Australian Open 2026 Preview

Summary

Podcast Summary: Control the Controllables

Episode 275 – Australian Open 2026 Preview

Host: Dan Kiernan
Panelists: Candy Reid, Freddie Nielsen, Kieran Forster, Calvin Betton
Date: January 17, 2026

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Overview

Dan Kiernan reunites the full panel for their annual in-depth Australian Open preview. This lively episode features an all-star roundtable of coaches, analysts, and tennis insiders discussing the latest innovations at the Open, player prospects on both the men's and women's sides, technical nuances such as the controversial tennis balls, and the doubles landscape. Expect data-driven breakdowns, behind-the-scenes insights, big predictions, and characteristic wit from the panel.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Australian Open Innovations & One-Point Tournament

• Tennis Australia applauded for creative fan engagement events, such as the one-point tournament allowing amateurs to play top pros.
• Notable Moment: Social media buzz after amateur Jordan Smith’s win, and Taylor Fritz’s admission that skipping the event was a mistake.
  • [02:04] Dan Kiernan: “Taylor Fritz wrote...what an error I made by turning down the opportunity to play this event. It seemed like amazing fun...that’s an endorsement that Australian Open want to hear.”
• Panelists shared personal ‘one-point’ experiences, highlighting the randomness and fun of the event.
• New $10 million bracket challenge introduced – almost impossible but great for fan engagement.

2. The Great Tennis Ball Debate

• Extended segment on the impact of new Australian Open balls, which are designed for humidity but are playing unusually hard and fast due to low humidity this year.
  • [08:21] Calvin Betton: “They’re basically turning into rocks...they’re just going hard and they’re not fluffing.”
  • [10:22] Dan Kiernan (Sydney conditions): “I actually thought it was unbelievable how much they fluffed up...”
• Discussion on player welfare, uniformity of balls across tours, and the logistical mess of practice vs. match balls.
• Indian Wells shifting to Dunlop ATP ball noted as potential positive change.

3. Men’s Draw Deep Dive

Notable Matchups & Dark Horses

• Ugo Humbert vs. Ben Shelton: A "popcorn" lefty battle.
  • [14:51] Candy Reid: “Ben...is not really anywhere near his best since that US Open injury...Humbert is playing really well. He could go a long way.”
• Pericard: Huge serve, potential threat, but called out for lack of volleying and backhand.
  • [18:57] Kiernan: “Surely a guy like that’s gotta be, gotta be making these guys think a little bit more on the return.”
  • [23:14] Reid: “He’s kind of got that typical young man stubbornness about him at the moment.”
• De Minaur vs. Berrettini: Davis Cup form lingering, but question marks over Berrettini’s fitness and confidence.
• Tommy Paul vs. Kecmanovic, Brooksby (fitness doubts), Khachanov vs. Michelsen cited as tricky openers.
• Hurkacz, Davidovich Fokina, Zizou Bergs highlighted as dangerous floaters.
• Debate on Novak Djokovic’s prospects – consensus: Not enough physical reserves for 7 best-of-5 matches anymore.
  • [26:38] Vozzy (Kieran Forster): “I don’t think Novak has it in the tank to win seven matches of best of five anymore.”

Alcaraz vs. Sinner - The Inevitable?

• Alcaraz and Sinner dominate prediction lists; panel largely unconvinced by the 2026 chasing pack (Draper, Shelton, Fritz, Zverev, Rune all deemed not ready).
• Panel splits 2-2 between Sinner and Alcaraz to win.
  • [60:51] Betton (Calvin): “I think Alcaraz will win it. I keep saying, I think he’s a better tennis player than Sinner.”
  • [52:56] Nielsen (Freddie): “I actually do think it [coaching change] could play in...I think Sinner looks like he's in a good frame of mind.”

Alcaraz Coaching Change

• Detailed discussion on the abrupt split between Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero; theories include financial disagreements and cultural/personality differences.
  • [47:19] Reid: “That’s a biggie...Juan Carlos is massive for Alcaraz...it’s gonna be really interesting, isn’t it, to see what happens?”
  • Panel generally expects Alcaraz’s game to endure under his broader team.

4. Rising Stars and Outside Threats

• Special mention for Vacherot, who shot into seeding territory late 2025 and, due to having “no points to defend,” could stay top 30 with modest results.
  • [33:22] Betton: "I think his year is actually going to look pretty solid because...when you're seeded already...it's easy enough to just keep racking up 90 points most weeks."
• Felix Auger-Aliassime highlighted as a player who “could end the year top 3.”

5. Doubles’ Status & Stories

• Advances in doubles prize money and the growing respect for top doubles players.
• Discussion led by Cal Betton about the disconnect between media perception and the singles/doubles skill gap.
  • [42:37] Betton: “These guys have, like, one, they beat you lot all the time on a doubles court. Two, a lot of them have been top 30 in the world, singles players...It’s a silly argument.”
• Andre Vavassori’s singles heroics and the pressure on doubles specialists covered with warm humor and insight. Noted need for better doubles TV promotion.

6. Women’s Draw Deep Dive

Major Contenders

• Sabalenka top pick for title defense; Swiatek, Gauff, and Rybakina round out the main favorites.
  • [48:57] Reid: “Sabalenka, I’m so sorry. It looks like she’s going to play Raducanu probably in the third round. It’s so dull to say that.”
  • [72:43] Nielsen (Freddie): “But for the sake of competition, I’m gonna pick Coco Gauff to win it.”
• Emerging Talents: Teresa Valentova, Vicky Mboko, Alex Eala, and Emerson Jones noted as the new generation having impact.
  • [49:33] Reid: “This girl called Teresa Valentova, a young Czech girl, really liked her. I think Vicky Mboko is absolutely terrific...”
• IgA Swiatek’s Game Style Change: Noted shift to a more one-dimensional power game; panelists question her coaching direction and adaptability.
  • [66:12] Betton: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player...lose so many sets six-one and six-love as she does…that has to be a sort of mental frailty.”
• Dark horses: Anisimova, Kostyuk, Christian, Danilovic, and Muhkova picked as ones who could shake things up with the right draw.

7. Veterans & Farewells

• Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils returning for likely last Australian Open draws applause.
  • [81:42] Nielsen: “It’s really impressive...it’s okay to play if you enjoy it, right?”
• The panel celebrates their sustained passion, athleticism, and role-model status.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On aussie tennis innovation:
  • “The Australian Open have hit on a winner with this one as well.” — Dan Kiernan [02:04]
• On tennis balls:
  • “They’re basically turning into rocks...” — Calvin Betton [08:21]
• On Novak Djokovic’s chances:
  • “He’s still the greatest player, but...there comes a time where your time is up.” — Kieran Forster [26:38]
• On Alcaraz/Ferrero split:
  • “It sounds like, which is really, really...” — Candy Reid [47:19]
  • “He’s not gonna forget how to play tennis. But when it comes up to these clutch moments in a big match, it can have an effect.” — Freddie Nielsen [52:33]
• On the men’s tour gap:
  • “It almost feels like in January 2026, we're further away from who the next person is than we even were six months ago.” — Dan Kiernan [53:07]
• On women’s new wave:
  • “Women's tennis is, in my opinion, in a great, great shape...we’ve got this undercurrent...between 18 and 21 and there's about 10 of them that are so, so good.” — Candy Reid [50:51]
• On doubles respect:
  • “If you’re playing at the high end of the doubles game, you’re a serious tennis player as well.” — Dan Kiernan [38:35]
• On why play into your 40s:
  • “It’s okay to play if you enjoy it, right? ...for the love of the journey and the process.” — Freddie Nielsen [81:42]

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Fast Facts & Timestamps for Key Segments

• Aussie Open innovation & one-point tournament: [01:19] – [05:00]
• Tennis ball talk: [08:00] – [14:11]
• Men’s draw breakdown, Novak, Sinner/Alcaraz, Pericard: [14:51] – [35:15]
• Doubles prize money & respect: [43:15] – [46:56]
• Coaching drama (Alcaraz/Ferrero), men’s winner picks: [47:19] – [62:20]
• Women’s main contenders & emerging stars: [48:57] – [51:12]
• Swiatek’s style, dark horses, predictions: [63:14] – [75:16]
• Veterans (Wawrinka, Monfils), doubles partnerships: [81:04] – [94:57]

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Conclusion

Final Predictions:

• Men’s winner: Split between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
• Women’s winner: Sabalenka (majority), with toss-ups for Gauff and Anisimova as potential surprises.
• Doubles: Not explicitly picked, but eyes on established pairs and several intriguing new partnerships.

Overall Tone:
The panel delivers an energetic, informally expert, banter-filled dive into all things Australian Open, wrapping technical expertise and first-hand experience with plenty of wit and insider color.

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This summary offers a comprehensive guide for anyone seeking deep insight into the 2026 Australian Open storylines, player readiness, and the evolving tennis landscape—even if you haven’t tuned into the episode itself.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Welcome to episode 275 of Control the Controllables. And we are back. Tennis is back. Australian Open 2026 is here and we have our preview and we have our amazing panelists. We've got Candy Reed, we've got Freddie Nielsen, we've got Kieran Forster and we've got Cal Betten that are coming on the show. Now, just a little word of note, it's. Everyone's at different time zones. Seems to have a couple of WI fi issues as well. So there is a little bit of coming and going from the panelists, but they will still give you an amazing show and start the year the right way. So I'm going to pass you over to our 2026 Australian Open preview. Panelists, a big welcome. Our Australian Open panelists. How are you doing?

[C]

All good.

[D]

Happy New Year, everyone.

[B]

We got a full house, at least for part of the of the show. So Calvin, Kieran, Candy and Freddie, a big welcome and I'm going to start with one name and I'll throw it to you. Vozzy. Jordan Smith. Talk to me.

[D]

Oh, interesting.

[E]

Winning, winning the.

[D]

The million dollars.

[B]

Unbelievable, huh?

[D]

Yeah, but obviously he had a good back. I mean he had a background in tennis. I think he was New South Wales state champion.

[B]

So he's won matches in futures and he's.

[D]

Yeah, he's not, he's not, he's not an actual bunny that's won it, so. But still, still, it's a great story. Obviously playing center, but Senate double faulted or one serve, wasn't it hit it in the net. So. No, yeah, it's a great story. It's, it's just always interesting with tennis Australia. The. They're very innovative and sort of their thoughts and their ideas and then it's just great. And then it was packed. It was packed as well. So I think it was well received by, by everyone from what I've, what I've read and what I've seen.

[B]

Yeah. And Candy, I even, I saw something and this is quite powerful, I think on social media. Taylor Fritz wrote on social media, basically, I'll not word for word, but he basically said what an error I made by turning down the opportunity to play this event. It seemed like amazing fun and I guess that's an endorsement that Australian Open want to hear as well. It seems like it's well received by everyone. The clips on social media, alcaraz hugging tier 4. There was genuine kind of enthusiasm for the event. And on the back of the mixed doubles that happened at the US Open as Well, I think the US Open now for a couple of years have been bringing innovation to the sport, using that qualifying week very well, filling the stands, getting people into our sport. It seems like Tennis Australia have hit on a winner with this one as well.

[A]

Yeah, brilliant idea, wasn't it, to get sort of the amateur player involved and essentially anyone can win in that format. I've actually played. We were talking about that at work today because we're commentating on Adelaide and Tiafo came and did a Yonex thing and he played us all in one point and being cheeky, I drop shotted him and he wasn't going to run for it. But it's quite satisfying, you know, when you're not particularly great player and then you take a point off someone like Yannick Sinner or Francis Tiafo, you've got something to tell your friends for the rest of your life. So great idea by Australian Open I'm sure they'll come up with something even better in 27.

[B]

And Carl, you were the sensation on social media at the one point tournament at the LTA back in December with your victory over Felix Gill. 30 380p. I don't know what happened to your UTR after, after that win but are you, are you another one that endorses an event like this?

[C]

Well, don't forget also regular panelists on the pod. Mark Hilton, I took him out as well.

[B]

Oh well that wasn't on social media. That wasn't on social media.

[C]

I say I took him out. Hills missed his serve. But I'll say this, he did spend quite a bit of time warming his serve up and then, then missed it. Yeah, I said to the, like we were talking about yesterday or this morning. Sorry about the one point, Simon. It's like I said to them like they were talking about some of the players who lost. I said it's not for everybody, you know, it's not for everybody to win those matches.

[D]

But it's quite similar for a manager at Man United. It's not for everybody.

[C]

True, true, very true, very true. But anybody, look, it's, it's a good, it's, it's a good bit of fun, I think. And why not, you know, like, why not do it? Australian Open have done some, some pretty cool things I saw as well. They're doing something with a. I think it's something like $10 million if you can predict the perfect bracket. So £5 million if you can predict the perfect draw.

[B]

Are we in team? I mean we don't have a great track Record.

[C]

I know that. I think it's 127 matches that you've got to predict all of them.

[B]

Right.

[C]

I don't know about that. But somebody said though that the college football in America do a similar thing. So bear in mind, the tennis Grand Islam is a one two eight draw. I think college basketball, sorry, is a 32 draw. 64. Yeah. And no one's ever done it, apparently, so it would be some going. But it's like I said to the lads, it's almost impossible to do that because the likelihood of no one pulling out either within a match or after a match is minimal. So even if you could get the readings on everything and make the actual. There's so much randomness that goes into, into 10, into a full one two eight Grand Slam draw. It is basically impossible. But it's good fun for people trying it.

[B]

Well, it is, but a very quick story to share. It was back after I'd stopped playing. I actually, the next year I predicted 27 first round matches. When I say predicted, I put a bet on. That was before it was illegal. I don't do that anymore. Anybody listening at 27 first round matches at Wimbledon and all 27 came in and I won some crazy amount from my five pound bet. However, I learned off the record journalism isn't always off the record journalism because we did go out that night and celebrate and the next day I was supposed to be having a conversation with a. A Northeast journalist. I used to speak to him every year around Wimbledon time. And he called me the next day and I said, oh, sorry about yesterday, you know, I was out and, you know, didn't get round to the call. And he said, oh, no problem, I was out as well. And da, da, da. He said, oh, were you celebrating anything? You know, what was going on? And it was, you know, very off the record, the conversation. And I basically admitted stupidly that I'd won this bet. The next day my dad called me up and said, what the hell are you doing? And I said, what are you talking about? He said, well, I've just got the Northern Echo. And in the Northern Echo there's a big article saying Keenan recoups losses with big gambling victory. And there was a big article in the Northern Echo about which. Which probably didn't bode well because I didn't did go on to have a bit of a gambling issue. So that kind of quite quickly turned that around. That's maybe for another podcast, but I, I don't do that anymore. So I hope anyone that is Getting involved in this. Calv is doing it very responsibly and not going down the. The route. So. And Calv, you're. You're the one that's out in Australia. I was in Sydney for United cup for, for 10 days and we'll be back out in Melbourne. I know. Candy, you're there. Freddie's been. Been out there as well for qualies. How's conditions out there? You know, I guess it's every year we talk about it. Why not start what we're going to end up talking about anyway at some point in 2026? The tennis balls. We love it. We love a tennis ball chat, don't we? In when it. When it comes to. Comes to tennis. So how's the Australian Open 2026 tennis ball playing? How's that going to impact what we're going to see over the next couple of weeks?

[C]

Yeah, well, actually say that my. My friend Desi in New York has a dog who. Because I've been giving them to her as the biggest collection of tournament tennis balls I think in the Western hemisphere. So maybe he's the expert on tennis balls now.

[B]

But my dogs were chasing a 2025 Roland Garros ball yesterday in the park. I realized I don't know where they got their hands on that.

[C]

But Porter, her dog, has about 20, 20 balls I think from tennis tournaments. So he's an expert on the bounce and the range and the speed of all those balls. But yeah, it's interesting. Tennis balls here in Adelaide are a little bit. They're responding differently than what they did last year. The Australian Open ball is kind of like. I mean, it's made really as a humidity ball to be able to cope with humidity so it doesn't fluff too much now. There's not actually much humidity been so far in. I mean, there was a little bit in Brisbane last week in Adelaide this week. And I don't think there's loads expected next week in, in Melbourne in terms of humidity. So what's happening is the ball's getting older. They're actually not. They're. They're fluffing, not at all. So they're basically turning into rocks, as we call them, like amongst players. And, and they're just. So they're just going hard and they're not fluffing, so the speed of them is not changing like you normally expect an older tennis ball to slow down just as the tension comes out of it, the pressure comes out of it and the ball would fluff up a bit. But that's just not really happening at all. They're just, they're just going sort of bolder, if you will. And so that the balls are actually still very fast until the ball change and then you get kind of a different type of fast. When the new balls come, they just get live, they get more lively. They're fast and lively or fast and not lively. And then you've got compare with things like in Australia especially, they have these. Well, certainly in Brisbane, in Adelaide this week, and I think they've got one in Melbourne, these kind of covered courts that are still outdoors, like they've got canopies over them, which then what happens then is those courts are out of the sun, so the balls tend to be a bit less lively, but the conditions can still be bit quick. I know Candy was saying before we came on air that the, the official speed rating of the courts is saying slow to medium slow. And I can assure you that no one on, no one here in Adelaide thinks that they, they are the conditions at all.

[B]

In Sydney. I actually thought it was unbelievable how much they fluffed up.

[C]

Right, Okay.

[B]

I mean, so maybe, yeah, there was a lot of humidity, but it was like that, that was kind of your typical. I'm having a bit of a laugh. Like we're not experts at picking the draws and picking people winning matches, but we're bloody experts on tennis balls. Listen, listen to the sound. But, but it's like, but that I always thought in Australia you had like these really fast kind of balls that come out, what new for a couple of games and then they fluff up pretty quick and slow down. It felt like last week nobody could miss the ball long in Sydney, you know, the amount of balls I thought that's going out. And it was dropping, you know, and after one long rally, not that it was me hitting when the players had like a good 25, 30 shot rally to warm up. It was that kind of. You get, you get it on social media. The player puts the brand new ball next to the ball that looks like two hours old, but it's actually just one, one, one rally old. So that was different in Sydney. So that's good. That'll be interesting. What, what that, what that does. And Fozzie, what does? I don't know how much you were a ball connoisseur, but what does, what does that do? As we kind of jump in now, the draws out. It came out a few hours ago. You know, I know you're a studious guy. You've been studying that draw and Then you'll probably still end up picking on to win the event. But it is, is what, what, what are you seeing on the men's side? Some first round.

[D]

So just quickly just going, just going back on the ball. I mean obviously I was quite vocal about tennis balls. In 2023 when I was traveling with Dan from the, from Washington or actually from Atlanta all the way through to the US Open, there was a different ball being played every week other than when you got to Toronto and Cincy. And then when we went on the Asian swing for the six weeks there was, sorry. For the three weeks in Asia and then three weeks indoor, there was a different ball every week. And it's just like the ATP need to get it right or the governing bodies need to get it right because this, this has on knock on effects on player, player welfare, physicality on the arm, the shoulder, et cetera, et cetera.

[C]

I think there's been some improvements in that body.

[D]

Like literally I, I saw, I saw something that Gardenzi did, but it was, it wasn't, it was just chat.

[C]

I mean, I mean I think what we've got is we got the Australian Open ball until I think it, I think they're still using the Australian Open ball in Doha and Dubai. So after, after that I think, I don't know what they're using in, in Dallas and those tournaments, but then I

[D]

guess they'll probably be U.S. open. But I guarantee, I guarantee you when you, when you get to the tourn, your 250s, 500s, the balls, the balls differ from week to week.

[C]

Yeah, probably, yeah. But I know that, I mean I think a major difference is.

[D]

And I'll tell you something, in Sweden, in, In Stockholm in 2023, the practice ball, the practice ball, the soldering practice ball was different to the soling mash ball. And the lady told us that that's a disgrace.

[C]

I mean a big thing is that they've changed, I'm told. I don't know if this is official yet, but I'm told that Indian Wells is moving to the Dunlop ATP ball away from the pen. The pen ball is the worst ball on tour.

[B]

I hope so that that did my elbow last year. India, well, serving that bloody thing all week.

[C]

I'm told by a player who has a Dunlop contract, not one of my players by the way, because they both have Dunlop contracts. But he's not, neither of those, that Dunlop had told them that they will be using the Dunlop ATP in Indian Wells this year. So that'll be Indian Wells. Miami will use the same ball. And then the clay is. You'd think some sensibility could come into it. Grass. They use the same ball all the way through. And then U.S. open. U.S. open ball for the hardcore swing. So you'd hope that there's. We might not be in a perfect world yet, but it's getting a bit better, I think, on that front.

[B]

So I'm going to try another segue. I tried. I tried to get you guys away from balls, but we. We got dragged back. We got dragged back in. So I'm going to try again. And Candy, this time I'm going to come to you. Freddy will be joining. He is with us, but he's in the car. So it sounded like there was a hur. Taking his car out. So Freddie, I'm gonna throw it to him in a couple of minutes. But to get started, I guess on the men's side of the draw. I don't know how much you've looked at it. We were talking off air, obviously. Hugo on bear playing some great tennis, it seems this week in Adelaide, Ben Shelton. That seems like a bit of a popcorn first round match. A couple of lefties going at each other. A little bit of a banana skin maybe for Ben.

[A]

I think so. Just because Ben, I think is not really anywhere near his best since that U.S. open injury. And it takes so long, doesn't it? And you guys, the coaches will know this more than anybody, but you get someone like Shelton who's very explosive and they have an injury like that, it almost takes sort of nine months to a year to get back to true form. So that's going to be a tough one because Hugo and Burr is. Yeah, he's playing really well. He was another guy that got really injured last year, but I fancy he go him going a long way. Alcarez, of course, the top seed. He's going to play Adam Walton in the first round. Alejandro Davidovich Forina, I think is another one to watch. Top 10 in returns, top 50 behind his serve last year. And he had what, two chances, didn't he? Delray beach and Washington Davidic Forina had championship points and didn't get it done. So I don't think he's going to win the Australian Open. I think Jannik Senna is probably going to do that. But those are just a couple of names. Ugo and Baer and Davidic for Kino, I think that are playing well right now.

[B]

And Freddie, we have you.

[E]

Yes, I'm back.

[B]

He's back. The hurricane didn't get you?

[E]

No.

[B]

And who stands out for you when you're looking at that draw? What's jumping out on the men's side for you?

[E]

Well, at first, just to chime in with the balls, I agree with you, Dan, how they were playing out because in Melbourne I felt that the courts were very gritty and slower than, than they've been ever in Australia. I always felt like Australia was pretty quick. So therefore the balls also flopped up quite much. So I, I agree with you. Whereas in, in Hong Kong, where it was super fast. It was exactly like you said, Cal, that, that just got smaller and smaller and faster and faster. But, but in Melbourne, I feel like it's the slowest Melbourne has ever been with, with regards to the draw. I mean, it's, it's tough to really look past the top two guys these days. Right? It's been, it's been a little bit boring the last few years and I'm pretty sure that we all agree that it's going to be those two guys that are going to be competing for the title again. But for me, I like some of the youngsters. I know that, Dan, you being the Spanish corner store, is it called Hoda, the Rafa, the young kid who's gone pro, he's supposed to go to college. I like his game. He's playing Sakamoto, another young kid, and I really like the look of that. I think Pericard has been, been. Been playing a little bit better now lately and has a pretty decent draw and able to, to move a few rounds. But primarily I think it's, it's going to be the, the top two guys.

[B]

Vozzi is shaking your head at the per car call.

[D]

Yeah, no, no chance. I'm not having that. I mean, yeah, I think he's very limited. I mean the big server, he is

[E]

very limited, but the limitations are. Probably the best server in the world. Yeah. The rest is not, it's not vintage shown that when he's on he can be very good. And last week he had a good win and yeah, I think he, I mean he was really not great for the most part last year. So that's why I feel like he's got a little bit of a comeback season in him.

[B]

I watched Parakar playing with Seti at US Open and the thing that hit me and I don't want to just be this. I know coaching's not as simple as this, so forgive me for kind of my basic, basic point I'm going to make, but nearly every point I saw happen. Pericar served big and Mercedi blocked the return deep and then that was the starting point for the point. So all, so all of a sudden and now basic kind of 101 coaching. Certainly in our era, someone's blocking a return through the middle window of the, of the net. Take it away, you know, and how, how often, how often does Perico serve and volley? I know in that match I didn't literally didn't see him do it once. So that, so the starting point was almost set his terms, you know, whereas surely a guy like that's gotta be, gotta be making these guys think a little bit more on the return. I don't know if that was a one off match or Calvis. Is that, is that a usual Pericard performance?

[C]

I think it kind of is, but it surprised me because he's actually not the worst volleyer in the world. Luke played against him last year, last week, sorry in Brisbane in doubles. And he volleys. You know, I'm not going to say, come out here and say he's the best volleyer I've ever seen, but he's a very competent volleyer compared to some of the singles guys who I see playing doubles. Who or. And singles. I don't, I think we're in probably the worst era of volleying that I've ever seen in on the men's game. But he's, he's a, he's a competent volleyer. I mean, I think his problem is, is that his backhand isn't very good at all. He can still hit the ball huge off the ground. I know, like, I'll give a couple examples. Like the first time I ever actually saw him was probably a couple of years ago. I think he was playing a challenger in Nottingham and he's playing Ryan Penniston and he completely ragdolled Peno around the court, just absolutely destroying him with power. And then on top of that, last week, the match before he played Luke and Manu Guinard, we watched their first round match. He was playing with Demolina and they played Rogier and Santi Gonzalez and there was a point in the middle of it where Perad served and I think Jules, Roger sort of blocked one back to a decent sort of length for doubles. And Pericard hit a forehand so hard for a winner that at the same time both Luke and I said, Jesus Christ, like the power that he hit it with was, was so huge. And that was you, you know that that's comparable to any of the male players. I'm not sure he ever gets to A stage where he's winning or even making the semis of a slam. But I do think he will be one of those players who can take people out for sure. Just because he's always going to get himself to tie breaks in sets. If you do that then you're always going to give yourself a chance. And he wins a lot of tie breaks because he's not. I think that's something.

[D]

Best of three is more more. But on best of five, I'm not having that.

[C]

I was going to say I'm, I'm not saying he's gonna make, you know, even quarters of a slam, but I think he's one of the guys who like the top guy. You know, maybe Sinner and Alcaraz are not that fuss, but the other guys, I think they're thinking this is a tough afternoon. Like no one's going to be looking forward to seeing him in any draw because you know, you know, it's the same as in when we see him in a double draw. He's far from the best doubles player in the world, but you're basically getting a player who. One of the, one of the two players of the opposing team you're not really going to have a chance of breaking because it's, it's so big the serve and the second serve is so big. Like he wins and we keep track. You know the LTA has a sort of good data on doubles players is somewhere he wins 73 of second serve points. That's wild to be winning that, that many.

[B]

But let just on, on Paracord. Just having a quick look at his. His serve starts in 2025. I always like this kind of 1105 rule. Basically if you're winning 105% of your games then you've having sustainable success success. So 100 service games, 100 return games. So like ISNA, I believe like ISNA, who's maybe the comparable type player to Pericar was holding 96% of service games. You know Dan Evans, who's obviously a different game style is more 78 and 27. You know, obviously Alcaraz is, is higher than 105 because he's winning so much. But Perekar held 89% of service games last year which is good. But if he's going to be someone who's pushing towards the end of the slams in his game style, I think that needs to be up to like 95, 96.

[A]

Really Dan, I've, I've commentated a few times on Pericard including Leon was it 24 when he won the title. And he does get hot. And the difference between him and the other big guys is he. He actually can move. I agree with, with Calvin, his backhand is a bit of a weakness and he's very stubborn because I know his coach, Emmanuel Plank, quite well and we were talking about how stubborn he is because obviously he needs to send volley a lot more and be aggressive and he likes to use his physical attributes and stay on the baseline and rally, which makes no sense. So I think as he gets older, he will use his brain a little bit more. But he's kind of got that typical young man stubbornness about him at the moment.

[B]

Yeah, no, he has to come for another one. Freddie, we've got Alex D. Minor against Berettini. On paper, that sounds like a nice one, right? Certainly the Berettini of two or three years ago. But Berettini's looking at that draw thinking, oh, my God, this is my worst nightmare, I would imagine.

[E]

I don't know about that. He. I think he still got a little bit of. He found something at the Davis cup and I think he might be able to carry some of that good feeling. The question is, obviously, is he going to stay fit? I think the way Berrettini's career has panned out, he's not that. I don't think he sees himself at that player. And I think that Demi now will be more gone with that draw than Berrettini is the other way around, to be honest, because I think he knows that he's going to get the chance to give it a good whacking. And Diminowa is never going to blow him off the court. And if he's confident in the serve and the foreign is flying, it could be a potential banana field there.

[B]

And Vozzy, any. Any ones for us to watch out for?

[D]

The ones I think. I think Tommy Paul Kovic, Tommy Paul obviously come off an injury. He's short of matches, so that could be a banana skin. Brooksby is an interesting first round. Very different game styles, but Brooksby makes a lot of balls.

[B]

I still think Brooksby's fit, though. I get. I've. I've heard on the grapevine Brooksby actually was advised not to play in Australia.

[D]

Right, okay. That's good intel. Catching off Mickelson. I think it's an interesting first round.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[D]

And I've got Dimitrov. Is it Mahak?

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Mahach. I think. I think both. Both unseated, I think are dangerous floaters on. On the Men's side. The, the other dangerous floater I've who, if he, if he gets it going is Hercatz. He's, you know, he's come back off injury again so you know, you, I'm looking at his physique now and he looks, he looks strong, he looks healthy. But you know, as Kenny said, you know, like it takes a long time, you know, when you, when you haven't played for a long time to come back in and, and sort of hit the rhythm and, and actually get going. But I've actually got her cats down as a dark horse for me as an unseated dark horse and I've got, I've got Alcaraz to win it. I haven't been on for a while but I've, I've, I've got, I've started writing notes so it's, I'm on the pulse here. Yeah. So those, those sort of kind of my standouts in the draw. We're not talking about Novak that much. I, I don't think Novak has it in the tank to, to, to win seven matches of best of five anymore. I think if it was seven matches, best of three maybe having a different conversation. I know he's, he's brought in new

[E]

members of the team.

[D]

He's got Mark Kovacs coming in helping him with the biomechanics and the S and C. But I, I thought it was very strange that he withdrew from Adelaide and his, his reason for that was that his body wasn't in the best. What wasn't ready to compete. Well, if you're not ready to compete in Adelaide at the best of three, I don't know how you're ready to compete in Australia two weeks later for best of five. So whether that was just a press statement or, or actually legitimate, but yeah, I just, I just think, I just think the, he, he's going to have to get extremely lucky with, with, with the, with players losing and for him, for him to, to do it. Obviously you know, he's still, still the greatest player that we've seen but you know, in any sport there comes a time where your time is up.

[B]

Cal, to get Novak a chance.

[C]

No, I don't give him a chance. I don't think he can handle seven matches. I think I've been saying this for the last few Slams that I think he, I'd give him a chance against any player in a one off match match and I include Sinner and Sinner and Alcaraz in that. But his problem is by the Time he plays them, he's already going to have. I've had five matches under the belt, best of five, and I don't.

[B]

That's a nice little draw. If you look at his draw, you go, you could see him. I could see him quite comfortably getting to the fourth round without.

[C]

No, no, I can see. I can see him doing that kid over. I think the problem is I just don't see him doing that. And then, then being able to take on those players with two weeks of tennis under his belt.

[B]

I mean, his issue's been the five early five setters, if he could win these first three matches in straight sets.

[C]

It's true. But, I mean, I also don't. I don't know if I entirely buy the he's not in Adelaide because his body's not ready thing. I was surprised when he put himself down for Adelaide. Like, I think it's one of those where these guys, I think they often stick their name down for the week before the Slam, but. And then sort of weigh it up a couple of days before the tournament starts as to whether they're actually going to go or whether they think they'd be better off just going and playing some practice sets out in Melbourne. And I think they can't really use any other excuse to pull out at that late notice other than that they're injured. He might well not be fit, but as Rozzy says, if he's not fit now, then he's in a whole world of trouble for Melbourne.

[D]

But also to get to the fourth round, he's got to play a minimum of nine sets of tennis.

[C]

Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what I think.

[D]

And that, like, in a normal tour event is playing, you know, winning two sets to one. Two sets. One, Two sets to one. You know, getting yourself to the semis with, with the age and then playing these young guys now, it's, it's, it's completely different.

[C]

It's not our opinion on this. Djokovic actually said it himself, I think, either US Open or Wimbledon, that he's struggling to actually win seven matches. I think.

[D]

Yeah, but it also. His body is breaking down. Calv.

[B]

Like.

[C]

Yeah, that's what I'm starting. That's what I mean, though, Bozzy. That's, That's. I think that's what he said. He's. His body is breaking down over the course of two weeks. And I, I think that's his problem. And you know how much. I mean, I know he says he wants to go for another two years, but I don't really see how that changes in two years. He's just going to be two years older.

[B]

Dark horses. I want to jump on the back. There's always one of you that picks my dark horse.

[C]

So I mean, Fozzie's already taken mine, so it's. It's her, her cat.

[B]

Well, that's who I've got as well.

[C]

I mean, it's, it's look, it's even whether you can class him as a dark horse. This is like fully fit. This is. And we saw in United cup he is fully fit. This is a legitimate top 10 in the world player who's going in unseeded.

[B]

And if you look at the serve stats as well, we just, we've just talked about Perrikar holding 89%. Hurkat is a 95.2% holding serve guy. He holds over 95% of his service games. United Cup. Just had a look at his draw. It's really interesting because the group that I was at with Canada actually had while her cat was there, but he plays Zizu Bergs in the first round, who played really well at the United cup, like really well and got a couple of excellent wins. If he wins that, he could play Greeksball, who was also in the same group in the United Cup. And then in that part as well, in that little part is also Mensik who was also in the same group. So they, they all were in the same group together in Sydney for 10 days. And the way it works at United cup, you have a group of guys, very few and girls, you end up training with the same ones. So they would have played a lot of practice sets. They, they would have had a. If you believe in aura and you believe in that kind of building a bit of that kind of locker room feeling, her catch has certainly built that in Sydney at the United Cup. So I can see that being a little, a little area that he comes out of actually, you know, he gets through that. It looks like he would maybe be potentially be a Djokovic in the fourth round, if I'm reading the draw correctly. So I think, I think her cats is, is a, is a real one to watch. And look, he is a dark horse. I know he is a legit top 10 player, but we. He hasn't got a great Grand Slam record. He has been out for a long, long time and I think he is a one that we're right to bring up. Candy, anyone else? J Horses. Anyone for us on the men's side before we jump into who basically who Wins between Carlos and Janik. I think we're probably going to be picking between the two of them, but any, if I pick a dark horse

[A]

who seated three, is that, is that fair?

[B]

No.

[A]

I'm going to go for Davidovich for Keener then. I think he's looking really good.

[B]

It's a good one. And Freddy, Anybody else?

[E]

No, I think the ones we've already talked about, I know they're not completely dark horses, but I've pretty much written off Baratini, but I thought he was gonna, he's gonna come back. And like you said, Horat is legitimately a top class player and that I think everybody in the draw would, would hate to play. And yeah, Sisu Bergs is gonna, I think he's one of those guys who's gonna have a good year as well. So that'll be a very interesting first round. So I think Rossi got it, got it pretty spot on for once.

[C]

It's interesting there for me that the players who we've all kind of talked about, from her cat to David Shakina to Zizo Bergs, they're all good tennis players who have serious mental frailties in different ways.

[B]

Don't we all?

[C]

Well, we all do, except for the players who win loads of Grand Slams, who don't. And that's kind of what separates them. And it's not the tennis that separates them. It's the ability to sort of believe in themselves and to different degrees of, I mean, two of those players are really nice guys and the other one I find one of the least pleasant players on tour. I won't say which is which, but it's not difficult to figure out.

[B]

I, I, I want to also, the, the last one I want to bring up before we move into the winners on the men's is, is Vachero, obviously it was kind of, we didn't talk because he came onto our radar after the US Open, you know, so he isn't someone that has come on our radar. Somebody said he's got like 50 points to defend between now and October, something crazy. And, and he is already seeded, so I know it kind of defeats a little bit what our dark horse is, but he seeded 30, he seems legit, right? You know, he ended up 15 and 4 on the ATP season just in that last part of the season. He seemed to back it up. He seems to certainly we talk about belief, you know, going from 270 in the world up to 30 in the world in a short space of time. He doesn't seem to be lacking in belief. He looks like he belongs at that level. Calv.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, it's interesting because, I mean, I've actually known Vacherott for a few years because I was coaching players around the Futures circuit when he was at college and playing a few of those Futures tournaments. And I was talking with Luke and Henry about it yesterday. We went to a coffee shop and they were saying, you know, like, what's his year going to look like? And I think his year is actually going to look pretty solid because of the reasons that he's already seeded and he has a huge serve and he's a solid player. I don't know if he's one of the top 30 players in the world, but I'm not saying he's not either defender. But what he does have is he has no points to defend and when you're seeded already, so he's seated in the Slams, he's going to be seated in most tournaments he enters in, especially sort of the 250s and 500s. It's easy enough to just keep racking up 90 points most weeks and by the time. So people think that when he gets to Shanghai, his points are going to plummet, but he could already have banked to those already. Like, it's not hard to see. Imagine him getting another 90 points by the time he gets another thousand points by the time he gets to Shanghai. I mean, if he, if he reaches his seeding position in the four Slams before then, he'll have already gone, gone almost as much as the, the, the thousand points he gets from, from Shanghai.

[B]

On top of that, I think he's legit. I think he's legit.

[C]

No, I think he is. KO Yeah, I mean, I don't, I don't, we don't really know what his true level is yet. I, I think he's a legitimate top 50 in the world player. I don't know if He's a top 20 player in the world, but that's not me saying he's not either. I just don't think we, we know enough yet. But he's got, he's got the weapons. He's a good player. He's talented, nice guy as well. Again, but I, I think it's, it's going to be an interesting one to see how it plays out because I think that because of the way his points are made up, I don't think he's going to have to do a whole lot to still be top 30 after Shanghai. He's just got to basically win the matches that he's expected to win. And that's, that's a really nice position to be in. In that position.

[B]

Absolutely. And my, my last one, it's another V and it's a bit tongue in cheek. And the reason it's tongue in cheek, he's not actually in the draw. If he was, he'd be a little dark horse. And it's a little smile. I know we've got a lot of kind of doubles, doubles angle on, on this podcast, but Andrea Vavasori, you know, what a week he had in Adelaide on the singles court. It always makes me smile, Freddie, because I did speak to Andrea after the mixed doubles in the US Open. I had a lovely chat with him on the pod. And everyone almost talks about double. These players who are doubles players, as if they can't play tennis. Right. And quite often a lot of them have had fairly decent singles rankings. You know, Vavasori, obviously, in the mixed doubles, everyone was talking, talking about it and I had a little look actually that week and I was like, he lost like six and three in Rio last year to Carlos Alcaraz. You know, he's had this result, he's had that result. And for him to rock up, not knowing that he's in the event, getting in last minute, you know, having not the results he has qualifying beat Diallo first round, that was kind of a bit of a cool story of the last few days.

[E]

Absolutely. But he's a very good player and he always made very good results in singles. I mean, a few years back, he qualed and won a round in Paris as well. So he was kind of one of those guys who got caught in no man's land because he had such instant success in doubles that it was kind of like, what, what do I do here? How do I manage my career? And obviously it was very difficult not to, to, to go for, for such a successful doubles career, but I was fully on the impression I know him quite well because I played in the same league, league team with him in Italy. Great guy, great, great athlete and a good player that he was on his way to get a better ranking than he was. I don't think he managed to get to his peak in singles. And I think also every time he got in, in singles, he's always been competitive. I mean, he qualified last year in Rotterdam as well, like you, like you just talked about. And he's just genuinely a good player who was much better in doubles and then therefore had felt that he needed to sacrifice his singles, even though in the beginning, he was still kind of managing a little bit, playing challenges from time to time and making good results, making life difficult. And I think that if he had continued playing singles full time, he. I think he would have made a good push for top 100 for sure.

[B]

And Candy, from a media perspective, you know, you're. We can't call ourselves media people because we sit in our lounge and talk nonsense on a podcast. You. You've got. You've got a legit media career. How. And I know you're a big supporter of doubles, which. Which we appreciate, which many aren't. Okay. How do you think there is this almost degrading outlook sometimes on the players that have got high, high doubles rankings, where then. Then a story like Vavasori comes along? I can only imagine, like John McEnroe commenting, commentating on his match and saying,

[E]

like, what a journeyman. Who's this guy?

[B]

Like, how's he winning a tennis match type of thing? What. What do you think from the, the media perspective on, On a story or the respect that the players like Bavasauri? And there's. There's others, right? There's. There's, you know, if you're. If you're playing at the high end of the doubles game, you're a serious tennis player as well.

[A]

Yeah, I think. I think that was good. I think it was a shame that Matthew Ebden played Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics and got absolutely stuffed because that made doubles players look bad, I think. But, I mean, Ebden's a. Not an athlete like a Vavasori, as Bavasori is a lot younger. I actually did the match that Vavasori lost. He beat Diallo, and then the next match, he lost. Off the top of my head, thank you. He just got caught a little bit because he. He wants to only chip the ball, which is surprising because he hits over the returns a lot more in doubles, from what I've seen. And he didn't get to the net as much, but then he was being passed a lot, so it was tricky for him. But I think, yeah, that. That shows that Devils players are seriously good tennis players.

[B]

He's certainly a great athlete. He needs to tell you what he needs to do when he's on the practice court before I go on. He needs to keep his top on because I don't like walk. I don't like walking on that court. Andy's dad, I've got to say, I'll

[C]

tell you, at least keep his top on his dad. That's what I mean, it's not a great.

[B]

You're not helping me here, you know, walking on and seeing that 10 pack like that.

[A]

It's fair, it's fair.

[C]

Last week, Luke played with Manu Guinard, French lad in Brisbane. And Nicholas Mahou is working with a few of the French doubles players. In the first practice session, we had practice set against a couple of, against Yuki Bambri and Andre Gorenson. And Mahoud came on court, like, first thing he did, just whipped his top off. I was like, oh, I hope we're not doing this.

[B]

Come on, Calvin.

[C]

Like, I enjoy my chocolate, I enjoy my chocolate and cakes a bit too much to be, to be doing this. But no, I mean, look, that we want, but no. Davide Vavasori, Andrea's dad, is in phenomenal shape. But that has to be said. Look, the thing about Vava, he's a great guy as well, absolute great guys as that whole team that surrounds him. Simone Bilelli and their coaches and, and their fitness trainers are just a really top group of lads. And you know, outside of my players, my favorite sort of setup on tour is those Italian boys. And Vava has proven time and time again that he's a very, very solid singles player. And it's funny because I was saying to him yesterday, I chatted to him before he played Vukic and I said, like, the strange thing is that when it was the US Open mix doubles, it felt like Vava had the reputation of the whole doubles tour on his shoulders, if you will, in terms of like the only ones who that were allowed in. And it was like an unfair circumstance, right, go and show us that you deserve to be here. And he went and won it. So he carried all that weight on his shoulders of the whole, the whole reputation of the whole doubles tour and around he. Sorry, of course, yeah, absolutely. This week when I watched him play, it felt like the tables had been flipped in the, the singles guys who were playing him. It was like they had the reputation of the whole singles players on their shoulders playing against this guy. And he's a nightmare to play against for the singles guys as well, because he serves huge. You know, you might get a sniff at breaking in once a set or that kind of thing on average. And he doesn't miss balls. He stands at the back, he doesn't miss balls. He serves really well and doesn't miss balls. And when he can get to the net, he really knows how to volley. So you're going to be a serious player to beat him. And it's funny, because I know that Vava actually went at the US Open when Public was mouthing off, like, with his usual stuff about how doubles players, they're not real tennis players and that kind of thing. And Vava actually, like, I think after they'd lost their doubles match at the US Open, he wasn't in a great mood, and Public was in the locker room, and Vava kind of approached him about it, and in a. You know, Vava's a big lad and he's from Italy, so, you know, I think he can handle himself. And he approached Bublot and Bullock. No, no, I wasn't talking about you. I wasn't talking about you, and I'm not talking about you, and I'm not talking about Balelia. I'm not talking about Mate or, you know, all those guys. And it's like, right, well, okay, which ones are you talking about, then?

[B]

Talking about Heliovarra.

[C]

Yeah, because these guys have, like, one, they beat you lot all the time on a doubles court. Two, a lot of them have been top 30 in the world, singles players. Like, we're talking about granolas or Zeballos or Roger Vasselin, any of those guys who can't play tennis. And then I had another person talking last week about. And somebody said, like, oh, yeah, doubles, like, now they just stand on top of the net and they just put the volleys away. It's not really a sport anymore. All right, so you now want to tell us how we can play as well. Not only, like, the rules in the game are there, but you want to tell us how we're allowed to play. It's a silly argument. There's still never been a solid argument made for it.

[B]

An interesting one. I don't know if you guys saw this, but they released the prize money from 2025. Did you see that? Did you see the. That come out?

[C]

I didn't see it.

[B]

Now, okay, so we can give you a quiz. Calv. So the number one doubles player in the world last year was Lloyd Glaspool on the men's side and Julian Cash, number one team in terms of highest earners across the hall of men's tennis. What number do you think that they were? Where do you think that they. Where do you think that they landed in terms of, you know. So basically, how many singles players made more money than Lloyd Glaspool and Julian Cash from prize money in 2025? You can answer this question, Freddie, if you don't. If you didn't see it, did you see the numbers. The 20.

[E]

I did not.

[B]

Media guide.

[E]

I will say maybe 23.

[C]

I think what I'll say about this is that, like, Jules and Lloyd had an exceptional year. Like in what they. What they may, especially in the middle of the year and then going into the end, you know, it's not often

[B]

that Harry and Henry are very close.

[C]

Well, you gotta. They also want to slam.

[B]

And I want to look at your bonus, your bonuses.

[C]

I'm gonna say, I reckon 30.

[B]

30. You said 23. Freddie Candy, did you know the answer to this?

[A]

I don't know the answer. I'm in. Very intrigued. How much did Lloyd win? Can you tell us that?

[B]

It was about 1.6, maybe.

[A]

All right, so I'll go for.

[E]

That's pretty impressive then.

[B]

So. So Lloyd and Julian were 40 and 41 in the world for the highest earners last year. Henry and Harry were about 49. 50. 50. There was 13 male doubles players in the top hundred. I was surprised at that. I. I wouldn't have had any of them in the top hundred. Maybe one or two. So then the next question is. Mertens was number 19 in the world in singles and number five or six in the world in doubles. Which tour did she win most money from in 2025? Her singles or her job?

[A]

She was a Wimbledon champion, wasn't she? She played. Won the title with Veronica.

[E]

That would definitely be doubles because apart from the Slams, I don't think the women's prize money is as much as the men.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So it was. It was 1.6 for her doubles year, 1.5 for her singles.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

And she had a very good singles year, actually.

[B]

She was 19 in the world. So, I mean, Cindy Akiva made more money from doubles than she did for. From singles. Townsend did. Kudamatova did. So it's. It. It also, like, I also think this. This is showing, actually. The doubles players are making some pretty good money right now. And. And I think. I think actually, I mean, I know on the women's side you have a high percentage. You have a lot of single. Like Pula's gonna play this year. You've got a lot. You have a lot of singles players. I know it's a lot less on the. On the men's side.

[C]

I think it's. It's also, though, Kiro. I think it's. It's heavily sort of skewed towards winning a slam.

[A]

It's a great product. And Everybody. That the U.S. open, even though it's very controversial, I think I was sitting next to some people that hadn't got a clue about anything. And they were loving it. They were just loving the doubles format. And particularly the fact that Vavasori and Narani won, I thought was really helpful because Vavasor is just head and shoulders better than anybody else in that competition. And so many people were enjoying doubles. They just need to put. Put it more on television. That's all you need to promote it more.

[B]

So before we move into women's side of the draw, we've had, Vozzy has picked Alcaraz, and before we give an Alcaraz or Sinna, I can't imagine anyone's going against those two. What is the impact, Candy, of Juan Carlos Ferrero no longer being in Carlos Alcaraz's corner? Are we going to see impact or not?

[A]

Yeah, that's a biggie. I mean, I've heard. I've heard a few things. We don't really know, do we? But I think it came down to money, it sounds like, which is really, really.

[E]

What did it look like in Korea? Did it look like he was able to perform at his best in this very high quality and very important tennis match?

[B]

I didn't watch it.

[A]

Yeah, I didn't see that either. I just. So one, I was in Tokyo and Alcaraz won that title and Juan Carlos wasn't there because he does have a young family, doesn't he? And initially when I heard that news, I thought, oh, maybe one Carlos wants to stay at home. And then I heard rumors that it was actually about a contract and they'd handed Juan Carlos a contract and told him he had to. He had 24 hours to sign it. And it was. It was not very good. And Alcaraz's team is getting bigger and bigger. It's massive. I think in Tokyo he had seven people with him, so that can get very expensive. I don't know how much the tournament was covering.

[E]

But, Candy, there's also a big difference in not being there but being part of the team and then not being there and not being part of the team.

[A]

Yeah, I think Juan Carlos is massive for Alcaraz, so it's gonna be really interesting, isn't it, to see what happens?

[B]

So who's your selection, Candy? Who's. Who's your. Who's your men's for the three peats?

[A]

Of course, Alcaraz. The reason he wants it is because it'll complete the gland, the Grand Slam, isn't it? So there's a lot on him, but, yeah, I think I'll go for. For Sinner to win a Third straight.

[B]

And Candy, before you go, because you've been through the night with Adelaide and then. Then you're heading off to Melbourne in a few hours. Give us your. Give us your woman's pick as well before we dissect that. Me, Calvin and Freddie are going to dissect the women's draw in a minute,

[A]

but it's really boring. Sabalenka, I'm so sorry. It looks like she's going to play Radicanu probably in the third round. It's so dull to say that.

[B]

Is Radicado going to make the third round?

[A]

If she makes the third round. If she makes the. The second round. But we've got to mention her because it's kind of like Rory McElroy in golf with British journalists. We cannot talk about tennis without talking about Emma raducanu or Rory McElroy. It's just. You just have to. Poor girl. I. I do feel bad for her because she doesn't get left alone, but, yeah, I think Sabalenka is the overwhelming

[B]

favorite and anyone for us to watch out for on the women's side. Give us your.

[A]

Yeah, this girl called Teresa Valentova, a young Czech girl, really liked her. I think Vicki and Boco is absolutely terrific.

[B]

Amazing.

[A]

Is incredible. She's 18. The more and more I watch her. And Alexiala played fantastic tennis in Auckland last week. She's just 20. Filipina girls, so bright. And she's been hitting in the off season with Raf and Adal. How about that for a practice partner?

[B]

I'm pleased you mentioned Vicky. Just quickly, before you go, Vicky and Boko. I had the absolute pleasure of spending 10 days with team Canada and got to know Vicky really nicely. All those 10 days and she blew me away with one genuine, humble, lovely girl. She was like every day without fail, at breakfast. Come up, shake hands with me, everybody. How are you doing? How was your evening? Carries herself incredibly well. We ended up going to the beach one day. We had that big trivia quiz. She blew us all away. She knew, like, her knowledge was like. I said, what? How do you know that you're 19. Like, it was like. It was embarrassing playing against her and then also just seeing how she hits that flipping tennis ball. Oh, my God. I mean, she is crazy.

[A]

Women's tennis is, in my opinion, in a great, great shape because we've kind of got the. I think Rebecca is going to have a massive year this year. Now she's kind of settled, personally, and then we've got, like, the top people, but we've Also got this undercurrent of people between 18 and 21 and there's about 10 of them that are so, so good. It's bonkers.

[B]

Yeah. A little bit worried about what Vicky had over her knee. It looks like she's like got almost like, like a whole like cast on her knee the last couple of months

[A]

early, isn't it, to have something like that?

[B]

She didn't have that in Sydney, but that, that was a little bit of a concern. But obviously beat Madison Keys today and is. Is moving.

[A]

She's got such belief and that's when you watch someone like Eva jovic. She's won a 500 level tournament at 17. She just walks on court like she belongs there. They have no fear. It's, it's crazy. And they're. And I've met Eva Jovich. I know her coach really well, who's a Brit and she is just the nicest girl as well.

[B]

Candy, get some sleep. Thank you for coming on. We will see you in Melbourne very soon. So, Carl, Fred, we're just talking there. Does the Juan Carlos Ferreiro no longer being in Carlos Alcaraz's corner, does that affect the outcome in Australia? Does it take time for him to settle in? What are we thinking? Australian Open.

[E]

It was meant as a formality for this new contract and then it was just such a surprise. I mean, I think it would have been easier for Carlos if this was kind of coming or a mutual thing. But from, from all the reports I read, it's, it's, it's been kind of surprising that, that it had to finish

[B]

and the timing that has happened showed us that. Right. That doesn't exactly.

[E]

So, so that tells me that it's, it's probably gonna, I mean, he's been like a second father for him and a massive part of his tennis. He's not gonna forget how to play tennis. But when it comes up to these clutch moments and in the big match, I think it can have an effect. Short term, long term. He's going to figure it out. But in this tournament, I actually do think it could play in.

[B]

Yeah. So are you a sinner? Are you in the center corner for, for this, for this one?

[E]

I, I think I am. Yeah. I always, it's always tough for me to go against Carlos because I love his game so much and I like his versatility, but I think this actually could be it. And, and I think Sinner looks like he's in a good, good frame of mind.

[B]

And Calvin almost feels like we had this discussion a lot last year. Oh, bloody Sinner and Alcaraz. Sinner and Alcaraz. Who's next? Who's the one to come? Is there someone coming? It almost feels like in January 2026, we're further away from who the next person is than we even were six months ago.

[C]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, there's no one really stepping forward. I mean, I know that the sort of. The feeling is that people are saying Fonseca. I think it would be great for the game if Fonseca broke through. And I'm not saying he won't, but there's a chance that Fonseca is more of a top 10 in the world player rather than a. A top two in the world player. And he's also having some fitness issues.

[B]

I. I really played this year. Yeah, right.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, it's a strange one because he's still practicing here in Adelaide, so I think it may be it's maybe a serve or something he can't do. But he's still in Adelaide, or he was until yesterday. Yesterday. I don't know whether he's left, but he pulled out of Adelaide at the start of the week. But he has been hitting balls here in Adelaide, so he can't be that far off, wherever he's at. But that. The feeling is that it is him. But, you know, a couple of things. I think it's probably. We're probably still 18 months away if, if he is going to do that to be. To be right there. But also, let's say Joe Fonseca makes top 10 in the world and spends 5, 7, 6, 7, 8 years in the top 10 in the world, that's still an exceptional player. But that doesn't mean he's going to break that monopoly that Sinner and Alcaraz have had now at the same time, you just never know with these things. Like, Alcaraz was one of those guys who, from a young age we kind of had a feeling he was going to be an exceptional player. Sinner was the opposite. When Sinner was sort of 17, I don't think anybody thought he was going to be the. The player that dominates the tour. You know, there was nothing to suggest that, really. So you don't know, there might be a 17 year old now who's ranked 107 in juniors who just breaks through. I mean, the sport really needs it because I think it's quickly getting to the stage where I don't think anybody doesn't think they're both going to be in the final injury well, but you've

[B]

got Draper gone, Shelton not really pushed on Fritz. Seems like he's not fit and not ready. Zverev is almost seems to be getting worse, you know, week by week in, in some ways, like my guy Holger,

[E]

who was always tough for those guys to beat. Also not there.

[B]

Absolutely. The one that I am, I have been impressed with the last six months is Felix.

[C]

I think Felix will end the year as a top three tennis player.

[B]

Yeah, that's, that's where my mind is gone. And haven't also spent time with him in Sydney and seeing like, yeah, he is really, really, really good on the first serve. Really good. And he is really good in the forehand side. Second serve still doesn't have the right feel.

[C]

That's I think what's going to hold him back is second. Well, second serve. Yeah, he's not the best volleyer in the world, but then again, neither are Sin or an Alcaraz, to be fair.

[B]

No, but he's incredible. But one thing I noticed in Sydney which, which blew me away was in singles, his volume was really good. I mean, he was actually sick on the second day when he played Zizu Burgs. But on the first day I was like, wow, this guy, like, looks ready, ready, ready. And, and what he does because he's such a good athlete, he's forehand for me is world, world class. Like, he looks like he's never not going to hit the center of the strings on the forehand, it's just so clean. But when he hits that four and he's such a good athlete, he got so close to the net that he was then volleying above the net singles and just knocking the volley off. Whereas on the doubles court, it's quite often he found himself having to hit a volley below the height of the net and actually doesn't have great hands or he doesn't use his feet that well in that, in that scenario. Whereas on the singles court, obviously you're going to have to hit some volleys below the height of the net. But he does a great job of his athletic ability to then just be able to, to knock the ball away. Incredibly measured, incredibly professional. Incredibly kind of switched on. Very, very efficient with serve. Ball three. Great forehand return, backhand. He's working, working, working. But the backhand's not quite right for me. The swing path of his backhand.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Grips not quite right. But, but he's, he is putting work in and it feels like he is maybe someone who's going to have A really strong consistency year. However, I don't think. Good enough to break through those two yet.

[C]

No, I, I don't. I think, you know, I think right now I can. I think there's a good chance that they. They're in the final of all four Slams. It's a strange one because it's not a complete change of setup either. It's not like Ferrero's gone and he's got a new coach in, like, he always. He's always got about three or four coaches around him anyway. And I think that's just one who's left guy. I think he's called Sam.

[B]

Is it Samuel? But he's been. Apparently he's been the lead guy in, like, technical changes and he. Yeah, so let's play quite a key role the last six, nine months anyway.

[C]

I mean, my feeling is based on nothing, but my own opinion is I think this is probably an agent dealing that he split with Alcaraz or a family stroke agent thing. That's, in my experience, that's what it kind of looks like.

[B]

Like, I think the crack was growing, wasn't it, for a while.

[C]

Well, I just don't see how. If it's purely financial for me, I don't see how you don't resolve that. I don't see how you're both financial.

[B]

It's built.

[C]

No, but that's.

[B]

They're different mentality. I mean, I did actually a full podcast on this, but it's a few weeks ago. But if anyone does want to listen, a little plug for that one. But in terms of. I think there's, there's, there's, there's a few things that are grown with different mentality. Juan Carlos Ferrero is that traditional tennis, Spanish tennis player, coach who lives on his academy. It's unbelievable. Like that kind of like Spanish tennis nerd, right? That like very basic life. That's what you do. Carlos Alcaraz has gone from being this young prodigy of his to being one of the global superstars who loves the other side of life as well. You know, like. Yeah, Very, very tough. Juan Carlos Ferreira to relate. Carlos Alcaraz is very untypical of your Spanish tennis players over the years. You know, the joy that he has, the way he loves his life, the way he does, does those things. And I think that crack started to just get bigger and bigger. And then obviously he's got a big, strong team around him with. He's with his brother, his dad, the agent, you know, they weren't happy with a couple of things with With, With Juan Carlos, they've got academies. Then all of a sudden he's. He was out of the Ferrero Academy, but now there's the Alcaraz Academy. You know, it's. It's that. That I know all about that. You know, you have kind of academies that go against each other that can cause a little bit of a crack. And I think it's probably just a few things that over time has just led to. Maybe it's easier to. To move in separate ways right now.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, it's fair. And, you know, I think it's, you know, sometimes you need a little time apart. I mean, it didn't seem like Ferrero wanted it to finish in the statement he made. I don't think Alcaraz released a statement himself that felt like it was from him. It was kind of an agent put together one. But, you know, it's one of those things. We'll see, won't we? It's like I say, I don't think he doesn't seem to have brought anyone else in. It just seems to have been. Be the same setup.

[B]

Yeah. So who's your pick? Calv.

[C]

I think Alcaraz will win it. I keep saying. I think, I think he's a better tennis player than Sinner.

[E]

I don't think I've ever experienced Australia this slow. And it plays into the versatility of Carlos, in my opinion. So I think they'll back that. But what you said, Danny, kind of also showed in the, in that documentary about Carlos. Right. That it felt like Juan Carlos was more ambition on Carlos behalf than. Than the other way around.

[B]

Yeah. Was able to adapt to this, like, 2026 young. You know what 2026 is about on this young world and this social media world and this, like, global superstar and, and having girls hanging out of the, you know, wherever, wherever he goes and going to these premieres and, you know, Juan Carlos, that, that Spanish mentality is. That is distraction. You're distracted. You know, in Spanish tennis, what we do is we, we play six hours a day, we eat very basic things. We, we do this, we take care of that, and that's, that's what we do. And that's Juan Carlos upbringing and that's his, his, his, his mentality. And I think that came through loud and clear in Netflix show that. He mean, he said it like three times.

[E]

I think he said. He did say, right. I don't think he has the mentality to want to be the best player in the history of the game, which is kind of what what he was in the, in the market for. Right. So you can kind of understand if, if that there's been some friction there.

[B]

And we said at this time last year, Sinner's gonna be the world number one this year because he's the one that's consistent and he brings it every time. And then Carlos Alcaraz went, I think, 71 and 6 last year, so that was kind of egg on our face a little bit, you know what I mean? I think he's kind of. He's earned the right for us to back him, regardless if he was coaching, to be honest. And that's why I would also go Carlos Alcaraz this year as the, as the Australian Open men's. Men's winner. Now, we've talked a lot about the men. I'm sorry, to women's tennis because we absolutely love women's tennis as well. But will probably be a little bit shorter on this, on this segment. But I do want to start. Want to dig into it a little bit. We've had Candy, obviously picking Sabalenka. I think that's probably quite a fair choice. Starting actually with the winners. And then we move down to some dark horses. I actually have Anissa Mova down this year. I love what I see from Anissa Mova.

[E]

You do this year. You just decided to go for Anova

[B]

this time, but this time it's not a dark horse. I've been beating that drum for years. She is unbelievable. And I think she's got herself into better shape. She seems really happy. She seems content. She seems in a good place. I think we're going to see a win at least one Grand Slam this year. And why not? Why not? Starting a Melbourne Calf in a couple

[C]

of weeks time, she certainly could. I think it's more open than the men's. That's. That's for sure. I think you probably still got to make Sabalenka favorite. There's a few players just behind, certainly like Swantek, you'd say just behind. Although concerns me just how many matches she ends up losing comfortably. Like for, you know. Yeah, I mean, I don't think I've ever seen a player. And bear in mind this is probably. I think she's legitimately one of the top 15 players of all, all time. Igus Frontek top 20 at least. And none of those, none of the other players in that category lose so many sets. Six, one and six. Love as she does. And that has to be a sort of mental frailty that she. Well, it is. She can't cope with being behind. And. And that's a. That's a problem that she has. Something else that bothers me about IGA Strong is that. And I don't watch as much of the women's game as I watch the men's, but I do watch quite a bit. When Swantek first came on the scene and I, I saw her earlier, I sort of went on Twitter, I think, and called early doors that she was going to be. I think I was in juniors, I said, when she was in Wimbledon juniors, I saw her be Emma Radicano. I think love and love or love and one. And I said, you know, we've just seen a. I've just watched a player who's gonna be world number one. And you know, that was. That was IGA's Frontek. But what's always stood out for me about IGA is that she had this, like, variation to her game. You know, you think about her eating sort of slices and changing angles and changing paces and that kind of thing. And I don't know if this is a new thing, but when I watched her in United cup last week, she's so one dimensional now, all she was doing was just trying to absolutely crack the ball as hard as she could all the time. And I thought, like, you know, for someone like me who's. I don't watch every. You know, maybe it's been a sort of a gradual progression and it hasn't been picked up as much, but I probably haven't watched a play a full match in the last year. So when I see that, I think, what's going on here? And then I read. Sorry, I was talking with somebody about this and. And they said, oh, no, that's a Coach Wimfer set. Said he wants us to hit more winners. And I thought, well, you know, is this a sort of concerted thing that we're doing here? Because I'm not sure this adds to her game a great deal. And I watched her play golf. I watched the whole match of when she played golf the other day. And you can't beat Goff like that. I mean, I think. I think she's a better player than Goff, but Goff's too quick. She makes too many balls.

[B]

Golf seems. Yeah. Have her number. Right? Right, yeah, yeah.

[C]

But I think that, like, you can't play a lot. You can't play golf like that because she's trying to just hit the ball through the baseline hard. Winners through the baseline. No angles, no slices, no changes of pace or anything. Gough's too fast. She's going to defend too much with that. And if you just keep going hard into her forehand, that's not a problem for Gough. You've got to mix things up to it to break that forehand down. And it does break down, but she just kept going harder and harder and bigger and bigger and then just, just ended up missing all the time. And I was thought, you know, it's a bit disappointing if this is the version that we've got now. She's probably very good at that. She can still win a slam by playing that way, probably. But she's not going to be the player that I kind of thought we were going to get. And I think that is probably going to hold her back. And I thought, if it's a coach that's saying that, why would you imagine getting IGA Swantek, a player with that much ability, that much tennis ability, and wanting to turn her into a player that just whacks the ball as hard as she can on every ball.

[B]

Yeah, it's an interesting observation.

[E]

And she, in my opinion, she doesn't have the serve to back that correct kind of game style either.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

I saw playing India Wells last year or the year before and almost every time she know it was the year before, so it was about 24. Almost every time she got a forehand at that point, she was breaking the sideline with her forehand.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

And it was like, whoa. And it was heavy and it was like that ball was like. I know that the conditions maybe suit that way of playing a little bit more in Indian Wells, but, but it looked to me, I don't know if she went on and won that Indian Wells, but at that time I was like, she just is so much better than these other girls in the, in the way she uses the tennis court. You know, she's not just playing those long straight lines and she just. Almost every time when she had, when she had enough time on the forehand, it was like, you are, you are running, she is getting you off the court and then, and then something else is going to come from there. So it's interesting that you're not seeing her do that as much. I haven't, I have not observed so much of iga, but certainly that was her kind of real strength. Right. That was her real ability and difference maker against, against so many of these girls.

[C]

So I think she just, I mean, the one thing that you'd never say is, the one thing you never say is that she was one dimensional. But the matches I watched her play last week against both benchic and golf. Very one dimensional.

[E]

If you're playing against her, coaching against her, you'll be happy if she did that right instead of the other way at the other game, which is so hard to break down.

[B]

No, no, absolutely. Well, watching, watching a lot. Even at the United Cup I think a lot of these women's matches the player tends to send back the ball that they receive. So there's so many like it was actually even like being courtsided in a boko. She played Chinese girls Zoo in the first round, first match and Embo hit a big ball but Zoo was just going okay, well I'll just send that back. And the ball was then coming back with like the same, the same trajectory, the same. And then actually Vicki fair play to her. And this was for a 19 year old. She took the advice. A coach did a great job. Maxime did a great job and he said look, I know you want to be hitting these big, big ball but you're going to have to change somebody and change the shape. And she started changing the shape of that first one and then the ball was coming back with less quality because that's what she was sending. And then when you get your chance then, then you, then you pull the trigger. So I think, I think IGA going up against Anisomova, going up against Sabalenka Rbakina, her way is not to out hit them because that's. They're the best in the world at hitting and, and boy, oh boy do they. They leave the ball hit. So it's going to be interesting to see if she is able to adapt or get back to that player that she, she was.

[C]

I think I wouldn't go that far K though because I think that she probably can live with any of those. Maybe bar Sabalenka in terms of like toe to toe from the baseline. She's still very good at that thing. What I've just said of, of hitting the ball hard and flat. Her serve isn't as big as some of them but from the ground I think she can. But it's. It's like she loses the X factor when she does that. She becomes one of a few more players rather than a standout on her own. And I think that that's probably what's going to hold her back. It's interesting what you said there about sending the ball back that they receive. I went to, it's 10 years ago now. Wow. I went to Junior Davis Cup, Junior Davis and Fed cup in 2016. And a lot of these players who are playing now were, were in that tournament. Rontech was there actually, but I didn't actually watch one of her matches. But I, I watched like Potter Povo was there and a few more. I can't, I can't remember off the top of my head. And I went with the LTA on a coach education sort of situation and they asked us to watch the matches and, and sort of make notes and have a discussion at night about tactical patterns that we saw the players put together. And I remember I sort of went back in and said at the end of the day I saw no tactical patterns at all. They basically that the girls stood at the baseline and they whacked the ball as flat and as hard as they could and eventually one of them would break down or one of them would hit a winner and then the next point would be exactly the same and the next point would be exactly the same. And I think what we're seeing now is kind of that generation of players who are coming. And Nissimova was there as well, by the way.

[B]

Yeah, well, she, she'll do it and that she'll go toe to toe on the backhand side with anyone in the world that she's quite happy to have those rallies. Backhand, the backhand. I tell you, right, that, that is a serious. Yeah, she has. So who's, who's your, who's your pick for, for the women's side?

[C]

Calantech. I think Sabalenka will win it. But. Yeah, but I mean, joking aside, I'm not picking Tranter, but I do think I, I won't be pick Svante for any of the Slams this year, but I think she'll win a Slam, if that makes sense. Or it wouldn't surprise me if she wins a Slam just because I think even, even in that reduced state she's still very good. But I think Sabalenka probably wins this Australian Open.

[B]

Fred.

[C]

I just hope that I, I just hope. Sorry. I hope that she doesn't have to hand back her runners up trophy last year because I witnessed it being smashed against the wall and bent in all kinds of different shapes. So I hope that one she gets to keep.

[B]

I hope the wall's okay.

[E]

Yeah, I, I actually think that Sabalenka will win too. But for the sake of competition, I'm gonna pick Coco Gauff to win it. So we don't all pick the same.

[B]

Even with that second serve that she hit in the one point tournament, it almost bounced before the Net.

[E]

Well, seen a second serve in the one point tournament was pretty bang average too. So if that's something to go by, I think. Yeah, actually that one point tournament, I didn't know about it, but my player lost so early that we flew out Monday, Monday night. And on the way out, I was one of the people from the tournament said, hey, you should sign up for the one point tournament. I was like, I can do that. I was so gone. I would have loved to be part of that.

[B]

Oh, that would have been your. That would. You were the perfect for that thread. Process driven. You wouldn't have got taken out by the outcome. You would have just kept committing. You would have been my pick.

[E]

I told, I told my wife about it. She go, oh, well, next year. But make sure you prove your serve

[B]

or win a lot of tosses.

[E]

Yeah, exactly.

[B]

I will receive again, please. They all received. They all wanted to receive when they, when they won the toss. Okay, so that's our pick. I mean, Rebakina is also going to have good 20, 26. I think we getting a little, we're getting a little pile. We were talking last year a lot about top three, but I think there's maybe five or even six of them now on, on the women's side and any, any dark horses, anyone's. For us to think about. Any, any draws that are jumping out at you guys for, for us to watch. I guess I'll get started. Venus Williams, age 77, is playing and I could make that joke because she's my age, so I know and I have absolute respect. I was a little bit like, why is she getting a wild card into. Was it Washington or Cincinnati? I was like, come on, give up the ghost, you know, but actually she performed well, so she's a legend. She, she deserves her, her honorary wild card. She plays against Olga Danilovich, who's one of my always. She's like. She's like my anissa mover. Danilovich. I always have heard she's still a dark course because she's 68 in the world and I think Danilovich can, can seriously play. And I don't see a Venus Williams getting through that match. And actually I think the winner of that match does play against Coco Goff. If Coco Goff wins as well, it'll be interesting. Venus Williams, Coco Goff. But that's one match and one dark horse for me to chuck out. What about you, Cal? Anyone that's jumping out or anyone for us to watch?

[C]

I think evil is one who was playing very well, at United cup she'll

[B]

come in wrong if you play the wrong way against her.

[C]

Yes, right. Okay.

[B]

If you go boom, boom. Yes. Yeah, for sure. She's very good at that game style.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. So I think of the non seeded players, I don't know if she's got, she's got you know, to tough first round then it could be, could be difficult. Other than that. No, no, no real dark dark horses for me on the women's side.

[B]

Fred.

[E]

I think it is not a real dark horse but it struck me last week I saw her play against R. That Muhuva is still a little bit of an underrated name.

[B]

She's so good. Talk about like bringing a different variety. Yeah, like I, I remember watching her play saenka in China 2024 and she was like Sir Volian and just like picking off half volley winners and it was so beautiful to watch. It was like. It feels to me that the women's game needs a Mova actually. I think she, she'll add a lot of value to, to the matchups that the concern there is a little bit know that Djokovic like I know not because of age but can she do it for. It's like can, can, can you do it on a rainy night in stalk, you know, it's like, it's like that one, you know. But can you do it for seven matches over. Over a two week period? And, and I think mcor can absolutely beat anyone on body would. Would suggest or certainly history would suggest her body can't do it over that period of time. Every time she gets a bit of momentum it seems to fall apart. So hopefully, hopefully she can because I think she is a massive, massive value add at the top end of the women's game. She actually plays against my second dark horse which I picked before the event, which is not good for my pick, which is Jacqueline Christian, Romanian player who actually first came into my eyesight. Gabby and Aaron played her in doubles in the 2024 US Open in the maybe the third round. And I was like, whoa, like this girl can seriously play. She's kind of backed that up. She's had a good start to the year. She's someone who I think is someone who can. She's kind of sitting about 40 in the world. I think she's someone that could move into your top 20 and start to be someone who does a little bit more damage. But as someone who's not quite seeded, McCorva's not a great first round matchup for her, but she is a one for me to offer you guys to watch a little bit as well.

[E]

And then potentially Ayala in the next round.

[B]

Yeah, so it's a, it's a tough little, it's a tough little area. I have to. We mentioned in Boko before, I just, you know, can't speak highly enough about it. But she has a really interesting. She's 19 years old. She plays the 17 year old Emerson Jones who beat Tatiana Maria a couple of weeks ago. Obviously we've seen Emerson Jones. I don't know if she's won a junior Grand Slam. She must have. She was world number one. Only a little small girl, but boy can she play. You know, she is a wild card. She's at 155 in the world. She plays in Boko first round. So we kind of got a bit of a junior match up there which is a one that's, that's well worth watching. And then another one just to mention is they're.

[E]

They're also in, they're in Clara section, right?

[B]

Yes, they are.

[E]

I think they're in Clara section.

[B]

Yeah, they are. So I think that's an interesting little section there of who, who, who's gonna, who's gonna come out of. Out of that? I have to mention Kostuk. I always mention Kostuk as well. She's like my. I third one. I know, I know it's a bit of a hot. You can't probably call her a dark horse, but she seems to be edging closer and closer to, to being at the, the top end of the game in Brisbane to be Jasper Ghoul 11 3. She beat Mira Andreeva and she beat Anissimova. Those are three great wins back to back to back. She often seems to perform well at the Australian Open. I did, did. I did ask this question and I've been given the answer because that was my feeling back in 2022. She was around a 32. She's made quarterfinals in 2024. It is her highest performing Grand Slam. Why would that be, Carl? Why would a player, and certainly a player like Kostuk who is so physical, right. She's, she's an incredible athlete that she seems to start to the year well every time. What would the reasons be from a coaching side on that?

[C]

I mean, I think it's, it's probably just the conditions, Ko. It's like it's, it's hot. So you've got to be in good shape. You got to be there and ready to, to play. She's probably put in A A real serious preseason and the conditions are kind of like somewhere between, you know, it. I don't know that it's a hardcore. So you know, on a hot, on a hot hard court with balls that probably slow down a little bit as they get more fluffy in general, she's kind of probably perfectly suited to that. She makes a lot of balls and. But she also hits the ball very, very well at all as well. So I think it's probably not, you know, there's not a great deal of science behind it and. But at the same time, you know, it's. As with much of the women's, it's. Any of these players can. Can lose to anybody or beat anybody on their day.

[B]

Would it maybe also be thinking of Kostuk? She's a bit of a nutter, you know, like as a lot of tennis players are, but like that kind of mental freshness to start the year as well also probably.

[C]

I mean she didn't end the year great last year, so.

[B]

Which often happens, right. It. It wears on these players the year,

[C]

I mean wears on his whole mate.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So it's not just the players and who amongst in the game isn't a bit of an utter, to be honest.

[B]

So absolutely right before I just quickly want to finish with, with doubles. We have to mention Stan Varinka and Gail Monfis, their last Australian Opens. Stan showed up to play. Right. And the United Cups looks like he's. He's turned up in real good shape for his final year on tour. Freddy, I mean I would imagine two players that you know pretty well from, from your time on. On the tour as well. How impressive is it at age 41 stands going into that. He's still bringing level and it would be nice to see one of those guys having a little run as well.

[E]

It's really impressive. And, and one thing I also like about these guys I was the same with, with Murray is that it's. It's okay to play if you enjoy it. Right. It's.

[D]

It's.

[E]

I feel like one of the biggest issues definitely we see in Denmark now is that it seems like the kids are being taught that unless you're going to be one of the world's best, there's no point in playing. And these guys, I hope it's for the right reason they're playing. I mean that's what they say anyway. But it's also okay to keep playing for the love of the game and for the love of the journey and the process and everything and, and, and that they're not just playing to, to win Slams and, and identifying at that kind of person. I think that's quite nice to see and obviously it's nice that they're able to pull it on their own, on their own terms.

[B]

But yeah, challenges for a couple of years, right?

[E]

Yes, been in that. But he was very competitive in the, in the United cup last week and, and you never really know it. Monfis, I feel like he's a little more injury prone these days than Marinka. So, so may maybe I don't expect that much from him, but if he turns it on, if he gets fired up, he's such a big talent, such a, such a physical specimen that he'll, he'll be dangerous for all to play. But I still think there's a bit of a way for them to compete against the very big guys. But a few, few matches here and there, why not? I think it's nice to see that they get a get get. They get to go out in a slam level at least.

[B]

One Feast plays Dan Sweeney first round, which is a nice story. Sweeney was like 700 in the world a few months ago. Has had a outrageous run really on the futures and challenges towards the end of last year. And then he was highly emotional as he qualified earlier today. And his reward is a, a G on feast match which I would imagine will be on one of those Australian courts where they sound. And it's all going to be very, it's all going to be very loud and I would imagine probably will be right up Mona's street to for that matchup as well. Anything you want to just say on those guys, Carl, before I pick your brains a bit on the dub side?

[C]

No, not really. Not really.

[B]

Okay, thank you.

[C]

Freddie summed it up so perfectly. So let's go on to the dubs.

[B]

Yeah. And doubles. I guess the starting point for me on the doubles is, you know, new partnerships. You know, obviously on the men's side we have a, we have a Neil Skupsky, Christian Harrison partnership which, which jumps out. It's, it's one that I'm quite close to with my Louisiana roots, Louisiana State University with Neil and then Christian's a Louisiana boy as well. Interesting seeing Vacheron and, and Rindicnik, the, the cousins playing together as well. What can we expect to see this year on the men's double side? Calvin, Maybe a little bit about some of the new teams that are, that are matching up.

[C]

I mean, yeah, there's a few new teams and a lot of teams who Stuck together as well. Like, probably more teams stuck together than we've seen before. That's true. Mate Pavic, who traditionally doesn't stick with a partner for more than two years, he stuck with Arevalo this year. You know, I think it's tough to say because we. There's so many intangibles as well. Like, we don't know, like Granola Zevios. How many tournaments will they play? Like, we were. We were talking. I was just at dinner with Henry and Harry, and we were sort of trying to predict the. The Turin teams because we kind of did that last year as well, like, which teams are going to be in Turin.

[B]

How many did you get last year? Right.

[C]

I think we got seven, but I don't think, like, at the start of the year, like, I don't think anybody could have predicted King and Harrison because they weren't even a pair until mid February.

[E]

And then you obviously. So you obviously didn't pick Luke. That must have been tough for him to hear.

[C]

Well, he was injured as well, so he missed three months. So, yeah, I think. I don't know if we did pick seven because I think, you know, it was. I don't think we ever. Like, it was more of this.

[B]

Seven's impressive.

[C]

Like. Yeah, I think it's more of discussion rather than like, you know, these are the pairs that we're picking. But we did say again tonight. You know, it's tough because you don't know. There's always the random, you know, like a singles pair could win a Slam. Although I think the game has changed too much from. I don't think we'll see that again. Where a singles pair will go on and win a Slam, then there's always a chance that. I mean, what King and Harrison did last year was. Was sort of quite unique in that they went on a massive run in the spring and then not a lot after that. But there were a lot of other teams who. There were a lot of kind of intangibles. Like when Luke got his injury, for example, at Queens, him and Sander were ninth in the race. And then Luke missed three, three months, including a Grand Slam. So he missed everything between Queens and US Open, which is tough to. To sort of get around. And then, even then, nice. And Roger Vasselan really should have qualified. They. They kind of messed it up. They should have had the eighth spot. But at the same time, there were four different winners of Slams last year. So that's kind of four in straight away. And then, oh, no, they weren't There were two Granola Zevios won two Slams. Sorry, I'm mistaken there. So three different winners of Slams, I think the Masters, there was a whole load of different players, pairs who won the Masters. So it kind of like, you know, it's a little bit skewed, but I think, you know, we're seeing a few new pair like Luke's playing with Jan Zelinski, who had a great United cup this year. It was a little bit tough this week in Adelaide because Jan, like, having done so well in United cup, he then flew straight the next morning to Adelaide and they had to play the next day, the next morning. So he. He, at this point hasn't had it. Today is his first day off. They won. They won their first round and then lost yesterday to Belleli Vavasori. And Jan kind of hit a brick wall in that towards the end. And Jan's having a couple of days off now before Australian Open. I mean, it's going to be interesting because I think they'll miss out on a seeding by one ranking place. So they're going to be the 17th pair. So that's kind of a tough, dangerous Flores. Yeah, very. Yeah, I think. But there's a few of those dangerous. Just floaters around, though.

[B]

Always is. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. Because I think the scene.

[B]

We had to turn up with someone always. He's always.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Probably with a single, another singles guy. I mean, Cabral Meadler have started the year in phenomenal form. They were coming on strong last year as well, so.

[B]

They were. Yeah.

[E]

They seem like it just clicked together from the beginning.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And. And strange because they were kind of a partnership that was put together, like, you know, just randomly. It wasn't like a discussion of, like, right, let's have a crack at this. I think it was one of those that. Do you want to play next week? And they did that and then they won, and then they won again and they kept winning and then they end up sticking together. Like, you know, I think if. If likelihood is, if they'd have got together probably, you know, even if they'd have got together probably three weeks earlier, they'd have probably made Turin as well, you know, So I think it's probably likely that they. They get into Turing this year. But, yeah, there's a lot of. There's a lot of, you know, it's tough to tell. And I was saying to the lads yesterday that doubles, with the scoring system. We were talking about a couple of the results this week that had happened and last week, and I said, like, in my opinion, doubles with the scoring system as it is with sudden death dues and a match tiebreak, I think every pair this year will have three or four results that you look at in isolation and go, Jesus, that's a shocker. But it just happens. Every pair has them.

[B]

Of course it does.

[C]

Just because of like, you know, playing matches with sudden death juice and match tie breaks.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Is just, it's just going to bring a randomness to it that you don't have in, in full three sets and

[B]

in singles and Freddy, for a little bit from the outside now, what do you, what's your take looking at on the, on the men's side of doubles? You know, any of the new teams that jump out for you, you.

[E]

What stands out is that doesn't seem to be that many of the top teams that have, that have swapped partners. Obviously Neil needed to find a new partner because Joe has taken some time off. But from the outside it seems like it's going to be more or less the same field, top field as it's been the last few years. So you can kind of expect the same guys to be around.

[B]

I'm not going to jump in. Calvin, ask you too much about the women's side. Obviously there's, there's some potential new pairs but we will, we will see how that, that all develops as, as well. Obviously I'll be in, in the Gabby Dabrowski, Louisa Stefani camp, which is going to be odd when, when they come up against Aaron Routliff and Asia Muhammad at some point. You know, so I kind of experienced that after spending so long with, with Aaron as well. But that all part and parcel of it. I think Jasper Gula, you know, has made making the call to, to go back in and play. She's by all accounts committed to playing with Mackenzie Kessler this year. You know, just seems to love playing tennis. Jesper Guler, it's like, you know, she certainly doesn't need the money, certainly doesn't need the hassle, but she just loves, loves being out there on the tennis court. You've even got the, the young pair, yic. I know we talk about YIC and, and Boko, but they're pairing up in Australian Open. It does feel like the singles players, it seems to be part and parcel of either their development pathway or I think they probably like using what I said about Merton's earlier. Right. You know, Merton's at number six in the world in doubles, is making more money at Mert than Merton's number 19 in the world in singles, you know, you put those two prize moneys together, you've got a bloody good financial year, you know, And I think think there's a lot of the women are seeing that.

[C]

I think I got cut off K and O earlier on when, when I was saying it, my wi fi went down. But I think that sort of number with the prize money is kind of a little bit skewed by winning Slams as well.

[B]

Slams and year end.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Like, I think, for example, I think you said Lloyd and Jules made 1.1 million. Like a third of that is from one tournament.

[B]

1.4, 1 point, maybe 1.5, something like that.

[C]

Right. I thought you said 1.1 when you said it earlier on. But I think it's what. I think it's 330,000 each for winning Wimbledon. So that, that's, that's a, that's a big chunk of that, you know.

[B]

Absolutely, it is. But if you're going to be ranked in the top five in the world, you're going to be winning some big events, right?

[C]

Yeah, but I think, for example, like, like I'd be interested to know where like Craviot's puets were.

[B]

So they were in the top hundred. They were in the top.

[C]

Right. Okay. Okay.

[B]

I want to say they were like 90.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Because they, they were in Turin, but didn't win a Slam and didn't make a Slam final either. They won one Masters, so they were.

[B]

Yeah. So Kravitz. Kravitz puts were tied 92.

[C]

Right. Okay.

[B]

Made 932,000. Julian and Lloyd made 1.7 each.

[C]

All right. Okay.

[B]

Us. Us. Yeah, yeah, us.

[C]

Oh, us. Okay. Right.

[B]

So Harry and Henry 1.55. Just if you want to make a note, make a note of that for the boys you've been. You've then still got the bios was 49. So Harry and Henry 45 tied. Granola's 51, Aravelo Pavage 57, Neil Skopski 61, Joel Salisbury 63. And then you go, Kravitz puts 92 and Bavasori 97. In terms of.

[C]

Does that include. Does life of Avasaurus include the mixed doubles on or was that counts as an exhibition?

[B]

I don't think that's included in that. So.

[C]

Yeah, interesting.

[E]

So Freddy, that's still a Slam though.

[B]

Yeah, but I, I don't think that was in the, in the prize money for, for the ATP because it's separate in the ATP and WTA prize money. I think Freddie, we've, we lost. You Again, as you were. As you were telling us. But I think. I think.

[E]

Yeah, apologies. Apologies for my technical setup today. I don't know what's going on. We're having an off day here.

[B]

Danish wi fi is not stepping up, but it is Calvin. Late for you, Freddie. You've got a sick daughter. So thank you to your daughter as well for allowing you and for being so good in the background.

[E]

You know, she's very excited. She's very excited to be able to watch Paw Patrol with sound on now. So she's been kind of.

[B]

That's. I'm gonna leave you guys to it. Calv. I will see you very soon. Freddie, sorry to miss you this time, but we will. We will catch up very soon and then thank you to. To Vozi, who just disappeared at some point. It was like the disappearing act podcast, but hope everyone enjoyed it and obviously Candy as well. And yeah, we will. We will be back in a coup to see if we've got any idea what we're talking about. Probably not, but we've tried our very best and given our. Given our opinion. So thanks a lot for coming on, guys.

[E]

Thanks, Dan, and good luck to both of you. Hope. Hope your guy, your players do really well.

[B]

Thanks, guys. Take care. See you soon. So there we have it. Our first one of the year as the Australian Open is about to start. The draw came out earlier today. You heard our picks, you got our insights. Let's see if they're going to come true. I'm sure there's going to be some stories that nobody has picked as well. Wherever you are in the world, enjoy the Australian Open over the next couple of weeks. As ever, please do reach out to the podcast. Get in touch with us. You know, we have all of our details in the show. Notes like share review. Let's keep getting the podcast out. Let's have a great year together here at Controller Controllables. We'll be back with maybe some live shows from Melbourne. I am traveling later today and certainly lots of great guests coming over the next few weeks as well. But until next time, I'm Dan Kiernan. We are Control the Controllables.