March 27, 2025 • 53 mins
A spot in the Miami Open semifinals is up for grabs - experts Nicole Pratt and Simon Rea share what caught their eye from their trip to the 305. Filipina Alexandra Eala took down Iga Swiatek in the biggest win of her career to reach her first Masters semifinal. Novak Djokovic is one step closer to his 100th title as he extends his record for most wins at 1000 level. Emma Raducanu’s quarterfinal run could signal her resurgence and Joao Fonseca is bringing a passionate audience to the game. Later in the show, AO Tournament Director Craig Tiley talks Queensland Tennis Centre upgrades in preparation for Brisbane 2032, plans for AO 2026 and more. Our guests join Xavier Muhlebach and Brie Stewart in the studio.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello, Welcome to the tennis once again.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I'm Zavean Muellerbuck your host for the week, Filipino for
non world card alex Yala is the giant killer in Miami,
adding Eagish Viertek to her star studded list of casualties.
Fon Seca Fever Hard Rock Stadium was pumping every time
javon Seca took to center court. This week, we're going
to analyze the game behind the fame and Olympic overhaul
Brisbane's pat Raft Arena. He's getting a major makeover. Tennis
(00:27):
Australia CEO Craig Tyler joins us later and he'll be
covering all the big tennis storylines at home and abroad.
But let's jump on in joining me this week once
again is Queen of the small stream screen. Well, you
know when my head went to sembrace stream. No, the
problem I have is Queen of the small Great sounds
like you've got an only fans. Oh yeah, no, I
don't good fans at home. She's just going to stick here,
(00:49):
just crossing out smaller screen. We're gonna get on desktop
of ste anyway about.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
You're good, Yeah, I'm a good thing.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
And across the table from me, we've got two coaching
superstars fresh off the plane from Miami.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Is to call Pratt and Simon Ray. Welcome, g great
to be here, is it? He looks scared of me.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
I'm sorry, Well, yeah, this is different. There's a different vibe.
But I'm open to you know, a chat more.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
See.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Okay, excellent. How's the flight home? Do you got? Who
got the best seat on the plane?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I got upgraded.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Actually, I use my points, and when I got that
text before, I was just.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, yeah, there's only three things that are amazing at
the airport. One is getting that text. Second is the
gate upgrade. When you're about to board, you scan the
thing that goes bomb bong, and you think you're about
to be deported, and suddenly like, actually, we've had a
better seat for you.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
I don't think that's ever happened to me.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
That's right. We'll keep with your smaller screen and maybe
you'll get that.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah. We'll jump into the biggest news of the week.
Wild Card alexandre Yala. She bet her third consecutive Grand
Slam champion at Miami just overnight. Huge news. Yeah, not
just anyone. Yeah, the eager amazing news, isn't it? And
I went back and did a little bit of homework
on Yala, and so often, you know, these outstanding stories
(02:01):
that we see play out, there's some clues if we
track back in time.
Speaker 6 (02:04):
A little bit.
Speaker 7 (02:05):
So Alex Yala two thousand and five birth yet, meaning
she's turning twenty out of the game arras year somewhere
in twenty twenty as a fifteen year old, though from
a junior tennis perspective, she's ranked number two in the world.
So so and pratty, you'll be able to back me
up here. So often we see that that these elite
talents are nearly always, not always, but nearly always some
(02:26):
of the best junior players in the world. So that
was certainly the case with Yala makes the semi finals
of Role in Garros at fifteen in twenty twenty I'm
talking the junior edition obviously, and wins the US Open
at seventeen from a girl's singles perspective, and then we
know that the story changes a little bit because then
it is taking some time to have the big breakthrough
which we've just seen play out in front of us
this week. So in twenty twenty two, at seventeen, she's
(02:48):
ranked two hundred and nineteen in professional tennis. Twenty twenty three,
improves thirty spots one hundred and eighty nine, twenty twenty four,
forty spots one hundred and forty three, and now twenty
twenty five on the live rankings. So we know there's
elite talent there, and maybe Pratty can give some insight
into what that breakthrough kind of consists of. There's elite talent,
(03:09):
then it takes some time, then the grind starts. Then
it's kind of shoulder to the wheel for a number
of years, and all of a sudden this week and
you've outlined the quality of the winds, not just the winds,
the quality of the winds, and she's away with a
bullet to seventy five in the world and evidently going
to go much higher.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Yeah, what's your tape?
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Praddy definitely can back up Somei'm in there with the
fact that you know, the junior results are definitely an
indicator of future senior success. So the numbers there show
pretty much are evidence that she was going to get there,
but it's taken some time. I'll never forget I was
watching actually at Roland Garrett's last year, she was playing
(03:45):
against Taylor Preston. Taylor Preston was all over her, like
destroying her. And the thing that stuck out for me was,
I think her resilience, her resolve when she really didn't
have an answer to Taylor, but anyway, she just hung there.
She's stuck with it. Her attitude is amazing. So you know,
I would say maybe you could argue training out of
(04:08):
the Nadale Academy. You know, that's something that's instilled in
the players there about you know, the work ethic, the
resilience piece, and the belief piece. You know, if you
keep working hard enough, then then good things are going
to happen. So no, it's a huge breakthrough for her.
And you know she's a sweetheart as well, so it's
great to see one of the nice players come through also.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
More of those pleas and she's put Filipino tennis on
the map.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Yeah yeah, but look at the scalps. I mean, Madison
Keys has been untouchable pretty much this year.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Yeah, but she's just like a little while.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
You know, she moved to me Orca at fourteen to
go to the Raffa Academy and funnily Eno, I've got
a picture here that he was floating around her graduating
from the Raffa Academy. And then a special guests in
the tenants was Eagershiartek. Her most recent scalp just nuts she.
Speaker 8 (04:54):
See to Tony Nadal was in her box today when
she played, which is obviously Rafa's uncle. He coach really
drives the academy these days.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
For a far.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
But yeah, wow, kingmakers the whole thing huge.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Staying with Miami for a moment, I thought we jump
into What's caught your Eye. This is a segment where
every week we look at what has been happening in
the tennis world. Praddy, what's caught your I this week
in the tennis land?
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Well, I think it's caught everyone's eyes. Fonseca in listen
just the it was phenomenal. The crowds were phenomenal. We're
talking about Miami being northern Brazil, the amount of Brazilians
they're selling Brazilian T shirts out in the merchant merch store.
There's Brazilians everywhere. So anyway, in his second round match
(05:43):
he was playing, I think he was out on gran
Grandstand that only has three thousand people. Well, what happened
was there were three thousand people outside waiting to get in,
which was a security risk, so they actually had to
shut the match down and the only place they could
put it was in the Senate Court. So what happened
is all the Brazilians that had lined up to watch
(06:05):
the match were then told it's moving to Santa Court,
that they'd have to buy a Senate Court ticket. So
they went then went over to the Santate Court, started yelling, booing,
and then they had to disrupt the Draper match, pull
that off the court because the fans wouldn't stop. So
it is just it's craziness, Like it's like we're talking superstar,
(06:29):
absolutely SUPERSTI.
Speaker 8 (06:31):
Taste of it here right open. But that sounds even mourning,
but it was nuts.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
It was nuts.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
It was actually nuts, like I'd never I've actually never
heard of a situation like that before.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I kind of love it.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
He's a good kid, and he said, really great here
in Melbourne. Yeah, if we could just keep the security
wrist to a low, but the fandom high.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Good.
Speaker 8 (06:52):
What do you think is next for him? Pretty from
and Simon, Oh he's going to fly. I mean, Simon
will break his game down. But I just you know,
even in the first round match against learn A team,
that match was phenomenal. It was three sets and it
was a battle, and that come through the juniors as well.
But I just love I just love how he enjoys
(07:15):
the game so much, like I don't know, all the
different moments where someone's challenged, it's almost like he enjoyed
the challenge and he wanted the challenge because that's where
he's going to step up.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
And you can talk about where he steps up, talk
about it.
Speaker 6 (07:31):
I think Pratty makes a great point.
Speaker 7 (07:33):
You know, you can talk about the numbers and break
down the game all you like, but that ability to
walk towards I guess the pressure and the discomfort that
that's so often the differentiated between the elite, the real
champions of our sport and the rest of us. And
I think that's an outstanding point that probably makes so
to have a look behind him, well, I think that
(07:53):
that's the first thing that I see when I look
at this guy that want to have the spotlight on
him and to back his big game, back his weapons
against anyone down the other end. So he's he's okay
to go down. You know, and we've seen some ups
and downs, more ups than downs. But we saw him
win that title on clay during the South American Swing,
then go out first round. The following week. We saw
him at Indian Wells lose to the eventual champion, Jack Draper.
(08:15):
Then he goes to Phoenix, plays a challenger the next week,
which is basically as strong as a tour event, wins
that challenger in Phoenix, and then Pratty spoken to some
of the circus in Miami that's followed him around there
and speaks to the quality of Alex demon Or's win
over him in fact, to get that done, and demon
I think, backed up exactly what Pratdy was saying right
on the camera. Nice to get a winner.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I thought that was quite funny, found rude, but I was.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Like having a large.
Speaker 7 (08:43):
I loved it on him talking about overcoming that adversity.
But in terms of this guy's game, well, the top
ten players in the world, okay, just looking at the
top ten, they average one hundred and high one fifties,
one fifty nine, one fifty fifty nine on second serve. Okay,
that's normally the serve that you want to make sure
you get in right. You don't want to cough up
dog faults. This guy hits his second serve one hundred
(09:04):
and seventy kilometers an now as an eighteen year old
fourhand speed top ten average one hundred and twenty seven.
This guy's one hundred and thirty two. And Pratty's heard
me talk about some of these figures before. How about
spin twenty eight hundred the best players in or twenty
eight hundred. How many revs on the ball, So this
guy's three thy fifty. That means he's not just getting
you for speed on the foehand side, he's getting you
(09:24):
for spin as well. Normally when you add one, you've
got to take off a bit of the other. This
guy's the whole package on serve. He's going after the
ball on fourhand. He's not going to die wondering, And
was spoken about his want to grab a hold of
the moment and to win or lose on his terms
dictating the play, you know, go down on the terms
that he's comfortable with. So the Demon match in particular,
(09:46):
if you want to get into that, I think it
speaks to the quality of that win from Alex Deman
or to kind of put a stop to all of
that momentum that Fonseca had going into that.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Context, Pratty wanted to ask, how many numbers does it
take when Simon's telling you all the the numbers and stats,
how long until your eyes glaze over pretty quickly?
Speaker 4 (10:04):
And I love the number. Yeah, I'm a bit of
a stat's nut myself, So I actually really enjoyed listening
to that good. But I think where he's going to
make his biggest gains, and I still feel like there's
a bit of a gap here is physically, how could
I say he's a little soft in some areas where
he can harden up, like you get that roots leaning,
(10:27):
he needs to develop that real lean muscle mass, and
then you know, when he gets towards you know, we've
got to remember, you know, the Indian Wells and the
Miami's they're the two week events, right and the Slams
are the two weeks events, and it takes a toll
on the body. So yeah, that's an area where it's
exciting that he still has that growth.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
There, those little elements of growth. So if he was
at five out of five on a ranking for every
single element, they'd be nowhere to go. But by having
those yeah, exactly, still heaps of time. So if he's
already nailing certain things and he's got capacity for improvement
and others, these kids can absolutely knock it out of
the park.
Speaker 6 (11:02):
Yep.
Speaker 8 (11:03):
Yeah, But of a different question for both of you.
So Alex obviously overcame Fonseca, yep, played. Well what did
he have in the Fonseca match that he didn't have?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Yeah when we watched him play yesterday.
Speaker 7 (11:16):
Well, I'm pleased you've asked that, Brie, because in the
Demon match, you know, typically and this is probably will
be able to speak to this again. This is often
the case sometimes when you have identified as strength in
an opponent, which in Fonsecu's case is the forehand was
spoken about, that a lot what you may do down
the other end is actually attacked directly into that wing. Okay,
(11:37):
because a lot of times those players that have got
dominant four hands, they love time on the ball, They
love to be able to shift to their left. So
getting into the technique and the tactics if you like
a little bit more now, and their most dangerous forehands
are hit from the center third of the court or
even from the backhand side of the court. Demon in
this match served a lot of times under pressure on
the juice court straight out wide to the fonsecad four hand,
(11:58):
drawing him to his right. The thinking there being if
I draw him to his right, I'm going to increase
my chances of finding his backhand on shots two, three,
and four. Did a great job of that and the
other thing. And we know about Demon's quality on second
serve return, he really made a big inroads. We spoke
about the speed of the Fonseca second serve, but Demon
really in sets two and three when he turned that
(12:20):
match around, he hardly won a point on second serve
yeall Fonseca and Demon did it through a variety of ways,
through mixing things up. He went back in the court
a long way on second serve return. Other times he's
standing right up or inside the baseline. So he changed
the look that he was giving Fonseca. And we know
about his ability to pinpoint targets on second serve return.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
Starved him of.
Speaker 7 (12:41):
Time and really made inroads, made Fonseca uncomfortable in that
way in that match.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Come what a journey? Anything else? Catch your eye over it?
Many well?
Speaker 7 (12:48):
The only thing I would say any other thing I'd
say on Fonsecer we spoke about success leaving clues. There's
another number one ranked junior in the world, you know
at seventeen, okay, number one ranked junior in the world.
Speaker 6 (12:57):
So for those tennis lovers out there listening in, take.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
A look at the junior rankings right now, because those
players that are ranked top five, top ten in the world,
and both the boys and girls, i'd nearly guarantee, stop
short of a cast iron guarantee, but nearly guarantee your
elite champions in the next five ten years are coming
from that coke.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
Yep, right now.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And when you're at a Grand Slam, go check out
the junior's tournament.
Speaker 6 (13:18):
I think.
Speaker 7 (13:19):
Speaking in Miami, what else caught my Yeah, Victoria and Boko,
who is a player that you know. Now there's another
I think young player on the right. So I watched
her play Pala Badosa out there in Miami. Now, she
doesn't hold back on the ball. Just put a little
asterisk next to her game. Okay, she's got some power
and some weapons off both wings. She came within a
point or two of knocking off Palabadosa. I think it
was out on court one that day when I sat
(13:40):
there and watched there's a Star on the rise.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
I think we've spoken about a Yala a little bit already.
Speaker 7 (13:44):
We've spoken about Fonsaka, So just adding Victoria and Boco
was one to keep.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
One to watch in that same regard.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Very good.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Yeah, thanks for bri. What's catching your eyeballs over there
in Miami?
Speaker 8 (13:55):
Well, you know, I love Andreva, and sadly she was
defeated by Annis, who has now since been defeated also
when it's out of Miami. But I did quite enjoy
a little bit of rivalry. Whether or not it was
sportsmanship questionable, but Andrev did question a medical time out
that Anasimova had during their match play because she had
(14:18):
a blister and a finger, and she questioned it, and
then Anasaimova did bite back on Instagram indicating that there
was a blister and it was her middle finger, and
it was very like, oh here it is, here it is.
So I quite liked that and thought found it quite funny.
And for I know we're also an audio, I am
(14:41):
finding my rude middle finger up whatever you call it,
the bird, So I kind of look whether or not
Andreva enjoyed it, I'm guessing Anisimova did enjoy her humor
with doing that on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
I've got to have a laugh, I know. I kind
of like a little bit of rivalry. You're gonna have
the storylines school.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
We're not always so nice.
Speaker 8 (15:02):
And they're all friends, well most of them, right like
we always see them when the cameras rolling, hugging and
all that kind of stuff. So yeah, a little bit
of you know, flipping the bird.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Well, they'll be playing each other in you're in, you're out.
They're both too high quality ways. It's great to see
you in some over back. Yeah it is, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Can you just really stoke the flames on that rivalry
for us? That's great when you're out there on the road. Yeah,
I'll try cool so much.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
She needs to give her a few bissenes. Should let
the banjo. That's the best way.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I want to keep this high ring this Yeah, well
really high brow, a high interest in like the and
the tennis. You know what's really great at the tennis
at the moment, courtside bars, they're popping up everywhere. We
had one of the AO A few players. I think
we started it. We did kick here, but the one
(15:54):
in Miami. Jeez, it looked fun either of you courtside.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
But I've got a story on that one. So Kim
Burrell was out playing a qualifying match wondering, and I
swear it was I couldn't think it was that loud
coming the music from the bar. It was off the chart.
Speaker 8 (16:12):
It's the chart for a punter, phenomenal for a player
or a co terrific.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
I couldn't think, So I could can't imagine what the
you know, the players couldn't think either. So actually, I
actually I had to send a message into the referee
and say, you have to turn this down. Yeah, it
is way too loud, way too late.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
They did, Okay, they did, but it was I mean,
it was pumping.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
People were talking about Indian Wells being the coachellor of tennis.
Sounds that this one is music festival vibes. But I'll
tell you what, there might be a few more middle
finger emojis going up with that.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
And that's the fact.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
What's caught your eye for this week? Anything else from
Miami folks before we roll on with the rest of
the show.
Speaker 7 (16:53):
Well, I thought, you know, one thing for me, and
looking at Miami rolling off the back of Indian Wells
was just the toll that the sport is taking on
some of the best players. And also perhaps how even
now we're finding both men's tennis and women's tennis. So
having a look at the finalist from Indian Wales and
the men's game, So Jack Draper obviously the champion indi
(17:13):
In Welles whole garun of the beaten finalist or the
runner up, both of those men out.
Speaker 6 (17:18):
Opening match at Miami.
Speaker 7 (17:20):
Okay, then we're seeing things like four lucky losers. So
we've got a story to tell about Adam Walton who
was one of the beneficiaries of that spot, which is awesome, right, Yeah,
But the fact that there's and I think this is
actually a credit to where the sport's heading. So now, okay,
previous to five or ten years ago, where you go
into an event under an injury cloud and you roll up,
(17:41):
you go through the motions, potentially you take your paycheck,
you may pull out it for one down in the
opening set and you're out of there. Now, what you're
doing is you're saying to the tournament organizers, hey, folks,
I'm not right. I'll grab my second round prize money.
Thanks hub her catch as the seated player. But I'm
just telling you, and I think it's the right thing.
I'm just telling you, I'm not right. I'll take my
second run. I think you can do that three or
four times over the course of the year, and someone
(18:03):
gets a run as a lucky loser. Yeah, that's a
better show on for the customer, for the consumer, if
you like so. I think that's working. But the talking
point for me is, again, year on year, we seem
to have the same conversation. Jesus is taking a toll
and it's so hard to be And I think prabb
you be able to speak to the coaching challenge of this,
able to repeat your success week on week and again,
(18:24):
I think that's another market for the very best players
in the.
Speaker 6 (18:28):
Sport versus the rest of the field.
Speaker 7 (18:30):
Can you find a way to minimize the gap between
your best tennis and your worst tennis on any given day?
And that, for me, perhaps more than any other measure,
speaks of the progress that you might be making your
best tennis. Everyone's got a high level on their great days,
but what's your bad level? And when that gap is
small or smaller, that's indicative for me of real progress.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
So what I mean when players are on the tour
is what are the key things that really can take
their toll the most? Is in combination to every or
is it the travel, the match play, the training, Yeah,
schedule schedules.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
Yeah, I think it's a combination of everything. You know,
Like it's a three hour time difference from Indian Wells
to Miami, and whilst it might seem oh it's only
three hours, it actually does take its toll in terms
of your sleep patterns. The conditions were very different in
Miami versus Indian Wells Miami, the courts were different, and
then obviously you've got the humidity in Miami as well.
(19:28):
So and it's really interesting the events in Indian Wells
in Miami because the top players have the buys in
the first rounds and so often they're not playing their
first round match until sort of Thursday Friday, and I
feel like the tournament actually gets really squeezed and condensed,
so they actually don't have a lot of time off.
And so for you know two one thousands, where it's like,
(19:52):
oh it's a ten day, two week event, it's not
like that at all for them. So yeah, I just
think the matches get condensed, and and I think the
fact that like you don't when you don't have days off,
like if you're in a tournament, you're constantly on. There's
no switching off. And I believe that's what takes its toll.
(20:12):
And the best players, I think, manage themselves incredibly well
with the people that they hang out with in terms
of just taking away all the noise, because that takes
its tall.
Speaker 8 (20:23):
Can I just bring up some other key things that
have happened in Miami because I would love to get
both europeions.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
We've already covered the court side bar. What else is there?
Speaker 3 (20:30):
I'm trying to bring it back to the tennis Tennis.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Well, that's the shame of the show tennis.
Speaker 8 (20:33):
So this morning Arthur Fees or Arta Fees knocked out Zverev.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Three six six, three six four. Novak is pushing through.
Speaker 8 (20:44):
He's nearing maybe completing his one hundred singles titles. If
he wins Miami, we still have it, am I radicanu in.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Yeah, Well, is this Radakanu's re emergence? I mean she
had this the first time, what at one thousand events,
she's made the quarters three years since a USO open.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
When is there anything to watch there or is this
a blip?
Speaker 4 (21:04):
I just think it's really interesting. Like the backstory on
Radakhani was she tried a new coach, Bladdo Patnek, who
had formerly coached Derek Castecino and a number of other players,
very very good coach. So she had lost early in
Indian Wells, had been doing training with Bladdo out there
and then also in Miami, and then all of a sudden,
(21:25):
the day before a match, there's no Vlado. So then
I'm like, oh, this is really interesting, like who's now
coaching Emma. So it turns out that Mark Petchi, your commentator,
has been over in the box and Jane o'donna, who
who had you know, works for the for the LTA,
was there as well. She's been working consistently with her
(21:46):
fitness training Attacker. But I thought that was really really
interesting and I'm just wondering, you know, was she challenged
by some things that Bladdo was working on and.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
It's worked for her.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
But I kind of feel bad for because he was
he was out there grinding for the two weeks to
into Miami and.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
Then all of that's gone.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
Yeah, now he's gone that's so now it's like it's
kind of clicking. So yeah, that that's a really interesting
one for me. One really interesting one turn.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Over of coaching stuff in that camp, that's for sure. Yeah,
imagine you'd have.
Speaker 7 (22:20):
To look a certain way to attract some of the
best coaches of our sports given the kind of track
record that's existed there for a period of time.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Is that the new normal? Like is there more churn
than ever before or is it just there's more not
to that.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Extent, No, not.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
I mean Radakani is probably number one in regards to
changing over coaches at the.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Number one at something, don't you.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
But you know what, I love that she's doing. I
love that.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
She's doing well.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
She's you know, she's a superstar in our game, and
it's great to see her back doing well because she's
been struggling with injuries.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
It's terrific. My last question to both of you, will
novak win well?
Speaker 6 (22:59):
I think he's looking at goods.
Speaker 7 (23:00):
I think he's clearly been pretty dominant through through the
opening and what are we now, opening week or ten
days of the event, Sir Andy, back in the camp,
through the through the hard court swing they were putting
in the hours.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
You know, you can see Pratty's.
Speaker 7 (23:14):
Mentioned the really delayed start that the seeds have at
those big events, and I thought, you know, just on
a slight side, I thought some of Andy Murray's comments
about coaching. I actually found that really insightful on his
reflections from Australia, which if I'm just to summarize it
was I became obsessive. I've got that obsessive nature anyway,
and I just sat in my hotel room and obsessed
over the next opponent, you know, trilled through hours and
(23:36):
hours of video footage, and only by the end of
the event that I start to realize, actually, this is
not that healthy for me. I need to get in
the gym, I need to go and hit some golf,
but I need to find an off switch. Which was
a really interesting refashion and the other thing which grabbed me,
which you know I kind of applaud the honesty and
the vulnerability.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Oh.
Speaker 7 (23:52):
Communication and I'm paraphrase. Communication for me has always been
the challenge. And I found that, you know, when you're
the coach, and again we've got one of the world's
best coaches sitting in the room with us, that there's
pulling the team together as well, So he was kind
of putting his hand up, going, I didn't do well
there either. Like, you've got the physical performance coach to
talk to, you might have the sports psychologists, you might
(24:13):
have the analytics guy.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
To talk to, and you've got to pull those threads together. Hey,
what time we leave in tomorrow morning? You know the
left hands talking?
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (24:19):
Right, do we need to grab dinner? We've got an
issue here in the camp we need to address. And
he was kind of going, that wasn't my forte and
I wasn't expecting that to be. The caves and all
eyes at times are on the coach to pull it together.
I think Pratty does a phenomenal job of that of
kind of managing the dynamics of the team around what
the player needs. So I just thought it was really
(24:39):
interesting reflection, an honest reflection from one of the superstars
of the sport as to the different challenge that coaching
presents as compared to playing.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
That's great, well, Pray, I know you do have to
run off soon, but before you go, how was it
over there? Seeing Stormy friend of the pod back out there?
Kind of taught him at courts over the past few weeks.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Yeah, very exciting to have a back out playing, and
I guess it didn't go well to start with in
terms of winning. She was on court and she was
a little bit rusty in Austin, a little bit slow,
but that was to be expected. And then I thought
in Indian Wells she actually played a really good match.
Sam Stosa was out there because we obviously had the
(25:18):
decision to make of who we're going to choose in
the BJKA Cup team, and you know, Storm showed enough
in the in the matches and the practices as well
that she's you know, she's back at that level. So
but she hadn't had a win because she lost first
round in Inning.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Well, so we get.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
To Miami and you know, the anxieties starting to get
through the roof and yeah, so there was a change
in the drawer that I meant to play Sigamund and
her dad Mayer, they pulled out and so then they
played Lynette and yes Cremska. Yeah yeah, so two good
players and so yeah, so to get that first win,
(25:54):
that was the monkey off the back. She kind of
relaxed after the shakeout, yeah, and then obviously won a
match and then lost to the best doubles team in
the world, Taylortownsend and Senacaba. So yeah, it was awesome.
So the fact that she there were times there where
she didn't want to hear it that she was getting
better every day. It was all about wins and losses.
(26:15):
But yeah, got over that hurdle and it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
It back and it's so good.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Yeah, So the doubles she's back, and now we'll start
sort of chipping away at getting ready for singles.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Yes, well we're two weeks out now from the BJK
Cup in Brizy.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
How things looking for the team.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
Yeah great, I mean, Kim Birell was consistent again. Qualified
in Miami one around, had a close lost in close
three three set match to COSTIUK and my joint just
you know, again ticking away getting wins. She's in put
Avada this week, still going strong, and Eila a little
(26:51):
bit of an injury with her with her peck muscle
at the moment, but she's due to be playing in Charleston,
so hopefully she's all good. And yeah, we've got Allen
and Storm the doubles, so a great, great pairing to
be able to rely on.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I mean the Bjkking Cup BJK Cup, BJK Cup is well,
you know, it's an amazing tournament.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
You've been there for many years.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
How do you think this tournament fits into women's tennis
or tennis at large and what's some of your favorite
memories from the event?
Speaker 4 (27:18):
Yeah, I think where it fits in for the Australians,
which is awesome, is it's in the calendar. Like we actually,
Sam and I had a conversation with Eiler and because
you know, she'd had some injuries and listen, we understand
if it doesn't fit. She's like, no, no, no, it
is in my calendar that that's a priority for me.
So the fact that representing Australia is a priority for
all of our Australian women is it's unreal. It's unreal
(27:41):
because they you know, again we spoke about the rigors
of travel and the demands and you know, they've got
to take care of their own individual rankings. It's not
always ideal to fly back to Australia in April. So yeah,
so I'm really proud where it's at for our Australian
women and has.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Such an individual sport. It's so great to have a
team event that regularly go for us.
Speaker 8 (28:01):
It's great that we've got to hear again as well
in Brisbane.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Come what's your best memory, good or bad?
Speaker 4 (28:07):
My best memory is when we beat the US actually
in Ashville, because you know, the the Americans are pretty cocky,
you know, they think they're the biggest and the best,
and so yeah, we put off We obviously had Ash
Barty in the team, which helps a lot. But yeah,
we went down to the doubles and we'd been sort
(28:28):
of cat and mousing all week about who we were
going to put in the doubles, and we sort of
let the US team know that we if they came
and scouted us. It looked like we were going to
put in ash and Astrashama and however, last minute we
put in but we'd be preparing her. We put in
pre Hon and so pri and ash were playing the
(28:50):
deciding doubles. They didn't They literally thought Ashra was playing,
so that's kind of muddled all their plans and we won,
and so yeah, it was so nice and it was
probably more The celebrations afterwards are very quite memorable. Actually, Also, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Are you sure you remember them? All?
Speaker 4 (29:07):
I do remember, and I don't know about our captain
Elisia at the time, Let's just say she had a
great night.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Great night, rough morning, very good.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Now, as I mentioned, you are about to run out
the door and have something else where are you going
tell us all about it?
Speaker 4 (29:23):
Well, I'm running out the door because I've actually got
a Women's Coach connect and a virtual series that we
provide for women coaches for professional development. So I'm on
the panel for that one, giving my insights over the
last sort of four weeks out on tour and how
that relates to you back at the clubs as well
for coaches.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Oh that's great. How do people get involved in that one?
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Well, if you're a coach member, you can sign up
and be a part of But it's all part of
the women and Girls strategy with increasing amount of women
coaches and providing programs for women coaches within Coach Connects.
Speaker 7 (29:56):
So yeah, and just as a kind of a parting
tribute to Pratty, she won't say it.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
She's going to present her a thing. She's not dying.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
Yeah, no, just as she does.
Speaker 7 (30:06):
Hit out the door though, but being in Miami and
kind of seeing firsthand again you know, Storm get the win,
but then seeing the emotion on Stormy's face, sure, but
on Pratty's face as well in terms of and it
just reaffirms for me or reinforces for me the strength
of connection between those two. And I mentioned the importance
of getting some nourishment from a win and Pratty would
have been really challenging storm On. Yeah, but where does
(30:28):
the wind come from? Process Pross, But you know, the
nourishment needs to come right, So it was really nice
to kind of be behind the curtain in that regard.
And what about the job that this woman's done with
Kim Beryl.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Because incredible a few years.
Speaker 7 (30:39):
Back Kim reached might have been a couple of years
back now, Kim reached a career high at that time
of one hundred on the button in the world right,
and after that her ranking slid for a variety of reasons.
Kim this week, I think is on the live rankings,
I think is at sixty one in the world and
chatting to Pratty in Miami that Pratty's not satisfied with that,
but she wants to go higher again. Job that this
(31:00):
woman continues to do with our best players and a
couple of pivotal members of the b JK Cup squad.
Speaker 6 (31:06):
There, I just tip my cap. I'm full of admiration
for the work that.
Speaker 5 (31:11):
Yeah, and that was legit.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
He meant every bloody work.
Speaker 7 (31:15):
You can when you when you're on the road, you
can see the emotion and the connection and the way
that Praddy has been able to challenge Kim and support her.
Speaker 6 (31:23):
And she's not finished yet. I guess that is what
I'm saying.
Speaker 8 (31:25):
And it's so good to hear it from your words
because you get it. So then we always thought you
were good. Then to hear somebody why, Yeah, now we've
got a little.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Bit more contact. Coach, you cares.
Speaker 7 (31:35):
Yeah, and sacrifice too, right, Okay, ten or eleven days
to Miami and it's hard my partner back here with
three young kids, and no less of a sacrifice for
Pratdy to go for three and four weeks and go
again to Europe.
Speaker 6 (31:46):
And so I just want to applaud her commitment to
a players.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Yeah, I'll keep on keeping on on that note.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
But you're welcome.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Found the button at last, Thank you very much, Freddy.
JK Cup sales Tickets are available for the tie in Brisbane.
Jump on a tickermaster. It sounds like it's going to
be an absolute ripper. Thank you so much for joining us. Pratty,
We'll let you go. You can head off to your
coach's conference. After the break, we'll have Craig Tiley see
Tennis Australia joining us and giving us his take on
the world of tennis and the upcoming Olympics in Brisbane.
(32:16):
Stick around, Welcome back to the Tennis special guest joining
us now it is the one and only Craig Tiley,
See of Tennis Australia and tournament director of the Australian Open.
Welcome Boss, good to be here right again. I'm calling
this segment career limiting moves save you.
Speaker 5 (32:34):
You know, I know you well enough that pretty much
every time for you to career exactly, not just you know,
a podcast.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
It's nine years later you have one. Take that company, man.
So Craig, what have you been up to?
Speaker 5 (32:47):
You're happy happy, I'm always happy. Okay, we've noticed that
a happy slam the happy Boss. Yeah no, no, it's
a things are going great. Look, there's a lot going
on internationally. If you just read about it with it'd
be lawsuits and and and I think it's all positive
in the sense it's positive. It's about a situation being
better for everyone, better for tournaments, better for players, and
(33:09):
we're a great sport together with football. Every single nation
in the world we have a federation. Every single nation
is the two top sports global in participation of tennis
and football. I love saying that because it puts everyone
else in their place, and it's true. The facts are there,
but we suboptimize ourselves. You know, we have seven different
governing bodies, each in many cases have different objectives. We
(33:31):
have four shining lights and those are the Grand Slams
every year in London, Paris, New York and of course Melbourne.
And these are you know, these are amongst the best,
not just tennis events, but sporting events globally. They can
play a role in ensuring that one the players have
a great schedule, the fans have a great narrative that
they can understand where players go from A to B.
(33:52):
The players are playing all the top events. The players
have an off season. The players are compensated as best
as they possibly we possibly can compensate them and more so,
it's a pretty simple outcome. But the challenge we do
is when you have so many different governing bodies leaning
in is they're not spending time together to try and
get to that outcome. So the things that are happening
(34:15):
are probably going to be really good leavers to force
everyone to get to a point that's going to be better
for this.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Well, it's been interesting.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
It's because you know, all these organizations, governing bodies have
their own kind of priorities and things they're working towards,
and because of that lack of communication, historically they almost
been competing.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
But when you look at it, realize we're all rowing
in the same direction.
Speaker 5 (34:33):
Well we are because we're trying to you know, and
different objectives. You know, the International Test Federations the objective
more growing the sports. They work close to the federations,
the wt A and the A to B, the professional
arm on the tour, and they have a responsible for
all events. They have labor and management in the same
under the same umbrella, and that's always really difficult because
you've got the players and you've got the tournament. So
(34:54):
that has worked. I think it works less effectively today
than it did work when was set up. People would
argue against that. This is my personal view, but but
it's been managed okay to this point. But what we do.
We all know this bigger opportunity. That's been very clear.
We've the data is it's irrefutable the facts. This bigger
(35:15):
opportunity if you can have all these major improvements, and
some of those improvements involve breaking glass. It's not just
an incremental involve breaking glass. And that's why there's this
frustration amongst the playing group on things not going in
the direction at that hope to go in. This frustration
on the tournament side that you know, are we two
crowd as an event, This frustration on the fans. You
(35:36):
ask a fan what's going on today in tennis, and
only those diehards really know. The fans do know. Generally,
the general fan knows when they know when the four
Grand Slams are happening. With the four Grand Slams are
and then outside of that, it drops off a cliff
as far as fan interest. And so we have to
close that gap if we want the sport to keep growing.
So everyone's in it for the right reason, which is
great and the right objective, but it's just like everything
(35:58):
human beings, the pane of change is greater than the
pain of losing, So people to lose the change.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
Just writing that down to Embroider on a pillow. Very good.
Speaker 8 (36:08):
Speaking of change, Yeah, like moving a little bit more
closer to home here in Brisbane. We had an update
this week about funding that's been secured for upgrades to
the Queensland Tennis Center ahead of our twenty thirty two
Brisbane Olympic Games.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
Why is this so important for us?
Speaker 5 (36:25):
Well, this is this is the biggest infrastructure investment we've
had since that we had Melbourne Park back in twenty
ten I think it was. So it's fantastic. Great, we've
got the Games in Brisbane and now that we're the
Queenstantatas is a fantastic venue and to have one hundred
and thirty million dollars of additional funds put into We
do need a second court for the Olympic Games, but
also for events that we're going to have up there.
(36:46):
We do need more courts on the facility on the venue,
which we would have had to have anyway. For the
events that we're doing. We have some of our top
athletes training up there as well, so we do need
a facility that suits one of the best hype of
formance environments we can create globally. We also do need
which is currently going to be built into the scope.
We are going to need at some point more seats
(37:06):
in Powder After Arena, whether it be now or later,
but that's some point that's going to need to come up.
So that's going to come into that's going to build
into a magnificent facility. We'd like to see the same
expansion in Sydney at some point. We've seen some great
investment by the South Australian government into Adelaide for a
venue that fits really well for the events that we
have there. We're now working with Perth and Wa government
to get something there because we think that that's what
(37:28):
that's missing for that. Now we've seen an upgrade in Hobot,
we're going to see more of an upgrade coming up
now with Lonsistance come online, we're going to we had
an upgrade in Camera. So these all great infrastructure investments,
but the size of this one is significant. So we're
very excited about it and very appreciative to the current
Queensland government and to the federal government for any role
that they played.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Yeah amazing. I just want to thank me for always
believing in me.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
And yeah, thanks Mia to really put that well.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Now also how before we move on, if you had
a few hundred million bucks, what would you do to
make Melbourney from better?
Speaker 5 (38:02):
I would find a parking lot for you and your tesla.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
I've been asking for.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
We need to hide that test.
Speaker 5 (38:12):
Does not respond to that one, No, but look for
a start, We've got a great facility here. But like everything,
you got to keep evolving, keep changing. And we've in
many parts of the our three week event, we've reached
capacity and we're not. We don't want to build a
strategy of more people. We want to build a strategy
of great experience for those people that come. And so
(38:34):
that's you know we've got We've got opening week that
will put more effort into the third week, put more
effort into But but there's an opportunity for fans to
come out and see Tennessee players, and we want them
to be we want that to be not any memorable experience,
but something that say they have to come back next
year because that was so good. That's was my best experience. So,
like everything, you got to keep evolving. So on the
precinct over here, definitely we want to reduce the amount
(38:55):
of temporary infrastructure we have to invest in multimillions of
dollars a year we invest in temporary infrastructure to rip
it down again. Just to rip it down again. It
does not sustainable proposition. So, whether it be facilities for broadcast,
whether it be more more I've said to the team
it's I add another s. Actually there's three s's. We
need more seats, need more shade, we need more space.
And then this week we ad another screw. We need
(39:15):
more screens, because screens translates to the virtual side of
our business, this off site, so the off site fan,
more screens, more opportunity of those screens for the millions
of people that watch it, well billions now that watch them,
that engage screens on your device or screens at home
on TV. But yeah, so so, seat, shade, space and
screens are the cash phrases for what we need here
(39:37):
to invest more in.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
That's another pillow I need to order. Well.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Sticking with the AO, dates have been not leaked, they've
been announced for next year, kicking off with opening week
on Monday, the twelve twelfth of January and men's final
on the first effair.
Speaker 5 (39:50):
What have we got in store? Well, really excited about
twenty twenty six. We finally now always sly we dominate January.
Now we're getting to dominate February's for US next year.
But and then there's there's a little football event a
couple of weeks after in the US, but a big
football event.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
So you're saying exclusive here the super Bowl will be
played at Melbourne Park, No.
Speaker 5 (40:09):
That would be that would be good. There is there's
something else though, obviously in Melbourne twenty twenty six are
going to be a brilliant We've already spoken about some
initiative or internally some initiatives that we want to really
give to our fans and around making sure that we
have more shade, more seats, more space. We're going to
that's going to be something that we're going to grow.
And there's going to be again two or three transformative
initiatives that are going to completely wow fans. We're not
(40:31):
going to announce those yet. At the right time we'll
announce those and we want everyone's experience to be special
and those fans that came on site this year, we
want them to be able to even see more tennis. Yep,
it's closer to the action. So we're going to create
the site that does provide that bright enough for content
out there for them to do that, and then to
have more opportunities to eat, more opportunities to get and
enjoy our retail, and more opportunities spend a lot more
(40:51):
time on the precinct, and and again go away and say,
now that's what I want every sporting experience to be.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Love it well.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
On the tennis side of things, so the US Open,
they were recently claiming they're elevating their mixed doubles by
moving them into the there for opening week with some
big name singles players playing in the doubles tournament. Are
we doing anything to elevate our doubles.
Speaker 5 (41:14):
We're not doing what the US Open are doing. Look,
I think that works very well for New York, it
works well for the US Open, and it works getting
some big names to play those two days. We already
have that opening week, and we'll see more of this week.
So Monday, every night there's going to be matches with
the top players in the world. There'll be women playing
with men playing, will be all the top players. They'll
also extend into the afternoons. We're played on the stadiums,
(41:36):
will play on MCA, we'll playing Rod Lea Arena so
our fans for the opening weeking and to get to
see great players play matches against each other. And that
works really well for us, and we've seen it. We
filled stadiums on that the Novak Jokovic and I, the Carls,
al Karez, Alex Demna, all night, we fill stadiums and
so so we're going to see a lot more of
that and announce a lot more activities around that for
(41:58):
twenty twenty six. The Mixed Doubles Championships that we currently
have is thirty two draws sixty four players. Is really
an important event for us to provide playing opportunities for
our fans, particularly the end of the first week and
the whole of the second week. So if we pulled
out more matches on the second week and put them
into the opening for the first week a game, we
just crowded the opportunity. So we definitely want to keep
(42:20):
it that way. Ozzie's a tradition done really well in
the mixed Championship, so I cannot see us changing the
Mixed doubles Championships.
Speaker 6 (42:26):
We're looking at ways.
Speaker 5 (42:27):
We're sitting down with the doubles players, both the men
and women's doubles players and looking for ways that we
can make even doubles more exciting. I'm a big believer
in doubles. I think it could be that you Manu
one of the most creative people in the company. You
come up with something, but endorsement, there's a from your ego.
(42:48):
But anyway, so yeah, so that's an important championship for us.
What I'd like to do is what we have within it.
There's many things I'd like to see in the game.
I'd like to see us take away the let's I'd
like to see us take away the warm up. I'd
like to see us obviously do some different things with scoring.
I've always advocated for only one serve, but that's pipe
dream because that completely changes the game. But I think
(43:11):
there's some things we need to do within the game
that make it better. And then the way the game
is played through through doubles and mixed doubles. Now we
can really blow it out the water and you can
shorten play shorter sets and and I'm not a fan
of that. I the Grand Slams have a uniqueness where
you played three out of five sets on the men's side,
sled two of three sets on the woman's side, and
there's an argument about you know, men and weren't being
(43:32):
paid the same, and there's only three sets and five
so that I don't buy that. Eedicts It's got nothing
to do with the length of time on the court.
It's got everything to do with the value that you
bring to the sport. So so yeah, so I think
we're in a good We're in a good spot. And
I don't think I think if I asked Ozzie players
what you want to do with mixed doubles and have
the superstars play the first two weeks, we'll keep it
as I think the ninety nine point nine standards, they
(43:52):
keep it as.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Yeah, I think with storms take away where it was.
Speaker 5 (43:55):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, so maybe you should ask them. That's good.
That'll be good data for me because I've had an
asked them what they think and they've all said that
that they're like, what we've gone?
Speaker 3 (44:04):
Yeah, storm definitely back to that up.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
Yeah throughout Stormy. We've got your back.
Speaker 3 (44:08):
Quick. What's your next?
Speaker 1 (44:09):
My next question? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (44:09):
Yeah, Well, so before Craig, you were CEO here and
parking enforcement officer or whatever you're doing. Yes, you were
a tennis coaching. Yeah, doing a bit, but I had
no idea you were also a comedy coach. So Michael Costa,
who is a former tennis player, which not everyone may know,
but he's a correspondent, part time host of the Daily
Show in America, stand up comedian.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
He's written a book, Lucky Loser.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
Tell us about your knowledge of this tone that I'm
holding up after that?
Speaker 5 (44:38):
I did. I actually have read the book. He's done
a great job with the book. And I've been a
long journey with Mike. He's he's a bret In person,
got a lot of talent. And even though he got
I think to eight hundred and sixty eight in the
world whatever it.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Was, which as he says on the back is in parentheses,
it's still better than you, meaning the reader of the book,
which is a very good point.
Speaker 5 (45:00):
Yeah, any any player in their career got inside the
top eight hundred. But I know he was on John
Stuart the other night and it was very funny because
he he introduced himself eight sixty eight whatever it is,
and he introduced himself and and everyone laughed that that's
the highest he got it. And then everyone stopped laughing,
and he said to them he said, he said, I
(45:22):
don't think you should know. You should laugh because I
am actually the most famous tennis player you'll ever meet
anyone else below that. So so it's very funny. He's
very funny on our van trips coaching and raising. You
know that in college tennis, he always used to be
the funniest guy on the trip. And I and I
actually do remember when we were in California, and I
think it was in his junior year and we used
(45:45):
to have these team challenges and he always was a
laugh a minute with Mike. But he's also good tennis.
But he did a good job on our team. And
he always gives me a hard time about not playing
him high. But he played where he should have played
at the time, and and he but but we remember
having a chat to him about and I said, you know,
you're an opportunity for other career and comedy. But one
of the things we did in Third Street Promenade in
Santa Monica and we were playing Pepperdine University is I
(46:08):
challenged the team and I said, each of you need
to go out and who can raise the most money
busking in the next two hours on thirst freet promenade
Michael when got a American speeder and that's all he want.
He stood in a soapbox and he went through this
whole siloquy of a narrative and he raised the most money.
So so, yeah, so I think I think it was
(46:30):
it was something along those lines. I can't exactly remember
what his comedy was, but but he was always it
was a funny guy. But he's had he's having a
great career, you know, and I'm very proud of him
and what he's created and what he's done. The journey's
been on is more difficult than it is becoming a
tennis player.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
Yeah, definitely. Well you've done it right with your career too.
Speaker 5 (46:48):
You scold work hard. I mean, you know, I don't know,
there's there's no big secret. When does that working hard
for you start? Like, what's the time frame? Is that
going to kick in soon? Yeah? Probably sometime next year?
Long lunches, I would shut up if I was.
Speaker 1 (47:02):
You've got to push about your career limiting moves.
Speaker 5 (47:05):
He was high when we started. He's falling fast a
high yeah yea hig.
Speaker 1 (47:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Well okay, let's bring it back to base peeps to
round us out for this week and every week we
do our thing called Ace of the Week.
Speaker 1 (47:22):
Doesn't have to be tense related. In fact, I berefer
it wasn't ure. What's the rest of the week.
Speaker 8 (47:26):
So viv Christie, who is in my team, and she's
back from Africa.
Speaker 5 (47:32):
I saw the pictures and I'm.
Speaker 8 (47:33):
Really excited she's back because I love working. I think
I was thinking this morning, I think she's one of
my favorite people I've ever worked with.
Speaker 1 (47:39):
Ye in the corporate world.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
Did it even make the top ranked eight hundred and
sixty two weeks?
Speaker 8 (47:44):
Is my anxiety? Yeah, but no, it's just so happy
to have her back. She had a great break. She
switched off as much as I could make her, which
is great, and I'm just so excited to see her
face today.
Speaker 5 (47:58):
Yeah. And the best place in the world to go
have a holiday.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
Yeah, I've never been, but it's maybe.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
What we have to do it.
Speaker 5 (48:06):
Everyone needs to, Craig, it needs to be a bucket listing.
I've been spoiled. I grew up and yeah, it's a
bucket list thing. You have to do it.
Speaker 8 (48:14):
Yeah, Well, hopefully that's my the week next week and
Craig is taking me on his family holiday.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
Yes, another kid for the to feed. Keep very happy
and you can catch me Christy on the sit Down
one of our sister podcasts next week with fifth Very good. Well, yeah,
Eddie's good to see her back in the office, Razor,
what about yourself? Been sitting there very quietly last few minutes.
Speaker 8 (48:34):
Just that's because you've been taking Craig going on and on.
Speaker 1 (48:41):
You do talk a lot in the company line.
Speaker 3 (48:44):
We were supposed to share the questions.
Speaker 1 (48:46):
Yeah, I gave you the first one.
Speaker 3 (48:48):
Anyway.
Speaker 7 (48:49):
One was coming back from Miami, obviously along haul home
and just how exciting it is to to see my
three young kids again. And I made my debut on
land a Tuesday morning and Tuesday sort of lunchtime early afternoon,
my eldest had his first cross country. He's just started
school this year, so I've made my debut as a
cross country parent. And I tried to remain as well,
(49:11):
give us the stats, try to be in the background,
just observing.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
Your background.
Speaker 7 (49:16):
I was in the background, just observing, and he did well.
My young fellows were very proud of him, but just
lovely to be back with the kids again would be
my highlight after being on the road for a couple
of weeks.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
I thought you're going to say, seventeen hours of complete
bliss and quietness in the air, But no, actually.
Speaker 7 (49:30):
That's what you're sounding very much like Anna there, and
I've been paying for it since landing with that type
of mindset on the home front.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
You'll continue to do.
Speaker 7 (49:38):
Paying for that couple of weeks of solid Yeah, exacxactly,
don't you start exactly how bloody grew?
Speaker 5 (49:45):
Well, we all get it, exactly.
Speaker 1 (49:46):
What about you, Craig. What's your ace of the week?
Speaker 5 (49:48):
Mine was? I look, I don't remember much past the
last twenty four hours. That's really concerned. It is concerning,
but that's why. That's what's good about my life. So
that if that happens, so I didn't never bother, that's good.
You just move on this, move on and live in
the present and look forward to the future.
Speaker 1 (50:02):
I forget about so nothing is anything happened the last night?
Speaker 5 (50:05):
Yes, I think, Well, last night I was at had
a really cool function and in this job involves a
lot of going in a stakeholder relationships, relationship building. But
there was a thirty five year celebration of the Big Group.
So Bruce and Chica, Bruce and Chica, Cuba and and
it was it was a bit of a who's who
of Melbourne in the event, but it was it was
(50:26):
great to connect with everyone. But what was great is
Eddie McGuire gave a speech and Bruce Keeper gave a
speech and they both did an unbelievable job around talking
about Melbourne, the place we live, the city we live,
and why it's so important to have major events, why
it's so important to collaborate on major events, and why
it's so important to invest in major events, what it
(50:47):
means for the city. Edie maguire gave a story about
the Trobe and how it all started back in two
hundred years ago or one hundred and fifty years ago,
and so it was just really cool to hear the
then thirty and then and then I love hearing stories
of success and and Bruce and Cheek you came from
pretty much working as weight stuff for Peter Rowlands to
now building this multimillion dollar business that's having a massive
(51:08):
impact on people's lives. So it was it was cool
to be there and then to connect with all of
Melbournian's and it's just a good reminder we're very lucky
that we have, the city we have and the people
we have in the city we have.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
So yeah, I saw a few picks on social and
it looked like a damn good night.
Speaker 5 (51:23):
It was a good night. It was. It was a
good night.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
All right. Well, I'll finished my ace of the week.
I had a few to choose from, but I've decided
to go with this one. Has anyone ever added the
wrong person to a group text chat?
Speaker 1 (51:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (51:35):
Are you once?
Speaker 1 (51:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (51:37):
Exactly, that's right. Took you walked back from that one
pretty well. It's good. The photo was not appreciated, but
but I will say so in the States at the moment,
Michael Waltz, who's the National Security Advisor, it's probably been,
you know, in everyone's ease and all the news added
the editor of The Atlantic and news magazine in America
to a pretty contentious group chat with the Vice president,
(51:57):
the head of the CIA.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Yeah, all these things talking about you know, war.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Plans and all these things, and there's a journalistit in there,
going this can't be true.
Speaker 3 (52:06):
Did you see he's just leaked the message?
Speaker 1 (52:09):
Yeah, because the whole over the.
Speaker 8 (52:10):
Past twenty four hours, because they were saying there was
nothing there talking.
Speaker 1 (52:14):
About hang on.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
It was like, actually, here's the timeline of that innovation
that you were planning. And I just got to thinking
about all the texts that you've sent to the wrong person.
I'll be talking to you about Bree, but then I'll
send the message to Bree and you know, part of
it feels for them. But also if you if you've
got a big, important job, just be careful. So that's
words for you, Craig. Thanks, be careful.
Speaker 5 (52:32):
Listen to one word of it, but thank you for it.
Speaker 1 (52:34):
That's all right, you rarely do listen to it.
Speaker 2 (52:37):
All right. Well, thank you very much everyone for being
a part of our show today and pratting for dropping
it earlier that Craig you stole his seat, so thanks
for doing that. Join us again next week as we
hit the clay. Nipmccaba will be joining us from the
WTA five hundred in Charleston. And in the meantime, don't
forget you can watch this episode and every episode of
the Tennis on the Australian Open YouTube channel. Hit like
and subscribe. Make sure you never miss a notification. It's
(52:59):
not just the pod, there's heaps of other tennis content there.
Thank you very much team have a great week in
tennis seven days
Hello, Welcome to the tennis once again.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I'm Zavean Muellerbuck your host for the week, Filipino for
non world card alex Yala is the giant killer in Miami,
adding Eagish Viertek to her star studded list of casualties.
Fon Seca Fever Hard Rock Stadium was pumping every time
javon Seca took to center court. This week, we're going
to analyze the game behind the fame and Olympic overhaul
Brisbane's pat Raft Arena. He's getting a major makeover. Tennis
(00:27):
Australia CEO Craig Tyler joins us later and he'll be
covering all the big tennis storylines at home and abroad.
But let's jump on in joining me this week once
again is Queen of the small stream screen. Well, you
know when my head went to sembrace stream. No, the
problem I have is Queen of the small Great sounds
like you've got an only fans. Oh yeah, no, I
don't good fans at home. She's just going to stick here,
(00:49):
just crossing out smaller screen. We're gonna get on desktop
of ste anyway about.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
You're good, Yeah, I'm a good thing.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
And across the table from me, we've got two coaching
superstars fresh off the plane from Miami.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Is to call Pratt and Simon Ray. Welcome, g great
to be here, is it? He looks scared of me.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
I'm sorry, Well, yeah, this is different. There's a different vibe.
But I'm open to you know, a chat more.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
See.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Okay, excellent. How's the flight home? Do you got? Who
got the best seat on the plane?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
I got upgraded.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Actually, I use my points, and when I got that
text before, I was just.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, yeah, there's only three things that are amazing at
the airport. One is getting that text. Second is the
gate upgrade. When you're about to board, you scan the
thing that goes bomb bong, and you think you're about
to be deported, and suddenly like, actually, we've had a
better seat for you.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
I don't think that's ever happened to me.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
That's right. We'll keep with your smaller screen and maybe
you'll get that.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah. We'll jump into the biggest news of the week.
Wild Card alexandre Yala. She bet her third consecutive Grand
Slam champion at Miami just overnight. Huge news. Yeah, not
just anyone. Yeah, the eager amazing news, isn't it? And
I went back and did a little bit of homework
on Yala, and so often, you know, these outstanding stories
(02:01):
that we see play out, there's some clues if we
track back in time.
Speaker 6 (02:04):
A little bit.
Speaker 7 (02:05):
So Alex Yala two thousand and five birth yet, meaning
she's turning twenty out of the game arras year somewhere
in twenty twenty as a fifteen year old, though from
a junior tennis perspective, she's ranked number two in the world.
So so and pratty, you'll be able to back me
up here. So often we see that that these elite
talents are nearly always, not always, but nearly always some
(02:26):
of the best junior players in the world. So that
was certainly the case with Yala makes the semi finals
of Role in Garros at fifteen in twenty twenty I'm
talking the junior edition obviously, and wins the US Open
at seventeen from a girl's singles perspective, and then we
know that the story changes a little bit because then
it is taking some time to have the big breakthrough
which we've just seen play out in front of us
this week. So in twenty twenty two, at seventeen, she's
(02:48):
ranked two hundred and nineteen in professional tennis. Twenty twenty three,
improves thirty spots one hundred and eighty nine, twenty twenty four,
forty spots one hundred and forty three, and now twenty
twenty five on the live rankings. So we know there's
elite talent there, and maybe Pratty can give some insight
into what that breakthrough kind of consists of. There's elite talent,
(03:09):
then it takes some time, then the grind starts. Then
it's kind of shoulder to the wheel for a number
of years, and all of a sudden this week and
you've outlined the quality of the winds, not just the winds,
the quality of the winds, and she's away with a
bullet to seventy five in the world and evidently going
to go much higher.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Yeah, what's your tape?
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Praddy definitely can back up Somei'm in there with the
fact that you know, the junior results are definitely an
indicator of future senior success. So the numbers there show
pretty much are evidence that she was going to get there,
but it's taken some time. I'll never forget I was
watching actually at Roland Garrett's last year, she was playing
(03:45):
against Taylor Preston. Taylor Preston was all over her, like
destroying her. And the thing that stuck out for me was,
I think her resilience, her resolve when she really didn't
have an answer to Taylor, but anyway, she just hung there.
She's stuck with it. Her attitude is amazing. So you know,
I would say maybe you could argue training out of
(04:08):
the Nadale Academy. You know, that's something that's instilled in
the players there about you know, the work ethic, the
resilience piece, and the belief piece. You know, if you
keep working hard enough, then then good things are going
to happen. So no, it's a huge breakthrough for her.
And you know she's a sweetheart as well, so it's
great to see one of the nice players come through also.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
More of those pleas and she's put Filipino tennis on
the map.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Yeah yeah, but look at the scalps. I mean, Madison
Keys has been untouchable pretty much this year.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Yeah, but she's just like a little while.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
You know, she moved to me Orca at fourteen to
go to the Raffa Academy and funnily Eno, I've got
a picture here that he was floating around her graduating
from the Raffa Academy. And then a special guests in
the tenants was Eagershiartek. Her most recent scalp just nuts she.
Speaker 8 (04:54):
See to Tony Nadal was in her box today when
she played, which is obviously Rafa's uncle. He coach really
drives the academy these days.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
For a far.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
But yeah, wow, kingmakers the whole thing huge.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Staying with Miami for a moment, I thought we jump
into What's caught your Eye. This is a segment where
every week we look at what has been happening in
the tennis world. Praddy, what's caught your I this week
in the tennis land?
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Well, I think it's caught everyone's eyes. Fonseca in listen
just the it was phenomenal. The crowds were phenomenal. We're
talking about Miami being northern Brazil, the amount of Brazilians
they're selling Brazilian T shirts out in the merchant merch store.
There's Brazilians everywhere. So anyway, in his second round match
(05:43):
he was playing, I think he was out on gran
Grandstand that only has three thousand people. Well, what happened
was there were three thousand people outside waiting to get in,
which was a security risk, so they actually had to
shut the match down and the only place they could
put it was in the Senate Court. So what happened
is all the Brazilians that had lined up to watch
(06:05):
the match were then told it's moving to Santa Court,
that they'd have to buy a Senate Court ticket. So
they went then went over to the Santate Court, started yelling, booing,
and then they had to disrupt the Draper match, pull
that off the court because the fans wouldn't stop. So
it is just it's craziness, Like it's like we're talking superstar,
(06:29):
absolutely SUPERSTI.
Speaker 8 (06:31):
Taste of it here right open. But that sounds even mourning,
but it was nuts.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
It was nuts.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
It was actually nuts, like I'd never I've actually never
heard of a situation like that before.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I kind of love it.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
He's a good kid, and he said, really great here
in Melbourne. Yeah, if we could just keep the security
wrist to a low, but the fandom high.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Good.
Speaker 8 (06:52):
What do you think is next for him? Pretty from
and Simon, Oh he's going to fly. I mean, Simon
will break his game down. But I just you know,
even in the first round match against learn A team,
that match was phenomenal. It was three sets and it
was a battle, and that come through the juniors as well.
But I just love I just love how he enjoys
(07:15):
the game so much, like I don't know, all the
different moments where someone's challenged, it's almost like he enjoyed
the challenge and he wanted the challenge because that's where
he's going to step up.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
And you can talk about where he steps up, talk
about it.
Speaker 6 (07:31):
I think Pratty makes a great point.
Speaker 7 (07:33):
You know, you can talk about the numbers and break
down the game all you like, but that ability to
walk towards I guess the pressure and the discomfort that
that's so often the differentiated between the elite, the real
champions of our sport and the rest of us. And
I think that's an outstanding point that probably makes so
to have a look behind him, well, I think that
(07:53):
that's the first thing that I see when I look
at this guy that want to have the spotlight on
him and to back his big game, back his weapons
against anyone down the other end. So he's he's okay
to go down. You know, and we've seen some ups
and downs, more ups than downs. But we saw him
win that title on clay during the South American Swing,
then go out first round. The following week. We saw
him at Indian Wells lose to the eventual champion, Jack Draper.
(08:15):
Then he goes to Phoenix, plays a challenger the next week,
which is basically as strong as a tour event, wins
that challenger in Phoenix, and then Pratty spoken to some
of the circus in Miami that's followed him around there
and speaks to the quality of Alex demon Or's win
over him in fact, to get that done, and demon
I think, backed up exactly what Pratdy was saying right
on the camera. Nice to get a winner.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I thought that was quite funny, found rude, but I was.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Like having a large.
Speaker 7 (08:43):
I loved it on him talking about overcoming that adversity.
But in terms of this guy's game, well, the top
ten players in the world, okay, just looking at the
top ten, they average one hundred and high one fifties,
one fifty nine, one fifty fifty nine on second serve. Okay,
that's normally the serve that you want to make sure
you get in right. You don't want to cough up
dog faults. This guy hits his second serve one hundred
(09:04):
and seventy kilometers an now as an eighteen year old
fourhand speed top ten average one hundred and twenty seven.
This guy's one hundred and thirty two. And Pratty's heard
me talk about some of these figures before. How about
spin twenty eight hundred the best players in or twenty
eight hundred. How many revs on the ball, So this
guy's three thy fifty. That means he's not just getting
you for speed on the foehand side, he's getting you
(09:24):
for spin as well. Normally when you add one, you've
got to take off a bit of the other. This
guy's the whole package on serve. He's going after the
ball on fourhand. He's not going to die wondering, And
was spoken about his want to grab a hold of
the moment and to win or lose on his terms
dictating the play, you know, go down on the terms
that he's comfortable with. So the Demon match in particular,
(09:46):
if you want to get into that, I think it
speaks to the quality of that win from Alex Deman
or to kind of put a stop to all of
that momentum that Fonseca had going into that.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Context, Pratty wanted to ask, how many numbers does it
take when Simon's telling you all the the numbers and stats,
how long until your eyes glaze over pretty quickly?
Speaker 4 (10:04):
And I love the number. Yeah, I'm a bit of
a stat's nut myself, So I actually really enjoyed listening
to that good. But I think where he's going to
make his biggest gains, and I still feel like there's
a bit of a gap here is physically, how could
I say he's a little soft in some areas where
he can harden up, like you get that roots leaning,
(10:27):
he needs to develop that real lean muscle mass, and
then you know, when he gets towards you know, we've
got to remember, you know, the Indian Wells and the
Miami's they're the two week events, right and the Slams
are the two weeks events, and it takes a toll
on the body. So yeah, that's an area where it's
exciting that he still has that growth.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
There, those little elements of growth. So if he was
at five out of five on a ranking for every
single element, they'd be nowhere to go. But by having
those yeah, exactly, still heaps of time. So if he's
already nailing certain things and he's got capacity for improvement
and others, these kids can absolutely knock it out of
the park.
Speaker 6 (11:02):
Yep.
Speaker 8 (11:03):
Yeah, But of a different question for both of you.
So Alex obviously overcame Fonseca, yep, played. Well what did
he have in the Fonseca match that he didn't have?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Yeah when we watched him play yesterday.
Speaker 7 (11:16):
Well, I'm pleased you've asked that, Brie, because in the
Demon match, you know, typically and this is probably will
be able to speak to this again. This is often
the case sometimes when you have identified as strength in
an opponent, which in Fonsecu's case is the forehand was
spoken about, that a lot what you may do down
the other end is actually attacked directly into that wing. Okay,
(11:37):
because a lot of times those players that have got
dominant four hands, they love time on the ball, They
love to be able to shift to their left. So
getting into the technique and the tactics if you like
a little bit more now, and their most dangerous forehands
are hit from the center third of the court or
even from the backhand side of the court. Demon in
this match served a lot of times under pressure on
the juice court straight out wide to the fonsecad four hand,
(11:58):
drawing him to his right. The thinking there being if
I draw him to his right, I'm going to increase
my chances of finding his backhand on shots two, three,
and four. Did a great job of that and the
other thing. And we know about Demon's quality on second
serve return, he really made a big inroads. We spoke
about the speed of the Fonseca second serve, but Demon
really in sets two and three when he turned that
(12:20):
match around, he hardly won a point on second serve
yeall Fonseca and Demon did it through a variety of ways,
through mixing things up. He went back in the court
a long way on second serve return. Other times he's
standing right up or inside the baseline. So he changed
the look that he was giving Fonseca. And we know
about his ability to pinpoint targets on second serve return.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
Starved him of.
Speaker 7 (12:41):
Time and really made inroads, made Fonseca uncomfortable in that
way in that match.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Come what a journey? Anything else? Catch your eye over it?
Many well?
Speaker 7 (12:48):
The only thing I would say any other thing I'd
say on Fonsecer we spoke about success leaving clues. There's
another number one ranked junior in the world, you know
at seventeen, okay, number one ranked junior in the world.
Speaker 6 (12:57):
So for those tennis lovers out there listening in, take.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
A look at the junior rankings right now, because those
players that are ranked top five, top ten in the world,
and both the boys and girls, i'd nearly guarantee, stop
short of a cast iron guarantee, but nearly guarantee your
elite champions in the next five ten years are coming
from that coke.
Speaker 6 (13:13):
Yep, right now.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
And when you're at a Grand Slam, go check out
the junior's tournament.
Speaker 6 (13:18):
I think.
Speaker 7 (13:19):
Speaking in Miami, what else caught my Yeah, Victoria and Boko,
who is a player that you know. Now there's another
I think young player on the right. So I watched
her play Pala Badosa out there in Miami. Now, she
doesn't hold back on the ball. Just put a little
asterisk next to her game. Okay, she's got some power
and some weapons off both wings. She came within a
point or two of knocking off Palabadosa. I think it
was out on court one that day when I sat
(13:40):
there and watched there's a Star on the rise.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
I think we've spoken about a Yala a little bit already.
Speaker 7 (13:44):
We've spoken about Fonsaka, So just adding Victoria and Boco
was one to keep.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
One to watch in that same regard.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Very good.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Yeah, thanks for bri. What's catching your eyeballs over there
in Miami?
Speaker 8 (13:55):
Well, you know, I love Andreva, and sadly she was
defeated by Annis, who has now since been defeated also
when it's out of Miami. But I did quite enjoy
a little bit of rivalry. Whether or not it was
sportsmanship questionable, but Andrev did question a medical time out
that Anasimova had during their match play because she had
(14:18):
a blister and a finger, and she questioned it, and
then Anasaimova did bite back on Instagram indicating that there
was a blister and it was her middle finger, and
it was very like, oh here it is, here it is.
So I quite liked that and thought found it quite funny.
And for I know we're also an audio, I am
(14:41):
finding my rude middle finger up whatever you call it,
the bird, So I kind of look whether or not
Andreva enjoyed it, I'm guessing Anisimova did enjoy her humor
with doing that on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
I've got to have a laugh, I know. I kind
of like a little bit of rivalry. You're gonna have
the storylines school.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
We're not always so nice.
Speaker 8 (15:02):
And they're all friends, well most of them, right like
we always see them when the cameras rolling, hugging and
all that kind of stuff. So yeah, a little bit
of you know, flipping the bird.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Well, they'll be playing each other in you're in, you're out.
They're both too high quality ways. It's great to see
you in some over back. Yeah it is, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Can you just really stoke the flames on that rivalry
for us? That's great when you're out there on the road. Yeah,
I'll try cool so much.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
She needs to give her a few bissenes. Should let
the banjo. That's the best way.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
I want to keep this high ring this Yeah, well
really high brow, a high interest in like the and
the tennis. You know what's really great at the tennis
at the moment, courtside bars, they're popping up everywhere. We
had one of the AO A few players. I think
we started it. We did kick here, but the one
(15:54):
in Miami. Jeez, it looked fun either of you courtside.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
But I've got a story on that one. So Kim
Burrell was out playing a qualifying match wondering, and I
swear it was I couldn't think it was that loud
coming the music from the bar. It was off the chart.
Speaker 8 (16:12):
It's the chart for a punter, phenomenal for a player
or a co terrific.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
I couldn't think, So I could can't imagine what the
you know, the players couldn't think either. So actually, I
actually I had to send a message into the referee
and say, you have to turn this down. Yeah, it
is way too loud, way too late.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
They did, Okay, they did, but it was I mean,
it was pumping.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
People were talking about Indian Wells being the coachellor of tennis.
Sounds that this one is music festival vibes. But I'll
tell you what, there might be a few more middle
finger emojis going up with that.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
And that's the fact.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
What's caught your eye for this week? Anything else from
Miami folks before we roll on with the rest of
the show.
Speaker 7 (16:53):
Well, I thought, you know, one thing for me, and
looking at Miami rolling off the back of Indian Wells
was just the toll that the sport is taking on
some of the best players. And also perhaps how even
now we're finding both men's tennis and women's tennis. So
having a look at the finalist from Indian Wales and
the men's game, So Jack Draper obviously the champion indi
(17:13):
In Welles whole garun of the beaten finalist or the
runner up, both of those men out.
Speaker 6 (17:18):
Opening match at Miami.
Speaker 7 (17:20):
Okay, then we're seeing things like four lucky losers. So
we've got a story to tell about Adam Walton who
was one of the beneficiaries of that spot, which is awesome, right, Yeah,
But the fact that there's and I think this is
actually a credit to where the sport's heading. So now, okay,
previous to five or ten years ago, where you go
into an event under an injury cloud and you roll up,
(17:41):
you go through the motions, potentially you take your paycheck,
you may pull out it for one down in the
opening set and you're out of there. Now, what you're
doing is you're saying to the tournament organizers, hey, folks,
I'm not right. I'll grab my second round prize money.
Thanks hub her catch as the seated player. But I'm
just telling you, and I think it's the right thing.
I'm just telling you, I'm not right. I'll take my
second run. I think you can do that three or
four times over the course of the year, and someone
(18:03):
gets a run as a lucky loser. Yeah, that's a
better show on for the customer, for the consumer, if
you like so. I think that's working. But the talking
point for me is, again, year on year, we seem
to have the same conversation. Jesus is taking a toll
and it's so hard to be And I think prabb
you be able to speak to the coaching challenge of this,
able to repeat your success week on week and again,
(18:24):
I think that's another market for the very best players
in the.
Speaker 6 (18:28):
Sport versus the rest of the field.
Speaker 7 (18:30):
Can you find a way to minimize the gap between
your best tennis and your worst tennis on any given day?
And that, for me, perhaps more than any other measure,
speaks of the progress that you might be making your
best tennis. Everyone's got a high level on their great days,
but what's your bad level? And when that gap is
small or smaller, that's indicative for me of real progress.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
So what I mean when players are on the tour
is what are the key things that really can take
their toll the most? Is in combination to every or
is it the travel, the match play, the training, Yeah,
schedule schedules.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
Yeah, I think it's a combination of everything. You know,
Like it's a three hour time difference from Indian Wells
to Miami, and whilst it might seem oh it's only
three hours, it actually does take its toll in terms
of your sleep patterns. The conditions were very different in
Miami versus Indian Wells Miami, the courts were different, and
then obviously you've got the humidity in Miami as well.
(19:28):
So and it's really interesting the events in Indian Wells
in Miami because the top players have the buys in
the first rounds and so often they're not playing their
first round match until sort of Thursday Friday, and I
feel like the tournament actually gets really squeezed and condensed,
so they actually don't have a lot of time off.
And so for you know two one thousands, where it's like,
(19:52):
oh it's a ten day, two week event, it's not
like that at all for them. So yeah, I just
think the matches get condensed, and and I think the
fact that like you don't when you don't have days off,
like if you're in a tournament, you're constantly on. There's
no switching off. And I believe that's what takes its toll.
(20:12):
And the best players, I think, manage themselves incredibly well
with the people that they hang out with in terms
of just taking away all the noise, because that takes
its tall.
Speaker 8 (20:23):
Can I just bring up some other key things that
have happened in Miami because I would love to get
both europeions.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
We've already covered the court side bar. What else is there?
Speaker 3 (20:30):
I'm trying to bring it back to the tennis Tennis.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Well, that's the shame of the show tennis.
Speaker 8 (20:33):
So this morning Arthur Fees or Arta Fees knocked out Zverev.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Three six six, three six four. Novak is pushing through.
Speaker 8 (20:44):
He's nearing maybe completing his one hundred singles titles. If
he wins Miami, we still have it, am I radicanu in.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Yeah, Well, is this Radakanu's re emergence? I mean she
had this the first time, what at one thousand events,
she's made the quarters three years since a USO open.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
When is there anything to watch there or is this
a blip?
Speaker 4 (21:04):
I just think it's really interesting. Like the backstory on
Radakhani was she tried a new coach, Bladdo Patnek, who
had formerly coached Derek Castecino and a number of other players,
very very good coach. So she had lost early in
Indian Wells, had been doing training with Bladdo out there
and then also in Miami, and then all of a sudden,
(21:25):
the day before a match, there's no Vlado. So then
I'm like, oh, this is really interesting, like who's now
coaching Emma. So it turns out that Mark Petchi, your commentator,
has been over in the box and Jane o'donna, who
who had you know, works for the for the LTA,
was there as well. She's been working consistently with her
(21:46):
fitness training Attacker. But I thought that was really really
interesting and I'm just wondering, you know, was she challenged
by some things that Bladdo was working on and.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
It's worked for her.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
But I kind of feel bad for because he was
he was out there grinding for the two weeks to
into Miami and.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
Then all of that's gone.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
Yeah, now he's gone that's so now it's like it's
kind of clicking. So yeah, that that's a really interesting
one for me. One really interesting one turn.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Over of coaching stuff in that camp, that's for sure. Yeah,
imagine you'd have.
Speaker 7 (22:20):
To look a certain way to attract some of the
best coaches of our sports given the kind of track
record that's existed there for a period of time.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Is that the new normal? Like is there more churn
than ever before or is it just there's more not
to that.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Extent, No, not.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
I mean Radakani is probably number one in regards to
changing over coaches at the.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Number one at something, don't you.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
But you know what, I love that she's doing. I
love that.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
She's doing well.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
She's you know, she's a superstar in our game, and
it's great to see her back doing well because she's
been struggling with injuries.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
It's terrific. My last question to both of you, will
novak win well?
Speaker 6 (22:59):
I think he's looking at goods.
Speaker 7 (23:00):
I think he's clearly been pretty dominant through through the
opening and what are we now, opening week or ten
days of the event, Sir Andy, back in the camp,
through the through the hard court swing they were putting
in the hours.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
You know, you can see Pratty's.
Speaker 7 (23:14):
Mentioned the really delayed start that the seeds have at
those big events, and I thought, you know, just on
a slight side, I thought some of Andy Murray's comments
about coaching. I actually found that really insightful on his
reflections from Australia, which if I'm just to summarize it
was I became obsessive. I've got that obsessive nature anyway,
and I just sat in my hotel room and obsessed
over the next opponent, you know, trilled through hours and
(23:36):
hours of video footage, and only by the end of
the event that I start to realize, actually, this is
not that healthy for me. I need to get in
the gym, I need to go and hit some golf,
but I need to find an off switch. Which was
a really interesting refashion and the other thing which grabbed me,
which you know I kind of applaud the honesty and
the vulnerability.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Oh.
Speaker 7 (23:52):
Communication and I'm paraphrase. Communication for me has always been
the challenge. And I found that, you know, when you're
the coach, and again we've got one of the world's
best coaches sitting in the room with us, that there's
pulling the team together as well, So he was kind
of putting his hand up, going, I didn't do well
there either. Like, you've got the physical performance coach to
talk to, you might have the sports psychologists, you might
(24:13):
have the analytics guy.
Speaker 6 (24:14):
To talk to, and you've got to pull those threads together. Hey,
what time we leave in tomorrow morning? You know the
left hands talking?
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (24:19):
Right, do we need to grab dinner? We've got an
issue here in the camp we need to address. And
he was kind of going, that wasn't my forte and
I wasn't expecting that to be. The caves and all
eyes at times are on the coach to pull it together.
I think Pratty does a phenomenal job of that of
kind of managing the dynamics of the team around what
the player needs. So I just thought it was really
(24:39):
interesting reflection, an honest reflection from one of the superstars
of the sport as to the different challenge that coaching
presents as compared to playing.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
That's great, well, Pray, I know you do have to
run off soon, but before you go, how was it
over there? Seeing Stormy friend of the pod back out there?
Kind of taught him at courts over the past few weeks.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Yeah, very exciting to have a back out playing, and
I guess it didn't go well to start with in
terms of winning. She was on court and she was
a little bit rusty in Austin, a little bit slow,
but that was to be expected. And then I thought
in Indian Wells she actually played a really good match.
Sam Stosa was out there because we obviously had the
(25:18):
decision to make of who we're going to choose in
the BJKA Cup team, and you know, Storm showed enough
in the in the matches and the practices as well
that she's you know, she's back at that level. So
but she hadn't had a win because she lost first
round in Inning.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Well, so we get.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
To Miami and you know, the anxieties starting to get
through the roof and yeah, so there was a change
in the drawer that I meant to play Sigamund and
her dad Mayer, they pulled out and so then they
played Lynette and yes Cremska. Yeah yeah, so two good
players and so yeah, so to get that first win,
(25:54):
that was the monkey off the back. She kind of
relaxed after the shakeout, yeah, and then obviously won a
match and then lost to the best doubles team in
the world, Taylortownsend and Senacaba. So yeah, it was awesome.
So the fact that she there were times there where
she didn't want to hear it that she was getting
better every day. It was all about wins and losses.
(26:15):
But yeah, got over that hurdle and it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
It back and it's so good.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Yeah, So the doubles she's back, and now we'll start
sort of chipping away at getting ready for singles.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Yes, well we're two weeks out now from the BJK
Cup in Brizy.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
How things looking for the team.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
Yeah great, I mean, Kim Birell was consistent again. Qualified
in Miami one around, had a close lost in close
three three set match to COSTIUK and my joint just
you know, again ticking away getting wins. She's in put
Avada this week, still going strong, and Eila a little
(26:51):
bit of an injury with her with her peck muscle
at the moment, but she's due to be playing in Charleston,
so hopefully she's all good. And yeah, we've got Allen
and Storm the doubles, so a great, great pairing to
be able to rely on.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I mean the Bjkking Cup BJK Cup, BJK Cup is well,
you know, it's an amazing tournament.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
You've been there for many years.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
How do you think this tournament fits into women's tennis
or tennis at large and what's some of your favorite
memories from the event?
Speaker 4 (27:18):
Yeah, I think where it fits in for the Australians,
which is awesome, is it's in the calendar. Like we actually,
Sam and I had a conversation with Eiler and because
you know, she'd had some injuries and listen, we understand
if it doesn't fit. She's like, no, no, no, it
is in my calendar that that's a priority for me.
So the fact that representing Australia is a priority for
all of our Australian women is it's unreal. It's unreal
(27:41):
because they you know, again we spoke about the rigors
of travel and the demands and you know, they've got
to take care of their own individual rankings. It's not
always ideal to fly back to Australia in April. So yeah,
so I'm really proud where it's at for our Australian
women and has.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Such an individual sport. It's so great to have a
team event that regularly go for us.
Speaker 8 (28:01):
It's great that we've got to hear again as well
in Brisbane.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Come what's your best memory, good or bad?
Speaker 4 (28:07):
My best memory is when we beat the US actually
in Ashville, because you know, the the Americans are pretty cocky,
you know, they think they're the biggest and the best,
and so yeah, we put off We obviously had Ash
Barty in the team, which helps a lot. But yeah,
we went down to the doubles and we'd been sort
(28:28):
of cat and mousing all week about who we were
going to put in the doubles, and we sort of
let the US team know that we if they came
and scouted us. It looked like we were going to
put in ash and Astrashama and however, last minute we
put in but we'd be preparing her. We put in
pre Hon and so pri and ash were playing the
(28:50):
deciding doubles. They didn't They literally thought Ashra was playing,
so that's kind of muddled all their plans and we won,
and so yeah, it was so nice and it was
probably more The celebrations afterwards are very quite memorable. Actually, Also, yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Are you sure you remember them? All?
Speaker 4 (29:07):
I do remember, and I don't know about our captain
Elisia at the time, Let's just say she had a
great night.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Great night, rough morning, very good.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Now, as I mentioned, you are about to run out
the door and have something else where are you going
tell us all about it?
Speaker 4 (29:23):
Well, I'm running out the door because I've actually got
a Women's Coach connect and a virtual series that we
provide for women coaches for professional development. So I'm on
the panel for that one, giving my insights over the
last sort of four weeks out on tour and how
that relates to you back at the clubs as well
for coaches.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Oh that's great. How do people get involved in that one?
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Well, if you're a coach member, you can sign up
and be a part of But it's all part of
the women and Girls strategy with increasing amount of women
coaches and providing programs for women coaches within Coach Connects.
Speaker 7 (29:56):
So yeah, and just as a kind of a parting
tribute to Pratty, she won't say it.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
She's going to present her a thing. She's not dying.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
Yeah, no, just as she does.
Speaker 7 (30:06):
Hit out the door though, but being in Miami and
kind of seeing firsthand again you know, Storm get the win,
but then seeing the emotion on Stormy's face, sure, but
on Pratty's face as well in terms of and it
just reaffirms for me or reinforces for me the strength
of connection between those two. And I mentioned the importance
of getting some nourishment from a win and Pratty would
have been really challenging storm On. Yeah, but where does
(30:28):
the wind come from? Process Pross, But you know, the
nourishment needs to come right, So it was really nice
to kind of be behind the curtain in that regard.
And what about the job that this woman's done with
Kim Beryl.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Because incredible a few years.
Speaker 7 (30:39):
Back Kim reached might have been a couple of years
back now, Kim reached a career high at that time
of one hundred on the button in the world right,
and after that her ranking slid for a variety of reasons.
Kim this week, I think is on the live rankings,
I think is at sixty one in the world and
chatting to Pratty in Miami that Pratty's not satisfied with that,
but she wants to go higher again. Job that this
(31:00):
woman continues to do with our best players and a
couple of pivotal members of the b JK Cup squad.
Speaker 6 (31:06):
There, I just tip my cap. I'm full of admiration
for the work that.
Speaker 5 (31:11):
Yeah, and that was legit.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
He meant every bloody work.
Speaker 7 (31:15):
You can when you when you're on the road, you
can see the emotion and the connection and the way
that Praddy has been able to challenge Kim and support her.
Speaker 6 (31:23):
And she's not finished yet. I guess that is what
I'm saying.
Speaker 8 (31:25):
And it's so good to hear it from your words
because you get it. So then we always thought you
were good. Then to hear somebody why, Yeah, now we've
got a little.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Bit more contact. Coach, you cares.
Speaker 7 (31:35):
Yeah, and sacrifice too, right, Okay, ten or eleven days
to Miami and it's hard my partner back here with
three young kids, and no less of a sacrifice for
Pratdy to go for three and four weeks and go
again to Europe.
Speaker 6 (31:46):
And so I just want to applaud her commitment to
a players.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Yeah, I'll keep on keeping on on that note.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
But you're welcome.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Found the button at last, Thank you very much, Freddy.
JK Cup sales Tickets are available for the tie in Brisbane.
Jump on a tickermaster. It sounds like it's going to
be an absolute ripper. Thank you so much for joining us. Pratty,
We'll let you go. You can head off to your
coach's conference. After the break, we'll have Craig Tiley see
Tennis Australia joining us and giving us his take on
the world of tennis and the upcoming Olympics in Brisbane.
(32:16):
Stick around, Welcome back to the Tennis special guest joining
us now it is the one and only Craig Tiley,
See of Tennis Australia and tournament director of the Australian Open.
Welcome Boss, good to be here right again. I'm calling
this segment career limiting moves save you.
Speaker 5 (32:34):
You know, I know you well enough that pretty much
every time for you to career exactly, not just you know,
a podcast.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
It's nine years later you have one. Take that company, man.
So Craig, what have you been up to?
Speaker 5 (32:47):
You're happy happy, I'm always happy. Okay, we've noticed that
a happy slam the happy Boss. Yeah no, no, it's
a things are going great. Look, there's a lot going
on internationally. If you just read about it with it'd
be lawsuits and and and I think it's all positive
in the sense it's positive. It's about a situation being
better for everyone, better for tournaments, better for players, and
(33:09):
we're a great sport together with football. Every single nation
in the world we have a federation. Every single nation
is the two top sports global in participation of tennis
and football. I love saying that because it puts everyone
else in their place, and it's true. The facts are there,
but we suboptimize ourselves. You know, we have seven different
governing bodies, each in many cases have different objectives. We
(33:31):
have four shining lights and those are the Grand Slams
every year in London, Paris, New York and of course Melbourne.
And these are you know, these are amongst the best,
not just tennis events, but sporting events globally. They can
play a role in ensuring that one the players have
a great schedule, the fans have a great narrative that
they can understand where players go from A to B.
(33:52):
The players are playing all the top events. The players
have an off season. The players are compensated as best
as they possibly we possibly can compensate them and more so,
it's a pretty simple outcome. But the challenge we do
is when you have so many different governing bodies leaning
in is they're not spending time together to try and
get to that outcome. So the things that are happening
(34:15):
are probably going to be really good leavers to force
everyone to get to a point that's going to be better
for this.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Well, it's been interesting.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
It's because you know, all these organizations, governing bodies have
their own kind of priorities and things they're working towards,
and because of that lack of communication, historically they almost
been competing.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
But when you look at it, realize we're all rowing
in the same direction.
Speaker 5 (34:33):
Well we are because we're trying to you know, and
different objectives. You know, the International Test Federations the objective
more growing the sports. They work close to the federations,
the wt A and the A to B, the professional
arm on the tour, and they have a responsible for
all events. They have labor and management in the same
under the same umbrella, and that's always really difficult because
you've got the players and you've got the tournament. So
(34:54):
that has worked. I think it works less effectively today
than it did work when was set up. People would
argue against that. This is my personal view, but but
it's been managed okay to this point. But what we do.
We all know this bigger opportunity. That's been very clear.
We've the data is it's irrefutable the facts. This bigger
(35:15):
opportunity if you can have all these major improvements, and
some of those improvements involve breaking glass. It's not just
an incremental involve breaking glass. And that's why there's this
frustration amongst the playing group on things not going in
the direction at that hope to go in. This frustration
on the tournament side that you know, are we two
crowd as an event, This frustration on the fans. You
(35:36):
ask a fan what's going on today in tennis, and
only those diehards really know. The fans do know. Generally,
the general fan knows when they know when the four
Grand Slams are happening. With the four Grand Slams are
and then outside of that, it drops off a cliff
as far as fan interest. And so we have to
close that gap if we want the sport to keep growing.
So everyone's in it for the right reason, which is
great and the right objective, but it's just like everything
(35:58):
human beings, the pane of change is greater than the
pain of losing, So people to lose the change.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
Just writing that down to Embroider on a pillow. Very good.
Speaker 8 (36:08):
Speaking of change, Yeah, like moving a little bit more
closer to home here in Brisbane. We had an update
this week about funding that's been secured for upgrades to
the Queensland Tennis Center ahead of our twenty thirty two
Brisbane Olympic Games.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
Why is this so important for us?
Speaker 5 (36:25):
Well, this is this is the biggest infrastructure investment we've
had since that we had Melbourne Park back in twenty
ten I think it was. So it's fantastic. Great, we've
got the Games in Brisbane and now that we're the
Queenstantatas is a fantastic venue and to have one hundred
and thirty million dollars of additional funds put into We
do need a second court for the Olympic Games, but
also for events that we're going to have up there.
(36:46):
We do need more courts on the facility on the venue,
which we would have had to have anyway. For the
events that we're doing. We have some of our top
athletes training up there as well, so we do need
a facility that suits one of the best hype of
formance environments we can create globally. We also do need
which is currently going to be built into the scope.
We are going to need at some point more seats
(37:06):
in Powder After Arena, whether it be now or later,
but that's some point that's going to need to come up.
So that's going to come into that's going to build
into a magnificent facility. We'd like to see the same
expansion in Sydney at some point. We've seen some great
investment by the South Australian government into Adelaide for a
venue that fits really well for the events that we
have there. We're now working with Perth and Wa government
to get something there because we think that that's what
(37:28):
that's missing for that. Now we've seen an upgrade in Hobot,
we're going to see more of an upgrade coming up
now with Lonsistance come online, we're going to we had
an upgrade in Camera. So these all great infrastructure investments,
but the size of this one is significant. So we're
very excited about it and very appreciative to the current
Queensland government and to the federal government for any role
that they played.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Yeah amazing. I just want to thank me for always
believing in me.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
And yeah, thanks Mia to really put that well.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Now also how before we move on, if you had
a few hundred million bucks, what would you do to
make Melbourney from better?
Speaker 5 (38:02):
I would find a parking lot for you and your tesla.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
I've been asking for.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
We need to hide that test.
Speaker 5 (38:12):
Does not respond to that one, No, but look for
a start, We've got a great facility here. But like everything,
you got to keep evolving, keep changing. And we've in
many parts of the our three week event, we've reached
capacity and we're not. We don't want to build a
strategy of more people. We want to build a strategy
of great experience for those people that come. And so
(38:34):
that's you know we've got We've got opening week that
will put more effort into the third week, put more
effort into But but there's an opportunity for fans to
come out and see Tennessee players, and we want them
to be we want that to be not any memorable experience,
but something that say they have to come back next
year because that was so good. That's was my best experience. So,
like everything, you got to keep evolving. So on the
precinct over here, definitely we want to reduce the amount
(38:55):
of temporary infrastructure we have to invest in multimillions of
dollars a year we invest in temporary infrastructure to rip
it down again. Just to rip it down again. It
does not sustainable proposition. So, whether it be facilities for broadcast,
whether it be more more I've said to the team
it's I add another s. Actually there's three s's. We
need more seats, need more shade, we need more space.
And then this week we ad another screw. We need
(39:15):
more screens, because screens translates to the virtual side of
our business, this off site, so the off site fan,
more screens, more opportunity of those screens for the millions
of people that watch it, well billions now that watch them,
that engage screens on your device or screens at home
on TV. But yeah, so so, seat, shade, space and
screens are the cash phrases for what we need here
(39:37):
to invest more in.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
That's another pillow I need to order. Well.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Sticking with the AO, dates have been not leaked, they've
been announced for next year, kicking off with opening week
on Monday, the twelve twelfth of January and men's final
on the first effair.
Speaker 5 (39:50):
What have we got in store? Well, really excited about
twenty twenty six. We finally now always sly we dominate January.
Now we're getting to dominate February's for US next year.
But and then there's there's a little football event a
couple of weeks after in the US, but a big
football event.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
So you're saying exclusive here the super Bowl will be
played at Melbourne Park, No.
Speaker 5 (40:09):
That would be that would be good. There is there's
something else though, obviously in Melbourne twenty twenty six are
going to be a brilliant We've already spoken about some
initiative or internally some initiatives that we want to really
give to our fans and around making sure that we
have more shade, more seats, more space. We're going to
that's going to be something that we're going to grow.
And there's going to be again two or three transformative
initiatives that are going to completely wow fans. We're not
(40:31):
going to announce those yet. At the right time we'll
announce those and we want everyone's experience to be special
and those fans that came on site this year, we
want them to be able to even see more tennis. Yep,
it's closer to the action. So we're going to create
the site that does provide that bright enough for content
out there for them to do that, and then to
have more opportunities to eat, more opportunities to get and
enjoy our retail, and more opportunities spend a lot more
(40:51):
time on the precinct, and and again go away and say,
now that's what I want every sporting experience to be.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Love it well.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
On the tennis side of things, so the US Open,
they were recently claiming they're elevating their mixed doubles by
moving them into the there for opening week with some
big name singles players playing in the doubles tournament. Are
we doing anything to elevate our doubles.
Speaker 5 (41:14):
We're not doing what the US Open are doing. Look,
I think that works very well for New York, it
works well for the US Open, and it works getting
some big names to play those two days. We already
have that opening week, and we'll see more of this week.
So Monday, every night there's going to be matches with
the top players in the world. There'll be women playing
with men playing, will be all the top players. They'll
also extend into the afternoons. We're played on the stadiums,
(41:36):
will play on MCA, we'll playing Rod Lea Arena so
our fans for the opening weeking and to get to
see great players play matches against each other. And that
works really well for us, and we've seen it. We
filled stadiums on that the Novak Jokovic and I, the Carls,
al Karez, Alex Demna, all night, we fill stadiums and
so so we're going to see a lot more of
that and announce a lot more activities around that for
(41:58):
twenty twenty six. The Mixed Doubles Championships that we currently
have is thirty two draws sixty four players. Is really
an important event for us to provide playing opportunities for
our fans, particularly the end of the first week and
the whole of the second week. So if we pulled
out more matches on the second week and put them
into the opening for the first week a game, we
just crowded the opportunity. So we definitely want to keep
(42:20):
it that way. Ozzie's a tradition done really well in
the mixed Championship, so I cannot see us changing the
Mixed doubles Championships.
Speaker 6 (42:26):
We're looking at ways.
Speaker 5 (42:27):
We're sitting down with the doubles players, both the men
and women's doubles players and looking for ways that we
can make even doubles more exciting. I'm a big believer
in doubles. I think it could be that you Manu
one of the most creative people in the company. You
come up with something, but endorsement, there's a from your ego.
(42:48):
But anyway, so yeah, so that's an important championship for us.
What I'd like to do is what we have within it.
There's many things I'd like to see in the game.
I'd like to see us take away the let's I'd
like to see us take away the warm up. I'd
like to see us obviously do some different things with scoring.
I've always advocated for only one serve, but that's pipe
dream because that completely changes the game. But I think
(43:11):
there's some things we need to do within the game
that make it better. And then the way the game
is played through through doubles and mixed doubles. Now we
can really blow it out the water and you can
shorten play shorter sets and and I'm not a fan
of that. I the Grand Slams have a uniqueness where
you played three out of five sets on the men's side,
sled two of three sets on the woman's side, and
there's an argument about you know, men and weren't being
(43:32):
paid the same, and there's only three sets and five
so that I don't buy that. Eedicts It's got nothing
to do with the length of time on the court.
It's got everything to do with the value that you
bring to the sport. So so yeah, so I think
we're in a good We're in a good spot. And
I don't think I think if I asked Ozzie players
what you want to do with mixed doubles and have
the superstars play the first two weeks, we'll keep it
as I think the ninety nine point nine standards, they
(43:52):
keep it as.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Yeah, I think with storms take away where it was.
Speaker 5 (43:55):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, so maybe you should ask them. That's good.
That'll be good data for me because I've had an
asked them what they think and they've all said that
that they're like, what we've gone?
Speaker 3 (44:04):
Yeah, storm definitely back to that up.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
Yeah throughout Stormy. We've got your back.
Speaker 3 (44:08):
Quick. What's your next?
Speaker 1 (44:09):
My next question? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (44:09):
Yeah, Well, so before Craig, you were CEO here and
parking enforcement officer or whatever you're doing. Yes, you were
a tennis coaching. Yeah, doing a bit, but I had
no idea you were also a comedy coach. So Michael Costa,
who is a former tennis player, which not everyone may know,
but he's a correspondent, part time host of the Daily
Show in America, stand up comedian.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
He's written a book, Lucky Loser.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
Tell us about your knowledge of this tone that I'm
holding up after that?
Speaker 5 (44:38):
I did. I actually have read the book. He's done
a great job with the book. And I've been a
long journey with Mike. He's he's a bret In person,
got a lot of talent. And even though he got
I think to eight hundred and sixty eight in the
world whatever it.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Was, which as he says on the back is in parentheses,
it's still better than you, meaning the reader of the book,
which is a very good point.
Speaker 5 (45:00):
Yeah, any any player in their career got inside the
top eight hundred. But I know he was on John
Stuart the other night and it was very funny because
he he introduced himself eight sixty eight whatever it is,
and he introduced himself and and everyone laughed that that's
the highest he got it. And then everyone stopped laughing,
and he said to them he said, he said, I
(45:22):
don't think you should know. You should laugh because I
am actually the most famous tennis player you'll ever meet
anyone else below that. So so it's very funny. He's
very funny on our van trips coaching and raising. You
know that in college tennis, he always used to be
the funniest guy on the trip. And I and I
actually do remember when we were in California, and I
think it was in his junior year and we used
(45:45):
to have these team challenges and he always was a
laugh a minute with Mike. But he's also good tennis.
But he did a good job on our team. And
he always gives me a hard time about not playing
him high. But he played where he should have played
at the time, and and he but but we remember
having a chat to him about and I said, you know,
you're an opportunity for other career and comedy. But one
of the things we did in Third Street Promenade in
Santa Monica and we were playing Pepperdine University is I
(46:08):
challenged the team and I said, each of you need
to go out and who can raise the most money
busking in the next two hours on thirst freet promenade
Michael when got a American speeder and that's all he want.
He stood in a soapbox and he went through this
whole siloquy of a narrative and he raised the most money.
So so, yeah, so I think I think it was
(46:30):
it was something along those lines. I can't exactly remember
what his comedy was, but but he was always it
was a funny guy. But he's had he's having a
great career, you know, and I'm very proud of him
and what he's created and what he's done. The journey's
been on is more difficult than it is becoming a
tennis player.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
Yeah, definitely. Well you've done it right with your career too.
Speaker 5 (46:48):
You scold work hard. I mean, you know, I don't know,
there's there's no big secret. When does that working hard
for you start? Like, what's the time frame? Is that
going to kick in soon? Yeah? Probably sometime next year?
Long lunches, I would shut up if I was.
Speaker 1 (47:02):
You've got to push about your career limiting moves.
Speaker 5 (47:05):
He was high when we started. He's falling fast a
high yeah yea hig.
Speaker 1 (47:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Well okay, let's bring it back to base peeps to
round us out for this week and every week we
do our thing called Ace of the Week.
Speaker 1 (47:22):
Doesn't have to be tense related. In fact, I berefer
it wasn't ure. What's the rest of the week.
Speaker 8 (47:26):
So viv Christie, who is in my team, and she's
back from Africa.
Speaker 5 (47:32):
I saw the pictures and I'm.
Speaker 8 (47:33):
Really excited she's back because I love working. I think
I was thinking this morning, I think she's one of
my favorite people I've ever worked with.
Speaker 1 (47:39):
Ye in the corporate world.
Speaker 2 (47:41):
Did it even make the top ranked eight hundred and
sixty two weeks?
Speaker 8 (47:44):
Is my anxiety? Yeah, but no, it's just so happy
to have her back. She had a great break. She
switched off as much as I could make her, which
is great, and I'm just so excited to see her
face today.
Speaker 5 (47:58):
Yeah. And the best place in the world to go
have a holiday.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
Yeah, I've never been, but it's maybe.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
What we have to do it.
Speaker 5 (48:06):
Everyone needs to, Craig, it needs to be a bucket listing.
I've been spoiled. I grew up and yeah, it's a
bucket list thing. You have to do it.
Speaker 8 (48:14):
Yeah, Well, hopefully that's my the week next week and
Craig is taking me on his family holiday.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
Yes, another kid for the to feed. Keep very happy
and you can catch me Christy on the sit Down
one of our sister podcasts next week with fifth Very good. Well, yeah,
Eddie's good to see her back in the office, Razor,
what about yourself? Been sitting there very quietly last few minutes.
Speaker 8 (48:34):
Just that's because you've been taking Craig going on and on.
Speaker 1 (48:41):
You do talk a lot in the company line.
Speaker 3 (48:44):
We were supposed to share the questions.
Speaker 1 (48:46):
Yeah, I gave you the first one.
Speaker 3 (48:48):
Anyway.
Speaker 7 (48:49):
One was coming back from Miami, obviously along haul home
and just how exciting it is to to see my
three young kids again. And I made my debut on
land a Tuesday morning and Tuesday sort of lunchtime early afternoon,
my eldest had his first cross country. He's just started
school this year, so I've made my debut as a
cross country parent. And I tried to remain as well,
(49:11):
give us the stats, try to be in the background,
just observing.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
Your background.
Speaker 7 (49:16):
I was in the background, just observing, and he did well.
My young fellows were very proud of him, but just
lovely to be back with the kids again would be
my highlight after being on the road for a couple
of weeks.
Speaker 2 (49:25):
I thought you're going to say, seventeen hours of complete
bliss and quietness in the air, But no, actually.
Speaker 7 (49:30):
That's what you're sounding very much like Anna there, and
I've been paying for it since landing with that type
of mindset on the home front.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
You'll continue to do.
Speaker 7 (49:38):
Paying for that couple of weeks of solid Yeah, exacxactly,
don't you start exactly how bloody grew?
Speaker 5 (49:45):
Well, we all get it, exactly.
Speaker 1 (49:46):
What about you, Craig. What's your ace of the week?
Speaker 5 (49:48):
Mine was? I look, I don't remember much past the
last twenty four hours. That's really concerned. It is concerning,
but that's why. That's what's good about my life. So
that if that happens, so I didn't never bother, that's good.
You just move on this, move on and live in
the present and look forward to the future.
Speaker 1 (50:02):
I forget about so nothing is anything happened the last night?
Speaker 5 (50:05):
Yes, I think, Well, last night I was at had
a really cool function and in this job involves a
lot of going in a stakeholder relationships, relationship building. But
there was a thirty five year celebration of the Big Group.
So Bruce and Chica, Bruce and Chica, Cuba and and
it was it was a bit of a who's who
of Melbourne in the event, but it was it was
(50:26):
great to connect with everyone. But what was great is
Eddie McGuire gave a speech and Bruce Keeper gave a
speech and they both did an unbelievable job around talking
about Melbourne, the place we live, the city we live,
and why it's so important to have major events, why
it's so important to collaborate on major events, and why
it's so important to invest in major events, what it
(50:47):
means for the city. Edie maguire gave a story about
the Trobe and how it all started back in two
hundred years ago or one hundred and fifty years ago,
and so it was just really cool to hear the
then thirty and then and then I love hearing stories
of success and and Bruce and Cheek you came from
pretty much working as weight stuff for Peter Rowlands to
now building this multimillion dollar business that's having a massive
(51:08):
impact on people's lives. So it was it was cool
to be there and then to connect with all of
Melbournian's and it's just a good reminder we're very lucky
that we have, the city we have and the people
we have in the city we have.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
So yeah, I saw a few picks on social and
it looked like a damn good night.
Speaker 5 (51:23):
It was a good night. It was. It was a
good night.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
All right. Well, I'll finished my ace of the week.
I had a few to choose from, but I've decided
to go with this one. Has anyone ever added the
wrong person to a group text chat?
Speaker 1 (51:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (51:35):
Are you once?
Speaker 1 (51:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (51:37):
Exactly, that's right. Took you walked back from that one
pretty well. It's good. The photo was not appreciated, but
but I will say so in the States at the moment,
Michael Waltz, who's the National Security Advisor, it's probably been,
you know, in everyone's ease and all the news added
the editor of The Atlantic and news magazine in America
to a pretty contentious group chat with the Vice president,
(51:57):
the head of the CIA.
Speaker 1 (52:00):
Yeah, all these things talking about you know, war.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Plans and all these things, and there's a journalistit in there,
going this can't be true.
Speaker 3 (52:06):
Did you see he's just leaked the message?
Speaker 1 (52:09):
Yeah, because the whole over the.
Speaker 8 (52:10):
Past twenty four hours, because they were saying there was
nothing there talking.
Speaker 1 (52:14):
About hang on.
Speaker 2 (52:15):
It was like, actually, here's the timeline of that innovation
that you were planning. And I just got to thinking
about all the texts that you've sent to the wrong person.
I'll be talking to you about Bree, but then I'll
send the message to Bree and you know, part of
it feels for them. But also if you if you've
got a big, important job, just be careful. So that's
words for you, Craig. Thanks, be careful.
Speaker 5 (52:32):
Listen to one word of it, but thank you for it.
Speaker 1 (52:34):
That's all right, you rarely do listen to it.
Speaker 2 (52:37):
All right. Well, thank you very much everyone for being
a part of our show today and pratting for dropping
it earlier that Craig you stole his seat, so thanks
for doing that. Join us again next week as we
hit the clay. Nipmccaba will be joining us from the
WTA five hundred in Charleston. And in the meantime, don't
forget you can watch this episode and every episode of
the Tennis on the Australian Open YouTube channel. Hit like
and subscribe. Make sure you never miss a notification. It's
(52:59):
not just the pod, there's heaps of other tennis content there.
Thank you very much team have a great week in
tennis seven days
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