Touch Your Heads

Ben Shelton! Frances Tiafoe! Please learn how to volley—Rennae will be hosting an ATP clinic on the matter. In the meantime, we discuss the rise of French giant Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and how some players are using the Asia to springboard back into form—looking at you, Sofia Kenin. Plus foodpix and reader questions, of course.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hi everyone, and welcome to the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
It is me Renee Stubbs with my trustee. What do
we call you?

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Mensch?

Speaker 1 (00:21):
Wow? I was not thinking that. But to all of
our listeners out there, So those of you that know
us so well, that listen to us, that bear with
us every single week, we have a funny story to
tell you. Now, if you follow me on Instagram, you
would have already known the answer to this, or you
would have had a little chuckle to yourself. But my
friend here, Caitlin, came in last week and spouted this

(00:44):
on her way in. Would you like to repeat it?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Guess who? I just ran into Star of Stage and
Screen f Murray Abraham, to which Renee replied who?

Speaker 1 (00:56):
And then can you believe it? I saw the photo
and oh yeah, yeh, yeah, I know that guy. He's
a great actor. He's been in some of my favorite shows,
including Homeland, where I loved him, and Dais of course,
YadA YadA. And so here's little old Renee walking around
the West Village the other day and trying to find
a breakfast spot with Eden and we're going to find

(01:17):
something and we went to go into this one place
that she went to about five days earlier. I can't
remember the name of it now, which is Poets something
or other I wrote. Anyway, I was on sixth and
I'm standing there and I'm contemplating going in. I'm like, ah,
is it really my vibe right now? And sure enough,
I hear this voice behind me. Go go in, You'll love
it. It's great. I turn around and who is it? Marie Irah,

(01:40):
can you believe it? I almost said to him, Bro, Sorry,
I didn't know the name to the face, because I
definitely know the face. We talked about you on the pod,
but I didn't think he'd sort of really want to
hear that when he's and then he's all of his
friends arrived, whether it be family members or just people
in New York. But just to let everyone no out there,

(02:00):
this is what happens in New York City.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
It's also yes, sure everyone went to the Timoth Tay
Charala may look like, hey, that's apparently how you pronounce it.
Look like contest, but there's old school, cool, deep cut
actors like f Murray Abraham running around. And when I
reposted your photo of him from that brunch spot, no
fewer than four of my friends immediately wrote back Salieri,

(02:26):
which is a character in Amadaeus, which sort of tells
you about my friend group. Yeah, because we're nerds anyway.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Are they the nerds that don't like the basketball? Or
are they the nordes that like the basketball? You're just
the one that doesn't like the basketball.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
One or two of them likes the basketball.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
Okay, all right, Well that's a fifty to fifty switch.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, I mean half of them don't like sports.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
I mean, that sounds like the election.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Most of them don't like sports at all. So my
crew is much more of the you know, the book
reading in the evening as opposed to attending a live
sports event crowd.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
That's all right, and no judgment here, as long as
they went at the MSG the other day. Just kidding, Okay,
it's not even really. It was so funny. I was
sitting at a cafe and these bros, like five of
them were sitting next to us when we did find
a cafe to eat at but didn't entail having f
Murray there, and they were like, hey, man, did you
go did you want to go to Madison Square Garden?

(03:21):
I mean, and guys like, why the fuck would I
go there and then the other guys I don't know,
just to sort of see the craziness, and I was like, no,
I don't want to go anywhere near Madison Square Garden
in a good on a good day, unless you're go
into penn and you're like trying to get out of
the city. But particularly on that.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Day, it is a convenient, much like I've said about
pickleball tournaments, a convenient spot for a holiday, for a
swarm of bees. But other than that, you know, I
choose to not let any of that information contail brain,
just enter into my brain. What am I doing. I'm donating,
I'm voting people I know are canvassing. I'm supporting them,

(03:59):
and that's it. Like I don't have any room or
bandwidth for taking in any crazy. There's too much crazy.
I don't need additional crazy, as somebody who spent three
election say calls covering presidential campaigns enough. I'm good.

Speaker 1 (04:12):
My friend Jill Bream, who you know who works at
SNL doing all the clothing. I texted her last night.
I said, hey, we're at thirty Rock. I went there
for something else and she goes, oh cool, I'm I'm
a phone banking and then she said, I just spoke
to a felon and he can't vote. I said, did
you call.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Donald former president?

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Yeah? Anyway, all right, let's get off of that. No
wnba this week, no polytics. We're going to talk tennis
because that's what we do.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
On This is the next time we record this podcast.
Going to be on election day. Oh my god, are
you going to be here?

Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah? No, I'm going to be here. I'm not leaving
till like the thirteenth or fourteen, hopefully the election is
already has been decided by the Christmas Holy.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Last minute flight out of the country to just go
sit this out.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
You know where we're gonna go. We're gonna go to
Puerto Rico.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
Puerto Rico, a beautiful place that everyone should visit, with
amazing food and great people.

Speaker 1 (05:08):
Love Puerto Rico and we love the Puerto Ricans. Anyway,
So listen, let's get into it. Let's talk a little
bit before we get into the WTA finals and some
of your questions that everyone wrote to us. Again. Hall
of Fame inductees in particular, of course, congratulations to the
Brian Brothers, the greatest doubles team of all time. They
have been elected into the Hall of Fame. So Mike

(05:30):
and Bobby, congratulations, well deserved, two of the great guys.

Speaker 2 (05:34):
No brainer on to it.

Speaker 1 (05:36):
And then Maria Sharapova.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Which listeners of this podcast will remember, we just discussed
this and then mered days later the announcement was made.
I'm thrilled. I'm happy to see her, and she's a lark,
you know, get I think I get your point. I
think you're not the only person who believes that there
is a bit of an asterisk around anybody who has
tested positive end been suspended, which she has, with Halle,

(06:03):
which Halla has and some others.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
How it just breathe a sigh of relief.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
Halla was like, oh good, I can still get.

Speaker 1 (06:09):
It's still in you. Should I get to talk for me?

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, I think for me. Maria's career and her success
on all surfaces speaks for itself. She got better as
the years went on. You know, I think a lot
of people want to ding her because she was Serena's
sort of foil. Certainly in terms of the off court endorsements,
while on the on court record had had it was

(06:32):
pretty one on, equivocally one sided there, you know, Maria
got two wins early in that rivalry and then not.

Speaker 1 (06:42):
Two big ones Wimbledon final, w t A finals.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
But that was it. That was it for fifteen years.

Speaker 1 (06:49):
Actually, the greatest match I ever saw Serena play, and
I saw her play a lot of great tennis the
finals of the Olympics in London.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
Man, it was it owen one.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
Yeah, something like that. It was. I was doing the
commentary Mary Carillo, and Maria hit a great serve out wide.
I remember it was like a big serve, like one
fifteen or something, and Serena literally turned her shoulders and
just crushed a foehand down the line at about one
hundred and twenty I think, going back down the line
and where we sit in the booths at booth at

(07:22):
Wimbledon's right on court level, and I just looked at
Maria to Mary Corilla and I just would sometimes there
are just no words. There are just no words. I mean,
I've never seen anyone play better than that match. It
was like all the loss that she did have against
Maria back, you know, especially on that court, on that court,
was just it entered her body and she said not today.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
That's really one of the things that I love about Maria.
I mean, I love about Serena, and I wonder if
there are any other players like that who for them.
I suspect Novak maybe, Yeah, there's a certain player or
players that they're just like. Not today, it seems like Serena,
even if she was having kind of a mid tournament,
even if she dropped a set prior, look kind of sloppy.

(08:06):
The second she walked down on court against Maria Sharapova,
you knew she was. She refused not only to lose,
but just like lose points, lose games. I don't think
she lost a set to Maria for the fifteen years
following those two losses. I could be wrong about the set,
but like, it was not close. No, it was not close,
and you got the sense that she was just like,
oh now is is now? Is now? Is my time

(08:29):
to shine? And I wonder are there any other players
like that? Novak with maybe Rafa or Federer, towards the end,
felt like maybe he felt like he needed to find
every one of his gears. I'm not sure if there's
anything inheritable.

Speaker 1 (08:42):
I think on the men's side, I would say that
Novak maybe, but I think there was nobody that held
a grudge.

Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah, it felt grudge.

Speaker 1 (08:49):
Revenge, It felt grudgal. Then Serena Williams, which is one
of the reasons reasons why she was so great because
she was never into complacency. It was always like Okay,
well then y fresh, I am not going to happen again.

Speaker 2 (09:00):
Before we get into reader questions, I do want to
talk a little bit about because there are some great
results over the weekend that I'm really excited about. I
know this is a tournament phase part of the schedule
that people are not that excited about, but I think
oftentimes we can see new beginnings, you know, new portends
that are maybe storylines that are going to come into

(09:21):
the next season's play beyond, yeah, beyond. Like Naomi Osaka
made her first real run in Japan prior to her
winning Indian Wells, prior.

Speaker 1 (09:33):
To considering a real run, like two matches.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
No uh Naasaka got to the finals and lost to
Caroline was Niyaki before she was ever really a name.
This is years ago. I'm just talking about me. I'm
just talking about how Asia can be a little bit
of a springboard. These last couple of matches can be
a bit of a springboard, especially for players who are
coming up who want confidence. And we saw Chinwan Jung
who got to the finals in Wuhan, played a pretty

(09:59):
solid She isn't get her second title of the year,
second title of the year because she defended Pleromo and
now this is her second Olympics. Oh sure, I'm not
counting the Olympic gold medal, but getting the title in
Japan against Sophia Kennon, which is great for Jung but
also great for Kennon, Like everybody wants to see Kennon
doing better. I think she came into the fall like
ranked I was at the top one hundred and fifty.

Speaker 1 (10:19):
I cannot tell you how happy that makes me. She
always plays well in Asia as well. I remember her,
of course beating Sam Stoza when I was coaching Sam
in the finals of Guangzhou. So and that was the
springboard for her to win the Australian Oh totally. So
you know this is a you are correct in if
there are some players that can get a couple of

(10:40):
like wins where it be, you know, tournaments, they feel like, Okay,
I'm going into next year feeling good about myself. Further,
some players that start the year really well and then
really struggle for the rest of the year. You look
at Rebakna. I mean, we're going to get to that
story when we do talk about the WTA finals, But
you are right, and we were just very happy. The
two of us talked about how happy we are for

(11:01):
Sophia Kennon totally because she works hard. She's had a
lot of ups and downs, you know, a lot of
difficulties with her father back coaching her, not coaching her now.
It's like it's a lot of drama in her life,
and so I'm really pleased to see her make a
final run because she's such a good player.

Speaker 2 (11:18):
And she's so tough on fast, hard courts. And I
think for me, the cohort of Americans that have done
really well on the women's side, particularly Pagoula Navarro. We
had a good season for Mattie Keys, even though she
wasn't quite able to i think, finish any of the
weeks with the titles. But Ken wasn't. In the conversation, Yeah,
this year and I would like very much to see

(11:39):
I mean, for me, it's so exciting just the more
better players we have, more better players that we have, Yeah,
and she's doing well at the same time, and she's
still so young. The other one that I was so
excited about that I was actually watching this morning playing
Tiafa is this giant Frenchman pesh per Pericard. He's enormous

(11:59):
little let you say that first, and.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
He's a big old giant. He's so sweet. Even when
he won the tournament last week, he just kind of
like put his arms up in the air and then
he had a bit of fun. He was like, oh wait,
I don't need to be buttoned up. I can have fun.
I can. He was getting the crowd into it, like
who wants the ball? It was really sweet and he
looks like a cutie pie. What a big serve though,
But can we talk about the forehand volley that Ben

(12:23):
Shelton missed in the tie break. I was like, listen,
I listen, people, I have missed some forehand vollies and
it is without question the heart of Ollie to make
under pressure. And you probably think why because your back
end volley. Well, for me anyway, I'm not going to
talk for anybody else. For me, I could use my
body to eat a back in volley a lot easier.
Let the ball come into you and then you can

(12:45):
like feather it away or you can punch it with
the foreign volley used to. He took the biggest swing
on that thing, and I was like his dad, who
was a great servan volley It would have been like
what in the god forsaken was that it was so bad?
And then that was over because you know the guy's
just gonna go.

Speaker 2 (12:59):
He literally went, well, it's such an indication of nerves
because also with the back hand value you have the
other hand to steady you, whereas the forehand you can
hit it in any contact point and it shows you.
It shows your opponent how nervous you are, if you're
overheating it, if you're swinging too much. The literal exact
same thing happened when I was watching Francis Tiafo, who
was up in the second set having won the first
tiebreak against Giovanni Mettecci Pericard this morning in the Rolex

(13:22):
Masters in Paris. Easy forehand. He does the same thing though,
and he shanked it straight into the ground.

Speaker 1 (13:29):
But he does the same thing. So I want to
just take Ben and Francis and be like, guys, listen,
I know you're a ten billion times better tennis player
than me. But I can guarantee you my volleys are
better than yours.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
Correct.

Speaker 1 (13:43):
Okay, so let me show you how to hit a
foean volley and the way that Francis does it same
as Ben. They get in trouble because they get all
flicky with the wrists so much. You do not use
your wrist. You use your body to hit volley's. Okay,
you turn your shoulders. You literally can turn your shoulders
and come back to the center. You don't take your
racket head back. You you, oh god, both of them

(14:05):
and they slap at it, and you know what else
does the same thing and he gets away with it,
but he does miss it from time to time. Is alchorize.
He gets choppy, he chops down, which is why he
hits that beautiful little drop volley.

Speaker 2 (14:15):
He get's a little cute.

Speaker 1 (14:16):
Yeah, but no, no, he just drops it.

Speaker 2 (14:18):
He I just I need to have Renee Stubbs ATP's
the men's volley Clinic. Well this this was a turning
point of the match because is up five to four
in that game goes to a tiebreak. Tiafa loses the
tiebreak and then Peredgard wins the third set sixth three.
I think he makes that easy volley to go up
whatever it was thirty fifteen in the five to four game.
At the second set, it's game over. Like these moments

(14:41):
that are so crucial. You're on offense, but then you
do something wildly stupid, call me and you let the
opponent back.

Speaker 1 (14:47):
In be able to help him with that.

Speaker 2 (14:49):
David, sounds like we should be doing some texting, But
I'm really excited about Jay Bunny. I love a Frenchman
who is a galute, like a little bit of a goofball,
French emotion, an old player. You know, I love Benoir.
You know I love month Feast. Everybody me and everybody
loves month Feast. I was really hoping tournament guess Ke

(15:09):
is retiring. Yeah, I think Paris Masters is where he
makes his last stand. The most beautiful backhand currently maybe.

Speaker 1 (15:17):
One of the beautifult gorgeous.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
I would have taken stands backhand anybody Stan did more
with it, for sure, big, it was so big. But
one thing about Richard Guesskay that I want to call
out is I love the guy. It's been fun to
watch him play. His sock length has always been incorrect. Wow,
and now we're losing that.

Speaker 1 (15:38):
That's a large statement.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
Go big or go like kind of you didn't like
the medium chavvy sockless? No, Ben Ben Shelton wears the
same incorrect stock length sock lengths as well. It's all
I can focus on.

Speaker 1 (15:51):
Is it too short? No, it's too medium. Oh, go sockless.
Go Marty Fish, Marty Fish.

Speaker 2 (15:57):
And Andy Laden in his career, or Dan Evan or
go Hi but whatever is happening, or Rafa had a
mid high. But these are like people they look at
they have cankles.

Speaker 1 (16:08):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, so this is the kind of cometary people want
from me.

Speaker 1 (16:11):
Yeah, that's true. Okay, So let's just I want to
add a little funny thing about the six Kings Sinner's
comments about not going for the money. I love him
so much because he so tries to be politically correct. No,
I didn't go for the money. I'm just playing.

Speaker 2 (16:27):
He went to open international relationship.

Speaker 1 (16:28):
It's the sixth best players in the world are there,
and I want to test myself. Listen, Yannick, I love you,
but dude, come on, there's no way you're adding a
tournament onto your schedule, just like Carlos said. He's like, yeah,
of course they went for the money.

Speaker 2 (16:42):
Of course they were paying us lots of money. I mean,
I'm not going to lie. That's literally what Carlos Acre says.
We know what you're doing. That's cool. Just just own it.

Speaker 1 (16:49):
Yeah, just yanick. I know you want to be politically
correct with everything, because you are, but you know you
want to be sort of like the Roger Federer where
you say everything really well, but sometimes you go, yeah, listen,
it was interesting. I wanted to go visit. Are getting
paid a lot of money, That's why I went. And
then he gets sick and pulls out of Paris. So
I'm like, oh, dude, dude, he blow look good, you
blew it. Bro. Do you get something wrong with you

(17:09):
when you're in.

Speaker 2 (17:10):
Yeah, don't. Don't add another event to your tech calendar.

Speaker 1 (17:14):
Now, speaking of the men, of course, there's a bunch
of players trying to make the ATP Finals. Grigor, Steph Tommy, Tommy.
Paul is out because he lost. I believe in Paris
he did that is it for him. I believe for
the year he has no chance of making.

Speaker 2 (17:27):
It, which is too bad because I feel like he
should be in the finals.

Speaker 1 (17:31):
Yea, but this is what it's hard to be.

Speaker 2 (17:33):
Given a year. Yeah, for the year.

Speaker 1 (17:35):
You think about all the players that are in the
running for that, and Runa is still there, Demonor is
still there, Alex Demnoir has had arguably the best year
of his career.

Speaker 2 (17:44):
Makes total sense to me.

Speaker 1 (17:45):
So they're all on the casters.

Speaker 2 (17:47):
Shocked to me that Steph, who I think won his
first match in Paris, is still in the conversation given
his year. I know, like, what how how of the points?
I mean, I don't actually want an answer because I
don't want to know how the points I don't care,
but I am shocked, you know the points, I mean arguably,
but I don't understand how he has enough to be
in contention Steph ccpass and Tommy Poud doesn't after the

(18:08):
years that they both had.

Speaker 1 (18:09):
Well, that's why you have the rankings. You play a lot,
you make a lot, because that's not about the average, right.
The points are just adding your points up, and so
if you play a lot, you get rewarded. Oh yes,
so hawp lost in Hong Kong again. I just wonder
how many times she's going to do this and how
much she's going to do this and want to still
keep playing out there.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
It's a good question. I mean, I think we've had people.
I mean, if you want to talk about Sharipova, going
back to the comparison of her coming back, she had
a great run in Stutchart her first tournament back. We
were like, oh, she back. I mean she made a
semis maybe quarters like but no, no, no, look it up.
She had a good run and I was kind of like,
what's she going to look like? And she looked pretty
good then. I think in the next tournament she made

(18:51):
it to the second or third round.

Speaker 1 (18:52):
She barely won two matches in a row.

Speaker 2 (18:53):
When she came in Stuttart the first tournament and maybe
the first tournament or two, she was okay, you.

Speaker 1 (18:58):
Were kind of like, she lost to Bouchard in Stuttgart.

Speaker 2 (19:01):
Was that the first time she didn't lose Touchard in Suegart.
She loves to bouch Shard in Madrid, and that's when
Bouchard talked major shit, I know, and she was like
how about that?

Speaker 1 (19:09):
Right?

Speaker 2 (19:10):
So that and I think that was actually, honestly probably
the part where Maria was like, you know what, I
don't need this. I got my architectural digest feature home.
I got an art collector husband. I want to do
other stuff, but it wasn't until Madrid, I believe, So Hallop,
it might be the same thing. If you come out
and just hit a brick wall, then you're like, you know,

(19:30):
how much do I really need this?

Speaker 1 (19:32):
Yeah? And she's never going to hit people off the court.
At least Marie could come back. And if she was playing,
Marie had big weapons. I mean, Hallep's fitness is her weapon,
and I don't know that after being off the tour
for a while that you can sustain it. I mean,
look at Naomiosaka. Yeah, and so she never won with
fitness either. So no, Simona is the type of player
that needs to get her tennis legs under it, and
she did a lot of that by just playing. And

(19:53):
if you're not winning, that's not happening. All right, let's
get to some of you.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
One last thing I want to say two. I am
into Casper Rudes and Taylor Fritz's blonded eras, which they
both have dyed blonde hair. What's happening I don't know,
but Casper has been like kind of positioning himself as
this like sort of bomb thrower. Have you noticed he's

(20:16):
been like kinda ye, he's a little minit, little chippy. Yeah,
talking about the balls, talking about but actually talking about
other people who criticize the balls.

Speaker 1 (20:24):
You're gonna say other people's balls.

Speaker 2 (20:25):
That's a good I should Yeah, I need to walk
back that phrasing. But I like the fact that Casper's
shown us a little you know, persona. Maybe this with
the blonde, maybe he's in his villain era, whatever it is.
I'm I'm sort of the storylines that I'm.

Speaker 1 (20:37):
Looking for are not only on the court, right, I'm
so aware of these things. I mean, per usual, But
the blonde villain era Taylor Fred Slashcasper Rude is something
that I wanted to mention because when it comes back
and everyone's like, oh my god, they're playing amazing and
also they had a DGAF anymore, you're gonna be like,
right because of the hair. It's like when ladies are
having a crisis and they cut their hair. I don't

(20:59):
know what this is, but it's something so Taylor. I
feel like Taylor is definitely like he feels like a
ken to me.

Speaker 2 (21:06):
Sure, he's definitely beach.

Speaker 1 (21:09):
If Barbie had just come out that it would have
been hilarious.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
But maybe maybe his Jaba's beach. Maybe he's just a
year later to the trend.

Speaker 1 (21:15):
All right on to let's get someone your first questions?

Speaker 2 (21:18):
Yeah, go ahead, Well this is a rest to renew, Renee,
so I'll read it. Yes, Renee. Why did Wen who
wrote it to us? We got to get call the city?
Yeah we go rights, Yes, Renee. Why did we return
to making ball kids return have sweaty towels for the players? Again?

Speaker 1 (21:33):
Thanks?

Speaker 2 (21:34):
Why did we?

Speaker 1 (21:34):
I don't know, lazy, terrible? They just made a big
deal about it. The atp all I know is that
back in the day, you know, when you had Steffi
Graf's sweating out there, she just used the finger white
across the frond underneath the chin. Let it go, get
on with the match. Now everyone's got to grab it out.
They literally. It pisses me off, though.

Speaker 2 (21:54):
Do you think it's al Most people are sweating more though, No, Caitlin,
more physical?

Speaker 1 (21:58):
No, I mean yeah, a match is more physical, yes,
but it was still hot back in the seventies. Okay,
people are still sweating, mate. Okay, so when when someone gets.

Speaker 2 (22:10):
Aiste, yeah, sure, okay, it's a binky.

Speaker 1 (22:13):
And they turn around it's a binky and they got
tap tap tap. I'm like, what the fuck, come on,
you just got aste walk to the other side and
you've got wristbands on, just white your che Like, what
are we talking about here? I played three ol matches, Caitlin,
I never went to the fucking towel.

Speaker 2 (22:28):
Okay, it's embarrassing, like come on, yeah, although you know
we they also used to adjust their strings a lot,
because back in our days the strings moved around.

Speaker 1 (22:36):
Now may aple move around?

Speaker 2 (22:38):
No, they don't. These new these new materials don't move anyway.
My point is maybe the towel has replaced the banking, right.
Steve Leonard writes, well, the players, Oh, actually, I want
to make a note about that towel. One of my friends,
Mark Shapiro, who listens to this podcast, is a hospitalist,
and he always has something to say about these not
non CDC protocols that in a hospital or any other

(23:00):
place that was even attempting to be sanitary, would have
set all these towers on fire. So I just want
to shout out to Mark, You're correct, we don't know.
It's gross stab it.

Speaker 1 (23:10):
I mean, particularly if you're on a call with Jack Draper.

Speaker 2 (23:13):
Yeah, somebody's sweating, but puchan and sweatin bleeding people get
their toenails. No, thanks, hard pass Uh huh Okay.

Speaker 1 (23:22):
The next one is from Novak SINICONI why is Demono
currently playing but hasn't been nominated in the Davis Cup
squad next month? Your question is as good as answer
I can give you, as is should I snitch? I
don't know that is. Maybe he's just tired. Maybe he
said let's see how I feel after He's trying to

(23:44):
make the ATP finals, So I think he's all his
focus is on that. So maybe he doesn't want to
give an answer to Davis Cup as of yet. But
if it's an opportunity for him to play, I would
guarantee that he probably will.

Speaker 2 (23:55):
With these guys love playing for that.

Speaker 1 (23:56):
Well, especially in Spain. He's you know, Spanish speaking, he
lives in spe most of the time. Yeah, and so
so I would be surprised if he.

Speaker 2 (24:04):
Doesn't play maybe someday. Rights How does it make any sense?
I can already tell you it doesn't. To go from
Asia back to Europe. Everything in Europe should be played
leading up to the French in Wimbledon, give this time
to South America. Oh yes, this is a person from
my own heart. I agree. I think the and Ega
is on our side too. The cross continental flights and

(24:25):
scheduling is an atrocity. We should follow the sun and
just move south from you know, like the big wave
servers do in their competitions, Following the time of the
year where it's best weather and keep it moving.

Speaker 1 (24:38):
I like the follow the sun concept because that's really
what we do do in tennis. But there is the
love of playing indoors, and I for one who has
a love of playing, Oh my god, put me on
an indoor court any day of the week to play.
I loved playing indoors, and quite frankly, we do need
indoor courts because it plays. It tends to play a

(25:00):
little bit quicker. It tends what it used to do
in my day. But now they've slowed the courts down
a little bit more, but still it's more a purity
of tennis. It's, you know, it rewards attacking tennis a
little bit more than playing outside, and so I like that.
I like that you're rewarding players that are serving volleys
like our New French love serving down bombs and coming

(25:21):
into the net and all that sort of stuff, you know,
and some people might not love that type of style
of tennis, but it does take gutsy player, someone who's
being a bit more aggressive, not just standing back ten
feet behind the baseline and running down ball. So I
think we do need indoor type of tennis, and you
will get that in the fall in Europe. We used
to go to Europe and we used to have full
tournaments here in the United States, which we don't have anymore.

Speaker 2 (25:43):
Well, that's a comprehensive answer that I was ready to
disagree with you k six times, but I'll let that.

Speaker 1 (25:48):
Oh my god, everybody, yes, touch your heads. Caitlin has
agrieved with me. It's a miracle.

Speaker 2 (26:04):
There's some things I could follow up with, but I'm
not going to because I overall point Renee, well, we know.

Speaker 1 (26:09):
You just want to go to South America at all times.
They do.

Speaker 2 (26:12):
And also I don't think tennis should be played indoors,
but again that's a different.

Speaker 1 (26:17):
You of all people. Is volume ze Russians. I just
think prefers not to hit two four hands on the
back of the court. You should love playing indoors.

Speaker 2 (26:23):
Well, I just wish the grass courts season were longer
and they would make hard courts faster. But I take
your point.

Speaker 1 (26:27):
If they're not going to do that, then yes, indoor
is benefiting and they get great crowded Yeah.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Sure. And also it's not just cold weather. I mean
a lot of people are playing indoors. The WTA finals
and Saturdi Raby are going to be played indoors. That's yalla, Yeah,
that's why. Yeah, But my point is that it doesn't
necessarily conflict with summer or seasonal.

Speaker 1 (26:45):
It's better because after what we had in Cancun, Yeah,
neither to be indoors and cannot have these oh it's
raining for three days.

Speaker 2 (26:52):
Yeah. The getting typhoon that ruined the Cancuon finals was brutal,
even though Mexico's awesome.

Speaker 1 (26:57):
Hey have it in Mexico again, just have an indoor indoors.

Speaker 2 (27:00):
Angela Fechner rates what do you expect from Elena Rebakina
in Riad after sir such a long break? Who's your
favorite of the WTA finals? Great question, something that we
want to get into, for sure in a number of
different ways.

Speaker 1 (27:12):
Yeah, well, let's get into it for sure. With the
answer to the question I don't know.

Speaker 2 (27:16):
Nobody knows.

Speaker 1 (27:17):
I don't know how Elena is going to do. This
is going to be a very big test for her.
Who is going to be coaching her? Who was she
there with? That's all of stuff that I could probably
find out on my own without putting it out into
the ether button. If you want to let me know,
do it.

Speaker 2 (27:31):
We'll find out in a matter of needs.

Speaker 1 (27:33):
But we it will be interesting. Look, she plays a
really good tennis indoors. It is probably she is at
her best, probably the best player in the drawer at
her best playing indoors, maybe with a slight sable anka
just because of serving. The purity of her ball striking
is so good. But we don't know how she's going

(27:53):
to be fitness wise, match wise. I mean, it's a
long time. Months and months and months is a long
time not to play a match, So how is she
going to do? Your guess is again as good as mine.

Speaker 2 (28:03):
My only file up question is is she the kind
of player that can just show up heart out of nowhere?
It kind of seems like she is.

Speaker 1 (28:09):
Yeah, she can. She doesn't seem to need a lot
of matches. No, but still it's not gonna be but
months and months for anybody, it would be hard. I mean,
it's different going into a regular tournament. We're playing someone
that's sixty in the world maybe in the first round
or forty five under match of the best. This is
the group of death, this is the whole tournament, you know.
So I don't know. But then again, nobody there really
would want to play her because they also have an

(28:29):
unknown of how is she going to be playing, So
it'll be interesting. It'll certainly be a match that I
would love to watch. But I think going into this
tournament you have to look at Saveolenka being the favorite.
I think that Jess Pagoula has had a bit of
a rest.

Speaker 2 (28:42):
She'll be ready and fired up and talking about indoor
and place well indoors that's a good surface for her.

Speaker 1 (28:48):
Will eager shontek have the lightning in a bottle now
that she has a new coach in her ear, We
don't know. Indoors is definitely not her favorite surface, but
if it's slow enough, sure.

Speaker 2 (28:58):
I kind of see this as being like maybe Jip
Eggs tournament her time to shine.

Speaker 1 (29:02):
You did call her doing well at the US.

Speaker 2 (29:04):
Open, I did, but I thought something like would win it.
But I also as did everybody, as did you, and
but every I mean that was like an obvious call.
But I think Pagola to me, like this is the
kind of like slightly under the radar type of tournament.
I mean, yes, it's the finals, and yes there's a
lot of attention and circumstance and pomp and all that,
but it does strike me as like, because it's not
a slam, maybe there's a little bit less pressure and

(29:25):
eyeballs on her, which I don't think she loves. So
maybe this is the kind of place that'll that she'll
six drive in. I don't see Ego doing like I'm sure.
I hope she has a good tournament, but I don't
see this being hers to take.

Speaker 1 (29:37):
Certainly the first match.

Speaker 2 (29:38):
It would be nice, I speak on behalf of EGA.
It would be nice if they rotated the surfaces at
the finals.

Speaker 1 (29:44):
Yeah, maybe even an indoor clay. I think you have
to have an indoors because you cannot afford to have rain,
You cannot give to schedule of those women you have
to play matches every day. But I do think it
would be cool to rotate because it does seem to
favor well you've got a tournament with clay, sure, just
have it there one year.

Speaker 2 (30:01):
But yeah, Coco is an open question too.

Speaker 1 (30:04):
Paulini, what a great year. She can play on any surface.

Speaker 2 (30:08):
As finals, which is nuts on grass and clay. And
what do you think about Coco. Let's go back to
her for a second, just because I think she's to
me a real big question.

Speaker 1 (30:16):
Mark. Well, look if she this is what I'll say
about Coco. If she serves less than six double faults
in her matches, no matter what match she plays, she
will win the tournament. She has the ability to.

Speaker 2 (30:31):
It all comes down to the surf.

Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yeah, of course it does. You're serving twenty twenty one
double faults in a match and you lose six three
or six four on the third, yeah, and you'll win.
And that was the last loss against Saballene.

Speaker 2 (30:43):
I guess it is that simple.

Speaker 1 (30:44):
So it's like if because she's hitting the ball so well,
she's you know, arguably the best mover on the tour.
Her backhand is equally as good as anybody's on tour.
Her first serve is as big as anybody's on tour.
It's a matter of getting the second serve in the
court and not getting it absolutely handed to her. So
let's hope after what happened in the last match and

(31:05):
last time and she's gone back to Florida, she's really
put the work in and getting this second serve to
a point where she can feel like she gets it
in because I can tell you, as a server that
relied on hitting some big serves, if I couldn't get
my serve in the court, my first serf suffered because
I was hitting myself trying to get my first serve
in the court because I didn't want it.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
A second serve, no, and then your whole service game
gets into your head, and then yeah, you're on defense
the whole Yeah, everything really is so was coming from that.

Speaker 1 (31:31):
That's under six double faults a match likelihood, as she
probably wins every match. So we'll see, of course, Chen
when we know how well she's been playing. She will
be a tough out on that court as well. She
likes a sort of purity of ball as well, the
way she plays, and her serve is big. Second serve
sometimes has a bit of an issue, but overall physically.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
Yeah, she's had a good fault. I don't see her
having the I still don't think she can climb the
mountain that is sable Anca or top flight Rebeccina. If
Rebuccina shows up and is in that mode.

Speaker 1 (32:07):
The last person I want to talk about is somebody
who got in by winning Wimbledon, didn't actually win into
the tournament based on points, which is I I is
this the first year they've done that.

Speaker 2 (32:16):
I don't even know that was possible.

Speaker 1 (32:18):
Yeah, so yeah, so yeah, Kujikova is twelfth on the
race but gets in over Navarro. Navara must be like, really,
this is a year decided because she won a Grand Slam.
So the men if you win a Grand Slam have
always gotten who if you win a Slam, you go
into the ATP finals, no matter what, no matter what,
which I think is a good rule in some aspects.

Speaker 2 (32:37):
Fans want to see the four names, but also it's
but you could have a fluky Slam.

Speaker 1 (32:43):
That's yeah. I mean that one year that Emma Navarro,
I'm not Emma Emma Radakano would have been in the
w TAO for she should have been the W two
finals in a couple of years ago and wasn't. So
what are we doing here? So I think it's the
first year that they've done that, correct me on Twitter.
I know you will, Yeah, I.

Speaker 2 (33:00):
Know you'll get correct.

Speaker 1 (33:00):
I know someone's already written it in their little fingertips.
But that's sort of interesting because even ahead of her
was Bodoza, Daniel Collins and Casakina and of course amm Navarro.
So but here's the thing about Barbora. She probably wins
splutty time.

Speaker 2 (33:15):
Yeah, if it was somebody that felt way more fluky,
like I don't mean no, she's definitely not a fluke. Yeah,
Like she also has another randzame if this.

Speaker 1 (33:22):
Was careful, because you saw what she wrote to that
one person on Twitter, and they're like, how did Barbora
kuldik of it when wimbled and she snapped back, I
love won seven matches, that's how.

Speaker 2 (33:32):
Also ps, Barbara, Barbara has won a French Open and
she's won countless doubles Titus, like if anybody she knows
how to handle the high stage of pressure. I'm talking
more about uh lefty uh one Wimbledon tattoos Covit not
Covitev recently, the one who beat beat Arms.

Speaker 1 (33:52):
In the tournament that I should have won, Vondrosova right,
like Thatonrosova.

Speaker 2 (33:55):
Vondrosova would feel to me more like what if she
had been.

Speaker 1 (34:00):
Well, I think she's still saying what.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
Exactly, That's my point. So I do think it is
a little bit fluky. It just so happens that it
goes to somebody who doesn't feel fluky, which is Barbara Kajigov,
who's a multi slame mony of course, Barborais but I
really like Barbara up. But it does. It is weird.
I don't know that. I love that.

Speaker 1 (34:14):
I saw Vondrasova speaking of Vondrossova get her name right,
Renee in in the locker room at Wimbledon, because she
was down in the lower locker room when she won Wimbledon,
and I walked wandered over to her when she came
walking in and she sat down, she put the trophy
down next to her, and I walked over and I went,
can you can you even she was on her own.

(34:35):
There was very quiet down there at that time. And
I walked over and it dude, okay, can you believe this?
She looked at me, she goes, no, I still cannot
believe that just happened. Well, considering she won like three
matches on grass leading into Wimbledon. That to me, along
with the master Panko winning the French.

Speaker 2 (34:54):
Yeah, and Maria and Bertolli winning Wimbledon, there's a few
that you're just like, what like that.

Speaker 1 (35:01):
Well, considering let's not take it away from them, because
they did. It was an incredible and you still have
to win seven matches for sure, even Maoli who was
a very no no, no, but it's less about one one
tournament like Emorano kano one decisively against everybody who was
in front of her that year, as did even Mayoli
and the French oven run as did. And Eva was
a great player totally and.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
She had a great record on clay, what I mean.
And even as to Penco, like Hallop not shitting the
bedo doesn't have a slam, on's.

Speaker 1 (35:32):
Not well and also sam Stars not literally breaking her
hand in the fourth round.

Speaker 2 (35:35):
It doesn't hurt, right, I would say, Coco not having
the entire support of the crowd and arena something like
like emotionally collapsing that that's a different way. It's not different,
not different, No, you got to.

Speaker 1 (35:49):
Deal with that maybe, but you have to deal with
that as a great I think you.

Speaker 2 (35:53):
Get gifted some of these things get gifted, and on
you gifted Vandrosova that webblton she did, she would tell you,
would probably tell.

Speaker 1 (36:02):
You that was a terrible the worst warm up I've
ever seen going.

Speaker 2 (36:05):
Into it, and which you've talked about on this podcast.
But I also just think, like, not to take anything
away from anybody, but I do think like some of
them are earned, and some of them are aided heavily
by their opponent.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
Okay, well you and I are going to disagree in
saying that they're all earned. They just had an opponent
that fucked it up.

Speaker 2 (36:25):
I think that's exactly what I said. Okay, why are
some says asks Stalin Lobo, Why do some talented junior
tennis players find it difficult to succeed in the professional
ranks because they're really hard.

Speaker 1 (36:36):
It's really hard, and there's.

Speaker 2 (36:37):
Such a gating mechanism. It's point zero zero one percent
at every turn. Every recreational player can't make junior tennis,
can't make college tennis, much make top ranked junior tennis
much rake top rank pros.

Speaker 1 (36:50):
And a lot of it has to do. And I
tell this to a lot of my friends that have
junior kids playing, talking to you wells is that it's
all about developing your game through juniors. And I always
tell this to parents that like have a kid that
maybe have a bit of a messed up service motion
or funny forehand or something technically that's not good, but

(37:11):
they're getting away with it in juniors because they're better
athletes or they're better competitors, which is really important as well.
And you know, they might give you the moon ball,
and a player that's more aggressive gets the shits and
doesn't like win that match, and there is a little
bit more impatient and all those things. And then but
that person who's more talented, who is working really hard
not quite getting the results in juniors, will get the

(37:32):
results later on because they're just better technically better tennis players.
And if you work the same I mean, work out
the same, put in the same hours, be the professional,
but you are technically better, you are going to be
a better tennis player. So I always say to the
kids with junior it's not about winning and losing in juniors,

(37:52):
it's about developing your game. That's for the pros.

Speaker 2 (37:54):
Amen to that.

Speaker 1 (37:55):
And that's if your serf sucks in juniors, you but
you're still winning, you are going to get crushed in
the pros.

Speaker 2 (38:02):
There are so many juniors having played junior tennis and
up through college who push and their strategy is entirely defense.
And you can see the second I played my first
semi pro tournament just the offense. Yeah, of course they
have the defense, but they also have the offense. And
most of the kids and juniors don't prepare for that,
don't plan for it, don't have an answer to it.

(38:24):
So I think for me, the golf is enormous and
it only gets more vast.

Speaker 1 (38:27):
And also just for to finish off and put a
button on this. The junior thing is that a lot
of them at fourteen fifteen of friends and they're loving
it and dah da dah and then they get to
sixteen seventeen they discover boys or girls or whatever, and
all of a sudden they get a bit distracted and
life gets a bit harder, and they want to be
you know, it's just all the things. If you want
to be good, you have to devote your life to

(38:50):
this sport because it's not easy and you can't just
f off doing stuff. In the meantime, if somebody said
to me, we had a conversation. I had a conversation
with somebody about going to camp, summer camp. I'm like,
I never went to summer camp. I went to tennis camp. Yeah,
that's what I did anyway, So that's why KP.

Speaker 2 (39:07):
Hey, what's your take on the rules regarding mandatory tournaments
on the WTA? Also, what do you think about the
Sadi Arabia as the host for the finals for the
coming year. Do you think that's a wise decision for
the sport. I think we mostly talked about Sadi last week.
We please feel free to go back and listen to
that episode. What is your take on the rules regarding
mandatory tournaments?

Speaker 1 (39:25):
Listen? I think that the wt has to be real
careful about how many they have because they want Mandatory
tournaments are important for the players to play because the
sponsors and the tournament are putting up a lot of
money for these players to play, so they demand that
they're there. You can't just say, oh, I'm going to
take this week off. But I think there's a discussion

(39:46):
that needs to be had about how many and the
back to back tournaments. Those are the dumb things like
Indian Wells Miami back to back. That's a little bit
different because I haven't played a lot of tennis at
that point in the year. But when you're talking about
Cincinnati Montreal, they're back to back tournaments. They are two
week tournaments now the length of them, and.

Speaker 2 (40:03):
It's like it's just a lot so that before the
US but you're supposed to come in with fresh legs
and then you actually have all your real sponsor obligations.
So yeah, it's it's brutal.

Speaker 1 (40:13):
How many times have we seen a player when in
Canada and they come and win in Cincinnati. It's a rarity.
It's really hard to do so, and you know, those
tournaments are just tough to and you want to win.
There's a lot of money on You have to remember
these players that are the top players, they're making millions
and millions and millions off the court. They don't need
to go play tennis to make money, not anymore anyway,

(40:35):
some of them, like you know Sinner, and I mean,
he's wont six million dollars in the sixty help But
like so, I think they just have to be better
strategically with the calendar and making the mandatory tournaments where
it's just not so packed. It's a tough one. We've
talked about it at nauseum on this show.

Speaker 2 (40:52):
Yeah, my opinion about the schedule is widely derided. But
also I think I don't know. It's certainly different m
to the second degree. This is Mike Metz one one too.

Speaker 1 (41:07):
What's happening with with Miami and Madrid? Are are these
being purchased and moved? As far as I'm concerned, I
don't think so.

Speaker 2 (41:15):
This comes from a news item in the last week
that formally announced that IMG, which is part of WM,
which is all part of Endeavor, is selling off Miami
and Madrid, the two one thousand level tournaments that they own.
This is not news. They have been for sale for

(41:35):
a while. There was some rampant speculation and rumors that
Saudi was going to buy one or both of them,
specifically Miami. I don't know the answer to that, but
they have been for sale, much like Cincinnati was widely
up for sale, and there were a lot of bids,
and you can read pretty cohesively about who and how

(41:57):
those bids came together. Obviously, Bendabarrow ended up buying sins
Nattie bought it from the USCA, which netted them hundreds
of millions of dollars and we'll see what they put
it back into. But yeah, I think for me, Miami
is a has become a terrible tournament, and I would
love for them to have new owners and a new facility.

Speaker 1 (42:17):
Have you been down lot? Did you go down last year?
Because I heard the facilities improved a great deal. Skipped
it last in the last twelve months, So I want
to just pull that back because I know James Blake
is the tournament director, and I know that they've tried
a lot to make and from what I've heard from
the players, because I haven't been to it either in
the last twelve months, but what I heard from the
players about Miami is it has improved a lot, the courts,

(42:39):
the outside courts, the facilities.

Speaker 2 (42:40):
So no longer sinking into the.

Speaker 1 (42:42):
Yeah, apparently from the players perspective, it has improved a
great deal. So let's see where it goes, what happens
with it. I have never really liked where it's situated,
but these are all things that we could Probably maybe
they just keep a tournament, two tournaments over in the
West Coast. I don't know, but certainly there's a lot
of questions it. But also people, you have to understand

(43:04):
people have to want tournaments as well. You know, cities
have to want tournaments, Sponsors have to want tournaments.

Speaker 2 (43:09):
Yeah, and Miami sent a very clear signal that they
no longer wanted the tournament at least where it was,
And so there is a real open question. It seems
to me that somebody will snap up Madrid quite quickly.
Ion Tiriac who talking about Simona, how there's a lot
of connective tissue there. He once owned the Madrid tournament before.
I think he saw it t I MG. So having

(43:30):
a very big Master's one thousand, whoever buys some Madrid
just make the clear blue again.

Speaker 1 (43:34):
That's mye No, it's my suppress.

Speaker 2 (43:36):
No, it's great though.

Speaker 1 (43:37):
Did you have a play on it? No?

Speaker 2 (43:38):
How would I have played on it? I like that.

Speaker 1 (43:40):
You can't even stand up? Okay, Tim Kidd? Please can
you improve my volleys somehow?

Speaker 2 (43:45):
Actually?

Speaker 1 (43:45):
Did you write that in a question? Are the rest
of my game is? Okay? Bar toss up on the surf,
But can you advise me on volleys without seeing me play?
Tim Kidd? It's a bit tough to help you on
your volleys, Tim, If I haven't seen your volleys. But
just remember if you want to improve your volly's, this
is the best way to do it. Continental grip. On
your grip, go find a wall. If you cannot hit

(44:09):
four four hand volleys in a row, you are swinging
too big or back endvollies. You were taking your racket
back too far and you are using your wrist Francis
Tiafo too much, Ben Shelton. So that's my best advice
is find a wall and you will improve your vellie.
Continental grip, open the face up and do not swing

(44:30):
use your shoulders.

Speaker 2 (44:31):
Thank you, James Tan, thanks for answering my last question.
Stubbsy the one handed backhand. Even Roger said he's teaching
us to kids a two hander. Is it dying out?
Why different tennis starting younger rackets are later than when
we all began with a one hinder. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (44:44):
Well, I think it's just the the development and the
use of the two hander through the years. And you know,
back in the day it was only a one handed backhand,
and then you know the likes of Freu McMillan and
Cliff Drysdale and Chrissy Evertt and all these players that
brought two handers in and actually it's easier. I don't
know how to hit a two hander on the run.
It's like weird to me, but I hit a slice.

(45:06):
So I think the best way to teach a kid
now is absolutely two hands, because it's better and easier
on the return of serve. And I think you absolutely
need to develop a defensive and frankly offensive slice backhand.
That is what's important. And Alcaaz and even Sinner and
all these types of players have used it really, really well.

(45:27):
So Kim Kleister's was a great advocate of that. Could
hit the most unbelievable running two handed backhand. But are
you taking a photo of Melas with my glasses now,
old man? And yeah, so develop a two hander. But
absolutely you must have a slice backhand. All right, let's
get to court theory.

Speaker 2 (45:44):
Oh no, why Stephen Kennedy, Why do we never hear
of Serena and Venus having a coach before Patrick and
David Witt? Their dad didn't do it all up until then.
Rate Also, I would say their mom too, or he
was a very active.

Speaker 1 (45:57):
Well, they had Rick Macy. He was a very big
part of their life, their junior development. But at their
their development through juniors. So that's really the people that
we heard, and they're the only ones that really worked with.

Speaker 2 (46:08):
They flew through battle.

Speaker 1 (46:09):
That's why we didn't hear, but because they didn't have
anybody else courte other than me at the USO. Just kidding.
I had to throw that one in there.

Speaker 2 (46:17):
A few weeks ago, you discussed different types of balls.
Some players have hinted the tournaments are playing around with
different types of levels of pressure and that's the real
cause of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist injuries. Do you
have details on that, No.

Speaker 1 (46:29):
Pressure, different pressure on balls. No. I think all balls
have a little bit of different pressure. And also you
have to remember it's a different surface, different city, different
you know, the air in Indian Wells is very different
to the air in Miami, you know, so the ball
is going to move through the court very differently. But
I have never heard of anything about taking pressure out
of balls, unless it's at altitude, which we very rarely

(46:50):
have on tour. They have a little bit. They have
called them pressurized balls.

Speaker 2 (46:54):
Yeah, but that's it. This one's for me. You want
to read it to me?

Speaker 1 (46:57):
A which one?

Speaker 2 (46:58):
This one?

Speaker 1 (46:59):
Oh? Hi Renee, that's what it says, isn't that for me? Okay?
From Chris Hi Renee, I like that. You guys always
bring up concerns with the schedule, and I thought Caitlin's
ten Grand slams idea was intriguing.

Speaker 2 (47:13):
Oh thank you.

Speaker 1 (47:14):
If she could remake the calendar, where would these ten
tournaments be? Have you thought about that, Caitlin?

Speaker 2 (47:20):
I have? Oh, jeezly, of course I have.

Speaker 1 (47:23):
Okay, what South America. I'll let me start for you. Sure,
moving the Grand Slam from Australia to South America.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
We can keep Australia. I'm not taking it away from it.
Let me write these down, yeah, won't hate them down.
We keep Australia at beginning of the year, then we
give one to the Middle East, let's say Dubai.

Speaker 1 (47:42):
Okay, mm hmm.

Speaker 2 (47:45):
Then we go to Europe.

Speaker 1 (47:46):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (47:47):
I actually think Paris has had enough, so I don't
I kill Paris as a Grand Slam. I love wrong Garis,
it's my favorite Slam. But we're gonna mix it up.
This is this is, this is gonna take too long. No,
it's that we'll put it in. Uh, we'll make it wrong.
Equal prize money though, guys, unacceptable that they haven't.

Speaker 1 (48:02):
Been well, then you can't just go on.

Speaker 2 (48:05):
This presumes a lot of things. We'll leave Wimbledon on
the schedule. She thinks it also gives more time if
Rome is the last clay court for the grass season
to be longer, which we all like, leave the US Open. Okay, yeah,
but honestly, maybe put it in Florida or put it
in some place that's different than New York. I love
having it in New York. We love New York. It's great,

(48:25):
but I actually don't think it should be in New York.
What listen, this is my question. Guess how many am I?

Speaker 1 (48:31):
Three? Four?

Speaker 2 (48:32):
Five? Okay? Great? Now we go to South America. I'm
going to give it to Buenos Aires. Then we go
to Asia. We give it to not Tokyo Osaka, No,
not Japan. Singapore okay, Singapore mm hmm. And let's see

(48:53):
how we're doing.

Speaker 1 (48:54):
Do we want to be doing seven?

Speaker 2 (48:55):
You got three more Canada in there at all.

Speaker 1 (48:58):
I can't believe you haven't put Mexico. I'm going to
do it for you. Thank you, Mexico. Eight. Canada needs one?
Great for tennis?

Speaker 2 (49:05):
Is it great for tennis?

Speaker 1 (49:06):
Yes? Sink it's packed every year.

Speaker 2 (49:08):
Yeah, but North America is already well accommodated with Mexico. No,
it's open.

Speaker 1 (49:12):
Okay, fine, put your list.

Speaker 2 (49:13):
We'll put one in. We'll put one in. It would
be very cool. I mean South Africa used to have one.
I'm not sure I want to reward them with one
at the moment given political situations. So yeah, we'll give
one to India.

Speaker 1 (49:27):
Okay, Well, there you go, people. That's that's Caitlin's tournament schedule.
Thank you for coming with.

Speaker 2 (49:32):
More time in preparation. I probably could have come up
with a better list, but I'm going for geographic diversity,
sub surface diversity.

Speaker 1 (49:38):
She will put it out on Twitter later on Yeah. Okay,
Stephen Kennedy Wrights, what do you think is stopping Keys
from having more success? Apart from the injuries? Does she
hit too flat? Many, too many mistakes? Davenport with similar
game to her, seem to overpower her opponents, but she
doesn't seem to do that. Just wondering what's missing from her.
First of all, let me just tell you about Lindsay Davenport.

(50:00):
Lindsay Davenport had a rule in practice that she had
to hit the ball within three feet off the baseline,
every ball, every ball that was a rule, and she
would get pissed if she let that ball be short.
Lindsay had such unbelievable discipline in practice with what she knew,
what her strengths and weaknesses were. She knew she wasn't
a great mover. Madison is arguably a much better mover

(50:20):
than Lindsay. But Lindsay was real smart with the way
she played. And if she played against a one handed
back end, for example, and she would tell me this,
I would just keep pounding it there. I didn't care
how good they're backend was, maybe justin Anna, and she
would have to adjust. But She's like, I would just
keep going there because I knew I would never lose
that battle. And then she would change direction. Lindsay was
a disciplined, very smart, very calculated tennis player. Her biggest

(50:43):
issue was her attitude, and she will be the first
to admit sometimes wasn't so good at magative okay, but
she got through and won a lot of toems. She
arguably should have won, in my opinion, at least four
or five more Grand Slams, But her attitude is what
let her down. Her tennis did not. It was more
that she would kind of emotionally quit. Madison is not

(51:06):
as smart a player as Lindsay. Madison doesn't in another
thing is I just think that she chooses the wrong
shot at the wrong time. Lindsay very rarely did that.
Lindsay played to her strings. Madison doesn't. And I think
that Madison gets very anxious on the court. Lindsey was
a very go quiet, sort of dig a hole, very
much like my old doubest partner Lisa Raymond. Like if

(51:28):
they were having problems on the court, rather than be
demonstrative and loud and like me and show everyone how
upset they were, they'd dig a hole. And Lindsay would
dig hole. And Maddie's a little bit like that. But
also you see her tension, you see her anxiety. So
with Maddie, it's just being more disciplined, not trying to
hit the ball down the line when it's not there,
playing the ball through the middle of the court, more

(51:50):
being a lot more like Lindsay Davenport, which would have
Bloody just annoyed Lindsay so much in so many respects,
like why are you trying to hit that down the line?
Just go cross court? You're hitting it one hundred miles
an hour, so little things like that. I adore Maddie
and I hope she breaks through one day because she
certainly has the game and the tennis to do it.
But it's the discipline on the wrong shots at the
wrong time.

Speaker 2 (52:10):
Yeah, for me, it's all between the ears. All right.
We got maybe one or two more questions. Okay, there's
a customizing rackets question. There's a question about your career.
There's a question here about Novak pulling out of Paris.
There's a ni curious question, choose your poison. We have
one more time.

Speaker 1 (52:25):
Well, the technifier, the question about you know specs with
tennis rackets you buy the racket in the.

Speaker 2 (52:31):
Let me read the question ed of all trades, Chris
you Banks did a promo with Technifiber, which is the
racket I play with, which I like quite a bit.
Last week discussing racket customization, how easy affordable is it
for the club player, the adult non pro tournament player
to have rackets customized? Is it feasible advisable for junior
tournament level players? Thanks in advance, I will say, just
so you know, each of these pros are playing with
a racket that you cannot buy that comes customized to

(52:52):
within an inch of its life, and if you pick
one up, you will notice the difference immediately. I actually
don't know how feasible it is.

Speaker 1 (52:57):
Do you listen? I think that, yeah, we'll listen. You
can find somebody. They're a technique, a rack, and somebody
would take your money. Oh yeah, racket. There's racket guys
that do this all the time. They do it for
a living. So if you really want to and you're
good enough, I wouldn't. I wouldn't do it for like
an amateur like player that's a three point five or
something like. That's not gonna help you five point four
point five maybe, but and junior's for sure. At some

(53:19):
point you you have to be strong enough, right, So
the regular rackets you know that are weight, they're very light.
Like a professional will never pick a racket up and
just be like, yeah, I'm going to use this one.
They have to have them spect and changed, and they
might have the weight in the racket head, they might
have the weight in the middle of the racket. They
might have the weight more in the grip. The grip's
going to be adjusted. So there's so many things that

(53:42):
go into a professional, getting a little bit better. And
I think Andy Murray's probably a pityme of that. I mean,
I've never seen a guy I tried so many different
things to make him better. Maybe Novak. I don't know
what his specs are and what he's done to his rackets,
but there's no question that to be a better pro,
there's no qu question you have to have that. I
had a lot of weight in the head because I

(54:03):
was serving Bollier. I like the volley. I like the
racket to go through the ball a little bit more
and be stable. I also liked my serve to be
a bit heavier. There were times where I actually it
was one time where I had a racket was slightly
lighter and I would use it on returns and then
on my serve I would go grab my heavier racket.
So that was I don't know. I think I was
mentally unstable at that point, but you know, he never knowed.

(54:25):
But yes, it's very very important. Come on, let's give
one more, one more question, and I'll answer the others.
I'll actually go on to Twitter and answer all the questions.
We didn't get to pick one. You're gonna edit that
bit out, aren't you no?

Speaker 2 (54:40):
Also your own career, Why did you take till two
thousand to start having success? What happened in your early career?
If I sound rude, I don't mean to come across
that way, Tim Kidd. Did you not have a great
career up until two thousand to mean you just got
you got to the pros?

Speaker 1 (54:51):
Well? Tim, Okay, So this is this is an interesting
last question, and I do believe this is really important.
I was a bit of a fuck up early. I
didn't really take it seriously enough. I moved to the
United States borderhouse at twenty five, so I was obviously
making money and doing decently well prior to that. But
I wish I'd been a little bit more focused. I
wish i'd had a coach that really pushed me around

(55:13):
to getting me into that focus more standpoint. But it's
expensive to have a coach, and certainly back then you
weren't making the money I was when I qualified for
my first WIMML and I made seven thousand dollars, which
is a lot of money. Yeah, I guess, but when
you're traveling and paying for everything. I was staying with
my long last aunt in the middle of nowhere England, like,
I didn't have any expenses because I couldn't afford them,

(55:34):
so I didn't have a coach all of those things.
So it took me a while to sort of get
to that point where I was making some money where
I can employ a coach. I bought a house in
the US, and I made a real commitment to my
tennis when I was about twenty five twenty six, and
prior to that, I probably wish I had done that earlier.
I got injured quite a bit in my singles. I
had a pretty bad risk injury. In ninety seven, when

(55:55):
I started to improve my singles ranking, I was about
sixty two in the world and I was starting to
actually stand and I'm an all court player, and you
get better as an all court player because you start
to understand how to play the game better. And so
there was a lot of that. And then when I
started having most of my success was in two thousand
because I quit playing singles and I wasn't getting as
injured as much and I was focusing purely on my

(56:18):
doubles then. And you know, I was twenty nine thirty
years of age when I did that, and in the
time thirty was like, Okay, you're retiring from Dennis, and
now it's like thirty is young. So I wish I'd
kept playing singles. Now I look at it, I wish
I hadn't had the injuries that I had, But you know,
I had my success in doubles after that, and I
found the right doubles partner and that was important for
me because Lisa was very focused.

Speaker 2 (56:40):
On also winning. Just shout out to anybody who has
enough money to buy a house at twenty five and
having their shit remotely together, I think, because that's not
actually super common, and I feel like the first check
that most people get in their early twenties, they're not
looking back, and it takes them a long time to
get back. My dad into the real estate by real estate. Yeah, exactly,

(57:01):
So that's that I feel like, you know, that's not
a that's not a desk. Thank you so much for
your questions. We got almost all of them, but some
of them we will get back to you on Twitter,
or we'll save them for next week.

Speaker 1 (57:13):
Yeah we will, but thanks for joining us this week.
Of course, the WTA Finals are about to start, so
we're going to have all of those answers and we'll
get into all of that.

Speaker 2 (57:23):
Yeah, the players have started arriving. It looks like they're
on the grounds warming up, playing practicing. We'll get into
we've got some friends there. We do have some friends
there that It's totally nice. Everyone's being very pleasant over there,
I would hope. So I'm wanting more picks of food.

Speaker 1 (57:38):
I know, I got that text. I was like, why, because.

Speaker 2 (57:40):
I like knowing what food people are eating. Okay, well,
on that note, Middle Eastern food. It's so delicious.

Speaker 1 (57:46):
We appreciate you listening to our nonsense today and for
everybody else. I am also going to the village and
King Cup in a couple of weeks from Mulliga.

Speaker 2 (57:55):
I'm going to need some food picks.

Speaker 1 (57:56):
Yeah, I'll send you some food picks a little from them.
You know the Spanish almlet.

Speaker 2 (58:03):
First of all, it's called tortilla. And second of all,
in the South, you're going to be in a lot
of like Muslim and inspired food is much better.

Speaker 1 (58:08):
I love it.

Speaker 2 (58:09):
Yes, it's gonna be great.

Speaker 1 (58:10):
All right, all right, guys, thank you for joining us
today and we'll see you next week. Bye bye, h