WEBVTT - New Stars Could Emerge at 2021 U.S. Open

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<v Speaker 1>Well, rathaiel On Nadal, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, some of

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<v Speaker 1>the biggest names in tennis. Well, they are not at

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<v Speaker 1>this year's U s Open, So five days in, who

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<v Speaker 1>are the favorites and why are so many of the

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<v Speaker 1>players going unvaccinated? After all, fans have to show proof

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<v Speaker 1>of at least one shot in order to get in

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<v Speaker 1>and watch it. Well, joining us to talk about all

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<v Speaker 1>things US Opening more is John worthime executive editor and

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<v Speaker 1>senior writer at Sports Illustrated, also a contributing correspondent for

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<v Speaker 1>Sixty Minutes. He's also the author of the new book

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<v Speaker 1>Glory Days, The Summer of ur in the ninety days

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<v Speaker 1>that Change Sports and culture Forever. He's right now covering

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<v Speaker 1>the US Open for the Tennis Channel from Los Angeles. John,

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<v Speaker 1>it's great to have you back on Bloomberg Business Week Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>I think the big difference this year that I want

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<v Speaker 1>to ask you about, among many other things, is that

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<v Speaker 1>you're not actually covering it from New York. You're not

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<v Speaker 1>at the US Open this year, You're in l A.

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<v Speaker 1>How's that going. It's a little strange. I'll be back

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<v Speaker 1>for the end, perhaps to see Novak Djokovic pull off this,

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<v Speaker 1>this Grand Slam. But yeah, I mean this this is

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<v Speaker 1>kind of the new new way of the world, and

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<v Speaker 1>I think, um, you know, I think we're all kind

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<v Speaker 1>of wondering what life is going to be like post

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<v Speaker 1>COVID and whether we all go back to offices telecommune

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<v Speaker 1>and certainly uh media and sports media is no different. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I've been to the US Open a few times. It's

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<v Speaker 1>it's one of my favorite events to go to each

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<v Speaker 1>and every year as a New Yorker, but of course

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<v Speaker 1>I haven't been for the last couple of years. Take

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<v Speaker 1>us into what exactly is happening for fans right now,

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<v Speaker 1>because it is that capacity for fans. Masks are are optional,

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<v Speaker 1>and although fans have to get vaccinated or at least

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<v Speaker 1>show proof of getting one vaccine, many of the players

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<v Speaker 1>are not vaccinated. Um. Yeah, and that's that's been an

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<v Speaker 1>interesting I mean, it's sort of laid bear cannists and governance,

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<v Speaker 1>and I mean as far as the fan experience, it's

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<v Speaker 1>it's been great. I mean, obviously this is all complying

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<v Speaker 1>with with New York protocol, but um, last year, there

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<v Speaker 1>were no fans. This year full bow when the it's

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<v Speaker 1>interesting when when the roofs closed and this turns into

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<v Speaker 1>an indoor event, Um, the masks come out. But you know,

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<v Speaker 1>so far from all accounts, this just feels like a

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<v Speaker 1>normal US open um. You know, sorry, go ahead, Why John,

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<v Speaker 1>do you think so many of the players are going unvaccinated?

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<v Speaker 1>And this has been a story. This is not just

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<v Speaker 1>about the US Open, this has been throughout the return

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<v Speaker 1>to tennis. Yeah, it's a great question. And I mean, look,

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<v Speaker 1>I think some of this is a function of the workforce.

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<v Speaker 1>It's global. I mean, people come from countries where they

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<v Speaker 1>have different attitudes about vaccination. I mean, to me, it's

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<v Speaker 1>it's terribly disappointing. It's baffling. And if any athletes should

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<v Speaker 1>be getting vaccinated, it's the tennis players who are on planes,

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<v Speaker 1>they're traveling around the world. I mean, just from a

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<v Speaker 1>standpoint of if you are vaccinated and someone you have

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<v Speaker 1>you have contact with someone that tests positive and you

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<v Speaker 1>are vaccinated, um, you're okay. If you're not vaccinated and

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<v Speaker 1>have tracing contact with some many tests positive, you're out

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<v Speaker 1>of the turn of it. So even for the most

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<v Speaker 1>selfish professional reasons, I mean, even completely sort of abnegating

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<v Speaker 1>your your responsibility as a human being. Um, just for

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<v Speaker 1>strictly professional reasons. It's crazy, not too I mean I've

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<v Speaker 1>heard all sorts of explanations. Some of the players have

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<v Speaker 1>had it already. UM. Some of them think, well, what

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<v Speaker 1>if I get the vaccine in my arm hurts so much,

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<v Speaker 1>I can't swing a racket. I think it's you know,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a it's a lot of sort of misinformation and disinformation.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's a real insight into tennis players and

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<v Speaker 1>in an individual sport, we often talk about how you

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<v Speaker 1>have to be selfish, and it's sort of you have

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<v Speaker 1>to put yourself first, and in a weird way, this

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<v Speaker 1>is a this is an expression of it. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>there's no union. And in in other team sports, you

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<v Speaker 1>know there's an employer, there's an employee, there's a union.

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<v Speaker 1>You can uh, you can mandate vaccines or you can

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<v Speaker 1>make it very difficult for the unvaccine. Tennis, all these

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<v Speaker 1>players are individual contractors. They make their own decisions. And

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<v Speaker 1>as you said at the top, it's bizarre to me

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<v Speaker 1>that hundreds of thousands of fans are going to come

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<v Speaker 1>through the gates and they all need to show a card,

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<v Speaker 1>and yet the athletes they have come to cheer fifty

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<v Speaker 1>percent of the time they're unvaccinated. It's, um, it's it's

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<v Speaker 1>not a good look and it's definitely a contradiction. And John,

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<v Speaker 1>just quickly from the players that you're talking to, I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>what is the hesitation. Is it, like you mentioned, concerns

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<v Speaker 1>about arm pain or is there some kind of mistrust

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<v Speaker 1>of the vaccine, you know, I mean, it's it really

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<v Speaker 1>breaks down, and some of it is is geographic. Some

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<v Speaker 1>of it is is the arm pain, which you know

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<v Speaker 1>again it's I'd rather have arm pain than get COVID.

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<v Speaker 1>Some of it is just I mean, some of the

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<v Speaker 1>players have had it already. There there was I mean

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<v Speaker 1>that it's a sore spot in tennis. But you know,

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<v Speaker 1>Novak Djokovic held an event where everybody was unmasked and

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of the players got COVID from that. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, apparently they think they can't get it again.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean. The other thing I've heard is, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>one player said, um, I'm paraphrasing, but not by much.

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<v Speaker 1>That he's young. He can handle it, and it might

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<v Speaker 1>even be a good thing because it'll teach people of

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<v Speaker 1>his generation persistence in overcoming adversity. So you know, I

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<v Speaker 1>mean the ATP, to their credit, they've tried to impress

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<v Speaker 1>upon ten of the players and get vaccinated. But it's um, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it's not great. Let's talk about who you're watching this year.

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<v Speaker 1>I said that there were some big names that that

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<v Speaker 1>aren't there and not even playing Nadal, Serena Williams, Venus Williams. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>who are you watching? Um? I mean I think we're

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<v Speaker 1>watching sort of macro. This is uh where we're getting

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<v Speaker 1>glimpse into the post Stador Serena Nadal world And what

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<v Speaker 1>is this sport gonna look like? We're going to be

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<v Speaker 1>the stars when the stars we've had for you know,

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<v Speaker 1>more than twenty years. Yeah, decades, It's been a decades long.

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<v Speaker 1>Era been phenomenal. This is this is the first US

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<v Speaker 1>Open since so you know, first term Clinton, um since

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<v Speaker 1>you know, since it's the mid nineties that we haven't

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<v Speaker 1>had a Williams sister Federaadala to draw. So this has

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<v Speaker 1>been very different. But the big story is Novak Djokovic

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<v Speaker 1>going forward ze Grand Slam. This is tennis is sort

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<v Speaker 1>of holy Grail. It's four hitter. Um haven't been done

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<v Speaker 1>on the men's side since Rod Labor more than fifty

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<v Speaker 1>years ago, and he won the first three legs and

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<v Speaker 1>his first matches here. So five five matches away from

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<v Speaker 1>this historic achieved Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and of

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<v Speaker 1>course the US Open would make it a Grand Slam.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you think you can pull it off? I do,

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<v Speaker 1>And I think that his approach is really fascinating me.

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<v Speaker 1>Serena Williams Uh six years ago won the first three

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<v Speaker 1>legs and was, you know, quite reasonably understandably nervous. And

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<v Speaker 1>I think a lot of the attention of the focus

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<v Speaker 1>and the speculation really got to her. And no vac joke,

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<v Speaker 1>which is more than happy to talk about it more

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<v Speaker 1>than you know, he's sort of understand the challenge and

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<v Speaker 1>as really uh leaned in as we say, it's really

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<v Speaker 1>sort of his His approach has been very interesting and

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<v Speaker 1>h he has you know, five five more rounds to

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<v Speaker 1>go and is not insignificant, but I think he gets it. Okay, John,

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<v Speaker 1>Let's back up a little bit and say I am

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<v Speaker 1>only very tangentially aware of tennis. Maybe I only know

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<v Speaker 1>who Serena Williams is. Maybe that's all true. Why aren't

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<v Speaker 1>we seeing the big stars come out and show up

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<v Speaker 1>at the U S Open. What's going on there? You

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<v Speaker 1>mean the big culture stars are the big tennis stars,

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<v Speaker 1>the big tennis stars, so um, well, I mean, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>Serena Williams turns forty in UH in a few weeks,

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<v Speaker 1>and Roger Federer is forty years old. Rough Nadal is

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<v Speaker 1>thirty five, but his body is probably considerably older. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, we've really sort of had this embarrassment of

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<v Speaker 1>riches and we've had these extended careers, so um, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean it's name a player from the past. I

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<v Speaker 1>mean stephie Rof didn't win after she turned thirty, John

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<v Speaker 1>mcville didn't John mcviroe didn't win a major after he

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<v Speaker 1>turned twenty five. So the fact that these guys are

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<v Speaker 1>still competitive, you know, for forty years of that's it's

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<v Speaker 1>it's Tom Brady, it's Lebron Jameson, it's the trend across sports.

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<v Speaker 1>But time time eventually wins, and right now it's winning

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<v Speaker 1>with UH, with Serena Federer and Nadal. Well, let's talk

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<v Speaker 1>about that next generation that E reference. Who specifically are

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<v Speaker 1>you watching? Well, I mean I think sort of Djokovic

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<v Speaker 1>is its own sort of subcategory. But I think a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of young players are coming to the four. One

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<v Speaker 1>of them, um is out of the tournament already, but

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<v Speaker 1>as a terrific player is Coco Golf, seventeen year old

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<v Speaker 1>from Florida. Um Naomi Osaka is intriguing figure in many ways.

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<v Speaker 1>As we speak, there is an eighteen year old Spaniard,

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<v Speaker 1>Carlos Alcaroz, trying to get to the third round. The

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<v Speaker 1>last time a an eighteen year old went this far

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<v Speaker 1>it was Pete Sampras, so that that is a significant

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<v Speaker 1>achievement for for Alcroz. I mean, I think the you know,

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<v Speaker 1>Federa Nadal dro Serena, those four players have commanded so

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<v Speaker 1>much spotlight. There's something almost sort of, you know, perversely

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<v Speaker 1>refreshing about other players coming to the four, just because

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<v Speaker 1>those four stars have sort of hot hogged all the

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<v Speaker 1>oxygen for for twenty years, and now we're really getting

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<v Speaker 1>to see how broad the cast really is. It has

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<v Speaker 1>been amazing in recent years to see some of those

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<v Speaker 1>new players actually compete against people who they grew up watching. Right,

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<v Speaker 1>That just speaks to how long this old guard of tennis,

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<v Speaker 1>the current grard of tennis, has really been in there. Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>I want to talk a little bit about nineteen eighty

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<v Speaker 1>four and Glory Days, the summer of nineteen eighty four,

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<v Speaker 1>your book, The ninety Days that Changed Sports and culture forever,

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<v Speaker 1>because there there is a lot of mention of tennis.

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<v Speaker 1>You mentioned John McEnroe already, but I want to talk

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<v Speaker 1>specifically about Martino Nevartalova uh and and the rivalry that

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<v Speaker 1>she had. In my nineteen eighty four was such a

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<v Speaker 1>pivotal year, in an important year for her. Martina neber Talova,

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<v Speaker 1>I think, I think she's getting her do, but at

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<v Speaker 1>the time did not get her due, which she was

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<v Speaker 1>such a trailblazer. Um. You know, she's number one in

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<v Speaker 1>the world, and she is openly gay, and she's talking

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<v Speaker 1>about her her Trams coach, Renee Richards, and she's talking

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<v Speaker 1>about why athletes don't use their plastics warm to express

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<v Speaker 1>their views on social causes and what why don't they

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<v Speaker 1>train harder or even use data to scout opponents, And

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<v Speaker 1>she was sort of, you know, in a lot of cases,

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<v Speaker 1>she was very much an outsider. She was. Her foil

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<v Speaker 1>was Chris Evert, who was sort of portrayed as the

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<v Speaker 1>Swede and soft blond Floridian and Martino was a sort

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<v Speaker 1>of the harsh immigrant. And Martina Avatalova, actually she just

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<v Speaker 1>dominated women's tennis, but she also really emerged as this

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<v Speaker 1>this cultural political force, and it was against considerable resistance.

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<v Speaker 1>She didn't much care. And we we talked about you know,

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<v Speaker 1>we talked about athletes that have aged well and you

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<v Speaker 1>look at what we expect of athletes now physically as

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<v Speaker 1>social leaders, in terms of fitness. We talked about where

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<v Speaker 1>we are on LGBTQ issues. Martina Avatalova was really sort

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<v Speaker 1>of remarkably ahead of her time. And um, she had

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<v Speaker 1>fair amount of backlash and resistance in but um, a

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<v Speaker 1>true pioneer, a true trailblazer, and history has very much

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<v Speaker 1>agreed with her. And what about on the men's side.

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<v Speaker 1>We just had about a minute and a half left,

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<v Speaker 1>But you mentioned John McEnroe, and again, the reason he

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<v Speaker 1>wrote a book had to do with the summer of

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<v Speaker 1>is because so much happened. I mean, we're talking McEnroe,

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<v Speaker 1>we're talking Lendall, we're talking beyond Borg, Jimmy Connors take

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<v Speaker 1>us through the rivelry that summer. Yeah, this was sort

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<v Speaker 1>of peeked back and row that summer and apart from

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<v Speaker 1>the tennis itself, you had, you know, there's this small

0:11:38.920 --> 0:11:42.080
<v Speaker 1>company called Nike was starting to make inroads, and we

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<v Speaker 1>had more ways to watch all sports, tennis included on

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<v Speaker 1>this new cable network ESPN that more and more people

0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:51.920
<v Speaker 1>were getting. Um. This was really sort of a pivotal

0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:55.880
<v Speaker 1>summer in terms of sports entering the realm of media

0:11:55.920 --> 0:11:58.760
<v Speaker 1>and technology and really sort of turning the corner from

0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:03.160
<v Speaker 1>from passion and diversion into big business. UM. And I

0:12:03.240 --> 0:12:05.440
<v Speaker 1>also think this was really in many ways that the

0:12:05.520 --> 0:12:08.480
<v Speaker 1>peak of tennis in the US. It thrives as this

0:12:08.600 --> 0:12:12.959
<v Speaker 1>global sport, but there aren't as many top American players

0:12:12.960 --> 0:12:15.440
<v Speaker 1>as there were then. And um, you know, in terms

0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:19.560
<v Speaker 1>of tennis in America, I think may have you know,

0:12:19.760 --> 0:12:22.640
<v Speaker 1>sort of marked a high water point. John Worth time,

0:12:22.800 --> 0:12:24.480
<v Speaker 1>we are going to have to leave it. There is

0:12:24.520 --> 0:12:26.520
<v Speaker 1>such a pleasure to speak with you. John worthime as

0:12:26.559 --> 0:12:29.920
<v Speaker 1>executive editor and senior writer at Sports Illustrated, contributing correspondent

0:12:29.960 --> 0:12:32.120
<v Speaker 1>for sixty Minutes. He's covering the US Open for the

0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:34.360
<v Speaker 1>Tennis Channel. He's also the author of what we were

0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:37.199
<v Speaker 1>just talking about, Glory Days, the Summer of ur and

0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:40.439
<v Speaker 1>the ninety days that change sports and culture forever,