1 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:06,920 Hey guys, welcome to What's the Call the podcast where sports 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:09,120 meets side eye. We're here to breakdown the 3 00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:12,040 matches, the meltdowns and the moments that make us pause and 4 00:00:12,040 --> 00:00:14,480 say, what was that call? I'm Theo. 5 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:16,880 I'm Andrea. And we're glad you're here. 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,080 Whether you're sports obsessed or just here for the drama, 7 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,800 there's a seat for you courtside, so let's dive in. 8 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,880 Hi, everyone. Welcome back to What's the Paul. 9 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:33,240 It is Day 2 of Roland Garros, very exciting. 10 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:38,640 And we have Tamara Pran of the Daily Mail back with us today. 11 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,120 You're our Slam correspondent, Tamara. 12 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,640 It's starting to feel like more than an honour. 13 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:50,280 It's my duty to come back towards the call and I'm so 14 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:51,920 happy to be invited back. Thank you. 15 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,520 Maybe this is the slam where the takes are so off kilter that I 16 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,080 finally get banned, cease and desist from What's the call? 17 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:05,319 I'm hopeful not, but I'm like, you know, in the conditions that 18 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:09,600 we have where, you know, Sinner is so dominant and there's not 19 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,240 really that rival me. Suggesting Valentine Basharo as 20 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,920 the one who's going to win the French Open could be the take 21 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,240 that finally kills my ability to come back on this podcast. 22 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:20,800 But for now, I'm very happy to be. 23 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:22,640 Here, no. We will always have you back, no 24 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:25,800 matter what. We love your takes like we love 25 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,840 your takes. Yeah, so. 26 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,760 Yes, Welcome back, everyone. By the time this episode comes 27 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,280 out and you guys are listening, half of what we say could 28 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:41,400 already be irrelevant, but we're going to focus on the vibes, the 29 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:46,040 chaos, the drama of the first 48 hours of the tournament. 30 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,560 So yeah, should we jump in? Let's do it. 31 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:58,600 So should we start with, in true, I guess, British fashion, 32 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,200 talking about the weather because it is so hot? 33 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:06,880 We're all in London, but it is almost as hot here, I think, as 34 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,720 it is on the clay courts of rolling arrows. 35 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:11,920 What do you guys think? Oh yeah. 36 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:18,320 I guess we have similar attitudes towards the heat as 37 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,000 they're having in Paris and other tournaments, like, you 38 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,320 know, Melbourne, the US, they're going to be more prepared for 39 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,480 hot conditions. They're more air conditioning 40 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,320 literate. So I feel like you really 41 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:34,720 appreciate the heat even across the Channel because you're like, 42 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,000 there's nowhere to hide at the French Open. 43 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,640 Those courts, are they like look like they're on fire because the 44 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:47,240 clay is already so hot. And to add in the sort of bright 45 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,880 white of the seats, people taking cover in the shade where 46 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:57,520 they can, but it's so hot. I cannot fathom what playing in 47 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:01,240 these conditions must be like. And I think for a lot of the 48 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,560 players it must be a challenge too, because maybe they're not 49 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:06,280 so used to it at this time of the year. 50 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:07,400 Absolutely. Yeah. 51 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:09,960 I feel like Andrea, you and I were at Roland Garros. 52 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,920 Like covered in blankets. It's unseasonably warm. 53 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,960 It's. So hot and for May it's 54 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,200 ridiculous. Feel like your body needs some 55 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:24,040 time to acclimatize to it. And look, I'm putting myself in 56 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,120 the position of the players. I can't even begin to imagine 57 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,000 what they're going through. Brutal, brutal conditions. 58 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:38,960 It does feel like we have spoken this into existence by, like I 59 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:43,200 mentioned, Yannick Sinner being that kind of man alone out in 60 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:48,880 front and there have been so many circular discussions as 61 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:53,880 people work out how he can possibly be stopped when he is 62 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:57,760 at his best. There is just no chink in the 63 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:02,280 armour of his game. He is so comprehensively 64 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,240 talented, it's hard to find a weak spot. 65 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:08,000 And in the past, the thing that has come under discussion the 66 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:15,160 most have been how he can sometimes be under pressure in 67 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,000 inclement sort of weather conditions. 68 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:22,040 And then also with, you know, the duration of his matches. 69 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:26,920 And if he's taken to five sets, how often that's the kind of fly 70 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,720 in the ointment when he's really pushed past the sort of, you 71 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:35,320 know, multiple hour mark. And if there was going to be a 72 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,960 place to put that to the test, it's surely here where there is 73 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:43,480 no Carlos Algaraz to put him to the sword in another like, 74 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,480 amazing final like last year's. That's a shame to miss out on. 75 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:52,400 But we do now have a kind of new narrative, which is like, what 76 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,440 has he done to improve his physical resilience? 77 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:00,800 Because that's kind of the final piece in the unstoppable puzzle. 78 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,640 100% I feel like we've seen multiple instances of yeah, 79 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:12,200 Yannick cramping and vomiting, puking on the court due to like 80 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,280 extreme conditions such as these ones. 81 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:20,680 So yeah, very curious to see how the heat might affect him given 82 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,480 that history of cramp. I feel like he definitely is 83 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,480 going to be pushing for those night sessions for himself and. 84 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,880 They'll give them that good. Thing good thing, yeah, good 85 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:32,520 thing he's #1 because if you're world number one, you kind of 86 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,120 get what you want. Like and he's not playing until 87 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:39,880 Tuesday, so and Tuesday I think it cools down a little so. 88 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:44,400 I mean, to be fair, I still think it's going to be boiling 89 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:46,760 for him, but he'll be in the shade. 90 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:51,200 I saw he's scheduled for a night session tomorrow, so lucky him. 91 00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:55,680 But yeah, do we think that this might this might spice things up 92 00:05:55,680 --> 00:06:00,240 a bit in the drawer because the draw already on the men's side 93 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:01,760 at least. Like maybe we talk about this 94 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:05,040 now like it's depleted. Like there's no Carlos, there is 95 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,920 no Rune, there is no Mercetti, no Draper and also, sadly, no 96 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,880 Arthur feasts. He pulled out a couple days ago 97 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,800 as well. So yeah, I feel like, you know, 98 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,280 if those sort of clay quarters aren't in the mix, maybe the 99 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:25,440 heat will take it, too. I think it's sort of as downbeat 100 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:30,080 as I've felt looking at a men's side before a Grand Slam kind of 101 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,600 in this new era, if we can call it that over the past few years. 102 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:40,520 Obviously because of the physicality and the amount of 103 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,320 matches on tour, there are always high profile withdrawals. 104 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,000 You're never going to have a completely overstuffed slate. 105 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:52,840 But I think what all of those players that you've just named, 106 00:06:52,840 --> 00:07:00,360 how in common is they all on their day have a chance of 107 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:05,640 delivering something just special enough that could see 108 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,400 them making the semi finals, making the finals or even 109 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:15,120 perhaps in 36° weather, winning the tournament and the Feast 1 110 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,680 took me out. It's really upsetting that he 111 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:24,960 hasn't been able to enjoy his home slam at the seeding and at 112 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:29,640 the point in his game where he would really be getting the best 113 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:35,360 courts, the most adulation and the ability to to really go deep 114 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:41,560 and so sort of to miss 2 French Opens in a row feels brutally 115 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:46,160 unfair. And even though, OK, he's he's 116 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,480 still very young, so we can't count him out too quickly. 117 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:55,280 But it is the sort of thing that perhaps maybe even in his mind, 118 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,800 like Draper, who's also missed a couple of consecutive grand 119 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:04,280 slams. Can my body perform for me as I 120 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:07,960 need to consistently throughout hopefully sort of 15 more years 121 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,680 of career? Because these kinds of high 122 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:16,400 profile consecutive absences are very concerning from a physical 123 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:18,560 standpoint, but also from a mental standpoint. 124 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,240 Even if he's fit as anything going into next year's 125 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:26,200 tournament, and hopefully he is, you'd still have in your mind. 126 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,320 The last time I was on Chatrio was three years ago. 127 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:34,280 I was a different person and and how do I do it now, now that 128 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:36,320 this is a kind of unfamiliar space for me? 129 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,039 At his age, 3 years is it's a it's a long. 130 00:08:40,039 --> 00:08:42,600 Like it's a very sort of critical time. 131 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,240 Like it's a long. It's a huge chunk of his career. 132 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,760 Yeah, missing out on. Yeah, I mean, Andrea, I know 133 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:50,200 you're a big Feast fan, so how you? 134 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:52,880 Feel yeah, I'm so disappointed because he was having otherwise 135 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,720 a really good season. You know, he won Barcelona and 136 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:01,000 and it's yeah, I had had really high hopes for him in in his 137 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,680 home tournament. So it's it's a massive let down 138 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:07,520 and you know, I think there are a lot of discussions that we can 139 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,520 have about the men's game right now. 140 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:13,200 Obviously, you know, they've been plagued by injuries and 141 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,520 that's, I think, you know, there's like a wider discussion 142 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:20,160 around what, like the length of the tour and the what these 143 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,000 athletes are having to put their bodies through. 144 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:26,600 But also it's just, I don't know, it just feels boring. 145 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,520 I'm sad. Like I'm not, you know, I I'm 146 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:34,240 not excited about this tournament like you tomorrow. 147 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,280 Who? I mean, yeah, I just, it's, it's 148 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,760 a sad one. Yeah, it's, it's, it's tough. 149 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:40,520 And like you say, it is longer conversation. 150 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:44,960 And I feel like it is a whole big debate and one that does 151 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:50,640 need to be addressed, like as in how impossible the tourists were 152 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:55,800 going physically for these guys. Arthur Feast was, however, 153 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:03,000 present last night at Djokovic's first round match against patchy 154 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,600 Perry Carr. He was in the crowd cheering 155 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,000 Giovanni on. I don't know if you guys saw 156 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:12,080 that clip, it's quite funny and obviously got called out for 157 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,280 cheering against Djokovic. Just like, no, that's not what 158 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:18,160 he was doing, but OK. I wonder how painful it must be 159 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:28,520 to because he he withdrew pretty early on Saturday and you know, 160 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,600 just over 24 hours later you're back. 161 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,480 You want to support like it's a huge event for French tennis. 162 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,040 Why would you stay away? Of course. 163 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:43,040 But it must be really tough to be like, I'm on this show 164 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,440 called. I'm on the biggest court as a 165 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,040 spectator. I have no hope on sort of 166 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,640 playing on this court and I just have to watch one of my 167 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:56,200 countrymen unfortunately sort of be kind of taken to school by 168 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,200 Djokovic. I don't know how they do it. 169 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,440 I guess you know, Lacoste is going to want him in the box. 170 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:06,920 And it's fun to watch tennis and you play tennis, you love 171 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:09,480 tennis. But I don't know, I think I 172 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,240 might have to lay low and and avoid that side of town, that 173 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:16,800 side of Paris for a while if I was forced to pull out on the 174 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,960 eve of the tournament. Yeah, I feel like there's, I 175 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,440 think we've spoken about this before, like two kinds of 176 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:25,880 reactions. One reaction would be like, I 177 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,000 don't want to know about what's going on. 178 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,240 I just need to, you know, completely disconnect or like, 179 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:35,640 you know, the other, I guess even him being there and be I 180 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,240 can't, I can't believe he was actually there as a spectator on 181 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:39,800 the court. Like, OK, good for you. 182 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:44,840 Going to sight is crazy crazy. Like, tuning in on the TVI feel 183 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,240 like most of them probably couldn't stay away because it's 184 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,280 just like, in the DNA and they need to, like, stay abreast of 185 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,160 what's happening. But like, going to the 186 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:58,840 tournament must be tough. So, yeah, I mean, hopefully he 187 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:03,440 makes a speedy recovery. He didn't quite get his 188 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,480 countrymen over the line, although he did win one set 189 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,720 against Djokovic, which is obviously never an easy feat. 190 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:15,200 But how do we think Novak Djokovic looked last night? 191 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:21,880 I mean, if I was 39 and I was hauling myself out to Paris and 192 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:27,760 I have played about 5 minutes since the last Grand Slam and I 193 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:35,080 had to play in sort of 32° dusk, I would maybe also look a little 194 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:36,960 laboured at points. Fair enough. 195 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:43,000 But again, I think if you are Djokovic, this is just an 196 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:47,840 opportunity for you to feast on on the draw because you are 197 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:51,920 missing one of the nailed on contenders for the final. 198 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:56,000 There has already been established quite recently that 199 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:01,240 there is a chasm between the rest of the tour and what you 200 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,720 are able to do to the kind of the new big two. 201 00:13:05,560 --> 00:13:10,680 You're thinking I'm going to ring this tournament dry. 202 00:13:10,680 --> 00:13:13,440 That's maybe a sweat metaphor too far. 203 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:18,400 But you are, you know, I think the he he obviously is a 204 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:22,760 competitor who and, you know, I think as he has got older, as 205 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:27,160 those opportunities have decreased, he he is even more 206 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:32,040 willing to put his body on the line in pursuit of 25. 207 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:38,600 And I think there are sensibly no other players on the tour who 208 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,160 would go into a Grand Slam as sort of undercooked. 209 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,800 I mean like as pretty as much fitness. 210 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,760 I mean, except possibly Radicano is the only other one. 211 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:53,320 I know who has. Potentially played less than 212 00:13:53,320 --> 00:14:00,720 Djokovic. And I do think that it will be 213 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:05,240 Wimbledon where he's like, this is as good as it's going to get, 214 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,920 obviously with the sad Alcaraz news. 215 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:15,880 But where's the fun in thinking I'll just, I don't know, go to, 216 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:19,960 you know, go to Stuttgart and get really hot on grass. 217 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,840 It's like, no, you want to chase that 25 now. 218 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:33,120 And so, OK, it wasn't vintage, but I am still quite shaken by 219 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:35,920 what he was able to show at the Australian Open. 220 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,480 Yeah, where he took Sinner out as well, so. 221 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:41,880 This is, this is the thing. It's like 1. 222 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:49,280 One is certainly, I mean kind of enjoys the flames of hell and 223 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:54,520 torment and crowd aggravation and difficult conditions versus 224 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,640 another player who is much more sensitive to atmosphere 225 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:58,480 interpretation. Sure. 226 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:02,480 And right, you know that maybe undersell Sinner a bit, but it's 227 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,760 a slightly different type of contrast to Alcaraz and Sinner, 228 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,120 but it is a contrast nonetheless. 229 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:11,360 That would make it really interesting if he was to reach 230 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:13,680 the final, but we're quite far away from that. 231 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,800 We are and we're going to make predictions at the end, so let's 232 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,600 see if they make your cut. But Andrea, are you liking his 233 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:22,480 chances? What do you think? 234 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,960 I mean, I I came to never count him out. 235 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:33,400 I still don't love his chances. I would love for him to make it 236 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,800 far and be competitive and make it to the final. 237 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,560 I hope it's Sinner Jock, which final? 238 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:41,480 That's the best case scenario for me. 239 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,400 But I don't have a lot of belief. 240 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:48,800 Maybe it's sad because, I mean, he played well and obviously not 241 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,120 like what you're saying about, you know, not having any sort of 242 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,480 match fitness, but he kind of looked his age. 243 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:58,360 He did and but like equally, he looked like he was enjoying 244 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:00,360 himself out there. He was kind of like I'm the man. 245 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,480 I don't know if you guys saw his like post match victory dance. 246 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,960 If you're like, yeah, I mean he literally does not give a fuck. 247 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:10,400 Like he's just like. Interesting. 248 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,480 Yeah. Like, deeply cares. 249 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,840 You know, he clearly, like, deeply cares about being liked 250 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,720 and also about breaking records and continuing to win. 251 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:23,720 And it's this weird thing where he's still going even though, I 252 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,560 mean, will he continue once he gets to the point where where 253 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:30,440 he, like, you know, can't compete just because he's still 254 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:31,960 enjoying himself? I I don't know. 255 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:34,440 But he does look like he's enjoying himself. 256 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:37,360 Also he I'd like, I don't know, he just has this new level of 257 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:39,600 swagger. Like he came onto the court with 258 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,480 his like weird ass windbreaker. I don't know if you guys saw it, 259 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,000 but like if this gets clipped, we'll put a picture up. 260 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,600 If not, look it up. It's like sort of, I mean, 261 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:51,320 windbreakers are all the rage right now. 262 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:53,240 I wear them myself. But this one's like looks like 263 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,400 it's like a bin bag hanging out the back. 264 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,400 It's just really ill fitting. And then he has like, I thought 265 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,040 it was just like messy clay on the back because it's the same 266 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,560 colour, like that rust colour. But then I look, took a closer 267 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,000 look and it's actually like the shadow of a wolf. 268 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,800 And apparently the wolf, he said in press afterwards. 269 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:14,599 The wolf is his spirit animal. I did do a quick wolf deep dive 270 00:17:14,599 --> 00:17:21,640 because I was like, I was like, OK, I was like Novak politics 271 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:27,079 wolves, grey wolves. And then I was like, oh, I think 272 00:17:27,079 --> 00:17:30,080 it could be quite literal. Apparently highest concentration 273 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:32,400 of grey wolves in Europe, in Serbia. 274 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:38,360 So we are on our conservatist bent. 275 00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:44,840 Perhaps there is some sort of conservation message that he has 276 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:47,680 for us. And I could see him being Wolf, 277 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,320 you know, he, he. Does give wolf energy. 278 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:58,160 Shaggy grey lone wolf forced to hunt on his own after his two 279 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:02,240 former hunting companions were tired. 280 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:04,920 That is a good take, I like that. 281 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,840 But I think he was also the lone wolf in that in like the big 282 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,080 three as well. You know, he felt like kind of 283 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,040 always like the outsider in that relationship. 284 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:16,560 Exactly. I think we might be about to 285 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:20,040 cosign the jacket. So I think starting off with 286 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:24,240 your sort of seemingly negative tone, we are now 100%. 287 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:26,240 It. Just needs to be tailored a bit 288 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:28,520 better. Like, I know the bottom just 289 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,760 looked bad, but I'm sure he doesn't care. 290 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:33,720 So you know what Novak, keep doing. 291 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:37,160 You enjoy having that wolf imprinted on your back, and 292 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,160 let's see if the lone wolf can take everyone else down. 293 00:18:40,360 --> 00:18:43,720 I'm sure there's some sort of fable about foxes and wolves. 294 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:47,720 We'll have to make sure that the Roland Garros social media team 295 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,960 are correctly briefed if they do meet in the final, because that 296 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:55,400 would just be a wasted opportunity from a social media 297 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:57,200 standpoint, I'm sure. Absolutely. 298 00:18:57,360 --> 00:19:06,840 Well, you heard it here first. OK, so honestly, for me, the 299 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:15,960 biggest story on day one was Arthur Gaya's unfortunate 300 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:23,640 diarrhoea situation on court. Like it's only day one and we 301 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:31,840 have another like stomach saga at the Slams. 302 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:36,200 We had Kabali in Australia and now we have Arthur Gaya at 303 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:40,880 Roland Garros. So for context, he was his first 304 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:45,480 round match against Karen Hachinov and at a certain point 305 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,080 he got the runs in the middle of the match, to which he goes to 306 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:51,000 the umpire. He goes, do you speak French? 307 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,080 I've got the shits. I need to go to the bathroom. 308 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:57,200 I can't move anymore. I'm going to shit on the fucking 309 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:02,360 court dying, honestly. Then there was there's this 310 00:20:02,360 --> 00:20:03,840 whole thing like, is it an illness? 311 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,120 Can we call the physio? He's like, I want the doctor now 312 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:08,880 where's the doctor? Like I can't hold it in. 313 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,520 So he goes on to like continue the game and then like literally 314 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:16,320 on game point, he actually wins the game at like 4-2 and he's 315 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,920 just like mid like stroke. He wins the game. 316 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,080 He's like running into the like corridor to go to the bathroom. 317 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:27,240 I still his racket in his hand. Relieves himself, comes back and 318 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:32,000 like, yeah, I mean, he wins the game, but he obviously lost free 319 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,760 love, I think. I think being able to finish the 320 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,840 game under those conditions is incredibly impressive. 321 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:42,000 So impressive, So impressive. The whole thing is just 322 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:46,640 hilarious and Barstool reposted it and it's gone viral so poor 323 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:48,200 guy. It's a hard way. 324 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,600 I think it's his debut. Is it? 325 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,440 I think it's potentially his his debut because he's a French wild 326 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:01,920 card, I think. But for someone who is, you 327 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:06,120 know, lower ranked and maybe hasn't had a lot of experience 328 00:21:06,120 --> 00:21:11,120 playing their home Grand Slam, that is a punishing way to 329 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:14,480 become memorable, I think. Yeah, because undoubtedly this 330 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,320 will be what he's remembered for in this slam, at least. 331 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,360 Yeah, it is. There's no way of sugar coating 332 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:23,800 it. I think the most positive thing 333 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:29,480 I can say is that the I think if you are a tennis fan, you have 334 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:35,360 become so much more aware of the various gastrointestinal issues 335 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:38,880 that players are forced to compete and contend with on a 336 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:43,160 regular basis. I feel like over the past year 337 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:47,880 we've had Sinner casually throwing out that he had a sort 338 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:52,480 of a little diarrhoea, but then ultimately he was completely 339 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:57,800 fine, Went on to make the US Open final Kabali, Madrid, where 340 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:02,640 I think a virus kind of ripped through most of the pack. 341 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:07,080 There was some suspicious shrimp at Acapulco, OR. 342 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:09,400 That was Madrid. That was Madrid, but Acapulco 343 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:10,400 also shrimp. Tacos. 344 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:12,520 There is Acapulco. There's always, always. 345 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,080 It's in the, it's in the water. In the water in Mexico. 346 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:17,760 I. I think, I think I must have. 347 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,800 I must have read an article by someone who had been carefully 348 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:25,960 briefed by the tournament. The shrimp tacos had disappeared 349 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,600 from that. Oh no, it definitely wasn't the 350 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:29,320 third. Yeah. 351 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:32,480 That's good. For them, I knew. 352 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:39,560 Shrimp was in in the mind and so you know, this is becoming part 353 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,760 and parcel, but perhaps the sort of butterfly flapping its wings 354 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:46,160 was Sinner throwing up in the bin that then opened the door 355 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:50,640 for Jack Draper mopping up his own sick at the back of the 356 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:56,600 court with a towel. 2024. I sound like a historian of 357 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,480 bodily fluids. This is extremely unappealing 358 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:04,200 for me, but let's just say it, it's the right sport. 359 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:09,120 For it to have happened to Arthur Herron, it could have 360 00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:12,400 been much worse. I know, but poor guy honestly. 361 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:16,600 Obviously horrible speedy recovery and like, I mean, but 362 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:20,200 also like creds that he was just out there absolutely like 363 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,280 shouting about it, like every mic picked it up. 364 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,320 Yeah, I'm going to shoot on the fucking. 365 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:30,000 Floor. He's never forgetting Imodium 366 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:32,560 ever again. He's he's learning from this. 367 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,120 Hold it in, it's coming out. Oh God. 368 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:41,320 Oh my God. We talk about this too much on 369 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,720 this podcast. I mean, I clearly it's, it's 370 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:45,840 what's happening. It's a thing, it's a thing, it's 371 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:47,120 a thing. It is what's happening. 372 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:52,280 It's it's a tennis trend at this point and it's important to stay 373 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,640 on top of the news and that was a important line idea. 374 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:02,560 OK, so more chaos. We want to talk about Arena 375 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:09,160 Sabalinka's, like, fashion crises, plural of the week 376 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,600 because she seems to have many at the moment. 377 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:15,960 So First off, she's getting in trouble for walking on court 378 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:17,960 with a Gucci bag. This was in Rome. 379 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:22,640 But still, it's like a life story hadn't been resolved. 380 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:26,480 Apparently she walked on court with one of the latest Gucci 381 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,400 bags, which is as far as I understand not allowed because 382 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,560 players should technically only bring quote UN quote sports 383 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:41,280 equipment onto court. I really remember when Gucci 384 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:48,200 gave Sinner his bag to carry on court because I seem to remember 385 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,920 a lot of sort of PR fuss about this Is groundbreaking, the 386 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,480 first sort of high fashion bag on a tennis court. 387 00:24:56,440 --> 00:25:00,560 And it had to be really heavily cleared with Wimbledon, which 388 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:04,440 doesn't surprise me massively because of all the grandstands 389 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,960 to choose, it's of course the one with the most stringent 390 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:11,200 rules. But I think at the time, even 391 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:17,120 though it wasn't a racket bag, they clearly successfully made 392 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:19,320 the argument that it was a sports bag. 393 00:25:19,360 --> 00:25:23,360 Well, yeah, and a lot of players carry a second bag, they carry 394 00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:26,320 their racket bag and then like a second bag with like kit or 395 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:28,960 whatever in it. And so, you know, it was 396 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:33,280 probably a polite but fairly standard conversation about the 397 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,640 logos and whether that would be an issue that his sponsors would 398 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:40,040 be giving him a bag. And they're not a traditional 399 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:44,880 sort of sportswear company. Whereas Sabalanka, that was just 400 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:46,080 a that's. Just a nice post. 401 00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:51,920 That's exactly, that's like a nice bag that could be anything 402 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:58,000 to anyone, like shopping bag, nappy bag, sports bag, whatever. 403 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,200 You're taking it out to lunch. And I think there is a 404 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:06,280 potentially a, a more specific argument maybe needed to be made 405 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:10,440 with the organisers at the tournament that it wasn't just 406 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:16,440 fashion, it was a, it was daring, which is probably why 407 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:19,200 Gucci chose Arena Sabalenka in the 1st place. 408 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:22,960 If you had to say without knowing who the story was about 409 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,920 a player brought a designer bag on a court, it would be her 410 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:30,880 Sabalenka. Girl loves her fashion and she's 411 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,480 also an incredible, uncomplaining spokeswoman. 412 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:36,800 So God, if you give her a contract, she will take the bag 413 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:41,200 on court. But I I do think she was perhaps 414 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:45,720 poorly advised. And once again, you know, this 415 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,600 is a joke, but you know, Sina managed to play by the rules and 416 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:53,280 do something illegal. But Sabalenka has been caught by 417 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,360 the powers that be. And is that Italian buyers for 418 00:26:56,360 --> 00:26:57,840 Sina? Absolutely. 419 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:01,040 I mean, I'm sorry, as Sooner's bag is a weekend duffel, like 420 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:05,400 what's the date, right? You know, I think it's so silly. 421 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:10,000 It's a silly rule. And I also think, yeah, I mean, 422 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:14,360 you can argue for whatever, like Saba like his bag maybe being 423 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,800 more of a purse, but still it just it's bad optics. 424 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,360 First of all, because you can directly compare the two be 425 00:27:20,360 --> 00:27:24,920 like, OK, clearly you know, the rules are more in favor or like, 426 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:27,200 yeah, there's like bias for Sinner. 427 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,360 But yeah, it's, it's silly, I think. 428 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:34,840 I agree with you. And I think because what perhaps 429 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:41,280 the rule is in place for is to ensure that it doesn't become 430 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:47,160 open season for sponsors to let you to walk on court to, to 431 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:52,120 allow you to go on to court with anything, you know, bag charms 432 00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:58,080 or extra pieces of clothing. But you have seen Muzetti come 433 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:02,880 on in a Bottega Veneta, you know, leather bomber, you're not 434 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,320 going to be playing tennis. And that all manner of players 435 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:11,400 will push the boundaries with fashion that they then remove 436 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,120 and do not allow to kind of get in the way of of their game. 437 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:22,200 And I don't understand why there would be a specific reason why 438 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,960 Sabalanka can't make the case. I want to bring my T-shirts, my 439 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:30,360 water bottles in a smaller bag where I have my racket bag. 440 00:28:30,360 --> 00:28:33,960 I don't want to, you know, put too much weight in that or carry 441 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:37,480 another duffel. Why couldn't bring in a smaller 442 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:39,360 bag? Yes, yeah. 443 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:43,400 Well, so apparently her team like responded to outreach that 444 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,160 they received saying that they got special permission. 445 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:48,360 But I also heard that she might be fined so. 446 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,480 They should have Gucci pay the fine and then work out some 447 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:56,600 creative way to give her something else for her next 448 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:57,880 tournament. Absolutely. 449 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,040 Well she clearly doesn't care that much because she's also 450 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:04,120 already posted about she has not yet taken to the court at Roland 451 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:08,720 gals but she's already posted about the insane jewelry stack 452 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:15,840 that she has Co designed with I think some Miami like jeweler. 453 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:20,400 This time it will be matching her red and black outfit. 454 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:24,440 It is rubies and diamonds galore. 455 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:27,040 I don't know if you guys have seen it but it's insane. 456 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:30,600 I love this. Necklace. 457 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:38,160 It's actually 3 necklaces. So I, I was running around on 458 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:43,560 Saturday, you know, not a work day, trying to find the details 459 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:47,520 about this necklace when she first posted because I needed to 460 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:52,680 know more and we wanted to do a piece on it, which we now have 461 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:57,080 done. And I managed to successfully 462 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:00,760 rouse the PR development for material good. 463 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:05,560 And they very kindly sent over details about what the necklaces 464 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:07,680 are. And it's it's three separate 465 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:11,000 necklaces. She's playing in two at the 466 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,120 moment. Who knows? 467 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:14,880 If temperatures drop and she thinks, no, no, give me another 468 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,080 one. Or perhaps she'll obviously wear 469 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,800 all three for press for on court interview. 470 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:22,920 It's going to be snapped on like lightning. 471 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,280 You don't want that rattling around in a tennis bag. 472 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:27,280 You want to put that in a tiny Gucci bag? 473 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:28,160 Exactly. It's. 474 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:34,520 Making more and more sense here. And yeah, it is the most 475 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:40,600 stunning piece. I think it's 200 carats of 476 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:48,200 garnets and it's worth 120,000 as born in the three together 477 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:53,560 and it's unbelievable. It goes very nicely with her, 478 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:57,160 her kit. I think I prefer it to because 479 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:01,840 she first kind of debuted the partnership at the Australian 480 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:07,520 Open where she wore these amazing chandelier earrings and 481 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:12,960 then a big diamond necklace that had a big pendant like an evil 482 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:17,880 eye, which, you know, kind of mixed fortunes didn't entirely 483 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:22,240 protect her. But this one I think is really 484 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:26,960 nice and really wearable. So if you have if you have 485 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:32,640 £120,000 material good will be able to to sort you out. 486 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:34,760 There you go. And you know what? 487 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,040 I might blind a few opponents in the process. 488 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:39,200 Yeah, exactly when if the sun hits. 489 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:46,000 She was practicing with Zhengshan Wen and she said I had 490 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:49,720 to ask her about the necklace. I really wanted to ask her if it 491 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,520 was heavy playing in it, but I felt embarrassed like and asked 492 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:56,320 her and I was like God, if I was in that there is in press room, 493 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:59,960 that's basically the first thing I would be asking her is. 100%. 494 00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:03,520 What kind of neck strength, it's like, I don't know. 495 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,600 It's like Formula One drivers and Arena Sambanker are the ones 496 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:10,160 putting their necks through the most amount of stress when they 497 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:13,440 when they compete. Literally too good. 498 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:20,680 Well, also on the red and black. Obviously her match kit, so Nike 499 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:24,840 accidentally sabotaged her because they had her teaser like 500 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,080 a week ago or she's like a TikTok like outfit reveal for 501 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,840 Roland Gauss. So they really stitched her up. 502 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,840 So they basically put the outfit on sale like you can buy it on 503 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:36,240 the Nike website before she even stepped out in it. 504 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:41,600 And so Oksana Select Select Metaphor clearly just went and 505 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,760 bought herself the outfit because she stepped out in it in 506 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:48,560 her first round match against Marta Kostyuk, which she lost 507 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:52,640 yesterday, and fully just took Irina's moment away from her. 508 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:53,600 Wait, Andre. Oh my God. 509 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,240 Is she sponsored by Nike? No, she's just. 510 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:01,040 No, she doesn't have a sponsor. She doesn't have a sponsor, so 511 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,800 she can wear whatever she wants. But Nike put the outfit on sale, 512 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:05,720 so it's fair game, right? Yeah. 513 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:07,960 Anyone can go and buy it it. Yep. 514 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,360 It is a It's a crisis of marketing. 515 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:19,320 Nike do not have the most creative and individual sort of 516 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:23,360 track record of late for their sort of star players. 517 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:29,360 Osaka is the notable exception who has this a great deal, but 518 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:32,120 Sabalanka will have to wait another year before she has 519 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:38,040 custom kits, which is quite upsetting for her. 520 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:43,000 Like we said, she is someone who is interested in standing out, 521 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:46,880 in wearing something individual and fabulous. 522 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:51,000 But at the very least, if they could get that live when she 523 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:54,400 steps onto court, I mean. She wants to show it off before 524 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:57,120 because she's meant to wear an exclusive colorway, right? 525 00:33:57,320 --> 00:33:59,720 The rest of them are in pink, which actually looks super cool. 526 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:02,640 Like a lot of them are in pink and she's meant to be in the red 527 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:04,280 and black. And then she obviously had the 528 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:06,600 material good necklace made to go with it. 529 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:11,080 And it's the whole thing, right? But yeah, Oksana said see you 530 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:11,960 later. Thank you very much. 531 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:16,159 And went and bought herself the outfit and walked out in it only 532 00:34:16,159 --> 00:34:18,400 to lose like an hour later. So. 533 00:34:19,639 --> 00:34:21,760 Nike needs to do better by their tennis. 534 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:23,639 They do. They really do. 535 00:34:23,639 --> 00:34:33,600 Big time Nike, if you hear us, just do it, OK? 536 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:38,719 So well, we have a member of the media on with us and let's say 537 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:44,760 the biggest story around the slam has been the media boycott. 538 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:47,880 So I'm going to hand over to you tomorrow. 539 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:51,920 What are your thoughts? How are we feeling about it now? 540 00:34:52,639 --> 00:34:54,440 Couple days. First of all, ladies, thank you 541 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:56,840 so much for giving me more than 10 minutes. 542 00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:00,280 Although maybe this counts as video as well, so maybe the full 543 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:02,560 15 minutes I'm. Very exactly. 544 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:06,680 Yes, we're giving you more. That sort of commitment to to 545 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:09,160 traditional print media is is shrinking. 546 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:12,960 But I was really interested that they decided to take action and 547 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:17,120 I was quite impressed by the build up by kind of planting the 548 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:20,880 seed at Rome and getting it in people's minds. 549 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:29,560 I do think the conceit of the protest 15 minutes, limiting 550 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:33,760 yourself to 15 minutes to represent the 15% of revenue 551 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:37,320 that they currently get from. Roland Garros. 552 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:39,800 So for context, just quickly, sorry, I'm just going to give 553 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:42,520 context to all this. I'm sure they will know, but 554 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:50,560 players basically are protesting the percentage of total revenue 555 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,800 the tournament makes that goes towards them and their prize 556 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:55,720 money. And so in protest, they said, 557 00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:57,800 OK, we're only going to be speaking to members of the media 558 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:01,440 for 15 minutes in their pre tournament press conferences, 559 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:06,080 which it's not long, but it's also not that short. 560 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,880 And like, I feel like most player press conferences don't 561 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:12,280 go longer than 15 minutes, at least not the English section. 562 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:16,320 So yeah. But back to your point, you were 563 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:18,560 making the 15 minutes was symbolic, right? 564 00:36:19,720 --> 00:36:22,840 It was symbolic and it was clever in that way, but like you 565 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:26,760 say, it's certainly quite rare that a pre tournament press 566 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:29,080 conference would be longer than 10 minutes. 567 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:34,080 They divided it 10 minutes for the sort of print media and then 568 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:37,120 5 minutes allocated to rights holders. 569 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:42,560 This is much more significant for rights holders because they 570 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:46,840 are, of course, the ones paying lots of money to put on the 571 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:49,800 tournament. And so if they only get 5 572 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:53,880 minutes and subdivide it between, you know, languages, 573 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:57,000 then that does become a bit pinchier. 574 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:01,760 So a little bit more significant of a protest there. 575 00:37:02,240 --> 00:37:10,080 However, I do think that it was certainly the most tentative 576 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:14,320 first step. It would be really exciting if 577 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:20,960 the top ten players are serious about pushing forward their 578 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:24,400 agenda, which they have been, you know, in dialogue with the 579 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:28,720 slams and have let the slams know that they're unhappy with 580 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:33,320 how the revenue shares are distributed to players for some 581 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:35,560 time. But if they're, you know, super 582 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:40,240 passionate about, as they say, making sure particularly lower 583 00:37:40,240 --> 00:37:43,880 ranked players competing in grand slams take home bigger 584 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:50,240 portions of prize money, then if this is, I think, not 585 00:37:50,240 --> 00:37:54,440 particularly radical and something that really interested 586 00:37:54,440 --> 00:38:01,480 me was in no way were any sort of, from my eyes, social media 587 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,960 commitments particularly curtailed. 588 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:08,160 And obviously now the big businesses is content. 589 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:14,400 It's clippable, cute, fun. Maybe it's a sketch, or maybe 590 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:18,440 they bring puppies, or maybe they do a fun quiz with the 591 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:21,680 tournament organisers. Yeah, and that's what the fans 592 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:26,040 are going to miss. And so those are the things that 593 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:31,720 further their personal brand. Like those are more stark if 594 00:38:31,720 --> 00:38:36,480 they're not there. Like we said earlier, talking to 595 00:38:36,720 --> 00:38:40,880 the media is kind of nobody's idea of an incredibly fun thing 596 00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:45,800 to do for some reason. I couldn't imagine why, but it's 597 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:50,400 it's not a it doesn't represent a particular sacrifice for them 598 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:55,960 and it doesn't, it doesn't, it's not even a huge denial of an 599 00:38:55,960 --> 00:39:00,640 opportunity for fans. It's one media day. 600 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:05,040 It's not, you know, we're going to black out for the first one 601 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:08,200 of the many rounds and only do on court interviews. 602 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,720 It it was quite limited in its scope. 603 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:17,040 But what I also thought was striking is how many players 604 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:21,360 outside of the protest, which was basically the top ten 605 00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:26,320 players from both tours, save for Djokovic who pointedly was 606 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:33,120 not part of it. There was at some points almost 607 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:39,040 a bit of an attitude towards the protest and those taking part in 608 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:45,640 the protest, like I said, have been quite clear to make their 609 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:53,840 message much more kind of about opportunities for the lower 610 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:55,800 ranked players. Because obviously it's really 611 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:59,400 hard to hear. I want more money from someone 612 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:03,280 like a Sabalenka or Asana. Absolutely command the most 613 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:07,400 incredible sums from their sponsors and from prize money 614 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:10,400 and that's fine, they've earned it. 615 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:15,960 But by appearing to be kind of standing up from the little guy, 616 00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:21,120 you would kind of want a little bit more respect from different 617 00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:26,360 places. Elsewhere in the standings, and 618 00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:34,160 so Anastasia Potipova was among those to kind of be a almost a 619 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:37,680 little have a little bit of an edge when talking about it, you 620 00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:42,240 know, a couple of players, Radicano as well were, you know, 621 00:40:42,240 --> 00:40:44,240 why wouldn't we want to talk to the media? 622 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:48,600 You know, we love you guys, which is, I don't know, I've had 623 00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:51,040 more believable. Things I also feel like some 624 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:54,680 some didn't even know about it like I feel like it could have 625 00:40:54,680 --> 00:41:01,320 been organized like a lot better and like more efficiently and 626 00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:04,240 had a greater effect. Although players have reportedly 627 00:41:04,240 --> 00:41:08,320 said that one day achieved more than a year of like behind 628 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:12,400 closed door talks and apparently like the FFT so French Tennis 629 00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:14,560 Federation have agreed to meet so. 630 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:17,760 It does. It does sound really positive. 631 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:22,880 And again, I think the most likely agitators in driving that 632 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:30,680 forward were possibly the rights holders because certainly I'm 633 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:34,720 sure the French Tennis Federation knows their way 634 00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:38,160 around a strike. Nothing, nothing could have 635 00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:42,040 greater national resonance. So it's pressure has clearly 636 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:48,040 come from somewhere, but I think this is where you really miss in 637 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:55,280 the sport a kind of unified support for something like a 638 00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:58,320 player association. Obviously you have the PTPA 639 00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:02,200 going on and you know, but I think because they have specific 640 00:42:02,320 --> 00:42:06,760 fight, a specific but different fight with the slams and with 641 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:12,040 the tours, there is kind of limited crossover between these 642 00:42:12,040 --> 00:42:15,440 two issues. But you can understand that the 643 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:19,480 players involved in this protest have organised themselves well 644 00:42:19,480 --> 00:42:24,120 amongst themselves. But that is kind of a, a limited 645 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:29,160 amount of people. And how do you kind of get rid 646 00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:33,800 of the, I don't know, the, the hierarchy and the tensions 647 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,440 between, it's almost like class struggle. 648 00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:41,120 How do you get rid of, of perhaps a natural or innate 649 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:43,920 opposition to or whatever they're doing? 650 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:46,600 They're out for themselves. I have to be out for myself. 651 00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:53,680 And I I thought sort of the most poignant part of this protest 652 00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:59,760 was Fran Jones, who it was just before she had an amazing win 653 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:04,440 against Beatrice Hadas Meyer. And she basically just drew 654 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:09,280 attention to the fact that if you are not inside the top 75, 655 00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:14,400 you are really struggling to make a living and be on tour in 656 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:18,400 the same way as those top 75 are. 657 00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:22,960 And to an even greater extent, those top 25 are and top 10. 658 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:27,960 So I think if they can marry their ability to force change 659 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:31,560 because they are the biggest stars with like an increased 660 00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:36,560 understanding in the tennis world about the massive gap paid 661 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:42,160 disparities and how even taking part in qualifying or the first 662 00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:45,120 round of the Grand Slam can really set a lower ranked player 663 00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:49,680 up for a year, Then you might have something going towards 664 00:43:49,680 --> 00:43:53,320 like a cultural change. But for now, I'm like, you need 665 00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:56,600 to hit them where it hurts in in Instagram and TikTok. 666 00:43:57,040 --> 00:43:59,480 Totally. Yeah. 667 00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:04,000 So I'm curious to see how that progresses and plays out and 668 00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:08,400 what, if any, effects this. I don't know if we should call 669 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:11,360 it a boycott, but protest we'll have. 670 00:44:12,520 --> 00:44:17,440 OK, so before we make a final call, let's give our predictions 671 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:20,320 for this tournament. Guys, what are we thinking? 672 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:27,560 So I'm going to ask you both for winners and finalists on both 673 00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:29,920 sides, singles, both single sides. 674 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:34,600 So men's and women's tomorrow, you are the guest, you go first. 675 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:40,080 Just before we started speaking, I had a hell of a scag because I 676 00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:43,760 had Switilina. Oh my God, I know. 677 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:49,680 And I was like, holy shit. And I had I had the same thing 678 00:44:50,120 --> 00:44:54,720 yesterday with Haley Baptiste where I because I, I think she 679 00:44:54,720 --> 00:44:57,800 could make a deep run. And again, she was a sat down. 680 00:44:57,800 --> 00:45:02,400 I was like I'm the kiss of death to the WTA. 681 00:45:02,400 --> 00:45:04,920 They need to remove me as fast as possible. 682 00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:11,720 I would be really interested to see how fast Vitalina can go 683 00:45:11,720 --> 00:45:15,320 because she is in incredible form. 684 00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:21,360 I think that the type of win she just had against. 685 00:45:21,480 --> 00:45:24,080 Oh, I think it's going to propel her all. 686 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:29,520 The way that is like that really fills the lungs like that is the 687 00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:31,960 type of win that you want to have, particularly against an 688 00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:35,280 opponent that has given you a rough ride in the past. 689 00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:39,320 And she has the added benefit of massive crowd support here 690 00:45:39,320 --> 00:45:42,320 because she is French by marriage. 691 00:45:42,360 --> 00:45:46,920 And I'm sure that she will milk that for all it's worth. 692 00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:50,680 Because if you have Sabalenka claiming Brazilian heritage, 693 00:45:50,680 --> 00:45:55,520 then you are going to have Mrs. Monfice, you know, making as big 694 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:58,160 a deal of that as she rightly should. 695 00:45:58,280 --> 00:46:07,360 I do think Sabalenka is going to be, if not the winner, a 696 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:08,760 finalist. It's hard. 697 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:11,240 I Goff is in her section. I know. 698 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:14,360 OK. But winner and finalist winner, 699 00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:17,240 you have to do it. You have to do it OK. 700 00:46:17,520 --> 00:46:20,640 I I think final is going to be Savolenko, Switelina and 701 00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:23,840 Savolenko is going to win. OK, cool men's. 702 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:32,240 Men's I think, I think, I think Sinner and Djokovic and I think. 703 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:36,440 The Sinner is going to win. OK, Andrea. 704 00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:41,960 OK, I just to go in a slightly different direction. 705 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:45,840 I'm going to go for golf. That's my final but. 706 00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:56,880 We can have the same. And for the men's, I, I mean, I, 707 00:46:56,880 --> 00:47:00,160 I can't do the same. So I'm going to do Hodara 708 00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:01,920 Sinner. Hodara Sinner and Sinner's going 709 00:47:01,920 --> 00:47:02,720 to win. Sinner's going to. 710 00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:04,200 Win. Yeah. 711 00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:08,160 OK, cool. OK, what about you? 712 00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:10,280 Well, yeah, you took it out of my mouth. 713 00:47:10,280 --> 00:47:13,400 I was going I was going like the women's side is going to be very 714 00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:18,640 interesting, but I was going to say golf to win against 715 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:20,920 Svitolina. Like after Svitolina's 716 00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:24,440 performance this afternoon, like, yeah, like you tomorrow is 717 00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:26,440 like she was on the ropes there for a second. 718 00:47:26,720 --> 00:47:30,160 But I was like, please, no, like just everything. 719 00:47:30,160 --> 00:47:33,320 Also with like Murphys retiring, like he goes out tonight on 720 00:47:33,320 --> 00:47:36,800 Chadry. Like, you know, it's going to be 721 00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:39,480 a lot like double French filling. 722 00:47:39,480 --> 00:47:42,840 Like, I mean, yeah, love him. Yeah. 723 00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:46,000 We wish him a happy retirement. Obviously loved watching Kyle 724 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:49,800 and friends the other night. But yeah, I really hope so 725 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:53,600 Delina can make a run. And I really, I am going to say 726 00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:57,360 that, you know, I'll change it up, Andrea. 727 00:47:57,360 --> 00:48:00,760 I'll do golfs with Alina and I'll say Switelina wins so that 728 00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:05,320 yeah, OK, we'll do that. And then men, I mean, it's 729 00:48:06,040 --> 00:48:09,280 really boring, but one and two, Sinner, Zverev, I don't think 730 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:13,760 that Djokovic has it in him to go to the final and then Sinner 731 00:48:13,760 --> 00:48:17,120 to win. I what else? 732 00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:19,000 Unless like the elements take him out. 733 00:48:19,040 --> 00:48:23,400 I just, yeah. He is playing a lot of French 734 00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:27,280 people. I'm like the combined forces of 735 00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:30,320 heat stroke and the Marseille's are basically the only things 736 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:33,640 that can take out. I'm like I did a bracket with 737 00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:39,200 the the served they have like a. Oh fucking. 738 00:48:39,400 --> 00:48:43,240 OK thing that you can play, which is really fun and really 739 00:48:43,240 --> 00:48:47,560 embarrassing at the same time. And I had him being knocked out 740 00:48:47,560 --> 00:48:52,360 by Brenda Ganesh because I was like the vibes, the vibe, the 741 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:57,040 Southern French vibes are going to be really strong and he's 742 00:48:57,280 --> 00:49:02,400 going to push him, push him past the three hour mark. 743 00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:04,040 And. Hope for the best. 744 00:49:04,080 --> 00:49:08,360 I mean, the French crowd are insane and like it's such. 745 00:49:08,480 --> 00:49:10,440 There are so many French players in the draw. 746 00:49:10,440 --> 00:49:13,680 I feel like, particularly on the men's side, I'm like everywhere 747 00:49:13,680 --> 00:49:16,880 I look like every Chatrier match has a French person at the 748 00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:19,120 moment in the first round, but as they should. 749 00:49:19,200 --> 00:49:21,200 But interesting. Interesting. 750 00:49:21,200 --> 00:49:23,560 So yeah, well, let's see how our predictions age. 751 00:49:27,760 --> 00:49:31,960 OK, so to wrap the episode, let's make a final call. 752 00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:35,280 And we put the call to you or the question to you and you guys 753 00:49:35,800 --> 00:49:38,800 say what you think. So what matters more at this 754 00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:42,200 Roland Garros physical durability or actual tennis 755 00:49:42,200 --> 00:49:46,760 level physical durability? Yeah, I think that's what's 756 00:49:46,760 --> 00:49:49,840 going to decide it. I was going to say I was when I 757 00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:54,400 was watching Fritz Preserati yesterday, I with the like sun 758 00:49:54,440 --> 00:49:56,920 and the clay, I was like this looks like a trench. 759 00:49:56,920 --> 00:50:00,000 This looks like war and I think. It's war. 760 00:50:00,040 --> 00:50:04,280 It's war that is so it's so, so true. 761 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:07,480 OK, so we're we're going physical durability and I 762 00:50:07,480 --> 00:50:10,720 couldn't agree more. There's no two ways about it. 763 00:50:10,800 --> 00:50:16,480 Like it's whoever can like, yeah, tough it out wins. 764 00:50:17,360 --> 00:50:20,200 So yeah, thanks guys for joining. 765 00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:25,880 Thanks, Tamara, for coming on. We love having you and your like 766 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:29,800 incredible anecdotes and takes. We love, love hearing them. 767 00:50:30,080 --> 00:50:33,680 Thank you so much as always. Thank you so much for having me. 768 00:50:33,920 --> 00:50:36,880 Please invite me back again. Of course, we'll have you back 769 00:50:36,880 --> 00:50:39,240 at during Wimbledon very, very shortly. 770 00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:42,840 Yeah, grass season. It's just around the corner, so 771 00:50:42,840 --> 00:50:46,680 it won't be long. Also reminder everyone, tune 772 00:50:46,680 --> 00:50:50,480 into Rafa's Netflix doc. It's coming out Friday, so 773 00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:53,880 tomorrow by the time this airs, we can't wait to watch it and 774 00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:55,520 I'm sure everyone else will enjoy too. 775 00:50:56,360 --> 00:51:00,240 And we will be back next week, the halfway point of the 776 00:51:00,240 --> 00:51:05,800 tournament and no doubt more chaos, maybe more diarrhea. 777 00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:10,400 We'll see what, where, where, where the tournament takes us. 778 00:51:10,400 --> 00:51:14,880 But yeah, super excited to be back in the midst of a slam and 779 00:51:14,880 --> 00:51:18,880 have a great week tomorrow. Goodbye and thank you again. 780 00:51:19,240 --> 00:51:20,440 Thank you so much. Bye. 781 00:51:20,560 --> 00:51:21,840 See you next. Week bye. 782 00:51:25,480 --> 00:51:28,040 Thanks for listening. That's it from us this week. 783 00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:32,120 If you enjoyed the episode, make the call, follow rate and share 784 00:51:32,120 --> 00:51:34,560 it with someone who loves the drama as much as the sports. 785 00:51:34,720 --> 00:51:38,080 Send us your voice notes, hot takes, and soft launch sightings 786 00:51:38,160 --> 00:51:41,520 at What's the Call Pod. Until next time, what's the 787 00:51:41,520 --> 00:51:42,000 call?