Live from Wimbledon on Media Day - what's the story with Sinner?

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1:51Matt Roberts: Hello and welcome to the tennis podcast live from Wimbledon on the championships Eve Eve. That is what we are calling it. The place has been a little bit buzzier today. A few more of the outside courts being used for practice, more people milling about, staff being trained, ready for Monday, security being being briefed. I've seen briefings all about the place, that kind of thing. big calm before the storm energy at Wimbledon today except for here on the broadcast roof where it's been it's been middle of the storm energy here on the broadcast roof and in the media centre hasn't it literally hundreds of players passing through the media centre stopping to do press conferences one-on-one print interviews radio interviews with people like us fun social bits and bobs I think we accidentally photo bombed some Emirati Karni content earlier that you might see us in the background of big broadcast interviews as well it's been chaos up here and we can't wait to talk about it all on today's show hello if you're with us live hello if you're taking part in the live chat Hannah is there Vicky is there if you're listening to us as a podcast hello as well and do check us out live on YouTube every night as well if that is your jam Matt, you got to enjoy a Grand Slam Media Day without being stood up by Amanda Anissimova.

3:14Matt Roberts: What a treat. Only because he didn't ask.

3:18Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, I've learnt my lesson. Yeah, French Open Media Day was defined by not doing an interview that I was expecting to do and today was defined by doing an interview that I wasn't expecting to do.

3:32Matt Roberts: What a fantastic tease from Matt. Matt and I have a story for later in the show, folks. and I don't think it'll disappoint. We're still processing something that happened earlier on in the day. David, you did Italian media a favour today by speaking to Matteo Berrettini at some length?

3:51David Law: I did, yeah. I'd requested Matteo Berrettini for Tennis Podcast Meets for Friends of the Tennis Podcast, which will be going out in the next day or so. And, you know, it came up with a yes, but it was going to be part of a sort of media huddle, a sort of media conference, because there was more interest than just me. and he didn't want to keep doing the same interview twice or similar ones. And I was helped out personally by the fact that the Italian media who also wanted to speak to him were already speaking to Lorenzo Sonigo. But actually I then stepped in because the moderators were all saying, well, what are we going to do with Berrettini?

4:28David Law: All the Italian media are in Sonigo and he's on his way. And I said, I can talk to him in English. I'm available for chat. Yeah, I'm quite happy to, you know, help you out if you'd like. And sure enough, off we went into a little side room and had a lovely chat.

4:43Matt Roberts: Which is very indicative of how media day is, isn't it? Honestly, you'll be standing in the hub in there and you'll turn around and there'll be a Wimbledon champion behind you just sort of stood there looking a bit like a rabbit in the headlights, waiting to be shunted into a room.

4:58Catherine Whitaker: Like it's a bit wild. Yeah, I was told there were over 900 requests.

5:04Matt Roberts: Wow. Wow. So no wonder it was chaos at times. Only about five of those was from us. Yeah, I think we were responsible with our requests. We're a part of the problem, but only a small part of the problem. We've spoken to a lot of tennis players today, though, one-on-ones, and we've been to all the significant press conferences as well. So let's get right into it. And let's start, I think, with the men's world number one, Yannick Sinner, because a lot of people in the room today, in the media theatre, the main big press conference room, which has a real sense of theatre about it, doesn't it? It's dark in there.

5:43Matt Roberts: It's lit like a theatre. There's some real grandeur. And everyone in there today, well, a lot of people in there today, had the same question for Yannick Sinner. Why have you sacked your trainer and physio a week out from Wimbledon? Was that question answered, David?

6:02David Law: Not really, no. And bear in mind, these are a trainer and physio that he's only had with him for, what, six or eight months, something like that, since the whole debacle of his previous physical team conspiring effectively to have him get a ban. I mean, you know, by accidental means, rubbing this cream into his back that had a banned substance in. He's missed three months of the tour. So he dispenses with them and he hires Novak Djokovic's team, basically, to look after him physically. Now, that's a good hire. These are guys that have had a lot of success with Novak Djokovic in terms of Grand Slam titles won.

6:44David Law: It had started really well with them as well over the last few months. And then suddenly we get word reports that they are no longer part of the team. So, yeah, the first three questions of the press conference were about that specific subject. He said he absolutely said, yes, that is the case. They no longer work with me. We've had some good times. Nothing really big happened is what he kind of said. And that was pursued. And he was asked, well, why then? And or something along those lines. and he kind of gave this sort of, well, sometimes these things happen type of line. I asked him, when did you make this decision?

7:30David Law: And he said, after Haller. So he's confirmed that that is literally a week ago that he's made this decision. And so we don't know why, really, and yet something has happened. You don't do that. You don't dispense with such people of pedigree on the eve of a Grand Slam unless there's something up.

7:53Matt Roberts: And people in those kind of roles as well, like a physio and a trainer, it's quite hard to imagine a situation where you would want to get rid of them urgently. Like you couldn't just hold on for the sake of stability until the end of a Grand Slam. Like something has to have happened here and I suppose it's pretty pointless speculating about what it might be because it could be anything. but you know there was no kind of Novak Djokovic Andy Murray style platitudes about deepening friendships were there like it feels like I do feel like there's a story there and it's it's tantalizing yeah and even the way the news came out like if it was completely amicable you would have thought that he would have put out like a nice statement announcing it and really thanking them as it was he gave like a throwaway line in the press conference obviously thanks to them we did some good work together but actually you know it wasn't really showing much warmth towards them in the in the press conference and with and with the way this news has come out you have to think that okay he said nothing crazy has happened but Yannick Sinner if something crazy had happened Yannick Sinner would not come in and say something crazy happened guys like that is just not Yannick Sinner is it he made he made a doping ban sound pretty well in the middle didn't he with the way you talked about it yeah something acute has has obviously happened i think um and look it's thinking about this tournament he actually finds himself in a similar situation that he was in at the us open where he'd got rid of his former team as david said just before that he then played that tournament with darren cahill with simone his other coach i'm not actually sure who else was with him at the US Open.

9:45Maybe he was using tour physios or something. And look, he won that tournament. So in terms of the impact that it might have on him, as we kind of always talk about with Sinner, the way he's managed to withstand everything that's happened in the last year and keep winning, you have to think that it's probably not going to have a huge impact on him on this tournament. And I do think the work he did with that team has been good. I mean, I think he is physically stronger than he was. I mean, we saw how great he was playing after five and a half hours

10:18Catherine Whitaker: in the Roland Garros final. It is just very, very interesting. And I agree, I don't really think we got answers today.

10:27Matt Roberts: And it's hard to think that this was related to any, you know, the shock lost to Bublik in Haller because he said today, didn't he, that I feel fine now, I'm ready, my head's in the right place. It wasn't in Haller. He said, Haller, there was a hangover from Roland Garros, very, very understandably. I mean, it was quite a wild press conference generally, wasn't it, from Riannick Sinner for such an unwild man. When I say unwild man, topics of conversation included his partnership with Emma Navarro. More on that in a moment. His partnership with Gucci. His partnership with Andrea, I've written Bolelli.

11:06Matt Roberts: That sort of person. Bocelli. Good morning. That's the love child of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Bocelli.

11:17Matt Roberts: Yes, his partnership with Andrea Bocelli. Just to push my agenda here a little bit, if this were a female player, and that was the nonsense that they were doing away from the tennis court, a duet with Andrea Bocelli, some hoo-ha with Gucci, and, well, those two things are enough. But can you imagine what the narrative would be?

11:43David Law: Too much going on off the court.

11:44Matt Roberts: Too much going on off the court. Too many deals, too many music videos, too many distractions. Yeah, anyway. I think my favourite part of the Bocelli stuff was when he said congrats to him and his team. I've written that. That's what was distracting me when I started talking about Simone Bocelli accidentally. He started talking about Andrea Bocelli. It was so funny. Yes, so that was the obligatory question about the Andrea Bocelli team-up, which he still is unable to explain, isn't he? Like, he can't make that make any sense to anybody. He's just like, yeah, it was great. It was a lovely thing.

12:24Matt Roberts: Congrats to him and his team. Gucci, yeah, he talked about how he likes the colours. Emo Navarro, though. This was so fun. It's incredible. It is now incredibly clear to us and I think to everybody that the US Open picked these mixed doubles pairings. Yannick Sinner had never spoken to Emma Navarro until yesterday. Yeah. Yeah. Yesterday. He said it was very unexpected to be partnered with Navarro. He said he'd never met her. They texted a little bit. But only after the... Only after they'd been put together. And he said the choice was not big in terms of who he was going to play with. They were both left on the shelf.

13:15Matt Roberts: And there was a follow-up. It was this essentially some matchmaking from the US Open. And he said, yeah, that's what's happened. And he said, I'm very happy to be playing with her. And we did a bit of, you know, joking about, oh, she's going to have to put up with my volleys. The usual. Yeah. Oh, it's so funny. Yeah, it was a real, real moment. Yeah, I mean, I don't quite know why Yannick Sinner had, you know, such last pick.

13:46David Law: Maybe they, you know, put it to certain definites that they knew wanted to play and that they wanted to play. And they went for, you know, I can't even think who these partnerships are anymore.

14:00Matt Roberts: Well, Paolini is with Musetti.

14:02David Law: Yeah, I mean, there's probably some obvious ones.

14:04Matt Roberts: Which is the kind of obvious person you might...

14:06David Law: And then you, I mean, let me put it to you. Who would you suggest Yannick Sinner plays mixed up?

14:12Matt Roberts: Well, you could have Sinner and Sabalenka, the world number ones, and defending champions.

14:17Catherine Whitaker: Sabalenka's in with Dimitrov. Dimitrov. Okay. I'll probably withdraw.

14:22Matt Roberts: Right. Yeah. That's off the top of my head. Give me 30 seconds and I can find a few other than Sinner and Navarro, David. Okay. Almost everyone else. Someone he's spoken to before.

14:39Generally, how do we feel?

14:41Matt Roberts: Like, what have we learned about Yannick Sinner's prospects at this tournament? Nothing. From that press conference. Great. Okay.

14:47David Law: I mean, nothing. other than I think he's feeling good. There was one moment where I saw him, he was chatting to Lee McKenzie, who does the on-court interviews, does those really well. And, you know, the players get a bit of rapport with people in those sort of roles. And at the end, they did an interview here next to us. And afterwards, she just said, oh, see you on court. And he goes, yeah. And he goes, oh, if I win. because of course you know you've got to actually win a match in order to uh to speak to her on the court um which which i thought was just a little insight into a how how their minds have to work you know they they have to see the potential for losing you know to have a little bit of jeopardy i think even and i really believe that that's that's what they do you know they they they make themselves scared of the potential so that they're absolutely bang on it.

15:48Matt Roberts: OK, Carlos Alcaraz also impressed today. Matt, you went to this one. Did we learn anything about Carlos Alcaraz other than it's fun being Carlos Alcaraz, which we definitely already knew?

15:58Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, honestly, there wasn't too much to come out of this press conference. He was in a great mood, of course. he gave a lovely answer about you know why he loves playing on grass so much like I think he just really appreciates the style of play that comes up on grass and he was listing it and it was all the things that he likes doing the game makes so much sense for him on this surface and then there was a funny moment right at the end of the press conference where he he'd said earlier in it that one of the things he'd done post-Queens was playing golf with Andy Murray of course because Andy Murray's golf obsessed Andy will play with anybody who's up for it

16:41Matt Roberts: give him a call David I think he wants good good partners not me you're pretty good David and you forgot your clubs it would be embarrassing to turn up to golf with Andy Murray not having any clubs I think David is a specialist at getting out of a bunker that is true I've seen it with my own eyes

17:04David Law: so Andy if it's just Just you and me in the bunker. I fancy my chances.

17:09Matt Roberts: That's getting clipped up. OK, Matt, as you were. Well, as he was leaving the press conference, a journalist just shouted at him, who won the golf? And he said, Andy. But I let him win. Yeah, because Andy's spending like 16 hours a day working on his golf, isn't he? Yeah. Yeah. OK. That's a nice moment. But we didn't learn anything about... Oh, he's fine. We don't need to learn anything about Alcrest, do we? Sometimes we want to read into press conferences. We don't need to read into that Carlos Alcrest press conference.

17:43David Law: Can I tell you one thing I learned today about Carlos Alcrest by association, Catherine? Yes, please. At the end of my interview with Matteo Berrettini, so I've had lovely six or seven minutes with him, and then, you know, you press... That's getting clipped up as well. A little montage. You press stop on the recorder. We're on our way out, and I said... And he'd been talking, as part of the interview, he was talking about Sinner and Alcaraz, which was nice. It's really interesting to get a fellow professional's viewpoint on them. And then at the end, as we're walking off, and he was talking about how long that match was the other day, five and a half hours, and he couldn't believe what he was seeing and all the rest of it.

18:22David Law: And so when we were walking out, I said, by the way, you're still the only person who's actually beaten Carlos Alcaraz in a fifth set. And he goes, yeah, yeah, I knew that because he told me.

18:37when i don't know but it sounds like it's quite recent but carlos alcaraz it appears has told mateo berrettini you're still you're the only bloke who's feet with me in five sets

18:46Matt Roberts: it definitely checks out to me that carlos alcaraz absolutely knows that like that record is at the forefront of his mind yeah and my read would be that like next time he finds himself in a fifth set with Matteo Berrettini, if he does, he's definitely going to be putting that record straight. Like he, he wants to, you know, he wants to sort of wipe the slate there. I'd have thought so. Okay. Knowing about Djokovic, I feel like we did learn a lot about how he's feeling, what his prospects might be at this tournament. David, he was bullish. He was relaxed. He was chatty. this press conference started with a sort of theatrical exchange between him and Norena Sabalenka, who were back-to-back in the main press conference room.

19:41Matt Roberts: And, yeah, they did a cutesy little thing at the start, didn't they? Sort of to demonstrate how relaxed they both are. Djokovic does like those, doesn't he? He does. We've seen quite a lot of that.

19:53Catherine Whitaker: There's often quite a lot of that between Djokovic and Sabalenka. they were doing that dance off at Roland Garros weren't they when they came off the courts didn't they practice here together

20:03Matt Roberts: yeah and they spent half an hour chatting after that practice apparently I think they're I mean they go to the pub together but I think they are sort of friends in the way that tennis players are friends he he was a real open book today David wasn't he Djokovic unfortunately his answers are so long I mean they're good they're really good answers and he really opens up, but they're so long, there was only time for four questions. And I felt like, God, he's in such... You were speaking for 15 minutes for those four questions. ...effusive mood today. It was a shame not to be able to put more stuff to him, but we did learn a lot from what he said.

20:46He said categorically,

20:49Matt Roberts: yes, I would agree that Wimbledon is my best chance of winning number 25. and interestingly he carried on that sentence to say because of motivation he's not because not because I have an edge on grass over most other most other players but because he is I mean he's made very clear hasn't he that it's the slams that count and he doesn't really give any hoots at all outside of the slams but it sounds like Wimbledon above all the others is where he's most motivated. And I think we learnt that last year, quite frankly, because the fact he even played Wimbledon last year, so soon after the knee surgery, with the Olympics on the horizon, I remember we were speculating just before Wimbledon last year, will he even play?

21:42Would he skip Wimbledon to prioritise the Olympics? And look, winning the Olympic gold was everything to him, but he also made sure he played Wimbledon. He was never going to skip that to try and achieve something else. Wimbledon is huge for him. His most successful slam is obviously Australia but I think the sort of connection that he feels with Wimbledon is perhaps stronger here than even there.

22:13Matt Roberts: He said, I like the way I feel right now physically and you could tell, couldn't you, in the way he was carrying himself.

22:20David Law: I was really taken by that and that was actually part of his very long answer to my question which I didn't think I phrased quite well enough because it meant that he ended up going around the houses a little bit but he actually got to a really good answer in the end there I mean what I was trying to talk to him about is what's it like to be hunting again rather than the hunted You know, you've got Alcraz and Sinner there the way you used to have Nadal and Federer almost. And I was trying to think, well, or do you feel like that? Or do you feel like, actually, hold on a minute. I'm the bloke with 24 grand slams.

23:01David Law: I'm still the man here. And I got the sense that he's still, he's totally respectful of Sinner and Alcraz. And he knows how good they are. And he does want to, he does want to achieve as much, he wants to beat them. but he said it's about records for me now. I'm playing for records, really, and to see what I can do and to get the last whatever is left out of me. But then he transitioned into how he feels right now and he was very clear that I feel good on that practice court and if I think back 12 months ago, that press conference, that same press conference was dominated by his knee and he didn't, you know, how on earth he'd managed to get surgery between the French Open and Wimbledon to play it, let alone go and reach the final, is truly one of the astonishing things.

23:55David Law: But he was tense in that press conference a year ago. The room was tense. It was an inquisition about one body part, really. This time it's just not a consideration. He doesn't feel injured. He's not talking about injury. He looks fresh. He looks ready. And he did say, look, that doesn't mean that everything's going to go well in the tournament. But I get the sense that it couldn't be going better on the practice court.

24:22Matt Roberts: Yeah, absolutely. It was very interesting, that press conference, as was Jack Draper's. As I kind of always am with Jack Draper, very impressed with the way he talked and the maturity of how he talked. he talked a lot about the process of learning to take responsibility for himself and his actions he talked about almost not quite being unprofessional but he talked about the the process of going through the time when all of his mates from school were going off to uni and he he said he's a nice turn of phrase he said kind of extending their childhoods whereas I was thrust into a very adult world of of responsibility and hard work whereas you know First year of uni is a bit of a joke, isn't it?

25:11So kind of when he was pushing his absolute hardest

25:16Matt Roberts: to make a go of being a professional tennis player, his mates are going off and doing Freshers Week, and he said, I mean, I've never thought of Jack Draper as ever having had a problem with professionalism and hard work. I feel like that's the area that he's always had down, but he kind of indicated that that's been a process. He kept saying, I've really had to learn to take responsibility for myself, myself and my actions and my choices. I did think his energy was quite tense, even though he was saying the right things, but then how could it not be? How could he not be wired? He knows he's going into that press conference, he's going to be thrown a load of British tabloid questions which are an experience, aren't they?

26:05Matt Roberts: Like, there's a real art to it. Yeah, more on those later. Yeah, absolutely. But I don't necessarily think it's a reflection of how he's feeling about his tennis. I just think he's aware of the situation and being the man. He did, incidentally, he was asked about, I referenced on last night's show, the treatment he seemed to be getting during practice the other day which looked quite unusual. He works with a breathing coach. It was his breathing coach. And she was sort of behind him with her arms around him. And it makes total sense now what that photo was of, now that he said that that's what it was.

26:48Matt Roberts: And he said it helps with, I mean, breathwork helps with everything, doesn't it? Oxygen is life. But obviously helps with anxiety and heat stress as well because breathing can be affected by intense heat. and it is going to be intensely hot here on Monday. That has been a bit of a theme throughout the day, actually. Players from Florida being bemused and amused by questions about how hot it's going to be here on Monday. They're like, get a life, everyone. Yes, you're right. I forgot to mention the bit in the Alcres press conference. There was a lot of comments on sweat. OK. Alcres was a bit like, I'll be fine.

27:34Matt Roberts: so that's Jack Draper

27:36Catherine Whitaker: how was his tonsillitis?

27:38Matt Roberts: fine, he says that's fine yeah he did reveal how tough Queens had been that he really had been struggling with that all week and he was just desperate to do well there and kind of put a lot of pressure on himself to fight through it but his voice was fine that seems to be behind him now look, in a stress test situation who knows but for now that all seems okay uh david matt i think you both went to the press conference of his scheduled third round opponent alexander bublich i didn't have the guts to do that because i find him terrifying so please report back i do too i don't want one with him yeah and you said he was really eggy yeah and i i was struck by that in the

28:29Catherine Whitaker: press conference as well. I thought he was sort of rejecting the premise of questions put to him. He seemed, I thought he seemed quite tense, actually. Compared to, like, I think we think of Bublik as this, you know, bit of a loose cannon. And, A, I think that's wrong. I don't think that is him. But he seemed a bit tight.

28:57Matt Roberts: This is the first time he's really been taken seriously as a tennis player coming into a Grand Slam, as a prospect, as a threat. This is different for Alexander Bublik.

29:09David Law: Yeah, I think it is different. And I think he's at pains to sort of make out that it's not, really. But I also think he finds it all quite boring talking about tennis and prospects and potential. I just think he thinks it's all a load of nonsense. Let's just get on with the tournament. you know or and I think if you were to if you were to take him off piste with questions that weren't about his prospects of winning this thing or of going far or I think he'd probably lighten up quite a bit more if they were good or if or if he thought they were good you know yeah he's he can be difficult I I thought he came it came across as a little bit of a defense mechanism because he was asked about that it's different and he just kind of rejected it

29:59Catherine Whitaker: and he really played down the sinner win and again look the stuff he was saying makes sense he was he was saying you know sinner's not himself in that round of that tournament but also like no one else had beaten sinner in that round of those sorts of tournaments it was special what he did And I don't know, I felt like, I think he is feeling that people are talking about him differently and that his results have been the best they've kind of been in this little period. But he's kind of not really owning all that. It was quite interesting. I can't wait to hear David's chat with him.

30:43Matt Roberts: David's one-on-one. Yeah. Yeah, there's a moment at the end, which I'm excited to hear, that David has described to us. Well, yeah. David getting fed up with his egginess.

30:53David Law: I decided to challenge it a little bit.

30:57Matt Roberts: I'm excited, David, very excited. Two final men's players from today that I wanted to touch upon before we move on to the women. Two very different press conferences. David, you were in both of them. the number three seed, Alexander Zverev, impressed today. You'd be the only one that went to this. How did you find him?

31:18David Law: I mean, it's honestly, it could have been any press conference that I've been to all year with him, really, since the Australian Open, where he talks up his chances. He likes the way his game's trending. But I get the sense that this is, he's trying to build himself up a bit because everybody else in the room is thinking, hold on, look how many people have beaten you in the last four months. There's so many people that have beaten you. And yes, he'll often point to his title in Munich or he'll talk about his run to the final in Halle. Yeah, but you, or was it Stuttgart? His final in Stuttgart.

31:59David Law: Stuttgart, yeah. And I'm thinking, yeah, but then you lost to Taylor Fritz. And then he'll talk about his semi-final in Halle. Yeah, but you lost to Daniel Medvedev. and I'm not saying that you can't lose matches but he's talking as though I mean he says look I'm still ranked three in the world I'm still three in the race you don't feel like you're three in the race that was six months ago mate when you reached the final of the Australian Open that's really why you're three in the race because I'd like to know what the race would be if it was from February onwards I'd quite like somebody to do the maths on that but I understand it you know he's coming in what's he going to say I'm playing rubbish I have been for months and I've got no chance.

32:39David Law: He's not going to say that, and I totally understand that.

32:41Matt Roberts: But do you think he believes what he's saying? Do you think his internal monologue is the same, or do you think it's defence mechanism?

32:48David Law: I think he believes it consciously, but I think the problem is when he's getting out there, suddenly it's just not quite there. He hasn't got the inherent banked confidence that he had a year ago. When he arrived here a year ago, and I remember asking him about whether he actually thought he could go deep here and he said, actually this is the first time I've really thought that I could and I believed him, I believed him then and actually, don't forget he was two sets up on Fritz here a year ago playing well I know we sometimes kind of say you talked about the injury you weren't injured when you played him in the US Open but actually I think he was injured here a year ago and I think that probably is why he lost to Taylor Fritz so he could well have done big things here a year ago that he didn't end up going on to do as a result of that I don't get the sense that he's in that how could he be in that mindset, he hasn't had the wins of late

33:46Matt Roberts: Last player on the men's side to touch upon from press today very different experience David, you and I were both in the room for this and for me it was my moment of the day the Dan Evans press conference it was incredibly moving

34:02David Law: yeah incredibly pretty run-of-the-mill press conference you know he's he's got a good relationship with the media as Dan Evans particularly the British media men of who many of whom we know him and and he's um he's very relaxed with them and there was a moment where the Suns Rob Moore walked in about two minutes late and Dan just quietly looked at his watch and then looked at Rob and and sort of you know took the mic and then made him cry later and And then Rob asked the kind of penultimate question in the press conference about, is it Wimbledon that has kind of kept you going in the last few months, knowing that, you know, and now you've had a bit of form?

34:41David Law: And he started to talk about that. And within a few words, his eyes were filling with tears. And he was clearly taken by surprise that he was getting emotional. And he says, I don't know why I'm so upset about this. I don't know why I'm getting so upset. but I think that it's just that you know I keep looking at my wife who's traveling with me and I keep looking looking at my dad and they're all trying to support me and they're telling me you can still do it and they believe in me and and I'm wondering whether they really do you know it's it was kind of like that because you can tell that he's had his own doubts and I mean he's not he's not been playing at a level that he's used to and and and he says that that just makes you makes It's hard to keep doing the training and wondering whether you've still got it.

35:31David Law: And I think the last couple of weeks where he's actually had some wins and had some performances have made him realise that it's still there. But it's kept him up at night, you can tell. It's really worried him and made him feel, I think, insecure as a player. and sort of he says I'm not worried about retirement it's not that I think it's just facing up to kind of his tennis mortality well he said didn't he it's not retirement I'm not

36:04Matt Roberts: afraid of retirement he's afraid of this limbo zone of should I be retired should I be retiring have I not got it anymore have I not got it anymore is is everybody around me are they just telling me what i want to hear and and privately they're thinking give it up dan you don't have it anymore um and you know he's very aware of what people are sacrificing for him to continue to do to do this i mean his lip starts wobbling whenever he talks about his wife doesn't it it's quite a

36:36David Law: thing to be in a room full of people like we were it's a small very intimate room yeah it's three rows of chairs maybe 20 chairs and they're all filled and you can suddenly hear a pin drop because a guy is crying in front of you. You weren't expecting that. And I think everybody feels for him a bit in that moment. And I thought he handled it really well. It was good.

37:01Matt Roberts: He also was quite happy to talk about the fact that he knows the prize for winning round one. It's not only a bunch of ranking points that he desperately needs. I tiptoed into the question, Matt. You did, David. Have you seen your draw? But you also know Dan Evans well enough to know that he knew.

37:20David Law: I said, some players, Dan, don't like to look at who their next round might be. He goes, I know. I haven't even finished the question yet. And, I mean, he plays Jay Clark. And if he wins that, he's likely to be playing Novak Djokovic. And, I mean, he's clearly pumped about the prospect, isn't he? It's having the chance to have a crack at Novak Djokovic, particularly after all the months of playing in goodness knows where and not playing anybody of that ilk.

37:46Matt Roberts: He said it would be a brilliant ending to the grass court season. And then he corrected himself and he said not that it would be an ending. Yeah. Which was, it was a real moment, a real poignant moment. He's one of those athletes that just makes you feel Dan Evans. So it's going to be, it's going to be hard not to root for him, I think. Today's show is brought to you by Vanguard. To all the financial advisors listening, let's talk about bonds. for a minute. Capturing value in fixed income is not 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.

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40:12Matt Roberts: on to the women's draw and the WTA players that came through the press conference room today by the way if you're with us on YouTube do smash that like and subscribe button let's start with the women's number one like we did with the men's and Irina Sabalenka this was she's getting better and better in press this was a a really really good press conference following on from okay look her final press conference in in Roland Garros was really good for the wrong reasons but it was an incredibly open press conference albeit a very very controversial one and I wondered how she would be when talking about that.

41:01Matt Roberts: I wondered if she would feel like, look, I've owned it, I've apologised, I've done a TikTok with Coco Gough, that's put to bed, stop asking me about it. It's done. And she wasn't. She really wasn't defensive about it. She was...

41:20David Law: I'm pleased to hear that.

41:21Matt Roberts: She was asked whether she felt that, you know the reaction had been harsh or whether she was annoyed at some of the reaction particularly in the US press you know I think it's been bad in the US perhaps even worse than I than I realized I think I think she might be a bit anxious in fact about what's going to happen when she goes to to New York but that's you know worry for another day um and a worry for Grigol Dimitrov, her mixed doubles partner. But yeah, she said, she said, I deserved it. You know, I, I, I did the crime. I need to do, I need to do the time. And I, I've learned a lot from it about myself.

42:10Matt Roberts: And she, and it didn't, didn't just feel like boilerplate apology stuff. Like, I'm sure she has had PR advice about it, don't get me wrong at all, but it felt pretty genuine and human to me. It didn't feel like boilerplate. I apologise for any hurt that I have caused. Kind of say the things you need to say, tick that box to hopefully get everyone to sweep it under the carpet and move on. I found it impressive. And I think that, to me, is going to be the most fascinating element of all this. like yes she's learned something about herself but like can she change it because I think we're in you know my instinct is she's so far developed now she's so far into her career and my instinct is it's a this is a situation where her her vice is also her virtue you know like that that sort of attitude that she had in the press conference is one of the fundamental reasons why she's managed to get as good as she's got because she does own these matches and think that she has all the power in them and all of that kind of thing but it there are the one or two occasions where it holds her back and if she can get that balance right then and she can learn from this that will be the ultimate for her.

43:39Like, because I've absolutely no doubt that she's going to keep playing with that same sort of confidence. But if she can learn from that sort of experience that she had against Coco Gauff and take that into potentially future matches, well, then she'll probably be thankful for this entire episode because it will probably make her even stronger. So I think, I believe her when she says that she feels like she's learned from it. She really hopes it doesn't happen again. but whether you can actually change something that's so fundamental about yourself now, I'm not so sure. I asked her whether she was keen to face Coco Gauff in another Grand Slam final

44:23Matt Roberts: or whether there's no one she'd less like to face in a Grand Slam final than Coco Gauff. And she liked the question. It wasn't something she'd given thought to, but she really, really did give thought to it in the moment. And she kind of gave both answers. She said, on one hand, yes, I would like to face her for revenge. And obviously, on the other hand, you know, I've lost two of these to her. It would be a nightmare. But I found the most interesting thing about this answer, Matt, I think you've read the transcript, is how she interpreted the question. Because I meant just from a competitive point of view, Do you want to get revenge on Coco Gauff?

45:06Matt Roberts: Lay the ghost to rest. Prove to yourself that you can beat her in a Grand Slam final. She interpreted it as, would you like to kind of prove that you can be a magnanimous loser against Coco Gauff? Would you like to put those PR ghosts to rest, almost? Which was very revealing of how much that has been on her mind and continues to be on her mind. I think totally and that's why her answer was a little confusing because she interpreted it that way her answer was yes I would like to prove that I can sort of lose differently but actually no I don't want to lose to her so it was she didn't really know whether to say kind of yes or no but absolutely I think it's fascinating what you picked up on there in terms of her mind going to that rather than the actual tennis.

46:00Matt Roberts: And incidentally, the theme of being a good or bad loser, particularly in Grand Slam finals, has been a real theme throughout the press conferences today. And the fact that tennis is the only sport that requires the loser in those moments to stay on court and watch the person that's beaten them receive the trophy and then have a microphone shoved under their nose. It's one of those things that's just, that's what tennis does, so you don't question it. But other sports don't do that. So look, I'm not giving her a free pass on what happened after Roland Garros, but I think you can be understanding without totally forgiving it and saying it's all fine.

46:48Matt Roberts: Coco Gough was asked a lot about it as well, as you can imagine. And yeah, this was really interesting. she she says she she struck a really great balance of being like i'm not holding a grudge everything's fine but it wasn't fine i was pissed off yeah and she may you know she was kind of asked whether she

47:08David Law: was tempted at all to clap back a little bit and give some some back and she goes i was a bit and i think if the if the apology because she says the apology wasn't immediate she said i was expecting it to come sooner yeah and and but i think once it came and when she realized it was genuine and she'd sort of talked i think privately to people and thought well you know if if if she reaches out to me and apologizes to me directly i'm going to accept it and we're going to move on because you know i'm not i don't want to be that kind of person i don't want to carry that around and um and she says you know we'd always got on okay before and and whatnot but yeah i I thought I just come out of it as usual feeling, wow, she's so cool.

47:59David Law: But yeah, they've diffused it to as far as they can with PR. I still want to see them play again. And I'm sorry, I don't see it being a non-issue the way they suggest it will be. because I do think Sabalenka could play inhibited tennis as a result of this against Coco Goff for the next time they meet. Or she could just be who she is normally and it could kick off again.

48:29Matt Roberts: Yeah, I want that too. Some other moments from Goff's press conference, she came in clutching one of these strawberries. She did indeed. And I had a rush of blood to the head. You thought David Law asked Yannick Sinner about carrots? If David can ask Yannick Sinner about carrots, then I can ask Coco Gough about a strawberry. So Matt, you need to ask a player about fruit and veg at the US Open. I would say consider it done, but actually no. Amanda, what's your favourite? We obviously had Jude the Bear last year, named after Jude Bellingham. The football was happening. We got carried away. we need a name for our strawberry here so we are open to submissions.

49:16Matt Roberts: We could wait for the women's Euros to get underway but it's I feel like we need a name now and Jude was very sort of organic in the moment I think a female name personally for anybody listening as a podcast we've got a squishy cuddly bear strawberry on the table as our sort of mascot available from the Wimbledon shop When's the Euros start? soon Tuesday I think Coco did not enjoy well did not really rate the name that the kid had come up with it was a tough moment for this kid she said our kid just handed it to me I think it was one of the little social media bits that they've been doing she said she wanted to call it Straub but I'm not having that she said I'm going to rename it I'll give it some thought and I'll let you know so we're open to submissions from both you the listener and from Coco Gough she talked about women playing best of five sets in slams David yes and she wasn't completely

50:17David Law: versed to it but also you know I didn't think she was that bothered about it and I think and I asked her as a follow-up would you would you like women's tennis at mixed men's and women's events to start playing the finals sometimes on a Sunday. Because if you think about it, it just doesn't happen. It's not a thing. And would you like women's tennis to be the final chapter of a Grand Slam? And she acknowledged that it would give the game more oxygen to have the stage and to be talked about more. And it's denied at the moment. but inevitably she comes back to the the scheduling problem of five sets versus three sets and how would you make that work and I think that that's the problem all of tennis just is convinced that you can't do that because women play three sets and men play five so it's structurally impossible in the current setup so fine change the setup and then you can change that bit too because let's be honest it is absolutely absurd that you never have women's tennis finishing tennis tournaments ever unless they're playing just women's tennis tournaments and she acknowledged that the masters 1000 where they play three sets they should be doing it and just on that subject

51:44Matt Roberts: area i spoke to on the bird today well on the bird came to to do a general press conference and then i got the chance to do a one-on-one with her afterwards which was pretty extraordinary really that'll be going out as part of Tennis Podcast Meets, the show for friends that'll be up tomorrow. But she did a press conference as well and she was asked a lot about the post that she made, the incredibly heartfelt and powerful post that she made, and brave, during the French Open in response to the lack of... Well, she was very clear, actually, this wasn't just about the night session. She said this was about total disrespect across the board of women's players.

52:27Matt Roberts: and she expressed a bit of disappointment that more players hadn't spoken up. I think she singled out Coco Gough as being the one to always stand with her on stuff like this and be prepared to put her head above the parapet. She made it very clear that Amelie Meres-Moe in the French Open had not said anything to her after she made that statement, not approached her, not tried to have a conversation. Nothing. And I asked her in our one-on-one whether she would be interested in the idea of a boycott. And, yeah, become a friend of the podcast if you want to find out what she said. But, yeah, it was quite a tough press conference in a lot of ways with Anne Chabert.

53:17Matt Roberts: She's not in a great place. She's not in a great place. I mean, there's the emotional damage that the two final losses did to her here. In particular, that second one, I really feel like it's the wonderage of a loss that haunts her. But the injuries, the injuries as well. Like, I was just looking at her thinking, you were the minister of happiness. Yeah, it was tough. There was lightness in there as well. But there was a lot of darkness too. I just, look, I don't think she has a run in her here, but just a moment or two to recapture some of what she's had here at this tournament would be very popular, I think.

54:09Matt Roberts: And just since Marketa von Drosheva has come up, Matt. Shall we talk about that? Let's talk about that. That was the interview I wasn't expecting to do that I ended up doing with you. Yeah. Yeah. What actually happened was that I was worried that I was accidentally going to end up in a Kamenori press conference. No offence. Which is a danger when times move and you suddenly think, I don't need to be in this press conference. I'll leave it. I'll leave that to the Brits to do that. Came out of that room and standing in front of us was Marketa Vondroshova. the Wimbledon champion from two years ago.

54:54Looking a bit lost. Looking completely lost in this jumble of people up in the area. And she was taken into interview room seven, which is as small as it sounds.

55:08Matt Roberts: I didn't know there were seven. I thought it ended at six. And she was taken in there and she sat down and the door was left open. I was looking at it like, it's Marquette von Prochela she's just won a title she won this title two years ago she's just sat in a room on her own sat in a room on her own and like no sign of anyone going to that press conference at all no checks around so we were like let's go in we've got to go in yeah and thank goodness we did I couldn't be more proud because it was fantastic yeah we had a 10 minute 2-1-1 with Marquesa von Droschewa. That can go in the montage.

55:51Catherine Whitaker: And actually it was like, you know, even on her title run here, she was in the main press conference room and there were a lot of times where, you know, I don't think she's that comfortable in the main press conference room. And she was winning the tournament and yet it didn't really feel like we were necessarily getting all that much out of her. And that's fine. She just, I don't think, was particularly comfortable in that environment. but she was so comfortable in this environment, in the smaller press conference room when the attention's off her and it kind of fits exactly who she is as a tennis player as well.

56:27Catherine Whitaker: When you're not thinking about her, she can do her best stuff.

56:30Matt Roberts: Most players, let alone players that have won a Grand Slam, let alone players that have won this very Grand Slam that we're at two years ago, would have had their ego bruised by that situation, by two tennis podcasters taking pity on you because you're in a room and no one's shown up. And she wasn't at all.

56:55Catherine Whitaker: No, she loved it.

56:56Matt Roberts: She loved it. She loved it. So great, I can't wait to hear it. I haven't thought of her as a great talker before. I haven't thought, oh, I mustn't miss a Marquette of Androshova press conference. But in these circumstances, she was really interesting. We talked dogs, she's got a new dog. More on that. in tennis podcast meets. Emma Raducanu, I wanted to mention. She came into press. She was one of the last players in after Carlos Alcaraz. And she was asked about Carlos Alcaraz, Matt. Yes, she was asked by those British tabloids that we mentioned. Wimbledon is wild. There's a lot of British tabloids and they are what you think they are.

57:40Matt Roberts: They basically formulate the headline that they want and put it to the player and say, would you say this? There's a lot of rumours online about your friendship. Are they true? They're so true. I mean, they have some chutzpah. I could not do that. I really could not do that. No, I don't think I could either. And actually, it was the final question. She said, no, it's just good friends. And the moderator went, guess we'll wrap it up there then.

58:15Matt Roberts: people are getting people are getting quite tired of the Al Krause-Rodacani thing aren't they do you think it's the fact that they're leaning in so which people well a lot of people on the live chat right now see they want real mixed doubles no no not the mixed doubles David the plot people are getting tired of the plot

58:36David Law: I'm joining that club and I think the problem is how much they're leaning into it and how much

58:42Matt Roberts: Evian are leaning into it the fact that it feels very PR people leaning into it yeah it doesn't feel organic no anymore some people think it's all a front for something else there's just a subplot for a separate rumour anyway yeah it's aside from distracting kind of tabloids, headlines, re-Radakarnu, I didn't think she was in a great place physically.

59:18David Law: I didn't like some of the quotes that I've heard the last week, to be honest, how it sounded like she was just trying to get through a day at a time, pretty much. Yeah. She said, not 100%. Managing the back and not expecting much from herself. And look, I think there have been times in the past where she's really talked down her chances and her prospects here at Wimbledon, I think, because that's probably a very sensible thing to do. But actually, I just believed her. I really think, given what we've seen, given the fact she was clearly struggling with the back at the end of Queen's, had to pull out of a tournament, wasn't at her best last week, I just don't think she's going to be capable of playing her best tennis here because of the back.

1:00:14And that's a real shame.

1:00:17Matt Roberts: Yep, absolutely. Wish her well. She's got a fellow Brit in round one, hasn't she? Mimi Zhu, who I think she's good friends with or certainly knows and has connections to. So, yeah, best of luck to them both in round one. I always appreciate when thoughtful and luxurious design can help change the way a space feels. That's why I love how the 48-inch panoramic display stretches across the entire dashboard in my Lincoln Navigator SUV. It helps make it easy to stay connected while giving the cabin an open, expansive feel. Whether I'm juggling errands or just enjoying some quiet time, this feature brings a fresh perspective and helps elevate even the everyday moments.

1:01:04Visit Lincoln.com to learn more. Hi, it's me, your gutters. I want to start by saying I'm fine. Everything is totally fine. There's just, there's a lot of debris up here and I've been managing it mostly on my own for about eight months now. And I just thought maybe you could find someone on Angie to clean me up. You don't have to make it a whole thing. It doesn't need to be a whole thing. I just, I could really use your help.

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1:01:42Matt Roberts: We have some results from other events that have been happening. In fact, we have all the results. All of the pre-Wimbledon events are now done and dusted. Starting in Bad Homburg, Jessica Bergula beating Igor Svantec. for the title there, 6-4, 7-5. Matt, you watched some of this. I did, and I thought it was an extremely high level from Pugula. She's actually got a sneaky good record

1:02:10Catherine Whitaker: against Igor Sviantek, certainly recently. She's beaten her four times in the last two and a half years. She's one of only three players with five wins total against Igor Sviantek, the others being Sabalenka and, of course, Ostapenko, whose record stands apart and stands alone, of course, with no defeats. But it was interesting to me because I feel like a lot of the other times Pagula's beaten Chiantic, it really felt like Chiantic was the big favourite in that match and in that match up. And there's been kind of shock element to that result. That's not to say that, you know, it's been a total shock.

1:02:54Obviously, Pagula's an absolutely top-ranked player herself. But here, it just doesn't feel like a shock. And I think part of that is the surface, a big part, to be honest. You know, Gras really makes a lot of sense for Pagula's game, and it makes the least sense for Iguish Viontech's game. But it's also just, I think, indicative of their different places in the sport right now. Now, Pagula is, you know, as good as she has always been. You know, she's right there in this last year or so. She's reached the grandstand final. She's won about five titles on the tour. And Svantec, you know, still hasn't won a title in a year.

1:03:34And so they're just in different places coming up against each other. But Pagula did really well here. She served really well. She found a constant sort of issue there with the Svantec forehand return. And she played a great point. There's an absolutely epic point from this match that I'm sure people will have seen. 5-all, 30-all in the second set. Pagula defending, drop shots, scrambling. She anticipates so well. Wins the point, gets the break, and ends up winning the match. And I was kind of thinking about what that means for Wimbledon. And we talked about Igor Shviontek a lot yesterday. You know, a bit under the radar, with a bit less pressure.

1:04:15We think that can help her. but she's got that big obstacle of Elena Rabakina in her draw. It's hard to look that far beyond that. We didn't really talk about Pagula. And, you know, you mentioned Catherine, which I think is absolutely right.

1:04:31Catherine Whitaker: She was beating Marketa von Droschva here a couple of years ago before the roof came on. She's reached the grandstand final in that time. She's got over the quarterfinal hurdle that she had for so long. I still think we're probably underrating or underestimating or not talking enough about Pagula, given the side of the draw she's on and the fact that no one really is a sure bet, and yet she's so consistent, the grass makes sense. I'm going to go as far as to say that I'm putting Pagula in the mix. Oh, that feels significant. That feels very significant. To me, she's in my mix. Considering how, like, what we're saying about Sabalenka is our favourite, but there's other names who are comfortable on this surface.

1:05:20Catherine Whitaker: I don't feel strongly about Sabalenka. I think we have to give Pagula, like, the credit that she deserves. The draw is big here.

1:05:27Matt Roberts: She's in the right section of the draw, I think.

1:05:30Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, and that's not to say that she's totally, you know, she's totally resistant to being upset early. I don't feel totally confident. You know, Tatiana Maria is lurking in that second round potentially. But if Pagula makes her way through this draw, I don't think I'm going to be surprised. I think the single biggest test is, you know, can she beat the best players in the final when they're kind of at their best? And that probably is still a hurdle that, you know, she hasn't shown us yet, trying to beat Sabalenka in that US Open final. I thought she played well Pagula, but she lost to a better player.

1:06:08Catherine Whitaker: So who is the mix then? To me it's quite big on the women's side.

1:06:16Matt Roberts: Yeah, I feel like it could be five or six players.

1:06:20Catherine Whitaker: Sabalenka, Goff. Keyes, I would put in. You've got Goff in the mix. I've got Goff in the mix.

1:06:25Matt Roberts: I would put Keyes in.

1:06:27Catherine Whitaker: Yeah. I'm putting Pagula in. And Draver? It wouldn't surprise me that much. No, to me, she's in it. Yeah. And actually, Goff had a line about Androva. She said, I think she's going to do well here.

1:06:44Matt Roberts: Yeah, I think you put Androva in the mix.

1:06:46Catherine Whitaker: Yeah. Rybakina.

1:06:48Matt Roberts: Vondrosheva. Yeah, Rybakina. Whoa! I can't wait for this tournament. I'm putting Rybakina and Vondrosheva in my mix. Yeah.

1:06:57Catherine Whitaker: Yeah, I think this is the tournament where it's the biggest. I mean, look at our last two winners.

1:07:03Matt Roberts: It's interesting, isn't it? Because it's been the smallest on the men's side. Yes. in recent times. It's been the most locked down by the big three slash four, well, big four, of any Grand Slam over the last 15 years.

1:07:18Catherine Whitaker: It's because Sviontek, Sabalenka, Gough have been so great on tour, winning a lot of big events, winning a lot of slams.

1:07:28Matt Roberts: But this is the one where they haven't won. And I just think that brings in so many more people. allows your mind to go to other people potentially winning it. Is Anisimova in the mix? Not quite. Oh, those are nice good paws there. You actually gave that thought, didn't you? I think it's worth thought. I think if you're confidently predicting someone makes the semi-finals, then it's a question.

1:07:53Catherine Whitaker: Well, confident with a Putin's save a caveat.

1:07:56David Law: YouTube gave me Anisimova against Sam Belenka at the Australian Open from, what, six years ago? Oh, my favourite match. highlights of that I watched that very happily this morning you logged in

1:08:07Matt Roberts: into the tennis podcast yeah so you're getting Matt's recommendations yeah I'm getting all of Matt's Alyssa Mova content you have to be careful what account I'm on yep we'll pop that in the montage okay so a big mix announcement from Matt's oh yeah it's not even my big announcement and now I feel like there might be another big Matt announcement coming on here what's happening there In Eastbourne, Maya Joint beat Alexandra Ayala, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, 12-10, in the deciding set tiebreak to win her second title of the season. She's won one on clay. This is one on grass. Ayala had championship points. She was absolutely devastated afterwards, sobbing underneath a towel for quite a long time.

1:08:56Matt Roberts: And because it's tennis, had to stay on court for the ceremony and everything. Maya Joint absolutely thrilled and it's not even, I don't think, her biggest achievement of the day, Matt Roberts. Some people will call this an impulsive decision but I made it there and then

1:09:16Catherine Whitaker: in the press conference room as we were watching this match together on my laptop.

1:09:20Matt Roberts: Which was a riot, by the way. Getting obsessed with it. It was so good.

1:09:25Catherine Whitaker: She saved four match points. Like, oh, there were seagulls flying across the screen and just above the players' heads. It was cinematic. Oh, it was epic. I loved it. And I got so carried away. Maya Joint, onto the backhand list, you go.

1:09:41Matt Roberts: Do you know, the live chat already knows who you're bumping off. There is a lot of Anna Bogdan sympathy happening on the live chat right now. Tell me I'm wrong. No, no one is wrong. Anna Bogdan, out. It's like double jeopardy, losing qualifying and lose your backhand list. place whereas Maya Jones just won a title won a title with her backhand it was a backhand winner that was what sealed it for me that she didn't know how much was on the line it's like having your birthday on Christmas day and getting double presents do you know what he really likes the the secret formula it's not even that secret is is seeing shonky forehands mixed in with that was a great moment so so the seagulls are flying across and she hits this worldy backhand and Matt's like purring and And the next point, it's this sort of triangular-looking forehand that goes over there.

1:10:33And Matt just said that makes her even more of the backhand list. Yep.

1:10:37Matt Roberts: It's true. Perfectly described. Someone on the live chat has pointed out that this is a tough season scene for Ethan. For Ethan, who's made me a T-shirt with the backhand list on. I think he has dated it, though. So it did say, as of Wimbledon, because he knows that I'm a liability. It's also got a subject to change on the back, hasn't it? Yeah. Well, everyone's got subject to my approval, apart from Amanda Nissimova, who just is always on the list. No need for an asterisk. On the men's side, Taylor Fritz won another Eastbourne title, of course. Beat Jenson Brooksby 7-5-6-1 in the final here. And Talon Greekspool beat Corentin Moutet 7-5-6-4 in the Mallorca final.

1:11:23Matt Roberts: you've still got a pending interview request with Corentin Moutet David yeah you better get here quickly because we want to put it out so this podcast meets might not be able to wait for you Corentin yeah get your act together absolutely that's how much we've grown in a month last month it was players rejecting us now we're like we don't need you a month ago it was called loitering with law

1:11:51and then we had a rebrand I would still like to have a Loitering with Law you know in our future I love that so much it's just it's just it's inspired by yeah it is yeah Tennis Podcast Meets wouldn't be happening if it weren't for Loitering with Law so I think we can leave it there in the past yeah

1:12:11Matt Roberts: Loitering with Law walked so that Tennis Podcast Meets could run exactly and we will be running tomorrow that show will be going out tomorrow it's already good Dave's going to be speaking to Joel Fonseca tomorrow as well there's some really good stuff in there and I'm very excited about it so that'll be available tomorrow Sunday for Friends of the Tennis Podcast if you'd like to become a friend the link as always is in our show notes we will be back with our final Wimbledon preview tomorrow Sunday at 7pm live right here on YouTube in this incredible position available as a podcast as well. We will be taking your questions.

1:12:50Matt Roberts: We will be talking about the remaining press conferences that we have tomorrow. Igor Sviontek coming in, Joel Fonseca, Bobora Krejcikova, the defending champion. We've got the order of play to look at. We have plenty more to talk about tomorrow. So do join us live if you want to ask us a question at 7pm local time on YouTube. It's going to be great fun. we have our mascots that I'd like to say hello to hello Phoebe, hello Maisie hello Maisie and hello Roger, hello to our top folks and executive producers Greg, Chris and Jeff Matt we have some shout outs

1:13:26Catherine Whitaker: we have Amy Helfeld from Seattle, Washington

1:13:32Matt Roberts: hello Amy like Amy Frazier who we talked about the other week yes and came up in Tennis Relived this week that's right wasn't she

1:13:42Catherine Whitaker: Yes, she was going to be partnering with... Tarango? Yes, I think so.

1:13:47Matt Roberts: She got Tarango'd. Dog's the bullet there. Quite. But we still had Tarango'd. I feel like we know Amy. I think Amy is a repeat shout-out. Yes. And Amy's got a great little story. Amy says, I queued in 1999 for Wimbledon and I had no clue what I was getting myself into. I was by myself and this nice family took me in and said the line was worth it. Seven hours later, Court 1 seats watching Andre Agassi. This year my ballot was picked and I'll be back on Court 1. Fantastic. Amy, that's awesome. Love it, Amy. That's so cool. That's such a great narrative. Yeah, love that. Thank you, Amy. And have a great time.

1:14:34Matt Roberts: Come and see us on the roof. We've also got Vicky Cole. hello Vicky hi Vicky like Vicky Spreadbury it has to be Vicky Spreadbury doesn't it yeah who is looking after all the wonderful stuff you're probably seeing on your screen yes

1:14:50Catherine Whitaker: this is a same church different pew situation

1:14:54Matt Roberts: Vicky with a Y yep and Vicky's very thankful for the pod because she can't always watch tennis that she wants to you know with TV rights changing a lot so she says we keep her up to date. That's lovely. Thank you, Vicky. Do we have a Vicky tennis player with a Y? There's Vicky, Victoria Duval, who's a Vicky. I think that's another Vicky with an I.

1:15:19David Law: Pretty good word.

1:15:21Matt Roberts: We'll take that. Okay, Victoria Duval, Vicky. Vicky Duval. Thanks, Vicky.

1:15:26Catherine Whitaker: And finally, we've got Celia Rafalco from Richmond, Virginia, home of Arthur Ashe.

1:15:34Matt Roberts: Hello, Celia.

1:15:36Catherine Whitaker: And we know Celia. Celia says I'm a competitive dressage rider and owner of recent pet mascot Talisman. So cool. Talisman is on an injury time out at the moment but we're rehabbing and hope to be back in the show ring soon.

1:15:56Matt Roberts: Get well soon Talisman. And Celia also says that she has tickets for Wimbledon this year and wants to come and meet us all and come and see the library as well and she also says my husband rick and i had always hoped to go to all four grand slams we got to go to the french open and the australian open before he sadly passed away in 2023 he will be with me in spirit at wimbledon and i hope to get to the US Open this year as well. Celia, I've already cried in a Dan Evans press conference today. That's beautiful. Yeah, it really is. That's absolutely beautiful, Celia. I hope you have a wonderful time at Wimbledon.

1:16:43Matt Roberts: I can't think of any other tennis Celias, but who needs one? Well put. I had a wonderful au pair as a kid called Celia. So I have very fond feelings for that name. And that was a lovely shout out. Celia, enjoy your Wimbledon. Thank you to all of our friends of the Tennis Podcast. Thank you to everybody that's joined us live, taking part in the chat tonight. We'll be back tomorrow, 7pm, for our final preview. And then it all kicks off on Monday when we will be here not before 9.30pm live every night. Could be after 9.30pm. We'll be here at the end of play on the show courts. So very shortly after the end of play on the show courts.

1:17:24Matt Roberts: but it is guaranteed to be not before 9.30 p.m. But tomorrow, 7 p.m. Thank you for watching. Thank you for listening. We'll speak to you then.

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