Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we hope all your besties cheer for you, like figure skaters Alyssa Lou and Isabella Levito.

Cheered on Amber Glenn this weekend.

Girlhood.

It's Monday, January twelfth, and on today's show, we'll be talking to Defector writer Giddy Nathan about the Australian Open, kicking off the twenty twenty six tennis season, which players might push, the trio that's been at the top of the game for the last few years, the pros and cons of a WTAATP merger and more, plus showing up with pride, a footy rumor we're trying to ignore, and it's deja vous all over again in stores Connecticut.

It's all coming up right after this.

Welcome back, Slices.

Hope you had a great weekend.

Here's what you need to know today.

Let's start with figure skating.

The US Championships concluded over the weekend and the top three women in the singles event, Amber Glenn, Alissa Lou and Isabel Levito were named to the US Olympic team.

On Sunday, Prize there, Amber Glenn put on a dominant performance to win her third straight US title, making her the first American woman to win back to back to back national titles since Michelle Kwan won her final title in five and Glenn celebrated on the ice by posing with the Intersex Inclusive Progress Pride flag.

Glenn, who is openly pan sexual, has been a huge advocate for the LGBTQ.

Plus community throughout her career.

There were so many beautiful moments from this weekend, including the three podium finishers getting their flowers literally from track and field legend Jackie Joyner, Cursey, and as I alluded to at the top of the show, Glenn's teammates Alyssa and Isabe sticking around to cheer for her during her free skate.

The trio pumped each other up all weekend and shared giant hugs after it was all over.

We love to see it to the slopes.

Lindsay Vaughn won her second downhill of the season on Saturday, claiming victory at the World Cup stop in Zauken, Si, Austria.

It also marks the forty one year old's fourth downhill podium of the season in four starts.

Vaughn won Saturday's race by thirty seven hundredths of a second, followed by Norway's Kaisa Vicofflee and US teammate Jacqueline Wiles four podiums in four starts.

I still don't think I can even fully grasp how impressive this return has been for Lindsay Vaughn or frankly, how much I'm considering tracking down her doctor and trying to get some bionic parts of my own, because that new knee is getting it done for her.

More Winter Sports news.

American snowboarder Chloe Kim announced on social media on Thursday that she dislocated her shoulder when she crashed during a training run ahead of the Locks Open in Switzerland, an injury that could cost her a spot at the upcoming Milan Courtina Olympics.

In her Instagram post, Kim included video of the moment that the injury happened, describing it as the quote unquote silliest fall.

As of this recording, we're still waiting for an update from Kim on her prognosis following an MRI set for Friday.

The twenty five year old is a two time defending Olympic gold medalist in halfpipe.

She was the first American athlete to cross all sports to qualify for this year's Olympics because of her number one world ranking at the end of last season and now her future is in jeopardy.

We'll keep you posted on our status as we learn more.

Rooting for you, Chloe to hoops.

As expected, the WNBA and its players union did not come to a new agreement for their collective Bargaining agreement ahead of the deadline on Friday, their third deadline, and this time they didn't extend the current CBA as they'd done twice before.

That means the CBA has now officially expired, though their plan is to operate in what they're calling status quo mode, so nothing is expected to change in the near term as both sides work toward a new deal.

Per reporting from Front of the Show, ESPN's Alexa Philip, who quote WNBA front offices were told this week that teams should prepare to extend qualifying offers and core designations under the expired agreement.

Sources said that would mean teams technically could offer players qualifying offers and core designations as soon as Sunday and up until jan twentieth.

It's widely expected that players would not want to sign contracts while a new salary system with expected massive increases in compensation is still being bargained end quote.

So with players likely not interested deals tied to the economics of the old CBA, the league is put into writing a proposed moratorium that would halt those initial stages of free agency.

Per ESPN's latest reporting, the union is reviewing the proposal now.

As negotiations continued, the PA has announced the launch of WNBPA Player Hubs, a network of training facilities across the country and abroad, so that players will have access to courts, weight rooms, and recovery spaces throughout the off season if and when access to team facilities isn't possible or isn't permitted.

The PA also continued to buy for public support with an activation outside the NBA store in downtown New York City on deadline day that included the old inflatable rat that always signals a union protest, plus folks walking around with posters with the PA's demands QR code so that passerby could show support, and a TV truck parked out front with a screen that read quote some suggested resolutions for Kathy Engelburton, Adam Silver, get it together, take accountability.

Pay the players have a twenty twenty six WN season.

The other part of the truck read quote.

Pay Equity is not optional, It is earned, It is deserved, It is overdue to Unrivaled.

Kelsey Plum tied the league single game scoring record on Saturday, recording thirty eight points to lead her Phantom BC to a massive ninety four to sixty winner for the Lunar Owls.

Plumb, who also recorded eleven assists, eight rebounds, and two steals in the win, ties the record.

Ne Fisa Callier set and Chelsea Gray matched, both putting up thirty eight.

In games in year one of the three v three league.

More unrivaled highlights from the weekend include the aforementioned Gray hitting two three pointers mere seconds apart on Friday night to power Rose BC to a sixty nine sixty seven victory over Vinyl BC.

Now you remember unrivaled uses an elam ending and the winning score of this game was sixty nine, so Vinyl was leading in the fourth sixty seven sixty three when Gray hit the first three coming off a steal, and then her second came after a failed attempt from vinyls Courtney Williams to hit the magic score.

We'll link to a video of the back to back three pointers from Gray in the show notes.

Now joining Gray with back to be game winners to start the Unrivaled season is co founder Brianna Stewart, who sealed the victory for miss BC over the Laces eighty three eighty one on Saturday night at the free throw line.

She had twenty two points, ten rebounds at four assists in the win.

Following a busy weekend of games, the action continues tonight on TNT and True TV with a doubleheader between Mysst and Phantom, followed by The Laces and Lunar Owls.

Final bit of Unrivaled news, we've got an update on Sabrini and Escu.

On Thursday, the league announced that Unescu will miss the full Unrivaled season, the result of an injury that she sustained during the WNBA season.

In a statement, Yunescu said, quote, while I'm disappointed I couldn't play this season, I'll be rooting for the Phantom.

I'm looking forward to working with Unrivaled through content and broadcast opportunities and continuing to support the league's success.

End quote folks who watched Unrivaled Saturday night already saw her getting involved.

Enescu was on the call with the broadcast team for the first half of the Lunar Owls Phantom Game.

As for college hoops, fans were treated to a ton of action this weekend, continuing through Sunday night.

So we're going to save all the wins, lost and upsets.

Hello Maryland going down at the hands of Ohio State for tomorrow show to the NWSL.

Over the weekend, Angel City announced that the club had signed Orlando defender and friend of the Show Emily SAMs through twenty twenty eight, with Orlando receiving six hundred and fifty thousand dollars in intra league transfer funds in exchange.

In a press release issued by the Pride, head coach SEB Hines noted that the move came after Sam's requested it.

Quote Emily requested the opportunity to consider other options and while she will be missed, we pride ourselves on being a club that supports players personal ambitions or choices on and off the field.

End quote.

Sam's the twenty twenty four NWSL Defender of the Year and a Gold medalist with the US women's national team in Paris, told SI writer and friend of the show Jenna Tinelli, quote, I definitely want to make the World Cup team, and qualifiers are this year.

I think that was another reason that I wanted to make this move to Angel City, to really push myself and see what I'm capable of.

The more that I.

Push myself that will hopefully pay off really well for my time with the national team too.

End quote.

More NWSL movement.

You might remember that last week we told you about the San Diego Waves announcement that the club had mutually parted ways with goalkeeper Kaylen Sheridan, a decision that didn't seem so mutual.

After both Sheridan and her wife made comments on Instagram about sort of a surprising and unexpected off season, Well, it didn't take long for Sheridan, who's also Team Canada's starting keeper, to get scooped up by another team.

On Thursday, the North Carolina Courage announced that the club had signed her to a two year, fully guaranteed contract.

In a statement, Sheridan said, quote, I can't wait to join the Courage and bring my family to North Carolina.

This team's soccer identity and tactical systems are so exciting and fit the way I like to play as well.

I'm really looking forward to joining the team, getting to work on the field and focusing on a great season this year end quote even more footy, The Guardian was the first to report that Sam Coffee is in advanced talks to join Manchester City across the Pond.

ESPN's Jeff Becasue followed up on the Guardian's reporting, noting that Coffee is interested in the experience of playing in Europe rather than any financial interest in making the move.

Obviously hate this news, but will keep you posted when and if it becomes official.

All the same to tennis, the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open got underway yesterday and Melbourne, while the main draw gets going on the eighteenth.

We'll have plenty more on what to expect down Under and from the twenty twenty sixth tennis season overall later in the show, and I'll be joined by defectors Giddy Nathan to Hockey.

Canada announced its women's hockey roster on Friday, and as expected, the twenty three player team will be led by longtime captain and friend of the show Marie Philippe Puhlen, who will be competing in her fifth Olympics.

Canada's roster is an experienced bunch, notable difference from the US team, where there's far more youth.

In total, twenty players from this group represented Canada at the most recent World Championships, where the team lost to the US twice to one in group play and then four to three in overtime in the championship.

Other roster highlights include the return of Sarah Nurse, who broke the women's Olympic scoring record four years ago in Beijing, but has missed most of the PWHL season so far with the shoulder injury.

Also the inclusion of Sarah Fillier, Natalie Spooner and friends of the show were not a fast in Claire Thompson.

You may remember Claire as our favorite future doctor, currently putting med school on hold to kick ass on the ice.

Speaking of Olympic hockey, one of the biggest question marks in the lead up to Milan Courtina has been whether one of the two hockey rinks would be finished in time.

The status of Santa Julia ice hockey rink made headlines in December when it was revealed that the ice sheet at the venue, as well as the one at the other hockey rink, Milano Row, were both smaller than expected.

Now, although the length of a traditional international size rink, they're slightly shorter than that of an NHL rink, despite an agreement between the NHL, NHL Players Association, and International Ice Hockey Federation stating that the ice must be built to NHL standards.

This is part of an ongoing conversation that brought NHL players back into the mix for the Olympics this year.

The bigger issue for US is whether Santa Julia will be completed in time for play.

Construction is months behind schedule, and it wasn't until this past weekend that the venue hosted its first ever test games.

The Atlantic's Chris Johnston was their reporting, and he noted there were still multiple large holes in the exterior of the building and that of the fourteen planned dressing rooms, only three are quote anywhere near.

Complete end quote.

The capacity of the building is also smaller than promised, holding just eleven eight hundred fans instead of the promised fourteen thousand.

There were also some concerns about the ice, especially after a hole appeared at one end midway through the first period of the opening game on Friday, but following the conclusion of the testament on Sunday, representatives from both the IIHF and the Organizing Committee expressed optimism that while the amenities leave a lot to be desired, the men's and women's tournaments will not be at risk.

We'll link to Chris's full report in the show notes so you can check it out.

We got to take a break.

When we come back, we'll get you ready for the tennis season with writer Gilly Nathan.

Joining us now.

He's a staff writer and co founder at Defector Media.

His writing has appeared in New York Magazine, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New York Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, and The Believer.

He's the senior correspondent at tennis outlet The Second Serve, and the author of Changeover, a Young Rivalry.

And a New Era of Men's Tennis.

He's the Papa two, a ten month old baby who just started standing and might just make herself heard during this interview with a little bit of babylin.

If we're lucky, it's giddy.

Nathan, thank you for having me, Sarah.

Giddy, thanks so much for joining us.

I want to start big picture first and sort of set the scene for women's tennis right now before we get to the Australian Open, and it has sort of come to be that there's a top trio.

We had a time of sort of free for all after Serena Williams won the twenty seventeen Australian Open and then took time off for pregnancy.

Until about the end of twenty twenty one, almost half of the major titles in women's tennis were won by women ranked outside of the top ten.

Then we had this sort.

Of establishment of dominance post Areena from Egosfia Tech who took control in twenty twenty two, and since twenty twenty three the trio is Fiat Tech, Arena Sabalanca and Coco Goff.

They've won nine of the last twelve Grand Slams.

So, as we get set for another season of tennis, the twenty twenty sixth season, I'd love for you to give us a little compare and contrast of how you see those three front runners, kind of their style of play, their strengths and weaknesses, and how as we're watching them take on another season, we can watch them and be a little smarter about what we're watching.

Yeah, I think you have framing is spot on.

Like there was that post Serena power vacuum for a little while where you had a lot of first time slam champs, but it's really consolidated in the last three four seasons where you have the kind of an emergent Big three, maybe even Big four, but we'll start with these three and you've got Arena IgA Coco.

I think you could kind of place them on a spectrum from like proactive style to a reactive style.

That's one way to look at it.

I would say Arena Sablenka is the pre eminent power player on the WTA right now.

She likes to step in, hit it really hard and overwhelm you with their pace and her physicality, and early in her career she used to struggle a bit with her serve double faults, but she's really ironed out pretty much all the wrinkles in her game.

She's really complete, competes on all the surfaces, and last year had one of the most consistent seasons we've seen on the wt in a very long time, where she made at least the semis of the four slams and was the ascended player on tour right now, and you go to IgA somewhere in between these two poles, I think what distinguishes her is is she's one of the best movers I've ever seen in the sport and some of the cleanest footwork you'll see.

You'll see her getting low, crouching, almost touching her knees to the court at certain times, very modern, very whippy strokes, and I think earlier in her career she used a little more maybe finesse in variety, but she eventually realized that going super aggressive was the thing that was winning her matches, so why change that formula.

And one of the distinctive things about her is she's so locked in on both serve and return that she can win some very lopsided matches.

And if you win a set six oh or six' one in, tennis they call it a bagel or a bread, stig just kind of the shape with the.

Number and the running joke for a while is That ego runs a bakery because she hands out a lot of a lot of the, bagels.

A lot of breaking.

Serve, yeah, yeah and She's she makes you feel, rushed and she makes you feel like the match is over and the whole thing was just a.

Flash she won It wimbledon final last season in fifty seven, minutes six, oh six to, Oh so she'd.

Be thinking about that When i'm getting tickets for different days of THE Us open and stuff, LIKE i don't want to get my money it's worth it might.

Not be ego.

Game they can be pretty one.

Sided so, yeah she has that way of just absolutely overwhelming an opponent and just being really hard to deal with on both, sides on both serve and.

Return and you go To coco AND i think it's a very interesting.

Player you look the most important shots in, tennis it's like the serve and the.

Forehand it's how you attack your.

Opponent coco's almost like this thought experiment is, like how far COULD i get an elite tennis while having a deeply flawed serve and?

Forehand And she's the answer is incredibly.

Far she's obviously when two majors have been the top of the sport for several years, now and the reason is because she's absolutely elite at everything else there is to do on a tennis, court world class, backhand really great foot, speed great, mover defensive.

Player one of THE i think if you look at the dynamics between these three, players one really interesting one is her Against.

Arena arena's trying to end the point with these, big powerful, shots And coco's the one who's always making her one more, ball one more, ball and it's kind of a war of.

Attrition and the Two slam finals that these players have played against each other have been very dramatic because that was exactly the question is like CAN i how DO i break down this impenetrable defense, Basically and in both Cases coco was.

Triumphant so those are pretty interesting.

Matches but, yeah they all come at it.

Differently and The Ega coco rivalry has was super one way traffic for a.

WHILE i think it was eleven in a row and now for ego exactly An ego's, favor and now it's five in a row the other.

Way so, wow things are getting pretty complicated and pretty.

INTERESTING i think this is like a perfect time to get into THE, wta, because, yeah we're in this era where the storylines are a little easier to, follow perhaps because the same players are going deep at all these big, tournaments and you get to see kind of these interlocking rivalries and each one kind of has its own character.

And the strategy which clearly has played a role in that specific, rivalry because if you win eleven in a, row you've got their, number and then if you go five in a row the other, way it means you figured something.

Out.

Yeah So Sabalanca golf And spiantech have finished the last three seasons as the world's top three.

Players they're the first trio to hold top three YEAR und ranking positions for three straight seasons Since Martinez, Averrtulova Chris evert And Steffie graff back in eighty six to eighty.

Eight so not bad company to be.

In what players do you see having a good shot of ending that run replacing one or all of the current trio at the top by the end of twenty twenty.

Six, yeah there's one PLAYER i definitely put on their same tier in terms of raw.

Talent and she's had injuries and various other off court issues that have complicated the last few, seasons But Elena rebakina is at her, Best she's absolutely untouchable on a tennis.

Court she's one of the rare players who is equally damaging on both the forehand and the.

Backhand and she's got the best serve in the, world which goes a long way when holding serve comfortably and puts a lot of pressure on the opponent to.

Break so she's quite, tall but moves really fluidly at that, height and she seems to produce her power just like so.

Efficiently he's very excellent technique in every aspect of her.

Game SO i, think you, know what.

Kind of injuries has she suffered?

From are they the kind of things that you think will plague her throughout her career or can she fix, something get rid of the problem and then go on a run that we haven't seen.

Yet?

Yeah, NO i THINK i think She she's looked in really good, form especially towards the end of last.

YEAR i think she was starting to put it together.

Again So i'm not too worried in terms of just, like hasn't been chronic recurring.

Injuries there there was a quite complicated situation with her, coach WHICH i think was the biggest off court.

Pressure you, know it's it's a whole, sidebar but to put it, briefly her coach was investigated for abuse for his relationship with her as coach and, player and ended up being briefly suspended from the tour but reinstated and they've continued their partnership from.

There IF i remember, correctly she defended, it which we all sort of wondered from afar whether it Was stockholm's syndrome or appropriate or wrong, investigation and we're left still kind of wondering exactly how it.

Works but they're back its working, Together.

Yeah and making it even more complicated is by all, evidence they seem to be in a romantic.

Relationship.

Ye so, yeah it's which it's one of those power, dynamics et cetera, Totally and you, know you've had other people in the tennis world.

Who've been in toxic player coach relationships speak out about this dynamics as.

Troubling but as it currently, stands they are still working together and are having some of the same results that they were having when she was winning a, major you, know back in twenty twenty.

Two SO i expect her to rebound this year and WHEN i make a couple.

Other names that we are maybe looking at to break into that top, Three amanda And asmova finalist At wimbledon AND Us.

Open ematakanu who has had some really high, points And Naomi, osaka who when she's at her best obviously can.

Content she made it to THE Us Open.

Semis that was her BEST lamb result in nearly five, years back in the top, fifteen after she fell as low as number sixty one In.

March it feels to me Like osaka is just about, consistency.

Right if she is consistently, herself she's really tough to, beat but she'll just kind of disappear in the match or blow.

It and is that really the biggest issue for?

Her it's she's always been like when it rains at poors kind of.

PLAYER i think she's very rhythm, based like when she's feeling it in the, groove she'll just cruise through.

TOURNAMENTS i would, Say i'm told then.

YEAH i would.

Say one aspect that maybe more tangible THAT i could point to in her comeback phase was the movement is a big differentiator for.

Her the difference between when she gets to the ball a little earlier and has some time to line up her shots versus when she's not like that gulf is enormous and you could see the ball is either a winner in the last three inches of the court or it's like fifteen feet.

Out she's not really a player who, thrives you, know playing HER b game or her.

Game it's a kind of digging in and finding new.

Solutions she has an absolutely tier one a, game and when she's in that, rhythm she's really hard to hang.

With but she was not one who can kind of change her style.

Easily who, Can so maybe the longer she gets away from the pregnancy and post, pregnancy the more she'll regained the kind of physical ability that she needs to be able to play the way she wants to.

Play, Yeah and one of the THINGS i thought was really cool and admirable to see her talking about so candidly was just like the nuts and bolts of rebuilding her body after pregnancy and giving.

Birth she, talked you, know rebuilding the pelvic, floor, muscles your core is so critical for, tennis so much.

Rotation it's just like that will take time to build back.

Up AND i would, expect especially given the success she started having later last, year once she got on the hard courts in the Summer MONTREAL Us, OPEN i would expect her to kind of pick up where she left off this year on the hard courts at least.

Anyone Else i'm forgetting in there that we should be throwing out as potentially top three by the end of this.

YEAR i think those are the realistic.

Candidates LIKE i would Expect verbakkana to climb into that, trio but it's really hard for me to envision too many other.

People but you, know one of the nice things about the tour right now is that there's a lot of young talent kind of rising up, too and some of the we're seeing comebacks kind of second wind for certain players Like Lina spidealina really great player has been around for a while and it has been playing really.

Well but in terms of top, THREE i think we're pretty.

Safe we're pretty much covered with the name so.

Far you mentioned, youngsters which brings me to my next.

One there were a couple of teenagers last year that really made a name for themselves eighteen year Old Mira, andriva nineteen year olds Of victoria And boco And maya joint.

TOO i don't actually remember hearing that much, about but she made her way up the.

Rankings can you get a sense for which of those phenoms seems to have the most staying power this early in their.

CAREER i would say in terms of like the body of work so, Far andreva is kind of well ahead of the.

Pack She's i'd, say this is a sport that no longer produces as many teenage prodigies as it used.

TO i just think it's gotten too.

Physical players peak.

Later in, general it takes a little while to kind of build up that.

Base But andreva is definitely a counterexample to that trend because she was.

Sixteen i'll never forget this quote she.

Said but she was, sixteen made it to the fourth round of The Australian, open and she was, like fourth round is nothing like IF i want to win A, SLAM i gotta win three more.

Matches and you do not hear that many sixteen Sounds?

Russian yeah it sounds.

Frankly, yeah she goes back In Mother, russia fourth place me.

Nothing so, yeah she's she's got high expectations and you, know it's it's it's a bit of a you, know sportswriter, cliche BUT i think in in this case the results really bear it.

Out she's very much a big match, player you, know the tour runs year, round but when she's at The Forest, lambs she's consistently going to third, round fourth round from her very first season on, Tour so like that was kind of marks her as SOMEONE i think it handles pressure very well and will continue to add things to her.

Game kind of a counterpuncher.

PLAYER i think as she gets bigger and, stronger points will come more easily to her as.

Well SO i really like her long term potential just based on how much he's already, achieved you, know without being a physically mature.

PLAYER i botched her last.

Name DID i bought her first name?

Too how DO i say her?

Full?

No that's?

Right, Yeah Mire.

Andreva that's kind Of american Pronunciation.

Andreva But.

Andreva.

Okay you, know it is a great time for women's.

Tennis there are a lot of big names to.

Follow there are players that have been around long enough to get to know them and their style and anticipate what it might look like in these big.

Matchups but there's also a lot of complaining going on from top players on the tour right now about the.

Schedules fiontek called the tour quote, unquote a.

Madness she said it was quote impossible to fit everything in the.

Calendar sabalanka called the season and THE Wta tour quote unquote.

Insane she was frustrated by the intensity of the schedule and consequences for players skipping.

Events AND i have to be, HONEST i didn't really realize that there were penalties for missing.

Events can you explain that and why these players are, frustrated because it's not Just i'm going to give up the opportunity to make some money and improve my, ranking It's i'm going to get penalized for not going to all these.

Things, Yeah so the way the tour is set up is there are The slams kind of the biggest, tournaments the one you see ON, tv and then there are thousand level tournaments and those are basically mandatory.

Participation so, like if you are, healthy unless you can really beg out with an actual, injury you are supposed to go to.

Those and then you're also supposed to play at least six five hundred level, tournaments so these if you qualify for, those you kind of have to be.

There and then when you for whatever reason don't show up and don't have an injury, excuse you can be docked ranking points is something that happened To sabolenka in the, past and she pretty much said earlier this year That i'm willing to accept those consequences now just to it's more important for me to prioritize my health and just like long term potential than to just lean into the burnout and just meet every single stringent criteria of being on the.

Tour AND i totally get.

It LIKE i will, say this is a problem kind of unique to the highest performers because they're the ones who are playing to the end of every tournament and then have to fly somewhere halfway around the world and do it.

Again but they just because of the schedule has kind of.

Expanded even these one week events have basically become two week.

Events they don't have a lot of downtime if they are going deep week after.

Week so, yeah and there's seasons very.

Long they have the shortest off season That i'm aware of in any professional.

Sports SO i, think you, know basically three weeks and then they're back to.

It that's.

Crazy the petty side of me wants to, say, well maybe you don't participate in really stupid and ultimately harmful fake battle of the sexist reunion matches if you're so.

Tired but the adult in me, says playing in one of those is very different than playing in a lengthy tournament.

Run so it's not exactly a fair.

Criticism i'm still going to say, it, though because that's WHO i.

AM i think it's entirely.

FAIR i think there's a lot of attention of a very low.

QUALITY i would say it was put on tennis because of that, match and, yeah there's a bunch of reasons THAT i think it was, Underbaked but, Yeah.

I'm just glad that most people seem to.

Agree there weren't a lot of people advocating that it was a good idea or well executed.

Totally hopefully that will teach people in the.

FUTURE i want to talk about the merger that's been circled around for several years, now AND reps claimed that it was on the doorstep In.

November everyone anticipated it would actually get done In, december but now they've Announced beeve that they'll just continue to have conversations in this new.

Year so what are the pros and cons for THE wta if that merger were to happen with THE atp the men's.

Tour, yeah so you, know the tours are financially speaking in pretty different positions right.

NOW i don't think it necessarily speaks to the underlying quality of you, know the competition on either.

Tour but just going by the twenty twenty four tax, returns this is reporting From Front Office SPORTS atp in twenty twenty four reported two hundred ninety three million in revenue and a surplus of fifty two, MILLION wta ad revenues of one hundred and forty two million and a shortfall of about five.

Million SO i think there's been you, know quite a bit of mismanagement on THE wta.

SIDE i think they are failing to market and you, know make the most of WHAT i think is a very rich era in women's.

Tennis BUT i do think there would be a lot of potential benefits from a potential.

Merger and one WAY i look at it is it's a very fract and decentralized sport with a lot of different power.

Players and you could even just look at the right, steals like how DO i watch?

Tennis those rights get bundled off different, tournaments you, know different levels of.

Tournaments the men and.

Women they all bundled and spun off and sold.

Differently so for the average person trying to follow professional, tennis you've got to cobble together a bunch of different.

Subscriptions SO i just think from, uh you, know as a unified, product that you could maybe leverage that when negotiating these right.

Steals, look, hey you've got cocoa goff and you've Got carlos oucraz, like you've got the whole.

PACKAGE i think that could be potentially beneficial in those kind of.

Conversations and THEN i just think like as an in person fan, experience the tournaments that have both sides are just like more, evaborant they're the.

Best so, yeah to, me it feels like there is a kind of no brainer quality to the like selling, sponsorships gambling, data all those things across both and how often the joint tour are so.

SUCCESSFUL i think one thing that frustrates, me AND i don't, Know i'm not in the books for either of these, outlets but you still hear criticism of places that are prioritizing men's matches on the best courts and at the best, times and if they are taking that into account when they're counting up, revenue and then they're arguing that the men's who continues to.

Outperform it's like every other space of women's sports where the opportunity is not provided to make that, revenue they're actually being prevented from maximizing.

Revenue and then later on down the, line in a place that feels maybe, unrelated they can then report that revenue.

Gap and if you're going to continue to hold back women in those joint, events then you can't then argue that What i've, seen which is THE atp is seeking an uneven split of revenues for this in eighty twenty.

Ratio, now if they are indeed making more money and they have a better revenue and if fewer, debt that makes, sense but eighty twenty you're just going to continue then to create a deficit for THE.

Wta so that wouldn't be a great move for.

Them And i've also talked to folks who said that the power dynamic would be really problematic because THE atp has been really with intention not super interested in uplifting and supporting women's.

Tennis in, fact has sometimes seemed to go out of their way to be unhelpful and so if you merge with, them what's what they have zero women on their?

Board they never, Have, like what's the chances that they're going to see you as a partner and not as something that they manage and.

Control, yeah it's it's a totally fair angle to look.

AT i think a lot of the comments that even superstar men's players have made over the last decade kind.

Of, reveal Specially, Djokovic.

YEAH i Mean nadal as, Well they have revealed basically the attitude that you summed up just.

There it's, like kind of where they, attraction where the?

Moneymakers why would we be saddled with this other?

Operation and so often not the.

Case, yeah.

DEFINITELY i mean they are.

A great, draw and there are some tremendous men's players and rivalries that have sort of driven, things but there's tons of examples.

Where the women are a bigger draw and drive more.

Interest AND i would say heading into at the very least the twenty twenty six, season there's far more intrigue about who's going to win these big trophies on the webside than vice.

Versa and just like as is often the, CASE i don't need to tell you this or your.

Listeners but just worth repeating the case across many.

Sports as soon as you treat something as worthy of fans time and respect instead of treating it as an, afterthought than you, know kind of the different.

Follows so, yeah, well and you, know in women's, SPORTS i think we've seen this incredible ever since decades and decades, Ago Billy Jean king and The dollar contract getting good pay and prize.

Money they are the highest paid women athletes in the.

World tennis players.

Are but when you look at say THE wnba trying to negotiate now under the umbrella of THE, nba where it's very clear that they are not getting given the same deal and revenue split that the men.

Do oftentimes partnering with men has actually created more of an imbalance or less of an intention to get women what they've earned and what they're.

Owed AND i think in this, case when you do have male players who have specifically publicly said that they should get paid less because they play fewer, sets or that the not interested in bargaining on their, behalf they want to create unions and spaces that are just for the.

MEN i would worry about a merger even.

Taking away the teeth of THE org and THE wta that can fight for things like, that because if they're not fighting for, themselves because it's not as interesting for THE atp to fight for, it do they still have the power to do it?

Here, yeah it's IT'S i don't necessarily have a great answer for, this but one THING i would say is looking back to the history of THE wta is just like this trailblazing force for equity in.

SPORTS a lot of the advances were made decades, ago AND i don't think we've seen very significant stride since.

Then AND i think for whatever, reason tennis, players you, know capacity for collective, action collective bargaining seems to have.

Dwindled no, unions individual, players, yeah just kind of for, themselves very.

Mercenary you.

Know we had this attempt at something like a player's union That djokovic spearheaded five years, ago and he just completely distanced himself from the project last, week basically washed his hands of the project.

Completely so and that wasn't going to allow, women, RIGHT i remember at.

The outset they did, not and then pretty soon, after to their, credit they included women into the.

Organization but it just really hasn't gotten the traction and buy widespread buy in from players across the.

Tours, well we'll keep an eye on the merger and hope for the best with.

It but let's Talk Australian open, specifically because it's about to get underway with the qualifying rounds OR i guess the qualifying rounds will have started by the time people are listening to, this and then the main draw doesn't start actually Till sunday the.

Eighteenth let's talk to S fiontech because.

At just twenty, four she's going to try to complete the Career Grand slam In melbourne this, year which is winning all four MAJORS Us, Open Australian, Open Front open And.

Wimbledon, Meantime Marinas abalanca playing for her Third Australian.

Open title in four.

Years so who's your favorite heading in the one going for the Career grant And flamm.

Were the one who's had such success In.

MELBOURNE i Think i'm going to keep rocking.

It, BLENKA i just she's been so hard to beat the hardcourt, slams the consistence to see that she's had across, tournaments across all the.

MAJORS i just think she comes into.

This The Australian opens a very interesting slam in, that you, know you get to see what people have been working on in the off.

Season everyone's coming in fresh THEN i totally burnt out like they are at the end of the.

Season and they call it The Happy.

Slam it's kind of the nickname for, it and she's kind of a happy.

GAL i just think that energy really works for.

HER i fully expect her to go back and get that title that she just narrowly missed out on last.

Year we'll get to see more of that tiger.

Tattoo, yes she's always showing.

OFF i LIKE i, mentioned The Australian open technically begins with qualifying, now but the main draw isn't for another week or, so and a lot of players come in early for The Adelaide international In Southern, australia which is going on.

Now the finals for that are on the seventeenth Ye.

So talk to me about the connection between The Australian open And Adelaide, international because it's sort of like The Golden globes and The, oscars, Right it's, like whoever wins The globe has a really high chance of getting The.

Oscar these are so close to each other back to.

Back but is it because it's the first major of the year that folks want to get in this good quality competition and get ready to go for the for the main draw of the of The Australian.

Open.

Yeah, NO i think pretty.

Much the Four majors are the staple of the tennis, calendar but they all have their little ramp up earlier in the season to get make sure players are getting comfortable on that, surface and like we'll be informed by the time the major, starts and you know with the clay season it'll be smaller clay tournaments with grass so.

On here we are on, hardcore AND i think players really do like getting those reps, in especially because they've had the longest gap that they have all year.

Round it just came off from probably last play competitive matches In november most of.

Them so, look they call it a tune.

Up SO i show, up hopefully get two three really high quality matches in AND i think the reason we've seen The adelaide winner go on to the.

Win i'll try and open AND i want to say it was twenty twenty two to twenty.

Three three of the last.

Four, Yeah Cash party in twenty twenty, Two sabalink in twenty, Three Madison keys in twenty twenty.

Five, yeah it's, LIKE i think that reveals you know who is in the best.

Form and then because it is the same exact playing surface and same roughly the same, conditions that person has got the momentum and they're feeling.

It they're feeling.

It so, yeah last year As Madison keys went on an absolute tear to start the year and she was able to win her first major in very dramatic, fashion had match point down Against Sigas fiontek and then went on to Beat.

Sablenka beating those two players back to back In islam is one of probably the signature feet you can pull off in women's tennis right.

Now it'd be very cool to see if another player can manage it this, season BUT i wouldn't bet on it in twenty twenty.

Six All, right so this is the women's sports, show but a lot of folks who watch women's tennis are also into the men's.

Game so we're going to give you time to give a little elevator pitch for your.

Book changeover a young rivalry and a new era of men's.

Tennis it's on The Carlos Alcazioni centner, rivalry it's won a bunch of award that's been on the top of.

List it's very well, reviewed So i'm sure they're folks who are interested tell us a little bit about.

IT i was just, thinking it is so refreshing to not have to talk about the men's.

Side but, NO i love both sours the.

Book the premise of the book is the men's game has undergone a big generational.

Shift it was dominated for almost two full decades By, Djokovic nidal And, feeder AND i really wanted to chronicle what that shift was going to look like when it actually.

Did timing really worked out for.

Me it all happened all at once in twenty twenty, four where we See djokovic finally recede and in his place two rising, Superstars carlos Alcazionic center kind of fun contrast in temperament and, style you, know one pretty, fiery the other pretty, icy and they continue to dominate.

Then AND i often felt myself thinking, like, OH i could have tacked on like another chapter or four or five based on what.

Happened the perils of book writing that's pretty much everyone unless you're doing a historical exactly.

Novel, yeah but, yeah it.

Was it was a really fun thing to be able to document in real.

Time it's just like this long Awaited Who's.

Next we finally saw that come into, Frame and it's kind of a dual profile of those, players but also an appreciation of The Big three era that came, before and then also a bit of a tribute to the players that got trapped between those two eras of, greatness which is pretty much everyone born in the nineteen, nineties which is Rough as one of those, PEOPLE i can sympathize with their, plight but it's, yeah just trying to capture that shift and build some excitement for these two personalities who seem to be taking over the game right.

Now as A chicago AND i have to, ask Does Michael jordan's name come up as an example of someone who blocks generations of talent from ever getting to the.

Top Michael jordan is mentioned in the book in the context is actually pretty funny Because carlos alcraz wears a lot Of jordan brand.

Stuff, yeah like you often see him in that classic locker room pick OF.

Mj cradling The Larry.

Bryant but the Contrast i'm drawing there IS mj was able, was you, know smoking, cigars eating pizza like during THE Nba, Finals AND i was using that as a contrast for how kind of monk like an aesthetic the life of the tennis player has become, Now like they don't have much time.

Off If carlos goes To abiza for a, weekend like it's a whole news.

Cycle they don't really get to necessarily enjoy the fruits of their labors as as often as one might expect it as superstar.

Athletes so just kind of a, yeah it was a commentary on the that's, interesting intense lifestyle that they now live as pro tennis.

Players, Well lebron would wave from his hyperbarreck chamber and say things have, changed but that's only if you want to keep dunking forty, one.

Which is absolutely.

Insane, gidry this was so.

Interesting you've unfortunately turned yourself into our go to tennis, expert So i'm sure we'll be calling you back for more chats about the women's.

Game so thanks so.

Much this is a lot of.

Fun Thanks, Sarah.

Thanks again To getdy for taking the, time we have to take another.

Break when we return a move so good you'll have to watch it.

Thrice welcome Back.

Slices it's time for a jumbo double edition Of Good, Game Good.

Game Fact you.

Today two mind blowing facts about the stars of this Year's yukon women's basketball.

Team let's start With Azy, fudd who's enjoying a spectacular super senior, season leading The huskies to a perfect seventeen and o season so, far and while reading up on our team's, GREATNESS i happen to catch sight of this unbelievable.

Fact has missed just eight free throws in her Entire yukon.

Career she's made one hundred and seven out of one hundred and fifteen from the charity stripe good for a career ninety three percent free throw.

Percentage mind blown all.

Right second fact you of the day the incredible statistical similarity between yukonsoft More Sarah strong and Legendary yukon Star Maya.

Moore through fifty six, games the pair have nearly identical, numbers With more slightly Edging strong in, points But strong averaging just a bit better numbers and, rebounds.

Assists blocks and.

Steals we'll put a link to the head to head comparison done By jake, mccrevin who Covers yukon women's basketball For The Daily, campus so you can check it out for.

Yourself If I'm Sarah, Strong i'm feeling pretty good about my future if my numbers are almost exactly the same as the Legendary Maya More and If i'm A yukon, Fan i'm pretty excited she's going to be around for another couple of.

Years we always love that you're listening, slices but we want you to get in the game every day, Too so here's our good game play of the.

Day follow giriyon social.

Media we'll link to His Blue sky account in the show, notes and check out his extremely well reviewed.

Book if you're into men's, tennis we always love to hear from, you so hit us up on email good game At wondermedia network dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two four fifty, seventy and don't forget to, subscribe rate and.

Review it's so.

Easy Watch Abby murphy's What DID I Just?

See assist rating three out of Three slow mol replaced to even begin to understand the move she pulled off.

Review On, Saturday university Of minnesota stand Out Abby murphy pulled off one of the most insane things you'll ever see on two skates in The Golden gophers eleven to three rout Of Minnesota.

State murphy went the length of the, ice flip the puck up to herself to bat it down between the legs of a, defender recover, possession and send it across the ice to a teammate for the.

Goal it was the second most impressive THING i saw all, weekend behind My Chicago bears putting up twenty five points in the fourth quarter to down our hated, rivals The Green Bay packer in the largest playoff comeback in franchise.

History that definitely took several years off my life to, watch but bear down.

Baby also definitely go watch the absolutely Unreal murphy.

Assist watch it several times to understand just how audacious it.

Was we'll ink to it in the show.

Notes now it's your, turn, y'all rate and.

Review thanks for.

Listening see you.

Tomorrow good, Game, giddy good, Game, Amber, alissa and isabee.

You Green Bay?

Packers good game With Sarah spain is An iHeart Women's sports production in partnership With Deep Blue sports And.

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