Hey everybody and welcome to the latest episode of The Ball Boys.
We are the tennis podcast that puts the passing in passing
shots. I'm your host, Paul Monkle and
bringing you the insights, outbursts, giggles and wiggles
of the ATP and WTA tours. We are wrapping up the clay
season, just like half the ATP is wrapping their shoulders and
knees and everything in between. What's that song?
My neck, my back, my something, my racket.
We have lots to cover today as we're gearing up to tear that
back to yes, we have Roland Garrow starting this week and
we're going to talk about who looks good to take home the
title this year. Honestly, in a year where anus
thing is possible, it's wide open except for Sasha Zarib
making a deep run, to which I say BA Hamburg as he just lost
in Hamburg. All right, and we're going to be
talking highlights from Rome and the lessons we learned there.
Hey, we got a new Pope faster than poor Baratini picks up
another injury. And all signs are pointing to a
cool one because the Pope came out immediately.
As a tennis fan, I didn't even know that there was a tennis
court in the Vatican. Like, should I become the Pope
so I can play on that court? But in a not surprising turn of
events, he made the oh so interesting and novel statement
that marriage is just for a man and a woman.
So I personally am no longer interested in anything he stands
for or his forehand. May you miss all your first
serves, Leo. We're also seeing a lots of
streaks come to an end with players getting first wins over
rivals, coaching splits and of course we have the return of the
Italian superstar himself, Mr. Yannick Sinner.
We'll be looking at his performance, including the last
three matches of his run in Rome that honestly left us scratching
our heads more than the people in the stands wearing those
cheap red wigs for the last two weeks.
And of course, we've got the Bay TP rankings plus a new section
called Going Deep with Matthew Coleman.
And so who the hell else am I going to have as my Co host for
the show? But the guy who both slices and
shreds so much? I think he might be a Ginsu
knife. It's a Matthew Coleman.
Hi, Matthew. How are you?
Great, Paul, just just hanging loose and.
Hanging loose? Well, is that all the lingo that
you picked up at surf camp? You were just at a gay surf
camp, right? Yeah, yeah, I was.
Yeah, give me, give me just some highlights.
Wasn't everyone in a Speedo and like were the boards long or
short? Oh yeah.
Oh yeah, that was some nice like.
A girthy boards. Boards which would make no
sense, which would have zero sense.
Girthy board. No listen, here are the facts.
A lot of speedos, but like not really a lot of speedos while
surfing because that's a chase dude.
Like those boards, they'll, they'll rub you up if you like,
go shirtless. They'll make your tits real
sore. They get you like the ocean is a
cruel mistress, or Mr. in our case.
That cruel mistress, Mistress Isabella.
Well, you posted one photo that honestly might be like one of
the sexiest photos I've ever seen.
And I think it was just to your story.
I don't know. Did you post that to me?
You looked like a professional surfer.
Are you that good? Like you looked?
You looked amazing. No.
Definitely not literally. I think the whole point in this
trip is for like a bunch of beginners to go out and
basically you just want to get that one, that one perfect
photo. If you get the one photo, you're
golden. It doesn't really matter if you
like fall over 25 times after that.
Like you got you got the pic. You got the pic?
Yeah, give me a give me a surfing term.
Hang 10 shred the gnar like I I don't know, I don't think I
don't think people actually. See.
Yeah, you like texted something where it's like gnarl something
like it was. Just yeah, I said, I just said
shred the gnar. But that's like such a dumb
cliche thing just for me and upset anyways.
But I mean, honestly, you do kind of like give each other the
the Shaka up there, not the shocker.
Oh. But the Shaka?
The little one. Is that 3 in the pink one in the
sniffer? And it's it's not like when you
when you make the hand symbol, it looks kind of related.
Actually I mean. It looks like it would be like,
it would be like one in one in one in the back and it's like.
A bowling ball on up the crack. Yeah, yeah.
We're really going to have to start doing these more on
YouTube so people can see this amazing handography that we've.
Got Yeah, there's there. We really are like we're we're
signing semaphores over here. Sorry.
Sorry, listener, you're listening.
I am really glad to have you back.
It's been a minute since we've done a show together.
It's the end of clay season. How are you feeling after all
this goddamn clay? Oh God, you know.
All I've done is is I always talk up clay.
Oh, it's such a great surface. You know, it really brings out
the the strategists and players. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I feel like I just like wax poetic about why clay is
amazing. I don't know.
It's fine. It's fine.
My experience of this clay season has been like, not abject
horror, but also not like like just absolutely orgasmic eyes
either. It's been OK.
There have been some fun narratives, there have been some
shitty narratives. Most of my faves never go as
deep as I want them to. Like it's just, it's been a
little bit of a of a tease. Yeah, it's been kind of like
after the last season of White Lotus, Mike, what was like?
I'm just edging you all Like I feel like I've just been edged
for like the last two months and it's.
Been cool. It's been all right.
Our last show together was Monte Carlo and I was like, Oh my God,
it's the greatest thing ever. I'm so I'm obsessed and I still
feel that way, but I'm like, I'm ready.
I'm ready for grass. And we have the clay tournament
coming up starting on Saturday with the French Open.
And I'm really, really freaking excited for that.
But it's been, it's been a little bit of a slog.
You almost feel like we're owed something great though.
We're owed like a breakthrough. We're owed another Maddie Keys
moment from Australian Open. Like, I just feel like, yeah,
you know, we've, we've been watching the filler episodes,
you know? It's like.
It's like, oh like that 45 minute episode where nothing
happened, but clearly it's setting up that big climax.
Everyone's going to die. It's time.
OK, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
This is like this is, you know, what are like the Battle of the
Bastards or something. It's like we got to like we got
to have some drama. And well, and that's the thing,
and we're going to, we're going to spend a lot of time on the
show talking about Roland Garros just because it is so wide open
on both the men's and the women's side.
And it is going to be it or it's not going to be.
It could be a battle because there's 20 people on both tours
that could win. And like, if they all step up
and show that they're hungry, it's going to be bloody, that
red clay. It's going to be like the Red
Wedding. Yeah, I I feel like it's always
more fun in theory when we have these wide open brackets and
then like what ends up happening is just someone really
underwhelming wins. But like in theory, I like
Chenkova. It feels pretty even.
How dare you? All the people you're going to
knock paths like the old the. Ultimate grinder.
I don't. I don't know why I'm beating.
The fact she's still she's, that's one of my triggers.
You don't beat up on pavs. You don't beat up on Krichikova
and you don't beat up on Pavs, OK, Because clearly whatever
French Open 2021 or whatever when they were in the final
together, like infrinted on my mind because like they are my
mother's and and there is no mother slander in this room.
Oh wow. Well, look, I mean look, Pavlien
Chenkova is facing Zheng can win the first round, so good luck
Pavs. Well, miracles.
Miracles do happen. As long ago.
So you know, this year for sure, but before we get into all that,
like always, we're going to start out with our lobs being.
And for anyone new, that is just something that that made us a
little gayer or a little gayer for tennis since the last show.
And there's been a few things that have happened.
First, I'm just going to bring up the Lorenzo Museetti
headline. So we've talked a lot about his
kit. Everyone in the Pope is going
crazy about Musetti's kit, which was really cool.
Really sexy. APC showing off the guns and the
runner style shorts with the slit and the ball.
That just goes in all the right places and it comes in black.
Hey, we love it when something comes in black.
But there was this article that was sent around and literally
anyone and everyone who thought of me sent it to me.
I got this article from everyone, and the headline was
with Lorenzo Mousetti's new kit. Tennis finally gets horny again.
And my answer to every single one who sent that to me was
like, who wrote that headline? Austin Powers?
It was like, yeah, baby, it gets horny again.
Like what a beautiful headline. It was like for GQ or something.
And so I just love it where it's like, OK, people are really
catching on to the humorous but sexy side of tennis this year
and actually the last few years. Did you see the headline?
I'm sure you saw it. Yeah, baby.
Yeah, no, I I did see it. Yeah.
I don't know if it was excellent journalism, but it was, it was
good click bait, let's all put it that way.
The only thing that rubs me a little bit raw about that is
again, like, I mean, you and I were just talking about this
before the show. It's like nobody, it feels like
nobody acknowledges how sexy these players are until they
achieve the most meteoric success in the sport.
It's like he had like Mousetti is a, is a is AI mean he's not.
Greek, I mean. He's a Greek God.
He's like, he's an Italian. He's an Italian statue.
Like he's gorgeous like that face, like chiseled from the
gods, but OK, it's like we it has to break the top 10 to like
for everyone to be start really thirsting over him.
It's weird to me. It's like he's been there for
for a few years and anybody watches tennis, like like knows
that we said he is, is a beautiful, beautiful man.
But I guess for the wider world, yeah, you can have your fun pity
headline your click bait or whatever.
Like we were already there. Look.
He's been there. But look, we all know what what
held him back from from haughty recognition a few years ago.
Say it with me. The ponytail, the hair, the hair
he had that top knot, that long hair.
And look, you know, the same thing happened with with
Chorich. These guys, they go on these
hair journeys. I'm sitting here with the full
on swoopy mullet so like I'm going to keep my.
Mouth I'm trying to. See how far back your hair feels
for our for our listening audience.
Like like my hair is kind of a thing.
OK, so all the things that we're just taking a big giant dump on
right now, it's the haircut that I have, but it's cool.
It's you're not because it's not the truth.
Is. You're not.
Wrong, Paul.
Yeah, and some people pull it off.
I've done. I've done a ponies young.
With this current length. But not but not but not a
professional tennis player. And like, come on.
Like literally when you're out there grunting and sweating all
day of your life, like, how does it make sense to have this big
chunk of hair that you're trying to deal with?
I know that the the women do it like every single one of them.
But like, we're men. But we're men.
We don't do that. Yeah, we will be posting some
reels. So if you do want to see
Matthew's gorgeous locks, I'm going to say it's kind of like a
really stylized Carol Brady, but that's that's that's what I'm
seeing. What's really annoying about
that is like you're absolutely not wrong.
Just like a little you're absolutely not wrong.
Yeah, no. It's great I.
Love it. Yeah, there is.
I do have that little, that little perky Carol Brady.
Little with like more to the end.
Oomph. Yeah.
No, it's great. Yeah, very 70s it's.
True, the other lobs be in is is just the entire little mini saga
of Tommy Paul's truck getting repossessed because he missed
payments, which every word of that sentence like makes
absolutely no sense. But then what I loved was that
he had no shame if that happened to me.
And this is probably just like my gay trauma or whatever, but
if my car was repossessed, I would not be posting that on
Instagram. Then he's like going on other
podcasts. He hasn't been on this podcast
yet, but he's going on other podcasts just explaining what
happened. It's like not a big deal.
And it was just this thing. And, you know, he just ignored
all of it. He like got like 20 calls and he
just ignored them all, which also is very of our time.
Like I don't know why these places call us, but I just love
the way he didn't care. He's like, whatever, I'm going
to go fish. It's just like he exists on a
plane that I aspire to exist on And and there's something really
sexy about that. But also that guy, I mean, come
on, he can do whatever he wants and it's I'll be like, that's so
hot. But that's my we really are
rewarding mediocrity here. But but can't pay your bills
Sexy. I mean.
But how does that happen? Love a bad boy, Love a.
How do you How do you not pay? Enough to get.
Repossessed like 'cause that's not missing one payment, right?
Like you've got to miss. I've never had that happen, but
like, you know. And I'm sure it's a really nice
truck. So we're talking, you know, 10s
of thousands of dollars worth of property.
I mean like the whole not answering the phone thing is
actually super relatable because like I can't, I can't even
remember the last time I answered a an unrecognized
number. But like what if this is all
like one big kind of funny sponsorship activation?
What if he shows up with like a corona hatch on his on his kit
next? To wow, yeah, Oh yeah, buy now,
pay later like as his like his new like acronym on his chest.
Like you're like, that's good. It was all one big.
It was all one big stunt. That goes all the way to the
top. Secure that sponsorship, Yeah,
he's like he's a. Credit King.
Wow, you I OK, so you just revealed yourself as a marketing
professional because that is like actually a really good
campaign idea. And I feel like one of our
clients because I'm also in marketing is going to have that.
It's like a campaign in 2026. So good.
Good. Being being a pod, a gay tennis
podcast guest Co host is definitely my first job.
But yeah, yeah, I do. I do marketing too.
Well, the gate tennis podcast pipeline to marketing, I think
is like a, is a, is a short, short journey.
So, you know, welcome to all the other fellow queer marketers
because that's, that's all there are.
All right, well, that was our Lobstians.
OK, well, let's move on to Twitch, which is this week in
tennis as always. And we're just going to cover
the insurance and outs going on and off the court.
And the main thing that we're going to talk about since the
last show is Rome. Rome was kind of interesting.
Obviously one of the big headlines is Italians do it
better. I do love what a dominant year
and a half or so it's been for Italy cause they've come out of
almost nowhere. Like, you know, 5-10 years ago
it was like Sarah, Ronnie and like Funnini holding it down.
And now they've got so much talent and it's a deep bench.
They win Fed Cup last year, they win Davis Cup last year.
Sinner is just like topping a long, long list of Italian
baddies. He's topped them all.
Where's the footage? Release the tapes?
Go ahead. No, no, please.
Then we got the effer effervescent Jasmine Paolini.
Like, honestly, if a bottle of Sprite could play tennis, that's
Jasmine Paolini. I love everything she's doing.
I love everything about her. She is my like, Roman Empire now
where I'm just like, I think about her and I'm like, fuck
yeah, Jasmine Paolini. I don't think she's going to win
the French. But like, I'm so on the Paolini
train. Have I made that clear yet?
Yeah, I think, yeah, we we get it.
You. Do you get it, everybody?
Femaling, Jasmine Paolini, I. Would I?
I'm going to dress up as Sarah Ronnie and I'm going to be in
her box and I'm going to be like I'm your double S partner now
let's go, let's go. Forza.
Well, I mean, I actually, no, I actually like, now that you say
it, I see the resemblance. Yeah.
I don't even think you need to dress up that much.
No, and like, you know, I I had to have dope.
And just have a just have a big bowl, a big bowl of pasta with
like some, some nice sprinkles of medication.
Who knows? It's it's in the I.
Wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Yeah. Yeah.
We've talked about how Serra Ronnie kind of is facially A
doppelganger for Archer Rinder Nash, right?
We have not talked about that. You you should definitely Google
it. They're they're kind of twinsies
in a very interesting. They have kind of like the same
eyes. They have sort of that same
like, OK, I'm saying this in a nice way, but they have that
same kind of like rodent like attractiveness, you know, I
mean, it is like it's like it was Rat Boy summer last year.
So it's like this is the thing. I was just going to ask, like,
is Rat Boy Summer coming back do we think?
I mean, I, I hope it's never gone away because that's the
only chance I'm going to ever like.
Oh no, Carol Brady, shut your mouth.
You stop right now. Misses.
Brady, I'm just, I'm just Ratatouille in a Carol Brady
wig. That's that's all I.
You're like 3 raccoons and a trench coat.
I am curious. I haven't heard anything about
rat boy summer though. Like what boy summer is it going
to be? It's a middle age podcast
summer. It always is Paul in in.
Singapore at least is hate everybody's number one in
Singapore. We are we're we are rocketing
out to our Singaporean friends. We love you, Matthew.
All I'm saying is you get seated in Singapore.
OK, but back to Rome real quick. So that's our fifth Masters and
like everything I've got to rank everything.
This is just like my thing that I do.
And so we have the live standing and I'm talking just for the the
ATP because I'm a Dick, but it's going to be so we've got Monte
Carlo, Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid.
Just buy a hair under Miami. Matthew, where do you think the
Italian Open sits with the other Masters so far?
This feels like a soapy's choice it.
Is. I.
And I'll tell you when you're wrong.
I would say Rome is definitely above Miami and I would, I mean,
first it was a weird Indian Wells this year, but I, but I
think like, if we're going for like batting average, I, I would
say Monte Carlo, Indian Wells, Rome, Miami, Madrid.
You got it correct, there was only one right answer and you
win. I'm getting you a Bath and Body
Works coupon, so congratulations.
Yeah, no, I totally agree. I stink.
I need soap. I can smell you through this
video chat. And that's just.
Oh, wow, look at that bicep. OK, everybody, I'm so sorry this
is just audio, but I will post a screenshot just of him flexing
and kissing his bicep so you all will.
Oh, you surf with that bro? Yeah, right.
But I agree, it's Monte Carlo in Wells, Rome, Miami, and Madrid.
But hey, listeners, if you don't agree, I want to hear it
because, you know, we're just too lippy homosexuals.
But I know some of you out there are just as lippy.
Maybe Lippier, I want to hear from you.
So go over to our Instagram and that's at TBB Tennis.
Again, that's at TBB Tennis, it's where we post some
highlights of the show. It's where we post the full BTP
rankings and you know any other stories that come up?
But let me know if you think Rome has fallen or Rome is is
rising. All loads, all all loads lead to
Rome is literally what I just said the accident.
So wow, wow, Paul getting a fine for that one.
You need to. Get off the get off the Twitter
porn and like get your mind out of the gutter.
I look, I deleted my Twitter months ago and that's it's I've
I've, I've missed it clearly with what's on my mind, but just
need the sticks. Yeah, seriously, somebody send
me an only fans 8 minute preview.
Anyway, let's talk about the WTAA little bit.
So we had the women's final, Coco Goff and Jasmine, Paulini.
Coco and Jasmine, I mean. Is this a final between my two
favorite scents? Like I was like, oh, it's like
I'm going to Bath and Body Works again.
It was like kind of like a call back to the Mother's Day episode
where we talked about sending people a Bath and Body Works
gift certificate for Mother's Day.
They were both wearing head to toe looks.
Coco was in her mew mew fit and Jasmine.
It's like Jasmine took Lorenzo Mousetti's shirt and made a
dress out of it. It was the APC kit, but it was
just like a one piece. It was like a tunic almost.
And so they were like giving like cool looks.
And you know, I was excited about the smells, but then it
just kind of stank. The result was never really in
doubt. Jasmine wins in two sets, 6462.
And again, I love everything about Jasmine, but it wasn't
like a great final. And Coco, she's now #2 in the
world, Miss, Miss Goff, and I love her.
I love a lot of stuff that's just, she's an amazing athlete,
but her score lines and her stat sheets are rough with errors and
double faults. What needs to happen for Coco to
kind of like get through this? Because I don't think the number
two player in the world can have that type of stat in these
finals. No.
And, you know, I know that the the commentator world in the
world at large loves to dissect Coco's game.
And there's so much chatter about the forehand and how, you
know, she has this extreme Western grip, which like makes
it like she can generate a lot of top spin, but it's kind of a
very clunky, complex move. But I didn't want to talk about
that. The problem is her serve.
Coco has had 193 double faults year to date.
Girl, by far the number one, The, the, the, the number one
ranking in double faults on the WTA Tour, which is insane for a
player in the top about five. Yeah, So, and if you like, it's
really it's her second serve. That's probably her first serve.
Like she wins. She's #10 she's ranked #10 in
terms of first serve points one on tour.
She's ranked 143 in second serve points one.
What? The second serve is a disaster.
And then it went with her second serve because it's so slow.
Like when she even makes it that, you know, again, then when
like they hit it, it gets hit back really fast.
She has this, you know, this very.
She has to do a lot of take back to get that whippy forehand in
play. And she doesn't have time.
But it's all about the serve. I mean, the forehand, yeah.
It's like, whatever, we'll get there.
But like, yeah girl, you got to figure out that second serve.
I I love that and I really agree.
And so like, what is the deal? Is it nerves?
Is it like like because it is the second serve and I'm like, I
am not even surprised when there's a double fault.
I'm just like, yeah, of course. Like what is like what is going
on there? Any any insights there?
With any player, a serve is very mental.
A serve is just an opportunity for all the rhythm that you have
built up to that point to fall apart because you, you just, you
feel like you've lost it. Coco just gets so in her head
and like the confidence drops, but she's got the team, she's
got the funds. So like, examine it and figure
it the hell out because the time is now.
Yeah, but like I said, I am a fan.
But like I just it it it makes me a little sad that the number
two player in the world has that type of game right now and it
and it is fixable. Like yes, it's mental, Of course
it's mental, But I think that someone just needs to take her
off the tour for like a week and just be like, OK, this is this
is the new serve. This is like the toss is either
too high or something and just. Because it sucks.
I mean, that's what Arena did. And it worked out.
Yeah. It was gangbusters for her.
Yeah. But like, I am about to talk a
little bit about both sides of my mouth, too.
Because like, I do think in some ways, like it actually benefits
her to have one part of her game that is just a little bit stuck
because, because it is something to stay focused on.
You know, I feel like when you look at what's happened to Eaga
lately, it's like I just she was so dominant for so long that I
think she kind of like in this, she could have lost that ability
to to like, figure out a Plan B and a plan C, You know, it's
because she just like when she when she falls out of the match,
she just looks flummoxed. She's done Coco.
It's like Coco is used to winning ugly at this point.
Yeah. And like is pretty damn good at
it. And like, that is a muscle in
and of itself that I feel like it's good to have.
Now, obviously it'd be better if her game was just fixed, but
it's like mentally like she's she she knows that she's got to
kind of stay present in every point in order to win the match.
And like I think in pressure points that actually is a big
advantage for. Her yeah, no, totally.
I mean, and that's like that semi final was Jane can win.
It was three sets and it was the kind of an ugly three sets.
And you're right. No, Coco's great at winning
ugly. I just don't love watching it.
And it's, you know, it's it's been my struggle with both tours
the last few years where it's really hard to get invested.
It's really hard to root where it's like, it's one thing if you
lose based on skill, It's another if you lose because you
just didn't show up that day or, you know, like, oh, you're just
like, oh, today my server was off.
It's like, that's me. Like there are days where my
server is off and I lose great because I'm, you know, a
schmuck, but like the number two player in the world, like I
shouldn't be worried about that. And it's just kind of like, I
mean, I and again, I'm really happy that Jasmine won.
Jasmine also won the double s. So like, really just like, I
mean, come on, give a give a little.
Are you a Jasmine fan? Is that your favorite scent?
Yeah. I feel like you would smell
really good, like a little Jasmine Patchouli.
A little, a little, yeah. Note to Jasmine maybe, yeah.
Maybe kind of mixed into some sandalwood and maybe.
Yeah, maybe something a little smoky.
Yeah. I see the vision.
No, I love Jasmine. Jasmine's great.
Like she's so effortless and effortless and like he like the
minute that that her profile rose, she just immediately like
was very open and authentic with the media.
You know what it's like she just like was she was made for it.
And I just listen. I love that she won this
tournament. Like cuz I, I just, I think it's
fun to root for the hometown girl.
I love it when and it, yeah, like I love it when a hometown
player wins their tournament because it's just like, you know
how fun it is for all the people in the audience.
You know how you know how special it is for the player?
So like, it's cool. I was.
I wasn't mad at that at all. Yeah, well, and then on the
men's side, we had another hometown girl going for the
final, which was Yannick Sinner against Carlos Alcaraz, which
was, you know, the dream match up.
Everyone was like, OK, Yannick is back after his three month
suspension. And this is this is who we
wanted to see in the final. So we got the final that we
wanted. But then Carlos wins pretty
handily. You know, the first set, very
close 76, but the tie break was not close at all.
And then he takes him in 661 in the second set.
Kind of real bummer. And I was just like, what what
do we think happened there for Yannick?
Like is he is he just not match fit?
Was it kind of overwhelming mentally?
Like it it does take a minute to get back into the the mindset of
playing week in and week out. Yeah, well, and you can, you
know, you can look back to what happened in the the match before
too with with Tom and he just got demolished in in that first
set and then came back and turned it around very handily.
But it's it's a really good question.
I don't know if I really have the answer.
I think he's, you know, sure he's not technically match fit,
but I think he's actually very fit fit like he was not out with
an injury. He didn't have anything to
recover from. But I don't have the feeling it
was just a little bit of everything, a little bit of
rust, a little bit of nerves and and you know, I don't want to
shortchange Carlos. I, I think, you know, Carlos can
be streaky. It's not even fair to say he's
streaky. He's not, he's not, he's not
streaky. He has some surprising dips in.
Consequence. He'll lose his focus in a match
in the occasional match. Yeah, but like, but, but I think
he's also so good at locking in and raising his level.
And, like, Yannick has always just kind of been traditionally,
like, always operating at this higher frequency.
And he doesn't really seem to dip or come back.
But it's like, you know, I think maybe that didn't serve him well
this time because he needed to find something extra.
And I don't think he's really used to doing that.
Interesting. And maybe he just kind of burned
that gasoline up in the last match.
But yeah, I just think Carlos was like, he saw it, He wanted
it. He locked in.
And frankly, there's just no stopping him at that point.
Yeah. Well, yeah.
I mean, Carlos now has a 7 to 4 edge in head to head, including
winning the last four matches, including the three matches
during Sinners really dominant 2024.
Like who does that? Nobody.
You know what I mean? I think for me the the biggest
factor in that match up is who's healthy and who's not because I
feel like a lot of a lot of Carlos's like periods of
underperformance. I feel like you've been related
to injury, which is which is not something to discount because
he's had a few significant injuries in his relatively short
career to date. And I feel like it's going to be
interesting in the next few years to see with Carlitos,
like, how does his body hold up? Because yeah, you can absolutely
stay at #1 or #2 but it's like it's totally dependent on him
not pulling something, not straightening something.
I don't know if we have enough data on that matchup outside of
it to know like really kind of long term who's going to who's
going to come out ahead. That's true.
I mean, yeah, they're still so
young. You know, I mean, Novak and
Federer, like they kind of really like came into themselves
around 2728. But these guys are still 2324.
Their brains aren't even done forming yet.
You know that that that keeps going until you're 26 or in my
case, like well into your early to late mid 30s and 40s.
One of the things that was noticeable for Sinner's return,
like he's kind of even more jacked than ever, which again,
like I'm kind of like, does that really help?
Like with any allegations about doping, Like, I don't think he
doped, but it's just like, well, OK, now he's even bigger.
Jesus fucking Christ. Like we're in trouble.
But. That's what all these guys do
when when they're off the tour. And honestly, that's what a lot
of guys do more so even when they're injured because like
they actually can't get out on court and play.
And so like their answer is like I'm just going to spend 3.
Hours at the gym. I remember when Schorich came
back after his injury for that audible, he was like, dude was
the Terminator and it was it was crazy.
And he actually then I think that's the year he won the that
Masters 1000. Out of nowhere.
But yeah, it's like, it's like when these guys are not on a
tennis court, it's just like typical male response to any
sort of stress situation. It's like I'm going to, I'm
going to head to gym and like leave it all on the on the gym
floor. Well, Carlos did the same thing
a couple years ago. I mean, his first year on the
tour, he was like a boy. And then like there was the the
month off when they used to have a month off on the tour and he
came back. People were like, who is that?
A little more about Sinner, though.
I mean, so he's come back and he is just this gigantic star.
Of course, in Italy for the Italian Open, the reception was
was just massive. I still don't totally get it.
Every match there were several dozens of people wearing red
wigs, you know, dressed up as carrots.
And I don't know how active you are on TikTok, but there was
this crazy trend like a week ago.
And anyone out there who's on TikTok, there's no way you
didn't see this on your For You page.
It's all about redheads and you know, gingers.
And there was a, a black woman on there who said all gingers
with red hair are actually black people.
And people at first were like, wait, what?
I don't get it. And then the app just exploded
with gingers or redheaded Americans, like I'm not even
sure what the term is anymore, telling their stories, really
touching and horrible stories about how they were treated
growing up as a redhead, you know, objectified, bullied, like
ostracized, all these horrible things and that they hate being
called carrots and they hate being called, you know, this and
that. And so then I like now I'm
looking at all these people in wigs in the stands and I'm like,
is, is that offensive? Should they be doing that?
Because those wigs, like they were not flattering red wigs.
They were like raggedy and raggedy Andy Gross ass shake and
go red wigs. I know this is the condition is
going to do nothing for you, but you're reminding me of on when
on The Real Housewives of New York like Countess Luann dressed
up as Diana Ross, complete with the giant Afro and and
definitely have gotten a spray tan right before except for
Halloween like it's very it's this.
This whole conversation is very. Luann coded, yeah.
It was insane, like for the entire week.
And it wasn't that they were saying they're black, it's that
black people were telling them we love you, you're coming to us
now and we got your back because of all the crap that you've been
through. It wasn't like, oh, I'm like a
black person now. That's a that's a beautiful
moment of solidarity. People are affordable, people
are cruel. Any, anything that makes you
different, like you're going to be, you know, about, especially
when you're a kid, it's sports. Like I think there's a little
bit more permissiveness in the culture personally, unless
Sinner comes out and says like, like, I really don't like that.
Listen, I know he wants this whole thing to be the fox and
not the carrot, but like he's, he's embraced the lost the
Kuroda boys. So you know, if, if he's, if
he's good with the whole thing, then I'm good with it.
I yeah sure. I just wonder like.
That's all that matters was what I think.
Was he ever bullied for being a redhead?
Is it like, I just wonder, I don't know if that happens over
in Italy. I don't think redheads are that
common in Italy. So like, I don't know, I could
see a world where he was like, you know, made fun of and like,
I don't know, just I'm just throwing.
It was just. You think someone was like was
like, hey fire crotch. Oh, 100%.
I mean, look, the stories on TikTok again, like you got to
go, you got to that's where that's where everything is.
That's where I get all my news now.
And. I'm not, I'm not doing them.
All but it was just but like. Listen, I'm sure that I'm sure
that young like bougie Onic center in his like evil super
villain, you know, childhood ski outfit with his like, you know,
22 little Italian greyhounds, like ski, ski villain dogs.
Like he was, he was like he was a young pro skier.
He was fine. I'm sure that that you know, I,
I don't think that he, if he got bullied, he's like, he's like, I
already like make more money and I'm like more athletically
gifted than you'll ever be like bullies.
So like, he's like, he's fine. OK.
And, and listeners, that was today's lesson on empathy from
Matthew Coleman. He's fine.
He had money, OK. Well, it's been a long.
Day. Listen, suck it, ginger.
OK, moving on. 2 episodes ago it was Clay JA vu.
It was like everything was happening over and over again.
The same thing is happening and it is all confusing.
But then we had the bunch of streaks end.
Finally in Rome, Sabalenka doesn't make it to the final.
Finally Jenkin win gets her first win over Sabalenka ever.
It was after I think six in a row.
Tommy Paul gets his first win over Alex Demeneur after losing
6 times in a row. Eega out of the top 2 for the
first time in years. She's going to be the fifth seed
at Roland Garros, which is really noteworthy because she's
had so much success at Roland Garros.
And of course, Novak and Andy, Andy Murray, they ended, they
are coaching relationships. So Andy Murray was his coach
since the end of last year. I honestly never understood the
point of that coaching relationship.
Novak spent his career beating the crap out of Andy.
Like Andy had some moments in 2016.
Andy Murray was peak was fantastic.
But I mean, Novak had him figured out.
So why are you going to pick somebody who you just dominated
as your coach? Like it never made sense to me.
And I honestly was like, is this APR stunt to like, get some
goodwill or like, what do we think Andy was bringing to
Novak's game? I know I'm asking all the hard
questions because I don't know the answers to anything.
I don't think you brought. I don't think you brought
anything. He didn't get any results.
Yeah. It felt, it felt like a stunt.
Yeah. It felt like a stunt to me.
Yeah. Which, yeah, maybe maybe it was
as simple as like Novak knowing that he was in a bit of a slump
and just going look over there like, here's something else for
you to talk about. Yeah.
I don't know. Yeah.
Well, and now Novak is over in Geneva trying to win his 100th
tournament. He's got 99 titles, but a bitch
ain't one. And he is going for #100 and I
don't know, like, I don't know if I'm going to count A
tournament where you start at the round of 16 'cause you got
to buy in the first round, 'cause there were like 28 people
in the draw. Yeah, I know.
But that's like every 250. Like, I, you got to count a
ball. I, I don't know, I, I feel like
you have to at least win five matches.
I feel like a Grand Slam is 7 matches 1000 and a 500 is 6/2/50
is 5. Like, you get 4 matches.
I could win four. Man, I don't know.
I don't know. I'm not buying it.
It's going to be a big asterisk to me anyway.
Speaking of Novak, Matthew, do you want to hear a joke?
Yeah. So Novak Djokovic has recovered
from his sty, but I sure haven't Matthew.
What is Novak Djokovic's favorite Parisian landmark?
The men's restroom at the Chateau.
I don't. Know this Eiffel Tower?
Oh, that's good. How does Novak Djokovic like to
get around Paris? He rides his Sticycle.
Oh, that's good. You know, I'm going to get, I'm
going to keep these up as long as I can go.
What is Novak Djokovic's favorite piece of art at the
Louvre? No, I actually know this one.
I actually know this one. It's it's it's Gustav.
No, it's Gustav Matrix 1892 painting.
Wow. I don't know.
Flowers. Flowers on the flowers are the
stars of the Earth. Yeah.
None of that rhymes with sty. It's it's Venus Dis Stylo.
These are you know what? You know what, folks?
This is, this is going to go on for as long as I can.
And honestly, today in his match, he kind of injured his
thigh. So instead of rhyming things
with thigh, I might start rhyming things with thigh.
It's a whole new world is opening up, which is literally
the same, the same. I don't know what you're talking
about. Just recycled.
There's no. Yeah, a thigh cycle the thigh.
Oh, the Eiffel Tower. It's like I've got a lift.
Have you ever seen, have you ever seen Who Framed Roger
Rabbit? Of course, yeah.
Yeah, OK. You know the whole thing where
it's like where you somebody says like shave in a haircut
like and he goes stupid. He just can't resist.
I feel like that's you and a dad joke.
Like you literally you have to you have to tell at least three
a day or like you will implode like a super.
I, yeah, I, I, I will die. Well, so, and it's OK.
So I have a fourth one. It's a bonus one.
This is not related to Novak though.
I don't even know if this is going to make the cut.
What does the Pope call a LOB? I I have a zero idea please tell
me. A Christian Passover.
That one I think is the best one.
Thank you. Thank you.
Well, that's good. At first I was, at first I was
like, oh, it's just Passover. But then I was like, wait,
that's not Christian. So had to, yeah, 'cause I, you
know, I'm, I'm a Buddhist. Buddhism we love, we love, we
love religious, religious commentary on the on the spot.
That's definitely that's our, that's our like 5th or 6th tag
that we put on Spotify to, to tag our content.
We are the number six religious podcast in Singapore.
OK, So we are going to move on. And this is a new segment, it's
called Going Deep with Matthew Coleman.
And this is just something for Matthew to take us a little more
technical, a little more analytical.
So, Matthew, how are we going deep this show?
So I would like to direct our attention to one of my favorite,
slightly more underrated characters on the WTA tour, and
that is Miss Ludmila Simpsonova, who at her best is a absolute
big babe tennis ball striker in the vein of Sabalenka.
But at her worst, she's losing the a bunch of these three set
matches that she should be winning.
And I and I, I find myself asking why.
And I was looking into it. OK, so we talked about how Coco
is the #143 in terms of second serve points, one on the women's
tour. OK, Samsanova is #147 he wins
41.8% of her second serve points, which is atrocious.
So like her, her second serve is a is a mess.
And if you ever watch her play a match, she does this really
bizarre thing between her first serve and her second serve,
which she will just stand there for about 20 seconds and just
bounce the ball. She just bounces it like she's
playing basketball. Like she's like waiting for the
bus, you know, or like like she's like her Spotify is like
loading and she's got a bad connection.
Like she just for an interminable amount of time.
And I think it is just so long that she loses all of her
rhythm. And by the time she actually
throws it up and hits it like she just she's not she's not her
head isn't in the game anymore. And so if I were her coach, I
would say Liuda or nickname. We're going to we're going to
stop doing the bouncing. I just want to, for the next
like two weeks, all we're going to do is like, after you miss a
first serve, you're going to not hesitate at all and you're just
going to throw it up and hit it. And we're going to train you to
not sit there bouncing your ball for 20 seconds.
And I, I think that that actually would get her second
serve numbers up. And I think that all these
matches that she would be winning, she will actually win
now. All right, my friends, we have,
we've gone deep. So, TuneIn for the next
installment of Going Deep with Matthew.
Coleman I love that only. On the ball, boys.
On the ball, boys, I love that. So Lude Miller, Sam, son of a
bitch. I want you to listen to Matthew
Coleman because he's always right.
And every time I do a show with it's really annoying.
Isn't it? It's very annoying.
It's really fucking. It annoys me.
Yeah, no, like I, I hate it, Like I absolutely despise it.
But you'll always make the right call about, you know, various
coaching things. And honestly, I feel like you've
got a future and, and, and being some sort of a mentor, like
hybrid, like like mental coach doula for like the, the WTA and
you just like, you're like a witch.
And I think that there's something there for you.
So I I'm excited. I'm a witch and a doula.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Isn't that kind of this they're. Definitely on my on my vision
board, it's like. The same thing, right?
All doula. Doula is like, is a midwife.
Yeah. You.
Oh, so so you're, you're telling the midwife community you think
that they're all Pagan. Oh, they're all like burning
incense and like, yeah, like Jasmine and like, you know, Coco
here, like it's all, it's all connected.
Yeah, yeah. I'm I wasn't kidding about the
religious commentary like I'm. Serious.
I know we're going there. It is our, it is our number, it
is our number six content tag on Spotify.
We're really trying to like, like increase our numbers on
religious commentary. Yeah #7 was midwives, but I
think we're going to have to change that now.
So yeah, sorry midwives, we lost, we lost a very small sub
segment. Of our audience, my favorite
show, The real Midwives of New York City.
Why is it wait, why isn't that a oh, the real midwives?
Come on, Andy Cohen, get on it. OK, OK, Calm down, Andy Cohen.
So excited. All right, so now we're going to
get into our preview of Roland Garros.
But before we do that, just a quick touching our bases on the
Bait TP, because what does all this mean coming out of Rome?
Well, it means how hot are the guys after that tournament?
And to answer that, we've got our Bait TP rankings.
And so we just posted the top eight of the Bay TP to our
Instagram. And you can see all that at TBB
Tennis. Again, our handle is at TBB
Tennis heading over there. Check it out.
And for the first time ever in the long, illustrious history of
the Bay TP, we have got a returning #1 and that is Lorenzo
Mousetti. The entire world's gone Gaga for
Mousetti. And Speaking of Gaga, he's also
just announced that he is going to have his second baby.
He is a dad already. He is 22 or 23 years old and
he's having his second baby, which again, more BATP points.
I'm sorry. So if you're going to have a
black kit, you're going to look that good.
You're going to snag headlines. You are going to make the
semifinals. I'm sorry, you're still number
one in the BATP. And so Lorenzo, well done.
So Roland Garros is starting, AKA the French Open.
It's the second slam of the year on the gorgeous, gorgeous red
clay of Paris. I went there in 2017 and it was
fantastic. It was.
You could still smoke cigarettes on the grounds.
I smoked back then. I just sipped espresso smoked
while watching fucking Rafael Nadal on Suzanne Langlon.
I was in the 2nd row of Suzanne Langlon and it was not that
expensive and it was just in Crayabla.
I will be speaking French for the rest of the episode.
I'm Crayabla. Just like we ranked the masters
one thousands. Matthew Coleman.
Where does Roland Garros fall for you in terms of the other
grand slams? Is it a we or a non?
I mean, what, what kind of like absolute tennis neophyte would
would give Roland Garros unknown like it is, it's such a wee.
Are you kidding me? It is one of the IT is one of
the most iconic tournaments in tennis.
I would say it is a solid #2 and I do not mean that in the
defecatory sense. I mean, it is.
In the Coco golf sense. Wimbledon, Wimbledon, which is
like the world's classiest tournament on the world's oldest
surface, Roland Garros, which is which is it's it's style, it's
substance, city of love, Rafa magic, it's clay, clay court,
you know, tennis wizard romance. And then frankly, I feel, I feel
like it's like U.S. Open and and Australian Open
kind of pulling up the rear. Like, I know it's, you know, I
mean, hardcore tennis is really the the backbone of the tour,
but like, I just don't feel like it's given us anything new, you
know? No, those are great answers.
You're wrong, but those are great answers.
You're correct on Wimbledon. Wimbledon is number one.
I am going to say though, Australia, and this may be a
recency bias because I, I was very fortunate and I went to
Australia last year for the Australian Open.
It blew my mind out of the water.
So the US Open for me is a distant fourth.
And they just announced all these things they're going to do
to make the US Open even bigger and better, and they're going to
like add 2000 seats to our threat.
No, don't add seats to that monstrosity.
Take seats away. That stadium is way too big.
Yeah, it's not a, it's not a full bum match.
It's tennis. It's like intimacy is core to
the enjoyment of the. Yeah, yeah.
So I mean, for me, Australia and and and Roland Garros are like
neck and neck. There may be tied for a second.
So here's what I'd have to say about the Australian Open.
You know that that the figure in New York politics, I forget his
name, but he's like, the rent is too damn high.
Oh yeah, yeah, like. The Rent.
Is too damn high, yeah.
OK, I for I, I want to take that energy and apply it to the
Australian Open, but it's but it becomes the court is too damn
hot. The court is too damn hot.
Those players are dying out there.
I, I do not want my precious baby fragile tennis players to
have to go through extreme heat season after season in the, in
the era of global warming when every year is going to be hotter
than the one before it. This is true.
I do not, I do not like this, my friends.
I do not like it. So for that reason, Australian
Open, I don't know why I'm going full Susie Orman, you are
denied. Girlfriend.
Wow. Back to 3rd place, you know.
Well, so I it, it is a great point, actually.
It's something that I think about a lot because I feel like
more and more I'm watching tennis tournaments where the
weather is terrible. It's either too hot or too cold.
Like in Europe right now, they're all in parkas and
freezing and like, and, and I do think that at some point, and
this is another horrible outcome of global warming, we're going
to have to reshuffle the tournaments.
So it's going to have to be like different times of the year
because, like, yeah, I mean, the same can be said for Cincinnati
and DC. Like, I really want to go to DC
this year for the the DC Open. Too much, too hot.
Damn, I've heard you're in like an easy bake oven in that in
that old ass rickety stadium. And it's I'm I'm.
Still with. You yeah, the draws.
So the draws came out today and I've got to talk a little bit
about seeding because, you know, I have a lot of thoughts about
how we seed the men. And I just got to ask on what
God's green earth is Taylor Fritz doing as the number four
seed on clay at Roland Garros? He just lost today in Geneva.
I get that Fritz is a top four hardcore player.
I believe that fine, great. But on clay, that he is a fourth
seed, when Someone Like, You know, Novak, someone like a
Rude, Someone Like You know, even Lucetti who's had such
great runs is not the foresee. I feel like back in the day they
used to have more discretion, especially at Wimbledon.
Yeah. Where it wasn't just based on I
was wondering if. You're going to bring that up?
Yeah, You know, I bring up discretion a lot.
I'm not discreet. No, you just like to.
You just like to bring up things that are old, old, the distant
past. I'm going to mute your mic right
now. This this Sam son of a bitch.
But I'm that's your that's your 5th dad joke.
What I do here. Yeah, you're really on a roll.
Come to Daddy. Yeah, no.
You know who there is to blame? It's the other members of the
top 10 because no one can be consistent to save their lives.
You know, it's like Rublev is mentally cooked, Casper is in
and out. You know, Runa's body is
constantly failing him. Like like Dimitrov is like our
our gorgeous balding birexual. So like, yeah, Bulgarian balding
bisexual. I mean, God, Medvedev sis the
past. I'm leaving off the obvious ones
here. But like we're used to having a
very locked top of the field. You know, it's like it's like
their their dominance is established, but it's like just
everybody's been kind of slipping and sliding and trying
to find their groove this year. So I mean, I'm not shocked that
Fritz just bite process of elimination, you know, has held
on to that #4 seeding. Because I mean, you're right,
like his season hasn't exactly justified it, but like nobody
else's has either. Yeah.
But I mean, if you're in his quarter, which I think it's
Moussetti and Runa, yeah, you're like it could be way worse.
Although also, like, I mean, you could say the same thing about
Zverev right now, Zverev's number three seed and Zverev, as
I said at the top of the show, just lost in Hamburg.
So yeah, I mean, it is, you're right, there's a lack of
consistency. But I just feel like there could
be a little more variation of the seeding of players versus
the ranking of players, especially surface by surface,
you know? Yeah.
It's just, it's, I feel like if you look at the macro trends of
the sport, I feel like they're taking discretion out of it.
Oh yeah. And I, and I think that that's
kind of a, that's a universal thing.
Everything's automatic. You know, it's like you, you
can't argue with the line calls and and frankly, frankly, I
just, I feel like as a as a world's like we, we love to
argue too much. You know what I mean?
It's it's. Like I do not.
How dare you? 20 or 30 years ago, yeah, maybe
if you had if you had seating that was fully at the discretion
of the tournament, the world would just accept it because,
like, no one is like jumping on their Twitter and like, these
echo chambers aren't amplifying the anger.
And Can you imagine? Just like the nationalism that
gets involved, like, like that xenophobic.
And it's like you like, you know, just because my players
from you know, Kazak, like, like you wouldn't let them be in
their their proper earned seating.
It's like it's just so it's. Too fractious?
Yeah, No, that's exactly, exactly, exactly.
So it's like, they're just like, we're gonna, we're gonna take
all the, all, all the possible vulnerabilities out of it and
we're just gonna, it's gonna be pure math.
And that's when it's gonna be which like, listen, I, I think
you totally have an argument. Like I think it'd be way more
fun. Exactly, exactly.
But humans, we take the fun out of everything.
There are some really cool first round matches though.
This is what I love. There's so much depth on both
sides of the tour where it's like like right out of the gate
and there's not as many Guineas as there used to be.
So I mean, some of the jump out are Herkash versus Fonseca.
I forget. Are you like a big Fonseca stand
yet or are you kind of waiting for him to get his driver's
license? I would not say that I'm a Stan.
I definitely see him as this extremely nascent talent.
I remember when on running, you know, picked up him and what it
was, who are there, who are there.
It was IGA. It was.
Shelton. I guess like Shelton.
Yeah, Kaboli and Fonseca, and this was a few years ago and it
was like you could tell that they were making bets.
But I'm like, if Roger Federer is like making bets on these
players, and I bet that there's something to watch and like,
honestly, those seats have sprouted.
But like, he's, he's young. Like I, I don't.
We'll, we'll see. We'll see.
I think he's definitely going to be in the upper echelons.
But like his results, the last couple months haven't actually
been all that great. So we'll see.
Yeah, Yeah. But I think it's, I mean, there
could be a good, good test for either one of them, though.
Whoever takes that, it's gonna be a meaningful victory.
Yeah, and and her catch just just beat Fritz.
Yeah, exactly today, yeah. Which nobody, nobody expected to
happen. So it's like her catch is hot,
he's on a roll, so let's see. What happens?
Yeah. No one expects anyone to beat
Fritz on clay, Sir. The women's side, we've got a
couple of really cool matches. Osaka Badosa kind of a pick em I
mean. But if Padosa's back is not
broken or blown out. That's the thing, I feel like
you're catching me on some sort of cynical day or something, cuz
I just feel like I've got nothing nice to say when it's
like, I want to be in my mind, this ray of light and
positivity, but it's like no Osaka padosa.
Yeah, it feels like which player is going to beat themselves and
like for on Badosa side, it's like, is her body, is her body
going to hold up? I love both these players.
I would love to see either of them when I love what they
brought to the sport. But it's like, yeah, I just, I
feel like it's going to be like not, not which player is is
better at winning, but which player is, you know, snatching
defeat from the jaws of victory. I think I think that could
happen, but I think who could also just be a top tier match
where it's like, oh shit, like we don't know, like really, like
they they both have. The game I I hope so.
Yeah, yeah. I mean it's.
It's exciting. They do.
And yeah, and we know, you know, as as we've talked about, we
know that Osaka has tripped back down to the 125.
So there's actually been a huge confidence booster for her, her
game, especially on clay. So it's like she's coming into
it with some momentum. It's like I'd love to see her
capitalize. On that, yeah, Before we wrap
up, I got to know who's going to win the tournament, so I've got
my picks. Do you want to?
Do you want me to say my pick, or do you want to give me your
pick? You give me yours first.
OK, So for the men, it's going to be Onyx Center and I think
then we're going to have to start having a conversation
about the calendar Grand Slam because I think he's going to be
more focused, stronger, less stressed.
It's not his home crowd after Rome.
And I think that he and his draw is not bad.
And like what he did to Casper Rude in the quarterfinals of
Rome was such a spanking. You don't see that on the men's
tour. 6 love 61. And like that was just the to
another top tender who had just won 1000 level tournament.
So I've got he slapped him down. I've got him.
Yeah, I've got him taking that. And then for the women, it's
it's going to be Mira. I know I should say Sabalenka,
but I actually think it's going to be a Catch Fire girl.
It could be an Ostapenko, it could even be an A Somova, but I
think it's going to be Mira. She made the semis last year.
She beat Sabalinka in the quarters last year, crapped out
in the semis because of like, I think a little bit of like
nerves. But now she's won some big
stuff. I think Mira is going to take
it. So those are my picks.
What do you got? Those are good picks.
I'm into it. OK, I'm going to be, I'm going
to be even a little bit more out there just because I feel like
it so. On the.
Men's side, I'm going to say the winner is going to be Yakov
Menchik. I actually had.
I had picked Menchik to win a slam last year.
And then how did? That go then he he withdrew
before the tournament started. So I was like my picker wasn't
firing on that one. But but you're what you're like.
My oh what? No, my pickle.
Oh, your Oh, sorry. My pickle.
Your accent. Yeah.
Wait. Sorry, but I, I feel like he's
been, he's been loading in the background and I feel like, I
feel like he's going to be the catch fire player on this on the
men's side and then on the women's side, I'm going to go
with Svidalita. I think I don't, I don't think
she's ever been better. I don't think she's ever been
better and I think it's her time for a slam.
And again, I just the narrative of this year to me has been it's
never the people you think it's going to be.
And so those are the people who I'm picking.
I think I, you know, I don't even, I don't even really think
she has an, an outside chance. I think it's a very inside
chance. But I just feel like she just
isn't. Hasn't quite been in that
conversation, but I'm putting her in.
I I would be so happy. I would cry.
I would feel as good as when Maddie Keys won.
If Svidelina won like that, that would feel amazing for I could
dozens of reasons. I'm worried though.
She always gets to the semis and she always loses the semi.
Like I just I'm I'm worried she keeps running into Sabalinka in
the court like I if she just gets on the right.
Side teen Wynn just beats Sabalinka.
You know, it's like, it's like they're these these Titans.
They're not infallible. No, they, they can be slaves.
Yeah. And I feel like, and that's the
thing. And and, and when Sidolina
smells blood in the water, he will win that match.
Like she when she senses an opening, she will dig down.
To her core. And like, come on.
Especially if it's a Russian or Belorussian player.
Yeah, yeah. Like she's, oh, she's taking it.
She's taking. It What if she smells Coco or
Jasmine in the water? Is that then she's going to be
like she's like take a bath. She's going to be like, can we
can we actually postpone my match of the night session?
I need to go buy bath and. Body works immediately.
I got this gift card. OK, who is going to be the
Italian hottie? Who's going to make the best
run? Because there's just so many
Italian hotties. Yes, there are.
Well, it's I think Baratini withdrew.
Yeah, that guy. Poor guy.
I I don't think Sinner is really a hottie so I'm not going to
include him in the conversation and it makes him more
interesting to take him out. Yeah, he's one enough.
And he's a ginger. Like Kaboli, I don't really feel
like is like is in his moment right now.
I don't feel like he's in his rhythm.
I'm going to go with Dardari. I feel like Dardari has had a
really good last couple months. I mean, very much like this is
he's he's a real long shot because like he's not that
highly ranked, but you know, these young, he's young enough
that I feel like maybe maybe this is his breakthrough moment.
Luciano Dardari, I'm watching you.
All right, well. Well, my pick is actually is
Caboli, not to win, but just to have a good run.
Yeah, I think he's going to take out Sverb.
I think he's going to make it to the fourth round.
I think. I think that that's he's going
to be the Zverev Slayer because I think, I think we can all
agree that Zverev is going to lose, but I think he's going to
lose before the quarters. Yeah.
What other dark horses do you have?
So who else is going to just make a great run?
Who's the storyline that you're curious about?
I'd love it. I'd love it if Ava lease went
deep again. It's like this was her new
narrative. If if, if if she was like the
anti pagula where it's like she she peeks at slams versus like
crashes out at slams, Yeah, then then I would love it.
Well, you know who she's playing in the first round?
She. Think.
Peyton Sterns, who just made the semis.
Oh, that's kind of a that's a fun match.
I mean, I would give that one to Peyton, but like, yeah, but but
yeah, either one, like I, I love.
It that's a I'm excited for that too.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, on the men's side, you
know who I'd love to see go deep and I don't think it's going to
happen, but. Oh, I bet.
Brainia Busta, he was he was the last person to sneak into the
draw. Like he was like literally, I
think he's ranked 100. He's up against another.
He's up against Comasana. Coman Sanya.
You know what?
Yeah, Coman Sanya. Actually, I feel like he's a
player who could win that quarter.
But Karina Busta, just for nostalgia.
And like, I love AI, love a player who's come back from a
long injury. Like I would love to see him go
deep. Well, that's a really.
Honestly, he won't. I mean, he's not, he's not even,
he's not even much of A clay core player.
Yeah, especially for being Spanish.
Well, I like Karina Busta's history of fighting with
Djokovic, but that's like a really interesting many.
It's not a quarter, it's like an eighth of the draw, but it's
like it's with Tiafo, Karina, Busta, Kamasana Brooksby, your
man, Dardari and Korda. Interesting.
Do you have any more? Do you have any more dark
horses, Paul? Yeah, I do.
I'm always forever going to be like Tommy Paul can make a run.
I think he's got a good draw. He's going to face Casper Rude
in the fourth round, which I think he can take, you know, on
any given day. And Tommy's had some good
results on. As long as he doesn't get, you
know, his rackets repossessed or, you know, anything on the
way, he should, you know, he could do it.
He's also he's picked up a little just a little bit more
punch on his forehand. I think he's he's a little more
dangerous than he used to be. So.
And I still think Sarundolo, like, I don't know, he didn't
have the greatest roam, but I think Sarundolo is such a great
clay quarter And I I could see him really like locking in.
And then on the women, I'm just really excited about two Czech
players who have been gone with injuries.
And we don't know what's gonna happen, but we got your girl
Krajikova back finally, you know, Barbora Barbora.
And then my Barbora, my girl Mukova is Mookie Mooks.
The Mooks is back. They're both seated because
again, yeah, they had great runs last year before crazy injuries.
And so there's, I think Barbora is 15 and Mukova is 10.
So I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm going to be
watching that because, like, they could either one of them
could win it all or they're going to lose right away.
Who knows? Can I just say something if
there literally was like a nuclear war and every planet
except for Czech, Slovakia, Czech Slovakia, pardon me,
every, every country except for the Czech Republic got Chechia,
got got bombed off the face of the planet and that was all that
left and somehow I was able to survive.
So I would watch an all Czech tennis tour.
I love the Czech players there, and there's so many of them.
Yeah. That roster is just like the
Italian, yeah. It runs so deep.
But like, like, I mean really more on the women's side than
the men's, but like. I mean, hey, what Mensa?
WTA You're Mensa. WTA Yeah.
And I think I, I think I told you I'm WT gay and I'm gay.
TV. So honey, we know.
So it's fine at this point. Well, like.
Yeah, anyways, I just like moment of moment of love.
Yeah, I'm making my little heart hands at my check girlies
because. I love that if all the other
planets were destroyed except for Chechi, it was beautiful.
She's so pretty. Paul, we've been recording for
an hour. She's so pretty.
My brain is starting. To circuit.
No, no, I agree. And and what would you call that
tour? Like maybe like check Hunter?
Yeah, I've never, I've never seen that in those movies.
I'm not sure what you're talking about.
OK. And that's our show, everybody.
Thank you so much, Matthew Coleman.
What a delight to bask in your glory.
And we're going to be back with Matthew Coleman right after the
end of Roland Garros to see what the hell happened.
We've made a lot of predictions on this show.
We're going to report back on just how correct we were on
every single thing that we said. And we'll be continuing to
practice our Frenching in between now and then.
Matthew, Orvoir Manamis, enjoy Roland Garros and we will be
back real soon. Thanks everybody.