Sam Querrey

00:00:14
Speaker 1: Nelly though we're just talking about it.

00:00:16
Speaker 2: It's so good, and poor old Dabby she just couldn't make a putt today, or she would have been right there, couldn't make a.

00:00:23
Speaker 1: Put Women's golf is great right now.

00:00:25
Speaker 3: I find myself like I'm checking scores, like but mostly because of Nelly. I'm like, when is she going to play again? I wish they could capitalize on that, and like I don't know, put it on more mainstream channels and like it's like pop delayed a golf channel at the time.

00:00:36
Speaker 2: Well, Nelly last week was going for six in a row. No one's ever done that. So I mean the fact that it was in fact that it wasn't being popped about like on every national like Sports Center or whatever.

00:00:46
Speaker 3: It's crazy like somehow take advantage of her.

00:00:49
Speaker 1: A little more.

00:00:50
Speaker 2: The LPGA needs to not take a book out of the WTA's book, that's for sure.

00:00:56
Speaker 4: Don't even get me started on that.

00:00:58
Speaker 5: But anyway, we've who gotten started. We've already gotten started, We've already gotten started. I'm just going to go right into it. We have a very special guest today. His name is Sam Querry. He's incredibly fun and he and and I are cooking up a very very special project that we'll talk about in a little bit.

00:01:16
Speaker 6: But first let's let's chat to Sam a little bit. Both of you guys spent the day watching golf. I did not.

00:01:23
Speaker 5: I absolutely love that Nellie Corda has tennis roots and is the most accomplished member of her family in a family of athletes. Seb her brother, and Peter the dad, and the mom was an incredible athlete too, right, wasn't she.

00:01:38
Speaker 2: A mom was sixty seventy in the world in singles, So yeah, very good play.

00:01:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, sister was maybe top ten before she had a baby, and I'm assuming she'll get back into those those ranks as well. Like it's it's the most impressive sports family maybe in the world at the moment.

00:01:54
Speaker 6: Yeah, no question, it does suer good.

00:01:57
Speaker 2: But but let me add also that I was I was spending a lot of time O the last couple of weeks following my old tennis coach's daughter Gabby Ruffles, who is right now in the lead of Rookie of the Year. So she's finished tied for third. Actually she was solo third last week and tied for third fifth week, so she's having a great year as well on the but yet, but we're not going to talk about golf the whole time because I.

00:02:23
Speaker 6: Have nothing to happen whatsoever. We're gonna talk about.

00:02:26
Speaker 5: Tennis and before we talk about the results of this two week long ROM tournament.

00:02:32
Speaker 6: Sam, welcome the podcast.

00:02:33
Speaker 3: Thanks for having me. I'm a fan, I've listened to it. I'm excited to be on and and get going.

00:02:42
Speaker 6: Let's do it.

00:02:43
Speaker 2: So.

00:02:44
Speaker 5: I have a couple of career highlight moments that I want to talk about with you. But first of all, you have retired from tennis, who are now a professional picktball player. You've excelled in two pro sports. Is your life easier now that you're retired from tennis? And I know you're sing an injury at the moment. You're gonna get back up to the pick a ball court soon, But like, how, how was this like an easy down shift to keep playing sports? But do one that's a little bit less intense or is it just like you just feel like you never stopped.

00:03:13
Speaker 3: Yeah, So answer your first question right now, My life, My life is tough. I tore my achilles. They've got a boot on for another few weeks. But I kind of fell into pickaball when I started or when I retired from tennis. At the US Open in twenty twenty two, I wasn't one hundred percent sure what I was gonna do. And a few months prior to that, over the summer, I went to watch my buddy play a pickleball tournament. When I was there, people started kind of asking me, are you gonna play pickball?

00:03:36
Speaker 1: Are you gonna play?

00:03:36
Speaker 3: Because everyone that plays pick a ball played tennis, and so then in my head, you know what, Yeah, I'm gonna go. I might go try this, Like I played a few times. I liked it, and then I kind of got the process going with my agent, like let's try to get into one of these leagues and let's get a paddle deal. And now I'm a year and a half to get a paddle deal.

00:03:53
Speaker 1: Fuck a paddle deal, and uh, and I love it.

00:03:56
Speaker 3: It's so much fun. You know, it's not tennis. Tennis was was fun. I have six days a week training on the court in the gym. You know, I guess I would say I cared more what food I was eating pickleball. Not to say I'm not trying as hard, but you know, I might practice three four days a week. I don't spend as much time in the gym, but I'm trying to get as good as I can. And the sport is very popular, as you guys know, and I'm having a great time right now playing good.

00:04:25
Speaker 5: You know, we've talked a lot of shit about pickleball on this podcast, and so I don't want our listeners to think we've done a total about face and we're now, you know, welcoming the.

00:04:37
Speaker 3: No.

00:04:37
Speaker 2: But currently I'm about to throw up. But I'll let it go because because I like Sam. I like Sam a lot, you know what.

00:04:44
Speaker 6: I know, He's a good human being.

00:04:45
Speaker 5: And also I decided for me, twenty twenty four is the year of let him, you know, let him.

00:04:50
Speaker 6: Like everybody's having a good time playing pickleball as.

00:04:52
Speaker 5: Long as it's not my tennis courts, and it doesn't seem to be at least where you're playing, let them great.

00:04:56
Speaker 6: Listen.

00:04:57
Speaker 3: I will say. If people ask my wife what I do for a li she tells him I'm in between jobs.

00:05:01
Speaker 1: At the moment, I did not admit that I played.

00:05:06
Speaker 4: This is why we love her.

00:05:07
Speaker 6: The good hats off to her.

00:05:09
Speaker 5: Have you overheard her saying that, and you were like, uh, what she'll say it.

00:05:13
Speaker 1: If we'll be together in a room and someone will ask her, she'll stay in front of me. She does not care. She will not admit that I'm a pick a ball player.

00:05:20
Speaker 5: I do to say for you, being a gentleman who is at least six six, I have had the pleasure pleasure of playing tennis with you.

00:05:27
Speaker 6: You cover a lot of court.

00:05:28
Speaker 5: How, I mean, it's gotta be an you can't How why does a pickle ball court Is it wider than your arms seat?

00:05:34
Speaker 4: Why does?

00:05:35
Speaker 2: No?

00:05:35
Speaker 1: I mean?

00:05:35
Speaker 3: And I play mostly doubles and mixed doubles. So with my partner, no, like if we both have her arms out, we cover the entire court. Having said that, I pretty much lose second round of every tournament I play.

00:05:43
Speaker 5: And so I really well what we talk about that, because I feel like you would just automatically be just crushing over.

00:05:50
Speaker 3: So it's two things. I'm a victim of terrible draws. Other one, I play the one or two seed second round every week and then second just like, the players are really good, the men and women that play are there. It's so big now, there's so much riding on it. The prize money is huge. Like they practice all day every day and they go play all the tournaments and like anything, like if you want to accelebrate grate at something, you have to practice a ton and they just do that more than I do.

00:06:16
Speaker 1: And they're better than me.

00:06:17
Speaker 2: And you're older.

00:06:18
Speaker 4: Let's face it, come.

00:06:19
Speaker 1: On, I am older, I'm and you're tall.

00:06:22
Speaker 2: It's I don't think it's gonna suit a tall tennis supplier. You got to be a little nimble, you know, you got to have some feel that Sam.

00:06:29
Speaker 1: I totally agree the ideal heights like six to one in pickleball.

00:06:32
Speaker 6: Oh interesting. I just feel like you should just come into the.

00:06:35
Speaker 3: Net and you know, but you're so close to each other. When they fired at me quickly, my limbs are in the way. I'm like an octopus, like you know, I can't get.

00:06:41
Speaker 6: Its actually sounding pretty entertaining. I kind of watch it.

00:06:44
Speaker 5: I'll watch a Sam Quarry pickleball match just to see this in action, because I feel like you're hilarious.

00:06:50
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, a lot of people say you'd be great, Dubsy. I'm like, yeah, I don't want to play anyways, so listen, Well, are the only thing that really sucks on me now is my shoulder so serving as a bit so pickleball would suit me. But anyway, So so Sam, how much do you are you following the tennis world? Now?

00:07:12
Speaker 3: Quite a bit still, I mean luckily on the on the West Coast. I'm up early. I'm up at five thirty six every day. I usually pop on Tennis Channel one because I like tennis, and two because those are the only live sports going on at five six am. So for the last I guess you'd call it month now, I've had on Madrid and Rome, so it's on in the background. If there's a match of players that I'm interested in, I'm watching it. So I've actually watched a lot of tennis, particularly the past month.

00:07:38
Speaker 2: All right, So I want to ask you then let's talk a little bit about this week, because that's what we want to do, is what are your thoughts. I want to just touch upon the Americans and how well Tommy Paul in particular, Taylor's had a good couple of months on the clay.

00:07:54
Speaker 4: And you know a lot of shit was given to the American players.

00:07:56
Speaker 2: I mean you were right there with them, right with like, oh, you know, you guys complaining clay. Blah blah blah. What do you think shifted with these particular players like Tommy and like Taylor.

00:08:06
Speaker 3: You know, it's hard to point at one thing. I guess I mean, number one, you've got no Roger Rafa and Novak kind of for the most part of these tournaments to deal with at the moment. Two, they're just they're great athletes. If you watch them play. Tommy Paul's got a great kick serve, he works the ball around the court well, he's an incredible mover. Taylor Fritz is a good mover. Ben Shelton, you know, won Houston earlier this year. He can hit us on clay, is still fast. And so these guys are just good athletes. They're they're figuring out how to play on clay, maybe better than some of the other Americans my generation did. And and part of it is, you know that I think they also have the confidence to win these tournaments right now because Roger Rafa and Novak aren't in them, it's kind of open draws up, and I think everyone has a little more belief that they can go far in these Master Series.

00:08:56
Speaker 2: So then then what's the deal, you know, just on the fact that you say Rafa and rogeront there, Well Novak was there. So what is going on in your opinion with Novak right now? Because I mean that's just smacking by a guy that I mean, sure, he's a clay court specialist. Tabilo, he's like, you know, grew up in Chile, they love the clay court.

00:09:15
Speaker 4: But that's I mean, he got crushed.

00:09:20
Speaker 5: Also, I just want to point out Sam Queery, you have like unique experience beating Novak Djokovic, I mean on a giant stage at Wimbledon where he's like, you know, eating people for breakfast, So like taking him out at the height of his powers, which he obviously isn't at the head of his powers right now. Yeah, like you have personal experience facing him down across the that like what walk us through what.

00:09:39
Speaker 6: You think is going on?

00:09:41
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know. I mean I watched his match against Tabila. It looked like he didn't try. He lost six two sixty three, but he wasn't in the into the match mentally from the from the third fourth game. And so he's had an I'm not going to say up and down year, he's had a down year. But I do think for him at this point, he's only concerned with Grand Slams, so I trust him to get it together mentally and be engaged and ready to go with the French Open. Having said that he's never come into the French Open in the last fifteen sixteen years having such terrible results, so I'm also not surprised if he loses early to you know, a player.

00:10:19
Speaker 1: Like to Bill up.

00:10:20
Speaker 6: Yeah, somebody on the what you guys think.

00:10:22
Speaker 1: But that's kind of where I'm at. I don't have an answer for him.

00:10:25
Speaker 6: Yeah, I don't know.

00:10:26
Speaker 5: I saw him playing Indian Wells and I you know again, I think you're right, Like he's optimized so much the last couple of years, then you don't get concerned if he doesn't have good results outside the Slams anymore, because he's you know, playing conservative schedule wise like he has like you know, like Roger and roff I learned to do towards the end of their careers as well. But I do feel like, you know, he didn't win Australia. He looked listless in Indian Wells, and he kind of hasn't like gotten I don't know whatever it is like whe when he gets his back up against the wall, and even if he has to kind of like creative situation to get his back up against the wall, like gets him his gear, and it feels like that gear has not It's like eluded him for some reason this year in a weird way. It sort of strange to describe because I've never seen it happen.

00:11:04
Speaker 3: Before, But if he wins the French Open, like, I wouldn't be surprised totally.

00:11:09
Speaker 6: I mean neither.

00:11:09
Speaker 5: No, I still kind of think he's a favorite for the French.

00:11:12
Speaker 1: Is the odds favorite?

00:11:13
Speaker 4: I think, yeah, No, I think Carlos our chisis is.

00:11:18
Speaker 2: But I have to say, like with Novak, you know, and something that our other fellow podcap Queen I'll call it because she'll listen to this and she'll love it. I said that she's like Andrea Pekovich. She's like, it's called age. He's getting older, and she just really believes that there's a point in your career where your age actually starts catching up with you when you when you Jesus, like all of a sudden, you're just old, you know. And so maybe I don't know these young guys. Obviously, Novak has lost a lot of matches this year, so people start to say he's vulnerable, so why not me, right, And I think that we saw that the other day and it's possible.

00:11:57
Speaker 4: Over five sets is a very.

00:11:58
Speaker 2: Different situation that, particularly on Clay. But hey, if he gets some grinder, some guy that comes out and wants to play him at the French we'll see what happens. And it's probably the first time we've gone into the French Open where Rafa hasn't been the overwhelming favorite, and neither necessarily has Novak. It's crazy.

00:12:17
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know, first time in fifteen years.

00:12:19
Speaker 5: I would be more surprised if Carlo's won then Novak candidly, but yeah, I think you're right, he's not the clear favorite. I guess to that point because I've heard Andrea I ruminate a lot about retirement in her substack, which is great, which is called finite jest. You retired at thirty four two years ago, Like, was there a moment for you where you're just like a yes, Like the body, was it, the family, was it, the grind?

00:12:48
Speaker 1: Three things?

00:12:48
Speaker 3: One definitely the body, Like my elbow was starting to kill me, my foot was starting to hurt me, Like I didn't look forward to going to practice. I was like, oh, I just have like aches and pains, and because the body let you down, like yourl he was let down.

00:13:00
Speaker 1: And then you're ranking drops and then all of.

00:13:02
Speaker 3: A sudden you're ranked one hundred and it's like you're not in the top tournaments. I had two little kids, the travel was wearing on me, and it was just kind of a combination of everything. It was like, all right, it's it's time to stop. I don't I needed to get surgery in my elbow, so I didn't want to go have surgery then try to rehab back for four months.

00:13:19
Speaker 1: I just didn't have it in me.

00:13:20
Speaker 3: And to like Renee was saying earlier, like the body just broke down. I got to a point where there were just like too many miles on it.

00:13:26
Speaker 6: Did it happened? Did it?

00:13:29
Speaker 2: Was it?

00:13:29
Speaker 3: Like, oh, it wasn't like that, but it was over, you know, in a within a six month period.

00:13:35
Speaker 1: It was like, all right, this is like every day is hard.

00:13:37
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:13:39
Speaker 3: Watching you think at a five month period with Novak not playing well and maybe he's played fifteen hundred matches, like that's a lot of matches.

00:13:48
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a lot of matches.

00:13:50
Speaker 2: I just think at some point it does catch up with you. And I think the when you become when you start losing matches to people that you would never lose to before, I think that starts to sort of take its toll a little bit on you.

00:14:02
Speaker 4: And look, well we'll see.

00:14:03
Speaker 2: The French Open is going to be a whole different story. But Rome is an indicator for me and always has been of players that go into the French Open.

00:14:10
Speaker 4: As the favorite.

00:14:10
Speaker 6: So well, does that mean verif is.

00:14:13
Speaker 2: I mean, so let's get to the crux of the end of the men's tournament. I mean, to Bilow, this guy comes out of nowhere. He pushes everyone. I mean, frankly, he should have beaten vere I mean, he was right there on the precipice of beatings Verev in the semi final, and who knows, but Vera dug deep to win that match like big time, especially in that second set tiebreaking towards the end of the second set. But you know, he was pretty comfortable, I feel like against Jerry today, but I still thought some signs was Verev. I don't know about you, Sam, what you thought, but I thought some signs like even closing out the match with Jerry today where he got super tight, and I just think that that us open at some point is still going to bother him if he has to close out a Grand Slam.

00:14:54
Speaker 3: I totally agree. And he's he's always been a little bit like that. You see him get tight with the second serve or the ground stroke. As for a guy who's like he's sixty six and can rip the ball, he's not afraid in big moments to like go twenty feet behind the baseline and just massage the ball over.

00:15:08
Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:15:09
Speaker 5: His second serve started looking perilously like mine, like a like a lady's collegiate serve. Like I'm like, this guy's serving an eight mile second serves at most, Like.

00:15:18
Speaker 3: Come on, man, that's just not a recipe for long term success to win multiple Claran Slams. He could win one, you know, you never know, but like just over time, that's not going to work.

00:15:27
Speaker 1: And yes, closing this match out today, you saw that.

00:15:30
Speaker 3: Today is a little different because Jerry does have one of those games kind of like a Kevin Anderson. It's the ball so hard where it's hard to be aggressive back to him. You're kind of just working, you know, kind of holding on on your side and hoping that he's gonna miss and he's got so much power on his groundstrokes that you can't redirect. But he did a good job of just knowing he was a better player and doing what he had to do to win that match. But yeah, for me, I don't I don't see him as one of the top three favorites of the French Open, though he won Roun.

00:16:01
Speaker 5: Yeah, people on Twitter are like, is verb the favorite now? It's like, I don't know, I don't know. I don't like his ads in any five best of five, especially because I feel like the korage starts to go a little bit, which I have to imagine on the tour, everyone's like, oh, yeah, I know if I get this guy in a like a real like you know, if you're gonna get Novak in a high intensity.

00:16:19
Speaker 6: Moment, you're fucked, Like exactly, Like you.

00:16:21
Speaker 5: Want to get Novac in a tybreak, great, this is when he's gonna come up with the most magic he can possibly come up with. I feel like the opposite is true for Verev, like that last set of you know, the dominic team Alexa Verev the US Open finals.

00:16:32
Speaker 6: Still I can still think about it.

00:16:33
Speaker 5: I was like, this is this is two guys who are playing not to lose all respect to Dominic Team.

00:16:38
Speaker 6: Who will you know, hopefully.

00:16:40
Speaker 5: We should talk about that a little bit, just because I do feel like it's like a little bit of a crying shame they didn't give him wealth card in Durell and Garas, a tournament that he has had his best results in.

00:16:47
Speaker 6: He's medicable finals his last year on tour.

00:16:50
Speaker 5: I mean, I get that, like the French are particularly annoying to everybody else with the way that they give their wild cards to like literally only their own players.

00:17:00
Speaker 6: But I feel like, what do you guys think?

00:17:01
Speaker 5: Is that a slight I turn out to get too caught up in the federation stuff, but it does feel like, come on, Dominic Team, multiple time finalists, give that guy a wildcard totally.

00:17:09
Speaker 1: I would have given. I mean I would.

00:17:11
Speaker 3: I've seen the wildcard list. I don't know who most of the players are because they're unknown French players, but yes, I would have liked to see Dominique team get one.

00:17:20
Speaker 1: Now, if those.

00:17:21
Speaker 3: Players that got the wildcards are in fact French guys rank between like one hundred and ten and one hundred and forty and they're all young and good. I'm okay with it, but I don't think that's the case though.

00:17:30
Speaker 1: I'd have to do a little homework.

00:17:31
Speaker 3: If there's some like guys in their mid twenties rank like three hundred, I'm like, all right, that's that's nonsense.

00:17:36
Speaker 1: That should be going Dominique team over those guys.

00:17:38
Speaker 4: Yeah, I agree.

00:17:40
Speaker 2: I think that they absolutely should have given him one. I think that this is a guy who we know has gone through hell and back. He's been such a great player at the French Open through the years. He's the Grand Slum Champion. We know that he's coming to the end and look, you know, you might have some magical run and wouldn't it be great to see him win like two or three matches at the French and you know, and have that great story to remember and give the eye break. I mean, he's just had tremendously bad luck with these you know, this risk injury that's cost him so much. And yeah, I think that they should have absolutely given him to But it's so French not.

00:18:10
Speaker 3: To do it, which you're kind of like too.

00:18:13
Speaker 1: If you're gonna be French, be French, like.

00:18:17
Speaker 5: I mean, you know, I do I do want to you know, one thing that's really fun because we tend to vacillate from like the wildly non specific to the wildly granular here on the podcast, sort of depending on.

00:18:27
Speaker 6: Who we're talking to.

00:18:29
Speaker 5: Like it is taking for granted that everyone understands book wild cards are what they are and why they are and I and I guess just to ask you guys, like, are wild cards about developing new talent and to your point, Sam, giving like young hungry players from your country or reciprocals from the other Slam countries an opportunity to get good fast or get some points fast. That seems like a way or and or are they a way to get viewers? Yeah, because you're seeing Venus Williams for the last time maybe, or in this case.

00:19:01
Speaker 3: Leonardo DiCaprio wants a while current in the French Open men's draw, you give it to Leo.

00:19:05
Speaker 5: Yeah, and the match sells out and you know that's right. Uh. And obviously there's a lot of like, you know, equation that goes into all that stuff. But something tells me that, you know, yeah, it's probably not a bunch of people on the bubble who are otherwise you know, going to provide for great Maybe some of them are I don't know. I again, I know some of the names, but not any of them.

00:19:25
Speaker 1: No up the stadium there though, That's why it's surprising.

00:19:29
Speaker 6: Actually, that's a good point. That's true.

00:19:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, anyway, I just feel like they should have done it and we'll see.

00:19:35
Speaker 5: What up and well, the same thing is, I want to see them the team play a little bit.

00:19:39
Speaker 4: I just agree.

00:19:40
Speaker 2: I think back to Verev, I actually think that he is one of the favorites for the French Open.

00:19:46
Speaker 4: There's no doubt about it.

00:19:47
Speaker 2: Like this guy has said, if he hadn't heard his ankle against Nadal, he felt like he could have won the French Open that year, like he really felieves it now. Finishing the job depending on who he's playing in the final is a whole different story. Right, So if he gets the opportunity to like close the door, I don't know, the service still vulnerable.

00:20:06
Speaker 4: The forehand, to me is still vulnerable.

00:20:08
Speaker 2: I don't know why like to be low in the tie break for example, he played I know he's a lefty, so it's more he's more inclined to hit that lefty like cross court fourhand into.

00:20:18
Speaker 4: The back end. But dude, like, you know that the guy's.

00:20:21
Speaker 2: Back end is literally arguably one of the greatest back ends of all time, and you're playing to his back end under pressure, Like, what are you doing? Like a hit a pickleball forehand to the guy's forehand and just let him beat you with the forehand. I don't understand it. I just I don't know anyway, But I do still think he's one of the favorites. There's no question about it.

00:20:42
Speaker 4: Yes, do I think he wins?

00:20:43
Speaker 2: No?

00:20:44
Speaker 5: Yeah, interesting, So you think I'll have a deep brand. I just say I haven't watched that. I'm sure we all did. Semi against Raffa where he was losing. There's just not where he wins that match. There's no where he wins that match. I know he think he was the best he'd ever played. I guess in that, Matt, people.

00:21:00
Speaker 3: Like you've had to believe either you don't have it. You say that just so you look good.

00:21:04
Speaker 4: But no, I mean, look look at Johnny.

00:21:08
Speaker 2: You know Johnny isn't I had him two sets to love and he's still Yeah.

00:21:12
Speaker 5: I mean, look at what happened in the French Open finals multiple times, team and Citipas against you know Novak, it's like the same thing.

00:21:19
Speaker 6: It's like you're it's not it's not over until three out of five.

00:21:22
Speaker 1: Is just like a different ball game.

00:21:24
Speaker 6: It's different, Sam.

00:21:25
Speaker 2: I want to ask you before we get off the guys at some point, but I want to ask you about Runa, like what's happening with him? Because he is looking like dog do you do right now? I mean, this is the guy that last, you know, the last couple of years. It's like, okay, he's the next one. He's going to be the three. There's going to be Alcarez, it's going to be you know, Runa, it's going to be Sinner. These are the three next big guys. And Runa has played like shit, what is going on with him?

00:21:50
Speaker 3: It's been it's a little bit like like Novak. I don't know, I don't know what the reasoning is, but he has played awful the last few months. He's you know, in these draws where there's you know a lot of openings here and there.

00:22:01
Speaker 1: He's not taking advantage of him.

00:22:02
Speaker 3: He's losing the guy as he was beating in twenty twenty three, twenty twenty two, twenty twenty one, you know maybe maybe. I'm sure it's mental. He's he's a little bit of a loose cannon at times.

00:22:14
Speaker 1: I love him.

00:22:17
Speaker 6: I love him so much.

00:22:18
Speaker 3: I love him too.

00:22:19
Speaker 6: I really like it.

00:22:20
Speaker 1: I like the attitude. I'm cheering for him. I hope he gets it together the beau. The beauty of the tennis is you get a fresh start every week. That's true.

00:22:28
Speaker 3: Like I mean, in my career, there was plenty of times where I was playing terrible. Playing terrible, you would like win a first rounded tournament and like it snaps you out of something and you win the tournament, right, Yeah, you know, I could see him. He's playing, he's playing awful for his standards. I could see him going to the French Open, winning a tough first rounder and then something clicks and he makes a run.

00:22:48
Speaker 1: But but yeah.

00:22:50
Speaker 3: I honestly, I'm not sure technically what's going wrong. But he's got he's got not a lot of confidence and he's playing for them.

00:22:56
Speaker 4: I do not understand why he went back to Patrick.

00:23:00
Speaker 6: Yeah that's what I was going to bring, Like, what are.

00:23:01
Speaker 1: You doing, bro?

00:23:03
Speaker 2: Like it didn't work the first time, it's not helping you this time, and you.

00:23:08
Speaker 4: Know it's like Patrick. No, it's like you.

00:23:11
Speaker 2: Need No, that's all.

00:23:13
Speaker 4: That's all I'm gonna say.

00:23:13
Speaker 2: I think he picked the wrong horse, the wrong jockey, okay, to like guide him through his career.

00:23:20
Speaker 4: I do, I do, I'm not.

00:23:22
Speaker 2: I was not a fan of that choice of him to go back to Patrick moritugling.

00:23:26
Speaker 6: Sam.

00:23:26
Speaker 5: I don't know if you know this, because you probably don't work on Twitter as much as Renee and I do. But there was a moment where there was rampant speculation that Burger Runa was going to continue his embrace of a strong, strong female energy in the in the form of Renee steps.

00:23:44
Speaker 3: Well, what, Renee, what would you tell him right now? How would you get I.

00:23:47
Speaker 2: Would like I would work with him tomorrow.

00:23:50
Speaker 6: What would you tell him? What would you.

00:23:52
Speaker 2: Well, I mean it's for its tennant, I would I don't know. I don't know at this point.

00:23:58
Speaker 4: I think it takes a lot hes hear.

00:24:03
Speaker 1: You just tell him he sucks and he's got no hope, and that'll just fuel something.

00:24:06
Speaker 5: No.

00:24:06
Speaker 2: I would definitely not listen, I really do believe. Listen, his talent level is through the roof. But you know, the forehands a little funk and I mean, he just needs to learn how to play tennis better. Like I feel like he's lost a little bit on the court, Like he doesn't really have a game. It feels like he doesn't really have these great game plans when he goes out there, Like what of his strengths?

00:24:25
Speaker 4: What does he play to?

00:24:27
Speaker 2: You know, he's young, he's athletic, but I just feel like he doesn't really know what his go to stuff is, you know what I mean, Like, what's your go to stuff that you rely on every point that you can recreate every single point over and over and over. And I just feel like he's a little bit lost. That's what he looks like to me, Like Darren Headlights.

00:24:44
Speaker 3: Yep, No, I think that's accurate. It's not a clear game plan. He's coming up with stuff on the fly. Yeah, and that's usually not a recipe for success.

00:24:51
Speaker 5: No, he looks like an athlete out there, but he doesn't necessarily look like a like an organized point constructing tennis player at all times, which is probably why I like watching him so much, because I truly don't know what's gonna happen. And also I love fat like his mom's always like sneaking a cigarette behind the grand stand, like cameras looking for her.

00:25:06
Speaker 2: I mean, I'm a I can't see me right now, but he can call me.

00:25:10
Speaker 4: I am available.

00:25:11
Speaker 5: But but I'm so glad you brought that up, Sam.

00:25:13
Speaker 6: Thank you.

00:25:32
Speaker 4: Yeah, I totally forgot about that. But listen.

00:25:34
Speaker 2: But speaking of the other end of the spectrum, not dull, we got to talk about Rafah. Is he gonna play the French? Like, what do you think is gonna happen here? Because he looked so bad. I mean he got he barely got through this first round against you know, essentially a nobody and you know he just.

00:25:51
Speaker 4: Got crushed, crushed.

00:25:53
Speaker 2: By whom he So, you know, does he want to go out like playing like crap at the French or you want to just fuck it?

00:26:01
Speaker 4: Who cares?

00:26:02
Speaker 3: I hope he plays, even if he goes out first round and loses to let's call it a Hercock's first round one two and one. Like as a tennis fan, like I want to see what he embraces, like from like the crowd on center corps as he walks off, will be a thirty minute celebration when people be crying, Like I as a fan, I need the closure.

00:26:25
Speaker 1: I need to see like how it's.

00:26:26
Speaker 6: Going to end and there's no way.

00:26:28
Speaker 5: But he as like the persona that he is wouldn't want to have his last moment in battle on a court. He's not the guy who would show up for the victory lap like, and you know, it was cool to see the Rome crowd assembled and he's waving to everybody. I mean, it was like sort of, oh.

00:26:44
Speaker 4: My god, did you see that crowd?

00:26:45
Speaker 1: It was like the.

00:26:46
Speaker 6: Reason it was sort of like Pulpe. It was nuts.

00:26:49
Speaker 4: It was crazy.

00:26:50
Speaker 2: And also I loved it and I will be for sure one of those people.

00:26:54
Speaker 6: Crying we do. Yeah, for sure. I haven't always loved Raffa, but now.

00:26:58
Speaker 3: You can't just walk away into the dark now, like he owes it to the world to like walk out there and like no one.

00:27:04
Speaker 1: Will care if he if he gets pressed for a friend, I don't.

00:27:07
Speaker 4: He cannot do with Steffi Graft I just be gone.

00:27:11
Speaker 1: You can't do it.

00:27:12
Speaker 3: We like, like I said, the world needs closure to the Rafael and Theadell story and it has to end like at rolling Eros at the Olympics, right, I don't know.

00:27:23
Speaker 5: I don't even think he's gonna make it at the Olympics.

00:27:25
Speaker 6: You guys, well you gonna.

00:27:26
Speaker 1: He'll need a wild card, which he would of.

00:27:29
Speaker 5: Course it would get, but I mean as fun as it would be to watch him and Carlos play doubles together, which like maybe that you know, Carlos could like cover most of the court. I don't know, Like it just doesn't. It truly doesn't look like bad is going to allow him to make it to July. I feel like the end of this month is like the most we can know.

00:27:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, I also feel like the Doll, like the French Open will be like his moment, that's all about him. That's his last tournament the Olympics. There's so many other storylines. It's like, oh, that was the Doll's last match, but like we got women's gymnastics and then we've got this other we got track other events that can almost overshadow it.

00:27:59
Speaker 1: We're like the French is like this is his state.

00:28:02
Speaker 6: Here's a question though.

00:28:03
Speaker 5: I actually do think he's gonna pull Stevian Graff in one way, which is I think he's going to disappear. I think he's gonna be like on his boat and like just not be.

00:28:13
Speaker 6: I think you're right anywhere near tennis.

00:28:15
Speaker 4: First, I don't know.

00:28:15
Speaker 2: Did you see the Louis Vuitton little thing that he's doing.

00:28:18
Speaker 6: With ls I did? Everybody saw that.

00:28:20
Speaker 5: It was nice, they had the little romance and the Dolomites. But I just think he's going to keep hisystance from tennis. I don't think he I don't think he wants to be the elder statesman who's going around traveling on the tex I think.

00:28:31
Speaker 6: He wants to be.

00:28:32
Speaker 3: I see him disappearing for five years and then him and Roger doing like a worldwide like exhibition tour like China, South Africa, Madison Square Garden three, like a ten stop world tour where they were two forty three year olds are battling each other.

00:28:48
Speaker 2: I know, I mean physically, I don't know if Rafa can do that in five years time. I mean he thinks he's Buddy's ship. Now wait till he gets doing. You know's mid forward A good point. Trust me when I tell you that, Sam, you're not day yet.

00:29:02
Speaker 6: Yeah, Sam, you're not even forty.

00:29:04
Speaker 1: I'm trying.

00:29:04
Speaker 3: I'm trying to look I got an achilles injury now, and like something else will go soon.

00:29:08
Speaker 1: I'm trying to catch up.

00:29:09
Speaker 5: Yeah, Sam's been sleep I've been hanging out in a hyperbaric chamber, which is to this day, the coolest thing I've ever done.

00:29:15
Speaker 1: I'm want to show you once my transportation. Look at this is my transportation the last few weeks.

00:29:20
Speaker 6: You can go a little people.

00:29:22
Speaker 2: What people cannot see is Sam's little mini mini scooter that he puts his knee on and scoots down the street. Anyone that's had an achilles or seen in somebody when achilles, No, it's a little scooter that you're talking about.

00:29:34
Speaker 1: You must have.

00:29:36
Speaker 5: I do have to mention your Your social media is quite a great follow because you the little scooter has made lots of appearances. And really, before we get to the women, which I am not that excited to talk about, mainly because I don't love the outcome of this particular tournament, although I'm happy about the revelry, can you just tell us the story about you wearing a giant horse head and a trench coat and dancing shirtless like what.

00:29:56
Speaker 3: I I it was.

00:29:58
Speaker 6: It's one of the best things I've ever seen.

00:30:00
Speaker 3: I remember remember Vine. Yeah, Vine was TikTok before TikTok.

00:30:05
Speaker 6: Witter short video format.

00:30:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, this was maybe like ten years ago, just living in an apartment with my buddies, and like Vine was big. I was like, we had all these viral like Vine videos. And I also don't know why that we got the horse heads. We just had them in the house because they were funny, and that idea came up and we just did it and then it just kind of like went out.

00:30:23
Speaker 5: And it was turned into what it did for the Vine.

00:30:26
Speaker 3: We did it for Vine back in the day, and then Vine disappeared. Vian had about a shelf life of five minutes.

00:30:32
Speaker 5: Vine was truly as a I say, this is both a nerd and somebody who spends a lot of time as a as a digitally unfortunately experienced journalists like I am now digitally challenged. It was a beautiful moment. It was too beautiful to live.

00:30:48
Speaker 6: Vine was a perfect Vine.

00:30:51
Speaker 1: I was a viner early that it just like I couldn't do anything with it.

00:30:54
Speaker 5: But I don't know, man, maybe if TikTok gets banned, they'll bring it back and this will give a second. Okay, so the women, let's talk about the women.

00:31:05
Speaker 2: I love.

00:31:05
Speaker 6: I love the fact that we have this great rivalry. It is fire nice. I get it.

00:31:09
Speaker 5: I just I don't like the ice winning more than the fire because the fire is so fun.

00:31:14
Speaker 6: And I just.

00:31:16
Speaker 7: Wait, Caitlin, why do you always have to be like, just calm down, calm the farm. I'm arguably one of the greatest clay court players ever. Okay, let's put egos on tech is arguably one of the greatest clay court players ever.

00:31:33
Speaker 4: I can if you look at.

00:31:34
Speaker 6: The way that on this podcast, Yes, I mean.

00:31:37
Speaker 2: This is somebody who is dominating on this surface as much. It's getting to the maybe not to the rough extent, but you know she's getting to those numbers of like pull the way I predict. I predict that she can win upwards of eight French Opens easily. I think he can win eight Grand Slams alone at the French Open. And don't worry about Sabalanka because she's going to be back the hard court. So when you look at the way that she's played on clay, Sabalanca, that's only going to make her more confident on grass. It's only going to make them more confident on hard court. But you got to give it to Sablenka and getting to the final in the Firth place, because when we talk about the fact that Sabolenka went three sets against Volinets in her first round and then you know, takes out Yustromska pretty easily and then should have lost that Smitzelina. Smizelena had like the easiest little slice back and she tried to hit like a dropshot off it on match point in the third set and dumped it in the bottom of it. It was like a chip today that went like one foot. It was like, oh my god. So, I mean, Saballenka even getting through to the quarters was an epic effort. So I mean, don't worry, don't worry. Eager again dominates. But before we get to all that, Sam, what did you think about the ladies tournament?

00:32:51
Speaker 3: It was great And I was impressed with Saballenka too, because even up and then in the quarter she beats us to the Penko and then in the semi she beats Colin. She kind of like got it together in the quarters in the semis to beat two informed players. Yeah yeah, but but like you said, Renee, I'm not going to put a number on how many French openings.

00:33:06
Speaker 1: I think she's gonna win.

00:33:06
Speaker 3: But I think when it's all said downe, She'll be the greatest female click court player.

00:33:10
Speaker 5: Ever, better than ever.

00:33:12
Speaker 2: Christy might have a word to say about that, Christy.

00:33:15
Speaker 1: I don't tell Christy I said that, but I think I think.

00:33:17
Speaker 2: You could just put her behind Christy because Christy like barely lost the match on clay.

00:33:22
Speaker 6: But yeah, I don't know why.

00:33:23
Speaker 1: Ever, stats as well as you.

00:33:25
Speaker 5: You know everything, ever stats are better than Rappa's in terms of winning percentage.

00:33:29
Speaker 3: Oh all right, yeah, that's amazing. Track my previous statement, I think.

00:33:33
Speaker 6: I think you're you're your sentiment is.

00:33:36
Speaker 1: Just such an athlete.

00:33:38
Speaker 3: Her footwork and the way she moves around the court is incredible. She's in perfect position every ball, and I really think just her movement in her like athletic prowess around the court is so much better than every other female player right now, And like that's why she dominates her.

00:33:53
Speaker 2: It's her skill of movement on clay is unreal. It's unbelievable, her open stance, backhand, foehand, whatever it is, sliding to the ball, being able to retreat back into the court. So many of these women, particularly like a sable Anca or whatever, they just overplay because they have to they feel like they have to just overplay every single ball to get it past her because their ability to be able to run the ball down and slide the way she does on clay is unmatched on the tour. It's incredible how well she plays. But you know, I mean there was some like Maria Zakari. I thought she was getting a bit kicked on and she lost as a ranker like four and one in that match against as a ranker, Like, I mean, Vika is a great player, but that's the smacking.

00:34:36
Speaker 4: So there were some players like Daniel.

00:34:37
Speaker 2: Collins like what she's doing right now, it's unreal.

00:34:41
Speaker 3: Yes, I love her. A Colins fan for like a decade, ever since she showed up.

00:34:47
Speaker 5: I mean, the best I ever did was Mzbles, but the fact that she carried the ni vibe to pro tennis and like got more intense.

00:34:56
Speaker 6: I love it.

00:34:56
Speaker 1: I love it.

00:34:57
Speaker 6: I've always loved it.

00:34:58
Speaker 3: I saw her, I'm going back, probably ten years ago at Indian Wells. She lost the match and I saw her in the parking lot where the players park just absolutely yelling at her coach or boyfriend after the match. I'm like, I am such a fan of this girl, right now way the fire at her is so fun and she's real.

00:35:15
Speaker 5: And like, yeah, she's real. I watched her place Sabalanka at the US Open in Round one probably four or five years ago, and like half of the like half of Florida was at the match, and Sabalanka was kind of unknown because she hadn't made any grand time. Finally yet I think she just had that great Davis Cup or JK Cup appearance and like it was the Thunderdome and it was like court like eight or something, and it was just like, oh shit, like this is this She's not afraid of anybody, like she'd she'd already beaten Venus and kind of like announced herself on the pro tour at Indian Wells and like you know, the hype was building. But like Danielle, I'm just so I'm just like happy she gets to have this like moment as she's going out, like yeah, she's going out absolutely swinging.

00:35:55
Speaker 2: She's going out collecting as much money as she can. Well she did and as and I will attest to this girl, make that cash while you can, because it don't come flying at you once you're finished playing.

00:36:06
Speaker 3: If you play pickle ball, keeps coming on.

00:36:08
Speaker 2: Yeah, that man, I'd have to be like full closed or like desolated to go out in a pickleball.

00:36:15
Speaker 3: I think Colin thrives on an environment to where the crowd's against her. I think she wants to play in that more than like the crowd for her.

00:36:23
Speaker 5: Yeah, she comes back to the US Open and everybody's like on their feet cheering for her, like.

00:36:30
Speaker 6: It'll be really interesting.

00:36:31
Speaker 5: Maybe she'll have a no back moment and she'll just like absorb the love and like it'll s freak her out.

00:36:36
Speaker 4: I don't know.

00:36:38
Speaker 2: How many times, Sam, have you wanted, particularly in Europe where the crowd can get a little bit like you know, chatty or in your faith, how many times have you wanted to look at someone in the crowd and be like, Oh, you get out here, you get out here and do this. And the fact that she like goes after someone in the crowds like why don't you get out here?

00:37:00
Speaker 1: Do this?

00:37:01
Speaker 2: And I'm like, oh, I fucking love you. I want to I want that printed on a shirt.

00:37:07
Speaker 6: Why can you get out here?

00:37:08
Speaker 3: I love That's like, yeah, she has no fear of anyone.

00:37:11
Speaker 6: No, It's incredible. I love it.

00:37:13
Speaker 5: I do have to say I I have not like she's historically been the world's greatest Cocoa fan either, because I don't love defensive players, which is why I like a you know, a Sblanca or like somebody who's kind of nuts uh and.

00:37:25
Speaker 6: Goes for Brooke.

00:37:26
Speaker 5: But I was really happy to see Coco having a good spring. I feel like she's looking quite good. I I I'm not surprised she didn't. She looked better than she's rounding in a form of the French openers.

00:37:39
Speaker 6: When I'm getting all right.

00:37:40
Speaker 2: I think you need to just calm the farm on this one.

00:37:42
Speaker 6: Okay, No, I'm over stating it.

00:37:44
Speaker 4: As much as I.

00:37:45
Speaker 2: Love Cocoa and I love Coco, oh my god, this kid just every time, like Bush, she's so professional, she does everything. You know, this is the Grand Clime champion. But Sam, I don't know about how you feel about this, but her the is so.

00:38:01
Speaker 4: Bad right now. I mean, I'm just going to say that, like her first serve when she goes after.

00:38:04
Speaker 2: And it hits it in, it's massive, right, We're talking about one hundred and twenty miles an hour. Like, there's not a lot of chicks that can do that, right, she can get up above one hundred and twenty. But if you're not getting your first thrt, if she's not getting her first dirve in the court, I'm like, if i'm coaching her, I am sitting there and my sinker is tired of anything with her hitting second serf, Like what is going on with the second serve? And why are they not breaking this second serve down to make it better? The ball toss is way too far in front, it's too far to the right, Like she's getting no pick. What's going on?

00:38:36
Speaker 3: I'm with you, I mean, I'm more on the someone who had a good serve, Like I'm living and dying with the fastball. I want her to keep going after the first serve because, like you said, she can hit it over one hundred and twenty miles an hour, which most most of the girls can't. And if you're on the other side of the net, you're like, all right, I hope she doesn't make the first serve. It's coming fast. Having said that, yeah, the number one thing she'd be work she should be working on all day every day, which maybe she is, is the second serve and just finding that like comfortable rhythm. How can I get a good steady kickserve in that I can move around the box and hit it ninety miles an hour because once.

00:39:08
Speaker 1: The ball comes into play.

00:39:09
Speaker 3: She's a pretty big favorite against most of the players.

00:39:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I mean, I don't know what I and on this surface. If you are double faulting on clay, you should just walk off the court because you know, it's the one surface that you can get away with maybe hitting an okay surf as long as there's a kickout, because it's really hard to come from the outside of a court, particularly on the second court, you know, and just like take off and get cover the open court. Right on clay, you've got to be a little bit more patient. You'll see players just like make the return back deep. They do it on all surfaces, but particularly on clay. There's no reason why you can't get the second serf in the court. She's losing matches and games, and God love it because she fights through so many matches where she's like double faulding like more than ten times a match and she's still winning the match because she's got a Heartlet's like fights and every other back end possibly the best one on the tour. And but the second serve. It's like it's costing her so many games. She's losing her serve and then she's breaking. But it's like if she could control the second serve and it's just you know, and you saw it against Egagas, is not gonna she's not gonna, not gonna lose to somebody like that.

00:40:19
Speaker 3: Yeah, you've seen this in the past, like I remember like Khu's Netsova had trouble back in the day, and Ivanovitch and even Sabalnka, like it seems like like the girls sometimes will go through stretches where like the serve goes.

00:40:31
Speaker 1: Off for months at a time.

00:40:32
Speaker 3: It's true they find it again, but it's hopefully she can find it quick before the French Open starts.

00:40:38
Speaker 6: Well, Ivanovitch, it was the slice, so nobody taught her.

00:40:41
Speaker 4: Well Vanovitch had the yips on her ball tops like that.

00:40:45
Speaker 5: Yeah, that slice would just go like she would toss it into like the next court and like just totally excited ft Sometimes it was brutal, Oh man, I remember that because of that.

00:40:54
Speaker 6: That's of a run too, where you're just like I can't watch this, it's a train wreck.

00:40:58
Speaker 2: It's true, quick would get a bit shot.

00:41:00
Speaker 4: But kuz Netsteva, when she was playing well, had a great.

00:41:02
Speaker 2: Kick serve, which is why she was such a good player player on clay. But like, that's the thing about Eager, Eager's second serve, Like that's from the final today, her second serve, she was winning way more than Sabaalanca. And it's because she has that continuity of being able to hit that beautiful kick serve which jumps up high and it's very difficult for people to attack it. But and that's the shot that Coco needs to have. And you can see her anxiety, that's what I see. You can see her anxiety when she misses the first serve. It's like, oh God, am I going to get this serve in the court. And you know a lot of the girls, they really they really crushed the second serve. If it's not if it's.

00:41:37
Speaker 3: Not hit well, Vetus Williams would stand seven feet inside the.

00:41:40
Speaker 2: Face lave sometimes Yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, I do want to mention Sophie Kennon had a good win over on but also struggling big time. We're talking about somebody who's not played well over the last fields like six months.

00:41:57
Speaker 4: So there's a few.

00:41:58
Speaker 2: Women that had great years the loft of youth and they had struggling this year.

00:42:02
Speaker 3: And the women right now it's it's IgA and and Sablanca or the field like just like it used to be like Roger Rafa Rock, Yeah, Rafa Novak at every tournament's like goes through the field. It's like flip now and like the men's is wide open and the girls are those two or everyone else.

00:42:20
Speaker 6: Yeah, and maybe on.

00:42:24
Speaker 5: But it is like it is the field and like those two or three people and in test flip, I do. I do think Like with Coco, what's interesting is that, you know, she got so good so fast, and the game had like significant shortcomings like that western grip that we talked about on the forehand and the serve. But it seems like she kind of fixed the forehand while still playing, Like she didn't do a technique change where she like went away and then came back. And I wonder if she could like fix the serve while still playing, or if she would need to take a bit of a sabbatical, like I don't know.

00:42:56
Speaker 2: Well, here's the thing. Beforehand, she can get away with a little because she can hit that high loopy, which for anyone as Sam knows, it's like when someone's hitting the back end flat and hard and then the forehand is high and loopy and with spin. That's a great like mix up of spins on the court. And Andrea Pekovich has talked about how difficult it was to play her when she was hitting the forehand well, because you had one spin on one side and then flat on the other. The problem is to get away with maybe missing a short forehand because she's so athletic, she can run down the next ball. But if you don't get the second serve in the court, it doesn't matter.

00:43:32
Speaker 4: So it's second serve for.

00:43:34
Speaker 2: Me is hurting her big time right now, and you can see it in her when she gets a little bit nervous on it. And I want to shout out Madison Keith.

00:43:42
Speaker 4: Maddie's had a great.

00:43:43
Speaker 1: Couple of weeks.

00:43:44
Speaker 4: Started the year, had injury.

00:43:46
Speaker 2: But she's starting to find her form, starting to have some good wins. She's always that perennial sort of like Ken she win a Grand Slam, like she has the game. But you know, IgA just took care of her comfortably on this service. I have to say, you know, when eager and Sabolenka are in the final this week. Everyone was like, Okay, is it going to re revenge after Madrid? And I'm like, no way, because in Madrid there's a little bit of yeah, a little bit of altitude and helps the big service and it helps the big ball flat flat ball strikers that go for it, and that is of course Sabolenca, whereas eager on the clay in Rome, you could tell she was so much more comfortable and you're going to see that from her in Paris.

00:44:26
Speaker 4: So I mean, just your.

00:44:28
Speaker 6: Sent far in a way favorite, right, Yeah.

00:44:31
Speaker 3: I'm just like you never have two unbelievable finals like back to back and like for the manner of them, and like I think people they see that final Madrid like it might have been the greatest woman's final they've had all year and in the last few years, and then you've got to repeat a couple of days ago in Rome and you're like anticipating it again.

00:44:48
Speaker 1: It's just that's not how the world works.

00:44:49
Speaker 3: Like you're not getting back to back like unbelievable you know, finals between the same players. But Renee nailed it, Like Madrid always favors the players that can hit it. A little harder. It's the one clay court place that I had some decent results. John Newsdor would have decent results. Sabalanca can hit the serve as hard as anyone.

00:45:06
Speaker 1: Yeah, fair one so different Rome.

00:45:08
Speaker 3: It's always like it rains all the time in Rome. The clay's heavy. Yeah yeah, it just it turns the pendulum and Egas favors so much.

00:45:16
Speaker 5: I'm gonna make a wild and insane prediction, which is mostly just self serving. I really like what I'm seeing out of onsubur social feed. She started a challenge where I won't give it away, but if you go on her Instagram, she's now challenging people to do a few tappity taps with the feet and then get it into a serve.

00:45:33
Speaker 6: I want to see her having fun.

00:45:35
Speaker 5: I don't think Osbur has had fun in a tennis court basically since she lost that Wimbledon final maybe two years ago. And for me, having a fun osterbr is a relaxed onstubber who's a creative ostubber, And I don't know, like maybe there's a little bit of something going on where the results of you have to materialize on the court. But at least she's not weeping at the end of matches and so like, maybe this is just me more optimism than realism, but I would like to see an osuber smile on the court and do really well because I feel like tennis is better when when that happens.

00:46:09
Speaker 3: Totally Well, the coolest girl out there, I don't see her anymore of our idea. I love chatting with her.

00:46:14
Speaker 1: And here's a question.

00:46:16
Speaker 3: Do you think we'll see an American complete that challenge?

00:46:18
Speaker 1: As she's a.

00:46:21
Speaker 5: Did any Americans grow up with enough exposure to soccer to be able to they.

00:46:25
Speaker 3: Kick the tennis ball there be three times and then up of the Arabaker serve. I'm going to say, well, we won't see an American accomplish that.

00:46:30
Speaker 1: That's a great question.

00:46:32
Speaker 2: Now you can put that out there, though they'll see. We'll see if anyone even tries that. I think I could see someone like Francis Piafo trying to do it. But no, you're absolutely right, though, Caitlin, there's absolutely no doubt that. The biggest issue for me, and I've spoken about it at nauseum on this podcast, is that are bur just looks like misery out on the court, and she doesn't find the joy because her whole game is predicated on creativity.

00:46:57
Speaker 4: Drop shot, you know, stuff.

00:47:00
Speaker 2: Coming in there.

00:47:01
Speaker 6: What's for.

00:47:03
Speaker 2: Love to entertain?

00:47:06
Speaker 6: You know?

00:47:06
Speaker 2: And there's one thing when Francis loves to entertain as well, But I don't think it's great for him all the time because he's a little bit lose its focus, whereas On's I think it's really important for her to be loose and relaxed and creative, and if she's not happy, there's no creativity out there. I do want to give a little bit of shit to the French Federal or to the Italian Federation here because I don't.

00:47:25
Speaker 6: Know if you guys come for federations on this path, because I really.

00:47:29
Speaker 2: Have a problem with this.

00:47:30
Speaker 4: In the finals of the women's okay, it was packed. The whole stadium was packed.

00:47:36
Speaker 2: But in that little box right behind the court where you know, all the dignitaries go and sit, there was like twenty percent of the box was fault And in the man's the next day it was packed. So I'm like, guys, you're getting free seats to sit there. In the final, You've got the number one and two players in the world that literally, as you said, already, Sam had one of the best matches of the year the week before, and you can't find your way into the seat. Come on, that was so bad and it's not like the men's anymore, and you got Jerry playing Sperrit, Like what the fuck?

00:48:08
Speaker 3: Okay, was there a soccer game going on at the same time or something.

00:48:13
Speaker 4: Maybe that's gonna be their excuse.

00:48:15
Speaker 2: But I was a little annoyed at that watching that today and then watching the men so I was like, they better not be in the seats.

00:48:20
Speaker 1: No, I know what you mean.

00:48:21
Speaker 3: Luckily, I'll say this. If you're not in the inside of the tennis war like you are, you don't know why those seats are empty. At least you don't know that it's the Federation.

00:48:30
Speaker 1: But I'm with you.

00:48:31
Speaker 3: The women's final is like way more exciting. I'd rather watch that than Verev and Jerry.

00:48:36
Speaker 5: That's for sure. All Right, you guys, we got to wrap this up. We got I got a kid put to bed, You got dinner to have with your kids. I do want to give a shout out because I am so excited about what we're going to be cooking up. I don't want to say too much about it because we have not announced it yet, but the two of you are going to be doing a very special audio project together. I'm grateful that you are both listen. I love coming on the podcast and giving wildly speculative and largely informed opinions. But as you've noticed, I've seated the ground to the two pros most of tonight, as I will continue to do. Thank you so much for joining us, Sam. I'm so excited for the next couple of weeks where we're going to be having you two talk, and for joining the pod for with us tonight to just sort of talk through the tennis world. That your voice that is super excited to get in our world.

00:49:22
Speaker 1: It was fun. Thanks for having me. It's fun to give me a purpose in tennis.

00:49:26
Speaker 3: I've been out of it for a little bit, but I've got a reason to watch now and.

00:49:32
Speaker 1: Thanks and I'm learning on here too.

00:49:35
Speaker 2: I'm realing you back into the big game with a big boys playing exactly That's what I'm doing. That was my goal in this.

00:49:42
Speaker 3: If I didn't get hurt, I was planning to play Wimbledon Legends this year. Actually, oh I was up, so I got a postpone till twenty twenty five, but I was going to Wimbledon to play the Legends.

00:49:50
Speaker 2: Yeah, guys, all the guys are really upset that you're not bringing your one forty eight mile and out about them in the in the Legends.

00:49:58
Speaker 1: The thirty six year old legend I've got.

00:50:00
Speaker 4: I'm playing the invitational.

00:50:02
Speaker 2: Mixed levels at Wimbledon, So I got to get start hitting some tennis balls because I haven't had a tennis ball.

00:50:07
Speaker 4: In about six months.

00:50:08
Speaker 1: Okay, start you get up there.

00:50:10
Speaker 4: Anyway, all right, guys, Well, thanks for joining us.

00:50:12
Speaker 2: Sam, that was awesome, and Caitlin, nice to have you back for a little period of time.

00:50:17
Speaker 6: A little we are going to.

00:50:19
Speaker 2: Announce a little bit more of what Sam and I are going to be creating over the next couple of weeks. But we are very excited about it. And so yeah, thanks everybody for joining us once again today on the dates of Stem's podcast, and we are pumped for the next month.

00:50:32
Speaker 6: Awesome, Thank you Sam.

00:50:34
Speaker 4: All right, thanks guys,