← Served with Andy Roddick
Served with Andy Roddick
Iva Jovic Joins the Show, Alcaraz Wrist Injury, Shelton & Fils Titles, & More
01:21:58
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- [00:01]
Eva Jovic
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- [00:49]
Host Andy
AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into. That's why it's no surprise that more than 85% of the Fortune 500 use the ServiceNow AI platform. While other platforms duct tape tools together, ServiceNow seamlessly unifies people, data, workflows and AI connecting every corner of your business. And with AI agents working together autonomously, anyone in any department can focus on the work that matters Most. Learn how ServiceNow puts AI to work for people@servicenow.com. Hey everyone. Welcome to serve. Brought to you by ServiceNow Subscribe Producer Mike JW Techie Sean in the house. I'm talking so fast because we have a loaded show for you all.
- [01:33]
Producer Mike
Lots, lots, lots.
- [01:34]
Host Andy
So I'm going full Micro Machines guy dated reference. Something I am excited about. Eva Jovic interview later in the show. Obviously. Phenom, 16 in the world at 18 years old. Quarterfinalist in Australia recently semi finalist in Charleston. She just keeps putting up results. Looking forward to that. I don't know her at all. I think I like her. I think she's awesome. I like the way she plays. Can't wait to hear more about her and her process and everything. She's anything like the other young WTA stars that we've had on this show. Like we're good. Yeah, they're all like full, full adults. Like 35 year old adults stuck in 18 years old. Like they're all just so impressive from Yaladu and Boko, et cetera, et cetera. So can't wait for that. Let's get to the racket rundown. Get you updated on what happened around Earth in tennis. Kostiak wins, Rockino wins a 500 and Stuttgart. She's in this number one conversation for the year, folks. I'm just telling you like she is firmly. She's not having a lot of off weeks. Jw.
- [02:37]
Techie Sean
No. And suddenly we Talk about the men having one and two that have separated themselves from the field. There are two really, really good players on the women's side who seem to be distancing themselves from the pack. This, this was indoor clay, right. So she's getting it done on a variety of surfaces. And yeah, this Rubakona Sabalenka, look for it on the second Saturday in June as well. This has really become a two person
- [03:02]
Host Andy
race in your estimation? Like, I know, I know what I think now, but like, this consistency over a four or five month period is not something we've seen from Rbakina before. We know what the top shelf looks like. I think anyone with eyeballs can watch her and say, oh, her top level is as good as anyone's. But the difference being she doesn't do it every time out. You know, over the course of a year, six months, whatever it may be. This feels different than what it's been before with her in, in as far as I can tell.
- [03:34]
Techie Sean
Yeah, this was, you know, you go, go back to the fall, go back to, to, to Riyadh and the way she really took that match to Sabalenka to win five plus million dollars and now she has kept it going. And whether we want to correlate this to what seems to be some stability and resolution in her personal life, whether this is just a player who now physically is healthy, there is a level of confidence, there's a level of versatility. She's also, I mean, she hits a huge ball. She's a really fine athlete as well. Just an elite athlete out there. I think you could make the case. I mean, she's lost the Sunshine Double twice to her rival to Sabalenka who went on to win the tournament. You could make a case pretty easily. She's having just as good a year as Sabalenka right now.
- [04:15]
Host Andy
Yeah, well, I mean, I think the easiest argument would be like, hey, arena, would you trade in the Sunshine Double for a Grand Slam? Yes. I mean, I guess the answer is yes. Right. Like you maybe convince yourself that that's not the case if you need to. We're really good at that as athletes. But she, I think she's firmly in this conversation. If she's winning on clay consistently, we know she can win on grass. She's won Wimbledon. We know maybe not her best results in New York in the past, but I don't know. This is going to be fun. Like you, you want someone to come for the throne. Obviously arena is wearing it very comfortably right now, but this is Fun. The more in the mix, the merrier. I don't know that you can write up a better start to the season post injury than Arthur Feast has. Listen, he's had some, some sideways results, some lopsided scorelines, first against Carlos, then against Lahechka, but winning matches every single week. Jw, is clay his best surface?
- [05:09]
Techie Sean
That's a good question. I'm here in Paris and already they're saying this is the guy who's going to snap you. You think you've got a long streak at 2003. The men here go back to what was it to 1983. And the talk here is already this is going to be the next player to the next French player to win at Roland Garros. Remember he had a great match last year at Roland Garros. Who got the crowd into it? He beats Ja Munar five sets, drama, you know, agita. And then he has that back injury, doesn't play for months and months and months. That is an injury that spooked a lot of people. And the way he has come back and recovered and won on service, I mean beating Rublev on clay, he hits a huge ball, but he also gives himself some margin. He's so fun to watch. 20, I mean, he has two more majors before he turns 22. I think sometimes we talk about these players, they've been around a while, we forget how young they are. 21 years old. And yeah, if you were going to pick a dark. If someone other than Siddharth Alcaraz were going to win Roland Garros, I put him in my top five right now.
- [06:10]
Host Andy
That's a big statement. I think simply, if you can't rush him all the time, you're going to have a problem. Right? When he is set and can control the pacing of the match, he can give the ball an absolute. Right now, Lahechkin, Miami took the racket out of his hands, served well and basically just cold cocked returns. Like, didn't let Feast get into his rhythm. Right. And the other thing that is the unknown. Mauresmo struggled with it. It's really hard to play at home. We talk about, you know, the pressure in New York, we talk about, you know, the pressure in London. There's a, there's a real pressure in Paris. Like JW is talking about. You were five weeks out and they're already talking about it. Like with this guy, I mean, it's real, but it can go either way, right? Like, I think it elevates, I think it rarely stays neutral.
- [07:05]
Techie Sean
Jw, I Think this is the rare French player who really is wired for it.
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Host Andy
How do we know that?
- [07:11]
Techie Sean
Though shy, he's so outspoken. I mean, first of all, he's sort of a man, you know, you see him at the. He's at the Paris basketball game. He's a very public figure. He's very outspoken. He does interviews. You get the feeling he really likes it. And again, I go back to that. I happen to be sitting behind the court. He plays this five setter on Longland and the way he did this was the opposite of a retreat. I mean, he just stole this match. And the way he was into it and showing off to the crowd and his parents were there. You get the feeling this is somebody who warms to playing in France where a lot of other players, male and female, have had the opposite reaction.
- [07:45]
Host Andy
We will see. I'm not worried about the output of the product right now. I think is the same as everyone else. His problem is twofold. Carlos Jannik. Right. And I think every conversation starts with if those two guys don't win, are you in the next bunch? Right. I don't disagree with you. And we're, we're splitting hairs on whether he's, you know, the next one or. But he's. I think he's in that conversation. I say the word disruptor, I think every week in, in, in conversations around Jannik and Carlos. But an exciting brand of tennis and, and he's winning matches every week. I really, really value that. Good job. To Arthur Feast. Ben Shelton coming through. First American man since 2002 to win a 500 level event or better. Was that Andre in Rome? Andre and Roman Wood too.
- [08:34]
Techie Sean
Oh, good call. Good call.
- [08:36]
Producer Mike
24 years. He. I think it's. He wasn't even alive.
- [08:38]
Techie Sean
Wow.
- [08:39]
Host Andy
He wasn't even. Is that true or is he.
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Eva Jovic
Think so?
- [08:42]
Host Andy
Yeah, somewhere around there.
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Producer Mike
It wasn't good.
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Techie Sean
That's depressing.
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Host Andy
I'm sorry. My sorry.
- [08:50]
Producer Mike
Womp, womp.
- [08:51]
Host Andy
Any Dochi fans? Sorry. Anyways, four people got that reference. Ben looked great. I like the fact that he went over there before, Before Madrid. You know what, what did you see from Ben Shelton this week? J.
- [09:04]
Techie Sean
Well, I'll give you another one.
- [09:05]
Eva Jovic
He.
- [09:05]
Techie Sean
He played Houston different kind of clay, but. But clay nonetheless and did not have a great result there. Stuck around, won the doubles with his college teammates and then goes over. He's had a weird year. I mean, he did very little of the sunshine double, right? Yep. But he won Dallas many one. So this is a second title. He seems really comfortable on clay. And again that's, you know, that's, that's a tough tournament to win. Now he's going to be here and he'll go to Madrid. We'll talk about some of the, some of the withdrawals there. He's back in the picture. He said he's had a strange year. He's two titles and we're not done with April. This is a really nice title, a 500 on clay. And yet you get the feeling in some ways this hasn't been sort of a stellar year for him so far. So he's got to be really pleased with that result, especially after Houston. And now, you know, he seems, seems awfully comfortable on this dirty surface.
- [09:55]
Host Andy
I mean, played well in Australia too. I mean, it's, we're basically talking about the sunshine double in the first match out of the gate in Houston when you switch surfaces. So, you know, obviously if you like hard courts and you lose in the Sunshine double, the solution is just go win in Munich, right? Fixes, all fixes.
- [10:13]
Producer Mike
Just go to Europe and start winning. American crude.
- [10:16]
Host Andy
I do think though, there's like a progression of, okay, you play well in Australia, it's obviously hot. It's hard courts. You go to Dallas, which, that's a low bouncing kind of quickish court, and you go to Munich. Like clay in Germany's different. It's heavy like it is. It's, it's not, you know, a warm day in Paris where the ball's jumping all over the place. This is a, this is an impressive win. This is the kind of win that the rest of the tour takes note of. Right. We're here and you know, the American media landscape isn't even going to give this, oh, Ben won a tournament. Great. Because Ben's good enough to win tournaments on tour. This is a different win. This is like, oh, okay, this is a, that's a, that's a nice win. Like, that's a. That we say statement too much. But, you know, this is at least kind of, you know. May I have your attention for 12 seconds while you're eating lunch, like Ben 1 on slow, slow clay in Munich. I was really impressed. I liked what I saw. You would think tennis doesn't work this way, but you would think with his game in the way that his serve jumps, forehand jumps, you got to think Madrid would be a nice landing spot for that game. But I probably would have said the same thing about Indian Wells for Ben. So let's see how this goes. But anyways, progress being made for the Shelton, so congrats on that one, A lot of people not going to Madrid. I would actually. I have one more pull out. Yeah, it hasn't been announced yet.
- [11:39]
Producer Mike
Okay.
- [11:39]
Host Andy
Producer Mike is not going to Madrid. No. Who else? Who else is not going? Mike.
- [11:47]
Producer Mike
Yeah. So it's a joint. As you know, It's a joint ATP, WTA. So I think there's 21 players across both draws, eight on the ATP side, nine on the women's side. And you have players like Emiraticano, Emma Navarro, you have Taylor Fritz, Novak Djokovic, Sebastian Korda, and then one Carlos Alcarez, who was announced it on Friday. He announced it on Friday that he wasn't going to be playing in it. And then we're recording this on Monday. This morning. Monday, a photo of him on Instagram at a restaurant circulated. Him taking a photo with the restaurant owner, we assume. Also showing his right wrist in a removable cast of some kind of.
- [12:28]
Host Andy
He wasn't going rollerblading. It's not a wrist guard, Sean.
- [12:31]
Producer Mike
I think you have a picture of it.
- [12:33]
Techie Sean
We were told it was a fiberglass cast, whatever that means. But, yeah, that's not.
- [12:37]
Host Andy
It's not what you want to see.
- [12:38]
Techie Sean
That's not an image you necessarily want to see a month before Rowan Garros, is it?
- [12:42]
Host Andy
I mean, the sunshine analysis on that one is you just want to completely immobilize something for little irritants. Right. It'd be like a singer not having anything wrong with their voice, but also talking like this so they don't use it too much. You hope that's what it is. I mean, you gotta think if he's hiding something, he's not doing pictures with it right in front.
- [13:06]
Producer Mike
That's what we were saying.
- [13:07]
Host Andy
It's a very easy thing to just kind of put that.
- [13:09]
Producer Mike
I remember throw that hoodie right over top of it.
- [13:11]
Host Andy
I remember when Fed was hurt at labor cup, his knee was all bad, and people didn't realize how many surgeries he had had. He. He was on crutches, but he would put the crutches out of the photo every time when he was taking them. Right. It would have been an easy thing to. So I don't. I want to think it's not like a crazy serious thing if he's just kind of taking that cast out for picture time. But listen, this is, you know, he's got to look at the clay and say, this is where I shine. He's, you know, dominated Madrid early, early in his career. And I say early in his career. It was like four years ago. But not what you want to see. Not what you want to see. The tournament director, Madrid JW Yeah.
- [13:52]
Techie Sean
Feliciano Lopez actually has been sort of talking about the extent of the injury. You know, this is the biggest event in Spain in the home country of the player who knows we waste no opportunity, we spare no opportunity to excoriate these extended master series events. Which way that cuts? Does he want to. I was going to say shit on but then I was told we cursed too much on this podcast. It's a, it's actually in our corporate bylaws that once a podcast we have to on these extended master series events.
- [14:27]
Host Andy
So I got next.
- [14:28]
Techie Sean
He's all right. I, you know, it's, it's hard to speculate. I, I texted the agency and sort of didn't, didn't get much of a, you know, how, how serious is this? How seriously should we be taking this? Is this precautionary?
- [14:40]
Host Andy
I.
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Techie Sean
It's tough and you know, I mean, I don't know if, I don't know what you tell him as someone who has been in this position. He had someone as his coach who knew sort of the rigors and the scheduling and the build up to this clay season in particular, who's not in the camp anymore. I don't know if that's relevant. But yeah, this isn't what anybody wanted to see. Four weeks from trying to win a third straight title at Ron Garros.
- [15:07]
Host Andy
I have a lot to unpack with what you just said. One would you say I said on. I understand that just. And I'll move on. I'm going to make one quick statement. You're more likely to pull out of a tournament that's going to cost you 12 days if you're on the fence there.
- [15:26]
Producer Mike
Got it.
- [15:28]
Host Andy
The agency that you texted before any news is out, they should be fired if they respond to you with any detail at all about Alcaraz's risk. So check there.
- [15:41]
Techie Sean
Wait. Sometimes you get. Sometimes you give me serious. I mean sometimes you get. Don't read too much into it. It's precautionary. Don't worry, you'll see them in two weeks. I mean sometimes you get a fairly.
- [15:50]
Producer Mike
Yeah, I mean it does come on the heels. He had said that Feliciano Lopez, the Madrid Open director, he was on a podcast and he was talking about Carlos's wrist and he, and he said, quote, I think his wrist tendon is a bit inflamed, I imagine, and I hope it's not ruptured. Now it's time to recover and then he went on to say he had something similar that is fairly common in tennis. And he says, I was out for two months. And then he went on to speculate that, you know, obviously Madrid is out, but he said, Rome seems almost impossible to me. So this is from Felician Lopez, obviously Madrid Open director. He's being told that the guy's not going to play in his tournament. What is he being told?
- [16:28]
Host Andy
Did Philo go out and get like a doctorate or something?
- [16:30]
Producer Mike
Like, I don't know. But. So it's definitely not helping stir the pot here that, you know, then a photo comes out on Monday of his wrist in a thing. It's just, you know.
- [16:39]
Host Andy
Yeah, it's, it's.
- [16:42]
Producer Mike
The two weeks thing is very, very interesting. Right.
- [16:44]
Host Andy
I understand the Monte Carlo final wasn't like the greatest match we've ever seen between Sinner and Alcaraz. I think weather dependent. But he said after that he wasn't feeling great. He still played a full match. Right. And he was swinging like. It wasn't as if, like he gets hurt in that match and you could. It didn't take over the broadcast. Right. So has it gotten worse since we saw him? And he said, like, I'm going to take it easy for a second. I'd guess not. I mean, unless he went out and got an injury in practice, I don't, I couldn't imagine you, you would push it post Monte Carlo if you've gotten the matches in. This is interesting. Like, I don't know. I mean, we're, we're reading between the lines, but I guess we just, I
- [17:24]
Producer Mike
mean, if his wrist hurts that bad, he's not showing up to film Sinner jumping off a high dive, you know.
- [17:30]
Host Andy
Well, you use the other hand, though.
- [17:33]
Producer Mike
Roll the tape back. Let's review.
- [17:34]
Host Andy
Yeah, but that's a good point. I mean, you know, listen, we're trying to speculate off of, off of an Internet photo. I'll tell you one thing, it's not great for Madrid.
- [17:45]
Producer Mike
Yeah, right.
- [17:46]
Host Andy
It's, it's not the one. If I was Feliciano Lopez, I would, I would be trying to sell that this was not just a Madrid specific decision, that it's going to affect the other tournaments as well. But I don't know. We don't know. Stinks. Listen, he's missed this tournament before and, or pulled out of it before and. Or said my forearm hurts before and then come out and he's won majors and he's won the French Open. So I will say specifically to arm injuries, like, if you're in the Alcaraz camp, you would rather have something like this as long. And this is all under the assumption that nothing's torn or nothing's like, you know, needs to be repaired over time. If you have a wrist injury, you can still be in shape, you can still get in your reps running, you're not going in. The worst thing is going into a slam knowing that you don't have the legs for it. Right. Or that you don't know if you have the legs for it. Like, it. He. I got. I have to imagine, you know, in the Ferrero days, I would have said for sure he's out working on his legs every single day. Listen, Sammy Lopez and. And Carlos came out of the gate perfectly right. No notes, lot of speculation. They go win Australia. I will say this, and this is no disrespect to their current situation because Carlos has outperformed everyone all the time, even with the expectations, like LeBron, like, there was never a more hyped athlete. And then he became LeBron, right? Like, so just level set that personal experience. Coaching doesn't really present itself in the best of times when everything is going well. I got to think coaching is a lot easier, right. Coming off of Indian Wells, which was, you know, great result for us normies and, you know, maybe not for him, losing early in Miami, losing to his rival in Monte Carlo, now dealing with a little, little bit of a wrist injury, this is where I think we're going to see the Ferrero effect. And if there's like, if there's a there, there. Jw, is that. Is that. Am I. Am I searching a little bit there?
- [19:46]
Techie Sean
No, I mean, it's hard. And I'm glad you preface that by saying, listen, the guy won a major out of the gate with a new coach, but I do think that that was sort of what I was getting. I mean, I don't. You tell me, but you've got a guy who's not. Not only has been number one in the world, but he's fought through injuries. He understands the clay cycle. He understands the pressure of being a Spanish player at the. The signature Spanish event. I mean, I just think Juan Carlos Ferreira would really get this and be able to sort of help with some of the scheduling decisions again. I mean, it's hard. We're speculating about injury we don't know the extent of. But I do think. Yeah, I mean, you tell me. But I do think he might benefit from having a guy who is so similar and in such a parallel situation, sort of understanding the rhythms of this part of the season in particular.
- [20:36]
Host Andy
Just let me, let me be so clear here. I don't have a responsible opinion on this. My mind goes, this is where it would present itself, right? This is where more so for me than showing up in Australia and riding a wave and winning there and doing Carlos things which we know he can do. It's when it gets into the struggle, there's a new voice in that struggle, right? That is, I think, where the point is made. Listen, you can't. Sammy Lopez was thrust into a very, very awkward situation and has guided the ship magnificently. Right? And also when you are faced with adversity, you have that trusted voice that you know, knows exactly what you're saying, feeling has done it, has won. Roland Garros himself can like, you want the coach to like, see into your soul. And so not to say that there's anything there, it's just saying it's different this time around when faced with adversity. And I think he's in his first kind of run of Listen, lost to my rival. Lost had a couple losses last month and now I'm going to have to do some sort of injury management going into Roland Garros, which is imperfect. That's the point. We'll see. We'll see what happens. Obviously, everyone on Earth wants Carlos fully happy, healthy and ready to go. Especially on the heels of last year's Roland Garros. 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
- [22:23]
Eva Jovic
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- [22:28]
Producer Mike
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- [22:31]
Eva Jovic
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- [22:35]
Producer Mike
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- [22:39]
Eva Jovic
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- [22:43]
Producer Mike
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- [22:46]
Eva Jovic
See you this summer.
- [22:49]
Host Andy
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- [23:26]
Techie Sean
Are they mild?
- [23:27]
Host Andy
If they were mild. But at the change the name to Little Rascal Nuggets or Minor Nuisance Nuggets. Definitely Diablo New Diablo Dusted Crispy Chicken Nuggets. A brand new classic. Only a Taco bell at participating U.S. taco Bell locations for a limited time and while supplies last. Jw, A couple things I want to get to before we kick it over to the Eva Jovic interview. This Vondrozova story with the potential doping ban because of a not a missed test, but a denied test. And I want to get to the LIV Golf Tour and how that actually presents itself with the Saudi investment fund kind of making their way in tennis. Let's break that down. But let's start with Vendrozovic. Can you give us the balls and strikes of this situation as you know it?
- [24:13]
Techie Sean
Yeah, I mean, we're getting a lot of this off of her Instagram post, which is very strange. I mean, usually there's a press release, the ITIA sort of issues a finding. This was the opposite, where the player preemptively sent out. I don't. Does anyone. You guys have it here? It's tough for me to talk about this, but I want to be transparent with you about my mental health. The recent doping control incident happened because I reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress. You could read the whole thing. I mean, basically, I mean, it sounds like I don't want to diagnose this, but, you know, it sounds like basically someone knocked on her door, she had a panic attack. She didn't realized that it was an anti doping official. She missed the test. The ITIA essentially confirmed in broad strokes what had happened. Now we'll have to see. I mean, I don't know. I mean, there's, there's a lot we don't know. There's a lot. Again, it sort of boils down to this question of do we or do we not want a clean sport and rigorous testing? And no one ever says, you got me, I'm busted. There's always, it's, it's, it's a transfusion in Bali. It's grandma's pasta, it's miniscule threshold. I mean, there's always a complication. She's facing potentially a four year ban, which is a lot for a missed test.
- [25:28]
Host Andy
That's as much as, I mean, that's as much as a positive test for like the worst of it, isn't it?
- [25:33]
Techie Sean
I was going to say, I mean it would be pretty ironic if she served a longer suspension than players who affirmatively tested positive. I sympathize with players. She referenced Petra Kvitova and the knock on the door in the same country. We've talked before about threats from gamblers. I mean, it's very understandable to see why a player would be rattled by a knock on the door that said you did give a time when you were had to make yourself available.
- [26:00]
Host Andy
I was going to ask.
- [26:01]
Techie Sean
It's a huge loophole. Yeah, go ahead.
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Producer Mike
I mean just the story you're talking about was 2016, when you know, she was attacked by a burglar. Right. And it was later. Yeah, Kvitova was ye. So that is in players minds. Right.
- [26:14]
Techie Sean
Even 10 years later she referenced it in her statement. She referenced it.
- [26:19]
Host Andy
Here's where it is. And I don't know, I mean, Mike, I texted you this and you seem to think it was outside of the bounds. To me this is very straightforward, all right? I'm stressed, I'm at a breaking point. I'm all of these things. Yes, understood. The way that it works when you're a player is that you have to provide an hour to be tested. And you don't know when that test is coming. You don't know if you're going to get tested back to back days. You don't know if it's going to be six months in between at home tests. All right, so during my career it was 5 to 6am that was what
- [26:58]
Producer Mike
you gave for every day, period.
- [26:59]
Host Andy
What I gave because that's when I knew that I would be home for sure. Right. And if I went to stay at a hotel overnight with Brooke on like a trip with the two of us, I would have to send the address and the room number into protocols. Right? But it was five to six. So if someone would have showed up at my house and my hour is five to six and they say, oh, you know what, fucky Magoo, I'm going to show up at 1 o' clock in the afternoon. I would say get lost. Or I would call someone to say, hey, listen, I just want this on record. This is not the time. This is not the time. So what I want to know, and I know, I think she said it wasn't during the time allotted. Okay? If it's not during the time that she had given or the hour that she had given, then they're wrong. Okay? If it's not during that 8 to 9am or whatever hour she gives. And I want this, like all of, all of this opinion needs to be based on the confirmation that it's not during this hour. Vondrose said it. At this point, we have no reason not to believe what she's saying. Okay. If they go outside of that and let's say her hour, and this is purely, again, this is me just laying out the maybes. If her hour is 7 to 8am and someone knocks on her door at 8:30 at night, story is totally plausible, 100%. Everything she says is relatable. It makes sense. If she's there alone. Absolutely. My opinion changes if it's during the hour that she's given. It's that simple.
- [28:50]
Techie Sean
To me, it also. There also would seem, I mean, again, we're. I don't want to go too far, speculate, but there are some steps you can take too. Right. You call your agent and the ITIA is actually quite good on their website. There's a number you can call for. I need some clarity about the situation. It's. It's tough. I mean, we, we sympathize with these players, we sympathize with mental health. The loophole that would be created if you could say I didn't want to answer the door, then no penalty.
- [29:18]
Host Andy
I'm just telling you. I'm just telling you. I understand all of those things. I promise you, the stresses. I get that because I'm super stressed doesn't mean that I get to make my own rules. Okay, if it's outside. But conversely, if you're the ITIA and you have the time of day that you're supposed to test this player, you also don't get to make your own rules.
- [29:42]
Producer Mike
Yeah, exactly. It goes both ways.
- [29:43]
Host Andy
So all of these things with the breaking point, give them credit as like a human who is like generally empathetic. But those are not excuses to skip a test inside the allotted time. If it's outside of the allotted time, anything goes. And I'm open to every conversation.
- [30:00]
Producer Mike
I mean, beyond the absurdity of the needing to tell somebody an hour every single day for your entire existence, but
- [30:05]
Host Andy
it goes to you, to me, it's
- [30:07]
Techie Sean
like beyond that absurdity.
- [30:09]
Host Andy
I don't know, man. Like, I don't think it's absurd because, like, I actually felt good. Listen, are we imperfect? Yep. Are there mistakes to be made? Yep. Are there going to be people that are ahead of the testing? Yep. Are we the most responsible sport where you're least likely to get away with something? Yep.
- [30:28]
Producer Mike
Yes.
- [30:28]
Host Andy
And to be able to Say that. Sure have. 5 to 6am Yeah, I don't know.
- [30:33]
Producer Mike
I mean, I did some digging into it. It's probably a bigger, a bigger look, right? But ultimately, you know, tennis players are these independent contractors. No other independent contractors in sport are asked to give their whereabouts, you know, 365 days a year for an hour each each day. You know, I mean, cyclists have to do it, but they get paid salaries. You have other groups that are only doing it when they're in, in Olympic mode or Olympic preparedness. I mean, the PGA is probably the closest thing in terms of having the number of events where all the players are going to walk. I'm just saying. But. And they have their own. They have their own doping protocol. Like on site. You get, you get tested. But then for the five or six months that they have off, there's no, there's no protocol. And then the only time it is in the. And they adhere to all the WADA lists and rules and regulations. They just don't do it with wada. And then once it's inside the Olympic, like, competition window, then those players that are eligible for the Olympics then enter this same protocol.
- [31:31]
Techie Sean
So let me ask you this. I mean, first of all, let's also make clear that tennis players do not have a say in this. I mean, in most other leagues, these are collectively bargained. So thought exercise here, right? I mean, this comes up every few months. And we have IgA and melatonin and we have Sinner and Samoa. I mean, it's a long list. The players are just. No one ever says, you got me? There's always an extenuating circumstance. Something was unfair. I'm suing. This is a mafia. I mean, this is basically existing morally for clean competition, but also as one of the prerequisites for Olympic eligibility. Do you think tennis on the whole would ever consider saying, you know what? These standards are not tenable. They're destroying careers. You have to have hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight it to get into the Olympics. It's not worth it. We need a different dope golfer.
- [32:29]
Producer Mike
Still get into the Olympics.
- [32:32]
Techie Sean
But do you think, do you think tennis would ever say, you know what, it's just not worth having these strict WADA standards? Or do you think this is just a necessary, an offshoot of having credible, rigorous.
- [32:46]
Host Andy
The problem with any of these conversations is that they are entirely nuanced, like, on record. The people who looked at Sinner's case were like it was a speck of sand in a swimming pool. Do I think we should be testing a speck of sand in a swimming pool. No, that brings in every contamination, fake excuse and real excuse that will ever exist. Right? Do I. You know, the melatonin thing and like the contaminated meats.
- [33:15]
Producer Mike
Like, are we not testing the food that the tournaments are providing?
- [33:17]
Host Andy
No, you're not. Because you can't. I'm sorry. You're playing 27 events every week across the globe. No, that would be like. You can't afford to do that. It's impossible, right? Does it. Is it something that needs to exist at the lower levels when you're 400 in the world? I don't know. You know, is it, Is it. Is it like what you're testing for? Like, the levels you're testing for, I think are borderline insane. Right. But I like that you constantly have the threat of showing up the next day. That made me feel good about the rest of Earth and what they were having to do.
- [33:53]
Producer Mike
Oh, that's interesting.
- [33:54]
Host Andy
I liked it. It's the worst.
- [33:57]
Producer Mike
You liked it because you're like, I know, I'm good.
- [33:59]
Host Andy
Yes.
- [34:00]
Producer Mike
Now the challenges, you be good.
- [34:02]
Host Andy
I know that that's happening to all of the players above me and behind me. And I liked going to practice knowing that that was happening. If it was happening to me, it was happening to everyone. Like, I like it now. Is there a nuanced conversation about what, why, how much? Always. Always. Right. But the Vondrozeva case, to me, I don't want to say it's as clear cut because I wouldn't even pretend to view this with, we know everything at this point. I want to know about the window. I want. And I know what she said. I want to know the window. If you cannot, as a testing agency. And that's why I want to know if it was from the Olympics, I want to know who was the tester. I want to know all of these things, right? If it's outside of agreed upon protocol, they got nothing. If it's inside of agreed up agreed upon protocol, she's got nothing. I think it's that simple. As far as what we know right now, in another super uplifting story, tell me about the Saudis, jw.
- [35:10]
Producer Mike
Oh, man, I hope it works out for.
- [35:12]
Host Andy
I do too. I mean, I hope I. Yeah, well, it's just whatever. It sucks. It's all the time.
- [35:16]
Techie Sean
No, we've talked about this before. We've talked about sports watching. We've talked about Saudi Arabia's sort of this great investment in sports, which is not about having revenues exceed costs. This has nothing to do with the conventional sports business model. This is a branding exercise for a country. There was silly money thrown around. We've talked about this. Liv Golf in particular. Liv Golf lost $590 million last year. Liv Golf is playing golfers who the casual fan has never heard of. Tens of millions of dollars. And basically a few days ago, Saudi Arabia essentially said, you know what? We don't know if we're going to continue Liv Golf after this year. It's not just Liv Golf. I mean, I don't know if you saw that. There was a Tom Brady flag football investment that seems to have gone by the wayside. There was a team that is being sold. I'm told that some of these combat sport. I mean, clearly someone has looked at a balance sheet or key performance indicators and said, you know what? All of this money we're sinking into sports, this silly money, it's going to stop. And it's interesting that the WTA, which a few months ago was saying, we hope to renew our deal with Saudi Arabia. We hope to be here a long time. It does not look like the finals are going to happen after this year. And I would not at all. This has been informed speculation. Be surprised if the 2026 WTA Finals don't move elsewhere, in part because of the war going on in the region, but in part because the Saudis clearly have cut ties with this event in the WTA. There is a big Masters 1000 event coming to Saudi Arabia. I think it's a little different than Liv Golf. First of all, it's not stupid money. It's in the ATP Tour. It's within the framework. It's not Liv Golf, which is trying to blow up a whole framework. There's also a physical facility they're building. So I don't know what would happen to that. But yeah, I mean, suddenly this great Saudi gold rush, if it isn't ending, it's certainly changing in dimension and scope. And it's going to be really interesting to see how this plays out. Somebody basically came to the realization that, look, we're trying to achieve these ends, whether it's tourism, whether it's global trade, whether it's trying to ingratiate ourselves in the global community. We're going to use sports. Sports. Maybe when it's Dave Chappelle and John Cena, they're getting more bang for their buck. Maybe somebody just said, listen, we cannot keep overpaying at these crazy multiples where Cristiano Ronaldo is making more than LeBron James, Aaron Judge and Steph Curry combined. But someone is shaking up these balance sheets in sports and LIV golf seems to be what everyone's talking about. But it goes much deeper than this. And I'm curious how this is going to affect the sport of tennis.
- [38:00]
Host Andy
Here's what I think. The way that the Saudi investment fund has gone about putting money into tennis is the opposite of what they did with liv. I feel like this is a correction on strategy based on what they did with liv. They are not going against the tours. Everyone's swimming the same direction and they're trying to provide resources to that direction. It is not a head on collision like LIV golf. They are not overpaying for assets. Right? Like a Masters 1000 is crazy valuable. And if they are, it's not by a multiple of 47 like they were for live golfers. Right? They are working inside of the sport as opposed to from the outside. Not attacking the sport, but like trying to divide what's already there. I think tennis is the correction for this investment fund and we're seeing that with the demise of LIV golf.
- [39:04]
Techie Sean
It would be nice if that extended to the women. I mean, I think you're right. I mean, and I think also let's not. I think one was a consequence of the other. I mean, LIV golf was sort of a disaster from the start. It was bad pr. I mean the money was just silly money. I mean, Jon Rahm, no nice golfer, want some majors, but he could walk down the street $100 million, $87 million to John Rahm. I mean some of the.
- [39:26]
Host Andy
No, no, he had way more than that. His was 400 million
- [39:30]
Techie Sean
look up. Well, I mean, I think with tennis, let's not forget too, they sponsor the rankings, right? I mean, ironically enough, they sponsored the WTA maternity leave policy. But you're right, it's not as though the winner of this Masters 1000 event is going to make more than whatever, I mean within the ATP bylaws, right? I mean they're not going to pay 5x to the winner of this Riyadh event. It's a really interesting story. I mean, just to watch it, I think to watch it all unfold. It's a really interesting story. It's an interesting approach to sports. I mean, I think you're right that tennis has some protections. But I also think there's a buyout fund from the ATP that's coming from Saudi money. So just because the prize money isn't going to be more than Indy or Wells or Miami doesn't mean there aren't other investments. I'm fascinated to see how this plays out. But I think for starters that the WTA sort of got a raw deal here. Right. I mean they sort of, everyone held their nose and every, I mean people, Chrissy and Martina on one end, but there were a lot of people that felt very uncomfortable. They go, everybody says we had a great time. They play in front of very few fans. The event does very little traction and now kicked out.
- [40:41]
Host Andy
I will say like the WTA Tour Finals has been an adjustment happening since they left China. Right. And this all set off the sequence of events where they tried to. You tried to put a band aid on surgery in Dallas and you did the same thing in Mexico and then you went to the Saudi. I gotta think the war is gonna have more to do with it than, than them putting on a singular event in the face of trying to ingratiate themselves to a sport. So we'll, we'll see. You know, I just to me the big, the biggest contrast is the way that they've gone about investment in sports, specifically from the golf to the tennis. It seems like they're playing in the same sandbox and tennis and in golf it was like, felt like, listen, we're going to try to ruin each other.
- [41:38]
Producer Mike
Yeah, they were going to try and strong arm a lot of the design since the launch of Live with, with the PIF and what they're doing with Riyadh season was to, to create tourism
- [41:48]
Host Andy
for the country 100 the events are happening in the inside. Yes.
- [41:51]
Producer Mike
You know, and like ultimately Liv golf wasn't really happening there. They were trying to do this global tour. You know, it was hard to understand like where the leverage was going to be. Like I get when they're partnering with the TKO group and they're bringing boxing, you know, and they're going to have big boxing events and they're trying to create a Vegas type of festival. Dave Chappelle and I think tennis lends to that possibility. A two week event, you know, in the middle of the winter in the northern part of, you know, the other part of the world. You know, they're, they're, you're going to have people leaving Germany to go for a long weekend in a warm place to go watch an event televised. It's televised. It's, it's all of that stuff. And I think it's, it's an interesting play. But so I think, I think yeah, the live thing doesn't come as a major shock and they've said that they're funded through the end of the year but like it's just a completely different model. I think you're right, Andy. Like, they're running with it. Like when you see what they do with the UFC and with Ari Emanuel and with TKO Group, they're, they're moving in a direction together to create more possibility for those sports than what currently exists. And so I'm, I, I think the WTA of it all is, like you said, the, the events always had trouble attracting people. I do think it's probably better off being in the United States.
- [43:04]
Host Andy
It's just been in a tailspin since they made the ST leave China, which at the time everyone applauded. Like, just. Let's just be very clear about that. It's not necessarily a reflection on the event. It's just events take time to plan. You can't just. They've tried to just kind of cobble something together through, you know, no real fault of their own. But it, it needs to find a home. And we don't know if that's going to end up being in reality.
- [43:25]
Producer Mike
And who knows what kind of tourism is going to be in Saudi Arabia in the near future with the war. And not to say when you have
- [43:30]
Host Andy
to plan an event months and like, it's not as if the war stops two days before the event and we're good. That's not a realistic conversation because you. Six months ahead of time, you have to be able to start planning backwards to the event. Can you do that right now? Probably not.
- [43:45]
Producer Mike
No.
- [43:46]
Host Andy
Right. You know, so I don't know that that's the. I don't know that that's the same. I'm reading it. And maybe this is just the optimist for tennis. For me, that this is almost an admission of we went about it the wrong way with liv. And the investments in tennis seem to be. Listen, we're not going to fight anyone for this. We're going to try to literally give you money to swim with you. Maybe that's wrong.
- [44:12]
Techie Sean
We're not losing $590 million. I mean, again, I will say this goes deeper than liv, which is what really gives me pause. I mean, LIV was sort of a fraught from the start and there were lawsuits, but this is also selling a soccer team. This is also this fanatics event. I mean, it does seem as though there is a sort of reconsideration. But you're right. I mean, maybe saying, hey, listen, we're doing this within the ATP. We may not make money, but we're not losing $590 million. We're not going to pay you know, Carlos Alcaraz can win a million bucks if he wins the tournament, but we're not going to pay him. Cristiano Ronaldo 10x market value. Maybe this is just the more mature way to do the business, but it is an interesting story to follow and I can't imagine the ATP sees this as good news.
- [44:55]
Host Andy
Yeah, and I mean, the only. Like rose colored glasses. We've done all these events, we've tried in a million different areas, and now after that filter comes through, we choose tennis. Market has spoken to us. And that market is tennis. I don't know. That's rose colored glasses. We won't know until we know. But I don't know. It would be the ultimate. Like, this sucks. If they announce all these things and do all this stuff and then it doesn't happen. That would suck. Mike, anything else on the front end before we get to Eva Jovic?
- [45:25]
Producer Mike
No, that's it. From the headlines.
- [45:28]
Host Andy
We should not ask her about any of the things we just talked about. No, no. Anyways, I'm excited. I'm a huge fan of Evie over his game. She's sitting at 16 in the world. Listen, she's. She's had a great run to start the year, obviously highlighted by a quarterfinal in Australia. Played well on the clay. She's friends with Novak Djokovic. She has a really cool story. Parents came over from Serbia. We talk a little bit about that. But she's amazing. And we'll get with Eva Jovic on the other side. Thanks for watching. Served.
- [46:01]
Techie Sean
You don't wash your jersey during a win streak.
- [46:03]
Host Andy
You don't switch seats when your team's
- [46:05]
Techie Sean
up big, and you definitely don't shave during the playoffs. When things are working, you don't change them. That's why when you drink Jagermeister, you drink it ice cold.
- [46:14]
Host Andy
Anything else?
- [46:15]
Techie Sean
Well, that'd just be bad luck. Drink it cold or don't drink it at all. Jagermeister. Damn, that's cold. Drink responsibly. Jagermeister liquor, 35% alcohol by volume.
- [46:25]
Host Andy
Imported by Matt Jagermeister, U.S. white Plains, New York. You can't reason with the sun. Trust us, we've tried. This summer, it's time to put that angry ball of fire on mute. Columbia's Omnishade technology is engineered to protect you from the sun's harsh rays that can burn and damage your skin. The sun is relentless, but so is our gear. Level up your summer@columbia.com to spend more time outside and less time slathering on aloe lotion. You're welcome. Columbia engineered for whatever.
- [47:01]
Eva Jovic
Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swing, there's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story.
- [47:14]
Host Andy
Subscribe now@bloomberg.com hey everyone. Welcome back. As promised, sensation that we all loved watching on our quarterfinal run in Australia, Eva Jovic in the house. Officer. What's up, Eva? Welcome. How are you? And where are you?
- [47:34]
Eva Jovic
Thank you. Thanks for having me. It's great to be here. I am doing well. I'm in Madrid currently getting ready for the. The tournament here starting in a couple days. So first time playing this event, getting used to everything. But I really can't complain about any of these a thousand events and the big tournaments anymore.
- [47:53]
Host Andy
Yeah, I. We were talking quickly before we jumped on, and I said, oh, you know, the altitude used to stress me out in Madrid. And she goes, yeah, I won in Guadalajara at 5,000ft last year. It's. It's fine.
- [48:04]
Producer Mike
Just flex. Just casual.
- [48:05]
Eva Jovic
Oh, my God. No, my. My coach. My coach hates it because 90% of the time if I miss it's. It's too low. So I don't usually struggle with the ball long, which is not a good thing because long is the best miss. But usually it's easier for me to control the ball than to. To get it long.
- [48:28]
Host Andy
Yeah, I was, I was just a mess. Like serving was not. Not the one there. But I'm going to tell you something about Madrid and then you're never going to be able to unsee it. You ready?
- [48:36]
Eva Jovic
Sure.
- [48:36]
Host Andy
Okay. Next time, if you walk in that stadium or if you play in it, just think about it real quickly and then don't think about it again. Tell me that it doesn't look like the inside of a Chipotle restaurant.
- [48:48]
Eva Jovic
Wait. When you're walking in the stands of the players lounge.
- [48:52]
Host Andy
Listen, the stands, everything, like it looks like, like the tables at Chipotle, the way you walk in. I used to call it Chipotle Stadium.
- [49:00]
Producer Mike
You think? I mean, it's been a while since you've been there. Maybe they renovated.
- [49:02]
Host Andy
No, I saw, I see it. It's got that. It's got that shiny silver situation. Yeah, you'll. Next time you'll see it, it'll win.
- [49:08]
Eva Jovic
There's a lot of, like, metal kind of. Yep, that's probably part of it. Oh, God. Now I'm going to think about that. I will not be able to forget that.
- [49:17]
Host Andy
Yeah, I mean, hopefully it's a comfortable thought because I Do love. I mean, we don't get paid by them, but we do love Chipotle. Yeah, I do. Anyways, we're not professionals. That's obviously how we got to the Chipotle conversation. Walk us through this year so far. It's been a bit of a whirlwind, it seems. It's fun watching young players because it feels like the levels can come quickly and it feels like obviously started out semis in Auckland, final Hobart, and then you had a great run at the Aussie Open. What's this like, what's this year been like for you and did you kind of feel something coming on the heels of last year?
- [49:52]
Eva Jovic
I think I've been working continuously back into last year. All of last year, really. Preseason was really good. I felt really confident with the amount of work that I put in during the off season. Felt like I was playing well. But in the years past, I wasn't necessarily someone that could jump out of the gates and start off really strong. I like to get the match count up. I like to be doing all that. So I really didn't have high expectations for the start of the year. I had options to play the 500s. I was like, listen, I want to play the two 50s, hope I can win some matches, get something going for ao. And then. And I was doing really well. And you know how it is when you're winning, you just, it becomes autopilot. So that was massive to get that start of the year, to kind of get the wheels turning a little bit. So, yeah, I was really happy with it. But I, I try not to ride the highs and the lows too much because sometimes I think things just align and you do well. And then some tournaments you're actually going to be playing well and feel feeling good and you're not going to do so well. So I don't think that every tournament is a direct link to how your levels improving or whatnot. So I think as long as I'm training well and my overall tennis level is, is getting higher through the weeks, then I'm going to write win, win titles eventually.
- [51:20]
Host Andy
I'm so impressed because like all of this stuff I probably would have figured out when I was like 28, you're basically talking about process and you're not. Results don't always define progress and process, which is interesting, but something you said there was. It's interesting because when you kind of break out and you start being able to enter 500-00 and your options are different, kind of an interesting decision to kind of say you Know what? There seemed to be like a self awareness involved where you said, I want to actually play some matches and guarantee some matches. So you actually level down. Can you kind of talk a little bit more about that conversation with your team? Because that conversation can kind of go one of two ways, right?
- [52:06]
Eva Jovic
Yeah, I think it's helpful to me because my coach is totally in that mentality, Tom, of we want to get better. I don't give a crap if you win or lose. We're here to get better and we're going to do whatever we can to do that. But I really believe in match count and I really believe in getting confidence and getting better. I, I feel like I get so much better when I'm playing matches. If it's at a 35k or if it's at a Grand Slam. You're improving so much when you play matches. So I'd rather take a semis or a final at a lower level event than a second round at a, at a higher event. And hopefully you do well at the higher event. Right? But, but to start the year, kind of get down and dirty, grind a little bit, I think, is the way to go.
- [52:55]
Host Andy
Talk through kind of your progression at the Aussie Open, because listen, to win it, it's 14 sets, seven days. But the mental side of the off day and then the preparation, is that a type of cadence that you enjoy or you say you're someone who kind of likes reps and matches. Was that the cadence of a Grand Slam as you go deeper into it? Was that a little, little bit of a different adjustment?
- [53:23]
Eva Jovic
Yeah, that part was actually very tricky for me and not something that I necessarily enjoyed as the first time doing it, because I do like the continuous every day and I feel like the day off, I'm young, I'm not necessarily someone that's going to struggle that much playing every day. I have a lot of energy. So for me, I would almost prefer if I got to play every single day at a Slam. So it makes it feel so long and you feel like you're in tournament mode for so much longer. So it's hard to kind of de. Stress even on off days. So for me, that was, that was tricky. And then you add in all the media and all this stuff that even the off days feel long and lengthy and like mentally tear, like wear and tear. So that part's a little tricky for me. I think I still need to adapt to that and hopefully I'll, I'll find a better, better way to combat it at French Open because That's the. You have to be locked in for two weeks straight, basically, which. Which is not easy. And then coming from two tournaments you've played two weeks back to back, and then to go into that slam is. Is tough, and I think I need to learn how to handle that better.
- [54:39]
Host Andy
Yeah, it's always interesting because people, I don't think, put that. The progression together of, like, normally if you're playing well, it's like, okay, I got six matches in seven days. And you kind of get into almost a habit. Whereas the stopping and starting nature of a slam is always a little bit different. I was curious to hear your thoughts on that. How do you. How does it land in your mind when, you know, you hear something like, youngest Aussie Open quarterfinalist since Venus. Right. Anytime you can kind of be in the same conversation with someone who's like, one name, it's like Seal. You could recognize someone just as far as one name. Is that stuff just cool to you, or does it sit different or does it kind of mean nothing? It's like, it doesn't affect my day because there's always someone else around the corner that I have to try to beat next.
- [55:25]
Eva Jovic
Well, you see, I think my natural tendency is to just go to the next thing and I, like, check, mark, whatever, and then go to the next thing. But it's so annoying how the human brain works, and it's so unbelievably annoying. We can never just be happy with the situation. But, I mean, three, four years ago, I distinctly remember saying this, and I talked to my parents about this many times as well. I would just lay in bed sometimes, and I would sign a contract right now if I could say that I broke the top hundred for one week. Just. I have it on my ranking list that I was top hundred. I did. That was main drawing, Trina Slam. I was like, that's. That's amazing. That's insane. So to now be here and right now, I don't feel at all like I'm anywhere near where I want to be. So it's. It's really fascinating. I. I don't know how the human brain does that. And I wish sometimes I could think less and dumb myself down a little bit, but unfortunately, my nature is to just chase the next thing.
- [56:36]
Host Andy
Yeah, it is funny how, like, if, like, rewriting expectations on the fly is a completely. It's a completely not natural thing. I got a question for you. So when you're, you know, you said, like, you would six years ago, whatever it was, you're sitting there. And you would take just being in the room of these slams and with these players and all of that stuff. Did where you're at feel further away, or does it feel like, listen, if I want to get to 2, 3, 4, 5 in the world, which one feels kind of further away then to now, or what you have laying ahead of you?
- [57:13]
Eva Jovic
That's actually a great question. For me, then to now feels like the bigger jump, because for me, that was like. It was like survival almost. It was like livelihood. Like, if you're not there, you can't live off of your professional tennis career, and you're just not, you know, you can't. You can't really play tennis and make a living and be able to do that every week if you're not in the top hundred. So that was just my original. Like, I absolutely have to. It's a must, or I'm gonna have to stop. And I absolutely did not want to be sitting in a desk or doing something other than what I'm doing right now. So for me, where I'm at right now, I feel like I have a great team around me, and I'm working really hard. So if I make good decisions, keep learning, I think that's a jump that hopefully I can make.
- [58:11]
Host Andy
Yeah, there's no doubt. One thing I want to just hear your thoughts on before we kind of get to the. The macro evil life here. Obviously, getting a chance to go up against Sabalenka and seeing kind of the best in the world firsthand, is that something like, what were your initial takeaways walking off the court? And I guess just what were your impressions of kind of being on the other side of her going into that match? I remember we were breaking it down on our show, and I was like, there's a battle for territory because Eva likes to be inside the court and Sabalenka likes to be inside the court. So it's going to be kind of that. Who can kind of get to their positions first. What were your takeaways with kind of seeing. Seeing her level?
- [58:54]
Eva Jovic
Yeah, that's. We. We just practiced together today, actually. So it's funny that that that that comes up, but obviously she is an incredible player, and for me, it was. It was hard for me to go into that match and treat it like a normal tennis match as not because it's a quarterfinals or Grand Slam, because it's a player that you've looked up to for so long, and not just that she's one in the world, but she has. There's just Like a way about her. It's. I think all the best players have it, like a bit of aura, something in the way that they walk, that you kind of step on the court and you're like, oh, crap this. Like, she means business. So it was hard for me, I feel like, to impose myself and, and trust in, in my game with that, with that initial meeting. But I don't, I don't think I can say anything negative about it. She's, you know, she's where she is for a reason. And I needed that little, you know, punch in the face to, to see where, where I'm at and what I can improve. But, you know, I'm, I'm here to grow. Right. You know, I lose the first one, but there's, there's many more that will come. That's. That's for sure. But it really impressed me the way that obviously we know how good her offense is, but she's been mixing it up a lot this year and she's also finding offense from defense. So I think she's changing a lot of things, constantly evolving and making herself sharper and better. So that's, I think, what's made it really hard for anyone and not just me to catch up with her because she is making improvements month by month.
- [60:34]
Host Andy
Yeah. You rarely have someone who's only good at one thing, have the consistency that she's been able to have. Like, those don't live in the same room. I'm fascinated by your story. And obviously watching you, I've been a fan. I've been very impressed. I've also been impressed by the amount of credit that you give your parents and being aware of their journey, coming here from Serbia and kind of their path. How much has it meant to them to see that this life that they built has now manifested in you playing on tour, your sister playing at ucla. Is it something that they can recognize or are they like you and they just want to get on to the next thing?
- [61:19]
Eva Jovic
I think they're definitely proud parents. Right. I mean, I would consider us all a generally grounded family. No one's really up in the clouds, but. But they're very proud of me and my sister both. But I think it's one of the reasons that I have kind of the mindset that I have because, you know, they, they came from a war torn country, my mother was a refugee, and they just didn't have anything. They came on a green card on the. My mom won the green card on the lottery, so coming to the US wasn't really for them, they were already kind of 30 at the time, and my sister was born like two years later, so they didn't really have the time to try out their American dream, how you would say it. So it was for us. And tennis was, I think, completely accidental. They signed us up for every sport. They pushed us to do whatever it was that we wanted. And it panned out really well, I would say. But it's the values, I think, the values they put in us. And I also knew there was nothing. There's nothing like waiting for me to inherit or to go back on. It's just me, myself, and I and what they have given me. They gave absolutely everything they had. So I'm really grateful to them. And I think that good things happen to good people, right? So they're good people. So I think this is kind of their. What they get in return.
- [62:51]
Host Andy
I can only imagine the pride they feel. My daughter struck out one person in an eight and under softball game yesterday, and it was like the happiest moment of my life. So I can. I can only. I only imagine the pride they feel with you and your sister. Something I think you've talked about ad nauseam now, but is endlessly fascinating to me is the ability to talk to someone like Novak, whether it's about strategy or have him reach out. How does that relationship develop? And is it still weird if you get a text from him?
- [63:28]
Eva Jovic
It's 100% still weird because he. He is number one. He is number one idol. There's nobody above Novak.
- [63:38]
Host Andy
Jokic NUGGETS FAN no, it's still.
- [63:42]
Eva Jovic
It's still Novak. So that's so strange. And to have idolized someone for so long and then to talk to them and see that, oh, my God, they're literally a normal human being who has the same problems that any one of us would have is crazy. But it's obvious. You speak with him for two seconds, you can see the amount of work he's put in, not only physically, but mentally. He is one of the. He just. He has a presence about him and the way he speaks about tennis. His tennis IQ is incredibly, incredibly high, which we can see the way he plays as well. But he's watched many of my matches. He's given me a lot of tips about how I can. How I can become, you know, a better player, things that I need to adjust. So I hope that I can kind of add that versatility to my game that Novak was able to do throughout his career.
- [64:36]
Host Andy
I. I just think it's so cool because it's like on. On Agassi was. Was a mentor of mine. And then all of a sudden there's like a relationship where I'm 17 and I'm his hitting partner. And then it's like, this isn't real. And you go home and like, you. You call your friends and like, this is strange. And now it's progressed to the fact we're like both grown up and dads and like friends. And it still will never get. It'll never be real to me ever, ever, ever. But I also think one of the things I'm glad when you speak about it because I don't think the tennis public views anyone just as a human. Right. And they might disagree with some parts of people and they might agree with some parts of people, but I just like it when people talk about kind of the human elements of players because you can be Novak or you can be someone who's 300 in the world trying to make it. And there's still this common language of tennis right. In the, in the grind is different. But I guess what I'm trying to say is like, it has to be amazing for you that he takes time out of what he's doing and shows a genuine interest in what you're doing. A lot of the texts come just voluntarily after matches.
- [65:48]
Eva Jovic
Yeah, he's. He's texting me after. After matches. Like analysis or they'll be like WTA or whatever tournament made a clip of. Of a point that you played well. And he'll be like, I love what you did in this point. You should try to do that more. Or he's given me, you know, specifically before I play like one, you know, opponent. Like, hey, you got to make sure you try to do this with, with this one.
- [66:15]
Host Andy
Who is the opponent? Who's the opponent and why doesn't he like her?
- [66:20]
Producer Mike
That's like not fair. That's a cheap.
- [66:22]
Eva Jovic
So it's not like your average of. You got this. Let's go. Unbelievably specific and detailed to the point where he. It's obvious he's watched many of my matches.
- [66:33]
Host Andy
So cool.
- [66:34]
Eva Jovic
Many matches throughout the WTA in general. So I don't know where he finds the time in the day considering all the things that he has. But he makes a big effort with the young players definitely too.
- [66:47]
Host Andy
That's, that's. I think it'll be endlessly an underreported story how much like to a person like everyone who comes on the show talks about his outreach at some. At some point it sounds like it's very cool. You should continue talking about it because it's awesome. Someone else who thinks very highly of you, and I think it goes both ways, based on what I read, is Jess Pugula.
- [67:10]
Techie Sean
She.
- [67:10]
Host Andy
She called you Mini Me at some point as, as far as the way that, that you all play. Is it strange when you come on tour and you see these people and then all of a sudden they're kind of comparing you to them? Like this has all happened in a 18 month to 2 year thing. But when someone you admire is basically saying, yeah, they're like me, that has to feel pretty cool.
- [67:34]
Eva Jovic
Yeah, that has to feel pretty cool. Especially coming from Jess, because that is a player from my end that I, that coaches would show me.
- [67:42]
Host Andy
Yeah.
- [67:42]
Eva Jovic
And that I would try to model. So the fact that it's reciprocated and she sees kind of the things that I've been trying to take from her is, is amazing. And she's just, she's a good, she's a good person. Like, she's a nice person. When I see Jess in the locker room, I'm like, hey, you know, she's just, she's nice. We always have a good chat. So I think that's the best when someone's a, you know, amazing player. But you can also have a normal conversation with them and it doesn't have to be this whole enemy enemy thing.
- [68:15]
Host Andy
I think Jess is like, if I had like top five coolest people in tennis, I think Jess would be on my list.
- [68:19]
Producer Mike
Without a doubt.
- [68:20]
Host Andy
Yeah. I think everything she says, it's like interesting and honest and she does it. I don't know, I just like the way that she operates. So if you're mini her, I think that's. I think that's a great thing.
- [68:31]
Eva Jovic
I'll take that. I'll take that.
- [68:32]
Host Andy
Hell yeah, you will. She's awesome. You mentioned in the locker room, she's nice. My personal experience and I was a jerk. So you probably don't have to deal with a lot of this, but it's not easy. Can you talk about going out and playing matches? The court dimensions are the same. You still gotta get to six every set. Some of that stuff doesn't change. The quality's better. How is adapting to the other things on tour been for you?
- [68:59]
Eva Jovic
Yeah, I think that's the part that people don't realize. People don't talk about. And you also don't even know that that's what's ahead of you when you get into tennis or think about being a professional. I mean, I Didn't even know how long the calendar was until like a year ago. I was like, holy crap. I'm basically like, bye, bye home. Like, we're freaking suitcase living. But it's, it's insane every week and it's all the same people.
- [69:26]
Host Andy
Yeah, it's, hey, how are you?
- [69:30]
Eva Jovic
An outside circle. You're seeing the same people every single week and they're your friends, they're your competitors. It's so, it's a really. I often say, I'm like, this is a social experiment. Some of us are going to come out on top. Some of them are probably going to go crazy because, yeah, it's just a strange environment. And that's the biggest thing I think you have to get used to. You have to find your own routines and a way that you can kind of de. Stress yourself and, and yeah, obviously now people kind of respect me and know me more. So I get more highs. I get more highs.
- [70:06]
Host Andy
People talk to me now.
- [70:08]
Eva Jovic
I get more accepted in the community.
- [70:12]
Producer Mike
Spoken like a true high schooler.
- [70:13]
Techie Sean
Tough.
- [70:13]
Eva Jovic
Nobody knows you who are like, who is this chick? Get out of here.
- [70:17]
Host Andy
It's real words of wisdom. Eat breakfast outside the hotel. That's it. That's the whole thing. The high buy situation is like, yeah, yeah, at some point. Eat breakfast outside of the hotel when you can. That's the secret to success there. Talk us through just a touch of what are you working on day to day right now? Obviously the results have come, but what if you fast forward to a year from now? What do you want to say? I got better at this over this last year.
- [70:48]
Eva Jovic
Yeah. So recently it's been a lot of my serve. You can maybe give me some tips for that with the, with the serve that, that you have. Obviously getting the pace higher, but the, the placement and just being a little bit more, having a little bit more of thought process behind it. In the juniors, I didn't even think about my serve a lot. You know, it's whatever you start the point, you don't even. I didn't even need it. I can just out rally whoever I'm playing. So now I'm trying to work on that mentality where it's like, this one I'm going to do that really aggressive kick. This one I'm going to slice them. So I need to get that variation. I think sometimes returners feel too comfortable when they're returning my serve. There's not enough different looks so that I'm working a lot physically. I need to move well. Right. I'm not Maybe the strongest or whatever. So get the defense going and a lot on the versatility from the ground, mixing the, the shapes of my rally balls, the. The drop shots. I do a good job with, like, suffocating my opponents, but they get used to it oftentimes. I lost a lot of second sets last year and had to. Had to play three, which was kind of the show that. All right, you're. You're rushing them for a while and then they're getting used to it, so trying to. Trying to keep them on their toes a little bit more.
- [72:13]
Host Andy
Well, listen, from, from the cheap seats, your, Your first ball striking ability is an. Your serve, right? If you can. If you spread the court this way, they got to come back to you at some point. Your biggest, one of your biggest strengths on your serve is that ability to hit that first ball. Like when I would play someone like an Andre or a Novak, I knew that I had to hit the return almost like extra, because I knew I, I was. I was off to the races on the next ball. You're so good from the middle of the court and kind of controlling that. That goes into the mental gymnastics when someone's playing you too. So don't forget about creating space off that serve. You know, make them cover more ground.
- [72:49]
Eva Jovic
Yeah, you're great to get the patterns right.
- [72:52]
Host Andy
That's it.
- [72:53]
Eva Jovic
Plus one pattern.
- [72:54]
Host Andy
That's it. And also, like, there's not much they can do. You got to have confidence that your, Your. Your first ball and the ability to kind of dictate from there is, is. Is elite already. It's exciting for us to, to watch. But listen, we've taken a bunch of your time. I know you're getting ready for an event over in Spain. We're fans of yours. We hope that you have continued success. We. We think that this is just the beginning for you. Congratulations to your parents. Damn it. Like, way to go. Good job, mom and dad. Amazing, amazing work. Come back.
- [73:25]
Eva Jovic
I'm going to tell them you said that.
- [73:27]
Host Andy
Please do. Please do. I mean every word of it. Please come back and don't be a stranger on served.
- [73:32]
Eva Jovic
Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Really appreciate it. This is a lot of fun.
- [73:35]
Host Andy
Good luck this week. Welcome back to Served. I'm just, just like, I've said it before on the show, and I'm just consistently blown away. And I know. Jw, you got the chance to listen to the interview that we did with Eva Jovic. Mboko Yala Jovic. The maturity on these young women is just like, I should stop Being surprised. And then I realized we come on as grown men and we're idiots on the show. We're morons. We're like, they served like morons. Absolute morons.
- [74:13]
Techie Sean
You know, the neuroscience they have about the male cortex developing significantly later than the female.
- [74:21]
Host Andy
I don't think we have cortex.
- [74:22]
Producer Mike
Sigh.
- [74:25]
Host Andy
What's that?
- [74:26]
Techie Sean
I think it's, I mean, first of all, like, it's not like this is media training. It's not. I mean, this is, I wonder. It's kind of fascinating to think, I mean, I don't know if this is somehow self selecting. If you're a really good tennis player and a precocious tennis player, you have a certain level of emotional maturity. But it's really remarkable though. I mean, the self awareness and the sort of, I mean, maturity is such a fraught word, but you feel like you're talking to adult and not somebody who finally committed to playing tennis full time during COVID It's. It's extraordinary. And again, the WTA seems to be in awfully nice hands going forward.
- [75:03]
Host Andy
I mean, it's like, I don't know, these personalities in the game. It's like, should be fail proof if I'm involved with wtm. Just so excited about what the future is going to bring. And then we, for, you know, we were talking about it, we were talking about it on the break here. It's like, yeah, Coco Goff, she's like a full blown adult. She'd be like a senior in college.
- [75:24]
Producer Mike
Yeah, yeah. She's like finishing up her internship.
- [75:27]
Host Andy
Yeah. But also, are you starting to see like Coco acts a certain way? She's the person. Like, it's fair to say eva Jovic, at 18 years old, looked up to Coco, probably still does. And maybe that's the example you're getting. Maybe you're getting Coco. Maybe you're getting Jess Pagula, who she, you know, she talked about as admiring in the interview. Like, I don't know. Great leaders, man, they matter. Go figure.
- [75:48]
Producer Mike
And she'll answer some fan Q and A questions on Thursday. On Thursday she had some great ones, including from an eight year old named Becca the vip.
- [75:56]
Host Andy
So cool. I felt bad, jw, because it's like Becca writing in, she has two questions. She's eight years old. I'm like, oh, I said fucking Magoo six times this episode. I know. I felt, I felt shame.
- [76:07]
Techie Sean
Excoriate.
- [76:08]
Host Andy
I felt excoriate. I don't even know before I.
- [76:11]
Producer Mike
Before I let you guys go, before I let you guys go. On Friday, we did a story on the five setter, about the underarm serve, that was Nuno Borges had against Echeverri. And it was on up 6, 4 in the second set tie break. So it was two match points, and he drops him with a underarm serve. Sean, why don't you play it real quick?
- [76:33]
Host Andy
Oh, that is incredible.
- [76:37]
Producer Mike
To win the match, Echeverri, a little frosty. So we had a lot of reaction online from this. A lot of people thinking different things.
- [76:48]
Host Andy
So we.
- [76:48]
Producer Mike
We ran a poll and we asked people, we said, is the underarm serve a tactical genius? Unsportsmanlike, but acceptable, or should we ban it?
- [76:57]
Host Andy
Ban it.
- [76:58]
Producer Mike
And I want to know your.
- [76:59]
Techie Sean
Oh, ban it. Definitely ban it from John. No, I'm kidding. It's ridiculous. It's like, literally, is it. Is it legal or is it not? And if it's legal, then I don't know why. First of all, most of us just like seeing it. But I don't even understand why this is controversial.
- [77:15]
Producer Mike
People get heated, man.
- [77:16]
Host Andy
I'm about to get heated. I'm just. I'm about to get heated. What did they say?
- [77:21]
Producer Mike
Luckily, 78% said tactical genius, 12% said ban it, and 10% said unsportsmanlike.
- [77:29]
Host Andy
What's un. It's within the rules. It's within the rules.
- [77:33]
Producer Mike
I mean, it's. It's a shot, right?
- [77:35]
Host Andy
I'm sorry. If I would pay someone to do this tactic all the time. It's not. I would literally have gone into every match and been like, like, I'll drop you 500 today if you just serve underhand. Are you kidding me? If it's something I want someone to do, like, I'm sorry.
- [77:52]
Producer Mike
Win at all costs.
- [77:53]
Host Andy
We are the hardest sport in the world. And do you know when we look soft as baby shit?
- [77:58]
Producer Mike
Yeah.
- [77:59]
Host Andy
Is when we complain about getting hit in doubles and when we complain about someone hitting an underhand served as if they've done something to personally offend us. Get out of here. There is nothing wrong with it. If you get caught not paying attention, that's on you. What are the rules? Server's pace. That's about it. Bullshit.
- [78:22]
Techie Sean
He threw a curveball and not a fastball. What a breach. All right, all right. Here's the other thing, too. If somebody moonballs, right? I mean, all right, it's technically legal. It's fine. It can be effective. It's not particularly enjoyable aesthetically. This is not only legal, but who doesn't love this?
- [78:38]
Host Andy
It's awesome to see.
- [78:40]
Techie Sean
It's awesome, right?
- [78:41]
Producer Mike
I mean, some of the. Some of the comments are great. Like the the 13 of you that wanted band must be fun at parties. That's a great 100% correct.
- [78:49]
Host Andy
Totally agree.
- [78:50]
Producer Mike
The underarm serve on Match Point might be legal, but also a display of cowardice and disrespect to your opponent.
- [78:56]
Host Andy
Yeah, all of the Karens got pissed.
- [79:00]
Techie Sean
Can the ball. The ball can't bounce twice, right? As long as that's the rule. Why not take advantage of that?
- [79:06]
Host Andy
What are we talking about?
- [79:07]
Producer Mike
Oh, the Internet. I mean it was flooded. Our comments on that one.
- [79:11]
Techie Sean
I did not watch that match. So maybe there was something preceding. That was a pretty frosty handshake though. You think that is from that had
- [79:18]
Producer Mike
anything to do with then Edge very pulled out of the doubles afterwards. He was so distraught.
- [79:22]
Host Andy
He didn't want to get hit. He didn't want to go to new levels of soft and complain about getting hit in doubles too.
- [79:29]
Producer Mike
All right, good.
- [79:29]
Host Andy
So give me a break.
- [79:30]
Producer Mike
Serve teams all in the same boat
- [79:32]
Host Andy
as 78% of the respondents, but also, like, you get guys that do it sarcastically, but it's like those guys are tapping out anyways. You're either showing me that you're completely tapped out. Like, Kyrgios was done. Like, when he's tanking, he does it.
- [79:44]
Techie Sean
Okay, great.
- [79:45]
Host Andy
You're out. You're done. I got you. That's not going to ruin my day. I'm pumped. You're really good and you're tapping out. I don't have to worry about you. At least until next week. Great. Great bonus. You're going to take the biggest weapon on the court and you're going to go underhand. Great free approach shot.
- [80:02]
Techie Sean
Perfect.
- [80:03]
Producer Mike
Like, yeah, it's match point.
- [80:04]
Host Andy
It's like, I don't care. Like, I'm not. I don't. But also, like, I don't. Why do I need. Why do I need it as a tennis player? Why do I need someone to approve of my strategy?
- [80:14]
Producer Mike
You don't.
- [80:15]
Host Andy
Get the fuck out of here.
- [80:17]
Techie Sean
Well, the market will decide. Right? You hit a shitty underhand serve and you're not going to win that match. Why is this. Why is this so different in.
- [80:24]
Host Andy
This is a. I'm dumbfounded by this.
- [80:27]
Techie Sean
Why is this different in the. In the eyes of tennis fans? Why is this any different than the drop shot, which we love.
- [80:31]
Producer Mike
That's a great question. That's what a lot of people brought up too. And like, literally one person's like, I'm old enough to remember when Roger Federer saying he doesn't like the drop shot only to later develop one. You know, it's like. But you're like, yeah, the drop shot's the same. It's just.
- [80:46]
Host Andy
Were we this upset about Sabre? No, we love it.
- [80:50]
Producer Mike
We love it.
- [80:51]
Host Andy
Like, what's the problem?
- [80:52]
Producer Mike
I don't know.
- [80:53]
Host Andy
What's the problem? Besides, it worked and you're embarrassed?
- [80:55]
Producer Mike
Some people just think it's. It's cowardice.
- [80:57]
Host Andy
We mean, it's cowardice. You're less likely to win the point.
- [81:01]
Producer Mike
Let.
- [81:02]
Techie Sean
You know, let. Let baseball have all these stupid, unwritten rules that make it look really soft.
- [81:07]
Host Andy
Baseball, you can throw at someone's head.
- [81:09]
Producer Mike
I just think the drop shot or the. The underarm serve, especially now with these guys are standing against the wall, you can't even see them.
- [81:15]
Host Andy
It's horrible play.
- [81:16]
Producer Mike
Yeah.
- [81:16]
Host Andy
It's literally only if you catch someone not paying attention. And at that point, if someone's not paying attention, guess what you do in sports? You expose it.
- [81:23]
Producer Mike
Yep.
- [81:24]
Host Andy
Oh, God, I'm so. I just want to end the show. Can we be done? Yeah, we're done. Yeah. Brought to you by ServiceNow. This is it. We're done. 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 agency agents.