A (2:34)

So are they not calling lines in all tournaments?

B (2:38)

I'm sure they do sometimes, but like, anyone that you know that most of earth is watching probably has some sort of review. I, I mean, you'll get the outside courts where it's like, it's old school where an umpire can kind of screw up the entire match, right? So it's, I mean, it costs money to put in the system. So it's small. Some of the smaller events on the outside courts, as far as I understand, it's, it's. They don't have it, and they certainly don't have it at all, the challengers and, you know, so there is still room, but just, you're not going to see it in like a Rotterdam final, right? You're going to have the, the, the ability to review at the bigger tournaments.

A (3:12)

So beyond the supervisor coming on the court in match, you know, post match, is there like an actual process to like, log a formal complaint?

B (3:21)

I'm sure there is, but like, then you'll, you'll lodge the formal complaint and then you'll never hear any feedback. It's, there's not a simple, there's not a simple, like, way to do it. You basically, it ends up like I was in a million arguments where it spilled over to the referee's office after matches or the next day, and it's basically just me yelling and them going, I know, we'll take a look. Yep, yep, we'll take a look at it. Well, I don't know about that. And then I'm like, okay, so if I, if I screw up and explode, I get fined, and if they screw up, then nothing. We're. We're good, right? Yeah, yeah. So it's pretty frustrating.

A (4:00)

Next up from Emar. I sometimes see tennis players in moments of frustration say something along the lines of, you know, you're not even a tennis player to the umpire. Do you think that umpires should be required to have a history of playing the game? Slash, do you think direct experience is necessary in order to be a good umpire?

B (4:19)

You're not going to find a lot of former players that are going to be umpires, so doesn't matter what you wish for. It's like that's, it's not reality. I get so pissed. The thing that really used to send me off was one, when you get a million reps as a Players, the way a ball travels, the way it bounces, like, you get a read on all that. And I don't know if you can develop a feel for that, having not lived it and seen it and practiced it. From the time you're seven or eight years old, I don't know, you're probably less likely to be able to do all of those things. Right? Which is the point of. The point of frustration. What I used to. What used to absolutely drive me crazy. And this. I don't know if this is here nor there. When the umpires would, like. It'd be like, raining or something, and they would get out and they'd be wearing, like, loafers, and they would. They would, like, get out, get down from the chair, and they would, like, dab their foot like, four times, and then they get back up in the chair and they'd be like, you can still play. I'm like, from that, like, I don't know if you're right or wrong, but I'm just like, you got down, you went like this. And I go, is that the way that you think we move? Is that what you see? Do you see us going, like. Like, just like, walking around like, that used to drive me insane. And especially if they're like, you're good to go. And I'm like, it's actually slick. And they get down, they just tap their foot to measure the moisture. And if we can move or not, I'm like, you're the one deciding whether or not we can move. With your little loafers.

A (5:56)

Your loafers on.

B (5:57)

Yeah, give me a break. That used to drive me crazy. So I don't know about the actual calls and stuff, but I know that, like, when that stuff would happen, that's when I'd be like, you have no fucking clue. Like, if you're doing that and that simulates movement, I don't even know. Like, it was the most passive aggressive shit ever.

A (6:14)

Beside. Besides that, like, truly understanding what it takes for the physicality of it, is there anything else that you think a player's insight would be more valuable to have for the perspective of an umpire?

B (6:29)

Where. Where umpires get. Where it's trouble, it's like, it's. It's like the judgment calls in the bike. Like, some umpires will call the shot clock every time, some won't if it's a long point, you know, and so there's just a lack of clarity. And that's. That's where I think 90% of the arguments come from, especially because you're not even arguing about line calls anymore. You're arguing about someone yelling from the stands or you're arguing from. You know, it's just kind of controlling traffic. So, yeah, I mean, listen, if you're around enough, you know how to. You know. Does every NBA ref have to have played? Absolutely not. No chance. It's just. I like to see them sweating, too. You know, they're hauling ass the whole time, you know, so it's just kind of bitterness. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't think that you have to have been a player to be an effective umpire.

A (7:22)

Next question's from Donald, and you kind of just touched on it here. But do umpires get direction on handling certain situations, or is it more of a personal judgment?

B (7:31)

Most of the time, it's probably a personal judgment. I mean, you knew umpires that wanted to get involved and didn't. Like, you knew. Some people that, like, they announced the score. Like, some people. Some umpires, you feel like they want to be a part of the show. You know, it used to drive me crazy. Like, especially. And all. Obviously, all of this stuff only really drove me crazy when I was losing and needed to vent. But, like, when the umpire. 30, 15. I'm like, can you just.

A (7:58)

The next question, I think, references that.

B (8:00)

Can you just say the fucking score? Like, why do you have to. Why is it, like, a dramatic reading every time someone wins a point? I'm like, that's a fan.

A (8:08)

I dig it. As a fan, I dig it.

B (8:10)

Yeah, maybe that's the counter, but I, like, imagine you just get. You know, you're down 1540. You just miss out. 1540. Tomahawk. A racket.

A (8:25)

The next question is from David. What is the player consensus on Muhammad showman style of umpiring?

B (8:32)

I like Mohammed Leoni. I think he's a. He's a beautiful, decent man, and there's no world where you can, like, I remember him consoling Nick Kyrgios in the US Open. I'm like, that is not your job. Your job is to not get him to play more. Like, if I'm. If I'm the opponent there in that match, I'm like, get the fuck out of there.

A (8:53)

Like, can you explain that for people that don't know? Like, he came down from.

B (8:57)

Yeah, so, like, curious was having. He was doing. Curious is doing curious things. He's whining and whatever, and Leonie comes out and, like, gives him, like, a pep talk. Like, in the middle of a match, he's like, you can do. You know, I don't. I'll get the quotes wrong. But it was like he was on, like, you know, it was like you would coach like a. Like a. Like a small human in, like, soccer or baseball. You get on their level. And he was like, talking to him, like, if I'm curious as opponent, I'm like, what are you doing if he keeps playing? Because, you know, and I think there's. I think he won that match. But, like, you cannot do that. Like, you cannot do that.

A (9:33)

And it was a U.S. open match.

B (9:35)

Yes, it was in the U.S. open. You cannot do that.

A (9:36)

Kyrgios is trailing Pierre Hughes. Who's it? Herbert.

B (9:42)

Yeah.

A (9:42)

By the set in three. Zero.

B (9:44)

Yeah. And he gave him like a. You can do it. Like, that's ridiculous. I love Mohamed Leiani. If you get, like, nicest, he will not have a bad day. You see him behind the scenes. He's fantastic. He's a great, great person. Nice, human. And I would have lost my mind in that specific situation that you don't.

A (10:06)

And he was the one that. He also called scores and stuff and in an entertaining way and stuff like that.

B (10:10)

Yes. Which was very annoying if you were having a bad day. That's it. Great guy.

A (10:17)

Great guy.

B (10:17)

He is a great guy. Like, he's the nicest. He's the nicest person. He's so decent. And also, it's like, that's, like, super annoying when you're not in the mood for it.

A (10:24)

One person Patty wrote in, what happens if a chair umpire has to pee? And the serve team. We were thinking about the Isner iconic Isner match. I'm like, did that chair umpire even get out of their seat for eight hours?

B (10:36)

I don't. I don't. The most amazing thing that you will see from umpires is bladder control. It's. It's. I don't understand it. I mean, I guess you could go at a switch over quickly. There's normally a bathroom, like, right off the court. But, like, I don't. I could never do, you know, the sideline. Even the sideline reporters who were, like, sitting there, like, the mic. I was texting with Isnor. I'm like, how have you been sitting there for four hours? Like, am I. I could never do it. I can't. Like, I don't know how you. I've said this before, but, like, when we play the 09 Wimblelove, Mirka sat there the entire time she was pregnant with twins. I'm like, how is that even. Like, it Was the most superhuman.

A (11:17)

How is it possible?

B (11:18)

Like, Roger broke the record. I tried my little heart out. And that might have been the most superhuman effort of the amazing. Like, I don't know. That blows my mind. Like, they're, they're, they're full on camel control. Is, is, is, is, Is phenomenal. Like, there's. I don't know, like, you can't have coffee. Right. Like, you. It's not as if you're an hour away from going into the chair. It's like, I'm just going to have like a double espresso ripper.

A (11:42)

No, they're like, they're prepping. They're prepping themselves.

B (11:45)

It's like anti hydration. Yeah. I don't know. That's. That's. I could not be like. I know we talked about, like. I know all the. See the way the ball travels and you see it better and I couldn't sit in the chair. Couldn't do it. Nope.

A (11:58)

Yeah.

B (11:59)

Done.

A (12:00)

That's funny.

B (12:01)

Yeah. Great observation. I have no idea. I don't know the answer to that. We should have an umpire on.

A (12:05)

We should. That'd be great.

B (12:06)

Yeah, we should have Muhammad Leoni on.

A (12:08)

I was just gonna say, should we have. Should we as Muhammad on.

B (12:11)

At the very least, we need to have him record an opening to served. Welcome to served. Like. Subscribe. Brought to you by ServiceNow.

A (12:26)

Amy asked, Is there any standard etiquette in terms of the switching order? Is it just purely whoever gets there first or is there a written or unwritten rule amongst the players?

B (12:36)

No, it's whoever gets there first. Yeah. If someone's like.

A (12:40)

It's been used as like, intimidation factor in the past before. Right. Did you ever use it as like a. I'm the big dog?

B (12:46)

No, not really.

A (12:47)

With the.

B (12:48)

I mean, there's a famous incident with Spirlaya and William Williams and she bumped and the whole like. Not really. I mean, I would use it like a switch over. It'd be like proximity. So, like my. The worst thing I did was like, if I had to trash talk or something, I would do it as we were walking and I would put the towel over my. You muffle it enough so it can't. The mics can't pick it up.

A (13:09)

Yeah.

B (13:09)

Yeah, but it wasn't like that. It was just like, you're. You know, I'd be like, you're 70 in the world and I have all afternoon to figure out why. You know, stuff like that. But it wasn't. I didn't really care. I wasn't like I'm ever like I have to get to my chair first. You would do it like you would run to your chair like if there was a match in a big grand slam match where it was like hot as anything and I ran to my chair for an hour straight just to just kind of be a dick, just

A (13:38)

like just prove a point.

B (13:40)

Yeah. Like I was, I would like pretend like I wasn't feeling it. Yeah. So there's like little things like that. But I know there's no written, there's no rule book on who gets to go to their chair first.

A (13:52)

Last one. And I just wanted this one in here because we had our, our backhands episode earlier this week. If you haven't seen it, go check it out. Andy and Chris Eubanks breakdown best backhands across a couple generations which was pretty great. But Sam asked more and more. The sliding backhand cross is becoming a staple defense ground stroke with a one handed backhand that is very hard to do. Is the slice fair replacement for it? Does it fundamentally put one handed backhanded players at a disadvantage on the tour?

B (14:22)

Well, let's just break this down right. Players are going to do what best suits them to get a result right now. Are we seeing more one handed backhands over time or way less one handed backhands over time? The answer is less. Right. And that's not because it's not cool looking. It's the coolest looking shot in, in tennis history. But yeah, I think open stance backhands, I think the way people are returning now those are, I think those are tougher with, with one hand. I think you have to have an extraordinary slice. Like Dimitrov can still hit it really well but you also need some help from the court. Like you can hit the greatest slice in the world and if it's a slow court and sits up, it's not great. For all those reasons that they mentioned I don't really have much to add because defensively is tougher. Up out of the zone on a return is tougher. Getting to on a return is tougher and then people are well fed did it. Yeah. Otherworldly talents can probably work around it. Standard person trying to make it. I think know it's not an accident that we're seeing way more two handers. They've. They've figured out basically what you're making in the point with that question.

A (15:34)

That's it. That's this week's Q.

B (15:36)

And Andy, thank you for watching. This has been Q. Andy.

C (15:52)

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