Pam Shriver on US Open Week 2

00:00:10
Speaker 1: Welcome everybody to the Renee Stubs Tennis podcast. This is an unusual one. I'm doing it from the grounds of the Usta Billy Jan King National Tennis Center because well, I never leave here, so I've decided to pull in the person that I know who's also hasn't left the grounds and it's pretty much had left sleep than me, and that's Pam Shiverer. Pam, thanks for joining me today. We're going to recap the first week as best as we can.

00:00:33
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:00:33
Speaker 3: No, it's certainly a short night sleep last night, but we both were looking forward to the Muhova Paolini match, which we just called, and you were smoked to get me while my energy is still up.

00:00:43
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah.

00:00:44
Speaker 1: So anyway, let's get a little bit of recap. I mean, this first week of the US Open has been pretty tremendous. We had so many big upsets on the men's side. Something we didn't expect to see is both Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz out of the tournament with two huge upsets, one of course from vander down Sloop. That was probably more of a surprise for me just the way it happened against Alcarez, and obviously Alexi Popper and what he was able to do against Novak Chokovich was impressive, but Novac certainly didn't look his best. How much do you think, Pam, that was a little bit also of the Olympic fatigue factive for the guys playing best of five here is a little different from the women coming backing up from the Olympics playing best of three. Yeah.

00:01:24
Speaker 3: I think obviously it had an effect. We knew this summer for the players playing, and really, what is the fifth major every Olympic four years, It was going to be a lot because of the surface transition, clay grass, clay hardcourt. To do all that in Mike, a seven eight week span is a lot to ask physically, mentally, emotionally. And I think you're right. The main difference is because the women medalists from the singles really played great tennis. At the oment, two of the three are still in it with Siontek and Jang, and I think the three out of five set format is the reason why.

00:02:02
Speaker 1: Yeah, I do. I think that. Look Also, Alchiis was losing his shit in Cincinnati, so you knew that his I don't know, just his capacity to deal with the stress and the pressure of the US Open was going to be tough, and I think that loss really stung him. At the Olympics in his wonder Pam how much like Djokovic, his energy levels were as well, because that was, as he said, the greatest moment of his tennis career winning the gold medal, which is pretty remarkable considering what he's done in his tennis career. It's unbelievable. But also kudos to the guys that got the wins, because you still have to win the match. Something that's a real positive, you know, in this tournament so far, is just the success of the Americans, particularly the American men. Were used to the American women still being latent tournaments like the likes of Cocoa Goth and Jess Bagool or etc. But to see what Taylor and Tommy and Francis are doing in this tournament and Brandon Nakashima who lost yesterday, but gee, you've got to be if you're Americans tennis, got to be pretty pumped about what you're seeing.

00:02:58
Speaker 3: Now we've I've seen them this summer be ranked all in a bunch right in the sort of the bottom end end of the top ten, and the first few spots of like eleven, twelve, thirteen, they're pushing each other. They have that sort of friendly rivalry where they're sort of using the energy of the group to push forward. I think they're sick and tired, the men of hearing how many years it's been since Andy Roddick won a major on the US male side. That's two thousand and three US Open. And I think all the men that are still in it from the US I mean, Paul has the toughest assignment, needless say, because by the time, you know, he played center tonight. But I think Tiafo and Taylor Fritz who knows, we could see an all American semi final.

00:03:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, I actually said that the other day. I looked at the draw and I thought, oh my god, like, we really could have two American men in the semifinals. And can you remember the last time that happened, Well, probably in the.

00:03:53
Speaker 3: Era of the sampras Agasy courier chang, you know, certainly it happened a lot in the Connors back and row.

00:04:02
Speaker 2: I'm trying to think over the other type.

00:04:04
Speaker 1: Mars out of Europe, and we haven't slept enough to worry about that. But yeah, I mean, this is an amazing opportunity for these guys, and I don't know, you just think, you know, the changing in the guard of Novak's still around. He's not going anywhere for now, but you know, father time catches up with everyone, and you just think he didn't look fresh, and we know what he's been that through. But he's only made two finals this year, Pam. I mean one he won at the Olympics and the other one was Wimbledon. But for him not to win a major in the year is you just start to think how much more does he have mentally and physically in his body. And these guys are so good and so young and so hungry, and now they actually believe they can beat him, and that's, as you know, is half the battle.

00:04:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, Novak certainly seems to have lost a little bit of that giant aura that he had that would sort of make him start with a two love lead in each set. But you know, obviously the French Open, the injury to the knee, the surgery, the surgery on the meniscus. But when you think about how he was you just mentioned just one tournament went on the year, and that was the Olympics. Yeah, well, I mean there was not an ATV Tour tournament win. He got the finals of the semi finals of the Australian Open. That was probably foreshadowing his year when he couldn't fire at the caliber that he usually does in a semi final of major, losing the center and you know, the injury, and then obviously he just put all in to do the one thing the sport he had not done, which is an Olympic gold medal. And I don't think there was enough time for even him to reset. He didn't play Canada or Cincinnati, didn't play a warm up tournament, but I don't think he's been able to reset and establish his next big goal. Is it to get to twenty five singles majors? Is it to you know, he's got to have something I think to push him.

00:05:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree, And you just wonder how much because really, the only thing that he has on his resume that he you know, to just arguably say greatest player of all time, not just man a woman, but greatest players to get twenty five Grand slams. If he does that, then forget about it. But I don't know, at some point, it's it just gets tiring to have to wake up every day and be great and win every match, and his kids are growing up, and you just wonder how much he's got left in the tank. But we'll certainly know because if he does it, he's going to probably do it in Australia because that's where his best results have come. And I'm glad that truck that takes all the poop and stuff away from the US Open has finally stopped happening in the background outside our beautiful ESPN bus here on site. But anyway, but I want to just touch upon Francis Tiafo what he was able to do the other day against reversing the lost to Ben Shelton. I think you could see in his face, Pam that it was kind of like he was not giving in in that match, and I think that boy that could turn around his career again. We know how well he played in Cincinnati, so that certainly got his confidence up. But what he did last night, even against Popera, and he just didn't panic. He played great. You got to think, I mean, does he have it in him to win this tournament?

00:06:54
Speaker 2: Yeah? I think he does.

00:06:55
Speaker 3: Plays Demitrof next to play the winner of Fritz Zverev. I think tis learned so much from a semi final run of two years ago and he became even more of a star. And I think he probably knows that sometimes he needs to say no and kind of keep into his lane and notice sponsorship and things like that. Yeah, stay in his hula hoop a little bit more because he's yeah, like stay within the hula a little expression. But anyway, I think, you know, we know guys mature tend to mature a little bit later. But I do think you mentioned that Shelton match that was huge because he lost in the quarters that was last year to Shelton. That was very painful loss. That's when Shelton kind of did the hang up the phone game and.

00:07:38
Speaker 1: He wasn't really the same player after that loss.

00:07:40
Speaker 2: No, he wasn't.

00:07:41
Speaker 3: But I think Cincinnati was huge. I think the decision for Francis not to play the Olympics. Obviously, Washington, d C. Which is where he grew up, that was an important tour stop. I think Francis getting on the hard courts, getting his teeth sunk into this segment of the circuit is why he has a chance to win this US Open. From two SATs to one down against Shulton, we saw the best of Francis.

00:08:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's true. But you got to give credit then to Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz because they both played the Olympics right deep to the end. They've got a silver medal in the doubles there, so what they've been able to do has been impressive. Of Course, we've already mentioned the guys that won medals at the Olympics have not done well in the singles medals, So all credit to Taylor and to Tommy Paul forgetting to where they've gotten to at the US Open with that short bit of rest as well. So it's just been an impressive tournament from the American guys. And you have to think, I don't know, with the losses to al Karaz and to Djokovic, does it give that impotence to the guys that have been knocking on the door a little bit to say why not me? And could this be the time? Clearly we know Sinner's the one to beat in this tournament now, and it's been pretty remarkable considering what he's gone through emotionally over the last couple of weeks that he's playing as well. As ears, but he will be tested tonight against Tommy Paul for sure.

00:08:57
Speaker 3: Yeah, as we're talking now and recording this part, it was almost two weeks since the news just spread so quickly about what happened to Janick Center in March, when two tests came up positive for a banned substance, and he immediately went into the process of challenging it.

00:09:14
Speaker 2: He could immediately.

00:09:15
Speaker 3: Explain how it got into a system in three different groups confirmed that that was most likely the case. Lost his first set at this tournament, and he looked.

00:09:26
Speaker 1: Like a ghost. He looked like he'd seen a ghist in that fast set, like he was not himself.

00:09:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, to Mackenzie McDonald.

00:09:31
Speaker 3: But then since then his sets have been six two six one six two sixty four six love six two six one six four six two. So you think he's playing well, Yeah, I think he is now, and I think, you know, there must be an unbelievable relief. I mean, he had known he had been dealing with this since a month early April. Yeah, we just found out when the news broke two weeks agost. We were all stunned. But I do think he's starting to show the relief that the worst is over for him on this process.

00:09:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Anyway, let's get a little bit to the women before we wrap this little pot up and get back to work here at the US Open. And Pam has a nap, but Coco's lost yesterday. Let's just dive into that one because it's fresh in our minds. I just want to give so much credit to Emminavarro because that was a really, really first It was an incredibly entertaining match, but it was a great match with Emma Navarro considering up a set and four to three, was it thirty love or forty love? Thirty love for sure on her serve, and then the wheels fell off a little bit and Coco played great to win that second set, and you thought, okay, train's back on the track, definitely playing better golf. But the unfortunately for Coco, nineteen double faults. Pam, you and I were both consider our serves to be one of our strengths. I cannot imagine double faulting nineteen times and feeling good about where my serve was at and the anxiety I think that that gives her on all aspects of her game. It has to affecting her what is happening.

00:11:03
Speaker 3: Well, I think two shots are causing a lot of anxiety. It's both the serve and the forehand and when you have two such important shots that can break down, and everybody in the locker room, every coach, everybody knows it. And there you obviously can't target the serve, but you can certainly target the forehand side. And you can sort of see by some of the stress this summer that Coco's displayed, whether he's at Wimbledon, when she also lost to Novarro at the Olympics, when Donna Veketch got the better of Cocoa Golf, and really she was defending all these points this summer on the hard courts, didn't look herself and had the pressure of trying to defend this title, but she didn't have the game to do it. However, we know Coco Golf has won a lot of tough matches not with her a game, and it looked like maybe that was going to be the case yesterday, but then Navarro was able to capitalize on the mistakes and be the better of the two.

00:11:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just feel like, you know, if you're going to teach demeanor and composure on the tennis goll It. We thought Coco was one of the best of that. That's being challenged little bit over the last couple of months with some of the demonstrative behavior we've seen sort of at her coaching box and things, And that's what happens when you're in a bit of stress. You sort of look to help and you're not quite got the answers yourself. But Emma Navarro, on the other hand, I mean, she just like, if I want someone to play poker for me, you're in girl. Like her attitude, her composure, her willingness to look at things like I feel like with a glass half full or rose colored glasses all the time, is so bloody impressive on the tennis court, and she stepped up in the end and won that match.

00:12:30
Speaker 3: You know, I really have enjoyed watching Navarro's rise. Donaveca's the player of Coach Ramas two years, actually played Navarro in the second round of Mono Ray March a year and a half ago, and Navarro was just beginning to make her move. Dona beaterr fairly comfortably scorelne wise, but during the match, I'm like, oh my goodness, I knew the backhand was really good the forehand was getting stronger, the movement, the athleticism, and she's just become a great hard worker. I think her coach Peter and Emma are one of the best coach player tandems out there. I love the fact they made a two year contract with each other that was up just a little while ago, and it was like, we're renewing because this is going really well. On Navarro, who knows what her ceiling is because she is proving a little bit like Pagoula. Maybe you don't see it necessarily in the juniors that she's going to be like a top tenor, but I think Navarro is definitely has a chance to win a major and be a consistent member of the top ten.

00:13:26
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, consistent member of the top ten foreshore. I mean, you know, just like we just called the Pegoula, sorry, the Pawelini Mukhova match, and both of those players that have been in the top ten. Paolini is there now. I suspect that Macova will probably move back in there at some point if she stays injury free. But Emma Navarro is a very similar player. You know, all court player can come forward, you know, great top spin on the forehand, and then you've got that beautiful backhand that can go anywhere, cross caught down the line so easily. She can slice very good serve, so not a lot of weaknesses, and that's really the key. And I think that's what happened in the end yesterday with Coca, is that Coco's weaknesses you can see, Emma's you don't really see. So you know, there's a little bit of work for Coco to do in the not the off season, because she's still got to play in the fall. But certainly, look, she's twenty years of age. The improvement is still possible. But little Paula Medosa's really come back. Pam playing some great tennis and she won Washington d C which Coco did last year. And one of the things she said after she won, and we mentioned it last week on the podcast with Peco, she said, I finally figured out how to be an athlete again. And when you think about her back injury and all of that stuff, boy, oh boy, does she look bloody good now and she's hitting the ball really well.

00:14:40
Speaker 3: Yeah, you always like to see a comeback. She was number two in the world for a while, but it wasn't because of great results in majors. She'd only been to one quarter final of a major before, never a Sammy or a final, and she's looked great here now. She did have a match point against her when she was playing Rusa in the third round. And we know through the years how many times you kind of feel this sense of relief and you know, what do you call it? Like a second life and you play with great freedom, And I thought Bidosa did that in her fourth round match against one. Next up against Navarro, it's not a match that we've I don't even know if they've played.

00:15:18
Speaker 2: I don't recall them playing.

00:15:20
Speaker 3: I think Bidoza's forehand is one of the biggest weapons in women's tennis right now now that she's healthy again. The serve is the big question because that second serve and the toss can really go off when Bidosa's under stress. And let's face it, Navarro knows how to exploit when somebody had some vulnerability on the surf.

00:15:37
Speaker 1: Yeah, having said that, as you said, the first serve is beak, So it's a matter of confidence. I don't know. I maybe give a slight edge to Emma just because of what she's done over the last twelve months and the crowd is going to be a huge factor for her, so you just have to give her a slight edge. But if Badosa plays at her best, we know what she's capable of, So looking forward to that matchup. Unfortunately for you, Pammy was here till two fifteen am for Donna Vekch losing to Chinwan Jiung. Great match. It was such a shame it was on so late because I would say that that was possibly the best match I've seen on the women's side this year this tournament. Great hitting of the ball. You know, both were hitting more winners than unforced errors, and they were clocking the ball, so it's like they were hitting winner after winner after winner. Yes, there was some unforced errors, but in the end it was Jiang who got the edge in the three sets. I just think Donna ran out a bit of a gas in the third set, but Jang to play Zapalannka, now.

00:16:32
Speaker 3: Well, you know what was fun about this match is to have within a month a rematch of the gold medal match from Paris, which was a much more routine win for Juang, and to have such high quality. I mean the first set you had twelve straight holds. They only faced a couple of break points. The quality the serving and Donna was serving second, so the pressure on her late in that set was immense. I was really proud that Donna got at the tie break. Unfortunately, that was one of the moments of the match, was that Janga played a much better quality tie break. And it turns out winning the first set usually matters in most matches. But still did Donna come back and win the second set. And to see Donna here at the US Open sort of back up her results earlier in the summer when she got the finals of the Olympics Semis of Women and came within two points of the final, losing to Pallini. You know Donna's match point, She didn't get to match point, did not She was up eight to seven in the match tiebreak. But for Donna at this point, at twenty eight, we know the primes of careers. You can mature, you can learn new skills as far as mindset and how to just be mentally a little more resilient. And Donna's been open to learning some new skills to manage the mental side. Still she's always going to be emotional, but she's learned how to reset a lot better and not let the previous point affect the next point. So I see Donna's upside. Kind of one of the reasons why I was willing to join the team two years ago. I think her best years are ahead.

00:17:54
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, And it's just nice to see her back in a terrible knee injury a couple of years ago with surgery, and just you know, a couple of years ago, I had a conversation with her and said, what do you feel like you need to do? Because she was still hitting the ball so well. I coached against her a couple of times in doubles, and she said, stubbsy, I gotta lose weight. And you know, that was just such a frank and honest answer for Donna to give. You can cough, Pam, It's okay, you know, we can edit that out, but you know, it was just a nice thing for her to realize. Look, I just got to get fitter and faster and stronger. And I have to say, Pam, Wow, James Blake and I were both just so impressed with how well Donna was moving around the court yesterday and just making jiang play one extra great shot. And guess what, she did. Jiang was just a little bit better, a little bit more energetic at the beginning of the third set, and I think that made the world a difference. And you've got to give a lot of credit and the confidence that Jang possesses now after winning that gold medal. And listen, I gotta tell you, Pam, and I know this because of just connections with some Chinese players over the past. The Olympics means more to the Chinese than anything. So as big as star as Lena is in the in the in China after winning two slams, Qinuan, Jiang is bigger the gold medal. She said, Yes, people recognize me for what I've done in my tennis career. Tennis fans recognized me, but she said, when I went back to China, now everybody recognizes me. And that's how big that point is. But how do you see the Saboleanca metchup.

00:19:18
Speaker 3: Well, it's interesting because I think while we known that Sabolenka has been one of the power players of this generation, now we have Jiang entering the conversation because the power she possesses when the first serve is working well and the groundstrokes and I tell you another really impressive shot of Xang was the slice backhand when Jang was put on defense by Donna Vekich. She's going to be on defense at times, certainly against Sabolenka. That was like one of those unsung hero type shots. So I was really impressed by Jiang. She stands way back on the first serve, which I think is going to be interesting visual for Sabolenka. I looking forward to that match. Sometimes two power players facing off isn't all that pretty. But remember the Australian Open final less than two years ago between Remarka and Saballanka is one of the best matches.

00:20:10
Speaker 2: Of the year.

00:20:11
Speaker 1: And I think the Jang having played Saballanka in the finals of the Australian Open will help her in this match, because look, she's been there. She's now won an enormous title for herself in the Olympics, and I think her confidence is so much higher than it was earlier this year. I think it was a little bit of a oh who's this girl in the finals of the austray And Open, and Sabalanka was so comfortable out on rod Laver arena. She won the tournament the year before. She was like, this is my house kind of thing, Whereas I feel like Jang goes into this match with a lot more confidence on hard court, and she's going to have to play her best to beat Sablenka. But if Sabalanka is serving drops off a little bit, Jang is also serving huge. When she's getting the first survey and second service, still vulnerable and Donna took advantage of that last night, just not quite enough. We're sitting here watching Pegoula play against Schneider, So what are your thoughts in first of all, in this match that Jessica is winning pretty comfortable at five to two, but also she on Tech tonight against Samsonova. She has a winning record against Samsonova, but when Samsonova plays well, she can beat anybody. It wasn't Yaki against hadaj Maaya, and we just saw Makova beat Paulini. But your thoughts on this section of the draw, Pemmy.

00:21:19
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, shion Tech won here two years ago, the only major she's won outside of rolling Garros. I thought her match against Pavlio Chenkova was her best yeat. I mean, Shibahara was a qualifier that Sfiontech beat easily, but I thought there was some stress, certainly in Fiontek's opening round, but seems to be settling in a little bit more. IgA was pretty outspoken about the demands of this summer of twenty twenty four for top players who also wanted to play the Olympics. But now it seems like she's got her teeth in it. I think she'll be a little too consistent for sam Sonova. But if sam Sonova's a game, the power game is on, that's the kind of power that can up end Fiontech. So a little bit of a chance. And Pagoula is really interesting to me because she's had the block, the quarter final block, her whole career lasts so many times in major. She still has a bit of business to do to take out the talented lefty. But when will Pagoula have, you know, success getting the semis or the finances of a major. I don't think it's gonna happen here. But it made as far as was Niaki the benefit of probably the best draw on the tournament, it was Niyaki has the experience and the consistency to make good for that opportunity. Hadad maya lefty, I mean, that's kind of the best part of the drave you could choose to be in it.

00:22:33
Speaker 1: And I think that just to add to it with Hadaj Maya against w was Niaki, I think the lefty that helps Caroline because she likes to serve. The serve's going to go to her back end a lot more. We know that was Niyaki's got one of the best back ends of all time, so she'll appreciate that. And Handaj Maya they win the other night against Callen skuy We have to talk about the var a little bit. There was a bit of a mess up there. I was confused about it all and how it went down. Clearly they didn't give the umpire the best angle of the video, just for people at home to understand what happened. There certainly something that the USDA would have learned a lot from in the us Open officials about how to take your time, look at every single angle. If it takes an extra minute, get that extra video up to the umpire. But I also think I don't know about you, Pam, but I don't think the umpire should be the one making that decision. Do you think it should be done in house where they're looking at it on a massive, big television screen and getting all the angles.

00:23:25
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that there needs to be a VAR official that just tells the umpire here, we've looked at all the angles, here's the decision.

00:23:34
Speaker 1: But yeah, there's like a red light green light on the umpires year.

00:23:37
Speaker 3: You know, you talk about the US Open and the usta kind of learning some things and whether it's how to manage var better next year. But I think one of the big things I want is for something like what happened last night.

00:23:49
Speaker 2: I don't want matches.

00:23:50
Speaker 3: I don't want matches to end at two fifteen anymore. I think the fact that they start ash Labor Day weekend, when the matches are getting more competitive, they're going to be longer, they're going to be more five setters, four setters, three setters on the women's side, to start at noon instead of eleven o'clock. The way they start on Grandstand and Armstrong and all the other courts is a huge mistake. And seeing what the two of the last three nights that we've had all time late finishes, late starts. That's not something a brag about in our sport. It's something for us all to problem solve it and to fix because it's not good for athletes. Even the winner has less of a chance to recover because they've finished at two am. So it's got to change.

00:24:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. Starting at eleven is the absolute minimum that I think they can do. I mean, Francis, you know, went full four something else. I mean, it's just you can't predict, and women having to play off to the men, knowing the men could possibly play four or five hols is just not fair to the women.

00:24:48
Speaker 3: It's just not I made a play when I found out that the tentative schedule was for Donna to play last on ASH the match again Jang after Tiaffo coppran I made the record, asked that it be reconsidered, and I understood that it was much greater than me being able to switch it around. And I was told by the USTA that they have this equal thing where one night the women start on ASH and the next night the men, and they flip flop, so it's quote unquote equal. But guess what when it's three out of five sets on the men's side, it's not equal. It's not equal as far as time on the court exposure of men's tennis. It puts the women at a great disadvantage when there's a long men's match that's five sets versus a women's match that's three sets, so it is not equal and women should play first.

00:25:36
Speaker 1: I agree. No, I agree, and we had it forever. And of course, look, the guys do pay the penalty sometimes because you know, if they do play five sets, they are finishing at one or two o'clock in the morning. And we've had that happen here at the US Open. So I think the key is we got to figure out a way to start a little bit earlier, get the fans in and out. This is an enormous stadium. It's difficult to get everyone out and get everyone in. And we're talking twenty thousand spectators that come in. You see it find us at ESPN when they're all just standing there waiting to get into the into Arthur Ash Stadium.

00:26:06
Speaker 3: They do need to manage the between the shifts. It needs to be tightened up. They've got to somehow get the power, the work power in to get the stadium ready in like thirty to forty minutes. Yeah, not this hour hour and twenty.

00:26:19
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think they're straight and open or it's a smaller stadium. Obviously, I think it's a maximum of forty five minutes I believe, to get everybody in and everybody back out. But look, you know the popularity of tennis is growing. We love that about our sport. We love that people are willing to pay a lot of money to come and watch the US Open. But if you are going to come out, you get your little grounds pass and get out to Armstrong Stadium because the matches out there. You can sit with a grounds pass up the tops. That court at Armstrong is probably the best court in tennis. The atmosphere is awesome. There's four matches on that court today and I think that's a day session, I believe. So that's the place to go. You get four, wait, four five matches on that call at one, two, three, four matches on Armstrong, all incredible matches. Drapa and Mahatsha playing there right now was Niyaki Hadaj Maya and then Dimna and Thompson. The Aussie's a gonna round it up. But anyway, listen, Pammy, thanks for joining me to do this today. We are on an unbelievably long, tight schedule, not on a lot of sleep, but God we love it, do we?

00:27:23
Speaker 2: Yeah?

00:27:23
Speaker 3: And I just want to say, because I know I've just suggested USTA make some major changes on things, but I got to really admire how the USTA's kind of led the way as far as having a major that is not just about tennis. It's about the overall experience, both food wise entertainment. It's a festival and it is an event and an experience to go to, whether or not you're a hardcore tennis fan or a curious experiential person that wants to come to the US Open. I also want to give them kudos. I always will for the US Open that was played four years ago, the first major played during a global pandemic. No fans, they figured it out. Took a hit in the bottom line, but anyway, we can still keep evolving and improving so we have even a better product.

00:28:06
Speaker 1: I agree. And another added extra for all you people that do come out to the tennis if you're gonna get a Honeyduce, get it as a double double the vodka. It's much tastier. I think it's way too sweet. So that's my little tidbit for all of you people, including Serena, who had her first Honeydeuce apparently yesterday. It's nice to see her on the grounds yesterday looking relaxed and may I say, incredibly fit, to the point that I was like, are you coming back? But anyway, it's been a great week, Pam. We've enjoyed it. Thanks for joining me today, and everybody enjoyed the second week of the US Open.