We're talking famous names, and the reason being we were told Todd Woodbridge is coming in. However it wasn't the Todd Woodbridge we expect.
This is actually my twenty first Australian Open. I started as a ball kid in two thousand and five. He's outside Woodbridge and there are two Todd Woodbridges here and can often be confused. He calls me the younger, better looking version, but I don't know about that.
Fresh from the set of Tipping Point he joined us.
Now top wood Bridge.
Wow, this is confusing for us Todd Woodbridge today.
Guys.
Thanks having me not to be confused with twenty two times Grand Slam champion. But here I am.
Yeah. So were you named after Todd wood Are you related to Todd Woodbridge? Were you named after him or you just happened to have the name Todd Woodbridge?
Not related?
I did look on Wikipedia one of his first Grand Slam in ninety one and I was born in ninety one.
So maybe your mom and.
Dad about the horn for Todd or maybe his Grand Slam win is what got them in the mood exactly.
Well, no comment on that, but you are a tennis Tennis is in the blood.
As is the Australian Open explained to us what you do each and every January.
Absolutely, I'm full time at Tennis Australia as a match operations lead, so I'm responsible for delivering the field of play and all aspects on that and yeah, everything that happens on the court to get the play ready for matches.
Right, So I was in the condition of the court correct, Yeah, So.
The court surface itself and then the court services teams which looks after the like the player services on court, the balls, the drinks and the thousand the ice.
Now you met Todd many times. Yeah, yeah, because it's pretty funny.
It's very funny.
There's something fishy about the Australian Open because I remember working on the coverage and I met the guy who was called the Keeper of the Cups or something, so he looked after the trophies until they were presented to the winners, and I kid, you're not His name was Nadal.
Yeah, really that was his first name. And I was like, that's funny. He's like, no, that's actually my name. I'm like, no, it's not. People say to you all the time, that's not your real name. Todd would Bridge.
Yeah, there's definitely been a few cases of you know, mistaken identity. I was once received like the players allowance in terms of the food, and that is that is thirteen year old Todd receiving players allowance of food. King of the kids, of the handing out big ms, handing out chocolate bars.
They take it off. They let you have it.
Now, they let me have it.
The supervisors were in on it. They were getting free stuff too, so smart.
Yeah, so there's a lot of I love what happens beneath the in the bowls of Melbourne Park or a secrets, you know, interaction with players, you know who are some of your favorites.
Yeah, a little bit of interaction with players. Really love how relaxed these younger champions are coming up, like al KaAZ and the Sin are very relaxed. Tight obviously dealt with the champions of the past like Djokovic, Feder more your serious types. But I'm enjoying to see the younger generation how relaxed they are.
I do love seeing footage online of when like the big A grade players are refused entricks, they don't have the pass.
Sometimes the security don't know who they are.
They're very strict.
Yeah, Federer is here this year and usually he just walks in with his aura, so he doesn't need a past.
That's nice. Yeah, and he was fine again this year. Fine, he's not playing Roger. I mean he still looked good out in court to.
Be fair, Yeah, play he did that, didn't Yeah?
I could I ask you a technical question about the courts here we go.
So you hear on the commentary about how fast a court is or how slow it is at different times of the day.
What is the science behind that.
I'm not an expert, but it's all sorts of weather factors as well as the paint itself, the acrylic paint.
So starting with the courts, they all painted the same way.
They're meant to be the same to the outside.
They meant to all be the same pace, all.
Meant to be the same consistency, which is hard with indoor and outdoor courts. But typically the US Open is the fastest court on the tour, which is okay, we try to go, we go, try and go fast as well, but not as fast as US. But yeah, it's more in the paint, in the acrylics and how the weather plays in on that.
So we have a day like the other day where it was forty five degrees here in Melbourne. How hot does it get on that court?
We had a reading at seventy two degrees with one of the temperature.
Games degrees that if you touched it.
Yeah. Yeah. Our message, get in fred sauna. Yeah.
Our message one of my supervisors to bring a dozen eggs and we're going to egg and bacon off.
That old onisode slow Cooks.
You know what's funny.
When I worked at the Australian Open on those really hot days, would always go, let's crack an egg and see if it cracks, and the Australian Open would be.
Like, you're not allowed to do that. We were never allowed to.
All the things they didn't want us to cover, They never wanted us to do the crack an egg and show people how hot it is.
Two degrees of all.
The things, as well as as painting the courts net measuring. You need to make sure it's the exact right height every court absolutely yep.
What else? Water stocks water well.
Part of my remit is the eliminating single use from the player environment. So I was part of the team that got rid of one hundred thousand plastic water bottles in one year, which is great.
So now they're in the cap.
Yeah, we ordered I think it was twenty twenty three we ordered ninety six thousand plastic water bottles, and then twenty twenty four we went to eight hundred.
Wow. And so they're all on a straight open water bottles.
Correct, all on AO refillable water.
They got the old front greens down there or right, we deal with the water drops. But better I have a share in water drop.
I think he does. He's got to share in a lot of things, including uniclo.
Oh yeah, I know he's Niclet.
We're both models.
Is he getting a clip of it when I buy a T shirt?
You ever thought about rolling out of bubbler? Look at the old school days.
They've got them.
They've got them on center court for the players.
Look we try and go a bit more professional. Right, Hey, hey, we got next year we will put it out there and see what lands.
I'll play this bloody tape back next year. Okay, Todd, Now what's your favorite drop zone?
Always drop zone for? Thanks Todd um?
Yeah?
Is that a question?
Well?
Is it a golf term? Because I think Todd still owes.
Me around and at Royal Melbourne.
Oh that's what I'm here to collect.
Okay, really you guys make a little bit.
Yeah, absolutely, I think given all the references over the years, I think I think maybe he owes me one.
Yeah, you deserve that.
You know what will hit him up next time he's on. Appreciate it.
You have a child, will you know the musty favorite tennis player?
Look, definitely not a second.
I know the pain it's caused me, so I wouldn't put my child.
Todd Woodbridge Junior joining us on the end this morning. Hey, cheers are coming in, Todd.
I appreciate it. Thanks for time. Chase and Lauren.
Lauren wake up feeling good following them on the socials