French Open Day 14 - Andreeva’s dream comes true

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Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast on Women's Finals Day at the 2026 French Open. A day that has seen 19-year-old Mira Andreva crowned a Grand Slam champion for the first time. She beat qualifier Mike Folinska. 6362 and if Matt sounds at all down about this turn of events it's because he's just had the microphone rudely yanked out of his hand by Mira Andreva in a Conchita Martinez press conference. Yeah, it's it's okay. It went

Better than that sounds, I would say. I still managed to get my question in and it was one of those things I could see happening in slow motion. I had the microphone in my hand, ready for the last question in English. And Drava giddily entered the room and I thought, Oh no, I'm gonna be involved in some kind of exchange, some sort of content potentially. Didn't want any of that. But it was okay. She asked her a question. I got the chance to ask mine. Yeah.

Everyone's happy. I'm not quite as happy as Mira Andreva then. I so recognized the look on Matt's face which was, I'm about to become content against my will. Yes. He's giving it to me a lot. You're gonna be on tennis TV, bro. Yeah. Yeah, that was the energy. But no, it was a it was a lovely moment and Matt was a Matt was a lovely cameo in it. I certainly

I certainly got a lot of uh fun from it. Uh in Mira Andreva's press conference, David, she said a lot of lovely things but one of the things that stuck with me was what she said in I think her first answer actually to to you or certainly the the first answer to the first question from from the floor, there was an opening one from the moderator, but she said, This feels better than I even dreamed.

And I thought... Sh this is her fourth French Open, so okay, that's not a long time coming, but it's not come out of the blue. She's had time to build up to this and Right. What it means and how hard it is and put herself in a place to really process and enjoy this. But it's not been so long a quest or struggle that all she can fear is relief. We see that a lot in Grand Sam Champions, don't we, where the overwhelming feeling is just one of

relief and exhaustion. It felt like the absolute sweet spot of Quite frankly, and it was it was lovely to see. Yeah. I I could imagine if Sverev were to win tomorrow his would mostly be relief. I think there would be obviously joy, but mostly relief. Um w we had a question from Friends of the Tennis Podcast during a live show not that long ago.

when when we were asked about Emma Redicano winning as early as she did and where where the sweet spot is, you know what it would you rather win at the start of your career or the end of your career. And actually I think Andreva's as it's turned out is probably Perfect because she's still only 19, but she's been kind of around for three years. She's got used to the tour, she's got used to the life.

And she's it's it's not just this bolt from the blue that will just overwhelm her life. She seemed ready for this in just about every way.

Actually is quite a pretty breakneck turnaround considering where she was only a couple of months ago. I think she lost at four successive tournaments she lost in a deciding set and she'd been kind of up in all the sets, you know, and it was It it was a s it seemed like a real problem for her. It almost seemed like her wind or her sun, you know, um

And then this tournament that hasn't happened at all. And that's great credit, sir. I mean look, she hasn't played maybe some of the players that might have forced her into those tense moments, but mainly because She's just sort of handled it. I mean it was Lou Lois Brason a year ago and that wasn't an wasn't a a household name or a top ten player. Um she's just she's just dealt with everything. I mean there was a particular moment in the th in the third set today when she was serving for it.

There was a particular moment today in the the second in the second set when she was serving for the title and she lost a serve and you know You you wondered, didn't you? But after she sat down, she ran out. And I remember thinking, okay, this is a bit like when Jakob Menschik ran out of the changer room yesterday. You feel like the body language is telling you I mean business. And I just think she's m she's something's clicked. Something has clicked these last month or so.

actually think the fact that she's won these seven matches, she's won this Grand Slam being the favourite in every single one of those matches is a bigger mental triumph for her than had she been the underdog. in in one or two of the the later matches. She's even when she's been having these mental struggles, she's performed really well.

in the matches against Sabalenka and Svantech. You know, she beat Sabalenka to to win Indian Wells last year, didn't she? And can't quite remember where it was, but she had a a great win over Shorantec during a a similar period as well. Like I've always backed her to not necessarily win all of those but really show up and lock in. But it's in matches like Today.

Where I've I've had my questions and look, Conchita has too and and Mirandreva has had them about herself. Conchita Martinez before Mirandreva entered the press conference room and changed changed the tone of the whole thing before Matt said, Let's talk about Linz for a moment. Incredible. Um Yeah, one of the the things she said it was the question I asked her, but it was your question, d David. David

gave me a question to ask because he heroically came out here and and set up all our our recording equipment for us. She said she said look something had to change in Mira Andreva before she was ready to do this. And I said, Did that change happen before the tournament then? Like you you kind of coming into this tournament thinking, right, she's ready now. The thing that I've been waiting for has clicked into gear and she said

No, it happened during the tournament. It was she called it a work in progress throughout the fortnight. Wow, isn't that fascinating? And it but it but it has kind of felt like that. She she's felt like a really convincing player throughout this tournament and just the odd occasion she's had a a little bit of adversity.

She's just seemed locked in and and that answer she gave a couple of days ago about seeing the the hairs on the on the ball, the fuzz of the ball, you know, the way she locks in on that as a way to concentrate. Yeah, it's a it it's something I think uh uh a lot of people do in sport and psych sport psychologists would tell you to do stuff like that, wouldn't they? And it's it's really seems to have worked.

hyper focus locked in mode today. Obviously an i a very awkward opponent, but the wind. I mean my God, the wind today. I kind of loved watching the challenge of this match for both players that didn't develop into the match that it sort of had the promise of being in the early stages. But

extreme the wind was. I I thought it could be a disaster for both of them, quite frankly. The fact that Andreva managed to produce tennis of any quality, and actually incredible quality, I think is masterful, quite frankly. I was nervous watching the warm-up. The ball was moving sideways. Well, yeah. Moving so much. and both players were really sort of pushing the ball but also struggling for their timing and Then the first point of the match was a was a double fault from Kvalinska.

And I was clenched, you know. I thought, Oh my goodness, is this gonna be one of those really tough to watch Grand Sam finals where both players are nervous and can't play their best? And Actually the opening stages were the most compelling of the match because that was the moment where I think Andreva was tight. You know? Like she was suddenly Faced with a ball she hadn't experienced all week, looped up, sliced.

Quite a lot of drop shots in those early stages, no pace on it at all. And when you're nervous. It's incredibly difficult to play an opponent like that. You end up not swinging through the ball at full speed, not putting your whole body into it, just arming the ball and you get caught in the rallies. that you don't want to be caught in and I felt like in those opening stages It was going about as well as Kavinsko could possibly have hoped. Because it was E.

She wasn't serving well. Her serve was a disaster really, but neither was Andreva. So that meant that there was a kind of even footing and it was actually Kavinska who held serve first to go up three two. And at that point It was weird to say it now that it then became such a dominant win for Andreva but at that point I really thought there was jeopardy in this match and I really thought it could be tight.

But what Andreva then did for the I think she won ten games in a row from that point, she suddenly opened her shoulders and played with much more freedom, started hitting the ball down the line, I think exploited how tired. Koblinska was after this run. And played like a dream really for ten games or so in those tricky conditions when the wind was still up. She managed everything. She managed the crowd, you know, it was Goosebumps when I went out to Chatre and saw all the Polish flags.

just appearing in the crowd. You it really um overwhelmed you. Thought wow they're dotted around everywhere. Matt and I were stopped by a Polish fan while you were in Car Four buying biscuits this morning, David. Matt and I were waiting on the street outside in a Polish Fan was just asking people does anyone have a a a ticket that th for Chateauer today that they they want to sell? Mm-hmm.

Wow. So Andreva had so much to deal with, uh is basically what I'm saying and did it wonderfully as she has done all tournament.

Yeah, I mean look d t to to break it down to the real rudimentals for Kvalinska I I do you know, physically she looked tired today, I do think You feel more tired when the scoreboard's not going your way, see Jakob Menschik yesterday. Um but it was the serve, wasn't it? She held serve once today. Forty six percent win percentage on her first serve, eighteen percent

on the second serve. Like, you just don't win tennis matches with those stats and and a as Matt said, it was it was kind of okay in the opening stages'cause Andreva was struggling so much as well. But as soon as Andreva ironed that out She had to do the same and she was just unable to today, the serve was totally exposed. Yeah, to to get to three two up, that the the noise that greeted that moment for

Felinska was was absolutely astonishing. I mean it went ri goosebump stuff, you know. And it would have been very easy, I think, for Andreva who wasn't really hitting a stride then. I felt she was reacting to her uh for Linska's game, you know, reacting to the the variety, trying to counter the dr the the drop shots and that sort of thing. And it was really only when she got a bit more comfortable and started to just

impose her her s her superior power. Um and and shot making. I mean look, there's a reason one of these players is eight in the world and the other one was a hundred and fourteen. And look, Valinska's gonna be way higher than that and And it you know, I think she's got a game that c can actually cause people problems in the future too. I I don't necessarily think she's gonna be doing this every every year. But

It's it is a tricky game and she's clever. You know, I actually think she sort of lost her way a little bit. I think she she needed to to bring the drop shots back and the slice back. She sort of went into a little bit too much of a mode of the loopy shot. Andreva adjusted to them. Um but yeah, I mean her the the conviction behind her ground strokes ultimately and and the s you know, she's got this big server. You don't think oh Mir Andreva, big server. But she's one of the biggest.

Yeah, maybe she might not be Rebecca, but she's not actually that far off. Um and and as time goes on, I think she's gonna Th the potential is there for her to become more dangerous than she is right now.

And wouldn't an athlete as well. You know, I always think the wind shows up who the best athlete. Oh no she's not. She doesn't have those trademark tiny ballerina steps that Schwantek has. I mean, not far off and she's not I mean nobody's the athlete that Coco Goff is, but I feel like she's kind of she's got the blend of everybody's athleticism. She seems so it's like she has springs in her shoes, it always looks like to me. She's so light on her feet and she's a she's a tall player.

seeing her burst into the press conference room and sit behind Matt, I was like, Oh my goodness, she's she's big and she's strong and suddenly you're like, Wow, I I see where all that power on the On the serve comes from and it's I don't know, it's it's a bit it's a bit deceptive, maybe because of how young she is in the face. You know, she's she's actually got this

incredibly strong, mature frame, I think. Her athleticism reminds me a bit of Steffi Graff, although I'm not sure I actually have any of my own memories of Steffi Graff. I think maybe that's from YouTube. But that kind of the springiness on the surface. Um reminds me a bit of that. I do I do love watching her.

I really do. She's got so much in the tool kit. Mm, yeah, I I I love watching her too and I I I I'm mainly just happy that she seems to have Maybe maybe it's only short term, but it feels like she's found a bit of a solution to the tail spinning and the and the getting upset on court. Figured something out. I mean, even the fact that she said in the press comments, I've started trying to impersonate Roger Federer, not in terms of his strokes, but in terms of his demeanour.

I don't wanna I don't wanna look like this on court, this this sort of these shows of Petulance, really. It sounded to me like somebody that has either chosen to or been told or asked to watch herself back. Yeah. When she's having a meltdown. I've heard some friends who are parents say that sometimes if their child young child is having like a total meltdown, they'll film them.

And, you know, at a at a calmer moment in the future they'll play it back to them. Just as just so you know, this is what that looks like. Ha ha ha ha. Up to you what you want. Being turned into content against their will, I can relate. Up to you what you want to do with that information but just you know, just so you know, that's what it sounded like had happened to me. And that is, you know, we all know what it's like when you suddenly

see yourself or hear yourself do anything, right? Like I remember mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd mewn gwirionedd Um and uh anyway, I remember one day the awful sports teacher got the camera out and filmed us all serving.

And I was nobody in my class could could play tennis. This was not it was this was not an athletic school, folks. It no. Um and I thought, well, this is gonna be great for me. I'm gonna I'm gonna shine here and the horror of watching it back I I can feel it in my bones now. It was awful. Anyway, all of which is to say I c I totally understand why that sort of thing can have a really big impact on someone.

Yeah. Yeah. And look I think the other important thing that Martinez said in the press conference is that there's probably still gonna be ups and downs. You know I don't think it's necessarily gone from her as a player forever that She's gonna be really calm on court and gonna respond to all pressure that she ever faces.

in a really controlled way. Like she is still only nineteen and kinda like we talked about with Sambolenka the other day, sometimes these things are are entrenched in you and it's not necessarily about

getting rid of it completely, it's about dealing with it and handling it. And she seems better equipped to do that than ever, and I'm sure will be even better from this experience. But like if we if we're seeing those sorts of tensions between her and the box or m losing leads or not responding well to pressure in the future, hopefully this tournament will serve as a reminder for her and for everyone that okay, that might happen but she can she can overcome it and

and still be the great the great playering champion that she is. So I thought that was an important point that Martinez made. Like It's still a work in progress. It it kind of is for everyone all the time, isn't it?

And she was very keen to gently tamp down any talk of world number one or now suddenly becoming a d a dominant force. You know, she is number one in the race now, Mira Andreva, by

four near m more than four hundred points over Arena Sabalenka. She's played a lot more tournaments, I think, and I do wonder if that will That will be something she'll look at longer term, like this Clay Court season they've obviously been the right decision scheduling decisions, but she has played a lot, I feel like, this clay court season and that's So much.

know, she's obviously been it's been a project and she's been working on it and wanting to keep momentum going and build on that, but that is not a sustainable long term approach to schedule. Agreed, yeah, and I I have felt in past seasons like she has burnt out a little Last year, big time. Yeah. Um and yeah, just just uh

go on about Linz again. Like the the reason I wanted to ask Andreva um Martinez about that was because Martinez wasn't there in Linz and Andreva won the title. And I remember thinking at the time that that fell You know, like coaches are always saying Darren Cahill, I've heard say this perhaps the best. My job is to set you free, so you don't need me. It's like parenting, isn't it? Yeah. And It just felt like it's such a moment for Andreva having had a real

You know, there'd been a sort of blow-up really between her and Martinez during the Sunshine Double. It felt like a real moment for her to go out and win a tournament on her own when Martinez was on holiday. And she said today in the press conference, I was on the phone, obviously, I was talking to her, I was preparing matches for her, but on court she had no one to blame.

She was like, Yeah, that was an important tournament. And then okay, we still saw little moments through the rest of the Clay Court swing, Madrid in particular, where she was scene saying, I'm not a champion, I'm not a champion, I'm gonna choke you know, that was that was in Madrid, which was only five or six weeks ago. Incredible how quickly we've come from here. But immediately the clay court season was different to the rest of

her season. She was winning more matches. Other than that Match I've talked about in Madrid, she was generally calmer and it's all come together and

and worked out brilliantly for her at Roland Garros. But it it it's amazing how how it's happened because I was teetering on whether to put her in the mix coming into this tournament and the the doubt was not the tennis, the doubt was The mindset on court and if you'd told me that her mindset on court would be brilliant, as it has been this tournament, I wouldn't have doubted putting her in the mix, because the tennis the tennis is so good and she's just had a wonderful chance to express.

Great to work.

Uh have I asked you already what she asked Martinez? She asked martinez What's your favourite thing about coaching Mira Andreva? She did say her name in the third person, didn't she? Yeah. And I think Uno featured in the answer. Yes, Conchita said, uh we we get to play Uno and I always win. And Mira was quite disappointed by that. She was like, Is that it? Is that all you've got? And then

It was very tired parent, wasn't it? Can she just answer? She was like it was like, I know you think this is funny, but I'm just trying to get through. I just wanna get out of here and drink my champagne. Yeah. Someone's going to ask me about lint cinema. Uh, Conchita Martinez has now coached two

different women to major titles. We think she's the first head female coach to ever do that. Um I feel pretty confident so I feel like we would know about it if if uh if there were any others. Um and I hope it'll An accident that it has been a female coach and a female psychologist as well. I know a female psychologist that has.

worked with male players very famously, Andy Murray in the past. Um but you know, a a team with a lot of female energy in it that has been shepherding a young tennis player and a young woman Through two From girlhood to adulthood. Like I I really don't think that that's an accident and it's so wonderful to see that bearing fruit.

Yeah, i it was Pam Shriver who's who who reminded me today that she had coached two women to Grand Slam champions, the other being Gabinima Garutha. I I I had forgotten that, to be honest. Um, which says a lot about her, I think, and how how smart she is and how well she communicates with these players. I I think that that is the absolute key. But I and I I I don't think it's any coincidence that a young woman is able to to take a lot from from an older woman who's had experience

and who can understand things that a g a man just isn't going to be able to understand in quite the same way. That's not to say there aren't brilliant male coaches around, there are. And they've coached many women to many titles. It feels like there's so much left on the table right now. Other female coaches who could be making a big difference and uh and I do I do I do think that

these sort of occurrences will y yield further ones. You know, if you can see it, you can be it. The old Billie Jean King statement which seems so so right. And it normalizes it as much as anything, doesn't it? It doesn't feel like some you know. outlandish thing to do to to hire a female coach. I mean obviously it's always been more normal in the in the women's game, but still shockingly unusual, I think, generally speaking.

So big moment for that movement, big moment for the dogs in player boxes and involved in trophy ceremonies movement. I'd say a seismic moment actually for that movement. But now is it? Yeah, I mean it might no longer need to be a movement because Today is done so much for the cause, David. Everybody's going with the the Luna trophy shot, as will we be on our Instagram. Yeah. Yeah, not uh Mira's dog. She has a burner doodle that

Rafi. Yeah, I think it's too big to bring on tour. I don't know if she considered that when she was choosing breeds. I love a burner doodle so much, but it's not a it's not a practical dog in terms of portability. Uh but Luna Uh Conchita's dog, very portable and very amenable to a trophy ceremony. There's there's good lunar stuff out there folks. Described as an eleven year old grandma by Andreva.

When asked about her in press, so that was another another nice moment. Uh you two were in the Felinska press conference and I wasn't. Was it a Was it an exhaling Felinska? Was she kind of did the floodgate Not really. I I think she takes it all in a stride. I I think she's really cool. I mean I think

Yes, there was a bit of yeah oh it's over now. There was a bit of that, yeah. But she came out with a couple of cracking lines. I I thought. Right early on, she you know, she's been asked about the difference between her tennis this two weeks than the rest of her career given she's 114 in the world and she tried to qualify for this event three times and failed and here she's in the bloody final after qualifying. She says yeah I I I don't really think I've played my best tennis these two weeks.

How could you? Okay. It was very funny. Um, you know, she she she also talked about she was asked about playing on grass and she said she she sort of really made me a believer that this is somebody who can You know, she said I was terrible on grass last year, but usually I'm quite good on it. And I kinda think it works with my spins and my movement and I can see that.

whether she had given any thoughts to getting a wild card at Wimbledon, how she would would she you know, does she think she's going to get one? She says I you know, I don't know but It would be the news of the century if I did, she said. Um but uh and she says, but look, if I don't get one, I'll treat it as a challenge and go in the qualifying and and I'll be excited to try it.

Yes, and she said she's not gonna play any warm up events on grass. Like she said, I need a holiday. Right. She she said, I thought I needed a holiday before Anyway. Probably a good job she didn't. It beat her, here she comes. Right. Yeah. With a with a one point four million Euros. Uh she is twenty one in the live rankings. That'll probably slip a bit.

before Wimbledon, but you know, she she's she she will be in a seeded position, come Wimbledon. Do you think she will get a W Wimbledon wildcard? Do you think she should get a Wimbledon Wildcard?

I I read something on social media and I realised that's a very dangerous thing to do, that uh quoted Tim Hemman who's on the Wimbledon Committee on TNT saying he doesn't see why not. or something of that ilk. Um I I may have slightly misquoted him there, but that was that was the It sounds like Tim. Yeah. Um But think she should be getting a wild card, absolutely. I think she somebody who has just got themselves to twenty one in the world and reached the French Open Final should be given

Access to play in the Wimbledon drawer. Yes. I agree. you can argue forever about what wildcards should be for, but I I think capitalising on this opportun on on this moment just got to a grand same final, I think she deserves a wild card. Do you think she will be? Did she get one? I'm gonna say yes. David's got his own movement. I think so as well. And I know people will point to Boisson, but I do think the final is a big difference maker there. Very different.

I I do too. I think it's a different kettle of fish. I do think there's gonna be a Serena wildcard, I think there's gonna be a Venus wildcard, and we've got, you know, Scott Lloyd having said wild cards go to British players. I don't think it's a slam dunk. I think Just about she probably will. But I I reckon there will there will be some Yeah, maybe. I mean personally, if it were between her or Venus for a single wild card, I'd be giving it to her.

Because Venus has had a a lot of them r in the last few years and absolutely no trouble with that at all. Um and I'd also probably I'm not sure I mean if there's eight eight wild cards, is there? Something like that. I mean, you know, I don't I think The several for Brits. How many do you need to give? Maybe not all of'em. Mae'n ddim yn ddewis ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud ymwneud. Stick'em in the qualies, make em uh make'em earn their place, I say.

She did say that She's been so stressed the last three weeks she's found like eating hard. Yeah, she couldn't eat a pizza. And she said, Now I'm looking forward to like the joy of eating being back and I thought that was a little moment th of real insight in terms of just how different this has been and this release now of of the tournament finally being over. God you enjoy a beatha Meyer. Or wherever you're going to be able to do. You enjoy it.

And it is gonna be fascinating now that she is ranked. In the top thirty. And she's gonna be coming up against, you know, players that we know a lot more and I think for a while that game style can be effective. You know, it's such a breath breath of fresh air for us to watch because we don't see it a lot. And I think that's also partly why it can be effective, because people are not used to it. I do think over time.

That that just the power game will overtake a game like that. I don't think she's. quite good enough at what she does. to sustain a really top level in this power era. Especially on the hardcore. especially on surfaces other than clay. I think grass she she I think the natural surface is you may get something out Yeah, I certainly think the slide. Make me say Laura Segment again, aren't you? But it is similar. Yeah. Disruptor Tatiana Maria? Yeah. Vulnerable to being overpowered.

And and what and the thing about Saturday is when we watched her win Queens last year and beat all these power hitters, you think, wow, like that's an amazing game And then you look at her Wimbledon record and she had that one run but otherwise she played Wimbledon a lot and not been that effective. You have to be so precise with a game like that in this era to actually make it work. And it's just not it's just not easy.

I always remember Fabrice Santoro saying that, you know, that that people kind of almost uh laugh at my game and the the the sort of unusual style of it. He says, But I have to play really well to get results with You know, it's not just because it annoys the opponent. If I don't play it well they they kill me. Incidentally, Laura Siegman potential first match for Amandranisimova on grass at the end. Gross score.

Okay, folks. Uh just to say before we break for part one, if you are new to the pod, uh and there are a few new listeners around this parish, welcome. We are daily throughout all four of the Grand Sound tournaments every year. And at least weekly the rest of the time as well, often more. And if you want to listen ad free, then that is one of the benefits offered with our subscription service, Friends of the Tennis Podcast. So six pounds.

per month or the equivalent in your local currency you get ad free listening plus A minimum of twenty-four bonus shows per year, including access to our full archive of bonus episodes to get you through the post-grand slam blues while Matt is swanning off to Chicago. As always. If you want to subscribe, the link will be in the episode notes for this show on your podcast app. Right, that's it for part one. Join us for more in part two.

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Welcome back to part two of today's tennis podcast where we have some more finals to talk you through from today's play here at Roland Garros starting. with Tequito Oda. He won six games in a row from three love down in the second set to defend his men's wheelchair singles title in a repeat of last year's final against Alfie Hewitt, poor Alfie Hewitt, whose whole life is dedicated, it seems, to trying to beat this phenom Tequito Oda and

He he's not getting further away, I don't think. It's not an uncompetitive rivalry. It's not an unrivalry. He's just not winning them. Yeah. Yeah, and the thing is Takito Odo is not only getting better, he's also becoming sort of more clutch now because he's playing so many of these finals, he's getting used to winning them. And it must be It must be mentally really challenging for for Alfie to

To to believe it'll be different next time. I mean I I think in his his interview on the court afterwards he he was really disappointed with his performance. He he said and bear in mind he hit twenty-eight winners to seventeen unforced errors in this match. This was not an objectively poor performance from Alfie Hewitt. He said I'm gutted with the performance. It's not one I'm proud of. Yeah. In a way if he believes that then maybe that'll h help him to keep going again because

you've you've gotta believe that there's a turning point out there, haven't you? And uh Fortunately there's another grand slam around the corner. Mm.

For him anyway, but uh but I mean Odor is what a what a superstar and what a player. Yeah, I'll say. Dede De Hout is back, folks. Not only is she back, she has uh rang the death toll for Musketear of the Day, quite frankly. Hon I think she's killed it off. But the day away from Seigneur Chasteaux. Two time. Who's won it the last two days in a row. But Did Rout beat her today six one, six love. She won fifty two points to Chasteau's nineteen.

Now look, Shasto's day will come. This was a breakthrough tournament. For her, she'd never reached a Grand Slam semi-final single semi-final before. She's 20 years old. all the time in the world ahead of her to win future musketeers of the day. Uh My God, she she was shell shocked. today, utterly shell shocked. I mean she shanked a second serve on on match point. She was like, What the hell is this? Like this is this is a player from another planet to anybody else anybody else I played and she's

She's played good players. I think she took out the second seed in the in the semifinals. So pretty strong evidence that Dida De Hout is back. And I know a lot of you probably th hear, you know, Dida De Hout winning a grandson title, big deal. She's done that a million times before. This is a big deal. There it was really in doubt about whether she would get back. She had very major hip surgery uh just less than two years ago after the Paris Olympics.

And she hasn't even reached the grand same final since then or even a semifinal. I don't think. Just a couple of quarterfinals. So this is absolutely massive for De Hout and there is The complexion of women's wheelchair tennis has changed a lot since she was last. At the top there are l youngsters like Chasteau coming a lot. There's there's a group of Chinese young players as well. So whether she can be as dominant as she was before is gonna be interesting to see, I think, but it's

It's wonderful to see her back. It's a it's a very uplifting story.

Um if not for the beloved feature of Musqueterra the Day. It had a good run, folks. Uh the top seed Niels Vink won the quad wheelchair doubles title, six three, six four over The unseeded Ahmed Kaplan from Turkey. Vink's third French Open title, but his first for three years, so uh a big one there for Vink. We had the men's doubles title on Chatrier today.

uh started at eleven AM uh before the women's singles final. We watched some of this on the T V this morning and it was the top seeds, Marcel Grnoyas and Horatio Zabayo. That defended their title with a 6-4-6-2 win over the second seeds, Henry Patton and Harry Heliovaras. I'm 41 years old and this is one of the best moments of my career so it's never too late for anybody. My kind of guy. Hmm. Yeah, they've now won three of the last five slam titles.

These two and I think they lost their first three finals together, so they are they are you know, good. Good adverts for you sticking at it and being late bloomers and always keeping believing. And they were dominant in today's final. It wasn't close.

No, aga and against a very good pair, Patton and Heli Avara who go to number one after this. Um and then Got Stat in the newsletters, the newsletter plug about uh doubles tonight and top seeds winning titles'cause we've had that in the mixed, we've had that in the men's and we could get it in the women's tomorrow, so I've wondered how often that happens and the answer is in the newsletter. Good boy.

Yeah. Th they'll probably go and lose tomorrow the number one seeds and render the stat meaningless. But as I researched That's why you got it in today. Exactly. That's why why we're gonna be sending it out before then. Uh the junior finals were today. Here are your names to look out for in the future. The boys title was won by the top seed Luis Guto Michel from Brazil. He is seventeen years old. Get this, he is nine days older than Moyz Kwame. Oh my goodness. Yeah.

Um, he'd beaten another Brazilian in the semis and today he beat American thirteenth seed, sixteen year old Michael Antonius. These are good names. Yeah. Yeah. I like the idea of a couple of additional Brazilians to answer to me. Absolutely, that's fun, isn't it? Yeah, that's a really good prospect. Um he was the top seed but he's not the junior world number one. The world number one is Ivan Ivanov from Bulgaria. He won

Junior Wimbledon and the junior US Open last year. But he's been he's pretty much transitioned to pros now. He started to play challenges, trains at the Nadal Academy, so it's kind of a legacy junior number one position'cause he's still got those those points on his ranking obviously. Um but yeah, name to look out for in the seniors in future. It the girls title, this is a really interesting one, was on by the twelfth seeded uh

Russian born Czech player, represents Russia, I think, but has lived in Czechia since she she was two, has lived and trained there since she was two years old. Elisa Oktiabreva. Uh six two six one over the second seed from China, Sun Jinran. Uh now Octabreva is seventeen, uh Sun was just fifteen. Um she started playing senior events, did Octea Brava in twenty twenty four.

But she had a long layoff with a really bad wrist injury uh wrist injury and her ranking dropped way down. She was supposed to play qualies here, but didn't make the cut and she was like Well I'm free and I was planning to be in Paris. I'm eligible.

So why don't I play the juniors? She said I got this from the Roland Garris website she said I didn't plan to play juniors, but I was really sad that I couldn't play the women's main draw. So once I came back to training I said to my coach I wanna play the juniors because it's Roland Garros, it has a special place in my heart and I just said, let's go for the title.

And that panned out pretty well. So a little cameo in the juniors and now she'll be going back to playing the WTA seventy fives and those sorts of things, you know, trying to build a ranking. Yeah. Pitch up. Go and reach the final. She probably didn't play her best tennis either. Ha ha. So that is your...

Your your little tour of results from today. There is just one singles match and one doubles match to go here at Roland Garros twenty twenty six and we'll be looking ahead to that in part three. You can find inspiration anywhere, on an open stretch of highway, over unexplored terrain, or in your very own garage. With refined styling, intuitive technology, and visceral power, the Range Rover Sport sets a new standard for performance SUVs.

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Welcome back to part three of today's tennis podcast, our penultimate tennis podcast from Roland Garros twenty twenty six. We have two matches on the Chateauer schedule. tomorrow. Of course the men's singles final. We'll talk about that in a moment. Before that, at eleven AM the women's doubles final. Katarina Sinianka in Taylor Townsend against Anna Dallinina and Alexandra Krunic. Are the top seeds Sineaga in Tanzan Matt gonna win and put the cherry on top of your stats?

I think they are. If you beat Defani, love and won. Then you deserve to win the title in my mind. It's a strong case. Okay, how about this men's singles final? Alexander Zvarev in his fourth Grand Slam final taking on Flavio Caboli in his first. There is a clear favorite here on paper. That's not up for debate. The question here is how strong a case anyone feels like they can make For Flavio Cabol.

It's a three and one head to head in Zvera's favour, two and one head to head on clay. Uh they won a piece this year. Uh Zvere have won their most meet recent meeting on Clay in Madrid and Caboli won the one shortly before that. in the Munich final. So he's won won their one previous final meeting and it was recently and it was on Clay. I'm sure

will be in Kaboli's mind and he'll be doing selective tennis player memory of uh of the rest of their head to head. The forecast, the weather forecast is supposed to be dry, intermittent sun, bit windy, but less than today, less chaos than today. I think. Matt, what do you think? It's hard, isn't it, because those two matches you've just mentioned, Munich and Madrid, could barely have been more difficult.

Really, I mean in in Munich Kaboli was brilliant. Firing winners all over the place, dominating the match. Taking the racket out of Zverev's hand, he he he played brilliantly. And then in Madrid he was really flat Kaboli and Zverev absolutely dominated him, served him off the court. kinda left Kaboli with nowhere to go and y you look at that and you think, Well, how am I supposed to use that data to to work out what's what's gonna happen? They're polar opposites. Um

I've... I've started to come round to Kaboli just because it's the upset slam. Um and uh you know I've been I've been thinking in the last 24 hours maybe Kaboli can pull this off. The thing is I've never thought Zverev would win a slam. And the reason is because I've always thought there'd be someone better than him in the draw. For a long time that was, you know, Djokovic and in the last few years it's been our cousin Sinner and they're not here. So all along this tournament I've thought

Well, I do think this is the one that Zverev's gonna win because those guys are not here now. He still is, he's playing well. I think this is his time. This is the one that he wins. But then I've been starting to think, well can can Kaboli just find that level? Not necessarily the level that Alkaz and Cinna have, but just a level a little bit above what Zverev's got, and force Zverev out of his shed.

That's what I'm interested in because I think this tournament Zrev's not needed to do that. He's not faced too much pressure, a little bit in opening set. But he's got through that well and then he's basically cruised and he's played players in the last couple of rounds who didn't have legs, Hoddar and Menchik, and he's taken advantage of that and he's absolutely deserved to win those matches easily.

So you're piecing this together and you think well Kaboli's got the legs. He he he and Zrev haven't played that all that much tennis this tournament compared to everyone else. Kaboli didn't play a semi-final. And I do believe what we saw there in Munich is he's got a high level. that can be just above maybe what Zverev's got in terms of explosivity and being electric. So that is gonna force Zverev, I think, out of his shell.

And the question is whether he steps up and does it. And all along I've kind of thought in his career that he that he won't do that. So that's the case for Kabali. Um but I I do think it's also possible that Kabali can't find that level. And it being a first grand sem final and in the end very of steadiness over the course of the match gets him through and I still ultimately come out on that side because I think Caboli would have to play the match of his life over five sets.

to really push Sverev to those places, forcing him to come up with the plays. And I'm just not convinced that as good as Kaboli has been this tournament, I'm just not convinced he's gonna quite be able to do that. So ultimately I am going for Zverev. to win this one, despite some thoughts for Kaboli in the last twenty four hours.

I found it very interesting what Gil Gross, the the tennis analyst that I'm sure lots of you are aware of, really excellent kind of forensic technical analyst of the game, what he had to say on on his podcast he kind of broke down the like three scenarios for this match and i he made the case more generally that b that we shouldn't read too much into Zverev's handling of

the pressure on on this opportunity from the matches he's played up to this point, because finals grandson finals aren't that big a deal to him. That that's not doing anything he hasn't done before. It's it's getting over this final obstacle that is is the test. for him. And he says the big question, the central question of this match, and this is something that I'd been sort of having vague thoughts along the lines of, but but Gil

crystallized it and expressed it in in a way that was like, Oh yes, that's what I've been thinking, I just don't have the words for it. Thank you, Gil. He said the the central question of this match is is Kaboli good enough to create tension? in the match. Like can he f kind of the same as what Matt was saying. Can he play well enough to find that top level to ask the question of Svarov? And he thinks

He thinks, you know, sc scenario one is that the answer to that is no, and Zerev kind of cruises to this one. And that is I don't think any of us think that is unlikely. But of scenario two and three Two being Kaboli plays well, makes a match of it, asks Zverev the question and Zverev stands up and has the answer to it and scenario three, Koboli plays as described

And Zverev doesn't have the answer to it, as he hasn't done three times in the past. He thinks maybe scenario three is more likely than two. In Gil's words, the scar tissue for Zverev is no joke. No, I I don't think it is. I think there is a chance to make him Panicky because I think he's supremely confident right now that he is gonna win this title. I think he believes in his own tennis and I think he has every right to because I think it is

the best tennis I've seen him play here at Running Garris. I've seen him play well here before, but there is a And and he hasn't had to play the players he's had to play in the past. I mean listen, you know, he he he's had some really tough runs in this tournament in the past in terms of opponents. He just hasn't had that this time because of the way things have fallen. But he's playing well. He's playing with conviction.

He he thinks that and I think I think I would if I were him too, that if if he if he turns up and plays the way he has he wins this title and there's nothing that Kabolic can do about it. Question is whether Kaboli, because I believe Kaboli can really find that level that you described, that incredibly high electric level. He's got He's like road runner with his legs the way he gets about the court. He's an he's a blur of speed. He gets the crazy ball.

When he gets inspired, he's got real pop and power on his ground strokes and he can hit drop shots. He's got he's got a lot of game and he's got a good but solid backhand so that he can stay in exchange. The thing for me is how does he come out? Does he come out Does he come out frozen? All of these things would be totally understandable. I was thinking that today Felinska

When she walked out, just the set-piece nature of this thing, it's so big. It's so unlike any of the other days of the tournament fight. You know, nothing else coming before. And and I just I wonder how Kabali comes out. Because so far, the two sets that we've seen Zverev lose in this tournament have been third set.

He's been two sets up and Contanalise has played well to win a tie break. And then we've had Menchik take advantage of a of of a little lapse maybe in playing better himself. He wins a third set, but that's That's not enough. It's too too far gone. You know, you're gonna have to pull pull an amazing rabbit out of a hat to win from there. And I watched the highlights and I watched live at the time of when they played here a year ago in the um in the third round.

And Zverev won the first set of that 6-2. Second set, Caboli was electric. He was amazing. And he probably should have won the set, but he lost it on a tie break. He had the crowd, he had the moments, he's doing the waving of the hands. You're watching him thinking he's a better player than Sverrow.

But he didn't win the set. And even if he had, he's still got win two more. I just think somebody needs to hurt Zverev early when Zverev is tense and when he isn't quite feeling it yet and put him on the back foot. And if he's on the back foot and if it doesn't immediately switch, then the stress can come in.

Yeah, look I I have the same concern about how well Kaboli w will play tomorrow, how how much time it might take him to settle and and play well if he if he does at any point in the match. I do think it helps the He's not Kasparude facing Nadal here in twenty twenty two. We all know that footage, don't we, of him in the tunnel, like you know, the match was lost then, wasn't it? Nadal's doing his jumping jacks and

Casparide is shitting on his pants. Like we can all we can all see what's happening. Like that was the Casparide is not in the mix and there's only two of them left moment. Zero does not have that aura. Like not I mean not even I mean nobody has Nadals or uh Roland Garrett's but like it's not even close. There isn't that element to contend with, I don't think. I don't think there's imposter syndrome relative to his opponent. There is a bit of big brotherly stuff going on there. Expand.

Trying to Yeah, definitely. during the He's a nice kid stuff, isn't he? Yes, I think the fact I think the fact that Kaboli has a win over him helps with that a little bit. It was a final. Um look, I I do agree with you about the first set. I think that's so crucial for Kaboli. uh to settle and to hurt Zverev when I think Zverev's gonna be Maybe it is weakest in the whole map. That's when he could be tight and when he could be just not he he's been a bit clunky in first sets the last few rounds.

The thing is I d in in terms of those scenarios that you and Gil laid out, I d I do think there's a scenario where Kaboli is good enough to create tension, but he's not good enough to sustain it. I think he can have lapses in a way that Cinno and Alcaraz don't. I know Alcarez

Kaboli does and not in Grand Sam Finals, big matches. When when Elkraz gets in those moments, he sustains it for longer. I could I could see a scenario where Kaboli does hurt and does sting, and then has let downs and I could see Zverev just Yeah. Can afford a letdown in a best of five set match. I don't think you can if you don't do it until set three, as David described. But if he gets the first set,

The second one is also a possible, like if he levelled, but you know, the problem is it's very hard not to have a letdown after winning a set if you've never really been in this position before. So I do think I think the first set is key. Just in terms of the tennis matchup, the athleticism of Kaboli is so key, isn't it? Again, you know, listening to to Gil Gross's podcast was it was a great breakdown of this. Like he can afford to stay very deep on return.

Make a lot of returns because he's got the athleticism to to reset, you know, to get back in onto the baseline f for the rally and he can run around the backhand. And h and hit crucially the the inside in forehand, the one from the backhand corner down the line, rather than the one from the backhand corner cross court, the inside out forehand, which goes into Zavera's backhand and is not the play.

To flip it in Zero's favour, like Caboli's favourite serve goes to a right hand as backhand. Like and he's been using that shot. really effectively all tournaments, especially against Orgialia Seam, you know, the kick kick serve to the backhand, you get a short reply and you're on top of the point immediately. That is not gonna be happening if he's doing that to Zverev. I know he's got a very good kick serve, Kabali. Sometimes it will work, I'm sure, but a lot of the time Zverev is gonna be

getting that shot back deep on his baseline, on his toes and creating the sort of rallies he wants as well. It it that that's a really interesting tactical element to me. Look, I think we all think likely's variable win. I just think there are sort of Solid tennis reasons out there. Why we could get The final upset at the upset slam.

Yeah. And just to say, uh, before we end this segment of the show, we do know that a lot of people listening will find tomorrow difficult with Verev being involved and the strong potential is we've just been discussing for him to win. It was ahead of the last final that he played here two years ago that he settled a case relating to domestic abuse charges brought by his ex girlfriend and the mother of his child, Brenda Patea.

Yn ymwneud â'r ymwneud â'r ymwneud â'r ymwneud â'r ymwneud â'r ymwneud â'r ymwneud â'r ymwneud â'r ymwneud â'r ymwneud. Former girlfriend Olya Sharipova in twenty twenty. Sharipova did not pursue charges and Zvarov has always denied all the allegations. Um it's as Ben Rothenberg wrote and reported in his

Substack this week, he said for so many who care about domestic violence, Sverov's prominence and the way he's been continually embraced within the sport make tennis appear to be an unwelcoming and even hostile culture. Now Not everyone will feel discomfort tomorrow, but lots will, and the same is true in the press room. And just finally on this, if you are yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n

Honestly, the barge is about as safe a space as there is to express those feelings. There's a whole community of wonderful tennis fans out there debating and discussing the sport with compassion and integrity and love. And it's a huge source of pride for us. So if you fancy it, I would encourage you to head there and we will put the link in our show notes.

Right. The time has come for Matt to share whatever whatever childhood pet anecdote you might have for us, Matt. You must have seen this coming.

It's gonna be disappointing. there was a shop in the village that we could get the fish from, so Are we talking tropical or are we talking gold? Gold. Okay. they didn't last long. You know, you'd you'd you'd come down in the morning sometimes and, you know, one of them would be upside down. Did did she give any names or I'm sure we did, but we honestly we had so many over the years. How were the dead fish disposed of?

But they unceremoniously flush down the loo. There's no judgment here, that's how much. I think quite possibly. I I know for a fact I never disposed of any of the dead fish. That does not surprise me. I don't know who did it, I suspect my dad. Okay. I suspect he took ownership of that. He was least keen on the fish generally, I would say. So so so was probably most willing to get rid of them.

Cleaning the tank is an abs nobody tells you how crap that is, do they, when you're excitedly getting fish. Yeah. It smells so bad. Mae'r filtr yn gweithio, mae'r filtr yn gweithio, mae'r filtr yn gweithio, mae'r filtr yn gweithio, mae'r filtr yn gweithio, mae'r filtr yn gweithio, mae'r filtr yn gweithio. But then there's the good stuff. But the good stuff is just a good thing. They float about and you have a little chat with them. It was it was definitely nice for the A while.

I think You go a bit bored of them. I I got a tropical fish tank when I was about thirteen and I was my god, I was excited, I wanted it so much. Nobody had told me about finrock. Ha ha ha. We had a tropical fish tank as well. Um initially it only had the two fish called bit and bolt. I've also just remembered just to bring the bring this bring this round to Bashir and cats generally, I've also just remembered that my brother got a new

And uh our cat Peanut ate it overnight. One morning, God, my newt was gone. So segue into Bashir there, who I'm sure is far too angelic to have ever eaten any other beloved household pets. I caught David just admiring a picture of Bashir this morning. He went, This really is a good cat. Yeah. It's got face for every occasion.

What a mascot. What a lovely boy. Hello to Bodie Maisie and Roger. And hello to our top folks and executive producers, Greg, Chris, and Jeff. Let's have some shout outs, man. We have Matt and Ezra from Fulkirk, Scotland. Oh wow. Ezra Matt has been a listener since twenty sixteen and Ezra is eighteen months old. Starting to get into tennis, we'll watch a game or two. Good laugh. That's so lovely. Love it. Oh, twenty sixteen, so that's just pre match. Unless he listened to your debut at the end.

That was twenty seventeen. Yeah. Matt used to get the odd mention in 2016 as student Matt. yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw. when I only knew you from WhatsApp. Oh, thank you. We're done quite now. Jib, we only know Jib from WhatsApp. Yeah. Our editor. We love. Yeah. Love. Yes, it's Chib's one year anniversary of playing tennis. Looking for tournaments now, he said to fight.

Uh Matt, as is evident, we love Matt's. So well done for being one. And thank you for being a friend of the tennis podcast. We also have Isabel Cantin from Montreal. Hello Isabel. And Isabel would like to shout out her parents. My brother and I have loved tennis from a young age, Isabel says. And we would love to convince our parents, Renee and Jean, to come to a tennis tournament again. Our parents came to Wimbledon and the US Open and both times it rained all day.

Oh calm. Renee, Jean, calm. Yes, Isabel says please help us convince my dad third time's a charm and live tennis is a game changer. Come on, Isabel's dad. Come on. Lightning doesn't strike in the same place three times. That is scientific. Yeah. And honesty. And there's more roofs now. Yeah. It comes to Ranagara. Just dreamy. Yeah. Just don't get a men's semifinal single match session ticket. If Mateo and Aldi's playing. Yeah, it's a no brainer. Gotta do it.

Yeah. Live tennis is the best. Yeah. I always say it, I'm never unimpressed. By the players when you're up close watching them live. Absolutely. Yeah. They're unreal. Yeah. Hopefully that's done the done the trick. And finally we have Clarissa Troop. Oh hello Clarissa. No, Clarissa. She's in our predictions competition this tournament. Certainly. To me. Everybody's basing me. Uh no actually. She's one of the two below you, David. I got seven points today, didn't I?

Uh yes. But we love Clarissa. Uh she has she's lived in LA for a long time but now is in West Sussex and started listening to the pod properly during the Australian Open of twenty twenty. What an interesting time to start this. Just before the pandemic. And Ronald Garros is A slam that she's not yet been to, despite trying. So Gotta do. You'll get here one day, clearly. You come and see us.

I love the name Clarissa. It makes me think of Clarissa Explains It All, which is one of my earliest T V memories. What a show. Bit of a no-tal, was she, Clarissa? Not this one. Your one. I don't think you were the target audience of that show. Okay. David and and Matt wasn't born. So but anyway, I enjoyed that momentary trip down memory lane, Clarissa. So thank you for that. Thank you.

Clarissa, Isabel, Rene, Jean, Matt and Ezra, thank you all for being friends of the tennis podcast. We are part of the Athletic Podcast Network. We have one more Roll on Garros daily show to go. Thank you for listening. We'll speak to you tomorrow. You've decided to quit smoking. That's a big step. But cravings don't always make it easy. Zonic can help.

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