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2023 award information, visit JD Power dot com slash awards only at a sleep number store or sleep number dot com. See store for details. Hi, this is Billie Jean King. This is Mayan Bhattori. This is Bianca Indrescu. I'm Matt Belander. This is Mary Carillo. This is Pam Shriver. This is Janic Noah and you're listening to the tennis podcast.
Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast Monday, the 5th of August, the day after the Olympic tennis reached its conclusion. It'll be another four years before we see tennis at the Olympics. Excuse my morocinus. I'm in a period of mourning for Olympic tennis, but it was awesome. It was an absolutely awesome tennis tournament. And I can't wait to talk about it with David Law. Hello, David.
Hello, no neither can I. I've just had the best week of watching tennis that there were moments in it where I where I found myself thinking, do I normally feel like this about the Olympics tennis? Because this is, I think this is maybe the best tournament I've ever seen. Just every day was just so rampant full of great stuff. And I don't know, I've had a wonderful time watching the Olympics.
Yeah, I mean, I felt the same, David. And I'm always kind of trying to adjust my responses and reactions for my massive Olympic bias. Because, you know, I just love it. And I realize there's a novelty factor in there as well. But doing my very best to try and be objective about the last eight or nine days, Matt, I really do think it was an exceptional tennis tournament, genuinely.
Yeah, I think so. There was so many great stories, so much emotion kind of every day. And look, I think, I think for me, Grand Slams will always be, you know, the pinnacle of tennis in terms of what tennis has to offer. And I probably get more excited about Grand Slam tennis than I do Olympic tennis, but at the same time, this has been the tennis at the Olympics. And I think I follow most closely. And I have absolutely loved it.
I think the doubles competitions were great. They had some real style power in them and the singles as well. And like, just seeing Carlos Alcarez in a different light because of the Olympics and seeing Eagus Fionte in a different light because of the Olympics.
And no, that Yokovic is sort of quest finally coming to an end. Like, it was all just overwhelmingly good and exciting and brilliant and filled with aggro as we talked about on the last podcast and great tennis as well. And so much emotion over over finals weekend when the medals were given out. Like, yeah, I feel a little bit lost today without having quite come to terms with week two of the Olympics without any more.
And I think that's not the tennis. Like, currently, currently my TV is not on and it has been on for literally every second of every day. And I just, I watched the gymnastics today and I'm like, right, where am I now? Because I haven't got any tennis to watch. So I need to get back on it and get ready for the second week of the Olympics without the tennis, which is, which is sad because I had a great time to.
And I'm going to give you to that take mat by saying you were watching the gymnastics, which I was commentating on appreciate that. But I would like to. It was absolutely wild, honestly. I'd like to point you in the direction of the bold ring, which is my new absolute favorite. I've become obsessed with it. I watched half an hour of it on mute earlier and I couldn't take my eyes off it.
It's do odd. No, none of them can do it. I think I could be maybe an Olympic bolder because I couldn't do it either. So, yeah, that's on my hit list of Catherine becomes an Olympian finally potential sports. Lots to get into one standout lead story. That is no that joke of it. It's just before we get into all of it. We have something to tell you about from our friends at the US Open on next Grand San tournament. Remember when we did a promo for the US Open a little while ago.
And in that promo, I said it's 100 days the US Open and we all went, oh my god, that sounds far too soon. Well, now it's like three weeks to the US Open or something. That's crazy. Well, actually, in reality, the US Open is only two weeks away because one of the best things about the US Open is the great job they do of fan week, which starts Monday, August the 19th goes all the way through until August the 25th.
The US Open is free, but there are also exciting featured events with tickets starting at $30. You get the chance to see top players like Nova, Jokovic and Venus Williams hit the court as stars of the Open presented by Chase is back. That benefits the US TA foundation. I think out the US Open's premier food event flavors of the open presented by Dobel Tequila. I'm very open to being invited to that. If anybody would like to, I like food and I like Tequila. Let, let me know.
And don't miss the newest event, the US Open mixed madness presented by I HD hotels and resorts, where top stars like Coco Gough and Ben Shelton team up in a mixed doubles competition. So if you're more info on all of that and honestly family at the US Open really is a cool thing. They do a great job of it. Just go to us open dot org forward slash fan week.
And the big news is that David's going to be going to fan week. I am with my family. Yes, we're because we're going out early to New York in just a week's time in fact, so I'm in my family. And so, yeah, the first day happens to coincide with when all of them are still in town. So we are going to be going to US Open fan week on Monday. What is it? The 19th of August. And I was reading up on it on the website. I was getting really pumped because I'm not usually there that early.
I've never been there that early before and and yeah, I mean this event has extended itself pretty pretty significantly there. I mean, they've always had a good kids day over the weekend before, but increasingly events have been put on. We saw it at the French Open as well with the way they looked after their qualifying. The Australian Open has had all of its big practice matches as well and that sort of thing. But I was really struck the last couple of years at the US Open.
And you know, my kids have never been to the US Open. They're not going to be around long enough at the tournament this year to be able to go to the to see a days tennis. But you know, to be able to just pitch up for nothing to be able to just walk in and see the grounds, which is an incredible experience in itself. I'm really chuffed to be able to do that.
And, you know, pay a bit more for a couple of these extra events, but no, really looking forward to it. Yeah, it's a brilliant thing. It's brilliant initiative brilliant for for kids and incredibly cool. And I can't wait to see David Law at fan week content. If I don't see you with some sort of person dressed as a children's cartoon character, David, then I will feel thoroughly disappointed. Ideally, we want you posing with their children's character wearing an explicit t-shirt.
I was going to leave the shit the microphones t-shirt at home this time and go within the mix, but you know, I'm open to be dissuaded otherwise. David accidentally wearing an expletive laden t-shirt to kid stay at the Australian open is a 2024 highlight that probably won't be beaten quite frankly. And then walking past great tightly.
And not understanding why you got a dodgy look. Oh, it was all sensational. You got a dodgy look from that cow as well that you were queuing to have your photo taken with. I did. And the cows. And no that job of it. Who has completed the career golden slam he joins Serena Williams, Andre Agasi, Rafal Nadal, Steffi Graf, of course, although I think Steffi Graf is still in a separate conversation because she completed the calendar.
Golden slam at 18 years of age, by the way, absolutely unreal, but no that job of it. Becoming if he wasn't already absolutely undeniable beating Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6, to win the gold, win his much cherished, much sought after gold finally at the Olympic Games.
I remember when he left the court in Rio in tears after early defeat there thinking, well, that might be his final chance. I remember when he left the court looking distraught in Tokyo thinking, well, that's probably his chance not only at Olympic gold, but at completing the calendar golden slam that he was on for at the time having won the first three grand slams of the season. I remember thinking, well, that's probably it for him ever.
Winning Olympic gold and here he is 37 years of age, finally, summiting yet another mountain. And how, David, that was a performance I wasn't sure that Nova at Jockovich still had in him quite frankly. I think it was one of the best performances I've ever seen from a player given what he was required to do in order to achieve it. And, you know, he's playing against a guy 16 years his junior who's just won the two most recent grand slam tournaments, who's just thrashed him in the Wimbledon final.
And very similarly to last year in Cincinnati, he'd come out and he's just turned that around. And this was more dramatic because that's not forgety. He had a knee surgery six weeks ago. He wasn't able to finish the French Open. And whilst I didn't detect anything bothering him physically at all in those last two rounds.
Even so, he still got that question mark in his head. He's still wearing an e-sleeve and he's had some intervention there to try and sort that knee out. And there was something about the way he came out even in the first couple of points against Raffa and the Dow early in the tournament when his serve was working. And he was hitting the ball crisply.
And then this was another level altogether. There was an urgency about Novak Chokovich in this match that I don't think you could ever match anywhere else because there's no five sets to get your eye in. There's no time. You're up against this road runner of a player who's got every shot in the book and looks pretty much unstoppable. He's just beaten Felix Hosey Aliacim, 6161, our class. Well, that's a factor I think that needs to be considered.
But in terms of what Chokovich came out to do, there was a premium on every single stroke throughout the duration of the match. Every stroke was sent to hurt. It reminded me of a boxing match. I remember seeing in the trilogy between Tyson Fury and Deonte Wilder in the second fight that they had. The theory was that there's no way Tyson Fury could actually hurt Wilder. He might be out of that boxing but he got hurt him because the other guys got the bigger punch.
So he's got to stay out the way and he's got to work him out. And actually Fury set ahead of it. I actually know I'm going to try and back him up. And he did. And he came out and he took it to him. And he hurt Wilder and he dominated him. And I got the sense that Chokovich just knew his normal game. I playing percentages and incredible depth. That alone wasn't going to be enough. He needed to hurt Alkaraz early on.
And so every stroke was sent to inflict damage and he came out that the return hardly ever failed him in terms of getting it onto the shoelaces of Alkaraz on the baseline. The surf he was serving mid 70% all the way through the two sets, two tie break sets. And he was not only getting him off balance. He was pushing him back. He was knocking him off his feet.
And Alkaraz was having to adapt and try to find a way to counter this. I think he was really shocked by it. I think he was really shocked to his souls that he was getting knocked around like this. And he was still good enough to react. That was what was incredible about it. He created what was it? Alkaraz could have won this match if he had taken one of those. But he didn't because he was a bit sloppy in a few areas and second sets certainly the return went off.
And he stopped getting those in. But this was the complete performance from Novak Chokovych. I really believe that he dug into 20 years of his history, put together everything he's got and produced it on that day. And that's what was going to be required. It was spellbindingly good. And I just I think one day, Carlos Alkaraz is capable of reaching a level even higher than that.
If it's possible over the years, if he doesn't get injured because as I keep saying, how good I think he's going to be. But on this day, to beat a guy 16 years ago, when you're 37 and this is your last chance, I think it's because it was his last chance and it was the Olympic gold that he reached this level. But to have to deliver like that and to deliver, I can't say enough high praise for Novak Chokovych for what he did.
Was Carlos Alkaraz shocked Matt? Do you think by the level that David's just described there that Chokovych produced? I think so. How could you not be? I mean, he's just as David said, beaten Chokovych pretty handily in the Wimbledon Final a few weeks ago. And this was like playing a totally different know about Chokovych in the final. And I think Alkaraz said afterwards that he kind of realized, oh, this guy wants to win the medal just as much as I do.
And I think Alkaraz was kind of talking about how, you know, he's very emotional afterwards, wasn't he? And he was kind of talking about how he felt for a moment like he'd let Spain down in a way. You know, all these people supporting him, I think Alex Kretcher did quite a good sort of fatherly job in the interview of pointing out, no, you haven't let Spain down by any means.
You've just, you've come up against know about Chokovych and I think Alkaraz has kind of realized that. And it's fascinating for Alkaraz because know that Chokovych might be the best opponent that he ever faces in his career. But it's quite likely and that is even a 37 year old know that Yokovich is quite possible that Alkaraz will will never face someone this good again, you know, because I firmly believe that Yokovich is the best male player of all time.
And in this match, I don't think he was far off his absolute best at all. He was astonishingly good. And the more strict journal writer Jason Gay wrote that for Alkaraz, each of these Yokovich matches is like Jedi graduate school. Every game, every set, every hour he spends with Yokovich, he himself is kind of separating himself from tennis as young generation Jason Gay wrote. And I think that's right.
Like he's not going to be able to replicate these moments. And I think in the moment he was definitely a bit shocked by the level that Yokovich was producing. And as David said, the way his return fell off in that second set was really notable because he was applying a lot of pressure in that first set. He just wasn't then applying in the second set.
And he didn't play his best tie breaks, whereas no, that Yokovich did. But as we've said all along, Alkaraz is a great learner. And I do think he will use this experience. And probably I think get even better because of it. But in the moment in those three hours, I definitely think there must have been a moment kind of like there was in the Cincinnati Final as well. I've just beaten this guy. I thought I've got the better of him. And he's come back at me with the best.
I think he's a good guy with more. And that, yeah, that must be shocking for Alkaraz. But credit no about Yokovich. I think this is kind of the defining win of his career. And that's, I say that mostly because of the adversity that he's had to overcome. When I think of Yokovich's great rivals in Federer and Nadal and I think of their defining wins, they've come after a period of adversity.
And that 2017 Australian Open hadn't won a slam for almost five years and finally beats Nadal. That was such a moment of just relief, I think, for Federer that he did get one more major and he did beat Nadal. And I think for Nadal at the Australian Open in 2022 when he had COVID and he'd been injured and he'd struggled through that tournament. He came from two sets down and finally got into the lead in the Grand Slam race by beating Medvedev.
And that felt like Nadal's kind of defining win. Whereas I think the thing with Yokovich is that as he's been racking up these numbers, he hasn't actually had all that much adversity that he's had to overcome, which has been extraordinary in itself. The way he's kept himself so fit and so good.
He's added a lot to his Grand Slam total by beating players in finals that we know he's better than. It sits a pass, rude, baritone, he curious. They've all been some of his Grand Slam final opponents and it's been remarkable that he's kept so far ahead of them. But finally now in Alchra, he's got a guy who, at the moment, is tennis-wise, is kind of his equal or in the last few months, better than him, quite frankly.
And he hadn't won a title all year. He hadn't beaten a top 10 player all year. And he had knee surgery having injured himself on that court just a couple of months ago. So he's had to overcome all of this and he's delivered that performance to finally get the Olympic gold and you laid out all the near misses he's had in this competition and we know how much it means to him.
And to put that pressure on yourself that this is what you want to win, this is kind of it. This is everything. And then to deliver that performance, I mean, absolute awe of what? No, that's not exactly what you wanted to do. It was remarkable. Yeah, I feel the same. I've been commentating on Simone Biles all week and it's maybe kind of ponder a lot exactly what you were talking about there Matt, being the favourite, telling people what you want, what your priorities were.
Simone Biles and the US Gymnastic team talked about a redemption tour. They came up with this phrase, one of redemption tour, to redeem ourselves after the Tokyo Games for not winning gold. I mean, that is inviting pressure upon yourself in the most already high pressure of in environments. I'm just utterly in awe of these athletes that can kind of only lose. You know, you say that's what I want. That's what I'm targeting.
I'm a 24 time Grand Sime champion. If you achieve it, you've achieved what you set out to and if you don't, you failed. There's no there's no overachieving there. I think it's absolutely extraordinary. I don't know what I expected now looking back as a reaction from Novak Djokovic, so I can't quite figure out if I'm surprised by the scale of the emotion in that reaction.
I don't think so. I think I would have expected it to be that extreme. Yet, something about actually seeing it, seeing that level of emotion from Novak Djokovic was quite arresting. I was definitely surprised by Carlos Alcaraz's emotional reaction to not winning gold. I have to say that really surprised David. What did you think? Were you surprised because you didn't think it would matter to him as much as it did? Is that why?
No, not about mattering. I thought he would be very kind of, I would have been brilliant, but I'll get it next time. I thought there would be a lightness to his reaction. I loved his reaction. I hate this. I love Ben Chelan. I'm a big fan of him, but this, oh, I'll compete at the next and then pick this thing.
Not bloody necessarily, mate. It's four years away. A lot can happen in four years. I felt like there was some of that in Carlos Alcaraz. He's just had this most extraordinary somewhere where it's felt like he can't lose unless it's to Jack Draper at Queens. He's not complacent about this opportunity coming again. I really, really loved that. I actually think it's healthy for him long term. He could complete the career slam in January at 20 more years of age.
I think it's going to be good for him longer term to have big goals outstanding, but in the moment, I was a bit taken aback by the strength of his reaction to not winning the gold. I think I probably wasn't because I think once they've been there in that environment, and I think that Chelan would have been the same if he'd actually been there.
He made a bit of a run. His choice not to do. No, I agree with you. I'm sorry that he didn't experience it because I suspect that the competition would have got under his skin if he'd have been there. He would have felt everything that all the others feel. I think Alcaraz has got a very strong sense of already what he's doing in the sport.
And how much he loves it. And he wants to not only love it in the moment and be a star or he's there to be a winner, a champion, to be like these guys, to be like Nadalo. He's just played doubles with, to be like Jockovic. He's having this extraordinary rivalry with, to be like Federer who he had on his war when he was a kid.
He already wants to be these things when he's only just 21 and he's doing it. He's doing it. He's got, he's ahead of them already. I mean, I know that that can't mean much when you've only one four and they're in the 20s because it's about longevity. He's a very stave foot fit. Can he stay motivated? Will he lose an edge the way some young sporting prodigers do? Some of them lose that speed off the mark. You know, that Amstrings might go when they get older and so forth.
One of the marvels of Jockovic is that that hasn't happened to him. He still is able to maintain this physicality at the age of 37, which is so rare and he just has that body type. We don't know where the ralcrass will. But in terms of where he is right now, he just wants it so much and he thought he was going to win. He thought it and that's why I am very interested as to what happens next because I think that Cincinnati really set him back last year.
I thought it would be the opposite. I thought that now he's going to be even more motivated. Now he's going to sort of he's realized the level and he's going to want to do something about it and actually he had six months where he was nowhere near as good. Now he's nowhere near and apart that was injury as well. He lost his way for a bit. Relatively speaking, he lost his way. He lost to Mayor Vedevins, Verov and Grand Slam. He wasn't very good indoors. So what's the next reaction?
My guess is that with an extra year of maturity that it's more likely to be that he gets better as a result of this match because he sees what Jacović has just done and he's even more motivated. Long as he doesn't get injured, there's always that caveat there. But I think it's a question mark. It feels extremely similar to a year ago and higher stakes.
And I guess the other thing here just in terms of Alchoraz is he's never lost a major final before Matt. Of course he's lost finals, I'd say most notably that Cincinnati won that David talked about. But in his own words, finals are for winning, not for playing. He's never experienced this before. I think that's an important point here. I didn't really know how he was going to react because I've never seen him in that position. In Carlos Alchoraz in Big Mac, that he really wants to win so far.
Carlos Alchoraz wins and suddenly he hasn't. And it was sadness, I think, wasn't it? It was really sad to begin with, especially. It took him a minute or so to actually do that interview without its correction that I mentioned. And he had to take himself to one side and eventually did find the words. And I think that's an important distinction that David makes. Long term, I can definitely see all these experiences being good for Alchoraz.
And the point you make, Catherine, about how he is going to have still the Olympic gold to strive for in his career. I think all of that is important. But yeah, short term. We did see the effect that Cincinnati had. And it wouldn't be shocking to me if this does have a little bit of an effect going into this US hard court swing. If Alchoraz doesn't seem quite himself, then we might look back at this match as perhaps the reason, I suppose.
So what about Jokovic in terms of how this win affects him and his motivation, David? I mean, lots of people grasping it quotes. He's given him various interviews as hints that this might be it that he might now think about retiring. I know you mentioned in our WhatsApp group that you could see a Pete Sanprice situation transpiring. I think a lot of people remember it as Pete Sanprice winning that 2002 US Open after a period of slump and then mic drop walking away.
But actually, he didn't walk away straight away. There was a period of several months where he kind of deliberated and didn't achieve the results that he had at the US Open and then decided to call it quits. How do you see it? Well, it was Sanprice's final match. It's just that he didn't expect it to be. I think he expected to play again and he planned in his sort of preparation in the next year to play again.
And then when he went to practice with Paul Anica and he just said, it's just not there. And and the ended up having a kind of retirement ceremony at the next US Open. So he never actually, so I'm not sure I quite knew that because he didn't reputate. It was several months before he officially retired, but he didn't play an official match in that time.
That's right. That's right. You know, I think and I think he just didn't know what to do. I think he sort of his last Wimbledon had been pretty traumatic. He lost to George Bastel and and it was not a pleasant experience. And you know, that was the tournament that he was most sort of associated with. And I think he thought I want to play one more Wimbledon and put that right. But then when he went back to work, it just it just wasn't there.
And I think he just thought, OK, well, if it's not, then now's the time. And and I've been I read those quotes. I think there were two NBC weren't they from no act, Jacović, the gist of it was like, is is this enough now? Is this the final piece? Is this enough for your career, the final piece? And he said, yes, it is. And I think what he the way the way phrased it was to was to talk about how he's always been striving for more. It's never been enough.
He's never been satisfied. He's probably and acknowledging that that's why he was so great is that he's always had that kind of drive. But maybe he's never been completely happy as a result of of always feeling like how we've heard similar from Mandy Murray, haven't we? And finally, there's nothing else to win for no that Jacović.
There's he's won everything to use that phrase. He's completed tennis. He's won all the grand slam titles multiple times. He's won more than any other male player in history. He's won as many as any human being as everyone history singles grand slam the only other person is Margaret court and that is not a comparable achievement to what he's done because of the one she won, which were many of the most Australian opens when there weren't actually before the open even era.
There weren't even there weren't completely full fields. Now he's had a little impact gold. He'd won all the masters 1000s. He's won't be number one in the world more than anybody else. There's just no other achievement necessary. He's seen off Nadal and Federer and I'm not disparaging them by saying that, but he has. And now he's faced the next great player who's 16 years is junior and he's beaten him when it seemed really, really unlikely.
So there's nothing else to worry about for him legacy wise at all. I'm sure there are things you could you could think of are one of achieves they're strong and achieves that. It's entirely up to Novak Jacović when he stops playing it well. If he wants to play another five years, good luck to him. Go do it.
But it really from the outside looking in, there's nothing else to worry about. Your position in history is absolutely secure. And I was wondering, well, is it better to just say that's it now. I mean, if he did, there would never be anything other than memories of a happy moment and an glorious vindication almost in his in his mind and and there's nothing else to prove.
And he could he can forever feel happy about that and his fans can too. But then then that would mean he wouldn't get to play tennis anymore. And he loves playing tennis and he loves competing and he wants to dominate. And so, you know, if you feel like you still this is the dilemma, if you feel like you still can, why would you stop? That's what they are a lot of them think too.
I have come up with one thought just to leave you with as to what I think would be a great idea for him and which I could actually see him doing. Might might well not happen, but I could see him quite soon saying 2025 is my last year and I'm going to play everything and I'm going to play all the best. But in a way that there's no, I think, you know, he he's always wanted to be properly recognized. I feel like and I understand why you know, it's been it's been a struggle for no that joke of it.
At times he's got massive support of his own. But in, you know, the general fan, it's been a gradual process and a lot of it's been pretty unpleasant at times for him. Well, now he hasn't got to worry anymore as he is beaten in the down and jockey which he's beaten in this kid he's completed everything.
If he said I'm going to take one more year and it's not just a lap of honor because I think the problem he has is how do you get us up and get that edge for tennis matches the way you did at that Olympic Games and the ways which he would need to do if he's going to compete against Sinner and Alcras at that level. How do you get that edge continually? Well, maybe by saying this is the last chance I do it for one more year and I can put everything in.
And I can let's see how much I end up with but I'm coming for you all for one more year. Even if I don't do it, you can still serenade me off the court because this is it. Goodbye. I think it would be a great move. I mean, listen, I have no idea if that's how he thinks but that's that would be a killer move, I think. I feel like no at Dracovich has just received an unsolicited David Law voice note which lucky Novak quite frankly.
For me, the question is whether he loves the sport in the way that Andy Murray loves the sport and I'm not questioning whether Novak Dracovich loves the sport. Of course he does. But I do think there's a difference in loving the sport and loving the sport in the way that Andy Murray does. You know, thinking about what he said in that Wimaldon press conference about how he loves every part of the sport.
You know, there's not a single thing I won't miss. Andy Murray said, you know, if Murray could keep playing as 50 in the world, he would. Now, I do think that might be different to know about Dracovich. I don't think Dracovich is interested in being 10 in the world or 20 in the world or 30 in the world. And I think that's fine. That's not a criticism. I do just think it's a slightly different, you know, not saying Andy Murray is the healthy mindset of the two.
You know, I have no idea. But I think that's what we're maybe going to find out. You know, Andy Murray has always said, I'm going to play for as long as I physically can. I'm going to play till my hip is finished to quote him because I know nothing will ever replace it. Does Novak Dracovich feel quite that way?
I don't know. I don't know if he does, but we're going to find out the one thing I would say I think Andy Murray was only prepared to do that because he genuinely thought there was more to come. I think I don't think he was doing it just for the hell of it. I think he. But he didn't think there were grand slam titles to come. You know, I think if somebody said to Novak, I have a, I have a crystal ball right here.
And you're going to be good for the next 18 months, but you're not going to reach grand sam finals. I don't think he's bothering. No, but I mean, what do you two think they are operating at different levels? I mean, Andy Murray hasn't been at that level. Totally. I feel like he thought he was going to have a big second week runner to grand slam in this comeback at some point. But, Novak Dracovich wouldn't do it just for a second week runner.
But I think the question is, would you, would you do it so he can be like, you're going to get to the wall semi finals for the next two years. And then, you know, let's see, you can't guarantee anything, but let's see. I don't know, I don't know what he would do. I think, I think the key here is that he is never going to get the conditions that he had at this Olympics again, which is striving for something he's never done. Best of three sets against his now greatest rival.
And I think we've kind of seen in this first half of the year what Novak Dracovich now looks like without those conditions, you know, five sets and not quite maybe with the motivation. And that is still good enough to get him to a semi-finan in Australia. He didn't lose it at the Frankshopen and he got to the Wimbledon final like he's still very, very good. But he's not got that edge that David talks about. And, you know, he said in his press conference that he wants to play until L.A.
You know, he wants to try and play at the 2028 Olympics. And that was something that Gore-Anne said last year as well that he could see, Jokovych going on that long. I struggle to see that personally. Four years is such a long time and I could imagine too many of those years looking like what the start of this year has looked like.
And I don't know, I just feel like that Olympics winning it is such a perfect achievement for Novak Dracovich because all throughout his career he's been compared to Federer and the Dahl. And every record that he's had has been in comparison to those two. And frankly, he had already surpassed them even without this Olympic gold.
Anyone who was arguing that Nadal and Federer's achievements were kind of greater than Novak Dracovich just because Novak Dracovich didn't have the Olympic gold, I don't think we're really fully looking at the picture. So in my mind, this Olympics was like Jokovych against himself. It was a purely sort of selfish desire to want to win Olympic gold. And he's done it. And I don't know, I just think that has a big impact on Jokovych now.
I can't see him going on for four more years. I could be totally wrong, but how is he going to find that motivation? I do think he likes traveling with his family. And I think it was big that his son and daughter are old enough to remember this and they were caught side. But he's had that moment now and he's had that memory. He's not even really got that to sort of go for, which I think was another kind of factor for Andy Murray for his older kids.
And also I think Andy Murray felt like some of the best years of his career were taken from him. And he wanted to keep going and rinse every last drop out of him, which he did. Jokovych isn't in that situation at all. So this is a really interesting point that David makes about like if he announces something that puts just an end point on it and, I suppose, gives... Yeah, I suppose gives you motivation for that period. And we know how good Jokovych is when he's on deadline.
But given his quotes after, I don't think he's thinking that way at the moment, but he might come round to it. It's fascinating. And equally, it might free him up. And he might be this really loose, dangerous player who does have... I could imagine 25 being a goal, to be honest. I could imagine that being a goal. Okay, we know... 25 in Australia denying Alkaraz the career slam at 21. Right, I could see that firing him up a bit. Like fending him off as long as he can. Alkaraz is crucial, I think.
If he is going to find some motivation, it's Alkaraz being arrival, I think, is very critical. And I do think 25. I don't think when he won the US Open last year, he thought that was his last major. I do think there will be motivation for another major. Now, how long that lasts? Given what we've seen from him at the majors this year and how he's fallen short over best of five against Sinu and Alkaraz will see.
But in the short term, I definitely could see 25 in another major being enough motivation for him. But yeah, like, four more years, just feels such a long time. Yeah, gosh. Ah, it's going to be so fascinating. Just around off the men's event before we move on to talk about the women's and the doubles and the mixed doubles. And apparently Washington, which happened last week, who knew?
Lorenzo Mazzetti won the bronze medal. He beat Felix Orge at the SCM 641663 after losing to Djokovic in the semi-finals of the singles. And he was, he was, he was very emotional about it. It was very touched. It was very lovely. The last thing I said about Lorenzo Mazzetti on, on our last podcast was, I've just started to trust you Lorenzo. Don't let me down. And I can't, I can't look at how I feel about that because I do feel like he reverted to type a bit in the Djokovic semi-final.
I started to feel like I might have made a mistake to trust him again. But then he really, he came through for me in the, in the bronze medal match. He felt trustworthy. So I don't know where I am with Lorenzo Mazzetti, but I certainly am pleased for him. Not that Orgea Lloreseen wouldn't have been chuffed a bit with his bronze medal.
We'll come and talk about the doubles. He does leave Paris with a medal and I'm pleased for that. But it was, it was a good time that watching Lorenzo Mazzetti win that bronze. Definitely. And where I'm at with Lorenzo Mazzetti is, his, his body of work over the last two months. That isn't a very, that isn't a very sexy term.
But, you know, the results that he's put together in, in this period have pretty dramatically changed my, my view of him. Like, not to the point where I think he is going to be competing for Grand Slam. I don't, I don't think he's at that level, but I was genuinely worried that he might just totally sort of peter out as a kind of 30 in the world player, which is obviously an extremely high level.
And for plenty of players, that would kind of be amazing. And it is. It's world class, obviously, but given his talent, I just feel like he's capable of so much more. And I think we've seen what he's capable of over these couple of months. And it just feels like a great reward, I suppose, that he does get that bronze medal.
And he gets, he gets, you know, something, because he hasn't won, he hasn't won these titles, but he's been doing really well. He actually leaves with a bronze medal, which feels like kind of the least that his summer deserves. And I'm just chuffing really. And as I said in the previous part, I think the big challenge now is trying to take his game to hard court, because that's been the surface where he hasn't had the results.
And I don't think he's able to separate himself from, from other players similar to his level, quite so much. So that'll be interesting to observe. But yeah, like, it's quite a big thing, I think, to lose a match. And then come back and win a bronze medal match, you know, no bad joke of it himself has struggled with that in the past. He'd lost a couple of bronze medal matches in his career.
And it was by no means a given that Mazzetti was going to win that. And then he could have come out of this period with, okay, some great results, but kind of nothing really to show for it. And now got a bronze medal for Italy. I think he was the first Italian to win a tennis medal in 100 years. And then Palini and Arrani won some more for them.
But yeah, like, it's been the story of the summer. Come for Yannick Sinner, those Italian journalists and stay for Jasmine Palini and Lorenzo Mazzetti and bonus Arrani as well. And just the fact that he's even doing that and like putting himself in amongst the Italian tennis headlines when they've got so much going on, I think is real credit. And I was very pleased for him.
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For JD Power 2023 award information, visit JDpower.com slash awards. Only at a sleep number store or sleep number.com. See store for details. Not to push my Olympics medal agenda, but I would rather be... I know that Zeti is happy right now. Anyone going to come for me? No, because it's undeniable. Don Avekich or E. Gisfiantech? Is that a totally different case because of how good E. Gisfiantech is?
Well, it's a great question. Should we talk about the nuts and bolts of the situation with the women's before we get into that debate, which I'm very ready to have? Junction when leaves Paris as the gold medalist in the women's singles, she beat Don Avekich 6263 in just such convincing style to win the gold medal. I mean, convincing all week. Like now that she's won the gold, looking back on her performances all week, of course beating E. Gisfiantech.
But taking out Angelique Kerber, who was just on such a tear, you know, with standing Emma Navarro's casting aspersions on her character. Like, it now looks like this was always Junction when's gold medal and she came and took it. She was so good and I feel really pleased for her about that because it's been tough since reaching that Australian open final.
I think potentially the kind of question marks about whether she deserved to be in that Australian open final and how easy a draw she had to get there and how, you know, once I did the final ended up being proved the fact that, oh, she only got there because of an easy draw. You know, that could have, that could have got her a bit. I don't know, but I'm pleased that she's silenced all of that and proved that she really is the real deal.
She's a great tennis player. I still don't know if I trust her. You see, I do. I feel like she proved what a champion she is here because this was, for a start, the route that she's gone on there. As she says, praying pretty dramatic and then she's knocked out the top seed and the player who's won the last three French opens. That's huge.
And I still went into that final thinking Donna Vecchic is going to win and because I thought Vecchic's straightforward game will just be a little too much for her. Not quite like Saberlenka's was, but a bit of that. And actually, she was almost Djokovicci in the way she turned up and played this extremely heightened level in the biggest match. No nerves that were on display just peaking, peaking at the level that had knocked out the top seed and reproducing it in the final.
I thought she was absolutely sensational. There was the stick behind her shots. Her movement was incredible. I just felt you were you were looking at a champion really now. Whether she is able to reproduce that is another matter. This this may be a bit of a one off. And therefore that can you trust her in the biggest moments? Well, is still there to be proved in the future.
But it was enough to convince me that you put her in a big match situation back to back. She's delivered there. And I couldn't have been more impressed. I think it's very interesting potentially for the future of Roland Garros. Like, okay, this in itself is an amazing achievement and moment for Junction Wen. We've kind of been looking for who is going to challenge Eager's Fiontech at Roland Garros going forward. She's absolutely dominated that tournament and looks set to for many more years.
Junction Wen pushed Fiontech at Roland Garros two years ago and has now beaten her here at the Olympics, which I know is a different tournament, even if it's played in the same venue. But it's the same conditions pretty much quite a lot warmer in her in July and August than it is in May June, I would say. But like essentially. Probably be warmer in November than this year.
Well, it was in October, I think. So look, I think that that heavy forehand, which absolutely dominated this final against Vechic and caused Fiontech a lot of problems, is such a big weapon on the clay. I still think mostly, Fiontech lost that semi-final rather than Jun one it. That might be a harsh take, but I just think Fiontech was kind of all over the place in that.
And at her best, she's still got too much for Junction Wen. But I would expect Junction Wen to keep getting better and with the belief of having won the gold and backed up the Fiontech win as David said by playing so well in the final.
That's all really positive for her. And as you said, post Australia, it has been a bit tricky to have been some real low points. I actually felt like it was the perfect kind of grand slam breakthrough run because I didn't feel like there was a whole lot of external pressure put on her.
I didn't think suddenly everyone was expecting Junction Wen to keep reaching grand slam finals. I think because of the run she had, I think most people that I certainly spoke to thought, okay, that was a great run, capitalising on the draw she had. And that's kind of roughly where she is right now. She could reach a grand slam final if the draw opens, but she's still kind of maybe a long way from the very best as we saw in that final against Sabilecka.
I think she put a lot of expectation on herself. I think she thought she was maybe ready to win that Australian open and it was maybe meant to be. I think that was hard for her when she then didn't win and it has been a kind of difficult few months. But winning this and she spoke a lot about how deep she was prepared to dig this week because it was the Olympics.
I think she was pretty tired in a lot of those matches and yet she still came up with great tennis. And yeah, it's a great moment for her and I do think it makes it intriguing because we've got a player there who has beaten Eagish Fiontec at Rona Garros. And when we head to Paris next year, if Junction win is in Eagish Fiontec section, we are going to be thinking about the match that they just played and Eagish Fiontec probably will be as well. And Junction win definitely will be.
So I'm fascinated to see how it translates this moment to future tournaments. David, how do you think it all translates? Yeah, I think I'd like to think that we're going to see a different Junction win now repeated. Because she lost earlier on at Rona Garros this year. I remember I think it was a deciding set tie break she lost. And I think that that's the bit where I'm not sure yet. This is a player who when she gets into a big match situation, I do trust her now.
That was so impressive the last few days. But the best players keep putting themselves in that position. The reason they're called the Big Three in the women's game of Rebecca and her Sabile Enquer. Fiontec is that you so often see them at the end of tournaments. And I think I feel like that's what Junction needs to do now. She needs to push through and always be around and in those matches.
And you can lose some of them. It's fine to lose to Eugish Rona or to Irina Sabile Enquer and not be judged in a disparaging way. But if you don't get there repeatedly, I feel like that would be a disappointment now. But yeah, I was I still think maybe there's a bit of she can sometimes still be a bit erratic. It can still sometimes look like the the ground strokes aren't fully under her control when she's not on a good day.
But I think she showed these last few days that there's no reason for that. There's no reason why a woman with this these feet who has this ability to get around the ball and into the corners to defend. She should be capable of of going toe to toe with all of them and holding around winning some losing some but being right there.
Yeah, I mean, I guess I guess on those terms, I do trust it then. I guess what I mean by saying I still don't trust her is I don't think I'm going to come to my US Open predictions and suddenly put Junction when as the champion or fineness.
I still think she might be liable to losing quite a lot earlier than she's seated to lose maybe. But yes, I yeah, I I equally don't think this is a one off. You know, I do think she's going to be contending for these at some point again in the near ish future.
What about Donna Vekitch how do you think she will be leaving Paris emotionally I guess that that was a final where I mean I agree with you David I expected it to be closer I think I think I thought Donna Vekitch would win it just because of the nature of the contests that I expected it to be I thought you know in a hitting contest.
Donna Vekitch in the forehand the way she's hitting it right now I kind of backed her almost against anybody in a straight hitting contest it turned out not to really be quite that match but I guess it wasn't a final where she will have huge counterfactuals about what might have been she was really beaten fair and square and I wonder if that'll maybe help her with just just being straight up thrilled with. And with being an Olympic medalist.
I would have thought so I feel like the match to get her to the the final ultimately is the most important one now had she not and had she played the match against Fjantek and won bronze I'm sure that might have even been a bigger moment you know to use your analogy about when in the bronze and obviously if you'd have to beat Fjantek to do it.
But she was so so desperate for a medal and and that ensured she she got one or the other which was brilliant now I don't think that took any edge off her wanting to win gold at all but I think once the match is out the way when you saw in that medal ceremony hold in the silver and the subsequent pitches I've I don't think I've seen a happier silver medalist overall just in terms of the nothing nobody can ever take this away from me I've got I've got this I wish I'd got the gold but
you could tell that really really meant something to her and I would I would think that the there could still be more to come from her in her career because she's shown she's got a lot more game this last year than maybe people realized maybe even something than she realized I don't know but she's she's she's at sort of peak age now and and is playing right up there with the best in terms of the tennis and we've seen that two two big tournaments in a row now.
So I think she leaves absolutely thrilled in the end.
Yeah I I think she didn't have a drop shot in the final it was really not working for her and that's that's been such a good shot of hers it's such a weapon and it really didn't work in in the final and then there was that crucial game in the second set where she was serving three four and it was really long back and forth and she lost that game I think as a small what if is what if she wins and holds serve there and extends that second set but I do think she was outplayed and and Junction
was awesome but I think Donna Vekic in a in a draw of 64 on clay leaves leaves Paris looking at that gold medal looking at that silver medal for her insulate from me looking at that silver medal and thinking wow I'm so happy to get this silver medal and that Instagram post she did when she got into the final which was just wow medal like guaranteed medal I think she's looking at that thrilled I think Egas Chiffontek is looking at her bronze and recognizing
that it's an achievement and she's pleased to be able to win an Olympic medal and her father was an Olympian and didn't get an Olympic medal and it's been important to her to get one but I think she is looking at that and not seeing gold and I don't think Vekic even though she was in the final is is quite there in this specific example I think Chiffontek's career makes makes bronze painful
but I don't think your counterfactual is bronze versus silver which is my argument your counterfactual is yeah that's what I'm saying is because of the players yeah like I agree with you and I don't think that disproves my bronze is better than silver yeah she did it more upset had she been in the final lost and lost the final probably I think she'd be equally upset yeah it really was the gold or nothing for her was yeah I think so
do you think it helped you think it'll help her process the trauma of not of losing that match to Jun Chen when that she ended up not necessarily about the medal they shouldn't leave me but she was able to write a bit of a wrong and leave with a win possibly the winning fee yeah and I think it's impressive actually
and I think the fact that the medal ceremony for that was a day later for her was kind of helpful I think I think if she'd lost that final and then had to get on the podium straight away that would have been really tough but I think 24 hours or whatever it was to just process that I think she came out and she and she did seem a lot happier in the in the medal ceremony
because she was the one who'd won the bronze they have to take the selfie that they were having to take and she did that and did it well and it was nice there was a nice kind of spirit among the players and I think that time did help her but she still feels how she feels and as you said it was kind of gold or nothing like not not totally nothing because as I said I do think an Olympic medal she will recognize that value but it was about the gold for Shri Omte.
Yeah I don't disagree. What about the doubles Sauravani and Jasmine Pavlini winning the gold 266-1-107 over Danish Schneider and Mira and Draver who get the silver
because in a bookshop and Sauravani's tour they're winning just I mean storming to the bronze medal beating Mukava and Nostkaver. I mean real real scenes with Irani and Pavlini who it's weird like Jasmine Pavlini is lost two major finals this summer and yet she's the fact of her reaching those two major finals is we we and everybody frame it as such a win.
You know such a positive like wow reaching these major finals but the fact is she has stood there twice this summer not quite doing it you know and okay this is doubles but she's she's done it she's leaving Paris with a with a gold medal and I think that's awesome and she also stood there in in Paris last time not winning the doubles final you know her and her and her and Irani got to the
Royal Engarossed doubles final and lost that as well so it's kind of it's kind of the fourth attempt to win one of these big finals and and they did and and they turned it around they were being comprehensively outplayed and like I think we've I think we've reached peak tennis with Sauravani hitting an underarm serve at 75 in the match tie break and I think the best rally that
ever happened off the back of an underarm serve then taking place and then taking an eight five leave and eventually closing it out and Sauravani completing her golden career slam kind of a decade after she won her grand
slam in the doubles like becoming the becoming the seventh woman to have done that like I was so happy for them and especially for Paulini because of what you said and all the all the near misses that she's had which have been so positive but must have been painful as well they were great
and yeah like a gold medal for Jasmine Paulini isn't and that's just that's just great yeah and also Irani who's who's won all the grand slam doubles titles you know to to to cap this off with the gold I mean that that it was it was a fun match I mean two wildly one sided sets you know one six to the other one
six one and then I got to be honest I do like the deciding set being a tie break to 10 point tie break I'm all in on these things and and that was dramatic and yeah to see them I was just so chuffed particularly for Paulini just to see a bouncing up and down on on a grand slam final stage like that it was brilliant
I agree I'm a big fan of the 10 point tie break but not in tandem with the sudden death juice like you so often you know at tall level the two things come together and I feel like yeah I agree as a like streamlining of the format of doubles and I kind of feel like man no one of those things is is good one of them kind of detract from the absolute best thing about tennis which is its scoring system
so yeah I think the Olympics is nailed it with the with the hybrid the men's doubles gold medal was won by John Peers and Ma'Ebden they beat Ruggie Vram and Austin Crycheck six seven seven six 10 eight bronze also went to team USA with Fritz and Paul beating Thomas Mahatch and Adam Pavlovichek what a week for Ma'Ebden
well like there is this there is this similarity isn't there because Satsar Arani got absolutely taken apart in the first round of the singles by the eventual champion and then one gold in the women's doubles and Ma'Ebden got absolutely taken apart in the singles first round by the eventual champion and then one gold in the doubles like there is this symmetry between those stories
honestly they were they were kind of they were like a runner Peers and Ebden who just timed their finish perfectly like they were they were behind in this match but you could sense them gathering momentum and they pinched that second set
and then they took that momentum into the third set and Paul Austin Crycheck had a bit of a shocker in the match tie break but Peers and Ebden there were some spectacular points in this and yeah it's kind of it's kind of a win for the doubles players like this final the fact that there were these these sort of teams of singles players and yet the doubles final was all doubles players
I think they'll be pretty satisfied by that element as well as as well as winning the medals and yeah very well played in in that final and it was cool that all the doubles finals went went to the match tie break I completely agree I really do like that format for doubles
but I think they will be so satisfied by that element of it I think that is keeping them as warm at night as their Olympic medals now onto the real story that Frank Lear wanted to lead with but Blooming Nova at Jockovich went and did something excellent again
but in another world where I'm run riot on the on the tennis podcast agenda we leave with Thomas Mahatch and Catherine Asinniak of a winning gold by beating Wang and Zheng 6 to 5 7 10 8 and embracing romantically on the podium I've tried to work sources Matt to find out if that was getting caught up in the moment
or whether their relationship status is confirmed as being back on now I won't name those sources but you know who you are I know you're listening please come through for me because I need to know the rom com script that we're definitely going to write Matt needs to know yeah well I've read Matt Futterman's tennis briefing and he had a whole section on this he said he said move over Alcoraz and Novak but this is the real story of the Olympics
yes Matt and what's happened to he knows a story when he sees one that's what yeah and well they've been very playful haven't they and in all their comments you know they've been asked about this and they've said it's it's private it's it's for us to know and you to find out but Matt Futterman ends his tennis briefing by saying that
Mahak sounds like a well-trained boyfriend to him and he he very much thinks they're they're still on and the kiss at the end would would certainly suggest so to me and what what a story like reportedly breaking up and then winning gold and hopefully fingers crossed being back together like that is a movie right there oh my god like I would watch it tomorrow I would clear my schedule to watch it tomorrow yeah unbelievable it's amazing
up for the year off for exact producing it by the end of it I mean I will take any role available on that but I'm going to Matt and I going to write it so we get to decide who's exact producing we'll be shopping it around in the next but maybe we could make a whole TV series out of it Matt
string this thing out cover the whole the new break point that's our bar be better than break point the bronze in the mix went to Canada Felix or Gabyty Barowski beat Demi Shaws and Wesley Courhoff tough the call off because this is his last season isn't he's announced that he's not going to play
beyond 2024 I think but lovely well lovely for both Canadians particularly or she had a seam having lost out in the and it was after but he lost out in his singles bronze medal match and you know I don't know Felix or Gabyty Seam is going to achieve big things in singles I I
have massive question marks about it he seems a bit of a forgotten man to be honest so who's to say that when he ends his career and he looks at his trophy cabinet a bronze medal in mixed at the Olympics you know an Olympic bronze medal doesn't end up looking like one of the best he's done quite frankly yeah I think he's played well for Canada hasn't he look I think reaching the semis was was a good run beating Casparoud
that was a very good win for him in the singles okay didn't end up getting the medal but I certainly think his his bronze in the mix will bring at the Olympics will bring him a very similar level of satisfaction to his Davis Cup you know maybe not quite as much I do think he was absolutely instrumental in Canada winning that and I think that probably is his greatest achievement so far but I think just purely for satisfaction I do think the bronze will bring him a lot of
that yeah and I hope so too good luck to him does anybody have anything else to say about Olympic tennis speak now or for four years hold your peace the only thing I'd like to say is that the the three set form matters has convinced me that there is a place for three sets within a slam tournament because the the heightened importance of being bang on it right the start creates its own excitement I don't want to lose five sets from
Grand Slam tennis at all it just it just reassures me that what we've been talking about of how in best of three for both genders for the first four and then having best of five in the in the last three is the ultimate away to go yep cosine yeah and I think just generally we we always had a pin pointed I think the
Paris Olympics for tennis as probably being quite special you know given the ages of of so many of the players and the fact it turned out to be Andy Murray's last tournament the fact that we got to see Nadal and Alcoras together and the fact that you know no bad joke of which finally got over the line I think I think it was a particularly special Olympics for tennis just story
limewise but even without all of that I just thoroughly enjoyed it like I think it was nice as you say to have an event where wasn't worrying about scheduling all the time certainly in that sense I do think it gets pretty complicated when you've got so many players playing different events but that's a very particular thing but yeah like total equality in the formats it works and
there's there's definitely placed in the grand slams as you say here here I I miss it I know I know the fact of it being every four years is what makes it so special and so great but that doesn't mean that the four years aren't aren't painful and the first week of those four years is the most painful apparently Washington happened last week two champions Paola Badosa and Sebastian Corda Badosa beats Fear Kennen with Miller Samson of an Emirati Karnu Caroline
and then Marie Buzkiver in the final Sableynker also made her come back from injury in this tournament she reached the semi finals beaten by Marie Buzkiver look full disclosure I did my engagement with the with Washington was watching footage of Dennis Schappervalov's disqualification from the tournament which we'll talk about in a moment and watching footage of Paola Badosa doing
whatever the opposite of feminism is during a sponsor appearance at the Washington Open so I disengage with Paola Badosa at that point but on a tennis front it is it's a it's a good story isn't it well done Paola Badosa did anyone see it I saw that I saw the closing stages of her winner Emma Adakana who actually had her at love 40 when the scores were tied late on and it looked like Radakana was going to win that
mash and but also just suddenly started hitting out and kind of knocked her off the court it was really impressive and obviously she's been handling a lot of injury problems over the last couple of years so it was a good win for a really impressive but that is the only thing I saw as well Sebastian Corda winning the title on the men's side he beat Christian Garene the Nazi cooking arc is Jordan Thompson and Flavio Caboli big story though as I alluded to on the men's side
is Dennis Schappel Valov getting disqualified from his match or defaulted rather from his match against Ben Shelton the court final match the ATP is reviewed an appeal from Dennis Schappel Valov the fines committee has affirmed that officials followed correct procedures in defaulting the player however the committee has concluded that loss of
ranking points and prize money which is automatically applied in the case of default would be a disproportionate penalty in this case Schappel Valov therefore retains court final points and prize money with a fine of $36,400 applied for the code violation which I think is a similar situation to what happened with Andre Rublebs disqualification from Dubai if I'm not wrong different situation
Dennis Schappel Valov was punished for something he apparently said to somebody in the crowd I've watched footage of it back several times I don't quite understand but there we go yeah it was it was an unclear situation I think someone in the crowd said something to Schappel Valov and Schappel Valov said something back it was on match point and Shelton was certainly well Shelton was actually arguing
Schappel Valov's case probably the hardest he was kind of saying don't don't default him I'll you know we're at match point yeah like it's weird that that statement says that they followed the correct procedures and so they they agree that the default was correct but then they also don't want to enforce the taking away of ranking points and prize money that and as you said that happened earlier as well in the season it feels to me like they probably need to change the rule
there and that if you do get default it doesn't necessarily doesn't that statement say our rules are rules aren't quite right they're not quite fit for purpose at the moment is kind of yeah the subtext of of that statement yeah I think at the moment a default is an automatic losing of prize money and points isn't it but clearly there've been some cases where the ATP think that a
default is fine but not the extra punishment so yeah I feel like the owners is now on the ATP to to come up with a better solution than this.
Yep agreed congratulations though to Sebastian Corder for winning that title we have the WTN ATP 1000 event in Canada this week the women are in Toronto and the men are in Montreal enjoy the last year of this being a one week long 1000 event in Cincinnati as well they're standing extended from next year I believe Coco go off in a really saboteca are the top seeds in the women's Yannick Sinners the defending champion and top seed in the men's Alexander's Verab the second seed
Pagula defending the women's title Shiontech Collins Paulini Rebecca no Zheng Cri Chi cover they're all notable withdrawals and rescue is playing Serenco in round one as a Renca Pavliacin cover and Jabura Saka is around one match as well I'll
go out of Alchora's Drock of it's Diminora and Mazzetti of all withdrawn from the men's event but we have Runa Rownitch, Bublick Shelton, Caboli Felix Hojyelle Seam and Umbair Feast as round one matches you're going to be watching Umbair Feast David no matter what time of day.
So don't care when it is I'll be there. He means it folks he means it so Canada both the men's and the women's event finishes because it's an Olympic year and everything's mostly fun and excellent in an Olympic year but it does have occasional knock on consequences that are slightly less fun and excellent.
Canada finals are on Monday Monday the 12th of August a week today and what with the time zone and everything they will be very very late our time and of course we do live shows after the back of all of the 1000 events so our next week the show will be live on Tuesday the 13th of August and David for that show will be in New York.
Having maybe been at New York US Open fan week. No that's the following week. Oh yes 19th 19th yes yes yes so Tuesday the 13th fan week starts on Monday the 19th I should know that because I've been furiously trying to book minor months flights.
More on that later folks off air before before that show on Tuesday the 13th of August which will be live with David in New York we have a live Q&A show for friends on YouTube this Saturday 10th of August David is squeezing that in before he jets off to New York so you can become a friend of the tennis podcast before then and join us for that live show on Saturday at 8pm.
I would like to say a very big thank you to Phoebe for being our mascot throughout the Olympics Phoebe is going to be back as a mascot later in the year for the Billie Jean King and Davis cups I've had this in from Priyanka Phoebe's owner she says despite her relative nonchalance Phoebe was thrilled to be mascot to such an emotional Olympics Kirby and Murrow Kirby and Murray retirements Nadal Karaz bronze for Phoebe.
Bronze for feed Excel with Madonna gold for Paulini golden slam for a Ronnie and the emotion of the golden slam for Jacović you were right there was something so pure and joyous to watch about the athletes competing this week can't wait for the pod to wrap it all up she says so I hope this is lived up to expectations Priyanka in the same way that Phoebe has lived up to all of our expectations obviously I'd like to say a lot of all of our mascots Francis for David.
The dearly departed Darwin for me and. Hider and so much for Matt. Would you too like to say hello no I would like to say hello to all them and hello Phoebe great job sorry Francis not such a great job for me on the old predictions. There we are what's new. And it turns out that no that Jacović was in the mix. Oh my gosh how did I not lead with that. How have we not dug out the clip. Total dropping of the editorial ball from me.
Yeah wow I mean look the Olympics are tough prediction wise I'm not sure had we been doing had we been doing predictions David in 2004 I'm not sure we'd have been picking Nicholas missu. No. But you probably would have been picking over. Certainly putting them in the mix so it is said. Billy Jean is sponsored by Billy Jean King in a Lana class who've been living their best lives in Paris this week.
One of my favorite things of last week was Billy Jean King selfie with Andy Murray and his totally unimpressed daughter. Lovely stuff. Hello to our top folks and executive producers Greg Chris Jamie and Jeff and it's over to Matt for our last Olympic shout outs for four years. And the first of those is Charles freezing in Vancouver Canada. Right Charles. Do you think Charles gets a lot of jokes about being freezing in Vancouver during the winter. Yeah I reckon so.
There was a British Charles wasn't there was a British player called Charles Brum at Wimbledon Charles Brum. There you go. He played. Oh. Varenka. Yes. Good shout. Wow. And lost. Yeah and reached one a couple of matches in Eastbourne I think. Yeah. Very much a name that we've forgotten as soon as the cross call season. I remember. Not not not your name Charles or Charles it could be a shall couldn't it. Good. Like Charlotte Claire and either way Charles or shall thank you very much.
And Charles would like to give a shout out to the Vancouver tennis associations to SLG VTQ plus tennis group. He says there's lots of tennis podcast fans in the group. And the VTA has been important for providing a family for many people who have lost their own. And just for generally being lots of fun. So that sounds like good things are happening in Vancouver. That sounds incredibly lovely and confirms my suspicions that Vancouver is a good place.
It's always been very very high on my to visit list. So that's really good stuff. Charles thank you. And Vancouver had a Winter Olympics not that long ago. 2010. 2010. Yeah. Great winter games that were excellent figure skating. Excellent. We've also got Scott Jones. Hell, it's Scott like Scott Draper. Queen's champion of 1998. And there must be a Fran Jones. Oh yes. Very good. What do we know about Scott? Scott is from Los Angeles.
So another Olympics connection as they'll be hosting the next games. But now lives in Islington in London. Oh. All good places. Awesome. Great, great life choices. Thanks Scott. Thank you for being a shout out for under the tennis podcast. Another good life choice. Thanks Scott. And finally we have Yvour Yvour Yvonov who is from Varna Bulgaria but lives in Seattle. We have quite a lot of Seattle listeners don't we? Right. We're doing New Jersey.
Yvour says since neither my name nor my cities are likely to provide much assistance. Perhaps remind the listeners about the Malayva sisters from Bulgaria. The only trio of sisters in tennis history to have all reached the top 10. Manuela, Catarina and Magdalena. I think there's a tennis relived in there one day. I don't know nearly enough about them. Yes, I remember them well.
I think there was a Bulgarian gymnast with the surname Yvour Yvour Yvonov that came up in some of my gymnastics at research this week. Couldn't swear to it but I have a suspicion. Let us know. Thank you very much indeed. I do love it when shout out friends help us out. Thank you to all of our shout out friends to all friends of the tennis podcast. If you'd like to become a friend there are all sorts of benefits. We'll be recording a new tennis relived soon.
We will be recording a US Open review show. The day after the US Open with voice notes and of course we have our live show coming up 8pm on Saturday UK time live Q&A show for friends of the tennis podcast. You also get access to our full back catalogue and you get access to the barge which was I mean it's always rocking but it was really rocking during the Olympics. Lots of good stuff happening on there. That's our next podcast Saturday for friends of the pod we'll be back on Tuesday.
Our next weekly show will be Tuesday due to the Monday finish of the Canadian 1000 events. That show will be live for everybody that wants to listen 8pm UK time on YouTube and available as a podcast as well. And we hope to see as many of you as possible. Thanks for listening. See ya. Meet new glasses or want a fresh new style? Happy Easter.