Bonus: Jim Courier Has a New Job...

It's say hello to our first guest of twenty twenty six.

Our next guest is a legend of the courts ranks world number one by the Association of Tennis Professionals. He's won four of the major tennis opens.

He's done it. Please welcome to the show.

Tennis champion Jim car Hey, honey, good morning, and Mite may I just joined the chorus of birthday wishers. Greetings forty.

I believe it.

I don't think you look a day over thirty nine plus.

Thank you day. Well, this is going to get really old quickly.

Thank you. I've been very spot for my thirty ninth birthday, including the boys.

Rolling in a bunch of forty balloons.

Yes, this is just tuned in nature.

To let me crash now.

Jim, I know you as he's one of the nicest blokes I've ever worked with. By the way, part of the Nines Austrain Open coverage. But also what on you doing in an ouberates jacket?

Well, I mean, come on, guys, isn't it fairly obvious? This was my destiny. I think it's it was a natural fit for me, honestly, like the Uber eats, people came to me and you know last year and and put this script out and I was like, how in the world had we not thought of this? Nose?

Right?

And if you haven't seen it, I guarantee you will because it's playing a lot at the Australian Open.

Yeah, here's a little taste.

Jim Kre's new career decision did take us by surprise.

Hut.

I think how career was.

Jim Courier.

Bengal nailed it.

It's so good.

Well, Todd Woodbridge is the star of the ad though. Todd's just incredible.

LOGI winner.

Everywhere, isn't it this time of year? Are you an Oberts kind of guy?

Though?

I like because tennis players are pretty fit and healthy. What's on your What do you go through?

Oh?

I do a lot of Mexican food. Yeah, yeah, I've got a couple of Mexican restaurants here in Melbourne. I've already hit up Fonder pretty strong, get a little burrito ball action.

Yeah yeah, yeah, they're good strong.

Let's talk tennis. What a turnout even last week and the AO hadn't officially even started, so.

They could they called that week zero. I think the AFL have.

That they were calling it weak zero and you're right, Jase, because there were gym there were exhibition matches. It was a one point slam and opening ceremony. Is this the way of the future.

It definitely is the way of the future if you think about it, then these are these are the playoffs for tennis, right. This is when our non core tennis fans come in and you bring them in and you hope that then they stick and go see other tennis tournaments. Besides this, this is a chance to really open the floodgates and look, honestly, the Australian Open has grown so much during the two weeks when tennis is underway with the main draws, been tough to get tickets for a lot of people.

Now, you know, you hear the tennis players come here every year and they go, oh, this is our face, this is our favorite Grand Slam.

Like do you say that everywhere you go? Or is the estray and Open really the best?

I think I think it is their favorite because first of all, they come in fresh right, and second of all, the facilities are just ridiculous. I mean, you're five minutes from your hotel, like you're in New York City. You could be twenty five minutes from the courts to your hotel. It could be an hour and a half. You don't have like the inconveniences don't exist here. So it's been awesome.

Did you retire two thousand, right? And you know how like what technology and stuff? Yeah, these kids these days, they try totally different ways. How do you reckon? You go out there now against the top players?

Well, I think I'd go okay, but I don't think i'd like my chances much against Center and Alcoraz, to be honest, those guys are so so good, so strong, and they just don't have any weaknesses.

Are they sort of those two unbeatable at the moment. I know one of them has to beat the other to win the title, but as a duo where they sort of they're the ones to beat.

This is as close to as it's felt in men's tennis to back when Federer Nadal broke away from the pack about twenty years ago, before Djokovic really became who he is today, it just felt like it was inevitable that you were going to see them in the finals. And that's what it feels like. They'll lose at times. They no one's perfect, but their skill set and there is just so different.

But more about Djokovic. Can he could he win the Australian Open.

He could, He certainly could. But his biggest obstacle besides those guys is his own body. You know, they got thirty eight, he's almost your almost funny.

You see these athletes and when people are like, oh, you know they're getting really old and he's thirty eight.

Oh we missed out window. Clinton Novak was on the nose a few years back during COVID times and stuff. I feel like the country's got around him now yeah.

I mean I think look time heals a lot of the wounds right, and Novak has been I think it seems fun he's been gracious.

I think funny.

You'd love him. I mean, he is super smart and he's interested and he's interesting.

No, that sleep smart.

They don't have much in coming there.

Now, what about the Aussies. Have we got any chances with our Australian tennis plays? Who's our best shot?

Well, first of all, you've got a young female player and Maya Joint, a teenager who's fantastically talented. She's raw, she still needs some time, but she's one to keep your eye on for sure. And then you got Alex Dimenar's number six in the world, six in the world.

Amazing.

Yeah, the demon's incredible. It's hard to keep your eyes on him because he's so fast. Like the guy's just all over the court. He's an Alcoraz's quarterfinal, so he's going to have to do some hard yards to get through because he's trying to break through that round. That's been his his sort of ceiling at the moment. They got the quarterfinals the Australian Open, last year, got the quarterfinals of the US Open. Trying to get to the

Hey one more, I want to ask you about Jim because we were talking about sort of older players. Lauren and Venus Williams was in action yesterday.

Was she She's here forty five years in the double still she's playing singles. So she was given a wildcard for the Australian Open singles, which is a little bit controversial because people like, let's let's reward the younger generation, Let's let's sort of nurture the stars of tomorrow, bring the Williams sisters back anytime.

Out of Mummy.

I mean she showed, she showed last night why she deserved a wild card.

Yeah, she barely last She lost six to four and a third and she was up for love in the third set against the quality player. Just just couldn't close the door. But she's forty five years old, still competitive.

That's amazing. So who is the woman to be?

Does it?

Soblenka?

It is what do you love about I used to be thirteen or no?

No, it's not just that she just seems she seems fun and a bit cheeky. Yeah, used to be a Naomi Asaka guy.

And she's still boring though. Ye, she's a bit boring.

And you know what, very sad.

And I said this a lot in sports.

I love the characters that bring so much entertainment to the game.

That's why we love.

Nick Kurrioss when he plays with cockon Arkus in the doubles. Like, the characters bring so much to the sport. And I think we we had it a whole era of these amazing characters, and then we had this era of amazing legends and now there's like some characters coming back into the game and it brings so much excitement.

And I've got a new one for you. Also to add into the mix. There's a guy named Sasha Public who's he's number ten in the world. He was number eighty in the world this time last year. And he's got a lot of curios in him as far as his mercurial nature on the court, his shot making, his unpredictability. Yeah, he's fun. Okay, I love that Greek stallion. You're the hot sportspas.

Yeah.

Yeah, I like Bearristina too. But he's pulled out. He's good to he said that on radio.

Hasn't see that.

What did I say?

He withdrew? He withdrew.

I'm not sure you can say that.

You can tournament, Please pass, Please pass my best onto t J. I miss dearly.

Yesterday, did you?

Yeah?

Yeah? What did you do?

But we're just catching up on life, tucking country music, which is.

His big thing. He loves the country guy.

You're lie Jim Curry John Us on the air this morning.

We'll let you go.

We know you've got some deliveries to do. Definitely did We will see you on the telecast. Thanks for popping in. This morning mate.

You see me on an Eat Bake, you know.

Who it is.

It is just on a quarter past seven.

Lauren wake up feeling good following them on the socials