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Speaker 1: the wilderness at the moment, let's be honest, like it's

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Speaker 1: a it's in a tough spot, and I think.

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Speaker 3: Not both the team competitions, you know, have been such

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Speaker 3: a massive part of anyone's career, but I think it's

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Speaker 3: it's lost a little bit of its luster, it's position.

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Speaker 3: But I also think that's the success of the tours

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Speaker 3: that have overtaken. You know, the Slams have have increased,

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Speaker 3: and they're always going to be the you know, the

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Speaker 3: exception and what everyone's striving for. But the w t

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Speaker 3: A tour, the atp to it, the rich riches that

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Speaker 3: are available there, the financial bounty that is on offer

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Speaker 3: has increased from boy twenty thirty years ago, and so

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Speaker 3: some players find it more important to establish their career

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Speaker 3: as opposed to playing for their country.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I get the tension, and I think, you know,

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Speaker 1: it's unfortunate just because I know Australia has such a

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Speaker 1: strong sportl you guys are really a different orient completely,

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Speaker 1: and I think there's something special every Australian I've met

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Speaker 1: who's an athlete, there's something's more connected about the way

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Speaker 1: that your sports culture gets into your blood. To me,

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Speaker 1: that is so evident and obvious. But I also think

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Speaker 1: you're right. I think it's the success of the Slams

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Speaker 1: that has sort of dwarfed it. But I wanted to

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Speaker 1: ask you a specific question because here we are in

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Speaker 1: tennis Paradise, we're in very We're at the BNP party

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Speaker 1: about Open. It's arguably the nicest tournament, certainly in America,

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Speaker 1: but arguably maybe on the One of the things that

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Speaker 1: I love about coming here every year is the doubles.

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Speaker 1: Watching the incredible double specialists we just mentioned, you know,

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Speaker 1: Jason Kobler and Rinky Jakarta who won the Australian Open

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Speaker 1: this year. They play against people who are maybe not

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Speaker 1: double specialists in a way that is so dynamic and exciting.

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Speaker 1: And I want to sort of ask you why you

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Speaker 1: think that is here. I mean, other than you know,

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Speaker 1: Larry Ellison cutting them a giant check to as an

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Speaker 1: appearance fee, which.

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Speaker 3: I'd actually that he's doing, not an appearance fee. I

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Speaker 3: think you know Historically it has been probably the strongest

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Speaker 3: doubles tournament throughout the year, more so than the Slams,

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Speaker 3: which is a different dynamic, and you know talk about

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Speaker 3: that at some stage as well. The Slams really should

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Speaker 3: be the pinnacle out sport, but it's not all. It's

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Speaker 3: not quite the case right now because we're not having

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Speaker 3: the marquee singles. Players play doubles, play doubles because they're

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Speaker 3: worried about the effects if it's the best of five

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Speaker 3: sets doubles like they do at Wimbledon, even though they've.

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Speaker 1: Reduced their chances in the single stripe.

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Speaker 3: For chances, and I think we I feel disappointed by that.

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Speaker 3: Agains Tradia were brought up. You're a tennis player, you

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Speaker 3: play singles, doubles and mixed.

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Speaker 1: The best record in my mind in tennis is Martina

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Speaker 1: nebradelow Is overall titles because they're comprised of three exceptional

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Speaker 1: records in mixed, doubles and singles.

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Speaker 3: To me, she's a player in all three.

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Speaker 1: You could make the case that, and you can make

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Speaker 1: all sorts of cases about tennis, which is why it's

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Speaker 1: fun to have that conversation sometimes, like who's the best

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Speaker 1: on play. But to me, the fact that she excelled

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Speaker 1: at all three disciplines is a complete tennis player. That's

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Speaker 1: what I would aspire to be.

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Speaker 3: It's a as we say in the cricket it's a

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Speaker 3: you know, you doff your hat is you got it?

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Speaker 1: That's I mean, it's a staggering achievement and I wish

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Speaker 1: we had more importance on this idea. Tennis is the

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Speaker 1: only sport where men and women are on the same

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Speaker 1: field of play, and we only really get to see

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Speaker 1: it on a rare occasion.

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Speaker 3: At the well at the Four Slams, we have the

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Speaker 3: mixed doubles. We used to have it in the early

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Speaker 3: stages of my career key Bist game when it was

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Speaker 3: playing there, they used to have a mixed doubles event

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Speaker 3: and it was just it was an unusual time of

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Speaker 3: the year to have one, but they elected to, I

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Speaker 3: guess drop it out. But you know, the success of

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Speaker 3: the Eisenhower Cup.

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Speaker 1: Here, Yeah, it was nice to see it this year,

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Speaker 1: really nice to see.

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Speaker 3: I think I hope that has legs.

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Speaker 1: Also, I like the fact that it's you know, a

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Speaker 1: lot of times the SEO players play mixed in the

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Speaker 1: Olympics or in some of the international competitions wearing the flag.

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Speaker 1: It was really cool to see them from different nations

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Speaker 1: right this year. Arena Sabalanca, who's playing right now, want

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Speaker 1: it with Taylor Fritz. That's a cool you know, that's

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Speaker 1: a cool dynamic compass.

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Speaker 3: It is, it is, and so I think it is

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Speaker 3: a look a reflection of players love coming here to

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Speaker 3: the desert. I think they this really is the start

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Speaker 3: of the season. It feels that season. Yes, the most

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Speaker 3: of the players, after being in Australia, they're traveling, some

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Speaker 3: go through the Middle East, some are back in Europe

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Speaker 3: playing really cold climates, indoors, indoors. This is really like

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Speaker 3: the welcome to outdoors and the summer season is about

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Speaker 3: to begin. From here they move to Miami and then

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Speaker 3: really they are playing outdoors. So I think players are

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Speaker 3: really looking for matches still that this is a ten

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Speaker 3: day event. Next week is a ten day event as well,

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Speaker 3: so you know, if you do happen to lose early

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Speaker 3: in singles, it's a bit of a wait until you

438
00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:21,880
Speaker 3: actually play your next match. If you just playing.

439
00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:23,720
Speaker 1: Maybe at the same point I said, this is why

440
00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,120
Speaker 1: maybe they're incentivized to they.

441
00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:31,680
Speaker 3: Well, I think generally The atmosphere here is one of

442
00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,239
Speaker 3: it's relaxed. I don't want to say that it's it's

443
00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:39,960
Speaker 3: fun party time, but it is a very relaxed environment

444
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,200
Speaker 3: atmosphere in the desert, and generally we have great weather.

445
00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:47,800
Speaker 3: And I think the longer the players, they know they're

446
00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:51,280
Speaker 3: going to be well looked after Red Larry overseeing the tournament.

447
00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:55,760
Speaker 3: So why race off and head to Miami, Because if

448
00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,840
Speaker 3: they're anticipating doing well, they're going to be there for

449
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,719
Speaker 3: almost ten days way, So you know, sometimes being at

450
00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:06,800
Speaker 3: a tournament site for longer than say ten days, you

451
00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:08,640
Speaker 3: know you're pushing it. If you're at a Grand Slam

452
00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,840
Speaker 3: to be there for the full fourteen days, why not

453
00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,640
Speaker 3: stay here and enjoy it. May as well play doubles

454
00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,880
Speaker 3: and keep my hospitality going.

455
00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:20,399
Speaker 1: And for sure and have crowds who are appreciating watching

456
00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,440
Speaker 1: you play in all lives. The longest cues I've ever

457
00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:25,520
Speaker 1: seen at a match here, I've only been coming here

458
00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:27,560
Speaker 1: maybe seven years. The longest cues I've ever seen were

459
00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,720
Speaker 1: they put Arena Sablanca Victoria Azarenka playing against Lund Stephens

460
00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,720
Speaker 1: and Eugenie Bouchard on a court that was too small

461
00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,680
Speaker 1: for decent names for personalities.

462
00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:38,880
Speaker 3: Their lines were super long.

463
00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,520
Speaker 1: It was right before Sabalanca kind of was a no

464
00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:43,639
Speaker 1: known and you'd only really know who she was if

465
00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,760
Speaker 1: you watched her play fed Cup sorry BJK Cup and

466
00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:49,320
Speaker 1: get Belarus to the finals against US against the US,

467
00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:51,119
Speaker 1: and the lines were out and they put them on

468
00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,159
Speaker 1: too small a court because they didn't even appreciate how

469
00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,040
Speaker 1: much people here appreciate doubles. And I feel like one

470
00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:59,479
Speaker 1: thing that's so amazing about tennis is you play doubles

471
00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,080
Speaker 1: for whole life and I would love so much for

472
00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,760
Speaker 1: the sport to be embracing all of its forums more

473
00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:07,680
Speaker 1: in a little bit more of a marketing sort of sound.

474
00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:12,119
Speaker 3: But you see here it's they do a pretty good

475
00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:17,760
Speaker 3: job and of of I think welcoming and enticing and

476
00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:21,560
Speaker 3: embracing the guys that do that. There are some big

477
00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,720
Speaker 3: names that are that are in the doubles and look,

478
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:26,800
Speaker 3: you could you know Rafa and Adal. I know that

479
00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,920
Speaker 3: he's a big friend, close friend of Larry Ellison, and

480
00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:34,240
Speaker 3: you know, I mean I'm not shying in saying that

481
00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:38,520
Speaker 3: he quite possibly could be the best doubles player when

482
00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:39,520
Speaker 3: he's out there playing.

483
00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,399
Speaker 1: Coming from you, that is a that is a meaningful standment.

484
00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:46,080
Speaker 3: He I would not want to be on his section

485
00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:51,520
Speaker 3: of the drawer, but he plays here. You know, he

486
00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,200
Speaker 3: is a heck of a player, full stop. I just

487
00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:58,600
Speaker 3: wish you that he'd play more doubles, you know, year round.

488
00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,960
Speaker 3: But yeah, look at to it is a marquee event

489
00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:04,200
Speaker 3: here and I think back, you know, Todd and I

490
00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:07,280
Speaker 3: we only were victorious here once and that was on

491
00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:11,240
Speaker 3: the old side. I think it was a kind of

492
00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,200
Speaker 3: a tough conditions for us as well. I'm not saying

493
00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:18,320
Speaker 3: I mean I lived here and practice here, but it's

494
00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:20,880
Speaker 3: not that we weren't through lack of trying. I mean,

495
00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:25,119
Speaker 3: we were competitive here, but it just seemed we started

496
00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:27,840
Speaker 3: to hit form once we got to key Biscain. Now

497
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,600
Speaker 3: win rate at Key bisc Gain was was quite phenomenal.

498
00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:34,240
Speaker 1: But sometimes as a player, you feel like there.

499
00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:37,399
Speaker 3: And I don't know whether I mean, look, I was

500
00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:40,720
Speaker 3: never shy about playing in front of friends and family.

501
00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:43,040
Speaker 3: I mean, I I think, you know, looking back my

502
00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:45,560
Speaker 3: record playing at home in Australia, I won two singles

503
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,800
Speaker 3: titles in Adelaide and a few other events along the way.

504
00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,240
Speaker 3: So I wasn't one that got nervous playing in front

505
00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:57,480
Speaker 3: of it. But and here I don't think I got

506
00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:00,440
Speaker 3: you know, nervous, but obviously you know, just have the

507
00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:02,919
Speaker 3: same success on the doubles court at least here at

508
00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:05,359
Speaker 3: this tournament, which is I would have loved to have

509
00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:06,200
Speaker 3: one of you.

510
00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,960
Speaker 1: Well, it's amazing because you live here, so you chose

511
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:10,960
Speaker 1: to live here, and I keep a skin right, And

512
00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,080
Speaker 1: so what is it like living here? And what made

513
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,960
Speaker 1: you sort of command? I mean you're raising your family here,

514
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:17,960
Speaker 1: Like what is it about this place to feel so

515
00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,359
Speaker 1: magical for you? I mean it's magical, so I get it.

516
00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:22,760
Speaker 1: The light, the energy of the mountains.

517
00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:28,440
Speaker 3: When I started to have some success, and time off

518
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,040
Speaker 3: was a commodity and a commodity that I needed to

519
00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:35,359
Speaker 3: be able to maximize to fly back to Australia. If

520
00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:37,760
Speaker 3: you had two weeks off, forget it catches up when

521
00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:43,680
Speaker 3: you're young, you know, green rookie, make those mistakes a

522
00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,240
Speaker 3: little older and you have good people around you.

523
00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:48,480
Speaker 1: Four days of travel out of fourteen is a lot.

524
00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:50,760
Speaker 3: Maybe it's going to build up if you do it

525
00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:56,480
Speaker 3: a few times. So that was my a goal really

526
00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:58,920
Speaker 3: was so that It's not that I didn't want to

527
00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,920
Speaker 3: go back to Australia. But I wanted to conserve play

528
00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:07,160
Speaker 3: the whole year without being too fatigued, so I came here.

529
00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:11,400
Speaker 3: I looked at Florida first, but you know, as we're

530
00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,639
Speaker 3: talking live, i' mean red hair, freckles, fair skin, you know,

531
00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:18,520
Speaker 3: me and the sun and humidity just do not go well.

532
00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:22,720
Speaker 3: I wilted in those conditions. But dry heat where I'm

533
00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:27,520
Speaker 3: from in Adelaide, I'm very similar. So after having a

534
00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:31,520
Speaker 3: look at Orlando, having a look at around Miami, different

535
00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:35,640
Speaker 3: parts of Florida, thinking wow, I just don't think that's

536
00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:39,240
Speaker 3: for me. Next stop was coming here to play the tournament.

537
00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:41,760
Speaker 3: From the moment that I arrived and I saw the

538
00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:45,359
Speaker 3: mountains snow capped as clearly, I mean, you really do

539
00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:47,240
Speaker 3: feel like you can just reach out and touch them.

540
00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:52,680
Speaker 3: I was really starting to get into golf. Todd loved

541
00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,119
Speaker 3: his golf. Our coach at the time, loved his golf

542
00:27:55,160 --> 00:28:00,640
Speaker 3: as well. Ray Ruffles. You go, and all I saw

543
00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:02,480
Speaker 3: was this oasis of golf course.

544
00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:03,240
Speaker 1: It's pretty magic.

545
00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:07,080
Speaker 3: What got me over the line, though, was Rod Labor.

546
00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,720
Speaker 3: He was a member of Mission Hills where I've I've

547
00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:15,080
Speaker 3: had maintained a home there for the length of time.

548
00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,600
Speaker 3: When I first purchased a property here. He worked out

549
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,200
Speaker 3: of there, and I'm thinking, well, rocket.

550
00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:23,879
Speaker 1: Rocket Rod Lavers got pretty red.

551
00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:27,000
Speaker 3: Hair, freckles left handed if it's working for him and

552
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,040
Speaker 3: working from at Woodford. Besides the fact that Mission Hills

553
00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,880
Speaker 3: it was home to Martina Navradlova. Yeah, Chris Evett, Lloyd,

554
00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,480
Speaker 3: Michael Chang, Pete Sam Press.

555
00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,760
Speaker 1: Got some building practice, buddies. You got to check a

556
00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,239
Speaker 1: few boxes, a few nuds, familiar nuds at the bar

557
00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:44,200
Speaker 1: at the country club. Yeah, not a.

558
00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:48,479
Speaker 3: Body close to La. A lot closer to La than

559
00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:50,240
Speaker 3: where Florida was when I.

560
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,320
Speaker 1: Was LA means close to Australia.

561
00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,640
Speaker 3: I mean, that's all. I didn't want to I didn't

562
00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:58,400
Speaker 3: want to have to travel the thirty that it wasn't

563
00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,360
Speaker 3: exciting to travel thirteen hour was to get to LA

564
00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:05,600
Speaker 3: or San Francisco and then travel another five over to Florida. Yeah,

565
00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,720
Speaker 3: you know, I just get into La, hire a car,

566
00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:14,680
Speaker 3: drive out are and I was home. So yeah, I

567
00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:18,720
Speaker 3: just I loved the conditions. I wasn't. I wasn't wilting

568
00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:20,000
Speaker 3: in the hot.

569
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,280
Speaker 1: You don't seem to be wilthy, you seem to be thrown.

570
00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:27,200
Speaker 3: And look. Eventually, you know, met my wife, and when

571
00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,480
Speaker 3: I decided to, you know, call it a day, we

572
00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:34,960
Speaker 3: had probably the choices of, you know, whether to make

573
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,520
Speaker 3: the base here Australia was an option. I did have

574
00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:42,120
Speaker 3: a base in Europe at the time, and you know

575
00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:45,040
Speaker 3: her family was was around here as well. When so

576
00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:48,320
Speaker 3: we elected to. I mean, and I haven't lived I

577
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:50,600
Speaker 3: never felt like I've lived anywhere full time since I

578
00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:54,520
Speaker 3: was seventeen. I mean, that is the life of touring professional.

579
00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:59,080
Speaker 3: It's year round. I didn't take a whole lot of

580
00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:01,200
Speaker 3: time off. Again when I had a place in Europe,

581
00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,480
Speaker 3: a place here, place in Australia. If I had three

582
00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:06,920
Speaker 3: or four weeks off, I would travel back home. But

583
00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,120
Speaker 3: you know I had my hat laying here as well

584
00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,560
Speaker 3: as Europe. But my wife in the end said, you know,

585
00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,080
Speaker 3: if you're giving me the choice, then I would love to,

586
00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,320
Speaker 3: you know, be able to raise our kids here. And

587
00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:22,200
Speaker 3: I love the desert and it's looked. I mean, I

588
00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:26,080
Speaker 3: go back to Australia every year, sure, of course, but

589
00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:27,520
Speaker 3: this is this is our home.

590
00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:29,360
Speaker 1: Well, I have one more question that I'm going to

591
00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:30,640
Speaker 1: let you go because I know you want to see

592
00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:34,520
Speaker 1: what ended up happening with that Tomo TITTI pass match, Yeah,

593
00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:42,080
Speaker 1: we're here. Racket is about making culture, art, history connect

594
00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:43,840
Speaker 1: with tennis a little bit more. That's kind of what

595
00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:47,440
Speaker 1: we missioned number one for us and making it feel

596
00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,280
Speaker 1: a little bit more accessible and for me seeing how

597
00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:52,640
Speaker 1: much the support has changed, seeing how much more inclusive

598
00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,480
Speaker 1: it's gotten, how much more diverse it's gotten, yes, and

599
00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:58,560
Speaker 1: how much it's really embraced sustainability. You know, I'm just

600
00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:01,640
Speaker 1: kind of curious from you, who has been for thirty

601
00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:05,200
Speaker 1: years a stalwart in the sport in various facets, what

602
00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,720
Speaker 1: do you see that's sort of encouraging about the sport

603
00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:09,600
Speaker 1: and maybe what's one or two things you feel like

604
00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:10,920
Speaker 1: we still have a lot of ways to go.

605
00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:14,840
Speaker 3: Well. I think for me firsthand is you know, just

606
00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:17,920
Speaker 3: being here in the desert in the Coachella Valley, and

607
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,920
Speaker 3: you know, I live at one of the nicest clubs

608
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,480
Speaker 3: I think in the area, Mission Hills Country Club. It's

609
00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:28,360
Speaker 3: been home to one of the golf majors. They've had

610
00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:31,280
Speaker 3: a number of tennis events that have held Davis Cup.

611
00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:37,560
Speaker 3: They used to one of the early showings of the

612
00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,120
Speaker 3: tournament here that is now at Indy Wells was actually

613
00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:42,560
Speaker 3: played at Mission Hills.

614
00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:45,680
Speaker 1: Of course, before this was Tennis Paradise.

615
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:50,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, so I'm you know, I love the fact that

616
00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:54,920
Speaker 3: tennis has been you say about being inclusive. Our next

617
00:31:54,960 --> 00:32:01,440
Speaker 3: door neighbors are a gay couple and he runs some

618
00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:07,440
Speaker 3: tournaments for for people in the desert.

619
00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:10,280
Speaker 1: It's real gay out here. I'll say that market. As

620
00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,040
Speaker 1: a gay person, I feel like it's always coming home.

621
00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:16,440
Speaker 3: It's a it's a raw rainbow city. But the fact

622
00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:20,000
Speaker 3: that you know, Mission Hills and some of the other

623
00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:23,640
Speaker 3: country clubs here, I'm not frightened of actually holding events

624
00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:29,120
Speaker 3: for a variety of people, but they're you know, open

625
00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,960
Speaker 3: arms and it's something that I've noticed certainly over the

626
00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:36,400
Speaker 3: last ten years, those barriers are starting to come down,

627
00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:41,960
Speaker 3: and I think it's fantastic. Even in Australia this year

628
00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:43,560
Speaker 3: there was a particular day.

629
00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:46,600
Speaker 1: That they did a great I have to say Tennis

630
00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:49,480
Speaker 1: Australia has been on the forefront and a lot of ways,

631
00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:52,400
Speaker 1: not only in terms of inclusivity, but just seeing their

632
00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:54,880
Speaker 1: innovations for the tournament, for the Slams, for the connection

633
00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:57,160
Speaker 1: to the city of Melbourne. I wish the US Open

634
00:32:57,200 --> 00:33:00,000
Speaker 1: would take notes from them because it's so important.

635
00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:02,680
Speaker 3: The four slams work together, and I think they do

636
00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:06,080
Speaker 3: take a leaf out of each other's book. But you

637
00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:09,480
Speaker 3: know the way that these tournaments are now evolved even here.

638
00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,920
Speaker 3: Gone are the times where you would just come, buy

639
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,400
Speaker 3: your ticket and go watch the tennis. Now it is

640
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:20,160
Speaker 3: an event. It is about entertainment, and you know, we

641
00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:25,240
Speaker 3: have tournaments that pride themselves on restaurants. On the eateries

642
00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:28,000
Speaker 3: that they that they provide here is not too shabby.

643
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,880
Speaker 1: There's a number of bad but it's a whole experience.

644
00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:35,880
Speaker 3: It's it's like a concert has been played at certain times,

645
00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:39,880
Speaker 3: So tennis it's not just going out and playing our

646
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:42,320
Speaker 3: sport these days. Or you know, if you're if you're

647
00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:44,480
Speaker 3: thinking that you're just buying your ticket, boy, there's a

648
00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:46,320
Speaker 3: whole lot more that comes and buying a ticket when

649
00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:48,960
Speaker 3: you come to these great events. So kind of feel,

650
00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:54,440
Speaker 3: you know, you know, really part part of that scene

651
00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:58,760
Speaker 3: that I'm commentating at some of the majors and I

652
00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:00,440
Speaker 3: get a buzz out of that and just seeing the

653
00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:03,600
Speaker 3: building process of these events that are putting out so

654
00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:06,040
Speaker 3: much for the fan to actually have one of the

655
00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,279
Speaker 3: great experiences of watching some marquee players. But hang on,

656
00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:12,040
Speaker 3: I can get a good feed, you know, in between

657
00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:14,040
Speaker 3: as I'm waiting for my next favorite player.

658
00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,239
Speaker 1: That was such an Australian where freezing that I can

659
00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:18,680
Speaker 1: get a good feed that was fucking like a true assic.

660
00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:20,160
Speaker 1: All right, well, Mark, it has been a delight to

661
00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:22,640
Speaker 1: have you. Now the collection of the Woodies is completed

662
00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:24,640
Speaker 1: on this podcast. Thank you, thank you, thank you so

663
00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:26,920
Speaker 1: much for making time. And let's let's get back in

664
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:27,880
Speaker 1: there and watching tennis.

665
00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,880
Speaker 3: I'm looking for it. Come on, Tom, he's got to

666
00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:31,239
Speaker 3: take on.

667
00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:33,759
Speaker 1: As a as a sharer of the Thompson last name.

668
00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:35,719
Speaker 1: I am rooting for the tom O's of the world.

669
00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:38,000
Speaker 1: There going one. All right, a pleasure, Mark, thank you

670
00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:38,520
Speaker 1: so much