In the latest episode of Match Points, our panel debates about the rivality between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, and also discuss about Coco Gauff's future.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 And welcome to a brand new edition of Match Points
00:08 here on TennisMajors.com,
00:10 where we get together every now and again
00:12 to discuss and debate the biggest topics in tennis.
00:15 And we once again have our all-star panel and collection.
00:19 There she is, Marian Bartoli.
00:21 I see Carol Bouchard, and of course, Simon Cambers.
00:24 Let's get started, gang,
00:25 because we got a lot of ground to cover.
00:28 And let's begin with Novak Djokovic.
00:30 Once again, the world number one.
00:32 He now has 24 Grand Slam titles,
00:35 as we know, the all-time record.
00:36 He is once again the world number one.
00:39 But Djokovic says that if he wasn't Serbian,
00:43 he would already be considered
00:45 the best sportsman in history.
00:48 Do you agree or disagree
00:50 with Novak's latest controversial comments?
00:54 Let us begin with Marian Bartoli.
00:56 Marian.
00:57 - It's a tough one, because I think it's very difficult
00:59 to compare all the sports.
01:01 And it's very difficult to sort of, you know,
01:04 goes into who is the best between Michael Jordan
01:08 or Muhammad Ali or Carl Lewis or whoever, Michael Schumacher.
01:12 I mean, you can name the list.
01:14 Definitely is Novak part of the conversation?
01:16 Absolutely.
01:17 Can he sit at the table with the names I just said?
01:19 Absolutely, as well.
01:20 But I do believe what he's trying to say is,
01:23 because he's coming from a small country
01:25 that was torn by war not so long ago,
01:29 he obviously doesn't get the same recognition
01:31 and media exposure as he would have been American,
01:35 French, Western European in general,
01:37 just because from where he's coming from.
01:39 So I do agree on that part of the sentence with him.
01:42 But I just don't like to compare sports in general,
01:45 because I used to idolize Michael Jordan when I was young.
01:47 I used to love the track and field.
01:49 I used to idolize Usain Bolt,
01:51 and I'm sure just as Novak as well.
01:53 But can he sit with those people
01:54 who have been the greatest athletes of all time
01:57 in any sport combined?
01:58 Absolutely, more than ever.
02:00 I mean, what he has been showing at the US Open this year,
02:02 once again, at 36 years of age,
02:05 is just truly extraordinary.
02:08 He has reached four Grand Slam final
02:10 out of four Grand Slam he has played.
02:13 It was just one match away,
02:14 probably a few points away in the tiebreaker
02:17 of the second set of women
02:18 to make the calendar Grand Slam once again this year.
02:20 So what he's achieving on the court
02:22 is just nothing short of remarkable and truly inspiring.
02:27 But I just think what he's trying to say
02:30 is probably if he would have not come
02:31 from a torn war country
02:34 that has also his history in the background
02:36 and the most, most exposure country,
02:38 definitely would have a lot more publicity out of it.
02:42 - Carol Brouchard, agree or disagree
02:44 with the comments Djokovic has made
02:46 about being considered the greatest of all time sportsmen
02:49 if he was in Serbia?
02:51 - I disagree with this one.
02:52 And I agree about the marketability with Marion,
02:55 like the sponsors and whatever.
02:56 For a long time, he wasn't earning as much money
02:58 as even Andy Murray,
03:00 because they look which country you're from
03:01 and they say, "Okay, that can sell more."
03:04 But it's been gone for a long time.
03:05 He's really marketable.
03:07 And somebody like, you know,
03:09 Ana Ivanovic never had an issue being Serbian.
03:11 And I think that, I mean, for me,
03:14 there are a lot of reasons why people still refuse
03:17 to call him the greatest.
03:18 I have never heard that was because he was Serbian.
03:21 The theory that's mine since years
03:23 that because it was always supposed to be
03:24 Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
03:27 And he crashed the party.
03:28 He broke the narrative and people are still mad about it.
03:31 And people who are Federer fans
03:32 are going to be Federer people until their last breath.
03:35 So it's not even rational anymore.
03:36 Of course, Djokovic is the greatest tennis player
03:39 of all time.
03:40 And you can put him on the table,
03:41 around the table with greatest, you know,
03:43 sports athlete, sorry, sportsman,
03:46 sports, you know, athlete of all time, obviously.
03:48 But I don't think it has nothing to do with nationality.
03:51 If people disagree or not.
03:53 And it's a bit, you know,
03:54 it's a dangerous path to make people believe that,
03:57 oh, that's because he's Serbian.
03:58 It's not, you know,
04:00 then you're trying to devise people
04:02 because of their nationalities.
04:03 I don't think that's what he meant.
04:04 I agree with Marion,
04:05 that wasn't maybe what he exactly meant.
04:08 And I don't think that's the right thing to, you know,
04:10 to spread.
04:11 I think, honestly, he's a polarizing personality.
04:15 And he's owning that.
04:16 He has many ills he's willing to die on
04:18 because he believes in a lot of things.
04:19 Well, when you're polarizing personality,
04:22 you're going to polarize people.
04:23 And even if you have the greatest results,
04:25 they're going to come and say,
04:26 "Over my dead body,
04:27 I'm going to call you the greatest ever
04:28 because I cannot stand you."
04:30 And it has nothing to do with nationality.
04:32 So I hope he gets over this
04:35 because it would be a pity that in his mind,
04:38 he's still thinking that because he's Serbian,
04:40 some people don't want to call him the greatest.
04:42 I really don't think it has anything to do with it.
04:45 - Well, I mean, part of me wonders, you know,
04:46 it's a case of we weren't in the room again.
04:48 You know, you don't know.
04:50 He said those comments to Serbian press.
04:52 So we don't know the exact translation.
04:54 Obviously, you know, some of the Serbian journalists
04:58 are very good and they did translate it for us.
05:00 But, you know, you miss nuances
05:02 and you don't know what the question was
05:03 to him in the first place.
05:04 And I can understand where he's coming from
05:06 if he thinks that, you know,
05:09 there's a bias against Eastern European players
05:12 in terms of the way they are considered by the West.
05:17 Because if you're an American or a Britain
05:18 or a, you know, a French or German,
05:20 you have the whole of the West behind you
05:22 and you have that marketing machine
05:24 and maybe you're more accepted.
05:26 But I think Carol's right.
05:28 I think, you know, that the days of him
05:31 being not marketable are long gone.
05:33 It used to be the case, absolutely for sure,
05:36 that if I was, as a freelance journalist,
05:38 trying to sell an interview with a newspaper,
05:42 which of course is a higher level
05:45 than somebody who's a staffer
05:47 because they can get what they want in the paper pretty much.
05:50 But from a freelance, you have to really get a good name
05:52 and make it good.
05:53 So Fera Nadal, Serena Sharapova would always sell newspapers.
05:58 Even Caroline Wozniacki would also always be a favorite
06:02 of newspaper editors in Britain.
06:04 Djokovic, Novak Djokovic, was a tough sell for a long time.
06:08 But in the last, I'd say, eight to 10 years or so,
06:11 that's not been the case.
06:12 You know, if I have an interview with Novak,
06:14 it would definitely get in the paper.
06:16 So I understand where he's coming from.
06:19 I think there's probably a few nuances that we're missing.
06:22 But in terms of whether he's the greatest sportsman
06:25 of all time, I think it's just great pub chat.
06:27 You know, you could have that conversation forever.
06:30 We've talked about it before.
06:32 Rod Laver, you know, he missed five years of Grand Slams
06:35 at his absolute peak, having just won the Calendar Slam,
06:39 20 Grand Slams he could have won.
06:40 Would he have been the greatest had he won all those?
06:43 I don't know.
06:43 Comparing eras in tennis is hard enough.
06:46 Comparing Novak with other great sportsmen
06:48 and women around the world is impossible.
06:51 - But what is funny to me is that, you know,
06:53 he has found another drive.
06:54 Like he needs motivation.
06:56 He has the record of Grand Slam titles.
06:58 He's the goat in tennis.
07:00 And so he's probably like, wait,
07:01 why aren't they calling me the greatest of all time?
07:04 I mean, I should be greater than Michael Jordan.
07:07 And maybe, you know, he's not going to go on
07:09 for 10 more years just because he wants to prove them.
07:11 Like, okay, I'm the greatest, period.
07:14 - Yeah, Djokovic's status may rely more upon
07:18 being the villain than Serbian.
07:20 It's difficult to be considered the best
07:22 when you're the bad guy.
07:23 That's a choice that he's made.
07:25 Let's continue on with Djokovic.
07:26 From the clay court through Cincinnati,
07:29 Djokovic-El-Karez.
07:30 This duel has been heralded as the new big rivalry
07:34 in men's tennis, and justifiably so.
07:36 But after the US Open, it seems that Djokovic
07:40 is slightly ahead of the young Spaniard.
07:43 Would you agree or disagree that Djokovic is, in fact,
07:46 still spots ahead of Carlos Alcarez?
07:51 And let us begin with you, Simon Cambers.
07:54 - If you asked this question straight after Wimbledon,
07:56 would you have said that Alcarez was ahead of Novak
07:58 and things were changing?
07:59 I find this a little bit difficult to sort of sum up
08:03 just because we're answering it now.
08:05 Yeah, I mean, Novak has certainly made sure
08:08 that there's no mental scarring from losing Wimbledon,
08:11 that's for sure.
08:12 And then what he did in Cincinnati,
08:13 perhaps got rid of that in the first place.
08:16 Performance in New York, outstanding, of course.
08:19 I don't know.
08:20 I mean, I imagine that come Australia,
08:23 both of them will be a lot fresher,
08:25 and then it'll be really interesting to see
08:26 who comes out on top.
08:28 And you've got to think that Alcarez's level of improvement
08:31 is gonna be greater than Novak's,
08:33 just because of his age.
08:34 So yeah, at this moment in time, if they met tomorrow,
08:38 you'd maybe give Novak a slight edge,
08:40 but I think it could change every week.
08:42 We've seen the way that their two game styles
08:43 match up so well.
08:45 I mean, they are basically killing each other outside
08:47 on the court every time they play.
08:50 It's phenomenal to see, but I don't think,
08:53 I mean, if Novak has an edge, it's very slight.
08:56 - Yeah, rivalry relies upon both parties
08:59 having something the other want.
09:01 There being a fair exchange.
09:04 Rivalries can't be one-sided.
09:05 This one appears to be getting now,
09:07 for hopefully a small window,
09:09 where there is the back and forth,
09:10 which you've enjoyed this spring and this summer.
09:12 So, Carabuchard, same question.
09:14 Is, in your opinion, Djokovic still ahead,
09:17 all things considered, without recency bias,
09:19 of the young Spaniard?
09:21 - It's crazy to me because I'm struggling
09:22 calling it a rivalry when he's 20 years old
09:24 and when he's 36.
09:26 It seems completely insane.
09:27 I think when I get, it's a change of the guard,
09:30 and it's getting, you know, much longer
09:32 than what we thought it would be.
09:34 And Novak is putting a hell of a fight.
09:36 I would say, yes, he's ahead because I think mentally,
09:39 mentally, Novak is iron-made.
09:41 When he comes to the Grand Slam title,
09:43 he's just so strong mentally.
09:45 But now, I mean, Alcaraz is going to get more experience
09:48 by the weeks, and physically, the guy is a beast.
09:51 I mean, there has to be a point
09:53 where we saw it in Wimbledon.
09:54 Novak can't push back the time so much longer,
09:59 but I think now, yeah, he's still ahead
10:02 because mentally, he's going on this court
10:04 and he's like, "Buddy, I'm still the boss out there."
10:06 And Alcaraz has this thing where he can still get impressed.
10:10 Wimbledon, it was a close call.
10:12 He can still get nervous, but I mean,
10:14 it should be one more season,
10:15 and then the nerves are going to go away,
10:17 and good luck with that.
10:19 - Marian Bartoli is, in fact, Djokovic,
10:22 still ahead of Carlos Alcaraz.
10:24 - I think we have to go slightly more deeper
10:26 into the analysis, and when you look at the season,
10:29 there is one who won three Grand Slams
10:30 and one who won one Grand Slam,
10:32 which is as simple as that,
10:33 and one who played four Grand Slam finals,
10:35 and one who played one Grand Slam final.
10:38 I mean, even though Carlos didn't play,
10:40 they was trying to open the injury
10:42 that is still, unfortunately for him,
10:45 taking throughout the season.
10:47 It's not something that Novak had to face
10:49 for a long period of time.
10:50 When he was not playing, it was mainly due to the fact
10:53 that he was not able to get into a country and play it.
10:55 So I think the fact that Carlos still being extremely young
10:59 and because of the physicality of his game
11:01 and the way he's playing,
11:03 he's just more prone to having those small injuries.
11:05 They're not sort of major injuries
11:07 that put him on the side for a long time,
11:08 even though last year he missed the Euros and Championship,
11:11 and therefore, he was trying to open this year.
11:13 You can still, you know, at the US Open,
11:16 he came up with having a thigh injury,
11:18 or at least something that was bothering him here and there,
11:21 and you could see against Dani Medvedev,
11:23 he was not moving at the speed and not playing
11:26 at the speed he would have liked to play.
11:28 I heard by after the US Open,
11:30 now he's having a sort of wrist injury as well,
11:32 and it's just about how he can manage all of that.
11:35 Then when it comes down to match play,
11:37 of course, it's very tense.
11:38 I mean, we saw it in Roland-Garros,
11:39 we saw it in Wimbledon, we saw it in Cincinnati,
11:41 on different surfers across the board,
11:43 the level is a very tiny margin
11:45 and can go either way on any given day.
11:48 But I think we have to just look at a broader way
11:51 on how each other are handling the whole season.
11:54 And out of that, for now, as it stands,
11:56 Novak is doing a better job at that.
11:57 That doesn't mean he's not going to change, of course.
12:00 But you call out the same energy to a guy
12:02 who has been doing everything and winning everything
12:04 at 36 years of age and someone who is 20
12:06 and just wants to conquer the world.
12:08 And obviously, Novak is more towards the end
12:10 of his career than the beginning.
12:12 But I just think that the way he has managed this season,
12:15 and again, just having kicked out of the Australian country,
12:18 coming back winning,
12:20 having not been able to play the US Open,
12:22 being kicked out of the US Open
12:23 because of the incidents against Karin Obusta,
12:26 and win again, just the mental strength
12:28 and the ability to just bounce back from anything.
12:32 It's just, I found it extraordinary.
12:33 And I don't think a lot of people
12:36 could pretend to have the same mental strength as him.
12:38 - You know, actually, this generation,
12:39 I mean, Rune, Alkaraz, they want to beat him so bad,
12:42 but maybe they should also take time to learn from him.
12:45 Because as you said, when you see Alkaraz,
12:47 he's dealing with his body,
12:49 I mean, you can get worried pretty quickly.
12:52 Maybe he should look on the other side and say,
12:53 "Okay," because you're already hearing like,
12:56 "Oh, he needs to maybe adjust his game
12:58 "so he will last longer."
12:59 He's 20 years old.
13:01 - I think it's more due to the different game style.
13:03 It's more to do with the different game style.
13:05 When you look at Olga, it's very muscley.
13:08 And now he has this major, major back injury,
13:11 because you can say everything is just like really forced.
13:14 And it's the same for Carlos in some sort of ways.
13:16 Novak, to me, is, if you will build
13:19 the perfect tennis athletes,
13:20 you can't build someone better than that.
13:22 The flexibility, the smoothness, everything moves freely.
13:25 That's why his body can last for so long.
13:28 And that's also why Carlos and Olga
13:30 got so early so good as well.
13:33 So it's the pros and the cons
13:34 from where their game style are
13:36 and the way they are built physically.
13:37 But for sure, they will have to watch out
13:38 because if they want to last that long,
13:41 I mean, it's gonna take a lot on both of their bodies.
13:45 - Yeah, and don't forget all the problems
13:48 that Novak had when he was 19, 20, 21.
13:50 - Absolutely. - Health-wise.
13:52 - That's really the hard way.
13:53 - Going off script for just a moment,
13:55 based on what Carol said earlier
13:56 about their ages and how incredible it is,
13:59 the difference and the fact that this rivalry
14:00 is in full effect, all things considered,
14:03 game, mind, maturity, the way they relate to the public,
14:07 who's more impressive with what they're doing?
14:09 Just give me a name.
14:10 Is it Djokovic in his set or Alcarez in his?
14:14 All things considered, who's more impressive right now
14:17 with all of that?
14:18 Simon. - Impossible.
14:19 (Carol laughing)
14:19 Impossible to answer that. - Come on!
14:22 - It might have been possible to answer that
14:24 until you said who's more impressive,
14:25 'cause then you can, you know, that expands it to,
14:29 Alcarez's enthusiasm and his charisma on court.
14:32 - Right, right.
14:33 - If you forget about that, then Novak.
14:35 But I think when you throw it all in,
14:37 it's much more precise.
14:38 - Which is more impressive, Carol,
14:39 based on their age, all things?
14:42 Is it now Novak or is it Alcarez?
14:44 - Novak, I mean, without a doubt.
14:45 I mean, we are at 20 years, watching that guy sliding
14:48 and running everywhere, like he's still 20.
14:51 It's insane.
14:52 I mean, the effort on the body,
14:54 because he makes it look like it's normal.
14:56 It's not, it's insane.
14:58 It's insane.
14:59 - Now I've played the game and definitely to do
15:01 what he's doing at 36 is just out of this world.
15:03 I mean, you can do a lot of things when you're 20,
15:05 based on the energy and just, you go out there,
15:08 you have no fear.
15:10 In some sort of ways, when you're 20,
15:11 when I played my first Golden Sun Final, I was 22,
15:13 everything looks easy for me.
15:15 You know, I would go on the Golden Sun Record
15:16 for the first time and it's like, everything is fun.
15:19 It's enjoyable, it's fun.
15:21 When you get to 28, 29, everything starts to hurt.
15:24 You know, you have been doing that for so long
15:25 to find the motivation and to do it again.
15:28 I found that 29 was very difficult,
15:30 yet alone, 36, I never reached that age.
15:32 So for me, doing that at 36, everything cumulated,
15:36 which is traveling the tour year round,
15:38 going with your children,
15:40 having to raise them at the same time,
15:41 being a father, being a husband,
15:44 going through, you know, all the years with,
15:46 especially since the COVID-19 situation,
15:48 having to defend the statues,
15:50 having the young guards who are coming at you
15:51 and wants to take your place and kick you out,
15:54 and still resist to all of that and deliver,
15:57 that tops everything else for me.
15:59 - I do want to give a shout out to El Correz, though.
16:01 At his age, his game, his maturity,
16:03 how good he is with the media,
16:04 how good he is with the public,
16:05 how good he is with the fans,
16:07 on the court, no tantrums, no meltdowns,
16:10 no childish behavior.
16:12 I don't think he gets enough credit
16:13 for the complete package that he is at just the age of 20.
16:16 - No, absolutely, but you're asking me--
16:17 - All right, let's pause there.
16:18 - To compare him to the best of all time.
16:20 I mean, you compare him,
16:21 you compare himself to someone else,
16:22 and I would tell you El Correz, for sure.
16:24 - I understand.
16:25 Novak not as good, perhaps, with the media sometimes.
16:27 All right, let's continue on now.
16:29 During the UTS podcast,
16:31 All on the Table with Monfils, Per, and Murat Duglou,
16:35 Benoit Per said that tennis should not be in the Olympics.
16:40 Do you agree that it shouldn't?
16:44 Let us begin with Carol Bouchard.
16:47 - No, I don't agree at all.
16:48 I mean, you just have to see how much tears they cry
16:52 each time they win a medal there,
16:53 and you have to see all the other athletes
16:56 running to the tennis players at every corner,
16:59 at the athlete's restaurants.
17:02 I mean, tennis, like basketball,
17:05 you bring the biggest sports stars in the world.
17:07 It's a fantastic window for the sport,
17:10 and all these generations, apparently except Benoit Per,
17:13 grew up watching the Olympic games.
17:15 I mean, you ask a lot of the French players,
17:17 like, "We've been dreaming of it since we were kids
17:20 "because we've been watching it."
17:22 Zvitalina winning for Ukraine,
17:23 she was crying for minutes.
17:25 I mean, it's a generation issue.
17:28 I mean, it's okay, like,
17:30 the MIC team doesn't like the Olympic games,
17:32 doesn't care, it doesn't play,
17:33 but it's not coming to tell everybody else,
17:36 "Yeah, we should work out."
17:37 It's just, it's an individual sport.
17:39 Okay, they're multimillionaires, we all know that,
17:42 but they have their spot here
17:43 because they're helping the games.
17:45 I mean, it's about dreaming,
17:46 and the kids watching, they're crazy about it.
17:49 Like, they were watching,
17:50 I remember Michael Jordan, the dream team.
17:52 Like, come on, he's putting people in sports like crazy.
17:55 So, I mean, Benoit Per doesn't like the Olympic games,
17:58 but honestly, Benoit Per doesn't like a lot of things
18:01 in sports, so.
18:02 - Marianne Bartoli, I know you're a big fan of Benoit Per
18:05 and his thoughts and opinions shared.
18:07 - So much, I'm actually holding the fan page
18:10 of Benoit Per on Facebook.
18:11 I'm a ghost there, I'm hiding it,
18:13 but yeah, deep inside, I'm such a huge fan.
18:16 I mean, I can't say it better than Carol.
18:19 For me, it's just when you see how much it means
18:21 for Zverev when he won last year,
18:23 when it means for Benchic when she won,
18:25 what it means for Monika Pryg
18:26 when she made her dream become a reality,
18:28 winning for her country,
18:29 I think being one of the only gold medal ever won
18:32 by her country.
18:33 I mean, that's all the stories we absolutely love to see.
18:35 What it means to Serena when she won the gold in London,
18:39 and the doubles as well with Venus.
18:41 How much for Roger, he was trying to get that gold medal,
18:44 even though he won everything, he has been winning.
18:46 Same for Rafa, same for Nova.
18:48 He gave absolutely everything to the Tokyo Olympics
18:51 to get the calendar, Grand Slam, and the golden,
18:53 because he was trying to go for the gold as well.
18:55 And I mean, those people have been winning
18:56 everything's possible to win on a tennis court.
18:58 So I think for me, to see actually those type of champions
19:03 committed to play at the Olympics for our sport
19:05 is something extraordinary.
19:06 That's where we get an audience that is different
19:08 from the tennis audience, when you look at Andy Murray,
19:11 winning the 2012 Olympics at Wimbledon,
19:14 it was a complete different audience and crowd.
19:16 Actually, everyone was rooting for him,
19:18 even though he was playing against Roger.
19:19 You do the exact same match in the Wimbledon final,
19:22 it was sort of the other way around
19:23 because the sort of tennis fan,
19:25 even though he was in London, would have preferred Roger.
19:27 So I think to actually get a different crowd,
19:30 that's how you inspire the new generation.
19:32 That's how you get people to play tennis.
19:34 That's such an amazing thing for the sport.
19:36 And honestly, I think Benoit is saying that
19:37 because he had an issue with the French Tennis Federation
19:40 and his behavior at the Olympics in 2016 in Rio
19:43 and still is sort of bittersweet about it.
19:45 But absolutely everything positive about the Olympics
19:49 and having the Olympics for tennis.
19:50 - Simon, I'm gonna make you the why guy once again
19:52 to try and tell us what you believe
19:54 might be inside the mind thereof.
19:56 So if you do not agree, or even if you do,
19:59 why is he saying this?
20:01 - Well, Benoit likes a bit of controversy, doesn't he?
20:04 A tiny bit.
20:05 So maybe he just fancied saying it.
20:07 I mean, you know, it's not the,
20:10 he's not the first person to say it.
20:12 I mean, you look at the ones who,
20:14 the players who generally don't commit
20:16 to the Olympics in tennis these days
20:18 are the American men, which is really interesting.
20:21 It used to be sort of Marty Fish,
20:24 well, he played eventually, but John Isner didn't like it.
20:26 You know, I think Roddick skipped it once.
20:29 You know, so some people don't think it should be in there.
20:32 I mean, as Carol said, the argument about multimillionaires
20:35 is long gone because every sports professional these days,
20:38 and plenty of other sports in the Olympics
20:40 have people who are paid more than the tennis players.
20:44 They do take it seriously, which is important.
20:47 Mentioning Andy Murray, I mean, it'd be interesting to know
20:49 what would have happened to Andy Murray's career
20:50 if he'd not won the Olympics,
20:52 if he'd not been able to have that glorious moment.
20:55 And then you have the other moments at the Olympics
20:57 where, as Carol sort of alluded to,
20:59 where people meet each other from different sports
21:02 in all different ways, and even people like
21:05 Roger Federer and Mirka, that's where they met.
21:07 So, you know, these things are all part of sport.
21:11 I have no issue anymore with tennis being in the Olympics.
21:14 I think when it first got let back in, it was a bit weird.
21:17 It felt a bit wrong, but still then, you know,
21:19 athletes, athletics track and field
21:21 were being paid in trust funds,
21:23 and it was all a little bit sort of
21:25 between the amateur and professional era,
21:27 but we're totally beyond that now.
21:29 I think Benoit's just stirring it up for a bit of fun.
21:32 - All right, let's continue on then.
21:33 In the, speaking of Lever Cup,
21:35 in the Monfils-Auger-Oliassime match at the Lever Cup,
21:38 the Canadian complained that Monfils was taking too long
21:42 and too much time between points,
21:44 particularly during the fifth game.
21:46 Monfils said that he thinks the event
21:48 should be treated more like an exhibition.
21:50 Auger-Oliassime, on the other hand, does not see it that way.
21:54 Is Lever Cup an exhibition to you,
21:58 or is it a real, actual team event?
22:01 How do you view it as such?
22:03 Simon Cambers, let's begin.
22:04 - It's still, to me, an exhibition.
22:06 Until you have proper points to qualify,
22:11 until you have a proper qualifying system for it,
22:14 based totally on merit,
22:17 you can't call it anything other than
22:20 an invitational, basically.
22:21 It is, it's a great event.
22:23 I mean, it's, you know, it gets the crowds in.
22:25 People love it when they're there.
22:26 And you can have some great moments.
22:28 I think, you know, it's really quite a lot about this one,
22:31 people seem to be enjoying the doubles
22:33 more than the singles,
22:34 which sort of got me thinking about, you know,
22:36 whether it should be a mixed event going forward.
22:38 And maybe that would be something
22:40 that could make it more interesting.
22:41 But I just think, you know, players, if they lose in it,
22:45 of course they're annoyed at the time,
22:46 and they're desperately trying to win for their teammates
22:48 and having some fun.
22:49 But that disappointment will be gone in a flash,
22:51 because then they remember that
22:53 they haven't lost any points,
22:54 they didn't lose any status,
22:55 they haven't not won a Grand Slam or anything like that.
22:58 It just can't be considered on the same level yet.
23:01 - Martin Bartoli, Lever Cup,
23:02 exhibition or actual team event?
23:05 - No, for me it's the actual team event.
23:06 And when you look at Roger last year,
23:08 if it would have been an exhibition,
23:09 especially he's organizing it,
23:11 I mean, he had match point and he still lost the match.
23:13 And I think he would have been treated as an exhibition.
23:16 I would say, well, you know, Roger, it's your last match.
23:18 It was actually to win the whole thing.
23:20 You may actually give it to him, if it was an exhibition.
23:23 You know, as we all know, when we play an exhibition,
23:25 sometimes even the scoreline is arranged before the match.
23:28 And you say, okay, you're gonna win the first set,
23:29 you won the second set,
23:30 and then whatever happens in the Supertie break.
23:33 It was not the case at all.
23:35 Yeah, of course.
23:35 - Are you kidding?
23:36 - Yeah, it's like, oh my God.
23:39 You just like, you were just born now.
23:41 You never thought on an exhibition.
23:43 I mean, honestly, it's like, yeah, it's like,
23:46 how surprising, but yeah, it do happen.
23:48 But no, it was not the case.
23:51 And they went all out.
23:53 And even though it was Roger farewell,
23:55 and they went all out and they didn't want him to win,
23:57 and they want Tim Ward to win and whatever happens.
23:59 And we all know what happened at the end.
24:01 But for me, even though, of course, I do agree with Simon,
24:04 there is no points and there is no ATP points,
24:06 and there is no sort of a big title lineup at the end.
24:09 But I do think that the guys play lights out tennis,
24:13 and they go for it to actually win the point.
24:15 First of all, they get Bjorn Borgen to Mike Kenera
24:17 on the chair.
24:18 They don't want to feel embarrassed about themselves.
24:19 I mean, those are two major icons of our sports
24:22 that everyone will know.
24:24 They have Roger standing on the side.
24:26 They don't want to look at them saying,
24:27 whatever, it's an exhibition.
24:29 No, absolutely not.
24:29 They want to give absolutely their best.
24:33 And when you look at, I think it was last year,
24:34 Stephanos against Francis or something like this,
24:37 it was crazy match.
24:38 And Francis having so many match points.
24:40 If it was an exhibition,
24:41 do you think he would try that hard?
24:42 I don't think so.
24:44 So I think Roger has been able to find the perfect recipe
24:48 without being an official ATP event, of course,
24:51 but making it so interesting that actually,
24:53 everyone do not consider it as an exhibition.
24:56 - Cara Bouchard, last word, Laver Cup,
24:57 exhibition or real team event for you?
25:01 - Well, the thing for me,
25:03 for me, it's been an exhibition,
25:04 but I agree with Marion
25:05 that the players are getting so much into it,
25:07 probably because Roger is just threatening them
25:09 or whatever backstage.
25:11 But no, but they are incredible competitors.
25:13 The thing is, I adore Felix.
25:15 He's such a nice guy.
25:16 I still cannot understand what happened there
25:19 because you're playing Gaël Monfils,
25:21 even in the Grand Slam quarterfinal.
25:24 He's going to be doing these kind of things
25:26 because that's just how he plays.
25:27 And I'm sure Gaël came in
25:29 and Roger just told him, "Just have fun."
25:31 You know, the crowd, they want to see you doing crazy things.
25:35 For Gaël, it's clearly an exhibition.
25:37 He's been told, "Just enjoy," you know?
25:39 And what is the harm in that?
25:41 So I didn't understand why it was just riding on Felix
25:45 like this, just, you're playing Gaël Monfils,
25:47 there's no points.
25:48 You're going to get a Gaël Monfils show.
25:51 Just win the match and people are having fun.
25:53 I mean, maybe they're not coming,
25:55 the World Team is not coming into it like the Europe one.
25:58 Like you talked about Federer losing last year
26:01 and I was like, "Why aren't they just giving him the win?"
26:04 I couldn't understand, like,
26:05 what are you doing?
26:06 He's the guy last match.
26:07 So maybe Europe is not treating it
26:10 like the world is treating it.
26:11 - All right, let's continue on.
26:13 Speaking of Team USA,
26:15 thrashing, according to our editors, Team World.
26:19 And with no Federer, maybe no Nadal,
26:21 and soon, possibly, no Djokovic,
26:24 does something need to change for the Lever Cup?
26:28 And if so, what should that be?
26:31 Simon, want to get us started again?
26:33 - Well, this is sort of linked
26:34 to the whole exhibition status.
26:36 You've got to have the best players playing
26:38 and no surprise, I'm pretty smart of Federer to say,
26:41 "I'd love to see Alkaraz and Novak
26:43 "and Medvedev in my team."
26:44 Yeah, who wouldn't?
26:45 But it depends, and I'm sure he'd love Rafa to be back
26:48 if Rafa's fit and well and thinking like
26:51 he might carry on a bit longer than he'd said.
26:53 But it's really difficult to get people
26:57 to play these events when,
26:58 let's say somebody's carrying a little niggle of an injury.
27:03 They won't want to play it flat out
27:05 in the way that they should do.
27:06 So that's a hard sell.
27:09 It is going to be difficult with no Federer playing,
27:12 with no Nadal, eventually with no Novak.
27:14 But I think this is what you're going to see
27:16 is you're going to see Federer become captain
27:18 of the Team Europe team.
27:20 And maybe somebody was suggesting Andy Roddick
27:23 could be a good one for Team World.
27:26 If you have that, you add a bit more spice back into it.
27:29 And I think that it probably needs,
27:32 for it to really succeed,
27:33 unless you expand it to men and women,
27:36 and make it really quite interesting,
27:38 or extra interesting,
27:39 it needs a bit of Federer's help
27:42 to get it through these next few years of transition.
27:45 - And the spot in the calendar is rough.
27:47 I mean, you're right after the US Open,
27:48 it was a former Davis Cup spot that was hell.
27:52 They were trying to send people in Argentina,
27:53 and were like, "Nope, it's not going to happen."
27:55 So, but I think, get the women in.
27:57 What is the reasoning for not having the women in?
27:59 It makes no sense.
28:00 Imagine Coco Gauff playing right now.
28:02 I mean, it's also a question of both the casting
28:04 and the money, because I'm sorry,
28:05 it has to cost them a freaking lot of money
28:08 to do guarantees and everything.
28:10 So of course you need the best guys
28:12 and to make it competitive,
28:13 but apparently the players love it.
28:15 So that's already something.
28:16 But get the women in, change the date maybe,
28:19 or just pray that Alkara and Djokovic next year can do it,
28:23 or Nadal can, you know, one last time.
28:26 But sure, it's about the cast,
28:27 but maybe, honestly, I don't understand
28:29 why we don't get the women in.
28:32 - I don't think change, but add, for sure.
28:34 You know, I was actually watching it on TV,
28:37 and when Roger gave that interview to Jim Correa,
28:39 I mean, the whole place was just packed.
28:41 And I think it was one of the highlights of the weekend,
28:44 to be honest with you, and just seeing back Roger coming
28:47 and talking about his ULI, that was very interesting.
28:49 I just think he has so much charisma,
28:51 he has done so much for the sport.
28:53 Everyone just loves him, to be honest.
28:54 And I just feel if you had him in some sort of more ways,
28:59 I agree on the captain side, you know,
29:02 having him involved, being on the bench,
29:05 listening to his advice,
29:06 I think everyone would be interested.
29:07 Obviously they need the young guns to come
29:09 because Novak and Rafa are not gonna last forever.
29:13 So you need to think about a long-term plan
29:15 for the next five or 10 years,
29:16 and who are gonna be around for the next five, 10 years.
29:18 Well, it's Olga, it's Felix, it's Carlos,
29:22 it's all those young guys who are there,
29:24 are playing at the top, at around their 20s.
29:27 But if you add now the girls
29:28 who are really bringing a lot of attention,
29:30 as Coco, as Iga, as, you know,
29:32 all the girls who are on Jaber, for example,
29:35 you're really bringing some spice back to the table.
29:37 And I think that would be a lot more interesting
29:39 because it will always happen
29:40 that you have last-minute injury retirements,
29:43 some people not showing up or whatever.
29:45 So you need to have several highlights
29:47 and people you can market
29:49 in order for you to have a successful event.
29:51 You can't rely only on one or two
29:52 because if those ones are not coming for any reason,
29:55 then you're left with not that much.
29:57 So you need to secure yourself
29:58 with having different sort of people to be able to market.
30:02 So I think definitely including the girls
30:04 would be absolutely the way forward.
30:06 Having Roger on the bench, even though I know he loves Bjorn,
30:09 but I think maybe as a co-captain
30:10 or whatever, they want to do it.
30:12 I'm not sure they want to kick out straight away
30:14 John and Bjorn because it's the way they've been building it,
30:16 but maybe just add two co-captains or something.
30:19 I think it would be very interesting
30:21 and absolutely including the girls.
30:22 - A part of me would like the captains to play as well.
30:25 That's what I'm saying.
30:26 (laughing)
30:26 I want to see it tied at the end
30:30 and McEnroe and Borg going at it.
30:32 - You can tell, yes.
30:33 They're going, "You can't come in here right now."
30:34 (laughing)
30:35 - I mean, how good would that be?
30:37 All right, gang, let's continue on.
30:39 It was just a few weeks ago,
30:41 Coco Gauff broke through in winning
30:44 her first Grand Slam event and doing such at the US Open.
30:47 Listen, ESPN in the United States were packaging her,
30:51 wanting her to be the replacement Serena,
30:54 the next chapter, if you will.
30:56 And I guess they got lucky in that sense.
30:58 New York, obviously, the American.
31:00 She's such a likable young woman for so many reasons.
31:05 Obviously, so many people wanted to see her do well,
31:08 and she did.
31:09 In winning this US Open, this breakthrough, if you will.
31:12 But we've seen this in recent years in the women's side,
31:15 and we thought there was the next.
31:17 So I ask you, what is next for Coco Gauff?
31:20 And how far do you believe, as of today,
31:23 she actually, not can, but will go?
31:26 Maren Bartoli, you're the only one of us
31:28 that have won a major, so you tell us.
31:30 (laughing)
31:31 - Multiple Grand Slam winners,
31:33 and number one in the world, absolutely.
31:35 Without a doubt.
31:36 She's so driven.
31:38 She won that so much.
31:39 I got so emotional, honestly, when she heard her dad
31:42 and her mom came, because it's just such a strong family.
31:45 It has been her dream, of course,
31:48 but her family has been showing so much support
31:50 all over those years.
31:51 I know her since she played against Ostatenko
31:54 in the final in Linz back in 2019.
31:56 So that's how far I sort of started to discover her.
31:59 I knew she would be one of the greatest, of course.
32:01 And for her to do it in her home Grand Slam
32:04 was something so special.
32:06 The stadium was so loud.
32:08 I mean, I was covering those matches,
32:10 especially with the roof closed.
32:11 It was like, I felt I was in a nightclub for two hours.
32:14 I mean, that was just, it was so loud.
32:16 I couldn't even hear myself talking to the microphone.
32:19 That's how loud it gets.
32:20 And obviously, it got a little bit
32:22 under the skin of Sabalenka,
32:23 but I think just the fairy tale story,
32:25 the story, it looks so much like
32:27 walking into the steps of Serena.
32:29 Then, of course, it's a big gap
32:30 between winning one and winning 23.
32:31 But I just think she just, she has a complete package.
32:34 She thinks like a 30 years old, even though she's 19.
32:38 She has, the physicality and the fitness
32:40 is just incredible.
32:42 The forehand, you know, we talked a lot about the forehand,
32:45 but I think with her new coach,
32:47 the Spanish coach, as well as Brad Gittber,
32:48 she has been doing a little change in her technique
32:51 and the forehand is definitely working a lot better.
32:53 And I just think she solves problems so well,
32:56 whatever the problems are, because let's not forget,
32:58 of course, she won the title,
32:59 but the first round was far from easy,
33:01 starting out from the first round.
33:02 So you come out on a great summer,
33:05 you're one of the top favorite,
33:06 everyone starts to talk about you,
33:08 you're all over ESPN all day long.
33:11 Your first night on match on Ash Stadium,
33:13 you're 19 and all of a sudden you lose the first set.
33:16 It can easily get under your skin and say,
33:18 "Oh my goodness, you know,
33:19 I'm going to fall again, the pressure again,
33:21 and it's not going to be my year,
33:22 and then see what next year is about to give me."
33:24 And no, she just stood there, she found solution,
33:28 and she went on like that until actually
33:29 the back end of the tournament
33:31 was slightly more easy for her.
33:32 But the first two, three, four rounds
33:34 was really, really difficult.
33:35 I mean, when she played against Hattie Smerton,
33:37 she was the same, she was struggling big time.
33:40 And the way for me,
33:41 she has been able to just handle all of that,
33:43 take it down, finding solution.
33:46 Didn't play her best tennis, I think, either,
33:48 but still won the slam.
33:49 I mean, there's just so much positive.
33:51 She's definitely, definitely not a fluke.
33:53 She's going to get on top of the game, absolutely.
33:56 - Cara Bouchard, I'm going to add one more question to this.
33:58 Not just what's next for her and how far will she go,
34:01 how much credit does Justin Bieber receive?
34:04 Remember, she refused to lose knowing that he was there.
34:06 Yeah.
34:07 (laughing)
34:09 She said she couldn't lose in front of Bieber.
34:17 So if he weren't there,
34:18 who knows what's in front of him.
34:19 - Same for me with Pierce Brosnan.
34:20 (laughing)
34:23 - Yeah, but at least Pierce Brosnan was just born to me.
34:26 - Justin Bieber, yeah.
34:27 - He's like a child now.
34:29 Very, very good.
34:30 - So, at 19 years old, Justin Bieber is like really high.
34:32 - Oh my God.
34:33 - Can you have three perspectives compared to your age?
34:35 (laughing)
34:37 - Carol, Carol.
34:38 - I have to look it up.
34:39 - Kidding aside, Carol.
34:41 Oh, kidding aside, Carol.
34:42 How far, how far will Coco go?
34:44 - She'll go far.
34:45 I mean, you won't get the second Grand Slams in Rome.
34:47 You won't get a Emarrado Cano situation
34:49 because she's been working for this for a decade,
34:53 despite being that young.
34:54 She's so driven.
34:56 The maturity, the maturity is ridiculous.
34:59 You read the press conferences and you're like,
35:01 she's been out there for two decades.
35:03 She's won 10 Grand Slam titles already.
35:05 What's going on?
35:06 She knows why she's here.
35:07 She knows it can, you know, it can stop tomorrow.
35:10 She knows she's not going to go and win everything
35:12 because I don't think she's that ahead
35:15 of the rest of the pack.
35:16 She's going to keep working.
35:18 I don't think the, you know, the fame is going to go
35:21 to her head with the sponsors and everything
35:23 because she's been exposed for years already.
35:25 So really, she, multiple Grand Slam titles,
35:28 world number one, the body seems to be holding up so well.
35:32 As Marion said, she, I mean, the crazy thing for me
35:35 is that you're watching Coco Gauff, Roland Garros,
35:38 and you're watching her at the US Open
35:40 and you're like, that's not the same player.
35:43 She, and the click was just,
35:45 oh, I need to be aggressive again.
35:46 Yes, Coco, it's been, it's been a long time coming,
35:49 but once it's done for a player at this level,
35:52 I don't see it going away.
35:54 So I'm curious to see how she's going to handle the,
35:57 not the pressure because she's used to it,
35:59 but the change of status.
36:01 Now you've made it, you won a Grand Slam title,
36:03 they're all going to want your skin.
36:05 So, and I think she's going to enjoy it.
36:07 I have a feeling like she's going to enjoy the battle.
36:09 So, no, I mean, sky's the limit for her.
36:11 She's so advanced, not maybe in the level,
36:15 but in the way she approaches her sport
36:16 that she don't have any issue.
36:18 - A proud Murata Blue Academy alum, a product thereof.
36:21 I remember 2016, I was there to help emcee
36:24 the charity gala, Patrick and company,
36:26 and she's 12 years old with her dad.
36:29 And Serena's behind us, it's gala night,
36:31 and she gives me her phone, she says,
36:33 "Will you take a picture of me with Serena behind me?"
36:36 And she was so nervous, and I said,
36:38 "Didn't you play her in a commercial?
36:40 "Like you were in a commercial together, you know Serena."
36:42 And she said yes.
36:44 She was too scared to ask for a photo,
36:47 in the photo setting, she just wanted a picture
36:49 with Serena behind her, that kind of creeper photo.
36:53 And so she seemed so level-headed and grounded.
36:55 It feels, Simon, like this is the dawning
36:58 of maybe a different, nothing against Osaka,
37:00 we got excited a few years ago, and others,
37:03 but this feels like maybe the start of something
37:06 so much larger and longer to run, Simon, am I crazy?
37:09 - No, you're not crazy.
37:10 I mean, if you compare Coco to Naomi Osaka,
37:14 yes, Osaka's won four slams.
37:15 And hopefully she comes back in January
37:17 and does really well, but in terms of her personality,
37:22 in terms of personality and her profile
37:24 and how warm a person she is and how driven she is,
37:28 I think there's no contest.
37:30 Coco Gough is an incredible, remarkable young woman.
37:35 And for me, it's so great that she's won a slam at 20
37:38 and not that, you know, she almost wins one for a few years
37:42 and gets to like 26, 27, and people wonder
37:44 whether she fulfilled her potential.
37:47 She's done it, and she did it through her own skill,
37:50 her ability to problem solve on the court,
37:53 coming from behind so many times in that US Open.
37:55 You know, you've got to remember,
37:56 she got to the Roland Garros final last year.
37:58 This has been coming.
38:00 It's been coming, and she just needed
38:01 that extra little tweak of, you know,
38:03 somebody in her ear, the introduction
38:05 of Brad Gilbert, Pere Riba as well,
38:07 the sort of maneuvering of people in her team
38:10 into the right places.
38:11 I love the way she deals with Brad Gilbert during matches.
38:14 It makes me laugh so much, you know.
38:16 Just shut up, you know.
38:17 (laughing)
38:20 It's all very polite as well.
38:21 Will you stop talking?
38:23 You know, I think a lot of people
38:24 would be a lot less polite with Brad sometimes,
38:26 but Brad's influence has been amazing.
38:28 You know, he clearly is so, so good
38:31 at getting his message across.
38:32 She has taken it on board.
38:34 I think she'll definitely be world number one
38:37 at some stage, you know, all being well
38:39 with injuries and stuff.
38:40 She'll win several Grand Slams,
38:42 and she'll also have that advantage
38:45 that Federer had, and Nadal maybe had,
38:47 in the locker room, that everyone likes them,
38:49 you know, and Alkaraz too, you know.
38:51 So I can't see anyone thinking,
38:53 "Coco, oh, what a cow, you know,
38:54 "this is, what a horrible person she is.
38:56 "You know, I really want to beat her."
38:57 They'll just, they won't have that advantage.
38:59 They won't have that edge.
39:01 So I think she's everything well set.
39:03 - Love this, I mean, praise also given to the father,
39:07 because it's not easy in this sport.
39:09 We know, it's not easy when the player,
39:11 especially a woman player, tell daddy,
39:14 "Please just, for a moment, please just step aside."
39:17 And it wasn't done with, there was no issue.
39:20 It was just, "Let's try, you know, let's try to change."
39:22 And there've been no tension around it.
39:25 Brad Pitt brought West, I mean, I was surprised
39:27 because we have Apostolos Tsitsipas on the other side.
39:30 But just, it can be done, you know, it can be done.
39:32 Just let me the space, just be my dad,
39:34 and let's see how it goes.
39:36 No bad feeling, nothing,
39:37 and it has been working perfectly.
39:39 Maybe it's also a good example.
39:41 I mean, it doesn't mean it will not come back
39:43 at some point, you know, just let's hit the brakes
39:47 and see what happens.
39:48 - And you'll notice Corey in the suite drinking wine.
39:51 So everybody wins, really.
39:52 He has a chance to, before we go,
39:55 Marianne Bartoli, Pierce Brosnan, what is this about?
39:59 You notice him while you're on the court?
40:01 Please share that story with us.
40:03 - Come on, Josh.
40:04 - But elaborate.
40:05 - She don't want that story.
40:07 - Please elaborate for this audience.
40:08 - Josh, I've been saying it like a million times.
40:11 - I know, but for this audience,
40:13 they may not know the story of you
40:15 and 007 Pierce Brosnan, and you know,
40:18 again, Coco Hedermon with Justin Bieber,
40:20 yours with James Bond.
40:22 - Okay, I'm gonna make it very short.
40:25 So I'm playing my first ever semifinal for Grand Slam,
40:29 which is happening at Wimbledon in 2007
40:31 against Justine Annabelle,
40:32 one of the world coming from winning Royal Garro,
40:34 she was winning everything this year.
40:36 She beat Serena before me, and she's playing against me,
40:39 and it's my first time on center court.
40:41 And obviously I had no clue about the Royal Bucks,
40:43 what was happening in the Royal Bucks,
40:45 what was the protocol in the Royal Bucks,
40:47 now that I'm invited every year, I know,
40:48 but back then, nothing.
40:50 So I'm playing second semifinal,
40:52 so Venus is playing first, she's beating Anna Ivanovic,
40:55 I'm coming second, and the etiquette
40:58 when you're into the Royal Bucks
40:59 and you have to stay for the whole day
41:01 and all the matches are played on that day,
41:02 obviously it was women's semifinal day,
41:05 but you have a small refreshment
41:07 when the first semifinal is over
41:08 until the next players are coming for the second semifinal.
41:10 But by the time that Pierce had this small refreshment,
41:13 I lost the first set 6-1.
41:15 So he's coming down, sits front row of the Royal Bucks,
41:20 I'm getting my, I'm about to serve,
41:22 so I'm coming and collect my balls from the ball kid,
41:24 and I'm seeing him staying in the front row
41:26 of the Royal Bucks, and I'm like,
41:28 there is just no chance I'm gonna keep playing
41:30 that bad in front of him,
41:32 'cause I lost the first set in 25 minutes.
41:33 You have to do something, whatever you want,
41:36 you take one minute between each point, whatever it is,
41:38 but you stay at least an hour and a half more on that court.
41:42 And thinking about that,
41:43 I completely forgot who else was watching me,
41:46 so I had founder and CEO of Nike,
41:49 I was sponsored by Nike back then,
41:51 Field Night, sitting in my box, completely forgot about it,
41:54 and just was focusing only if Pierce was clapping for me
41:57 when I was winning the point.
41:58 Guess what?
41:58 He wanted me to win.
42:00 So he started to cheer on me,
42:02 and I'm leading 3-1, it's getting tight,
42:04 it's 5-1 in the second, I'm down 15-40, I held,
42:08 and then after that I went on a run,
42:09 like I played the best things of my life,
42:11 so I couldn't miss the ball, I was hitting every line,
42:14 so I won the second set 7-5, I was up 5-0 in the third,
42:17 again, just in number one in the world,
42:19 I think my dad couldn't even believe
42:21 how well I could have played tennis.
42:23 And then she held at 5-1 and served it out,
42:26 closed it out to love, and won 6-1.
42:29 I'm walking out of the court,
42:30 he's waiting for me on the top of the stairs
42:32 out of the Royal Box to congratulate me.
42:35 The next morning, because we play Friday night,
42:37 next morning he's sending me 100 red roses
42:39 into the locker room to wish me good luck
42:41 for the women's final.
42:43 He was not there, so I lost,
42:45 and in 2013 he showed up in the final and I won.
42:49 So obviously it was his fault I didn't win women's twice.
42:52 That's the whole story.
42:52 - I imagine Tom Cruise had come to the US Open and see you.
42:55 He would have won the US Open too.
42:57 - That was pretty special.
42:58 - All right, gang, for our panel,
43:00 Simon Cambers, Cara Bouchard,
43:02 and Pierce Brosnan's favorite tennis player,
43:05 James Bond's favorite,
43:06 Marion Bartoli licensed to thrill,
43:08 Josh Cohen saying thank you for watching.
43:10 Remember, subscribe and listen on all platforms,
43:13 and we will catch you next time
43:14 for the next episode of Match Points
43:16 right here on TennisMajors.com.
43:18 (silence)
43:20 (silence)
43:23 (silence)
43:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]