WEBVTT - US Open Mixed Doubles shake-up, Demon rises, Storm hunts return 0:00:03.279 --> 0:00:05.920 Good ay, and welcome to the tennis for episode twenty 0:00:05.960 --> 0:00:09.040 one of season seven. While the US Open is shaking 0:00:09.039 --> 0:00:11.239 things up with the mixed doubles. In twenty twenty five, 0:00:11.600 --> 0:00:14.640 Demon has fallen to Alcaraz in Rotterdam, but back up 0:00:14.640 --> 0:00:17.279 to a career high world number six, and we're down 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:20.440 to the business end in Goha, but some surprise upsets 0:00:20.480 --> 0:00:23.120 as we round into the quarter finals. That's all ahead 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:25.560 on the tennis with me. John Huvenis, Briece Stewart is 0:00:25.600 --> 0:00:25.799 with me. 0:00:25.840 --> 0:00:27.920 Welcome back, bri Thank you, good to be here. 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:31.840 Australian legend John Fitzgerald joins us. Welcome Fitzie, Thank. 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:34.040 You, Jonathan Ge you put me on the back foot already, 0:00:35.159 --> 0:00:35.720 thank you for that. 0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:38.360 Soon to make another big splash in the world of tennis, 0:00:38.360 --> 0:00:41.840 with some exciting news to come today, Storm Hunter, Welcome Storm. 0:00:42.040 --> 0:00:42.199 Hi. 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:43.000 It's been a while. 0:00:43.120 --> 0:00:46.239 Have you been keeping up with Storm's Instagram account. 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:51.000 Of all like a creeper, some very inspirational content. Yeah, 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:52.000 it's been so good. 0:00:52.440 --> 0:00:54.640 We're actually talking about it before and I was quizzing 0:00:54.680 --> 0:00:57.040 here on what's been happening and from what we've seen, 0:00:57.160 --> 0:00:58.480 so yeah. 0:00:58.160 --> 0:01:00.800 We do look forward to hearing your announcement, but we're 0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:02.560 going to do what's caught your eyes. We like to 0:01:02.560 --> 0:01:05.560 start every regulation episode with and over to you, Fitz, 0:01:05.560 --> 0:01:07.640 see what's caught your eye in the tennis world this week. 0:01:07.760 --> 0:01:09.800 Well, I think the biggest news for me is the 0:01:09.920 --> 0:01:13.000 quite dramatic changes that the USTA are making, or the 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:15.720 US Open is making to mixed doubles. And there's been 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:19.160 a big announcement in the last twenty four hours or 0:01:19.200 --> 0:01:24.120 so on the US Open putting the mixed doubles in 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:27.160 a reduced format and a different type of format into 0:01:27.160 --> 0:01:29.520 the first week, the week of qualifying for their event, 0:01:29.600 --> 0:01:34.520 and it's really causing some discussion. I think there'll be 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:37.880 opinions everywhere about it and something that we probably really 0:01:37.920 --> 0:01:38.880 need to touch. 0:01:38.680 --> 0:01:42.840 On this statement from the USTA overnight. The USTA has 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:45.680 reimagined and elevated the focus of the mixed doubles by 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:48.000 moving it to the first week of the US Open, 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:51.200 So that'll be Tuesday the nineteenth to Wednesday the twentieth 0:01:51.200 --> 0:01:54.400 of August, a two day format played on Arthur ash 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:59.120 Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium. The USTA Executive Director and 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:02.200 CEO Lou Sure says we'll be scheduling mixed doubles on 0:02:02.240 --> 0:02:05.640 the center stage and enabling more fans worldwide to enjoy 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:08.840 the thrill of watching their favorite stars compete for this 0:02:08.919 --> 0:02:12.519 coveted Grand Slam championship title. So it seems as if 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:16.919 the intention here is to get bigger names playing on 0:02:17.040 --> 0:02:22.000 their own stage earlier in the week to attract more fans, Right, yeah. 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:25.880 I think so, And I understand what they're trying to do. 0:02:26.000 --> 0:02:28.360 They're trying to get more interest into the US Open. 0:02:29.040 --> 0:02:30.919 Mixed doubles is so much fun to watch, even when 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:33.120 it's the best singles players in the world. We love 0:02:33.200 --> 0:02:35.480 kind of seeing them interact on court, how they go 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:37.880 about it. But for me, I'm a really big traditionalist 0:02:37.919 --> 0:02:40.560 and I think, to I guess, put a Grand Slam 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.440 title on that mixed doubles I'm not a fan of 0:02:43.560 --> 0:02:45.639 at all. I think it should be in the two 0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:47.960 weeks of a Grand Slam. It should be you know, 0:02:47.960 --> 0:02:49.840 the mixed doubles right now. It's best of your singles 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:52.160 or doubles rankings. So singles players can already enter it 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:54.600 during a Grand Slam. It's not like they don't have access. 0:02:54.600 --> 0:02:57.120 It's not just for doubles players. It's for the best 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:00.840 players in the world singles or doubles, and singles players 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:04.320 aren't playing that at the moment, and I think it's 0:03:04.320 --> 0:03:06.800 a great idea to have an exhibition like that in 0:03:06.840 --> 0:03:09.800 the week leading into the US Open. But I'm definitely 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:11.239 not a fan of the fact that it's going to 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:13.720 be a grand slime title. It's taking jobs away from 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:16.720 doubles players and pretty. 0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:17.600 Rogue decision FITSI. 0:03:18.320 --> 0:03:20.120 It's certainly going to raise a lot of eyebrows. It's 0:03:20.200 --> 0:03:23.600 changing the format into something that we haven't sort of 0:03:23.600 --> 0:03:26.880 seen before. But look, I wonder whether the discussion should 0:03:26.880 --> 0:03:29.560 be a little deeper than just the fact that they've 0:03:29.639 --> 0:03:34.440 changed this. I've been a bit of a critic, sort 0:03:34.440 --> 0:03:37.720 of in my own little area here in Australia for 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:40.280 a while about how doubles has evolved a little bit 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:43.040 and the dimensions of the court are still the same, 0:03:43.920 --> 0:03:46.480 but the equipment has changed so dramatically in the last 0:03:46.520 --> 0:03:50.160 twenty odd years that it's changed the game of doubles. 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:53.080 And there have been coaches, and to their credit, who 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:56.160 have worked out and taught their players how to win 0:03:57.040 --> 0:03:59.200 a doubles match playing a different way, and that is 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:03.000 crowding the so much when their partner serves a big 0:04:03.040 --> 0:04:05.960 serve that they can just like pick a cherriot at 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:09.880 the net. And to me, what has worried me about 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:12.560 that is that it's taken some of the nuances away, 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:17.400 the skill the skill sets away that are traditional. And 0:04:17.480 --> 0:04:20.520 I'm also a huge lover of doubles Silma, and it 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:22.440 was a big part of my life and I used 0:04:22.440 --> 0:04:25.920 to love playing it as well as singles. But I 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:29.880 just wonder whether that has had a or whether that 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:33.120 has caused some of these thought processes to come to 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:36.400 the fore because of how the game of doubles has evolved. 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:39.720 That's what my in the minds of the tournaments possibly 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:43.880 And you know, I heard one of our very prominent commentators, 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:47.479 jingustrain Open I agreed with him say that. Look in Pickaball, 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:50.360 for instance, you have a zone where the player can't 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:53.520 get too close to the net. And I just wonder, 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:56.320 maybe it's too late for any of that to change. 0:04:56.360 --> 0:04:57.360 But the game of. 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:00.200 Doubles, I think has lost some of its skill set, 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:03.039 in fact, a lot of its skill set. 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:05.080 And I don't necessarily. 0:05:04.640 --> 0:05:07.760 Think that's been a great thing, but it's been a 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:11.000 natural evolution because the dimensions of the court are still 0:05:11.000 --> 0:05:13.760 the same. They can hit the ball harder now with 0:05:13.839 --> 0:05:16.839 the modern equipment which has allowed them to win points 0:05:16.880 --> 0:05:20.160 in an easier fashion closer to the net. So whether 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:23.159 that's influenced this decision, probably not, but it might be 0:05:23.279 --> 0:05:25.839 part of a very small part of the evolution of 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:28.240 how the game of doubles is perceived. 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:30.320 Just a question for both of you. 0:05:30.560 --> 0:05:32.839 But if we are if some of the art of 0:05:32.880 --> 0:05:36.520 doubles has been lost, something like this probably doesn't really 0:05:36.600 --> 0:05:38.680 help bring it back, though, does it. Because I know 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:42.760 they're saying using words like reimagined and elevated, right, I'm not. 0:05:42.720 --> 0:05:47.280 Sure that they are necessarily elevating, yeah, just making it 0:05:47.320 --> 0:05:51.440 more entertaining and exhibition, which again, when that is played, 0:05:51.520 --> 0:05:53.720 it's been played at Indian Worlds in the last few years. 0:05:53.720 --> 0:05:55.040 Like I really enjoy watching it. 0:05:55.040 --> 0:05:57.640 It's actually quite fun to watch, and there's definitely a 0:05:57.640 --> 0:05:59.360 place for that. But when I think you're putting a 0:05:59.360 --> 0:06:02.480 Grand Slam top idol on the line over two days, 0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:05.159 even shortening the format first of four in the sets 0:06:05.200 --> 0:06:07.720 instead of you know, a standard format, I just think 0:06:08.480 --> 0:06:11.359 it doesn't quite Grand Slam title to be a Grandslime 0:06:11.440 --> 0:06:15.600 champion in the mixed doubles. It doesn't have the same yeah, 0:06:15.640 --> 0:06:16.440 the meaning, and. 0:06:16.400 --> 0:06:17.839 Yeah it's lightened the value, hasn't it. 0:06:17.920 --> 0:06:19.840 Yeah, I think that's what it feels like, doesn't it. 0:06:20.240 --> 0:06:23.839 And you're a former champion of the US Open Mixed doubles, 0:06:23.880 --> 0:06:26.599 So what was your reaction and what does this mean 0:06:26.640 --> 0:06:29.400 for you? Possibly in August of twenty twenty five. 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:34.120 Yeah, it was pretty shocking and a little bit disappointing, because, yeah, 0:06:34.160 --> 0:06:36.159 I have amazing memories. That's where I became a Grand 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:38.400 Slam champion for the first time at the US Open, 0:06:38.440 --> 0:06:41.120 playing with John Piers and you know, we played a 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:44.640 full ten days of the tournament. There beat a lot 0:06:44.640 --> 0:06:46.960 of really good teams singles players as well, not just 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:50.000 doubles players who signed up and played and got the 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:52.520 opportunity to play on Arthur ash Stadium and to become 0:06:52.560 --> 0:06:54.080 Grandslim champions was amazing. 0:06:54.120 --> 0:06:55.920 And the first thing that I thought. 0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:57.160 Was like, oh, wow, I'm probably not going to get 0:06:57.200 --> 0:07:01.920 that opportunity again if this happened. Obviously at the US 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:05.479 Open it's happening, but even further with other Slams, and yeah, 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:07.799 I'm probably not going to get the opportunity because they're 0:07:08.760 --> 0:07:09.840 deciding who can play. 0:07:09.960 --> 0:07:11.960 Really see, there would be a crying shaman for former 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:16.600 number one doubles player in the world doesn't get that opportunity. Look, look, 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:18.800 one question I have, Stormy, and you're at the cold 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:24.360 face of the sport at the moment, you're still there 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:28.160 and you're you know, you b number one, so you're 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:31.760 a prominent player. Do you think length of matches is 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:36.720 contributing to this as well? Because I get a little annoyed, 0:07:36.800 --> 0:07:37.080 you know. 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:38.240 Commentating this Ruin Open. 0:07:38.280 --> 0:07:41.440 When players go off after a six to one first set, 0:07:42.120 --> 0:07:44.200 they'll come out, it'll be a quick set, it'll be 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:46.400 twenty minutes, twenty five minutes, they go off the court. 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:49.840 Sometimes they go off for seven or eight minutes. And 0:07:50.240 --> 0:07:53.200 our matches, now, I mean we had two day matches 0:07:53.240 --> 0:07:55.440 starting at eleven this year at this round Open, and 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:58.440 even then it's dangerous about whether it's going to go 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:02.280 into the night session or not. So are extraordinarily extraordinarily long? 0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:02.640 Now? 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:04.240 Is that? 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:06.600 And I don't think that's a great thing. I think 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:08.880 that we have to do what we can to make 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:11.120 those matches a little shorter. 0:08:11.920 --> 0:08:13.840 Is that part of this decision? Do you think or not. 0:08:15.160 --> 0:08:16.800 I don't necessarily think so. 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:19.840 But with the longer matches, then doubles matches and mixed 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:22.080 doubles matches getting played so late that even if they 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:24.320 want to market those matches and try and get crowds 0:08:24.360 --> 0:08:27.080 in and watch, there's actually no audience because of they're 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:29.640 always kind of been put kind of after the singles, 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:32.200 and even in singles when players are going off the 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:34.840 court or taking medical timeouts or going to the bathroom. 0:08:34.920 --> 0:08:38.920 It just extends over a day's time. Like a match 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:41.080 that should be an hour, it's almost two hours because 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:43.240 of the waiting time in between. I think it just 0:08:43.760 --> 0:08:45.760 disengages the crowd first of all, and you want the 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:48.320 crowd to be involved and to be seated and watching, 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:51.160 staying for those doubles matches as well as the mix. 0:08:51.200 --> 0:08:55.160 So maybe length of matches is in a way inevently 0:08:55.360 --> 0:08:58.680 in a way affecting it because I think they're taking 0:08:58.720 --> 0:09:04.040 too long and the attention span of people isn't eight 0:09:04.040 --> 0:09:05.079 hours necessarily for. 0:09:05.040 --> 0:09:06.480 Two matches, you know. 0:09:06.559 --> 0:09:08.720 Let's you know, the shot clock I think is worth 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:10.119 discussing at some stage. 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:11.360 Reducing the time. 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:13.920 Yeah, I think the shot clock has actually hurt the 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:17.720 sport because players now reverse engineer at back so that 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:20.040 they can take all the take all the time, and 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:24.000 matches are so long, I think we need to shorten 0:09:24.080 --> 0:09:25.559 it a little bit somehow. 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:28.080 Some big conversations to be had. I'm sure this is 0:09:28.080 --> 0:09:29.920 not the last WEIG going to speak of it here 0:09:30.000 --> 0:09:33.160 on the Tennis Tennis Australia put out a statement today 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:36.320 Mixed doubles is a fantastic showcase of tennis and one 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:38.840 of the only opportunities in world sport where men and 0:09:38.880 --> 0:09:41.760 women can compete alongside and against each other. A key 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:44.440 pillar of success of the United Cup, where the mixed 0:09:44.440 --> 0:09:47.120 doubles is often determined the result and it's a big 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:50.040 hit with both the players and the fans. Our whole 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:53.440 summer is about creating more opportunities for the players, providing 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:56.880 more competition on the bigger stage and more prize money. 0:09:57.440 --> 0:09:59.880 So it would appear that at the moment, Tennis Australias 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:03.320 position is to still enshrine the Mixed Doubles Championship in 0:10:03.360 --> 0:10:05.960 its current position in the schedule. 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:08.680 To be honest, sometimes when one slam makes a change, 0:10:08.800 --> 0:10:10.839 is like with the Sunday starts right, it's as soon 0:10:10.880 --> 0:10:12.680 as one slam makes a change and it's. 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:16.040 Like okay, yeah, yeah, we'll see what happens. Yeah, I 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:18.560 had a question and sorry, I know we're wrapping up. 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:22.320 But the prize money of one million, is that higher 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:22.960 or less? 0:10:23.200 --> 0:10:26.600 If that's for the winner, that is significantly higher? 0:10:26.880 --> 0:10:30.600 Yeah, like ten Well it says a winners prize, so it's. 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:33.840 The champions Oh really yep, that'll be the champions prize. 0:10:34.160 --> 0:10:36.920 So yeah, that would be significantly more. 0:10:36.880 --> 0:10:40.200 Halving the draw less time it takes two days. You know, 0:10:40.240 --> 0:10:42.960 there's a lot of money saved there on the logistics 0:10:43.000 --> 0:10:45.600 to put on this tournament, so it makes sense. 0:10:45.440 --> 0:10:47.640 And more marketable commas. 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:50.520 Yeah, I know this heaps more to discuss, but we'll 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:52.679 put it on ice for now and perhaps come back 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:55.720 to it at a later date. Well over to your storm. 0:10:55.720 --> 0:10:58.280 What's caught your eye in the tennis world this week? 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:00.400 Well, I'm super excited about one. 0:11:00.520 --> 0:11:03.280 So what's caught my I is Belinda ben Chicch winning 0:11:03.360 --> 0:11:07.560 the WTA five hundred title in Abu Dhabi after yeah, 0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:10.679 becoming a mum. It's her first title since having her daughter, 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:14.560 Bella in late April last year. So I mean her 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:17.960 daughter's not even one years old yet. And she's been traveling. 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:21.800 She started playing again in October, playing some itfs kind 0:11:21.800 --> 0:11:24.240 of around Europe, and then made the last minute decision 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:26.360 to come to Australia because of United cops. She actually 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:28.679 wasn't going to come and play in Australia. It was 0:11:28.679 --> 0:11:31.080 a bit too far to have her daughter travel with her. 0:11:31.200 --> 0:11:36.400 And she was saying that the logistics of managing you know, 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:39.200 her little baba and then trying to get physically ready 0:11:39.280 --> 0:11:42.240 and being able to play, trusting her body. And she 0:11:42.320 --> 0:11:44.240 ended up making the fourth round here at the Australian Open, 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:46.520 which was amazing, amazing, and she. 0:11:46.520 --> 0:11:48.920 Played so well, you know at a carp as well. Yeah, 0:11:49.280 --> 0:11:49.720 she did. 0:11:49.760 --> 0:11:51.640 And for her to win the title, you know, beating 0:11:51.720 --> 0:11:54.000 ashlen Kruger in the in the final and rebarkking her 0:11:54.000 --> 0:11:56.160 in the semi final, I think was amazing. 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:58.280 And like she's just such a great person. 0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:02.079 You know, she troubles with her husband and now her daughter, 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:04.320 and I just was so happy for her to see 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:05.760 her win the title last week. 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:10.439 Let's hear Belinda Benchic in her post match championship speech. 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:14.080 And yeah, also to win the title in front of 0:12:14.120 --> 0:12:17.880 my family, it's really special. And yeah, I can't thank 0:12:17.920 --> 0:12:21.520 them enough for the support all the week, and also 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:23.920 to my coach Ian I think we did such a 0:12:23.960 --> 0:12:27.520 hard work to play here again, to my family at 0:12:27.559 --> 0:12:30.199 home yet to all my team, to people that are 0:12:30.200 --> 0:12:32.920 helping me, and of course to my husband and to 0:12:32.960 --> 0:12:35.280 my daughter Bella. I love you so much and this. 0:12:35.360 --> 0:12:35.760 Is like. 0:12:44.840 --> 0:12:47.400 It was a big dream for me, you know, to 0:12:47.480 --> 0:12:49.160 come back and play in front of her and to 0:12:49.240 --> 0:12:49.960 win the tournament. 0:12:51.000 --> 0:12:53.840 So a second title for Belinda Benchic in Abu Dhabi 0:12:53.840 --> 0:12:56.840 and her first as a mother. Congratulations to Belinda and 0:12:56.960 --> 0:12:59.920 is it Bella the young daughter Bella Bencicic hope to 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:00.600 see is. 0:13:00.720 --> 0:13:02.400 Great the results? 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:03.680 Yeah to come and. 0:13:04.160 --> 0:13:06.280 Yeah, amazing, that's a winner's name, Brie. 0:13:06.360 --> 0:13:07.960 What's caught your eye this week? 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:13.840 We'll caught my eye was Alex Deminor runner up in Rotterdam. 0:13:14.320 --> 0:13:17.559 He went down to just a nobody in our kraaz 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:21.800 so but what really caught my eye was what he 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:23.240 spoke about afterwards. 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:29.760 Carlos, congratulations man, I mean too good again to you, 0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:33.400 to your whole team. You're you're incredible person. We've known 0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:36.280 each other for a very long time and we always 0:13:36.320 --> 0:13:40.240 have some fan fun battles and I enjoyed my time 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:42.800 very much on the court today, So thank you. And yeah, 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:45.440 as I said, it's been a lot of improvements in 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:47.880 my game over the last couple of years, and I'm 0:13:47.920 --> 0:13:50.440 going to keep on pushing for more. And you know, 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:53.040 it's been two years now with this runner up trophy. 0:13:55.200 --> 0:13:58.199 I'm hoping I'll get my hand on the winners one day. 0:13:58.240 --> 0:13:59.120 So thank you guys. 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:02.600 You know, he was like, oh, two years with this 0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:05.480 runner up trophy, can't wait to get my hands on 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:08.560 the winners one day and kind of said to it 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:12.440 was very, very complimentary to archives, which Alex is always 0:14:12.440 --> 0:14:14.880 such a good sport, right, but he was also like, 0:14:15.120 --> 0:14:16.880 I kind of hate there's a few people I hate 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:18.480 on this tour and he's kind of one of them. 0:14:18.600 --> 0:14:21.960 Kind of thing because poor Alex is you know some 0:14:22.000 --> 0:14:24.920 of these times that he's lost it's him or Center 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:28.880 or but yeah, just I really liked the speech and 0:14:28.880 --> 0:14:31.600 how Alex approaches a lot of this stuff and he's 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:34.400 not He's still so driven and committed and he knows 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:37.000 he's going to get it one day against them, and 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:38.320 it just wasn't his day. 0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:40.440 Look, he's great for the sport. 0:14:40.560 --> 0:14:44.280 I'm so happy Australia's got him, you know, and he 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:46.960 deserves every bit of success. I think that he gets 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:49.520 it's a long journey to try and knock those big, 0:14:49.560 --> 0:14:52.520 heavy hitters off, you know, and he's trying to improve 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:55.160 his game in so many different ways and that's really 0:14:55.240 --> 0:14:57.480 all he can do. So anyone that does that, I 0:14:57.560 --> 0:14:58.240 take my hat off to. 0:14:58.440 --> 0:14:59.880 What can you do as a player to start to 0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:02.080 innovate and find a way. 0:15:01.920 --> 0:15:03.720 In gosh, it's so hard. 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:05.960 It's so hard, I think even for him mentally to 0:15:06.120 --> 0:15:08.600 just be keep going at it like and not. And 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:10.080 I think one thing that he has one of his 0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:12.600 strengths is that he's not putting a limit on himself. 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:15.440 He's really trying to after every tournament when he has 0:15:15.440 --> 0:15:17.640 a loss like this to Outcras or Sinner at the AO, 0:15:17.800 --> 0:15:20.040 he's really kind of coming back to the drawing board. 0:15:19.960 --> 0:15:21.840 Like, Okay, how can I keep getting better? What do 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:22.600 I need to work on? 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:25.120 And like Fitz he said, he's literally getting everything out 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:28.200 of himself and no matter what, like he can only 0:15:28.240 --> 0:15:30.880 be proud of himself for what he's achieved. And I think, yeah, 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:32.280 he's still got a lot to go as long as 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:34.960 he can stay healthy and fit and just keep just 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:36.240 keep pushing, keep going. 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:37.840 I think, you know, you never know when you're going 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:38.200 to get. 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:39.800 An opportunity, and he's just got to keep kind of 0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:42.360 putting himself out there and then you never know. 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:44.320 But it's incredibly trd hard, and. 0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:46.760 He's doing an amazing job to just keep showing up 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:48.920 and keep chipping away. 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:51.920 Look he's doing I think he's doing everything he can. 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:57.000 He's going against heavyweights, guys that are bigger, they're stronger, 0:15:57.080 --> 0:15:59.440 and they hit the ball harder, and they hit the 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:01.440 ball heavy, which is a term we use a lot 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:04.880 in tennis storm the ball feels heavier off Centner's racket 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:06.960 and our Gaazer's racket than it does off a lot 0:16:06.960 --> 0:16:13.239 of others. That is hard to combat, and he probably, yeah, 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:16.880 I mean they're great players. They're truly great players. So 0:16:16.920 --> 0:16:19.960 he's in an era now where we've gone past the 0:16:20.000 --> 0:16:22.880 big three in the men's game plus Andy, you know, 0:16:23.120 --> 0:16:27.520 those four players, and now the good, the great players 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:30.320 or the top end players have to face these two 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:38.360 new incredible, you know, sort of evolutionary players, really guys 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:40.040 that will transcend the next generation. 0:16:40.640 --> 0:16:43.680 Tough to combat that, Yeah, Well, there did. 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:45.720 Take a set off Alcraz though, which I thought. 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:48.360 Was the score line there in the end six four 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:51.240 three six, that middle set to Damn and six two 0:16:51.400 --> 0:16:55.080 in the end, and Carlos Alkraz had prieviously knocked off 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:57.880 Huby her Cutch in the semi final, also in three 0:16:57.920 --> 0:17:00.560 sets to get through. So yeah, there are challenge. Let's 0:17:00.880 --> 0:17:03.760 hope that our Ossie Alex can make further in roads 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:06.159 the big dogs. They're all going to be back in 0:17:06.200 --> 0:17:09.080 action next week in Doha, and we're going to get 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:12.640 to the women shortly, but the men Doha from February seventeen. 0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:15.560 Next week, Janick Sinner to play his first tournament since 0:17:15.960 --> 0:17:18.320 AO twenty twenty five. Al Kraz will be there, to 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:21.800 Djokovic will be there, and Daniel Medvedev who's in action 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:24.840 in Marseille this week, so that's a pretty star studded 0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:29.359 field in Doha. I wanted to speak about Janick Sinner. 0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:33.119 We haven't seen him for about three weeks and during 0:17:33.160 --> 0:17:37.399 the tournament we had the opportunity with Daniella Huntakova the 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:41.119 Real DNA podcast to collaborate and she brought in Janick 0:17:41.160 --> 0:17:44.600 Sinner's fitness trainer, fitness coach by the name of Marco 0:17:44.640 --> 0:17:47.720 Panniccci to kind of pick his brain about the process 0:17:47.800 --> 0:17:51.520 of keeping a player like Janick Sinner fine tuned and 0:17:51.680 --> 0:17:54.640 ready to go, remembering of course that he played the 0:17:55.040 --> 0:17:58.159 year end atp Finals, then he had to play Davis 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:00.720 Cup where Italy went all the way. I think by 0:18:00.760 --> 0:18:02.720 the time I got into his pre season, I only 0:18:02.720 --> 0:18:05.200 had about three weeks two or three weeks preparation. 0:18:06.400 --> 0:18:09.080 What is one of the biggest challenge from the physical. 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:11.440 Side, Well, you know, I would change a little bit 0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:15.440 of the schedule and planning of the tour. Let's say 0:18:15.960 --> 0:18:21.200 we arrive actually now here in Australia and my player, 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:24.640 for example, he played the Devis Cup finals, so which 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:28.040 means we had a really short short time considering also 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:30.560 he needs to he needed to rest a little bit 0:18:30.560 --> 0:18:35.720 occurse and so before, for example, we had almost between 0:18:35.840 --> 0:18:39.600 six eight weeks of precision. Do you remember this, and 0:18:39.800 --> 0:18:43.439 now basically we have three weeks. You know, before we 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:47.800 had a little bit more time to schedule a normal work. 0:18:48.200 --> 0:18:50.399 Now it's more reactive everything. So you have to be 0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:53.200 very you know, you have to know very very well 0:18:53.320 --> 0:18:56.080 your player and how we react on some input that 0:18:56.160 --> 0:18:56.800 you give to him. 0:18:56.920 --> 0:18:59.960 So basically now, the reason why the players are traveling 0:19:00.119 --> 0:19:04.280 with let's say with bigger teams is that you actually 0:19:04.320 --> 0:19:06.880 do most of the work on the road. 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:12.280