Draw Preview & Sinnergate with Caitlin & Petko

00:00:14
Speaker 1: All right, hi everyone, and welcome to the Renee Stubs Tennis podcast.

00:00:19
Speaker 2: Listen here.

00:00:20
Speaker 1: I am so excited because we are actually in a studio for the first time together in a long time.

00:00:27
Speaker 2: Do you think people can pay the difference? Hold on? Can you hear that?

00:00:30
Speaker 1: I am joined by of course, Caitlin Thompson and drum roll please, Andrea Pekovich.

00:00:36
Speaker 2: It is the three of us.

00:00:38
Speaker 1: When was the last time the three of us were together doing a podcast that sounded this good?

00:00:44
Speaker 3: So I remember it was the podcast I said hoof instead of because I remember you two laughing at me. It was around November or but like two or three years ago.

00:00:56
Speaker 4: Yeah, well maybe even before. It was before the pandemic.

00:01:00
Speaker 1: My god, we have done Petco and I have done a podcast in her closet in the in her I heard you.

00:01:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, we were ready to host you on Saturday. On Sunday, sorry tomorrow, I'm playing the pro am at McEnroe's, which Renee bounced on.

00:01:17
Speaker 1: I actually technically did not bounce on. I was not asked. Oh so Patrick and John fuck off?

00:01:23
Speaker 2: Love you get right out there is that part of the day.

00:01:27
Speaker 4: No, So this time they will have a Jitney are you taking the jitney.

00:01:33
Speaker 2: No, the river plan.

00:01:35
Speaker 4: Oh no, you're not.

00:01:40
Speaker 1: Calm down. I took it last year. I took a seaplane there and I took that shopper back with pet.

00:01:46
Speaker 4: I often think to myself, who in God's name would get into one of those seaplanes I did?

00:01:50
Speaker 2: Is it really dangerous?

00:01:52
Speaker 1: It's really fun. It's actually pretty fun. You go, you literally take off on the Hudson.

00:01:57
Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, exactly on the East River, on the East River, on the East River.

00:02:01
Speaker 1: I have to be so you bounce and your bounce and your bounce, your bounce, your bounce, you bounce you does that sound? Yeah, it's kind of cool. No, it's fine, You're gonna be fine.

00:02:08
Speaker 4: I also thought we were gonna follow this guy that one time we were in a helicopter together.

00:02:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, well you thought you didn't.

00:02:15
Speaker 1: Hey, we'll get to this. We've got a lot to talk about. We of course, the US Open draw has come out, came out yesterday, you know, and it's the most stressful. I want you to take us through. I know what it feels like, but take us through that moment Peco when you're like, what's the draw? Do you were? You the type of person that needed to know right away.

00:02:32
Speaker 3: So I always tell everyone to go try and go watch qualifying on the day the draws made, because you will get the most emotional outbursts of all. First of all, on the practice scurse, because everyone is freaking out, nobody knows who they're playing or they just found out who they are playing. And then qualifying, of course you have great emotional outbursts positively mostly, although yesterday I saw both because there was also some match points missed. But but yeah, that's but that. I was always most nervous under day after Joe. Definitely, it's always stressful.

00:03:07
Speaker 1: Some people like Serena Williams, I can tell you right now. I told her her drole when the drawer came out at Wimbledon, So it comes out you always, usually on Thursday, the week before, and I bumped into it at Orangie and I said, oh, you play so and so okay, thanks for telling me. And then when she won her first round, she came up to me later on she goes, hey, by the way, don't ever tell me who I play in the first round that early again, because she hated knowing who she wanted to play, because some players don't like to know too far in events because they feel like they ruminate over that the opponent.

00:03:38
Speaker 2: They think about it too much. Especially with Serena.

00:03:41
Speaker 4: It's about her game, not really anybody else's exactly, so I think you can't be thinking about anybody but herself.

00:03:46
Speaker 1: Serena's like, Okay, it doesn't matter who I play. If I play my best, no one's going to beat me, especially at Wimbledon. So she didn't want to ruminate over who she was playing for too many days.

00:03:55
Speaker 2: You'd probably like to know was she playing Harmony? About that time she was like, she like, comes out of the court, She's like, I got this.

00:04:03
Speaker 1: She probably did think she heard Harmony ten and went, yeah, I got this.

00:04:08
Speaker 2: So that didn't go so do you like? I always like to know, and I always also knew.

00:04:13
Speaker 3: I didn't know every single round, but I always knew the seeded players in my section. I wasn't the type who didn't know at all who was you know? Some players just wanted to know the next round. I knowed, I knowed you terrible, But that's Bob Dylan's grandma for you right there. I would always know the seeded players and the good players in my section, but not necessarily who I'm playing, second, third, fourth round, if it at all came well.

00:04:40
Speaker 1: I didn't want to know anyone about who I was playing in the next round. That's it because because the.

00:04:44
Speaker 3: Problem I think most players are are more like me. Yeah, I think most players want to know the next round but nothing.

00:04:50
Speaker 1: But the reason I didn't want to know is because there might have been somebody into my section that I didn't I hated playing against, or I was like I didn't like them as a friend people or whatever, and so I was like, I was thinking about that, and I'm like, why am I thinking about that? That's like three rounds ahead, Like what if they lose? So I didn't want to stress about the possibility of playing somebody I didn't like to play until I had to do it right, So they go. Anyway, let's get to the draw.

00:05:14
Speaker 2: Let's talk about the draw.

00:05:16
Speaker 4: I have like five picks already that I'm so excited about because there's nothing to me that is more fun, probably just even including the last day of qualities, which is incredible, yeah, than the first day of main draw. I love going to the first day of any tournament, any size, anywhere, because it's carnage and if a match is a blowout or somebody doesn't show up, then you can just bounce somewhere else and you just like my goal is to see as many people and then try to settle on like one or two major battles now.

00:05:47
Speaker 2: On the first day.

00:05:48
Speaker 4: So this already seems like there's a couple that I'm kind of eyeing that I will be headed towards immediately on Monday.

00:05:54
Speaker 3: And bouncing off that have a grounds pass on the first totally another of Ash. Yeah, there will be terrible tennis. Maybe there will be one good match if they don't know it will mostly eighty nine percent livelihood.

00:06:09
Speaker 1: Is the people on Arthur Ash and Armstrong are playing against players that are lesser than them, and so you usually they should win, but never ago you might get an upset. But the bottom line is Grandstand Court is great.

00:06:22
Speaker 2: Round one.

00:06:23
Speaker 1: You have a ground spass, so you can get in the upper deck there that always has usually the best matchups in the tournament, and Court seventeen is always the court to run to as well. Listen, we have to start with the top seed.

00:06:36
Speaker 2: Do you want to get into the cinner thing now.

00:06:38
Speaker 1: Before the draw?

00:06:39
Speaker 2: We can if you want to all right, Well, let's.

00:06:42
Speaker 1: Get into the sinner thing, because he is the number one seed in the men's and we were going to start with the men. So let's just talk about it and get it out of the way right now, before we get into the draw situation.

00:06:50
Speaker 4: Should we ask Andrea who is I feel like I introduced Faster last week as the bad boy of Substack.

00:06:58
Speaker 2: Yeah really, And I don't know if you want.

00:07:01
Speaker 4: To be called anything of substack yet, but under a Pactovich of Substack of subsac Fame had a really thoughtful rumination on the nature of objectivity today, which I thought, as a journalist is really interesting and I love So set the table here.

00:07:18
Speaker 2: Okay, so set the table.

00:07:19
Speaker 3: So the reason I came up I'm reading the John Diddyon biography right now, which is a lot about new journalism. We talked about it just briefly, and how in the sixties journalist reporters inserted themselves into the pieces and like, hey, there is no objective journalism. This was not on my mind right when I started writing the piece. My objective was to try and present the facts as they are without inserting any opinion. And I started the piece by saying the most drama in the tennis world was caused by the least dramatic person in the tennis world. And that already is a judgment, you know, because I like Janick. Everyone knows I like him, and I already showed sympathy towards him, so clearly, no matter how objective I tried to be, I was already arguing on his behalf, even though I tried to be objective and so and so that's what. So when I started the piece like this, I tried. When I edited it, I was like, should I just take it out? And I was like, no, this actually can be interesting.

00:08:21
Speaker 2: It's the best part for me, really interesting.

00:08:23
Speaker 3: And so I thought this could be really interesting if I just make clear that I'm not objective, no matter how objective I tried to be before. I then presented all the facts and and that's and you can find that on my on my substack Andrepatkovic off substack.

00:08:39
Speaker 1: So you're not going to tell us you're going to make us go to substack. No, no, no, I can I can give me if you give me a synopsis of what.

00:08:46
Speaker 3: So the synopsis, as I've I read millions of sources, I went into a deep dive of people who have prosecuted doping cases. I've read the rules, not all of them to be fair, but most of them that are relevant.

00:09:00
Speaker 2: To the case.

00:09:01
Speaker 3: And so what has happened basically was Janick Syna got tested positive with this substance that is an annabolsterosteroid.

00:09:09
Speaker 2: Which can be used and is used in Italy.

00:09:13
Speaker 3: And ointments and creams to help and sprace and sprays exactly to help cuts wounds and so on and so forth. But if you use it differently, it can also be used to produce muscle growth. Right, So this is why he was tested positive. And so I think the crux is here, why wasn't he provisionally suspended?

00:09:35
Speaker 2: And the reason for that is that the moment he knew he was.

00:09:38
Speaker 3: Tested positive, on the same day, his lawyers appealed on his behalf. And so the rule is if you appeal on the behalf of your client with enough evidence and proof and witnesses of what might have happened, we'll get into that after that, and before the provisional suspension is in place, the provisional suspension will not be in effect. So basically that's why he was able to continue playing.

00:10:04
Speaker 4: So it was an immediate intervention that resulted in a non event in his life exactly for now, for that moment.

00:10:15
Speaker 3: Yes, So that was the one controversy, right, Why were other players not allowed to play?

00:10:20
Speaker 2: And Yannick Sinner was? And that was lawyers answers.

00:10:23
Speaker 3: I read somewhere like there were different sources. That's why in my piece I just wrote on the same day, but I read in some sources that within an hour his lawyer had already.

00:10:32
Speaker 2: Appealed the case after he got tested positive. Yep.

00:10:35
Speaker 3: And that is very fast, right, that is way before the provisional suspension gets into place. I even have a screenshot for those who are interested of the rule because I thought it was really interesting that rule. And then I think the other controversy was why do we only find out now? And that's very simply explained. The matter can only go public once the tribunal has been closed down, which was effectively this week, and that's why we learned it now. So those I think the most controversial points in everything else, whether you believe the explanation that you can give or not, I think is up to anybody else. But I think the things that people didn't understand because they obviously don't know the rules as well.

00:11:15
Speaker 2: I think that's what.

00:11:16
Speaker 3: Interested me as well, and that's what I did at deep def in to try and explain it to myself at first and then try and share it to the with the people who are interested as well.

00:11:25
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think if you're going to talk on this or tweet about it or put it out on social media, read the rules, know the facts, Know what happened before you sprout your mouth. And there's been some people that have done that quite verbally, quite you know, aggressively on social media's We'll get into that in a second. But so as everybody knows, the spray was used by the physio to help with the finger, which we saw, you know, video evidence of him in Indian wells with the finger actually taped spraying it every day, probably to heal the wound so it would quickly get done. Because also as a physio, as you know, you're using your hands off the time, and so cuts will open all the time if you don't take care of them. I think for me, the explanation was and if you read what the doctors said, the independent doctors who did not know who that is very the player was perential treatment. There was not preferential treatment. They did not know who the player was, so that's very important.

00:12:19
Speaker 3: So that three experts in the tubernal are presented with the facts, with the explanation of the athlete and the sample in question, without them knowing the name of the athlete. This is handled in every case exactly the same.

00:12:34
Speaker 2: So they didn't know it was and.

00:12:36
Speaker 1: They said, highly probable. These were the I think though were the exact words. I could look it up, but it was essentially the same words. Highly probable of the explanation that was given is true. They said this. For the explanation was given with the spray with the finger, with the use of you know, him being a physio and you know, Yannick had blisters and all kinds of things. It didn't take them with the trace amount in there, which was like one billionth of a gram. They said that that explanation makes absolute sense. There you go both times, both times, and actually the second test was less. There was less in the second tests, meaning that it was going out of his system, or you know, maybe his finger was healing and he wasn't using spray as much. Who knows the question is why was the spray in there? How dumb are you as a physio, and as the fitness guy is the one that brought it and then gave it to the physio, you, as a physio, should know better. And my second question to this is, and I said this to a bunch of players yesterday, and I've spoken about this quite openly. Why do we have to know who the player is if they are exonerated or found being not liable in this situation and found of no fault.

00:13:49
Speaker 2: Why do we know his name?

00:13:51
Speaker 1: Why is it out in public? And I'm not saying it because Yannick. Yes, we like Yanick Sinner, There's no question about it. I am being biased as well.

00:13:57
Speaker 2: Kay, also look at me too. I like Janick Sinner.

00:14:00
Speaker 3: Yeah, but I think you're the most trained and actually in actual journalism, and I think easier.

00:14:06
Speaker 4: I also love drugs, yeah, sount, I love performance enhancing drugs. But let me tell you that spray doesn't do enough. You know, I've tried a bunch of times. I wish it did more. Like I'm just kidding.

00:14:22
Speaker 1: But next time you're in Italy, you're going to have one.

00:14:25
Speaker 4: I'm going to use all the drugs, but a journalistic purpose.

00:14:28
Speaker 1: So to finish off my point, my thing is, if a player is found to be essentially not guilty and free of all, why why do we need to know their names? That is a rule from the IA whatever it is I and they say it has to go out because you know. And then apparently a lawyer explained why those reasons are. But for me, I'm not like those reasons. I don't think if I don't think we should know, and that is inclusive of every single player. Every player should want that rule to be changed. That's what I think. If you are if you are not found guilty, and you have been found of no fault, we should not know in the public that you were even under investigation, let alone, because now his reputation, no matter what, is tarnished.

00:15:15
Speaker 3: Yeah, and however, that's what I wrote, and I want to hear what Caitlin says, because I do think she's the most objective of us. But sometimes I did write in my piece that the most severe issue from Janick Sinner's perspective is that there will be probably the majority of people will scan the headline, maybe read the first paragraph and the side for themselves that Janick Sinner was using performance enhancing drugs curios.

00:15:41
Speaker 1: Nick curiosa volog I mean, come on, these guys just absolutely within thirty minutes. I was on live TV when we found out, I mean half an hour before, so I had to talk about it on live TV.

00:15:53
Speaker 2: You know it's a big deal, right. You don't want to fuck something like that up. You don't want to say anything one way or the other.

00:15:59
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:16:00
Speaker 1: Sure, I'm just saying read the facts. I'm trying to read through them as we're going through on air. And then during that time there's a tweet up for Nick saying he should be suspended.

00:16:10
Speaker 2: If this or any other player, Like what are you doing? Yeah, like, find the facts out and look at the role. We surprised that Nick curious, Not.

00:16:17
Speaker 1: No, but I'm looking forward to I'm working together at the ESPN if they're working together.

00:16:22
Speaker 2: This week, I I Yeah.

00:16:27
Speaker 4: I think the appearance of favoritism, which is why I appreciate you taking care to note that the tribunal was a double blind is the problem here. It's the actual appearance of malfeasance and an attempted cover up that's the problem. And yeah, for me, the I'm not objective about this either, particularly but not because I like or don't like any of the players, or have had the experience of playing at this level.

00:16:54
Speaker 2: I have had the experience of using reforms hinting drugs though and non enhancing drugs, and I also told.

00:17:00
Speaker 4: Everyone I was taking them so that it could be a you know, an experiment we could all enjoy and did I think, But I think the issue here is the process is yet another murky behind closed doors unclear. You need a law degree to understand. The lawyers have to intervene in some cases, even if the outcome is the same. If the lawyers haven't intervened, then Ennick Center sits for the time while the investigation is going on, it gets reinstated.

00:17:30
Speaker 2: So you were you would be in favor of what the lawyer.

00:17:33
Speaker 4: I'm actually no, I'm actually I think Renee is right. I think if the system is going to be if the system is going to be working in a way that is, if the system, I think they should sort of. That's tough, though, because what if somebody is guilty and you let them play and they don't have a lawyer, or what if they do have a lawyer.

00:17:58
Speaker 2: I don't know.

00:17:58
Speaker 4: I just the the way it was handled is my issue. I have nothing to say about Yanix center one way there it's hard to imagine he was intentionally doping. But also I don't know, like I'm sure what people said that about all sorts of different people. I think from the assistant, the system, giving the appearance of impropriety, favoritism, and a lack of transparency. Certainly it shouldn't have been public if he was exonerated, certainly not. But if he hadn't had good lawyers, we would have found out this immediately and then what, No.

00:18:28
Speaker 2: We wouldn't.

00:18:28
Speaker 3: But yes, technically yes, because he would have been provisionally suspended. Yes, But and that's I think that's a that But that's really important because not everyone first of all, has the financial means that's the problem, to hire the best lawyers in the world within an hour, or secondly the cultural knowledge to have the phone number even you know, or call your agent who has a phone number, to hire the best lawyers in the world.

00:18:52
Speaker 4: Yeah, what if this is a challenger level player who gets the same physio truth, the.

00:18:56
Speaker 1: Same lawyer that's dealing with the English player, the doubles girl.

00:19:02
Speaker 2: Tara Moore was, but he's on the other side. That's the problem. He's prosisting again.

00:19:07
Speaker 3: And this is the one that's the one thing that it's just me the wrong way. Is the lawyer simultaneously he's an independent contractor, right, he doesn't work for a company, but he simultaneously works for the ITI, a who is prosecuting Tara Moore. And by the way, I'm not sure if it's a she or a he. Let's just say they the lawyer because his or her name is Kendra. Is that a woman's name or a depends.

00:19:32
Speaker 2: On the country. Also, they might be non binary.

00:19:35
Speaker 1: OK, let's not get into that.

00:19:36
Speaker 2: The lawyer the lawyer.

00:19:39
Speaker 3: The lawyer is basically on the side of the Itia prosecuting Tara Moore's case, but on Jennick simultaneously.

00:19:47
Speaker 1: So yeah, he knows how to handle it.

00:19:49
Speaker 2: But this this goes back, but we can go into fifteen hours of this.

00:19:53
Speaker 3: How in tennis there is always and will be conflicts of interest because it's a small sport.

00:20:00
Speaker 4: Which is why I think we should allow doping because.

00:20:03
Speaker 3: And multiple and everybody will always do multiple jobs at the same time that they press the.

00:20:08
Speaker 1: Richer got to get richer anyway, And just you know, on hallop you know, because there's hallep Well, the problem with Halip is that she couldn't figure out why and how it got in her system. So she had to do some major digging through months right of like how did it happen? Was it this stuff? Okay, you got to send that to factory, you got to get that tested, we got to see this.

00:20:26
Speaker 2: Did they figure out what it was?

00:20:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, they figured it out. They eventually figured out what was where it came from.

00:20:31
Speaker 3: It was a really good point because you have to make it basically before the provisional suspense, and you can only make the appeal when you have relevant witnesses and evidence that this is the.

00:20:43
Speaker 1: Explanation, which had immediately because the physical is making Center look is a good lawyer but also less likely to be guilty. Yeah, exactly. Anyway, so I mean we can't we could talk about like you said, we could talk about it.

00:20:56
Speaker 4: Let's pivot into the drug center being amingly sensitive and lovely young man plays Maggie McDonald.

00:21:04
Speaker 2: The first round.

00:21:04
Speaker 4: You normally pick Center and probably to go deeper win this thing is this this guy gonna be rat on by this whole thing.

00:21:09
Speaker 1: Well, he's gonna Oh yeah, I do some people don't think so I do. I mean, he's a sensitive guy and I think that it. I can tell you this. I mean, listen, he's not like a great friend, but I've become friends with him, certainly through Darren Cahill. We see him all the time at the tennis courts when when.

00:21:25
Speaker 2: We're there, don't put me into this, okay, So this is the opposete of objective Drew.

00:21:30
Speaker 3: No, no, no, no.

00:21:31
Speaker 1: What I'm saying is, over the last few months, I have noticed a darkness around him. I have noticed him not be as friendly, not be as his normal self. And I was always thinking, is this is this getting like is him winning a Grand Slam and getting to number one getting to his head? Is he becoming a bit cocky and a little bit aloof to me? Like it was weird because he was always this upbeat, like really pleasant, but he wasn't like that over the last few months, and I was always like, oh, is it me?

00:21:57
Speaker 3: You know?

00:21:57
Speaker 1: I mean I started to think I was starting to this was looming over it, And now looking back, it all makes sense. Can you imagine Pecko? I mean, honestly, for four months of how long has it been for almost four months since March. Having that over your head. Oh my god, no, wonder he's been playing like shit.

00:22:16
Speaker 2: Yeah, like maybe it will be liberty, liberty liberating.

00:22:20
Speaker 1: Well it was because he found out on Wednesday of last week and then he wins Cincinnati.

00:22:24
Speaker 2: So but he was, you know, he looked a little down on the cord. He wasn't himself. He was getting kissy. He kicked the wall, he did the most gentle kiss of the like all the stuff.

00:22:35
Speaker 1: Though, just if you look back on his matches, he did not look himself. He certainly didn't look anything like he did at the beginning of the year. So there's no question it wasn't weighing on him. Now will that now be off of his shoulders? Now he has to worry about his what's everyone and think about me? I don't know, it's going to be hard anyway. He plays an American and Mackie mcdone.

00:22:54
Speaker 3: Well, he is from Zutiro, and I don't think he cares about what people think about that.

00:22:58
Speaker 4: And they are like solutionist sort of independent.

00:23:02
Speaker 2: Yeah, Mountain people.

00:23:04
Speaker 3: They don't care about the Italians, they don't care about the Germans. Everyone wants to clean them and they are basically like, no, we don't care.

00:23:11
Speaker 1: About in his fourth round is Tommy Paul. So look, we're guessing. We're not guaranteeing that they're all going to be there, but we have to make some sort of guesses. And Tommy Poul really should be the one that gets through through to play him in the fourth round. So do you think that Tommy will see opportunity? Yeah, in that section the attractive man in tennis is and that's actually what you think. Feast beats Tommy Pole in the US in looks over five. Okay, so that's a no.

00:23:43
Speaker 2: Probably not.

00:23:43
Speaker 4: Tommy Paul is having a very good summer and I think he looks great and I think he likes playing at the US Open. Yeah. I think Tommy Pole probably plays center if all goes to plan.

00:23:51
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, can I just throw in spiserree?

00:23:55
Speaker 2: How do you say his name?

00:23:59
Speaker 1: I should know he heard it. Three hours he got through qualifying. Amazing matches yesterday against Von Saka, who we're going to see for a long time, that young guy from Brazil. That was the most fun match and that was the epitome of qualifying.

00:24:10
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was awesome.

00:24:12
Speaker 1: And that guy who's from Connecticut got through, and he plays against Alex Michelson, another American, and so whoever wins that match will likely play Yanick Sinner. So Yannick's just surrounded by Americans, so that's not going to help him with the crowd. Depending. I think he'll be fine. But what do you think about that? Do you think Tommy can get a win over Yannick if they get through.

00:24:32
Speaker 2: I don't think so.

00:24:33
Speaker 3: I think Tommy Paul I really love his game. I think he's one of the most complete athletes. Unless Janick Sinner is really rattled by everything. I think he's just the more aggressive player. And I think Tommy Paul doesn't quite have the weapons to push.

00:24:47
Speaker 2: He doesn't have enough tools.

00:24:48
Speaker 1: Okay, So in that top half of the draw is also Steph a sits a pass. He plays Cochonakis in the first round. Let me tell you something that's not going to be an easy first round. You know, Steph has finally flicked his dad, which I've said for years he needed to do if you wanted to win a Grand Slam.

00:25:02
Speaker 3: Yeah. But I went to see his practice. He was practicing with his brother, and I think his fitness coach was his coach because.

00:25:08
Speaker 1: Oh my god. So you're telling me it's a disaster.

00:25:11
Speaker 3: No, not a disaster. He knows what he's doing. But I'm saying, bring up Postolos back.

00:25:19
Speaker 2: I'm just joking.

00:25:21
Speaker 1: Get a real coach, Get a real coach.

00:25:23
Speaker 2: It was just what I was saying.

00:25:24
Speaker 3: I don't think he had a coach in place already. I think he was just there basically with his brother and his team.

00:25:30
Speaker 2: But he didn't.

00:25:30
Speaker 4: So this was not a long planned, strategic divorce. This is just like I've had enough.

00:25:35
Speaker 3: And granted this was on Wednesday, so maybe he has somebody there now. But I went to his practice specifically to see who is on.

00:25:42
Speaker 4: What a good journalistic instinct or just think but.

00:25:48
Speaker 1: Speaking of gossip, you think Paula but Dooza had anything to do with flicking the dad.

00:25:52
Speaker 2: I hope, so oh good?

00:25:53
Speaker 4: I so.

00:25:56
Speaker 3: Well.

00:25:56
Speaker 1: F i A is in that section of the draw to place it's a pass, he will be his first real tough test. And if that, if he's all over the shop. Felix is playing a little better. The Olympics helped him. I think it made him a little bit more confident. We remember what happened in Cincinnati with that terrible call with the two names Jack Draper.

00:26:16
Speaker 2: But do you okay, so you're calling the past to get through that? I mean, I don't know.

00:26:20
Speaker 4: I don't know what kind of shape tits passes and in terms of his mental or sort of emotional well.

00:26:26
Speaker 1: Can we talk about part of this draw with Medvedev but a section of the draw as well.

00:26:31
Speaker 4: Do not usually put any money behind faa as much as I like him.

00:26:34
Speaker 1: So if they get through Medvedev Sinner quarterfinal, I mean, can you have a tougher draw? This happens every Grand Slam.

00:26:42
Speaker 3: I feel like, yeah, Wimbledon, youick Sinner had the worst draw I had ever seen anybody.

00:26:47
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I mean even medi.

00:26:50
Speaker 3: Second round, the one place Bertini plays amazing. Yeah, I don't know why it came up perfect.

00:27:00
Speaker 2: On grass.

00:27:01
Speaker 1: But do we think that Mehdi can get the win if he has totally?

00:27:05
Speaker 2: I think so totally he can mean he I will say.

00:27:09
Speaker 3: So. I was calling Cincinnati and it was really concerning. I was ready to call multiple psychologists, and I'm not saying sports psychologists.

00:27:18
Speaker 2: Everyone to this tournament.

00:27:20
Speaker 3: I saw five emotional breakdowns a day, Nishioka, Medvedev, al Karaz.

00:27:28
Speaker 2: It was all men also just saying it was all men. I know everyone. The women are so hysterical. I saw at least three.

00:27:36
Speaker 3: Emotional meltdowns a day on the atp side, and granted it's an Olympic year, they played a lot of tennis. It was really windy, it was tough conditions, and then it was flying. Balls were flying. Nobody would control the ball. The tennis was awful. I understand it, but Medjedev had a complete and not in a way that he was throwing rackets, but he was on the change over yelling at himself. He got a warning, and he looked as if he woke up from a trance to the chair umpire and was like, why are.

00:28:05
Speaker 2: You giving me warning? I'm talking to myself, And he really was.

00:28:08
Speaker 3: You know, he can get bitchy about everything, but he was really yelling at full lung capacity at him himself.

00:28:15
Speaker 1: And he's like, dude, you're giving me a warning. Giving myself a warning.

00:28:19
Speaker 2: It was like almost rube lev Esque. Really, that's the amount of.

00:28:23
Speaker 3: Like just emotional and psychotic psychotic strain that he that so much. It felt like he had so much pressure on him. Well, I can tell you it's the only thing I would put out there.

00:28:35
Speaker 2: That made me worried for him. But I do think that he can beat Center.

00:28:38
Speaker 3: I think he really has the game to bother Center every time they play, especially on the hardcourt.

00:28:42
Speaker 1: I saw his coach, Jill's in a play a restaurant or whatever a couple of days ago, and I said, oh, you know, how's how's he feeling? Abouh blah blah. He's such a nice guy. And he said, you know, the thing about about Daniel is that he comes to play, you know, on the big tournament. So he'll be fine at the US Open. But if he is fine, I just want him.

00:29:04
Speaker 2: I just want them all to be okay.

00:29:09
Speaker 1: Now, of course, in the bottom section of the top half.

00:29:12
Speaker 2: I've drawn gentle and age. It's surprising, it's so it's actually surprising, I feel, I don't know.

00:29:19
Speaker 1: Again, can you can we concentrate here? Alcoraz, of course, is also in the top half of the drawer. I mean, what the actual f Alcoraz Medvedev's in the top half of the drawer. Again, what they can't avoid each other, those two guys. But Alcoraz looks pretty good. He plays an Aussie in the first round. All the qualifiers got the worst drawers. There was every qualify. I felt like was playing a top seed. You know, Jack Draper's in that.

00:29:46
Speaker 2: Section, easy seb quarter he got lead to. That was my favorite match yesterday.

00:29:51
Speaker 1: Yes, I know, he came back from match point down.

00:29:54
Speaker 2: I was there.

00:29:54
Speaker 3: I watched it because if at least the Jerman girl was playing after that. It was on quart six, So I was there and I watched the entire A third said.

00:30:00
Speaker 2: And did you cry? I was crying. There was a lot of somebody.

00:30:06
Speaker 3: I like that.

00:30:07
Speaker 2: You admitted to crying. I cry when it's the tramp for the human spirit. It was so good.

00:30:12
Speaker 1: He was so brave.

00:30:13
Speaker 2: It wasn't only that he won and the other guy choked. No, he was so brave.

00:30:17
Speaker 3: He played so committed and aggressively the last few games. I was so proud of him, even though I didn't know him, and I was like Ozzie.

00:30:25
Speaker 1: As Oh, let me tell you something. He's gonna He's for that fight, he's getting He's getting Alcarez on arthur Ashe stadium, so what but hey.

00:30:35
Speaker 2: But what one hundred thousand dollars one handed backhand?

00:30:38
Speaker 4: I know, well, I love him now. Also Carlitos is in the middle of having evacuated his own spirit since the Olympics. So what's I'm just saying. I don't is this guy gonna beat him? No, but Carlitos, this might not be a shoe in this whole uh sexual draw. Oh, he has the Draper in the third es Draper in the third round.

00:31:01
Speaker 2: If again, Draper will played really well and then cramp in the fourth set. Triple Z has to play him though in the first round, So I'm going triple Z. He's got a silver metal now.

00:31:12
Speaker 1: Might have an upset in that first round with Jack Draper, but we'll see. But in that also section of the draw, sep quarter, he's made an amazing turn around in the last twelve months coming back in that section, and Alex Demonor is down there. We don't quite know physically how he's doing after Wimbledon. This is the first tournament he's going to be playing.

00:31:31
Speaker 2: So it's look great. But my secret favorite player finished guy. Yeah, he's really cool.

00:31:40
Speaker 1: You think he's going to get through that section because that's Alex Dimenos.

00:31:43
Speaker 2: Probably not, but I really like him and I hope the best for him.

00:31:46
Speaker 1: All Right, Well, actually, the surprise packet in that section really, because there are some great players in that section but have been injured, like Demonor and her Cutch down the bottom, and I think that good old Karen Hutch enough might come through that section.

00:32:00
Speaker 3: Jordan Thompson, he was playing, he played amazing and then he strangely lost one and one to Zverev in Toronto in Montreal.

00:32:06
Speaker 1: Well, listen, if Jordan wins his first round, he will play her couch if her Touch wins, and so he has a real chance in that matches because physically, how is Herbie Horby going after having the knee surgery. But he's great to see him back, by the way. But listen to the bottom half of the draw. There's no doubt that al KaAZ with you know seb Quarter, these types of players, it's not a bad draw down the bottom there.

00:32:29
Speaker 2: But first round, man, that is yeah, that's gonna be fun. I will be at that match. Yes, you should. Anybody should be at that match because you know how you feel in the first round. You don't know where you stand at. Yeah, and then you.

00:32:43
Speaker 3: Play Muti, who's like, yeah, it's slicing and dacing, it's.

00:32:48
Speaker 2: Chaos out there. But they could be you know what, He's going to take you to the deep water.

00:32:52
Speaker 1: That court will be on grandstand or seventeenth for sure.

00:32:55
Speaker 2: So get out there and Keaitland will be on that court. Okay.

00:32:57
Speaker 1: The bottom half of the draw, which will be played on Monday, is headed up by Kaspar Rud who's been playing more golf than tennis over the last couple of months. He has not been playing well at all. And he plays against I believe another qualifier in Boo, the Chinese guy who got through an amazing match yesterday. He beat He beat Karatsev. Karatse won the first set and then yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, don't worry.

00:33:24
Speaker 2: I'll keep you up to date.

00:33:25
Speaker 1: But in the second part of that, if Casper Wendsy's first round he plays the winner of Malfie and Schwartzman, clap, can we just.

00:33:33
Speaker 2: Give a clap?

00:33:34
Speaker 1: Day getting through qualities in his last ever tournament at the US while his last year, and he was so happy when he won. He said he got so nervous in the last game to close it out, but he came in. He missed such an easy volley to give himself two match points at five three in the second set. Against serv and then he just duffed this forehand and then on match point in the next game, after he kind of choked the first match point, he came in and the best fourhand volley ever.

00:34:01
Speaker 2: And his reaction to his coach's box was like, how about that volley?

00:34:05
Speaker 1: And then he and then he gested the one he missed, and I was like, when you think tennis players aren't thinking about the fuck up from the game before, he was still thinking about after he won. So it's nice to see that. So diego against Gael Montfees. That will be on court like seven. That'll be a great court seventeen match.

00:34:21
Speaker 3: I like that.

00:34:21
Speaker 1: We're doing the schedule for the USTA.

00:34:24
Speaker 2: But anyway, whoever wins that plays against Casper Route.

00:34:27
Speaker 1: I hey, whoever wins between mont Fees and Schwartzman has really great through the third round, and up there is Bubleck, who is like a box of chocolates.

00:34:36
Speaker 2: You never bloody know what he's going to do. Montreal, he was not playing well. He looks out of sorts. Yeah, and I'll tell you he's looking good at that.

00:34:42
Speaker 1: And ut there if they play well, is Taylor Fritz.

00:34:46
Speaker 4: I actually think Taylor Fritz is my sleeper to win the whole thing, I think, oh wow, to win the whole thing, I am calling. I think Taylor Fritz has it and I'm doing I think he's in forum.

00:34:55
Speaker 1: I think he's well, he's in the right half.

00:34:57
Speaker 2: He's in the right how let's put it that way. I think he'll go very far.

00:35:00
Speaker 3: He will play the best tennesse he's ever played, and then lose and really really tied three.

00:35:05
Speaker 2: Sets to work.

00:35:07
Speaker 1: Well, let me tell you something.

00:35:08
Speaker 2: At least dreams.

00:35:10
Speaker 1: At least he didn't play a lead up tournament coming in here like he did last year.

00:35:13
Speaker 3: You know, he talked about how he didn't play a lead up. He played seventeen lead ups to the US Open and then was cooked.

00:35:22
Speaker 1: Well, he played the Olympics, so it was for him to have a little bit of time off. But up there is also Holgaruna and Mussetti. Of course Merseti's had an incredible couple of months he has.

00:35:33
Speaker 2: But he doesn't play well on hardcore. No, why is that?

00:35:36
Speaker 3: If you can play on grass, how can you not play on hard courts? Grass is so much harder, is Shweisnick? That's a mystery to me.

00:35:43
Speaker 1: Plays against and I want to be we want to give a shout out to the friend of the pod and just an all around great guy and Riley.

00:35:52
Speaker 2: Yeah, and he plays Mussetti, so that that's actually going to be a pretty interesting you calling.

00:35:56
Speaker 1: Are you calling an upset there? Maybe with Riley and Mussetti.

00:36:00
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:36:00
Speaker 4: I don't think Messati plays well on hardcourts enough remotely to get over the Opelka serve, which is.

00:36:07
Speaker 3: Definitely tough, all right, and up there is Verev. He's probably the hottest player up that section of the drawer.

00:36:13
Speaker 2: To be honest. So it's a really tough first round though.

00:36:15
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, oh yeah, that's not gonna be easy. But I think he wins. He's playing too well.

00:36:20
Speaker 3: No, he's playing really well. I think he's playing I think he's playing the best tennis of his life. Really, is the only thing that is with him. Usually used to be the case. He was like a diesel motor. He needed a bit of a start into a major tournament.

00:36:34
Speaker 2: Now he's good. Now he's much better. But that's the only thing I will say that's a tough.

00:36:38
Speaker 1: First likelihood is I mean, Runa certainly can surprise and get through, but you would think that it would probably look like a Taylor, Fritz and Zverev quarterfinal up that section of the draw down the bottom.

00:36:50
Speaker 3: I will give one thought for Holga Runa. I was really impressed in Cincinnati with him. He looked so much more patient and as if he had a plan. Yeah, he'd be very teen.

00:37:01
Speaker 2: Patrick Moritaglo as a coach that well, he.

00:37:03
Speaker 3: Lost the first set and he was the same runas so wild and then in the second set and third said that he won. He started playing like just solid to the backhand, and when Mateo was hitting a slice, he came to the net and put the volley in.

00:37:15
Speaker 2: I was like, is that a tactical genius? He's back? Am I grating you on a curve? Or have you been so?

00:37:23
Speaker 4: I love Una and I love his very silly short hold.

00:37:27
Speaker 3: But he plays Nakashima first round. That is Russa, Worri, Zverev and Nakashima Runa. I would go watch if I was a fan, and if they are not scheduled on because Vera will probably be okay.

00:37:37
Speaker 1: Right, Well, I'm predicting Taylor Anzverev, but you can, guys can have a little Runa in there.

00:37:42
Speaker 2: I'm just saying they have challenging first rounds. But I do think that you're right.

00:37:45
Speaker 1: I can't talk about twelve hours.

00:37:48
Speaker 2: I know we have to get to the women.

00:37:49
Speaker 1: Also, okay, so Rublev is down the bottom, he's having a mental crisis.

00:37:53
Speaker 3: Yourela Hetchgat is in that section is playing really well again. Yeah, but he's also capable of losing his But he just.

00:38:01
Speaker 2: Final and made it very credible. He played really well.

00:38:06
Speaker 3: Yes, both Montreal and Cincinnati played really really well.

00:38:09
Speaker 1: He got smoked by Alex Poppram in the final.

00:38:12
Speaker 2: Okay, but he made it to the final and before he was losing first second round.

00:38:17
Speaker 4: Here's I'm going to reset the table here. Please, let's talk about Benny Shells. Yeah, so Benny Shell's up against Dominic team in.

00:38:24
Speaker 1: The first round.

00:38:24
Speaker 2: Shelton, I don't get the American nicknames.

00:38:26
Speaker 1: Listen. Also, I just wanted to throw but I think Australia Greek god Dimitrov is going to also be very sneaky in that section of the drawer. And so down the bottom half of the section with Novak is Ben Shelton, Francis Tiafo who definitely team first round they played here last year, Yes, and Tiafo is always also in that section. Popren is the seed in Novak section, so likelihood seeds Novak, Popren, Ben Shelton, Francis Tifos.

00:38:54
Speaker 3: Part of the draw makes me honestly, honestly, I am always honestly and always on the verge of not conspiracy theorists. But I swear to god Novak has played all three Slams. Not sorry not I think French Open, not but I think Wimbledon, Ouschen Open. And now has Poppuerin in the third round?

00:39:15
Speaker 1: Is that true?

00:39:16
Speaker 2: True? Right?

00:39:16
Speaker 3: They played at the Open, paper was not a seat, so they played second round. They played in Wimbledon second round, didn't they And now they are playing again in the third round.

00:39:25
Speaker 1: I think he played in the third round of wimbled Anyway, it doesn't matter. But the bottom line is Popperin's threat, he has some confidence.

00:39:30
Speaker 4: Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait, just quickly back on that on what on the bottom half? What about the question I was going to ask, because I've been going to all these parties. Ben Shelton is at every party, really every party. Everybody's decided Ben Shelton is it the man. Ben Shelton is not making it out of that quart of the draw much less. I mean, he will be lucky to get to Djokovic. But does Djokovic have anybody credible who can beat him in that bottom half? Not really, not really, I don't think so either.

00:40:01
Speaker 1: Can we look at it because this is and I know because I'm trying to move on to the women, because we can't talk about the men for five hours.

00:40:09
Speaker 4: Okay, you're looking at me like I'm trying to you have the computer keep going.

00:40:14
Speaker 1: Okay, so listen, let's get to the women.

00:40:15
Speaker 4: All right, Yes, Tailor Fritz, I'm calling it. Taylor Fritz is going to win. Okay, there you go, right, I'm leaving in twenty two minutes.

00:40:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, see, there you go.

00:40:24
Speaker 2: All right.

00:40:24
Speaker 1: So eager shon Tech is up against a qualifier, no, a lucky loser. Actually, well it's technical.

00:40:31
Speaker 2: Well this is going to take just get to the big name.

00:40:34
Speaker 1: Hey, hey, hey, don't be abusive. In that section of the draw is published in cover. Chances are she will probably play through. But up in that section of the draw it's pretty good for ego. I think the toughest player that she will play if she gets through is mirror on Dreva. What are our thoughts about that playing in the That'll be the fourth round playing on Dreva. If she gets through, sam Sonova's in there, and when she's at her best, she can beat anyone.

00:40:56
Speaker 3: But I think that I think that Ego will beat Andreva and a bit more straightforward because she beat her in Cincinnati and the court, I swear to God, lightning, lightning.

00:41:08
Speaker 2: I've never seen a fast when you work.

00:41:09
Speaker 1: On a hard court and it's glary, yeah, like it's reflecting.

00:41:13
Speaker 3: It was like an ice rings. Yes, it was like literally an ice hockey ring. It was crazy, and yeah, they gotta work. I've never seen a faster court in the last ten years I've played, and so I think it will. And she beat her there, and I think it will be easier here because the courts are not fast. It's much better for even slower than they were last year. They are still play on the faster side of hard courts, but they are not as fast as they were last year, and nowhere near fast as fast as Cincinnati, because there was an absolute the tennis was horrible.

00:41:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, it was not. They're gonna have to work on that. And I don't understand how the US Open and Cincinnati in particular, because those are so back to back different. They've got to come on, guys, get it together. You've got to have the same speed, bananas of court. It's just stupid and not.

00:42:00
Speaker 2: I don't understand it.

00:42:00
Speaker 1: Anyway. We love Cincinnati's owners obviously, and the people that run the tournament are amazing, So guys like, get the same surface, please, so the players aren't having these just crazy, crappy conditions.

00:42:13
Speaker 3: I appreciate that trying things out, but I think if you're the lead up, you know, I think that there should be tournaments that have different because that's the one thing that differentiates us the tennis from everything else that every single week you have different conditions, different surfaces, different bars, and the best tennis player, as Novak shows every single time, is the one.

00:42:33
Speaker 1: That that's the best.

00:42:34
Speaker 3: It doesn't matter, and that's great. I think that's a really great skill. However, I agree with you, if you're a lead up to the last major tournament of.

00:42:41
Speaker 1: The year, you have to have the players have the best preparation they can exactly. So it also up that section of the drawer. Daniel Collins last year is Open. She will play against Caroline Dahl hyde first round. That's not going to be easy for Danielle. She's got will be going on out there. She has not played much tennis.

00:42:58
Speaker 4: Are Injuring three six four Danielle three and four?

00:43:02
Speaker 1: Okay, well she hasn't played enough tennis and she lost easily in Monterey.

00:43:06
Speaker 2: The best thing is she's probably a couple of eight weeks.

00:43:08
Speaker 1: Ago, a couple of days ago against the younger Andreva sister, I think, and then she.

00:43:13
Speaker 2: Had fly here in an airplane filled with puke.

00:43:17
Speaker 1: What follow her Instagram? It's really worth Oh my god. Okay, well, let's not talk about that. But up there, I think die Anna Schneider might be a bit of a tough one for all these chicky babes to handle, because she is she is just a fighter.

00:43:31
Speaker 3: Such a great competitor. Oh, such a great competitor, really great tennis player. Two.

00:43:35
Speaker 2: Of course, the only thing with her is she's played a lot of tennis.

00:43:39
Speaker 1: Will she be Yeah, she's Russian man. They played come on, you know they You look at the Russians at the end of the year, they played like thirty tournaments like they're insane.

00:43:48
Speaker 2: But still, you know, you have to be fresh at the US Open. Because it's a lot being in midtown.

00:43:53
Speaker 3: I just walked for three minutes here and I'm already mentally exhausted and will pull a.

00:43:57
Speaker 2: Medvedev on myself later on. Just make sure you you know.

00:44:00
Speaker 3: And there's when there's always a wagon where all the seats are empty on the subway because there's one crazy person.

00:44:07
Speaker 2: I will be the crazy that's going to be. It's going to be clearing out at every style. Great.

00:44:11
Speaker 1: So up there, the one player that I think has been playing so well over the last few weeks, you two knuckleheads, is Jessica.

00:44:19
Speaker 2: I haven't seen she's been a lot time.

00:44:21
Speaker 3: You should have given us ten minutes to get this energy out before we start recording.

00:44:26
Speaker 2: But we literally sat down and you went like, hello, welcome. That was a great joke. That was an elite joke. It was a New York Times because she got a wagon. It was perfect.

00:44:34
Speaker 1: My god, you're both insufferable. Sorry, let's keep going, as you like to say, Pegola.

00:44:40
Speaker 2: Jessica, she's had a great summer.

00:44:42
Speaker 1: What a great watch, and eager gets through. That's a quarterfinal now.

00:44:46
Speaker 2: Please, for the love, jess please make it through. If you make it to that quarter finals, she's in that match.

00:44:52
Speaker 1: Oh my god.

00:44:53
Speaker 2: Well, you know, that's all I'm saying about it. That's all I'm saying.

00:44:55
Speaker 1: It's like, it's like the the opposite of the wall that Trump tried to build. What do you mean, Well, the wall's not there, and Pegola is trying to knock down the wall, you were going to say, And I was like, it's like Pagola's only had a wall in front of her in the quarterfinals. I don't know where that went.

00:45:12
Speaker 2: I try to understand, because she's never made it past qualifying. I saw I bought that for her.

00:45:17
Speaker 3: So I worked with Mark Knowles, who was on her coaching team last week at Cincinnati, and markland yes, and so Mark Knowles and I worked together in the commentary box for the entire week. So I was there when she was playing. We were watching on his phone and his computer, and so I know what they are working on. I won't give much away, but I think the biggest change for her was and it's been really impressive because before I saw Mark, I called her matches in Toronto, which she won, and I noticed it before I talked to him. She's much better from the defense, she's better in the defensive positions. She plays way more percentage tennis when she's on the defense. She moves better, she's quicker around the court. And I asked him, did you get a new fitness card and he said, no, we have the same one. But they have put fifty percent of their fitness practices onto the tennis court. Yeah.

00:46:08
Speaker 2: Yeah, So I'm not trying to do that much in the gym.

00:46:10
Speaker 3: I mean, still the gym off courtchs and everything, but all the movement and agility parts they are now doing on the court with the record, and it's been you can see it in the several.

00:46:19
Speaker 4: Anka match, even though she lost, she was hanging in points and getting back to the neutral a lot more. And I didn't know what the difference was because usually Sevelenka can just overwhelm her so much, but she was hanging. I mean, it was still a little bit one sided, but it felt like a different for google.

00:46:33
Speaker 2: It felt closer, and I think that actually is why.

00:46:35
Speaker 4: I think that's why she had to defend almost every point from the second it started. And listen, and it wasn't as it didn't look well, it didn't look like one way traffic.

00:46:43
Speaker 1: I think I'm a big believer in doing a lot more of that on the court. I'm going to so many of these players do so much shit off the court with this and that and blah blah blah. It's like guys get on the court, like STEFFI Graff used to do hours and hours on the court doing training, like stay on the court and do the work, do the foot drills, do all that sort of stuff. So it's obviously working. So if she gets through the quarters.

00:47:04
Speaker 2: There are there are multiple more things than just that, but I thought that was the of course.

00:47:08
Speaker 1: And look, they're both going to help her transition into the net better all the things. So anyway, so if she gets through, okay, let's drop down to the bottom half of the top half of the drawer up the top. Their big news today, Yeah, Rebarkiner, my favorite coach is gone.

00:47:22
Speaker 2: Maybe this is the liberation was said in total Finally you will get suit for other things podcast.

00:47:29
Speaker 4: That guy has been This is why I'm back on the podcast to give her cover for saying controversial things by angering entire countries.

00:47:37
Speaker 1: Let's not get into that. I didn't say is gone and Rebarkina has parted ways with what's his name.

00:47:43
Speaker 2: Let's not even say his name, what a great outcome. Let's I'm rude. I always refra what he's going on with her.

00:47:49
Speaker 1: I mean, she's either sick or she's injured. So I don't know if this had a lot to do with it. I don't know. We cannot speculate.

00:47:54
Speaker 4: Obviously, let's peak Andrea speculate, but only I won't speculate.

00:47:59
Speaker 2: I know a little bit that I won't reveal.

00:48:02
Speaker 3: I will say one thing because she talked about it before, not that because it's really private, and it's very private anyways. One thing she said she mentioned herself, but that's why I'm repeating it. She had trouble sleeping. She hasn't been sleeping, she said. During Rome and Madrid, she has barely been sleeping. And I think you can sometimes see it that she has insomnia right now. And just imagine how it feels playing a match when you've only slept two hours, and now imagine that doing it week in week out. I don't know if she still has that sleep problems, but she talked about it that the French opened that during the clay court season.

00:48:37
Speaker 2: And she looks struggling and in addition to the ab injuries or the yes, but she's.

00:48:43
Speaker 3: Looked flat, and I think when you're not sleeping, your immune system falls down.

00:48:47
Speaker 2: You catch everything that's in the locker room, you get injured. All these things maybe a turning point. I love rooting for her and I hope she does well.

00:48:55
Speaker 1: One thing we did skip over in that section about the Draco Penko and Osaka Osaka. I mean when I first round, I love that, and Kennan Emma Radikanu first round. There are some just seriously good first.

00:49:12
Speaker 4: Round that's amazing. I think Osaka loses in the first round.

00:49:15
Speaker 1: I do too, and I picked her to win the tournament like she Remember when she played that unbelievable match against Ega, I'm like, she's my favorite to win the US.

00:49:23
Speaker 2: I think she was playing that well. This is I'm the I know, I'm the only one. I think she was hitting the ball. I thought she was moving unbelievably well. I think she wasn't moving. I think IgA played the most catastrophic day. She played. Play courts all season, stop pointing in my face. I'm sorry, but I think she's not moving well and that's why she's losing. It's not her strokes. She can play amazing tennis. I think she's I think she should do the Jess Pagoula and do more things on court, and it will change in a week for her because she's so powerful. The three of us together, she has.

00:49:55
Speaker 1: Got better better ship together in the first round because she's the Penko is going.

00:49:59
Speaker 4: To be like no, Pinko's had a great year, ps like Austin Pinco's Well, everyone's been sleeping, she's been.

00:50:05
Speaker 2: I don't know.

00:50:08
Speaker 3: For Naomi, it's literally a salt a billionth of a graham. Oh wait, I've got a spray that can help a billions of a gram away from her winning major tournaments again.

00:50:22
Speaker 2: But I do think there's just a.

00:50:23
Speaker 3: Little little bit in movement agility that she needs to okay, well, get quite right, and then she can be We'll see what happens.

00:50:32
Speaker 1: Leila Fernandez has been having a pretty good little run as well. She's there and Paulini and Bianca Andreetesco first round. That is also a blockbuster, And it wouldn't surprise me if Bianca actually pulls off a victory there.

00:50:46
Speaker 4: Really yeah, because I bet she likes playing against Paolini actually, but that's.

00:50:52
Speaker 1: They both sort of play similarly. They both got their quick hands and not.

00:50:55
Speaker 2: Super tall of both of them. They both move well.

00:50:57
Speaker 1: I hope Bianca plays her bad, but I actually hope they both to play really well and we get a great Max much jam.

00:51:03
Speaker 2: No, there would be a great man.

00:51:05
Speaker 4: I can't hear I can't hear you loving Jasmin Pellin anymore.

00:51:07
Speaker 1: All right, shut up? Okay, So the bottom half of the drawer. Kujikova wins Wimbledon. I don't know where she's been since, hasn't been playing well, but Doza is up there.

00:51:16
Speaker 2: She looks like she probably will.

00:51:17
Speaker 1: Get through that section.

00:51:18
Speaker 2: I love good and powerful.

00:51:22
Speaker 3: The best thing is, she said in the interview after she won in Cincinnati a few rounds and after she already won the Washington d C title, and they asked her what changed for you? And she's like, I just finally became an athlete again.

00:51:35
Speaker 1: That's perfect.

00:51:36
Speaker 2: And I'm like, Paula, I know I love you, but now I know why that's a shirt. I just believe.

00:51:42
Speaker 1: I don't understand why she's chosen.

00:51:45
Speaker 2: I'm just finally an athlete again. She said that I was. That's a Shakari Richardson. I'm not back. I'm better.

00:51:51
Speaker 1: I'm better Okay, Saar Sakari up there as a ranker, Emma Navarro Costure. It's that is a very good section of the drawer with a lot of really good players fit to Lina and chin Win Jung. Did I say it right?

00:52:06
Speaker 4: Ka, you've actually actually but chin Win is in the bottom half along with Sabalanca.

00:52:10
Speaker 2: I think that's no.

00:52:11
Speaker 1: Let's talk about that until we talk about the fact that.

00:52:15
Speaker 2: Excuse me, what.

00:52:17
Speaker 1: About Anissa Mova and chin Win? That's the first round?

00:52:22
Speaker 2: Oh, they are playing for a show.

00:52:23
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's my upset on the first round.

00:52:25
Speaker 2: No way, I think Cooka loses in the first round again.

00:52:29
Speaker 1: No, she's going to be girtch.

00:52:31
Speaker 2: I don't think she's a better player than Have you guys watched any Cocoa golf matches recently? Yeah, but she wins these matches. She wins these matches.

00:52:38
Speaker 1: It's the wins against really good players that she's not winning.

00:52:41
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:52:42
Speaker 2: Oh, you sound a little negative as well, And I'm not negative.

00:52:46
Speaker 3: I'm worried for her because she has looked so so stressed the last few the last few weeks that I'm just worried if she's stressed in Cincinnati and Toronto. How will she be here or where she has two thousand points to defend and that's one thousand.

00:53:03
Speaker 1: The worst she's going to drop too is five or six. So I would be saying, listen.

00:53:06
Speaker 4: Yeah, but you know it's not I don't think it's I don't think it's the points. I think it's new Balance pop ups. I think it's the commercials. I think it's the Wheati's box. I think it's all that stuff I think she has had during the flag carrying the flag. I think she's had three solid weeks of just the promotional machine. I think that ultimately is what made Serena falter in her highest moments, because all of a sudden, everyone was like, hey, so what is it going to feel like to win this again? And it's like, well, well, I haven't even won my first match.

00:53:32
Speaker 1: Let me win my first set.

00:53:33
Speaker 2: Yeah. And I think that's what Coco's going through right now.

00:53:35
Speaker 3: When Caitlin, the most liberal person I maybe now, turns into a conservative.

00:53:40
Speaker 2: Older man on Twitter.

00:53:43
Speaker 3: She's like, she's doing too many photo shoots, that's why she won't play.

00:53:47
Speaker 2: Well, it's me, yeah, that's you. I mean, I'm you know, as always the mirror up to me. You know, I'm in a way that I don't love got my Harris Walls, But I just think that the thing that always makes me believe in Coco Goth no matter what, no matter how bad she's playing, no matter how it's dressed out, she is she has a champion's mind. She's the best competitor. We have one tour her and Vosniaki.

00:54:11
Speaker 3: I know she hasn't maybe looked at against Putin Sieva and against Schneider and Toronto.

00:54:16
Speaker 2: But it's in her.

00:54:17
Speaker 3: I saied so many times. There is something special in the kid. That's why she has had the success she's listen.

00:54:22
Speaker 1: You and I have talked about this at nauseum. We adore Coco. I agree with you with the champion's mentality. The problem is where has that been of late? And it's a combination for me. If you go into a Grand Slam or any tournament and you know what your weaknesses are, right, I knew why weaknesses. You knew your weaknesses, and your weaknesses were really bad. In stressful moments on the court. It was like all you could think about at night was I'm not serving well, I'm not in my forehand well oh fuck. And then you get on the court then, and also, sorry, there's a lot of cooks in that kitchen.

00:54:56
Speaker 3: Man.

00:54:56
Speaker 1: I look at her on the practice court and there's like eighteen people around her. I'm like, oh my god.

00:55:01
Speaker 2: But you know how it is.

00:55:02
Speaker 3: Sometimes when you're not playing well, especially the top players, they built protective shields around them so they just have Serena did the same thing. Whenever she was not playing well. All of a sudden, she had an entourage of twenty seven.

00:55:14
Speaker 2: She held around one person telling her what to do on that. I tell but it doesn't matter, That's what I mean. You don't know who's talking to her. In the end.

00:55:20
Speaker 3: It's sometimes just the protective shield around the top players, so nobody, you know, so a fan doesn't go up and is like, hey, cucko, what's wrong with your forehand?

00:55:29
Speaker 2: Because that's the last thing she needs. That's why you have multiple people on.

00:55:31
Speaker 1: The lad I know it, but I'm just talking about Serena.

00:55:33
Speaker 2: You coached. She was exactly the same.

00:55:35
Speaker 3: When she played well, she was rocked up with two people. And then the minute she lost I don't know, third round, which rarely ever happened, all of a sudden she was with thirty seven people in a players lounge who all had a circle around her and nobody could come near her.

00:55:49
Speaker 1: I don't know. I tend to disagree with that a little bit. I think Serena always had the same types of same people around her. And yes, with stars coming in every now and again, like Beyonce bopping into the Megan Mark called Buppin into her players, sure, but as far as her core team, she always only had the same people really, you know, physio, sister, maybe marm or dad who was ever there. Clearly Venus was around, but you know she had a physio, She had a hitting partner, same hitting partner, same coach. So I don't know. My thing with Coco is I see her practicing and there's this one guy from the moritaglu Clant camp or whatever, and he's telling her how to hit volleys the other day and I was like, Okay, who's the coach, just Brad the coach, it's this guy the coach.

00:56:31
Speaker 2: Is this the technical coach?

00:56:32
Speaker 1: Like there's so much going on, which is why when shit starts going down on the court, she's looking up at them in the players box going tell me what to do.

00:56:40
Speaker 2: Tell me what to do.

00:56:40
Speaker 1: It's like, oh my god.

00:56:41
Speaker 2: So the champion.

00:56:42
Speaker 1: Mentality that we're used to her being calm, composed, unbelievably composed for her age, that's gone.

00:56:49
Speaker 2: Where is that gone?

00:56:50
Speaker 1: And so for me, when you know that you're not hitting your weaknesses very well and they're breaking down under pressure, which they are right now, it builds anxiety and stress in you.

00:57:00
Speaker 2: That's what we're seeing.

00:57:00
Speaker 1: So hopefully, hopefully she can get through a couple of rounds and get that confidence back with the Botto line is she needs to not miss the Foyant, which she wasn't doing last year at all, and she needs to serve better. The second servers become a liability. But we talked about it Caitlin in the previous podcast. As we get to the end of this one, I said, I didn't have a favorite for the first time in my life coming into a Grand Slam. There's no outstanding favorite. Hold the thought there's no favorite going into the US Open on the men's or women's side. It's the first time I've ever felt that. Really, I have now changed my mind. Sabalanca has become for me the overwhelming favorite, and the women's for what she did purely because look, she didn't play well in Montreal, blah blah, all the things. But when you come into the tournament having won a tournament the way she won one last week against the players she beat in Eager and Pigoula for back to back, she comes in here with all the confidence.

00:57:54
Speaker 3: She's my new favorite. Those were not the matches. Those were not the matches. I called the site match. And she was playing the same she's played all year, dicey, choppy, crap, No, not crap, just icy and choppy. And something clicked in the first game of the second set against Sittulina, and she was Arena Sabalenka from the Australian Open. And I said it on air, she's going to win the tournament and she's going.

00:58:18
Speaker 2: To win amazing and one down, I have one more to go. Okay, you could see, you know, sometimes you see something.

00:58:27
Speaker 1: It just clicks.

00:58:28
Speaker 2: Clicks.

00:58:28
Speaker 1: That's about positions, like, oh my god, she's going to win the US Open. Like she wasn't missing a ball. So that is not the case this year.

00:58:37
Speaker 4: So that's mostly because I were in a sablac. I forgot how to play tennis during the second.

00:58:41
Speaker 1: Yeah, that I agree with you. Sure in the final, but in the end you have to win. You have to hit the shots, and she you have to get to the final, and she won Washington. She played great and last year and she won.

00:58:52
Speaker 4: Since this year, it's the dobell Ace Plumber double. It's Taylor, Fritz and Abaca in my opinion.

00:59:00
Speaker 1: So you're picking sabal Anka and I think al Chaz, and you are picking Tailor Franz Okay and and Sabillaca.

00:59:09
Speaker 2: Who are you picking? We're all picking Sablenka.

00:59:13
Speaker 1: And I have to stick with my original pick from months ago, and that was Yanick Center I said. I said Yanick was going to win. He was going to book end the years, was going to win the natural surface tournaments. And so I have to stick with Yanik. It is going to be like going through sledge and sludge and mud trying to get to the final between him, Alcaraz and ye the dra of death.

00:59:37
Speaker 2: So if he makes it, but.

00:59:38
Speaker 1: Listen, I got to stick with it because I picked him, and I'm not gone.

00:59:41
Speaker 3: And maybe you're spot on because he will feel liberated from all of what was going on for the last four months weighing on him, and maybe he will feel ten pounds lighter and fly.

00:59:50
Speaker 1: The last thing that dude needs to do is be ten pounds lighter, because he will fly away. He'll be He'll be picked up in the jet stream. He'll get picked up in the jets him from Lagadi.

01:00:01
Speaker 2: This is a terrible combination, the three of us, because it's.

01:00:04
Speaker 4: Just well, it's been a real delight Leys coming back into the studio.

01:00:09
Speaker 2: What a treasure guy to do a podcast?

01:00:12
Speaker 1: Have complaints? Take them to Kateline what okay?

01:00:15
Speaker 4: Just because your name is on the show now and rebranded, So do not take them to me.

01:00:19
Speaker 2: Take them to So Just so everyone knows, Renee gives us talking pines that we have to say, and so it's all her.

01:00:26
Speaker 4: I do.

01:00:27
Speaker 2: Yes, that's right.

01:00:28
Speaker 1: I've never been able to tell you.

01:00:29
Speaker 3: What to do.

01:00:30
Speaker 2: We don't have we don't have a free will. This is a forced listen.

01:00:34
Speaker 1: We are is three very educated women and we're getting our opinion.

01:00:40
Speaker 2: That doesn't mean crap. Thanks for listening to it. Everybody listening, everybody.

01:00:44
Speaker 1: We will be back the second Monday of the US Open to bring you more of what's happened.

01:00:48
Speaker 2: At the first week. But thanks for joining us today on

01:00:50
Speaker 1: The Renee subs Tennis podcast, and we'll see you soon by Choose