Year in Review: The Men

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, You're about to listen to one of two year end episodes featuring our host Renee Stubbs as well as cultural attache Andrea Pekovic. The two of them go deep on first the women of twenty twenty three and then the men. Will be posting them in the next couple of days. But I wanted to call your attention to our newsletter because those of you who are living in New York City have an incredible opportunity to come see us live. We are doing a live podcast and holiday market here in New York City. Check out our newsletter will be announcing it.

00:00:32
Speaker 2: You can RSVP.

00:00:32
Speaker 1: There will be prizes, there will be giveaways, there will be guest appearances, and there will be an incredible holiday mar market where you can grab some racket stuff for the level ones in your life. Our Racket newsletter can be subscribed to at our website.

00:00:44
Speaker 3: Don't miss it season.

00:00:48
Speaker 2: If they get an inflamed woof, they have to be killed.

00:01:05
Speaker 3: Okay, one, two, one, two, Okay, it is I guess chapter two of the roundup of the year of the best top ten players on that WTA two and ATP two last week we did it where we talked about the women, or I didn't even know if we're going to say last week, We'll just say last pod was talking about the women, wrapping up the women, how happy we were about everything that happened last year on the all this year, still on the WTA Tour, but I am joined once again by the one and only, great, fantastic, amazing, beautiful, greatest eyebrows of all time, my favorite German queen of the writing, best author as a former professional tennis player.

00:01:49
Speaker 2: That's very specific.

00:01:50
Speaker 3: Andrea.

00:01:52
Speaker 2: It's like you're the best writer who used to be a tennis player on the women's side. From Damstadt from thank you very much.

00:02:03
Speaker 3: Listen. The thing is, it's funny is that I wish I could write like you, But then again, you write in German, so I don't even know how well.

00:02:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the I always say that my boyfriend Jesse, he thinks I'm Hemingway, but he doesn't read German, so I could literally tell him whatever I want.

00:02:17
Speaker 3: I have read many of your articles in the Racket magazine, and so I know that you're a very good writer.

00:02:21
Speaker 2: So thank you very much. My favorite compliment that you gave me was my eyebrows people seem to neglect the form and shape of my eyebrows. They are the only redeeming quality about myself. So thank you for shouting that out. And thank you, oh, thank you Renne. Now enough about me, let's talk about you.

00:02:40
Speaker 3: You have some very much by saying and you are you know whatever about me. But it's fine this.

00:02:48
Speaker 2: That in later. But what I'm very excited about you have some great news for everyone. We mentioned it on the last part, but we couldn't give one hundred percent certainty, but there is exciting news about the live past.

00:03:00
Speaker 3: Yes, Caitlin and I sadly you will not be in town because you're going back to the deutsch Land, back to the mother country for Christmas. But on December seventeenth, for those that are fans of the Pod, fans of Tennis in the Tri State area or wherever you're from, you can bump onto the jump onto the old train too from anywhere in the East Coast. We are having a live podcast December seventeenth. We have some goodies to give away. We have some special guests that hopefully will be coming on board. Sadly not Petco, she's gone, but we so block out the seventeenth of December and the afternoon we're going to have a great live podcast here in New York City in the Gramercy Park area of New York. We will give out more details when it gets a bit closer, but we're going to have some fun stuff to give away. And we did a live podcast Petco. You didn't come to that in Wimbledon years ago and it was so much fun and we had interactive stuff with the crowd and it was great. So December seventeenth, if you're a fan of the tennis you live in the Tri State area, Caitlin Thompson and I will be doing the Renee Stubs Tennis podcast live from the All right, let's get to the men's rappers.

00:04:01
Speaker 2: Let's get to the men's and just as a little addendum to the whole life podcasting, there will be prices.

00:04:10
Speaker 3: There will be better.

00:04:11
Speaker 2: That's important to stress out because nobody is coming because stress stress out has stressed up because everyone is coming because of the prices. Let's get into it. I enjoy That's why I'm taking over. It's not too uh just a person I am.

00:04:25
Speaker 3: No.

00:04:25
Speaker 2: I enjoy hearing your thoughts on tennis. And that's maybe my compliment, my German way of complimenting yous. I can't say you're great, you're amazing. I have to give it through a little little cues here and there, and I'm I enjoy your thoughts on tennis very very much. And that's why I somehow weirdly turned into the interview on the Renee Steps the podcast. But but let's get into it. Great, great season with some amazing rivalries we talked about on the last part. A new rivalry may be coming up between Djokovic and jan Nick sin krlos Al Karaz and Novak Djokovic played some incredible matches, but let's get straight into it. Number one in the world, best player of the year, best player of the season, best player of the decade, really best players all time. Novak Djokovic seven titles, three Grand Slams, atp finals.

00:05:21
Speaker 3: And the finals of Wimble and almost.

00:05:23
Speaker 2: One that Wimbledon finals as well, so he was very close to winning the Grand Slam. What did you make of a season? He played much less than he did in the last years, which was probably due.

00:05:36
Speaker 3: To not being vaccinated because he still couldn't come remember to Indian wells in Miami.

00:05:41
Speaker 2: Oh oh, I forgot that right, didn't get listed just in general. Also, when I think when he broke the record three hundred and seventy seven weeks of being number one in the world, he broke I think stephie Graff's record with it, he just stopped playing small tournaments right away, which I love. Okay, So I'm gonna say before I hear your thoughts, I have to say I am so here for a villain era Novak Djokovic. That's all I ever wanted. That's all I ever wanted of him. I always wanted him to take this role and be f you to everyone. I'm so much better than everyone, and I'm going to own it. I'm going to yell at the audience, I'm going to blow kisses at people who try to disturb me, and I'm going to win it all. That's all I ever wanted from him. So I'm so happy he's leaning into that villain era.

00:06:34
Speaker 3: Yeah, you have said that forever.

00:06:36
Speaker 2: I have said that forever ever how long, Like for ten years I've been saying that, You're.

00:06:41
Speaker 3: Like, You're like I He's you know, all of these guys like Rufa and Roger, and you know they're so well behaved on the court. They you know they wife, people love them and you know they just want to love them. And then there's this is by Poula Novak right where like trying to have everyone love him and then he's telling the f off and then he's kissing to them, and it's like, you have always said, just embraced that about you. You're never going to be that person that's going to be well behaved on the court and all that sort. It's just not in your nature to be like that all the time. He's an incredible loser, he's unbelievable the net, but he shakes hands, he's like it's almost like he becomes these guys like older brother or father, because he's so much older than some of them now. But when it comes to actually playing the match, he's like, fuck you guys, screw the crowd, screw everyone. And it's like you have been wanting him to just embrace that, and he does. And and a lot of people now are actually saying, who's he going to find in the crowd to yell at because that fuels him. And I'm like, oh my god, it's true. Look what he did, and I think it was was a Paris. It was the tournament that he won when he basically was egging the crowd on, like you come at me, come at in.

00:07:55
Speaker 2: Paris, and then he I was like, what is he doing?

00:07:59
Speaker 3: He's crazy, And then he didn't lose a point. I'm like, that's just him. He just needs that edge, that that edge that makes him just want to never miss a ball, and that's what happens. And he's unbelievable.

00:08:11
Speaker 2: It's okay, he's unbelievable. And I will give you another theory. We talked about the theories I set up while going to sleep, I guess, and one of my theories is that athletes are driven by three things, not all at the same time, but each athlete and there are combinations, but each athlete is driven by some kind of thing. I feel like Roger Federer was driven by the love for the sport. He has that very zen nature, right, he always see.

00:08:36
Speaker 3: That because he was a kid.

00:08:38
Speaker 2: Yes, but he you know, he always loved the sport. You can feel that he just you know, enjoys a little bit, like he needs to have the joy for tennis. Right, That's why he hated playing Nova because he takes the joy out of the tennis, right, He just grinds you down if he needs to, and then you have for me. This is Igo Ciantek and Rafael Nadal. They are driven by anxiety. They're so scared to lose. The Rafa Nada has won fourteen Grand Roland Garros's. He comes out in the first round of the French Open, playing a lucky loser, and you can see in his face that he's scared to lose. Like every single person out there is like, Rafa, you might lose a game, You're not going to lose the match. But he thinks he believes that he will lose, and that's what drives him because he's so intense because he's afraid that he's going to lose. And the third player and I was a little bit like that. That's why I identify with Novak so much. Is driven by revenge. He's like, you don't believe in me, Oh, I'm going to show you. And I think Serena was similar to that. I think Serena and Novak have something very similar in their mentality because Serena and Venus were never believed in. They were always ostracized. They were always like, oh, these girls from Compton they can't win anything or they are not going to make it.

00:09:49
Speaker 3: Like Serena had it more than Venus.

00:09:50
Speaker 2: Because she was also the smaller sister.

00:09:53
Speaker 3: And she was always in the for a long in the beginning. Yeah, it was very much not in the spotlight. Venus had all the spotlight on her and Serena was just the little sister. And I think Serena had a bit of a chip on her shoulder because Venus was getting all the attention. It was the older one and didn't no one was really looking at her. So I think that chip was that was born due to the fact that she was born second in the family. Yeah, you know, it's kind of like Maggie Malava had a little bit more of a chip on her shoulder. The older sisters were not like that.

00:10:21
Speaker 2: You talked about it, you coach Carolina Pliskova, who has a some set, more talented sister, the lefty Christina. But Carolina turned out to be the better one because she said, everyone believed more in Christina. They thought she was going to be the better or she.

00:10:33
Speaker 3: Was lefty, and absolutely Carolina had a check on.

00:10:36
Speaker 2: I think that is Novak's drive, and I think he wasn't aware or he didn't want to embrace it because he thinks of himself as a better person because he is. I know him for such a long time. He's a great person. But I always said, the quality of your human being is not the same as your tennis player persona. That's something you can be the biggest asshole as a tennis player. It has nothing to do with who you are off the court. And I think he wants to believe in himself as being a good person, so that wouldn't go together. And I think now he's come to realize my tennis player persona is my tennis player persona and Novak is Novak. This has nothing to do with each other. So I think he's much more able to embrace that. I'm going to show you I don't care everyone is against me. And one more thing I have to say about Novak, and I think I tweeted it out once and I keep repeating it, but I think the reason people have trouble or casual tennis fans have trouble giving him the respect that he deserves is because he doesn't have a style of play like Roger has, or he is adaptable, that is his style of game that he's adaptable. Just think about the US Open final. He played serve and volley every second or third point because Medvedev is seventeen feet behind the baseline. So he adapts. He's a tactical genius, and he has the skill to execute every single game play that he makes up for himself, and so he adapts to every player. He will grind down a Roger. He will take the ball early against Carlos Alcaraz, he will hit hard against Rafa, and he will beat them. And I think because he has that he's like water, right, he flows through your fingers. You try to grab him, but you can because he's always different. He's like a shape shifter. And I think that's why it's difficult for casual Yeah, but I think that's why it's difficult for casual tennis fans. And this is really important to stress because I do think that the tennis fan, the passionate tennis fan, has gotten around to the fact that this is the greatest play of all time, maybe the greatest athlete of all time. But I think for the casual tennis fan who just watches the Grand Slams and the Majors, it's hard to grasp Novak because he plays so different every time, and I think he's an art They would say he's an artist artist right, where like all the artists respect him, but the commercial fan base is like, what does he have that we don't you know.

00:12:57
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's really well put. That's the first time someone's ever explained it like that, and I think that's so true. Absolutely, yeah. I mean, listen, my on court persona is not how I am off the court exactly. I mean I was a perfect easy okay, but yeah, I mean I was very competitive, a little psycho. Some people, like even my friends would say to me, don't hit me today. I'm like, I'm not hitting you. I'll hit your feet, you know. But yeah, and I was very different off the court in some ways. But on the court anyone who didn't know me would be like, well, she's a bitch, you know. But then off the court they're like, oh, here, it's really nice, and I'm like, yeah, I'm very different off the court that I am on court. And I would absolutely say that about Novak, There's no question about it. And I think that, yeah, he's embracing the fact that now he doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. There is no doubt in my mind that everyone now knows and has said enough with the greatest of all time. This guy's stats, they just rule against everybody. I think he's going to play like this for another couple of years. He's taking care of his body so much, and I actually think him miss some of these times because of the COVID situations actually helped him. Yeah, because it's allowed him to take time off, be around his family, spend some time with his kids, have a bit of normality, then go back and become that crazy, like you know, obsessive I'm gonna win everything personality, and that's what he does better than anyone. So what he did this year is just incredible. I mean I watched him play almost every one of those finals, the Grand Slams, and even the Wembledon final was incredible. I mean what he says that swinging volley to probably got two sets of love at Wimbledon.

00:14:32
Speaker 2: Well in situation Bahans and a tiebreak if he doesn't missam.

00:14:36
Speaker 3: I think it was the first time he'd made errors in a tie break in like a year. It was that match. But listen, he's just incredible, and you're right, he has adapted. He's coming into the net more. He does come into the net and serve and volley from time to time, and I think it's incredible what he's done. And you're right, he doesn't have that distinct although great players do that, right, Like even Nadal when he beat Medvedev in the finals the US Open that time he was starting to serve volley.

00:15:00
Speaker 2: All true, Yeah, exactly.

00:15:01
Speaker 3: So great players like Nadal, like Novak Roger, they do adapt to the people that they're playing against, and that's what makes the better players. And there's no doubt he's gotten better in every single aspect of his game. His serve is better, his forehand is better, his movement is as comparable as the best mover ever that we've ever seen. So, I mean, I don't know, he's just I think we should embrace the fact that he's still around doing what he's doing, and these young bucks are nipping at his heels and he's not not letting go of them, especially in five sets. So a phenomenal a year for Novak Djokovic again, three Grand Slams finals of another ATP Finals. I think he's only regret would be the fact that he actually lost the last two matches of the year and against Sinner and singles and doubles which will hurt which they would have hurt him. As you know, he very much loves his country and representing it, and he probably wanted to finish that year because he said that if he wins the Davis Cup, it would be the best year of his career. Wow, that's something to say.

00:15:52
Speaker 2: At thirty six years old, and I am thirty six. I know how my body feels. I would not be able to do what he does.

00:15:59
Speaker 3: I think do you think I think that he can. I know we're not really getting into next year, but what do you think his chances of winning Grand Slam and the Golden Grand Slam, Because you know, in my opinion, it is going to be his absolute drive to win all four and the Golden Grand Slam, because nobody's done that except stephie Graff. And it's still probably the greatest thing that's ever occurred in tennis, is winning a Grand Slam, calendar Grand Slam and winning the gold medal in the same year.

00:16:26
Speaker 2: So I will say something that I would not have said if Novak wasn't thirty six. I think this depends entirely on how the other the younger guys are able to close the gap, because I do think that age comes into play. Novak is not immortal like we are. He's an immortal. He has a different type of body, a different type of mentality. He's just as Ncurious would say, built different, except that Kigyos uses it for himself. But Novak is actually built different and so but I do think that age comes into play at one per moment, and as of now, the gap between Novak and the others is big enough that he can get away with being a bit older. And I think it will be up to the young guys now in this off season whether or not they can close the gap. If they can't or if they can just a little bit, I think Novak has a shot. I would never go out on a limb and say he will do it for sure, because this is insane. It's absolute insanity that Steffi graff managed to do that. I also think it's much harder and nowadays era because Steffie did have a few easy matches in the beginning of the wagers, which is not possible anymore in that way, because she.

00:17:38
Speaker 3: Won the gold after she won the Slam right Calendar Grand Slam, so I think it was a little bit emotionally, a little bit easier for her because once she won the Calendar Grand Slam, it's like, oh, this is cherry on top.

00:17:49
Speaker 2: I do think that his fans have to be prepared for seeing him much less on tour.

00:17:53
Speaker 3: I think he would not.

00:17:56
Speaker 2: Play any tournaments anyway, like.

00:17:58
Speaker 3: I think he should do that. Yeah, I think he's too.

00:18:00
Speaker 2: I agree. I think that he will be very, very smart about his scheduling and that he will play as little as he needs to to be prepared for the big tournaments and to be prepared physically and mentally to do what he needs to do. I do think that his main focus will be on the Olympic Games, because that's the one thing I agree he doesn't have yet. So I do think if he will have to choose, if he will have to make adjustments depending on how his body feels, he will make those adjustments in order to be at a peak at the Olympic Games. That's my prediction. I obviously don't know, but that's what I think.

00:18:35
Speaker 3: I agree. I agree one hundred percent. It'll be interesting, isn't it, Because if he does do it and We know that Nadal is planning on playing next year and it's going to be at Roland Garross. It'll be interesting to see if they do play each other. And it's best of three sets right for the Olympic Games, so that is a little bit different. And I think that is actually what hurt him last Olympics when he was going for the Calendar Grand Slam.

00:18:56
Speaker 2: Well, and it's terrible, so del Potro in the first round.

00:19:00
Speaker 3: Uh no, no, no, no, no, we're talking Tokyo. He lost. But I think that that court and the heat and it was just not good for him. And I think he was exhausted after winning Wimbledon and he knew that he was one Grand Slam away from winning the Calendar Grand Slam. But he really wanted to play the Olympics because he wants that gold medal. And I think that fucked him up to win in the US Open because he was exhausted by Tommy got to the final, I think he was mentally just fried and lost quite easily, not easily, but for him easily to Medvedev. But I think that I think that the best of three situation at the Olympics makes it even harder for him to actually do it, because these guys like Vera's Sinna Al Karez Runa, they can beat him over three sets because you can. You can find lightning in a bottle for two sets. It's really bloody hard to do, but you can do it. But best of five, that's like a whole nother mental fucking that's a whole nother mental mountain to close.

00:19:54
Speaker 2: It's just the most amazing thing to me is these matches were like at the US Open, when he's down two sets to love against Laslo jerre Jera is playing so much better in those first two sets. I go to sleep, I turn off the TV, and I'm like, I know Novak is going to win this. He's like two six, two six, not winning, like losing his serve twice a set, and I go to say, yeah, he's gonna win. It happened. It's like six six.

00:20:23
Speaker 3: It's like, I think, the best thing to ever do when it comes to betting on tennis, just wait for Novak to get down two sets to love at a Grand Slam and then then put your money on it because you know he's going to come back and win and so and you might get hit, you might get even money odds.

00:20:38
Speaker 2: We are two sets to love. We we thank our sponsor, better win dot Com.

00:20:44
Speaker 3: Thank you very muchel Penn whatever it is that your draft kings whatever.

00:20:48
Speaker 2: Well, but Novak's biggest achievement was not only his incredible successes on the court, but also being part of rivalries which we love. And he was part of one particular amazing rivalry between him and Carlos Alcaraz. That Cincinnati match. I mean, I know the Wimbledon final, but also the Cincinnati match. There were just a few matches, even the Paris final, like Carlos. Carlos faltered physically against Novak and mentally, but those first two sets they play was incredible. Can you talk a little bit on how you view their rivalry? And then also move into Carlos Alcaraz' season A strange season, like with huge peaks with like a next goat debate and then a letter yeah, and then a letter in the end of the season the injury, so there was it was really everything in one bottle. He won six titles, he won Wimbledon. What did you make of his season?

00:21:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, listen, this kid is so special, so great for the game. Smiling out there. I mean, he just the joy he has on the tennis square is so great to see. But the joy is almost what hurts him in a lot of ways because he runs for too much. It's like he's jumping up and down. He's like, it's like.

00:22:00
Speaker 2: Just losing too much energy or what do you mean.

00:22:03
Speaker 3: I think he expends a lot of energy. I think that's what hurt him in Paris where he started cramping. The anxiety, the you know, he's.

00:22:10
Speaker 2: Just so up all the time, and he's so hyper, so.

00:22:13
Speaker 3: Hyper, and he's going to learn to temper that a little bit. And I think he did at Wimbledon. There's no question about that. He managed to temper down the personality.

00:22:22
Speaker 2: I think. Just sorry to interrupt you, but that when he won the semi finals against Medvedev, I was like, oh, I think he really wants to win against Novak because he didn't celebrate, you know how he was kind of you said that he showed the first and he waved into the crowd, but then he kind of just packed his back and left and he I.

00:22:40
Speaker 3: Tell you what, if anyone out there that does bed on tennis wants a little sort of thing to look at, is when people go absolutely bonkers when they win a match in the semis or a quarter and they like it's almost like that was their tournament right where they're going, you know, they're going over to hug their coach and they're lying on the ground and they're like crying, And I'm like, whoa, do you want to win the next match because that win should mean happiness, but not you cannot You should not ever go over the top like with that sort of stuff. And I think when you see a player do that, that's done it before or done really well, and he'd want to say before he knows what it takes to maintain and control the ups and the downs. And my coach used to say to me one time, and again, I'm not comparing myself to any of these guys, but you know when I won my when I made my first semi final in doubles at Wimbledon, my coach said, to be okay, grubs, not too high, not too low, got another match ahead of you. And he had been in that situation with many other players before, and so that was a little wis wisdom that he passed to me, is that, look, yeah, it's great to be in the semis, but do you want to win the tournament? And it said, you know, those are little things like when Sam Stosa made her first semi final of the French Open and she was so excited she wanted to go thank her friends and family for coming. And I was like, no, no, you're going to go ride the bike. You're going to stick to your routines and then you can go thank them later. But it's like when you haven't been there and it's almost like your tournament's over. So watch for a player when they look like they mean business, it's because they mean business, you know. So there's not not always some people can get excited, I.

00:24:19
Speaker 2: Can go off. There are other players on the other side of the car the same thing.

00:24:23
Speaker 3: Losing her mind after winning a quarter or a semi. She's just like, yeah, it does her twelve off the court because she's like, all she wants to do is when the tournament. Now, when she wins a tournament, she's on the ground and crying and all that sort of stuff. But you know, that's a good mark for someone to look at to see if a player gets so excited to win a final a semi final that you're like, oh, they think the tournament's over, that's enough.

00:24:42
Speaker 2: Let's talk about Carlos Alcaraz's game, right. We know he has it all, but we've seen him being rushed on that forehand side a bit, especially with players like Novak who can take that backhand down the line really quickly, really early. He has that, but the Poto also has which makes it so. But the straight arm, right, so when somebody gets you there quickly and deep and flat into that side, you can be a little late. What do you see for him? He looks like a very complete player. So what do you see for him to keep improving because the last part of the season we saw it after the US Open, he was struggling with his game. Not yes, mentally is of course, tennis is a holistic experience of a sport. Everything feeds into each other, the emotional side, the spiritual side, the mental side, and the game.

00:25:32
Speaker 3: If you don't know anything exactly.

00:25:33
Speaker 2: You don't know that. But also game wise, there were a few players who had figured him out. Right, we saw media dev at the US Open semifinals who really play the more aggressive style of game because he knew he had to. What do you make of his game? What do you think he can still improve and maybe adapt because it seems so complete.

00:25:51
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think he touched upon it already. The forehand, I think he needs to stay in a little bit. I'd like to see him flatten it out sometimes as well. We know he has the power. Just look, there are times where he goes for a shot that's probably not on. It's still the youth. I think in his game, if you look at the way he plays now, there are so many things that he can get a little bit better at. I think shot selection at times can be better, but that comes with age, that comes with experience. I think his serve can get better. I think he can improve hitting it flatter. Look, he's not a big guy, so but look Novak. Look at the way Novak played back when he was the same age and his forehand was dodgy, serve was kind of shitty, you know, wasn't quite sure if it was going to go in half the time. You can't say that with al Karez. All of those things are much better at that same age. And then look where Novak is now. You know, the greatest player of all time with literally no weaknesses. I mean, the guy doesn't miss. So I think Alcaraz will get to that point because he'll he'll realize that he doesn't need to go for that ball. He can stay in a rally a little bit longer. I think he can flatten the forehand out a little bit more, and I think overall he just just it's just comes down to shot selection. And I think the forehand, like Novak's like a lot of players. I mean, look, how you know adaptive Nadal got on a hard court or a fast court. He's stepped in a little bit, took taking balls earlier, servant volleying sometimes, which Alcoraz does. I mean his for a movement is fantastic. So I think I think it's just honestly, I think it's just shot selection with him and maturity and knowing when to pull the trigger and when not to. And I think overall, just that forehand he'll get there. I have no My biggest thing with him is the injuries, right, That's what I'm concerned about, because they're that groin injuries, like knee like all that sort of lower body, and he's so athletic and throws himself around the court. So I think, if anything, he just needs to learn to tape it. Down on that a little bit, get the training right, get the shot selection right, and we're going to see him around long time.

00:27:47
Speaker 2: Well that's interesting that you say that, because I knew a doctor who was like the most famous and most important horse doctor for race horses, and he said something to me and it made me just think of Carl's Akharaz what you just said. He said to me that race horses, Yes, they are the maybe most athletic natural being that we have in the world. But they are so fickle. Because they are so athletic, if they get an inflamed hoof, right, they have to be killed. They have to kill that. I mean, it's it's true. They just have to put them down because they can't recover from that in a way because they are so.

00:28:25
Speaker 3: No, they can't recover from that too, because they need all their legs. Yes, true, there's a vet listening to this, going, well that's not necessarily well.

00:28:35
Speaker 2: That's how I remember it. Maybe he was just doing something.

00:28:38
Speaker 3: They can't No, they can't, they can't. They can't just put a horse in a cast and say hey, don't walk on this. Horses can't understand you. So there's lots of reasons. But but yeah, he's like a thoroughbred that needs to calm the fuck down. He needs to go into the pastures for a little bit. So and I also think he needs to be a little bit more selected with his schedule. And you know, when you're young, you just think, oh, play, play, play. But I think he needs to get a little bit better with his schedule, which will allow him not to get injured a little bit more. I too, but he just physically puts everything into it. But our guy who's now number three in the world, yes.

00:29:10
Speaker 2: Let's talk about him, Daniel Medvedev. Five titles this year. Very interesting season. He had that stretch right before India Wells where he just seemed not.

00:29:20
Speaker 3: Able to tell where he was. It was unbelievable out of the top draw, and he.

00:29:25
Speaker 2: Lost early at the Australian Open, which was strange for him. He lost to a good player quarter. I think he lost to Sebastian Korda, which is I mean, he was playing incredible at the beginning of the year. Sebastian got injured unfortunate that threw him off a little bit. But so it's not like he had a terrible loss. But I think people expect him on the hard court to at least make the semis and finals. So what did you make of his season?

00:29:48
Speaker 3: Well, I mean, yeah, shame that he didn't do better at the Slams. I think he'd be a little disappointed with that, There's no question. But I think he sort of towards the end of the year we started to see why he's so good. He's just always there, you know what I mean, and he can beat anyone on any given day. Talk about embracing the the fuck you did the crowd and things like that. I mean, his flip off to the Parisian crowd was Hilarioushere. He's like, what I was just looking at my blisters on my hand. You're like, no, dude, we saw you flip the crowd off. He just he entertains me. He loses his mind from time to time. I mean his stuff at the ATV finals when he threw his racket and then he's like, oh my god. But he's entertaining and he's fun to watch. Talk about a different personality off the court too. He's always so nice off the court and always so slow. But I just love Danil. I love his game is so different and unique, and he's so aware of the fact that he feels really blessed to be where he is, that he struggled early on in his career, and he's like, look, I know that I went through a lot early on, and I didn't think I could be this good, and now look where I am, and so I just love him. But you know, he played twenty two tournaments this year. That's a lot.

00:30:56
Speaker 2: That's a lot.

00:30:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean al karaz and Djokovic played eighteen.

00:31:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's definitely a lot. What I what I love with Medre devis two things. I think. First of all is the thing that he really stands for. Something that I love about tennis, that you can have your unique technique, unique style. It's like writers, they have their own type of pros, their own style painter. You know, when you see a side Twambly, you know it's Side Twombly. When you see a Jackson Pollock, you know it's Jackson Pollock and.

00:31:27
Speaker 3: John Mitchell. Because I like to pick the women clearly go for the men, no surprise.

00:31:38
Speaker 2: But and I think that's what I love about tennis, that you can We talked about three players now and all of them have their unique kind of thing going on. And all of it is successful in its own way. So that's what I really like about him. And one thing, one match I want to point out. I mentioned it before semi finals US opened against Carlos al Karaz. He did do an adjustment to his game. That's just sometimes I feel like he relies too much on his defense and on being twenty feet behind the base sign. And that was the first time I saw him be like, no, dude, you cannot do that against Carlos al Karaz. You will be destroyed. You need to be on the base line, you need to return earlier, and you need to make an adjustment. And he did and it was successful for him, and I hope he takes a lot of confidence from that that he can do it and that he doesn't rely too much on his great court coverage and just great eye for the game. Right. But he sometimes against these players like a Janick Sinner, like a Carlos al Karaz, they take a Djokovic, Yes, you need to step up a bit.

00:32:41
Speaker 3: And that's what he did. Let's talk about the next guy, Jannick Sinner. He took it away from me. Finally beat Medvedev because he recognized he had to be more aggressive. He had to take away sort of, you know, his ability to not miss a ball from the back of the court, and he's he's like, well, I'm not gonna win the long ball rally, but I'm gonna win the rally because I'm more aggressive and coming into the net and being a little bit because Medvedev. The one area that he could improve on is his volleys. Give me a call, because he is a little bit like he's like a deer in headlights or a fish out of water. At the net. He's just like, what am I doing here? But the fuck? He like runs back half the time. I'm like, no, no, stay there, You're fine. He's like, no, I'm not. But that's an area that he could get better at. I think to win against the Alkorazes and the Novak's going forward, I think he needs to improve his because he doesn't miss from the back of the court. Imagine if he's hitting that flat, no high bouncing approach shot and actually learning how to hit a volley and you can do that. I think Novak's improved that immensely since working with Boris Becker, with Ivanovitch, Ivanovitch, definitely Ivanovich, I think because those guys used to come into the net a lot. They have transformed his netplay and I think they've made Novak a better player at the net of understanding, because it's not about just volleying. Well, it's understanding when to come in, what to cover when you come in. That's something that Darren Kay he was absolutely helping Annix Cinner with. You know, what do you approach on what to look for when you approach a certain way, Like when you're a net Russia like I was, There's only so many angles and you can pick them and figure them out. You can learn how to move at the net to draw a certain ball at the net, for example, you just don't run in and like you know, it's like split step. It's like, yeah, split step, but also sell one side, open up another. There's lots of ways to get someone to get better at the net, and I think that's where he could improve a little bit. Calmy so anyway, but let's.

00:34:31
Speaker 2: Let's go Yannick Center for typeless this year and just notably we talked about it in the last part, that great great Davis Cup win MVP. The only thing he did fall off a bit are the Grand Slams, the majors renee. Can this Davis Cup win because it is a different kind of pressure. He did not only well under this pressure, he did tremendously well under that pressure. Can that help him in the coming I know you will do a into the twenty twenty four season, but what do you think it will do to him having won that Davis Cup and just a great end of the season.

00:35:08
Speaker 3: Now, well, hopefully it doesn't do what it did to Faa last year because he finished the year unbelievable, won the Davis Cup and then stunk it up this year. I don't know what happened to Felix. I mean, I have a feeling I know what happened to Felix. But with Yannick, he's a different This is a different cat, future world number one. There's no question. I think he will win a Grand Slam next year. If he doesn't, it'll definitely be in the next two years. He's so good, he has no weaknesses. He's improved his netplay. His forehand is a lot more reliable, He's taken away a bit of the waggle with the backswing. His servers improved immensely. Another thing that Darren has been working on is that, you know, his service motion getting it more reliable. He's he moves believeable.

00:35:49
Speaker 2: Who's got stronger?

00:35:51
Speaker 3: Dude? For six foot what is he for? Sixty four?

00:35:53
Speaker 2: He's quite tall, but he has I think he just has these really long legs, which is hard to run like that.

00:36:00
Speaker 3: Six two looks taller than six to two.

00:36:03
Speaker 2: He has become stronger, he has become more powerful.

00:36:08
Speaker 3: Dude. He was a world like not a world champion, but an Italian champion skier. And when you're a good skier, your legs are fucking strong. Okay, if you ever go and see a gym workout of a skier, most of their stuff is, you know, they're they're piling on weights on there to do clean and jerks and squats and you know, pushing the fucking legs thingy, and they're doing these bouncing things up and down and down with the legs. All they're doing is crushing their legs every day. And so this guy grew up doing that. He doesn't look like it. His legs are like skinny in the mind, but well maybe not. But listen, this kid can move. He stays down on his shots, and I think the one thing that he did not do well. In the finals of the ATP final against Novak Is you could tell he was really nervous, but he was coming out of his shots. So if you go and replay his matches, the shots he was missing, he wasn't missing earlier in the tournament because you're staying in with his legs. Now. Was he tired? Probably? Was it physical for him? Probably? Was he nervous? Absolutely, And when you get nervous, what do you do. You come out of your shots with your legs because you start trying to use your hands because you're nervous. So I think the thing that he did better in the Davis Cup match against Novaka is said he was loading the legs like crazy because he was rested more right, he played a light singles and doubles, but he had days off in between, whereas ATP he was playing every day almost every day, but it was so intense. So I just think he is such a good player. He's improved every aspect of his game. His composure on court is amazing. I mean when he won the match too the Davis Cup, he is just like.

00:37:37
Speaker 2: Well we heard it, Renee, you called him future number one in the world and possible twenty twenty four Grand Slam champion jan Nick Sinner this year great twin in Toronto. We should have mentioned maybe his first one thousand title. Let's move on to the Jesspergoula after ATP Tour. Yes, I like to call him poor Andre Rublev, the quarter final king in the Grand Sand. He's so solid, he's so good, He's won two titles this year. He's just missing that extra little It's like he's the best cupcake in the world, but they forgot to put the frosting on, you know what I mean, the sprinkles. Yes, because because he has he has frosting. Yes, he has frosting, just the sprinkles.

00:38:20
Speaker 3: Especially when you think about his hair, or do you.

00:38:22
Speaker 2: Think it's just that the other guys are that much better and has nothing to do with him? Because I do love watching him play. I do think he's absolutely tremendous. If you ever have the chance to watch him in practice, please do that because I've learned so much from Andrea Rubeleff. The way he accelerates just before he hits the ball, especially on the forehand, it's a beauty to watch. And I just I really love him. I love his personality. I love his game too, there's just those sprinkles missing is what are the sprinkles?

00:38:52
Speaker 3: I'll tell you what. They upset the year though, two players inside the top ten with red hair, red curly hair. I think the problem with ruby Lev is the mentality. And he's very one dimensional. So when he's good, he's so good, and he's ripping balls all over the place and he's clean whacking people off the court. The problem is he hits the ball too flat all the time. Now you can say, well, Medvedev does too. Medvedev doesn't miss. I mean Medvedev literally doesn't miss, and he's a lot more cautious than rublav Is. And I think that Medvedev has an underrated serve. But I also think that Medvedev is just methodical. He just picks you apart waits, which is why he always beats Rubelev because he hits the ball similar to Rubylev just doesn't miss, whereas Rublev gives you a little bit of miss. But he's crazy, I mean, he's nuts. He loses a point, he could be up a set and it could be three all. On the second he loses one point at like thirty all and he fucking goes crazy, starts yelling at his people. It's like, mate, listen and listen those that lived in glasshouses. I mean know it's a little crazy on the court, but it's like at some point you're like, that's hurting you. So I think he got a lot better at it this year. But I think that's where he needs to improve. And he's a little bit too one dimensional. And so I think against the Alcarazas and Janick Sinner's and Medvedevs and Novaks is that they just wait for him to implode or they sort of just figure him out that he's going to make an error at some point, and so that's what they take advantage of. Having said that, what a great year. So I'm super happy. I love the guy. I love watching him play. He's a lot of fun. Please God, who's going to Okay, so give me your guess who's going to make a semi final first, Pagola or ruby Lev? Okay?

00:40:36
Speaker 2: I think that, I say, okay, nice that I like both. I think that ruby Lev. I just looked at his results. He was also a bit unlucky in those quarters. He tends to end up against Novak. I think he lost.

00:40:51
Speaker 3: Twice Eithernvak or Medvedev.

00:40:54
Speaker 2: Exactly, so that you know if he got somebody that I mean, we we see it. There are people in the court. He could have gotten a Ben Shelton, he could have gotten a Tommy Paul. It's not like you always need to play Novak or Carlos or in the quarters. You can be a bit lucky. But but he hasn't been lucky. So I think that I think his quality of plays there, it's just I think the others that we just talked about that's just a bit ahead of him. I think he needs to actually agree with you. I think he needs to open up angles more because he tends to hit through the court a lot. So if you have good movers who tend to make over and over, yeah, because he's literally hitting the ball and he needs to get to the net. I think in the in the in the mens, you can't to beat the best of the men and women you can get away with it. But I think to beat the best on the ATP side, you need to be able to finish at the net because a Medvedev, even a Carlos Alcaras, they will just run you down until you miss and you will not maybe miss at six three three all, but you will miss at five all And then it sits in your head and it grows and pastors like a virus. And you know what happens when we have viruses. Then we get vaccines, and some people don't want to get the vaccine, and then we're all in a in a mess. Then we're all in the pickle and we don't want that. Let's move on to a very strange season. Renata on number six. Steph Sitapas Paula Badosa's boyfriend, Paula's boyfriend.

00:42:23
Speaker 3: His year was better than host.

00:42:25
Speaker 2: Yeah, Paula unfortunately injured. Hopefully she can bounce back. Had the stress fracture in a lower back, sofully she can be healthy, and because I love watching her play. He has one title this year and he has played the final at the Australian Open, lost to Novak. There, what did you make of his season? It was a strange one.

00:42:43
Speaker 3: He played twenty four tournaments and replay played twenty five tournaments. Yeah, sits a pass, He's just you know, Look, the bottom line is great serve, great foehand back end is attackable. So any time you play against these great players, in the Me's finals, they're going to find a way to beat you. Because they're going to play that backhand. You're not going to be able to hurt them. So, just like Maria Sakari, I don't know if it's a great thing, but he's got to get his backhand better, and he's got to get his slice backand better because his slice back end is so shit, and I'm talking about on the level it needs to be to do well, and he needs a slice back and because it's going to set up the forehand, so his slice back end is so bad he comes out of it with his left leg. I don't know why someone hasn't like helped him with that shot. But the bottom line is he needs to improve his slice back in because his topy is okay when he has time, but when someone attacks it, he needs to be able to play a better slice.

00:43:37
Speaker 2: You mean to slow the game down in a way so he can use his forehand again.

00:43:40
Speaker 3: To slow it down, but to put it in a position I eat down the line like Roger used to do. You have a slice shift backhand down the line, and so when someone runs over there, when the balls are foot off the ground, it's really hard to go back down the line so that his forehand bang, you know. So he needs to improve that side of his game and if he doesn't, he's going to be a good player for the rest of his career. And he's never going to win a Grand Slam. And I've said this for I.

00:44:04
Speaker 2: Don't even you don't think he's going to win a grandam No, And.

00:44:07
Speaker 3: I'll tell you why, because I don't think he's going to win a Grand Slam with his dad coaching him. And I know he had that little run with Philippousa's this year and whatever, but he needs to just literally redo his entire team and tell his dad and mum to stay home. And it's nothing to do with the fact that I don't think his dad can coach or is a good coach, But he's not your coach that you're going to win a Grand Slam, because he's so volatile, so toxic the relationship. Now off the court, they could be best friends, but you know this, Petko, your dad was a tennis coach. It's fucking too hard. If you have a very volatile relationship on the tennis court, at some point it becomes it's not a positive thing. Under the serious duress and that's what semis and finals of Grand Slams are.

00:44:50
Speaker 2: Do you think Stefano has stagnated.

00:44:53
Speaker 3: Yes, I think he has stagnated, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that his dad is still his coach and he can't fight just go away with somebody else to say, here, here are your issues. Someone like a Darren Kay. He will be like, I'm gonna break you on your slice. I'm gonna help you with this, I'm gonna help you tactically, and you'll be a better player because of that. But his dad is He's hit the plateau with his dad. That's how I feel. Anyway, let's move on from let's move on.

00:45:17
Speaker 2: I just want to shout out one thing that I think he does, maybe with Carlos Alcaraz, the best in the top ten, and I just wanted to shout it out because we don't see it that much often anymore. Hits his transfer when he gets a short ball, how quickly he gets up to it and moves through it and ends at the net very naturally is really a beauty to watch and I love to watch him when he's playing well. Whenever you drop a board ball short, he's there, he takes it on the rise and he's at the net, and he's always in the right place. And we don't see that that much anymore so, and I never knew how to do it. That's why I think I just love to watch it and that way. So I just wanted to shout out that thing that I think he does maybe the best in the top ten.

00:45:59
Speaker 3: Which is why his slices can help him because if he slices really well, just like Roger, where he manipulate the slice, hit it short, hit it deep, just like Alcarez does from time to time, most of the time they go to your forehand. After that they'll try and go to his back end. But you know that. So when you're a heavy forehand player like an ash party, you know when they're going to go back to your back end. You can step around, hit inside out for hand bo points. Sober So, anyway, Renee, do we have to talk about the numbers?

00:46:24
Speaker 2: Okay? So number seven is Alexander Zverev. I think the way I want to handle it, let's just stay stick strictly with the tennis. Let's not talk about anything else, because I think enough has been said about that. Alexander Zverev, he has won two titles this year. He won in Hamburg and his hometown. It has to be said he had a tremendous comeback on the tennis court, because thinking of the beginning of the year, he was nowhere near his best.

00:46:50
Speaker 3: Had the tournaments he played, take a guess.

00:46:53
Speaker 2: I would say twenty eight.

00:46:55
Speaker 3: Close twenty seven. What the fuck?

00:46:58
Speaker 2: Well, he's coming back from injury, that's true. He always likes to play a lot anyways, But are you watching him? Can you still watch him? What do you make of his game? I was there. I'm a tenement ambassador at the Humburg tournament, so I watched his his tennis there and I think he's played the best I've ever seen him play there, especially in the final against Laslo Jerre. So I do think he's back to him his old self, maybe even better. He has a new fitness coach by his side, a Croatian guy who is really really good. He used to be with Milosh Raunich. I'm sorry I'm blanking on the name, but yeah, just give us your thoughts. That's just just let's try and stick to the tennis effects with with Zev and just give us your thoughts on his game. Do I have to you don't have to sentences.

00:47:48
Speaker 3: There's no question these tennis has improved like outrageously this year. He's coming back from that injury. There's no question he had to find his feet, no pun in his legs. But all I think, look, he's hitting the ball right and he's always going to be a threat. I serve he's not double folding twenty times a match anymore. So he's kind of curtailed that a little bit and I think that's helped him. But again, you know, it's just he will be a threat next year. There's no question at Grandsham play and.

00:48:14
Speaker 2: I actually think he can win Roland Garros at one point. I don't know if next year, but I think that he will have a shot there.

00:48:21
Speaker 3: Well, he thought he could win it when he twisted his ankle against so well.

00:48:24
Speaker 2: He moves the best on clay for his size. He has a great serf and the weird forehand that he has, that spinny forehand that goes out into the angle. It's really good as comfortable on for to play on clay because it like sits up. It has a lot of rotation, but not a lot of power, and so you really have to generate and it's not easy to handle. And I've seen it over and over again on clay. The guys don't really know what to do it because it lands quite short in the court, but it goes out, so you don't have an angle to actually attack it because you're out of place. He moves well. If you go down the line. He has the best shot in the world. Is running backhand is insane.

00:49:08
Speaker 3: God, his backhand is so good.

00:49:09
Speaker 2: So I think that strange forehand that hurts him on the hard courts and can hurt him when he gets tight and it gets really short on clay is actually kind of a not a weapon. Let's not go that far. It's very weird to play.

00:49:22
Speaker 3: Coco's beforehand on clay because she can just hit that toppy down the line and then you go to her backhand just like swear, and then he just goes thanks. I have control of the point now. But look, you know all the stuff that's happening off the court, he's going to have to deal with that too. All right, Let's get to number eight hold g roon, Yeah, what do you make a strange here too? For him? He played twenty three tournaments in the year, which.

00:49:42
Speaker 2: The men are quite they like to play tournaments. What is up with that's good appearance fees?

00:49:48
Speaker 3: Clearly they do, but look, hold hold a run. I think what was good for him is that he had a struggle struggle town on the hard courts. He played pretty well at the Grand Slams quite well, especial for someone young.

00:50:01
Speaker 2: But I think the US Open where he lost first round, the famous wells put me on a court where nobody can watch. And he had won that match, that would have been cool. But losing that match is kind of awkward. When you tweet that out, can you tell us what happened?

00:50:18
Speaker 3: Well, that's the thing. When I read I was like, oh, dude, he's going to lose this match because he's already like saying, how pisty has it been? I mean, I will say, but.

00:50:25
Speaker 2: Apart from that, he has had a good, uh very Grand Slam run, like a decent Grand Slam run.

00:50:30
Speaker 3: I will say this about that. When I did see that schedule, I did think it was kind of shitty as well. Yeah, we all know those courts there. Oh.

00:50:35
Speaker 2: I like that because I think that we always when players, not always, we sometimes when players can play voice their grievances, we tend to be like a high a privileged fuck, how can you have any complaints? But I like that you say when you looked at it, you also thought it was strange.

00:50:52
Speaker 3: No, I thought it was a slap in his face. I think here's four in the world. That's he was number four seed playing on court five. Like we know those courts. Courts are really hectic. There's a match going on next to you. There's a match going on next to you.

00:51:04
Speaker 2: There it's a row of four. So those who haven't been at the use open it's a row of four or three, Like.

00:51:09
Speaker 3: You don't even know if your court's the one getting called out.

00:51:12
Speaker 2: That's true, that's true. They are stacked next to each other. And I watched Isla's first match back after her injury. I let Tomjanovich's and she was playing in the middle, in the middle, and next to her was playing Jenny Brady, and I kept thinking they called balls out, which was under the court next door. So I do have to say, it's it's a well.

00:51:30
Speaker 3: And also, mate, it's like you there's no public out there. I mean, yes, those courts get packed. Yes, they're small and they're all next to each other. It's a great place to go and see.

00:51:39
Speaker 2: If fans it's the coolest. If you sit up on the stands, you can watch three matches at the Sea.

00:51:45
Speaker 3: There is literally maybe a thousand, no not even five hundred people watching him play. Come on, he's a fourth player in the world. He's having a great year. Fucking come on. Put him on court seven. Put him on the court. You played your last match like that's a big stand at least like really caught five. Anyway, I appreciate you saying that. Actually that I think the best movie he made was getting rid of certain coaches and bringing on Patrick Moritaglu.

00:52:09
Speaker 2: I think, sorry, calm down, Okay.

00:52:12
Speaker 3: Sorry, I meant getting rid of Patrick Moritaglu and bringing on Boris Caitlin.

00:52:22
Speaker 2: Are you coming? Are you starting a comeback with Patrick morotogl andit that out?

00:52:26
Speaker 3: Okay? No, Boris Becker, I think that was a great move from him. Look, Boris has been in jail, he's been through some tough times. He's also a former great.

00:52:37
Speaker 2: All the Germans with the controversies.

00:52:39
Speaker 3: Yeah, what's up with that? What have you done lately? But you know the fact that look, Boris has achieved what he achieved at such a young age as well, so he's been He's sort of lived this life that Rene's living, but even more so because if anyone saw the documentary, well, the things that he had to go through as an eighteen year old. But I think Boris has lived such a life. He's been around, if so much himself. He was terrific for Novak, and Novak will tell you that, you know, he was great, and I think that he's that type of personality personality, No, Boris, He's just he's not into hyperbole and he's going to tell Renett to shut the fuck up. Yeah, stop complaining.

00:53:16
Speaker 2: He's a very I know Boris very well, and he's a very strong personality in a sense, he's a very if that's still possible, he's emotional, yeah, but if that's still possible, he's uh, the best possible alpha male if that makes sense. Like that's nowadays that's kind of an insult, but I mean it in a good way. In this case, he's very sure of himself. He knows who he is, he likes who he is. He has a lot of confidence, a lot of inner confidence, and I think it might have been shaken by everything that has happened, but he and he doesn't need the job in that way right because he was.

00:53:52
Speaker 3: He wouldn't mind a little money.

00:53:53
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean this is this is really complicated. But I think that's why he also handled being with Novak so well for so long, same as go Ivanishovitch, because you have to be a strong personality to handle these really ambitious guys who know what they want and I just like pitbulls, when they want something, they don't let go.

00:54:11
Speaker 3: If you have a coach that you can tread all over, you lose respect. You don't respect what they're saying to you. You've got to have that ability as a coach, no matter who you're coaching, to be able to step up and say, I think this is the best thing for you and never doubt what you're saying to your player. And Boris is that going to be that person for Runa. And it's already he's already improved under him. He can tell he's controlling himself better on the cord, he's becoming less controversial, he's sort of doing the right thing. And I think Boris is going to be a great influence for Renna I think Rna is going to have a really big year next year, just like Schiantek in a lot of ways. I think he learned a lot about himself this year, about how to deal.

00:54:44
Speaker 2: With Morris, maybe in a way well.

00:54:47
Speaker 3: In some respects, but also mean, look is clearly way more accomplished. But I think just learning to deal with adversity as a young player, learning from it and becoming better. And I think he did that this year. I think he's finished the year. He pushes Novak every time he plays, he says tremendous respect for Novak. I think Novak is certainly somebody he looks up to. I think that he would have learned a lot from it this year, and I think that he you know, and I think he's matured a little bit over the last couple of months. I think actually him playing like shit for a little while has actually kind of humbled somewhat, and I think that he got back to really doing what's important. And Look, I'm famous for saying or for saying, he has a punishable face. Okay, there were times on court that I said that he is a bit of a punishable face. I mean in it in jest, but I actually have to say I think he's improved a lot on the court, and I kind of like him now. I think he's turned a little bit of a corner and I think he's going to have a great year next year. Let's get to the nicest player on two.

00:55:40
Speaker 2: I have to say one thing about holgar Una. I always liked him because I love the rebels on court. I love when they, you know, are kind of street fighters. I will say he has to figure out what is going on with his body because he is losing substance in the third sets. We're on the ATP Tour. You need to be able to sustain five set matches, have a day rest and come back and play again if you want to win a slam, especially when he needs to figure out practice. He's cramping and I know genetically some people are just prone to cramping more than others. But he needs to have a good medical team in place and figure out what the hell is going on with his buddy because that needs to become better. I think his tennis is tremendous. I love watching him play, and you're right, hub Hurekach two titles and I don't have a lot to say about him except that I like him.

00:56:34
Speaker 3: Oh my god, I love him. He's literally other than Yannick Sinner could be as far as top ten are concerned. Just my favorite person employer. There's one indelible moment to me when he walked out to the crowd at Washington DC last year, not this year. Last year he was the top seed, I think or two seed, and it was like twelve o'clock in the middle of the day and you have played in Washington, d C. Where it's literally one hundred and five degrees in the middle of the day. He is there watching the tennis on center court because it's so hot. They it gets packed. It's sold out every so on diss on DC because it's literally one of the best tournaments of the year. But you know, people have a tendency not to come watch those first early matches, right because people are jobs as well. There was like five people in the crowd and he walks out and he literally smiles and waves as he's walking out there, and I'm just like, I love this.

00:57:22
Speaker 2: He smiled and waved it single every single person that were at the people.

00:57:26
Speaker 3: That are on there. I just he's just got that. He's like he reminds me of a five year old in a twenty five year old man's very tall body. You know, we just have those like pigeon toed walk and he just battles. He comes in. I just love him. We don't have a lot to.

00:57:40
Speaker 2: See him progressing in his tennis player.

00:57:42
Speaker 3: I see him being this player forever, winning a tier of a Master's one thousand every now and again, getting to semis of a slam. He certainly can winning one. I don't think he can win one, but I see him doing very well for his career. I think him being a perennial top ten, top twenty player for his entire career because he loves the sport and he works really hard, and he doesn't have a lot of weaknesses. It's just so I think the other guys are just a little bit better under pressure. From time to time, he gets a little bit chokes. Yeah, it gets a bit choky, But I love him. And is there a guy that plays more fucking three set matches or wins more matches in tiebreaks?

00:58:20
Speaker 2: Well, that's the interesting belieue because he chokes when he's up and then he plays okay in the taybreaks, which is like bro It's easier to play when you're up five two than when you're five all in the third set tiebreak.

00:58:29
Speaker 3: I don't know, but I love He's my favorite player.

00:58:32
Speaker 2: I like him. I like him too. Let's go on to the last Taylor and the top ten. It's Taylor Fritz. He also had two titles. Interesting season. He needs to figure out his Grand Slam performances for a doesn't he well.

00:58:46
Speaker 3: The thing is, and I've said this over and over about him, Taylor played twenty six tournaments this year, which is a lot, but a lot of that had to do with him trying to make the ATP finals as well at the end of the year. But I think the problem for.

00:58:56
Speaker 2: I do Let's talk about this. Make your point and then we'll talk about this. I have a question.

00:59:01
Speaker 3: I think the thing with Taylor is the reason he doesn't do well at slams. And listen, this is a guy that did well at Wwimbledon, lost that really tough match against Nadel a couple of years ago. But I think the problem with Taylor is that he loses his shit like Larublev from time to time. He's complaining to his box all the time. And I like Taylor a lot like, I actually like him. He talks really well when you interview him. He understands the game. He's nice guy off the court. He treats people well, but fuck on the court, like yelling and every point like looking at his box, like putting his hands up and complaining. It's like, dude, if you want to do well at Grand Slams, you have to learn to calm the farm and shut your mouth when it comes to playing best of five because all the emotion that you're giving out negatively all the time is going to come back to bite you when it really counts. There's a reason why Novak. You know, Novak can do it from time to time, but he's been doing it and when he's won twenty how many Grand Slams? Like let that guy. That guy can do whatever he wants. He knows how to win. You need to stop emoting negativity when you playing tennis, and it starts on the practice court, then you taken onto the matches. And that would be the first thing that I would say to him. I want you from day one, at your first match at every Grand Slam. I don't want to see a negative reaction from you. And let's see how you do and if you don't do well, you can do whatever the fuck you want every single match going forward. But as a coach, I'd be like, if you gestured to me something negative at five all in the first set when you just lost one point, you know, you missed a foehand by half an inch, and you gesture anything to me like, oh, it's missed, but I'm leaving. Yeah, So you've got to be tough like that as a coach. And he has. Mike Russell's done a great job with him, but it's like, man, that's the biggest issue for him. And this is somebody who's in the top ten in the world, and I give him great credit because he does. He's you know, had a great year, but man, that's the one thing that's the one knock on him at Grand Slams. That's what needs to get better for him to get to a final of Grands sit.

01:00:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think he also needs to work on his first serve a bit and seconds both serves. Like when it's good, it's good, but he sometimes loses timing on it. He throws it up high, so when he loses the timing, he tends not to make first serves and important games. So there are a few things in his game as well that I think that he can get better. Apart from the emotions. I will ask one question that I was very surprised about his because we talked about it a few times today, how important scheduling is and how it's part of being a tennis professional and being one of the best ten players in the world. He scheduled to play all the tournaments on the US Open series to go into the US Open. My thinking is, if you're a top eight player as an American. He ended up in the top ten, but he was in the top eight coming into the US Open. When you're a top eight player in the US at the US Open as an American, you want to win. You might not, you might lose, even lose first round, but you have to plan for this grand slant for this major as if you are going to win. Can you win a major that lasts two weeks where you play in the worst heat, the worst humidity. He against the best players in the world and the jungle that is New York City With playing five tournaments in a row before that, I don't think you can.

01:02:08
Speaker 3: He played five tournaments.

01:02:09
Speaker 2: I don't know if he played Atlanta, he played Washington d C. He played Toronto, he played Cincinnati, and I think he was scheduled to play Winston Salem and then he pulled out. So it's scheduled to play it five and he played four.

01:02:22
Speaker 3: That's so dumb. Well, you know Cincinnati and Canada are mandatory.

01:02:27
Speaker 2: Right, so he had you played Atlanta and Washington.

01:02:29
Speaker 3: Yeah, so he won Atlanta anyway Washington, So I'm sure he got paid to go to Washington. But yeah, you're right, But.

01:02:36
Speaker 2: Do you want to run a major or do you want to get paid to play in Washington? That's the question I have.

01:02:41
Speaker 3: Yeah, well you're making you're You're telling me what he needs to do, and.

01:02:44
Speaker 2: I'm not telling you what he needs to do play. It's the what I want to say by that is not I'm not faulting or judging Taylor Fritz. He can He's an adult man. He can do whatever he wants. And he has a great career, as a great life. He's earning great money. And I will say he is one of the most competitive guys. I love his attitude. He has worked so hard, right, but he never gives up. He has no ego. He always fights like I have a tremendous amount of respect. The thing what I'm asking by that is not is not a part of a judgment. It's a glimpse into his mentality. Does he actually believe that he can win the US Open, because if he did, maybe he would have scheduled differently.

01:03:22
Speaker 3: I don't know.

01:03:23
Speaker 2: I'm just asking this is a question. I'm genuinely asking me. You have the answer.

01:03:27
Speaker 3: I think that him going to Atlanta was okay because he lost early, terribly at Wumbledon where he lost to Michael Emer in the second round, so he had a lot of a lot of time. So he went and won Atlanta, which is great. Then the thing that he should have done then is not play Washington. Although you know he probably thinks, all right, I'm getting my confidence back. Maybe if I win Washington. He lost a Greek spoor in the semi finals six to two and the third so maybe if he wins Washington, then he goes into those tons, maybe he pulls out of Canada. I don't know. Or maybe Washington d C.

01:03:59
Speaker 2: Is the worst turn meant to play off the year. Conditions wise, it's the hottest, most huge.

01:04:03
Speaker 3: He would have played a lot of mat he lost at night though, I think because he was one of the drawers.

01:04:07
Speaker 2: You still lose a lot of substance there. You threatch so much, it's not easy to recover from that tournament.

01:04:12
Speaker 3: So he lost in the Semis to Greeks Boy, he lost in the round of sixteen, then in Canada to Alex d Minor, and then he lost to Novak in the quarters in Cincy, and that he didn't play to the US Open. But you're right, that's that's actually figuring it out. And then he actually played really well at the US Open and he didn't lose a set, so everyone was like, oh, this is the time. Yeah, and then he got crushed by Novak in three sets. So he has to figure out that. But that's what I'm saying. For me, it's his emotional ups and downs. And I would like to actually go back and look at the matches that he played against those players that he won every match in three sets, in straight sets. Yeah, how emotional was he throughout that? Like, because so those are the little things that I would look at as a coach for him. And then where where does Novak pick him apart or I mean other than everywhere? So anyway, So let's get to who we think, so.

01:04:59
Speaker 2: The players that they were either surprises or that were memorable to you, and I have a few on my list. What comes to your mind when you think of players outside of the top ten that somehow grasped your attention in one way or another.

01:05:13
Speaker 3: Well, listen, we have to talk about Ben Shelton and.

01:05:16
Speaker 2: A lot of very exciting.

01:05:17
Speaker 3: A lot of people have asked me, you know, who's the American that's gonna win O Slam if they do. And I do think that Ben Shelton is that player. I think why because he has the weapons. He has huge serve, his fourhands huge and the thing that he's gotten really good at and much better at that he did it even at the start of the year we had a great Australian Open is his backhand has got more reliable because he's back and at Theustrain and Open, I was like, oh god, it's so bad. I mean it was so bad. But you know, look at Sam Stosa. Sam's backhand was not great, but she started to not miss it when she was playing at her best, and their fourhander serve was so dominant and once she.

01:05:51
Speaker 2: Had that little when she was playing her best, she had that little backhand down the line pass because you would know that normally if you attack her on the back end you would get an opening. But that when she was playing well, she really played it so flat and almost short into the court, and if you don't have great volleys, which most women don't, it was really hard to.

01:06:10
Speaker 3: Call it a nice little slice short or she would smack the back end on the line, and a lot of women didn't cover that shot enough. So with Ben, I think he's improved his back end so much he's not making a lot of errors on it, and then everywhere else is so good, and he hits the shit out of the ball.

01:06:24
Speaker 2: And he's really a specimen physically, and I'll tell you what, he has the most explosive muscles I've seen in a line. And he's cocky, which is important attitude.

01:06:31
Speaker 3: But also the thing that I think he got better at even in the end of the year, because you know, he had that great Austrain open, played very average after that, couldn't win two matches in a.

01:06:40
Speaker 2: Row euphemism for bad because he didn't win a match.

01:06:45
Speaker 3: Yeah, but no, he didn't win two matches in a row, and then he had a great us Open. But the thing that impressed me the most was his end of the year, how well he played in China, and the thing that talking about Rema. We were talking about how people get super excited when they win a match, you know, and he had the phone thing then, you know, put the phone down. He stopped doing that after a while, and I think he started to learn that, you know what this is about me winning and getting respect, and he won his first ATP title. And I think that what I saw from Ben was no mistakes on the back end, huge weapons, but his mentality was very good. Like he'd win matches against really good players and quarters and semis and he would just be like yep, shake hands and walk off.

01:07:22
Speaker 2: I like that because he kept the cockiness in a way inside him as an energy that he can channel to actually put the phone down, not physically doing it, but just like actually put the phone down, meaning winning matches. And I think you're right. He really channeled that cockiness into a positive energy that he used to play.

01:07:40
Speaker 3: So kudos to him and all the American guys who were pushing each other. And it's about time they've caught up to the women.

01:07:45
Speaker 2: And I think you will talk about that because I had it as a talking point. I was like, I think that should be something for you and Caitlin when you look towards the twenty twenty four sees, because I think that's going to be really interesting. Who's going to end up US's number one? On the man's side?

01:07:58
Speaker 3: You mentioned it earlier.

01:07:59
Speaker 2: There are five in the top twenty five, and it's really incredible to witness. Who else did you do you? So I'm just going to throw in. Okay, so I'm gonna throw in two. I'm going to throw in and we don't have to talk about them for a long time. I just want to throw them in. Matteo Arnaldi, who beat We talked about it, who beat the Australian Alex popperin. I just love his game. I love how he plays. He hits so hard and he's so skinny. I'm like, where's this energy coming? Where's the power coming from? All these skinny, dainty little Italians. I love them. And I have to give a big shout out to Grigor Dimitchov because I think he really had a tremendous comeback. It's bad in a podcast to do COVID well, but it's bad in a podcast to do signals with your hands a quotes. So I'm doing come back because he was around, but he was struggling. And this year I think he really found his form again, played some great matches and as we know, always a guy for the highlight reels, and I really enjoyed seeing him back at his best. But he had long COVID, Yeah, long COVID.

01:09:00
Speaker 3: I spoke to him quite a lot at the start of the year and he just said, look, I struggled so much, like I couldn't because he got COVID a couple of times, and he's like, I couldn't do the physical work in the gym. And we know how important that his legs are and how quick he is around the court. So it was really nice to see him, and I did when I remember when I saw him in Washington this year, or maybe it was at Wimbledon, hadn't seen him for a couple of months, and I went, oh, my god, you look so much stronger physically, Like his chest was a little bit bigger. He was just stronger and you could tell. And so he needs that to do better. And so hopefully he can have another really good year next year and keep keep the momentum going. He just doesn't quite have it against the top guys, you know, like Novak and when they're on, but certainly push pushed them all this year. So it was really nice to see.

01:09:40
Speaker 2: Any tournament of competition that stood out to you on the ATP side in any formal way.

01:09:45
Speaker 3: I mean, listen, I just I loved to see I loved to see Novak do what he did again this year. It was unbelievable, just to do it at his age and just embrace the well, like you said, embrace that side of him, the villain. But I loved, loved the final at Wimbledon, and you know the final it was. I was there live watching it. It was just fuck the atmosphere and the tennis was just unbelievable. It was so great. But just overall, Yannick Sinner's rise to the top at the end and what he did, and yeah, it's just the top ten guys, the top three or four guys are so good. You mentioned that you didn't think that the depth was there and the men's game as much as the women's, But look, over all, the men's was an entertaining year in the fact that Novak won everything again and so we'll see, we'll see how.

01:10:36
Speaker 2: Much you know in soccer. They used to say about the German team. They're in soccer, eleven man play against eleven men, and Germany wins in the end. And it feels like that on the ATP tour for the last year, like everyone is fighting for the title and in the end Novak winz Yeah.

01:10:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, So anyway I was to say.

01:10:52
Speaker 2: I have to say it was a really exciting year. I think the just the yes, Novak dominated, but just the glimpse of a few sure where there are young guys who can challenge him and who are setting up for interesting rivalries to come was very exciting and I think that's why a lot of people jumped on that. Carlos Alcaraz again, you have to.

01:11:11
Speaker 3: Admit Roger and Rafa made Novak the player he is. He had to be made all the players, and I would say arguably that the runas, the al Carezas and the Sinners in particular, and the rude blood from time to time, they are making Novak even better because they are as quick as him. They have in the variety that Alkaraz has has made Novak anticipate hitting drop shots and coming to the net and all that sort of stuff. The power that Sinner has, Novak has to flatten out, the forehand has to come into that, all.

01:11:43
Speaker 2: The things much more aggressive than that atp.

01:11:46
Speaker 3: In his surface Novaky. So I don't know, I just I'm loving it. These guys are catching up, but they're still not there yet, as he says, kids aren't there yet. So anyway, it was great, great year on the Men's do We can't wait for the Istral and Open to start. Caitlin and I are going to do a live podcast the seventeenth of Decen in New York City. So if youre in the Tri State Era in the area, jump in a car or train, pop up here. We're gonna have a live a podcast. Sadly Petco won't be there, She'll be back there.

01:12:08
Speaker 2: I won't be there, but thank you so much for having me. This was a pleasure, and see you next year for a wrap up of twenty twenty four.

01:12:15
Speaker 3: Rather yes, Donkey Bell in Dutch. You know, I would just say thank you Petco for always being my friend. Coming on the podcast. We love you and how's retirement? Just real quick fun?

01:12:27
Speaker 2: Yeah, good good, yeah, doing this doing this all right?

01:12:31
Speaker 3: Guys, thanks for joining us again for the wrap up the men's and we'll hear from you real or you're here from us real soon. Choose baby Jews