The French Connection: Olympics Preview

00:00:00
Speaker 1: I actually think that he set his schedule to try and win a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris.

00:00:07
Speaker 2: Yeah. I think if he wins no tournaments all year and wins the Olympic gold medal, honestly, in his mind, he might look at it as twenty twenty four was the greatest year of my tennis life.

00:00:18
Speaker 1: All right, hi everybody, and welcome again to the French Connection, brought to you by NBC Sports and Racket. We are here to cover all the tennis, of course, from the French Open, which has already happened, but we are oh so close to the Olympic Games now in Paris, and we did everything in between, including Wimbledon. But I'm joined by my guy Sam, who is the best follow on Instagram. There's no doubt about it. In TikTok, Sam query what's up mate?

00:00:43
Speaker 2: Not much, just it's kind of like a little slow week in like sports around the world right now, slow couple of weeks We've got We've got some smaller tennis tournaments, but you know, we've got no football, no basketball, but we've got the Olympics. We've got the Olympics. We got to wait one more week and then we're we've got the best sports in the world.

00:01:01
Speaker 1: Now, Sam, I don't want to to remind you of this, but there was basketball. There was an amazing WNBA game.

00:01:08
Speaker 2: Okay, why it's a little juicy. The All Stars beat the Olympic team.

00:01:12
Speaker 1: I don't know, like right.

00:01:14
Speaker 2: Dynamic is now with the WNBA, but that was kind of like a fun dynamic to see happen.

00:01:21
Speaker 1: It was fun, it was great. It was great basketball. You got you know, the Americans have got such a stack team. They could have literally picked two teams, actually probably three teams that probably would win the gold medal. But anyway, that was a whole fun game at the All Star But more importantly, we're here to talk about the tennis that's ahead of us at the Olympics, etc. I am so excited. I've got my right over here. It's one of my jackets from the Olympics. I thought i'd, you know, hang it up, and of course I am wearing right here. This is my opening ceremony shirt from the two thousand Olympics. Sam, do you have one?

00:01:56
Speaker 2: Why is that? No? I don't, but like, what's Australian about that? What's on it?

00:02:02
Speaker 1: Okay? Well, it's got a lot of I don't know things. It's from Mambo, which is a very famous Australian company, and they made these really cool shirts back and everyone wanted this shirt. I have to say. You can see right here it's got the Olympic tag on it. Everyone wanted this shirt, but I didn't give it away because I knew one day I would wear this on TV and so.

00:02:26
Speaker 2: I still got my stuff from like opening ceremonies in eight but it just it not to say boring, but it's the Ralph Lauren Polo red white and blue. Pretty conservative, nothing flashy like the Australians.

00:02:38
Speaker 1: Yeah, we got a little crazy in Sydney, but it was worth it because it was our home countries. Oh yeah, no Olympics. So it's pretty cool now for all the French people. Of course they get to have that this year in Paris. But someone who has had success in Paris through the years is that success everywhere all around the globe is trying to win that elusive gold medal in mister Novak Djokovic. So Sam, I ask you, this has been an incredible thing. We won't get into him yet, but one of the things that's been so difficult to do for players through the years is win all four Grand Slams, which is winning all on different surfaces and then winning an actual gold medal in singles at the Olympics. And Novak has not been able to do that. He's done everything else, he has every other record. But of course andre Agassi did it, he won four Slams on different surfaces. He won the gold medal. Stephie Grafft did it in one year in nineteen eighty eight, which is a feat that no one will probably ever do. Novak had a chance to do it but wasn't able to do it. Of course, Rafael Nadal has also won all four Grand Slams and the gold medal in singles, and I believe he won the doubles as well, and of course Serena Williams who's won everything singles, the doubles multiple times. I mean, which is the goat when it comes to the singles, doubles and all the things Olympics. But tell me what the hell Novak hasn't even won a tournament this year, Sam, What is going on? Has he been leading up to this moment?

00:04:05
Speaker 2: You know, I would love to sit down and have a cannon conversation with him, and know, does it bother him that you don't have an Olympic gold medal? Like, really get the answer from deep inside? Is that something that worries you? Do you think about that? Is that? Will that like make everything in your career kind of culminate and be that much more special? I would I would love to know, because if you were to ask him, I'm sure we'd kind of give a, you know, somewhat of a political answer, like, yeah, of course I'd love to win it, but I've won all these other things and that's kind of it. But I think deep down he wants to win it. It's like you said, it's the only thing he hasn't accomplished. He wants to get on this list of four other players to have accomplished that feat. And so, you know, he hasn't had a great year in terms of what he's used to, but he did just final Wimbledon. You know, bad you're not final on the Grand Slam is pretty impressive. So he's he's got to have a little more confidence right now than he did four or five months ago. And I do think the Olympics, you know, two out of three sets, I think he's just everything that's in his tank. I think he's going to lay it out there and try to get that gold medal, because then he's got everything. There's nothing you can say that the guy hasn't accomplished. And yeah, so that's where that's where I'm going with it.

00:05:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I think that he his intentions and I kind of have talked about it through the year, I think other than winning the Grand Slam, so we know that's the most important thing for him to do. But I actually think that he set his schedule to try and win a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris. I feel like when you've already accomplished everything in your career, there's nothing, there's no other record other than I think maybe Jimmy Connors is amount of tournaments at ATP level. I think it's the only record he doesn't own, and there's one other Roger record that I think he doesn't own. But other than that, he has every record. He's proven himself to be, you know, the greatest of all times. When it comes to all the numbers, the guy has done it all, but he hasn't got a gold medal. And we've seen the way He's left the court many times at the Olympics in absolute tears, and we don't see that when he loses matches on the ATP Tour or even at Grand Slam level. So how much do you think his love of Serbia of wanting to do that is also you know, making him and pressing him to do this. And maybe it's going to be a random thing that he hasn't won a tournament all year, but this is the one that he's going to win.

00:06:28
Speaker 2: Yeah. I think if he wins no tournaments all year and wins the Olympic gold medal, honestly, in his mind, he might look at it as twenty twenty four was the greatest year of my tennis life. Yeah, to get a gold medal, to do it for Serbia. You know, Serbia is a somewhat smaller country. They're great and men's basketball, obviously tennis, they've they've got looks at medals, but there's not many sports that they have chances in to get gold medals. So I think I think you're right, it's not only for him, it's for his country. And I think you know Serbian people that they're passion people and he's he's one of those, and I think he wants it for his country.

00:07:04
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, look, there's no doubt in my mind. I think he set out the year to have his not his best result, but certainly one of his best results of the year in Paris. So the year is going quickly. We have played three Grand Slams and he has not won not only a Grand Slam, which is unheard of, but he hasn't won a tournament this year. And I think it helps you, as you already pointed out, Sam getting the finals a worml and certainly helps him feel like he can get through a tournament with the knee. And he's clearly got a couple of weeks now under his belt to be even stronger physically to get onto the clay. And I think, as you and I both know, clay is probably the easiest on your body because you can slide to the ball. You're not pounding that knee on a hard court or on even on grass, we having to really bend a lot. So for me, as he already points out here, it's a completely different surface that he's going back on and he injured himself on that surface. But I think I think physically clays will be a little bit for him.

00:08:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, and the two out of three sets. You know, he doesn't have to know, like all right, I at no point does he have to dig deep and play matches that are potentially four hours long. I think, you know, the knee, maybe it's still a little sore. I'm sure it'll be fine by the Olympics. But you know, he's he's got to he knows in the back of his mind the longest I'm going to go is two and a half hours, and my knee is going to be able to withstand that. So I think he's going in with the with the mental kind of clarity that his body is going to be one hundred percent ready to go to you know, possibly win the gold medal.

00:08:31
Speaker 1: Yeah, and we're seeing the training on his Instagram and he's certainly putting in the yards. Okay, so somebody who is certainly on the list of how's he going to do? Also just made of finals in Sweden. He lost in the finals to a new no Borges. But Raphael Nadal back winning matches on Clay goes into the French and you know how I feel about this. Sam Before we start even talking about him playing doubles, with al Karez, What do you think his chances.

00:08:57
Speaker 2: Are it for I feel like it's all about the draw. At the French Open, he plays Vera first round. Like you said, he there's probably only a few people that beat him with the French Open, and Zverara was one of them. He lost that match, but could have won that match. Yeah, and then yeah, I didn't play Wimbledon. His body's got to be feeling pretty good. He just played a clay court event in Europe, made the final, lost to a guy in Borges who go back five years ago. He's probably beat him ten out of ten times, but still a final as a final. Yeah, you know, if the draw opens up for him a little bit in Paris at the Olympics, I can see him making a little run. But I do feel like the tennis gods would need to be looking down on him, like in a perfect way for him to be in metal contention.

00:09:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, I'm gonna throw a spanner. I think he's gonna do really well. I think he's actually gonna But I do agree with you one hundred percent. It does depend on the draw, but best of three really does help him tremendous amount as well. Physically, because we know he's had these trials and tribulations. One guy that hasn't got any trials a tribute life, and certainly right now he's had some over the last year or two physically is Alcaraz. But my gosh, I think I may have called this Sam that.

00:10:08
Speaker 2: Here, predictions for the last ten weeks have been spot on. I get I'm not only giving you credit for this prediction, like all your predictions have been good.

00:10:16
Speaker 1: Thank you, my friend. I didn't get the rabar k No One, but you know what, he came close. There's a bit of an upset to Karjikova, and I name me one person to pick Kjkova to make the final, let alone win it, and I'm going to start betting anything with them because that was just crazy. But Alciaz he's so good on the reason I picked him and I'm picking Sinner at the US Open is because he's so good at moving on any court. Right on a grass court, he can slide, he can get low, and on clay he can slide, he can do all the things. On hard court, Yannik has a little bit more of an anchor, as you know, as a big guy. To Sam it's a lot easier on a hard court because you're managing that a little bit different line and you are in clay and grass, even though you're a great grasscot player because you're serving your forehand. But I feel like Yannick feels more comfortable on hardcourt. But before we talk about Yanick Sinner, what about al KaAZ? Can he light this up and win, you know, a gold medal in singles as well, because it means a lot to him to do this too.

00:11:21
Speaker 2: Absolutely can't. It's probably the favorite going into it. I do think though al KaAZ, I feel like he's going to have not more pressure, but like more emphasis on the doubles because he's playing doubles with the doll who I'm assuming is his idol and his hero. I almost think that the doubles means more to him at the Olympics because he's playing it with Rafa than the singles. I think, if you ask him right now, would you rather win an Olympic Golden singles or in an Olympic Golden doubles with Rafa? Think? I think he goes gold with Rafa and doubles.

00:11:51
Speaker 1: When you think, yeah, I mean how cool? Though, I mean really how cool from these.

00:11:56
Speaker 2: Guys outside of the of the Americans getting a gold That's what I want to have happen.

00:12:00
Speaker 1: I cannot wait to see those two play with each other on the court. And you know, I have to say myself included in this. I know what it was like to be a little bit older. You know. I played my last Grand Slam doubles final at Wimbledon when I was thirty nine with Sam Stozer, and Sam of course was like maybe twenty nine at the time and literally in the peak of her career. And I know how much that helped me. It helped her having me who'd been through a lot and one, you know, significant amount, but also it helped me physically to know that I had someone who was so much more physically stronger and just better player than me. And I think Rafa would consider Alcarez to be in that position. Clearly, I'm not even I'm not even putting myself in the Nadal category here, but I just know what it was like to play with someone who was so much better than me and so much like just stronger physically to get me through those matches. And how much do you think that's going to help Rafa going into the Olympics as well, knowing he's got this guy next to him, it could just run for days.

00:12:57
Speaker 2: I think it's huge. And does the Olympics, is it no scoring in doubles or do they play AD? No?

00:13:02
Speaker 1: I believe they play AD.

00:13:03
Speaker 2: Yeah, playout. I was gonna say if it's no AD, you know, he flips it over to Alcarez every duce point. But regardless, I think it's huge. He knows he's got the the strongest, mightiest, best player in the in the world as his teammates, So that just gives you a little extra confidence and courage boost, I think for Rafa going into it. And you know, again with the Olympics, a lot of these top doubles teams in the world right now, they're not two guys from from the same country, so you've got a lot of mix and matches not you know, the out of the eight best doubles teams in the world, you know, six or seven of them aren't going to be playing together. So the doubles draw especially is is wide open. I guess you would almost say it can kind of go to anyone because these a lot of guys are playing together, you know, and the and the girls too. But we're talking about Raffa and Alkarez. There's teams in there that, like the guys have never played. This might be their first time playing with each other. So I think Rafa and Carlos are going into that like, hey, we have a good chance as anyone to win the gold medal in the doubles right now.

00:14:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I mean that was the one thing that was a little tough for me as well as I mean, listen, I want a lot of tennis tournaments, but I never played with another Australian, you know, until I played with Sam, but it was after the Olympics, an actual fact, when we had our good run. So that is not easy. So I think the quicker you gel, the better you play with somebody, and the more you play with them. Quite frankly, I mean, it's why Koudjikova, for example, and Sineya Kova will be the favorites in the women's doubles probably you know, they haven't played it all this year, but they played so much through the years. Of course, Venus and Serena were so dominant in doubles at the Olympics because they played only with each other so that does absolutely help, There's no doubt about it. But listen, I am so pumped for it. I love the Olympics. I know you don't love them, Sam, but I do.

00:14:45
Speaker 2: I love the Olympics. I'm just not like, when I'm going to go watch, it's not tennis. Isn't like number one on the list of things go watch. I want to watch the swimming, the track and field, stuff like that.

00:14:55
Speaker 1: All right, Well, as a reminder everyone, in July twenty six on NBC and of course all the networks of NBC, including Peacock, you'll be able to see everything when it comes to tennis, all the stuff, all the swimming, all the track and field. I've been watching so many things on different sports and I am just pumped through it. So you can see all of that clearly on Peacock and we're gonna just keep talking about it, and I'm pumped about it.

00:15:22
Speaker 2: Tis what does the tennis start? Is it on that twenty seventh?

00:15:26
Speaker 1: The tennis starts I think on the twenty seventh, yes, seventh, Okay, I'm just thinking I know when I have to be there to report for Judy, and it's earlier than that. So anyway, So let's talk about the USA team. The men's Taylor Fritz, Tommy Poul, Marcus Diron, and Chris Banks are suiting it up along with Regiev Ram and Austin Krycheck. Those guys will be the doubles team. This is a strong team. What are your thoughts on the guys before we get to the girls.

00:15:56
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it's it's weird in tennis. You just said, like, this is a strong team, so it's like a team, but you're also it's individual, so it's kind of it's a little bit of a strange dynamic. I wish tennis would go to a team format. I don't know how to. I don't have any ideas off the top of my head. But it is an amazing honor and privilege to make the Team USA Olympic Team. Super cool for you know, Chris Eubanks and Marcus Bron who actually just won his his first tournament every weekend. You know, those guys got in because a few of our other players opted not to go, so this is, you know, a huge moment for them. Jeron has possibly gone in the past. Chris Eubanks, I think this is his first event and for and for U Banks too. He's his ranking has recently fallen, but when the Olympic team was, you know, when guys were going over the rankings six weeks ago, he was ranked a little higher. So it's kind of a great opportunity for him. And you know, Fritz and and Tommy Paul, those are two guys that have played great lately. They they're not necessarily known as clay court players, but two out of three sets, anything can happen. And then Rajeev Ran and Austin Kreichek both have been number one in the world doubles, both have one majors. They're going to be one of the better doubles teams. So it's a great crew. And you know, I there's a chance for everyone here to come away with a medal if things, you know, are set up correctly and they play well.

00:17:18
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that one of them might surprise. I don't know which one will, but it'll be nice to see them certainly go deep in the tournament because we love to see them do well. Of course, the women's that's another story altogether. We've got Danielle Collins, what a great year she's had. Cocoa Golf. Jessica Pagoula and Emma Navarro. Those four players have played some really good tennis this year. They've all had great success this year. That's a strong team. You would think somebody in this group is going to medal.

00:17:48
Speaker 2: You'd think, I mean, yeah, I mean who the lowest ranked player in this list is Navarro and she's top twenty and you know, just just had a great run at Wimbledon, making a quarterfinals. So yeah, the girl are I mean, We've had strong Olympic teams on the female side for as long as I can remember, with with the Williams sisters, and we've had Madison Keys and Sloan Stevens. You know, the girls have constantly been top ten. But this is as good of group that we've had going in a long time. This is for speaking as a whole, as a country. I don't know if there's another country with the with a group in as strong as this. So I look, I you're gonna know more than me, but I I like, I find a bet right now. I'm betting on one of those girls to get a medal.

00:18:32
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think look, obviously we know eagers she on Tech's going to be the one to beat at the Olympics in the women's just because it's at Roland Garris where she doesn't lose a lot of tennis matches. So there's no doubt that that. I know, Ego wants to win a gold medal for Poland that will be an enormous thing for her country, enormous thing for her. But there's no doubt the Coco GoF will be pushing, you know, for a medal as well. She plays very well on the clay in Paris, and of course her and Jessica Bagol have had six sucess in doubles, so they'll be trying to get a medal of some type in doubles. And you know, Danielle Collins is this the year. I mean, she's had such an amazing year, so we'll see what she can if she can produce something special on the clay. And of course Amminavarro, she's had a wonderful year. So I don't know all of these women. As you said, I think the Czech team are probably just as strong as far as pushing for medals, but there's no doubt who of all the Americans do you think has a shot of a gold medal?

00:19:27
Speaker 2: I would say Cocoa golf. I mean, she's she's right up there the last couple years, you know, finally in the French Open semi final in the French Open. Obviously she's got Ega in her way. But if if E gets knocked out earlier, if Coco plays great and manages the beater, you know, she's one of the few that can. But I'm I'm kind of circling, circling her for that best chance. And I'm not one hundred percent sure who are mixed doubles teams are yet.

00:19:53
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I would say it was probably Jessica and Austin Krycheck. Yes, they've played many, many many years together. And I would say probably Coco with maybe rejiev Ram.

00:20:03
Speaker 2: I think that's those are both great teams. Yeah, you know, and then Coco and Jessica Pagoula probably in the doubles is probably my my my other call for like, if I had to pick a group or one person or a doubles team to to meddle, but does someone stand what do you think someone stand out?

00:20:20
Speaker 1: On?

00:20:21
Speaker 2: Yeah, matter of women of like who's the best, who's our best chance?

00:20:24
Speaker 1: I think the best chance is probably Coco and I think probably them in doubles, but you never know with the guys, could be Rejiev and Austin And certainly we know what Tommy is capable of doing. He's had a great year as well, and Taylor so and as you said, Jeron just won a tournament, so he's super confident as well. I don't know, we'll see. This is why we play, right. They haven't announced the mixed doubles teams yet, but that's my guess of who we're going to see.

00:20:48
Speaker 2: That's why if I was the coach, that's probably who I would be sending out as the two best teams.

00:20:54
Speaker 1: Yeah, and it also depends on how they're feeling and who wants to play and all that sort of stuff. But anyway, all right now, Nodell Andrez, it's still a little bit of an Olympic quick fire here for you. Sam Nadal Alcarez, which player would you want to play doubles with most from your generation? I mean that spans a long time, my friends.

00:21:13
Speaker 2: And I've got a generation with Roger, Rafa and Novak. I argue with the three, the three greatest ever, but I mean it's it's Roger. He's just you know, take the game aside. He just he's smooth, he's cool. Just you know, twenty years from now, talking to my friend's kids, grandkids, whoever, to be able to say, oh my gosh, I got to play doubles with feder this one time would be a pretty cool thing to say. I think.

00:21:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree, I think if I had to pick mixed doubles. I didn't ask him as a joke. One time at Wimbledon, I was walking past him. I said, hey, Roger, they haven't done the mixed doubles sign ups yet, do you want to play? And he started laughing. I mean I was, I was an.

00:21:52
Speaker 2: Honest I want to know, a laugh is not it's not.

00:21:56
Speaker 1: That's what I thought. Yeah, I guess from my generation. I don't know. My generation spanned a long time, but probably given an opportunity. Well, I got to play with Serena and World teen Tennis, which was always fun, but I think suiting it up with her in a tournament would have been fun. I did get to play with Steffie Graff. We won a couple of tournaments together.

00:22:16
Speaker 2: Pretty cool. Yeah, you got to play with your dream with your dream people.

00:22:20
Speaker 1: Yeah, I did. Martin and Everlovauld been great as well. But she played the backhand side, and so did I, because you know, what are you going to do? I would play the forehand if I was playing with.

00:22:28
Speaker 2: If she asked you, hey, you want to play doubles, but you got to play the forehand, you're saying.

00:22:31
Speaker 1: Yes, right, yeah, I would play. I would say yes, but good luck. That's what I would have said, Come on all right? So there, yeah, okay, So in any other sport, who would be the most unbeatable duo? Like we're talking like Lebron Michael Jordan, Like I mean in swimming, you would probably you know, there's a lot, there's a lot, so which duo if you have to put them on tennis court? But as their sport, which one would you pick?

00:22:57
Speaker 2: Oh? Yeah, I guess on the on the level would be like a, I mean, Lebron and Michael Jordan are obviously you know I'm going I would go Michael Phelps and Katie Ladecci.

00:23:10
Speaker 1: Oh good coming.

00:23:11
Speaker 2: And they've just between the two of them, I feel like they've got about forty medals. And that's Katie Ladecci on her own, wins every race by you know about a lisle. So she's so dominant. But I feel like those two. I mean, I can't think of another duo and a sport that is like more dominant than the two. Event.

00:23:31
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, let me tell you something. As an Australian, I cannot wait for the swimming. I've told you that it's going to be a battle of the Aussies, those them that are wearing those jerseys and the Americans in the pool. That's going to be a lot of fun for me to watch. I don't know, I I agree, I think I was. I was thinking Michael Phelpson and Katie as well, that would be a pretty great duo to put in the pool. But they do have mixedteen swimming now at the Olympics, and I love that, Like the four by one hundred they do.

00:23:59
Speaker 2: Yeah for her.

00:24:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, It's like you see the guys like twenty feet ahead and then the girl jumps in and then it's the guy swims. It's like so much fun. It's it's absolutely chaotic, but it's so much fun.

00:24:10
Speaker 2: Is there another sprinter? I mean, we've got Hussain Bolt. Is there another sprinter?

00:24:15
Speaker 1: Mae Marry Richardson, Man, you know.

00:24:18
Speaker 2: She's incredible. Just I didn't know if she's like as dominant as Husain Bolt.

00:24:23
Speaker 1: No one's as dominant as him.

00:24:24
Speaker 2: Because if I feel like, if I had to one win one event in the Olympics, it's it's men's or women's hundred meters. To say you're the fastest person on Earth is the coolest title barn On across anything. I'd rather I'd take that over best tennis player, best basketball player, best football player. I want to be the fastest fastest fan on Earth.

00:24:41
Speaker 1: You're just like, I'm the fastest person in the world, in the world.

00:24:45
Speaker 2: Luck, it's a cool title to take with you.

00:24:48
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a there's a cool doco on on that right now. And it's sort of got me pumped for the Olympics to watch the sprint races in the two hundred and one hundred, especially because I've gotten to know all the players. So you know, you've got in the pool, you've got Australia and America, and in the sprints you've got the Jamaicans and the Americans. So it's like, you know, I don't know if you can tell, but I'm a little excited about the next like two weeks. But anyway, Okay, so just real quick somebody who won a bronze medal in singles at the Olympics, who had a stellar career. We want to give a little pay little ode to my old Washington Castle's teammate Leander Pays, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Hall of Fame over the weekend. So I just want to throw out a huge congratulations to him. He won, of course, the bronze medal at the ninety six Olympics in Atlanta. That was my first Olympics, and he becomes the first Asian man to be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame as a tennis player. Vj Armitrage was also inducted this weekend, but he was as a contributor. Contributor another way to say, but yeah, yeah in America, you know, but Landa. Give me some stories on Landa and just your thoughts on him getting into the Hall of Fame.

00:26:04
Speaker 2: He's my I mean, for those of you lucky enough to watch him, the guy had crazy hands. You could have a short forehand on top of the net and he would charge the net, pick a side react. But he I also got to play World Team Tennis with him for like five years on the Washington castles and this guy.

00:26:18
Speaker 1: I missed playing with you on the Washington Castle.

00:26:20
Speaker 2: They must have booted you off and picked me up.

00:26:24
Speaker 1: It's possible. It's possible they had they had cap room to bring you in after all.

00:26:28
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. But this guy tennis aside, if you ask me who's the best storyteller in all of tennis, this is the man right here. This guy has stories for just as long as from here to the moon. And I don't think any of them are true, but they're just the most amazing stories. And the actually the Olympic story that he had from Atlanta where he got the bronze medal kind of out of the blue. He got it in singles, and I don't think he was ranked necessarily that high in singles when he got it. He claims in the he told me once in the third fourth place match, he was losing, he was down, and then a butterfly came down on the court. It was injured. He picked it up, he spoke to the butterfly, healed it and then let it fly away. And the next thing you know, you tell the story. The whole crowd is flapping their wings like as their butterflies. Then it propelled them to the victory to get them the gold medal or the sorry, the bronze medal. But that's one of one hundred stories this guy has. And he's just not only an amazing tennis player, like one of my favorite people in tennis.

00:27:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's no doubt that if you want to sit down or if you want to there's a couple of things that I could tell you, but many are if you want to get away real fast, when Leander starts telling you a story, you have no chance like it is going to go for a day. But as you said, when I played mixed doubles with him, which I did many times to the World Team Tennis, and I played against him in a Grand Slam final, actually he was He had the most unbelievable hands in the world, and he would dive for everything, he would run for everything. And so it's very fitting that he ended up into the International Tennis Hall of Fame because he definitely deserves it. And what a what a you know, what an incredible mark he left on Indian tennis. Of course, the Armitage Brothers were incredible for India, but Leander took it to a different level with his just his wins in doubles and mixed doubles. It was incredible. So Leander pays congratulations for getting into Hall of Fame. All right, well you listen, guys, we're going to leave you a little bit of something today because next time we're going to leave you with a little Instagram TikTok legendary stuff from mister Sam a Query. What's the A for?

00:28:38
Speaker 2: By the way, Austin my middle name? Query was already taken, so I had to slide the A in there.

00:28:44
Speaker 1: Who has Sam Query?

00:28:46
Speaker 2: Who an impostor there's another there's another one of me out there?

00:28:50
Speaker 1: Okay, so Sam a Query is going to be We're going to highlight him a little bit in this because honestly, you make me laugh so much on your Instagram and I I'm just thankful that your wife has been included in a few of late She's I.

00:29:04
Speaker 2: Mean, originally we started making these funny videos like she's the mastermind behind these.

00:29:08
Speaker 1: Oh early on.

00:29:09
Speaker 2: She was like she was putting it together. Early on, she was doing all the editing and a lot of the ideas we've you know, and you know, give me, honest I got a little help now. But yeah, no, she My wife's fantastic in these videos.

00:29:21
Speaker 1: Well there you go. Behind every great man is always a better woman. Is that what you're saying.

00:29:26
Speaker 2: That is what I'm saying. This doesn't exist without her. Oh it's just a nightmare or was it? Come to talk about.

00:29:40
Speaker 1: Brilliant subition shows and you will never go on Slam. But even Trader had

00:29:44
Speaker 2: To apologize without her