This episode of the Rare Stub Sennas podcast is by to You Babe A one.

You one is Slum Stevens.

First serve of the day, Major Winds start in the morning with Age you one.

All Right, Hi, everybody, welcome to the Renee of Tennis podcast.

We are coming to you live, live and in person, literally at the US Open.

We are sitting in the media area and we're going to pump out a great podcast and we have just seen a match that we all hoped to see, but we hope to see a better match rough It was Coco and Naomi.

But before we get to that, let's talk a little bit about what's happened pretty much in the week.

The women's side.

Let's start with that.

Can I just talk about the Taylor Townsend match yesterday?

Oh yeah, I was caught side for that.

It was brutal to watch someone lose a match up eight match points.

We have talked about like what Janick Sinner when losing the French Open having three match points, and obviously it's different.

It's the finals, right and there was a little bit more on the line, but still for someone like Taylor to win that match and would have been humongous.

But I have to say she didn't play a bad point.

She really did not play a bad point on any of the match points.

And Barbara Kujikova came up with two of the most unbelievable shots.

The back end volly down the lineelieving of a batcan down the line, the back end online hit the outside of the line, and the back end volley was world class.

Those eight match points, to me, you can see a compilation of them on the internet all over the place, some of the finest points.

Brave hitting, bold hitting, moving into the net.

Yep.

I don't think other than two arrant groundies that Taylor missed that she made a single mistake.

Ye that was Barbera Kajukiva.

Ice called yeah, composure and cleeping her cool.

My three ceats, Composure, clarity, and commitment we're on display in that particular tiebreak.

It was Unbelieva was like, what a thirty minute tiebreak?

It was just unbelievable.

I do want to talk a little bit about Taylor Towns and since she's somebody who's no stranger to the racket audience, she came to a lot of our events.

She has she has for the last couple of years.

We've been following her career for a really long time.

Obviously, you know, you can go back and listen to reams and reams of archival episodes where we talk about her journey, her getting denied by the USTA, her triumph, parenthood, all the stuff for Taylor Townsend.

This this sort.

Of felt like, you know, obviously she had a first rounder against Simona Hallup that she won in front of a pack Louie Armstrong many years ago.

She's had these big moments.

This felt like an accumulation of big moments.

It wasn't just about the cudic of the match, it was about the match prior, and it was about her entirety of you know, her presence here.

I feel she maybe made a major breakthrough.

Well, you know, I did notice before her matches that I she the only place she has a winning singles, you know, whence.

The losses is at the US Open.

Amazing.

So she was like two and five somewhere, like five and eight somewhere, and at the US Open, I think she was ten and nine or ten and eight.

So that just shows you how much she loves playing here at the US Open, how much she loves the courts here all the things, and I think the crowd do get her through a lot of matches, and the fact that I don't even know if they count qualifying in that, and so you know, all the times that she probably had play colleagues and gotten through.

But anyway, it was awesome.

Do we want to go back a little bit and mix up with a little situation with Ostapenko and what happened there?

I mean, yeah, that was just ridiculous.

Now that the Astapenco news has bullitted around the world, Now that she's issued an apology and a social media post with people of color in a sort of we call that CYA in the biz, cover your ass, she is attempting very much.

To do some CYA reputation repair.

I have to say, in many of the years that I've spent watching a letter Aspenko, I have never seen her apologize to anyone anywhere, under any circumstance.

So the fact that she wrote a long Instagram notes message was pretty wow sucking.

Yeah.

Yeah, look, you know, I'm not gonna sit here as a white woman and trying to, you know, describe what it must feel like and pretend that I have any idea.

But you know that word of saying you're uneducated really.

Feels very feels coded.

It's coded and very you know, yeah, it's coded.

Now whether Ostapenko meant it that way because she was talking about tennis etiquette, that's what she says, what happened with the net cord that you didn't apologize, Well, Taylor actually hit a winner after that.

It wasn't she didn't win the point on the net cord.

She won the point by hitting a chip lob winner over her head.

And then also saying about the warm up.

Everybody knows that Taylor warms up at the net.

Now, is it normal?

No, it's far from normal.

Would I do that?

And I was a certain volley.

No, But everyone knows that that's Taylor's sing.

So you just have to accept that sott educated because it's not a tennis educated or etiquette thing.

Is just that you can't you can't, you can't move around that this is dumb.

I have to say, this is the first time, like I said, I've ever seen Alanapo give an inch.

She doesn't give too many inches.

No, she's not somebody who does.

Doesn't give a.

Mirror either, And the fact that for you Americans, a centime is smaller than an inch much less.

Now Leapinko is bananas and I kind of knew, as did a lot of us, like helmets on for this match.

It's sort of hard to imagine that there wasn't like more of an adult supervision kind.

Of situation happening.

But I think Taylor Townsend could not have handled it better.

What an incredibly gracious, thoughtful and she's fiery.

Taylor is famously fiery, So the fact that she was like, you need to learn how to lose better, I thought that was the that was possible thing to say, Just incredible.

She's a mom, she knows how to talk down to a younger audience and that's more imature for a more immature person.

And that's what she did beautifully in that.

And you know what Taylor does.

She used it her advantage in getting the crowd and the public behind her and they almost pulled her through an incredible upset again yesterday against Krijikova.

And Critica, like I said, credit to her.

Not only did she fend off those match points, but also she played a very poised, thoughtful match, and I thought her post match.

Interview fantastic, very very very elegant.

Yes, she's always been She's always been great.

She's a great She's always been great.

I do want to talk about last night as well with Rebakna and Vondrousova.

Okay, so I have to tell you I was so happy to see Marqueta Vondrosova win that match and be doing so well.

And why do you ask, because this is somebody who wins Wimbledon, who has a terrible injury not long after that, then comes back from that terrible injury and is playing great and gets another terrible injury.

And so to see her, we know what she's capable of.

She's a Wimbledon champion, she's a major champion.

We saw her serve unbelievably last night.

Barkina was serving lights out in this tournament.

So for her to actually match it on the serving front, because that's what it came down to.

And you know a lot of people think Fondressa is not a big server, Well guess what she proved that she is under big time circumstances last night.

Came up with some huge, huge serving, the serving and then the plus one.

Yeah, like a lot of the combos of that match were really really notable, which is kind of similar to the way but she won Wimbledon, which is just like Serf plus one amazing returning by Rebeccna.

She didn't get a bunch to work with and then she'd just be able to position herself really well.

I thought from a technical perspective, she played the match really well, and I kind of favored Rebeccna.

For this match.

I would say most wasted with a.

Lot of momentum, obviously with kind of the better preparation or maybe certainly better kind of well more matches under a belt.

Yeah, here's the thing, though, I did see Rabeckna.

She did have that knee strapping yesterday.

And the one of the things about Rebecken, she's been struggling, I feel like, with this Achilles thing and then last night with the knee, and even when she won the second set, if you go back and look at the tape, she kind of like walked a little gingerly and it was a little weird after the after the match, after the set point to win the second set.

So I don't know if she's she was one hundred percent, But having said that, for me, I'm so happy you saw how happy Vondrespa was when she won that match with the tears, with the interview with James Blake, and it was just really nice to see someone that is so deservedly in a latter part of a Grand Slam again and it just makes me really happy because she's a great kid.

And yeah, I was super super happy to see that.

Jessica Gooler him, well, look, she was out.

You know when we talked about Americans that could do well, you know, just didn't come in here playing really great tennis.

And she was the first to admit it.

One of the first questions we asked her at ESPN when she came after winning her first round, and she said, look, I'm aware I don't have the tennis under my belt.

I come in here a little bit unknown, not playing as well as I did last year, and so I'm fighting myself a little bit.

But she's now starting to really feel more comfortable.

And after winning and getting through to the final here last year, that's when you going, hey, I can do this again.

I maybe I can get deeper in this tournament, maybe I can get the wins that I need.

And she's definitely doing that.

I watched her practice this.

Morning, and I was really impressed because it seems like she is she is dialing in, she's getting better match to match, and I think especially when you come in with that form, you know, that doesn't always happen.

Sometimes you pick up.

An injury, you walk a little more mincingly across the baseline.

You know, it's shrder to shake off late nights or rough battles.

And I think Kagoula is dialing in.

Yes, she feel like she's really a threat, you know.

And she she's.

Always talked about how she didn't she didn't really feel the ball that well, and the ball with a sudden this, and she's very technical with the rackets and the stringing and all that sort of stuff.

But I think now she's now that she's got a couple of matches under a BELTI and playing well, she goes, oh, yeah, that's right.

I'm using the same equipment, I'm playing at the same place, and I'm using the same ball.

Oh that's right, I can make the final.

Okay, So look it only gets tougher.

But she does play ker Jikova, and they play similar in a lot of way where they kind of hold the ball on their strings and then it is like an absolute like sling.

So you think about a sling shot, how it goes in, you pull it back and then you're ping you let it go.

That's how they both hit the ball.

So they hold the ball in their string and then it freaking rifles off their.

Rackets like so hard.

So it that to me.

I think that match, if they both play their best, it's going to be a great match.

So excited about that.

One of the matches that we started off talking about that we were hoping would be a great match is the match we just watched on Arthur Ash which ended up being a little bit of a nothing burger in Ameo Soaker versus Cocoa Gap.

Coco has not looked good.

She looked anxious.

She's talked about it, which I really respect.

You know, that's okay.

Obviously she's just now hired a new Serve coach.

We talked a little bit about that.

What were your takeaways from the match.

Was that as big a victory as it seemed or was that kind of easy pickings for an amet.

I mean, unfortunately it sort of went the way I thought it was going to go.

I think Naomi's playing great.

I think Thomas Witkowski has done a terrific job in coaching her.

He's the type of personality that is not fun to be around.

He's just a boring dude.

And I say that not to give him shit.

It's to say he's not the type of guy that's going to come up with some you know, shenanigans to make you happy, or like go and buy you a little la boo boo doll, or like look at too much analytics.

He's just going to make you practice really hard.

He's going to make everything simple, and he's going to make you understand that you have to focus on every point.

Well, considering what he's dealing with Naomi, I cannot talk about these lab boobos.

I refuse.

Yeah, do you think I'm talking about la boobos?

But I feel like that's just with the doctor order.

Yeah.

I think that he is about business and about hitting tennis balls and about hitting tennis balls the right way.

And you know he's not He's just not a fluff guy, right, He's not a fluff guy.

And Naomi has all her fluff with her clothes and the laboo boo and all the stuff that she does.

But in the end, she wants to win, and she's not real happy when she loses.

And I think that this guy is all about focusing on making her a better tennis player and making her realize what she does really really well.

And one of the biggest things that she was not doing well over the last like I would say six months are coming back, is she wasn't moving that well.

And he's all about working hard on the tennis court.

And I think that the more and more she wins quick as she's getting on the court, the more comfortable she is.

And the opposite for Coco's not comfortable.

She's fighting demons, she's fighting her serve, she's fighting her aforehand.

You know, Gavin's come in to try and do his best to kind of correct some of the stuff, but that's impossible to do in a week.

It's impossible, especially when they're real egregious like her grips and her technique is really really tough to change in a week.

Like will this be like Australian Open, will be seeing this or do you think sooner?

Like as I listen, we've talked about this.

I already said this on the podcast.

I think she should take the entire rest of the year off, the whole rest of the year off and break every single thing down.

Because today we saw a more complete tennis player in Naomi Osaka.

She has a more complete serve.

She has a better.

Grip on her I don't mean grip as in the actual grip, but like a grip on her groundstrokes's forehand, her backhand.

She knows what she's doing.

She sees a short ball, she knows where she's going with it.

Like with the way Coco is sometimes it's like she doesn't know whether to go high with the loopy or the four.

I mean match point was it just a basic forehand in the middle of the net.

So it's like Naomi is a more complete tennis player right now.

She's playing better.

Coco cannot use just her speed on the court when you're playing against someone that's going to hit you from side to side and not really miss and hit it really well and hard.

And so can I tell you something, Naomi when she gets to the quarters doesn't lose.

She does not lose hysterically.

She's eight and no eight and o I believe or something like crazy.

So so not she can't be eight no, because she doesn't have that many Grand Slams, but she doesn't lose a quarterfinals.

So when she gets the quarter finals, I think she's like eight no or something crazy.

But she's gonna be hard to beat.

Naomi Osaka is gonna be hard to beat.

Who to win this years Open?

Who else can?

Who else?

Is dangerous?

We talked a lot.

Of course, Eagas played um leave all today.

She should just dealt with Alexandrova, who can be a yeah nuisance.

Yeah, No, Eager is just I think went through.

And the thing with the ego is she struggled a little bit in the first couple of rounds, didn't dropped a set in the second round, was down five to two, I believe, in the next match, and then came back and won that match reasonably, comfortably, comfortably and straight.

But she's kind of battled and today was just like, oh yeah, guys, remember when I get to the second week, speaking of getting to the final, she never loses.

So I think I think Eager, you know, is down there lurking.

She'll play the winner of an Anisimova and Hadaj Maya, who played later today.

Hopefully that's a good match.

Amanda.

Certainly we know how well she can do when she gets deep in the tournament.

She's kind of fighting her own demons out in the court.

She's a little bit moody up and down.

But I mean, overall the women's draw.

The women have been delivering other than pretty great.

The men.

I feel.

Here and there, there's been some good matches, but I've can kind of a second.

Let me do it for you because I know how excited you are.

I'm so excited that Felix, as your elie seem a won his match today.

And not only did he win it, he won it in three straight sets.

Zeilan looking unbelievable against Rublev, who's been playing pretty well in this tournament.

I have to say, I'm in a little bit of shock, and the guys up in the green are getting I'm getting said he's the third best.

Player in the draw right.

Now, behind of course and of course Carlos, but like this, this is what we've been I would not put him ahead of Novak, sorry, but anyway, I would put him forth best.

But what a what a what a triumphant turn of events Zev.

That match broke something open in Felix.

I feel just the aggression the controlled poys We've seen how good his physicality is.

He's obviously won a lot of indoor hardcore matches, but this to me was like an amazing turning point.

I saw something in an assertiveness out of him that I had never seen, at least not at this confidence, in this level.

I don't know, he's just found some confidence.

It's so great to see.

A match is going to be interesting.

M Swagger.

One match is going to be interesting tonight is Yanick Sinner and Bublick.

Now, Bublick has actually got a couple of wins over Yanick, and he is no pushover.

He's playing unbelieve, he's serving out of his mind.

It's going to be really interesting to see.

How that match turns out tonight.

And then obviously we've got Carlitos we can talk about, who has not really been pushed much.

Obviously, we are now getting to the business end of things where none of these matches get easier.

No, well then I'm supposed to get easier.

But my guy Alex Demonoll looks good and I did predict that he might make his.

First semi final here you're so open and if he does.

You heard it here first, Well, actually I said it I said it like a week ago.

I did predict that.

I think he can get to the semis.

The big question for me is Novak and Taylor.

Taylor, I believe is oh and ten against Novak.

And I thought this morning we were kind of talking about this at ESPN.

I thought, if Taylor's gonna put up and shut up about like wanting to actually take the next set at the moment, this will be the moment because if he can conjure up the mentality and game to beat Novak, who's playing very well.

If you can beat Novak here and reverse that to ten, can that give him enough confidence to go why not the rest?

Yeah?

Right?

And so I don't feel like the kind of he could be on the ascension.

Novak obviously always incredibly tough, but it does feel pretty mrkedly that he's a little bit on the decline, and it seems obvious in watching him play a little bit.

I think to me, that's like, this could be the moment that Sling shouts Taylor enter the next level.

Well, as I said, if he does, I think that's got to give him a tremendous It kind of feels like the way Sinner beat Novak at Wimbledon where he just smoked him.

I no, Novak was a bit injured, but it kind of I felt when he beat Novak that easy, it had to have given him so much confidence to actually beat Carlos in the final of Wimbledon.

And I feel like with Taylor, if he can beat Novak in this situation, it might actually give him enough impetus to think, can I get.

Back to the final again.

I don't know if he can beat Carlos and see how back to back to win the tournament, but I have to think that it's gonna get It'll give him a ton of confidence if he can beat Nova.

One thing, and we've talked a lot about the American men on the internet.

Obviously everyone's been following Ben and his injury.

I see Francis, which.

Can I tell you how sad I was to see what happened?

Rude man.

You know, Francis is obviously having an off year.

Timmy Paul battled two within an inch of his life and just got bublicked, certainly in that you know, third and fourth set.

But really, Taylor, Fritz is the one who's like put his head down and continue to just continue showing up and I think for me that would be an amazing turn of events.

Now I know, are we done talking about the men?

Well, I just want to say now, looking at the draw, Alex Dmanoll plays FAA, so one of them is gonna make a senn.

Are we gonna be able to handle that together?

We'll be fine, We'll still talk.

I like that.

I feel like I did predict.

That Alex was gonna make the semi, so I might be reading a little bit harder for him.

So I look good.

It's all about me, Well, it is all about you.

This is the show's named.

Even though I love FAA, it would be in the end my ego matters more.

That's the poor for this episode.

That's it, Okay, the most fun thing that I'm seeing.

I'm about to go watch it.

You and I are both Can we talk about the Venas Ball of the Century Williams Venus Williams and country Woman Williams and my country woman, Layla Annie Fernandez?

What you just nailed the middle names?

I did.

And it's my confirmation name, you know, and it's my mother's name.

Well, there you go.

So first of all, it's awesome.

Second of all, I don't know if you follow Serena on TikTok.

But she did a hilarious TikTok where.

She did a video of them winning the other day and then put and was like all fake happy and then was like not happy about it.

So I don't know seeing your f I'm doubles partner win a bunch of matches, are they well?

I mean, I will say, as you know, coaching seren A couple of years ago here at the US soap and playing doubles with Venus on Arthur Ash, Venus did not play great.

Yes, she did not see her best.

She was a little bit.

I was like, I think it's time.

And now all of a sudden she's found this resurgence hitting the ball unbelievable.

She almost beat Mukhova, who's still in the tournament.

Like, and you know, Venus plays unbelievable in doubles, and Serena's like, what WTF where.

Was this four years ago?

We's got to be pissed off, like we could have won the doubles yet played a little better.

And exactly, well, that's the most fun, delayful thing.

And I'm mostly excited, not only because I get to cheer on my Countrywomen and Venus Avenue Williams, but also what is she gonna wear?

Well, we don't know.

I love that out the gifts out there gifts And in the first round people were probably like, she looks like she's playing at Wimboleland, and I would have been like, no, pay attention, She's doing the O to out THEA gifts.

That's where they need to listen to this podcast so they can get the levels upon levels.

It's shall we uh go check out that amazing doubles match and check in before the end of the week, because I think we gotta just maybe come back in with one more podcast before the finals.

Oh yeah, we'll definitely be doing that.

Let's hope Venus and Layla win.

They're playing great.

Taylor's a good little doubles player, has made a final of her Grand Slam before with Taylor Townsend, who is also Taylor still in the doubles with sneak Kova, uh and her.

We'll be talking a lot about their that match with Kujikova yesterday because we know that Sinney Kova and Kujika play doubles for a long time, so I can imagine the stories that they'll be telling each other today.

I sometimes I do wish I spook check me too, or Russian or both.

Actually, if there was one superpower that I would like, it would be like to understand every language in the world to right and speak it.

I agree, Yes, yeah, I only speak of when I'm drunk, and and well I'm not great.

I'm speaking when I'm drunk, I speaking English and it doesn't sound like English, so technically I do speak another language anyway.

All right, thanks for listening and the sites and literally the sounds of the US open here from the media room.

Awesome, Hi bank

B