Cincinnati - Did finals day change everything for the US Open?

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1:27Matt Roberts: Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast and welcome to New York and more specifically to the New York Times. That is where you find us this evening at the New York Times offices in Manhattan with these incredible red chairs, the colour of Amanda Ennisomova and Naomi Osaka's trainers today. Less than 24 hours after landing at JFK yesterday, battling jet lag, but ready and raring to go for the fourth and final Grand Slam of the tennis season which I'm sure it has escaped nobody's attention, has already begun. Technically, this is our post-Cincinnati rap show. And of course, we will be talking about Cincinnati.

2:07Matt Roberts: Don't you worry everything that happened there over finals weekend since we last brought your podcast. But I feel like given we and a lot of you spent most of today watching the Mixed Doubles exhibition. and, sorry, no, reimagined Mixed Doubles Championship and official Grand Slam tournament, TM. I do feel like it would be weird for us not to start with a bit of chat about that. Are we agreed? Are we happy with that?

2:38David Law: Yeah.

2:38Matt Roberts: Yeah.

2:39David Law: I think that's realistic.

2:39Matt Roberts: And David, as someone who sat next to you on the sofa all day, you seemed blooming into it.

2:46David Law: I was more into it than I expected to be. Actually, I thought I would enjoy it. I thought I would get wrapped up in it, but I didn't think that I would enjoy the specifics of it as much as I did. There were things that I really didn't see working at all that did work for me. I mean, listen, everybody's going to have their own opinions. I actually enjoyed the scoring system in the end, and I was really skeptical about that. I discovered right at the outset of the event watching on ESPN, I don't know how I missed this, but apparently the semifinals and the final are played to six games.

3:27Matt Roberts: We're all learning as we go with this, David. I didn't know that.

3:30David Law: So, I mean, maybe that's a late change. Maybe you all knew about that at the start. I didn't. So perhaps I just haven't been paying enough attention. But look, it doesn't matter. That's a good move. I really think that they've made a good decision there. There were elements of the vibe that I thought were a bit low-key and a bit flat. There were lots of people there, but it certainly wasn't like a packed house the whole day. But then whenever is it, even during the tournament? But the main thing I really don't like still is the lack of doubles players. You know, I'm all in on having the stars, but the star pairing of this tournament so far after day one are the two players who won the thing a year ago.

4:19David Law: They're the ones who brought the drama and the vibe and the sort of intrigue and why aren't there more of them?

4:27Matt Roberts: And the facial expressions. David, do you know where the vibes were? They were in our apartment and they were brought by Matt Roberts.

4:35David Law: Matt Roberts went full one-point slam.

4:37Matt Roberts: That is where the vibes were today. In all of New York, there is no bigger vibe than Matt Roberts in our living room.

4:43Catherine Whitaker: Yeah. I mean, we started the day with Taylor Fritz double faulting against Sara Arani, unable to return her serve. What was not to love?

4:54David Law: She was crowding his first serve. She was inside the baseline for his first serve.

4:59Matt Roberts: She didn't get broken all day, right? Both her matches?

5:02Catherine Whitaker: I think that's right. Yeah. I mean, she certainly rolled through a number of service games. It's like her serve is too slow for them. They really don't know what to do with it. Generating your own pace is a really hard thing to do in tennis. And they're all bamboozled by the Saru Rani serve. And their intensity, as David said, was superb. It was a mission for them to win this. You know, Bavisori said in his on-court interview afterwards, we're playing for the doubles players who can't be here. And in that sense, Fritz and Rebacchner were their perfect opening opponents because Fritz has made this big thing about how he sees himself as a mixed doubles specialist off the back of some tiebreak 10s in the past.

5:46Catherine Whitaker: And Irani was like, I'll show you a mixed doubles specialist. It was so good. I had such a good time. And I agree with David that that was my highlight, that matchup. And I do think I would love this event to play more into that double specialists versus singles specialists. I think that's a really great, intriguing matchup. But honestly, I surprised myself. I had a good time the whole day.

6:11Matt Roberts: Yeah, I had a great time. And look, I don't know. I think we need to make we need to hold space for lots of things with this to be true at the same time. Right. We can have many, many. we shouldn't cut off our noses to spite our faces right we can have many many issues with this and worry about the integrity of the sport and still allow ourselves to have a fun time like i don't know how much of the fun time is tied to novelty and how how repeatable the fun time is but all the more reason to enjoy it while we have it but i really did enjoy it like it let's be honest here it was really fun.

6:48Catherine Whitaker: What I really needed to happen to find out how I truly felt about it was for Amanda Nisimova and Holgeruna to win because then I would have a to-go-blonde or not-to-go-blonde decision to make. Does it count as an official Grand Slam title for Amanda Nisimova? That decision has been

7:06Matt Roberts: taken away. We were browsing the hair dye aisle in CVS earlier.

7:11David Law: I mean you were on pretty safe ground I'd have thought for it not to be happening.

7:14Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, it didn't take long to realise they're definitely not winning.

7:20Matt Roberts: Can we just stay on the mixed doubles? I know we're going to do another show tomorrow talking pretty much exclusively about the mixed doubles. Should I talk about results? Should I mention results? Does anyone care about the results? I mean, they've got a semi-final of Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison against Sara Rani and Andrea Favisori, which isn't what the USTA dreamed of, is it?

7:42David Law: I mean, that could actually be the mixed doubles semifinals in normal circumstances, couldn't it?

7:50Matt Roberts: Yeah, which is precisely what they didn't want. I know, I love it.

7:54David Law: I love it so much.

7:56Catherine Whitaker: And I mean, you say it wasn't what they dreamed of. I mean, up until 10.30 this morning, Collins and Harrison weren't in the draw. You know, there was a big TBD in the draw for quite a while this morning.

8:07Matt Roberts: Matt and I were walking the streets of Manhattan as USTA press alerts were dropping. And so we obviously knew that Anik Sinner was going to withdraw from this tournament after pulling out of the final in Cincinnati yesterday. We will talk about that, don't worry. Or retiring in the final yesterday in Cincinnati. So we knew that he wasn't going to play the mixed. But we didn't know what the fate of his partner, Katarina Siniarkova, was to be. So a press release landed at about 10.20 saying that Yannick Sinner's withdrawn and that place in the draw would go to Matt?

8:47Catherine Whitaker: It said that it would go to the sort of pair that entered by 10.30 with the highest combined singles and doubles ranking. so we were just picturing you know behind the scenes scramble of people people trying to enter and it did not cross my mind that those people would be collins and harrison no it was a real

9:13Matt Roberts: christian harrison who doesn't have a singles ranking that was something we checked in the aisles of cvs wasn't he wasn't at the forefront of our minds at this point and we were wondering you know will will katerina sinearchova be able to fight we were googling sort of who's the highest ranked man that wasn't yet in the tournament that she could potentially partner with now I know that the rules of Grand Slam doubles is that if if you withdraw if a team withdraws if a team pulls out the tournament which is essentially what Sinner and Siniagovic did then one half of them can't repair if that happens after the draw is done personally I feel like the USTA have treated the rules of doubles such that if it weren't Katarina Siniarkova that rule might have been bendable.

10:02Matt Roberts: Like if Shontake had been in that position I feel like rules might have changed or been bent but the USTA never wanted Katarina Siniarkova in this tournament did they? They wanted Yannick Sinner and she was a vehicle for Yannick Sinner. So poor old Siniarkova on the scrap peep enter christian harrison like she she must be furious yeah wouldn't you think i would um

10:30David Law: listen i think there are a lot of furious doubles players around anyway and this is only going to add to it from from her perspective um and i and i just i do i i don't think it's just that we haven't been paying close enough attention i think a lot of things they've had to work out a little bit as they've gone along or they've had them down but they've not had to talk about them so they're only coming to light now um and listen in a year's time i dare say there'll be a few things that aren't happening that are happening now just the way when the davis cup finals in a single location started five years ago it bears little resemblance to now to what it was then um and that's that's normal that it's normal to me that that they will tinker with it and make tweaks and so forth but I think that the doubles players that are upset are absolutely within their rights to be upset um I just feel I still think that the USTA on the whole have kind of done this quite well I think that this has been good and and I just think that there are they've they have gone too far with it because it still does feel like a bit an exhibition really.

11:51David Law: I mean Carolina

11:51Matt Roberts: Mugford called it an exhibition in her on-court interview.

11:55David Law: The big problem is it still does feel like that for the most part. It's only really Irani and Vavasori who make it feel like it really matters and it's legitimate because I see the other players trying to win but they're not that bothered. They're just not that bothered.

12:12Matt Roberts: Some are more bothered than others.

12:14David Law: Yeah. Right?

12:15Matt Roberts: There were some really unbothered teams.

12:17David Law: And I feel like if you had another three doubles teams that really were into it, really trying to win, I mean, it's a lot of money to these guys. What is it, a million dollars for a pair that wins this thing? If you had, we were trying to work out, well, what should the breakdown be? And we came to 12 singles players, singles pairings, and four doubles pairings. And if you had that, I think you would have an absolutely electric competition because I think eventually the singles players might get a bit irritated by the fact that they're getting humiliated by these doubles players and want to, you know, stand up for themselves.

12:57But, I mean, the ones that we saw today,

13:01David Law: they weren't close, really, were they? I mean, Fritz and Zverev, they just got completely embarrassed.

13:09Matt Roberts: Yeah, Fritz and Bencic got taken to the cleaners, didn't they? The other semi-final is Jack Draper, Jessica Begula against Igor Shontek and Kasparud, which that's what the USCA had in mind for this thing, right?

13:22Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, totally. And both pairs are actually incredibly impressive in their matches. I really haven't seen Jack Draper play a lot of doubles before, but he really seemed like much more of a natural than I was expecting, poaching at the net, sort of targeting his attack at specific players. I thought he was really impressive. And Pagula was kind of, as she always is, extremely, extremely good as well. And then Rude was exceptional. I mean, really good. I think he really, I think he's a little bit in awe of Sviontek. I think he really wants to play well with Sviontek. And, you know, he's obviously very, he put out that tweet, didn't he, earlier in the year, supporting Igor Sviontek,

14:05David Law: kind of at her lowest ebb.

14:07Catherine Whitaker: And I think Svantec really appreciated that. There was good chemistry there between them. And they both played really well, especially Svantec coming off. I think she got into New York at 1.30 a.m. last night, her flight, and then she was second up today, like an incredibly quick turnaround. And it wasn't at all physical today, the tennis that they were playing. But still...

14:27Matt Roberts: But it also wasn't being in bed. Absolutely. Which is where I'd have wanted to go. Yeah. So, yeah, I was... As was.

14:35Catherine Whitaker: impressed with both of those players

14:37Matt Roberts: I'm glad you mentioned chemistry Matt because I do have a little bit just to wrap up our mixed double segment for today more to come tomorrow I do have a little sort of quick fire bit of fun because what was today if not a quick fire bit of fun so I have some categories and I'd like you to submit your teams and or individuals for the winners of these categories best chemistry

15:04David Law: oh Vavasori and Arani

15:06Matt Roberts: I mean they were not even doing headbutts you can't just answer Vavasori and Arani I'm just telling the truth

15:12Catherine Whitaker: yeah I think of everyone in the draw it has to be them but like it's chemistry that they came to the event already with

15:19Matt Roberts: yeah I guess I'm sorry I should have caveated that particular I've got my little quiz off on a bum note here probably should have caveated that particular question with Arani and Vavasori aside because we know about that chemistry Of course they've got chemistry. And Shelton and Townsend. Right, yeah.

15:35David Law: But it was also...

15:36Matt Roberts: Of the new partnerships.

15:37Catherine Whitaker: Of the new partnerships, I would say either Rude, Sviontek, as I previously mentioned, or actually I was quite impressed with Mukova, Rublev.

15:48Matt Roberts: Me too.

15:49David Law: Yeah, that was nice.

15:50Catherine Whitaker: Apparently they have played together before, but not a lot.

15:52Matt Roberts: I thought they were adorable. They made me feel... I just thought they were sweet.

15:56David Law: I think if Rublev had Mukova around, you would not see him draw blood of his own ever again.

16:02Matt Roberts: Which he hasn't done for a while. He is a slightly different character now.

16:07David Law: Yes, and look, he's worked very hard at trying to improve that situation and, well, to feel healthier and happier and good for him, you know. I've got a lot of time for Andre Rublev. But she is just the type of character that clearly brings out the best in him or helps him cope, I think. And I always think whenever she plays a match, she's got this wonderful ability to make a loss for her not awkward for the opponent. Like, she's quite happy for them to celebrate and join them at the net to acknowledge the moment. And yet, none of it feels awkward. That takes some doing.

16:45Matt Roberts: Worst chemistry?

16:49David Law: I mean, they were successful, but Draper and Pegula were just so awkward. and I think that's and I think that that's that might if and I'm only looking I'm just reading this from afar Draper hasn't played in months or weeks

17:06Catherine Whitaker: I think everything was anxiety inducing today

17:10Matt Roberts: but he was so good

17:12Catherine Whitaker: so good I don't know how he did that

17:14Matt Roberts: they were fantastic he in particular was awesome and yet he looked I mean he looked like he was having an out of body experience he looked like he was going to murder someone he comes out you know he's hard launching his new kit so he comes out in a sleeveless shirt making alcaraz look puny

17:29David Law: yeah at the coin toss genuinely like it was wild he looked like he was going to pick alcaraz up

17:36Matt Roberts: and just break him in half and he's got this look in his eye that is genuinely a bit terrifying not a problem for jessica pagula because they're not making eye contact don't think they made it made eye contact all day and he's fine about it and he's sort of charging around the court with this... Like the Hulk. Like the Hulk. She looks a bit scared of him. He looks a bit scared of her. And yet they were awesome.

18:01David Law: But, you know, this is a guy who reached the semifinals of the US Open a year ago puking his way through it. He looked like he was going to puke today. And he's not scared to talk about that.

18:15Matt Roberts: Do you think that's what it was today, nerves?

18:17David Law: I do, really. I mean, he hasn't played for a long time and had those feelings. And I'm a listener. I am only reading this from afar. I'd love to talk to him about it or hear from him about it specifically. But he did just look really on edge. And yet he played absolutely brilliantly. He was, aside from Irani and Vovasori, he was the player of the day, I thought.

18:41Catherine Whitaker: I also think the, I mean, we saw less of the second match that they played. Pagoula and Draper I think in particular It's possible they made

18:52Matt Roberts: brief eye contact I think it's going to grow Let us know If he settles down

18:56David Law: I think they're going to be fine But I think that first match

18:59Catherine Whitaker: against Raducanu and against Alcarez was particularly Jean was

19:03Matt Roberts: Jean was awkwardness I think a little bit I don't want to get to the gossip of it all I think a little bit Yeah There was an I know some people think I'm reading too much into this but I thought the Raducanu-Draper handshake situation was really weird and awkward

19:17Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, I mean, I look like he went in for a hug and she didn't, which is always an awkward situation.

19:25David Law: I never know what you're supposed to do in those situations. Yeah, but they know one another.

19:29Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, that was what was so weird about it. I still messed that up, so I get it.

19:32Matt Roberts: David's not engaging in any of this stuff. Most pumped couple, again, probably have to take, well, it is a Rani Vavasori, isn't it?

19:40Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, they definitely have that one. As David said, they were head-buffing each other in celebration.

19:45David Law: If you think of the Brian Brothers body bump celebration, this was literally forehead to forehead.

19:50Matt Roberts: Yeah. Fantastic. It was. There were so many forts. It was incredible. Fewest shits given.

19:57Catherine Whitaker: Oh, Keyes Tiafoe.

19:59Matt Roberts: More than a Sarkam on Feast? A Sarkam came out in training. It looked like my pyjamas.

20:04Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, just a T-shirt. They were a close second, but it was... Yeah, Keyes Tiafoe was a tough scene, wasn't it?

20:11Matt Roberts: It was viables.

20:11Catherine Whitaker: Total no-show.

20:12David Law: They did well to get a game. the way they played.

20:16Matt Roberts: Most there under duress.

20:19Catherine Whitaker: Olga Danilovic, I think.

20:20David Law: I think Novak Djokovic was rivaling her.

20:22Matt Roberts: I think Djokovic was there for Danilovic. Yeah, I thought the same. I think she...

20:27Catherine Whitaker: No, but there's no way Danilovic is playing if Djokovic isn't there. The US Open are like, we want Djokovic, and Djokovic is like, OK, I'll play with Danilovic. I think she was probably delighted about it. Yes, but I don't think anyone's ever played good doubles with Djokovic. Everyone who plays doubles with Djokovic which looks like they're under duress.

20:45Matt Roberts: It's too much pressure, isn't it? It's, yeah. Yeah.

20:49Catherine Whitaker: Both of them.

20:50Matt Roberts: Yeah, both. The Serbian team, most they're under duress. Worst individual doubles player of the day?

20:57Catherine Whitaker: I fear it might be Anisimova.

20:59David Law: I thought Frances Tiafoe.

21:02Matt Roberts: Anisimova can't volley at all.

21:03David Law: She's standing in the wrong place. I don't remember Tiafoe winning a point.

21:07Matt Roberts: She made Olga Runa look really good. They walked out onto court, Anisimova and Runa, and David said this, Anisimov looked like she was walking her dog. He saw a few bases behind her. I have enjoyed their social media content together though. He's terrified of her. He's thinking, can I slide into her DMs now? It's all just...

21:32Catherine Whitaker: He let her have the backhand side, of course. I think other players played worse than Inisimov, but she played the worst doubles, if that makes sense. who was

21:43Matt Roberts: who was the worst volleyer out of Raducanu and Anna Samova that might have

21:46Catherine Whitaker: been Raducanu

21:48Matt Roberts: and actually

21:50Catherine Whitaker: shout out Rabatkin for her shank volley that gave away the crucial break in the second set incredible

21:56Matt Roberts: biggest surprise of the day

22:00Catherine Whitaker: maybe Mazzetti McNally

22:02Matt Roberts: I enjoyed Mazzetti McNally I really enjoyed that did Loretta Mazzetti know what Katie McNally looked like before this morning No. No.

22:13David Law: I don't think so.

22:14Matt Roberts: No.

22:15Catherine Whitaker: But he was so, like, he's such a charming on-court interview where he just talked about what a great doubles player she is. Yeah, it was...

22:21David Law: Well, he was learning about it in real time. Yeah. Wasn't he? Oh, he's this girl. She's great. My word, was he good, though. Yeah. I wasn't expecting that. He is like a Jedi at the net, the way he just seems to know which way the ball's going to go and he's got these hands to deal with anything. Crowd loved watching him. yeah he needs to

22:43Matt Roberts: find a way to be a factor on hard courts because it's a terrible shame that we really only get to enjoy him for about three months a year at the moment

22:51David Law: because visually he really is the closest thing to Federer yeah and he does bring back some memories

22:57Matt Roberts: he was stealing shots from Katie McNally he barsed her out the way on a smash and yet I ended up feeling like if you're going to do that Lorenzo then fair enough and I feel like Katie McNally felt that way too unlike Jessica Paguli who made quite a sassy comment about how she didn't hit a shot for the first three games.

23:13David Law: Which was not an exaggeration.

23:16Matt Roberts: David, you can sit this one out if you want because you've got too much integrity for this, but most likely to get married What are you saying about me? Most likely to get married and possibly divorced.

23:28David Law: What, the same people?

23:29Matt Roberts: Which team? If you had to pick a team that'll end up getting married.

23:33David Law: And then divorced?

23:34Matt Roberts: Well, potentially lots of marriages end in divorce.

23:38Catherine Whitaker: None of them are jumping out. It's a good turn, isn't it? I don't know. What do you think? I'm scrolling through the drawer. Good answer. Just trying to get us some clickbait. I don't know. I'm not feeling that.

23:51Matt Roberts: Okay. Most likely to never play doubles again after today?

23:55Catherine Whitaker: Naomi Osaka. Gail Monfils.

23:59David Law: I don't think I've ever seen Naomi Osaka play doubles before.

24:02Matt Roberts: It wasn't good, was it? No. No.

24:05Catherine Whitaker: I just think age-wise Monfils hasn't got many doubles matches left You've been saying that for years

24:12Matt Roberts: Why wasn't he playing with Svitolina?

24:17Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, what a great point

24:19Matt Roberts: They've already got married Hopefully won't ever get divorced

24:22Catherine Whitaker: Well, he came in for Kyrgios, right? Originally it was Osaka Kyrgios Then Magically Monfils appeared

24:29Matt Roberts: Zverev is pretty bad today Although he plays quite a lot of doubles, doesn't he?

24:33David Law: But he, I mean, he was in a really bad way, what, three days ago, physically, and he didn't look totally recovered to me. Today's show is brought to you by Vanguard. To all the financial advisors listening, let's talk bonds for a minute. Capturing value in fixed income isn't easy. Bond markets are massive, murky, and let's be real, lots of firms throw a couple of flashy funds your way and call it a day, but not Vanguard. Vanguard bonds are institutional quality. Institutional quality isn't a tagline. It's a commitment to your clients. It means top grade products across the board. Vanguard's been in the game a long time and their scale gives them a serious edge.

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27:06Matt Roberts: And that does lead us on to Cincinnati. Let's talk about Cincinnati.

27:09Catherine Whitaker: What a shift in the tone of your voice.

27:12Matt Roberts: I feel like we can do another whole show on the doubles tomorrow. I feel like we should try and restore some integrity that I have demolished with my little quickfire questions there. Cincinnati, should we talk about proper tennis?

27:24David Law: Sure.

27:25Matt Roberts: Well, actually, not that proper tennis because, well, start with the men's or the women's? What do we want?

27:32David Law: Well, the men's is rubbish, wasn't it, at the end? Let's talk about the women.

27:37Matt Roberts: Yeah, I mean, rubbish in terms of the actual tennis, but in terms of talking point. OK, let's start with Igor Shantek beating Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4 to win the Cincinnati title. And also talk about some of the matches leading up to that that we've had since our last pod. So Shantek beating Rabakina in the semifinals after Rabakina had beaten Sabalenka in the quarterfinals. Those kind of feel like the biggest results from the final weekend in Cincinnati, as well as Jasmine Paolini's win over Coco Gauff in the quarters, 6-3 in the third. Iger Chiantic, David, wins Wimbledon. Well, OK, semifinals of the French.

28:19Plays Berlin, reaches the final, wins Wimbledon, plays Canada.

28:24Matt Roberts: Nobody else that went deep at Wimbledon, let alone won it, played Canada. Plays Cincinnati and wins it. And then less than 24 hours later is playing mixed doubles. And she looks fresh.

28:35David Law: She looks fresh, looks happy, looks excited. She said, I could play the semis in the final today. I mean, aside from anything else, she's that confident she's going to be in them. But no, she just looks in a really good place. And isn't it lovely seeing her energetic like that and just looking at the ball, going after the ball? And I don't necessarily think it's a massive switch between being on the right side of the edge and the wrong side of the edge. A year ago, she was on the wrong side of it, and she was stressed. It was coming out in stress. Now it's coming out in heightened reaction times and focus.

29:19David Law: and I'm sure there are psychologists out there who could give a lot more of a sort of educated viewpoint of all that but that's how it looks to my eye and watching her play yesterday was an absolute joy. Watching the whole match was in fact because Paolini really brought it. She went three love up. That was quite a lot to do with the fact that Svante was missing early on and sort of overhitting and overpressing But once she'd found her game, I mean, she won the next five games. It's actually a really tough matchup on paper, I think, for Paolini. She's not done well against her. She's never beaten her.

30:01David Law: And you can see why. Because the moment she leaves any ball remotely short, Svantec just puts it away. I don't think there's a player in the world who puts away a mid-court ball better than Iga Svantec in terms of choosing which way to go, virtually always wrong footing the opponent and always putting it on a dime in the corner. She just has a brilliant ability to do that. But then in the second set, Paulini just realising that she couldn't, her sort of standard game is just not good enough. It doesn't work against this opponent. She started to go for it way more, take it out of the hands of Svantec.

30:42David Law: and it ended up becoming a cracking contest. There was, I would say, the rally of certainly the tournament in that second set. I watched it back again with you, actually, Matt, and it went on for even longer than I thought where Svantec is just dominating side to side and, again, hitting these sort of put-away balls that against anybody who's not as fast as Paulini and as tenacious as Paulini, as good at picking the right side as Paulini, I mean, most of the time she wasn't and was getting wrong-footed. In this rally, she just kept on picking the right side, chasing the ball down, getting it back, and eventually turned it around and won it with a forehand window down the line on a passing shot.

31:21David Law: It was one of the glorious single standout points. You could put that in the top ten points of all time and it would stand up, I think. So, given what a downer it had been earlier in the day, with both finals being played the same day and Alkraus and Sinner not being anything, because of ill health due to Sinner. This was such a treat that you had Svantec and Arani putting on a show like this. And it was a good final. Svantec's playing fantastic tennis. She's moved herself into favourite position, I think, now for the US Open. I didn't expect to be saying that even in the last show. So, good on her.

32:06Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, I think that's all really well said. I was wondering what is post-Swiątek, post-Wimbledon Swiątek going to be like? You know, like has everything, all the sort of little problems that she's had on court, have they all just gone away because she's won Wimbledon? Or were they more embedded in her game? I thought that was going to be a really interesting question post-Wimbledon for Igor Swiątek. And, you know, first tournament back, she loses to Clara Towson, doesn't she? OK, she hasn't had a lot of rest. And Clara Towson, an incredibly dangerous opponent, been in good form, a big heavy hitter.

32:43Catherine Whitaker: I kind of thought, OK, maybe we are still where we were with Fiontech, but obviously slightly better. But actually, I think what we've seen is deeply embedded confidence now in her game. She's on this high because she won Wimbledon. Her adjustments to be able to play on faster surfaces are really notable this year. Wimbledon and Cincinnati, two of the faster or lower bouncing, in Wimbledon's case where traditionally you wouldn't have said they necessarily would have favoured her but the improvements she's made in her game are suiting those sorts of conditions and surfaces I think she's serving finally a lot better we've seen the different motion but it does seem to be really paying off now that new motion it was particularly good against Rabacchina and that was particularly a match where we saw that deeply embedded confidence because she went down a break against Rabacchina and it wouldn't have been that long ago that I would have watched that match and been kind of a bit worried about Fiontech in it, but not at all.

33:41Catherine Whitaker: She kept her level high, made little adjustments, kept her movement really good to be able to chase down were back in his big shots and just flipped that match on its head and played a really, really good one. And I don't think she necessarily had her best tennis against Paolini all the time, as David said, an error-strewn start, but she played the big moments really well, which again, when you think back to the start of the year, wasn't something that she was doing all the time. But she is now. David mentioned that incredible point that Paolini won. That got the break back in the second set. The crowds are, what did Svantec do?

34:15Catherine Whitaker: Just broke the next game. Just like silenced the moment. Played the match really well. And I don't think she was doing that at the start of the season. But I don't know whether I'm drawing too much cause and effect. But it does seem like the demeanour, the confidence post-Wimbledon is back to closer to kind of peak Sviontek. And it's great to see. It's great to see. I've really, really enjoyed seeing it.

34:39Matt Roberts: If that's where Sviontek is at, where is Sabalenka at? One and four beaten by Rabakina in that quarterfinal.

34:49Catherine Whitaker: Rabakina was awesome. She was, yeah. In this match. She served and returned incredibly well. And we've actually seen her do that against Sabalenka in the past sometimes as well. Like she, I don't know, something about that matchup. She suits Rebecca now, I think. She often plays well against Sabalenka.

35:07David Law: Her ball hurts Sabalenka. Right. It just puts her on the back foot in a way that so few players are able to do.

35:16Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, Sabalenka loses some of her agency in the match.

35:18Matt Roberts: And yet one and four.

35:19Catherine Whitaker: Yeah. Yeah, I don't know because, you know, Sabalenka's come into a lot of slams this year in great form and not won them. You know, she sort of dominated on the tour and she's been my favourite, I think, going into every slam we've played this year. And yet she's gone incredibly deep in them, incredibly consistent, but not ended up being able to bring her very best tennis in the closing stages. So I don't actually know really how much we can read into Cincinnati. It feels very specific for Sabalenka right now at the end of majors. Can she bring her best tennis? And this year, the answer's been no.

36:03Matt Roberts: Who's the favourite?

36:04David Law: Well, I do think Sviantec is the favourite now, and that's changed over and over in the last few days, because I watched that match against Rebecca, but I think it's maybe more Sviantec convincing me of the way she is in perfect form and condition right now, and mentally just where she needs to be. there are still players that if she draws Ostapenko at some point that is going to be so interesting because it was was it two years ago that Ostapenko sort of thrashed her so she's not an overwhelming favourite in that way and I do still think Sabalenka can win this thing but I also think she wants to avoid Rabakina now I find that really interesting with the draw.

36:59Matt Roberts: I know Gough has receded maybe as one of the favourites for the US Open. I think she would remain in everybody's mix still. But I would back her against Sabalenka still.

37:13Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, I would. I mean, because of everything I said on the pod the other day. Not guaranteed, but Sabalenka would have to show us something in that match-up. Show that she's not going to get stressed out by it. show that she's got the, either she's playing brilliant tennis and she's ending these points, or she's got the tolerance to accept the mistakes when they come. And, you know, in two of her really big matches against Goff, she's not had that. I know she did beat her in Australia, and she's beaten her many times as well. But, yeah, just the stress of a US Open semifinal or final, which it would be if they were to meet, yeah, I kind of would back Goff to handle that occasion.

37:50Catherine Whitaker: Is Goff getting there? Is Goff getting there is a fair question.

37:54Matt Roberts: She'll be, Shvantec's now up to second seed, isn't she? Exactly. So now the question for the draw becomes, whose side does Goff fall in?

38:02Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, and Goff definitely would want to, I think, be on the Sabalenka side. You know, the match-up problem has been there against Shvantec when Shvantec's been playing really, really well, as she looks like she kind of is at the moment. I do think one thing, we always used to talk about the Rabatkinner match-up being a big problem for Shvantec. she's really improved that head to head got a grip on it across surfaces now I think that's been notable like that feels like a name that in the past they would have looked at that in the draw and thought big problem Vrigo Sfionte it's not a gimme she has to play well to beat Rebecca Kinner but it's not anywhere near the same level as Ostapenko in her draw for example she's got that match up under control which is impressive

38:51Matt Roberts: Coco Goff still in the mix right?

38:53David Law: I would say yes

38:56Matt Roberts: the gremlins were back big time.

38:59David Law: To me I put her I probably put her fourth favourite now really.

39:07Matt Roberts: It's funny isn't it any other player playing the level that I saw her play recently, the Pallini match in Cincinnati, they're not in my mix but because it's Coco Gauff she remains in the mix for me but it was pretty ugly in Cincy

39:26David Law: I haven't seen her play good tennis since she won the French Open at all and isn't that a strange feeling given what a monumental achievement that was to win Roland Garros, I think that was massive and I thought that would be a springboard for her but we've seen it in other sports Rory McIlroy winning the Masters and you expect it to just unleash him and he'll go and win all these things. And I'm not saying that I thought that would happen to Goff because I think she's got these couple of fundamental weaknesses and issues in her game that she can't rely on them. But I didn't expect them to suddenly look so glaring again in just the space of a few weeks.

40:10Catherine Whitaker: And I do think the New York factor here is interesting because I think as a reflex, I'm going, well, that's going to help Gough. You know, she's won this title. The crowd's going to be behind her. She's going to bring it. She's probably going to play a lot of night session. All of that kind of thing. I generally stack that in her favour here. But actually, I do think there's a scenario, and I think we probably saw it last year, where it can go the other way, where you're not confident with your game. And actually, the sort of increased pressure can be a lot. and we saw the double faults a lot last year, didn't we, in that match against Emma Navarro.

40:49Catherine Whitaker: She never really played her best tennis here last year. So I think that could go either way. I know that's probably not groundbreaking and Alice's not helpful. I don't know what the answer is there, but I think you will probably get a lot of people saying, oh, it's got off in New York, it's going to help her. I think last year we saw the opposite, potentially. If you're not confident in your game and everyone's come there to see you, it's a lot.

41:17David Law: She could be vulnerable in early rounds too.

41:20Matt Roberts: The draw is big. She got a Wimbledon-esque draw. Yastrzemska round one. She's vulnerable, I think.

41:27Catherine Whitaker: But as you said, she's also the type of player who can play her way in despite her game not being there.

41:34Matt Roberts: Is Paolini in the mix?

41:36David Law: I would say no. I'd be surprised if she won this tournament.

41:44Catherine Whitaker: but shout out paulini because i do think she is backing up 2024 and really well like she's doing new things exactly and i think it would be easy to look at her slam results this year and say well she's not backing it up you know those are slams what we focus on the most and that's where the breakthrough came last year 2025 just for her has not been like that it's been it's been about other things you know the rome double was incredible getting to another final here i think really impressive she's ninth in the race i think now like there or thereabouts potentially could qualify for the wta finals and if you'd said two years ago that paulini would be in contention for the wta finals in contention to win these 1000 events like we wouldn't have thought that was the case so the fact that she still is to me feels like she is she is backing up last year

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43:45David Law: Liquid IV hydration that goes wherever life takes you.

43:50Matt Roberts: Okay, on to the men and the final that never really was. Matt and I were at however many tens of thousands of feet you are when you're over the Atlantic, winging your way to New York. Smug as I have ever been in my life.

44:07David Law: So smug. I got so many selfies of you two with your laptops out, showing me the match you were able to watch in the sky.

44:12Matt Roberts: Full disclosure, we got upgraded. It was a great moment.

44:16Catherine Whitaker: It was great. I didn't get upgraded.

44:19Matt Roberts: We got upgraded. I crammed my legs into those economy seats. We sussed out the Wi-Fi. We paid for the streaming level of Wi-Fi on the plane, thinking maybe it'll be good enough for us to stream Cine Alcaraz in the sky from our upgraded incredible what a world honestly and then there it goes it happens I accidentally had to pay for it on two separate devices so at this point we've sunk 45 English pounds into streaming wasn't even wasn't even questioned money well spent you know Matt and I are going to be able to watch Cine Alcaraz live honestly it was it was reverse one point slam my emotions over the course of that Half an hour from smuggest person in town or, you know, in the sky to just crushing disappointment.

45:06Matt Roberts: What am I going to do with the next four hours of this flight?

45:10Catherine Whitaker: And it started like before we even knew that Sinner was unwell. You know, we watched the first point. I'm like, this is amazing. I'm watching Alcaraz Sinner in the sky. And we're watching Alcaraz Sinner.

45:22Matt Roberts: I just kept looking over at Matt.

45:23Catherine Whitaker: I was like, aren't humans amazing? And I was like, oh, I can't see the ball. It's Cincinnati. I can't see the ball. It's too bright. No one's come up with a solution for that, have they? Here I am watching Alcrest Sinner in the sky. Can't see the ball.

45:40Matt Roberts: Turns out, Matt, you didn't really need to see the ball because it wasn't really a tennis match. That became clear incredibly quickly. Sinner was kind of not really present, clearly struggling with illness, was underpowered, was kind of off balance the whole time, ended up retiring five love down. in the opening set, lots of consolation from Alcaraz. In those sorts of situations, it seems to feel so genuinely for his opponent.

46:11David Law: He's really bothered by it.

46:12Matt Roberts: He's really bothered by it. He had the same with Zverev in his semi-final. I mean, Alcaraz had a really weird end to Cincinnati. And I feel like this sort of thing affects Alcaraz differently and more than any other top player because he's really, look, he likes winning. He wants to win and he wants to win trophies. But I feel like it's less about winning for him

46:40Matt Roberts: than all of his peers, pretty much. He wants the battle. He wants the fun.

46:45Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, and, well, that line from Gary Nathan's book, which has come out today in the US, that we spoke to him about on Monday's show, where he says it's about the spectacle for Alcaraz.

46:55Matt Roberts: I mean, I really feel like, I mean, I think he'll be fine, but he really didn't want that end to Cincinnati. He didn't want those last two matches to be as they were. I feel like that's really, you know, he's won a title and yet it feels like really suboptimal US Open preparation for him.

47:17David Law: Well, I don't agree. I think he is disappointed about it. And he wanted the moment. Actually, I think this could not have worked out better for Carlos Alcarez. Because he is fresh, he would have had to, even if he won those matches, the way they were going, I mean, Zverev made a good start in that match. They had the interruption because of somebody being unwell in the crowd. And he's, I think, 2-1 down, love 30, something like that at that point. And you can see just the way the rallies are going. My word, he's having to deal, you know, Zverev's playing well. His very physical condition became a factor very quickly as well in his match.

47:56David Law: But now I think Alcos has had enough tennis. He's had his proper break after Wimbledon. He's come out. He's been rusty. He's had another match against Jumher where he's had his set reversals. And he's had his Rublev match. And he even went 4-2 down against a couple of rounds earlier than that. I can't remember who it was in the second. Because at Luka Nardi, he went 4-2 down, and then he eventually won that 6-4 in the second set. But then he suddenly hits some form. And when he even, I know Zeroy was unwell, but he turned that around. And even though Sinner was unwell, Alcruz was playing out of his mind at the start of that match.

48:37David Law: He was. In that first game, when he broke him to love. I thought, OK, he is right where he needs to be. And after one game, I said, I think Alcruz is going to win this. and I didn't know that Sinner was unwell at that point I mean it was a sloppy start

48:52Matt Roberts: it is incredible how he shows up against Sinner differently to against anybody else

48:57David Law: and I actually thought I also think he's got one of those in him where he needs a reason to almost prove himself again when he wins too many in a row I think it becomes a little bit harder for him to have quite those senses as heightened and suddenly he's lost to Sinner everybody's talking about how Sinner's going to win everything. He said, right then, come on, let's have it. Let's go for it. Let's have the moment. And I think he is bang where he needs to be. We don't know how it will affect Sinner coming into the US Open. Is he going to be at all affected? I think probably he'll be okay. But I really feel bullish about our crowds now.

49:36Matt Roberts: That's very interesting. Matt, has anybody ever won a trophy, won a title, having played a worse game over the course of that title winning run than Carlos Alcaraz.

49:49Catherine Whitaker: Take the title part out of it. It was the worst game I've ever seen. Which one was that? Zverev cannot move. He's clearly struggling, I think, with his back. He was unwell as well. He was...

50:02Matt Roberts: This is the semi-final.

50:03Catherine Whitaker: He was gone. He was totally gone. And Alcaraz is up a break. He's 40-15 up. He misses seven serves in a row. like I would have potentially backed myself to hold serve there against Ferev yeah like make the serve yeah

50:21Matt Roberts: and then you pretty much won the point

50:23Catherine Whitaker: yeah because Ferev isn't moving he is not moving the only movement he's doing is from the deuce court to the ad court as Alcaraz is double faulting in front of him he ended up hitting four double faults in that game yeah three in a row and then there's this this close up of him at the change of ends yeah where you can just tell that he's just thinking what have I just done?

50:44Matt Roberts: Alcaraz has an injured opponent problem. Totally messes with him.

50:50Catherine Whitaker: Which makes David's theory about his form in that final being so good. I think it's a great theory because despite an injured opponent or an ill opponent in front of him he kept playing well. We've seen some real shockers from Alcaraz against injured opponents but this was... Yeah.

51:09Matt Roberts: he was absolutely unreal yeah

51:12Catherine Whitaker: I just feel very unfulfilled coming out of Canada and Cincinnati on the men's side because you know Canada was actually I think there was a lot of good matches there was a lot of good matches in Canada

51:28Matt Roberts: hang on a second David in Canada yeah alright because the last match he played in Cincinnati was one of the worst performances I've ever seen yeah

51:35Catherine Whitaker: but like Canada was an interesting event from the perspective of, okay, when Sinner and Alcaraz are not there, who's going to end up winning it? Which was interesting, but I'm not drawing a load of that in terms of the US Open because Alcaraz and Sinner are going to be there. And then we get Alcaraz and Sinner there in Cincinnati and the end of that tournament, well, as we've described, was just a disaster with, you know, a retirement in the final, a heavily compromised Varev in the semi-final. I just feel like we didn't really learn anything about where, OK, I know David's decided that Alcaraz is looking great, and I love that, but personally, I feel like all my questions were left unanswered going into the US Open.

52:20Catherine Whitaker: I just feel like we didn't get much. It was such a weird weekend.

52:23Matt Roberts: I mean, the Shelton, yeah, he hit the wall. I was still alarmed by how bad that performance was against Ferov. He couldn't make a ball. He can be dramatically different when he's not good.

52:34David Law: Some people can cover it up. He can't.

52:37Matt Roberts: Yeah, it was really, really alarming. Yeah, and then obviously it was a very of illness, sinner illness.

52:46Catherine Whitaker: And then adding to that, you're just like, oh, well, at least hopefully we'll get to see Terence Atman at the US Open in the form of his life. We knew he was going to have to go through qualifying to get there, but now he's injured and had to pull out of qualifying and we won't see him at the US Open. And that's a tremendous shame.

53:05David Law: We asked for him for tennis podcast meets as well.

53:07Matt Roberts: The curse is back. The curse is back at the request stage, which is a new level for it. It sounds like it's a sort of flu-y thing for Yannick Sinner. He'll probably be okay, right? Because he's that much better than anybody he's going to face in the early rounds. Even if he is still hampered, he'll probably be okay. but it, you know, I feel like a week ago on the basis of Sinner's form prior to the final in Cincinnati, people were handing him the US Open trophy and it doesn't quite feel like that now. Is Alcaraz your favourite, David?

53:49David Law: I think so. Yeah, I think so. Because of 12 in a row.

53:55Matt Roberts: It starts now. We reset.

53:59Catherine Whitaker: that's right i know last year coming into the us open we weren't on our crisis behalf worried about

54:06Matt Roberts: the burtic thing happening we weren't worried about but obviously we've been safe to say

54:10Catherine Whitaker: because it happened we've been on alert for it kind of ever since notable he's now made seven finals in a row you know like he's cut out the sort of bad losses that he was having i just feel better about alcaraz getting to the latter stages than I kind of ever have. Like, I know he still has the ups and downs within matches. See?

54:33Matt Roberts: The worst game ever played.

54:34Catherine Whitaker: The worst game ever played. The Demir Jumaha match. Like, we've made it sound like he was an absolute wreck in this tournament. But, like, you know, he has these ups and downs, but he still is coming through. He still, his general level of consistency is really good right now. To me, though, Sinner is still the favourite. He's my favourite Anyway, I thought going into that final, Sino played the big moments really well. He won the three tie breaks that he needed to to get there. He absolutely destroyed Orjali Asim, who I know was really poor in that match. He weathered Atman, like serving like Sampras in that first set.

55:14Catherine Whitaker: He was just rolling through service games.

55:16David Law: He didn't serve like Sampras.

55:19Catherine Whitaker: No, because he double-fledged on the first point of the tie break. Yeah, Sampras wouldn't have done that. but he was good he was great and sinner just just dealt with it though yeah like in a way that everyone else was getting caught up in the in the act man of it all sinner just dealt with it i just thought he was impressive so i know he was unwell but to me i'm i'm still taking sinner yannick's

55:40David Law: on a hardcore mix of two yeah yeah i mean literally injury aside and and and unless one of them get compromised physically I don't see anybody else

55:59Matt Roberts: Rajiv Ram and Nikola Mettich won the men's doubles title they beat the two Lorenzos in the final, Mazzetti and Sonigo a big up yours to Mardi Fish that isn't it, who's been trolling Rajiv Ram in pretty gross fashion he trolled us a couple of weeks ago that seems to be his vibe these days They also ended Cash and Glasspool's incredible streak. So well done, Raman Mektic. And Gabby Dabrowski and Erin Routliff won the women's doubles title. Gabby Dabrowski reminding us all in her very moving speech on court during the victory ceremony that this time last year she was having radiation treatment for cancer.

56:47Matt Roberts: And here she is lifting titles. It's an absolutely incredible story. So congratulations to them. Just before we move on from Cincinnati, a couple of things. They've obviously done this incredible£200 million redevelopment at the site. We weren't there, but by all accounts, it really is incredible. And it's great to see tennis being invested in that way and the infrastructure and all the rest of it. It's brilliant. There's no shade anywhere on that centre court. And that's a problem. it's a problem like the the world is heating up like it was uncomfortable watching a lot of Cincinnati I found I was worrying about people in the crowd and I know they're locals and they're used to it and they know what they signed up to and all the rest of it but like wouldn't it be better if they were just a bit more comfortable um and and also it makes it less inclusive like It's more difficult for the elderly, for the less abled, for people like me that just feel the heat.

57:53Matt Roberts: It doesn't need to be like this. The Australian Open has made incredible strides at providing shade for spectators and made it a massive priority, providing shade for the spectators in a way that still maintains a totally outdoor feel, those sort of canopy, sort of sail-type things that they have. and the whole it's not like every seat is in the shade at the Australian Open but it is possible to provide huge swathes of shade and I feel like that needs to happen in Cincinnati because it was disgustingly hot and humid and uncomfortable for spectators and and and players like it was it was a problem.

58:38Matt Roberts: And the last thing to point out on Cincinnati, and I really, I feel like we should almost be leading with this, but it's just such a bummer. And it's so wild that it's not something that anybody really talks about. But Carlos Alcaraz won$1 ,124 ,380 for winning the Cincinnati title. Shvantec won$752 ,275. That is a difference of$372 ,105. So Alcaraz earned an extra 49 % on top of Shvantec's paycheck. This is a combined event. They're playing the same court, the same length of event, the same format, the same absolutely everything. It's disgusting. Like, how everybody's not talking about that is wild to me.

59:27Matt Roberts: how Svantec's not talking about it, why we're not rioting in the streets, like 200 million pounds of dollars of redevelopment. Like I know there are the WTNATP standardized prize monies are different and they're following those guidelines. But other tournaments make up the difference because it's the right thing to do. Canada does that. Indian Wells does that. Others do. Madrid does that. Others do that. You can do that. and if there was more if it was more if there was more pressure on them to do it I think they would because it's embarrassing it's shameful I think just for PR reasons like

1:00:03David Law: thank goodness you brought it up because it's so easy to forget it I had pretty much forgotten that that was the situation because it's a combined event, it's Masters 1000, well of course they get paid the same, of course they do because why wouldn't they and yet there is that level of disparity and we just have to keep on saying it i'm i i think it has because i think that i'm sure our audience is a heck of a lot more educated and knowledgeable about that than many and well maybe more than i am and i'm embarrassed about that but it has to keep getting talked about because i think a lot of people out there watching

1:00:45Catherine Whitaker: would be absolutely shocked by that i saw ava leese called it out did she um

1:00:52David Law: good for her

1:00:53Catherine Whitaker: but she was the only one I saw and I know that they've got this you know they've got this haven't they this line about there is going to be equal pay by a certain year I can't quite remember the year off the top of my head 29 it's in a few years time but it's almost like they're hiding behind that because it's like oh we will get it you can click your fingers and do it now because they've other tournaments do it look at the money they've got

1:01:16Matt Roberts: 200 million dollars

1:01:17David Law: yeah shave off a bit of

1:01:18Matt Roberts: you can do it right now you read it out

1:01:20David Law: and sort that out

1:01:21Matt Roberts: Ben Navarro, the tournament owner, he has a daughter who's a WTA player. Yeah. And I want to just totally throw him under the bus. He's investing in tennis. That's a great thing. This is disgusting. We can sort it out. Let's do it.

1:01:42Matt Roberts: Bits and bobs. Obviously, US Open qualifying is underway. We'll talk about that a bit tomorrow. and over the course of the week we've got plenty of shows coming up. Don't you worry about that. By the way, qualifying is free at the US Open and that is a really, really cool thing. And I hadn't quite processed the fact that although they are selling tickets for Ash today and tomorrow, that that's a separate ticket. You can see the mixed doubles on Armstrong with free entry into the grounds, which obviously was just today, all of the matches tomorrow on Ash. but that is a really cool thing isn't it about the US Open

1:02:19David Law: I loved it last year when I was with my kids not only the qualifying but when we went out into Ash and watched Daniel Medvedev practicing with Karen Hatchinov and we were in the first row of this 23 ,000 seat stadium we were hearing their conversations we were right there my kids couldn't believe it they loved it

1:02:42Matt Roberts: Aoyito's one so I just can't wait till tomorrow's show to bring that qualifying update

1:02:46Catherine Whitaker: she was in the third set wasn't she so that is good news go on Awey

1:02:50Matt Roberts: it seems that Bianca Andreescu's pulled out of US Open qualifying I haven't seen an announcement from her I was just scouring the order of play scouring the draw and I couldn't see her and that is that's a worry I'm worried about I'm sort of in a permanent state of worry about Bianca Andreescu but I'm particularly worried right now Art of Feas has pulled out of the main draw at the US Open, which I've got mixed feelings about. It's obviously a bummer, but also I think that's the right thing.

1:03:20David Law: Call it all off, Arta. See you in 2026.

1:03:22Matt Roberts: Yes, see you in 2026, exactly. And just the final bit of sort of sad news. Kyle Edmund has retired. It's not a shock he hasn't been a factor or even, frankly, a player of any note for a long time. But 30 years old, I mean, his career in terms of relevance ended probably about six or seven years ago, really, didn't it? I mean, what a tragic career, really. I really feel for him. Strange one to sum up, isn't it?

1:03:54David Law: Because when he first came along, I thought he'd be a good British player who had some upside and could get some results. I remember him at 20 years of age coming to the Royal Albert Hall beating Andy Murray in the Tybre 8-10s final that they held there and winning a load of money that he said I'm going to invest this in my career and really try to make a difference and he took that on and he ended up getting to the semi-finals of the Australian Open which is something I never thought he'd be able to do to that degree and if you think of the players the good players out there who haven't done that that was a notable achievement he's had some other good wins around that period of his career and then he's just run into an injury problem that has never been able to let him play properly again and it has ended up being a very short career and it's when I think back to when he was 20 and and it was all ahead of him and now he's 30 and it's all behind him it's it's a reminder of I mean, a lot of these careers go on a long time now, but there's also a lot of them that are over in a flash.

1:05:05David Law: It's a shame for him.

1:05:06Matt Roberts: Yeah. Wish him well in his retirement, whatever that might hold. Folks, a little update on our schedule. We're back tomorrow to talk more, you know, salacious mixed up all this stuff. We'll be here after. Maybe we should request Arani and Vavasori live on the show after they've lifted the trophy. Sure.

1:05:30Catherine Whitaker: I repeat, bring it on.

1:05:31Matt Roberts: Do you think if they win it, they'll pop off about it? Or do you think they'll say lovely, positive things about the official Grand Slam tournament? With the million in their pocket. I think they'll pop off. Yeah. You think they'll take the million in the trophy and still pop off? Why wouldn't you?

1:05:47Catherine Whitaker: Yeah. They'll be like, this is for the Devils players. It'd be great.

1:05:53Matt Roberts: so much fun we'll have a pod tomorrow at the end of it all then Thursday we have a live show here in New York at the Gramercy Theatre and then Friday we're daily from Friday Friday we have draw media day show Saturday we have another preview show we'll take some questions from you on the barge if you have any and then the tournament of course starts on Sunday and we will be daily from that point onwards well from Friday onwards from our our media day and draw combined show so a lot of podcasts coming your way folks and coming our way and um i'm pretty pumped uh we have a mascot for this episode in fact we have a three-peat mascot for this episode i know this adorable face this is rue and rue is owned by erin kaplan What are you laughing at, Matt?

1:06:46Matt Roberts: The photo. The photo. It's magnificent. It is truly magnificent. Rue is a nine-year-old coton de tuiler who loves to cuddle and chase bunnies and deer in our backyard, says Erin. She's small but mighty at eight pounds, but thinks she's much bigger than she is and has the heart of a lion. This is reminding me of someone. Her favourite things are long walks and cheese, and she is proud to be a three-time pet mascot. Her mum Erin met Matt and David on the shuttle bus leaving the US Open last year and came home and told Rue all about it.

1:07:22Catherine Whitaker: I remember. Yeah. She was at the back of the bus, was Erin. Oh, yes. I remember. Had a chat with us. It was lovely.

1:07:30Matt Roberts: Where was I? At the front of the bus? Maybe I got upgraded. Maybe you'd already gone back. Oh.

1:07:36David Law: Yeah. Can't quite remember.

1:07:38Matt Roberts: It's making me sound like a part-time.

1:07:39David Law: We were hardcore, Matt.

1:07:42Matt Roberts: Rue is, I mean. Absolutely splendid and always seems so clean. I marvel at owners of white dogs that are able to keep them so pristine. She's incredible. Thank you, Erin, for bringing Rue back for year number three. See you next year, Rue. Hello to our mascots. Hello, Phoebe. Hello, Maisie. And hello, Roger.

1:08:08Catherine Whitaker: We love them all. We love them all.

1:08:10Matt Roberts: Hello to our top folks and executive producers Greg, Chris and Jeff. Matt, let's have some shout outs.

1:08:17Catherine Whitaker: We start with Stacey Meadows from Dallas, Texas. Hi Stacey. Hello Stacey. Stacey is attending the US Open for the first time. Cool.

1:08:28Matt Roberts: Love that.

1:08:29Catherine Whitaker: She's going to be here for the first three day sessions on Ash and she hopes to see Paolini, Andreva and Mboko if she can. Good choices. Good list. By the way, good to see Andreeva back today in the doubles.

1:08:42Matt Roberts: And she looked, I mean, it's hard to tell completely from doubles, but she did look fit. She's a good doubles player. I mean, we know that. But, I mean, she managed to get a win with Daniel Medvedev.

1:08:53David Law: Big.

1:08:53Matt Roberts: Big, yeah. One of his biggest wins of the year.

1:08:56David Law: She goes, he's playing okay.

1:09:00Matt Roberts: Like Stacey Allister, US Open Tournament Director.

1:09:04Catherine Whitaker: Very good.

1:09:04Matt Roberts: Any other Stacys? No, that's a big one. Yeah. It's a big one. Thank you, Stacey, and enjoy the US Open.

1:09:12Catherine Whitaker: We've also got Helen Hood. Right, Helen.

1:09:15Matt Roberts: Hello, Helen.

1:09:16Catherine Whitaker: Who's from Brooklyn, New York.

1:09:19Matt Roberts: Well, amazing.

1:09:21Catherine Whitaker: And Helen says, I became a tennis fan after reading Carrie Soto is Back

1:09:25Matt Roberts: by Taylor Jenkins Reid a few years ago.

1:09:28Catherine Whitaker: To be honest, the book kind of sucked. She says, not my words, Helen's words. I've not read it. In part because at least 50 % of it was descriptions of tennis matches. But that got me interested in the mechanics of tennis. And once I started watching, I was instantly hooked. I found the pod soon after.

1:09:46Matt Roberts: And they're making a film adaptation of it, aren't they? Produced by Serena Williams.

1:09:50David Law: Is that right?

1:09:51Matt Roberts: Yeah. I have tried and given up on that book several times, but only because I feel like I just sort of know the story already. I know a lot of non-tennis fan friends that have really enjoyed that book. and that's great.

1:10:09David Law: And Helen like Helen Wills Moody. Very good.

1:10:13Matt Roberts: Very good.

1:10:15David Law: Thank you very much.

1:10:18Matt Roberts: Very, very good. Thank you, Helen.

1:10:20Catherine Whitaker: And our final shout-out is for Nens, who is from North Hertfordshire. Oh. Which Vicky says is her neck of the woods.

1:10:29Matt Roberts: Yeah, and my brother's neck of the woods.

1:10:32Catherine Whitaker: And Nens says that she's really Jennifer. So a couple of options there. I'd take Capriati.

1:10:37David Law: Yes.

1:10:39Matt Roberts: Nens. Oh, that's an interesting shortening of Jennifer. I like that. I've never heard that before.

1:10:43Catherine Whitaker: And Nens says, but your show is strong on friendships. So can I shout out my dear friends Kath and Malochita, who introduced me to the pod, tolerate my poor tennis, and are on the barge.

1:10:56Matt Roberts: Yay! You can and you have, Nens. Love it. That's lovely. We are indeed strong on friendship. Love that. Nens, Stacey and Helen thank you very much indeed thank you all for listening thank you for joining us live if you did we are of course part of the Athletic Podcast Network so thank you to the Athletic and thank you to the New York Times and thank you to Leah behind the camera here for facilitating this lovely show today, I've enjoyed it very much indeed thank you, you can't say that out loud it makes it uncool I don't care thank you to everybody that has joined us live if you have and thank you to Vicky and Hannah in the chat as always it's going to be a fun I was going to say fortnight but it's three weeks isn't it it's going to be a fun three weeks folks we can't wait we'll see you again tomorrow when we'll be talking more mixed doubles official Grand Slam tournament TN thanks for listening we will speak to you then

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