September 17, 2025 • 36 mins
Rennae and Caitlin talk about how now, MORE THAN EVER, tennis needs a compelling third act to its season, not a bunch of under-attended team competitions, exos that nobody cares about and a slew of tournaments in great places like Seoul that are rife with withdrawals. Plus: We touch on the Taylor Townsend controversy, a Czech doubles rekindling and some interesting signs for next year.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Hi, everybody, Welcome to the Renee Stunstam's podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I'm here in New York with Kate Thompson.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
We have recovered from the US Open, have we? I
mean I was down for the count for like a
solid week.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
You know what did me?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
And actually we didn't discuss this after the US Open
because we were still like high on the supply of
the US Open.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
But what did me in was the first week? Can I? Yeah,
the extra week really grant to tweet dust.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, also you had all those great things going on
with racket down at the pier, the seaport, and and
so I did stuff there, and I was like back
and forth from the city and to this. I mean,
so I'm going to confess something, Caitlin and to our viewers.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
This happens from time to time.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
But so so, I don't know when Coco played Isla Tomlanovitch.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I think it was a Monday night. Was it Monday night? Yeah?
I think that's right.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
So I actually had I stay out the I stayed
out at LaGuardia Hotel. I won't say which one because
I don't want any stock is coming to find me.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
But here's not that many.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
But anyway, I stay at LaGuardia during the time during
the US Open because it is literally a ten minute
car ride from there to the court. So if you
are a tennis fan, honestly and you really dearly only
want to go to the tennis and you don't, you're
not listen. I stayed in LaGuardia.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I see.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I thought this was if you're a tennis fan and
you want to starck your favorite athletes, And I was like, well,
you're prospecting, You're an anti staking.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
You stock your athletes.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
You need to be in the city, but the athletes
in the city, but the But if you're a tennis
nut and you'll.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Commentator, stay in the Warrior, that makes sense. So I geah,
I guess you're right. You could just commute ten minutes
instead of literally totally.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So anyway, my point in telling you this is I
do live in the city. Of course, we're sitting in
my apartment. But I was able to go home a
bit this year because our schedules allowed us. And the
first I always stay at home, and so I didn't
have to work on Monday night and I didn't have
to work until a little bit later on Tuesday, so
I was like, oh, I'm going to go home.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I mean, who doesn't want to sleep in their own bed?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Right?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
So I come home.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
I'm watching Cocos match with Eyler. I am so fucking
tired from the from the fan week, yeah, and the
you know Stars of the Night or whatever Stars at
the Open and you know all the things that happened.
It was one all in the third set and it
was like literally nine point thirty and I went to bed.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
No, I didn't even watch the third set.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I just got on you so unlike me and I
work because I'm literally up till midnight or one. Like,
I text you at like midnight, and I know I'm
going to get a text at seven in the morning,
which I'm not going to read until like eight thirty.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'm traily six fifteen.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
But I don't even know why I text you, but
I want you to have it at seven in that
that's good.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
We have her own system of communicator. And when you
don't hear from me until like nine am, you know,
or she just woke up. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
So anyway, my point in telling you is I was
wrecked up the first week of fan Week and I
fell asleep, didn't even watch Cocos match, woke up the
next morning, watched the third set, so I knew what
the hell had happened, and but I got about ten
hours sleep that night, and I was I was back.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Oh, I was back for two weeks after that, and
then what happened, I was pretty good. Like the schedule
was not crazy. We didn't have Uber late nights this year.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I had the one o'clock in the morning match of
Osaka and Anissam over and everyone's asked me, what was
your favorite match? That For me, that was the best match. Yeah,
it was just drama. And as I said as a commentator,
you're I was like, oh man, that first semi was
so good. Damn mine's not going to be as good.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
And then it was better. Yeah. So anyway, so I
don't even know why we got into the USO. Oh,
I was on the plate. I was. I had the
plague for like five days. You did, and you still
sound a little stuffy. I know I'm still a nantibatic,
so fuck, but I didn't give it to me. When
you came over.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
I think I am you attempted to me. I sort
of did a caughe you or something. Anyway, I I
just went too hard for too long and now we're
back aout now, I will say, and I want to
sort of get into this.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
I love tennis. We both do. We have tennis so
so much. We have a podcast about it.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
We have a podcast about it, one of the longest
running tennis podcasts now in history. Because we do have
to talk about some of the newcomers, which I'm very
excited about. It's always fun when new people get into
the mix. I don't care about any tennis that's happening
right now, and I want to know. And I there
are people that I like, and I'm like, oh, Emata Kona,
I've enjoyed her whole season. I'm glad she won her
match in Korea. Maybe I'll put it on later in
(04:23):
the background because it obviously happened overnight.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
And egos Ciontech is playing in Korea. Egish Fiantech does
not need to be playing in Korea. She must be
getting so much money to go there. I guess appearance phase.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
But I just, you know, I wanted to talk about
this because I think one of the things that's so
fantastic about this year in tennis, and you know, the
mix the US US have been got sort of the
diehards were sort of I think, I don't say alienated,
but the diehards felt like, oh, okay, well now we've
like fully given this tournament over to the newcomers, which
(04:54):
I get their point. There's a lot of people taking selfies,
not paying attention to the tennis. The grounds are act
because USTA just sells so many tickets.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Some would say, you know, they're shaking the seating next year.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Well, before we get into that, I just kind of
want to make the larger point that, like with the
influx of new fans and the record viewership and record
ticket sales and record sales of Honeyduces and all this
stuff and TV writings and TV ratings, like, it's all
for me net positive. Sometimes it comes maybe at the
expense of people who are diehards who like to have
you know, the grand stand to themselves. But I think
(05:26):
this is a good problem to have. It means the
sport is growing. And I also want to encourage people
who only go to the US Open or only see
this one tournament to go to other ones because a
lot of them are much much much better now.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
In different ways, in different ways.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, it's not just slight the US Open, but nothing
based spanning, not very beatsks.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
I will say this, nothing beats the the.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Manic, crazy light, crazy shit that.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Happens unless you're in a nosebleed seating. You can't move down.
Oh my god, you're there. Well, this and Nash Stadium
is the worst. It's not a great stadium in the world.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Now again, my point I'm bringing this up is not
to debate the pros and cons of the US Open,
but rather to say, you know, we have this fantastic
culmination of a summer series. We go from Australia into
you know, the Middle East, the South America, we go
all these places, we go to Europe for a time,
then we come back to the States.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
We have this hardcourt series.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
We have amazing matches, and then the US Open happens
and it's like amazing. Caroll Bouchard, a French writer on
her sub stack, made the very very excellent point and
framing it as you know, if you go to a play,
a three act play, you don't want all the action
to happen in the second act and then the second
act be the big exciting stuff, and then what's happening
(06:37):
in the third act, and it does feel like tennis
is now having the third act of the season, where
there's exhibitions, there's some tournaments in Asia.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
There's Billy Jing King cupsky Sa Billaging King Cup, I've
a Cup, Labor Cup. Who like even cares about Labor Cup?
And so is this the best and most exciting third act?
And some would say, while we've got the two finals
and everyone cares about that, And I would say, do
they some people care about that. I get that there's
a lot of money involved in it. Obviously it's not
a new topic because we've talked about this before. But
(07:07):
I just I think she raises a good point, which is,
especially with the influx of new fans, what is keeping
them around and what is the sort of follow up
dessert course.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Of the US Open? And if this is it, then
I think we have to rethink it. Not only because
the players are all you know, dead and bloodied and
buried along the way kind of thing, because they're all
exhausted and a lot of them are doing this out
of either appearance fee or national pride. Right now, we're
watching Paula Badosa play Elina Spadelina, you know, to a
crowd of tens in Shenzen for Billageing King Cup, and it's.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Like, well, I love those players, but what are we doing?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
So I don't know that I have the answer to that,
but it does feel like it's an emergency.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
I think this is more than ten Let's just be honest.
This this actually.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Brought ten people. But my point is it's not a packed,
rollicking stadium.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Well, it's hot to see how many people are there
because they don't show the full stadium, and from what
I can see, there's an entire box on the right
that's got one person in it. But the first ten
rows look pretty full. It's just what's after that.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
I think it's hard to say that this is probably
drawing the in prison crowds that it deserves.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Yeah, we couldn't argue that.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Well, I mean, listen, yeah, it's we've talked about this
a lot in the pod over the years, and it's
like after the US Open, everyone does think that tennis
is over. You know, from a from a macro standpoint,
I think we tennis players it's not a joy to
(08:44):
like schlap over to Asia and spend like a month
over there, because you just feel like you're so far
from everything unless you're Asian. Unless you're Asian, it's amazing.
Like for Chinese players or you know, any of the
Asian players, it's great. They can fly like two hours
and they don't get that opportunity. As an Australian, I
get that, and I understand out of and it's not
great and it's not easy. But yeah, I mean, but
(09:05):
how do we solve this because you know, the amount
of money that Billy jan Kin Cup is offering now
is enormous. Like God, when I played, if I was
getting like five grand I just represent my country and
like take away prize money, I was having a good day.
Now they're winning hundreds of thousand, thousands of dollars to
play in it. So the fact that Gainbridge and all
these great sponsors and Billy and Alana have done an
(09:26):
amazing job with all these sort of like sponsors to
come in and support support the w to support the
Billy Jean King Cup. But it just it just maybe
if they continue to have it, there becomes like something
that and I do, like I said this to you
before we start the pod, I do like the fact
that it is in Shenzen for one reason only all
(09:46):
the players are going to Asia, They're going to Beijing,
They're going there, and so this is a way for
them to start the Asian tour. So I like that
concept a lot. The problem is, you're not going to
get people from Spain going to Shenzhen. You're not going
to get people from Ukraine going to Shenzen.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You're not going to get.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
People from the Czech Republic really going to Shenzen. So
who are you, you know before? Who is this for
homo spectators?
Speaker 3 (10:10):
But I mean, I think part of my point is
maybe the location, which I get, and I think that
you're right, you're making a good point about the time
zone and acclimating to you know, that.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Part of the world.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
I actually mean it less because I think, you know,
I was watching some of the Davis Cup, which was
other places in the last few weeks, and it's it's
also not it's it to me. It has more to
do with a calendar than it has to do with the.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Location the finals. At least it's true.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
But this is the BJK Cup is the finals right now,
so it's going to be done right right, whereas the
guys are not done until like freaking November.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
It's a joke.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
I just I'm sort of challenging the notion because I
think I am somebody who wants tennis in Asia, I'm
somebody who wants tennis in Latin America. I'm somebody who
wants tennis a lot of different places, because I think
that's one of the coolest parts of our sport is
we have players and fans all over the world. I
don't think that the tournament in shinzen Is is not
(11:04):
a good idea because of fanship and sponsors. Although you know,
you can always have the conversation, I think it's a
bad idea because it's hard to care about anything after
the US Open, including the tour finals, which you know,
you could put in the same category, which is like
you know, the piff rankings and everyone who the race
to the thing, and it's like, well, do if any
player on the tour still if you say you could
(11:25):
be number one at the end of the year, or
you could win a slam, yeah, they're going to say
slam one of the players, Yeah, Yanny.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
People that say they don't want to win a slam.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Wheelchair got to number one in the world and didn't
get a slam, and didn't get a slam. I'm sure,
like you know, uh, Carolina Pliskova.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Carolina Pliskova, or I'm thinking about uh, you know the
Russian player, uh with this crazy serve.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Remember her, she wanted silver medal at the Olympics. They
got to number one.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Was a Serbian friend, who oh, Yolena Yankovic Jankovic, who
can forget Ilena?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Yeah, That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
They would absolutely like like Eva Mayoli won the French Open,
didn't get to number one, I think she would take
the French Ope.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
And I've been getting to number one. I think so.
So I think there is.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
I mean, they're both amazing, but I think you don't
want one without the other.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
I think what why this feels pertinent to me this
year more than past times when we've talked about it
and it has remained true, is that now tennis, very
clearly from a outside in perspective, has been succeeding in
on the upswing, both recreational and people spectating the pro game.
(12:35):
From a institutional standpoint, I think a lot of these stakeholders,
the Grand Slams, the marketing, the brands, the athletes themselves
have embraced the idea that there are a lot of
there's an influx of new eyeballs and new participants and
new people who care about it. I think that's wonderful.
That's what we've sort of been waiting for. And when
I started record a decade ago, it was like, why
(12:57):
are you doing tennis? It's a sport that's dying, And
I was like, not to me. Now I don't have
to make that case anymore. I don't have to explain
why this is relevant and why people care about it
and why it's a larger addressable market than just people
who buy rackets, because there's so many people who just
want to experience the lifestyle of it. Great, So what
are we doing from a product standpoint that's helping them?
Speaker 2 (13:13):
And this isn't it? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Well, I mean some people might argue that Asia is
a huge, clearly huge market and they're getting tennis there
and they're going to have tennis grow in that part
of the world. I don't know, but it is difficult.
We've talked about it at nauseum. I think that all
the other exhibitions dilute the product. I would love to see, frankly,
(13:39):
i'd love to see combined. I think Davis Cup and
Fed Cup, Billy Jean King Cup. It's so hard for me.
I played Fed Cup for like twenty years. But the
BJK Cup and Davis Cup are so important to the
grassroots of sport of tennis in every country. There's nothing
like representing your country. It was my favorite weeks of
(13:59):
the year was playing in BJK Cup for Australia. There
were some of the most memorable weeks. So these weeks
are great. But and you do have a team bonding,
it doesn't really matter where you are, so I think
it's really important. I just think we need to as
a as a as a sport really come up with
the best product and whatever that means. And I think
(14:21):
a mixed event would be amazing. Whether you know, Hopman
Cup was great at the start of the year. I
think that's an opportunity to do it. I mean, we do,
they do have a Hopman Cup. It was again earlier
this year. Nobody remembered it or knew about it. Italy
won it in Italy and it was crazy crowds and
it was amazing, But the only people that cared about
it were Italy in Italy because nobody else saw it
(14:42):
unless you were like glue to it. On Tennis channel
and not. I mean I'm a tennis fan and I
forgot about it. I didn't even know what was happening
because it was after Wimbledon, so everyone's like, Okay, what's next,
yous Open?
Speaker 2 (14:52):
So that's sort of the problem.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
And then we're having issues like after Wimbledon, people are
pulling out of the Canadian tournaments like Sinner and our
Carez and you know, Sablanka and all this, and then
you know, we also wanted to talk about the fact
that like Sabalalanka is pulled out of Beijing, that's not tomorrow,
that's like it's in two weeks. You know, the fact
that she's.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Already decided that she's essentially shutting down a chunk of
the season.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
And she said for a minor injury. So what does
that even mean? So she just here's the deal. These
players have decided, and she's going to take a zero
point there. She doesn't care she's gonna have to pay
a fine. Oh no, she might not have to pay
a fine because she isn't a quote unquote injury, right,
So but she's not playing there. Eager is pulled out
of Korea, you know, Anissimova pulled out of Korea as well,
(15:37):
because these tournaments are too close to a Grand Slam.
And I feel sorry for those tournaments because they literally
are putting on their one event all year and spending
a lot of money and trying to get the sponsors.
And it's hard to continually get sponsors if the top
players pull out. And I get the whole big picture,
but I mean, these players are their own bosses and
they have to take care of their own body and
their own mind.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah, and it's a lot fucking season.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, I think all to me, all of this, Yes,
we can innovate around the mix. I think that's a
great idea to mix BJK and Davis. It's not the
first time that's been suggested. I think it's a brilliant idea.
I think it again leans into the thing that is
the most exciting about our sport, which is that that's.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
An opportunity to have a week ten day event instead
of these mustas and WT at one thousands having a
ten day event, I'm just ruining the calendar.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
The schedule is broken. Because the schedule is broken. It's broken,
and it's broken.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
It's broken, and the amount of time and you know,
I see the tennis world from a little bit of
a different perspective because I see all these like pitch
decks circulating for people trying to raise money for new
business ideas, which is exciting and cool. And don't get
me wrong, like I love the fact that tennis is
now being identified as a place where there's growth possible
again for the same reasons I was just talking about,
where people are like, oh, it's dying. Who cares, I'm
going to invest in pickleball instead. It's like cool, good,
(16:46):
have fun with that, reaching a down market audience with
a dying dumb I believe you even brought that. We
with a you know, with a dying populace of participants.
But I do think the you know, the business opportunity
isn't exhibition.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
It's not more exhibitions.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
It's like, I know, we'll get an exhibition and we'll
put on the calendar and we'll get the best players available.
It's like, well, respectfully, like labor Cup is happening right now,
does Roger Feder have to go to it to make
people care about it? And even now do they? I
don't think so, you know, it's it's San Francisco is
getting an event, which is great. They California has been bereft. Yeah,
(17:26):
we had weside women's events there for a long long time.
You know the fact that Los Angeles doesn't have an
event that San Francisco after losing San Jose, which you
know is a different city, but essentially the Bay Area
lost its major women's event a couple of years ago. Like,
you know, you want to bring tennis to these places.
On the other hand, it's like, is Labor Cup.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Yes, And I just, well, it's only going to be
there one time and then it's gone.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I just I don't see the exhibition. To me a
strong body of tours and I think I'm probably ready
to say like, I'm not sure the tours bring much
value to the tennis world. All they seem to do
is want to do their own commercial deals and market
the players poorly, and they don't have any brand equity
in and of themselves.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I don't know what they do outside. That's the problem.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Provide insurance to me, an actual players union where they
can just deal with one body on the other side
of the negotiating table is so obviously the answer. It's like, okay,
great that the Slams consolidate and the players negotiate directly
with them. They decide on a calendar, and they decide
on a series of rules, and then Bob's your uncle.
Like other sports have figured this out, and I get
(18:31):
that people don't want to give up.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
They don't want to give up their small tournaments and
they don't want to give up their little thing.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
And yeah, I mean it's outside pressure now between capital
and fanship has made this undeniable and it's going to happen.
So to me, it's just like which side do you
want to be on? And you want to be on
the side that's you know, that's foot forward, that's sort
of leading what the future looks like.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I don't care. I mean, we sit on We're going
to be going to be round nom matter what.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
We're talking to the audience, and we're talking to people
who want to understan and need to understand and need
to have the context. It's more just like, you know,
I don't have a strong opinion whether it's private equity
from any particular country, whether it's you know, who wins
and who loses. Probably you know the amoratis are in
there as well. Yeah, that's not to stop an American
or North American Consortium.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
You know, Bill Gates, Bill Gates, it doesn't matter, you
got all the money.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
It's more just like, let's have this happen already so
that the product could be optimized, and so we don't
have a brilliant group of players half dead from playing
too long a season, playing a bunch of stuff in
places that should have events that are hard to draw
attention and fanship too. So that's to me the biggest
missed opportunity. And I just like, we have to fix
(19:42):
our third act.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Yeah, we have talked about that a lot, and we
have to keep talking about it. And we're sorry if
we bored you on that. But Caitlyn came in here
red hot on it today.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Caitlin, Well, we can't talk about the Tenus because nobody's
we haven't watched very much of it.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Well, we haven't watched a lot of it.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
And that just show me that my interest, even my
interest level on it, it's it's it's hard to get
back up. And I wanted to take I'll be honest
with you, I wanted to take a break from watching
tennis for the last week because I'd watched so much
tennis over the last couple of months. Speaking of Asia,
(20:22):
let's talk about Taylor Townsend's.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Little whoopsie doopsy.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
She's getting a little bit of flak over on her
Instagram TikTok or whatever.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
T Tanden went to China and made fun of all
of their food.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
It was a couple of things that she particularly made
fun of. Not gonna lie, it didn't look great either.
But I think lived in China. I've lived in China.
I have eaten everything in China. Have you eaten those
things that she one of them? I bogs on sticks.
I ate every kind of meat.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
You eat?
Speaker 3 (20:50):
That frog that she was talking about, I've been frog, yeah,
in China, both.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Frog in fact. And how was it just out of curiosity?
Not to my taste?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
But is it like snails out of As a parent,
you teach your kids not to yuck somebody else is young.
It's sort of like a fundamental thing about life. Yeah, Like,
what are you doing, bro, especially when you're gonna get
everybody's sympathy on your side for having been on the
receiving end of a you know, nasty outburst from ilen
Asta Penco. Like, do I think this is a capital offence?
Speaker 2 (21:18):
No?
Speaker 3 (21:18):
But I don't like when any American goes anywhere. You know,
you talk to like the John Isners of the world
and they're like, yeah, I hated going to Europe because
they don't have a olive garden, and you're like, that's
embarrassing for you, that's embarrassing. So like show some curiosity
about the space you're living in and maybe don't make
fun of it. I you know, I'm not ready to
like get on Taylor Townsend too much about this, but
(21:39):
I just think like Nobo lived in that part of
the world, and part of the cool thing about tennis
is it takes you all the different places very much.
Is anybody forcing you to eat any of this?
Speaker 2 (21:47):
No, listen, Yea said.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
I went to lunch with Kichita Matinez in Barcelona this
one time, and she was ordering all this food.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I'm telling you this for a reason.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
She was ordering all this food and then she's like, yeah,
try this this and I ate it and she goes,
that's you know, that's pig's blood, and I go, excuse me.
I was like, first of all, you could have told
me that, but it was like this like patty thing
of whatever, and she told me what it was and
I was like, I want to die. But it's like,
I think the problem is when you have a platform,
(22:18):
and when you have a large platform and you go
on your tiktoks and your instagrams you have and look,
we've all done it.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
We've all fucked up.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
We've all put shit out that we probably regret putting
out at some point you included Caitlin.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Yeah, a lot of Eastern Europe doesn't love me.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
And for good reason. Fair, for good reason, we've all
done it. But you have to recognize if you have
a big platform, you have to say to yourself, what
does this insinuate? And what am I.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Saying in this situation?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
And yes, maybe most people don't want to eat frogs,
but at the same time.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Most people from North America maybe exactly, so you have
to from North America.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
But to your team, dinners, Ye, go to your team dinners.
I've been to many at BJK Cup and you can
laugh about stuff and say whatever you want to your
fellow teammates and your team, but you have to be
real careful what you put out. And I'm I'm sure
she is obviously knowing that right about now, but yes, I.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Mean, is it is it going to Is it going
to change the world?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
No?
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Did she mean was she being mean about it?
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Like?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Was she being a terrible person?
Speaker 1 (23:31):
No?
Speaker 2 (23:32):
But you just have to be real careful.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
Yeah, I just I just like full philosophically, I wouldn't
yuck somebody's young, Like, what's the point of that. But
I do think that that gives us a nice transition
into speaking of platforms, which is the.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Rise of.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
People in the digital space making content, particularly players. We
have two new podcasts. Some of the most popular podcasts
now in the space are the Andi Ratic Served podcast.
I talked to Jessica Testa for The New York Times
about why I think that's a successful one and why
I think a lot of these outsider shows, even if
they're hosted by pros, are super additive to the space.
(24:09):
And then right off the back of that, obviously we
have nothing major with four you know, former pro male players.
Now we have the Player's Box, which is you know,
Mattie Keys, Jess Pagoula does Jenny Brady crab.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Check and Anny Brady.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Then the Williams Sisters yes getting into the mix actually
today launching their show on Days which I'm do.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
You think your audience will be the same as this.
I probably Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
I mean I think people I love your enth No
think here's the thing, this is what between.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
To our audience size.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
No, but I think people who like tennis content are
and also we know from podcast consumption habits, people don't
just listen to one thing.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
No, they don't.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
And I think that's like when we you know, we're
not sitting here going oh andy Roddick is going to
take our audience or you know, Serena and Venus nos.
People love tennis and people want different voices in tennis,
and you know a Venus and Serain are going to
talk about the nuances of the Asia swing.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
No.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
No, I hope to learn so much more about them.
I think they're so fascinating. Like some of the things
I always wanted to know more about is, you know,
the fact that they live in France, the fact that
they are art collectors, like oh yeah, the fact that
they're going to learn.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
A lot more obviously things about them that I know,
but also that they should know about them to make them,
you know, not just seeing as these incredible athletes.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
I got I got asked this a lot, like in
the last couple of years. There was an Italian magazine
that started about tennis called Dropshot. There was a British
magazine that started called Bageld. There's a fun quarterly zine
in Portland called Tennis Portland Tennis Quarterly. Like to me,
the fact that Racket sits alongside other really cool titles
from different parts of the world, Like I read all
(25:50):
of them, like it's cool. I collect all of them.
I don't you know, I don't view Bigel as a threat.
I view it as like, oh, this is cool. This
is like a British gay man's fashion magazine that sits
alongside my more sort of literary magazine that sits alongside
like yes, and and I think for me, the whole
thing that I've sort of been talking about, which is
why I want us to so desperately fix the calendar,
(26:11):
is because tennis is getting it to do. It's getting
all of these different voices that it's always deserved, it's
getting all of these different media formats, and so to
me it is additive.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Do I like all of them? No? But like here's
the thing.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
I don't want to yuck anybody's young, like you, like
you don't want to lean into that great.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
And they don't realize that it takes its work and
it's not easy to like get people together and do
the do the thing. And so we hope all of
these tennis podcasts are successful because that just makes that
that that just makes our sport even more.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
They will each bring in it's dimensioned sport.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Yeah, And whether those those fans listen to other things
Lislead other things, I can't imagine they want. I was
just on asy Fuds, fud Around and find Out podcasts
last week, which, if anyone knows, easy Fad. She use
a Yukon basketball player on the national Natty team last
year that won the national title. She's going back to Connecticut.
(27:08):
She's a huge like people you know love her and
she's going to be a superstar in the WNBA when
she decides. She'll probably go number one after the season.
And she's doing a podcast and I was on that
she wanted to talk about tennis. She wanted to talk about,
you know, her time at the US Open. She also
wanted she was also thinking, you know, it's a nice
audience because I come from a sporting background, blah blah blah.
So hopefully people that listen to that are also like, oh,
(27:30):
I'm going to watch a little tennis or maybe go
to WNBA game that are tennis fans. There's like it's
that you can cross promote different sports, and I think
it's it's only going to make it better. So one
interesting thing, Caitlin, that we do want to talk about
also is that Kadjikova and sinney Kova a playing doubles
together in Korea.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
This is Barbara Kadjugova, who has won two slams in
singles and multiple in doubles with Caterinette Sineyakoba. Yeah, who
is a fan favorite. I mean people love Kaiya Sniakova.
She's a gold medalist.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Well, arguably the best doubles player of the last ten
five to ten years.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
I think this is a smart move. They're both excellent doubles.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Well.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
It's interesting to me though, that they're going back to
play together because they're playing in a small tournament, so
it's kind of it's it's interesting to me, so I listen, huh,
I've done this a few times in my career. But
at certain points of the year you start looking at
next year, who you're going to play doubles with next.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Year, So you're saying you are predicting it.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Well, what I'm predicted thinking that this is an interesting
little rekindling of a doubles team. And I know Jacoba
has not done well in her doubles career since breaking
up with snow Kova. They played together since the very
young age, like early teenage years, like twelve thirteen, and
then they played together their whole career and one, you know,
(28:51):
so many Grand Slams together. You know, Look, Kat has
had success with Taylor, having won two I believe two
Grand Slams, he Strain Open, Wimbledon, but probably not the
success that she is used to.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
You're saying she would have won that Gabby Debrowski Aaron
rautleth Us Open final had she been playing with her.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
I don't know that think of it that that. I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
But what I'm saying is that this is interesting. I'm
just putting it out there. We'll see what happens at
this train Open who ends up playing together. Clearly, Taylor
and Kudjikov have been a great team. They have already
qualified for the WTA finals in Riad and so I
don't know, stay tuned on that, because it just doesn't
(29:33):
make a lot of sense to me that they would
play together unless.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Tournaments at the end of the year. So I don't
know if I'm breaking.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
News or if this is just a maybe Taylor didn't
want to go one off here because she was scared.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Of the food. Well she's not in Korea, because that's
what he's saying. Maybe she didn't want to go.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
She's playing Billy jing Kin Cup and the checks not
in it, which is a rarity because they usually dominate.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
So I don't know throwing that out there.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
That's an interesting little situation, and I might be just
jumping to a massive conclusion. And if I am, well,
then so be it. Let's talk about my old player friend,
plishkober back playing in Lisbon for remember one in Lisbon,
and she won her first round in like three hours.
(30:17):
I did speak to her after the match and she
said her body was feeling pretty good actually, which is nice.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
But it's great to see her back.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
Former world number one, came so close to winning a
major at the US Open and she lost a Cerba
made the semi finals a couple of times, so for me,
it's just nice to see somebody who had a terrible
injury and then came back from that terrible injury when
she was really playing well, made the finals of Wimbledon,
all the things, and then and then something crazy happened
with her foot at the US Open and she just
(30:45):
stopped in like the first game, and then we haven't
seen her since. So it's just nice to see her back.
I'm really happy. You know, how much success is she
going to have coming back.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
There's so many great players, but listen, with her foehand
and her serve, she can get back. So I just
I just on a us on note. I'm really happy
to see her back playing. And we've had a couple
of teenagers when yovic Eva is Yeah, Eva Jovis seventeen,
seventeen teenagers is seven and zero on the WTA Finals Guadalahara.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
She won Guadalajara. What an effort. She's such a great
little player tenacity, plus.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
She did not have the world's most stacked field.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Yeah, but it was a smaller tournament, but just the
fact that she won her first WTA tournament, it's pretty awesome.
So I want to give her big kudos. Seventeen years
of age and has an amazing competitive head on her shoulders,
so well done to her. We will be back next week,
hopefully talking about things that are a lot more interesting.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Than You can't shit on the entirety of our conversation
not being interesting now.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
It's more along the lines of, like, it's this conversation
we've been having for so long. I just want us
as a tennis community to do better about promoting.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
The sport after but how do you do that when
it's in Asia?
Speaker 3 (31:58):
It's I don't think the problem is Asia. I think
we need tennis in Asia. I think the problem is
we have to cut out a whole lot of other
stuff that doesn't make sense.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
You've got the top player in the world pulling out
of a WTA one thousand, like three weeks before it's
even happening.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
That's what are we doing right? And to me, it's
not the fact I've got Ego playing in Korea.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
I think the problem is not that these tournaments exist,
and the problem is not where they exist. I think
the problem is that there's too much stuff and we
have mis the product.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
It lose a product.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
There's too much stuff and it's time and I think
that's why we keep having this conversation because it doesn't
get fixed. But also I think because now more than ever,
the tours are the weakest they've ever been. In my opinion,
the Grand Slams are the strongest they've ever been because
they're the ones that command all the audience. The athletes
themselves have individual platforms that dwarf most of these smaller tournaments,
(32:51):
and I think they actually have to create a feasible
body themselves or decide to empower their own tours to
really advocate in their bad interest. And I also think
they have to start saying no to these dumb exos
that don't mean anything. So for me, it's it's yeah,
because it's the players needing to do it. And also
the governing body is somebody just being an adult in
the room and saying, Aliso, you have to the.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Exos are taking weeks out of the calendar that you know.
And then this is the one thing that ticks me off.
It's like, and I know they're doing it for money,
so it's like, good for them, get the money, get
the bag, get the bag players, But at the same time,
you cannot complain about the tours and the weeks and
how difficult it is and how many tournaments you have
to play and I'm emotionally drained and blah blah when
(33:33):
you keep playing them. But you're playing these exhibitions and stuff.
And the difference is, Caitlin, you're playing exhibitions. Is no pressure, right,
You're just playing for the money. You don't give a shit.
You're like, you're not like stressed out about it. You're
not waking up the morning going oh my god, I
hope win today. I hope a wind today. You just
like taking the money. But but at this like Davis Cup,
not Labor Cup. No guys waking up going oh my god,
I hope wind to day. I mean they want to
(33:53):
win for their teammates. Yeah, they're not even playing regular tournament.
They're not playing a regular set. They're not playing like it.
It's just dumb. And so you can't complain about being
exhausted at the start of the Australian Open or exhausted
at the end of the year playing the ATP Finals
when you're playing three other exhibitions leading into that event.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
So that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Don't complain out loud to the tours about the tours.
When the tours the complaint should be you guys are
letting us play exhibitions.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
They should be saying no.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Like you said no, somebody's going to see now, and
you know, hopefully it's the pressure is greater than ever
from outside.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
All right, I'm that guys on playing Billy Jean king Cup.
They're doing the right thing. I think you have to
support Billy Jean king Cup and Davis Cup. I think
they're very important for I think they're very important for
the nation of the sport, the camaraderie for the sport
I do. I love I Maybe I'm talking from a
personal standpoint, but I think they're really important and they're great.
(34:52):
Let's just figure out a way to make these team
things and these exhibitions work better for everybody.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
On that note, thanks for joining us this week.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
Send your complaints to Caitlin send them to send them
to Caitlin.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Thanks, Thanks everyone, See you next week. Bye mm hmmm.
Hi, everybody, Welcome to the Renee Stunstam's podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I'm here in New York with Kate Thompson.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
We have recovered from the US Open, have we? I
mean I was down for the count for like a
solid week.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
You know what did me?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
And actually we didn't discuss this after the US Open
because we were still like high on the supply of
the US Open.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
But what did me in was the first week? Can I? Yeah,
the extra week really grant to tweet dust.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, also you had all those great things going on
with racket down at the pier, the seaport, and and
so I did stuff there, and I was like back
and forth from the city and to this. I mean,
so I'm going to confess something, Caitlin and to our viewers.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
This happens from time to time.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
But so so, I don't know when Coco played Isla Tomlanovitch.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I think it was a Monday night. Was it Monday night? Yeah?
I think that's right.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
So I actually had I stay out the I stayed
out at LaGuardia Hotel. I won't say which one because
I don't want any stock is coming to find me.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
But here's not that many.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
But anyway, I stay at LaGuardia during the time during
the US Open because it is literally a ten minute
car ride from there to the court. So if you
are a tennis fan, honestly and you really dearly only
want to go to the tennis and you don't, you're
not listen. I stayed in LaGuardia.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I see.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I thought this was if you're a tennis fan and
you want to starck your favorite athletes, And I was like, well,
you're prospecting, You're an anti staking.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
You stock your athletes.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
You need to be in the city, but the athletes
in the city, but the But if you're a tennis
nut and you'll.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Commentator, stay in the Warrior, that makes sense. So I geah,
I guess you're right. You could just commute ten minutes
instead of literally totally.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So anyway, my point in telling you this is I
do live in the city. Of course, we're sitting in
my apartment. But I was able to go home a
bit this year because our schedules allowed us. And the
first I always stay at home, and so I didn't
have to work on Monday night and I didn't have
to work until a little bit later on Tuesday, so
I was like, oh, I'm going to go home.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I mean, who doesn't want to sleep in their own bed?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Right?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
So I come home.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
I'm watching Cocos match with Eyler. I am so fucking
tired from the from the fan week, yeah, and the
you know Stars of the Night or whatever Stars at
the Open and you know all the things that happened.
It was one all in the third set and it
was like literally nine point thirty and I went to bed.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
No, I didn't even watch the third set.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I just got on you so unlike me and I
work because I'm literally up till midnight or one. Like,
I text you at like midnight, and I know I'm
going to get a text at seven in the morning,
which I'm not going to read until like eight thirty.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'm traily six fifteen.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
But I don't even know why I text you, but
I want you to have it at seven in that
that's good.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
We have her own system of communicator. And when you
don't hear from me until like nine am, you know,
or she just woke up. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
So anyway, my point in telling you is I was
wrecked up the first week of fan Week and I
fell asleep, didn't even watch Cocos match, woke up the
next morning, watched the third set, so I knew what
the hell had happened, and but I got about ten
hours sleep that night, and I was I was back.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Oh, I was back for two weeks after that, and
then what happened, I was pretty good. Like the schedule
was not crazy. We didn't have Uber late nights this year.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I had the one o'clock in the morning match of
Osaka and Anissam over and everyone's asked me, what was
your favorite match? That For me, that was the best match. Yeah,
it was just drama. And as I said as a commentator,
you're I was like, oh man, that first semi was
so good. Damn mine's not going to be as good.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
And then it was better. Yeah. So anyway, so I
don't even know why we got into the USO. Oh,
I was on the plate. I was. I had the
plague for like five days. You did, and you still
sound a little stuffy. I know I'm still a nantibatic,
so fuck, but I didn't give it to me. When
you came over.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
I think I am you attempted to me. I sort
of did a caughe you or something. Anyway, I I
just went too hard for too long and now we're
back aout now, I will say, and I want to
sort of get into this.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
I love tennis. We both do. We have tennis so
so much. We have a podcast about it.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
We have a podcast about it, one of the longest
running tennis podcasts now in history. Because we do have
to talk about some of the newcomers, which I'm very
excited about. It's always fun when new people get into
the mix. I don't care about any tennis that's happening
right now, and I want to know. And I there
are people that I like, and I'm like, oh, Emata Kona,
I've enjoyed her whole season. I'm glad she won her
match in Korea. Maybe I'll put it on later in
(04:23):
the background because it obviously happened overnight.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
And egos Ciontech is playing in Korea. Egish Fiantech does
not need to be playing in Korea. She must be
getting so much money to go there. I guess appearance phase.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
But I just, you know, I wanted to talk about
this because I think one of the things that's so
fantastic about this year in tennis, and you know, the
mix the US US have been got sort of the
diehards were sort of I think, I don't say alienated,
but the diehards felt like, oh, okay, well now we've
like fully given this tournament over to the newcomers, which
(04:54):
I get their point. There's a lot of people taking selfies,
not paying attention to the tennis. The grounds are act
because USTA just sells so many tickets.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Some would say, you know, they're shaking the seating next year.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Well, before we get into that, I just kind of
want to make the larger point that, like with the
influx of new fans and the record viewership and record
ticket sales and record sales of Honeyduces and all this
stuff and TV writings and TV ratings, like, it's all
for me net positive. Sometimes it comes maybe at the
expense of people who are diehards who like to have
you know, the grand stand to themselves. But I think
(05:26):
this is a good problem to have. It means the
sport is growing. And I also want to encourage people
who only go to the US Open or only see
this one tournament to go to other ones because a
lot of them are much much much better now.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
In different ways, in different ways.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, it's not just slight the US Open, but nothing
based spanning, not very beatsks.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
I will say this, nothing beats the the.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Manic, crazy light, crazy shit that.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Happens unless you're in a nosebleed seating. You can't move down.
Oh my god, you're there. Well, this and Nash Stadium
is the worst. It's not a great stadium in the world.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Now again, my point I'm bringing this up is not
to debate the pros and cons of the US Open,
but rather to say, you know, we have this fantastic
culmination of a summer series. We go from Australia into
you know, the Middle East, the South America, we go
all these places, we go to Europe for a time,
then we come back to the States.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
We have this hardcourt series.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
We have amazing matches, and then the US Open happens
and it's like amazing. Caroll Bouchard, a French writer on
her sub stack, made the very very excellent point and
framing it as you know, if you go to a play,
a three act play, you don't want all the action
to happen in the second act and then the second
act be the big exciting stuff, and then what's happening
(06:37):
in the third act, and it does feel like tennis
is now having the third act of the season, where
there's exhibitions, there's some tournaments in Asia.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
There's Billy Jing King cupsky Sa Billaging King Cup, I've
a Cup, Labor Cup. Who like even cares about Labor Cup?
And so is this the best and most exciting third act?
And some would say, while we've got the two finals
and everyone cares about that, And I would say, do
they some people care about that. I get that there's
a lot of money involved in it. Obviously it's not
a new topic because we've talked about this before. But
(07:07):
I just I think she raises a good point, which is,
especially with the influx of new fans, what is keeping
them around and what is the sort of follow up
dessert course.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Of the US Open? And if this is it, then
I think we have to rethink it. Not only because
the players are all you know, dead and bloodied and
buried along the way kind of thing, because they're all
exhausted and a lot of them are doing this out
of either appearance fee or national pride. Right now, we're
watching Paula Badosa play Elina Spadelina, you know, to a
crowd of tens in Shenzen for Billageing King Cup, and it's.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Like, well, I love those players, but what are we doing?
Speaker 3 (07:45):
So I don't know that I have the answer to that,
but it does feel like it's an emergency.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
I think this is more than ten Let's just be honest.
This this actually.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Brought ten people. But my point is it's not a packed,
rollicking stadium.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Well, it's hot to see how many people are there
because they don't show the full stadium, and from what
I can see, there's an entire box on the right
that's got one person in it. But the first ten
rows look pretty full. It's just what's after that.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
I think it's hard to say that this is probably
drawing the in prison crowds that it deserves.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Yeah, we couldn't argue that.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Well, I mean, listen, yeah, it's we've talked about this
a lot in the pod over the years, and it's
like after the US Open, everyone does think that tennis
is over. You know, from a from a macro standpoint,
I think we tennis players it's not a joy to
(08:44):
like schlap over to Asia and spend like a month
over there, because you just feel like you're so far
from everything unless you're Asian. Unless you're Asian, it's amazing.
Like for Chinese players or you know, any of the
Asian players, it's great. They can fly like two hours
and they don't get that opportunity. As an Australian, I
get that, and I understand out of and it's not
great and it's not easy. But yeah, I mean, but
(09:05):
how do we solve this because you know, the amount
of money that Billy jan Kin Cup is offering now
is enormous. Like God, when I played, if I was
getting like five grand I just represent my country and
like take away prize money, I was having a good day.
Now they're winning hundreds of thousand, thousands of dollars to
play in it. So the fact that Gainbridge and all
these great sponsors and Billy and Alana have done an
(09:26):
amazing job with all these sort of like sponsors to
come in and support support the w to support the
Billy Jean King Cup. But it just it just maybe
if they continue to have it, there becomes like something
that and I do, like I said this to you
before we start the pod, I do like the fact
that it is in Shenzen for one reason only all
(09:46):
the players are going to Asia, They're going to Beijing,
They're going there, and so this is a way for
them to start the Asian tour. So I like that
concept a lot. The problem is, you're not going to
get people from Spain going to Shenzhen. You're not going
to get people from Ukraine going to Shenzen.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You're not going to get.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
People from the Czech Republic really going to Shenzen. So
who are you, you know before? Who is this for
homo spectators?
Speaker 3 (10:10):
But I mean, I think part of my point is
maybe the location, which I get, and I think that
you're right, you're making a good point about the time
zone and acclimating to you know, that.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Part of the world.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
I actually mean it less because I think, you know,
I was watching some of the Davis Cup, which was
other places in the last few weeks, and it's it's
also not it's it to me. It has more to
do with a calendar than it has to do with the.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Location the finals. At least it's true.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
But this is the BJK Cup is the finals right now,
so it's going to be done right right, whereas the
guys are not done until like freaking November.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
It's a joke.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
I just I'm sort of challenging the notion because I
think I am somebody who wants tennis in Asia, I'm
somebody who wants tennis in Latin America. I'm somebody who
wants tennis a lot of different places, because I think
that's one of the coolest parts of our sport is
we have players and fans all over the world. I
don't think that the tournament in shinzen Is is not
(11:04):
a good idea because of fanship and sponsors. Although you know,
you can always have the conversation, I think it's a
bad idea because it's hard to care about anything after
the US Open, including the tour finals, which you know,
you could put in the same category, which is like
you know, the piff rankings and everyone who the race
to the thing, and it's like, well, do if any
player on the tour still if you say you could
(11:25):
be number one at the end of the year, or
you could win a slam, yeah, they're going to say
slam one of the players, Yeah, Yanny.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
People that say they don't want to win a slam.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Wheelchair got to number one in the world and didn't
get a slam, and didn't get a slam. I'm sure,
like you know, uh, Carolina Pliskova.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Carolina Pliskova, or I'm thinking about uh, you know the
Russian player, uh with this crazy serve.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Remember her, she wanted silver medal at the Olympics. They
got to number one.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Was a Serbian friend, who oh, Yolena Yankovic Jankovic, who
can forget Ilena?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Yeah, That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
They would absolutely like like Eva Mayoli won the French Open,
didn't get to number one, I think she would take
the French Ope.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
And I've been getting to number one. I think so.
So I think there is.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
I mean, they're both amazing, but I think you don't
want one without the other.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
I think what why this feels pertinent to me this
year more than past times when we've talked about it
and it has remained true, is that now tennis, very
clearly from a outside in perspective, has been succeeding in
on the upswing, both recreational and people spectating the pro game.
(12:35):
From a institutional standpoint, I think a lot of these stakeholders,
the Grand Slams, the marketing, the brands, the athletes themselves
have embraced the idea that there are a lot of
there's an influx of new eyeballs and new participants and
new people who care about it. I think that's wonderful.
That's what we've sort of been waiting for. And when
I started record a decade ago, it was like, why
(12:57):
are you doing tennis? It's a sport that's dying, And
I was like, not to me. Now I don't have
to make that case anymore. I don't have to explain
why this is relevant and why people care about it
and why it's a larger addressable market than just people
who buy rackets, because there's so many people who just
want to experience the lifestyle of it. Great, So what
are we doing from a product standpoint that's helping them?
Speaker 2 (13:13):
And this isn't it? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Well, I mean some people might argue that Asia is
a huge, clearly huge market and they're getting tennis there
and they're going to have tennis grow in that part
of the world. I don't know, but it is difficult.
We've talked about it at nauseum. I think that all
the other exhibitions dilute the product. I would love to see, frankly,
(13:39):
i'd love to see combined. I think Davis Cup and
Fed Cup, Billy Jean King Cup. It's so hard for me.
I played Fed Cup for like twenty years. But the
BJK Cup and Davis Cup are so important to the
grassroots of sport of tennis in every country. There's nothing
like representing your country. It was my favorite weeks of
(13:59):
the year was playing in BJK Cup for Australia. There
were some of the most memorable weeks. So these weeks
are great. But and you do have a team bonding,
it doesn't really matter where you are, so I think
it's really important. I just think we need to as
a as a as a sport really come up with
the best product and whatever that means. And I think
(14:21):
a mixed event would be amazing. Whether you know, Hopman
Cup was great at the start of the year. I
think that's an opportunity to do it. I mean, we do,
they do have a Hopman Cup. It was again earlier
this year. Nobody remembered it or knew about it. Italy
won it in Italy and it was crazy crowds and
it was amazing, But the only people that cared about
it were Italy in Italy because nobody else saw it
(14:42):
unless you were like glue to it. On Tennis channel
and not. I mean I'm a tennis fan and I
forgot about it. I didn't even know what was happening
because it was after Wimbledon, so everyone's like, Okay, what's next,
yous Open?
Speaker 2 (14:52):
So that's sort of the problem.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
And then we're having issues like after Wimbledon, people are
pulling out of the Canadian tournaments like Sinner and our
Carez and you know, Sablanka and all this, and then
you know, we also wanted to talk about the fact
that like Sabalalanka is pulled out of Beijing, that's not tomorrow,
that's like it's in two weeks. You know, the fact
that she's.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Already decided that she's essentially shutting down a chunk of
the season.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
And she said for a minor injury. So what does
that even mean? So she just here's the deal. These
players have decided, and she's going to take a zero
point there. She doesn't care she's gonna have to pay
a fine. Oh no, she might not have to pay
a fine because she isn't a quote unquote injury, right,
So but she's not playing there. Eager is pulled out
of Korea, you know, Anissimova pulled out of Korea as well,
(15:37):
because these tournaments are too close to a Grand Slam.
And I feel sorry for those tournaments because they literally
are putting on their one event all year and spending
a lot of money and trying to get the sponsors.
And it's hard to continually get sponsors if the top
players pull out. And I get the whole big picture,
but I mean, these players are their own bosses and
they have to take care of their own body and
their own mind.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah, and it's a lot fucking season.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, I think all to me, all of this, Yes,
we can innovate around the mix. I think that's a
great idea to mix BJK and Davis. It's not the
first time that's been suggested. I think it's a brilliant idea.
I think it again leans into the thing that is
the most exciting about our sport, which is that that's.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
An opportunity to have a week ten day event instead
of these mustas and WT at one thousands having a
ten day event, I'm just ruining the calendar.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
The schedule is broken. Because the schedule is broken. It's broken,
and it's broken.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
It's broken, and the amount of time and you know,
I see the tennis world from a little bit of
a different perspective because I see all these like pitch
decks circulating for people trying to raise money for new
business ideas, which is exciting and cool. And don't get
me wrong, like I love the fact that tennis is
now being identified as a place where there's growth possible
again for the same reasons I was just talking about,
where people are like, oh, it's dying. Who cares, I'm
going to invest in pickleball instead. It's like cool, good,
(16:46):
have fun with that, reaching a down market audience with
a dying dumb I believe you even brought that. We
with a you know, with a dying populace of participants.
But I do think the you know, the business opportunity
isn't exhibition.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
It's not more exhibitions.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
It's like, I know, we'll get an exhibition and we'll
put on the calendar and we'll get the best players available.
It's like, well, respectfully, like labor Cup is happening right now,
does Roger Feder have to go to it to make
people care about it? And even now do they? I
don't think so, you know, it's it's San Francisco is
getting an event, which is great. They California has been bereft. Yeah,
(17:26):
we had weside women's events there for a long long time.
You know the fact that Los Angeles doesn't have an
event that San Francisco after losing San Jose, which you
know is a different city, but essentially the Bay Area
lost its major women's event a couple of years ago. Like,
you know, you want to bring tennis to these places.
On the other hand, it's like, is Labor Cup.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Yes, And I just, well, it's only going to be
there one time and then it's gone.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I just I don't see the exhibition. To me a
strong body of tours and I think I'm probably ready
to say like, I'm not sure the tours bring much
value to the tennis world. All they seem to do
is want to do their own commercial deals and market
the players poorly, and they don't have any brand equity
in and of themselves.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I don't know what they do outside. That's the problem.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
Provide insurance to me, an actual players union where they
can just deal with one body on the other side
of the negotiating table is so obviously the answer. It's like, okay,
great that the Slams consolidate and the players negotiate directly
with them. They decide on a calendar, and they decide
on a series of rules, and then Bob's your uncle.
Like other sports have figured this out, and I get
(18:31):
that people don't want to give up.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
They don't want to give up their small tournaments and
they don't want to give up their little thing.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
And yeah, I mean it's outside pressure now between capital
and fanship has made this undeniable and it's going to happen.
So to me, it's just like which side do you
want to be on? And you want to be on
the side that's you know, that's foot forward, that's sort
of leading what the future looks like.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I don't care. I mean, we sit on We're going
to be going to be round nom matter what.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
We're talking to the audience, and we're talking to people
who want to understan and need to understand and need
to have the context. It's more just like, you know,
I don't have a strong opinion whether it's private equity
from any particular country, whether it's you know, who wins
and who loses. Probably you know the amoratis are in
there as well. Yeah, that's not to stop an American
or North American Consortium.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
You know, Bill Gates, Bill Gates, it doesn't matter, you
got all the money.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
It's more just like, let's have this happen already so
that the product could be optimized, and so we don't
have a brilliant group of players half dead from playing
too long a season, playing a bunch of stuff in
places that should have events that are hard to draw
attention and fanship too. So that's to me the biggest
missed opportunity. And I just like, we have to fix
(19:42):
our third act.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Yeah, we have talked about that a lot, and we
have to keep talking about it. And we're sorry if
we bored you on that. But Caitlyn came in here
red hot on it today.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Caitlin, Well, we can't talk about the Tenus because nobody's
we haven't watched very much of it.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Well, we haven't watched a lot of it.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
And that just show me that my interest, even my
interest level on it, it's it's it's hard to get
back up. And I wanted to take I'll be honest
with you, I wanted to take a break from watching
tennis for the last week because I'd watched so much
tennis over the last couple of months. Speaking of Asia,
(20:22):
let's talk about Taylor Townsend's.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Little whoopsie doopsy.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
She's getting a little bit of flak over on her
Instagram TikTok or whatever.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
T Tanden went to China and made fun of all
of their food.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
It was a couple of things that she particularly made
fun of. Not gonna lie, it didn't look great either.
But I think lived in China. I've lived in China.
I have eaten everything in China. Have you eaten those
things that she one of them? I bogs on sticks.
I ate every kind of meat.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
You eat?
Speaker 3 (20:50):
That frog that she was talking about, I've been frog, yeah,
in China, both.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Frog in fact. And how was it just out of curiosity?
Not to my taste?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
But is it like snails out of As a parent,
you teach your kids not to yuck somebody else is young.
It's sort of like a fundamental thing about life. Yeah, Like,
what are you doing, bro, especially when you're gonna get
everybody's sympathy on your side for having been on the
receiving end of a you know, nasty outburst from ilen
Asta Penco. Like, do I think this is a capital offence?
Speaker 2 (21:18):
No?
Speaker 3 (21:18):
But I don't like when any American goes anywhere. You know,
you talk to like the John Isners of the world
and they're like, yeah, I hated going to Europe because
they don't have a olive garden, and you're like, that's
embarrassing for you, that's embarrassing. So like show some curiosity
about the space you're living in and maybe don't make
fun of it. I you know, I'm not ready to
like get on Taylor Townsend too much about this, but
(21:39):
I just think like Nobo lived in that part of
the world, and part of the cool thing about tennis
is it takes you all the different places very much.
Is anybody forcing you to eat any of this?
Speaker 2 (21:47):
No, listen, Yea said.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
I went to lunch with Kichita Matinez in Barcelona this
one time, and she was ordering all this food.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I'm telling you this for a reason.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
She was ordering all this food and then she's like, yeah,
try this this and I ate it and she goes,
that's you know, that's pig's blood, and I go, excuse me.
I was like, first of all, you could have told
me that, but it was like this like patty thing
of whatever, and she told me what it was and
I was like, I want to die. But it's like,
I think the problem is when you have a platform,
(22:18):
and when you have a large platform and you go
on your tiktoks and your instagrams you have and look,
we've all done it.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
We've all fucked up.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
We've all put shit out that we probably regret putting
out at some point you included Caitlin.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Yeah, a lot of Eastern Europe doesn't love me.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
And for good reason. Fair, for good reason, we've all
done it. But you have to recognize if you have
a big platform, you have to say to yourself, what
does this insinuate? And what am I.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Saying in this situation?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
And yes, maybe most people don't want to eat frogs,
but at the same time.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Most people from North America maybe exactly, so you have
to from North America.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
But to your team, dinners, Ye, go to your team dinners.
I've been to many at BJK Cup and you can
laugh about stuff and say whatever you want to your
fellow teammates and your team, but you have to be
real careful what you put out. And I'm I'm sure
she is obviously knowing that right about now, but yes, I.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Mean, is it is it going to Is it going
to change the world?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
No?
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Did she mean was she being mean about it?
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Like?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Was she being a terrible person?
Speaker 1 (23:31):
No?
Speaker 2 (23:32):
But you just have to be real careful.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
Yeah, I just I just like full philosophically, I wouldn't
yuck somebody's young, Like, what's the point of that. But
I do think that that gives us a nice transition
into speaking of platforms, which is the.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Rise of.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
People in the digital space making content, particularly players. We
have two new podcasts. Some of the most popular podcasts
now in the space are the Andi Ratic Served podcast.
I talked to Jessica Testa for The New York Times
about why I think that's a successful one and why
I think a lot of these outsider shows, even if
they're hosted by pros, are super additive to the space.
(24:09):
And then right off the back of that, obviously we
have nothing major with four you know, former pro male players.
Now we have the Player's Box, which is you know,
Mattie Keys, Jess Pagoula does Jenny Brady crab.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Check and Anny Brady.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Then the Williams Sisters yes getting into the mix actually
today launching their show on Days which I'm do.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
You think your audience will be the same as this.
I probably Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
I mean I think people I love your enth No
think here's the thing, this is what between.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
To our audience size.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
No, but I think people who like tennis content are
and also we know from podcast consumption habits, people don't
just listen to one thing.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
No, they don't.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
And I think that's like when we you know, we're
not sitting here going oh andy Roddick is going to
take our audience or you know, Serena and Venus nos.
People love tennis and people want different voices in tennis,
and you know a Venus and Serain are going to
talk about the nuances of the Asia swing.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
No.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
No, I hope to learn so much more about them.
I think they're so fascinating. Like some of the things
I always wanted to know more about is, you know,
the fact that they live in France, the fact that
they are art collectors, like oh yeah, the fact that
they're going to learn.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
A lot more obviously things about them that I know,
but also that they should know about them to make them,
you know, not just seeing as these incredible athletes.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
I got I got asked this a lot, like in
the last couple of years. There was an Italian magazine
that started about tennis called Dropshot. There was a British
magazine that started called Bageld. There's a fun quarterly zine
in Portland called Tennis Portland Tennis Quarterly. Like to me,
the fact that Racket sits alongside other really cool titles
from different parts of the world, Like I read all
(25:50):
of them, like it's cool. I collect all of them.
I don't you know, I don't view Bigel as a threat.
I view it as like, oh, this is cool. This
is like a British gay man's fashion magazine that sits
alongside my more sort of literary magazine that sits alongside
like yes, and and I think for me, the whole
thing that I've sort of been talking about, which is
why I want us to so desperately fix the calendar,
(26:11):
is because tennis is getting it to do. It's getting
all of these different voices that it's always deserved, it's
getting all of these different media formats, and so to
me it is additive.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Do I like all of them? No? But like here's
the thing.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
I don't want to yuck anybody's young, like you, like
you don't want to lean into that great.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
And they don't realize that it takes its work and
it's not easy to like get people together and do
the do the thing. And so we hope all of
these tennis podcasts are successful because that just makes that
that that just makes our sport even more.
Speaker 2 (26:44):
They will each bring in it's dimensioned sport.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Yeah, And whether those those fans listen to other things
Lislead other things, I can't imagine they want. I was
just on asy Fuds, fud Around and find Out podcasts
last week, which, if anyone knows, easy Fad. She use
a Yukon basketball player on the national Natty team last
year that won the national title. She's going back to Connecticut.
(27:08):
She's a huge like people you know love her and
she's going to be a superstar in the WNBA when
she decides. She'll probably go number one after the season.
And she's doing a podcast and I was on that
she wanted to talk about tennis. She wanted to talk about,
you know, her time at the US Open. She also
wanted she was also thinking, you know, it's a nice
audience because I come from a sporting background, blah blah blah.
So hopefully people that listen to that are also like, oh,
(27:30):
I'm going to watch a little tennis or maybe go
to WNBA game that are tennis fans. There's like it's
that you can cross promote different sports, and I think
it's it's only going to make it better. So one
interesting thing, Caitlin, that we do want to talk about
also is that Kadjikova and sinney Kova a playing doubles
together in Korea.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
This is Barbara Kadjugova, who has won two slams in
singles and multiple in doubles with Caterinette Sineyakoba. Yeah, who
is a fan favorite. I mean people love Kaiya Sniakova.
She's a gold medalist.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
Well, arguably the best doubles player of the last ten
five to ten years.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
I think this is a smart move. They're both excellent doubles.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Well.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
It's interesting to me though, that they're going back to
play together because they're playing in a small tournament, so
it's kind of it's it's interesting to me, so I listen, huh,
I've done this a few times in my career. But
at certain points of the year you start looking at
next year, who you're going to play doubles with next.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Year, So you're saying you are predicting it.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Well, what I'm predicted thinking that this is an interesting
little rekindling of a doubles team. And I know Jacoba
has not done well in her doubles career since breaking
up with snow Kova. They played together since the very
young age, like early teenage years, like twelve thirteen, and
then they played together their whole career and one, you know,
(28:51):
so many Grand Slams together. You know, Look, Kat has
had success with Taylor, having won two I believe two
Grand Slams, he Strain Open, Wimbledon, but probably not the
success that she is used to.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
You're saying she would have won that Gabby Debrowski Aaron
rautleth Us Open final had she been playing with her.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
I don't know that think of it that that. I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
But what I'm saying is that this is interesting. I'm
just putting it out there. We'll see what happens at
this train Open who ends up playing together. Clearly, Taylor
and Kudjikov have been a great team. They have already
qualified for the WTA finals in Riad and so I
don't know, stay tuned on that, because it just doesn't
(29:33):
make a lot of sense to me that they would
play together unless.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Tournaments at the end of the year. So I don't
know if I'm breaking.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
News or if this is just a maybe Taylor didn't
want to go one off here because she was scared.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Of the food. Well she's not in Korea, because that's
what he's saying. Maybe she didn't want to go.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
She's playing Billy jing Kin Cup and the checks not
in it, which is a rarity because they usually dominate.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
So I don't know throwing that out there.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
That's an interesting little situation, and I might be just
jumping to a massive conclusion. And if I am, well,
then so be it. Let's talk about my old player friend,
plishkober back playing in Lisbon for remember one in Lisbon,
and she won her first round in like three hours.
(30:17):
I did speak to her after the match and she
said her body was feeling pretty good actually, which is nice.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
But it's great to see her back.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
Former world number one, came so close to winning a
major at the US Open and she lost a Cerba
made the semi finals a couple of times, so for me,
it's just nice to see somebody who had a terrible
injury and then came back from that terrible injury when
she was really playing well, made the finals of Wimbledon,
all the things, and then and then something crazy happened
with her foot at the US Open and she just
(30:45):
stopped in like the first game, and then we haven't
seen her since. So it's just nice to see her back.
I'm really happy. You know, how much success is she
going to have coming back.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
There's so many great players, but listen, with her foehand
and her serve, she can get back. So I just
I just on a us on note. I'm really happy
to see her back playing. And we've had a couple
of teenagers when yovic Eva is Yeah, Eva Jovis seventeen,
seventeen teenagers is seven and zero on the WTA Finals Guadalahara.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
She won Guadalajara. What an effort. She's such a great
little player tenacity, plus.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
She did not have the world's most stacked field.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Yeah, but it was a smaller tournament, but just the
fact that she won her first WTA tournament, it's pretty awesome.
So I want to give her big kudos. Seventeen years
of age and has an amazing competitive head on her shoulders,
so well done to her. We will be back next week,
hopefully talking about things that are a lot more interesting.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Than You can't shit on the entirety of our conversation
not being interesting now.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
It's more along the lines of, like, it's this conversation
we've been having for so long. I just want us
as a tennis community to do better about promoting.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
The sport after but how do you do that when
it's in Asia?
Speaker 3 (31:58):
It's I don't think the problem is Asia. I think
we need tennis in Asia. I think the problem is
we have to cut out a whole lot of other
stuff that doesn't make sense.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
You've got the top player in the world pulling out
of a WTA one thousand, like three weeks before it's
even happening.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
That's what are we doing right? And to me, it's
not the fact I've got Ego playing in Korea.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
I think the problem is not that these tournaments exist,
and the problem is not where they exist. I think
the problem is that there's too much stuff and we
have mis the product.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
It lose a product.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
There's too much stuff and it's time and I think
that's why we keep having this conversation because it doesn't
get fixed. But also I think because now more than ever,
the tours are the weakest they've ever been. In my opinion,
the Grand Slams are the strongest they've ever been because
they're the ones that command all the audience. The athletes
themselves have individual platforms that dwarf most of these smaller tournaments,
(32:51):
and I think they actually have to create a feasible
body themselves or decide to empower their own tours to
really advocate in their bad interest. And I also think
they have to start saying no to these dumb exos
that don't mean anything. So for me, it's it's yeah,
because it's the players needing to do it. And also
the governing body is somebody just being an adult in
the room and saying, Aliso, you have to the.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
Exos are taking weeks out of the calendar that you know.
And then this is the one thing that ticks me off.
It's like, and I know they're doing it for money,
so it's like, good for them, get the money, get
the bag, get the bag players, But at the same time,
you cannot complain about the tours and the weeks and
how difficult it is and how many tournaments you have
to play and I'm emotionally drained and blah blah when
(33:33):
you keep playing them. But you're playing these exhibitions and stuff.
And the difference is, Caitlin, you're playing exhibitions. Is no pressure, right,
You're just playing for the money. You don't give a shit.
You're like, you're not like stressed out about it. You're
not waking up the morning going oh my god, I
hope win today. I hope a wind today. You just
like taking the money. But but at this like Davis Cup,
not Labor Cup. No guys waking up going oh my god,
I hope wind to day. I mean they want to
(33:53):
win for their teammates. Yeah, they're not even playing regular tournament.
They're not playing a regular set. They're not playing like it.
It's just dumb. And so you can't complain about being
exhausted at the start of the Australian Open or exhausted
at the end of the year playing the ATP Finals
when you're playing three other exhibitions leading into that event.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
So that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Don't complain out loud to the tours about the tours.
When the tours the complaint should be you guys are
letting us play exhibitions.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
They should be saying no.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Like you said no, somebody's going to see now, and
you know, hopefully it's the pressure is greater than ever
from outside.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
All right, I'm that guys on playing Billy Jean king Cup.
They're doing the right thing. I think you have to
support Billy Jean king Cup and Davis Cup. I think
they're very important for I think they're very important for
the nation of the sport, the camaraderie for the sport
I do. I love I Maybe I'm talking from a
personal standpoint, but I think they're really important and they're great.
(34:52):
Let's just figure out a way to make these team
things and these exhibitions work better for everybody.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
On that note, thanks for joining us this week.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
Send your complaints to Caitlin send them to send them
to Caitlin.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Thanks, Thanks everyone, See you next week. Bye mm hmmm.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.