2026 Miami Open Recap: Sinner & Sabalenka Champions, The Coaching Carousel & More

Summary

Served with Andy Roddick

Episode: 2026 Miami Open Recap – Sinner & Sabalenka Champions, The Coaching Carousel & More

Date: March 31, 2026
Host: Andy Roddick
Guests: Mike Dickson, Sean McLaughlin

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Overview

This episode serves up a lively, insightful recap of the 2026 Miami Open, spotlighting the dominant title runs of Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka. Andy Roddick, joined by regulars Jon Wertheim (“JW”—not present this episode), Mike Dickson, and Sean McLaughlin, dive into the technical and psychological improvements of the champions, debate the state of tennis’ elite rivalries, analyze the coaching changes reverberating through the tour, and dish out the behind-the-scenes stories only a former World No. 1 can offer. A vibrant, candid roundtable, the episode also covers the “Sunshine Double,” performance trends, equipment rants, and breaking tennis news, all with Roddick’s trademark humor and honesty.

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Table of Contents

• 1. Sinner and Sabalenka: Stat Sheets and Consistency ([02:42]–[11:59])
• 2. Lehecka, Feast, Korda: Disruptors & Consistency Issues ([12:04]–[13:18])
• 3. Sabalenka’s Mental Edge and Rising Rivalries ([13:18]–[23:47])
• 4. Coco Gauff: Form, Honesty, and Superstition ([23:41]–[25:51])
• 5. Men’s and Women’s Field: Who Can Break In? ([25:52]–[28:43])
• 6. Miami’s “Sunshine Double” – Why It’s So Tough ([30:12]–[33:17])
• 7. Coaching Carousel: Iga, Anisimova, and the Player-Coach Dynamic ([33:17]–[43:40])
• 8. Equipment Rant: Dunlop Balls & Quality Control ([45:40]–[49:41])
• 9. WTA Finals Leaving Saudi Arabia? – Breaking News & Tennis Geography ([51:10]–[54:35])
• 10. Fan Engagement: Top Miami Open Photos ([55:07]–[56:35])
• 11. What’s Next: Upcoming Guests & Focus ([56:44]–End)

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1. Sinner and Sabalenka: Stat Sheets and Consistency

(02:42–11:59)

• Jannik Sinner’s Miami & Sunshine Double:

  • Wins Indian Wells and Miami without dropping a set.
  • “He’s the first person to win the double without losing a set.” — Sean McLaughlin ([01:12]; repeated at [11:20])
  • Roddick analyzes how Sinner improved his serve since last year (adjusting his toss, increasing net clearance, consistency):
    • “Last year at the US Open ... he was chasing his ball toss... His trajectory is flatter ... If you bring that toss back... your net clearance is going to go up... He was searching and reaching out in front for his toss a little bit. Now ... he's more patient." ([06:29])
  • Improved service stats: holding 94% of games, up from 92% last year:
    • “When you're holding at a 92% clip and then all of a sudden you go up to 94, that's absurd.” — Andy Roddick ([03:31])
  • Mike Dickson: Only Alex Mickelson broke Sinner in Miami ([05:42]).

• Sabalenka’s Unstoppable Run:

  • Wins Miami and Indian Wells, asserting herself as world #1.
  • “Has she ever been more of a clear-cut number one than she is right now?” — Andy Roddick ([01:14], [13:18])
  • Her ability to bounce back: “She gets pissed and ... cranks like three winners... It just doesn’t go away anymore.” — Andy ([13:18])
  • Dickson marvels at her transformation: "Over the last two years, she had a losing record in finals... She takes out her new rival, then Coco in the final. Now, she's won four majors; it could be eight. She has the upper hand now." ([15:18])

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2. Lehecka, Feast, Korda: Disruptors & Consistency Issues

(12:04–13:18)

• Jiří Lehečka:

  • "When he plays well, he's very good...capable of playing a high level. The only thing stopping Lehecka from being a top five, top eight player is doing this most weeks." — Andy ([11:27])
  • Known for being streaky: “He lost to Baez in straight sets in Indian Wells, that's not a win that usually augurs a final run at the very next tournament.” — Mike ([12:51])

• Consistency at the Top:

  • “It is hard to get that top level every day and it's consistently proven by everyone else in the world except for these three or four players at a given time... It's fucking hard to go do it again the next day.” — Andy ([13:18])

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3. Sabalenka’s Mental Edge and Rising Rivalries

(13:18–23:47)

• Breaking Down Sabalenka’s X’s and O’s:
  • “When she has to win, she's dominating the middle of the court ... She cannot get off the baseline.” — Andy ([17:04])
  • “She makes this margins so small. To beat her, you have to play like Rybakina did in Australia ... but she's the first one back on top of it. She is really mentally tough.” ([17:04]–[20:47])
• Resilience:
  • "The way she gets back on the horse after taking what would be bad losses to any other player is really extraordinary." — Mike ([21:24])
  • “Ask Madison Keys, how well did you have to play against Arena? She’s going to go: Almost perfect.” — Andy ([21:59])

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4. Coco Gauff: Form, Honesty, and Superstition

(23:41–25:51)

• Gauff’s Candidness and Form:
  • “She goes, I have to remind myself that I’m a great player...I wouldn’t have told you that I was gonna make the semis and then she made the finals.” — Andy ([24:00])
  • Strong run to the final despite physical uncertainties.
  • On her hat superstition:
    “She goes, but I hate this hat. You will never see it again. Maybe it wasn’t superstitious, it was just a little stitches.” ([25:15])

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5. Men’s and Women’s Field: Who Can Break In?

(25:52–28:43)

• Arthur Fils:
  • “Feast is a great example...When he has time on his forehand, it is unreal...If you watch a highlight package, you’d say: This guy’s the best forehand I’ve ever seen.” — Andy ([26:30])
• Sebastian Korda:
  • “He’s like, I watch him, he’s a top 10 guy. You just want him to put it all together...serve for it, lets it go...next round, loses.” — Andy ([27:22])
• Shelton & Fritz searching for something, IGA “searching for something” ([27:52])

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6. Miami’s “Sunshine Double” – Why It’s So Tough

(30:12–33:17)

• The “Double” is not just two hardcourt events:
  • “Sometimes we gloss over it...but it’s really two very different tournaments. Winning both is really impressive.” — Mike ([30:28])

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7. Coaching Carousel: Iga, Anisimova, and the Player-Coach Dynamic

(33:17–43:40)

• Iga Świątek and Wim Fissette’s Split:
  • “Everything she referenced was about her mental health. And then she fires her [coach]... It seems much more mental than coaching.” — Mike ([30:26])
  • Andy on coach-player dynamics:
    • “It’s the most interpersonal coaching player relationship in sports...By the time you're at your 220th dinner, you can't take it anymore.” ([33:17])
    • “I've had coaches where you're breaking up, where it's like you're my favorite person, but I don't know that we align...” ([34:39])
    • “...Sometimes you like different music. You don't want to listen to the same music.” ([35:40])
• On the Ruthlessness and Vulnerability of Seeking Coaches:
  • “I got turned down from coaches...I asked Darren Cahill to coach me once and he said no. I asked Jim Courier to coach me once and he said no.” — Andy ([39:39])
  • “Your ego can take a bruising too. It’s not just the coaches getting fired.” ([41:19])
• Agent Influence:
  • “On the women’s side, especially, the agents can have a significant voice.” — Mike ([41:26])

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8. Equipment Rant: Dunlop Balls & Quality Control

(45:40–49:41)

• (Comic Relief, but Genuine Critique)
• Andy’s rant after an event in Brazil:
  • “I don’t often, like, throw strays unnecessarily. They’re unusable. This was dog. This is absurd.” ([01:00]; repeated at [47:06], [48:12])
  • Dives into issues of quality control, seams, and manufacturer accountability.
  • “Just go to Target and buy your balls.” ([48:38])
• “There goes our Dunlop ball sponsor!” — Mike Dickson ([48:12])

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9. WTA Finals Leaving Saudi Arabia? – Breaking News & Tennis Geography

(51:10–54:35)

• WTA Finals reportedly leaving Saudi Arabia:
  • “It’s not been ... it’s an open secret that this was a three year deal in Saudi Arabia ... I think Charlotte’s probably the favorite at this point.” — Andy ([52:39])
  • “If we’re being honest ... In LA, it was rough. In Mexico, it was rough. Riyadh was rough. So hopefully Charlotte is the solution. We’d love to have professional tennis in this city.” — Andy ([53:34])
  • Mike: “As long as they don’t use Dunlop tennis balls. Bring it to Charlotte!” ([54:02])

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10. Fan Engagement: Top Miami Open Photos

(55:07–56:35)

• Polled fans for top Miami Open photos on Instagram.
• Top selections: Sinner’s fist pump, Coco Gauff’s yell (with her “little stitches” hat), Joao Fonseca, Vicky Mboko, and Alex Eala (with triple the votes of anyone else).
• “Keith [Krieger] is so good. He’s one of the best potters in the world ... Now he’s, like, side gigging these amazing photos.” — Andy ([55:48])

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11. What’s Next: Upcoming Guests & Focus

(56:44–End)

• Teaser for next episode: Q&A with incoming USTA CEO Craig Tiley.
• Jason Stacy (Sabalenka’s performance coach) to appear soon — fans encouraged to send in questions.
• Closing banter about tennis growth and community.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You know how hard it is not to lose a set in a month? You don’t have a bad day.” — Andy Roddick ([01:14]; [11:22])
• “If you're going to take risk, it's off something really hot, and it's borderline irresponsible ... And if you don’t execute perfectly, you’re on the canvas, like that.” — Andy on Sabalenka’s pressure (20:47)
• “I got dumped by Connors. So your ego can take a bruising too. It’s not just the coaches getting fired.” — Andy ([41:19])
• “I don’t often, like, throw strays unnecessarily. They’re unusable. This was dog. This is absurd.” — Andy, on Dunlop tennis balls ([01:00], [47:06])
• “As long as they don’t use Dunlop tennis balls. Bring it to Charlotte!” — Mike ([54:02])
• On Del Potro: “I hope no one ever forgets how fucking good he is or was...maybe my number one on the what-if game.” — Andy ([50:36])

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Timestamps (MM:SS)

• [02:42] – Sunshine Double context, Sinner/Sabalenka recap begins
• [06:29] – Technical analysis of Sinner’s serving improvements
• [10:03] – Rivalry dynamics: Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic
• [13:18] – Sabalenka as world #1; the resilience and confidence conversation
• [17:04] – Deep X's & O's analysis of Sabalenka’s game
• [20:47] – “Margins” and her reliability under pressure
• [23:41] – Sabalenka’s stats and Gauff’s journey
• [25:15] – Coco Gauff’s “little stitches” hat superstition story
• [27:52] – American men’s struggles; IGA “searching”
• [30:12] – Why the Sunshine Double is uniquely hard
• [33:17] – Coaching carousel discussion (Iga, Anisimova, Andy’s stories)
• [39:39] – Andy reveals coaches who turned him down (“It’s a no for me, dog…”)
• [45:40] – Andy’s Dunlop ball rant
• [51:10] – WTA Finals likely moving; discussion of Charlotte as frontrunner
• [55:07] – Fan poll: Top photos from Miami Open

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Summary

A colorful, granular, and honest episode that celebrates the statistical brilliance and psychological breakthroughs of the game’s top players, while pulling no punches on the industry’s quirks—from uneven racket strings to uninspiring tennis balls. The chemistry among Andy, Mike, and Sean is lively and unscripted, blending technical expertise with locker-room candor.

Listeners get deep dives into why Sinner and Sabalenka are outpacing their peers, what it means for rivals, how fragile player-coach relationships can be, and why consistency at the top is so rare. The podcast closes with engaging fan interaction and a look ahead at the next wave of leadership in American tennis.

If you missed the episode, this summary will arm you with all the significant insights, personalities, and storylines shaping tennis’ latest chapter—straight from those who’ve lived it.

Transcript

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[Andy Roddick]

I don't often, like, throw strays unnecessarily. They're unusable. This was dog. This is absurd. They're like, yeah, it just kind of is what it is.

[Mike Dickson]

I'm like, dude, there goes our ball sponsorship. Thanks a lot, guys.

[Sean McLaughlin]

He's the first person to win the double without losing a set.

[Andy Roddick]

Of course he is. You know how hard it is not to lose a set in a month. You don't have like a bad day. Has she ever been more of a clear cut number one than she is right now?

[Mike Dickson]

I'm still so fascinated by her. Her tennis reflects her personality. There is swagger and there is charisma.

[Andy Roddick]

She's become really good at, like, this is what it is you work around Mike. I think she wants to pound her head against the pavement a little bit. We were kind of similar that way. I mean, I've had coaches where you're breaking up, where it's like, you're my favorite person, but, like, I don't know that we totally align on what's going on during the match. Kind of you up a little bit. Like, I asked Darren Cahill to coach me once and he said no. I got dumped by Connors. So your ego can take a bruising too. It's not just the coaches getting fired.

[Mike Dickson]

Can we just be friends?

[Andy Roddick]

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[Sean McLaughlin]

Oh wow.

[Andy Roddick]

Desperate, right?

[Sean McLaughlin]

I was really desperate. That was good.

[Andy Roddick]

That was desperate. Thirsty JW in the house producer Mike Techie Sean Guys, you remember way back when January Sinner lost to Novak in the Australian Open and Sabalenka lost another Grand Slam final. It's like God with these will they be able to overcome this disappointment? Do you think they've overcome this disappointment?

[Mike Dickson]

JW I think our his and hers sunshine double winners look looking pretty good now all of 60 days later. We can, we'll save this for later, but man, Novak Djokovic came out pretty well, huh? I just beat that guy on a hard court like two months ago. It's pretty good. But now sitter and Sabalenka, man, not, not a lot of, not a lot of hangover after their titles in Indian Wells. That was very impressive on both counts.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah. And one thing I, that just is screaming at me every match now. So do we remember last year at the US Open? I remember, you know, going into the tournament I was like, I think I like Sinner on a hard court. And then he kind of was struggling with a serve throughout that event, like kind of hovering around 50% first serves in and then against Alcaraz, he served like right around 50%. Maybe it was 49, maybe it was 50, but it wasn't high and he got beat. And they made an adjustment after the US Open with, with his serve and his toss and getting forward. He's serving like his statistics on first serve percentage and holds. He's serving holding 2% more than he did all of last year, which was pretty dominant. 92% service games held to 94%. And listen, he's barely losing matches when he serves over 60, 65%, which is a pretty heady number. The one exception being the Novak match in Australia. But it took Novak kind of converting break points at like a hero clip over like 50% and Yannick going like 1 for 18 in break points. So like it was, it was still most of the match. He was getting the most looks. He was protecting his serve probably better than Novak, but Novak is just, you know, Novak and knows how to get through matches. But it's weird to look at someone like a sinner and go, I think he's improved since last year. And if you look at the serving statistics from the US Open and later last year, there's a very, very clear statistical improvement on first serve percentage. First serves, point one points one. And listen, when you're holding at a 92% clip and then all of a sudden you go up to 94, that's absurd. I mean, you return that well, like, and this is with a slow start, slow start in quotes to the year. But I don't know, like, he serves like this on a hard court. I think he's tough to beat. You know, he gave, he gave Carlos some daylight in the US Open final last year with some second serves. But whatever they did to adjust and you know, they talked about it a little bit. I'm full by on that one, jw.

[Mike Dickson]

Look, we're coming in hot. We're going to ask about you, about Brazil. We were going to say what's going on? Nice catch up. Let's, let's get right to the. All right, but let's go right to the winners because I was actually just reading Andrew Eichenholtz, who's like, he's like the Greg Sharko, one of these tennis treasures. He did a great deep dive. On the ATP website, I encourage you to read. It's exactly that point. It's basically center. You know, Sinner is up to serve. And certainly statistically, you can see it. Props to Alex Mickelson, by the way. I think was the only player to break Jannik Sinner in six matches at Miami. I'm curious, are you seeing anything? I mean, certainly the numbers speak for themselves. He's serving at a higher clip. He has more aces. I mean, just look at, look at it on a table. Are you noticing anything different in a. We hear this all the time, right? Oh, I've got to go work on my serve and. Oh, they've really improved his serve. What does that mean? Materially, he.

[Andy Roddick]

Here's what I, here's what I see. The US Open last year, it felt like he was chasing his ball toss like out in front of right? And so if you're, you're chasing your ball, toss out in front, your trajectory is flatter, right? It's like a Scottie Pippen jump shot versus like a Steph Curry jump shot. So if you bring that toss back a little bit, then all of a sudden your net clearance is, is going to go up because you're hitting it here instead of already forward and down. I'm guessing there's some version of that or it's causal, right? We fixed this and therefore it brought it back for a little bit. But at the US Open last year, I felt like he was, he. He was kind of searching and reaching out in front for his toss a little bit. And it feels like he's being a little bit more patient with going after it. You know, I don't know that they've talked in detail about it. They say adjustments and we're left to kind of guess, but not dissimilar to. You know, Carlos working on his serve is these two guys just kind of continuing to look for things to improve on, and the rest of earth thinks they're good. You know, it's just, it's, it's. It's unbelievable what we're seeing from. From Jannik. And then the other part of the conversation is obviously, Carlos wins in Australia and you can't. Full credit was the best player in the tournament by far. And also if Indian. We don't care really about Indian Wells in Miami and what happened to him at those tournaments if he doesn't win Australia on the heels of Ferrero, and then, like, that's very different conversation. If he loses one match in Australia. He didn't. You know, it's like, you know, the what if game never ends and he won there. But like, that's, it's something to keep an eye on, you know, is your coach there for your. Your best tennis or is your coach there for your valleys and kind of raising the floor? We'll see. It's an interesting conversation.

[Sean McLaughlin]

I mean, I think he, he made headlines this week for a new yacht, you know, and not for playing in the finals of a tournament.

[Andy Roddick]

I love it for him.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Yeah, the yacht looks sick.

[Andy Roddick]

You know how good you have to be at tennis to get. You know, how good you have to be a tennis for someone to give you a yacht. It's not like. It's not like he ordered it to be fair.

[Sean McLaughlin]

The question is, how much did it cost? We don't know.

[Andy Roddick]

He has a deal with them, right?

[Sean McLaughlin]

Yeah, I mean, of course. Yeah.

[Mike Dickson]

It's like, Rafa, he didn't pay shit for it.

[Andy Roddick]

He ordered.

[Sean McLaughlin]

We don't know if he didn't pay.

[Mike Dickson]

He didn't pay for his watch either.

[Andy Roddick]

Hey, I love it as an athlete. The richer you get, the more free shit you get. There you go. Beautiful.

[Mike Dickson]

You want to take a detour? Isn't that one of the great ironies of life? We're all about detour.

[Andy Roddick]

Let's not focus. Let's fucking get with it. Let's go.

[Mike Dickson]

This, this is totally true. This reminds me of the, you know, this is like the swag bag at the Oscars, like, right? Does Michael B. Jordan really need, like, a new ipod? No, it's true. These players sort of the more success they have, the less they have to take out their wallet. Let's go back to these. So there are one and two. This is what rivalry does, right? It elevates, it accelerates. You have to go down into the basement and tinker and do better. And I think. I love that point you just made. Jannik sender loses that U.S. open final and very openly says, there are things I now need to work on if I want to stay in this rivalry and I've got to figure out a way to amp up my serve. Then he goes out and does it. That's pretty good if you're the rest of the field. If you're the other 98 players in the. In the top 100, are you are hopes renewed? Look, you know, Yannick got taken down in the Middle east, and he didn't win Australia. Or do you say, my gosh, Carlos goes out mid tournament in both events and the other guy wins. I've got to go through both of these guys. It's as helpless as ever. What do you think?

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, the winners haven't changed. The winners haven't changed. Like, Carlos wins majors and Yannick is winning everything else. Like, it hasn't. It hasn't really changed. You know, if anything, it's like, more depressing because, like, you get a look at the basket and then Yannick, you just want them to dip at the same time. And it feels like they never do. Like, Yannick takes a loss in the Middle east and Carlos runs shop. Right? Like, I mean, Yannick goes down in Australia and Carlos dominates. And Carlos takes a month off and, you know, on this swing. And Yannick isn't really challenged. You know, obviously, that's dis. But he's not challenged at scale. He didn't lose a set over the events. I mean, that's like. That's the thing. It's tough because we do this every night. Come on. I'm like, we have to realize greatness while we're here. But it's like, oh, yeah, Janik won. And we're, like, ready to talk about, like, 18 other things. He didn't drop a set in the Sunshine double. Like, he didn't lose a set in the Sunshine double. You don't have a bad day.

[Mike Dickson]

Look at who he played, too, including Zverev twice. Who, you know, notionally, anyway, is the number three player in the world. Different players, different conditions. Night, day. Yeah, we talk about, oh, he won the Sunshine Double. No player's done that. He did it without dropping a set, as you say. That's extraordinary.

[Sean McLaughlin]

He's the first person to win the double without losing a set.

[Andy Roddick]

Of course he is. You know how hard it is not to lose a set in a month.

[Sean McLaughlin]

It's crazy.

[Andy Roddick]

I mean, it's just a joke. And, you know, I think I got a question for you. Jw, you ready for this? And props to center. Lehecka looked great. I like his, like, when he plays well, he's very good. Now the only thing stopping Lehecka from being a top five, top eight player is that doing this most weeks, right, when he's, when he's dialed. He's beaten Alcaraz a couple of times. Like, he's. He's capable of playing a high level. We'll get to winners and eras with some other players also. But I mean, his match that he played against Archer Feast, I mean, two and two and Feast couldn't catch up to the ball.

[Sean McLaughlin]

He was getting so frustrated during the match.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, I would be too. Like, I mean, the guy just played start to finish to the point where he finishes the match and you're going, yeah, I know what sinner is. And I'm going, but if he plays like that, is that going to know 4 and 4? You know, it's just. But. But Hetchka was great. I thought he was. I thought he was great the whole tournament. Obviously, it's a quicker court if, if he's able to get some skid on his ball. We saw him last year make the finals of Queens Club. You know, on a fast surface, he's one. He's one to look at. Right? You look forward to like a Wimbledon. I don't think, I mean, he, he did make the. I think he was in the semis in Madrid a couple years ago and then got hurt. And that. That ended up actually kind of ruining his year two years ago. But I think on a fast surface, he has just proven he's. He's very dangerous. He's on the short list of disruptors on other circumstances.

[Mike Dickson]

He's streaky, though. I know we liked him. We talked about him before Australia. And then he goes. He lost to a French qualifier. So this guy didn't even get the reciprocal wild card. And he goes out and beats, you know who. Lehecka lost. I had to look this up. I forget. Lahechka lost to Baez in straight sets in Indian Wells, that's not a win that usually augurs a final run at the very next tournament. This guy's really streaky, but when he's on, he's fantastic. And I think you're right, he really benefits from a faster course.

[Andy Roddick]

I think also it kind of begs us to make the point again, not like we need to, because we're going to go into Sabalenka and you're going to hear a lot of the same stuff as far as consistency and greatness and not having off days. And even when you do, playing through them is you look at someone like Lehecka who hasn't really been around much this season so far and then comes up and. But it's not surprising to see him make a run at a tournament because we know the upside is there. But like if he was two or three in the world and he has the beginning of his year, we're going, oh, there's no consistency, right? You take Seb Korder, who I love, who played great in Del Rey and you know, played great against Alcaraz, loses to a 19 year old Spanish guy the next round, right? It is hard to kind of get that top level every day and it's consistently proven by everyone else in the world except for these three or four players at a given time, right? It was like, oh, you know, court is amazing. Yeah, he is amazing. And also it's fucking hard to go do it again the next day. That's what I'm saying. This, this, this peak consistency, mentally, physically is really hard not to lose a set. To go from losing, if you're Sabalenka, to go from losing in a final again in Australia, I mean it's. And then going and beating the outliers. Yeah, yeah. Going and beating Robaka twice in a row and then beating. I mean, has she. I was going to ask you before we went on our detour, has Sabalenka ever been viewed as more dominant than she is? Has she ever been more of a clear cut number one than she is right now? And that can be a couple of things that can be her level, which I think is just always getting better. Her confidence is always getting better. Like she gets pissed and you're like, oh, and then she'll crank like three winners like you, you, you think you see it going away and it's, it just doesn't anymore. But also with, with, with the regression recently of Wiatek with Coco saying like, I can't believe, you know, she's basically saying like, I can't believe I'm in the semis this week. Has she ever been more of a clear cut, number one in. In your eyes, jw?

[Mike Dickson]

It's a great question. And, and again, this is a. A theme we often go back to, but if we'd had this discussion a month ago, you'd say, what are you talking about? She's just coming off a loss of another. Another final. Over the last two years, she had a losing record in finals before Indian Wells in Miami. So she's got this new rival that comes on the scene and what happens? She takes her out in two taut matches. She's got this rematch against Coco in the final. What happened the last time they played in a big high stakes match? You know, she won the first set, Coco won the second, and Sabalenka completely deteriorated. We're talking about the French Open final. You think that might cloud your thoughts a little bit? Not so much. And so what do we have now with Sabalenka? She's won four majors. It could be eight. She now now has the upper hand against her rival. She's won the Sunshine Double. And you look at the points and you say, yeah, this has been more than a year now at the penthouse of the rankings, and I'm still so fascinated by her and her tennis reflects her personality. The black box doesn't contain a lot of secrets and mysteries. It is what it is. And she's going to come at you and there is swagger and there is this charisma, and every now and then there'll be a misstep. Every now and then there'll be a bad loss and it doesn't seem to matter. She shakes it right off. And for her to come back and win the Sunshine Double after that disappointment in Australia, can we get a little into the X's and O's? Because people like me say she's reigned in her tennis and she's not as mercurial as she used to be. And she sure is powerful and athletic. I watch a lot of tennis. I have not played at that level. What does she do much like being on the other side of the net? What does she do, like, take the X's and O's a level deeper than I can go. What, what is she doing to perform at this level besides winning?

[Andy Roddick]

When she has to win, she's dominating the middle of the court. Like there were numerous rallies where, like, Coco is, is. Can play her tough because she can get one ball back. And I think when Coco has to serve well against someone to stay in A match she does. And when she has to protect her serve against someone she thinks she should beat, I think that's when we see it get a little, little dicey. But like, I saw Coco go, I felt like when I've hit with Coco, her ball comes through hot through the middle, right? Like it you. She lines that backing up and it skids through Sabalenka. You cannot get her off the baseline. Like, maybe if you're Rabakana Robakna bruises her a little bit more, kind of taking that forehand to her running forehand. But, like, if you have to, like, think about this, if you know that you have to extend the court to the sidelines to have success against Sabalenka, and I think that's generally accepted as a, as a thing. But then the ball is coming through the middle and she is hitting it through the court. She's giving you no angle to actually push out to the sidelines, right? She is so good at dominating the middle of the court. And I think you used to be able to beat her with pace. You know, if she hit a big one, you're like, okay, I'm going to step in and I'm going to commit to this and really try to back her off. You would see some of those, like, wild flinches and her body would fly off of it. She is so strong through the middle of the court and not scared to stay there and like, trade punches with you. It's not just the power, you know, that you see when she takes two steps this way and cranks one line or takes risks somewhere. She is, she's tough to beat through the middle now, especially on that backhand side, which wasn't always the case. You used to be able to get her to kind of like lift off of it a little bit. I think the only person that can really go toe to toe through the middle is maybe Robakina right now. And she's, she's playing great, but, like, consistently the, the, the. The. The couple of areas that I think, obviously, you know, she went through the serving yips, you know, three years ago, which we still can't talk about, enough to go from, like, complete meltdown mode to like having maybe the most. I think Rybakina has the best serve on tour, but Sabalenka's, you know, 1B or 2A or something like that to work your way through that. And then she can take one hand off the racket now she can chip when she needs to. Right? So you, your couple of options were mix up paces, right? Which they were saying going in, which is accurate, but now you hit a little chip and she can hit one back. Okay, well, that sucks for you. And then saying, okay, let's mix up the paces, right? We have to. We can't go toe to toe with her. We have to mix up the paces. The ball's coming through so hot. You're trying to control the spin and trajectory off of a ball where you're on your heels. If you miss that a little bit, all of a sudden that's waffling in the middle of the court and she's distributing it. She just like the great players do, she's making this margins so small. To beat her, you have to play like Rybakina did in Australia and like Rybakina did in Indian Wells, where she almost beat her, right? But it's weird. Like, Sabalenko over the last three or four years has gone through, you know, six months at a time, taking people's best shots, right? Iga, she kind of took over from iga and IGA was right there. They were trading off and then iga's faded a little bit. Like, Coco came and got her a couple times, you know, and then. But now Coco kind of is, you know, not, not the dominant player. Rbakana comes in and let's, let's see if she stays there. Like, is Rybakina going to be here in six months? And I know Sabalenka is. It's just she's able to kind of take the best shots. And sure, she'll, she'll lose sometimes, but she's the first one back on top of it. Like, she is really mentally tough.

[Mike Dickson]

That, to me, is the. I mean, that's a great analysis too, because we talk about how reducing margin, we usually think that means adding shape and spin. What you're talking about is a completely different way to look at giving yourself more margin. That has nothing to do with loopy shots.

[Andy Roddick]

She makes your opponent like, what I mean with margins is she's so comfortable hitting pace through the middle that if you're going to take risk, it's off of something really hot and it's borderline irresponsible. And then if you don't actually execute it perfectly, you know, your jaws, your jaws open and she's, she's. She's throwing an uppercut quickly, right? Like, you can. It's like a boxer. You can take a chance, but then if you take a chance and you miss, you're on the canvas like that. She's become really good at. Like, this is what it is. You work around my shit, right? Like, you got to figure it out. I'm just gonna go with plan A. Not dissimilar to what Rafa used to do. Honestly, like, you knew what was coming, and he was like, just, just beat me.

[Mike Dickson]

I mean, honestly, you're sounding like this, this is her personality in miniature. Like, this is an expression of how, it's how she lives her life. I also, she is absolutely dominating. To your, to your question before. I mean, to the, she's, she's the. I don't care about surface. I don't care about matchups. She's the favorite of every match she plays. Basically, she's won one of the last five majors. One way to look at that is, boy, it's too bad she doesn't close these finals. Another way, more charitably is, have we ever seen a player more resilient than this? I mean, the way she gets back on the horse after taking what would be bad losses to any other player is really extraordinary.

[Andy Roddick]

I feel like when I've watched her in the major finals, that she's lost. I don't know. Like, Madison played one of the best matches I've ever seen her play. Like, Madison played unbelievable to beat her in Australia, right? I think she kind of, she the only one. She's really. Robocana was great in Australia. Like, Robakina is like the one right now that's going toe to toe rock and played amazingly well, you know, and maybe she let something go. She maybe let it go against Anna Samova last year in Wimbledon. That was in the semis. But the only real Grand Slam final where you're going, yeah, she was, she was a little, little sloppy was, was against Coco in the French Open final. But then you go, okay, well, the conditions were it was blowing 35. And if you're a ball striker, that, that happens. Like, that's, that's, that's normal. I don't know. I, I, I, I know it's a good talking point, but I don't view her going into matches and going like she's going to let this go. I think people have gone out and beaten her and they've. Like you asked Madison Keys, how well did you have to play against Arena? And she's going to go almost perfect. Almost perfect.

[Mike Dickson]

Yeah. I don't think the criticism that she's lost those matches, I think it's more admiration. That other number one ranked player, we've seen this plenty of times, right? I mean, Losses can sting. And the way she gets back up and keeps winning matches, it's really something to behold. And all right, she's got four majors. She could have many more. But I think to your question right now, again, this is a player who's won one major in the last 18 months, and she is really far ahead of the field right now. I give her so much credit. I think she's one of these. You know, sometimes she's one of these players who. I think this story's gonna age well X years from now. We're gonna remember this era really fondly and have a lot of admiration for the way she went about her business.

[Sean McLaughlin]

I mean, she's entered three tournaments this year or four tournaments this year. She's won three of them. And she's 23 one.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, I mean, she's dominant pretty good. You know, obviously we value majors and that's how ultimately we remember, are great champions. But, you know, it's. It's interesting. I'm curious to see now the question is kind of, okay, you can argue her Bakken has played as well as she has this year. You know, beat her in the bigger match, lost two in the smaller events. But, like, that race for number one, if you're a Bakken and you're going, I mean, I've played almost as well as I can this year, and she's just fucking right there. Like, she's. She's not going anywhere, right? She took my punch and she came back and, like, played a month worth of great tennis. Big result for Coco. You feel like it was needed, you know, and that's not even my opinion. Going into Miami, she's like, I have to. She said something to the effect of. And I'll get. You know, I'll get it a little bit wrong. But the general premise was, you know, how are you feeling? What, Yada, yada, yada. And she goes, yeah, it's weird. I have to remind myself that I'm a great player. Like, I hear the accolades during intros, and I'm going, yeah, that's me, right? So, I mean, she goes, I. Miami was an unexpected result. She retired in Indian Wells. I don't know that I've heard Coco kind of be that honest about, like, I don't. I don't even. I. I wouldn't have told you that I was gonna make the semis and then she made the finals. I mean, that was.

[Sean McLaughlin]

She.

[Andy Roddick]

That was a good run.

[Sean McLaughlin]

She said, although it sucks not coming through with a bigger trophy. She said, quote, I had A lot of joy this week.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah.

[Sean McLaughlin]

You know, coming from thinking her arm was messed up and having nerve issues making the finals.

[Andy Roddick]

It's a, it's a big jumping off point into the clay season, having a good result. Right. And not kind of struggling. Going, going in. She seemed like she was healthy. That's the most important thing. Did you guys see what she said about she was wearing a ball cap this week? Did you see what she said about it? She's basically like, I wore it in practice one day and I played practice well, so I had to wear it for my first match. And then became superstition that I wasn't going to take it off this tournament. She goes, but I hate this hat. You will never see it again. She's like, she's like, I wore it one day. It was like a little super. You know, maybe it wasn't superstitious. It was just a little stitches.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Little stitches, but many stitches.

[Andy Roddick]

But anyways, I thought it was great result. Great result for Coco Arthur Feast. Like, we forget that this guy missed pretty much all of last year. There is one thing there that is, that is interesting and I'm sure the locker room is taking note. I don't think this is news to anyone. Very different. Like, you hear a lot of amateur players or analysts or. Yeah, good forehand, bad backhand, bad backhand, good forehand. And I want to like, whatever little hero I have left, I want to pull out when I hear that. Arthur Feast is a great example. Right. Plays great in the Middle East. Carlos is able to drill him.

[Mike Dickson]

Right.

[Andy Roddick]

There's a huge difference. And it's very similar to like a Fernando Gonzalez. When Arthur Feast has time on his forehand, it is unreal. Like, you look at the highlights. If you were to watch a highlight package, you'd be like, this guy's the best foreign I've ever seen. The guys who can play hot to that side because it's a big wind up, right? You go hot to that side. If you're outcarrazed, you go hot to that side. If you're Lehecka, you can rush him on that side, but then when he has time, he rips your head off. Like, it's not just good forehand, bad backhand. It's good for him when he has time. Maybe the swing is big with the six guys on on earth that can rush him to that side. That matters.

[Mike Dickson]

Right?

[Andy Roddick]

We talked about that a little bit. The best forehands list. It's like you have to be able to play defense as well. But listen, if you're his team coming back, having consistent results, making semis, this is a great, great comeback for him. Sebi Korda, like, he's, he's like, I watch him, he's a top 10 guy.

[Mike Dickson]

What do you make of that?

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, top 10 guy. But it's like you just want him to put it all together. Like, he plays unbelievable against Alcaraz, you know, kind of serves for it, lets it go, plays a great third set, and then the next round loses to Landa Luther. Is that right? You know, in Nebraska we would say land loose, land loose, but it just suck. You want him to beat that? Alkar beat Alcaraz and then like, okay, let's make a semi or final or let's like establish and then to go out the next round. I'm sure it was like highs of highs and beating Alcaraz and then just like, shit, you know, you created your own lane. You opened the door and then you just didn't, didn't quite walk through. But all in all, obviously great stuff. Shelton and Fritz searching for something. You know, you got to figure their mouths are watering going into these two events. Didn't play great. We'll talk a little bit more. I think with the coaches, IGA's searching for something. It's a weird thing to do, but like if you take out Wimbledon last year, which again is like the Alcaraz thing, like, you can't take that away from him. If you remove that, it changes a lot like it really does. Andrea, I'm going to get your thoughts on that because obviously the darling last year at this time and has struggled a little bit. Props to Haley Baptiste is up to a career high 33 in the world. Really playing. Great stuff.

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[Andy Roddick]

But there's some coaches you have any more winners on forced airs jw you want to throw out before we move on to coaches?

[Mike Dickson]

I like the ones you brought up. Yeah, Haley Baptiste and also had to. She did beat her doubles partner, Astapenko. Very, very nice. Two weeks for her.

[Andy Roddick]

I mean, if you had to beat a doubles partner, but also.

[Mike Dickson]

Yeah, exactly. Make it Asta Panko. How about Taylor Townsend, Sunshine double winner with S in women's doubles? No, I think we hit on the big ones. I mean it was sort of. Honestly, it was an interesting, it was an interesting three and a half weeks of tennis. I'm not sure that the finals didn't shock the players that won the big trophies. A lot of sort of strange results tucked in there. I think one thing this showed is that Sunshine Double is a thing and winning it is not just winning back to back tournaments. These are three time zones apart. They play totally differently. They're different weather, there's different humidity, there's different night and day. And I think it's really impressive. Sometimes we gloss over it. Oh, it's the two spring North American hardcourt events, but it's really two very different tournaments, which means winning both is really impressive. You want to talk about some of these iga, this was, I think, right as we were like literally right when we were recording last week, IGA announced she was parting ways with vimfacet. This is not, as you say, like she won Wimbledon, she's a defending Wimbledon champion. But I think you're right, if you remove that result, it's a much different composite. To me, it was less about the coaching change than some of the. I don't know if you caught some of the remarks she made. She's confidence, like a shattering of confidence. I'm not reading this verbatim, but it was all sort of about where she is mentally, which is not a Great place. And sort of subconsciously or unconsciously, she said there were a lot. I'm inside my head too much as it is. Part of me is thinking candidly. It's great. She's had a longtime psychologist on staff. We support mental health in sports more generally. But it seems to me everything she referenced was about her mental health. And then she fires her. To me, it's like saying you're in really. You hire someone for a physio for conditioning, and you keep breaking down. So I'm going to get rid of my racket stringer and my biomechanics expert. It really seems much more mental than coaching. But IGA parts ways with Vimfacet. As of now, we don't have. I've heard a couple rumors, but we'll see who takes over the bag, as it were. I mean, you referenced. I don't know if you. We talk about Anisimova and other coaching change. I don't know. I'm curious where. I don't say where you stand, but sort of. It's a very strange relationship in the best of times, which these are not. How does a player know when it's time to hear a new voice? How does a player know when it's a slump you need to ride out? I mean, if you're Anisimova, you say, listen, in the last calendar year, I've been to the finals of two majors. How bad could it be? But clearly she wasn't seeing the results or hearing the messages she wanted to. It's really weird in tennis where it comes down to the player. Not like there's a billionaire owner making the decision. What. What goes into that and what does that dynamic like?

[Andy Roddick]

It's always different. Right? Like, I've. The thing that people need to realize with, like, the coach player relationship. If you're a quarterback for a football team, like, how many times do you think Tom Brady went to dinner with Bill Belichick? Just the two of them and one other person. Three. Like, I'm serious. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe that's Monday through Thursday. Maybe you take a night off.

[Sean McLaughlin]

It's like 18 years together, too, right? Yeah.

[Andy Roddick]

I mean, it's, It's. It's the most interpersonal coaching player relationship in sports. I would, I would think, you know, maybe, maybe golf caddy or, you know, but then again, that's like different from the swing coach. The responsibilities aren't all on you. I mean, I've. I've had coaches where you're breaking up, where it's like you're my favorite person, but, like, I don't know that we totally align on. On what's going on during the matches. There's ones where it's like, you get fatigued because by the time you're at your 220th dinner, like, you can't. You can't take it anymore. There's the coaches where it's like, at a certain point, I don't need a babysitter. I don't need. So I had a coach, you know, my earliest coaches, like, it was almost too emotional every time I lost because he was so passionate about my success, which is, like, a hard thing. But it also, like, was this other pressure set because of it. There are so many different things. And I've had coaching relationships, and they've all kind of ended or started for different reasons.

[Mike Dickson]

Right.

[Andy Roddick]

And it's funny because IGA even go back if you want to kind of insight into her head. It's funny because she always seems to kind of. You're like, oh, my gosh, you're on top of the world. You just won Wimbledon. She's like, yeah, but it's been tough. She'll go back to the place where it's kind of like, I feel like she won Wimbledon. And even still during her interview is like, we'll see if I can keep serving that way in Canada. All these brains are very different. Greatness presents itself in. In different ways. I don't think she just lets losses roll off the back, and they're like, okay, I'll get the next one. Or, I'm excited. We'll see how I do in the clay court season. You know, she squeezes and grips. I was probably the same way. But in that interview that we had last summer, I was like, Wynton Fitzhugh Gray. And she's like, yeah, it wasn't easy at first. It hasn't been, like. It wasn't the easiest six months going into Wimbledon, you know. So I actually said. I think I said it to you about three weeks ago. I was like, if this goes a little sideways, you know, it didn't seem like it was the. It felt like it was maybe work a little bit. And Winfusset's a great coach. He's had a ton of success with a ton of players. But as much as it is about tennis and X's and O's, it's about personalities and meshing, and it doesn't mean someone's a bad person or you're a bad person. It's just like, sometimes you like, different Music, you don't want to listen to the same music. What you listen to sucks, and what I listen to is great. And we both think that. Right. Maybe a bad example. But all that stuff has to kind of flow and work. And with Anisimova, it's interesting. I have reset underlined twice here. It's amazing how quickly expectations reset. She's 9 and 6 at the beginning of last year.

[Sean McLaughlin]

That's a pretty good start to the

[Andy Roddick]

year, you know, based on you being not being main draw at Wimbledon the year before, you know, and now a couple of Slams later, and you want to make that jump into two, one, three, whatever it is. And there's like a lack of consistency when you're comparing to six months ago. It all just changes a little bit. You know, you can not want to coach because you don't think they're tactically sound. Not want to coach because you just can't. Actually. You're frustrated by the conversations that might not have anything to do with tennis. It's just such a complicated relationship. I mean, maybe that's an episode we do with, like, Coach's Corner, and we have three different coaches on and ask them all the same questions and see the different answers or something. I don't know what it is.

[Mike Dickson]

I'll give you a quick story real quick about the intensity. I was talking to Brad Stein, Tommy Paul's coach in Australia, and I said, I don't know. How's this where you're in Fresno, he's in Florida. He goes, oh, my God. If we had to see each other, they weren't even staying at the same. They weren't staying in the same side of town in Australia for a major, and they live on opposite sides of the country. And he said, if we had to sit there and have every meal together and sit out every rain delay and tell the same story, we'd go crazy. It's like distance makes the heart grow. He said, the fact that we keep this distance between us, and then Tommy has another coach in Florida that he works with. He's like, that's why we've been together for seven years. If we had to have this intense relationship like other players do, we would have been done after six weeks. We should do a special episode because it's a unique relationship. I always think it's strange that we're talking about those hilarious defiankey, too. Like, a coach, by definition, is this authority figure, and yet the player is the one paying the bills. It's. Yeah, I think we should do more of this but no. E E looks Eagle looks for a coach. Amanda Ana Samova looks for a coach. I, I don't know how relevant do you think it is that we have the sort of. Do we have a natural reset between surfaces? Okay, first Q1, Q1 out of the way. We're moving to clay. We're crossing an ocean. I wonder if that doesn't accelerate things. But those are two, those are two no good ones. Do you want to spin it the other way? Those are two very high profile, high performing players who now have coaching vacancies or two plum jobs that just came open.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, I mean you kind of have to create your space in the calendar at some point. I'm guessing IGA's not going to give up a lot of clay court weeks, you know, whereas you see Taylor Fritz for the first time isn't going to Monte Carlo, which I think is probably rational. You know, it feels like he doesn't take weeks off, you know, so he's this lingering knee thing and it's like chicken or the egg. Are you not playing as well as you'd like because you're not getting the reps in because your knee hurts a lot. So hard reset feels good there. I always like was very clear, like end of Miami, there needs to be a three week gap where I can build my body back up and kind of get ready for, you know, through, through Wimbledon of things again. I don't see, I don't think it's an eaga's nature to kind of sit back and not go back to the. I think she wants to pound her head against the pavement a little bit. You know, she gets, we were kind of similar that way.

[Sean McLaughlin]

So what is the process right now? Are they going to start interviewing coaches? Like I, I, you know, NFL has an off season, there's a coaching carousel. Baseball has an off season. Like even soccer. Right. Or football. Like what, what does the interview process look like? And it's sometimes, maybe do you look at the available coaches? And sometimes you're like, oh, maybe there's somebody better for what I need right now. And you start there. How's that?

[Andy Roddick]

I think you have to be pretty self aware like the. And also it depends on different points in your career. Right. Like when I hired Connors or hired Stefanke, that was, it was only my input. Right. And I actually, I've been denied. I got turned down from coaches. Like so that's another thing that like kind of kind of fucks you up a little bit. Like I asked Darren Cahill to Coach me once and he said no. I asked Jim Courier to coach me once and he said no. And you're like, God.

[Mike Dickson]

I mean, just, just a flat no, wait to say I didn't know it. Say, say more. How does that.

[Andy Roddick]

I don't know that there is much more. I, I think I, I mean, listen,

[Mike Dickson]

one of these, like, call me anytime. I'm happy to give you, but I just don't want to travel or like, oh, you're awful. I don't want to like say, say more.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, I don't even know that it was a soft landing. I don't even know that it was like I. Randy Jackson.

[Sean McLaughlin]

It's a no for me dog.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, it's like one of those ones where everyone's like, oh, you know, oh, I can't travel. And they take another job like two weeks later.

[Mike Dickson]

Exactly. Yeah.

[Sean McLaughlin]

They can't travel with you.

[Andy Roddick]

Correct.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Andy Roddick]

So, you know, but then that like kind of messes you up too. It's like, oh man, like Jim was different. Like he never coached. So he's like, I have no interest in. I don't, I can't do it. I don't want to do it, you know, whatever, you know. But like that, that kind of, that can mess with you too. So I don't know, like you can have like. You make it sound like we're just going to pick our, you know, people in. It might be a laid back coach who's like, I can't handle the intensity every day of ego. Like I need to. I don't know. It's a fascinating thing. But yeah, I was dumped once. I got dumped by Connors. I got like. So your ego can take a bruising too. It's not just the coaches getting fired.

[Sean McLaughlin]

So. Interesting.

[Mike Dickson]

Sorry, I didn't want to.

[Andy Roddick]

Let's.

[Mike Dickson]

Can we just be friends? I mean, to Mike. It's a great question, Mike. I mean the other thing I would. One thing I've noticed is the agents for certain players play can play a significant role. For some agents they have their favorites that they like to cycle in. So anytime a coach needs a player needs a new coach. Oh, I got just the guy for you. And sometimes I can, I don't want to say any, but sometimes I can fail spectacularly. Other times the results can be better. But I think on the women's side especially the agents can have a significant voice.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, I think that's right. And I don't know, it's completely iga. Could say, go get me five names or she could say, I want this name, you know, and then we go. We. We go from there. And when I was talking to coaches, you'd get into a conversation. You'd ask a couple questions, they'd ask a couple questions. You could go in thinking one thing, and at the end of the conversation, it could go either way. Like, I don't know if this is the person. And then, like, even Larry, like, he was so, like, offensively honest that I loved it.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Yeah.

[Andy Roddick]

Like, yeah, you can't even move. You're like an elephant out there. You gotta move. You gotta. You gotta. You know, a little chunky there, you know, I'm like, would you have like that at 19?

[Sean McLaughlin]

You know, like, would you.

[Andy Roddick]

It would have been. It would have been. Well, I. I don't think I could to. To. To JW's point with. With TP and Brad Stein at 19, I needed someone there every day. Like, Tariq was there and he would, like, I lived a mile from him. So I needed someone to, like, set the times for practice. I needed someone to set the schedule. I wasn't like, it wasn't as if, hey, what time are we? You know, let's practice at 10. He was like, you're going to be up. You're going to practice at 8:30. I was just following orders at that point. And at certain point, like, that shifts.

[Mike Dickson]

Right?

[Andy Roddick]

And then Larry was in San Diego. I didn't need him to babysit me.

[Mike Dickson]

Right.

[Andy Roddick]

I needed very, very, very specific things, you know, that we were going to work on when I had him for five or six days, you know, but it's timing too, like that. What you're ready for versus what you're. Anyways, I hope. I hope all of these decisions go well. You mentioned Brazil at the top. Jw, should we take a break for a second?

[Sean McLaughlin]

Yeah, let's take a little break.

[Andy Roddick]

I'm going to tell you, I got to hit with these. These Dunlop balls, the ones that everyone always whines and cries about, and we hear about them every week. And I'm going to give you my verdict on the other side. 1:20 twitch on twitch AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built on. With the ServiceNow AI platform, your AI data and workflows all work together, connecting every corner of your business. To see how you can put AI to work for people, visit servicenow.com AI agents.

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[Andy Roddick]

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[Andy Roddick]

Welcome back to Cerv. Brought to you by ServiceNow. So I had to go to Brazil and Visa got. Visa got all messed up like I was going on there to play a deal and we got ended up. I went to. It's the first time I've ever gone to the airport to go somewhere and then been home 30 minutes later.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Oh, really?

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah. It wasn't great. There wasn't.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Wasn't TSA related.

[Andy Roddick]

Visa. No, it wasn't. Visa was not great. And I got the lady at the desk. The lady at the desk just gave me full Mutombo.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Yeah.

[Andy Roddick]

Just swatted my shit out of there. And she's like, you're a basic bitch and you don't have the right stuff. Denied is basically what happened. Anyway, so I went back the next day. But what happened was I get off the plane and I have to play five hours after I land. After sleeping, it was clay. They laid it down Del Pocha's forehand. It was just all sorts of stress mechanisms. None were good. So then I'm like, all right, let's just. Let's just get through this shit. And so get there. We break. I. Oh. And Andre pulled Out because of his back. And so who'd they replace him with? Schwartzman, who is like, he's been retired, like, 10 weeks. Like, great. This is perfect. This is fantastic. This is exactly what I need. But they give us those. The Dunlop balls, because they were playing a challenger there. So we use whatever the challenger was using. I just. I. I don't often, like, throw strays unnecessarily. They're unusable.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Can you explain?

[Andy Roddick]

Like, they're terrible.

[Sean McLaughlin]

You're, like, writing about.

[Mike Dickson]

What does that mean?

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, okay. Like, the seam on a ball, like the, you know, like, you have the felt and then the seam, it should look level. It should be like the. The. The rounded edges should be, like, kind of continuous and at least predictable bumps. Nodules blows up quickly. It's. It's an. It's not. If this is what, like, Medvedev is talking about and all these people are talking about, they're absolutely right.

[Sean McLaughlin]

The ball's blowing up big.

[Andy Roddick]

But even the seams and, like, the. Where they use the grout glue type stuff, it's, like, uneven. It's horrible. It's not like we're not trying. And my mind goes to, like, okay, I understand if people pay and they want to use the ball, and, like, I understand the business side of it. There has to be quality control.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Has to be some regulation.

[Andy Roddick]

There has to be something. It was. It was shocking. Like, I use. I mean, I know I have a situation with. With Wilson. So, like, I. I fully understand, you know, that feedback. And also their balls, at least, like, they're predictable and they're. This was dog.

[Mike Dickson]

Well, let's be clear. I mean, first of all, there. There goes our Dunlop ball sponsor.

[Andy Roddick]

I don't. I don't want it. I can't. I can't. I can't tell you to go use those.

[Mike Dickson]

But let's. Let's.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Let's.

[Mike Dickson]

Let's. I'm trying to think of the metaphor to. Let's square the circle in keeping with the shape of the Dunlop balls. This is what Taylor Fritz was complaining about at Indian Wells. Right? I mean, this is not just a tennis ball that's being used for a fun event in Brazil. I mean, they're players making a little bit.

[Andy Roddick]

We were playing a challenge. We were at a challenger tournaments. This is what the challenge. People are trying to make a living. I mean, I was stunned. I'm like. And I asked you. I'm like, this is absurd. They're like. They're like, yeah, it just kind of is what it is. I'M like, dude, go to Target and buy your balls. That's what I. Anyways, I. That's. I had to rant because that was. It was terrible.

[Sean McLaughlin]

I'd be interested to talk to somebody from the ATP about it because I know that they've talked about.

[Andy Roddick]

I'd like to talk to someone from

[Sean McLaughlin]

Dunlop from a more centralized, like, oversight over all the balls across all three of the manufacturers, across all four of the slams. I mean, I just. Why is it taking so long? I don't understand why it's taking so

[Andy Roddick]

long, because they probably have a deal in place, so they have to work. They have to work with.

[Sean McLaughlin]

But, like, I don't know how. Send inspectors to the manufacturing plants. I mean, what are we doing?

[Andy Roddick]

Not. That is what we're doing. We're not doing that. All right, what else?

[Mike Dickson]

Brazil's a cool country, though.

[Andy Roddick]

Love it. Love Brazil. Love everything about it. Enjoyed the situation. Mela Jenny is. Is like. He was one of our first listeners. He has his own podcast now. He's working down there. Like, he's got his own little thing. He's like, I can't believe you just talk about town. Like, yeah, that was great.

[Mike Dickson]

Great.

[Sean McLaughlin]

He's like.

[Andy Roddick]

He's like, we just started doing it. I'm like, great. Schwarzman's cool and never been around him before. Like, you can tell why everyone really likes him.

[Sean McLaughlin]

His socials were good.

[Andy Roddick]

He's cool.

[Sean McLaughlin]

He posted some stuff.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, he was. I'll tell you, you can't turn a corner without that guy sticking his little camera in your face, though.

[Sean McLaughlin]

That's what we were talking about.

[Andy Roddick]

Like, we're in the locker room. Hey. He's like, hey. I was like, jesus Christ. He's like, Eddie.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Yeah. He had. He had a post where you were talking about you were grateful for Del Potro beating you because then saved you from potentially having a losing record against Novak.

[Andy Roddick]

Correct. Oh, he had his camera on then.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Yeah.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah. This guy's like. Schwarzman's like a little paparazzo dude. Like, he just. He pops in, you'd be like, oh, SW. Over, like, mumbling to yourself. He's like, que pasa?

[Mike Dickson]

Does he work for Tennis Australia?

[Andy Roddick]

He does, yeah. He was working for Tennis Australia as a player.

[Mike Dickson]

He's a social media guy.

[Andy Roddick]

Well, he was a. He was like. He was. He describes his job as like, I need to go get the vibe from the players. And obviously, he's a trusted. Like, that's a great choice.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Vibes guy.

[Andy Roddick]

Del Pocho is the man. Love him. His body is Just, he's just, he's. I feel bad for him. Like he's such. I hope and no one ever forgets how fucking good he is or was like he's maybe my number one on like injury, like the what if game. He was that good. Like I don't want anyone to ever forget. I know no one in Argentina or South America will ever forget. But he needs to be one of those top names that rolls off, off the lips. He is so good. I love him to death and his body has just failed him. It's hard to see. It's hard to see.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Anyways, that's cool.

[Andy Roddick]

What else you got?

[Sean McLaughlin]

Jw, as we were coming on, you were sending us a text message. This is Monday, so you were sending a text message. Maybe some headlines with the WTA leaving Saudi Arabia.

[Mike Dickson]

Oh yeah, yeah. This was not a well kept secret.

[Andy Roddick]

Can we say it out loud even though everyone already knows it?

[Sean McLaughlin]

Well, I mean Ben Rothenberger put it out on bounces that the WTA finals to leave Saudi Arabia.

[Andy Roddick]

I mean there's literally a time this year where Ben Rothenberg goes. I'd like to confirm a story. Can I get, can I get you on the record? I go, I don't know what you're talking about. He prints it anyways. He doesn't need much of a nudge. But this one I think is real.

[Mike Dickson]

I think this one's real. I think he nailed this one. No, I mean it's not been. It's an open secret that this was a three year deal in Saudi Arabia. I mean for a variety of reasons. What's going on in that part of the world. The human rights record that has not approved for the premier women's sport. And then I think some of this is just, I don't know. I think that arena your playing in front of 4,000 fans. I think the.

[Andy Roddick]

It holds 4,000 fans which is different than.

[Mike Dickson]

Well, and yeah, they cordon off. They cordon off the top tier. So I had heard that there was a Polish promoter interested. But now it seems as though you're that the city of served now. It seems like the queen city of Charlotte, North Carolina. We can have a longer discussion about this another time. I don't. I mean you're paying $15 million in prize money and you're paying whatever, you know, $10 million to the WTA. I mean, I hope the answer is yes. Is there $25 million in Charlotte to take over this event?

[Andy Roddick]

I don't know. I know for a fact that there were discussions last week, you know no one has reached out to us directly. I don't know. There's no communication. I know the people that are doing it are a quarter of a mile away and I heard about it through other people. But yeah, I mean, it sounds like they're trying to. Trying to round them up. I don't think it's a done deal like has been represented. I don't think that's the case. But I think Charlotte's probably the favorite at this point.

[Sean McLaughlin]

It's the leading city and I think maybe a couple other ones.

[Andy Roddick]

I think. I think from what I've heard, I think the WTA wants it. I think Charlotte has a big appetite for it, you know, so, so, so we'll see. It feel. It feels like they had a lot of the right people in the room. Not us, but it feels like they had a lot of the right people in the room trying to sell the event to the city of Charlotte.

[Sean McLaughlin]

What if it's a Spectrum Center? I mean, the group that now owns the Hornets is doing a great job trying to expand sporting events here in the city.

[Andy Roddick]

So this would be great. I mean, let's. It's. It's been a tough event. Let's. I mean, if we're being honest, like Kim even said, like in la it was rough. In Mexico, it was rough. In Dallas, it was rough. And these have all been kind of like fire hose situations. Like last minute Riyadh was. Was rough. So hopefully Charlotte is the solution. I would love to see it. We would love to have professional tennis in this city.

[Mike Dickson]

Yeah. Bear in mind, you could argue, you know, China is what got all this started, but no, it's.

[Andy Roddick]

It's.

[Mike Dickson]

This is a premier event for the WTA. I mean, realistically, it probably should be in the market where the most top players hail. Be great to get it back in the United States. As long as they don't use Dunlop tennis balls. Bring it to Charlotte. That's what I say.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, I'm gonna go off. I mean, I know that one's gonna. I already have regrets about going about that, but I didn't lie. So here we are.

[Mike Dickson]

They make good tires.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Oh, my gosh.

[Mike Dickson]

Give them a maker, right?

[Andy Roddick]

The best. Amazing. Much better than their tennis balls, which they trying to help die a fiery death.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Before we get out of here, we're going to try and start doing more poll questions and we want to start getting fans involved. But we actually sent one of your good friends, Andy, a guy named Keith Krieger, to the Miami Open this year to take some photography for us. And the Miami Open was gracious enough to give him a two week photo pass. And he had some incredible photos. In this Friday we put up a poll. Sean has a couple of them that he's going to cycle through right now. But we asked the fans, you know, of these 19 photos that we put up on Instagram what would be the top five favorites? And we have the winners.

[Andy Roddick]

What are your favorite? 18 out of the 19. So comfortable.

[Sean McLaughlin]

So number five was this photo of. Of sinner here. Just classic class fist pump.

[Andy Roddick]

Classy.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Number four was Coco Golf giving us a good yell.

[Andy Roddick]

Wearing the semi superstitious hat, the little stitches hat.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Little stitches.

[Andy Roddick]

Not superstitious. Just a little.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Now the rest of the voting you're not going to be as surprised about. I think number three came in as Joao Fonseca.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, just give me.

[Mike Dickson]

And then these new favorite country. Stuff the ballot box.

[Andy Roddick]

That's fine.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Stuff the ballot box. And then next up we have one Vicky Mboco.

[Andy Roddick]

That's cool.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Love that shot.

[Andy Roddick]

That's a cool shot.

[Mike Dickson]

Keith is so good. Can we point people to his website?

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah, Keith, Keith is so good. He's one of the best potters in the world.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Like that's the crazy thing.

[Andy Roddick]

That's his thing. And now he's, he's like side gigging these amazing photos and anyways, and then shocker.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Alex Yala, number one with I mean triple the votes of everybody else.

[Andy Roddick]

Shocker.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Shocker. But thank you guys for casting in your votes and I think the next week's poll question and I'm interested to hear your take on the Sandy maybe hold it. But in 2024, Claylor was born when Taylor Fritz had a big run on the dirt. Now that Fritz has pulled out of Monte Carlo to rehab his knee tendonitis and it's questionable until grass court season which American player could be the new disruptor on Clay. And we're actually going to get into this with you in Q and Andy.

[Andy Roddick]

Q and Andy. We did a show that will be Monday show that we will clip from. Right. We can, we can talk about this.

[Sean McLaughlin]

We're transitioning to next week's show.

[Andy Roddick]

Yeah. CEO. The new CEO or incoming CEO for the usta. Craig Tylee was able to sit down with him at the UST annual meeting last week along with president, chair of the board and co CEO until Craig actually lands with both feet on the ground. Brian Vehely, who I've known for a long time kind of just went through growth plans asking Craig because it was literally the worst kept secret in Tennis everyone knew for three months and we couldn't talk about it. But anyways got to sit down with them, which I thought was really cool, really gracious. The first time he's kind of talked on record since taking that job. So that was really fun. That'll be next Tuesday's episode.

[Sean McLaughlin]

Yeah, next Tuesday's episode. Actually I think Sean has a clip of it right now that we'll play for you guys. Just a little taste.

[Andy Roddick]

Cool. After all the success you've had in tennis Australia, like that sunset must have looked really close, right? Like why the usta? Why now?

[Craig Tiley]

I just see a massive opportunity in US Tennis right now. There's a long term vision. There hasn't been that ever. And I think we're in a great position that the game's growing and the people in this room, as you said at the beginning, other people are going to make it happen. So I saw tremendous upside. There's a way that the US again could lead the world when it comes to participation. Getting people to play the game, getting people to perform well in the game.

[Andy Roddick]

And then one other one I want to throw your way. And I don't even think JW knows about this yet. I love digging into tennis and not just the players but the people that like prop up the players and enhance players performance. So Jason Stacy of the a lot of people will you know him because he's the one who draws the tiger on his head when he loses a bet with but he was, I remember him when I was on tours with Dimitri Tourzanoff and now has had this, this unbelievable run with, with Arena Sabalenka. So her performance coach Jason Stacy is going to come on and do Q and Andy. I don't know if it's gonna be next week or the week after, but in the next couple weeks we're gonna have him on. So if you have, I have a ton of questions that I want to ask but if you have questions as fans never too early start sending him in. For Jason Stacy of the Arena Sabalenka team, I think that's it homies.

[Sean McLaughlin]

That's it.

[Andy Roddick]

This has been served. We'll see you next week. AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built on. With the ServiceNow AI platform, your AI data and workflows all work together, connecting every corner of your business. To see how you can put AI to work for people, visit servicenow.com AI agents.

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[Andy Roddick]

Experian.