January 26, 2025 • 42 mins
Daniela chats with fellow tennis commentator, journalist, and friend Gig Salmon. Daniela and Gigi talk about the demands of working in media during a slam, food and superstitions, along with the Australian Open recap, and their big plans for Indian Wells.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Hello, Hello, and welcome to the second episode of the
season on the Real DNA podcast. And I'm super super
happy to say that my very dear friend, one of
my best friends and incredibly talented host reporter, you call
it one of the most important media figures in our
(00:28):
tennis world.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Someone it's with me today, daughter pressure.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I think there should be people disagreeing and people could
seem be blushing.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
It is lovely. We finally made this happen. We've talked
about this for a long time. Normally we're separated by
a country, but we're finally in the same place at
the same time.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
That's happening.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It's happening, and we do have to warn our listeners
today this is going to be totally freestyle, off script
because we were so busy, both of us, so in
our defense, we really have time.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
With the hours and everything slightly.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I've been up since five o'clock this morning because we
did a show back in the UK, so it's now
it's now nearly five o'clock in the afternoon, so slightly delirious.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Right, So you were today ahead of me because I've
been waking up since am. So you were Why have
you been wakingup at six as because we've got a
seven am because you do a seven A yeah morning,
normally I'm not that early, but this morning it was
up at five am because we had to do a
show in the UK so for the evening morning. So
by this point everything's just a little bit fuzzy, but
(01:32):
fuzzy at this point, what about the beginning of the
tournament and we get there, because we want to talk
about the first week, but I hardly can remember or
anything because.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
There was a little fog.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I don't know about you, but I did not see
clearly things in the first few days. Just crossing the
bridge from my from my whole hotel, walking to the side,
I struggled to walk straight, but you do.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
So much better with the jedlights. No.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I nearly ran into the river Yarra because as I've
got holder, I decide to take content. I wear content
lenses and after a long flight and you're tied, your
eyes are a bit so when I run in the morning,
I don't use them because I don't want to see anybody.
I know where I'm going, but I had jet lag
and I nearly ran into the river.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
What's advantage for you you are the least on the
right side of the river and streets here because you
guys drive the same in London.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But I think either side of the street falling into
the river is for.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
The rest of Europe like it's it's you know, we
struggle to cross at the right time and then not
to get run over.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Just look for the little green person and you're going
to be fined or I have a country.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
And honestly, the first few days I did struggle.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I think it's tough for everybody because we're all sort
of coming from different parts of the world and it's
completely upside down. And I think personally is like an
older jet leg probably gets a little bit harder. And
I don't sleep on planes, so when I got here,
I was sort of yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
But you go straight to your routunities, routines, you do
your morning grunts every day, you you do your avocado breakfast.
You are like so clean and healthy, and I feel
so guilty as.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
You do, know, such a good job.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I think that the good weather makes you feel healthy,
doesn't it. If you're somewhere with it's snowy and cold,
you want potatoes and.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Pasta and just like, oh, but when you're here, you
think it's sunny.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
So I'm going to have something green and I'm going
to go for a run and I'm going to be healthy.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
So I try.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
And when I'm at home, I have the children to
look after, so I always say to myself, right, you've
just got yourself to look after, so you have no
excuse not to go for the run. But I did
start wearing my contact lenses because nearly falling in the river.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Well you could have done for a nice swimming Jim career.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Wasn't the best start to the two weeks, I think.
So that's one thing I have changed.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
You know, what are we going to do this week?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Because I was going to talk to you about nutritions
and because the kind of the focus of the Really
and podcast this season is on healthy lifestyle, longevity and stuff.
So what do we do both of us to carry
through the tough media weeks when the days are long
and it gets overwhelming tiring.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
You don't drink coffee.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
That's a huge advantage because I you have to say
during Grand Slams, I end up at times.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
On forest presses today, So.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
That that's a good thing because it keeps you not healthwise,
but it keeps you going through the tournaments.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
It does, but I don't know how you did it
without the coss.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I've never drunk coffee, so I don't know, so it's
not I don't want people thinking I'm missing, especially in Melbourney,
and I've never drunk it.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I've never tried it. We have to get you on
this magic Melbourne.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
No, I know that's really strong. Can you imagine someone
who's never tried coffee? If you give me one of those,
I'll fly.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
You do know what it is? No?
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Oh, it's a special coffee they only do in Melbourne, right,
not the rest of Australia. And it's a perfect combination
of what I like, which is a long espresso with
a little bit of ma kiato.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I think I'm talking to a different language.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Well, there is a little bit of Italian, so you
do have an excuse there.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
So it's basically a little bit of foam milk cofee.
Your choice. I think you could do that.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
But it is strong though, so if you're dorink one
in the morning, it carries you till the afternoon.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Interviews. Yeah, I would be I would be buzzing. I
don't think it would be you do tea right, No,
don't do tea at all.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
But as I've never done them, I don't miss them,
so therefore I don't wake up. So I think maybe
my run is that so when I come to a tournament.
For me, it's very important to have routine when I'm
at a tournament.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
So do you keep a routine when everything changes in
our job?
Speaker 3 (05:20):
But I think when you're at a tournament, or Agan said,
you can have that routine. I will get up at
seven o'clock every morning, even if I've got to bed
at two or three, I will call home and then
I'll go for a run, and that is that sort
of sets me up for the day. However tired I
am apart from this morning because I got up at
five o'clock. That I just try and have a routine,
and I think that helps me, gives weirdly gives me energy.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
It does help us.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
I think we all agree, all the broadcasters, that the
more we exercise and the more active we stay even
though we are super tired, that helps us to get
through the tournament.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Yeah, and I think you need that because it's very
in a very good way. A grand slammer or tournament
is groundhog day. Eat, you get up and repeat, and
I eat similar things. I did similar things. I'm like
by day, I don't know what day we're on now,
fifteen sixteen seventeen. When we arrived, I'm so fed up
of what I'm eating, I'd say, I don't.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Want to Yeah, I don't want to see an I
don't want to see sushi and avocadom for.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I just I can't because every day I'm like, I'll
have the same thing, and that's worked, and you just
get into that.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
It's sort of survival mode.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
So I don't know if we're talking about health and
nutrition and will as, I don't know whether that's the
healthiest way to do it.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I definitely think, like you said, the routines help because
there are so many changes during the day with our job.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Well can you do this? Can you do that? Oh yeah,
So I think, well, you're playing, and you're a player.
The player was so much easier.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
But now you're in the legends, in the mix and
the doubles, and then you're presenting here, you're doing there,
and you're doing that. I mean, you don't stop. I
have sort of downtime in the morning because we're working
on UK hours, so normally a slower morning. But then
you're right, suddenly things go crazy and you find yourself
twelve hours later sort of spat out the other end.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
And you're like, I don't know where I am. I
don't know what's going on.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
So I've also started taking vitamins as I get older.
I never used to take them, but now I find
they're very useful. And I know different ones for different people,
but I've become quite religious and I will take them.
Maybe it's a placebo effect, maybe I think it's making
me feel better, but hey, whatever, whatever works.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
And how about the tiredness we feel after the grass
like again talking.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
About fog, like first two three days when we come
back home. I've never ever as a player been so
tired coming home.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
And I mentioned with you it's all the so hang on.
You're more tired as a player or media when you media,
by far.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Because as a player, you actually have the day of
you can walk down the Fifth Avenue in New York,
or go to Central Park or have a nice walk
here by the river.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
When do we get to do that?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
And it's that constant for because because everything's live, so
you shouldn't really be doing too many mistakes, even though
we not not you, but especially you know the language stuff.
You know, when you around a twelve hour like Slovak
War start to kick in the time you.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Did Wimbledon in German last year, I don't even know
how that happened.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I was like, you said, yeah, I'm working for German.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I was like, I mean, I mean the concentration, the focus,
the tiders and the notemaking. You come into a Grand
Slam there are players everywhere, and the notemaking by by
this day, I'm like, oh, I'm making my note. I
know there's only two players. I'm making notes on day,
but you're getting to that point that I can't do
it anymore. Yeah, I don't make any more notes any more.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Facts.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I know a lot of it's stored in there because
you've seen a lot of them. But oh, you're you're broken.
I'm largely broken when I leave a Grand Slam. I
think that just sounds a bit dramatic.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
No, but I do have to say that I've been
so lucky and blessed to be around you, Annabelle, and
just because as we know, I've done so much stuff
in London to be around you guys, as far as
work ethic and how you prepare, how do they day?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
How would you prepare for a day Australian notewise.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I have to say it has changed a lot of
thanks to you, because you know, when you come off
from the tour as a player, you kind of feel, oh,
you know, I've seen it all, I know what I'm
talking about, and then I see you, you know, sitting
down writing the notes and as you can see now,
most of the time, if I have the chance, I
like to come prepared so then we can be as
spontaneous as possible. It's definitely the preparation that gives you
(09:31):
the confidence which I learned thanks to you. I realized that,
oh my gosh, you guys have been around in the
business so many more years than me. Why would I
think I would just get away with a You know,
I know these players, I've played against most of them,
and they know me. So I was very lucky to
kind of have the British school of media, if we
(09:53):
can call it that way.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
And you worked really hard. You worked really hard with
on your voice as well. You said you were very
just when you were working in the UK that the
sound was. I mean, that's all. But that's a massive thing,
isn't it. Because you wanted to be the best you
could be. And some people again would have said, but
I'm a form player and I'm from here, so you're
just going to take it and this is me. But
you actually really wanted to hone your craft, which not
(10:17):
everyone does.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
I just never forget my first British class when we
were discussing potato potato morning, I felt like, oh my gosh,
like that is so not going to be me.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
So actually it's like potato potato. You sounded I don't
know who you sounded, but Irish, but it was good.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
I'm like, oh my gosh, like this is so not
the mean potato potato like a good morning mother. I
just felt like I constantly kept laughing because I just
couldn't believe that.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Good morning mother and potato, potato and tomato.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
When you learn a new language, you learn to buy
a return ticket, to make a reservation to go to
the museum and can you show me away showing the
way to the souper end.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
That the book is under table? Yeah, oh wow, Yeah,
I'm next to the table.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Is that the British lesson again? Yeah, British, German, Italian, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
I never I've never heard about the book, but it's
but again, in all seriousness, it shows your dedication for
wanting to get it right. Because a lot of people,
not just sport, but if they come from acting, sport, whatever,
they just say, well, this is me, and you've hired
me because I'm me, and I will just be me.
But you wanted to kind of be the best you
could be. And I really admire that because you didn't
(11:43):
have you could just sit down with no notes and
say I played her five times and this is what
she can do, and there's her strengths and there's her weaknesses,
and that's it, and it would have been fine. Everyone
would have thought that's great because you as a form
well number five are giving your view, but you were
very conscious of wanting to perfect your trade in this profession.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I just feel like I appreciated the opportunities, but I
felt like coming from from the tour, maybe the name
opens you the door, but then you just have to
do the work, just like with everything else.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
I felt, yeah, because there'll always be other people coming through,
other people retiring and maybe they with the full well
nun before the three. So I absolutely understand that some
people won't do that because they don't feel they need to.
But I know I really admire that. As I said,
when you said look again the voice, the accent, I
just thought you didn't need to, but you were put
in that in which that was really good.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Well again, it's you know, thanks to you. I never
said you potato potassa.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Well it's not that, but I did manage to trop
you off the rhythm a couple of times when we
did the Rolangaa's Life, when let's just say we were
supposed to make predictions maybe twenty five minutes into the
half and basically.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
The whole final of Rossy. The whole point was to
make that build up and I.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Planned it for hours, this wonderful show that would weave
its way to a path and the final couple of
minutes the players are about to come out, say Danny,
what's your prediction for the final? And two minutes in
he said, well, never, your c is going to win.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Its like great, otherwise it would be tweeted for you.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Well, I mean, okay, you're such a professional, you'll look
so I said, great.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
You gave me the look.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
I was like, let's analyze his opponent, who's going to lose,
but let's talk about how he can win.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
He's not going to win because you said he's going
to lose.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
I guess another part of Live TV, isn't it It's
it's adapting because anything can happen at any time. I
mean some of the things we've talked about in there
this week, we were talking about reindeer balls and warts
and you just go down roads and you have to.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Well, we talked about half an hour trying to convince
someone that avocado is actually a good thing. But it
is I mean, I mean not be even a yeah,
and that is right, And I think that was they.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Need they need to know. So let's just clarify avocado
and it's good for you. If we're talking health and
fitness and well being. You know what.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
I just came up with the with our little logo,
it should be avocado, and it was longevity. It's good, lifestyle,
it's health, it's squishy. But it's like, yeah, hey, we
said we were like this kind of a situation here,
so just to be a little bit more creative.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I think we had no avocado.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
People think expect us talk about food a lot, and well.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
I do want to talk a little bit about especially
when we'll be in Indian Wells or Roland Garros.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
We don't kind of.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I think he used the experience of you know, we
traveled so much of the world, and as the tennis players,
we are quite picky where we eat.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
What did you eat? What was your pretty much meal?
It depends where it changed over the years. It did
change here.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Yeah, here was actually the first time actually had a
smashed avocado on a toss. I was like, I felt
like I was killing it, like you January, I'm having
a toss with avocado, like I've.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Made it big time. Doesn't matter whether I win here
or not.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
That was that was big in the in the old
players lounge.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Oh my gosh, how much it has changed.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I have to say this is probably the tournament with
one of the best food.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
The variety you go.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
I mean what we've got now three floors pretty much
of different choices, starting on the ground level of it,
incredible coffee, snacks, fruits, kind of a breakfast situation. Then
the main player restaurant. I mean anything you can imagine,
like if you don't find something you need.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
It's amazing.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yeah, they cater and they need to kate well for
you guys, your athletes, you need to be And I
have to say, from media point of view, this is
the best thing. If I think across the slams, I'm
not gonna I'm not gonna name and shame, but I
would say here it's it's really good because you can
have some and they give you some money on your accreditations.
It's a limited amount, which really helps if you're doing
really long hours. But you can get healthy snacks. There's
(16:08):
healthy drinks, there's healthy food, there's salads. Yeah, you can
have chips and pizza if you want you want to,
but it's easy to stay healthy.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
And in the in the media rooms.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
So I'm sometimes in the radio room in the evening
head of the night session, they bring around a basket
of ice creams. That's cool, Well, it is cool, but
on day fifteen, when you've said yes every day, it's
not cool. So I have to actually leave before they
come around because I can't say no. Someone's offering you
an ice cream. I mean I know, I actually know
your will pow is good. I can't say no. So
(16:38):
I have to make sure because it's an ice cream
and I want to eat it.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
So I can't believe I'm laughing because I'm actually people
that really know me well, I don't say no to
ice cream, but in summer like holidays.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
To me, ice cream is holidays. But it's an echo.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Like when I'm working, I don't see ice cream anywhere
near meal, but when it's when passed you after dinner,
you are or you need to.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Not not the tournaments, but someone walks past you and
you're sat at your desk and they see Johns and
ice cream just say yes. I mean, it's automatic reaction.
So I've had to make sure that I'm normally in
the contours. But I have to make sure if I
see her coming, I run to the toilet because I
have zero willpower.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
We're going to teach you to say no. Yeah, I
can't say no. That's the mission of this scream coming around.
So no.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
They look after you really well. And there's there's a
cocktail hour for the media for journalists. I don't go
to it because again I'm based somewhere else, but at
five o'clock they can go and have a soft drink
and alcoholic drink.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
There's some snacks they get to just alcohol. Really I
say anything then when normally.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Normally it's the written journalist because they might write anything,
but it depends how much they I guess a glass
with a drink, but it's and the sun, a little
bit of heat, lots of alcohol. But I think it's
nice because it gets them away from their desks.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
If there should like WT finals the last minute, that's
when I drink because I don't drink at all, and
we all commentain that much like that to get.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Help at the finals in react that would.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Be difficult, Yes, would be tricky, but just going back
to the player player kind of meal situation, I would say,
I like to rise over pasta.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It just made me a little bit lighter.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Obviously a little bit of proteins or chicken, some veggies,
and it depends so much. When it's hot, you just
don't want to have too much of a full stomach,
So super lighte and a lot of a lot of
gels during the match, dry fruit and yeah, I've taken
so many of them that the day I retired, banana
and gel.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
I don't want to be near anywhere near And.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Were you superstitious in that if you want a good
run at a tournament and you went to a restaurant
and had something you had to have.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Seriously as you were when you rest you know what,
we go seed of same seats, yes, same sitting sit
and did everyone else have to eat si as wells
your team.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
So they were very very careful what they were choosing
on the first day of the tournament. But you know what,
with my team, I did not force them to do that,
but they just kind of very happy to join the party.
So here when I made the semis, it was pretty
much fourteen days in a row.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
It was day off, cocos and match day. NOBU, that's
not bad. Yeah, I wouldn't bind that. That's quite a
good retick.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
But I find it so interesting the way large ofly
is athletes. I'm not saying people in normal lifetime. I
suppose I'm the same at a grandsam. It's not a superstition,
but I have the same thing.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
I think one of the defense and.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Excuse to have this crazy superstitious stuff is because our
daily life is so uncertain and there's so many changes,
whether you're doing media or as a player on the
court during the match you have to constantly adjust to something,
and you are all constantly living in this When do
you play. I don't know when you're going to be home.
I don't know where you're going to be next Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
So you give yourself routine and something kind of to
look forward to.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
That's certain in a way. Yeah, that makes sense to
kind of have a normal life.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
If like a treat was also seen as a true
like just just you know, like when you see.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Food is a treat or was it fuel? Was fuel?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Because you're constantly thinking, as a professional, Okay, what my
body needs because it is it is my it is
the tool how I get where I It's like you know,
a computer when when you bring a computer to the office.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
So there was the cost. So that was a nice feeling.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
When you retire, you kind of you have you can
start actually just eat what you enjoy and not having
to worry how much that is going to I.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Guess you have to affect your performance.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
I would imagine it always have to be quite careful though,
because you're not exercising as much. I imagine that you
know so much changes. So yes, suddenly you can eat
whatever you want, but you're not the output.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Well, in a way, it's actually easier because as a player,
you always worried, at least in my case, maybe because
my metabolism was so quick, I was always worried. Okay,
do I have enough energy? So you tend to You
always eat more where you.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Know when you know when you're not performing. You don't
feel like I guess eating that well. I mean there,
we're very different people, you know what. I'm just loving
the fact how much we are going.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
About talking at all about what I wrote down. But
this is why I love it.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
That's fine.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I feel like we can keep chatting for another two
three hours. I think by then we might have a
problem with our networks and we might be fired.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
So yeah, I think we might might be like.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
So we might actually do this one really quickly and
get to a few points I wanted to discuss with you,
and then let's just plan for Indian wells. I think
that would be our next tournament where we see each
other and we discuss food, we discuss superstitious.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
We discuss go we discuss restaurant situation in the desert. Yeah, sorry,
loving you, I could live there. I could.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
I know they play a lot of golf. I don't
play golf, and you could still, but I think so
someone's in the everage age is quite old.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
It's being younger though.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I think uring COVID, A lot of young families from
LA started to come over and it's changing big time.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
So I nearly on my runs, I was in my routine,
I onally got run over by a golf buggy being
driven by a lady who's probably at least about one
hundred yep. She had nearly knocked me over, and I
was like, oh my word. And I don't play golf.
I don't think I ever will, but I think I
could still live there. So if I buy a house there, you.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
At how sicky?
Speaker 1 (22:39):
You know what? Since since the first time, I is
that a new word?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
You look after it for you when you're somewhere else
in the world. I'll house sit, make sure it's fine.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
This has been on my mind since, I hope real
estate generally listening to this since I won Indian Wells
the first time. So I was nineteen long time and
I said I want to live in the desert.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Nineteen Oh, I'm quite young to want to move to Doner.
You got happy memories that come. You've got super happy
memories and it's just a special place. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
The energy is just I love it. I love mountains,
palm trees, sunshine. I just it's so laid back, and
so I find it difficult to go to Miami because
Miami I'll be like rushed. My first morning in Miami,
I went to an exercise class, went to Barry's boot Camp,
and the instructor said, be careful when you go back
(23:32):
to your hotel because there are crocodiles around. And I'm thinking,
and she then proceeded to tell us how to escape
from a croc Do you know how you escape from
a crocodile?
Speaker 2 (23:40):
You have to run in exactly Yes.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
I didn't know this, and I've you know, I've just
come from Indian Wells, super relaxed, really chilled.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
I could run for miles and up the hills and.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Then suddenly I'm been todding to be eaten by a
crocodile on day one in Miami.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
It is quite unfortunate for Miami to be right after
Indian Wells, because I feel like any tournament after Indian
Wells is going to feel it'll bit.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Like, yeah, we would be. Doesn't the players preferred it
for the condition? No, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Try to find a player that will tell you that
I prefer I mean, Miami is an amazing tournament, and
we love James Blake and he has done such an
incredible work with it, and and I love the new
new venue.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
It's just the contrast. Oh, it couldn't it can be.
It couldn't be greater.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
So I feel like if you were going Miami first
and then Indian Wells, you'd have the sort of intensity
and relax and also playing wise.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Oh I love how how we skipped Australia.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
It was, but just to say, coming from Miami then
to Indian Wells for players would be much easier to
adjust than going the other way around. Because even when
I won Indian Wells and I was playing really well,
by my first practice in Miami, I was like, oh
my gosh, like I can't feel the ball, I'm out
of my bread because of the humidity constantly windy, or
(25:00):
of the new venue helps it's much more protected. But
when we were on Keepy's skin, it was just it
was not fun. It was it was it was busy,
it was.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
It was Miami.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Yeah, it Wasami so crocodiles madness and okay, let's let's
just stay for five minutes.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Okay, let's do sorry, let's do a super quick kind
of reviews. What what happened first week? What did catch
our eyes? What happened?
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Well, it's tough to say because there, as we said,
there was a lot of folk.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
I have a lot of who I'm working for the BBC.
I have a lot of focus on the British players,
so I find coming into a Grand Slam. Initially, so
for us, it was how wild Jack Draper do? The
British got to the semifinals in America and he had
an injury over preseason, wasn't able to go and train
with Colors al Choraz, So how is he going to
be emmea Radacani.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
There's always so much focusing.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Well, we can talk about it because that match, you know,
by the time she was playing Schianta, I thought she
was hitting the balls. Well, she's starting to look physically
much much stronger, working with a great fitness code.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Inta.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Yes, I felt like that's where IgA was starting to
make a big statement.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
I think it showed the gap that there still is
and I don't think we should be surprised because Emma's
rankings around sixty and she's still making her way back
and she's only just got together with the atarkis.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Right, I imagine.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I don't know, when you go with a strengthen conditioning coach,
they have to get to know your body.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Your body has to get to know what months with it.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
So but I think the expectations on her are so
high now. I'm sure that result did sting of courses.
This is something who's won a Grand Slam title.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
I don't think it should sting because of the way
Ega was playing that. I mean, it was one of
the best matches I've I've seen her play, was the
best match she played here in the stagament until the
semi finals, where we're going to talk about it very quickly,
but to me, that was one of the best ones
I've ever seen. Let's quickly mention the one I absolutely
loved the story of young kid from Brazil eighteen years Yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Mean, I'm like God, but everyone you speak to and
this is crazy players, current players, form players, they all
say he's the real deal.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Yep, that's what I think, And I mean the way
he hits the ball.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
I do feel like the rackets have made such a
difference this year, Gig and I feel like ninety percent
of the matches Dennis has raised to another level. It
is thanks to the strings, thanks to the rackets. I
have to say, I use the same brand. The Yournix
racket just gives you so much control. Really so in
(27:35):
his case, for Seka, it feels like he can rip
the ball as hard as he wants to. I mean,
with was not playing bad, No he wasn't. He was
the tie break like he ha's a match point, doesn't
take it. Then they go into the tie break.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
What does he do? He goes for it even more.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
I mean, and I love that. But that's the exuberance
of youth. They haven't got the scar tissue. Someone like
on the is covered in scars and all the older players.
But the young guys coming through, they are going to
rip it, They're going to charge, They're going to go
for a lot of them incredible, that section of them
on sacred among them have that Ben Shelton, I know
he's a little bit older now, but they have that
(28:10):
belief and I love it. They have the belief that
they can go out there and do something.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yes, but then at the same time, when you're dead young,
you might get a little bit tired.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Oh this is a huge occasion. I'm playing rub Blov.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
I mean, if I win this, met him, never even
for one second about it.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
You did not blame. There's where we kind of start
to say, Okay, here's the real deal. He's eighteen.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
For people who haven't seen him, go on YouTube find
some match footage because he is so exciting. He's fun
to watch. He talks really well, and you think he's
still young. In his press conference he seems like a
really nice boy kid child, still young. But I'm so
excited because there was so much talk about, you know,
the Big three and in the women's game, the likes
of Serena Williams, you know, when they moved aside, what
(28:52):
would happen? Where's this next generation coming from? And I
think we're so lucky across both that we've got these
exciting players coming through.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
I think that's the general feeling of this this year
Australian Open. I think that's why it went by so quickly,
Like how are we already in the Saturday final? Because
there is so much excitement and we are not even
mentioning Serena anymore. Roger Rafa. We do miss them big time.
But there is there are so many stories that I mean,
we could be literally sitting here for the next five
six hours and just summing up the first week because
(29:22):
there was so much, so much happening.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
How about Olga Danilovic, I think we're gonna hear a
lot from her, Do you think so? I think so?
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Yeah, you know, the lifety big serve. She's a tall
girl getting stronger physically. That's one thing, let's not forget.
With Fonseca eighteen and I feel he's very, very strong
physically already. You know, so many times with these young
kids we say, yeah, potential, but they still need to
work on their fitness.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
But I don't feel that way with him. He's ready,
yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
I think that he's ready to go, and you're kind
of like, wow, he's I think, yeah, she's she's got
a great game. She's I think she's matching so much talk.
Isn't she going with all black? So there's a kind
of she's like a celebrity couple of boyfriend's gold and explain, right, yeah,
but she though, I think the way she carries herself,
the way she plays a height, her physique, her shots,
her confidence. I think when it all comes together, I
(30:13):
think it's quite exciting. I enjoyed watching her. I think
I will enjoy watching her. And it's what I love
about the first Grand Slam of the year. You come
in with storylines. This is what we're thinking. You know,
will know that Jokovic win title number eleven and twenty
five overall, et cetera, et cetera. But I love these
other people, eve Lise, the German loser. So you're not
(30:33):
in the competition, you're on site waiting around. All right,
you got ten minutes notice and you're out on court
and you have to go on court. I know, only
do that you get through to the fourth round. It's
life changing. The amount of money she can now plan
her year, she can hire people for she had torment belts.
I think with her in her fourth round match, it's
(30:53):
that's what I love it.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
The points.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
I know you're always chasing points, but the money you
can make at Grand Slam level. Someone like she said
it herself, this changes everything, and I just think it's
I think it's yeah, it was a step too far ultimately,
but the tests get tough and tournaments like this. But
that's what I love about tournaments, the names that we're
hearing that maybe we don't know as much about, we're
(31:15):
going to learn about, and making their name name.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
And I don't want to not a name.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
I just quickly want to touch up on because she
is a near friend Belling Dubuntu. How cool is it
to see her playing the way she she is, I
mean against Naomi as she had to retire by she
was playing some of her best thenis though I think
you were going to hear her.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Yeah, I can't imagine. I've had children, but therefore I
cannot imagine. And as quickly I'm a name Aska and
name your Soarker did say, look, guys, you've got to
remember I have this sort of eleap team around me
getting me into the place where I can come back.
She said, I know this is not the normal world
where you would do this, but still, I mean, Belinda Benchich,
her daughter Bella is out here with her, But just
(31:57):
to be able to have that juggle, because as you know,
you've got to be so committed to what you were
doing to play like she is playing. After that amount
of time of having her daughter, I think, you know,
I think it's great that she has come back, and
I think it's great that she's come back at the
level she has because I think if it hadn't worked out,
maybe she'd have got a bit despondent. But she will
(32:17):
go away thinking I can still do this and I'm
still young. He's still young, and there's there's more to come. Yeah, absolutely,
I think it's Yeah. I love yeah stories like that,
I think, and I.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Think that from from Ossie perspective, the best storyline obviously
of the first week was how well Alex deminor kind
of you know, took all that pressure away from his shoulders,
all the tension that has been on him understandably so
now that he I want to say he is a
grand Slam potential just because of how hard he works
for everything and the commitment.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
I think he's great.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
But do you honestly, I think he's a lovely guy,
But do you really think I mean a lot a
lot just doing honest A lot of things would have
to to go his way.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
But sometimes you get lucky and suddenly the drawer opens
up a couple of big names.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Yeah, but I think he's I think for for what
he's I think last year was incredible. And when you
think he had the hip injury picked up at Wimbledon
and he still ended in the top eight, came to
Turin for the tour finals.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
It's I think.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
He's his his dedication, his attitude, as you say, the
way he carries the pressure on the straight.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
He got engaged Katie Bolter, so.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
That talking about I had a wonderful story. How cool
was that that when they were playing at the same
time and he kind of as soon as he's met finished,
he was running running to watch Katie.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
He was so last year he did it, he was there,
was really crazy. She won two titles last year and
the same weekend she won a title, he won a title,
and I think was he in Acapulco and he suddenly
got a flight to San Diego And I don't think
I've made that up and suddenly he pops up in
San Diego. I mean, he's sort of probably delirious, but
he wanted to be there for her. And I think
it's an example of how they are helping. She's become
(34:01):
better and I think it's changed him as well. They're
they're helping each other.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Well, talking about that, how about Moon Feels and Elena
to be Tolina. I mean that was crazy beating the
couple the same number seed on the same corepector berg.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
I mean, you don't make that up.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
It's so great and it's great to see great see
the level she's at and we know the change is
the game that she's made in Monthly's saying I'm not
going to win this tournament, but he's he's playing really well.
He won in Auckland, so he's got a title to
start the year. They you know, they've got Sky that
their daughter. I mean, it's just I mean they're doing
it for her long term. They're out there. No, there's
(34:37):
some really nice stories and it shows it can work
because as you know more than anyone, it's it's a
grueling life and it's a grueling shadow.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
It doesn't stop just stedy.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
And you know from Australia, people go everywhere, you know,
all different levels of the tennis pyramid.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
People just scattered and then I feel like we all
go everywhere wandering around.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
And then Indians that's what.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
I that's like an oasis, is like an oasis that
we're headed towards.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
I feel like they are almost there. Okay, so fast forwarding. Yes,
we had so many storylines. I do want to mention
just the fact and how incredible it is just to
be on site. It's one of the few tournaments as
a player, as a media you just never want to
leave because there is so much to do.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
It's such a wonderful energy. Right. Normally we like to
come into our work get out.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
Not here.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
No, It's like a festival, isn't it. And I think
the one great thing is the demographic of tennis fans
is I don't want to say old, but it's middle aged.
It's not young, largely the people who are tuning in,
the people who are watching. But here it's all young.
When you look outside, everyone on the bean bags, in
the deck chairs, they're really young. And if we can
get those young people and keep them in tennis, and
(35:48):
that's what Tennis Australia do so well in everything they
lay on. I mean, the site is I haven't even
been over to one half of the site yet, but
the site is so vast, it's so family friendly. Everything
they can do. Things seems too crowded. I never feel
that certain Grand Slams I'm trying to get through and
I can't move and it's really difficult.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Here.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
There's always space, everyone's always relaxed, there's always something, there's
just a there's there's a love. And they call it
the Happy Slam, and you can see that the players
are in a good move because it's kind of the
start of the season. It's like first day it school,
first week at school, when you're happy, when the sunshines,
you feel better, happier, and it's just it's a really
(36:27):
lovely feeling. And I think they keep setting the bar
and they keep setting the bar, and it's it looks
it's a wonderful way to start the For me personally,
it gets harder each year leaving family because you're home
for a big block and then you go so far away.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
But when you do get here, it's it's really lovely. Oh,
it's incredible. Maybe the first forty eight hours they were
like when you fall in the river the bridge, we
did have something get through that.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
Then I think maybe the message here is to arrive
a bit earlier. Next year can really make this still.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Also, if you wear contact lenses, put them in when
you go running with other.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
And how about we do really previous of next year
Austra and Open. So we actually have a commitment and
we make the promise. Now we will be here before
the tournament, at this very pretty same table and discussing
what is about to happen.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
My predictions are quite bad, largely as in they never happen.
Although the two as we speak now.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
We can just discuss the avocado situation and the river
run are still in the tournament.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
So I just want to say that now before either
or both of them lose to the penultimate day of
the event.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
I have my predictions correct. I also, it's nice we're
giving each other credit. I did the same.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
It's did you yeah before the tournament teach you?
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Of course no you didn't.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
Yes, I didn't teach you. It is recorded. Really, where
did that come from? Winning Adelaide? When Meddi is on
it's I mean, I I luckily only practiced with her,
and I told my coach, you know, bold girl, I've
done many years ago. And that's what I literally felt like,
(38:10):
because when Maddy has a good.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Day in the office, you really are just picking up
the balls. Okay, so this is happening.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
We are recording this before actually the woman's finals, so
let's just skip through the second week and what do
we think here?
Speaker 2 (38:25):
I don't know, what do you think?
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Jijiba sitting courtside that semifinal between Maddy and Shriantik was,
I can, with all the respect to everyone and all
the matches I've played and watched, Serena at her best,
and this is right up there. The level of speed, intensity, power, precision.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
I mean, to start with, Chantek just brings a level
of intensity and you know that's going to happen. And
she hadn't really been tested. She had lost fourteen games
and seven of those written in her first round. And
then suddenly you get madzine series. You say when she's
on and when I love about Madison Keys. Now she's
twenty nine, got married to Beyond for TAngelo, for mat
(39:06):
P player. He's now her coach, and the dynamic is great,
and he said, he said in press conference, Look, I
was never maybe the most skillful, but I've got a
really good brain and tactically and you can see her
listening to him, and you can see that she's not
trying to get out of points as quickly as possibly
she's made was in the semifinals. I mean, we were
all more so calm. He just wasn't there was there
(39:27):
was nothing, but that must be quite nice.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
I don't know as a player if you look.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Like absolutely like the I mean, we can see one
of the biggest matches of Maddy's life and we all
look at him, She looks at him, and he's.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Just as cool as as it gets.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
And I think Maddy has been the player that has
used the advantage having the coaches now so close to
the players the MOSST just because of all the input
that Piorn has given her throughout the matches.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
Yeah, and through the tiebreak he was speaking to every
time she went to the to the towel. You know,
she has a massive game. She's still has a lot
of scar tissue from the US Open Fine in twenty
seventeen against Loan Stevens, whom she just swept aside. But
to be back here seven and a half years later
with all the other players around, everyone coming through and
(40:14):
she had It's not like she had an easy run,
was it. Collins, Rebeccina, s Fitlina Fionte. I mean, that's
difficult quality players and she's coming through. But the big thing,
I don't know it will have happened by the time
this goes out, but it will be how they both
handle the occasion and handle the emotions.
Speaker 1 (40:32):
I think it's going to come down to small details,
and I just hold for Maddie that she plays her
best tennis. But in some ways I'm thinking Arena being
in this situation already before knowing what it takes twice
in a row to win this title. There's not going
to be too many longer earlies. I don't think it's
going to be about who gets that first strike in
(40:55):
because of what they bod like to do that a
lot of white serfs, I mean, they find incredible angles there.
I do feel like Arena does a little bit better
job to step in more on the second survey return
where Maddy kind of still sits a little bit behind
the baseline. So I think it will be huge how
well Madison can serve today. But the thing is someone
(41:19):
kind of likes to dictate, and now today's she's not
going to be able to interesting.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
Yeah, it's gonna be, but I think you're right that
that match Keys against Syon Tech was was huge just
and I credited shon Tech sometimes that you can see
the computer malfunctioning and she doesn't know what's going on.
I think she stayed pretty calm, yep, and I think
credit to her. I think Winfisett has been a really
good importance, absolutely, but she stayed. Obviously she was, you know,
(41:45):
trying to fit. I mean seven double faults seven sec.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
But she stayed.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
I thought she stayed really calm considering the fact that
she had a match point and the position that she.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Was in, and I mean some of the rallies, how
she was able to stay with that pace off I
believe medison ball and defend and yeah, you're right, you've
got it such an amazing job as well. I think
I think we're going to leave it here and let's
see what happens during the weekend. It's going to be
obviously incredible final on board ends and we'll just sum
(42:17):
it up all in Indian Worlds.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
What do you think?
Speaker 3 (42:20):
I think I think that sounds like a really good idea.
We'll both be back into our routine. We'll have got
rid of the jetla. You have played some golf, you see.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
We'll give you some golf reports and we'll just sort
of basically pick up from where we left off. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
By then we'll have our AVO catalogos, so we'll be
ready to work.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
I'm very excited about. Thank you so much, thank you
for having me. Yeah, speak to you very soon. Speak
by
Hello, Hello, and welcome to the second episode of the
season on the Real DNA podcast. And I'm super super
happy to say that my very dear friend, one of
my best friends and incredibly talented host reporter, you call
it one of the most important media figures in our
(00:28):
tennis world.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Someone it's with me today, daughter pressure.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I think there should be people disagreeing and people could
seem be blushing.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
It is lovely. We finally made this happen. We've talked
about this for a long time. Normally we're separated by
a country, but we're finally in the same place at
the same time.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
That's happening.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It's happening, and we do have to warn our listeners
today this is going to be totally freestyle, off script
because we were so busy, both of us, so in
our defense, we really have time.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
With the hours and everything slightly.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I've been up since five o'clock this morning because we
did a show back in the UK, so it's now
it's now nearly five o'clock in the afternoon, so slightly delirious.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Right, So you were today ahead of me because I've
been waking up since am. So you were Why have
you been wakingup at six as because we've got a
seven am because you do a seven A yeah morning,
normally I'm not that early, but this morning it was
up at five am because we had to do a
show in the UK so for the evening morning. So
by this point everything's just a little bit fuzzy, but
(01:32):
fuzzy at this point, what about the beginning of the
tournament and we get there, because we want to talk
about the first week, but I hardly can remember or
anything because.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
There was a little fog.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I don't know about you, but I did not see
clearly things in the first few days. Just crossing the
bridge from my from my whole hotel, walking to the side,
I struggled to walk straight, but you do.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
So much better with the jedlights. No.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I nearly ran into the river Yarra because as I've
got holder, I decide to take content. I wear content
lenses and after a long flight and you're tied, your
eyes are a bit so when I run in the morning,
I don't use them because I don't want to see anybody.
I know where I'm going, but I had jet lag
and I nearly ran into the river.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
What's advantage for you you are the least on the
right side of the river and streets here because you
guys drive the same in London.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But I think either side of the street falling into
the river is for.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
The rest of Europe like it's it's you know, we
struggle to cross at the right time and then not
to get run over.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Just look for the little green person and you're going
to be fined or I have a country.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
And honestly, the first few days I did struggle.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I think it's tough for everybody because we're all sort
of coming from different parts of the world and it's
completely upside down. And I think personally is like an
older jet leg probably gets a little bit harder. And
I don't sleep on planes, so when I got here,
I was sort of yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
But you go straight to your routunities, routines, you do
your morning grunts every day, you you do your avocado breakfast.
You are like so clean and healthy, and I feel
so guilty as.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
You do, know, such a good job.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I think that the good weather makes you feel healthy,
doesn't it. If you're somewhere with it's snowy and cold,
you want potatoes and.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Pasta and just like, oh, but when you're here, you
think it's sunny.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
So I'm going to have something green and I'm going
to go for a run and I'm going to be healthy.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
So I try.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
And when I'm at home, I have the children to
look after, so I always say to myself, right, you've
just got yourself to look after, so you have no
excuse not to go for the run. But I did
start wearing my contact lenses because nearly falling in the river.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Well you could have done for a nice swimming Jim career.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Wasn't the best start to the two weeks, I think.
So that's one thing I have changed.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
You know, what are we going to do this week?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Because I was going to talk to you about nutritions
and because the kind of the focus of the Really
and podcast this season is on healthy lifestyle, longevity and stuff.
So what do we do both of us to carry
through the tough media weeks when the days are long
and it gets overwhelming tiring.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
You don't drink coffee.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
That's a huge advantage because I you have to say
during Grand Slams, I end up at times.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
On forest presses today, So.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
That that's a good thing because it keeps you not healthwise,
but it keeps you going through the tournaments.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
It does, but I don't know how you did it
without the coss.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I've never drunk coffee, so I don't know, so it's
not I don't want people thinking I'm missing, especially in Melbourney,
and I've never drunk it.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I've never tried it. We have to get you on
this magic Melbourne.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
No, I know that's really strong. Can you imagine someone
who's never tried coffee? If you give me one of those,
I'll fly.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
You do know what it is? No?
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Oh, it's a special coffee they only do in Melbourne, right,
not the rest of Australia. And it's a perfect combination
of what I like, which is a long espresso with
a little bit of ma kiato.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I think I'm talking to a different language.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Well, there is a little bit of Italian, so you
do have an excuse there.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
So it's basically a little bit of foam milk cofee.
Your choice. I think you could do that.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
But it is strong though, so if you're dorink one
in the morning, it carries you till the afternoon.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Interviews. Yeah, I would be I would be buzzing. I
don't think it would be you do tea right, No,
don't do tea at all.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
But as I've never done them, I don't miss them,
so therefore I don't wake up. So I think maybe
my run is that so when I come to a tournament.
For me, it's very important to have routine when I'm
at a tournament.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
So do you keep a routine when everything changes in
our job?
Speaker 3 (05:20):
But I think when you're at a tournament, or Agan said,
you can have that routine. I will get up at
seven o'clock every morning, even if I've got to bed
at two or three, I will call home and then
I'll go for a run, and that is that sort
of sets me up for the day. However tired I
am apart from this morning because I got up at
five o'clock. That I just try and have a routine,
and I think that helps me, gives weirdly gives me energy.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
It does help us.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
I think we all agree, all the broadcasters, that the
more we exercise and the more active we stay even
though we are super tired, that helps us to get
through the tournament.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Yeah, and I think you need that because it's very
in a very good way. A grand slammer or tournament
is groundhog day. Eat, you get up and repeat, and
I eat similar things. I did similar things. I'm like
by day, I don't know what day we're on now,
fifteen sixteen seventeen. When we arrived, I'm so fed up
of what I'm eating, I'd say, I don't.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Want to Yeah, I don't want to see an I
don't want to see sushi and avocadom for.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I just I can't because every day I'm like, I'll
have the same thing, and that's worked, and you just
get into that.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
It's sort of survival mode.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
So I don't know if we're talking about health and
nutrition and will as, I don't know whether that's the
healthiest way to do it.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I definitely think, like you said, the routines help because
there are so many changes during the day with our job.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Well can you do this? Can you do that? Oh yeah,
So I think, well, you're playing, and you're a player.
The player was so much easier.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
But now you're in the legends, in the mix and
the doubles, and then you're presenting here, you're doing there,
and you're doing that. I mean, you don't stop. I
have sort of downtime in the morning because we're working
on UK hours, so normally a slower morning. But then
you're right, suddenly things go crazy and you find yourself
twelve hours later sort of spat out the other end.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
And you're like, I don't know where I am. I
don't know what's going on.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
So I've also started taking vitamins as I get older.
I never used to take them, but now I find
they're very useful. And I know different ones for different people,
but I've become quite religious and I will take them.
Maybe it's a placebo effect, maybe I think it's making
me feel better, but hey, whatever, whatever works.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
And how about the tiredness we feel after the grass
like again talking.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
About fog, like first two three days when we come
back home. I've never ever as a player been so
tired coming home.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
And I mentioned with you it's all the so hang on.
You're more tired as a player or media when you media,
by far.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Because as a player, you actually have the day of
you can walk down the Fifth Avenue in New York,
or go to Central Park or have a nice walk
here by the river.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
When do we get to do that?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
And it's that constant for because because everything's live, so
you shouldn't really be doing too many mistakes, even though
we not not you, but especially you know the language stuff.
You know, when you around a twelve hour like Slovak
War start to kick in the time you.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Did Wimbledon in German last year, I don't even know
how that happened.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I was like, you said, yeah, I'm working for German.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I was like, I mean, I mean the concentration, the focus,
the tiders and the notemaking. You come into a Grand
Slam there are players everywhere, and the notemaking by by
this day, I'm like, oh, I'm making my note. I
know there's only two players. I'm making notes on day,
but you're getting to that point that I can't do
it anymore. Yeah, I don't make any more notes any more.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Facts.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
I know a lot of it's stored in there because
you've seen a lot of them. But oh, you're you're broken.
I'm largely broken when I leave a Grand Slam. I
think that just sounds a bit dramatic.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
No, but I do have to say that I've been
so lucky and blessed to be around you, Annabelle, and
just because as we know, I've done so much stuff
in London to be around you guys, as far as
work ethic and how you prepare, how do they day?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
How would you prepare for a day Australian notewise.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I have to say it has changed a lot of
thanks to you, because you know, when you come off
from the tour as a player, you kind of feel, oh,
you know, I've seen it all, I know what I'm
talking about, and then I see you, you know, sitting
down writing the notes and as you can see now,
most of the time, if I have the chance, I
like to come prepared so then we can be as
spontaneous as possible. It's definitely the preparation that gives you
(09:31):
the confidence which I learned thanks to you. I realized that,
oh my gosh, you guys have been around in the
business so many more years than me. Why would I
think I would just get away with a You know,
I know these players, I've played against most of them,
and they know me. So I was very lucky to
kind of have the British school of media, if we
(09:53):
can call it that way.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
And you worked really hard. You worked really hard with
on your voice as well. You said you were very
just when you were working in the UK that the
sound was. I mean, that's all. But that's a massive thing,
isn't it. Because you wanted to be the best you
could be. And some people again would have said, but
I'm a form player and I'm from here, so you're
just going to take it and this is me. But
you actually really wanted to hone your craft, which not
(10:17):
everyone does.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
I just never forget my first British class when we
were discussing potato potato morning, I felt like, oh my gosh,
like that is so not going to be me.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
So actually it's like potato potato. You sounded I don't
know who you sounded, but Irish, but it was good.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
I'm like, oh my gosh, like this is so not
the mean potato potato like a good morning mother. I
just felt like I constantly kept laughing because I just
couldn't believe that.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Good morning mother and potato, potato and tomato.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
When you learn a new language, you learn to buy
a return ticket, to make a reservation to go to
the museum and can you show me away showing the
way to the souper end.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
That the book is under table? Yeah, oh wow, Yeah,
I'm next to the table.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Is that the British lesson again? Yeah, British, German, Italian, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
I never I've never heard about the book, but it's
but again, in all seriousness, it shows your dedication for
wanting to get it right. Because a lot of people,
not just sport, but if they come from acting, sport, whatever,
they just say, well, this is me, and you've hired
me because I'm me, and I will just be me.
But you wanted to kind of be the best you
could be. And I really admire that because you didn't
(11:43):
have you could just sit down with no notes and
say I played her five times and this is what
she can do, and there's her strengths and there's her weaknesses,
and that's it, and it would have been fine. Everyone
would have thought that's great because you as a form
well number five are giving your view, but you were
very conscious of wanting to perfect your trade in this profession.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I just feel like I appreciated the opportunities, but I
felt like coming from from the tour, maybe the name
opens you the door, but then you just have to
do the work, just like with everything else.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
I felt, yeah, because there'll always be other people coming through,
other people retiring and maybe they with the full well
nun before the three. So I absolutely understand that some
people won't do that because they don't feel they need to.
But I know I really admire that. As I said,
when you said look again the voice, the accent, I
just thought you didn't need to, but you were put
in that in which that was really good.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Well again, it's you know, thanks to you. I never
said you potato potassa.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Well it's not that, but I did manage to trop
you off the rhythm a couple of times when we
did the Rolangaa's Life, when let's just say we were
supposed to make predictions maybe twenty five minutes into the
half and basically.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
The whole final of Rossy. The whole point was to
make that build up and I.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Planned it for hours, this wonderful show that would weave
its way to a path and the final couple of
minutes the players are about to come out, say Danny,
what's your prediction for the final? And two minutes in
he said, well, never, your c is going to win.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Its like great, otherwise it would be tweeted for you.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Well, I mean, okay, you're such a professional, you'll look
so I said, great.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
You gave me the look.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
I was like, let's analyze his opponent, who's going to lose,
but let's talk about how he can win.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
He's not going to win because you said he's going
to lose.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
I guess another part of Live TV, isn't it It's
it's adapting because anything can happen at any time. I
mean some of the things we've talked about in there
this week, we were talking about reindeer balls and warts
and you just go down roads and you have to.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Well, we talked about half an hour trying to convince
someone that avocado is actually a good thing. But it
is I mean, I mean not be even a yeah,
and that is right, And I think that was they.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Need they need to know. So let's just clarify avocado
and it's good for you. If we're talking health and
fitness and well being. You know what.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
I just came up with the with our little logo,
it should be avocado, and it was longevity. It's good, lifestyle,
it's health, it's squishy. But it's like, yeah, hey, we
said we were like this kind of a situation here,
so just to be a little bit more creative.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I think we had no avocado.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
People think expect us talk about food a lot, and well.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
I do want to talk a little bit about especially
when we'll be in Indian Wells or Roland Garros.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
We don't kind of.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I think he used the experience of you know, we
traveled so much of the world, and as the tennis players,
we are quite picky where we eat.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
What did you eat? What was your pretty much meal?
It depends where it changed over the years. It did
change here.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Yeah, here was actually the first time actually had a
smashed avocado on a toss. I was like, I felt
like I was killing it, like you January, I'm having
a toss with avocado, like I've.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Made it big time. Doesn't matter whether I win here
or not.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
That was that was big in the in the old
players lounge.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Oh my gosh, how much it has changed.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I have to say this is probably the tournament with
one of the best food.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
The variety you go.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
I mean what we've got now three floors pretty much
of different choices, starting on the ground level of it,
incredible coffee, snacks, fruits, kind of a breakfast situation. Then
the main player restaurant. I mean anything you can imagine,
like if you don't find something you need.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
It's amazing.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yeah, they cater and they need to kate well for
you guys, your athletes, you need to be And I
have to say, from media point of view, this is
the best thing. If I think across the slams, I'm
not gonna I'm not gonna name and shame, but I
would say here it's it's really good because you can
have some and they give you some money on your accreditations.
It's a limited amount, which really helps if you're doing
really long hours. But you can get healthy snacks. There's
(16:08):
healthy drinks, there's healthy food, there's salads. Yeah, you can
have chips and pizza if you want you want to,
but it's easy to stay healthy.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
And in the in the media rooms.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
So I'm sometimes in the radio room in the evening
head of the night session, they bring around a basket
of ice creams. That's cool, Well, it is cool, but
on day fifteen, when you've said yes every day, it's
not cool. So I have to actually leave before they
come around because I can't say no. Someone's offering you
an ice cream. I mean I know, I actually know
your will pow is good. I can't say no. So
(16:38):
I have to make sure because it's an ice cream
and I want to eat it.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
So I can't believe I'm laughing because I'm actually people
that really know me well, I don't say no to
ice cream, but in summer like holidays.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
To me, ice cream is holidays. But it's an echo.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Like when I'm working, I don't see ice cream anywhere
near meal, but when it's when passed you after dinner,
you are or you need to.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Not not the tournaments, but someone walks past you and
you're sat at your desk and they see Johns and
ice cream just say yes. I mean, it's automatic reaction.
So I've had to make sure that I'm normally in
the contours. But I have to make sure if I
see her coming, I run to the toilet because I
have zero willpower.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
We're going to teach you to say no. Yeah, I
can't say no. That's the mission of this scream coming around.
So no.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
They look after you really well. And there's there's a
cocktail hour for the media for journalists. I don't go
to it because again I'm based somewhere else, but at
five o'clock they can go and have a soft drink
and alcoholic drink.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
There's some snacks they get to just alcohol. Really I
say anything then when normally.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Normally it's the written journalist because they might write anything,
but it depends how much they I guess a glass
with a drink, but it's and the sun, a little
bit of heat, lots of alcohol. But I think it's
nice because it gets them away from their desks.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
If there should like WT finals the last minute, that's
when I drink because I don't drink at all, and
we all commentain that much like that to get.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Help at the finals in react that would.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Be difficult, Yes, would be tricky, but just going back
to the player player kind of meal situation, I would say,
I like to rise over pasta.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It just made me a little bit lighter.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Obviously a little bit of proteins or chicken, some veggies,
and it depends so much. When it's hot, you just
don't want to have too much of a full stomach,
So super lighte and a lot of a lot of
gels during the match, dry fruit and yeah, I've taken
so many of them that the day I retired, banana
and gel.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
I don't want to be near anywhere near And.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Were you superstitious in that if you want a good
run at a tournament and you went to a restaurant
and had something you had to have.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Seriously as you were when you rest you know what,
we go seed of same seats, yes, same sitting sit
and did everyone else have to eat si as wells
your team.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
So they were very very careful what they were choosing
on the first day of the tournament. But you know what,
with my team, I did not force them to do that,
but they just kind of very happy to join the party.
So here when I made the semis, it was pretty
much fourteen days in a row.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
It was day off, cocos and match day. NOBU, that's
not bad. Yeah, I wouldn't bind that. That's quite a
good retick.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
But I find it so interesting the way large ofly
is athletes. I'm not saying people in normal lifetime. I
suppose I'm the same at a grandsam. It's not a superstition,
but I have the same thing.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
I think one of the defense and.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Excuse to have this crazy superstitious stuff is because our
daily life is so uncertain and there's so many changes,
whether you're doing media or as a player on the
court during the match you have to constantly adjust to something,
and you are all constantly living in this When do
you play. I don't know when you're going to be home.
I don't know where you're going to be next Wednesday.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
So you give yourself routine and something kind of to
look forward to.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
That's certain in a way. Yeah, that makes sense to
kind of have a normal life.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
If like a treat was also seen as a true
like just just you know, like when you see.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Food is a treat or was it fuel? Was fuel?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Because you're constantly thinking, as a professional, Okay, what my
body needs because it is it is my it is
the tool how I get where I It's like you know,
a computer when when you bring a computer to the office.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
So there was the cost. So that was a nice feeling.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
When you retire, you kind of you have you can
start actually just eat what you enjoy and not having
to worry how much that is going to I.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Guess you have to affect your performance.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
I would imagine it always have to be quite careful though,
because you're not exercising as much. I imagine that you
know so much changes. So yes, suddenly you can eat
whatever you want, but you're not the output.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Well, in a way, it's actually easier because as a player,
you always worried, at least in my case, maybe because
my metabolism was so quick, I was always worried. Okay,
do I have enough energy? So you tend to You
always eat more where you.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Know when you know when you're not performing. You don't
feel like I guess eating that well. I mean there,
we're very different people, you know what. I'm just loving
the fact how much we are going.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
About talking at all about what I wrote down. But
this is why I love it.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
That's fine.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I feel like we can keep chatting for another two
three hours. I think by then we might have a
problem with our networks and we might be fired.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
So yeah, I think we might might be like.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
So we might actually do this one really quickly and
get to a few points I wanted to discuss with you,
and then let's just plan for Indian wells. I think
that would be our next tournament where we see each
other and we discuss food, we discuss superstitious.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
We discuss go we discuss restaurant situation in the desert. Yeah, sorry,
loving you, I could live there. I could.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
I know they play a lot of golf. I don't
play golf, and you could still, but I think so
someone's in the everage age is quite old.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
It's being younger though.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I think uring COVID, A lot of young families from
LA started to come over and it's changing big time.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
So I nearly on my runs, I was in my routine,
I onally got run over by a golf buggy being
driven by a lady who's probably at least about one
hundred yep. She had nearly knocked me over, and I
was like, oh my word. And I don't play golf.
I don't think I ever will, but I think I
could still live there. So if I buy a house there, you.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
At how sicky?
Speaker 1 (22:39):
You know what? Since since the first time, I is
that a new word?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
You look after it for you when you're somewhere else
in the world. I'll house sit, make sure it's fine.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
This has been on my mind since, I hope real
estate generally listening to this since I won Indian Wells
the first time. So I was nineteen long time and
I said I want to live in the desert.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Nineteen Oh, I'm quite young to want to move to Doner.
You got happy memories that come. You've got super happy
memories and it's just a special place. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
The energy is just I love it. I love mountains,
palm trees, sunshine. I just it's so laid back, and
so I find it difficult to go to Miami because
Miami I'll be like rushed. My first morning in Miami,
I went to an exercise class, went to Barry's boot Camp,
and the instructor said, be careful when you go back
(23:32):
to your hotel because there are crocodiles around. And I'm thinking,
and she then proceeded to tell us how to escape
from a croc Do you know how you escape from
a crocodile?
Speaker 2 (23:40):
You have to run in exactly Yes.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
I didn't know this, and I've you know, I've just
come from Indian Wells, super relaxed, really chilled.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
I could run for miles and up the hills and.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Then suddenly I'm been todding to be eaten by a
crocodile on day one in Miami.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
It is quite unfortunate for Miami to be right after
Indian Wells, because I feel like any tournament after Indian
Wells is going to feel it'll bit.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Like, yeah, we would be. Doesn't the players preferred it
for the condition? No, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Try to find a player that will tell you that
I prefer I mean, Miami is an amazing tournament, and
we love James Blake and he has done such an
incredible work with it, and and I love the new
new venue.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
It's just the contrast. Oh, it couldn't it can be.
It couldn't be greater.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
So I feel like if you were going Miami first
and then Indian Wells, you'd have the sort of intensity
and relax and also playing wise.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Oh I love how how we skipped Australia.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
It was, but just to say, coming from Miami then
to Indian Wells for players would be much easier to
adjust than going the other way around. Because even when
I won Indian Wells and I was playing really well,
by my first practice in Miami, I was like, oh
my gosh, like I can't feel the ball, I'm out
of my bread because of the humidity constantly windy, or
(25:00):
of the new venue helps it's much more protected. But
when we were on Keepy's skin, it was just it
was not fun. It was it was it was busy,
it was.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
It was Miami.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Yeah, it Wasami so crocodiles madness and okay, let's let's
just stay for five minutes.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Okay, let's do sorry, let's do a super quick kind
of reviews. What what happened first week? What did catch
our eyes? What happened?
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Well, it's tough to say because there, as we said,
there was a lot of folk.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
I have a lot of who I'm working for the BBC.
I have a lot of focus on the British players,
so I find coming into a Grand Slam. Initially, so
for us, it was how wild Jack Draper do? The
British got to the semifinals in America and he had
an injury over preseason, wasn't able to go and train
with Colors al Choraz, So how is he going to
be emmea Radacani.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
There's always so much focusing.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Well, we can talk about it because that match, you know,
by the time she was playing Schianta, I thought she
was hitting the balls. Well, she's starting to look physically
much much stronger, working with a great fitness code.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Inta.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Yes, I felt like that's where IgA was starting to
make a big statement.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
I think it showed the gap that there still is
and I don't think we should be surprised because Emma's
rankings around sixty and she's still making her way back
and she's only just got together with the atarkis.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Right, I imagine.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I don't know, when you go with a strengthen conditioning coach,
they have to get to know your body.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Your body has to get to know what months with it.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
So but I think the expectations on her are so
high now. I'm sure that result did sting of courses.
This is something who's won a Grand Slam title.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
I don't think it should sting because of the way
Ega was playing that. I mean, it was one of
the best matches I've I've seen her play, was the
best match she played here in the stagament until the
semi finals, where we're going to talk about it very quickly,
but to me, that was one of the best ones
I've ever seen. Let's quickly mention the one I absolutely
loved the story of young kid from Brazil eighteen years Yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Mean, I'm like God, but everyone you speak to and
this is crazy players, current players, form players, they all
say he's the real deal.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Yep, that's what I think, And I mean the way
he hits the ball.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
I do feel like the rackets have made such a
difference this year, Gig and I feel like ninety percent
of the matches Dennis has raised to another level. It
is thanks to the strings, thanks to the rackets. I
have to say, I use the same brand. The Yournix
racket just gives you so much control. Really so in
(27:35):
his case, for Seka, it feels like he can rip
the ball as hard as he wants to. I mean,
with was not playing bad, No he wasn't. He was
the tie break like he ha's a match point, doesn't
take it. Then they go into the tie break.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
What does he do? He goes for it even more.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
I mean, and I love that. But that's the exuberance
of youth. They haven't got the scar tissue. Someone like
on the is covered in scars and all the older players.
But the young guys coming through, they are going to
rip it, They're going to charge, They're going to go
for a lot of them incredible, that section of them
on sacred among them have that Ben Shelton, I know
he's a little bit older now, but they have that
(28:10):
belief and I love it. They have the belief that
they can go out there and do something.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yes, but then at the same time, when you're dead young,
you might get a little bit tired.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Oh this is a huge occasion. I'm playing rub Blov.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
I mean, if I win this, met him, never even
for one second about it.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
You did not blame. There's where we kind of start
to say, Okay, here's the real deal. He's eighteen.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
For people who haven't seen him, go on YouTube find
some match footage because he is so exciting. He's fun
to watch. He talks really well, and you think he's
still young. In his press conference he seems like a
really nice boy kid child, still young. But I'm so
excited because there was so much talk about, you know,
the Big three and in the women's game, the likes
of Serena Williams, you know, when they moved aside, what
(28:52):
would happen? Where's this next generation coming from? And I
think we're so lucky across both that we've got these
exciting players coming through.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
I think that's the general feeling of this this year
Australian Open. I think that's why it went by so quickly,
Like how are we already in the Saturday final? Because
there is so much excitement and we are not even
mentioning Serena anymore. Roger Rafa. We do miss them big time.
But there is there are so many stories that I mean,
we could be literally sitting here for the next five
six hours and just summing up the first week because
(29:22):
there was so much, so much happening.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
How about Olga Danilovic, I think we're gonna hear a
lot from her, Do you think so? I think so?
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Yeah, you know, the lifety big serve. She's a tall
girl getting stronger physically. That's one thing, let's not forget.
With Fonseca eighteen and I feel he's very, very strong
physically already. You know, so many times with these young
kids we say, yeah, potential, but they still need to
work on their fitness.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
But I don't feel that way with him. He's ready,
yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
I think that he's ready to go, and you're kind
of like, wow, he's I think, yeah, she's she's got
a great game. She's I think she's matching so much talk.
Isn't she going with all black? So there's a kind
of she's like a celebrity couple of boyfriend's gold and explain, right, yeah,
but she though, I think the way she carries herself,
the way she plays a height, her physique, her shots,
her confidence. I think when it all comes together, I
(30:13):
think it's quite exciting. I enjoyed watching her. I think
I will enjoy watching her. And it's what I love
about the first Grand Slam of the year. You come
in with storylines. This is what we're thinking. You know,
will know that Jokovic win title number eleven and twenty
five overall, et cetera, et cetera. But I love these
other people, eve Lise, the German loser. So you're not
(30:33):
in the competition, you're on site waiting around. All right,
you got ten minutes notice and you're out on court
and you have to go on court. I know, only
do that you get through to the fourth round. It's
life changing. The amount of money she can now plan
her year, she can hire people for she had torment belts.
I think with her in her fourth round match, it's
(30:53):
that's what I love it.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
The points.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
I know you're always chasing points, but the money you
can make at Grand Slam level. Someone like she said
it herself, this changes everything, and I just think it's
I think it's yeah, it was a step too far ultimately,
but the tests get tough and tournaments like this. But
that's what I love about tournaments, the names that we're
hearing that maybe we don't know as much about, we're
(31:15):
going to learn about, and making their name name.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
And I don't want to not a name.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
I just quickly want to touch up on because she
is a near friend Belling Dubuntu. How cool is it
to see her playing the way she she is, I
mean against Naomi as she had to retire by she
was playing some of her best thenis though I think
you were going to hear her.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
Yeah, I can't imagine. I've had children, but therefore I
cannot imagine. And as quickly I'm a name Aska and
name your Soarker did say, look, guys, you've got to
remember I have this sort of eleap team around me
getting me into the place where I can come back.
She said, I know this is not the normal world
where you would do this, but still, I mean, Belinda Benchich,
her daughter Bella is out here with her, But just
(31:57):
to be able to have that juggle, because as you know,
you've got to be so committed to what you were
doing to play like she is playing. After that amount
of time of having her daughter, I think, you know,
I think it's great that she has come back, and
I think it's great that she's come back at the
level she has because I think if it hadn't worked out,
maybe she'd have got a bit despondent. But she will
(32:17):
go away thinking I can still do this and I'm
still young. He's still young, and there's there's more to come. Yeah, absolutely,
I think it's Yeah. I love yeah stories like that,
I think, and I.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Think that from from Ossie perspective, the best storyline obviously
of the first week was how well Alex deminor kind
of you know, took all that pressure away from his shoulders,
all the tension that has been on him understandably so
now that he I want to say he is a
grand Slam potential just because of how hard he works
for everything and the commitment.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
I think he's great.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
But do you honestly, I think he's a lovely guy,
But do you really think I mean a lot a
lot just doing honest A lot of things would have
to to go his way.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
But sometimes you get lucky and suddenly the drawer opens
up a couple of big names.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Yeah, but I think he's I think for for what
he's I think last year was incredible. And when you
think he had the hip injury picked up at Wimbledon
and he still ended in the top eight, came to
Turin for the tour finals.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
It's I think.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
He's his his dedication, his attitude, as you say, the
way he carries the pressure on the straight.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
He got engaged Katie Bolter, so.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
That talking about I had a wonderful story. How cool
was that that when they were playing at the same
time and he kind of as soon as he's met finished,
he was running running to watch Katie.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
He was so last year he did it, he was there,
was really crazy. She won two titles last year and
the same weekend she won a title, he won a title,
and I think was he in Acapulco and he suddenly
got a flight to San Diego And I don't think
I've made that up and suddenly he pops up in
San Diego. I mean, he's sort of probably delirious, but
he wanted to be there for her. And I think
it's an example of how they are helping. She's become
(34:01):
better and I think it's changed him as well. They're
they're helping each other.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Well, talking about that, how about Moon Feels and Elena
to be Tolina. I mean that was crazy beating the
couple the same number seed on the same corepector berg.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
I mean, you don't make that up.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
It's so great and it's great to see great see
the level she's at and we know the change is
the game that she's made in Monthly's saying I'm not
going to win this tournament, but he's he's playing really well.
He won in Auckland, so he's got a title to
start the year. They you know, they've got Sky that
their daughter. I mean, it's just I mean they're doing
it for her long term. They're out there. No, there's
(34:37):
some really nice stories and it shows it can work
because as you know more than anyone, it's it's a
grueling life and it's a grueling shadow.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
It doesn't stop just stedy.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
And you know from Australia, people go everywhere, you know,
all different levels of the tennis pyramid.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
People just scattered and then I feel like we all
go everywhere wandering around.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
And then Indians that's what.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
I that's like an oasis, is like an oasis that
we're headed towards.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
I feel like they are almost there. Okay, so fast forwarding. Yes,
we had so many storylines. I do want to mention
just the fact and how incredible it is just to
be on site. It's one of the few tournaments as
a player, as a media you just never want to
leave because there is so much to do.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
It's such a wonderful energy. Right. Normally we like to
come into our work get out.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
Not here.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
No, It's like a festival, isn't it. And I think
the one great thing is the demographic of tennis fans
is I don't want to say old, but it's middle aged.
It's not young, largely the people who are tuning in,
the people who are watching. But here it's all young.
When you look outside, everyone on the bean bags, in
the deck chairs, they're really young. And if we can
get those young people and keep them in tennis, and
(35:48):
that's what Tennis Australia do so well in everything they
lay on. I mean, the site is I haven't even
been over to one half of the site yet, but
the site is so vast, it's so family friendly. Everything
they can do. Things seems too crowded. I never feel
that certain Grand Slams I'm trying to get through and
I can't move and it's really difficult.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Here.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
There's always space, everyone's always relaxed, there's always something, there's
just a there's there's a love. And they call it
the Happy Slam, and you can see that the players
are in a good move because it's kind of the
start of the season. It's like first day it school,
first week at school, when you're happy, when the sunshines,
you feel better, happier, and it's just it's a really
(36:27):
lovely feeling. And I think they keep setting the bar
and they keep setting the bar, and it's it looks
it's a wonderful way to start the For me personally,
it gets harder each year leaving family because you're home
for a big block and then you go so far away.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
But when you do get here, it's it's really lovely. Oh,
it's incredible. Maybe the first forty eight hours they were
like when you fall in the river the bridge, we
did have something get through that.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
Then I think maybe the message here is to arrive
a bit earlier. Next year can really make this still.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Also, if you wear contact lenses, put them in when
you go running with other.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
And how about we do really previous of next year
Austra and Open. So we actually have a commitment and
we make the promise. Now we will be here before
the tournament, at this very pretty same table and discussing
what is about to happen.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
My predictions are quite bad, largely as in they never happen.
Although the two as we speak now.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
We can just discuss the avocado situation and the river
run are still in the tournament.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
So I just want to say that now before either
or both of them lose to the penultimate day of
the event.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
I have my predictions correct. I also, it's nice we're
giving each other credit. I did the same.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
It's did you yeah before the tournament teach you?
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Of course no you didn't.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
Yes, I didn't teach you. It is recorded. Really, where
did that come from? Winning Adelaide? When Meddi is on
it's I mean, I I luckily only practiced with her,
and I told my coach, you know, bold girl, I've
done many years ago. And that's what I literally felt like,
(38:10):
because when Maddy has a good.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Day in the office, you really are just picking up
the balls. Okay, so this is happening.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
We are recording this before actually the woman's finals, so
let's just skip through the second week and what do
we think here?
Speaker 2 (38:25):
I don't know, what do you think?
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Jijiba sitting courtside that semifinal between Maddy and Shriantik was,
I can, with all the respect to everyone and all
the matches I've played and watched, Serena at her best,
and this is right up there. The level of speed, intensity, power, precision.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
I mean, to start with, Chantek just brings a level
of intensity and you know that's going to happen. And
she hadn't really been tested. She had lost fourteen games
and seven of those written in her first round. And
then suddenly you get madzine series. You say when she's
on and when I love about Madison Keys. Now she's
twenty nine, got married to Beyond for TAngelo, for mat
(39:06):
P player. He's now her coach, and the dynamic is great,
and he said, he said in press conference, Look, I
was never maybe the most skillful, but I've got a
really good brain and tactically and you can see her
listening to him, and you can see that she's not
trying to get out of points as quickly as possibly
she's made was in the semifinals. I mean, we were
all more so calm. He just wasn't there was there
(39:27):
was nothing, but that must be quite nice.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
I don't know as a player if you look.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Like absolutely like the I mean, we can see one
of the biggest matches of Maddy's life and we all
look at him, She looks at him, and he's.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Just as cool as as it gets.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
And I think Maddy has been the player that has
used the advantage having the coaches now so close to
the players the MOSST just because of all the input
that Piorn has given her throughout the matches.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
Yeah, and through the tiebreak he was speaking to every
time she went to the to the towel. You know,
she has a massive game. She's still has a lot
of scar tissue from the US Open Fine in twenty
seventeen against Loan Stevens, whom she just swept aside. But
to be back here seven and a half years later
with all the other players around, everyone coming through and
(40:14):
she had It's not like she had an easy run,
was it. Collins, Rebeccina, s Fitlina Fionte. I mean, that's
difficult quality players and she's coming through. But the big thing,
I don't know it will have happened by the time
this goes out, but it will be how they both
handle the occasion and handle the emotions.
Speaker 1 (40:32):
I think it's going to come down to small details,
and I just hold for Maddie that she plays her
best tennis. But in some ways I'm thinking Arena being
in this situation already before knowing what it takes twice
in a row to win this title. There's not going
to be too many longer earlies. I don't think it's
going to be about who gets that first strike in
(40:55):
because of what they bod like to do that a
lot of white serfs, I mean, they find incredible angles there.
I do feel like Arena does a little bit better
job to step in more on the second survey return
where Maddy kind of still sits a little bit behind
the baseline. So I think it will be huge how
well Madison can serve today. But the thing is someone
(41:19):
kind of likes to dictate, and now today's she's not
going to be able to interesting.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
Yeah, it's gonna be, but I think you're right that
that match Keys against Syon Tech was was huge just
and I credited shon Tech sometimes that you can see
the computer malfunctioning and she doesn't know what's going on.
I think she stayed pretty calm, yep, and I think
credit to her. I think Winfisett has been a really
good importance, absolutely, but she stayed. Obviously she was, you know,
(41:45):
trying to fit. I mean seven double faults seven sec.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
But she stayed.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
I thought she stayed really calm considering the fact that
she had a match point and the position that she.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Was in, and I mean some of the rallies, how
she was able to stay with that pace off I
believe medison ball and defend and yeah, you're right, you've
got it such an amazing job as well. I think
I think we're going to leave it here and let's
see what happens during the weekend. It's going to be
obviously incredible final on board ends and we'll just sum
(42:17):
it up all in Indian Worlds.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
What do you think?
Speaker 3 (42:20):
I think I think that sounds like a really good idea.
We'll both be back into our routine. We'll have got
rid of the jetla. You have played some golf, you see.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
We'll give you some golf reports and we'll just sort
of basically pick up from where we left off. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
By then we'll have our AVO catalogos, so we'll be
ready to work.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
I'm very excited about. Thank you so much, thank you
for having me. Yeah, speak to you very soon. Speak
by
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