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Speaker 1: Guys, it's a struggle.

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Speaker 2: No, no, don't talk about Struggle'll talk about how wonderful it

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Speaker 2: is to be here.

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Speaker 1: For this our a last a pod together while we're

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Speaker 1: in New York.

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Speaker 2: It's right.

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Speaker 1: And we woke up today, ladies and gentlemen, to a

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Speaker 1: winter wonderland here in New York City, which you know

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Speaker 1: a lot of people that live in New York. I

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Speaker 1: love it because I'm leaving tomorrow, so I'm going to

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Speaker 1: snow a son. But a lot of people in New

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Speaker 1: York are probably bitterly unhappy about how cold it is

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Speaker 1: already in the city. How do you feel about it

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Speaker 1: because you are stuck here? Sorry, buddy.

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Speaker 2: I love it, And in fact, I decided very early

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Speaker 2: this morning while it was snowing, to get my boots

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Speaker 2: on and go walk to get a breakfast sandwich for

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Speaker 2: my wife, because I mainly just wanted to be outside

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Speaker 2: in the snow.

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Speaker 1: Oh wow, well I did. I had a nice visit

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Speaker 1: yesterday with my old Doubles partner Lisa Raymond came into

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Speaker 1: town legend and we had a lovely day. We just

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Speaker 1: we went and did some You know, I have my

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Speaker 1: favorite cafe that's a couple of blocks from me Cafe

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Speaker 1: mod in the East Village, and then we went to

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Speaker 1: Las Tacos, which is the Bomb Skindy Bomb. It's the

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Speaker 1: best taco in the city. It is the best chicken

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Speaker 1: taco in the city of New York. And I'm not

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Speaker 1: going to tell you where the one I went to

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Speaker 1: because it is still a bit of a hidden secret

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Speaker 1: because it's you nice here, and the one down is

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Speaker 1: soho gets packed and this one, I'm like, strategically nowhere

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Speaker 1: to go.

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Speaker 2: I'm sure people could google it.

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Speaker 1: Well, yeah, but you know, the tourists and end up

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Speaker 1: going to the one. And so because this is the

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Speaker 1: shopping where is this one near, I'm just going to say,

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Speaker 1: because you're going to look it up, the one near

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Speaker 1: Union Square hasn't been like taken over by tourists yet,

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Speaker 1: because that's that's going to be like a local place

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Speaker 1: because it's near Union Square. I love it anyway, Well,

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Speaker 1: that sounds fun those men, so Lisa and I and

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Speaker 1: then we went we went to a lovely little place

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Speaker 1: in the West Village and yeah, we haven't we haven't

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Speaker 1: seen each other in ages, so it was really nice

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Speaker 1: to hang out. And people always ask me, you guys

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Speaker 1: still friends? I like, yeah, we're still friends. I'm friends

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Speaker 1: with all my old doubles partners, some even my old girlfriends,

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Speaker 1: me Lisa.

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Speaker 2: Sometimes that ven diagram overlaps.

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Speaker 1: Yes, it does anyway, everybody, thanks for joining us last

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Speaker 1: week for the wrap up of the women's twenty twenty five,

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Speaker 1: and this week we're going to do it with the men's.

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Speaker 1: Last year, we tried to do it in one big thing,

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Speaker 1: and then we realized after an hour, like, oh, we

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Speaker 1: haven't even got to the men. So we figured we'd

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Speaker 1: separate them up. And so here we are for the men's.

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Speaker 1: Let's get into it. Caitlin, is there anything that you

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Speaker 1: would else would like to say?

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Speaker 2: I just think as an overview, you know, the two

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Speaker 2: tours this year could not have been more different. And

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Speaker 2: I think one of the things in listening back to

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Speaker 2: the last episode, you know, and I think this speaks

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Speaker 2: to the strength of both, honestly, but my preference for

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Speaker 2: women's centers is just the variety on the women and

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Speaker 2: the unpredictability, unpredictability and the divergence of storylines. And then

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Speaker 2: you look at the men's and I am going to

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Speaker 2: try really hard today to be talking about it. No, no, no,

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Speaker 2: because I'm in I'm enthusiastic about tennis generally, and I

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Speaker 2: like a lot of these male players. Just if you

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Speaker 2: hear me trying to interject with players who are not

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Speaker 2: Ni Center and Carlos Outgraz, it is my attempt to

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Speaker 2: battle my own, my own boredom with their incredible dominance.

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Speaker 2: Because on the flip side, it must be said, this

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Speaker 2: year was all about them, all about that, So I

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Speaker 2: will try to bring in other players when relevant, because

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Speaker 2: I really do like the variety, and the men because

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Speaker 2: they were so good, didn't offer us much.

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Speaker 1: No, And you know, look, we did talk about the

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Speaker 1: fact that I think one of the reasons why we

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Speaker 1: wanted to talk about the women first because it was

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Speaker 1: just so much more interesting this year with all the

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Speaker 1: four different winners of majors again with Maddy Coco, Eger, Sablenka,

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Speaker 1: And don't be surprised if we get a similar thing

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Speaker 1: next year with the women, with the added extra of

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Speaker 1: maybe Amanda an Asimova winning one next year and you

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Speaker 1: gave her your favorite Player of the Year, and Sabalanka

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Speaker 1: certainly deserves Player of the Year. But you know, you

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Speaker 1: could make arguments for a lot of those players. But

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Speaker 1: on the men's side, it's pretty bloody obvious who the

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Speaker 1: players of the year are. And you said before we

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Speaker 1: started the podcast that you think your player of the

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Speaker 1: year was Sinner And I think the ATP and the

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Speaker 1: number one ranking went to Carlos al Karez, and I

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Speaker 1: say he will probably get Player of the Year from

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Speaker 1: the ATP unless it's already been announced and I missed it.

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Speaker 1: But your thoughts player your player of the year, I mean, well,

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Speaker 1: we get to Match of the Year and all that

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Speaker 1: sort of stuff.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, we'll break down, you know, as we did for

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Speaker 2: the women. Players we maybe hoped better for, and maybe

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Speaker 2: you want to look forward to coming back, players that

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Speaker 2: are injured, pillaris are retired. Well, we'll go through all

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Speaker 2: of it like we did with the women. But I think,

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Speaker 2: you know, despite my preference for a Carlos, the fact

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Speaker 2: that the two slams he won this year, to me

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Speaker 2: were more sort of exciting. If not the US Open

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Speaker 2: being the most competitive match, then you know, the French

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Speaker 2: Open certainly was. I think center you think, wait, you

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Speaker 2: think the.

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Speaker 1: US Open is more competitive?

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Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, no, sorry, I think the US Open was less

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Speaker 2: competitive than it was because I know knew allistoners were

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Speaker 2: out there about to like tweet you sure, no, I thought.

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Speaker 2: I think the two slams that Carlos Alcarez won one

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Speaker 2: was competitive against Center, which couldn't have been more competitive honestly,

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Speaker 2: the French Open, which we'll talk about at length, and

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Speaker 2: the US Open, which yes, it was not that competitive

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Speaker 2: a match against Center, but the dominance, yes, maybe Center

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Speaker 2: was a little hurt. But like the dominance in the

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Speaker 2: Carlos in his purest form was exciting to watch for

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Speaker 2: those of us who like his creative style of tennis.

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Speaker 2: That said, I think for me, Cinner won the big

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Speaker 2: matches in the big moments when I wasn't expecting him to,

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Speaker 2: and that Wimbledon alone was probably to me worth him

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Speaker 2: being the Player of the Year. And the fact that

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Speaker 2: he ended up, you know, winning the at pre tour finals,

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Speaker 2: which we knew who would because it's, yeah, you know,

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Speaker 2: a fast indoor court.

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Speaker 1: Gonna get too much of an argument with me that

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Speaker 1: he didn't deserve to be Player of the Year as well.

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Speaker 1: I mean, you think about the amount of months that

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Speaker 1: he missed.

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Speaker 2: That's the other thing. He a huge chunk of the

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Speaker 2: year that he didn't even play and win a ton.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know, looking at and also let's not

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Speaker 1: forget he was one point away from winning the French Open,

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Speaker 1: so he would have had these strain open the French Open,

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Speaker 1: then goes and possibly wins Wimbledon. No such thing as

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Speaker 1: if if, but potentially could have you know, looking at

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Speaker 1: calendar Grand Slam. If he does win that French Open,

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Speaker 1: he certainly would have been fairly I think he would

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Speaker 1: have been a lot more jacked about the US Open.

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Speaker 1: He looked tired at the US Open to me in

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Speaker 1: the final. But having said that, you know, Alcaraz did

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Speaker 1: what he did at the French was remarkable to come

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Speaker 1: back and win that match. Because if you had paused

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Speaker 1: that match at two sets to love, three five, love

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Speaker 1: forty and said to me, okay, I'll give you ten

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Speaker 1: million dollars if you says wins, or I'll give you

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Speaker 1: a million dollars for Sinner, you'd be like, I'll take

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Speaker 1: a million all day long. There's no way you're betting

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Speaker 1: against Sinner to lose that match, not with the fact

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Speaker 1: that he was serving well all the things, and also

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Speaker 1: love forty. I mean, it was unheard of what happened

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Speaker 1: in that match, and arguably for me, Look, I've seen

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Speaker 1: some amazing we'll get to that match of the year,

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Speaker 1: but I think you're right in that Sinner could could

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Speaker 1: get do that. And when you look at the amount

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Speaker 1: of points twelve fifty points from Alcaraz for the year,

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Speaker 1: Sinner eleven thousand, five hundred, so only five hundred points

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Speaker 1: behind al Karz and missing two months, it's hard not

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Speaker 1: to say that he possibly without missing those events, probably,

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Speaker 1: as you said also with the ATP finals, arguably is

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Speaker 1: the player.

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Speaker 2: Of the year if you do the math, because you

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Speaker 2: also have an interesting prize money stat if you do

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Speaker 2: the math, and you said men's tennis season is roughly

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Speaker 2: ten months long, which I think it's even longer, but

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Speaker 2: let's say for a given sac it's ten months old.

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Speaker 2: He missed two months of that, and so for me,

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Speaker 2: the fact that he plead less and won almost as much,

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Speaker 2: his win rate was higher his prize money, and the

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Speaker 2: fact that he won, you know, the last term of

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Speaker 2: the year to me. You know, again, you could probably

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Speaker 2: make this argument a thousand different ways, which is something

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Speaker 2: that you know, these big rivalry discussions, especially when we

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Speaker 2: had Ralpha and Rajah, which is the most similar comparison.

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Speaker 1: Rafa and Novak there for a little bit totally. But yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean you're right, Caitlin, because Alcoa has won. His

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Speaker 1: win lost record this year was seventy one and nine

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Speaker 1: with eight titles, remarkable nine losses only and then you

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Speaker 1: flip that around and see that Janick Sinner was fifty

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Speaker 1: eight and six lost less. Obviously one less, but that

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Speaker 1: chunk of a couple of months big tournaments, I believe, Miami,

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Speaker 1: Indian Wells, those are big tournaments to miss. And Sinner

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Speaker 1: won nineteen over nineteen million dollars and alcro has won

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Speaker 1: eighteen point eight million dollars. So that in and of

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Speaker 1: itself shows you how much Sinner one more in the

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Speaker 1: big matches. Right when winning that ATP Finals was sort

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Speaker 1: of like the it was almost like that should have

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Speaker 1: been the tipping point who wins Player of the Year.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, in a lot of ways, and to me, I

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Speaker 2: think it kind of was.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, well I don't, as I said, I

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Speaker 1: don't know what they've done with the announcement on that.

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Speaker 2: Well, you made an interesting stat Yannick Sinner won eighteen

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Speaker 2: million dollars this year.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, And just so everybody knows stuffy Graff for all

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Speaker 1: the Germans out there, won nineteen million dollars in her career,

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Speaker 1: her entire career, and you know how many major titles

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Speaker 1: she won, twenty two, twenty two. So just take that

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Speaker 1: and just lock that in the bank and think, Wow,

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Speaker 1: how lucky these players are to be playing the sport

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Speaker 1: that they're playing now When stephie Graff, who won not

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Speaker 1: only just you win twenty two Grand Slams, but one

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Speaker 1: like I don't know, well, over sixty tournaments probably I'd

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Speaker 1: look it up, but.

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Speaker 2: Plus a buttloaded doubles. Yeah, she had the career, the

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Speaker 2: calendar gold nobody else has done ever.

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Speaker 1: You know, Lisa Raymond and I happened to watch. We

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Speaker 1: were going through some YouTube stuff last night for something else,

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Speaker 1: and because my algorithm has like old tennis matches on

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Speaker 1: an old match came up of Steffi Graff, Gabriella Sabatini

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Speaker 1: playing doubles against Martina Navradlova and Hannah Manlakova. US Open.

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Speaker 1: It's incredible, and were you were like, look at these

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Speaker 1: guys playing. First of all, nobody talked, nobody high five,

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Speaker 1: no one went to a towel, no one was gimmy sick.

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Speaker 1: They were literally like, hit go to the next point, Hit,

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Speaker 1: go to the next point. It was. It's on YouTube,

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Speaker 1: go find it. It's hilarious. And second of all, can

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Speaker 1: I just say when people are like, oh my god,

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Speaker 1: the doubles players, Oh so and so's a great volley

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Speaker 1: I go, no, no, no, no, there is arguably not

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Speaker 1: one great volleyer. And when people say to me, oh, yeah,

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Speaker 1: but she's a great volley I go no, no, no.

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Speaker 1: Great volleyers are people that can folly on the service line. Okay,

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Speaker 1: So when you serve in volley and someone hits the

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Speaker 1: living crap out of a return or even a low

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Speaker 1: soft return, and you're hitting a volley from the service

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Speaker 1: line perfectly back to the baseline or down the line

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Speaker 1: or whatever without swing, volleying or taking a chop at it,

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Speaker 1: that's a great volleyer. Okay. So that doesn't really exist

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Speaker 1: anymore on tour, there is not. I would say Carolina

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Speaker 1: Mukhova might be the most classic sort of you know,

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Speaker 1: we're talking about vollying from your shoes, vollying on the

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Speaker 1: service line. I'm not talking about on top of the net.

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Speaker 1: I'm not talking about poaching yes, a lot of the

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Speaker 1: great doubles players, you know, poach at the net and

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Speaker 1: they just hit the shit out the ball. That's fine,

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Speaker 1: but we're talking classic volleyer. I would argue there's not

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Speaker 1: one player on tour that can do it anymore.

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Speaker 2: On the men's side, who was the last?

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Speaker 1: I take it aback Sarah RANI can volley from the

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Speaker 1: mid court pretty well.

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Speaker 2: Who what was the last? Especially because this is the

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Speaker 2: men's episode, what was the last great servant Baralier Mail,

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Speaker 2: pat Rafter?

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Speaker 1: Pat Rafter? Probably, I'd probably say him as far as

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Speaker 1: no the were about the same time, but I would

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Speaker 1: say pat Rafter, multiple US Open champion, I would put

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Speaker 1: him in that category. I think after that it was

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Speaker 1: kind of like that's when Roger and Rafa and those

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Speaker 1: guys came, you know, around the time were young, when

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Speaker 1: Pat was sort.

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Speaker 2: Of would you say, actually Roger was the last great

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Speaker 2: servant valayer because at the beginning, because he certainly could

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Speaker 2: volley his major tactic, and then as the strings got

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Speaker 2: better in the fitness and.

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Speaker 1: You see him when he beat Pete Tampress at Wimberland.

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Speaker 1: He was serve and volving all the time. So Russ

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Speaker 1: was completely different then, But yes, I would say that Pete.

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Speaker 1: I would say that Roger is probably the last great

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Speaker 1: player that could serve and volley legitimately. Yeah, so that

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Speaker 1: doesn't really exist anymore. I mean, there's certainly some players

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Speaker 1: out there to still serving volley, but when it comes

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Speaker 1: to the top ten, that doesn't exist anymore. So anyway,

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Speaker 1: I just thought it was interesting. I don't know whose

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Speaker 1: player of the year. I would argue that Janick deserves

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Speaker 1: Player of the Year only because he came so close

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Speaker 1: also to winning the French Open, and then he wins

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Speaker 1: the ATP finals.

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Speaker 2: Well he did.

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Speaker 1: You know what I'd like to do?

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Speaker 2: Tell me, you get them to split it from co

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Speaker 2: I get out of here, Get out of here.

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Speaker 1: I don't know. I just like them both so much.

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Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to them just continuing this incredible rise.

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Speaker 1: But when you talk about the points, twelve thousand, yeah,

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Speaker 1: eleven and a half, and then everyone else, and then

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Speaker 1: he going out to number three, which is Verev, I

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Speaker 1: don't even know how he's ranked three. Is a one

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Speaker 1: hundred and sixty. That is half of the amount of points,

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Speaker 1: less than half the amount of points of both of

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Speaker 1: those players. Bananas. I mean you cannot tell me that

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Speaker 1: it's competitive. It's not competitive. And then after that it's

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Speaker 1: of course Novak Djokovic at forty eight point thirty and

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Speaker 1: he played and you know, well he didn't play that much.

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Speaker 1: He actually played more than Sinner and Alkirez. He played

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Speaker 1: twenty tournaments, Yannick played eighteen, and Alcres played nineteen tournaments.

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Speaker 2: It's crazy.

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Speaker 1: So Zverev twenty four tournaments. He played. Felix Asia Alisim

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Speaker 1: who was next?

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Speaker 2: What'te your mouth?

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Speaker 1: Five played twenty eight tournaments. I mean that's a lot.

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Speaker 1: I mean Taylor Fritz twenty three tournaments, Alex dimon A

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Speaker 1: twenty three tournaments, Musati twenty three tournaments, Ben Shelton twenty

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Speaker 1: three tournaments, Draper seventeen tournaments because of the injury. That's

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Speaker 1: the top ten. So when you're talking about Alex, when

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Speaker 1: you're talking about al Kraz and Sinner, yeah, those guys

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Speaker 1: are dominating while playing less tournaments and everybody else behind them. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: that's how good those guys.

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Speaker 2: It's nuts. The cliff that the ATP Tour falls off

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Speaker 2: after those two is profu.

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Speaker 1: Found going to step in and be competitive with these

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Speaker 1: guys who there's no one I think I think that

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Speaker 1: Jack Draper can. I think that Ben might be able

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Speaker 1: to shock once in a blue moon, just because he

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Speaker 1: has such big weapons and he's kind of scary to

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Speaker 1: play against because of those things. But other than them,

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Speaker 1: I don't see anyone jeof wan Seka, not yet.

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Speaker 2: No.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, there is nobody out there that is as even

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Speaker 1: remotely as good as these two guys.

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Speaker 2: That's why you need. You need to watch the tournaments

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Speaker 2: where they don't play, like the incredible Showdown in Kazakhstan,

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Speaker 2: for example, where Quarantine Mute, one of my favorite French guys,

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Speaker 2: got all the way finals before running into Danil Medvedev,

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Speaker 2: who we should talk about totally separately, who won his

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Speaker 2: only title of the year and finished outside the top ten. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: but at least he won one title. But like, that's

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Speaker 2: sort of what I look for for the popcorn matches

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Speaker 2: on the ATP Tour because up until the finals, it's

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Speaker 2: not super competitive, so it's just you know, for me,

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Speaker 2: it's like watching the first couple of seasons of F one,

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Speaker 2: The F one Show Drive to survive mainly because they

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Speaker 2: didn't have access to you know, your Lewis Hamilton's or

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Speaker 2: your Max Vershtoppins, and so they had to focus on

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Speaker 2: who was going to podium between ten and eleven or

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Speaker 2: who was going to still make points, And you know,

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Speaker 2: the micro dramas were what drew you in totally because

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Speaker 2: you knew the finishers were always going to be the

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Speaker 2: same one or two teams.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it got very boring with a stop and winning

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Speaker 1: like everything, and then also brought pride to that. It

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Speaker 1: was Lewis Hamilton said right away with it and now

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Speaker 1: at least the interesting this year totally because it got

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Speaker 1: real interesting in the last couple of races and a

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Speaker 1: new a new land On Ours congratulations champ.

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Speaker 2: In the form in Atlanta Ours. So I think for me,

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Speaker 2: I try to focus on the fact that who's gonna

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Speaker 2: have who's gonna have the privilege of getting to the

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Speaker 2: semis to lose to one of these guys, who's gonna

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Speaker 2: have the privilege of being the person standing up on

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Speaker 2: the podium next to them in the finals as opposed

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Speaker 2: to you know, who's gonna realistically champion to challenge them?

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Speaker 2: Because I think you're right, you know, there's a lot

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Speaker 2: to like in that top ten. The only person in

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Speaker 2: my mind, both because I like him, so I'm biased,

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Speaker 2: and because I think he has enough game, is Jack Draper?

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Speaker 2: To me?

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Speaker 1: I think Jack Draper for sure.

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Speaker 2: I don't get he's Ben Shelton because he has tons

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Speaker 2: of weapons but not a brain is not real. I

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Speaker 2: just don't think he can construct points well either way.

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Speaker 2: Getting better at that so the way that you need

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Speaker 2: to hang in and win enough in a five.

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Speaker 1: Set match, I think he I think I was getting

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Speaker 1: better at that. He's definitely improved immensely and I think

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Speaker 1: that has helped him a great deal. And if he

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Speaker 1: can continue to work on the backhand, I think he

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Speaker 1: can be a threat. His fourhand is huge, service obviously huge.

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Speaker 1: His volleys can get much better as well. I think

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Speaker 1: he chops down on them way too much. He's sort

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Speaker 1: of like a little bit like Alcarez the way he

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Speaker 1: chops down, but Alcohaz is just better. Feel, he's quicker

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Speaker 1: to get in. He's got just his understanding of when

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Speaker 1: to hit the volley or where to hit the volleys better,

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Speaker 1: his variety with the drop shot, he just has so much.

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Speaker 1: There's just no weakness. That's the bottom line, is that

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Speaker 1: those two guys at the top just have no weaknesses

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Speaker 1: and they're just a joy to watch. Interestingly enough, Sinner

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Speaker 1: got Fan Favorite of the Year the third time that's happened,

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Speaker 1: and no one else has done that more than Roger Federer.

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Speaker 1: So did you find that interesting that they gave the

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Speaker 1: fan favorite was Sinner over Alcarez.

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Speaker 2: Certainly because I think they're for two reasons. Number one,

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Speaker 2: I think one of the things that is a little

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Speaker 2: tragic about Center, although I sort of agree with it,

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Speaker 2: his charms sort of like the scheme stale of a

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Speaker 2: Novak Djokovic for example, who defends so well and there's

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Speaker 2: no weaknesses, but it's not flashy or particularly you know,

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Speaker 2: you know, well.

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Speaker 1: It doesn't have the quite have the flare of our Christ,

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Speaker 1: but right nobody does. It's like the difference between Roger

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Speaker 1: and Novak. It's like it doesn't have was. I would

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Speaker 1: argue and say that Nadal was a He wasn't boring

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Speaker 1: at all. He was also no, it wasn't like Roger,

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Speaker 1: but he had some he had something there. He had

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Speaker 1: that forehand, the banana like we used to call it,

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Speaker 1: you know, and he did have the drop shot on

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Speaker 1: the back end. In particular, he had an each servant

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Speaker 1: volley and also his his.

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Speaker 2: Fine court PERSONA was so gauged and fired up that

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Speaker 2: even if you found maybe his patterns or some of

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Speaker 2: his execution less than thrilling, he was so emotionally invested. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: you totally help the emotionally where's cinner? You know? And

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Speaker 2: you could say the same about Jokovic. Not all the

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Speaker 2: time he's calm as a cucumber, and then he explodes

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Speaker 2: and it actually helps him, and then it's better, and

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Speaker 2: then you know, that's part of the Djokovic experience where

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Speaker 2: a center is just cool to you could comber the

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Speaker 2: whole time he's I was called and so it is

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Speaker 2: surprising to me that he won fan favorite A because

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Speaker 2: of that, because his charms are less evident on the surface.

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Speaker 2: And then B, I'm not sure if I started it

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Speaker 2: with an A. So let's go with you did two B.

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Speaker 2: Because there is some controversy about his course suspension. You know,

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Speaker 2: obviously we've discussed it at length, so I don't want

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Speaker 2: to reinterrogate, you know, the pros and cons of dat

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Speaker 2: or whatever. But it does seem like there's no other

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Speaker 2: controversy tagging any of the other players in contention, And

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Speaker 2: so I have a theory I'm a little shock there,

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Speaker 2: to be honest.

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Speaker 1: My theory is the way he handled the French Open

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Speaker 1: loss I think really endeared himself to a lot of fans.

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Speaker 2: It endeared him to me certainly, absolutely.

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Speaker 1: I think that that made him and the way he

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Speaker 1: handled it and the way then he went and won Wimbledon,

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Speaker 1: and the way he even talked about his loss of

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Speaker 1: the French and his admiration of Carlos and how he

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Speaker 1: makes him a better play and even the way you

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Speaker 1: handled the loss at the US Open, how he talked

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Speaker 1: about that, how he said, you know, Carlos did this

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Speaker 1: different and that different, and that makes me need to

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Speaker 1: I just think I dared himself in that moment at

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Speaker 1: the French Open, just like as a rinker, just like

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Speaker 1: Amanda Anisimova did at Wimbledon with her loss. She will

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Speaker 1: so be beloved, kind of like Jana Novotna when she

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Speaker 1: broke down at wembled after not winning that final against

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Speaker 1: stephie Graff. She was beloved at Wembledon after that because

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Speaker 1: of it, and I think that she will be loved

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00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:30,320
Speaker 1: so much at Wembled.

434
00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,400
Speaker 2: I became an Andy Murray fan, someone who's I found

435
00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,520
Speaker 2: very boring whose patterns I thought were a snooze fest

436
00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:40,680
Speaker 2: and whose you know again, charms were not evident when

437
00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,320
Speaker 2: he cried in front of Center court and what was it,

438
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,480
Speaker 2: twenty eleven or twenty twelve, losing to roter Feeder and

439
00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:50,639
Speaker 2: all of a sudden, you know, it's like the Raki

440
00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:53,840
Speaker 2: for Ivan Drago. You know, he's just a man. He bleeds, yeah, yeah,

441
00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,080
Speaker 2: and you think, oh, well this guy, now, I got

442
00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:56,800
Speaker 2: a root for him. See.

443
00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,000
Speaker 1: I was rooted for him because I knew him personally,

444
00:20:59,119 --> 00:20:59,679
Speaker 1: so I knew what.

445
00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:01,640
Speaker 2: He was like. I thought you were going to say

446
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,919
Speaker 2: your theory was that Italy votes as a block. Well,

447
00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,400
Speaker 2: that was like the Eurovision that was like they got

448
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:09,800
Speaker 2: everyone to jam the phone lines.

449
00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,000
Speaker 1: That's also my theory I see, is that all of

450
00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:13,919
Speaker 1: Italy voted for him because they love him so much.

451
00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:14,520
Speaker 1: He's like a god.

452
00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:24,000
Speaker 2: There. So, before we leave the subject of those two,

453
00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,639
Speaker 2: which something tells me we will probably keep returning to

454
00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:30,360
Speaker 2: those two throughout the entirety of our conversation, you alluded

455
00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:32,000
Speaker 2: to what you thought was the match of the year.

456
00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:34,440
Speaker 1: Oh my god, I mean it's not even close. That

457
00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:38,080
Speaker 1: French Open final might be the greatest match I've ever watched.

458
00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:43,480
Speaker 1: I mean it was category men's, category men's, like I

459
00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,520
Speaker 1: think the Novak Nadal final at the Strain Open that

460
00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,440
Speaker 1: was like six hours long. It was arguably one of

461
00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:51,679
Speaker 1: the greatest matches. I would say that the match between

462
00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,760
Speaker 1: Roger and Nadal at Wimbledon, when it finished in that

463
00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,159
Speaker 1: dark and you know the flash Bob's going off at

464
00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,359
Speaker 1: the end. And There's been a lot of great matches

465
00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,600
Speaker 1: in in the men's game, in these classic five set matches,

466
00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:06,440
Speaker 1: But as far as the tennis, I just don't think

467
00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:08,639
Speaker 1: I've ever seen tennis played like that each other and

468
00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,320
Speaker 1: Roger Novak and Roger and Nadal in particular, I'm going

469
00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:16,000
Speaker 1: to say those three that you could find some matches

470
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,440
Speaker 1: that may arguably as good, but I don't remember seeing

471
00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:22,000
Speaker 1: a match where I was just I can't believe what

472
00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,120
Speaker 1: I'm watching here. If there's one moment on the court

473
00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:26,240
Speaker 1: where Yannick did show his vulnerability, and I've talked about

474
00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,080
Speaker 1: it on the pod, if you go back, it was

475
00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:34,199
Speaker 1: when Sinner had that opportunity at love forty to win

476
00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,240
Speaker 1: the game, go back and watch it, and he lost

477
00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:38,760
Speaker 1: the point at thirty forty to go back to deuce.

478
00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:41,400
Speaker 1: He missed it pretty I think it was Love forty

479
00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:43,080
Speaker 1: or thirty forty. I'm not quite sure which one, but

480
00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,280
Speaker 1: you can see he hits a foehand into the net

481
00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:50,920
Speaker 1: and he immediately turns around and looks at Alcaraz's players box.

482
00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,119
Speaker 1: And I believe it was that moment that lost in

483
00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:57,679
Speaker 1: the match, because he is so robotic in those moments

484
00:22:57,720 --> 00:22:59,359
Speaker 1: of like, how does this guy keep his cool? He

485
00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,879
Speaker 1: just walks here, he just lets go of disappointment. Not

486
00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,080
Speaker 1: big deal, Okay, it's Juice, No big deal. And I

487
00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:08,000
Speaker 1: think that moment showed me his He was a incredibly

488
00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,520
Speaker 1: nervous normal don't win a major title, but he doesn't

489
00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:15,600
Speaker 1: show those vulnerabilities. And when I saw him whip his

490
00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:17,880
Speaker 1: head around to look at the players box, I was like, WHOA,

491
00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:21,480
Speaker 1: what happened there? His ship? He got shook. And I

492
00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:23,720
Speaker 1: don't know whether it's they. You all yelled out vamulus,

493
00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:25,119
Speaker 1: you know, to get it back to Juice, and he

494
00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,200
Speaker 1: just he wasn't used to hearing that, because you know,

495
00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,159
Speaker 1: obviously the teams get along and they respect each other

496
00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,760
Speaker 1: a tremendous amount. But there was something in that moment

497
00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:36,600
Speaker 1: that changed his physiology in his mind and his body

498
00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,760
Speaker 1: I swear on my life because he lost the next

499
00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:41,760
Speaker 1: two points and then he went down and played the

500
00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:44,520
Speaker 1: worst service game of the match. And I'm telling you,

501
00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,560
Speaker 1: I think that moment where that showed his vulnerability more

502
00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,240
Speaker 1: than I've ever seen, including all year. I never saw

503
00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,480
Speaker 1: him like that all year, in that very moment. And

504
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,400
Speaker 1: to me, I see those little things as a as

505
00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,600
Speaker 1: a viewer, because I was so emotional. To me, somebody

506
00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:01,359
Speaker 1: who was not emotional would be like, no, a big deal.

507
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,040
Speaker 1: He wasn't. No, what are you kidding? I was like no, No,

508
00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:10,000
Speaker 1: that that physiology, like physically like the philosophy and the psychology,

509
00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:14,040
Speaker 1: and that moment, I promise you changed something like inside

510
00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:16,680
Speaker 1: of him and that's what cost him. I really do

511
00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:17,840
Speaker 1: believe that in that match.

512
00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:22,480
Speaker 2: I think you just articulated why I think for me

513
00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,680
Speaker 2: he was the player of the year. We kind of

514
00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:27,560
Speaker 2: just to go back to that for a second, because

515
00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:29,879
Speaker 2: you know, and you alluded to it, which is just

516
00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:35,399
Speaker 2: he was willing to look into these moments, that very

517
00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:41,200
Speaker 2: brief moment where he gets unsettled and loses his preternatural care.

518
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:43,639
Speaker 2: He was willing to not.

519
00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:45,800
Speaker 1: Only did it, he loses call. I think what happened

520
00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:50,280
Speaker 1: there he also lost his like zenness or his like

521
00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:52,080
Speaker 1: tunnel vision at that moment.

522
00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, it pulled him out of the moment, and it

523
00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:57,840
Speaker 2: changed the way that he stepped up the line reality hit. Yeah,

524
00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,800
Speaker 2: and much like when he assessed and again I think

525
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:02,240
Speaker 2: he was a little bit hurt, even though he didn't

526
00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:04,879
Speaker 2: blame it on any kind of physical ailment. You know,

527
00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:07,320
Speaker 2: in the US Open final, just he was willing to

528
00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:11,200
Speaker 2: stare down in the face, why is this guy beating me?

529
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:15,119
Speaker 2: Why did he win this match so, you know, so

530
00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,440
Speaker 2: so overwhelmingly, And what can I do? And just being

531
00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:20,560
Speaker 2: very honest and saying I need to take more risks.

532
00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:22,840
Speaker 2: I look at him as somebody who is willing to

533
00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,360
Speaker 2: take risks and play big in these big moments. Alchoriz

534
00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,920
Speaker 2: takes risks, and Alacres certainly takes risks, but you saw

535
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:29,960
Speaker 2: him calibrate. And I think to be the player of

536
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:31,720
Speaker 2: the year, and certainly to be a player who's not

537
00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:36,240
Speaker 2: languishing five thousand points behind the leaders like Zverev, I

538
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,879
Speaker 2: look at somebody who has never taken an opportunity to

539
00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:44,560
Speaker 2: improve his ownership his self awareness. You know, obviously his

540
00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:47,920
Speaker 2: game has gotten pretty elite. It's it's he doesn't have

541
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,000
Speaker 2: really any weaknesses. He's got a massive, massive game and

542
00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:53,359
Speaker 2: he should be winning those matches. But the fact that

543
00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:57,040
Speaker 2: he cannot take ownership over, well, he's his own shortcomings.

544
00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:00,800
Speaker 1: His fullhand, his fullhand is it breaks down. It's technically

545
00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,560
Speaker 1: not great. And when he gets nervous and he doesn't

546
00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,960
Speaker 1: go for it, that's the side that breaks down and

547
00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:09,879
Speaker 1: he's not willing to take. I don't know what he

548
00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:12,639
Speaker 1: doesn't go for it on the forehanded, he pus he's

549
00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:13,000
Speaker 1: out on it.

550
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, he starts pushing his forehand. He's just pushing his serve.

551
00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,080
Speaker 2: And I think for me looking at the body of that.

552
00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:21,400
Speaker 1: But that is also Caitlin, that is also technical, right

553
00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:24,880
Speaker 1: if he had a Roger Federer technique on his forehand,

554
00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:28,400
Speaker 1: and you look at Novak Djokovic, you can go back

555
00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,000
Speaker 1: to Novak being twenty years of age, go look at

556
00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:35,600
Speaker 1: his game. His serve is completely different. His forehand is

557
00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:38,480
Speaker 1: completely different to what it was when he was twenty.

558
00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:40,800
Speaker 1: So he was willing to change his sayin, but is

559
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,960
Speaker 1: his serve? Is his serve technically broken? His serve is

560
00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:47,800
Speaker 1: technically is Novak's serve teach no no no is Alex

561
00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,600
Speaker 1: rav serve. Technically it's not great. Yes, I feel like

562
00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,359
Speaker 1: he has too many hitches. You think it's hitched. To me,

563
00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:55,840
Speaker 1: it's all mental. For me, I think he has too

564
00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:58,400
Speaker 1: many hitches in his serve and I think he's forehand

565
00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:01,160
Speaker 1: he has a hitch as well. And that's what I'm saying.

566
00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:05,280
Speaker 1: You can change the technique of a stroke, because the

567
00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:07,920
Speaker 1: greats do that, and Novak Djokovic, to me, is the

568
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:13,320
Speaker 1: epitome of that. Roger fluid, perfect stroke production his whole career.

569
00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:15,880
Speaker 1: If you look at by the way Roger hit the ball,

570
00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,320
Speaker 1: a fourhander back and at twenty very different to her

571
00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,440
Speaker 1: at thirty five, very different. You can change the technique

572
00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:24,960
Speaker 1: of your strokes. Rafael Nadal he looks a little bit

573
00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:26,760
Speaker 1: different than what he did when he was twenty. So

574
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,640
Speaker 1: you have to be willing to take those technical changes

575
00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,560
Speaker 1: even as a great player, and they are great players

576
00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:34,400
Speaker 1: at twenty to be the greatest.

577
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:38,880
Speaker 2: So let's segue this conversation into who in that cohort

578
00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:41,080
Speaker 2: or remember somebody outside of the cohort, like a Jafon

579
00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:42,320
Speaker 2: Sika for example.

580
00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,639
Speaker 1: I think Ben Shelton. I think he's backhand, for example,

581
00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:46,760
Speaker 1: was wo full a year and a half ago, and

582
00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:48,800
Speaker 1: I would say at his best. His back end is

583
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,360
Speaker 1: very good now and it's only going to get back.

584
00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:53,600
Speaker 1: I think his slice can get better. He's a big guy,

585
00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:55,879
Speaker 1: so he's got to improve maybe a little bit on

586
00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:58,440
Speaker 1: the movement. But I think as far as his game

587
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,560
Speaker 1: is concerned, he has a lot. For me, he has

588
00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:03,040
Speaker 1: a lot of upside because I think there's technical things

589
00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:05,720
Speaker 1: in his game that can get much much better.

590
00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:09,680
Speaker 2: I want his coaching to get better.

591
00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,600
Speaker 1: Well, I mean, listen, that's another that's another situation. Look,

592
00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,359
Speaker 1: his dad was a great player himself. He's gotten his

593
00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,600
Speaker 1: son to where he's at. Could he add somebody else

594
00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:22,600
Speaker 1: to his coaching staff, like a Darren Cahill or like

595
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:27,119
Speaker 1: somebody like that that's done great things. Yeah, maybe maybe

596
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:27,880
Speaker 1: we'll see.

597
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,119
Speaker 2: I want him. I want him to add like a

598
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:32,560
Speaker 2: Spanish legend who's just going to be like, make him

599
00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:36,320
Speaker 2: construct points like David Fier, like my good friend w Finish.

600
00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:38,440
Speaker 1: Yeah, they go, well, let's listen, it's we like making

601
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,160
Speaker 1: suggestions here to people, that's for sure. Let's get into So.

602
00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:44,640
Speaker 1: Match of the Year definitely was the finals of the

603
00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:49,440
Speaker 1: French Open. Without a doubt, I would say we got

604
00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:51,640
Speaker 1: to look at who was our disappointments for this year,

605
00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:55,640
Speaker 1: and I think top on that list has to be Medvedev.

606
00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:59,440
Speaker 1: Daniel Medvedev's year was atrocious. He won one tournament that was,

607
00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,720
Speaker 1: as you said, in October in Kazakhstan, beating Mute in

608
00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:07,240
Speaker 1: the final. What's Mehdi going to look like next year?

609
00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,240
Speaker 1: He has a new coaching situation with Thomas Johansen really

610
00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:14,920
Speaker 1: in his corner now, and you know, he was a

611
00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:20,160
Speaker 1: mental disaster this year. What are we going to expect

612
00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:24,080
Speaker 1: from him next year? I don't know, but certainly a

613
00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:26,920
Speaker 1: coaching change will certainly help him. We'll see where he's

614
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,320
Speaker 1: at next year. It's not like he's old. He can

615
00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,360
Speaker 1: certainly come back and play the tennis that we know

616
00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:33,360
Speaker 1: he can. But I would say he's got to be

617
00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,320
Speaker 1: the biggest disappointment of the year. Second, I would play

618
00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:41,000
Speaker 1: I put sitz APAs what is going on there? I mean,

619
00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:43,240
Speaker 1: is his career over? I mean he is ranked thirty

620
00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,560
Speaker 1: four in the world. Now, this is a guy that

621
00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:50,400
Speaker 1: was two in the world. I know he was, you know,

622
00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:53,760
Speaker 1: set away from winning the French Open two times?

623
00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:54,240
Speaker 2: Was he?

624
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:55,520
Speaker 1: So? Yeah?

625
00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,800
Speaker 2: I love I mean, anybody who listens to the show.

626
00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:01,240
Speaker 2: Knows that I have a major soft butt for tecbuts

627
00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:02,520
Speaker 2: I love what he plays, and I have one for

628
00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:06,560
Speaker 2: Medvede I have Yeah, I like too, But yeah, I

629
00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:08,640
Speaker 2: think for me, maybe a little bit more of a

630
00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,960
Speaker 2: subtle take. And I'm gonna twist this instead of saying

631
00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:14,560
Speaker 2: it was a disappointment and just more like someone I

632
00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:17,640
Speaker 2: am curious to see where they will take things next year.

633
00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:23,479
Speaker 2: Is Taylor Fritz. Yeah, but because me had a bit

634
00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:25,720
Speaker 2: of a down year. Obviously, he got to the finals

635
00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:27,960
Speaker 2: the os Open last year, maybe punched above his weight,

636
00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:31,000
Speaker 2: maybe didn't, but he established himself in that top cohort,

637
00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:32,760
Speaker 2: that very top co herd of folks who can go

638
00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:35,760
Speaker 2: very deep anywhere, a threat everywhere, and who can challenge.

639
00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:39,840
Speaker 2: And it wasn't until you know, the kind of meaningless

640
00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,080
Speaker 2: labor Cup that he decided to beat either one of

641
00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,120
Speaker 2: the you know, he took out Carlos Ocres. Now those

642
00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,120
Speaker 2: turns don't matter and they don't mean anything, but the

643
00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:51,320
Speaker 2: very least he ended up holding the balls at the

644
00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,000
Speaker 2: end of one of those matches, which he hadn't done.

645
00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:56,240
Speaker 2: So I wonder what Taylor Fritz has in store for

646
00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:56,840
Speaker 2: us next year.

647
00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:01,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, listen. I've said it. I Michael Russell. I think

648
00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,160
Speaker 1: he's done the most unbelievable job. And Paul Annacone, they've

649
00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:06,080
Speaker 1: done an amazing job with him. I think maybe it's

650
00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:07,680
Speaker 1: time for him to look for a new coach. And

651
00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,959
Speaker 1: I've said it before. I think Michael has done an

652
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:13,160
Speaker 1: amazing job and he will get picked up in a

653
00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:15,680
Speaker 1: nanosecond from a player. Maybe he said to a pass,

654
00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:19,680
Speaker 1: but I think that I think he just needs to

655
00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:22,480
Speaker 1: add something extra, and I've talked about it at nauseum.

656
00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:24,680
Speaker 1: His net play needs to get better, and it can

657
00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:27,200
Speaker 1: get better. It's got to get better if he wants

658
00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:29,600
Speaker 1: to beat these guys in best of five, the Carloses

659
00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:32,440
Speaker 1: and the Yannicks in best of five. He has to

660
00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:34,880
Speaker 1: get better at the net because that's where Carlos and

661
00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:38,520
Speaker 1: differentiate themselves above everybody because they hit the ball so

662
00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:40,080
Speaker 1: well from the back of the court. But they can

663
00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,360
Speaker 1: play at the net and they will finish a point

664
00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,480
Speaker 1: at the net if they must and so and that's

665
00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:47,920
Speaker 1: Taylor can't do that. And that's an area that he

666
00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,080
Speaker 1: can improve by far. He has the serve, he has

667
00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,239
Speaker 1: the groundstrokes, He's moving unbelievable. He has the tenacity, he's

668
00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,240
Speaker 1: got grit. He tries his ass off, he tries to

669
00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:59,560
Speaker 1: get better, but if he doesn't improve his net play,

670
00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:02,959
Speaker 1: will not win those types of matches against those players.

671
00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:09,040
Speaker 1: We had some retirements this year, some of your favorites,

672
00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:12,960
Speaker 1: Caitlin Richard guth Gay finally pulled the plug on his career.

673
00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:15,680
Speaker 2: One of the most beautiful backhands, one of the most

674
00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:20,320
Speaker 2: head scratching grip formations. Yeah, you know he put turner

675
00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:21,959
Speaker 2: grap only halfway up.

676
00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:23,560
Speaker 1: We didn't need it all the way up. He only

677
00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:24,160
Speaker 1: had a one hander.

678
00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:26,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess he only uses three inches of the grip,

679
00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:27,800
Speaker 2: So why cover more of it?

680
00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:29,600
Speaker 1: Now? Why waste? Waste?

681
00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:30,040
Speaker 2: Not? What not?

682
00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:36,160
Speaker 1: As they say, Fabio, I mean, one of the most charismatic,

683
00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:40,040
Speaker 1: class most classic personalities on the tennis squad and also

684
00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:42,720
Speaker 1: a little bit of a clown town. Oh, there were

685
00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:44,920
Speaker 1: clown towns all over the place with him. I mean

686
00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:49,440
Speaker 1: he was like Curios before Curios a lot of times.

687
00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:50,920
Speaker 1: I mean, he would lose his shit on the court

688
00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:54,640
Speaker 1: like nobody else, but there was never anyone that would

689
00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:59,520
Speaker 1: walk with the with the what what is he? I

690
00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:02,320
Speaker 1: don't even know how to talk about this guy's walk.

691
00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:06,640
Speaker 1: I've never seen a cockier yeah, swagger swagger in my

692
00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:09,960
Speaker 1: life on a tennis court. Roger had a real swagger

693
00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:13,520
Speaker 1: walking on the tennis court, but Fabio Fini was walking

694
00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:16,200
Speaker 1: on their court like he was the greatest looking guy

695
00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:20,640
Speaker 1: with no time for anybody else in the world, strut

696
00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:22,880
Speaker 1: from side to side. Then he would look at you

697
00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:25,560
Speaker 1: and then he would just start strutting across the court.

698
00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:27,840
Speaker 1: So if there's one thing I'm going to miss other

699
00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:31,080
Speaker 1: than the crazy, it is absolutely Fabio Fonini's walk.

700
00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:34,520
Speaker 2: Here's somebody who kind of reminds me of Fabio Ffornini,

701
00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:36,680
Speaker 2: who also retired this year, who I didn't realize had

702
00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,120
Speaker 2: been playing, was Fernando Radaska.

703
00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:41,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, I know he retired as well.

704
00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:43,320
Speaker 2: I mean it's kind of he was early five to

705
00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:44,200
Speaker 2: seven years ago.

706
00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:47,600
Speaker 1: I think there's actually some classic matches between Vodasco and Foornini.

707
00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:49,120
Speaker 1: So if you want to go on YouTube like I

708
00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:52,000
Speaker 1: did last night and found that doubles match between those

709
00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:54,560
Speaker 1: four great champions who all could fully by the way,

710
00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:56,560
Speaker 1: and that match was least and I were looking at

711
00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:58,560
Speaker 1: each other like, oh my god, that was unbelievable. Yeah,

712
00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:02,920
Speaker 1: you know that those two played each other in some

713
00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,280
Speaker 1: classic matches, and of course that Fordasco Nadal match at

714
00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:08,160
Speaker 1: the AUSTRAI and Open, one of the great matches.

715
00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,600
Speaker 2: One of the great matches. Fredend of Verdasco, his hates,

716
00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:12,600
Speaker 2: was quite breath ticking to watch.

717
00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:17,120
Speaker 1: Be hard pressed to see or find out if you

718
00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:21,719
Speaker 1: did an ATP Tour pole on who was cockier on

719
00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:25,839
Speaker 1: the court between Verdasco and Forini. Fidasco probably cared about

720
00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:28,960
Speaker 1: his hair a little bit more than Foornini Yew. For sure,

721
00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:31,400
Speaker 1: those two might go down as two of the cockies players,

722
00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:34,680
Speaker 1: two of the kokier walkers on the tennis court. But

723
00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:39,280
Speaker 1: sorry to see them go in the end, little Diego Schwartzman,

724
00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:41,239
Speaker 1: and I can say little because I've never seen a

725
00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:44,080
Speaker 1: shorter tennis player on the ATP Tour be better than

726
00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:44,440
Speaker 1: this guy.

727
00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:44,880
Speaker 2: He was.

728
00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:46,560
Speaker 1: He would walk by me. I'm five ten and he

729
00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:48,359
Speaker 1: was like five five, and I'm like, I cannot believe

730
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:50,520
Speaker 1: how good a tennis player you are. What a tennis

731
00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:53,319
Speaker 1: player he was. I loved watching him play. He had

732
00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:58,279
Speaker 1: a phenomenal career. Phenomenal career. If he had been six

733
00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:01,080
Speaker 1: foot he could have won a make title, that's how

734
00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:03,520
Speaker 1: good he was. I just think he lacked that little

735
00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:06,080
Speaker 1: bit of power, certainly on the serve and all that.

736
00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:08,520
Speaker 1: So what a great player he was, man, I loved

737
00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,080
Speaker 1: watching him play. And what a tremendous young what a

738
00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:12,239
Speaker 1: tremendous guy he wants.

739
00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:15,719
Speaker 2: He's a lovely guy and fun And if anybody wants

740
00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,200
Speaker 2: to see evidence of this, just look at him doing

741
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:22,960
Speaker 2: a very credible en quote salsa dancing like he is fun.

742
00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:25,799
Speaker 2: He came to all of our parties. He's lovely, lovely guy,

743
00:35:26,239 --> 00:35:29,520
Speaker 2: I think, happily married, yes, urgent yes yes. And frankly,

744
00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:34,320
Speaker 2: we don't have enough South Americans represented in certainly the

745
00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,359
Speaker 2: top echelons a game. So no, so just last one.

746
00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:41,919
Speaker 1: Definitely definitely loved him. So have fun in retirement, my friend.

747
00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:44,440
Speaker 1: I'm sure I could just see him having loads of feeling.

748
00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:45,480
Speaker 1: He is the family guy.

749
00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:46,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's going to have a good time.

750
00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:48,120
Speaker 1: We talked about Chris yu Banks a couple of weeks

751
00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:51,680
Speaker 1: ago with his announcement, so we've already given Chrissy's flowers.

752
00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:54,279
Speaker 1: But Chris is out there as well, out of there

753
00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:56,480
Speaker 1: as well. But one player I want to mention that

754
00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:59,520
Speaker 1: probably didn't get any real talk about because we sort

755
00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:01,200
Speaker 1: of hadn't seen him around for a bunch of years.

756
00:36:01,239 --> 00:36:06,280
Speaker 1: But from me, the saddest retirement was seeing Kyle Edmund

757
00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:08,520
Speaker 1: retire this year, thirty years of age. This was a

758
00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:11,280
Speaker 1: guy that got to seventeen in the world, was really

759
00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:14,120
Speaker 1: starting to push the top players. I believe he might

760
00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,200
Speaker 1: have gotten if you might want to look up semi

761
00:36:16,239 --> 00:36:18,239
Speaker 1: finals of a major at this straight and open. I

762
00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:22,160
Speaker 1: think when he was quite young and everyone was talking

763
00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:24,839
Speaker 1: about him being the next Andy Murray and his thank

764
00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:27,680
Speaker 1: god we've got somebody asked Andy in you know, the

765
00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:29,479
Speaker 1: British press were like losing their mind over.

766
00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:30,600
Speaker 2: The guy, certainly the best.

767
00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:34,600
Speaker 1: He was so career great and I and he's such

768
00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,120
Speaker 1: a nice guy, and you know, sadly he just had

769
00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:40,120
Speaker 1: a terrible knee injury that just he had three surgeries

770
00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:41,880
Speaker 1: I believe on the same injury, and then he had

771
00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:46,120
Speaker 1: abdominal issues and all kinds of a wrist issue and

772
00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:49,400
Speaker 1: just he just couldn't catch a break. But Kyle Edmund,

773
00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:52,239
Speaker 1: sorry to see you go. I'm sure he will. He'll

774
00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:54,600
Speaker 1: be a guy that will turn up being like, you know,

775
00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:57,239
Speaker 1: a billionaire at Goldman Sacks or something. I just feel

776
00:36:57,280 --> 00:36:58,200
Speaker 1: like he's going to like do something.

777
00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:01,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, he did, in fact, me say, at the Australian Opener,

778
00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:02,920
Speaker 2: and he won. He was part of that Davis Cup

779
00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,520
Speaker 2: winning team. Yeah that's right, Merey brothers. So at least

780
00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:07,960
Speaker 2: he had a very great hometown moment.

781
00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:10,520
Speaker 1: I just hope he goes on to do some wonderful things. Yeah.

782
00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:12,680
Speaker 2: Everyone said he's like a such a lovely guy, such

783
00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:16,360
Speaker 2: a lovely guy. Yeah, so I feel like again, Tennis giveth,

784
00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:18,279
Speaker 2: Tennis taketh away, you.

785
00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:23,640
Speaker 1: Know, thankfully Tenneth, Tenneth giveth. Well, then it take this away. Okay,

786
00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:25,319
Speaker 1: you want to wrap. I still haven't mean to say

787
00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:28,400
Speaker 1: that you want to lunatics. I do want to give

788
00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:30,840
Speaker 1: a shout out to Holga Rune also, who really had

789
00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:35,120
Speaker 1: a shocking achilles tear problem. I hope he doesn't push

790
00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:37,000
Speaker 1: it too much, because what he's doing out there on

791
00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:40,120
Speaker 1: that one chair after like two weeks after oh my god,

792
00:37:40,239 --> 00:37:42,000
Speaker 1: after surgery, I was like, what are you doing?

793
00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:45,200
Speaker 2: I like his attitude and I like his belief. So

794
00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:47,719
Speaker 2: I'm going to choose to see this optimistically as his

795
00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:54,920
Speaker 2: reconfiguring his brain physiology and deciding to manifest a return

796
00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:56,880
Speaker 2: to the tour, which I guess. He says is going

797
00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:02,640
Speaker 2: to happen, you know, after the it's unstend double listen.

798
00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:04,880
Speaker 1: All power to him when he comes back. I have

799
00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:07,279
Speaker 1: a feeling that this might actually alter his Like you said,

800
00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:10,640
Speaker 1: I think will alter his brain mechanics a little bit,

801
00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:12,000
Speaker 1: because one of the things that stops him, he's a

802
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:13,560
Speaker 1: little bit like gets a little bit tight and a

803
00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:16,200
Speaker 1: little bit like annoyed. And I think when you have

804
00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:18,800
Speaker 1: a major injury like that, it does, really does. It

805
00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:20,880
Speaker 1: can affect you in a way that's better for you.

806
00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:22,960
Speaker 1: And we see that through the years, you know, with

807
00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,880
Speaker 1: players coming back from injury and they just they're just

808
00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:27,680
Speaker 1: better for it in some ways. And I feel like

809
00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,200
Speaker 1: I feel like he's a player that's going to be

810
00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:33,399
Speaker 1: better for it. I agree, and I think maybe Jack

811
00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:35,800
Speaker 1: Draper as well with Yeah, we're gonna mention Jack Draper.

812
00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:39,000
Speaker 2: My hope is he When he is at the top

813
00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:41,759
Speaker 2: of his game, he is really exciting. I think he's

814
00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:45,799
Speaker 2: great for tennis. I think he makes an incredibly charismatic

815
00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:51,040
Speaker 2: very yeah, very good and bad. He's very smart. I am,

816
00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:52,560
Speaker 2: as you know, a Jack Tebra fan.

817
00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:54,520
Speaker 1: I would like to see Tommy Paul be injury free

818
00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:56,799
Speaker 1: next year as well and get backs inside the top ten.

819
00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:58,840
Speaker 1: He's twenty in the world. He is injury free. I

820
00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:00,520
Speaker 1: saw him at the garden couple of couple of days

821
00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,239
Speaker 1: ago and he said that he's feeling one hundred times better.

822
00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:05,960
Speaker 1: One little tennis God, you know we talk about, Please

823
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:09,960
Speaker 1: don't give these people injuries next year, David. I can

824
00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:13,800
Speaker 1: never say his name, Alejandro la Videvitch, thank you. You

825
00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:16,719
Speaker 1: can just call him folky folky. Please let him win

826
00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:20,359
Speaker 1: a tournament next yeah, for real, Please, tennis God's let

827
00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:24,440
Speaker 1: him win a tournament. Not let him, but allow him.

828
00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:27,240
Speaker 2: Hear has his path, hear his brain when.

829
00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:29,440
Speaker 1: He has a match point to win an atp Titland.

830
00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:33,480
Speaker 1: Lovely guy. We know him because he loves animals as well.

831
00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:36,319
Speaker 1: He's a sweetheart. Please let him win a tournament last year,

832
00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:39,880
Speaker 1: just please. Other than that, everyone else you get to

833
00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:43,040
Speaker 1: battle it away. But sadly, I just do want to

834
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:45,480
Speaker 1: finish on Caitlin. I am leaving tomorrow so I won't

835
00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:46,759
Speaker 1: see you for a couple of months. I'll be down

836
00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:50,240
Speaker 1: in Australia doing my thing and seeing my family for Christmas.

837
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:53,239
Speaker 1: I do want to just I know we don't like

838
00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:56,200
Speaker 1: to talk about politics and stuff. That's shitty in the world.

839
00:39:56,280 --> 00:40:00,280
Speaker 1: But on a personal note, for me, seeing what happened

840
00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,680
Speaker 1: at Bondi Beach today, I want to throw out just

841
00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:05,400
Speaker 1: so much love to my community. That is my community,

842
00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:09,160
Speaker 1: Bondi Beach. I've visited five gazillion times in my life.

843
00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:12,239
Speaker 1: I have run on that beach. I trained as a

844
00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:14,359
Speaker 1: kid on that beach. I have swum in that water

845
00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:18,680
Speaker 1: a billion times. I live and grew up twenty minute

846
00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:21,880
Speaker 1: walk from Bondai at another beach a little bit more

847
00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:27,080
Speaker 1: south of Bondai. My families go there, my friends go there,

848
00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:30,160
Speaker 1: and so for the entire community there, I just want

849
00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:32,840
Speaker 1: to send my love because what I saw today was

850
00:40:32,920 --> 00:40:36,280
Speaker 1: just not what you see in Australia. So the terrible tragedy.

851
00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:39,360
Speaker 1: So I just want to especially around the holidays obviously

852
00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:44,520
Speaker 1: was it looked like it was religiously motivated with Hanaka

853
00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:46,960
Speaker 1: celebrations on first day. But I just want to send

854
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:50,400
Speaker 1: a big, big, big love to my community down in

855
00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:51,800
Speaker 1: Bondi Beach and down in Sydney.

856
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,439
Speaker 2: Well you'll get a chance be there in the day

857
00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:55,800
Speaker 2: in a few.

858
00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:58,560
Speaker 1: Days, yes I will. So anyway, everybody, thanks for joining

859
00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:02,120
Speaker 1: us with the wrap ups of twenty twenty five thanks

860
00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:02,759
Speaker 1: for being our listen.

861
00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:04,279
Speaker 2: What did we miss? What did we get wrong?

862
00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:07,880
Speaker 1: What do we get raped? Yeah? Tell us maybe what

863
00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:10,319
Speaker 1: we'll do next week when I'm down in Australias, we'll

864
00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:12,920
Speaker 1: do your questions. Well, we're going to fark some questions

865
00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:16,000
Speaker 1: for you. We'll answer them for you get into the

866
00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,759
Speaker 1: nitty gritty of all that sort of stuff. But for

867
00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:21,439
Speaker 1: twenty twenty five, before we get into like talking about

868
00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:23,319
Speaker 1: twenty twenty six and all the shenanigans over the next

869
00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:25,279
Speaker 1: couple weeks, we just want to thank you you guys

870
00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:28,000
Speaker 1: for listening to us and all the people that come

871
00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:30,239
Speaker 1: up to us on the street and various things. We

872
00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:32,480
Speaker 1: do appreciate your love, and we do appreciate the fact

873
00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:36,919
Speaker 1: that you push that button on your podcasts and listen

874
00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:40,360
Speaker 1: to us religiously. So we do appreciate so thanks for that.

875
00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:41,359
Speaker 1: For twenty twenty five.

876
00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:44,120
Speaker 2: Thanks everybody, send us your questions, comments, concerns.

877
00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:48,360
Speaker 1: Kudoss Caitlin get out into the snow because it is

878
00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:50,440
Speaker 1: snowing in New York, Babe, All right, babe,