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Speaker 1: I actually think that he set his schedule to try

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Speaker 1: and win a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I think if he wins no tournaments all year

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Speaker 2: and wins the Olympic gold medal, honestly, in his mind,

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Speaker 2: he might look at it as twenty twenty four was

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Speaker 2: the greatest year of my tennis life.

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Speaker 1: All right, hi everybody, and welcome again to the French Connection,

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Speaker 1: brought to you by NBC Sports and Racket. We are

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Speaker 1: here to cover all the tennis, of course, from the

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Speaker 1: French Open, which has already happened, but we are oh

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Speaker 1: so close to the Olympic Games now in Paris, and

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Speaker 1: we did everything in between, including Wimbledon. But I'm joined

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Speaker 1: by my guy Sam, who is the best follow on Instagram.

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Speaker 1: There's no doubt about it. In TikTok, Sam query what's

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Speaker 1: up mate?

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Speaker 2: Not much, just it's kind of like a little slow

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Speaker 2: week in like sports around the world right now, slow

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Speaker 2: couple of weeks We've got We've got some smaller tennis tournaments,

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Speaker 2: but you know, we've got no football, no basketball, but

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Speaker 2: we've got the Olympics. We've got the Olympics. We got

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Speaker 2: to wait one more week and then we're we've got

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Speaker 2: the best sports in the world.

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Speaker 1: Now, Sam, I don't want to to remind you of this,

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Speaker 1: but there was basketball. There was an amazing WNBA game.

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Speaker 2: Okay, why it's a little juicy. The All Stars beat

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Speaker 2: the Olympic team.

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Speaker 1: I don't know, like right.

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Speaker 2: Dynamic is now with the WNBA, but that was kind

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Speaker 2: of like a fun dynamic to see happen.

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Speaker 1: It was fun, it was great. It was great basketball.

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Speaker 1: You got you know, the Americans have got such a

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Speaker 1: stack team. They could have literally picked two teams, actually

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Speaker 1: probably three teams that probably would win the gold medal.

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Speaker 1: But anyway, that was a whole fun game at the

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Speaker 1: All Star But more importantly, we're here to talk about

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Speaker 1: the tennis that's ahead of us at the Olympics, etc.

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Speaker 1: I am so excited. I've got my right over here.

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Speaker 1: It's one of my jackets from the Olympics. I thought i'd,

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Speaker 1: you know, hang it up, and of course I am

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Speaker 1: wearing right here. This is my opening ceremony shirt from

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Speaker 1: the two thousand Olympics. Sam, do you have one?

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Speaker 2: Why is that? No? I don't, but like, what's Australian

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Speaker 2: about that? What's on it?

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Speaker 1: Okay? Well, it's got a lot of I don't know things.

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Speaker 1: It's from Mambo, which is a very famous Australian company,

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Speaker 1: and they made these really cool shirts back and everyone

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Speaker 1: wanted this shirt. I have to say. You can see

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Speaker 1: right here it's got the Olympic tag on it. Everyone

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Speaker 1: wanted this shirt, but I didn't give it away because

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Speaker 1: I knew one day I would wear this on TV

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Speaker 1: and so.

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Speaker 2: I still got my stuff from like opening ceremonies in

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Speaker 2: eight but it just it not to say boring, but

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Speaker 2: it's the Ralph Lauren Polo red white and blue. Pretty conservative,

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Speaker 2: nothing flashy like the Australians.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, we got a little crazy in Sydney, but it

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Speaker 1: was worth it because it was our home countries. Oh yeah,

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Speaker 1: no Olympics. So it's pretty cool now for all the

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Speaker 1: French people. Of course they get to have that this

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Speaker 1: year in Paris. But someone who has had success in

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Speaker 1: Paris through the years is that success everywhere all around

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Speaker 1: the globe is trying to win that elusive gold medal

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Speaker 1: in mister Novak Djokovic. So Sam, I ask you, this

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Speaker 1: has been an incredible thing. We won't get into him yet,

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Speaker 1: but one of the things that's been so difficult to

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Speaker 1: do for players through the years is win all four

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Speaker 1: Grand Slams, which is winning all on different surfaces and

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Speaker 1: then winning an actual gold medal in singles at the Olympics.

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Speaker 1: And Novak has not been able to do that. He's

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Speaker 1: done everything else, he has every other record. But of

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Speaker 1: course andre Agassi did it, he won four Slams on

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Speaker 1: different surfaces. He won the gold medal. Stephie Grafft did

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Speaker 1: it in one year in nineteen eighty eight, which is

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Speaker 1: a feat that no one will probably ever do. Novak

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Speaker 1: had a chance to do it but wasn't able to

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Speaker 1: do it. Of course, Rafael Nadal has also won all

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Speaker 1: four Grand Slams and the gold medal in singles, and

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Speaker 1: I believe he won the doubles as well, and of

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Speaker 1: course Serena Williams who's won everything singles, the doubles multiple times.

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Speaker 1: I mean, which is the goat when it comes to

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Speaker 1: the singles, doubles and all the things Olympics. But tell

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Speaker 1: me what the hell Novak hasn't even won a tournament

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Speaker 1: this year, Sam, What is going on? Has he been

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Speaker 1: leading up to this moment?

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Speaker 2: You know, I would love to sit down and have

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Speaker 2: a cannon conversation with him, and know, does it bother

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Speaker 2: him that you don't have an Olympic gold medal? Like,

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Speaker 2: really get the answer from deep inside? Is that something

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Speaker 2: that worries you? Do you think about that? Is that?

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Speaker 2: Will that like make everything in your career kind of

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Speaker 2: culminate and be that much more special? I would I

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Speaker 2: would love to know, because if you were to ask him,

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Speaker 2: I'm sure we'd kind of give a, you know, somewhat

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Speaker 2: of a political answer, like, yeah, of course I'd love

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Speaker 2: to win it, but I've won all these other things

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Speaker 2: and that's kind of it. But I think deep down

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Speaker 2: he wants to win it. It's like you said, it's

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Speaker 2: the only thing he hasn't accomplished. He wants to get

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Speaker 2: on this list of four other players to have accomplished

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Speaker 2: that feat. And so, you know, he hasn't had a

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Speaker 2: great year in terms of what he's used to, but

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Speaker 2: he did just final Wimbledon. You know, bad you're not

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Speaker 2: final on the Grand Slam is pretty impressive. So he's

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Speaker 2: he's got to have a little more confidence right now

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Speaker 2: than he did four or five months ago. And I

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Speaker 2: do think the Olympics, you know, two out of three sets,

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Speaker 2: I think he's just everything that's in his tank. I

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Speaker 2: think he's going to lay it out there and try

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Speaker 2: to get that gold medal, because then he's got everything.

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Speaker 2: There's nothing you can say that the guy hasn't accomplished.

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Speaker 2: And yeah, so that's where that's where I'm going with it.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I think that he his intentions and

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Speaker 1: I kind of have talked about it through the year,

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Speaker 1: I think other than winning the Grand Slam, so we

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Speaker 1: know that's the most important thing for him to do.

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Speaker 1: But I actually think that he set his schedule to

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Speaker 1: try and win a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris.

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Speaker 1: I feel like when you've already accomplished everything in your career,

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Speaker 1: there's nothing, there's no other record other than I think

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Speaker 1: maybe Jimmy Connors is amount of tournaments at ATP level.

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Speaker 1: I think it's the only record he doesn't own, and

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Speaker 1: there's one other Roger record that I think he doesn't own.

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Speaker 1: But other than that, he has every record. He's proven

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Speaker 1: himself to be, you know, the greatest of all times.

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Speaker 1: When it comes to all the numbers, the guy has

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Speaker 1: done it all, but he hasn't got a gold medal.

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Speaker 1: And we've seen the way He's left the court many

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Speaker 1: times at the Olympics in absolute tears, and we don't

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Speaker 1: see that when he loses matches on the ATP Tour

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Speaker 1: or even at Grand Slam level. So how much do

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Speaker 1: you think his love of Serbia of wanting to do

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Speaker 1: that is also you know, making him and pressing him

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Speaker 1: to do this. And maybe it's going to be a

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Speaker 1: random thing that he hasn't won a tournament all year,

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Speaker 1: but this is the one that he's going to win.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. I think if he wins no tournaments all year

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Speaker 2: and wins the Olympic gold medal, honestly, in his mind,

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Speaker 2: he might look at it as twenty twenty four was

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Speaker 2: the greatest year of my tennis life. Yeah, to get

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Speaker 2: a gold medal, to do it for Serbia. You know,

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Speaker 2: Serbia is a somewhat smaller country. They're great and men's basketball,

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Speaker 2: obviously tennis, they've they've got looks at medals, but there's

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Speaker 2: not many sports that they have chances in to get

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Speaker 2: gold medals. So I think I think you're right, it's

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Speaker 2: not only for him, it's for his country. And I

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Speaker 2: think you know Serbian people that they're passion people and

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Speaker 2: he's he's one of those, and I think he wants

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Speaker 2: it for his country.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, look, there's no doubt in my mind.

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Speaker 1: I think he set out the year to have his

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Speaker 1: not his best result, but certainly one of his best

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Speaker 1: results of the year in Paris. So the year is

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Speaker 1: going quickly. We have played three Grand Slams and he

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Speaker 1: has not won not only a Grand Slam, which is

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Speaker 1: unheard of, but he hasn't won a tournament this year.

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Speaker 1: And I think it helps you, as you already pointed out,

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Speaker 1: Sam getting the finals a worml and certainly helps him

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Speaker 1: feel like he can get through a tournament with the knee.

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Speaker 1: And he's clearly got a couple of weeks now under

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Speaker 1: his belt to be even stronger physically to get onto

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Speaker 1: the clay. And I think, as you and I both know,

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Speaker 1: clay is probably the easiest on your body because you

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Speaker 1: can slide to the ball. You're not pounding that knee

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Speaker 1: on a hard court or on even on grass, we

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Speaker 1: having to really bend a lot. So for me, as

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Speaker 1: he already points out here, it's a completely different surface

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Speaker 1: that he's going back on and he injured himself on

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Speaker 1: that surface. But I think I think physically clays will

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Speaker 1: be a little bit for him.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and the two out of three sets. You know,

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Speaker 2: he doesn't have to know, like all right, I at

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Speaker 2: no point does he have to dig deep and play

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Speaker 2: matches that are potentially four hours long. I think, you know,

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Speaker 2: the knee, maybe it's still a little sore. I'm sure

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Speaker 2: it'll be fine by the Olympics. But you know, he's

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Speaker 2: he's got to he knows in the back of his

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Speaker 2: mind the longest I'm going to go is two and

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Speaker 2: a half hours, and my knee is going to be

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Speaker 2: able to withstand that. So I think he's going in

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Speaker 2: with the with the mental kind of clarity that his

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Speaker 2: body is going to be one hundred percent ready to

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Speaker 2: go to you know, possibly win the gold medal.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and we're seeing the training on his Instagram and

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Speaker 1: he's certainly putting in the yards. Okay, so somebody who

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Speaker 1: is certainly on the list of how's he going to do?

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Speaker 1: Also just made of finals in Sweden. He lost in

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Speaker 1: the finals to a new no Borges. But Raphael Nadal

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Speaker 1: back winning matches on Clay goes into the French and

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Speaker 1: you know how I feel about this. Sam Before we

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Speaker 1: start even talking about him playing doubles, with al Karez,

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Speaker 1: What do you think his chances.

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Speaker 2: Are it for I feel like it's all about the draw.

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Speaker 2: At the French Open, he plays Vera first round. Like

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Speaker 2: you said, he there's probably only a few people that

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Speaker 2: beat him with the French Open, and Zverara was one

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Speaker 2: of them. He lost that match, but could have won

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Speaker 2: that match. Yeah, and then yeah, I didn't play Wimbledon.

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Speaker 2: His body's got to be feeling pretty good. He just

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Speaker 2: played a clay court event in Europe, made the final,

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Speaker 2: lost to a guy in Borges who go back five

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Speaker 2: years ago. He's probably beat him ten out of ten times,

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Speaker 2: but still a final as a final. Yeah, you know,

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Speaker 2: if the draw opens up for him a little bit

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Speaker 2: in Paris at the Olympics, I can see him making

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Speaker 2: a little run. But I do feel like the tennis

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Speaker 2: gods would need to be looking down on him, like

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Speaker 2: in a perfect way for him to be in metal contention.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, I'm gonna throw a spanner. I think he's

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Speaker 1: gonna do really well. I think he's actually gonna But

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Speaker 1: I do agree with you one hundred percent. It does

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Speaker 1: depend on the draw, but best of three really does

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Speaker 1: help him tremendous amount as well. Physically, because we know

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Speaker 1: he's had these trials and tribulations. One guy that hasn't

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Speaker 1: got any trials a tribute life, and certainly right now

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Speaker 1: he's had some over the last year or two physically

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Speaker 1: is Alcaraz. But my gosh, I think I may have

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Speaker 1: called this Sam that.

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Speaker 2: Here, predictions for the last ten weeks have been spot on.

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Speaker 2: I get I'm not only giving you credit for this prediction,

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Speaker 2: like all your predictions have been good.

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Speaker 1: Thank you, my friend. I didn't get the rabar k

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Speaker 1: No One, but you know what, he came close. There's

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Speaker 1: a bit of an upset to Karjikova, and I name

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Speaker 1: me one person to pick Kjkova to make the final,

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Speaker 1: let alone win it, and I'm going to start betting

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Speaker 1: anything with them because that was just crazy. But Alciaz

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Speaker 1: he's so good on the reason I picked him and

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Speaker 1: I'm picking Sinner at the US Open is because he's

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Speaker 1: so good at moving on any court. Right on a

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Speaker 1: grass court, he can slide, he can get low, and

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Speaker 1: on clay he can slide, he can do all the things.

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Speaker 1: On hard court, Yannik has a little bit more of

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Speaker 1: an anchor, as you know, as a big guy. To

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Speaker 1: Sam it's a lot easier on a hard court because

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Speaker 1: you're managing that a little bit different line and you

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Speaker 1: are in clay and grass, even though you're a great

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Speaker 1: grasscot player because you're serving your forehand. But I feel

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Speaker 1: like Yannick feels more comfortable on hardcourt. But before we

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Speaker 1: talk about Yanick Sinner, what about al KaAZ? Can he

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Speaker 1: light this up and win, you know, a gold medal

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Speaker 1: in singles as well, because it means a lot to

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Speaker 1: him to do this too.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely can't. It's probably the favorite going into it. I

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Speaker 2: do think though al KaAZ, I feel like he's going

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Speaker 2: to have not more pressure, but like more emphasis on

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Speaker 2: the doubles because he's playing doubles with the doll who

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Speaker 2: I'm assuming is his idol and his hero. I almost

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Speaker 2: think that the doubles means more to him at the

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Speaker 2: Olympics because he's playing it with Rafa than the singles.

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Speaker 2: I think, if you ask him right now, would you

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Speaker 2: rather win an Olympic Golden singles or in an Olympic

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Speaker 2: Golden doubles with Rafa? Think? I think he goes gold

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Speaker 2: with Rafa and doubles.

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Speaker 1: When you think, yeah, I mean how cool? Though, I

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Speaker 1: mean really how cool from these.

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Speaker 2: Guys outside of the of the Americans getting a gold

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Speaker 2: That's what I want to have happen.

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Speaker 1: I cannot wait to see those two play with each

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Speaker 1: other on the court. And you know, I have to

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Speaker 1: say myself included in this. I know what it was

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Speaker 1: like to be a little bit older. You know. I

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Speaker 1: played my last Grand Slam doubles final at Wimbledon when

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Speaker 1: I was thirty nine with Sam Stozer, and Sam of

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Speaker 1: course was like maybe twenty nine at the time and

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Speaker 1: literally in the peak of her career. And I know

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Speaker 1: how much that helped me. It helped her having me

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Speaker 1: who'd been through a lot and one, you know, significant amount,

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Speaker 1: but also it helped me physically to know that I

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Speaker 1: had someone who was so much more physically stronger and

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Speaker 1: just better player than me. And I think Rafa would

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Speaker 1: consider Alcarez to be in that position. Clearly, I'm not

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Speaker 1: even I'm not even putting myself in the Nadal category here,

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Speaker 1: but I just know what it was like to play

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Speaker 1: with someone who was so much better than me and

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Speaker 1: so much like just stronger physically to get me through

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Speaker 1: those matches. And how much do you think that's going

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Speaker 1: to help Rafa going into the Olympics as well, knowing

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Speaker 1: he's got this guy next to him, it could just

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Speaker 1: run for days.

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Speaker 2: I think it's huge. And does the Olympics, is it

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Speaker 2: no scoring in doubles or do they play AD? No?

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Speaker 1: I believe they play AD.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, playout. I was gonna say if it's no AD,

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Speaker 2: you know, he flips it over to Alcarez every duce point.

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Speaker 2: But regardless, I think it's huge. He knows he's got

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Speaker 2: the the strongest, mightiest, best player in the in the

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Speaker 2: world as his teammates, So that just gives you a

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Speaker 2: little extra confidence and courage boost, I think for Rafa

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Speaker 2: going into it. And you know, again with the Olympics,

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Speaker 2: a lot of these top doubles teams in the world

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Speaker 2: right now, they're not two guys from from the same country,

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Speaker 2: so you've got a lot of mix and matches not

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Speaker 2: you know, the out of the eight best doubles teams

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Speaker 2: in the world, you know, six or seven of them

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Speaker 2: aren't going to be playing together. So the doubles draw

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Speaker 2: especially is is wide open. I guess you would almost

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Speaker 2: say it can kind of go to anyone because these

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Speaker 2: a lot of guys are playing together, you know, and

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Speaker 2: the and the girls too. But we're talking about Raffa

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Speaker 2: and Alkarez. There's teams in there that, like the guys

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Speaker 2: have never played. This might be their first time playing

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Speaker 2: with each other. So I think Rafa and Carlos are

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Speaker 2: going into that like, hey, we have a good chance

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Speaker 2: as anyone to win the gold medal in the doubles

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Speaker 2: right now.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I mean that was the one thing

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Speaker 1: that was a little tough for me as well as

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Speaker 1: I mean, listen, I want a lot of tennis tournaments,

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Speaker 1: but I never played with another Australian, you know, until

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Speaker 1: I played with Sam, but it was after the Olympics,

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Speaker 1: an actual fact, when we had our good run. So

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Speaker 1: that is not easy. So I think the quicker you gel,

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Speaker 1: the better you play with somebody, and the more you

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Speaker 1: play with them. Quite frankly, I mean, it's why Koudjikova,

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Speaker 1: for example, and Sineya Kova will be the favorites in

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Speaker 1: the women's doubles probably you know, they haven't played it

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Speaker 1: all this year, but they played so much through the years.

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Speaker 1: Of course, Venus and Serena were so dominant in doubles

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Speaker 1: at the Olympics because they played only with each other

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Speaker 1: so that does absolutely help, There's no doubt about it.

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Speaker 1: But listen, I am so pumped for it. I love

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Speaker 1: the Olympics. I know you don't love them, Sam, but

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Speaker 1: I do.

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Speaker 2: I love the Olympics. I'm just not like, when I'm

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Speaker 2: going to go watch, it's not tennis. Isn't like number

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Speaker 2: one on the list of things go watch. I want

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Speaker 2: to watch the swimming, the track and field, stuff like that.

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Speaker 1: All right, Well, as a reminder everyone, in July twenty

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Speaker 1: six on NBC and of course all the networks of NBC,

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Speaker 1: including Peacock, you'll be able to see everything when it

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Speaker 1: comes to tennis, all the stuff, all the swimming, all

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Speaker 1: the track and field. I've been watching so many things

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Speaker 1: on different sports and I am just pumped through it.

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Speaker 1: So you can see all of that clearly on Peacock

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Speaker 1: and we're gonna just keep talking about it, and I'm

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Speaker 1: pumped about it.

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Speaker 2: Tis what does the tennis start? Is it on that

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Speaker 2: twenty seventh?

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Speaker 1: The tennis starts I think on the twenty seventh, yes, seventh, Okay,

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Speaker 1: I'm just thinking I know when I have to be

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Speaker 1: there to report for Judy, and it's earlier than that.

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Speaker 1: So anyway, So let's talk about the USA team. The

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Speaker 1: men's Taylor Fritz, Tommy Poul, Marcus Diron, and Chris Banks

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Speaker 1: are suiting it up along with Regiev Ram and Austin Krycheck.

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Speaker 1: Those guys will be the doubles team. This is a

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Speaker 1: strong team. What are your thoughts on the guys before

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Speaker 1: we get to the girls.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it's it's weird in tennis. You just said, like,

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Speaker 2: this is a strong team, so it's like a team,

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Speaker 2: but you're also it's individual, so it's kind of it's

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Speaker 2: a little bit of a strange dynamic. I wish tennis

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Speaker 2: would go to a team format. I don't know how to.

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Speaker 2: I don't have any ideas off the top of my head.

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Speaker 2: But it is an amazing honor and privilege to make

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Speaker 2: the Team USA Olympic Team. Super cool for you know,

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Speaker 2: Chris Eubanks and Marcus Bron who actually just won his

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Speaker 2: his first tournament every weekend. You know, those guys got

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Speaker 2: in because a few of our other players opted not

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Speaker 2: to go, so this is, you know, a huge moment

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Speaker 2: for them. Jeron has possibly gone in the past. Chris Eubanks,

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Speaker 2: I think this is his first event and for and

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Speaker 2: for U Banks too. He's his ranking has recently fallen,

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Speaker 2: but when the Olympic team was, you know, when guys

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Speaker 2: were going over the rankings six weeks ago, he was

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Speaker 2: ranked a little higher. So it's kind of a great

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Speaker 2: opportunity for him. And you know, Fritz and and Tommy Paul,

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Speaker 2: those are two guys that have played great lately. They

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Speaker 2: they're not necessarily known as clay court players, but two

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Speaker 2: out of three sets, anything can happen. And then Rajeev

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Speaker 2: Ran and Austin Kreichek both have been number one in

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Speaker 2: the world doubles, both have one majors. They're going to

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Speaker 2: be one of the better doubles teams. So it's a

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Speaker 2: great crew. And you know, I there's a chance for

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Speaker 2: everyone here to come away with a medal if things,

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Speaker 2: you know, are set up correctly and they play well.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that one of them might surprise. I

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Speaker 1: don't know which one will, but it'll be nice to

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Speaker 1: see them certainly go deep in the tournament because we

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Speaker 1: love to see them do well. Of course, the women's

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Speaker 1: that's another story altogether. We've got Danielle Collins, what a

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Speaker 1: great year she's had. Cocoa Golf. Jessica Pagoula and Emma Navarro.

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Speaker 1: Those four players have played some really good tennis this year.

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Speaker 1: They've all had great success this year. That's a strong team.

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Speaker 1: You would think somebody in this group is going to medal.

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Speaker 2: You'd think, I mean, yeah, I mean who the lowest

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Speaker 2: ranked player in this list is Navarro and she's top

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Speaker 2: twenty and you know, just just had a great run

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Speaker 2: at Wimbledon, making a quarterfinals. So yeah, the girl are

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Speaker 2: I mean, We've had strong Olympic teams on the female

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Speaker 2: side for as long as I can remember, with with

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Speaker 2: the Williams sisters, and we've had Madison Keys and Sloan Stevens.

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Speaker 2: You know, the girls have constantly been top ten. But

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Speaker 2: this is as good of group that we've had going

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Speaker 2: in a long time. This is for speaking as a whole,

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Speaker 2: as a country. I don't know if there's another country

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Speaker 2: with the with a group in as strong as this.

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Speaker 2: So I look, I you're gonna know more than me,

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Speaker 2: but I I like, I find a bet right now.

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Speaker 2: I'm betting on one of those girls to get a medal.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I think look, obviously we know eagers she on

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Speaker 1: Tech's going to be the one to beat at the

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Speaker 1: Olympics in the women's just because it's at Roland Garris

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Speaker 1: where she doesn't lose a lot of tennis matches. So

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Speaker 1: there's no doubt that that. I know, Ego wants to

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Speaker 1: win a gold medal for Poland that will be an

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Speaker 1: enormous thing for her country, enormous thing for her. But

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Speaker 1: there's no doubt the Coco GoF will be pushing, you know,

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Speaker 1: for a medal as well. She plays very well on

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Speaker 1: the clay in Paris, and of course her and Jessica

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Speaker 1: Bagol have had six sucess in doubles, so they'll be

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Speaker 1: trying to get a medal of some type in doubles.

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Speaker 1: And you know, Danielle Collins is this the year. I mean,

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Speaker 1: she's had such an amazing year, so we'll see what

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Speaker 1: she can if she can produce something special on the clay.

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Speaker 1: And of course Amminavarro, she's had a wonderful year. So

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Speaker 1: I don't know all of these women. As you said,

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Speaker 1: I think the Czech team are probably just as strong

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Speaker 1: as far as pushing for medals, but there's no doubt

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Speaker 1: who of all the Americans do you think has a

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Speaker 1: shot of a gold medal?

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Speaker 2: I would say Cocoa golf. I mean, she's she's right

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Speaker 2: up there the last couple years, you know, finally in

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Speaker 2: the French Open semi final in the French Open. Obviously

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Speaker 2: she's got Ega in her way. But if if E

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Speaker 2: gets knocked out earlier, if Coco plays great and manages

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Speaker 2: the beater, you know, she's one of the few that can.

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Speaker 2: But I'm I'm kind of circling, circling her for that

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Speaker 2: best chance. And I'm not one hundred percent sure who

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Speaker 2: are mixed doubles teams are yet.

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00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,239
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I would say it was probably Jessica and

431
00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,679
Speaker 1: Austin Krycheck. Yes, they've played many, many many years together.

432
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:03,240
Speaker 1: And I would say probably Coco with maybe rejiev Ram.

433
00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:08,040
Speaker 2: I think that's those are both great teams. Yeah, you know,

434
00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,560
Speaker 2: and then Coco and Jessica Pagoula probably in the doubles

435
00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,640
Speaker 2: is probably my my my other call for like, if

436
00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:16,040
Speaker 2: I had to pick a group or one person or

437
00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:18,920
Speaker 2: a doubles team to to meddle, but does someone stand

438
00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:20,240
Speaker 2: what do you think someone stand out?

439
00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:20,359
Speaker 1: On?

440
00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:23,280
Speaker 2: Yeah, matter of women of like who's the best, who's

441
00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:23,960
Speaker 2: our best chance?

442
00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:28,080
Speaker 1: I think the best chance is probably Coco and I

443
00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,720
Speaker 1: think probably them in doubles, but you never know with

444
00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,800
Speaker 1: the guys, could be Rejiev and Austin And certainly we

445
00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,199
Speaker 1: know what Tommy is capable of doing. He's had a

446
00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:39,560
Speaker 1: great year as well, and Taylor so and as you said,

447
00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,720
Speaker 1: Jeron just won a tournament, so he's super confident as well.

448
00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:44,600
Speaker 1: I don't know, we'll see. This is why we play, right.

449
00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,040
Speaker 1: They haven't announced the mixed doubles teams yet, but that's

450
00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:48,640
Speaker 1: my guess of who we're going to see.

451
00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:51,120
Speaker 2: That's why if I was the coach, that's probably who

452
00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:53,720
Speaker 2: I would be sending out as the two best teams.

453
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,159
Speaker 1: Yeah, and it also depends on how they're feeling and

454
00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:57,879
Speaker 1: who wants to play and all that sort of stuff.

455
00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,879
Speaker 1: But anyway, all right now, Nodell Andrez, it's still a

456
00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:03,280
Speaker 1: little bit of an Olympic quick fire here for you.

457
00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,480
Speaker 1: Sam Nadal Alcarez, which player would you want to play

458
00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:11,040
Speaker 1: doubles with most from your generation? I mean that spans

459
00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,439
Speaker 1: a long time, my friends.

460
00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,320
Speaker 2: And I've got a generation with Roger, Rafa and Novak.

461
00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:18,879
Speaker 2: I argue with the three, the three greatest ever, but

462
00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:23,200
Speaker 2: I mean it's it's Roger. He's just you know, take

463
00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,560
Speaker 2: the game aside. He just he's smooth, he's cool. Just

464
00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:31,520
Speaker 2: you know, twenty years from now, talking to my friend's kids, grandkids, whoever,

465
00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:33,720
Speaker 2: to be able to say, oh my gosh, I got

466
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,080
Speaker 2: to play doubles with feder this one time would be

467
00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:38,520
Speaker 2: a pretty cool thing to say. I think.

468
00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:40,760
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree, I think if I had to pick

469
00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,040
Speaker 1: mixed doubles. I didn't ask him as a joke. One

470
00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:46,600
Speaker 1: time at Wimbledon, I was walking past him. I said, hey, Roger,

471
00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:48,840
Speaker 1: they haven't done the mixed doubles sign ups yet, do

472
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,880
Speaker 1: you want to play? And he started laughing. I mean

473
00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:53,080
Speaker 1: I was, I was an.

474
00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:55,720
Speaker 2: Honest I want to know, a laugh is not it's not.

475
00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,400
Speaker 1: That's what I thought. Yeah, I guess from my generation.

476
00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,000
Speaker 1: I don't know. My generation spanned a long time, but

477
00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:06,359
Speaker 1: probably given an opportunity. Well, I got to play with

478
00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,720
Speaker 1: Serena and World teen Tennis, which was always fun, but

479
00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:12,200
Speaker 1: I think suiting it up with her in a tournament

480
00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:13,680
Speaker 1: would have been fun. I did get to play with

481
00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:15,800
Speaker 1: Steffie Graff. We won a couple of tournaments together.

482
00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,400
Speaker 2: Pretty cool. Yeah, you got to play with your dream

483
00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:20,600
Speaker 2: with your dream people.

484
00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, I did. Martin and Everlovauld been great as well.

485
00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:24,840
Speaker 1: But she played the backhand side, and so did I,

486
00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:26,520
Speaker 1: because you know, what are you going to do? I

487
00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:27,960
Speaker 1: would play the forehand if I was playing with.

488
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:29,879
Speaker 2: If she asked you, hey, you want to play doubles,

489
00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:31,560
Speaker 2: but you got to play the forehand, you're saying.

490
00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:33,360
Speaker 1: Yes, right, yeah, I would play. I would say yes,

491
00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,040
Speaker 1: but good luck. That's what I would have said, Come

492
00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:39,800
Speaker 1: on all right? So there, yeah, okay, So in any

493
00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:43,959
Speaker 1: other sport, who would be the most unbeatable duo? Like

494
00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:48,360
Speaker 1: we're talking like Lebron Michael Jordan, Like I mean in swimming,

495
00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:50,640
Speaker 1: you would probably you know, there's a lot, there's a lot,

496
00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,399
Speaker 1: so which duo if you have to put them on

497
00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,000
Speaker 1: tennis court? But as their sport, which one would you pick?

498
00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,680
Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah, I guess on the on the level would

499
00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:03,520
Speaker 2: be like a, I mean, Lebron and Michael Jordan are

500
00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:08,720
Speaker 2: obviously you know I'm going I would go Michael Phelps

501
00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:09,680
Speaker 2: and Katie Ladecci.

502
00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:11,240
Speaker 1: Oh good coming.

503
00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:13,359
Speaker 2: And they've just between the two of them, I feel

504
00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:16,960
Speaker 2: like they've got about forty medals. And that's Katie Ladecci

505
00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,800
Speaker 2: on her own, wins every race by you know about

506
00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:24,159
Speaker 2: a lisle. So she's so dominant. But I feel like

507
00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,680
Speaker 2: those two. I mean, I can't think of another duo

508
00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,480
Speaker 2: and a sport that is like more dominant than the two. Event.

509
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,439
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, let me tell you something. As an Australian,

510
00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:35,920
Speaker 1: I cannot wait for the swimming. I've told you that

511
00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,560
Speaker 1: it's going to be a battle of the Aussies, those

512
00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:43,199
Speaker 1: them that are wearing those jerseys and the Americans in

513
00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:45,520
Speaker 1: the pool. That's going to be a lot of fun

514
00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,240
Speaker 1: for me to watch. I don't know, I I agree,

515
00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,359
Speaker 1: I think I was. I was thinking Michael Phelpson and

516
00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:53,600
Speaker 1: Katie as well, that would be a pretty great duo

517
00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:55,720
Speaker 1: to put in the pool. But they do have mixedteen

518
00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,240
Speaker 1: swimming now at the Olympics, and I love that, Like

519
00:23:58,280 --> 00:23:59,520
Speaker 1: the four by one hundred they do.

520
00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:00,320
Speaker 2: Yeah for her.

521
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,760
Speaker 1: Yeah, It's like you see the guys like twenty feet

522
00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:04,760
Speaker 1: ahead and then the girl jumps in and then it's

523
00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:07,760
Speaker 1: the guy swims. It's like so much fun. It's it's

524
00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:10,440
Speaker 1: absolutely chaotic, but it's so much fun.

525
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:12,960
Speaker 2: Is there another sprinter? I mean, we've got Hussain Bolt.

526
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:14,000
Speaker 2: Is there another sprinter?

527
00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,439
Speaker 1: Mae Marry Richardson, Man, you know.

528
00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:20,680
Speaker 2: She's incredible. Just I didn't know if she's like as

529
00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:22,760
Speaker 2: dominant as Husain Bolt.

530
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:24,720
Speaker 1: No one's as dominant as him.

531
00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:26,240
Speaker 2: Because if I feel like, if I had to one

532
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,280
Speaker 2: win one event in the Olympics, it's it's men's or

533
00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:32,199
Speaker 2: women's hundred meters. To say you're the fastest person on

534
00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:35,720
Speaker 2: Earth is the coolest title barn On across anything. I'd

535
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:39,240
Speaker 2: rather I'd take that over best tennis player, best basketball player,

536
00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,280
Speaker 2: best football player. I want to be the fastest fastest

537
00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:41,760
Speaker 2: fan on Earth.

538
00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,480
Speaker 1: You're just like, I'm the fastest person in the world,

539
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:45,000
Speaker 1: in the world.

540
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,520
Speaker 2: Luck, it's a cool title to take with you.

541
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,480
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a there's a cool doco on on that

542
00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,440
Speaker 1: right now. And it's sort of got me pumped for

543
00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:56,760
Speaker 1: the Olympics to watch the sprint races in the two

544
00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:58,840
Speaker 1: hundred and one hundred, especially because I've gotten to know

545
00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:01,560
Speaker 1: all the players. So you know, you've got in the pool,

546
00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,680
Speaker 1: you've got Australia and America, and in the sprints you've

547
00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:08,840
Speaker 1: got the Jamaicans and the Americans. So it's like, you know,

548
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:10,520
Speaker 1: I don't know if you can tell, but I'm a

549
00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:14,280
Speaker 1: little excited about the next like two weeks. But anyway, Okay,

550
00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:17,320
Speaker 1: so just real quick somebody who won a bronze medal

551
00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:20,840
Speaker 1: in singles at the Olympics, who had a stellar career.

552
00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,720
Speaker 1: We want to give a little pay little ode to

553
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:29,200
Speaker 1: my old Washington Castle's teammate Leander Pays, who was inducted

554
00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:31,440
Speaker 1: into the Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Hall of

555
00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:33,400
Speaker 1: Fame over the weekend. So I just want to throw

556
00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:35,600
Speaker 1: out a huge congratulations to him. He won, of course,

557
00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,760
Speaker 1: the bronze medal at the ninety six Olympics in Atlanta.

558
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,119
Speaker 1: That was my first Olympics, and he becomes the first

559
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,280
Speaker 1: Asian man to be inducted into the Tennis Hall of

560
00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:50,560
Speaker 1: Fame as a tennis player. Vj Armitrage was also inducted

561
00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:55,680
Speaker 1: this weekend, but he was as a contributor. Contributor another

562
00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,720
Speaker 1: way to say, but yeah, yeah in America, you know,

563
00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:02,280
Speaker 1: but Landa. Give me some stories on Landa and just

564
00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:04,400
Speaker 1: your thoughts on him getting into the Hall of Fame.

565
00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:06,280
Speaker 2: He's my I mean, for those of you lucky enough

566
00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,680
Speaker 2: to watch him, the guy had crazy hands. You could

567
00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:10,159
Speaker 2: have a short forehand on top of the net and

568
00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:12,600
Speaker 2: he would charge the net, pick a side react. But

569
00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:15,119
Speaker 2: he I also got to play World Team Tennis with

570
00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:18,080
Speaker 2: him for like five years on the Washington castles and

571
00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:18,840
Speaker 2: this guy.

572
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:20,960
Speaker 1: I missed playing with you on the Washington Castle.

573
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:22,719
Speaker 2: They must have booted you off and picked me up.

574
00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:27,680
Speaker 1: It's possible. It's possible they had they had cap room

575
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:28,719
Speaker 1: to bring you in after all.

576
00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:33,520
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. But this guy tennis aside, if you ask

577
00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,040
Speaker 2: me who's the best storyteller in all of tennis, this

578
00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:40,800
Speaker 2: is the man right here. This guy has stories for

579
00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:42,840
Speaker 2: just as long as from here to the moon. And

580
00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:45,400
Speaker 2: I don't think any of them are true, but they're

581
00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,159
Speaker 2: just the most amazing stories. And the actually the Olympic

582
00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,879
Speaker 2: story that he had from Atlanta where he got the

583
00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,960
Speaker 2: bronze medal kind of out of the blue. He got

584
00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:55,639
Speaker 2: it in singles, and I don't think he was ranked

585
00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,160
Speaker 2: necessarily that high in singles when he got it. He

586
00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,000
Speaker 2: claims in the he told me once in the third

587
00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,080
Speaker 2: fourth place match, he was losing, he was down, and

588
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:05,760
Speaker 2: then a butterfly came down on the court. It was injured.

589
00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:08,960
Speaker 2: He picked it up, he spoke to the butterfly, healed

590
00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,200
Speaker 2: it and then let it fly away. And the next

591
00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:13,399
Speaker 2: thing you know, you tell the story. The whole crowd

592
00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,879
Speaker 2: is flapping their wings like as their butterflies. Then it

593
00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,400
Speaker 2: propelled them to the victory to get them the gold

594
00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,840
Speaker 2: medal or the sorry, the bronze medal. But that's one

595
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,159
Speaker 2: of one hundred stories this guy has. And he's just

596
00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:25,560
Speaker 2: not only an amazing tennis player, like one of my

597
00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,000
Speaker 2: favorite people in tennis.

598
00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's no doubt that if you want to sit

599
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:31,800
Speaker 1: down or if you want to there's a couple of

600
00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:35,040
Speaker 1: things that I could tell you, but many are if

601
00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:38,760
Speaker 1: you want to get away real fast, when Leander starts

602
00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,239
Speaker 1: telling you a story, you have no chance like it

603
00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:44,840
Speaker 1: is going to go for a day. But as you said,

604
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:46,920
Speaker 1: when I played mixed doubles with him, which I did

605
00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:48,600
Speaker 1: many times to the World Team Tennis, and I played

606
00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:52,560
Speaker 1: against him in a Grand Slam final, actually he was

607
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,959
Speaker 1: He had the most unbelievable hands in the world, and

608
00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,880
Speaker 1: he would dive for everything, he would run for everything.

609
00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,240
Speaker 1: And so it's very fitting that he ended up into

610
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,120
Speaker 1: the International Tennis Hall of Fame because he definitely deserves it.

611
00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:08,359
Speaker 1: And what a what a you know, what an incredible

612
00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:11,760
Speaker 1: mark he left on Indian tennis. Of course, the Armitage

613
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,760
Speaker 1: Brothers were incredible for India, but Leander took it to

614
00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:18,359
Speaker 1: a different level with his just his wins in doubles

615
00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:22,560
Speaker 1: and mixed doubles. It was incredible. So Leander pays congratulations

616
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:26,520
Speaker 1: for getting into Hall of Fame. All right, well you listen, guys,

617
00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,399
Speaker 1: we're going to leave you a little bit of something

618
00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,600
Speaker 1: today because next time we're going to leave you with

619
00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:37,840
Speaker 1: a little Instagram TikTok legendary stuff from mister Sam a Query.

620
00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:38,480
Speaker 1: What's the A for?

621
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,600
Speaker 2: By the way, Austin my middle name? Query was already taken,

622
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:43,920
Speaker 2: so I had to slide the A in there.

623
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:45,920
Speaker 1: Who has Sam Query?

624
00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:49,720
Speaker 2: Who an impostor there's another there's another one of me

625
00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:50,120
Speaker 2: out there?

626
00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,760
Speaker 1: Okay, so Sam a Query is going to be We're

627
00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:56,880
Speaker 1: going to highlight him a little bit in this because honestly,

628
00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,840
Speaker 1: you make me laugh so much on your Instagram and

629
00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,040
Speaker 1: I I'm just thankful that your wife has been included

630
00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,600
Speaker 1: in a few of late She's I.

631
00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:07,040
Speaker 2: Mean, originally we started making these funny videos like she's

632
00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:08,280
Speaker 2: the mastermind behind these.

633
00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:09,960
Speaker 1: Oh early on.

634
00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:12,280
Speaker 2: She was like she was putting it together. Early on,

635
00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:13,720
Speaker 2: she was doing all the editing and a lot of

636
00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,920
Speaker 2: the ideas we've you know, and you know, give me,

637
00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:18,760
Speaker 2: honest I got a little help now. But yeah, no,

638
00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:21,200
Speaker 2: she My wife's fantastic in these videos.

639
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:24,600
Speaker 1: Well there you go. Behind every great man is always

640
00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:26,360
Speaker 1: a better woman. Is that what you're saying.

641
00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:28,880
Speaker 2: That is what I'm saying. This doesn't exist without her.

642
00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:39,680
Speaker 2: Oh it's just a nightmare or was it? Come to

643
00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:40,520
Speaker 2: talk about.

644
00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:43,080
Speaker 1: Brilliant subition shows and you will never go on Slam.

645
00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:44,560
Speaker 1: But even Trader had

646
00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:45,840
Speaker 2: To apologize without her