Emergency pod - Alcaraz out of Roland Garros

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1:16Matt Roberts: Hello and welcome to the Tennis Podcast, an emergency unplanned extra bonus tennis podcast. I've got a beer on the go because I was supposed to be at the pub right now but instead I'm here forming a healing circle with my favourite people David Law and Matt Roberts following the news that Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, has withdrawn not only from Rome but also from Roland Garros. He has said on Instagram, and I assume other social medias today, but I saw on Instagram the post saying, after the results of the tests carried out today, we've decided that the most prudent thing is to be cautious and not participate in Rome and Roland Garros while we wait to assess the evolution to decide when we will return to the court.

2:12Matt Roberts: It's a complicated moment for me, but I'm sure will come out stronger from here. This is of course following a wrist or forearm injury that he sustained during his first match in Barcelona. It looks wristy to me. Certainly he's been pictured widely wearing the wrist brace, had to go to the Laureus Sports Awards, win his Sportsman of the Year award wearing his wrist brace and you hear wrist injury and tennis player and well I don't know about you but I I panic I've heard the words Dominic Thiem too much in the last hour um David could you recreate please your reaction to this news of a couple

3:01David Law: of hours ago um sadness for him sadness for the for the sport really because I think Yannick Sinner actually summed it up pretty well in that regard. Tennis needs people like Carlos Alcraz, and men's tennis really needs Carlos Alcraz at the moment because he has been such a huge feature of what's gone on for the last few years, and he is electric. And the rivalry is amazing with him and Sinner. And the fact that he played Djokovic recently, the Australian Open was amazing. And you're not going to get many of those now with him and Djokovic in the same draw. So, of course, it's just a huge shame.

3:42I wasn't very surprised, really, given what we've seen and heard of the last few days. That appearance at the awards, the fact that he said, you know, I've got to make sure I play the long game here and don't cause myself further problem.

4:00David Law: I think he's absolutely right. Are you surprised by the timing David?

4:05Matt Roberts: Because I know you've been probably the most pessimistic of all of us for the last 10 days or so since he got this injury in Barcelona but are you surprised that he's called it this early? And isn't saying in that statement I'll be back and raring to go for the grass I think that's an interesting omission

4:25David Law: One can only speculate and put two and two together with facts like those and with absences of information like that. And I think, you know, whatever I am about to say is speculation, right? I don't have any medical knowledge. I only know what I've heard the same as everybody else. But that would make me more concerned. Yeah, I'm concerned for him that it's serious. I mean, I remember a year ago, you know, coming up to a year ago when Artifees hurt his back and he played that incredible match and he got through it and he pulled out and basically wasn't seen again for eight months. and yes, there was a very brief moment where he tried to play a tournament in the summer and listen, maybe this isn't like that.

5:17David Law: Maybe this is just precautionary and he's got an injury that it really would be stupid to test and he's going to play many more Roland Garros as we hope. That's the hope with all of these guys. But there has to be a chance as well that it's something that they've got to be very, very careful with and I certainly would prefer they were. You mentioned Dominic Thiem. I'd be more concerned about one Martin Del Potro, probably, because he had a wrist injury that changed his entire career and he still managed to get something out of it. But listen, it also may not...

5:54Matt Roberts: Yeah, he got more out of it than Dominic Thiem post-injury, I suppose, is why Thiem springs to mind to me as almost the most tragic.

6:03David Law: I do think Thiem was sliding a little anyway by that time. Del Potro, when he did his injury, looked like he could be about to just gatecrash the big three, four, you know. I just, I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen. I really hope that Carlos Alcraz is just being very sensible. I think whatever happens, it's sensible. But I hope it's sort of precautionary and therefore it'll do what it needs to do in order for him to get out there as soon as possible and be fine, you know? And I think you've just got to take that on the chin. I mean, tennis doesn't end. Tennis is still going to be great.

6:47David Law: And now there are loads and loads of really interesting storylines. Yes, Carlos Alcraz is going to be a massive miss, certainly for me anyway, because I love watching him play and I love the storylines he brings. I'm also looking forward to the storylines that it leaves. It's just one of those things, isn't it?

7:05Matt Roberts: David with the optimistic take, as always. And I love that. I love that. And look, when we're there at Roland Garros, I'll hopefully feel the same. But like, it's a real bummer, isn't it? I mean, look, unless you're a diehard Yannick Cine fan and they are out there, we know they're out there, we hear from them, they're in the comments a lot. But like, if you're just basically a tennis fan, this is it's nothing but terrible news right like Yannick Sinner said it tennis needs Carlos Alcaraz this is a terrible bummer this the sport okay we still got Yannick Sinner but like they elevate one another right like they are greater than the sum of their parts and he in particular as an individual elevates men's tennis so much like it's such a it's such a fatal wound to to men's tennis when he's absent Matt do you feel as funereal as you look you are a man in black

8:09Catherine Whitaker: this evening yeah I'm glad you didn't ask me to recreate my reaction of when when I saw the news because we would have needed an expletive on this live show and I just sort of I just sort of messaged all the group chats just the same time uh with the news um yeah look it's gutting it's absolutely gutting um i was just hearing roberto batista agoo the other day describe carlos alcaraz as a being of light which i thought was a lovely turn of phrase and it feels like a light's gone out right when you lose carlos alcaraz from a tournament he sort of brightens every room every match every tournament that he's in and talking to charlie aquachere this afternoon he's made the point that you know this is a kind of a a stark reminder of the fragility of a big two in men's tennis because you lose one of them and suddenly the whole feel of that tournament feels different for example to when we used to lose one of the big three for example because you know you still had two of them um i guess my positive spin is is what david's saying there you know players are going to get injured and if in the long run of his career we look back on this and he just missed one slam because he did the right thing by withdrawing and not jeopardizing the rest of his season and the rest of his career then absolutely of course like in the long run of a career you can kind of live with Carlos Alcraz missing a slam it's just the it's just the wording

9:45Matt Roberts: of the statement worry you the the uncertainty in it that like that's the part that there isn't that see you on the grass line.

9:52Catherine Whitaker: That's the bit. And I think at this stage, maybe he doesn't quite know how serious it is, you know. I think there's going to be more tests done, I'm sure. Yeah, it's a real shame. And I think also because it kind of reminds me of 2009 Wimbledon. Like we might have a greatest match of all time curse, right? Because 2008 men's Wimbledon ends and everyone that goes into Wimbledon next year looking forward to hopefully a Federer-Nadal rematch, you know, and we don't get it. Nadal can't defend his title. And here it's like the last time we saw Alcaraz at Ronon Garros, he was pulling off the most remarkable feat in that tie break.

10:36Catherine Whitaker: And you're going into it thinking, OK, got the memories of that. And then Alcaraz can't defend his Ronon Garros title. It's just, it's a massive blow. It really is.

10:46David Law: Who's going to be Andy Roddick then?

10:51Matt Roberts: well well a I know what your answer is David and b we will uh we will come on to that um should we talk about the Yannick Sinner of it all I mean if if let's say these roles were reversed I think Yannick Sinner is absolutely gutted I think he wants he wants Alcaraz there he he would rather be trying to complete the career slam without Carlos Alcaraz in the draw I absolutely you think that but I also don't think he's the level of devastated that Carlos Alcaraz would be if the roles were reversed like I think for Carlos Alcaraz it could cause him to kind of lose motivation almost like he's so his sort of sense of self is so contingent on on Yannick Sinner I'm not I back Yannick Sinner to just sort of be okay reach his peace with it and obviously now go on and win win Roland Garros like I hope it's not a procession it'd be cool to see him do the the career slam but I you know I I don't ever want to see any tennis player in a procession really I kind of always want competitive tennis and that is now that is now the risk isn't it david that is now the scenario that again apart from the diehard yannick cine fans that is the scenario that people that just want to see cool fun competitive tennis are now now worried about

12:19David Law: yes albeit in the scenario that we so often talk about of them meeting in the final we're often talking about whether there'll actually be any competitive tennis until they face one another um so you might find there's more competitive tennis as a result of this um I mean, look, in terms of what their respective reactions would have been, until we actually have a Sinner withdrawal, we're not going to know that for sure. But I mean, they are very different characters. Carlos Alcaraz is a very emotional character who wears every emotion on his sleeve, you know, and he does get moved by things in that way.

12:56David Law: And I think Sinner is really genuine. when he reacted on the camera there on the court and he was a little bit shaken by it, you know. But he is a very, I mean, he's very impressive the way he does just process, cope and then move on. I mean, that is one of his absolute superpowers as an athlete and as a character. I think it's, I mean, it was quite interesting watching him get rocked by Djokovic in that match in Australia. I haven't seen him like that very often, like two sets to one up and then get rattled. But, you know, it's a new pressure, this, isn't it? He'll go into this, and I mean, we'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks with Madrid now.

13:47David Law: You know, he's won his first-round match today, albeit losing a set, and then Rome. you know it is extra pressure in a way of well now you're supposed to win you know you really ask i mean and that's hard on somebody who's never won it before clay i still think is probably his worst surface even though he looks amazing on it um but you know you look at the you look at the draw and there was going to be carlos alkraut and yannick sinner miles out in front of everybody else in terms of expectations of and you have to look at the rankings now you look at it one of them's gone the sinner there's a 38 year old who i think's 39 by the time he plays ronan garros who also by the way is has won more grand slam titles than anybody and i tell you what i am really interested in how he gets along in this tournament yeah i feel like he's just gone a little bit today right oh for sure and he's just gone and beaten center in started doing his stretches i mean amazing so you know like he wasn't that far away from from beating the the pack hunters uh of of alcaraz and sinner back to back like he was a setup on alcaraz then you got zverev is he ever gonna do it is he ever gonna get over the line well it's unlikely to get much better than this isn't it you know you're gonna be in the other half of the draw from yannick sinner now unless novak jockermich finds some way to become the second seed he's the guy who's beaten you three times this year like you've beaten everybody else okay there's been a couple who who've beaten him uh last week included uh with flavio caballi but best of five sets favors him he's he likes playing long matches um he's solid you know he's going to make you beat him he's good on clay he's going to get better between now and the french he's supposed to be in the final he is supposed to be there but there again there's pressure isn't i mean it's just it's just to me that is tantalizing seeing what the pressure does to these people and and what djokovic might be able to do with that pressure given that he feels that he's not going to be pressured in the same way and actually I don't think Sinner is really because I just think Sinner is an unreal character um but to get back to your original point yeah I don't want to see one guy just go and win it without really being tested but actually I don't think that's going to happen I don't think we'll see Sinner just walk through this draw and win it without a challenge I think he's a heavy favorite it but and I would pick him to win it but um there are good players in this draw still and um and can't I still can't wait I mean I am gutted but I still can't wait

16:40Matt Roberts: see I think he might I mean it all depends on the draw right but I do think there is a not not unlikely scenario where where Yannick Senna cruises to this this title and that will feel I wouldn't consider it an asterisk at all but it certainly would be you know people would remember Carlos Alcaraz wasn't there and that would be a shame for Yannick Sinner I think Yannick Sinner wants Carlos Alcaraz to to be there he wants to complete the Candice Lamb with Carlos Alcaraz in the draw as I said people in the chat by the way asking about whether Djokovic can get himself to second seed he can so the the points gap at the moment between Zverev and Djokovic Zverev's on 5 ,255 Djokovic on 4 ,710 so look it's mathematically possible Djokovic the other night at the Laureus Awards was asked whether he's going to play Rome and he said he wanted to right but he's trying to be fit I'm not quite sure what whether that's a sort of I need to feel prepared or whether there's a specific injury he's rehabbing.

17:51Matt Roberts: But it's mathematically possible if he were to play Rome and have a very good Rome, but I think it's unlikely for all sorts of reasons. And the one positive I have for the man in black at the bottom of the screen is that it does make the draw extra interesting.

18:16Catherine Whitaker: it all comes back to the draw always we love the draw and yeah look everyone everyone is going to want to be in that bottom half of the men's draw because it it will feel so open you know even if i mean even if zverev and djokovic are both down there you know like i still think i still think that people like a Fies or a Muzetti or even you can branch it out further like a Kabali and you know these guys everyone basically is going to fancy their chances I think even with of of of making it out of that half reaching the final yes because reaching the final yes because okay Novak Djokovic is obviously a huge obstacle but But he's not, he says this off the back of the Australian Open, he's not the force he was.

19:15Catherine Whitaker: He's not like the sure bet that he was for years. He might get a niggle, he might get injured. He's had a decent run of health recently, but he's kind of injured at the moment a little bit. And we've seen him do his knee at Roland Garros. You can't pencil him into the final, I don't think, even without a Sinar or an Alcraz in his half. Zverev is always a bit more vulnerable. I think people always feel like they can take it to him. Actually beating him is hard. But honestly, everyone, Kaspar Ruz, with a couple of French Open finals to his name. Like, honestly, everyone, if they're in that half of the draw without Yannick Sinner.

19:53Catherine Whitaker: How deep are you going?

19:53Matt Roberts: What is the wildest name that you would throw out there for if they land in the bottom half of the draw? it wouldn't be ludicrous for them to think of reaching the final or for us to think of them reaching the final. I mean, you've said Hodah, you've said Rude.

20:13David Law: I genuinely believe... You said Kabbali. Hodah is, I'm just trying to look up his current ranking, he's 42 in the world. I do not think it is beyond the realms based on what I'm seeing from him the last couple of weeks and the way he's thrashing Alex de Menor at the moment, that he, if he stays fit and, you know, is handling it, that he could come through and reach the final, depending on what the draw is. I don't think that's impossible without... It's wild, isn't it?

20:46Matt Roberts: He could have Yannick Sinner in round one or he could get a sweet, sweet draw that makes it feel like he could reach the final.

20:53David Law: And I think he could knock out somebody big along the way. I probably would draw the line at Sinner but with his artillery

21:03Matt Roberts: David what half of the draw you're hoping Art of Feast comes out in?

21:08David Law: Doesn't matter Oh come on It's never mattered more I mean honestly I'm just I don't care I love that Vicky by the way

21:21Matt Roberts: who's stage managing this show had an Art of Feast photo lined up knowing that this is where we go. I just want him to be in the draw and fully fit. My dad has just said Monfils in the chat. What's happening?

21:35David Law: Let's party like it's 2010.

21:38Matt Roberts: People are wondering why you haven't mentioned Joel Fonseca yet, David.

21:42David Law: Well, you know, we're coming on to him. I mean, I still, look, I do, I find it absolutely tantalising on another level because obviously I'm gutted. I'm gutted to be losing Alcaraz because I love watching the guy. And I mean, he's, you know, how can he, that's obvious, as you said, there's no way of dressing up that as anything other than bad news. But then I look at the draw and I can't wait now to see what it does and where people land and what they do with the chance.

22:12Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, it's like that thing of like the sport is always bigger than one person, one player. and when you hear the news like I'm obviously initially just totally gutted for Alcaraz then I'm totally thinking about the tournament but as it as you talk it through you realize that I'm actually I'm mostly gut just sad for Carlos Alcaraz I can still find a lot of reasons to get very excited about the French Open and this I think is the most this is the biggest reason that land of opportunity in in the other side of the draw and by the way there will be in my mind zero asterisk if Yannick Sinner wins this and completes the career slam.

22:54Catherine Whitaker: Novak Djokovic won the French Open in 2016 and Rafael Nadal withdrew with a wrist injury and no one brings that up. Okay, Novak Djokovic had beaten Rafael Nadal at Roland Gauss the year before but Sinner had match point against Carlos Alcres. He's beaten him on clay. He's the world number one. Like they're kind of level. Like there's no asterisk there in my mind.

23:15Matt Roberts: All I'll say is, I think all I'm saying is like people will remember people will remember that Alcaraz wasn't there but that's not an asterisk and it's just a shame it's just a shame remember that stat i had at the start of the year we've

23:29Catherine Whitaker: never had a season in the history of tennis where two people have completed the career grand slam Alcaraz was the 19th person to do it across men and women no two people have done it in the same year so you know let alone back-to-back slams so we're So, you know, witnessing history in real time is always pretty compelling as well.

23:53Matt Roberts: Yeah. And now you're right, the pressure, like now everyone's expecting him to do that. I'm expecting him to do that. That is I mean, I'm not sure there's anyone I back to handle that pressure in men's tennis more than Yannick Sinner. But it is still a test that we have never seen before for Yannick Sinner.

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25:49Thank you.

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26:58Matt Roberts: So back to Art of Feast, David.

27:02David Law: yeah well i just i i just want to see him fit and in the draw based on like the last two

27:08Catherine Whitaker: tournaments like get out of the first round arta because like yeah he's been he's been massively tested in his his first matches in barcelona and today in totally madrid

27:20David Law: the guy has not won in straight set at a grand slam and until he starts doing that in early rounds he he has to be vulnerable i mean the guy's learning on the job how to be a Grand Slam player. But it's sealing.

27:35Matt Roberts: How how many times did you think during his match today, like oh god, why are you playing Madrid? Because now, like, honestly I mean, I'm majority bummed out by this Alcaraz news. There's a part of me that was relieved because the worst case scenario for me was a not quite fit Carlos Alcaraz trying to play Roland Garros because the stakes felt too high to pull out. So there's a part of me that was relieved that that scenario was off the table.

28:14Matt Roberts: But, you know, this probably isn't the show for like the big picture conversation. Even before the Alcaraz news, there's a big article by Tom Kershaw in The Times today about injuries in tennis. and patterns and, you know, it has been increasingly a talking point for us. You know, I just have this increasing anxiety about the strain on these athletes' bodies and this feeling of the canister, you know, and the canister not covering a full tennis season. You've got to be making difficult choices. And I know that Artifesis, David, had eight months of saving up canister. but um i don't know like i'm suddenly like everybody just wrap yourselves in in cotton wool like it's not it's not it's not worth the risk like i don't know yeah listen i my first

29:08David Law: and foremost reaction for art of ease is please let him be healthy at the french open and let him give it give it a right and see where he can get to and like we said see if he can learn on the job how to be a Grand Slam player, because I still don't think he's learned that yet. And I absolutely believe he will. I also think he's going to have to get used to, even though he's somebody I think who's a real showman and who, whether it's this year or in another year, is going to draw from the crowds and really get better as a result of it all. He's also got to learn how to handle that, not get too emotional, not use all his energy up and all this sort of stuff.

29:46David Law: But watching him today, I mean, I thought he was going to lose that match because his opponent, Moussa, was brilliant. He was a brilliant player for a start, and Feast was just hitting all over the place. And I watched today, I watched him, I watched Rabacchina, I watched Shelton, who all won tournaments last week, and all of them were really struggling to control the tennis ball. And, I mean, part of that, I think, I do look at, you know, that turnaround is you just won a tournament. Now you've got to come straight to another one. it's just so relentless and you do think well would you be better off not playing this one and maybe playing Rome and then Roland Garros I think there's definitely an argument for that but then in Madrid it's the altitude I'm sure of it like they can't they're just Feast talked about it after the match he just didn't he doesn't understand the conditions Sinner talked about it you know after his as well they're just it just takes some getting used to and I don't think it's the greatest form guide really and a guide for Roland Garros but yeah I mean, a guy like Feast with that back injury, yeah, I have got my heart in my mouth for him.

30:53David Law: And I just hope he's going to be okay for the next, well, for the next 10 years. But certainly for the next few weeks.

31:01Catherine Whitaker: Just to bring it back to Alcaraz and the discussion about the amount of tennis and all that kind of thing. One of the reasons I'm sort of keen to just hear more from Carlos Alcaraz is to find out a bit more about this injury. because on the one hand, this is now several clay court seasons in a row where he's had some kind of injury, something bothering him. He's had to pull out of tournaments. He's been affected. So I think you can big picture look at his career and say, maybe he needs to think about his scheduling during this part of the season. And we've talked about the difficulty of it with IMG events, events in Spain, all that kind of thing.

31:38Catherine Whitaker: So that's there on the one hand. But I think in this specific instance, what's interesting to me about the injury is that, OK, I know he went Monte Carlo to Barcelona back to back, but it wasn't like he'd had this huge volume of tennis. You know, he lost early in Miami. Four of his five matches in Monte Carlo were straight setters. And it's in the middle of the, you know, early in his first match in Barcelona that he does it. There is some speculation that he's actually, he's actually, he hit a weird shot, didn't he? In that match in Barcelona where he sort of, it was behind him. And rather than hitting it kind of on the backhand side, he sort of twisted his hand round.

32:20Matt Roberts: It was very Mantle Barami. There's a reference for the kids.

32:25David Law: That one's just for me, isn't it?

32:27Matt Roberts: David got it.

32:28Catherine Whitaker: It was at that point he went over to the umpire, right? And asked, so there's something in my mind saying that maybe it's an acute injury that he's done in the moment rather than a workload amount of tennis injury. I think I'm still a little unclear on that and the sort of timeline of it all. But, you know, I just think that's worth putting out there. But it doesn't take away from your points about how there's so much tennis and, you know, we're just concerned about sort of everyone's health all the time. Yeah.

33:09Matt Roberts: It would almost make you wonder if maybe, you know, the authorities all do, you know, think maybe we've got a problem here and we should do something about it and there's too much tennis and we're asking too much of these top players. Anyone think that's going to happen? Yeah, no, me either. I think he's going to find it really hard, Carlos Alcraz, isn't he, being at home for Roland Garros. like FOMO wise I'm really I don't know I'm just relating to him like I think he's going to find it really really hard it'd be interesting to know whether he will

33:50David Law: be glued to it or whether he'll just try to avoid it you know I think he'll watch I remember Feast saying that he didn't watch any at all while he was out I don't think he was that interested really but I think Al Kraz he's just a big massive tennis fan

34:07Matt Roberts: yeah I think he'll watch on that sofa that we've all seen with the chaotic trophy shelf to the to the right of the telly i mean he can't the thing is you can't can't practice with that injury he has it looks like he's he's got it in the splint hasn't he to completely immobilize the the joint um so lots

34:31David Law: of leg days keep your fitness up can't you you know sort of your cardio and all that which you wouldn't be able to do if you had a knee injury or an Achilles, unless you hold a rune and he seems to be able to still carry on.

34:45Matt Roberts: Might have to put the golf clubs away. RIP Carlos Alcaraz golf content.

34:51Catherine Whitaker: People in the chat making the point, what does this mean for the Ibiza trip? These are all the big questions.

34:57Matt Roberts: The Ibiza trip starts now. It might be great news for the Ibiza trip.

35:00Catherine Whitaker: It could be a month-long bender. One massive Ibiza trip. Doing the world a good.

35:09Matt Roberts: yeah he's got that he's got that rhythm going hasn't he wrong garrows ibiza queens wimbledon what does it mean um it'll just be cameron norrie and ibiza on his own remember cameron

35:21Catherine Whitaker: declaring that he was an ibiza guy he uh he was asked earlier by uh laura robson on on sky what part of the wedding that he is taking care of this year cameron norrie's getting married in December and he said the after party he is organising the party.

35:42Matt Roberts: He's a fun guy he's just going to be eating your man there does he mean the reception hang on does he mean like the wedding reception or does he mean like there's a party after the wedding reception like you know like a rave or something.

35:56Catherine Whitaker: Two DJs he said

36:00Matt Roberts: at the same time

36:01Catherine Whitaker: who can say he wasn't pushed by Laura on that on that detail.

36:07Matt Roberts: Hashtag journalism is dead. Any more angles on the Al Karazni? Matt, what do you want to happen in the Orangerie with the draw now?

36:21David Law: Carnage.

36:25Catherine Whitaker: Gosh, that is a good question. I think I think I would take just like a battle royale in the other half of the draw to

36:34Matt Roberts: Yannick Sinner like I just like sort of everybody else yeah I think because because I do think

36:41Catherine Whitaker: Sinner will make the final either way and I think as you know kind of to David's point like we've got an opportunity here for real real jeopardy in one half of the draw and like a real I don't know what's going to happen and I think putting like a lot of the contenders down there I think would just be fascinating. Like those days, imagine if, you know, Fies and Hodder and Djokovic and Zverev and Mazzetti, you know, imagine if they're all on court with this massive opportunity and kind of all building to each other. To me, that would be fascinating. Yeah. But, you know, we take what we're given in the orangery.

37:24Catherine Whitaker: We enjoy it regardless.

37:27Matt Roberts: Mazzetti must be desperate but just to get himself fit and into some form. I mean, he was anyway, wasn't he?

37:34Catherine Whitaker: And he was playing a lot better today, I would say. I think already we're seeing the confidence coming back a little bit in the big moments. He was going after his forehand against her catch in a way that he hadn't really in his last couple of tournaments, using the drop shot well. He's talking more positively as well. I think he might...

37:51Matt Roberts: Because if this had happened 12 months ago, Matt, we'd have mentioned Mazzetti before now in this pod. Definitely.

37:57Catherine Whitaker: yeah well he lost to Carlos Alcraz last year didn't he he took a set off him

38:01Matt Roberts: he'd have been very prominent in the conversation

38:03Catherine Whitaker: absolutely he might be sort of timing his charge you know like build a bit more confidence in Madrid go into Rome it's a big event for him and then it's all about the draw because get him in the other bit of the you know get him in the other half and yeah he'll be he'll be rubbing his hands together so.

38:25Matt Roberts: David, before we go, just time for a big Fonseca prediction, if you fancy doing one of those.

38:34David Law: No, no, I'll have a look at the draw, and I also want to see what he's going to do for the next couple of weeks, really. I think he's got stuff to prove, even if I have just drafted him into my fantasy team at the expense of Taylor Fritz. I mean, you know, he's earned his place there, but I expect more than the quarterfinals he's been dishing up so far. so actually isn't he going to play Hodder now because I think he's got a walkover tonight Fonseca against Marin Cilic so I mean I might be a little bit higher on Hodder for the French Open than Fonseca at the moment I've got to be honest so you know

39:13Catherine Whitaker: a lot can change in 12 months you're definitely going high on Hodder

39:18Matt Roberts: David did you know who Rafael Hoda was 12 months ago?

39:23David Law: No, I'd never heard of him.

39:28David Law: Fonseca let me down a year ago, didn't he? You know, I mean, it's all about me, really, in the end.

39:34Catherine Whitaker: One thing on Sinner, you know, again, I love drawing these parallels. When you think about that press conference after the US Open last year, when he just lost to Al Coraz, and he was talking about the variety and everything. and you know you think of that as a as a weapon to try and beat carlos alcaraz that he wants to incorporate that into his game well now he's going into one of the biggest tournaments of his career you know trying to complete the career slam but his biggest rival isn't there and yet i think all of the stuff that he's been doing to try and beat his biggest rival is still helpful and again i draw this comparison with federer in 2009 he he developed a forehand drop shot federer that year kind of in mind of thinking that had helped me against Nadal at Roland Garros.

40:22Catherine Whitaker: I mean, he just got smoked in the Roland Garros final the year before. He ends up not having to play Rafael Nadal. But my goodness, a drop shot helps him against Juan Martín del Potro and Robin Serdling, these big guys who aren't as comfortable moving forward. And Yannick Sinner today on the clay was drop shotting almost every game he was incorporating that shot. and he seems a lot more comfortable with it now. And so even without Carlos Alcrest being there, I just think he is better set up now to play on the clay than he kind of ever has been, as he showed in Monte Carlo as well. And that's because of the wider developments that he's done in his game and those have come about because of the rivalry with Carlos Alcrest, the way they're pushing each other.

41:07Catherine Whitaker: It's just interesting. and I do think if Sina were to face, you know, a Djokovic, for example, OK, I know he beat Djokovic in straight sets at Roland Garros last year, but it was a close match. And I think you can forget just how sort of dangerous Djokovic felt that night at times because it ended in straight sets. And even something like a drop shot that he's got now might help him in kind of that match as well when we saw the way Djokovic was able to kind of out hit him in Australia. you know like he's got the drop shot now he feels more comfortable with that so you know kind of he might he's not gonna have to beat Carlos Alcaraz to win this French Open but the way Carlos Alcaraz has forced him to develop his game might end up also helping him win the French Open and I think that's that's kind of interesting and the way that these rivals are just always impacting each other even when they're not actually facing each other the presence of Carlos Alcres will still be felt at Roland Garros in Yannick Sinner's drop shot.

42:08Catherine Whitaker: It's basically what I'm saying.

42:11Matt Roberts: That's such a great point. Although Hannah is resenting the Del Potro mention. I forget. I think Hannah's had enough Del Potro trauma tonight.

42:19Catherine Whitaker: I always forget how sensitive Hannah is to any mention of Del Potro, you know, sadness. I respect it. I love Hannah's love for Del Potro.

42:31Matt Roberts: just wrapping up a few points from the chat people wanting updates on Morgan Riddle and Taylor Fritz I think they have broken up that is what the streets are saying how do we know that live reaction to that David oh

42:54Catherine Whitaker: I don't really have one there were some rumours a few weeks ago, weren't there? But then Morgan commented on something and tagged Fritz in. But there's since been...

43:06Matt Roberts: Yeah, I think it's done. Yeah, is what I'm hearing. Yeah, it's a shame. I liked them together. And people want a Goran voicemail update. People in the chat that were with us for our friend's live show a couple of nights ago. David received a... Well, David was live texting Goran on the show and then received a voice note which he declared he couldn't couldn't play out live on the show for obvious reasons. For the best that I didn't. Could you could you pray see? Did Goran get paid David?

43:43David Law: There were a lot of swear words and no I don't think he did wasn't 100 % clarified but I got the sense that he didn't and he said I tried hard I didn't tank so

44:05Matt Roberts: do we believe him? I think he would fess up he sounded really quite pissed off

44:11David Law: he was just crap

44:11Matt Roberts: he was crap so it was just terrible

44:15David Law: and it ended up it then went off on a detour and he started talking about when he lost to Nick Brown at Wimbledon in 1991 a match I remember so I then brought up the one where he played Chris Bailey and he hit a second serve let cord on match point down that dribbled over and then he followed it with a second serve ace down the middle and broke British hearts but he said he he says he feels as though he helped British players gain attention and all the rest of it it feels like Britain owes him just as the crap

44:51Matt Roberts: Goran says Hannah in the chat absolutely and I feel like we should end this show on a moment of silence for Owen in our fantasy league who pretty much bet his house on Carlos Alcaraz didn't he there wasn't much budget left over for anything else put it that way lily tagger's gonna need a big french open for her put it that way

45:16David Law: that would be great that that's why some of us built a deep squad like the seattle seahawks you know and don't just rely on one big fancy dan quarterback you know or a big carlos alcaraz pick you go and build a nice deep when david says fancy dan

45:36Matt Roberts: I had never heard the expression Fancy Dan before podcasting with David Law it's one of my absolute I heard it on a like a Netflix show the other night and Americans say it too I thought it was a like tollyhole thing yeah

45:54David Law: so you see you're either a fancy Dan or a duffer there's nothing in between

46:02Matt Roberts: right you've you've cheered me up David I was pretty bummed out a couple of hours ago but this has been a great group therapy session look we all wish Carlos Alcaraz were playing Roland Garros but you know sometimes you appreciate things more when absence makes the heart grow fonder that's the expression I'm reaching for post beer so yeah Carlos get well soon we hope to see you on the grass and thank you everyone for joining us live tonight if you did for contributing to the chat if you managed to do so without trolling and thank you for listening we'll be back with our regularly appointed schedule on Monday Matt hopefully out of his funeral clothes but who can say it is your right Matt to grieve for as long as you need to

46:57Catherine Whitaker: well Fulham are playing tomorrow and we've failed to score in five of our last six games So just go to sleep in him, Matt.

47:05David Law: It's fine. Yeah.

47:07Matt Roberts: OK, Matt, the man in black back on Monday, as are we. We'll speak to you then.

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