Instead of dancing around the fact that the tournament was made by the Saudi, can we talk about how sinner for the first time almost broke his racquet out of sheer passion and how Medvedev states that no one ever has beaten him this badly and how he belives that now peak sinner is better than peak Alcaraz? I get that we all are entitled to our opinions but please have a more pragmatic approach towards the tennis aspect. We just want a breakdown of the matches. Heck even Djokovic said that during his intense 2nd set with sinner he never felt energy like that in a while, so I dont get your lackluster approach on the tournament as a “tennis fan”
Mr Roddick..DO NOT DISRESPECT A COUNTRY 'S TRADITIONAL DANCE FEST.. YOU ARE NOT A FAN OF IT SURE.NO NEED TO CALL IT AWKWARD... WE ARE ALSO NOT A FAN OF AMERICAN PLAYERS USING FLAG TP PLAY DESPITE AMERICA INDIRECTLY FUNDING THE ISRAELI GENOCIDE..IF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WANT TO FUND THEIR OWN COUNTRY 'S SPORT THATS THEIR CHOICE .. IF SAUDI IS DOING IT THEY ARE DOING IT FOR THE GROWTH OF THEIR SPORTS AND THATS NATURAL FOR A GOVERNMENT TO DO WHO HAS THE CAPABILITIES TO DO IT... DO NOT POLITICIZE EVERYTHING . ....AND YES WHAT ABOUT IRAQ WHY AMERICA IS NOT QUESTIONED FOR HOSTING SPORTS TOURNAMENT COMMITING WAR CRIMES ABROAD AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE AMERICA BRINGS THEIR WAR TO GETS QUESTIONED ON HUMAN RIGHTS... WHAT ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS IN AMERICA.. THE EXISTENCE OF ANTI FA AND GUN LAW CASE ... ABORTION RIOTS, CIA INFILTRATION OF SOUTH AMERICA ETC ETC... QUESTION YOURSELF FIRST... DO NOT QUESTION OTHER COUNTRY GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO CREATE POPULARITY OF A SPORT IN THEIR PLACE AND POLITICIZE IT JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO SO... THE FIRST THING AMERICANS SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT IS GOW TO PROTECT YOUR TENNIS FROM PICKLE BALL AND PRODUCE AMERICAN GRAND SLAM WINNERS LOL.... YOU ARE JUST BITTER DEEP DOWN BCZ NO AMERICAN PLAYED THE SIX KINGS SLAM
Talk about the matches? Yes, there was some competitive tennis however at the end of the day it was still an exhibition that does not officially count towards any of the participants H2H. You can take what Meddy said about Sinner, Danil had an injured shoulder, at face value or maybe the dude just wanted to exaggerate and justify his quick loss when in reality he should’ve pulled out of the exho due to injury as he was clearly hurting in Shanghai and just pulled out of this week’s tournament as well. But hey when Meddy is playing for a whopping guaranteed 1.5 mil why not just show up and see what happens? 😅
@@apathylovescompany I think the more interesting matches were sinner-djokovic and sinner-alcaraz. Of course the medvedev match was not very competitive
@@vincenzobassano9295 I want to see him go up against Sinner and just get destroyed so badly. Extra props if Kyr has a meltdown and Sinner is his typical composed/laconic self. I'm all for redemption arcs. But Kyr took his, initially did well in my eyes and then proceeded to shit all over any progress. I'll be happy when he's out.
@@jonfreeman9682Coco achieved so much at her age already and is still evolving as a player so her future is definitely bright. I don't think she can challenge Iga as much as other players. Iga's movement is out of this world and she can easily absorb Coco's speed. Also, Coco's game is still fluctuating atm.
Really happy with what Iga is doing. She's said in the past that she's in this for the long game. If that means taking time out for body and mind, all power to her. I've seen too many players burn out over the (many) years. Producer Mike reminds me of when I used to stand infront of class and read when I was ten!... :o)
I enjoy watching Iga, and wish her a long career. That being said, unless her new coach can make some changes to her game, much of her success may only come on the clay courts. She gets pushed around on the hard courts and she seems uncomfortable ( and unwilling) to play the type of methodical game necessary to succeed on grass. I do hope she proves me wrong and can make the necessary adjustments.
@@MichaelWarchol Iga has only problem on FAST hard courts. On slow hard courts she is still very good. People forget that I think on last three years Iga won the most WTA tournaments on hard courts. Aryna is obviously better on fast courts, like on AO. But people make it sound like Iga is rubbish on hc.
The humorous and energetic Queen, known for her vibrant personality and triumphant spirit. She is currently displaying exceptional performance with aspirations to attain the titles. Congratulations Sabalenka ❤🔥🔥🔥
I was a little surprised by how uninterested I was in that Six Kings thing considering who was playing. But exhibitions just really don't mean anything.
Similar case to me. I have other tabs here for YT with Rafa highlights and that I've been watching but for this six kings event...I watched a bit of Carlitos and Rafa's match, but that was it. Even when the ones who had the streaming rights for my region (DAZN) where transmitting the event for free on their platform and used it...I just didn't care too much to go out of my way to watch it.
I think the return of Kyrgios could deserve a bit more discussion. He is one of the most talented and a good entertainer for tennis. Yes his choices or comments are sometimes poor but he is a great player and I am looking forward to seeing him. I remember seeing him in Delray on a practice court I was with my 10 yr old son and many many kids were there and after practice he spent an hour accepting to take a picture with every single kid when he could have done 3 or 4 and just leave.
Loved your points on the Six Kings Slam. As a big Rafa fan it was really bittersweet to see his last few matches, especially the last match between the Big 3, take place at this really awkward tournament, where it's so clearly just sportswashing, a branding exercise. No one there really cared about the tennis. As the coverage showed, every 5 minutes it was cameras panning to sheiks or whatever they are. A golden racket for Rafa, only the Saudis would thing that's a good gift... It's just money money money, gross.
Mr Roddick..DO NOT DISRESPECT A COUNTRY 'S TRADITIONAL DANCE FEST.. YOU ARE NOT A FAN OF IT SURE.NO NEED TO CALL IT AWKWARD... WE ARE ALSO NOT A FAN OF AMERICAN PLAYERS USING FLAG TP PLAY DESPITE AMERICA INDIRECTLY FUNDING THE ISRAELI GENOCIDE..IF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WANT TO FUND THEIR OWN COUNTRY 'S SPORT THATS THEIR CHOICE .. IF SAUDI IS DOING IT THEY ARE DOING IT FOR THE GROWTH OF THEIR SPORTS AND THATS NATURAL FOR A GOVERNMENT TO DO WHO HAS THE CAPABILITIES TO DO IT... DO NOT POLITICIZE EVERYTHING . ....AND YES WHAT ABOUT IRAQ WHY AMERICA IS NOT QUESTIONED FOR HOSTING SPORTS TOURNAMENT COMMITING WAR CRIMES ABROAD AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE AMERICA BRINGS THEIR WAR TO GETS QUESTIONED ON HUMAN RIGHTS... WHAT ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS IN AMERICA.. THE EXISTENCE OF ANTI FA AND GUN LAW CASE ... ABORTION RIOTS, CIA INFILTRATION OF SOUTH AMERICA ETC ETC... QUESTION YOURSELF FIRST... DO NOT QUESTION OTHER COUNTRY GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO CREATE POPULARITY OF A SPORT IN THEIR PLACE AND POLITICIZE IT JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO SO... THE FIRST THING AMERICANS SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT IS GOW TO PROTECT YOUR TENNIS FROM PICKLE BALL AND PRODUCE AMERICAN GRAND SLAM WINNERS LOL.... YOU ARE JUST BITTER DEEP DOWN BCZ NO AMERICAN PLAYED THE SIX KINGS SLAM
I get where you're coming from, but I think it’s a bit harsh to label the whole event as just “sportswashing.” Yes, the tournament was in Saudi Arabia, a country with its own issues, but that doesn’t mean the tennis or the moments didn’t matter. Rafa’s matches, especially near the end, still meant a lot to his fans worldwide. A golden racket might feel odd to you, but it’s a symbolic gesture tied to honor in their culture. And let’s not forget, sports have always intersected with politics and branding-Wimbledon, the Olympics-why single out this one?
@@lulamamajola1652 because Wimbledon, Britain, doesn’t outright violate international human rights laws, ban criticism of Britain or Cristianity. British women are allowed to drive or be allowed out in public by themselves, and in general have equal rights. Britain also hasn’t executed 81 people this year, or lash and imprison homosexuals. Saudi Arabia is still in the Stone Age.
This is the last time we'll see Joker vs Rafa. Just legendary players. The big 3 era was truly special. Each brought their own unique brand of tennis and Nadal is still the king of spin. Was rooting for him to win one more Grand Slam but it's good he's not greedy and give priority to his health. He's made enough money and his record is unbeaten.
I don’t get the prize money comparison between the exhibition and the wta tour event. Why does it matter that the exhibition paid more? It’s more money than ATP events too. 🤷♂️
@@malekat8539 Potential earnings for individual players is definitely more than the slams but the overall money outlay is probably less because the slams are paying literally hundreds of players.
It's because these guys want to be paragons of progressive ideology. Obviously the mens events are more prestigious and exciting to watch and therefore bring in more money which allows for bigger prizes. A lot of tennis pundits just ignore this fact and act outraged to stay in good graces with their social circles.
I’m not sure if they are just jealous because they have never earned such sums, but they could have also talked a bit about the matches that were played instead of focusing only on the money.
Pointing out the fact that Saudi Arabia doesn't actually care about the sport of tennis, but rather about trying to improve the image of their country known for it's human rights abuses has nothing to do with jealously. The Saudi's don't even actually care about the tennis, so why should anyone else?
So, you don't want to comment the matches in the Six Kings Slam, but you commented the matches in China, where human rights are violated every day and a tennis player has "gone missing" (as you rightfully reminded us in a recent video)? I think you have many, many good reasons to dislike the Riyadh tournament, but the matches were real and hard fought, and not talking about them leaves a gaping hole of information about those players' current form. It's a useless disservice to us, just to make a point that we fully understand and probably also agree on.
i agree with your point, maybe they shouldn't comment on the matches in China and spend that time talking about Peng Shuai. However, the players have said themselves on record that the matches in Riyadh don't really matter and that exhibition matches in general are not as taxing or hard-fought as tour matches. The emotional investment isn't the same. So I don't think Riyadh tells us anything about their form, especially over just 3 days?? Also the results were consistent with how these players have been performing in recent tournaments.
Yes and the Olympic medal, that's often not mentioned and it was also a 2 week tournament for which players did not receive any points and had to skip other tournaments. Definitely the most emotional and toughest experience, even completing three-peat in RG was not that intense for her. Now she's punished for not playing 6 500s... Is she a robot? Are they aware she's won 4 1000s which are now 2 week events? WTA really wants players to be injured, mentally exhausted and fatigued
John Wertheim handpicking his biases towards UAE in relation to US is the most hilarious and ignorant things I have heard of: yeah there was Iraq but it was on a dif level. Seriously?!! Did u just dismiss so lightly the US atrocities in the overseas, specifically Middle East? Huhhh
Congratulations to Sabalenka. She earned it. But ... I truly wish she didn't make that horrendous scream every time she hit the ball! It's why I will always prefer quiet players like Swiatek
Yes she's played really well in the last part of the year and she deserves the Nr 1 spot. The way it's happened was really confusing, WTA really disappoints with how they punish players for skipping 500s. Insane and illogical rules to punish a player who is consistent and has better 'worse results' and taking away points for mandatory 1000s 😢 they really took away the joy and competitiveness of the sport
Ha! I LOVE Kyrgio getting exactly as much attention as a narcissist deserves - which is zero. Clearly Andy has been learning how to manage narcissists from watching Trump
current players have had a rebuttal to the exo point: flying somewhere for a few days and playing an exo is not the same as an extra week at a 1000 event. you're not "battle ready" and it's just a few days out and playing a semi competitive match. i think gil gross brought this up, when are we getting the collab lol
Agree 💪 She's focusing on improving and evolving as a player so naturally she's get back at the top too. Good she's carrying about defending points and the ranking anymore, it'll help her to play freely without the added pressure
Sabalenka is the women's POY. All congrats to her on a remarkable season. Swiatek will be fine. Good for Paul. No love for Collins. She's a bad look for the tour, imo. Lking forward to the year end finals.
Finally a tennis media who dares to speak critically of the saudi sportwashing. It's sad that tennis is making deals with a country with such blatant dismissal of many human rights. I am not saying that the west is perfect, far from it. The US has its fair share of problems with civil liberties and going at war in the name of "peace" and western ideals 😅. In a way, I get the position of those who say "no country is perfect", but it shouldn't be an excuse to sell your soul to the worst ones. I know money controls everything in this world, and tennis is no exception, but it cannot buy integrity, I guess
@@onyx081 It’s not that people defending the tournament are blind to the sportswashing aspect-it’s that many feel tennis has long operated within political and financial influences worldwide. The same outrage doesn’t seem to surface with tournaments in the U.S., which also has a controversial history with civil liberties, wars, and corporate control. The difference seems to be in how we react. Is it that Saudi Arabia feels “worse,” or is it simply more unfamiliar? The criticism feels selective when we consider other countries with human rights concerns still host major tournaments with much less outcry. It’s not about excusing sports washing-it’s about acknowledging that this dynamic has existed everywhere in sports, and tennis is no exception.
@@onyx081 Basically, why don’t you apply the same level of scrutiny to all the other countries with issues, as you do to Saudi Arabia? And please, try to answer with more substance than Jon’s lazy take about "less government involvement" in those tournaments-give me a break! 😂
@@lulamamajola1652 your comment illustrates the issue perfectly, because you and I can criticize the U.S. for it's history of abuse and speak out against current injustices with no fear of repercussion, and if we were Saudi citizens doing the same, we would be sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence for doing just this. how ironic. please take 5 minutes to do some research if you aren't a troll. Saudi Arabia's current human rights abuses aren't comparable to the USA's or any other western country where tennis players perform. It IS comparable to China, and many tennis fans don't support the tour's return to China and speak out about it, there is no double standard there.
Exactly, the same goes for China... Top players have a lot of power to influence the fans and the ATP, and it would be nice to see at least some of them being vocal about this issues and boycott some of these tournaments, especially if it's just an exhibition with no influence on on ranking
Andy, your wife is a very lucky woman not only are you still fine AF but your sense of humor always kills me - that ‘this is 60 minutes shit ticktickticktick’ made me choke on my drink at work
Where Jon Wertheim is wrong, when he says the tournament isn't held by the government and the money isn't given to the players by the Saudi Government. Saudi Royals are the Government and it is their money.
the semis of the WTA 500 in China a few days ago... very curious. ( and for my two current faves , bad ). Badosa - we know She has a bad back and that is generally bad news. can flare at any time, and a % of agility disappears.... But - weren't they using a blood pressure device and pulse checking... ( courtside, long distance TV view ) not related to back in any way I know. 2. Muchova down again.... said to be ' hip' ? to me Her last few shots were bizarre for a pro , looked like a beginner.... shouts 'wrist'. So What's with that ? to me K.M. should be in absolute top Cardio / stretching physical shape , she had wrist surgery in Feb , doesn't stop stretching etc etc. and there She is quitting half thru a WTA 500 , after skipping the previous tournament. not good. So that is two 'notable' pros with issues , real news I'd think. Maybe the players themselves wanted a blackout.
Agreed. Just like Qinwen. I have no interest in these players and how well they do. It means nothing if you can't root for the person because they're so unlikable. Zverev is a good example on the male side too (but obviously much worse with the allegations). Players like Ruud, Sinner, Alcaraz, Draper, Swiatek, etc, are so easy to root for because they are class acts!
Three observations from this episode: - I disagree with the dismissive approach to the tennis played in the Six Kings Slam as stated by other commenters. - John equating westernization and modernization is deeply problematic and reeks with superiority that the entire world is trying to move away from. - The reaction to Kyrgios return made me laugh out loud 😂
The Arab Oil money is disgusting and also so in sports. These guys are awash with money they didn't earn, but was given them because Westerners drilled for oil there and paid them for the rights to drill there. I hope Iran doesn't follow suit, that would be even more sickening.
How stupid are you? Many countries have natural resources. If anything you should be disgusted with your own country, the United States, for invading and killing hundreds of thousands of people for that oil. Take a good look in the mirror. Having oil is the biggest curse that part of the world has had resulting in greedy, death hungry colonialists like the US and England waging death in their region. You ignorant idiot!
I wish you talk more about matches at 6 kings, especially Djokovic Sinner match was interesting and may change a bit a negative dynamic of their rivarly for Novak now ahead AO 2025.
Do you really think that she faked her whole year with this retirement angle, only to say 'surprise' at the year end? Or are you just searching for attention. Genuine question...
Not a huge fan of her on court demeanor, but considering the whole reason she wanted to retire was to start a family and she literally cannot do that because of endometriosis and she might as well keep on playing in the mean time is not the reason why I want to read someone isn't retiring yet. I really feel bad for her and hope she finds a course of treatment that can manage her issue and allow her to achieve what she wants in life.
@@zeroelus would her current fertility issues not be made worse by the constant strain of professional tennis on her body, mind and soul? Would it not be better to stay away from tennis as she first announced in other to fully focus on resting, healing and helping her body conceive and successfully carry a baby to term? We shall never know.
Why does six kings slam pay more than WTA final? 😂 Hello? Are you seriously asking this question ❓ WTA final is so ghetto. Remember last year how it ended up in Mexico the very last minute? ATP >>>> WTA 😂
WOW IM SURPRISED YALL TAKE ON THE 6KING SLAM! I THINK YALL ARE A BIT BIASED AND SOUNDS LIKE HATERS!!! THE LEVEL OF TENNIS IN THAT FINAL WAS AMAZING!!! IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THE INTERACTS WITHIN THAT CULTURE. I COULD SAY HOW WEIRD AND AWKWARD IT IS TO SEE THE TENNIS PLAYERS IN TOURNAMENTS IN CHINA, JAPAN ETC. DOING CULTURAL ACTIVITIES TO MARKET TENNIS IN THOSE COUNTRIES BUT WE SMILE AND ACCEPT LOL BUT SINCE ITS SAUDI AND THEY HAVE THE BUDGET YALL WANT TO CALL IT A "SILLY EXHIBITION." 😂🤨 ALSO... SAUDI HAS BEEN PROVIDING HUGE AMOUNTS TO OTHER SPORTS SO WOULD YALL PREFER FOR TENNIS PLAYERS TO BE UNDERPAID WHILE COMPARED TO OTHER SPORTS/ATHLETES???? I THINK QUESTIONING THE INTENTIONS IS FINE BUT YALL COULD HAVE FOLLOWED IT UP WITH CONGRATULATING THESE 6 TENNIS STARS MAKING A RECORD BREAKING AMOUNT AND PROMOTING TENNIS. BUT OK.
Way to knock the tournament in Saudi as inconsequential and a national branding exercise. Honestly shows you guys’ ingrained anti Muslim bias. You guys are still hung up on women not wearing bikinis there. That’s an ignorant and arrogant attitude towards other cultures. Saudis also love sports and it takes that kind of money to have the best players show up and also because the ATP wouldn’t sanction and grant points to a tournament there. John Wertheimer needs to keep his biased views to himself and not start controversy and propaganda anywhere he can get a chance. I know that is his career but please! The US is literally involved in crimes against humanity and you guys have the nerve to point fingers at other cultures because the women and men have to abide by a cultural dress code there.
I can sort of understand your attitude towards Kyrgios. It suits the narrative for your fans and you don't have to actually think or research. But if you had shown any enthusiasm I would worry. Maybe I'll even vote for Trump. Your antipathy is totally over the top
Roddick stop being a bully to u coworkers.... do u really need that? I mean u basically paying the guy to be ure stress release at this point... is that what it means to be a producer?...that's really annoying... i find myself coming to the podcast and swapping each time u being rude for no reason... not even to get laughs... just cause having a podcast stresses u out... id rather u take a pause or let them have a part of the show (rubrique)...be nicer bro
respect to andy for not talking about kygrios. what a bum
Kyrgios deserves exactly the amount of attention he got from Andy.
Smart move from Iga in my opinion. The break, the new coach. I hope she goes back to her all-court game of pre 2022.
Instead of dancing around the fact that the tournament was made by the Saudi, can we talk about how sinner for the first time almost broke his racquet out of sheer passion and how Medvedev states that no one ever has beaten him this badly and how he belives that now peak sinner is better than peak Alcaraz? I get that we all are entitled to our opinions but please have a more pragmatic approach towards the tennis aspect. We just want a breakdown of the matches. Heck even Djokovic said that during his intense 2nd set with sinner he never felt energy like that in a while, so I dont get your lackluster approach on the tournament as a “tennis fan”
The tennis podcast refused to talk about the tournament because it was in SA. Gill Gross talked about it a bit more
Because it's blatant sportswashing
Mr Roddick..DO NOT DISRESPECT A COUNTRY 'S TRADITIONAL DANCE FEST.. YOU ARE NOT A FAN OF IT SURE.NO NEED TO CALL IT AWKWARD... WE ARE ALSO NOT A FAN OF AMERICAN PLAYERS USING FLAG TP PLAY DESPITE AMERICA INDIRECTLY FUNDING THE ISRAELI GENOCIDE..IF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WANT TO FUND THEIR OWN COUNTRY 'S SPORT THATS THEIR CHOICE .. IF SAUDI IS DOING IT THEY ARE DOING IT FOR THE GROWTH OF THEIR SPORTS AND THATS NATURAL FOR A GOVERNMENT TO DO WHO HAS THE CAPABILITIES TO DO IT... DO NOT POLITICIZE EVERYTHING . ....AND YES WHAT ABOUT IRAQ WHY AMERICA IS NOT QUESTIONED FOR HOSTING SPORTS TOURNAMENT COMMITING WAR CRIMES ABROAD AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE AMERICA BRINGS THEIR WAR TO GETS QUESTIONED ON HUMAN RIGHTS... WHAT ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS IN AMERICA.. THE EXISTENCE OF ANTI FA AND GUN LAW CASE ... ABORTION RIOTS, CIA INFILTRATION OF SOUTH AMERICA ETC ETC... QUESTION YOURSELF FIRST... DO NOT QUESTION OTHER COUNTRY GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO CREATE POPULARITY OF A SPORT IN THEIR PLACE AND POLITICIZE IT JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO SO... THE FIRST THING AMERICANS SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT IS GOW TO PROTECT YOUR TENNIS FROM PICKLE BALL AND PRODUCE AMERICAN GRAND SLAM WINNERS LOL.... YOU ARE JUST BITTER DEEP DOWN BCZ NO AMERICAN PLAYED THE SIX KINGS SLAM
Talk about the matches? Yes, there was some competitive tennis however at the end of the day it was still an exhibition that does not officially count towards any of the participants H2H. You can take what Meddy said about Sinner, Danil had an injured shoulder, at face value or maybe the dude just wanted to exaggerate and justify his quick loss when in reality he should’ve pulled out of the exho due to injury as he was clearly hurting in Shanghai and just pulled out of this week’s tournament as well. But hey when Meddy is playing for a whopping guaranteed 1.5 mil why not just show up and see what happens? 😅
@@apathylovescompany I think the more interesting matches were sinner-djokovic and sinner-alcaraz. Of course the medvedev match was not very competitive
Andy's dismissal of Kyrgios news was hilarious 😂 but i do want to see him play Alcaraz and Sinner
Andy is soooooo cool! Always loved Andy.
Great at tennis and what a podcast
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤👍
I mean, it would likely end up 6-0 6-0...there isn't much to see in my opinion
I love it!!!! hahahaa
@@vincenzobassano9295 I want to see him go up against Sinner and just get destroyed so badly. Extra props if Kyr has a meltdown and Sinner is his typical composed/laconic self. I'm all for redemption arcs. But Kyr took his, initially did well in my eyes and then proceeded to shit all over any progress. I'll be happy when he's out.
@@zeroelus same mate, same
I hope that Iga gonna be no.1 soon, she's generational talent, love her game
Coco Puff is coming thru the ranks so Iga better watch out. 👀
@@jonfreeman9682Coco achieved so much at her age already and is still evolving as a player so her future is definitely bright. I don't think she can challenge Iga as much as other players. Iga's movement is out of this world and she can easily absorb Coco's speed. Also, Coco's game is still fluctuating atm.
Really happy with what Iga is doing. She's said in the past that she's in this for the long game. If that means taking time out for body and mind, all power to her. I've seen too many players burn out over the (many) years.
Producer Mike reminds me of when I used to stand infront of class and read when I was ten!... :o)
She's got a long career ahead still. Slow and steady wins the race.
I enjoy watching Iga, and wish her a long career. That being said, unless her new coach can make some changes to her game, much of her success may only come on the clay courts. She gets pushed around on the hard courts and she seems uncomfortable ( and unwilling) to play the type of methodical game necessary to succeed on grass. I do hope she proves me wrong and can make the necessary adjustments.
@@MichaelWarchol Iga has only problem on FAST hard courts. On slow hard courts she is still very good. People forget that I think on last three years Iga won the most WTA tournaments on hard courts. Aryna is obviously better on fast courts, like on AO. But people make it sound like Iga is rubbish on hc.
Sabalenka is fantastic to watch and a great tennis personality. Well deserved #1
She’s terrible to watch if you have the sound on.
Fireball
True i do like her but she is not a great player she is lucky that she has no strong competition @ViaticalTree
The humorous and energetic Queen, known for her vibrant personality and triumphant spirit. She is currently displaying exceptional performance with aspirations to attain the titles. Congratulations Sabalenka ❤🔥🔥🔥
I thought you were trolling about Collins... Until the last sentence 😂😂😂😂
I am happy that you didn't talk about Kyrgios he wants to be the center of attenzion, bravo Andy
I was hoping Nick K had gone away! Totally without class.
LOVE Andy response to Kyrgios. LOVE - tell it like it is.
I was a little surprised by how uninterested I was in that Six Kings thing considering who was playing. But exhibitions just really don't mean anything.
Similar case to me. I have other tabs here for YT with Rafa highlights and that I've been watching but for this six kings event...I watched a bit of Carlitos and Rafa's match, but that was it. Even when the ones who had the streaming rights for my region (DAZN) where transmitting the event for free on their platform and used it...I just didn't care too much to go out of my way to watch it.
@ r. exact. there are enough tournaments , a solid break is probably good for the overalll game.
I think the return of Kyrgios could deserve a bit more discussion. He is one of the most talented and a good entertainer for tennis. Yes his choices or comments are sometimes poor but he is a great player and I am looking forward to seeing him. I remember seeing him in Delray on a practice court I was with my 10 yr old son and many many kids were there and after practice he spent an hour accepting to take a picture with every single kid when he could have done 3 or 4 and just leave.
What a good guy! This story Helps you forget all the rest pf the bullying and misogyny
Veramente bravo, picchia le donne, scrive cose assurde, ma fa le foto con i bimbi.
Bravissimo, è un esempio.
Loved yhe kyrios reaction 😅
Andy so cool!❤❤❤❤❤
Can you please put time stamp?
@@magnoliagrace8115 18:47
18.50@@magnoliagrace8115
Loved your points on the Six Kings Slam. As a big Rafa fan it was really bittersweet to see his last few matches, especially the last match between the Big 3, take place at this really awkward tournament, where it's so clearly just sportswashing, a branding exercise. No one there really cared about the tennis. As the coverage showed, every 5 minutes it was cameras panning to sheiks or whatever they are. A golden racket for Rafa, only the Saudis would thing that's a good gift... It's just money money money, gross.
Mr Roddick..DO NOT DISRESPECT A COUNTRY 'S TRADITIONAL DANCE FEST.. YOU ARE NOT A FAN OF IT SURE.NO NEED TO CALL IT AWKWARD... WE ARE ALSO NOT A FAN OF AMERICAN PLAYERS USING FLAG TP PLAY DESPITE AMERICA INDIRECTLY FUNDING THE ISRAELI GENOCIDE..IF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WANT TO FUND THEIR OWN COUNTRY 'S SPORT THATS THEIR CHOICE .. IF SAUDI IS DOING IT THEY ARE DOING IT FOR THE GROWTH OF THEIR SPORTS AND THATS NATURAL FOR A GOVERNMENT TO DO WHO HAS THE CAPABILITIES TO DO IT... DO NOT POLITICIZE EVERYTHING . ....AND YES WHAT ABOUT IRAQ WHY AMERICA IS NOT QUESTIONED FOR HOSTING SPORTS TOURNAMENT COMMITING WAR CRIMES ABROAD AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE AMERICA BRINGS THEIR WAR TO GETS QUESTIONED ON HUMAN RIGHTS... WHAT ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS IN AMERICA.. THE EXISTENCE OF ANTI FA AND GUN LAW CASE ... ABORTION RIOTS, CIA INFILTRATION OF SOUTH AMERICA ETC ETC... QUESTION YOURSELF FIRST... DO NOT QUESTION OTHER COUNTRY GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO CREATE POPULARITY OF A SPORT IN THEIR PLACE AND POLITICIZE IT JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO SO... THE FIRST THING AMERICANS SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT IS GOW TO PROTECT YOUR TENNIS FROM PICKLE BALL AND PRODUCE AMERICAN GRAND SLAM WINNERS LOL.... YOU ARE JUST BITTER DEEP DOWN BCZ NO AMERICAN PLAYED THE SIX KINGS SLAM
I get where you're coming from, but I think it’s a bit harsh to label the whole event as just “sportswashing.” Yes, the tournament was in Saudi Arabia, a country with its own issues, but that doesn’t mean the tennis or the moments didn’t matter. Rafa’s matches, especially near the end, still meant a lot to his fans worldwide. A golden racket might feel odd to you, but it’s a symbolic gesture tied to honor in their culture. And let’s not forget, sports have always intersected with politics and branding-Wimbledon, the Olympics-why single out this one?
@@lulamamajola1652 because Wimbledon, Britain, doesn’t outright violate international human rights laws, ban criticism of Britain or Cristianity. British women are allowed to drive or be allowed out in public by themselves, and in general have equal rights.
Britain also hasn’t executed 81 people this year, or lash and imprison homosexuals.
Saudi Arabia is still in the Stone Age.
@@lulamamajola1652 didn't 'pro' golf start this ? maybe soccer
This is the last time we'll see Joker vs Rafa. Just legendary players. The big 3 era was truly special. Each brought their own unique brand of tennis and Nadal is still the king of spin. Was rooting for him to win one more Grand Slam but it's good he's not greedy and give priority to his health. He's made enough money and his record is unbeaten.
Absolutely looove the podcast! Andy is the best!!! Forever his fan!!!
I love how Sinner/Alcaraz matches always go the distance
I don’t get the prize money comparison between the exhibition and the wta tour event. Why does it matter that the exhibition paid more? It’s more money than ATP events too. 🤷♂️
If I'm not wrong, it's even comparable to slams, right?
@@malekat8539 Potential earnings for individual players is definitely more than the slams but the overall money outlay is probably less because the slams are paying literally hundreds of players.
It's because these guys want to be paragons of progressive ideology. Obviously the mens events are more prestigious and exciting to watch and therefore bring in more money which allows for bigger prizes. A lot of tennis pundits just ignore this fact and act outraged to stay in good graces with their social circles.
The prize money is more than winning a Grand Slam so no one is slacking off that's for sure. Play half the matches for double the prize money.
I’m not sure if they are just jealous because they have never earned such sums, but they could have also talked a bit about the matches that were played instead of focusing only on the money.
Pointing out the fact that Saudi Arabia doesn't actually care about the sport of tennis, but rather about trying to improve the image of their country known for it's human rights abuses has nothing to do with jealously. The Saudi's don't even actually care about the tennis, so why should anyone else?
it's because they didn't care to watch the tournament so how could they comment?
I LOVE ANDY and his reaction to Kyrgios' news! why didn't you mention also that he wants to win a GS just to shut up the haters HAHAHAHAHAHAH
Nick has 0% chance of winning a slam after 2 years off and he knows it
@@Rory626 you are underestimating his narcisism. He doesn't know!
Loving the podcast! Thanks guys! 😊😊😊
So happy I get to continue rooting for Danielle. It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.
Why don't guys get this lol?
Watching from India, Andy & really enjoy the podcast.
It's definitely different from the others. Keep it up !
So, you don't want to comment the matches in the Six Kings Slam, but you commented the matches in China, where human rights are violated every day and a tennis player has "gone missing" (as you rightfully reminded us in a recent video)? I think you have many, many good reasons to dislike the Riyadh tournament, but the matches were real and hard fought, and not talking about them leaves a gaping hole of information about those players' current form. It's a useless disservice to us, just to make a point that we fully understand and probably also agree on.
i agree with your point, maybe they shouldn't comment on the matches in China and spend that time talking about Peng Shuai. However, the players have said themselves on record that the matches in Riyadh don't really matter and that exhibition matches in general are not as taxing or hard-fought as tour matches. The emotional investment isn't the same. So I don't think Riyadh tells us anything about their form, especially over just 3 days?? Also the results were consistent with how these players have been performing in recent tournaments.
I love these shorter versions of served because I don’t have time to set for 1 or 2 hours at a time ! ❤
20:16 - One of the many reasons we love Andy 😄.
I don’t agree that Sabalenka is MVP, iga only played till September and won 5 big titles
Yes and the Olympic medal, that's often not mentioned and it was also a 2 week tournament for which players did not receive any points and had to skip other tournaments. Definitely the most emotional and toughest experience, even completing three-peat in RG was not that intense for her. Now she's punished for not playing 6 500s... Is she a robot? Are they aware she's won 4 1000s which are now 2 week events? WTA really wants players to be injured, mentally exhausted and fatigued
@@TheAgatabb she won Bronze but still that’s a great achievement and took a lot out of her physically and emotionally
I'm so happy that Iga is back ❤️❤️❤️
John Wertheim handpicking his biases towards UAE in relation to US is the most hilarious and ignorant things I have heard of: yeah there was Iraq but it was on a dif level.
Seriously?!! Did u just dismiss so lightly the US atrocities in the overseas, specifically Middle East? Huhhh
Congratulations to Sabalenka. She earned it. But ... I truly wish she didn't make that horrendous scream every time she hit the ball! It's why I will always prefer quiet players like Swiatek
Yes she's played really well in the last part of the year and she deserves the Nr 1 spot. The way it's happened was really confusing, WTA really disappoints with how they punish players for skipping 500s. Insane and illogical rules to punish a player who is consistent and has better 'worse results' and taking away points for mandatory 1000s 😢 they really took away the joy and competitiveness of the sport
Ha! I LOVE Kyrgio getting exactly as much attention as a narcissist deserves - which is zero. Clearly Andy has been learning how to manage narcissists from watching Trump
Newer tennis fan here, how good was prime Dominic Thiem? Saw a stat that he and medvedev only two players born in the 90s to win a slam.
current players have had a rebuttal to the exo point: flying somewhere for a few days and playing an exo is not the same as an extra week at a 1000 event. you're not "battle ready" and it's just a few days out and playing a semi competitive match. i think gil gross brought this up, when are we getting the collab lol
Agree with your take on the Danimal, Andy. ❤️🎾
iga will reclaim her throne in no time!
I hope. I don’t like Screamalenka.
Agree 💪 She's focusing on improving and evolving as a player so naturally she's get back at the top too. Good she's carrying about defending points and the ranking anymore, it'll help her to play freely without the added pressure
Well said about the 6 Kings event. 👍👍
Andy is a real G for this one: 18:47 😂😂😂
Sabalenka is the women's POY. All congrats to her on a remarkable season. Swiatek will be fine. Good for Paul. No love for Collins. She's a bad look for the tour, imo. Lking forward to the year end finals.
He´s always been very Hollywood. American Pie was his breakthrough!!
Finally a tennis media who dares to speak critically of the saudi sportwashing. It's sad that tennis is making deals with a country with such blatant dismissal of many human rights. I am not saying that the west is perfect, far from it. The US has its fair share of problems with civil liberties and going at war in the name of "peace" and western ideals 😅. In a way, I get the position of those who say "no country is perfect", but it shouldn't be an excuse to sell your soul to the worst ones.
I know money controls everything in this world, and tennis is no exception, but it cannot buy integrity, I guess
Exactly. I can't believe there are people in the comments defending the Saudi's blatant propaganda tournament
@@onyx081 It’s not that people defending the tournament are blind to the sportswashing aspect-it’s that many feel tennis has long operated within political and financial influences worldwide. The same outrage doesn’t seem to surface with tournaments in the U.S., which also has a controversial history with civil liberties, wars, and corporate control. The difference seems to be in how we react. Is it that Saudi Arabia feels “worse,” or is it simply more unfamiliar? The criticism feels selective when we consider other countries with human rights concerns still host major tournaments with much less outcry. It’s not about excusing sports washing-it’s about acknowledging that this dynamic has existed everywhere in sports, and tennis is no exception.
@@onyx081 Basically, why don’t you apply the same level of scrutiny to all the other countries with issues, as you do to Saudi Arabia? And please, try to answer with more substance than Jon’s lazy take about "less government involvement" in those tournaments-give me a break! 😂
@@lulamamajola1652 your comment illustrates the issue perfectly, because you and I can criticize the U.S. for it's history of abuse and speak out against current injustices with no fear of repercussion, and if we were Saudi citizens doing the same, we would be sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence for doing just this. how ironic. please take 5 minutes to do some research if you aren't a troll. Saudi Arabia's current human rights abuses aren't comparable to the USA's or any other western country where tennis players perform. It IS comparable to China, and many tennis fans don't support the tour's return to China and speak out about it, there is no double standard there.
Exactly, the same goes for China... Top players have a lot of power to influence the fans and the ATP, and it would be nice to see at least some of them being vocal about this issues and boycott some of these tournaments, especially if it's just an exhibition with no influence on on ranking
Andy, your wife is a very lucky woman not only are you still fine AF but your sense of humor always kills me - that ‘this is 60 minutes shit ticktickticktick’ made me choke on my drink at work
“Branding exercise for a country” …. Perfect.
Where Jon Wertheim is wrong, when he says the tournament isn't held by the government and the money isn't given to the players by the Saudi Government. Saudi Royals are the Government and it is their money.
@ S. And, tennis has officially taken a political position before - as has the Olympics. russ players being ' neutral' for example.
Glad Saby is #1 and Danimal will be back in 25.
You leave Producer Mike alone, and let him cook! 😂
Karen of tennis is back
@@aminb karen is a sweetheart compared to kyrgios!
End the Karen meme… it hurts wonderful real Karens.
@@marissssss11111 he’s the guy Karen
lets not forget that andy has acted before in sabrina the teenage witch!
the semis of the WTA 500 in China a few days ago... very curious. ( and for my two current faves , bad ). Badosa - we know She has a bad back and that is generally bad news. can flare at any time, and a % of agility disappears.... But - weren't they using a blood pressure device and pulse checking... ( courtside, long distance TV view ) not related to back in any way I know.
2. Muchova down again.... said to be ' hip' ? to me Her last few shots were bizarre for a pro , looked like a beginner.... shouts 'wrist'. So What's with that ? to me K.M. should be in absolute top Cardio / stretching physical shape , she had wrist surgery in Feb , doesn't stop stretching etc etc. and there She is quitting half thru a WTA 500 , after skipping the previous tournament. not good.
So that is two 'notable' pros with issues , real news I'd think. Maybe the players themselves wanted a blackout.
Not too happy about Collins come back. An entirely toxic person and just generally unkind to players while cwtching up to the media.
Agreed. Just like Qinwen. I have no interest in these players and how well they do. It means nothing if you can't root for the person because they're so unlikable. Zverev is a good example on the male side too (but obviously much worse with the allegations).
Players like Ruud, Sinner, Alcaraz, Draper, Swiatek, etc, are so easy to root for because they are class acts!
Three observations from this episode:
- I disagree with the dismissive approach to the tennis played in the Six Kings Slam as stated by other commenters.
- John equating westernization and modernization is deeply problematic and reeks with superiority that the entire world is trying to move away from.
- The reaction to Kyrgios return made me laugh out loud 😂
Did not agree with John and the comments about Saudi. Learn our culture more than just trying to Americanize everything.
Culture of not letting women drive till 2018?🤔
The Arab Oil money is disgusting and also so in sports. These guys are awash with money they didn't earn, but was given them because Westerners drilled for oil there and paid them for the rights to drill there.
I hope Iran doesn't follow suit, that would be even more sickening.
How stupid are you? Many countries have natural resources. If anything you should be disgusted with your own country, the United States, for invading and killing hundreds of thousands of people for that oil. Take a good look in the mirror. Having oil is the biggest curse that part of the world has had resulting in greedy, death hungry colonialists like the US and England waging death in their region. You ignorant idiot!
Hahaha love the NK non-response.
I wish you talk more about matches at 6 kings, especially Djokovic Sinner match was interesting and may change a bit a negative dynamic of their rivarly for Novak now ahead AO 2025.
Mike is such a rookie! 😂😂
6 mil is obscene money.
I think something like 240-ish heads were removed in Saudi Arabia last year. "Progressive"?
Finally
I dont understand the jealousy of the Saudi people and their money.
-Saudi Medvedev “for the money” lost
6-0, 6-3 to Sinner
-Shanghai Medvedev “for the points” lost 6-1, 6-4 to Sinner
-What’s your point? 🤔
It's funny how Collins called Iga insincere, and then she faked her own retirement.
Are you claiming her reason for postponing retirement is a lie? Because if it’s not, insincerity has nothing to do with it.
She didn’t fake her retirement. She had a medical situation that ruined the purpose of her retirement.
Do you really think that she faked her whole year with this retirement angle, only to say 'surprise' at the year end? Or are you just searching for attention. Genuine question...
Not a huge fan of her on court demeanor, but considering the whole reason she wanted to retire was to start a family and she literally cannot do that because of endometriosis and she might as well keep on playing in the mean time is not the reason why I want to read someone isn't retiring yet. I really feel bad for her and hope she finds a course of treatment that can manage her issue and allow her to achieve what she wants in life.
@@zeroelus would her current fertility issues not be made worse by the constant strain of professional tennis on her body, mind and soul? Would it not be better to stay away from tennis as she first announced in other to fully focus on resting, healing and helping her body conceive and successfully carry a baby to term? We shall never know.
Why does six kings slam pay more than WTA final? 😂 Hello? Are you seriously asking this question ❓ WTA final is so ghetto. Remember last year how it ended up in Mexico the very last minute? ATP >>>> WTA 😂
Gold racquet? Really? And the politics of this at large. Phooey to the Saudis.
WOW IM SURPRISED YALL TAKE ON THE 6KING SLAM! I THINK YALL ARE A BIT BIASED AND SOUNDS LIKE HATERS!!! THE LEVEL OF TENNIS IN THAT FINAL WAS AMAZING!!! IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THE INTERACTS WITHIN THAT CULTURE. I COULD SAY HOW WEIRD AND AWKWARD IT IS TO SEE THE TENNIS PLAYERS IN TOURNAMENTS IN CHINA, JAPAN ETC. DOING CULTURAL ACTIVITIES TO MARKET TENNIS IN THOSE COUNTRIES BUT WE SMILE AND ACCEPT LOL BUT SINCE ITS SAUDI AND THEY HAVE THE BUDGET YALL WANT TO CALL IT A "SILLY EXHIBITION." 😂🤨 ALSO... SAUDI HAS BEEN PROVIDING HUGE AMOUNTS TO OTHER SPORTS SO WOULD YALL PREFER FOR TENNIS PLAYERS TO BE UNDERPAID WHILE COMPARED TO OTHER SPORTS/ATHLETES???? I THINK QUESTIONING THE INTENTIONS IS FINE BUT YALL COULD HAVE FOLLOWED IT UP WITH CONGRATULATING THESE 6 TENNIS STARS MAKING A RECORD BREAKING AMOUNT AND PROMOTING TENNIS. BUT OK.
Way to knock the tournament in Saudi as inconsequential and a national branding exercise. Honestly shows you guys’ ingrained anti Muslim bias. You guys are still hung up on women not wearing bikinis there. That’s an ignorant and arrogant attitude towards other cultures. Saudis also love sports and it takes that kind of money to have the best players show up and also because the ATP wouldn’t sanction and grant points to a tournament there. John Wertheimer needs to keep his biased views to himself and not start controversy and propaganda anywhere he can get a chance. I know that is his career but please! The US is literally involved in crimes against humanity and you guys have the nerve to point fingers at other cultures because the women and men have to abide by a cultural dress code there.
I can sort of understand your attitude towards Kyrgios. It suits the narrative for your fans and you don't have to actually think or research. But if you had shown any enthusiasm I would worry. Maybe I'll even vote for Trump. Your antipathy is totally over the top
Roddick stop being a bully to u coworkers.... do u really need that? I mean u basically paying the guy to be ure stress release at this point... is that what it means to be a producer?...that's really annoying... i find myself coming to the podcast and swapping each time u being rude for no reason... not even to get laughs... just cause having a podcast stresses u out... id rather u take a pause or let them have a part of the show (rubrique)...be nicer bro
We appreciate your sympathy for Producer Mike! But he is a partner with Andy and it is ALL in good fun!
Beyoncé went there for 30M, sang 2 songs and left 😂
and she shouldn't have. many artists with a backbone are refusing to go there.
That was Dubai, not Saudi Arabia
@@paleochoraneighboring countries