Quality sleep is essential. That's why the sleep number smart bed is designed for your ever-evolving sleep needs. Need a bed that's firmer or softer on either side helps you sleep at a comfortable temperature? Sleep number smart beds let you individualize your comfort so you sleep better together. JD Power Rank Sleep Number 1 and customer satisfaction with mattresses purchased in-store. And now, during our lowest prices of the season, shop the sleep number smart bed starting at $999 for a limited time.
For JD Power 2023 Award Information, visit JD Power dot com slash awards. Only at a sleep number store or sleep number dot com. Millions of people have lost weight with personalized plans for noon, like Evan who can't stand salads and still lost 50 pounds. Salads generally for most people are the easy button, right? For me, that wasn't an option. Never really was a salad guy. That's just not who I am. But new work for me.
This is the new personalized plan today at noon dot com. Real new user compensated to provide their story. In four weeks, the typical new user can expect to lose one to two pound per week. Individual results may vary. Hi, this is Billie Jean King. This is Mary and Bartoli. This is Bianca and Drasco. I'm Matt Vellander. This is Mary Carillo. This is Pam Shriver. This is Yannick Noah and you're listening to the tennis podcast.
Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast live from Wimbledon from myself, Catherine, Jessica Matt Roberts, David Law and Jude, the bear. This is a lovely bear from the Wimbledon shop. We've just named him Jude a half an hour ago. He was called you bunch of useless idiots. But now he's called Jude because England have just won the football. Our hopes remain alive and our mood has changed drastically over the course of the last half an hour. We're in a good place and we're pumped.
Oh, we are. I love tennis. It's my favourite sport. But honestly, the rash of a last minute goal in football is hard to beat and Jude our guy. What a moment. Couldn't have won it without Jude. 45 minutes game, Matt was clutching Jude for comfort pretending it was Billie Jean. And now Jude is proudly on the front of our bench.
Where he will stay for the entirety of the tournament until he fails and we're out. No, if Andy Murray thinks he can win the doubles with brother Jamie more on that to calm later than England can win the Euros with the help of Jude. And if folks it is great to have you for company here on our final YouTube live show ahead of the championship starting tomorrow in just 16 hours. There will be tennis players playing competitive Wimbledon matches on these courts behind us in 16 hours time.
We will be here live at the end of play every day and at the end of the football evening of playing to review the day and look ahead to the next one. If you like what you're watching, please do like and subscribe. Our numbers are a climbing and it helps us a lot. So thanks very much for that. And if you like what we're wearing the links to that are in our show notes David and I both own this shirt wasn't expecting to be in a in a wardrobe sharing situation with David in my lifetime.
But here we are. We've managed 17 years of knowing one another without ever turning up in the same clothes before and now it's a risk now David and I have to text one another in the morning and make sure we're not wearing the same thing which is weird but I quite like it. Testament just how nice the Oxford purple striped shirt actually is the lilac striped Oxford shirt. I'm a I'm a big fan of it and I'm a big fan of the Wimbledon shop.
The Wimbledon collection is what everything that we're wearing is from Mac Mac was wearing an item from it earlier and got mistaken for tennis player. It's been a good day. It's already a good day. I haven't had that experience. So it's all available online shop.wimbledon.com and global shipping is available but also if you are coming on site lucky you for starters. But do you make sure you head to the newly refurbished Wimbledon shop underneath court number one.
It's incredibly obvious where it is. It's right there as you come on to site and it's it's lovely in there and the stuff is lovely too. So make sure you check it out. We had our interview day stragglers today. We of course have our order of play to look ahead to and we have some questions to answer as well from those of you that are with us live in the chat. Have been firing away some some questions. So let's get going without further ado and let's maybe start with Andy Murray.
It was the most anticipated interview press conference of the day. The time of it changed. I think four times. Four times. I made several of the plans that I ended up canceling. So I haven't actually moved into the house that I'm supposed to be staying in. David homeless. That's still to come tonight. The best dress homeless person in town. So I was trying to slot that in into the afternoon and then then one of Andy Murray's time changes scum at that.
And then another one made it possible and then I decided to just shelf the whole thing. But no it was it was to be honest classic Andy Murray wasn't it this afternoon the whole thing. He he's he leaves it late. He doesn't entirely know even now what he's going to do. We went into a press conference. I think we came out certainly I came out somewhat encouraged by his sort of state of mind and and the fact that he was talking.
I think most most encouraging was that he was talking about not being worried about his health in terms of playing. If I play I'm not going to do myself serious damage and that was a real concern of ours. I know that that doesn't guarantee anything but he said really the the only thing I could do to myself. I think that is going to cause a real issue is is something to the wound. And he said but honestly if I if I mess up a couple of stitches I don't care.
He's he's mainly worried about his his spine which which or I that's the concern. If there was something that could go wrong with that based on the procedures had done and playing with it might endanger. Then he said you know I'd feel very differently about things which I know is what we were most concerned about. So that was all very encouraging and he and he did say I've been getting better and better with each day that I practiced.
And he said I played a complete set today and I'm thinking well you've got to at least play three in two days time with nerves janglin as well. So that's a very different situation but he was encouraged and then he went into an interview with my colleague Russell Fuller for the BBC. And he he basically said I think the the likelihood is I probably won't play singles as things stand. I'm more likely to just play the doubles.
So who knows where will be this time tomorrow night but that's when I think we're going to get a verdict. Yes he gave quite a lot more detail about the nature of the surgery and the reasons for the surgery he confirmed it was to remove a system from his spine but also a decompression procedure to relieve spinal stenosis which is general compression on on the spinal cord.
I believe it's in the in the lumbar spine keyhole surgery but he does still have stitches in his back and I think will have stitches at the time that he plays plays his first match whether it's Tuesday or Thursday in the doubles. He still doesn't have sensation in his leg which feels like a problem.
He said it is improving but there's just I mean it's how long is a piece of string in terms of a timeline for that it could be he could wake up tomorrow with full sensation or it could take weeks or months or frankly it could it could never return. He said it's like sleeping on your arm funny and losing losing sensation like the limb literally kind of just goes to sleep.
But yeah as you say David the in terms of long-term damage it's the wound rather than the spine that's that's the issue and so in that respect he doesn't see it as a massive potential risk playing. But he he says what he's looking for is his closure is very interesting I went to Jamie Murray's press conference a couple of hours earlier on in the day it was like and he's delayed his press conference by two hours but have another Murray to help you fill the time while you're waiting for Andy.
So Jamie comes into press and it's all pretty normal stuff you know honestly he doesn't know an awful lot more than we do quite genuinely hasn't been practicing with Andy he confirmed that they haven't practiced together at all which I guess is what you expect Andy himself has only been hitting hitting balls for a couple of days.
But kind of the one killer line was in answer to a question from Matt Fotteman who said to him what do you think Andy is looking for from this venture from this Wimbledon and he goes I'm curious to. He said I'm not entirely sure what his goal is and I I really believed him when he said that like as much as their brothers and they love one another and they share so much and they're really close.
Jamie Murray is not like Andy Murray and not many people on this planet are I've never seen the mindset that barely anyone can fathom not even his brother.
He is a one off Andy Murray and I've never met anybody or come across any tennis player who leaves you guessing like this and would so many conflicting opinions around him and amongst all of us in the media as to what he's going to do what he's thinking and honestly it does feel like he changes his mind quite often as well and I don't judge him for that I really I just felt very warm towards him in that press conference.
And thought go on mate I can understand why you're doing this and do whatever you need to do. Yeah I think that was kind of how I ended up leaving that press conference like I get it now I really think that I did understand why he was even trying to play this Wimbledon given the state of his body it just seemed like you know of course he wants to play Wimbledon but the state of his body sure he wasn't allowing him to but I
thought he put it really well in in reply to your question Catherine and Matt Futterman's question as well just that experience of getting to play Wimbledon one last time and he described it as closure which is what he's looking for and he compared it to last year where he wasn't planning for that to be his last Wimbledon so if that were his last Wimbledon it would just kind of feel wrong to him he wants he wants to at least know that this is the last one.
And have that moment on centre court and I thought he was pretty emotional while he was saying those words you know we were very close at the front of the press conference and you could really see the emotion on his face and hear it in his words. But it did make sense to me why he's putting himself through this.
He was asked towards the end of the press conference in fact the very last question he was asked what kind of ceremony he would like because Sally Bolton his brief the press about the number of different scenarios that they have planned for depending on what the moment ends up being and what Andy himself wants and he was asked you know if you thought about what you would like and he really really couldn't give an answer could he it's like
as much as he's agonised about retirement and how to do it and what it's going to look like for seemingly forever it's like he hasn't thought beyond the moment the unpire calls game set and match.
He's thought about the competitive experience of retiring he hasn't thought a moment beyond that and he referenced you know with the with the right smile he referenced this sort of retirement that he's already had in Australia five years ago and how awkward that was and then kind of mic drop moment his last words in that press conference he said but it's different this time and that was him saying
this is really it this is it he's at peace with this being the end of his career at least there's an acceptance there now he just wants this last bit he needs it he needs to give it every opportunity and I still don't necessarily think retirement will come easily to Andy Murray but I certainly think he knows that it is time and it's just a question of seeing if he can somehow get this
get this moment that he that he really desperately wants this is it do you think there's still a chance of the Olympics look I am very sort of over emotional and over sentimental I read into that it's different this time as this is it
Wimbledon is it that's interesting I I think he might still play that I think he meant this is it for Wimbledon that he's not going to sort of have second thoughts I want to come back next year I think he's already said he doesn't he's not going to get a New York the US open I still do think that there's a chance to the Olympics it because the one thing he was at pains to make out is that he's been feeling better every single day so if that would continue then by first and when he plays
the doubles maybe he might be in a better shape still so imagine what he could be like in a few weeks time for the Olympics looking on our sort of glasses half full I should have followed up as it how did you do in the sprint race against Johnny Omara today any better and in closer I guess the the question is whether whether he can get what he's looking for from just doubles and if he can if he's confident he can then why not just play doubles why
why put yourself through this for the singles that that's kind of my confusion with it all I worry that he can't get whatever it is he's searching for this week from the doubles and if he could he'd just be in the doubles he's a singles player initially and he wants to be a singles player one more time he wants the whole thing I get it you know he wants everything and
and I actually really when he was talking about it I was thinking back to Novak Djokovic yesterday and how he was just saying swimbleed it you know and I actually love to the fact that it wasn't just a number it wasn't just a chance for a 25th grand slam for Novak Djokovic it wasn't a chance friendly married to just play another tournament it's to play Wimbledon and I really like the fact that they're just reminding us what a massive deal this place is and
and that should be respected and and they're going to give it every chance I love that tennis players get FOMO even one that have been around the block a million times David and I had a very brief chat earlier about the Thomas Mahatch of all of this what he think I'm all is let's just say that singles match ends up happening on Tuesday you know prime time slot on the BBC on center court
I can imagine Thomas Mahatch not putting in a shocker not coping with that brilliantly being seriously nervous seriously yeah I can imagine him laying an egg now I don't know how big an egg he had to have to lay to be over five set with a nom lay it's nine days out from back surgery but I could see him lay an egg I don't know you're the Thomas Mahatch expert
well the thing with Thomas Mahatch is that I'll always say he will play the most brilliant tennis up to five or 30 all and that's when I don't quite trust him to produce those amazing shots that he's capable of and like the whole match might feel like five or 30 all you know it's going to be such a big occasion so I could definitely imagine him being quite tight
I do think over five sets he he will probably loosen up at some point and he is a quality player like I know we joke about the whole best in the world thing but he is a quality player and if Murray's not capable you know I do think Mahatch will will get a kind of a grip of it and and probably end up winning but he didn't look quality against our to face the other day he didn't and as I said he did have that sort of neck problem himself
there's a possibility that it's the worst tennis match anyone has ever seen and everybody loves it it's the first half of England against Slovakia the tennis version no one needs to see that again maybe Slovakia fans apologies to all Slovakia fans what have you just get through to sort of minute 95
okay well look we I've saying this every night we'll keep you posted on Andy Murray and Thomas Mahatch we should know in tomorrow's show should really I think he's going to leave it till Tuesday morning David I do do yeah do it's Kees Andy Murray he was supposed to come to press it to a clock today he came at four and then it was half three and then it was half three which we found out about it
three twenty eight yeah I think it's going to be Tuesday morning and I think that's fine there's going to be a lot of lucky losers hanging around the sign in desk I think I wonder who it is I wonder who's the one who's quite a lot of men's lucky losers are already in the Van Asch is in I think
Kampeshi Perikah is in I think it might David be Maxi impression oh okay well that's fine with the possibility of getting in yeah because Alejandro David of itch Fikina and Dominic Kupfer withdrew today it's going to be a really tough blow for Mahatch
when he's informed I don't know ten o'clock on Tuesday morning that he's no longer on centre court he's been bumped to court six to court 13 to play like he does and a completely different everything to what he's presumably psyche himself up for right now yeah poor old Thomas Mahatch just a footnote in someone else's story he's not a very disciplined player you know what I mean like and I feel like when you're playing someone in Andy Murray's state you've just got
a he kind of ruthless and I'm not sure if that is Mahatch but as I said he's he doesn't want to get boot on centre court for drop shotting and he would take that one like that exactly I wonder that again but he is but he can't even have a showman yeah again that's not going to go to the show and Tuesday today wow okay I'm when Nick Kirios played Murray in his comeback match at Queens and honestly I think Kirios was not not
not trying to win but he was basically giving Andy Murray shots so he could get to deliver it because he didn't want to humiliate him yeah it felt a bit champions to all moments in that match yeah okay we'll look I keep saying it we will keep you posted on the Andy Murray and the Thomas
Mahatch front couple of other players notable players that came through the press conference rooms today the defending women's champion Marquetta Von Drescherbert crucially telling us that she's fit she's fit to play it doesn't seem to be a massive concern for her the the hip leg injury
that she sustained a week or so ago no there was nothing like when I asked the same question to Sabalenko and she immediately said I'm not 100% there was not a flicker with Von Drescherbert there was no games being played there and so I would say that she is in good shape
I think the bigger question for her will be can she handle the moment I mean I said you know you're one of the two players in this entire tournament who knew last week when you were going to play and where you're going to play and that's you and Carlos Alcras because you're the champions
and I face sort of lit up and I said did you have you allowed yourself to think what that might be like and she she said I'm really I'm really looking forward to it but she's also talked in that press conference about the pressure of being a top 10 player with a grand sam champion and how last year she was able to just not worry about any of that and it's different.
Yeah she said it she talked about being stress free last year and I said how do you recreate that you know pressure free environment and she said it's not possible to play stress free when you're number six in the world
basically saying I'll never be stress free again now that I'm forever a Wimbledon champion it was a real it was a really insightful line wasn't it but I'm thrilled that she is fit for that title defense it's going to be fascinating because no one knows what to do with my ketovondraisha
predictions ever let alone as a defending grand sam champion for the first time so I don't know what I'm going to do with her in my prediction so watch this space and subscribe to the newsletter if you want to find out Well we got a minute I'm going to buy that truck up in one
wait don't you need like weeks to shop for a car I don't Carvana makes it super convenient to find exactly what I want Hold up you're buying a car on your phone isn't that more of a laptop thing you can shop wherever you want I like to do my research read reviews compare models plus Carvana has thousands of options how do you decide on that truck because I like it no that is a great reason go to Carvana dot com to sell your car the convenient way
Quality sleep is essential that's why the sleep number smart bed is designed for your ever evolving sleep needs need a bed that's firmer or softer on either side helps you sleep at a comfortable temperature sleep number smart beds let you individualize your comfort so you sleep better together
JD power ranked sleep number number one and customer satisfaction with mattresses purchased in store and now during our lowest prices of the season shop the sleep number smart bed starting at $999 for a limited time prices higher in Alaska and Hawaii for JD power 2023 award information visit JD power dot com slash awards only at a sleep number store or sleep number dot com millions of people have lost weight with personalized plans for new like Evan who can't stand valid and still lost 50 pounds
salads generally for most people are the easy button right for me that wasn't an option never really was a salad guy that's just not who I am but new work for me get your personalized plan today at noon dot com real new user compensated to provide their story
in four weeks the typical new user can expect to lose one to two pound per week individual results may vary folks we have our very first special guest of live from Wimbledon 2024 I am thrilled to welcome Jamie Baker Wimbledon Tournament director to the tennis broadcast Jamie how you doing?
I'm good I didn't realize I was the first but before we start talking tennis though I know I've got the Wimbledon tie on but you guys have got some nice kit here I don't know I like that it's good isn't it thank you very much where did you get that
funny should ask that Jamie we went on a visit to this number one Wimbledon shop it was nice that was really great yeah we're big fans big fans this is this is Jude not Teddy Bear for the Wimbledon shop named for named for Jude Bellingham just half an hour ago
yeah thing there for a full two weeks absolutely yeah lucky charm now I'm not actively saying that yeah the vibe of this show was going to be very different half an hour ago so yeah we're very glad to have you I'm imagining the eve of the tournament is a busy anxious exciting time for you yeah all of those things although I do love qualifying slash practice week the way everything kind of builds and I was just thinking I was as I was walking up here the I find it astonishing now on Sunday night
when we're up here everybody else has gone this place is like completely quiet almost as if it was any other night of the year you know the club has shut the high-end moments here and then we know what's coming tomorrow it just like explodes to life it's a find it pretty exciting
yeah I'm a I'm a Christmas Eve person not a Christmas day person these few days that we've had here on site before the tournament starts I found incredibly special it's been yeah it's been fantastic we've just been talking about Andy Murray you'll be shocked to hear what something what's going on
yeah thank you yeah did his press conference earlier gave us a very very frank update about what he's been going through after the last week the uncertain situation that he's currently in what is desperate hopes of for trying to create some kind of moment that feels like a fitting way to end his incredible career. Just knowing him as well as you do, you first met him like under 10s, is that right?
Seven or eight, yeah. Incredible. What do you think closure looks and feels like for Andy Murray in that incredible mind of his? I don't think I know anymore than you do on that question. I guess I do, he has had an unbelievable career. I guess the one thing in the fact that I've been through the process of stopping playing.
Somebody wise always said to me when I was really quite young and said, Jamie, one of the easiest things you've ever done is basically start being a tennis player because you pick up a game as a kid and you get a bit better in such a privilege to do it for a living life. So any athlete is such a privilege to do it. The hardest decision you'll ever make is deciding when to stop doing that. The reason why that is is because you can get so much advice from your family,
from your friends, from professionals from whoever. But whether you stop playing when you're 25 or 37 or 41, you're young and it's only you that has to live with that for the rest of your life. So navigating your way into making the decision and being at peace with it yourself is we can all see it in this face in the way he talks. That's exactly what he's trying to navigate at the moment.
And for everything that he's achieved and particularly here obviously, I think probably all of us hope that he can navigate that well and get the moment and the recognition that he deserves probably as much as anybody. But based on what you've seen and heard this last week and he's been on the practice court the last couple of days, do you think if he doesn't have another setback that he will get some kind of moment on a tennis court, whether it's singles or doubles?
Yeah, if he doesn't have a setback I think absolutely. I mean before we even talk about tennis, I think I had surgery on his back, it's pretty incredible that we're actually even talking about is he's going to go out and play tennis at a grand slam at any level. But it kind of just sums him up really. Like there's no point in talking about him in a way that's in the least bit normal. He's not, you don't achieve things and you don't achieve what he has achieved in the way that he's
achieved it if you are. So look, there's still a couple days, well, one full day of kind of I guess prep slash rehab for him to do. But yeah, I do, I think unless he gets a setback, I think we will see him on a tennis court. Do you worry about him in retirement? Do you think he's going to find it tough for a while? I think most athletes probably do. I mean he's got an amazing life as a result of everything that he's achieved and who he is as a person who's gone. An amazing wife,
he's got four wonderful kids. I'm not worried about him not having anything to do. That's for sure. He's got plenty to do. But it's like anybody else in the athlete, like he's not ever done anything other than, other than play tennis. So he's going into a new chapter. I mean, think in the normal world how not destabilising it, how different it is when you start a new job. I think it's kind of like that times a hundred, especially when it's somebody who's probably like achieved so much.
Watch this space. We keep saying we'll keep you posted on Andy Murray and we all feel the same, don't we? We just want him to have some kind of moment that helps him, helps him achieve some peace. Now you've got things to do. Just a couple of topics. We want to cover off with you while you've got it. We're about to look ahead to tomorrow's order of play. Centre Court starts at 130 tomorrow. It's that has done for the last couple of years. I know that was a topic of some
contention last year. No, about Djokovic and Andy Murray queried it and suggested it should be moved back earlier to where it was before Sally Bolton covered it in her pre-tornament press conference and said the club was comfortable with the situation. Could you just explain the thinking behind the 130 start and leaving it as it is? I'm going to surprise you. I actually love talking
about the schedule. Maybe it's because people forced me to do it all the time. It's like most of my day, but I do actually quite like talking about the challenges and the considerations and all the different aspects to it. With that one in particular, I think probably the main point is that, well, from my point of view, our has to be one of our number one goals every single day is to finish the matches that we get on the schedule. When we get into a position where we have matches
unfinished coming back the next day, we can never say that that's a successful day. That will never be the case. That will always be the case. Sometimes things happen that are out of our control. Now, changing, I think quite a lot of people certainly hear, share the view that I'm going to give here. Changing the timing of a schedule is quite a big thing. It has impacts across the whole grounds, the whole event, television, players, everything. Over 40,000 people coming in here every day.
It's a big thing. What we're really led by on that is not to make any knee-jerk reactions. If we're going to make a decision to change any part of the scheduling, what we're really trying to do is be driven by the information and the data that we have over multiple years. The reason why we've kept at it this year is because there isn't any evidence over multiple years to show that the timings we have are an issue. Last year, there was two matches that got held over. That's
not good. If we're in the same position this year, we review scheduling every year anyway, but clearly we will have a really close eye on that. The final thing I would say on scheduling is, and this is quite ironic, considering some of the conversations that have come up maybe five, six, seven years ago, one of the best things about our schedule is that we stop playing at 11 o'clock. So I think that is just fantastic. We're not playing in the middle of the night. I'm really happy
with where we're at on that. You are speaking our language, James. Yeah, very little I hate more than great tennis happening at three o'clock in the morning, people thinking that's okay. Just on that point of trying to finish every day's play on Centre Court, something I do find interesting is how the roof comes into that because it does seem that with the 130 start time, you don't have to have extraordinary things to happen for that final
match to finish under the roof. Are you comfortable with the roof being deployed as a way to finish the day rather than just because it's raining? It doesn't quite seem to me like necessarily that that's what the roof was originally for. I think that's fair to say that that is a gradual shift maybe in culture and mindset here. When we put the roof in, we were definitely
okay, that's our insurance policy against the rain. But actually the way that I guess the expectations of everybody involved in tennis and the nature of the business now, the size of the business, we need to have continuous tennis as much as possible going on. So, yeah, I think when we started, we were very much we're an outdoor tournament, we're an outdoor tournament. We are an outdoor tournament, but we're not going to be marked as about it and not use it for the
benefit of players and fans and everybody. So I think that's probably where we're at. And look, we will have in terms of through the player lens, you're right. You know, when we get to that third match, if it's particularly if it's a day where it's one, women's in two men's, the likelihood of that last match finishing under the roof is pretty high. So what we were actually doing now and we kind of started last year is we're thinking, right, okay, what's our cutoff for
starting a match outside when we know we've only got a certain amount of daylight left. Actually, let's tell the players early, if we go if we go beyond this time, you're going to start with the roof shut, you know you're in the same conditions, you're going to finish the match and a way we go from there. That's something we weren't doing a few years ago. So actually, that was received pretty well by the players last year. What is that time? We would look for a men's match, we would look
around about an hour and a half worth of daylight and for a women's match slightly less. So if we're getting less than that, we'll be starting to think, right, actually, is this a day where we would want to start that match with the roof shut? That's interesting. Yeah, it's really interesting. One last topic to cover with you. I know it's a very emotive topic for everyone at Wemmlin in the club. It's the development of the site across the road and the hopes for that so that
qualifying can be brought on site in extra show court, expansion of public areas. I'm a local resident. I get a lot of emails from my MP about it. I have submitted my support for the plans. Thank you. Please keep doing that. That should do it. Yeah, I wrote comments. Everything. Yeah, there was editorial. But it's hanging in the balance, isn't it? It's with the
General London Assembly right now. There was a lot of opposition to it, not from me, but from a lot of people locally, how confident are the club of that passing, of that getting through? And how important is it that it does? We are, I'd say, hugely confident on the merits of the scheme. Like, this is not a bad place to sit and try to visualize what it might look like in the future.
I think it's just so exciting, like, for so many different reasons. Just if I can mention too, Grand Slam, if we're taking a long-term view, we have to play the whole tournament on one site. We can make Rohampton as great as we like and we've invested a lot of money in it over the last few years to try to close the gap between here and there. So the players there do get much more of a win-win experience, but we're all kidding ourselves if we think that that is in the long-term
the definition of the pinnacle of the sport. So, you know, if we want to continue that, that is really, really important. Secondly, with that, at the moment, when we stop qualifying on Thursday, all those courts at Rohampton have no other value to the main players who are playing at the championships. We're not actually adding courts here. We're taking the footprint of Rohampton, we're putting it over the road and what will happen is all those courts, when the quality
finishes, is now available for all of the main draw players. So you imagine you're coming to Wimbledon during that week. You're going to see people battling it out to play here in the main draw, but you're also going to be five feet away from Carlos Alcaras sweating in practice. And imagine doing that whilst you're walking around a park. Like, to me, that is just amazingly exciting. And then the third thing is about the new park. You know, this land has been a private
member's golf club. It's all very well having that. And, you know, if people want to sit and look through the fence and not have access to the land, that's one thing. But we are the only people that can give that land back to our neighbours. And that, I mean, anybody who, particularly who has young kids who likes to be out and have some fresh air, you know, in that area, you know, having a massive garden, not everybody has that. It's just such an asset. And just the last one on that. Look,
we, we, yes, we will often talk about it. It's so important that we are a good neighbour. And that's in our DNA. It's actually more than that. We consider itself as one of the community here. Like, you can see when you're at the top of the hill walking down, we are part of this really amazing community, this global venue that's in this really residential, lovely area. We're not kind of sitting on the outside and looking in. We are part of it. And that's why we feel so strongly
about it. So, that's for that reason, I think, I think, I think we will get the right result for everybody involved. But obviously, the actual decision doesn't sit with us. I really hope so. I mean, I know I'm biased, but I have, you know, I am a local resident. I've read the plans really closely. And I think it's great from from all perspectives. So if it does pass,
I will take some personal credit. And it's pretty important, really, isn't it? When you consider what we've just come from at Roland Garros, where they've basically made that a three-week tournament. And they had packed Susan Longling crowds for the first round of qualifying. It was incredible. And you don't want to be left behind. And I listen, I love this place as much as anybody. But there is competition between, it's friendly competition, but there is competition between the four
slams. Yeah, and look, we know all the amazing attributes that we have here at Wimble Den and the Championships, but at no point, there's places we haven't achieved what we've achieved by being complacent. You can never ever, ever be complacent. And your point about being left behind is this is really about engaging the next generation of people with tennis. If you don't have role models, you can get access to something. How are you meant to know that that's for you? And
this is such a valuable way in which we can do that. You know, there's only so far we can go with this with this setup that we have just now. So that's one of the reasons why it's so exciting. When are we expecting the next update on it? Well, I don't think we have anything confirmed, but hopefully not too long. Okay. Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed over here Jamie, good luck. With that and with the Championships. Thank you. What time do you get up in the morning?
Tomorrow. Actually, I always get up early and I need to because of my kids, so I almost don't even need to set a alarm. I'll be one of the first to you. You're a David Law. Yeah, I'll be captain with you. Good afternoon. Jamie, thank you so much. You're time. Really appreciate it and best of luck. Thank you. Speaking your language, Matt. Curve you. I thought you were going to go, there's this tournament. It's called Wimbledon.
Interesting stuff. Anything, anything jump out? Well, a lot. I mean, you know, first of all, most I think I've known Jamie since he was 18 and trying to make it as a tennis player and and I remember him qualifying for Grand Slam tournament himself. You know, he always came across as somebody who just gave everything, just like Andy, really, and two peas in the pod in that way. I mean, he didn't have Andy's ability and he'd be the first to say so, but it's impressive what
he's gone on to do. And I just find it very interesting hearing the points about the start time. I mean, I must admit a year ago, I really would have thought that they would have brought the start time forward partly because the the hangover, the late nights and the the holdover to the next day were not ideal as you said himself there. But also when you get that sort of pressure from Novak Chokovic and Andy Murray saying that they should start earlier, that that is quite a thing
to digest and not go with. But I do take the points, you know, that probably better to see what happens over the course of a couple years rather than just doing something because it was a bad year and it really was a bad year of weather last year. I mean, many times we end up having to move indoors because of it for this show. So, you know, I do take that point. I mean, personally, I think if you if you could move it forwards, you would give yourself inevitably more of a
space and time in which you can play. But I understand that there's more to it than just wanting to do that. And I would love to see like the data that Jamie refers to there on on match times. I was talking to Charlie Acquisher of the Athletic during Roland Garros and he was saying that at the US Open last year he sort of looked into match times a bit and the average, the average men's match of a slam, I believe this was at the US Open so on a hard court, a bit different to
grass. But the average one was lasting three hours. You know, and it wasn't that long ago that a three hour match was seen as a long match, seen as kind of a big deal. And I do think tennis has got got it scheduling wrong in so many aspects. It's still scheduling based on how long matches used to be. And, you know, I'm all I'm all for not playing in the middle of the night as I've said
many, many times. But it also was not ideal. I recognise that having having to carry over a couple of matches last year and not be finishing the order of play when there's only three matches on the schedule. So it's been interesting to see what their days were saying about about the length of matches and look maybe it maybe and hopefully it will mean that they often go with a two women's matches one men's split. I'm sure they'll try and keep that as even as possible. Which they're
doing on the first round. Exactly. I'm sure they'll try and keep that as even as possible. But yeah, I don't I must say I totally understand Jamie's answer. I don't love the idea that that final match on center court quite likely going to be starting under the roof. I think it makes more sense to start under the roof rather than start trying to squeeze it in, put the roof on halfway through. I get why they've made that change. That that seems sensible to me. But
still doesn't seem ideal. I think the absolute idea is you want to be finishing on center court as around nine nine thirty when you're finishing on the outside courts as well. Awesome good old fashion flood lights. Right. We've got some. They of course start earlier on number one court. It's only half an hour earlier isn't it? They started one. Yeah. And that staggered start thing originally came about I think is a COVID. Yeah. And they start earlier still of course on the outside
court. So it's not that they don't have tennis going on everywhere. It's just yeah this one court. And I think other slams have issues where you know if the main show court starts at lunchtime it's it's not full. That doesn't really tend to be an issue at Wimbledon. The start time I can know it used to be even later. It used to be two o'clock didn't it on on center but there was
definitely a period where it was maybe maybe twelve thirty I think pre-COVID. And tentacort was full you know people do get in in their seats so I'm not sure that would be a reason not to go back to an earlier start time. And yeah I think Sally Bolton said they were comfortable with it. I think what I take from that is if if something similar happens again this year I would imagine maybe there'd be a change next year but kind of what's the space and let's see let's see what
happened. Okay well let's have a look at the order of play on day one of the championships of course as we know we open tentacort with the defending men's champion Colossal Carraz third seed at this year's tournament taking on my new guy Mark Liao the the Estonian qualifier that's coming for Alcarraz. And why is he your guy? Well I liked that he did an Instagram post suggesting that tomorrow's match isn't a formal conclusion by any means. I liked the the
Hutzberg of that. Get on your mark that I've never seen before. But I mean you're not going to have a chance unless you go in with that attitude I don't think. I mean he's still probably going to lose but he's definitely going to lose and actually goes over that kind of attitude so and by all accounts he is he's quite a plucky punchy guy that'll back himself you know I could be fun is what I'm saying I don't know. And is there any 21? Yeah. He's six three you know he's
he's got vibrant hair. Yeah he's got he's got the hair it's a shock peroxide blonde isn't it? Yes. Right. So yeah could be fun and I do expect Alcarraz to be nervous. Yeah. Um second on center tomorrow. Catherine Alexander for the second 20 second seed against Emma
Radicano. You thought this was a 50-50 David. Yeah yeah I did it. I know I said I thought Radicano would win I think and I still think that and I did think it would be sent to court because I think she is such a huge star here I think she's she's a really good player. I think what I really like is well it's a really good match on paper. I love I love the fact that they're shit not only scheduling a big star but they're scheduling a really good
match on paper that makes you think that will be a contest. Yeah in fact one of the questions that we had in on on the chat for this show was you know is it fair that Emma Radicano's fair or
right that Emma Radicano's being scheduled on center court tomorrow. Well first and foremost I say that it's a grand time champion against the 22nd seed and as we discussed a couple of days ago it's not a draw that is laden with eye catching first round matches so I think it's valid on those grounds alone but also every slam favors its home players and and elevates their their status in the schedule. I think this is a completely legit center court scheduling
personally. No issues whatsoever with it. No. I mean I take I know some people think oh you just it's going to put more pressure on Emma Radicano. I take that point she can handle it in my opinion that in terms of whether it's a legitimate center court match 100%. One of the other questions we had in on the chat was who will get the furthest in this tournament out of Radicano, Bolta and Jack Draper. Oh great question. That's a very good question. None of the other
Brits have included in the question. Camarri walked past it. He did. I don't think it's Camarri I think I think it's going to sound like a bit of a cop out but I think if Radicano wins that tomorrow I think I would say Radicano because of the section of the draw she's in. Bolta could have Pagula in the third round and look Radicano beat Jessica Pagula but that was Jessica Pagula in Espawn just coming off the title in in Berlin the level that Pagula showed in Berlin
and has demonstrated over a long period of time now. I think I think would be a little bit too high for Katie Bolta but do I think Radicano is going to beat Alexander and not not certain about that at all. So maybe I'll go Jack Draper. I'm going to go Draper too and it's there's very few Fritz third fourth round like to beat both of them back to back would be a hell of a step up.
Big ask isn't it? I suppose I'm just capable. Pretty one over by him generally. I think he could be beaten by either one of those but I also believe he could beat either one of those on a day. It really I think that both matches would be pretty 50-50 on paper to me and Radicano I just I mean I think she's got the potential to go really deep but she could also be somebody I think could could have a bad day I think where she just hasn't had enough tennis over the course of
you know 18 months that's why I said I will judge her at the end of next year. She could have an 18
months and draw about now having already had quite a good six months. I think she it's a bit like when you when I was watching Tommy Paul in Queens and and he no longer is that player that would occasionally have a good match and then just flame out the next round is because he's he's pardoned to it he's a pro that's there week in week out and and I think she will become that and she's got this incredibly elevated level and ability as well but it's possible she might
have a shocker and not not go very far here but don't know which one is going to be. Yeah because I say that about her draw and if she does get through Alexander Verdo you think it's you know favourable probably but like winning one match individually is a different thing to stringing
wins together isn't it and you know she might be the favourite for those matches going forward but with the previous match in her legs with with kind of the pressure building it would just be a lot it's just something that she hasn't had a lot of reps at over the last few months so you can look at the draw and think that's really good on paper but yeah I do think actually having a run is is different so yeah I guess I will say draper as my answer.
Third on the House. Third on the House. Third on the House. Tomorrow Caroline Dolehyde against Coco Gough. I'm saying it folks I'm pinning my callus to the mask I've got Gough going all the way. Title. Title. Me too. David who you've got? Now I think she'll get to the final but I think you get Shrantech or beta in the final. See if that final happens I would back
Shiontek too but I don't have Shiontek getting to the final. I definitely think look we talked two days ago about all the threats in the draw for Shiontek and I mean it's more or less on paper as hard as it could get with Ken in the first round maybe Osterbinka fourth round we're back in a maybe semi-fund as all these things but I just think that she is the best player overall and we'll
figure it out and end up end up winning this title. Court 1 tomorrow starts at 1pm Medvedev event against Kovacchavitch or Kovacchavitch the the American player Meena Bektas against Arena Sabbelenka second on court 1 tomorrow if Sabbelenka plays we haven't had any further update she's in the draw but well we're all going to be watching that aren't we to see to see where she's
at. Yeah it's definitely one of the ones on upset watch I think tomorrow purely because of Sabbelenka's health it's funny Medvedev like barely thought about him I mean I know that's that's probably partly because he didn't end up doing a big main press conference yesterday
and normally he's such a feature of our of our day on on media day when they've been all the players in because he's normally the best press conference you know he's he's fantastic but we didn't get to speak to him and you know I think it's also speaks to kind of where he's at
right now he doesn't really feel to me like a contender for the title and not after Pam told us he couldn't serve in practice the other day doesn't sound great does he and he would have a there's potentially an interesting third round for him against Jun Ji-jen who who beat him last week in
in Halle and given his record recently against his biggest rivals and we think those biggest rivals are going to be there at a stage is it just feels hard to kind of make a case for Medvedev but I would love to to see him have a run because what I mean that we'd get to speak to him in the press conference is. Good players Jun Ji-jen. A third on court once more Yannick Sinner against Yannick Hampton. Stats on matches with two Yannicks on the court please could it be Statsemoro?
No subscribe to these I think to find out. Court T tomorrow is a good ticket. Dimitrave against Liewicz opens things up then Stanford Brinker against Charles Brum, a British wildcard couldn't pick him out of a lineup but Simon Briggs interviewed him yesterday and says he's lovely so watch this space. Nomiya Sarka against Dan Perry is third on court too and then as a
Rengar against Stevens I'm into both of those. Sarka came to press this morning we weren't there because we weren't aware it was happening but we did we did watch it back and she seems in a really still continues to be in a really great place. Yes and she spoke about her game feeling good. She said the transition from clay to grass has actually been easier than the transition from hard to clay that she had to make earlier in the year. She said people keep telling her that she should have a
good game for grass and it can suit this surface. She spoke about Finnella she needs some luck in a draw and she said if she hadn't faced Fiontech in the second round she really at Rengar asked she really think she could have made a run there. A kind of what I find interesting about that is we know that she doesn't know her draw. So she's kind of putting that out there saying I need some luck and I guess probably hoping that David isn't in the room to say you've got to be
worried about who's in the second round but I do think her draw is manageable. It looks tricky in the first round. Dan Perry I think can be a very good player and can disrupt and she's got
such lovely touch and slice. I think there's a world where a soccer just knocks her off the court but there's also a world where Perry makes it tricky for a soccer to bring those those weapons to the fore but I do think it's I kind of wanted to say through the screen that we were watching on you this might be the one where you have had a little bit of luck. May I only go for it and like her presence in a draw always just lifts things so you know I'm hoping
that that it all comes together for her. We're going to watch some of that aren't we. Court three tomorrow's where Casper Rude starts off against Alex Bolt. Also on upset watch. That's upset watch isn't it? I mean it's Rude at Wimbledon of course it's upset watch but Alex Bolt the qualifier. Who only got in at the very last second into qualifying? I think. Riding away. He was pretty much on his way home and then suddenly there he is.
A great story from last week wasn't he? And he was two sets down I think in the final round of qualifying and saved at my point and so and but he has played I think 20 matches on grass already this season. Wow you know like a lot of them at ITF level and you know absolutely not against anyone ranked anything close to what Casper Rude is like but you know he was playing on grass at a time of the season where you know you're not even thinking about grass called tennis.
Most of the time. Most of the time. But he is and I don't think Casper would like playing him at all. Is that the upset we're picking for tomorrow? Yeah. Yeah. Is it even an upset? The philosophical question that we all score ourselves every year we Casper Rude at Wimbledon. Paulini against Sarasaribas Tormo partying like it's Roland Garros. It's funny to think how different that match would look like on a lake or like.
Absolutely it could be quite fun actually. Marju, remember Sarasaribas Tormo is playing against Kerber for about three and a half hours while I was sat outside waiting for the next round? Listened to you but didn't watch. I was commentating on the next match on. I had a little snooze on the bench outside until I got woken by this absolutely rapturous evasion. It was one of the matches of the year that wasn't it. Trevi saying against keys is third on court
three and then Tommy Paul starts against Pedro Martinez. Matteo Brotini second on court 12 tomorrow Liam Brody against Bertic van der Zanzelkulp. Mira and Rave also on court 12 tomorrow if Saba Linka is a question mark in that section of the draw Mira and Rave it could be a real beneficiary of that in that quarter. And she's playing fellow 17-year-olds Brenda Rivertava which. Two 17-year-olds. I kind of circled that one and our nowl D Tiafo is kind of my
grounds pass. Yes. Match of the day you know if it fatter grounds pass here those would be two that I would certainly be making a beeline for. And Matt will you be going to court four later in the afternoon to troll Sara Arani. And troll Sara Arani we support that. Guilty pleasure isn't it? Yeah and she's playing Nuskiver believe. Yeah who will be stepping in on the return I think. That will be a comical match to watch on the Arani serve. Yeah where would if you're Linda
Nuskiver where are you standing to receive serve. It's a saver every time isn't it? Yeah well no because it's a saver there's a sneak attack. Right so nothing sneaky. Nothing sneaky. I'm standing here and I'm going to let you have it. I think that's going to be extremely fun I might indulge in a bit of that tomorrow. Okay so Casparoud is our upset watch tomorrow but anybody like to declare seeing as we've declared on the women's front declare on the men's front who we have winning
the title. Carlos Alcarez. I have Carlos Alcarez defending his title. I do too. I wonder if anybody would have gone for Jocovic. I've got Jocovic in the final. I repeat. Yeah. I haven't decided on my final. I can't imagine not picking Jocovic to get to the final given the draw. But he just had knee surgery. It's just crazy isn't it? It's it's it's very intriguing.
There are lots of really unexpected storylines at this tournament and yeah it's not a draw where you instantly look at it and say that's where the stories are going to be early stages but I know there are I know there are going to be some and I've got a feeling this is going to be a great tournament and maybe a great Uros as well. Come on Jude. With our friend Jude over here. We do have an official Wimbledon mascot and that is lovely Maverick. Hello Maverick. We've got Jude the teddy bear
and we've got Maverick the German shorthead pointer. It's a great combo I think. We have our mascots. I have the dearly departed Darwin David of course has Francis and Matt has Heider and Soma. Billy Jean is sponsored by Billy Jean King and Alana Claus. Hello Billy Jean. Hello to both Billy Jean's. We have our top folks and executive producers Jamie Jeff Chris and Greg you are all legends. Hello to you and it's over to Matt
for our final pre Wimbledon shout outs. We have Kathy Cantwell. Hello Kathy. Hi Kathy. Hi Kathy. Hi Kathy. Hi Kathy. Hi Kathy Jordan. An American player from the mid 80s who I think once beat Chris Everett here. Now I might need to look that up afterwards to be sure and I haven't got my laptop here so that's a good test of my
my memory because I was only about 11. I think I'm saying 1984 so maybe 83 but that's that's your that's your sort of your window but Kathy thank you very much for being a friend of the tennis podcast and shout out. Keep talking. I was feeling really well there. She the head to head is nine and two so Kathy did get two wins over Chris Everett. The pages just loading the pages just loading standby standby standby. She did the next shout out.
Kathy Jordan beat Chris Everett at the Virginia Slim's Championships in 1985 and in East born 1984. Oh so close. I think she did something at Wimbledon as well I think. Well not that. The week after. Okay. She beat somebody else. I'm sure. Hello Kathy. Hi Kathy. Same church different Pugh. I'm of course a Kathy in some circles. So it's a broad church in Kathy we welcome you. We've also got Jessica Schaeffer in New York.
Hello Jessica. Hi Jessica. Like Bagoula. Yeah and Jessica says that last year I managed to arrange some travel so I had to stop over in London on the middle Saturday of Wimbledon.
Well after many hours of queuing I made it in and Jessica makes the point that she managed to get tickets through the resale queue and actually that's something that's a little bit different I think this year like they've kind of upgraded it so that it's going to be digital so rather than queuing to get into the grounds and then immediately going to queue for the resale and just spend hours standing there you can actually go I think sign up and then you'll get a notification and then you'll
get you have got 20 minutes to get back to the. Which is really really good. It's a big upgrade I think. One year that I came to Wimbledon I queued pretty much overnight for a grounds pass and then the second I got in on a grounds pass sprinted to the hill up here and just joined the resale queue most of my day was sat in the resale queue and obviously at the time I thought this was one of the best days of my life but if technology had existed to enable me to digitally queue whilst
actually enjoying tennis during that time it would have been an even better day. And the ticket resale is right next to us now. Yes it's right next to the area where we're hoping a modest crowd might gather tomorrow night at the time of recording you swore all to us last year so please come again my dad and brother are coming tomorrow so we guarantee to. Yeah brilliant. Thank you Jessica.
I'm finally we've got Peter, Carrie or Carrie I'm not not quite sure who is in Canada and Peter says I can't wait to see how Casparoo to Wimbledon preparations will get into Catherine's kitchen this year. Like get up in your kitchen scrambling your eggs that kind of kitchen. Yes that's very well put actually. Casparoo has never been in my actual kitchen that is how rumours I think because David worried over my shoulder. Because he's King and Tim Hemman kind of almost
have and have a driver but not Catherine. It's been renovated since Billie Jean was in it. I wish you'd seen that. Although she brought a curry with her so you know. She did yes what a curry it was. And we were in the euros semi-finals. Yeah so you know is that a good moment. The final of the year is on the same day as the Wimbledon men's final. Yes and whatever happens we're going to try not to make the same mistake we did last time
which was recording after England the last of penalties. Yeah what would this show have been like had that last minute goal not gone in. Let's. Well if you want to find out we recorded three years ago. Yeah so the 2021 post men's final show and you know what depressed post England defeat podcast sound like. But don't worry things are looking up on the England front we're going to get Matt singing Hey Jude before you know it that's going to be a that's going to be in the euros.
Excellent. Finish that sentence Matt. He's going to sing. Hey Jude with Jude. Yeah. Yeah Peter thank you very much for being a friend. Peter Kathy and Jessica thank you ever some up Peter Matanamara. One last announcement for you folks king of the Naughties returns for live from Wimbledon 2024 last year it was king of the 90s David was a narrow but but very
gloating victor it's returning this year but it's king of the Naughties. Yeah because I won king of the 90s too easily and Matthew the camera man over there has decided that he can't compete with me at that level so he needs something nearer to when he was when he was born. He's just antagonising him to try and coax him in front of camera. I very nicely agreed.
Um subscribe to the newsletter for daily updates on king of the Naughties and one last plea from me please do like and subscribe on YouTube to the video and to our channel if you are enjoying what you're watching we are now just 15 hours away from the start of play on the outside courts and what 17 hours away from the start of play on the show courts.
One last moment of silence the calm before the storm we absolutely cannot wait will be here nightly to review the days play and look ahead to the next one live from Wimbledon on YouTube we will see you and speak to you tomorrow. Hi I'm Daniel founder of PrettyLiter. Did you know cats tend to hide symptoms of sickness and pain?
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