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This is Mary and Bartorzi. I'm Matt Vylander. This is Mary Carillo. This is Janic Noah. Hi, I'm Walker. I'm 10 years old and I'm a huge tennis fan. Right now, you're listening to The Award-winning tennis podcast. Well, hello, folks. And welcome to day 15 of Roland Garros 2024. The sun is literally and figuratively setting over court, Philippe Chattray. And you find us in its foothills in the plus in Muscatère.
We are actually next to the statue of Renae LeCost. We're here out of necessity because they've taken the chairs and tables away from our usual spot. But it is a pretty good spot. We find ourselves in for our final podcast from this French open. And I must start off by saying a huge heartfelt thank you to Walker Side L there that introduced the show.
Walker's mum Alex and Walker there in the intrate tells us that he is a huge, huge tennis fan. So I'm going to go ahead and assume that Walker is a huge, huge Carlos Alcara's fan because David, can you be a tennis fan without being a Carlos Alcara's fan?
Well, if you aren't a Carlos Alcara's fan, I don't really understand you. That is all I can say because what's not to like, this was very different to a lot of what we've talked about over the last two or three years in relation to Carlos Alcara's.
But a little bit like what we were discussing after his win over Yannick Sinner in five sets, I find it more impressive in a way and more important to what I think he will end up going on to do because I think it has no been fireworks over the last year. There have been some issues and they were, they manifested themselves throughout this tournament as an example and yet he still won the thing. And I think that that will end up being massive for his career.
636576162 in four hours and 19 minutes. Carlos Alcara's at 21 years of age, becoming the youngest man to complete the surface slam. Words I've never said before, but apparently that's a thing and Carlos Alcara's has become the youngest man to do it. That is Grand Slam titles on the three different surfaces, Matt. Your overall impressions of today and how you're feeling.
Gosh, what a big question to start with. Very, very impressed at Carlos Alcara's and I think not necessarily always just for tennis reasons. I think there were times today where he played extremely well, but there were times where he didn't have his best tennis. And I think that's what makes this trophy very, very impressive from him coming off. Can we call it a slump if it's been less than a year? I feel like everything Carlos Alcara does is kind of fast-tracked.
He's kind of like his poor period of his career, where we did go through a few months there where we were having some doubts and there were some concerns. And he was having them as well, but we're going to arrive a year on from Wimbledon, which was his big, big moment. I know you already won the US Open, but Wimbledon was so big. We're going to arrive and he'll have already won another slam in that time.
It's an incredible amount that he's been through in the last year, good and bad. And I think he sort of used all of that in this tournament. He said that he learned this tournament, like he's just been in the Spanish portion of his press conference, what he learned was that mental strength wins you grand slams.
And I think that that is kind of what he's demonstrated. Certainly coming into the tournament with an injury concern and managing that. And then in these last two matches, going five sets, the first man in the open era to Wimbledon, Garros winning the semi-final and the final over five sets.
He didn't have his best tennis. I don't think in all of those sets by any stretch of the imagination, but he came out the winner. And that's kind of my biggest take that I feel like he's learned to win grand slams without necessarily his best tennis. And that's kind of a scary thought for everyone else I would have thought.
Yeah, we've all just come from Colour Soundcrows' press conference, which is why we're all glowing a little bit because if only one percent of his aura rubs off of you by being in the same room, you're still in a pretty good place, aren't you? And he was asked a question by Howard Fendrick of the Associated Press. He was asked, which is your proudest achievement to date?
Of the three grand slam titles and reaching number one, the youngest man ever to reach number one, as he did with his 2022 US Open title. And quite often questions like that, you know, pick out a thing that you're most pleased with, the most proud of, doesn't always elicit the punchiest answer. And he started off giving a very normal, expected answer about, you know, I can't possibly choose between my children.
You know that kind of answer. He went through them all one by one, explained why they were all great and we're all thinking, yeah, they are all great, Carlos, but that wasn't the question. And then he looks over at the trophy and he goes, but I think this one. And he explains in English, which has come on so much. Yes, he still pauses and reaches for a word every now and then, but he is able to express himself and his emotions in English in a way that he wasn't able to even 12 months ago.
He glances over the role on Garros, Coup de Misquita and he says, but I have to say this one. And he says it's because of how he won it because of the struggle that he went through to win it because he's learnt that there is joy and suffering because he was in a pretty bad place coming in here.
The very least a pretty uncertain place and how many young first time Grand Slam winners if we talked about in the last few years where we just talk about the exuberance of their youth and the wonder of them just looking like bouncy puppies that aren't thinking about anything. It's really existing totally in the moment. And yes, that looks totally seductive and wonderful and you want to be able to bottle it and distribute it to everybody, but that doesn't last.
No. That doesn't last even for Carlos Ankara's. You have to find other ways to win. And that is what he has done this fortnight. The way he formulated that answer is the way he won this title, which was working his way through it and then arriving at the destination in the end because there is only so much that one Carlos Ferrero can tell him about things.
He's the best guide possible for him, I think in so many different ways, but it's Carlos's career, it's Alcrasse's career and he's got different opponents, he's got different emotions, he's got different skills and probably weaknesses too. So, I think that's a great question to ask you, you know, do you always do what one Carlos Ferrero tells you to do or do you sometimes just do whatever you feel like? And he said, I really do try to do what I'm told, but sometimes I just can't help you know.
And we can see it out there, it's like a bounding puppy at times who you're trying to train up and sometimes it just can't help itself, but just go bananas because the balls over there and I'm going to chase it. No, he's actually shown something so much more than that in this tournament and it's about growing up isn't it, it's about maturing and how do you mature there are different ways, it can go well, it can go not so well for people in their lives.
And I think he has just had a real moment here at this tournament that I think we will look back on and you'll remember him looking at that trophy and that it being a difference maker in his whole career.
He trailed two sets to one just as he did in the semifinal against Yannick's inner and I don't think anybody was remotely writing him off at this stage because obviously he's a proven champion and I think more specifically because what we've seen him do against Yannick's inner in the semifinal, but I'm not sure I never saw six 1662 coming in the two remaining sets and actually I don't think though the school line in those final two sets is at all reflective of what they looked like and what they felt like.
Would that be fair? I think so. I mean, Alcara certainly jumped out into quite a lead at the start of the fourth set. You know, I think he was a double break up there. The end of the fourth set got very sloppy and poor quality from both players. It was a bit of a grind to just get over the line of that set.
You know, they neither then were playing well, but then the start of the fifth set was such a crucial portion of the match. I mean, that's such an obvious thing to say, but whoever can, you know, take control at the start of the fifth. That's obviously going to be a big moment and it was Alcara's who did it. It's very missed a couple of volleys and hit a double fault to drop love 40 down when he was serving at one all and Alcara's eventually broken that game.
And then there was a contentious moment when the following game Alcara's was triple break point down and on the second of those at 1540 he double folded also we thought it would have been to all, but the umpire and elections time came over to look at the mark and he deemed that it was clipping the line and in.
And Zverev was very angry about that and I don't think handled that situation well. He was sort of pulling the umpire to have a look at it from his angle and he was he was very upset, you know, I'm sure he at the moment reaction as well, but it meant that Alcara's got a first serve again and he won that point.
And saved all of those break points and held and that was just such a pivotal moment, you know, if that that goes three one Alcara's it could easily have been to all and who knows where we go from there, but I think Alcara's had a physical advantage at this stage.
He had been the one who had received treatment on on a leg injury that he brought into the match a little bit and was struggling within the fourth set, but he was stronger and he was talking about the importance, you know, in his press conference of trying to play the fifth set like it's the first game of the match and he was bringing that energy at least was very of this stage looked pretty tired, I felt and felt like he was hanging on a little bit and Alcara's was the bolder.
He was the one making the plays, he was the more proactive player like he had been right at the start of the match and yeah, once once Alcara's then got that double breaking in the fifth which which was helped by the most extraordinary backhand flick passing shot on the run. Charlie Alcara's moment. Charlie Alcara's the athletic thinks it was slightly compromised that shot by the fact that it clipped the net and I would like to die on the hill of that not being food.
Well, I agree with you actually, but I think that Alexander's verves in Charlie's camp the way he walked off after that and then looked over his shoulders if to say you're going to apologize or what? And Alcara's did raise his hand but was very of a lift and there is a cameraman out there that caught all of that with the trophy in soft focus in the background coming sharply into focus at the end. But wherever you are, Sarah Madam, you are also a trophy winner today because that was epic.
Yeah, that was just the moment I felt was Alcara's got this. Once he hit that shot, he got the double break, it was over. But to go back to your original question, yes, I agree. Those sets on the score line look extremely one sided but the end of the fourth and the start of the fifth were anything but one sided, it was really close and tense in those moments.
Is Verive to well, he talked about a number of things in his press conference afterwards. He mentioned that overall on the second serve in his first answer and his first sentence, I think, was certainly second sentence. He said, yeah, I've seen that Hawkeye showed that it was out and the overall was wrong. Well, yes, that must be absolutely gaulling. I get that.
But there is a two to three millimeter margin of error on Hawkeye. So that's, it's not definitive in a, and I'm not saying when a Littchenstein's verdict is definitive, either it was clearly as close as it can possibly be. But it's certainly not one where you can say, oh my god, there was an egregious error that would have been picked up by Hawkeye.
Justice hasn't been served today. I definitely don't think that that's the situation. So he highlighted that, but he also highlighted and this was so reminiscent of Jasmine Paulini talking about eager schionteck yesterday. He said against Carlos, he talked about how he lost power from his legs in the fourth set and how he doesn't usually get tired in five set matches. He doesn't worry about himself physically over the course of long matches and rightly so.
So he's 35 five set matches. Yeah. And he's got a great record. He was 10 and one in fifth sets here at Roland Garros, arguably the most grueling of the Grand Slam before this match, but he said against Carlos, it is a different intensity. And that was so much like what Paulini was saying about schionteck yesterday.
Yeah. I was the one who asked that question because I, where we're commentating, we both see the birds eye view from up in the comments, but I've also got a monitor of for the close-ups next to me. And I remember towards the end, I think towards the end of the fourth set, he was wandering around the back of the course, looking a bit disorientated, looking a little bit delirious.
And he asked for his bag from the bag that contains, I think the equipment he uses to inject the insulin he needs for his diabetes. And I looked on the screen and he had that look in his eye that I've seen a couple of times from him when he was in Australia against Daniel Medvedev and suddenly it started to go the wrong way and he just started to power down. And also in that match against Yannick Center at the US opening, those horrible conditions.
I mean, he just looked like he'd hit the wall, really. And that's the thing with our class. He gets stronger. This fifth set record is, it's absolutely amazing. Yeah, he's now 11 and 1 Colossan Kraz over his career in fifth sets. And it's an interesting that that word intensity has popped up again. Like we sort of thought it wasn't, I can understand why Paulini used that word, but it's maybe not quite, it doesn't quite paint a full picture of what the Shiontech intensity is.
We thought yesterday about the sort of relentlessness of it. And it's interesting because that's not really my impression of Carlos Alcoraz because he is pretty all over the place at times. You know, like it isn't relentless. He lets opponents off the hook. He does. In a way that Shiontech doesn't. He puts him back on it. Absolutely. It's a roller coaster. Yeah, but it's a, and look, I don't have the perfect word to describe what it is with Carlos Alcoraz.
The energy sort of comes to mind, maybe more than intensity. Like it's just, it's just constantly got this energy on. And he's constantly the one who's providing the energy in a match. He's the main character. Exactly. And I imagine that that is tiring to be up against. I think it might be quite tiring for Carlos Alcoraz as well. And that may explain some of the lapses that he has. And that's what they're clearly working on with him is to try to even that out.
And maybe not have the fluctuations. And I think there's been some success. The fact that he got through this match. I mean, I think in the end, we will find that he wins some grand slams without dropping a set. Because he's just figured out how to harness his talents. But I also think there's a kind of second layer to this, which is when players get tired, and they both were tired, Alcoraz was having treatment on his thigh in the fourth set.
He said that was something he started to feel in the cinema match, felt it again in this match, came onto the court with strapping, actually. And then it kind of developed into cramp at some point. But it never happened massively. But you know, he was clearly feeling it too. But I think when players get tired, they revert to type. And Zverev's type is to quote you, David, a six foot six inch counter-puncher, and Alcoraz's type is being brave and swashbuckling and taking risks.
And sorry to use a cliche, but I think fortune favoured the brave today and often does. Yeah, I think that's true. And it was, I mean, isn't it? And that was what was so interesting, I think, about the way the match went. Because I mean, one question I had for you is, did you think, you know, when you were saying you thought Alcoraz had it in that moment that he hit that back and pass? Did you at any point think Zverev's got this?
I mean, he, you know, from five to up in that third set that Alcoraz is leading, from to lose five games in a row and lose the second go to his S21 down. Did you think he's got this? I certainly would have predicted his very win at the end of the third set. Yeah, but I didn't think this is over. I was the same. I think if, I think because, as I said, Alcoraz started that fourth set so well, the momentum changed again quite quickly.
I surprised me. I have to say, I thought we were in for a nail-biting fourth set where I thought, I thought Zverev's play here is just to make everything and keep it close and you're likely to win one of the two sets. But actually he was really poor at the start of that fourth set. And just on that point of, you know, Zverev kind of reverting to type as he did when he was tired,
I thought it was also interesting how they both started the match. And I think that's often maybe an indicator of type as well. And, you know, we've praised Alcoraz's incredible mental strength and sort of fortitude and talked about how maybe we weren't always that impressed with his tennis. I was very impressed with his tennis in the first set. He was playing a totally different strategy to what he'd had in Australia.
You know, I noticed a different surface again when he lost his Verov, but he was making sure that he was mixing up the variety and play. You know, you could, the number of different shots he played in that first set, Dropshot's Lobs, Looped Backhand, David's favourite fake Dropshot that he then pushes it and does us a slice forehand. So funny. Watch in the pork. The whole thing is designed to make the opponent lurch forward because, oh, Dropshot, oh, crikey, it's not coming.
And I'm backpedaling and I'm off balance and I'm sitting there. Yeah, it's all designed to take away his Verov's rhythm. And Verov, if he gives Verov the same ball to hit over and over again, he will continue to make it and continue to punish it. If you mix it up, you can play on your terms a bit more against him. And Alcoraz did that brilliantly in the first set.
And then, as you said, he then did it again at the end of the match. And I thought that was interesting and he gave a great line in his press conference, Alcoraz, didn't he, about how he wants to play that way because the feelings, the sensations are better when he does. He doesn't like himself if he just rests on his defence. He wants to win by playing that way and he's more likely to win if he plays that way because it makes him feel better.
He's all right about missing a shot as long as he's gone for it. It's a totally different mindset to Zerah, isn't it? In terms of the tennis DNA, he said, basically, I can handle going for it and failing. But I can't handle not going for it, whereas Zerah's DNA is to be the wall. And the best portion of the match that Zerah had, I felt, was clearly that middle portion where he took control, won the second set, won the third.
That was when he started taking charge of some rallies and he was really flattening out his forehand, he was targeting Alcoraz's forehand. And he wasn't going for spectacular, he wasn't going for broke, it was all controlled, he was barely making an error, but it was a lot more assertive. And it was a lot more successful. It was when he actually retreated, I know he can rely on that and it wins him a lot of matches.
Doesn't win you these matches, I don't think, against the very best players. You've got to be the one making the plays and that was Alcoraz. That's it, I think that tennis will get him to a lot of Grand Slam semi-finals and finals. But he is most likely going to come up against an Alcoraz, this wasn't peak Alcoraz today, far from it. And that must be very tough for your brand of tennis to be so close to good enough, but actually when it counts really, really far from good enough.
Because I completely agree, the best tennis from Zerov was late in the second set early in midway through the third set when his shoulders opened up and suddenly that forehand was a beast of a weapon, there was one cracked forehand down the line. That was probably the moment actually where I felt most confidence of Eriv was in the driving seat and probably going to win him.
And he cracked that forehand down the line, I thought, well if he's making those and hitting his forehand like that, Alcoraz is in trouble here. Plus the serve wasn't coming back because Alcoraz really didn't like the powdery conditions, the heat on the court, he was complaining about the court. Basically saying this isn't fit for a Grand Slam final at the moment. Do you think that was stress? Yes, I do, really. Look, I can't diagnose their real feelings about what the court says.
I can't tell what the court is doing, but that is no Vat Jokovic and Carl Alcoraz now who've highlighted it. But yes, I'm sure stress is a big part of it. I saw Alcoraz the other day complaining that his iced-house wasn't there in a way that you don't normally hear that, so it's stress. He's anxious. I do get that. But the serve was bounding up at him and he was trying to return with his heels against that little-acoust model that they have at the back.
That is further back than Daniel Meverev and Raphael in the downstand. That's what Carlos Alcoraz was doing. If he'd gone further back he would have done. I kept your image. Take a photo for Instagram and Alcoraz wasn't in any of them. No, it was crazy. That's how much trouble the serve was causing him. But he adjusted and Zverev started to miss a few. That's the problem. He did get to 80% first serves in at one stage, which is extraordinary.
But it did find it fascinating in the press comments right at the end for Zverev when he said, I'm going to maybe have to look at my team. And particularly fascinating is this team were in the room. They were standing two meters away from him at the time. Marcelo Mello and Meverev, because his dad wasn't there, but I suspect his dad was very close by if not just on the other side of the door. It was real cliffhanger to leave on, wasn't it?
I suppose also kind of fascinating that as we said yesterday his team used to be the ones who are now in Alcoraz's box. And he is tried adding proverbial super coaches to his team. And frankly, we only have this from reports and people. And Ferreira has been pretty open as well. He hasn't treated them very well. He's been rude to them. He's been a bit disrespectful. He hasn't turned up on time. And no surprise, they haven't hung around.
And I always thought that he went too early with the super coach. When he went for Lendel, I don't think he'd reached a Grand San Final at that point. Lendel came in for Murray to help get him over that line, not get him to the line. I mean, now might be a closer time. This is the closest he's ever come. Well, I suppose the 2020 US Open technically he was close to that one. He was just a couple of points away, wasn't he?
But he sort of felt like he's been playing better tennis in the last month, maybe than he ever has in his career. So you think maybe now might be the time where there's a little extra that could get him over the line of a slam. Yes, and interesting thing to say in the press conference. I do think he's slightly living in a dreamland though. The way he said to get me to wear carlasses in terms of level. Look, our class is just beating you with far short of his best tennis.
Far short. There's nobody who's going to come in and make you as good as this guy in terms of skill sets and ability. Now you still maybe get a grand slam, maybe more than one because Carlos Arcos could get injured. He might start not playing very well. You know, things can happen and he's got himself very, very close. But he's just not as good as these guys. It's really that simple. And by all means, you want to ring every last dropout and make the most of what you can.
Maybe you can get a bit better. I think certainly he could do, you know, when you're saying open in the shoulders, Catherine. Somebody surely is going to be able to get that out of him, aren't they? Because if not, he's not going to improve because that is the difference between what he is now and what he maybe could be. First question in the press conference was about Algras's tattoo plans. I knew nothing of this. Did you know about this stuff? The tattoos. Yes. I didn't know that.
And there was a good line in the Spanish portion of the press conference where apparently his... So he's getting a tattoo for every grand slam that he wins and he's going to get the Eiffel Tower on one of his ankles here. He's left ankle. He's got a strawberry on his right ankle. Oh, we were in last year. And then he's got the US Open date that he won it on his arm. So, you know, and apparently his mum has told him that he can only get a tattoo for the first time he wins every slam.
Otherwise, he's going to be absolutely covered in them. So only one more tattoo. Well, Paris to get. He still needs to get the tattoo. And then, yeah, when he wins the Australian Open. I mean, maybe he might get an Olympics. But I think they're selling their heights pretty high with number of grand slams. And they, you know, he maybe doesn't want to have 25 tattoos or however many slam see how many... Let's see how he feels when he's just won his fifth.
When he's won all four and then he wins another one. As soon as you've mentioned his mum, can we talk about the hug? Is anyone emotionally ready to talk about the hug? Oh, that was really something. I mean, I kind of wish I'd seen that in more. I'd like to see that again almost because that whole period was a blur. Because he went up to the player box just as I was answering a question on the radio. And then I looked up at the big screen and then I saw this group hug with his mum and his dad.
And they were all just sopping. Actually, the one who seemed to be handling it the best in terms of holding his emotions was Carlos. He just seemed incredibly pumped. And the one who's a high five all the same, but his mum and dad were just dissolving into tears. Lovely. It was incredibly special, wasn't it? And it is, look, it's no criticism of those that can't. I very much respect I would be one that can't.
But when you do see an athlete living in the moment with these achievements and observing them of feeling like they are enjoying it to the max, you know, able to enjoy it to the max, that is, it's very heartening to see, is it? And I think an incredibly difficult thing to do. Obviously that's just who he is. But it is enjoyable to be able to see sort of such uncomplicated emotion. Yeah, I'm quite, I'm not a fan of the player who walks into the press conference and gets the round of applause.
Really, it's not my thing, you know. But I have to be honest, it wasn't the whole room. But when there was a little ripple of a pause frame, when he looked up and smiled and applauded them back, I thought, oh, actually that's quite nice, isn't it? Yeah, he just has that effect on you, don't you? He is a real gift to tennis. Now I know not everybody is going to be as big a fan of him as other people.
You know, you're allowed to like, whatever tennis player you like, but he is going to bring in a lot of fans to tennis. He engages, he cuts through. And that's a big deal. We all want tennis to thrive. And he's a big deal for that. Yeah, he's electrifying. He's the most electrifying player I've ever seen. And I've seen quite a lot of players now. But I don't think anybody excites me quite the way he does. I used to love watching Roger Federer.
I used to love watching Pete Sanpas when I was before I worked in tennis. And there's been many others. I enjoy watching Egas Felentek go about her business. And I love watching her test. That match with Namiya Sarka was, I felt as excited watching that. Is it any other match I've watched all fortnight? But for an individual to go and watch Carlos Alcrowd's, feels like a treat. I don't care who he plays. I just want to watch him. Hmm, same. Absolutely the same. He really is a gift.
What now for men's tennis? Folks, Sinner and Alcrowd's have split the slams in 2024. There are two more to go. Anna and Limpix, then number one and two in the world now. Jockovich pushed down to three. Is this it for the next ten years? That's a long time. I mean, and what I mean by that, not isn't about them. It's about who else comes along. You know, because that's always interesting.
You know, in the next ten years, there's going to be somebody who is 15 now or 14 who is going to come along and be amazing. But fitness permitting, those two have got the right attitude. They've got the skill set. They've got the physicality. They've got everything that you could hope for for a ten year rivalry. David didn't take the bait there for a 12 consecutive slam prediction, did he? I am dangling the worm. I am not going to back down. I realized he didn't win the last two.
But I think I wouldn't be at all surprised if we arrived this time here next year and he's won all three. We should point out that the other night we discussed, I mean we often discussed David's big 12 consecutive slam alchras prediction. But we have set the rule that if any stage of Carlos Alchras's career, obviously it hasn't happened at the time that David predicted it.
But we, as generous as we are, have said if it happens at any stage of Carlos Alchras's career, David can have that as the greatest prediction ever. Yeah, and one of my predictions, today did come true, didn't it? I'll set him up for this. Or if you go, David. I need a little bit of credit for it. I don't know who the Twitter follower was because I completely forgot about this to be gone. Who tagged in the tennis podcast account with a reminder that it was dating April 2021.
When I said to you guys on this show that Carlos Alchras will have won the French Open inside four years. I think that's what I said. And he has. And that was before he'd won another grand slam, any grand slam at all. It's before he'd done anything really. He's landed a tank on your lawn there, Matt. Yeah. Someone replied saying, hang on a minute, Matt, the Alchras earlier, top. You discovered it. I was like, yes, Twitter you discovered him.
But when I put it to you, I said, do you think Matt that he will win it inside four years? Are you prepared to put your name to that? You weren't. Well, I'm big, well, fun and dull guys. Well, I wasn't prepared to write, well, on the dial off. The thing is, I think it's interesting that Ron and Garros was like seen as the one that he would win. Absolutely. I really, I mean, I said that because I thought the others would be really difficult and he would might get there eventually like Nadal did.
And I didn't understand quite what he'd got. And I'm still not convinced that Clay is his best surface in that way. I think it's. Probably the worst. Yeah, I think it's the one way the most vulnerable to be honest. I agree. I think the attacking parts of his game suit. Well, hardcore and I love watching him on grass last year. I really did. Look, in the past couple of days, look, this is these matches are peak anchor as I realize that.
In the past couple of days, we've rewatched highlights of the Wimbledon Final from last year and the 2022 US Open Match against Yannick Sinner. The tennis he played at this French Open and perhaps at any French Open, is nothing like the tennis that we saw in play at those tournaments. Nothing like it. Like, as you say, like he's just on the front for all the time on those surfaces and it plays into all of those risk taking swashbuckling strings.
He seems sometimes caught a bit more betwixting between on Clay. Which does make the possibility that he can become the youngest man ever to complete the career grand slam. Just so tantalising. I think he's got three goals at it. I think if he wins the Australian Open in any of the next three occasions, he will be the youngest and that will be beating Raffa Nader's record, who is the youngest currently. And that is mind boggling, really.
Well, Matt, you've led me to a very important place here and I thank you for it. I'd like to tell you that this edition of the tennis podcast is brought to you in association with on location, the premium hospitalised Indian experienced provider. And on location, can arrange, as you well know, the best tennis experiences imaginable to the biggest tennis tournaments in the world.
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To get your Australian Open package and if you're a friend of the tennis podcast, you have access to a 5% discount code on all of that contact us at friends at tennispodcast.net for the code. Ryan Reynolds here from in mobile with the price of just about everything going up during inflation. We thought we'd bring our prices down so to help us we brought in a reverse auctioneer, which is apparently a thing.
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Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, I can't unless he's injured, unless he has horrible injuries that stop him playing to his ability to the peak of his ability in the Australian open in the next three years. Absolutely. Is he going to defend his Wembleden title? I think especially with Novak Djokovic, likely out of that tournament, I think Alkarez is a pretty big favorite. Agreed.
I mean, I do think there are question marks over his health. He gets injured too often. He gets too much going wrong and he's got to be really careful because he could miss large chunks of his career if the last three years are anything to go by. It's interesting how he keeps saying that he's someone who doesn't feel like he needs a lot of tennis to play well.
And I think in the context of someone who's had a lot of injuries, that could be important. And if he can shed your smile, I'm sure he hopefully doesn't get serious injuries. The pattern is that he is getting injured. I'm sure he is going to keep getting them. I think we're going to have to accept that probably. But if he can schedule in a way that means that he only needs one or two tournaments before a slam, then he can keep it going. You know, kind of like he has done here.
It's been such a big deal for Djokovic's longevity, hasn't it, that he has that quality? Yeah, and I think Federer had it as well. Certainly, you know, I know he would have used to have played a much full schedule. But in the latter portion of his career, one of his great strengths, Federer, was that he could miss weeks and then come back and keep that high level.
And the Dahl has kind of been the opposite. In fact, it's always felt like Nidal's needed to play a lot and he's had a lot of injuries as well. There's always been a lot of struggle there, but Nidal crucially, he never really got injured during the Clay Court season. So he was always able to thrive at his favourite time of year. But yeah, with Alkhares demonstrating that he can win on all surfaces, like every time of the year is his favourite time of the year.
Djokovic, watch the finals today, didn't he? Posed a picture of himself with his kids watching on the tally, meb that I've posted a picture of himself watching the F1. Everybody on brand, then. Which is weird, isn't it, because Mephira famously watches loads of tennis in his spare time. But when he's in the tournament, once he's out of the tournament, he switches off from it. I really like that from Djokovic. I did too. You did that. I think it shows a real respect for the sport and love for it.
And it is like Alkhares being so good and winning here. It is a shame that no, that Djokovic likely isn't going to be at Wimwarden. Imagine a rematch between those two, given what we had last year. It'd be awesome if Djokovic could come again and recover from this thing and be able to give him one more push and own rival him for a while. Olympics?
Well, yeah, that'd be amazing, wouldn't it? And that got mentioned in the press conference as well. And he says, I'm sure when I come back, I'll have flashbacks Alkhares was saying. He thinks he's going to be in a great mood coming back here in... Fencing not in a great mood. But then he mentioned doubles with Nadal. I think I'd converse. We're going to just have to do the end of the tennis podcast. We're just going to have to do a podcast after everyone around that.
It would just, I mean, come on. That would be so special. It would be amazing. And just the knowledge that I know there's all of this. We don't know if that was Nadal's last friend, Chabin and last friend, Chabin, match in the sort of, should I mourn him or should I put it on hold or hope that there is still more to ring out of the towel. But you absolutely know that would be a once in everybody's lifetime thing. Yeah, for sure. One more result to bring you from today and from this tournament.
And that is the Women's Doubles Final, which was played on Chattrae before the Men's Singles Final. It was won by Coco Gough and Katruna Siniakiva. They beat the Italian pairing of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paulini, 76, 63, incidentally, Emily Marismo and Gil Moraton, the president of the FFT. Cool, their press conference for the same time as this doubles match, which I think lasted an hour. Lasted a long time. Nothing's changed, folks. It was a demoralising experience, nothing to report.
But lots to report from the Women's Doubles Final. Coco Gough is now a singles and doubles Grand Slam Champion. It's a third French Open title for Katruna Siniakiva. First with Gough, of course, and her eighth Grand Slam title overall. This is a massive box ticked for Coco Gough. She said, I want to win a Grand Slam title in doubles. She's done it. And it's all because of a phone call from Taylor Townsend. Oh, really? Oh. I thought that I'm... What happened with that?
Well, Coco Gough had been playing with Taylor Townsend. Taylor Townsend got injured. Oh, right. And she... And with you? So as not to leave Coco Gough in the lurch, she set them up. Did she? She did. Oh, that's fantastic. That is right, isn't it? Yes. And like, what a pair of herring. Yeah. Like, because they've both got... Obviously, I know Jessica Pagulo is a top-top singles player, a better singles player than Siniakiva.
But somehow Siniakiva manages to sort of bring singles weapons to a doubles court. And I think Coco Gough can really do that as well. And I think, obviously, Pagulo and Gough have had a lot of success together. But kind of like that partnership has been a little bit defined by not quite getting there. And I think just the freshness of this just opened it up. And as you said, I would have loved to have seen more of this match than I did. But most press conference was slapping in the middle of it.
But did get to see a 52-mile-proud Saurarani serve, though. I was living on set point in the first set. And neither said they didn't win that point. And then... And there were other serves, which didn't register on the speedgun. So with 52 did register, you've got to wonder about the ones that were... Maybe 50's the cutoff. The serve that Arani hit, which was her last serve of the match, when they got broken in the second set, Siniakiva hit it for a clean winner. Did not register.
And I've never seen a serve so slow. It was amazing. But I think that was kind of the battle that was going on, like trying to break Arani's serve. And then on the other hand, they were trying to break Siniakiva's serve. Those were kind of the two weaker links. But what I did see was just why I do love watching women's doubles. You know, I've said I don't always like watching men's doubles that much, but because it's so served-dominated, women's doubles is not.
And you get such interesting rallies. And watching Arani just slowball it, and then suddenly, bump the back hand and come in. That was kind of her strategy all the time. And trying to protect the net and Siniakiva and Gough were really down in that first set tie break that turned it around. And then grabbed an early lead in the second and managed to pretty much sustain it all the way. They did have to break back eventually. But yeah, it's just really good scenes.
And it was a pretty decent crowd on Shetray. You know, it was like the whole of the lower sort of ring was pretty much full. And yeah, like really nice scenes seeing Coco Gough just so happy to get that first Grand Sam doubles title. Yeah, they did well with the crowd there, or the crowd did well to make that as full as it was because it was way before the men's singles final started. That was written on the schedule for 230. Actually, first of all was 312.
Yeah, so that's the best part of 442 minutes of Faff. And it was actually 314 before Zerayov put a serve in because he's starting with 212. It's about the best part of 4 hours between the start of the women's doubles and that. So congratulations to them. That's an incredible victory. And yeah, it was really good vibes, really good way to start the day. So how will we remember Rolongaros 2024 moments and matches?
Well, I was looking through some photos before we sat down to record of the first week when it was so cold. We were all wrapped up. I mean, I don't, I think one of the nights I enjoyed the most was watching Rooner against Caboli on that court, that sunken court. Number 14, isn't it? And we were on the steps there and exhilarating 7-6 final set. That was just fantastic, really. And to me, that's kind of what this tournament is all about covering it for the tennis podcast.
Because in all the other years that I've done Grand Slam tournaments for BBC Radio alone, I'm always in a commentary box and that's what I was doing for most of the second week. Well, the first week, I was just devoted to the podcast and able to hang out with you too and divide up which matches we're going to go to. And which press conferences we're going to go to. And just like experienced so much more of a Grand Slam than I ever had before.
And I hope that's come across in what we've talked about on this show because that's why we do it. But I loved every minute of it. And it meant that we were able to text David and say, David, with Colden wet and a bit sad, could you come and focus on the kids? And they're, he just appeared. And the Longland goals. Yeah. Honestly, Longland, in that first week when I was experienced in the new roof and just everything about it.
And that qualifying week, when it was all such a buzz, you know, the place they've done that, there's a lot that I'm angry about with what they do with this tournament. But don't let that cloud my love for other things that they do so well. And what they've done with the qualifying week is head and shoulders above what the others are doing at the moment. I think I will remember that moment in the draw when Raffa and I came up in face Alexander's Verov. That was a pretty shocking moment.
And I still feel like I'm recovering from that to be quite honest. Because still hear the sharp intake of breath ringing in my ears. Yeah, I will remember the Assar Kirschfionte match, the David Reference Estimate, the tournament for me by far. And I don't know if this is a plug or a promo for our review show, but I did say to you two the other night that I do think this has been one of the worst. Frank Chopin's or Grand Slam's that I've covered. And that's not to say that I haven't enjoyed it.
I've had a fantastic time and I always do covering these events. Objectively, I don't think this was a vintage slam. And I will give those takes on our review show if that's what people want to hear. Maybe that's going to put them on. Definitely what I want to hear. Yeah, four friends of the tennis broadcast coming up next week to help get you through the post slam come down. We'll be recording our post Roland Garros review show on Wednesday and it'll go up the same day.
We've got voice notes coming in from a really broad range of people with very different perspectives on the tournament and different ways of experiencing it. And yeah, we find those shows very enriching and we know a lot of friends do as well. So just one of the reasons we've got a friend of the tennis podcast, we've got a live Q&A show next week for friends as well. That'll be available on YouTube. We have a Wimbledon Relived show coming up.
We have got a lot of podcasts coming up in the next few weeks. And we're going to be daily live from Wimbledon as well. That's for everybody. And of course, we have the barge for friends. And it has been absolutely just cockle tickling to see what's been happening on the barge over the last couple of weeks. And to see some of the messages that were coming in today and the warmth of feeling for the barge itself and for Hannah as well, it's...
Look, we were very, very excited about launching the barge and very excited about what it had the potential to be. But I think we've all been pretty blown away by what it's become so quickly and what it's already meaning to people. Yeah, when we were in the press conference waiting for Carl Salker as earlier, Catherine and I were looking through some of the messages on the barge.
If you don't know what we're talking about, it's basically an online community platform that we've set up behind the... Well, underneath the Friends of the tennis podcast subscription platform, so that you can come together and hang out and watch tennis matches together, discuss issues and share stories about the sport you love. If you know, a lot of people don't have loads of tennis friends.
And looking down the list of the discussion, people were saying that I've watched Grand Slam finals for years and just been shouting at the wall with excitement, but not having anybody to share that the experience with. And suddenly, here they were on a platform with people who felt like they did and they loved it. And by extension, we loved it because that's why we set the thing up. Hundreds and hundreds of people were on there today just hanging out and enjoying themselves.
And I think they felt in a good place to be doing it. So it's been one of the great ventures really for us and experiences. It's worked better than I could possibly hope and I can't wait for it to carry on. Yeah, shout out to the Bargees and to Hannah for... Bargees, Bargees? Bargees, Bargees, I don't know. Well, I've got to worry about that. Well, for us that. Hannah, Hannah for sure. Hannah for sure, you are an absolute gem, truly. And it's great to have you on the team.
If you'd like to become a friend of the tennis podcast, the link to do that is in our show notes. And if you'd like to introduce the show, just like Walker did today or get a shout out, just like we're about to be giving in just a few moments time, then that is still available to you as well. And I think that is just about it. That's a wrap. I can't extend this thing anymore. I'll give... shall I save my favourite moments for the review show? Annie. I mean, Mr. Sarkis, be on take, isn't it?
That's the match of the tournament for me. I think the watching experience of the tournament was Runa Kaboli, because it was so definitively Grand Slam, you know, and so definitively French-open. Yeah. And I think, yeah, those are the two experiences. And today, today, we'll, you know, Colossal grises grin and aura and energy. It stays with you. It's pretty cool to be part of his era, you know, part of his generation. We're getting to witness something really special here.
Yeah, and I really feel that. I feel, I know it's some sort of pompous and overblown and hashtag blessed, but I do feel very privileged. Yeah. And also the same with Egos Fiontex. I was going to say the same. You know, talking about, I know a lot of people are very sick of the words Grand Slam race. But like, we might have an interesting race on between Fiontex and Alcarez right now. They are now eight and O in Grand Slam finals between them.
Because that was something Fiontex did yesterday. I think that only Celeste and Federer had done. One their first five Grand Slam finals. See Alcarez is one is first three. Yeah, these are very special players and special times. And they congratulate one another on Twitter. Oh, and I know people have tried to make Djokovic and Margaret Court happen. And Djokovic and Serena Williams happen in terms of an inter-intersex race. Not sure that's a great sentence, but anyway, you know what I mean.
The sentence just tells if we're trying to make never a Djokovic and Margaret Court happen. But I get it, but it's felt like a bit of a stretch to me, but Alcarez and Siontex race. I'm here for that. I like that a lot. Okay, that's a wrap, folks. I'm Roland Garros 2024 until Wednesday when we recorded another podcast about Roland Garros 2024 for friends. And then Thursday when we talk about it more in our... And we scheduled a meeting for Tuesday. Yeah, I can't wait.
But it's brilliant getting back from Islam. We get to sleep on our own beds and see family, friends and dogs. But there's also a come down, isn't it? We feel the come down too. It's a weird thing. So great to have a meeting in the diary to help with that. I would like to thank Beshear, our friendship and mascot, who has been with us all the way. And I have to say, I've loved obviously all of our mascots. But I think Beshear is such a new content bar.
I've become used to a steady stream of top-notch content unsolicited from Beshear. And look, not everyone is going to meet that bar, but I would invite all future mascots to just check out the bar that Beshear is set in... And see what's in the pet mascot world. Beshear, you have been awesome. Thank you very much. I have ended on a high for the daily departed Darwin. Alchorazin 5 has spared us a blush or two. Good game, that. Yeah, thank you. There were some blushes before today.
David Francis. Yeah, a bluer Francis. I tried really hard for you this fortnight and I did okay. But I got picked up the line. Matt, hi, do I'm Soma? I don't know where we ended up overall, but we were solidly mid-table. I subscribe to the newsletter to find out whereabouts in mid-table Matt has ended up. For them with Jalpililla. Look, some people dream of solidly mid-table. We're worried today about for them without Jalpililla. Really?
Billy Jean is sponsored by Billy Jean King in a Lana class. I'll see you tomorrow, Billy Jean or today if they're listening to this in the morning with my mum, hello mum. We have our top folks and executive producers Jamie Jeff at Greg and Chris and Matt. We have our final French open shout outs. And they start with Kate Bradley in Iowa. Hi Kate. Hello Kate. I do know the capital of Iowa. Oh yeah. I think it's day morning. I feel quite confident about that one. That's where Bill Bryson's from.
Yes, he says. He starts one of his books, doesn't he, with I'm from DeMoyne, Iowa because somebody has to be or something. Yep. That's right. We love Bill Bryson. Yeah. It is day morning. Thank you for talking about Bill Bryson long enough for me to Google that. Very welcome. They all did. What do we know about Kate? Kate started listening in August 2019. And she says I've listened so much that my family all recognised the voices of David Catherine and Matt.
So she didn't experience any pre-Mat Robert's years? No. It's in the archive phase. If you ever want to go and listen to Mat Robert's first ever appearance on the show in the US Open in about 2017, it's there. You can't do that. Nice better ways to spend your time. Kate, thank you. We're still working on finding more tennis kates because it's a fairly common name and I can't speak. Well, this is actually Kate with a C. Oh.
Like Kate Blanchett. And Katie McNally, that's Katie with a C. That's pretty good. Very good. Yeah. Okay. Thank you Kate. We've also got Marty Betton. Right, Marty. Marty says although this spelling of Marty is usually a male, I am female. Ah. Marty. Marty loves dogs, especially pugs. Oh. Tennis Marties. Marty Mulligan. He's got one. Not exactly sure who that is. Definitely, definitely tennis related. And yeah. Yeah, Marty Mulligan, former tennis player, for Australia.
He is known for reaching the men's singles final at Wimbledon born in 1940. For singles final at Wimbledon in 1962 defeated by Rod Laver. Why do you get to say that's why you got me on the team. That was good stuff David. Marty. Thank you very much. Anything is that was a man. Marty Mulligan. Yeah. Still a good try though, isn't it? I think it's a good try in the circumstances and I hope Marty will agree. And finally, we've got Matthias Soup from Stockholm. Right, Matthias. How do Matthias?
And Matthias says, while it's hilarious, Katherine has told the same story two years in a row from the shout out. Can we guess what it is? Is it about my brother's German exchange? A German exchange dude. Cool Matthias, he was very boring. Okay, well what are your Matthias' to bring to the party? I haven't got any. No, I'm afraid I'll try and find one next time. There's a Matthias stuff who is a German tennis commentator. That's pretty good. Yeah, it's not bad, is I would say.
That's pretty good. I think I'm doing well for Matthias' everywhere actually. Thank you Matthias and sorry I let you down last year. And potentially this year to be honest. But thank you ever so much. Thank you to all of our friends of the tennis podcast. You are why we are sat here next to the statue of René Lacoste. He's got his back turned to us, but he's been looming over us throughout the recording. You are the reason we've been able to have, well, for Matt, a mediocre time.
But for me and David, a brilliant time. It's actually not what I said. On aggregate, we've had a brilliant time at this friendship and again, sorry to sound overblown and indulgent and compass, but we are very privileged to do this. So thank you for making that possible and for supporting us. Thank you to everybody that's listened. Don't worry, we'll be back on Monday, next Monday with our first Groskort show.
It's a Groskort season and of course we'll be back on Wednesday and Thursday of this week for friends of the tennis podcast. So from Roland Garros, 2024, it's over now and speak to you soon. Why don't more infant formula companies use organic grass-fed whole milk instead of skin? Why don't more infant formula companies use the latest breast milk science? Why don't more infant formula companies run their own clinical trials?
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