← Served with Andy Roddick
Served with Andy Roddick
Building a Tennis Stadium in 10 Days & Why Andy’s Autograph Sucks | Q&Andy
00:33:04
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- [00:02]
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- [00:35]
Andy Roddick
What's up, serv watchers? This is Q and Andy. And as promised, this week we're going to try to figure out a little bit more of what a tournament director does. Friend of mine from a long, long time. Now, I think we met in 1994, if I'm not mistaken. Peter Lebedevs. When I played in Memphis and a bunch of other places, Peter was always someone that I really enjoyed dealing with. Now, as the tournament director at the Nexo Dallas Open, how's the chaos meter getting ready for an event?
- [01:08]
Peter Lebedevs
Peter, you know, the chaos meter here right now, Andy, is crazy. We've got three days before we go showtime and we build this entire Stadium in 10 days on a football field. So we now have, I think it's six, six little tractors out there working. We have guys working 24, 7, 2 Ships, 7A and 7P. So it is about as crazy as it can be right now.
- [01:31]
Andy Roddick
Is it, is it a little bit predictable? Do you like, you know, this timeline after so many years, or is there always just something that's going to creep up and be stressful?
- [01:42]
Peter Lebedevs
Everything is always stressful. You know, look, Dallas, they said, come to Dallas. Great weather. We've had snow and ice three out of the five years we've been here. So be very clear. You know, it's like, okay, the snow and ice is coming. Dallas is already shut down. Can't get the paint delivered to do the courts that came yesterday, others, you know, so there's always something. Bottom line is we need about another, you know, 10 days on the front end to build it. But so, yes, there's always something going on that's, that's just crazy, you know, like I, like I said, the paint was one that we had, you know, this year alone that they couldn't get it in last year, the, the courts, because they're brand new courts and they were stuck in Houston and fell off the side of the road on the ice that year. So always something going on. I'm just, my phone blows up. I run out of battery after half the day. I just get that many calls during.
- [02:29]
Andy Roddick
The day, it sounds horrible.
- [02:36]
Mike (Producer)
You're doing this by choice or are they holding you hostage?
- [02:39]
Andy Roddick
So the goodness of your heart or how's this work?
- [02:42]
Peter Lebedevs
It's a great idea, as you say that, because I always tell myself, you thought it was going to be good to come down here to Dallas and build this in 10 days. What were you thinking? But look, when you put it all together and you're sitting up there on Sunday night after the final and you go, this went to 160 countries around the world and we're playing tennis, the greatest game there is. That part satisfying the stress beforehand. Yeah. You know, I got more gray hairs than I used to, that's for sure.
- [03:05]
Andy Roddick
I guess anything worth doing should feel that way at some point.
- [03:08]
Peter Lebedevs
Right.
- [03:09]
Andy Roddick
But talk about kind of. You're talking about building in a football stadium, like just to give our listeners context. In Memphis, it was a racket, like an actual racket club where the. It was like you used the locker room that was at just like a tennis club. Right. And it was, it had certain smell smells when you walked in. It was like everything was famous for that. Everything was like narrow and tucked. There's like secret hallways that maybe for like you. You might step over like a skull. I don't know. There's all sorts of stuff buried in there. But talk about the transition from, like, you couldn't have two more opposite venues than Memphis and Dallas, and you're still expected just to put it on as if there's no difference.
- [03:51]
Peter Lebedevs
Absolutely. Right. Look, you know, this is. This is the Dallas Cowboys hq, their practice field for the Cowboys play. So from one aspect, we have the most amazing technology here. So like the TV camera guys just plug and play. So all of those things are easy. Now, as you know, football here on high school, this is actually where they play their football games on Friday night. 12,000 seat arena. So we actually have four locker rooms. When Clay Snipman came last year and he goes, oh, my gosh, this training room is twice as big as the US Open training room. So we have some good things. But the fact is it's on a football field. We had to design it. We have. We're within 6 inches of being able to fit this whole thing in. We have four practice courts, two match courts. And so the design team that are you going backwards and forwards and then you get the fire marshal. So it's a lot of stuff, but it's, it's parts of this a little easier because of the operations team than Memphis. But you Knew Memphis and after doing it for 20 years, you absolutely knew where the skulls were and where the smells were and say, okay, I can avoid that area here. Every year we're finding out something new. But the staff here are fantastic helping us. But it's just, look, it's a tight timeline to build it, but in the end of it, it's, look, it really is a great venue. The fact that the hotel is connected. You're going to come in here on Saturday, you will walk from your hotel room to center court. It will take you four minutes and that's how close you are to it.
- [05:16]
Andy Roddick
Yeah, it sounds super convenient. I think one of the things that I've enjoyed from being on this side of the microphone is like as a player, you kind of understand that it takes work to get stuff done, but it's just not in your orbit. And it's not because, well, maybe I was. But like it's normally not because you're like a prick or like you're, you know, an asshole or something. It's just like you arrive and you're focused on practice and if something's not right, then you're upset. Right? So it's, it's, it's just different ways of, of seeing it. But I say that to throw myself under the bus before I say I'm sure all of the players fully understand the work that's put in and how thought out everything is correct.
- [05:53]
Peter Lebedevs
Peter, I may not, I may not.
- [05:56]
Andy Roddick
Quite agree with that.
- [05:58]
Peter Lebedevs
You know, the players give their post talk tournament reports and you know, one time that we didn't, like, we didn't have enough balls of practice. I got 600 cases of balls. You can grab a kit, you know, like, oh, that's so they, they don't, they don't really get it on this side of the world, you know, but again, they're not supposed to. I want them to walk in here and not think about anything. I mean, that's what I want them to do. If, if they can go and eat like they do, they'll eat where the Cowboys football players eat. That's as nice as it is, you know, and so if I can make that easy. And that's what we're always trying to do, you know, from your days of being in Memphis and all the other events we've played with, you know, our goal is to make it as easy as we can for the players because look, they're, you know, they're F1 cars, they're athletes. We want to make it that all they have to focus on getting out there and hitting the ball as good as they possibly can and take away any of the obstacles that around there. You know, that's my job now to worry about all that sort of stuff and say, okay, you know, we can, we can get better food, we can get more of the electrolyte. You know, I got pinged because I got to have more couches in the locker rooms. Okay, guys, you want more couches? I'll bring in more couches for you.
- [07:01]
Andy Roddick
Is that just because is there is going to play and he's like two people combined.
- [07:06]
Peter Lebedevs
Could be. Or him and Riley together, you know, but it's. Those are the little things that you get on there. But look, it's even, you know, I'm already talking to agents for next year trying to get to come to the event. You know, committing those things people don't understand. It's a, It's a full know 365. This is the culmination of it all. But It's a full 365 and just, you know, working all the time.
- [07:28]
Andy Roddick
Yeah. And explain that process real quick. Since you, since you mentioned it. Right. I, I think people generally think that, okay, there's a, there's a tournament, so the Americans are just going to go play it. And I. That's not the case. Right. Like you're, you're. There's an. There's an option. Obviously, having the 500 designation is like a superpower. I was always going to play Memphis because it was the closest 500 that I could, you know, knockout. And Peter knew that going into negotiation. He knew I was probably going to play there. Otherwise I'd have to like fly to Beijing or something. So talk people through that thing where you're trying to contract players to come and then maybe, I don't know, predict someone being good a year from now. Talk about all the moving parts with trying to put together the best field that you can in Dallas.
- [08:09]
Peter Lebedevs
You're exactly right. I get a budget and I say, okay, got. Got this number that I got to spend on these players. You know, who's our priority. So, you know, I'll go down and look at that prior list. Obviously, you know, top 10 is starting out. You know, guys like Taylor and Ben, you know, and Tommy's been there. And then I've also, you know, really committed. We've got to get some European players to come over here. And as Max Eisenbud said on your podcast, that's a challenge from a taxation standpoint for the players in the US So, you know, I'm, you know, I was talking to a particular agent in Australia, trying to see, hey, can we do X, Y and Z to change that tax for you? So that's where I start. Budget key players and then we figure out what we've got left. But, you know, we don't really, I'd love to say it's a quick process and the agents are pretty good about it. It's, you know, here's the number, here's what it is, and what can we do? But we didn't finalize all of them till, you know, probably July, maybe even August, getting in there. But it's, it's, you know, every player thinks they're worth this. And, you know, even I got told, hey, well, you got to pay him the same, because they'll talk in the locker room. And I'm like, well, if their ranking was the same, I'm fine with them.
- [09:19]
Andy Roddick
Talking, as long as they make sure to talk about the number then actually their name too, when making that.
- [09:22]
Peter Lebedevs
Yeah. And also the truth, they, let me tell you, it's, it's a little bit about, oh, I get this. And they just yelled at me once. I'm like, he ain't getting paid. That I can just tell you he is pulling your player's leg. So, so that's, that's what it goes down to all of the time. And, you know, then, then it's just, we get there and look, you and I have dealt with this before, and it's pretty straightforward. Here's the number, here's what we want you to do. Can you do it? Okay, and, and the thing is, if you get that and don't try and, you know, go around in circles for too long, those are the kind of agents that are fun. And most of tennis guys are really good about that, honestly.
- [09:55]
Andy Roddick
Yeah. So I'm, I'm, I'm excited. I haven't been, I haven't been to the Dallas Open before. I saw the previous iteration of the tournament when it was in Memphis. I played it, you know, a million times. I'm playing who, who. What are, what are the teams for, for, for Saturday night? What are we calling this thing? What, what time does it start? Give us, give us all the, give us all the goss.
- [10:16]
Peter Lebedevs
We're calling the All American Classic by Baker Tilly. So, you know, it's all stud American players coming in there. It's, the gates are at seven, the match is at eight o', clock, and we have the, you know, the ambassador in Mr. John McEnroe is going to be playing. And when I spoke to John, he said, you know, look, let me choose my partner because there was between you, John Isner, local guy, and Sam Query. And so Johnny Mac said, I want to play with Isna the local guy. So it's going to be you and Sam, mate.
- [10:50]
Andy Roddick
The only reason I have a problem with that is because I doubt one down to do it. Whatever, it's going to be fun. We're going have a great time. You know, there's half a chance Mac and I start talking shit and who knows, it tends to happen sometimes. The only thing that I would have possibly wanted the chance to do, and I'm not saying we would have, but there was no downside. The thought of trying to get a piece of Isner inquiry with someone as old as Mac, oh my gosh, could you imagine that amount of shit talk forever? But now it's, yeah, lifetime. But now I'm, now I'm on the other side. I'm going to be the nervous one who if, if we lose to, if we lose to Sasquatch and McEnroe, then we have no, you know, we have. The bragging rights are completely out the door.
- [11:40]
Peter Lebedevs
Yeah, you'll have to be eating some crow on that one. And look, John, you know, is there's one like five 1000 tournaments. He's actually a decent doubles player. He, he hates to say it, but you know, he's won a few of those events. And Johnny Mac now John's 67, but he looks fit as a fiddle. So I don't know how he's going to hit. I don't know if you're going to drop your one. Well, I don't know. It used to be 150. What are we up to now?
- [12:01]
Andy Roddick
One I can't, sir.
- [12:02]
Peter Lebedevs
I can do.
- [12:02]
Andy Roddick
I can do everything else, actually. Okay. Now, serving's rough, but Mac, I'll tell you this. And like Mac and I love to go back and forth and, you know, give each other shit and we mean a lot of it. But I will tell you that, I will tell you, I don't know that there's ever been anyone who's been as good post 50, 55 years old as Mac. He is insane even to this day. Like not affected by pace. If you hit it at him, obviously movement goes, you know, at a certain point, but he still has this like gross 118 lefty serve that makes you look stupid sometimes. And then he gives you a little look and he's he's super effective still. Like, I don't, I mean Peter, you've seen a lot of like former players and a lot of us stink at a certain point. He's like as good as there's been as far as someone kind of aging.
- [12:53]
Peter Lebedevs
Well with skill 100%. I mean that serve of his is just, it's always been one of the huge things. But that is absolutely, as you said, it's still nasty. I, I also think the fact that John is just so competitive. He, he doesn't want to lose, you know, ever. And so I think that's part of the reason he sort of kept himself in the, in the shape and kept himself in the game like he has. But his hands. Yeah, I think I saw him hitting some in Australia on a, on a clip and he still looks smooth and effortless. You know, he makes the game look easy and that, you know, we used.
- [13:22]
Andy Roddick
To, we used to play all the one nighters and then we'll get to the, the questions that you listeners sent in for Peter. But we used to play the, I guess they called them legends events. But it was like you'd go to a city and play one night. I called it the Tragedy tour. It's where tennis went to die. But we'd play and I was two years off of tour and I retired young and I won two out of my last four events on tour. And we'd play and we played this thing for like three years and we'd play and I would go out and I would normally beat Johnny Mac. I found my sweet spot for dominance and it's just playing people 25 years older than me. But we would play and if I won, he would be still to this and this is what made him great. He's still pissed like everyone else is. Just like, I'm with Jimmy Courier. We're on the plane to the next place ripping vodka sodas and Max ripping vodka sodas but with like a different intent. You know, it's just gets so pissed still. But that's like, I see it, I'm like, I don't understand it. And then I'm like, that's probably why I wasn't as good as you like for. As a starter pack, you know. But.
- [14:29]
Peter Lebedevs
Oh look, that. No, that's, that was his, his, his thing people. You know, he wasn't mad. He's just so competitive. He hates to, you know, that old, you know, hates to lose. He hates to lose. I mean he warmed up one time for an exo in, in us in Memphis and Man, he was ready to go and he didn't want to be disturbed. And he was, you know, 100%. He's. He's that way. But look, that's, you know, the greats always have that something special, you know. And yourself, you always, you always put yourself down. But, you know, that serve of yours, that was something special. And that grit, you know, you'll have something. And he had that fight to hate, to lose and, you know, so, yeah, that's how he's Johnny Mack.
- [15:03]
Andy Roddick
Yes, it's. Anyways, I'm already, I think I just. My hands started sweating just thinking about Saturday right now. I should probably. We haven't gotten to the part where I have to return a serve from someone who's 8,000ft tall. But anyways, it's gonna be a great time. Peter. Mike, what do we, what do we have? What do we have for listener questions?
- [15:21]
Mike (Producer)
Well, you know what, one of the questions you already answered, so I ask. It was from Jason W. Asking how soon you have to prepare for the tournament after it ends. So thank you for pre answering that. But the next one is up from Racket Lifestyle. And this question, I think does tie into the exhibition kind of concept a little bit. Is in an evolving age of entertainment meets tournament, how much is the casual fan being catered to?
- [15:43]
Peter Lebedevs
Look, that's a great question. From a standpoint, we do it all the time. We've got to do something special at the event. Look, we got the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders coming out Friday night and we're going to have the high school bands playing in the side. So it's like a Friday night Lights. So somebody who doesn't necessarily love tennis. Hey, come and see the cheerleaders. I do that. We're also doing a collegiate challenge for the doubles wildcard. We've got a team from TCU, Baylor A&M and SMU. They're going to play off and whoever wins their little playoff is going to get into the main draw. So trying to bring in college people so, you know, they don't necessarily have to love tennis. So it is a huge part of it and with the influencers. So, you know, that's probably the difference maker for us for being successful or not. The tennis stalwarts, they're coming. I mean, tennis started in Dallas with, you know, WCT and Lamar Hunt at smu. That was the beginning of pro tennis. So we have those fans. They're fantastic. It's those marginal ones. And so it is a huge part of our planning strategy as we go Forward every year. That's probably almost half of it now.
- [16:45]
Andy Roddick
How it seems like, and I don't know if we're just back into it, but it seems like over the last three, four years, and this was something I would have bet, I said I would have lost my house. But the mainstream interest in tennis seems like it's gone through the roof in the last three, four years. And I mean, does that affect the Dallas Open as well as the US Open in the Oz Open, or is it a little bit more siloed?
- [17:11]
Peter Lebedevs
It definitely helps us, you know, and, and like, you know, if the guys do well in Oz and you know, those semi finals we had in Australia, my gosh, you know, greatest tennis. Everybody's talking about it. So it definitely helps. The, the part that really makes an influence for us is if I had one of those guys that played in the last four was coming to Dallas, then I'm through the roof. But anything that's that positive about tennis is, is definitely good. And look, you know, that's what you talk about, the lengthening of the thousands and all these things. You know, people are showing up, people are doing more, you know, fans, all those events are getting more people there. So tennis is on a huge upswing, which everybody's worried what happens after the top three. And guess what? There's always somebody that steps up. Did we know they're going to be this great? I don't think so, but it's, you know, it's amazing how we're still just rolling and rising with this tide, honestly.
- [17:56]
Andy Roddick
Well, this great and this entertaining. That's. That, that's a, that's an important caveat. What else we got?
- [18:01]
Mike (Producer)
Mike, I'm glad that you brought up smu and I'm glad you brought up the doubles wildcard, because the next question was from Alvaro. He asked, does marketability influence your decision in giving out wild cards or is it your prospect? Would a foreigner be at a disadvantage? And this is kind of a two part question, so interested to hear both this. Would a foreigner be at a disadvantage over an American when considering a wild card opportunity with the Dallas Open?
- [18:24]
Peter Lebedevs
Oh, that's a tricky one, but a very good question. Look, we definitely consider a combination of things on that. We say, okay, we want to support American tennis. So if it's a toss up between somebody, definitely going to lean towards an American. But at the same time, I'm also. Okay, who is the up and coming guy? You know, Jo Fonseca spoke to his agent last year. You know, you're looking for Those guys. So we definitely do that. If it's a toss up, definitely go with the American. If I see somebody who's up and coming. Years ago, Nick Kyrgios, we gave him a wild card in Memphis and he just done something great in Oz and so I gave him a wild card. Did he show up a hard time? He did. This is good for you.
- [19:05]
Andy Roddick
Way to go. You're a great tournament director.
- [19:07]
Peter Lebedevs
Yeah. When he was young, Andy, when he was still, you know, very, very good on that stuff and, you know, people gave me a hard time and I said, look, I went into the press room and said, who are you going to write a story about? And I had some Americans and him. And they all went, him, because he just did something. So you got to go with what sells tickets to an extent, because that's what keeps the, the whole motor running. You know, it's nice to say support these guys, but, you know, characters sell tickets in a sense. And so it's not always a ranking, but definitely helps. You got to have the ranking. But a few of those guys that are at the lower level, I say lower level, it's a bad thing to say. But, you know, and Nick sells tickets. Whether you like it or not, he sells tickets. So a little bit of both. But definitely favor the American players for our next at else Open. For sure.
- [19:51]
Mike (Producer)
Yeah.
- [19:51]
Andy Roddick
And one thing I'll just say because I understand how a lot of the wild card stuff works. Like if the Dallas Open, if you get someone. He used Fonseca as maybe come. Okay. That affects the Brazilian market, which means that the Dallas Open is more successful, which means that it's around, it's sustainable. It's hopefully here in 30 or 40 years. So it's not in a silo each time. American versus not American. If you get a star who's hyped you, you have to give them that ticket. But obviously in, in a tournament in America, and this is no different than any other place, you know, in Australia, you're going to favor the young Australian prospects because that's normally better for Aussie tennis. If you get someone who's outsized as far as like star power or, or maybe someone who, you know, was. Is not as good as they. They were, but is still a pull. Like that's different.
- [20:47]
Peter Lebedevs
Right.
- [20:47]
Andy Roddick
If a former Slam champion comes in, all of those things matter. But yeah, I mean, he's, he's right everywhere around the world, tie goes to the market.
- [20:54]
Peter Lebedevs
Yeah, it has to.
- [20:56]
Andy Roddick
Yeah.
- [20:57]
Mike (Producer)
Last question is actually from the serve team and we're all Curious of how long you've known Andy for and what embarrassing story you can tell us about him so we all can laugh at him on a regular basis.
- [21:06]
Peter Lebedevs
Well, look, I was a coach for Andy on his Challenge cup team when he was 12 years of age down in Florida, and he was the number one on the team. Robbie Ginepre, who was another top 20 guy, was number two on the team when they were 12 years of age. Who knew what they were going to be? That good. I don't really have any embarrassing stories, you know, I'd love to say I do.
- [21:28]
Andy Roddick
Good friends, kind.
- [21:29]
Peter Lebedevs
But, but look, you know, he's coming.
- [21:32]
Mike (Producer)
You can tell us the story.
- [21:33]
Peter Lebedevs
No, I know. All right. I know it's a little work there. It took us a few emails. Wasn't the first one, let me tell you. But look, he's, I, I still to this day, Andy played the final in Memphis. And I'm going to tell this story. And you know, as the doubles final is on and they get a call from Dougie Spring, his trainer, hey, Peter, need to see you in the locker room. It's never a good thing when the trainer says that to you. So I go down there and goes, hey, he's asleep. He tried to hit some balls. He hit three balls and he's done. We'll wake him up five minutes before and see if he can go. And I'm like, oh, my gosh. You know, so we get TV together, get ready, going to come up with a strategic plan. And he walks out there in Memphis and he's coughing his guts up. He's feels looks like white as a ghost. He goes out there 7 6, wins a first set against rain, is just dropping bombs, has a match point in the second set. Rainwich saves it and wins a second seven six. And then they go to the third and Andy hits a match point forehand passing shot at 65, break point down the line, fully airborne, where he is not touching the ground for the winner. So we go from at one minute not having a match to having our longest, greatest final with the greatest match point ever. Even though it was number two on Tennis Channel for the year. That shot, I still say number one. So that's where a guy. Yeah, look, you know, Novak, smack forehand against Fed. But he's basically tanking. It went in, but, you know, look, so I only have positives and he's always answered the bell, you know, and so I can only say positives and yes, he's already signed, so I don't need to say it but, you know, he's, he's, he's great for, he's been great for tennis and, you know, good friend and, and excited to have him here for our All American Classic. Philly.
- [23:17]
Andy Roddick
It's, it's amazing how, you know, relationships, you know, they start, they come, they go, they ebb, they flow. You listen with Peter, our conversations, we don't always have to agree on whatever the other person says on email. But I, I often also don't wonder if he's telling me the truth when, when, when he sends something. So hopefully that is the same. Peter. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday. Everyone go. Is it DallasOpen.com Peter, is that right?
- [23:48]
Peter Lebedevs
Yep. Get your tickets for the next Dallas Open@DallasOpen.com. we got a few great VIP seats available during the week and we'd love to see everybody out there and looking forward to seeing you here, Andy.
- [23:57]
Cut Water Host
All right.
- [23:57]
Andy Roddick
I can't wait to see you. I'll see all of you, hopefully, on Saturday. Let's make sure that the serve listeners come out and heckle the nothing major guys. Even if I'm on Sam's team this up a little bit, I think we're gonna have.
- [24:12]
Mike (Producer)
Blair Henley's gonna be there too. She's, she's under the served banner. I think we're gonna gang up on.
- [24:16]
Andy Roddick
Let's get all the chuckers and let's make a scene. Let's see if we can do it. Peter, I'm, I'm looking forward to seeing you. Thanks for having me in Dallas. Look forward to it and best of luck with the tournament.
- [24:25]
Peter Lebedevs
Thanks. Thanks, guys.
- [24:26]
Andy Roddick
Thank you. All right, Peter, thank you. Good luck with the event in Dallas. Looking forward to being there on Saturday. Again, tickets, Dallas Open.com. we have more questions.
- [24:36]
Mike (Producer)
We have some more questions.
- [24:37]
Andy Roddick
Some ao, topical questions, relevant questions after the break. All right, we are back. Q and Andy producer Mike. Let's do this shit.
- [24:47]
Mike (Producer)
Yeah, man. So we have, we have a few questions on the backside of that great conversation with Peter. First one up is Kathleen from Middlebury, Vermont, a little qualifier. She was clearly watching a match and she didn't know what was about to happen. But the preface it. Here's, here's her question.
- [25:05]
Kathleen from Middlebury, Vermont
Hey, Andy from Middlebury, Vermont. I've got Djokovic Musetti on here. It's a little past midnight. I already know I'm going to up way too late watching this match. And it prompted me to ask, like, what do your days look like during Grand Slams? Are you just watching tennis 24 7? Are you sleeping like what's going on over there? How much tennis is too much tennis? My little brother also wanted me to ask mention that at the 2004 Davis cup in Charleston, you signed one of those massive tennis balls for him. And he specifically wants to know why your autograph was so bad. Apparently it was so illegible that when he showed his friend, they didn't even believe that you signed the ball. Anyways, thank you for a great pod. Hoping for a fifth set battle here. Who needs sleep anyways?
- [25:56]
Andy Roddick
You wanna know what? She got sleep that night.
- [25:59]
Mike (Producer)
She got sleep.
- [26:01]
Andy Roddick
So I'll tell you. Still looks the same. It's just scratch. It's not.
- [26:06]
Peter Lebedevs
It's just.
- [26:07]
Mike (Producer)
This is. This is.
- [26:08]
Andy Roddick
I was. I was born this way. With this. With this handwriting. Yeah. So Aussie's hard, right? I think you go as late as you can and watch as much as you can early. And then I would normally get up a little bit early and then scrounge for. I would rewatch matches, I would film matches. You can cut a lot of time out of matches. If you wake up early and you skip switchovers and you skip between points, matches are like 20, 25 minutes then.
- [26:36]
Peter Lebedevs
Right?
- [26:36]
Andy Roddick
So I think that's. That's one cheat code. But yeah, I mean, it's. I'll tell you what though, time zones are easier to deal with doing a podcast than playing tennis, I'll tell you that much. But no, I love watching tennis. There's no such thing as too much tennis. The only challenge with Oz and us shooting from studio is the time change, trade off, and frankly, when the matches are their first rounds and stuff, you can't watch 64 matches. It's actually impossible. So you do the best you can. AO does a great job with their highlight packages. You can tell a lot from the statistics. You know, percentages you can start creating, especially if you already know the players. So I watch as much as I can and then kind of cheat code it. Skip when they're already finished, don't look at the results, wake up, and then kind of skip over the switchovers and between points.
- [27:29]
Mike (Producer)
Nice. Next up is Steve. He asked, I noticed both Alcaraz and Sinner were wearing yellow at ao. Doesn't the color yellow affect the way opponents can see a ball? Should it be prohibited to wear yellow?
- [27:42]
Andy Roddick
Yeah, he's spot on. Yellow is the most annoying color because you're trying to. The reason you'll never see a yellow backdrop on a tennis court is because you can't track the ball. Now, it's a very small Thing, you know, their shirt size or whatever it is. I remember Adidas one year had like this neon yellow, which was like impossible. And I think in a moment of frustration I probably said the same thing. I don't know, you can ban, you know, green or a color, but yeah, it's, it's, it's sometimes a pain in the ass.
- [28:16]
Mike (Producer)
Wasn't a tennis ball white until, like, until television?
- [28:19]
Andy Roddick
Well, only at Wimbledon, I think. Yeah. So like.
- [28:22]
Mike (Producer)
And they wore all white.
- [28:23]
Andy Roddick
Yeah. And it used to be a green court. The reason why most courts aren't green now, the majority of hard courts is because they want the contrast of following the ball against like a dark blue type situation. So, yes, contrast is the friend of someone trying to pick up a ball. So, yeah, yellow is not great.
- [28:39]
Mike (Producer)
Next up is from our friend Naraj Mehta. Is it fair to say that Carlos has advanced and changed tennis with the drop shot as much as Steph Curry advanced, slash, changed basketball with the three point shot? If not, who gets the credit?
- [28:53]
Peter Lebedevs
Carlos?
- [28:53]
Andy Roddick
Yeah, I don't know that it surpassed Steph's three point shot just because, like, what do you see? It drops out once every three or four games. Whereas, like Steph, it's like there's a threat of it every possession. And that's, that's the thing that's changed is like the threat of Carlos's drop shot screws you for when he has to open up the shoulders. Like they work in lockstep. Even when he's not using it, you still have to account for it. So it's completely change it. Like you have sinner going you. It reminds me of the scene in Happy Gilmore, like when Happy Gilmore is just hitting bombs because he's walking up to the golf ball. And then there's that cutaway of Shooter McGavin trying it in the woods. That's like, that's like everyone like sinner's like, I'm, I'm working on my drop shot because of Alcaraz.
- [29:35]
Mike (Producer)
Yeah, yeah.
- [29:36]
Andy Roddick
Like it's, he's created, I think Steph's three point thing. I don't either or. I don't know, you could argue it. I tend to lean, I guess Steph, because that's like the basis of his game as opposed to like, you know, the basis of Carlos game is never going to be just the drop shot. He could probably win a slam without a drop shot and he couldn't win a slam with only a drop shot. And Steph probably has to shoot threes. Right. But yeah, it's that copycat effect. I mean, he's definitely affected change, and there had to be some way to shake up to set up the forehand when everyone's big, strong, fast, and can move and defend.
- [30:09]
Peter Lebedevs
Right.
- [30:09]
Andy Roddick
He kind of figured it out, and now you're seeing everyone else try to do it. Like, I remember when I was playing, like, even coaches, it was almost like an irresponsible, like, showboaty type shot. Like, if you missed one on a big point, you were gonna get your ass chewed out.
- [30:23]
Mike (Producer)
Like, yeah, that's like the kid coming down and shooting from, like, 100 from the logo. And you're like, what the hell are you doing?
- [30:27]
Andy Roddick
And then Steph comes.
- [30:28]
Mike (Producer)
Yeah.
- [30:29]
Andy Roddick
And then just is like, not every.
- [30:30]
Mike (Producer)
Coach is like, try it.
- [30:32]
Peter Lebedevs
Just.
- [30:32]
Andy Roddick
Yeah, it's analytics. Yeah. But I think the comp that you're making, you know, whether or not either or. I don't know. But, like, I think the comp and the. The sentiment is. Is spot on. Like, you know, crazy talents with a crazy skill that make everyone else crazy.
- [30:52]
Mike (Producer)
That's it. That's all we got.
- [30:53]
Andy Roddick
It's been Q and Andy. We'll see you next week.