Hey, the folks, it is Monday, January nineteenth, and we have been trying to find the nicest way possible to say this about Venus Williams. She just set a record for being the oldest person ever to do something, and with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ ro It's a compliment. She set a record. This is an achievement. That's awesome. But it seems weird to be talking about a woman and say, hey, congrats, you're the oldest to ever do it.
Yeah, you know what. I hadn't thought about it like that, but that.
Is maybe not what you would think some women would want to be championed four. But honestly, I saw this headline that yes, she set a record by being the oldest woman to ever play in the Australian Open, and coupled with the fact that she lost in the first round, you might think, wow, that is not what a female
athlete would want to see written about her. But the point is this is a positive story because it shows a woman who was saying, you know what, I'm not done and I'm gonna keep going and doing what I love. And even though she lost the way she lost, what she said afterwards her the way she carried herself on that court and off the court, what it inspired the heck out of me today, in a day and in the last few weeks. We need some people who do good,
who are good, who behave well. She is someone to look towards.
She's just a DEI higher anyway. But look everything, everything that's positive. I've become jaded that somebody's gonna turn into something negative. This is a wonderful story. And we just did something recently about Helen Neuran and more and more just women embracing, yes, the age they are, but how
they look as they age. This isn't that necessarily, but it is an age related story having to do with a woman who is going out there competing against children who weren't even born when she became a pro and so for her robes to do that. I look at Lebron James, I look at Tom Brady. These guys were forty something at the top of their game. If a woman can do it too, this is why this is an important story. And I applaud Venus Williams for what
she the lost who cares exactly. She's been getting fine tunes, she is getting better actually in the past six months or so.
I love it.
This is a great story.
I thank you. I so agree. Yeah, she's forty five years old.
She got a wild car entry to play and this is crazy to think about forty five competing. She was seventeen when she first competed in the Australian Open, and that was three years before her opponent this weekend was even.
Born before all. But to say that this is remember, folks, Venus Williams, I know we Serena is the greatest to ever pick up a tennis racket. That's been widely agreed. So it's heart. You have to stop and remember Venus was the star first. Yes, Venus was the one that came on the scene and wowed assault. Venus was the kid with the braids and those little plastic things in her air.
What do you yeah, I don't know.
There was a herd that came onto the scene. So she is even before her sister set an example, set a path. She was the Tiger Woods, if you will, in tennis, and that she just set a new standard. So that is who we're talking about. ROAs most of us don't know in our adult life, sport without the Williams sisters.
That's so true, and including Venus Williams.
I don't know what that. Venus, by the way, is a seven time Grand Slam singles champion.
That is significant.
Now, she never won the Australian Open because she finished as the runner up to her sister, the aforementioned sisters Serena. That happened in two thousand and three and as recently as twenty seventeen.
If you have to make an argument like how can you be mad? Damn it? The only never got the Australian Open. But it's still in the family. Yes, the two she lost are still in the family. Yes, those girls are all Yes.
And by the way, this match forty five year old Venus up against twenty four year old Olga Danilovitch. Did I say her name correctly? It was an exciting match. I mean the third and deciding set. We talked about this. Venus was initially four to oh in a lead over her opponent. People were getting excited. H yeah, that was amazing. Unfortunately, she lost the next six games, so she ended up losing it all.
But she she can hold her head up proudly with that match.
And again she hasn't played a whole lot. She only started playing again last year so far, I believe, so she's kind of getting back into top shape. She's getting back into top competitive shape, top form. So she's like just picking things up a little bit. This is this is another test. She was in control of this match. Sure she lost it, but what's next. I'm excited about this year.
Yeah, in her comments, I want to get into her comments after the game because I still want to put it in the perspective of yes, it was impressive. Yes, she just broke a record by being the oldest woman to compete. But still, if you are, how many athletes you would know this better? You're more into sports than
I am. How many athletes who were at the top of their game are willing to go and come back much older, not as well trained, and still tried, knowing that you probably aren't going to be what you were, but knowing that you love the game and you do it anyway, and you face perhaps potential humiliation, you face potential setbacks and failures, and you do it anyway.
I would say that's fairly rare.
I've been some high profile cases, even Philip Rivers with you looking at me like Phil Rivers. Yeah, retired quarterback. They just brought him back Indianapolis. They had a quarterback shortage. He's forty five, forty six, ain't played, came in, did well, did great, looked great something. There have been stories boxers have made comebacks, so those are a little more. George
Foreman is a good example. It's true, but these high profile Michael Jordan is a great example of a guy who retired, came back in his forties playing for the Washington Wizards, still averaging about twenty a game. But when you're she was, she's considered one of the greatest. That's when you talk about people who were at who were the best at doing it, and now are coming back and having to compete and fight against children who, yes right,
who have none of their accomplishments. That is humbling.
That is humbling, and but that level of humility is inspiring. I love this story and hearing what she said after her loss. We've seen plenty of tennis players and plenty of athletes through a little fits when they lose.
They're very upset.
Venus walked off that court to a standing ovation and a huge smile on her face and a wave, and that inspired the heck out of me. She said, it was such a great game, such a great moment. The energy from the crowd was amazing. That lifted me up so much. And then she talked about her opponent, Olga dan A Loovitch. She said she played a great game. Also some luck there as well. That's just the sport, that's how it works sometimes, but it was an amazing moment.
She talked about how it felt good to have the biggest lead I've had since I've been back, and this is where I really appreciated what she had to say. In a lot of ways, I'm having to relearn how to do things again, if that makes any sense. I'm really proud of my effort today because I am playing better with each match, getting to the places that I want to go.
That is really cool.
At forty five, someone who was at the top of her game saying I am having to relearn how to do things again.
That resonated with me and perhaps with us.
I mean, she's so hard, she's yeah, we talked about her first major or whatever she wanted. She was a teenager, but she's had a tennis racket in her hand. She's forty five now, it's been in her hand for over forty years. She knows nothing else. She's made all the money she can make. She just got married right months ago. Yes, so ro This The cool part here is that with all we see and talk about with athletes and big money and endorsements and all these things, she's playing now
because she loves tennis. She's always loved tennis. There's nothing new about this. This is just tennis, folks, And I just happen to not be the greatest doing it. But I'm loving this game. It's all I know. That is wonderful of HER's. She knows she's not gonna win another Grand Slam, she.
Knows that, but she's doing it anyway too much like that.
I don't know why that.
Makes me emotional, but it does because I think people get to a certain place in their life and they think I'm washed up. I can't do anything the way I used to, or I can't do anything new, or I can't I don't have options now that I'm this age. And when you see this story, I feel like she is paving the way for a lot of folks who are too quick to give up their dreams or give up what they love because they think they're too old.
I love this story. When we come back, we're gonna hear what her opponent had to say about Venus after her win. And you know what, this is how you do it. It is so nice to see kindness and sportsman like conduct and welcome back everyone on this Martin Luther King Junior day we have. This is an inspirational story to see Venus Williams do what she did to the best of pretty much everyone's ability. And she said a new record being the oldest person to compete in
the Australian Open. And even though she lost, her words and her attitude were everything, talking about how she's relearning this sport that she loves so much, congratulating the young woman, the twenty four year old who beat her forty five year old self, and it was basically an inspiration to say I can do this, I can do more. I'm just getting started again. And that is just a cool moment.
But also remarkable.
What Olga Danilovitch had to say about Venus Williams after her victory. I thought it was pretty cool, she said. I told myself before the match, I really want to take this moment. These things don't happen every day, and playing against Venus Williams is something I cannot take for granted. But there were a lot of nerves at four to oh. This is when Venus was rallying in that third set. She said, I told myself, okay, just play, just take
everything out and just play point by point. And she said, it was such a pleasure playing against such a legend.
I mean, you can't imagine, I mean any of us. Think of any wherever you are and whatever you do right now, who is the top of the game, the legend in that industry, and imagine getting a chance to go head to head with that person or work with that person or something like that. That had to be crazy. You're trying to beat the person you've looked up to in your entire life.
Yeah, you know, it's I was when you said that, I was trying to think about in our industry. I think the first time I met Diane Sawyer, I was speechless. But like to imagine having an anchor off with her, I would have failed miserably.
I would have been so in awe of the situation. I'm just laughing, like, I'm thinking of what is anchorman?
They do?
The little gang anchor gang fights.
But no, but there is no We don't go head to head against maybe only in ratings against someone, but that would be the only I remember meeting someone who I'd looked up to. But yes, if you love a sport, if you love whatever it is that you do, the person who you've looked up to your whole life, now you're on that same court with them, I'm all.
Feel bad, like I'm trying to beat you. You almost feel bad because you have such reverence for that person. Yeah, so yeah, I'll give her a lot of credit for being able to keep it together and do that. But yeah, at four oh, we were really really like what a story that would have been the next match and the next match? How far can she go? Would have been the question? And she's gonna don't know when is Wimbledon?
What is the order? Damn it? Australian? The sum is US opens the last one, So what's next Wimbledon of the French.
I'm trying to find out when is Wimbledon twenty twenty six?
That is, so she would have to get a July.
It's Monday June twenty ninth to Sunday July twelfth.
Friend yeah, this summer it is hot. So yes, Wimbledon, she'll try to get a wild card possibly and she'll need one.
And look a lot of people have talked about this wild card situation. You explained it to me in the morning, run about how that works. But there were people who did think that giving Venus Williams a wild car was unfair. They say the whole wild card should be for younger athletes who aren't known, who you know, want to have
a chance. Maybe they're still figuring out, you know, what it is they're doing, and so they say those wild cards should be given to younger athletes, not to someone like Venus Williams.
But you know what, ten thousand.
People watch that match sitting there, and Venus Williams obviously is going to be a draw to the game and to certainly the matches that she is specifically playing. And I don't think you can deny that. So there was question with a Wimbledon would offer Venus Williams a wild card.
They should, She's earned this right the rest of her life. A young cat, I understand, I appreciate, but you're working your way up to one day maybe someone would just give you a pass. She has earned the right to get a wildcard over any child out there swinging a racket right now, and we don't know how many more years we get to see her exactly. Come.
I totally agree with everything you're saying.
I just saw some folks out there always want to try to say something about the system and how it's not fair.
Are they saying she's a DII choice Australian.
I didn't hear that, thank goodness, but just wait for it.
No. The other thing that's pretty cool about Olga Danilovitch, who I was not really familiar with up until this match. So funny enough, Venus Williams put her name in the spotlight when otherwise I don't even think it would have been a washed match necessarily, But they're saying for this second round, Danilovitch potentially could be meeting up with the number three seed, Coco Goff, who is basically now the
American phenom here in these Grand Slam titles. So that would be an interesting match to see those two face one another.
Yeah, probably go differently.
I think it probably will go much different, And you.
Know, Cocoa loves Venus obviously, but she's talked about it a lot. She might have a little revenge on the mind.
I hadn't even thought about that, but yeah, she could do right by Venus by beating Olga Danilovitch in second round. But look, I just thought this was a cool story that we all needed to hear today.
It was about it was about ages, just.
A number, so there's that, but there was also just the way these two women treated one another, how Venus handled a loss, and how she walked away with a smile on her face and a promise for more that she was going to take this, reassess she was going
to relearn this sport at the age she's at. I just thought all of that was something we can all take with us today and whatever it is we're reaching for, whatever dreams we may have, just to look and see what Venus Williams did over the weekend and what she's going to continue to do. And I can't wait. I'm not a huge tennis fan, I never really have been, but seeing this story, seeing this story, I am all in watching Venus Williams do her thing this year.
She must see there. It's only a handful of athletes in my life at least that it doesn't matter where they are what they're doing. If they are are on television playing, I am going to plan my day around seeing them. Venus Serena were two of those. Tiger was one of them, Peyton Manning was one of them, Kobe Bryant was one of them, like it was just a handful of Johnny Manziel even was one of them for me. But those two are just they were it. They were
absolutely it. You have to watch them play. So to see her still playing, I applauded. We probably thought Serena would be the one. Yeah, still playing longer, but Venus is still out there.
Thank you Venus, Yes, thank you Venus, and thank you all for listening. We appreciate you as always. We know it's a day of service today, a day of action today, but also a day of inspiration and Venus Williams helped us with that today. So thank you for listening. I made me robock everyone, alongside my partner TJ.
Holmes. We hope you all have a wonderful day and we will talk to you soon.