Rennae Stubbs: Everybody. Welcome to the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast. This was a quick little thing we decided to do. I'm in the green room at ESPN and sitting beside me former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, who's also my co-commentator at ESPN. We had a little bit of downtime and so we thought, why don't we get in a little pod with the little miss was welcome, Thank you. We are at the Australian Open and it's been a good week and I want to let's get into the tournament a little bit. Actually, while you're here, you did the golf match earlier today and Petko and I are going to get into the whole bit about, you know, Australian Open and what's gone on in the last week in a bit. But for you give me your thoughts on Coco and that match today.
Caroline Wozniacki: Well, I think today's match she didn't play her her best tennis. She she got a little static with her legs and made too many unforced hours, but you got to give credit to Paula. She really went for her shots. I think at five all in the first set she just started teeing off and her miles power on the forehand and backhand side went up drastically. She went for her shots. Obviously, Paola has been in this situation before and lost and been close and not quite been able to get through the finish line. And I think she just decided, today is the day that I'm just going to go for it, win or lose. I'm just gonna I'm gonna go full power. And she did, and you got to give credit to her. Obviously, Coco didn't play her best, you know, too many hours first serf wasn't working. But at the same time, I mean, Paula Badosa was really giving her a lot of trouble and putting pressure on her.
Rennae Stubbs: When was your first semi final the Grand Slam? Do you remember that?
Caroline Wozniacki: I think it was the US Open in two thousand and nine.
Rennae Stubbs: Okay, how old were you, twelve?
Caroline Wozniacki: I must have been. I just turned nineteen.
Rennae Stubbs: Okay.
Rennae Stubbs: Do you had you been in a quarter final before that?
Caroline Wozniacki: So many questions. I actually don't know. I don't think so. Okay, so you didn't have been in the fourth round, and I don't think I've been in a quarterfinals. I think the US Open final against Kim [Clijsters] was my first finals and my first semi finals.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, because the reason I asked you that is because you know, if you'd been there for a little bit, right once or twice or three times before, you know, does it start being a little bit mental, kind of like what Jess Pegula went through for a number of years.
Speaker 2: Oh, for sure, I think you know. Wimbledon is one of my favorite tournaments in the world.
Rennae Stubbs: No, you never got passed the quarters. I don't understand that.
Caroline Wozniacki: I never dated past fourth round. Oh, mad,e fourth round like seven times.
Rennae Stubbs: That that's all because you were thing. Yeah, I mean you want Eastbourne what two or three times?
Caroline Wozniacki: Yeah?
Rennae Stubbs: I did. It's a little bit different grass there though.
Caroline Wozniacki: Yeah, you know what I think for me playing on different courts, I liked the consistency, so I feel kind of everything on my string, on the ball, on the on the court. And Wimbledon is one of those tournaments that even if you're a high seed, they will send you out on the outside court sometimes, especially when we had that manic Monday. Yeah, like I would go from playing, you know, in one of the two three biggest courts and then going out on court twelve for example, And I know that sounds weird. But for me it just kind of threw me off just slightly with the timing and of grass. Yeah, you lose just just one percent and it goes quick.
Rennae Stubbs: Also when you play against players that aren't used to playing on big courts, you had that edge over them. So it made it a little bit less intimidating for them.
Rennae Stubbs: Let's say absolutely, it's it went both ways. And then you know, I made a couple of mistakes too. I think I was up against Cibulkova. I may even have had match points against turn and fourth round and and lost or it was a close match, whatever it was. And so there was a few that I was like, I let's slip away, and then there was a few that I mean, the players were just better than me. But there was definitely a couple where I was like, yeah, I really should have gone through you.
Rennae Stubbs: So you know, of course I have an interview to you on the pod. It's interesting what have you been up to? And then also what's the reasoning for not playing down here in Australia, because a lot of people have actually asked me that what was up to? Is she going to keep playing blah blah blah, So hey, I got you on the spot.
Caroline Wozniacki: Let's go.
Rennae Stubbs: I gave you no preparation for this at all.
Caroline Wozniacki: Well, I have, you know, been doing a lot. I've been busy obviously, I have two kids. I've been training a lot. But after the US Open, I decided I wasn't going to play in Asia anyways. It's just a long way to go now with the family, et cetera. So I kind of knew that I was going to take a little break, and then I wanted to start practicing again, but my body just didn't feel great in the off season, and I kind of felt like I kept pushing, kept pushing, and it just wasn't feeling where I wanted it to feel. So that's why I'm not playing here. I'm kind of letting my body rest a little bit, kind of reach out and hopeful, hopeful that it's going to feel better. And I want to play when I feel like I can be one hundred percent and I feel like I can give it one hundred percent, and then I find it a lot of fun to be out there and competing against the best players in the world. But if I can't, if my body's not there, then then I just don't see a reason so at this point stay tuned.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, okay, well that's that's fair and that's honest. And I think when you've been world number one as much as you have and won a Grand Slam and all that, you're not playing to do those things anymore. You're playing to want to be out there and compete at the best level that you can be. And so I think that's a very mature decision for me. If any more kids in the future, I don't know.
Caroline Wozniacki: I never say never, Okay, I like.
Rennae Stubbs: This, although you did just say out loud "I wish David could have a child instead of me so I didn't have to get fat again."
Caroline Wozniacki: So I don't know.
Rennae Stubbs: Maybe that's a window into your mind as well. Sorry, David, I just see that.
Caroline Wozniacki: But like the first obviously two pregnancies I had, it's just so weird. You're used to being so fit your whole life, and your body is you know, what carries you throughout your career, and then you just see it change so rapidly over nine ten months, and it's a weird feeling. And the first time I was pregnant, I barely was showing until you know, Olivia was popping out. And second time you could kind of see, Okay, it's happening. They take it more room apparently apparently also your body. I mean I had two pregnancies back to back, and I think my body was then knew what to kind of do.
Caroline Wozniaki: It's just weird. I mean, it's it's pretty crazy what the women's body can do. Like we're making a human.
Rennae Stubbs: You can say it. We're fucking amazing me. I haven't had a child, but I'll say that for all the women out there while we're here in Melbourne at the Australian Open, how nice is it for you to actually be here? Just have the greatest memory for you. I mean I was there at present when you won the Australian Open. I mean one of the great matches of all time, watching that final, seeing your elation, knowing how knowing you fairly well, and knowing what you went through to get to that moment. Can you take me back to that moment and just what it meant to you.
Caroline Wozniacki: I just love it here in Australia. I think, you know, people are so knowledgeable, so friendly, they love their sports. I think the atmosphere here is, you know, out of this world. It's just so such a cool place to be and such a cool place to start the year. And obviously I'd come close quite a few times to getting the Grand Slam, being number one, and I just felt like that was the one thing that was missing on my resume, and you know, getting the chance once more and playing Halep in the in the finals, and I'd just beaten her in Singapore a couple of months before.
Rennae Stubbs: The best I ever saw you played was in Singapore.
Caroline Wozniacki: I played great there.
Rennae Stubbs: Oh my god, you were serving out of your mind. There was crazy, I remember because I was working with Karolina Pliskova and just a little story. I remember in practice you were acing her left and right and Kaya turned around to me and goes, what the fuck She's out-acing me? What is going on? I said, I don't know. Just deal with it, you know. But it was not a good thing to know. Not only were you not going to miss, but you're actually going to hit. So that was not a pleasant place for anyone to be. But you brought that confidence here to Australia.
Caroline Wozniacki: I did, and I played really well. I mean I could have been out in the second round against Jana Fett and two match points and I didn't play bad. And I'd had an amazing off season. I felt great coming into the tournament. You know, sometimes you come in and you feel amazing and you're like, okay, this is this is my tournament. And I kind of had that. And then I'm down to Jana Fett, who just qualified and I I didn't know who she was at the time. She played out of her mind for like almost two sets, and then she started getting nervous and I could see, you know, her wheels started turning, and thankfully, thankfully I turned that around. I was already planning a holiday or somewhere to like go and disappear. For like a week.
Rennae Stubbs: But what was it? What was the thought when you It's interesting when you down five to one like that and you get to five all what were you thinking at five.
Caroline Wozniacki: A like, oh, you know what, Honestly, at five to two, I go, this is my match?
Rennae Stubbs: Oh really?
Caroline Wozniacki: Because at five to one she she played two good points, I played two good points, whatever, and then I said, okay, just get it to five to two. Let's just see. And then at five to two I just saw in her eyes she panicked a little bit, and I was just like, okay, this is my match. Like unless I'll give a few points.
Rennae Stubbs: Away, yeah, I will do.
Caroline Wozniacki: So I'm like, I just need to lock down. I can't miss now, and just keep going. And every game I was just like, okay, we're just one step closer, one step closer.
Rennae Stubbs: You kind of know it's a great player. When you're playing against someone who never even thought about probably beating you. You thought, just don't miss at this point and just make her beat you. But you did. After that match, did you get a feeling of like, shit, maybe it is my time?
Caroline Wozniacki: You know? At that point, I was like, okay, I'm playing with house money. I remember David, my husband, and my dad. I think they drank like two bottles of wine all night, at Cocos. They had a great time, and I was just like, you know what, there's time for celebration. We're still here. And from that day I was just like, you know what, I'm just gonna go out there play relax. I have nothing to lose, supposed to be here anymore. And that helped me just to play the way I've been practicing, and I think it really helped me to win the tournament.
Rennae Stubbs: So when you're here and you are commentating now for ESPN, is there after looking at the players that have done or playing still. Sabalenka is playing tonight. This part will come out after that match. But is there somebody that you feel like is sort of the one to beat here this this year?
Rennae Stubbs: It's interesting because I think Swiatek has she sneaking, really been rolling through and easy. Her matches have been no longer than an hour.
Rennae Stubbs: Does that help? Like, honestly, I don't think about that. You had a tough time getting to the final.
Caroline Wozniaki: I'd be a little nervous not I mean, obviously you want to win quick, and you want to win the whole tournament quick.
Rennae Stubbs: You want to be tested.
Caroline Wozniacki: But I don't know, I would worry a little bit looking from the outside that Swiatek hasn't been fully tested yet and when she does, what's going to happen? How is she going to handle that? And it obviously gets a lot harder the further in the tournament you get, because the players are better, and Sablenka started off a little rusty and then she's starting to get on the tracks right. So I think those are the two, you know, those are the two favorites. But at the same time, you have Keys, Yeah, who's been playing extremely well and she has a lot of power. She can beat anyone on a good day. Yeah, she can also lose to Svitolina.
Rennae Stubbs: Do you think that that's mental for her a little bit too, because of the anxiety and when she starts like like certain play like when you got tight, you got a little short with the ball, right, you started using your legs trying to like not miss a ball. I think when she gets tight, she tries to go bigger and better. Yeah, So what do you think is better in these situations?
Caroline Wozniacki: And I don't know. I think both, you know, but you know, I think Madison has just been playing so well. I think she feels more relaxed now too. I don't know, she got married to her husband as her coach. I don't feel like she's overwhelmed by this the situation right now. And she's been playing well here. Yeah, so I think, I mean that could go anywhere. She could lose to Svitolina next. Svitolina has been playing well, but she could also go all the way and overpower her opponents. And then you look on the other side of the draw. I think Badoza can play and overpower people, but can also get nervous and I think she has a bigger chance of getting overwhelmed by the situation because she hasn't been this far in a Grand Slam before, So you know, playing in my opinion, Sabalenka will win today and playing Sabalenka in a semifinals.
Rennae Stubbs: She has a losing record to and Pavlyuchenkova.
Caroline Wozniacki: I actually played Pavlyuchenkova obviously in a crazy fast court in Cincinnati last year, and I have a winning record against Pavlyuchenkova. I'm pretty sure, but I lost to her in Cincinnati, and I she played so fast off the ground, she was serving well. I was like, she's taking so many chances.
Rennae Stubbs: And I don't think Sabalenka is serving well and that's a problem for her and Pavlyuchenkova.
Caroline Wozniacki: I was really playing well, like I was like, this is impressive.
Rennae Stubbs: Well, when this pod comes out, we're gonna know who wins, but it'll be interesting to see what happens there. But little thoughts on Emma Navarro. She's just been literally digging her way out of the biggest hole of all time. Has she covered it? Is she going to get through to her another semi final against she on tech? I don't know.
Caroline Wozniacki: I don't know. he's been playing really well, but she's been playing a long time. I don't know how her legs are feeling at this point. Her legs need to be fresh against Swiatek has been, you know, steamrolling her opponents, and Emma has you know, been playing for three hours every time. And and I worry about Navarro. If she just gets half a step slower in the next round, Swiatek is gonna get advantage of that.
Rennae Stubbs: So and she'll like she'll like Emma's heavy ball on the forehand. A lot of players struggle with that, but that's actually good for Swiatek. She likes the ball up a little bit higher rather than her flat ball. Just the last thing before I let you go and we stop annoying everybody in the ESPN green room because we've just taken over the room. But the guys, Sinner got through, it looked like hell yesterday. Apparently he was so ill yesterday that he didn't even warm up for the match. How he got through that match is pretty unbelievable.
Caroline Wozniacki: And it's also going to be interesting to see how he's going to recover. Is he going to be feeling better by tomorrow.
Rennae Stubbs: He's never lost a DeMinaur.
Caroline Wozniacki: Played unbelievable yesterday. But actually both played unbelievable yesterday. I mean Sinner then him as a ball and he was, you know, like he was dying there. But the question is is Sinner recovering? Is he feeling better? Because DeMinaur has the experience to really make him run and make him play, and he's not going to give Sinner the time to walk around and recover. So Sinner needs to feel better.
Rennae Stubbs: And then you have oh what about tonight's match. It's going to be over when this pod comes out, But come on, give me your thoughts on predictions. This is great. This is why we this is why we pay you the big bucks on this pod.
Caroline Wozniacki: I haven't been paid by the way.
Rennae Stubbs: Guess what, that's not going to change either. Although I did bring you to face masks, you did bring you two Korean face masks. That's right, high quality Djokovic Alcaraz, what are you thinking? I mean, all the stuff that's happened with Novak over the last couple of days, with this ding dong of a reporter in Australia making some really dumb comments. Do you think that he needs that sort of like, I don't know chaos to play well.
Caroline Wozniacki: Novak plays great in chaos.
Rennae Stubbs: That's what I'm saying.
Caroline Wozniacki: He's I mean, and he's one here so many times, he's played the best of anyone here in Australia and he's getting older.
Rennae Stubbs: Are you sitting on the fence right now?
Caroline Wozniacki: I'm sitting on the fence. I want to say Alcaraz because I think he's young and he has energy, and but I'm gonna go different. I'm gonna go with Djokovic. I think Novak is going to win today.
Rennae Stubbs: Oh, I think that's a big call, and I think it might be right. And I'll tell you why. If it had been played in the day, Alcaras would have won, possibly in straight. It's so bloody hot today here in earlier and Alcarez would have loved those conditions, bouncy fast, and Novak will prefer the night conditions. And I had to have a little feeling that our mister Alcarez was not super happy about playing second on tonight. So we'll see if that affects him a little bit. Tommy Paul is in a huge struggle right now. He's down two sets of love. He literally could have won this match in straight sets. He's been has had a break in every single set, first and second, and he's now up five too and the third, so we'll see where that finishes up with the guys. Ben Shelton, he could getsecond semifinals.
Caroline Wozniacki: He's been playing well here. He's been playing well, and he brings the energy. He brings a smile. Sonego, he said, kills him every time in practice.
Rennae Stubbs: Oh interesting, look at you with the scoop. That's why we pay you the big bucks.
Caroline Wozniaki: But I would give Ben the edge there.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, me too, guys. Well that was a little quick, little fun thing. Caroline and I were just sitting here shooting the shit in the green room. I said, let's just put a little microphone in front of you and get some scoop. So I'll talk to Petko a little later on today, who just played in the old farts at this train opener and lost in straight sets. And I will be giving her crap about that later on. But guys, we'll talk to you later.
Caroline Wozniacki: Just make sure Petko doesn't drink too much. Her voice has been a little rasped.
Rennae Stubbs: I know, she liked it. The first day she liked it, she said, kind of sounds sexy, and then about five hours later it was like literally almost gone. So we needed to have that. But she sounds like she's back, so we'll talk to her later. Caroline, thanks so nice to. talk to you.
Caroline Wozniacki: Yeah, thank you so much.
Rennae Stubbs: BOkay, one two one too, Here we go, Here we go, here we go, one two three. So listen, I'm so happy to see you, and I'm so happy to hear that you have your voice kind of back. Although you're going to be drinking tea throughout this entire podcast.
Andrea Petkovic: I will and remember when we were at vacation cafe.
Rennae Stubbs: What vacation cafe? Oh, yeah, we went to vacation.
Andrea Petkovic: I had.
Rennae Stubbs: I wrote about vacation cafe in your Substack.
Andrea Petkovic: Yeah, I have a thing where I wrote about the restaurants.
Rennae Stubbs: Are you deliberately doing a little bit huskier throat right now?
Andrea Petkovic: So the first day I will tell you how it is. Yeah, first day I was like full on Joan Rivers, whiskey, drinking cigarette smoking, cool old lady who's lived the life and wants to show it right. Unfortunately, on day two, I became Doc Rivers, who can barely speak a word. Because his voice is so gone and croaked. And that was me. It was just so gone and croaking, and I couldn't produce sounds any longer. So there was a problem.
Rennae Stubbs: Well, I'm here for your friend. We are sitting now.
Andrea Petkovic: I'm back to kind of Joan, you kind of you got it back. Joan Rivers now used toe half a pack a day, but. I'm doing all these exercises now every morning. They're like, oh.
Rennae Stubbs: Okay, we don't need to hear those anyway. As you all heard from earlier today, we spoke to Caroline Wozniaki, who gives little synopsis of Cocoa and what was happening there and her synopsis on who she thinks is going to win. Blah blah blah. But let's get into because you and I just did the match with Sabalenka and Pavlyuchenkova, and you did the match. I did the match for ESPN. Wow, what on? It felt like it was the first set, first of all, that Sabalenka's lost in two years since she lost a set to Rybakina in the final, and it kind of that this match felt like that that it felt like that kind of tennis. It was were hitting the shit other ball. But for me, before you give me your synopsis, I think it came down to because Pavlyuchenkova was literally hitting Sabalenka off the court because of the fact she takes them all so early inside the court. More than anyone she's inside the court, she hit more than winners, than anyone in the tournament. It came down to belief your thoughts.
Andrea Petkovic: I didn't think the match was good. I thought it was shite for most of the time. Actually. They had an average rally length of two points.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, but mate, they're not you like this. These girls are not movers. They're not great movers, I know.
Andrea Petkovic: But I thought it was I thought it was it was windy they were hitting.
Rennae Stubbs: It was windy. Give them a break.
Andrea Petkovic: No, I think, And I said, actually, considering the conditions, they were playing really well.
Rennae Stubbs: Okay, so what is it they were playing well or it was shite.
Andrea Petkovic: I thought the match was shite, but considering the conditions, they were doing really well because they are some of the best players in the world. I will say though that Pavlyuchenkova played incredible from the.
Rennae Stubbs: Second set on.
Andrea Petkovic: I thought the first it was not that she was good, but the second set and the beginning of the third were really good. I actually thought she got tired physically and that's why she couldn't uphold the level and because she was injured. She had that lower back issue for three and a half months after the US Open. And it fell to me and this one game, her legs when she hit a double. She hit that weird overhead.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, the overhead killed, yeah, but what about the backhand? She missed it too one love to God to love that when she was huge, I said to me, that's that might be the point. And I know she came back and it was three all and four three. You're right about the physicality. I was thinking maybe it was a bit of nerves. But at four to three, the three shots she missed that were very pivotal. She did not move that one extra half step too, and so maybe that was physicality. I don't know.
Andrea Petkovic: probably a combination in the end. Yeah, and I mean my co-commentator, Nick Lester, he said, he said, and you can't, you cannot, you cannot not the fact that there is an aura of invincibility around Aryna Sabalenka on Rod Laver Arena, And that's that intangible thing that you can't put your finger quite on but might make the difference in the end. And I think it was a combination of Anastasia just not having played many matches and maybe not being at one hundred percent physically, plus that intangible feeling of this is my living room from Aryna Sabalenka. It's literally called Rod Laver Arena.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, but I think when when I thought that she had on her strings again, Sablenka, was when arena got broken for the second time in the set.
Andrea Petkovic: And can you tell me this is what I want to hear from you. So she's been broken a lot, a lot. Now, what do you think it is?
Rennae Stubbs: Because if she lost complete rhythm on her serve again a little bit, nothing like.
Andrea Petkovic: You think it's like the because we were looking like the numbers are not particularly off that they are a little lower in the speed department.
Rennae Stubbs: She's lost her confidence, one hundred percent.
Andrea Petkovic: We were trying to figure it out what it is. But she's been broken a lot.
Rennae Stubbs: She she is such a rhythm server when she's playing well. Obviously, when she's serving, well, she's got the rhythms, she's got the confidence, and I think she's lost a little bit of confidence on it. And look, it was windy and down that one end in particular, when the wind's behind you, it was tough. And she has a ball toss that like brings fucking rain. It's like so high in the air. It's like make Steffi Graff's balltoss look like, you know, I don't even know Sam Stosur's. It's so big. So I think there's there's the wind, definitely hurt and so so I thought that was a great effort in the end. And when when Pavlyuchenkova missed a couple of those balls, you could see that when you're a great player, you look down the other end and you go, oh, you're not willing to take it. You're not willing to take it, not only once, but twice. Then I know that this matches mine and you could you could sort of see the anxiety level because it was getting there. She's looking at her coaches, she was pissed.
Andrea Petkovic: There was a moment where her face almost story to crying. Yeah, I was like, oh she is she so I was really I was considering that it might that it might go into And this is what I give her immense credit for. It felt on the verge of the old emotional self destruction that Arena was capable of before she won all these slams, and she managed to turn it around. And yes, Nasty helped her because of that backhand down the line.
Rennae Stubbs: She yelled come on when she missed that, and I just you're right. And we talked about it after the match, Jason Goodall, and we said that the difference for me is that Serena that Serena well, it's kind of funny that you say that, but Aryna absolutely Freudian slip. Aryna knows she's supposed to win that match, and I'm not sure Nasty thought she could win that match. And the subconscious I talk about all the time, the subconscious and conscious minds were not together, they were not aligned because maybe in the back of her mind she's like, oh, I can win this match, I can win this match, and then but the the subconscious mind's going no, you can't, no, you can't, You're not good enough. So that really does hurt players of the lesser players, and you know Arena there's won this tournament twice in a row, Nasty made one final of a slam, but it's lost a lot of times here in the Australian and open and you think about that match she lost what was a set and for one up against Schiavone and the quarters of the French in twenty eleven, Like you've got scar tissue. I don't care who you are. It's really difficult to recover from that.
Andrea Petkovic: It's one thing, Yeah, what is it? And made me think about it or I remembered it because I was playing doubles with Daniela Hantuchova today and she was telling me in the Legends and the Legends, well, the quickest way to become a Legends is start broadcasting. And for the organizers of Legends tournaments to realize they don't have to cover your travel expenses because you're already there.
Rennae Stubbs: Never play the Legends anymore. It's a bit disappointing here in Australia. Well feel left out.
Andrea Petkovic: I think if one of us gets injured, which is probable, it might happen. So Daniela was talking about that time when she was in the semi final, season was up six love to love on Ana Ivanovic and lost that match, right, And it made me think when I saw Anastasia today, Pavlyuchenkova, and everyone gets tight. You can't say some people get more tight or other people get less tight. There are certain things like with Zverev, where you really see it that he goes back behind the face and so it goes yeah, exactly that that's maybe a different thing. But there are certain players and Pavlyuchenkova and Hantuchova are two of these players. They get just as tight as others, but their margin for error is so low because they play so flat above the net, and they play so without any rotation. Even Aryna has a lot of rotation compared to somebody like Pavlyuchenkova. So even if you do. Get tight, you still make balls, whereas for somebody like Nastya or Daniela, you don't make even balls anymore, right, it just goes off. And I think that's the problem. And it's not that they are less mentally tough. It's just that their game is more affected by being nervous, which we all get. Roger gets nervous, right, Yeah.
Rennae Stubbs: It's when I always say when some certain players get tight, they go bigger. And when some players get tight, they go they start pushing like a Wozniacki is going to start pushing Angie Kerber, Halep, but they're not going to miss, so you still have to beat them, whereas a Nasty is going to miss miss miss. By the way, where that was honey going, I I didn't fart, but yeah, so so so Zverev wins a match today, then well he should not have won that match. Tommy Paul served for both sets!
Andrea Petkovic: I want to hear your talk because I was playing, okay, so I was playing at the same time, so I couldn't see it, so I'm really interested to hearim. But on that point, somebody said to me one of our announcers, and I thought it was a really smart part, and I wish I remembered who it was, but I will try and find out. He said he thinks that Zverev modeled his game after Rafa and Novak because those are the players he grew up with. Right, he's like five six years younger than them, so he will probably have looked up to them, and they did exactly that right. They played the ball when it comes crunch time. When it comes Tiebreak, Novak is not going to miss a ball. Rafa is not going to miss the ball, right and Zverev does the same. The problem is that he, first of all, he's not Novak, who's maybe the mentally most resilient. But also tennis has changed, you know, tennis has like Jannick and Carlos go bigger and so you can't win like that yet any longer. And I think he's really an all. Of these guys, Medvedev, Zverer Tsitipas is a little bit of a different player, but Medvedev has the exact same problem right now. They are in this group that modeled themselves after Rafa and Novak because Roger is an alien. You can't model yourself after Roger, so you model yourself after the most approachable thing, and that's what they do. They don't miss, you don't miss. But now the next generation is coming up and they don't miss and they go bigger.
Rennae Stubbs: So you're fucked, basically fucked.
Andrea Petkovic: And I think Zverev has making some great adjustments right now. He really has made big changes, and I think that's why he's playing so well.
Rennae Stubbs: Tommy for the first set and he served for the second. Yeah, so a little bit of both and you know, just a little bit of a brain fart, a couple of points and then bang you're in the tiebreak, and bang he loses tiebreaks and he went to third set E and then he just I don't know what happened in the fourth actually, will be honest, I didn't see a lot of the fourth because I was prepping and getting ready and watching. I was watching your match, and so we're half the tour, by the way, just so you know, you're on the big screen here in the lounge. So everyone's yeah, that's so embarrassing. Yeah, I promised you, I swear to God. Iva Majoli and I said they would die if they knew that this match was on, literally in front of everyone in the place.
Andrea Petkovic: Embarrassing.
Rennae Stubbs: And I'm but you also were funny, and that's all that matters. Okay, it's all that matters.
Speaker 3: Was that funny? But you couldn't heal it.
Rennae Stubbs: There was a lot of smiling going over there, and Sam was out there given her best Casey played the match of the day, as she called her the MVP, and she said, funny enough, she lost seven Grand Slam finals and she only was she had played like that. But but it's very wins, and so you know, I threw to another Grand Slam final, a semi final. We'll see what happens. Oh, maybe that was a Freudian slip. And now right on the moment is Alcaraz Djokovic, Alcaraz it's six y four to Alcaraz and it's breakpoint actually for Djokovic. Now they came out and it's a very cool conditions. It was very warm today, very hot in Melbourne. But the weather's about to change, because guys, that's Melbourne for you. Literally it's going to be one hundred degrees and the next day it's going to be seventy. But Alcaraz wasn't super happy about apparently about playing second on tonight. Yeah, and Novak came out and started really well and Alcaraz was definitely not on to begin this match. And now all of a sudden he comes back and wins the first set. And Djokovic went off the court after the first set. Well, he actually went off the court at five to four with Alcaraz serving for the set.
Andrea Petkovic: Which is that allowed?
Rennae Stubbs: Apparently it is because he went off the court, went off the court with the doctor, doctor Carolyn Broderick, who's my friend and the physio, and now all of a sudden, Djokovic is up to love in the second set with another early break. Your thoughts?
Andrea Petkovic: Well, my thoughts are that I did his match against my hatch and he was really struggling physically because I saw him puke right in front of me.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, wow, I didn't know that.
Andrea Petkovic: Yeah, he puked in the tower box and not in the tower box next to the tower box. So there is something going on with him.
Rennae Stubbs: Do you think he's getting poisoned like he said he was during COVID.
Andrea Petkovic: I don't know, know. Apparently I didn't read about it, but I didn't read the whole I didn't read the whole thing.
Rennae Stubbs: Which is nuts to say, I think.
Andrea Petkovic: In his like in the way he eats, he probably was because he eats so clean. Yeah, like he goes maybe he just goes through like seven instances before he puts it in his way. Yeah, so he probably just had ate regular food and that's what was..he's kind of right. Regular food is poison.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, I mate, it's just the food is just shit.
Andrea Petkovic: Just like go to New York again three days.
Rennae Stubbs: Well, you know, Australia is usually pretty good, but when you're in a quarantine hotel, you're not probably getting the best food.
Andrea Petkovic: But well he was not.
Rennae Stubbs: Him what what are we doing here? Although I will say this is a reporter here in Australia. The shit he said on that was just ridiculous. What are you doing? Man? Like, where's your professionalism? Like we you and I work in media, now what the fuck? Like it's just stupid, And then he went on and called Danielle Collins a brat. I know I have to bring this up because a lot of people have asked us to talk about the Danielle Collins thing. Lots of people have written to me and so can you please talk about this on your podcast? So what are your thoughts on it?
Andrea Petkovic: So my thoughts on it is everything in love and on the court is allowed. I think everything, even.
Rennae Stubbs: The on court should we give you, should we get a T shirt? Yeah we can.
Andrea Petkovic: I think even the on court interview for me, because I've done a few of them now and I know the players come to you with full of the emotions from the court. So that's why I counted as part of the competition in a weird way, because you get the shit like Novak was really angry three days ago and I managed to somehow calm him down. But you also get the nice happiness to euphoria, and I think so on the court, everything is allowed. I'm just disappointed that she continued with it in the press conference. Yes, I think if she had riled it back in there, I think it would have blown over, and I think it wouldn't have become such a big thing. It would have just been like, oh, Danielle doing her thing. And it's funny and it's competitive because I honestly, I saw most of the match and the crowd was freaking rowdy, and Jesse, my boyfriend who's here with me, got into almost three fights here because people are freaking drunk and aggressive.
Rennae Stubbs: And so I, which is not normal for an Australian. But when you've had it's only on the weekends.
Andrea Petkovic: It's only on the weekends I've noticed, honestly, think about it. The craziest matches have been Friday, Saturday, Thursday, when people are getting ready for the weekend. And then it calms down on a Sunday again. Yeah, it's really insane.
Rennae Stubbs: On awaken, I'm gonna get that shirt made and on the back say on the court, what do you say?
Andrea Petkovic: Everything's love and on the court. Yeah, and for me, if you are if this is what you need to win a match, it's all good in my card. And and she got booted during the interview, and I think that's why she went full and that's why I excuse all of that because I was a emotion I was a ship on court as well, So I excuse that. I wish she would have handled it better and pressed afterwards, and I think it would have blown over because then she could have shown that I know, if that's the new story, that's the new story. Is incredible, and I respect and appreciate.
Rennae Stubbs: That this is what I needed to do to win.
Andrea Petkovic: And I think you would have kind of down And obviously my emotions were high after the match, and you know I said what I said. I don't take it back, but you know, look now I've moved on, like we're moving on from this guy. Did what did you think?
Rennae Stubbs: I agree with you one hundred percent. Everything you said is exactly how I felt. And look, I was a very emotional player. I've said ship on the court. I've gotten in the fights on the court. I have wanted to punch opponents in the face on the court. I've wanted to rip people's hands off when I've shaped you know, I had to shake their hands when they've been assholes to me. All the stuff. I've been in places in I was in Madrid one time and the crowd was so bad against myself and Lisa Raymond, and one time one guy yelled out go home. I'm like, go home. I'm here to play your fucking tournament.
Andrea Petkovic: Like what do you want me to do?
Rennae Stubbs: Just stop in the middle of the match and go home, like this is my livelihood and like it was for her, you know. So I get all of that. I get the high emotion on the court. I have no problem with the way she did things on the court. And some people are like it was classless. I'm like, you fucking go out there and play in front of five thousand people that are buing you. You go out there when when you're trying to serve a second serve they're like, heckling you. You go out there and try and play in an environment like that. It's not easy, now, is it. In Australia. You have to expect it. Yes, I've been in France where I'm getting heckled like crazy every single point playing a French person. It's the way it is. Not everybody is playing it Wimbledon, where everyone behaves, you know, and it's just like it's hard. Sabalenka probably lost her match against Coco Gauff in the finals of the US Open because she couldn't handle the crowd there. It is what it is, and we pros have to deal with it. Some handle it really well. Jack Draper handled it really well playing too Ozzie's back to back, but he's Jack Draper and he's English and they're very polite and they don't get upset. Danielle Collins is who she is. You heard Coco Gauff talk about it. She is who she is. Maybe once she'd come down a little bit, she probably should have handled it better. In press, I agree with you one hundred percent, But I have no problem with Danielle handling the way she did on the court, none whatsoever.
Andrea Petkovic: Yeah. So I played in Fed Cup then now Billie Jean King Cup in Romania against Simona Halep. I got a lot ten thousand people. And I will never forget. I missed the first serve of the first point and the eruption of the crowd was louder than when I made the semis of the French Open. Is what it is. I honestly kind of enjoyed it because it was like it helped me to lock in because you know, you can't allow yourself. Anything, yeah you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, because you know you can't all the crazy things I did and you I can't allow myself to do that because people will, oh.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, I've just my mind on the court sometimes where I tried to like take a ball and like hit my opponents. And there was one situation in particular, I won't name the situation, but it cost me possibly winning the French Open one year a lot. It was in the semi finals and of course I had to win the still win the final, but I lost my mind, you know. So, so for people out there that are judging what she did on the court, please don't don't. You got you can, especially when you have the personality that she does, which is a combative, aggressive fight. That's who you are on the court. You it's survival for her. She's playing for money, she's playing for her survival. Our careers are short and some people are very very different. Some people will dig a hole and hide in it, and some people will build a mountain. And I was a build the fucking mountain and get up the top of the mountain and scream at it. That's Danielle Collins. Some people, Lindsay Davenport, would rather dig a hole and hide under there and pretend nothing's going on. So that's just how it is, and I have about it. So there you go. That's that's our thoughts about it. I think we all need to move on. She's had she's had a rough twelve months as well. It's the reason why she's back. She's had a fertility issue, she's had to endometriosis, She's been through a lot, and she does a lot of stuff charity wise at home. Like, she's not a bad person, she just lost her mind a little bit in the press. But that Tony Jones guy to call her about is a fucking idiot, Like and unfrankly, you know, apologizing to Novak and his fans like a couple of days later, it just didn't feel very sincere to me. Also, that's how I feel that was.
Andrea Petkovic: That was completely out of place. You're a professional, you're a professional. Broadcaster like you.
Rennae Stubbs: You can't say stuff like that then, and it's not a job.
Andrea Petkovic: He's not even like he was trained to be a broadcast. Yeah, that's what he is. He used to play soccer and now he's here and doing broadcasting because he used to be a good soccer player. He was trained to be a broadcaster. What do they teach you in broadcasting school? Keep your ship together, we go to broadcasting school. H m hm.
Rennae Stubbs: Hm. Let's do it for now. We're gonna cut this off. I want your thoughts just real quick on who do you think looks the best on the women's draw. I know Iga Swiatek is playing tomorrow against Navarro. What are your thoughts on that? And what Badosa and Sabalenka they're having play against each other. They're best of friends, so that's an added thing involved in that situation for sure. What's the other quarterfinal women's Svitolina and Keys? What do you think about those two matchups tomorrow?
Andrea Petkovic: First of all, it is going to be interesting. I think actually Keys is going to beat Svitolina. The reason I say that is because I think Keys has these like nice big swings on ground stokes and I think she will have enough time to set up.
Rennae Stubbs: For new racketgains, new string pattern is helping her and the new serve motion.
Andrea Petkovic: Yes, yes, so I think. I mean she's she hasn't lost a match. She's won the most matches of all.
Rennae Stubbs: Right now, Sabalenka too won Brisbane.
Andrea Petkovic: Yeah, but Madi has played one more match, I think because Adelaide is a bigger draw.
Rennae Stubbs: Well technically not because Sabalenka one today. So they're they're both they're both playing very, very well. The only thing I always worried about with Madi is just the anxiety when she gets a little bit like when the pressure comes on and there's an opportunity. And this is the type of player that if she has one of those days where she overplays and overhits Svitolina is that player that's not going to miss and it just you know, she's got nothing. There's no such thing as nothing to lose because she you know, she's probably one of the best players to never in a Grand Slam, so she would love to get one in her pocket before that happens. But if Madi plays clearly at her best, she will win that match, yeah, for sure. And Emma and Swiatek - Emma Navarro's got to be dead. What the fuck? The girl plays three sets every single match and that last match with Kasatkina was just an which is an epic.
Andrea Petkovic: Well, she is very fit, so she is very she is very, very fit. But I will say that after the first round I said I think Iga will go to the final and stick with that. I think she's playing tremendously well. I think she is the reason. I think she's playing tremendously well. I think she is playing closer to her DNA of a player that she is, which is the way she plays on clay, a bit more margin, a bit more spin, patient in the long rallies. And I thought in the last particularly in the last few months, on quicker hard courts and here, particularly in Australia, she tried to be a big hitter because she's in her mind, she's saying to herself, this is the quick court I have to hit.
Rennae Stubbs: And it's getting cold in the next couple of days, and that will help her.
Andrea Petkovic: This is slow the court. On the other hand, it will take away that heaviness she now got back on her forehand because it really worked on a lot more margin. But still, but I really like that, and I think that she will go through to the final.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, I think so too. Now, the only thing is, look, if Madi plays at her very best, she can hit each she has court on a hard court. But then it comes down to belief.
Andrea Petkovic: It comes down to well, she had six or five three against Sabalenka.
Rennae Stubbs:That's what I'm talking about. Like, you know, there's this scar tissue. I call it scar tissue on the brain. It's like pluque on the brain. And when you have pluk on the brain. We saw it with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova tonight. She's had some real, really tough losses in Grand Slam play and it you know, I don't care who you are. Those memories are hard to get rid of. And Madi is going to have to fight through a lot of disappointing results at Grand Slam level. If she plays her best, we know that she's arguably the best player in the world because nobody hits a ball harder. She's serving really well. The injuries are always a problem. Well, we'll see.
Andrea Petkovic: So I played Madi often and I have a good record against her, and the reason for that is when you play fast left right, she cannot set up for her shots. And that's a problem against Sabalenka. That's the problem against Rybakina, not in anymore, but against these type of players when she meets out of and I was not yeah, I was not a play a little bit more like eager, but I played flat and I knew I just have to go away from her because she needs that. That's why I think she will do well against it. She will definitely feel well. Whether she can pull it off in the end is on a different page, but because it feels to me she needs to like put her feet into place, get her like forehand ready.Did you say kaboom?
Rennae Stubbs: And I the one time we got that on a T shirt too, cutabo.
Andrea Petkovic: The one time I lost to her was actually on clay. She made the final in row because there I am not. I don't have the Sabalenka power or somebody else's power. And on clay she did have that bit of extra time and she made the final in the end, then lost the Serena in the final. Actually, but that was the one time I lost to her because she I couldn't you couldn't pressure into the corner as much. And on heart, I like playing her. So that is the only thing that I always have in the back of my mind with Madi is if you can get away from her, she doesn't have time to set up and that's when she goes starts going down the line. That's when she starts making all these decisions that are question.
Rennae Stubbs: Sure nobody tries to pull the trigger down the line earlier or more often than Madison Keys. Anyway, We've had some great matches. Do you have a thought on Sablenka and Badosa. Do you think Badosa thinks and trusts that she can beat Sabalenka?
Andrea Petkovic: I think so. I think she's a different player for some reason.
Rennae Stubbs: Do you think that the friendship really does kind of you know, because Paula gets out there and she's feisty, and she's fucking pissed and shit and against she might lose that age. That's the only thing that I think it's gonna hurt her.
Rennae Stubbs: That's a good point, I do think, and I strongly believe. And that's one thing I strongly believe in is head to heads And if you have a nine oh is it nine O?
Rennae Stubbs: Or Ato.
Andrea Petkovic: And I do think that, And Paula said it today on the court. She said she thinks she's a better player than she was when she was ranked number two, and I actually agree with her.
Rennae Stubbs: But Sabalenka, it's so Sabalenka.
Andrea Petkovic: And also but I do think even if she is that player and plays that way, in the end, the nine oh head to head will maybe play a part.
Rennae Stubbs: And that's rough. We'll see.
Andrea Petkovic: Well, it's such a great tournament, particularly on the women's side, I will say the women. If you look at it, it's an incredible mixture of vintage and knew you know what I mean.
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, And Alcaraz broke back, so it's three to two. Now you just wonder, you just wonder mentally in best of five sets. And by the looks of it, Novak looks like, unless he's got white shorts under his shorts like white tights, he looks like he might have his leg taped. And if that's the case, dude, you do not want to play against Alcaraz with an injury. And it looks like he certainly has maybe a little taping under that leg.
Andrea Petkovic: I would take I would crush him like a bug in bed. No I feel it. After how there was.
Rennae Stubbs: One interesting thing that happened in the match tonight, though, Petko is that somebody said something that pissed off Novak and he gave him the dirtiest look in the crowd. And you know, that's how he plays. He needs to have chaos, right, And I think a lot of people were thinking the whole Tony Jones thing and the ship with the Channel nine was kind of got his way of kind of getting a little getting a little uh, you know, he needs to feel right. Well, guess what it?
Andrea Petkovic: You thought?
Rennae Stubbs: Yeah? Maybe, But then then they panted to colors and he looked at the crowd. He started smiling. I'm like, we've got the total opposite people between you.
Andrea Petkovic: Do you think that Andy Murray is paying heckler's in the crowd to heckle Novak?
Rennae Stubbs: Maybe he knows, Maybe that's the best.
Andrea Petkovic: Yeah, maybe he paid Tony Jones to see older ship.
Rennae Stubbs: Maybe maybe he did. Anyway, all right, guys, well listen, let's clearly.
Andrea Petkovic: By the way for these people take out now because they are listening to this who take out the random sentences that we say and post it somewhere on or whatever that thing is and then just like cut.
Rennae Stubbs: Also maybe say there was something that came up to us in the shoe store the other day, in some clothing store in Melbourne and said, hey, guys, love your podcast. We didn't get your name, thank you for listening to And.
Andrea Petkovic: When you left, I said to Rennae, oh knows. She thinks we only have each other, right, we're.
Rennae Stubbs: Only each other's friends. I swear where we're not. We have other friends, but we do very much like each other. Anyway, guys, it is ten, it's ten forty pm. We're going to go home to our hotels. Petko's going to go home to her boyfriend Jesse, who's calling her on the phone and probably wondering whether fuck she is. And my girlfriend's outside of the pod waiting for me, And we're gonna go home and watch the rest of this incredible match between Djokovic and Alcaraz and let's see who wins. I did predict predict product is that a word that Carlos would win this match? That was my slight edge, But it wouldn't surprise me if Novak ends up winning this match. But hey, listen, that's why we're here.
Andrea Petkovic: And then you think Sinner is going to make it to the final.
Rennae Stubbs: Who does he play now? Oh?
Andrea Petkovic: He put no?
Rennae Stubbs: I think Alcaraz. I think Alcaraz will make the final. I would love to see Alcarez in a final, but then again, I gotta be honest. I would love to see Novak win twenty five. I really would, and twenty five were great, but I feel like, if he's going to do it, it has to be here just because he's so good here.
Speaker 3: But man, he has to be It's tough being dude.
Rennae Stubbs: You gotta beat Alcoraz and Sinner to win a tournament.
Andrea Petkovic: It used to be Zverev and Sinner and you can think about Zverev for what you want, but he's at the best that he no for sure.
Rennae Stubbs: I mean it was like that's what it must have felt like for everyone to try and win a Grand Slam. You had to beat Novak, Roger, and or Rafa and Novak or Rafa and and and Roger. I mean a fuck nightmare anyway, all right, Petko and stops. Yeah, especially in doubles. I saw your volleys today. You on the baseline made me at the net unbeatable.
Andrea Petkovic: Hey, on the baseline, I was so good. I was feeling good running my surface and you ran into that.
Rennae Stubbs: I can make it. But at the net, both friend, Wow, I could have helped you. Yeah, I'll help you tomorrow. Okay, I think you know what I did.
Andrea Petkovic: I missed so many volleys, so I have a reason you started running back pad drafta tomorrow and be like, please help me? Both friends?
Rennae Stubbs: What about me?
Andrea Petkovic: Oh?
Rennae Stubbs: And see where you're going?
Andrea Petkovic: I see the angles like both friends, you're like the traveling with with my bullies. Would you help a girl out?
Rennae Stubbs: I see, I see the reasoning for that. I mean we're friends, Yes, we just we just go shop together anyway. All right, guys, thanks for joining us, and we'll be back next week after these train opens finish. Okay, but for the person who takes lines out of our thing, fuck you.
Andrea Petkovic: Yeah, fuck you, honestly fuck you, because he's gonna post well and you Murray is paying a fuck you.
Rennae Stubbs: Hey, guys, Jesse, Jesse, your boyfriend just texted me and said, are you with my girlfriend?
Andrea Petkovic: I am Jesse.
Rennae Stubbs: All right, guys, we'll see you next week. Thanks for joining us. Cheers!
