Episode Transcript
I'm fastering a cat and your boots.
She's beautiful, perfect, also obsessed with podcast strings.
So if everything goes black, it's because of boots.
Speaker 2I think I have a feeling that there's some some somehow you might be keeping that cat.
Speaker 1I'm getting my producer to keep her so she stays in the family.
Speaker 2Oh, I love this.
I love this for all what I do, that's what I do.
Speaker 1So I'm a cat trafficker.
I'm a rescue cat trafficker.
That's what I do this summer because I have nothing else to do.
Speaker 2Well, Hannah, first of all, you know, welcome to the Renee Substowns podcast.
I finally, finally, it's only taken like I don't know since I've known you, which is like three and a half years or something.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2But but before we get going, people are probably like, who the fuck who's Hannah Berner talking to you on a tennis podcast?
So let me just let people know, all right, first of all, with some respect on my name, I'm going to put some respect on your names, like why am I listening to this person?
Speaker 1But where's Couco Gough?
Speaker 2Before we get to your tennis accolades?
Okay, I just need to let everybody know you're not only killing it.
You're killing it, Hannah, You're killing it.
You had a Netflix special called We Ride It, look At Me, Looking at Looking at All Your shit on Uh, You've got to killer podcast that everybody should listen to if they don't know you.
They've been living under a rock with Giggly Squad with Paige Desorbo.
You were just on Jimmy Fallon Okay together the two of you.
You have another podcast, I'm still going.
You've got another podcast with your husband Dez called Bernafone, which also is hilarious because he's also cute.
I mean, both of them have one hundred million downloads.
You had a sold out Giggly Squad tour with page Like just a couple of months ago, which was unbelievable, and you had a number two.
I'm a little disappointed that you didn't get from one because number two New York Times bestseller with how to Giggle, a guide of taking life less seriously and if anyone knows you, that is like apropos if I've ever heard it.
Of course, Hanne on the Street YouTube that shit.
It's over three hundred million views.
It's insane.
The thing that I love about you, Hannah is that on your bio page, on your actual page, it says lives in Brooklyn with cats, but not with your husband with your cat.
Speaker 1I was like, I don't live in Brooklyn anymore.
Speaker 2I know.
It's classic.
Speaker 1My mom was like, hey, you should say you're with your husband, and I was like, we're decentering, man, that's not important.
No one cares.
That's the least interesting about me that I've lived with my husband.
Obviously I live with my husband.
Speaker 2It's more about living with your cat.
Okay, that's what That's what I died.
Second of all, I think that's the most proud person that you're on this podcast is not only me, but of course your dad Dan.
Speaker 1Okay, let shout out to Dan.
Shout out to Dan, who's definitely listening, my tennis coach, my father, and the muddy waters in between.
Yeah.
Speaker 2Now, now for those of you that are going, okay, great, she's a comedian and she's funny.
Why the fuck is she on this podcast?
Well, you were a d One Hannas player at the University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin.
What is that a badger?
Are you a badger?
Cool?
Speaker 1Beagers?
Speaker 2Yeah?
There you go Go Badgers.
And not only I looked it up, Hannah, you were the team MVP in twenty thirteen.
You're all academic, hey, way to go.
Speaker 1You actually school.
Speaker 2It's a very rare thing for a college athlete.
And you played number one.
You were just some like you know, walk on at number six or seven.
Speaker 1You would one.
Speaker 2And to top this off, now I'm going to be finished, you were number one in girls in high school.
Okay, and you played on the boys high school team as well, and you were undefeated in doubles.
Is that right?
Speaker 1Yes?
Yes, wait, this is amazing.
I've never had a real journalist cover me.
This is amazing you who keep going the whole part well.
Speaker 2The fact that you get a real journalists is even hilarious to me.
But the thing that I'm most proud about for you, Hannah, in all of that is that you got the Sportsmanship Award in two thousand and five.
Speaker 1And that's probably because I won a tournament and I was in a good mood.
Let's be honest.
The people who never get the Sportsenship award, they're breaking the rackets.
Speaker 2So you know, I watch a lot of tennis, obviously, but I think you watch more tennis than anybody I know.
It's like psychotic.
You're lying with your cats that you house and you're watching tennis more than anyone I know.
It's the photo of you on Instagram is either your feet, your cat and tennis in the background.
So that's why everyone, Hannah fucking Burner, it's on my pod cast talking tennis.
Speaker 1Oh my god.
I'm so honored to be here as just like a huge Rene Stubs fan.
But also all I do is watch the tennis channel ESPN, and all I wait for is to hear your little Aussie voice in the background so that I could text you during the match to be like I totally agree about her backhand, or like what's the strategy here, what's going on?
And I feel like I'm in the Illuminati because I can like text the journalist while she's watching the match.
So anyway, You've brought so much joy to me in this like tennis comeback of my life ten years post college, not to age myself, and all I want to do is talk tennis with you.
But also I give so much credit to tennis for where I am now in my career.
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean, I think that's what people need to sort of know.
I mean you're not like an overnight sensation, right, You've had to work your ass off to get to where you're at.
I mean you're in your early thirties, like you know, having having I think you're having a sports background for any especially especially women, I think is so important for people because you learn wins and losses, how do you get better?
How do you improve?
And the only way for you to be successful is to work your ass off and that's what you've done.
Like in your entertainment career now is like transform into this unbelievably well known comedian now, and tennis is so much about wins and losses.
Speaker 1And also with tennis, it's so similar to stand up comedy.
And I know it sounds random, but it's true.
It's you out there alone, battling your demons, performing in front of people.
And then it's also a boys club.
Like stand up comedy, you go into a club and you're just making jokes in front of guys.
And there's a lot of really funny women that walk into a club with a bunch of drunk dudes at eleven PM in the Bronx and they're like, maybe this isn't for me.
So I think my tennis experience of obviously training with a lot of guys playing on the boys team, I walked into the stand up and I'm like, we're just making like pussy jokes.
I could do this, Yeah, Like I could do this.
So tennis also helps with my self esteem so much to know that I could over adversity, because let's be honest, tennis is just about overcoming adversity every point your mindset, battling yourself.
So to this day, I think tennis is the most difficult thing I've ever done, and that's why I think stand Up I approached it with like a very fun creative mentality because I'm like, nothing's as hard as second serve against Duke three, y'all, and I'm the final match and I'm gonna hold like a cheap beach chair.
Speaker 2It's funny because if I've spoken about this.
De Lisa Raymond right, who played college tennis for a couple of years as well and had such an amazing tennis career, we would play.
We played this one tournament in Madrid where like literally people were screaming at us to like one time, one guy told me go home, and I'm like, go home, I'm like playing a tennis tournament.
I'm like, this is my job, you know.
I mean he said it with a Spanish accent, right, He's like, go on, you know.
And I remember Lisa was never flustered by anybody, right, he was never flustered by the crowd or people saying shit or you know, players be in douchebags down the other end.
And she would say to me, Renee, I played a Texas Like, you have no idea, right, She's like, college hands thrown at me.
Speaker 1College tennis is unruly, but there's a there's a fun to it because I would get into it.
I'm a New Yorker, I'm loud.
My problem was I would be like, I'd get focused on a match next to me because you've become like your friends cheerleader.
So your teammate like wins a point and she yells, come on, you yell come on.
Everyone's yelling come on.
It was this incredible energy.
But it also for the first time I had like other people's results and pressure on my back too, like when I lost, everyone lost, So it was it was definitely unique thing that I never had to deal with before.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's not nice to be at the end of the day and be like loser, and for us waiting.
Speaker 1I'd be like, hey, guys, sorry my bad, I lost my singles and sorry I brought nothing to the day.
I brought nothing at one job.
Speaker 2Well, it's interesting because like, okay, so let's transition a little bit into like all the players that you watch and all the matches that you watch and stuff, and I want your take then on because a lot of people get shit.
Let's talk about two players that came out of college centers that we had that sort of ra ra mentality and they kind of get a bit of shit for it.
Let's talk about daniel Collins, right, she has that like you know that shit, and she did four years of college, came out, kind of started a bit slow, has had a tremendous career since their top ten finals of a Slam, retired twice.
Is she ever going to go away?
I mean, look, she announced her retirement at least Venus didn't.
And she just came back for the medical insurance, which, by the way, is a true story.
I just want everybody to know we actually talked about that.
Just hilarious.
But on Danielle like her, like rah rah, that's sort of the mentality in college and that's why it's hard to like let it go when you go pro.
Yeah.
Speaker 1First of all, A huge fan of d Animal.
I'm obsessed with her University of Virginia.
I had friends who played with her.
Shout out Julia Barba.
The thing is when you're playing college tennis, I was so vocal after every point because if I yell come on, it would rev my team to know, like, oh, we're getting momentum, Like you can change momentum of your friends match.
It's also professional is so much more like robotic, and you're just like calm and you don't react.
And I think I like that she's brought personality.
Also, it is a case of like men and women, like she does things that people be like, oh she is she being kind of a bitch right now, where I think that like some other men might just.
Speaker 2Be being tough.
Yeah, oh look at that.
Lea are into it.
Although Ben Shelton a lot and.
Speaker 1Shelton gets a lot of hate.
Well did you see his drama recently with the Italian which actually, as of half Italian person, was the funniest thing ever.
This Italian person trying to explain what they were feeling and the hand movements and the words were just not coming together.
And I was like, we don't have all days, let's go, let's go.
Speaker 2He said the same thing like five times, and Ben kept saying, so it's it is with me, and he's like, no, with you.
And I don't know if you saw my Twitter.
I put out a little Twitter thing about it because I knew what was going on.
I couldn't believe the freaking commentators didn't see it.
Now we've all done this right where your opponent hits a shot and you're like, that was so out of their ass, and he's tired.
It's like three hours and and you know, Ben hits this inside out forehand.
He got one love in the tiebreak in the third set, and if you watch his reaction, he's like, come on, and then he looks down the other end and he sees his friends curse they're friends, yes, gesture like he closed his eyes and hit it right, And so Ben was like, what the fuck, dude, Like what And so if you look at at two love, okay, now it's too love in the tiebreak and Ben hits a screaming forehand and he looked down the other ends like, oh was that into?
It was that out?
You know, So it's kind of like this back and forth.
We've all done it, We've all done this.
There was so out of your ass meybes.
Speaker 1And also, let's be honest, Ben Shelton's push every shot he hits is insane, Like it's not like he that's the first crazy winner he hit all match, Like he hit serves that bounce into the crowd.
I think it's two guys who like care about each other.
But it's so funny men's tennis and women's tennis.
The men care about each other being cool with each other.
Girls have never cared about being cool with each other, Like, I look at what you think about me.
I just hope the press isn't like turning on me kind of thing.
But I think the men the girls can learn from the men in a way where it's like they'll have a battle and then they'll get a beer.
Where the girls, you know, will have a battle and be like, I'll never make eye contact with you in the locker room again.
Speaker 2So yeah, I mean it's interesting how the personalities do sort of like I mean, women to just they just take it so much more personally.
Speaker 1Yes, which I do.
What I love about Danielle is she is kind of just like this is me.
I'll yell at someone in the crowd.
She's consistent and I appreciate that from her.
She doesn't treat different people differently.
She's one tone she.
Speaker 2And it's funny because Danielle also kind of lets it go but kind of always remembers.
She's like, you know, an elephant that way.
She's like, I always remember, but you know, I don't know.
I mean when you understand her and you're gonna get her personality.
And she's a great person off the court, like she does a lot of charity work and she's all but on the court.
I love when she tries to keep her shit together.
Speaker 1Yeah, like you could tell that she so badly wants to break her racket or say something.
I also, I find it some players instead of taking it out on the crowd or the other opponent, they take it out on their team.
So it's so interesting.
Everyone lets out this insane stress and pressure they're dealing with, but they put it in different places.
I've definitely I've definitely yelled at my coach.
I've definitely yelled at myself once I remember I was like sitting on the bench just talking loud about the girl next to me, like you would become a different Like when would I ever do that in my life?
But I was saying, like this, girls, she's cheated last point, she cheated this point, like you, I don't know who that person is I've become.
So I guess I watched these tennis players with such pressure and I'm like, I would have been thrown out four times already in this match for breaking my racket.
So I'm just impressed that they pull themselves together with such class.
Have you ever seen a doubles match in just like your local tennis courts?
Yeah, people are crazy.
Speaker 2I told the story.
I think I told the story on my podcast one time where I was walking behind a lady's midwek doubles match and it had the screens up as well, but you could sort of see someone walking behind and i'mking, I just hit three hours in practice with my coach.
Were walking behind the court and these four midweek ladies that were maybe two point five maybe three stopped and waited for us to get past the court, and I was like, no, that did not just happen.
So yeah, there's seriousness.
So from then on and every time we walk by a court, we walked as slow as we could.
The ladies trust me, I get it.
I do.
Speaker 1I do have to say that going back on like the men versus women stuff, I do think that there is a lot of villains of the men's game too that people like to turn on, whether it's meditative Djokovic, Shelton, Cissy Pass, curios.
But I do think with the girls they're breaking the rackets, people get more upset about were When a man breaks it, it's like kind of hot.
When a man breaks it, you're like, Okay, I didn't know you had that in you.
Where when a girl does it, you're like, okay, we need to go to therapy.
Speaker 2Yeah, you're a little aggressive, A little aggressive.
That's dangerous.
Speaker 1And especially with these girls, they have a lot of sponsorships writing on them.
Like I think about Coco, like, you know, after a double fault, she wants to take her racket and throw it out of the stadium, but she has to hold it together, and like it's it's really impressive.
It's really impressive.
Speaker 2One thing I'm gonna get to Coco, would you.
But one of the things that I also wanted to talk about is thinking of breaking rackets or whatever.
I saw Medvedev lose his motherfucking mind last week in Washington.
He lost.
I think it's probably one of the greatest match points I've ever watched as far as how unbelievable every shot was okay when he lost to Devidkina.
And I can never say that guy's name anyway.
Speaker 1A lot of culture, it's different cultures, such a.
Speaker 2Mental luck with his name.
He's such a great guy.
But he lost his mind in this match.
Oh no, it wasn't to him.
It was to uh mute, who's also nuts.
He threw his racket to his his seat after the match, like but from the middle of the cord hander, I was like, no, don't do don't do it into the crowd like he would be suspended for like you.
Speaker 1Could guillotine somebody.
Speaker 2Seriously, he could tell you.
It was like I got to keep it low, mad process.
But the smashed every water bottle.
I can'st it was it was it was.
Speaker 1But this is the thing.
I like, I'm surprised they don't do it more often because of the pressure and the money involved and everything.
But Medvedev also is the hardcore king and he just hasn't been able to do it recently, so I can't imagine how frustrating that is.
Speaker 2But what he said last week this week, yeah, he left his rackets on the court and walked off.
I that he was probably like, if I go over there, I'm gonna break every one of my rackets again.
I'm gonna break the water bottles again, I'm gonna embarrass myself again.
So I'm just exit stage.
Speaker 1And that's called self control, not to Actually, Koboli was really cute.
He when he walked off, he just gave his racket to talk it away.
Who was who was cheering for?
That's so cute.
I have to say not to get to my own inner turmoil, but my dad was always very strict about sportsmanship, never throwing your racket, and during junior tenant, I was so well behaved.
And there was something about me in college where you get very burned out and you get your schedule and you see every single day of the year where you have to be what you have to do one day off, which is Mondays where you have classes and stuff starts to heat up, and there was something about being away from my parents, like living my rebellious stage.
I got a racket that these new rackets, and they kind of were like the bottom was like breaking, kind of like there's something wrong with this racket.
And I was getting really frustrated because the grip at the bottom was like kind of off, and I lose a tie break and I took the racket.
I said, this racket's broken.
I threw it in the trash and my coach comes over and defaults me no, and my parents had traveled from New York to Wisconsin, and like it was just craziness, like debauchery.
And then yeah, I love a good cracked racket, but I would do it in the locker room normally.
Once I broke, Honestly, I swear I am not an angry person.
Once I split sets with someone in Dartmouth and I went into the bathroom and I slammed the bathroom stall and it broke broke, and I look over and my teammates just sitting in the locker room and I'm like, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were there, and she's like, it's okay, I get it, And I'm like, I have no idea how I lost that last set.
But sometimes a little mental breakdown in the bathroom.
Normally it's me just crying, looking in the mirror.
Come back whin the next set, and that's and that's life.
That's just got to take the hit and go next thing?
Speaker 2Is she on Tegway, like Luis said, off the court, have a chat with herself back on the court.
Although I don't really love that, I'm kind of over these players.
You know how many times I went to the bathroom I played twenty two years on professional on the phone, Yeah, twice.
One time because I had my period at Wimbledon, so as you can imagine, had to go off the court and twatt.
The second time was in the warm up of the US Open and I looked at Lisa Raymond and I said, I got to go to the toilet.
Yeah, do you know what?
And I'm back and I ran back on the court.
She's like, was it okay?
And I was like, thank god I went to the toilet because if I had just tried to fart, it would have been disasting.
Speaker 1You'd never be invited back to wimblede is nice?
Speaker 2Okay?
I do think girls to go off the court.
It drives me crazy.
Speaker 1So renight it's kind of a thing in American tennis, where like if you split sets, you go to the bathroom.
It was very like I would lose the first set six one, and it's like and we go to the bathroom, we cried it out, come back, and then win the next set six one.
It was very like normal.
But I remember playing matches where I was up like three love and the third girl goes to the bathroom, takes her like twenty minutes because we're like off on a side court nowhere near a bathroom.
Comes back, I lose the set, and you're just that's kind of just what happened with it.
But it's interesting how professional tennis it's.
It's looked down upon, and I think sometimes the girls don't know kind of what's right and wrong.
I was pro diarrhea right before the match.
Speaker 2Well that was me and the warm up at the US Open.
Speaker 1Yes, Also, if you're in your period, if you're on your period, you should be starting every game of fifty love.
Speaker 2Yeah, I agree.
I mean if many people I saw that, Andy Rottick sord have talked about that on his podcast because the week before and everyone's like Andy Rotic doesn't need to be talking about this.
I'm like, he's married to a woman, like get over it.
Like also, yes, Andy Roddicks should be talking about it.
I love that he's like I brought it up and saying how difficult it is for women and all the things about having to deal with that.
I mean, I didn't play an Olympics doubles one year, my first ever Olympics, because of my period was so bad.
I was on the first time it happened to me, and then after that, I subsequently, you know, I knew how to deal with it.
I couldn't get up.
I was in so much pain that.
Speaker 1Would you would you ever take pills to like skip that week?
Speaker 2Oh yeah, I went on the pill immediately, and clearly, as everybody knows, I didn't worry about getting pregnant.
So I was like, that's how I had to deal with my professional career.
Speaker 1But no one talks about it.
I had no idea about it.
And there's this thing about sports betting that apparently they're trying to track women's periods to know fs.
I know, well they're doing it with a w B A.
And then I started doing stand up jokes about it, being like the w B A if you're in your period.
There should be more points, you know, you should have he heat heated pads on the benches for all the girls.
Speaker 2I said, do you know you see them put it on their back right they sat down, they had it on their stomach.
Speaker 1Yeah, put it right in your stomach.
Also, I feel like you should be able to to foul out.
You can't fill out if you're pms like unlimited fouls.
Speaker 2Should have at least two extra fouls.
Speaker 1You're like, she's having a day, like, let her go.
Speaker 2I just know, and then you see your talk to her buddy us, I'm sorry, man, just like a little bit out there.
Wanted so, I wanted so, I wanted to bring up cocoa.
Like it's been a struggle, right, she wins the French open.
Everyone's like, yes, like this is it.
But but I you know, and I've talked about it on the podcast a lot.
Clay helps her so much.
Right, it gives a timer a forehand.
She can hit kind of a shitty second serve and get away with it by using her athleticism around the court to get the balls back in the court and frustrate her opponents.
And on Clay, as you know, and as I know, it's a patient game.
You can't just go for winners.
You can't smash a serve and get a free point.
So why Serena only won a couple of French opens, like her serve was nullified a little.
Speaker 1Bit on I know, only a couple of French opens.
Speaker 2Like that's terrible, terrible, But you're right.
Speaker 1People can't hit a winner on Coco when it's clay and she can do have time with her forehand to kind of guide it gets away with way more on clay.
But my thing with Coco the complete champion mindset.
But it must be exhausting every I joke, oh it's another cocoa match, But every single match she's pulling out by the skin of her teeth because you know, she's battling a lot of stuff within herself, which is the most relatable thing ever.
But it's exhausting.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, I mean listen when I watch her.
I mean, and obviously I know her pretty well, and she's a great kid.
Works so hard, like put in the hours, does the work off the court.
Speaker 1She's a very special person.
Speaker 2Yeah, this great kid, like great kid.
You know, it's always even well before she was like super famous, she would look me in the eye having a conversation, and like people go big deal.
I'm like, you have no idea, like for a fifteen year old to stand there and talk to you and look at you in the eye and take in what you're saying.
And she's just always been like that.
She stands up for the right things on social media all this stuff, But my god, like perserve, I don't understand why now she has literally two coaches, nothing has changed on her serf like Hannah, like the ball toss is so far ahead of her on the second serve.
I don't understand.
There's a couple of basic things.
I tweeted it out the other day.
I think she gets too forward on her serve too early, right, so she's already sort of leaning into the court.
So if you're leaning into the court, you're going to fall into the court, which she does.
And then she're going to always hit down on the.
Speaker 1Ball, and you have to hit up.
Speaker 2You have to hit up, and you have to stay up and you have to hit And I call it seven pm on a ball, right, if you think about a ball o'clock, she hits at like one pm.
She needs to hit at seven pm right on the under the ball to get the k She needs a better kicksurf and I don't understand how they haven't worked on that.
I mean her grip is messed up as well.
It's way too far around, So it must be.
It must be so stressful because I used to have a little bit of a yip on my toss for a little while.
Yeah, to have literally before the Wimbledon final, on my first one, I was having a like I was literally having an anxiety attack about my bald toss on record at Wimbledon.
In the fire, I managed to deal with it, but like, I just got a I got a feeling just now, like oh, like not a Chelsea Handler feeling, but like a feeling of like Pannick.
Yes, because she's on.
Every match is on cenecor, every match is on Tennis Channel, every match on ESPN.
It's like, what a fucking nightmare for anxiety to deal with.
Speaker 1That, and having me on as a non professional, I can speak on someone who had a lot of mental stuff on the court.
I was the queen of yips and I actually feel very connected to Coco, not because I won any Grand Slams, but because I had an extreme forehand grip and I was ranked like top fifteen in the nation at fourteen, and then I went to a tennis academy and changed my grip and I never felt comfortable swinging through, which is why I became incredible at fourhand slicing, which is for a whole other podcast does.
Speaker 2And she's throwing a slice, so I'm like, what.
Speaker 1The fuck was it's and it's not a shot.
It's a shot that she could easily set up.
But I'm the one.
I'm hitting my forehand on the back foot, I'm decelerating.
And I would argue, based on what she's saying where she said I'm practicing so well, I think she's probably hitting crazy great kick serves in practice, but her yip is kind of like leaning forward and trying to push it down in and then with the forehand you just start slowing.
It's it's so fucking mental.
Excuse my French, oh, I swear all the time, but with her yet we're Aussies.
But for her, it's like she has so many brand deals and she's on social media, which I hope, I hope her team is just letting her post but not consuming it, because I would argue Osaka is one of them.
There's a lot of people who I think are on social media too much and it's affecting right before they serve.
They're listening to tweets in their head of people talking shit, which tennis players never had to deal with in the past.
Just I mean, they'd have the press, but you could just don't read the newspaper.
Nowadays you're getting notifications every second every day.
So I'm also Coco, she's busy.
I just got, you know, some emails.
She's doing a dinner, she's doing whatever.
She has all these brand deals.
Other girls aren't doing this, but she's creating, you know, generational wealth.
But she has a lot on her plate.
And but you're right with the serve.
Other people they'll even if they're the best serve ever, they change it every year, like Alcrez changing you know, little tweaks all the time.
So I agree with everything you're saying.
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean, my suggestion to her would be after the US Open, no Asia, just shut it down like Serena.
She didn't play Asia, she didn't even play the WTA finals like Because you also have to look at the surface right now, if at the end of the year was on Clay go for it, play right, but it's on fast, hard courts in China and in Asia or in Europe indoors, which none of them are going to be great for her surf.
So I think you you either decide that you're going to break it down like big time and change it and check everything about it, the grip, the ball toss, everything.
Now, if she like as you said, if she's hitting it great in practice and never misses it, I still believe and I will believe this till the day I die, and Billy Jean King ossis bad technique breaks down under pressure.
So I don't care if she's hitting it.
If a coach is saying but she's hits it great in practice, I'm like, Okay, that's fine, but her technique is not good.
Her elbow is down, her grip is wrong, she's hitting on the wrong side of the ball, the ball toss is in the wrong position, all those things, and with no pressure, it's going to go in in practice.
But in a match, if you have bad technique, it is going to break down a.
Speaker 1Well, look what Sabalinka did.
Yeah, she had she had a good enough serve until she got the yips with it.
And she changed the entire kind of technique behind it, and now it's it's been solid.
The thing with Cocoa two, which is something I dealt with at a low, much lower level, was that I was winning a lot.
So like when you're winning your matches, getting way, I'm getting away with it.
So and I'm playing one.
I don't want to go down to floor.
So I'm like, I don't want to restructure, and like, she's number two in the world right.
Speaker 2Now, She's just want a slam.
Speaker 1She's in major contention everywhere she goes, so it's difficult.
But I do you think her maybe not doing the Asian swing and making some subtle changes and sticking to it could be really good base.
Speaker 2Yeah, I mean that's that would be my advice for her.
You know, look, if she goes and Whin's the US Open, I'm like, fuck, who am I?
Speaker 1Right?
Speaker 2But I mean the bottom line is on the problem is these players, like you know the Towsons and you know the Mumbaco we're going to get to oh yes, like these are tall, tall girls.
Go after the return.
You know this?
She on Texas Sabalancas, the rebarking all these players are beat Cocoa on a fast cord was a nightmare matchup on grass for us.
Any chick that goes after the return big time is going to always threaten Coco on a fast cord.
Speaker 1Well, that's the thing.
We're not questioning how incredible Coco is.
It's that she wants to be bigger than Serenda Williams.
So if you want to do that and you're dealing with this must much stress in a first round at a one thousand three after three setter after three setter.
I don't think it's sustainable.
Emotionally, it's not so like.
But I also I don't know if her fourhand will ever be you know, solid, But I think if she could get that served down, it'll make her life so much easier one hundred percent.
Speaker 2I think if she serves better and more consistently and has that feeling of like, oh I'm okay, his first service massive, it's over one hundred and twenty miles an hour.
It's ridiculous.
I mean I had a decent serve and if I got up one sixteen, I was pretty happy.
You know, I'm five Hans, Coco is about my height.
I'm like, it's big.
But if you're not hitting that in panic stations.
Speaker 1Yeah, I think Coco can beete everyone, but it's about can you do it every day?
Like her ability is there, but like how Sabalanca could just blow people off the court.
Every match with Coco, I get a stomach ache.
I get so stressed, and I can't imagine how her team and her are feeling.
And I just want her to have a long, happy career.
Speaker 2We all trust me.
We all do because I can tell you from a TV standpoint as well, there's about three players that bring really good numbers and it's Novak and Alcarez and Coco.
Wow, that in and of itself, we need her in the game and we need to do to work.
And on top of it, she's a great kid.
So I just want her to, as you said, not go on the court feeling so anxious all the time.
Mumbaco, Well, let's just chat about that.
I mean, as a player, I do see some some things on her serve as well that it's working now and it's massive.
The first over the second serves a little predictable elbows, lots of things I pick on the little She has.
Speaker 1Quite unique kind of head movement on her grounds jokes.
Have you noticed she kind of she jerks her head, but I guess it helps her with acceleration and she hits a flatcome to the WTA, there's it just flies.
I love her her maturity on the court.
Speaker 2Yeah, and I love her.
Yeah, she's chill.
Speaker 1You're right, she's like laughing with her coaches after missing beforehand.
I really like her.
She's also she's a child.
Yes, she's a child, but she's I think she's here to stay.
Speaker 2Yeah, and I think she can get way better.
Like I think technique why she's going to get better and better.
I think, as I said, the surf I think can get better and if it does, look out because to keep can playing.
She moves well for her height, like she's she's certainly wont to watch.
She'll be pushed today against the Rabacchino.
We'll see where she stands up in that situation.
I want to chat about Naomi Osaka.
When if your matches in Montreal, New coach on board with Thomas Witchgrousie got rid of your Pemo.
Speaker 1You know Osaka.
I watched her in the beginning of this tournament and she still had this kind of like depression over her like she still seemed frustrated, but she pulled out the matches, and I think enough matches, she's gonna wake up one day and just be like back in it.
I would argue.
It's funny though, I when they cut to like her previous matches, like winning slams in like twenty nineteen, her footwork was different.
Speaker 2Oh it was better.
Speaker 1Have you noticed that she was She had a very diligent footwork, and then it cuts back to the current match and she's still slappy on the footwork a bit.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Yeah, I think that's the one thing.
And I watched to lose to Emma Ratikano last week in DC, and the one thing I noticed about her because she looks great, Like she looks fit.
She's like out of shape or anything like that.
She's in shape.
For her footwork and her just it's not good and she's missing shots that she wouldn't have.
Maybe working now with Thomas Witchgroowski, because he's like he's a task master man.
I mean he's tough, and he's got a personality of like my pen.
Speaker 1Right, I mean he's not messing around.
Speaker 2He's not a rah rah guy, right, And clearly going from working with egostrion Tech and Radvanska who she was.
He was working probably, I mean two great feet footwork.
Yeah, worked hard, we're quick around the court.
Like he's probably gonna get that in order because you're so right, Hannah, Like that's the area that she's just not good at anywhere.
Speaker 1And if you're a super aggressive player, your footwork has to be even better because you're going for bigger shots and you can't go for the big shots if your footwork isn't there.
So it's really critical.
I feel like Coco could get away with, you know, slap your footwork because she's hands, she's she's just getting stuff back sometimes.
But Naomi needs to get her footwork right to dominate like she did before.
I also, can I bring up my American girls?
Speaker 2I have some I was literally about to say before.
I can't let you go without talking about Maddie Keys, just like suffering through some matches.
But also before we get to the good stuff.
Yes, Piccola, what's going on your buddy?
Speaker 1I know.
Just also my claim to fame as I played doubles with Jesse Pegoula when we were like fifteen sixteen.
We lost the match definitely because of me, and I bring it up all the time.
I honestly like she's been so consistent for so long.
I just I think it's okay that you know she's having some losses, take the loss and try to get in your groove again, get in your mojo again.
Did you tell her this, I'm gonna I'm going to DM her?
Speaker 2Yeah, I think.
I mean, I listen, what do you think that it's link?
Speaker 1Okay?
Speaker 2I mean listen, I think that.
Look, Jesse's whole game is is talk about hitting the ball flat, and you know, she has to be she has to be really confident because that ball, she hits it deep, she hits it very close to the net.
There's not a lot of room for her to be playing badly.
She's not.
She's not going to start rolling it in.
She's not going to start hitting more top spin.
That's just not how So she has to be confident in her game.
And she's lost some tough ones.
I mean, the Layla Fernandez class in Washington was probably that was that was the tough loss.
And I got to give kudos because I didn't do a pod last week.
Laila Fernandez was awesome last week.
I mean, she had some unbelieva.
Was so nice to see her win a couple of matches.
Speaker 1It was a la the US Open energy.
Speaker 2We almost had the US Open final like each other since that final, so it was kind of bummed to Emma loss at semi, but she had a good web in Naomi.
But yeah, it's nice to see them back when I do.
Speaker 1Think with Jesse, I haven't been like tracking all her results, but it comes a point where you know, Coco is winning some Grand Slams and I feel like she wants to have a breakthrough in the Grand Slam.
And I don't know how mentally every week they show up when they have some like frustrations, like Jesse wants to win the Slam.
She saw Maddie do it like she's ready, and it could kind of weigh on you maybe, but I think she has it in her.
She just needs a pop of a tournament, like she needs to remind these girls who she is.
Speaker 2Well US So I mean obviously Cincinnati, she'll do well the other courts and Court's really good for her.
Shout out to Cincinnati.
Oh my god, the new grounds look unbelievable and everybody said to me, there's like it feels like a grand slam, Amnavaras.
Yes, it's put a lot of money with the Cincinnati.
It's Mason.
Okay, it's not, but it's Mason the Cincinnati, and you know, they put a lot of money into it, and apparently it looks unbelievable.
So maybe Jess has her breakout week they're going into the US Open, because she's defending finals points at the US Open.
Well.
Speaker 1Also also Emma, she's in her like sophomore year, some would say, and people know her game now, but I think she's due also for a heart result.
Speaker 2Do you think that it's coming in the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 1I don't know.
I just know that she's so good coming in as the underdog and just like being like, you guys don't even know how good I am.
And then now that she's seated, it's a whole different mentality, and I think she's getting comfortable with that.
Speaker 2Yeah, And I think that that's what people don't really understand.
It's like she came into you know, out of college, you know, a good college player, very good, very good college player, into the pros and it's like it's a different world.
It's profecttionals, it's people that are literally it's their job to be on a tennis court two three four hours a day in the gym two hours a day, like it's a job.
And Emma, bloody hell, she came in like as president.
She came in like I'm gonna be a pro her.
Speaker 1She wasn't intimidated by anyone.
Speaker 2No, no, and she has that such cool swagger and she's such a funny kid.
That's so funny.
Yes, she looks very chill on the court, and everyone's like, does she have a personality on?
Like, trust me off the court.
Speaker 1So I heard the de grape Vine that she listens to Giggle Squad, which is my podcast to calm down.
So I'm gonna need to make her lap.
Yeah, I know, I'm freaking out.
So she'll every now and then message me that she's a giggler, which is really really really cool.
I'm you know what I'm saying.
I'm getting into the WTA.
I recently was dming Jennifer Brady, who also is hilarious.
I said, Babe, you gotta get that big ice forehand back on tour.
Let's get it together.
So I'm I'm doing some mental rehab with her.
Also, can I just say, Peyton Steren's struggling, though, man, when she do you remember if she had like a ton of really close losses in the beginning, when she was like really confident, it really took a toll on her.
I feel like and hurt her confidence when I want her to get back to I feel like if she had won one of those three setters, she could have been like popping off.
Speaker 2But I tell you, Hannah, her issue is her serf.
It is not good.
Like her first service, okay, her second serve against Venus.
I say, Everyone's like, do you think Venus has a chance to even come close in this match?
And I was like, in this match, she actually can win.
And I said, and the reason is if she serves well, if Venus serves well enough, which she served great in that match, like was still popping down one eighteen miles an hour, Like, okay, she hit the first time that Peyton hit a second serf, which was the first point of her service game, Venus hit one hundred and fifty mile an hour, fourhand down the line winner, And I went, that's why she can win this match because Peyton's second serve is not good.
Speaker 1A coach once told me You're only as good as your second serve, which is why I'm sitting here today as a podcaster.
But it is valid and that's what breaks down shut out to Venus, I was texting you throughout that whole match.
I'm so excited to see her out there.
And I mean, her footwork was great, her the sound of the ball coming off her racket couldn't have been crisper.
How happy are you about this?
Speaker 2Oh?
Yeah, I mean it was great.
I mean just to see her, like with that smile on her face after she won, because she's always been proud of me.
You know, she's always sort of given that like I'm too cool, Like I'm not going to get too excited about stuff.
You know, even in the postmatch interview, she wouldn't give you that much.
I mean, the joy on her face when she won that match was like she'd won a Grand Slam.
It was.
It was so nice to see someone who'd been putting in the work clearly to get that win.
Like, even if it's the last one she ever wins, at least she got a win.
Speaker 1And I also think she's such a Hall of Famer and like everything for the sport.
But she happened to have a sister who was freaking everything.
So sometimes I feel like she, like people not forgot about Venus, but sometimes she was, you know, behind the scenes with the Serena stuff.
But now her being able to at this age accomplish this, I think is such a beautiful moment for her and what she represents for the sport.
Speaker 2I just hope, you know, playing at the US Open she has like a decent week and or a match or two or whatever, and that she gives the crowd what the crowd got with Serena a couple of years ago.
But more importantly for her, she's got her WTA health insurance for at least another year.
Speaker 1Thank goodness.
Speaker 2This is America as a self employed person, as probably you are, yes, getting insurance.
Health insurance is some bullshit or you get it, and it's horrible.
Speaker 1Venus needs to get her teeth cleaned too.
Speaker 2Yeah, exactly, all right.
Last thing that I want to talk to you about, because I tweeted this out the other day about the frustration level I have with producers show the crowd every single goddamn point, and on top of it, they don't show the handshakes or they don't show player's reaction when they win matches.
It drives me crazy.
Why do you think this is I don't they're trying to be like cinematographers.
Speaker 1No, My biggest grape with golf is like after someone hits a bad shot, they always they always leave it, and I'm like, show me the guy being frustrated, show me him cursing on his caddy, Like this is the drama I want.
The tennis reactions is so important.
I love when they show player, then they show the other player.
That's what I want to see.
Speaker 2We miss that Koboli Ben Shelton thing because we went from showing Ben sort of going oh what the book, and then we never showed Coboli's reaction and that was the whole They showed the crowd.
I'm like, no, Caboli's reaction.
If you're on it, that's what you would have shown.
Speaker 1Do you think it's like golf where they're trying to like keep it as classy as possible and like god forbid someone curses or something.
Speaker 2Oh, I think they would.
No one was looking at Ben Shelton going The commentators were like, well, we don't.
We can't really work out why he's getting frustrated.
I was listening to the World feed on that one.
I don't know what the Tennis channel guys said, but I was just like, what what do you mean.
He's obviously gestured something's pissed him off with Koboli.
Yeah, never showed Coboli's reaction.
So towards the end they're like, oh, I don't know what's going.
Speaker 1On, and they were all confused, and then it's like, go find a replay of what they're referring to.
I want to be in the drama, and you know it's gonna have tons of articles about it, so you might as well at the facts.
So we all have opinions.
Speaker 2I would go as far as I say, like it and you know, night to my own horn, But like an ESPN, we would say to the produce because sometimes our producers are on it right.
They would have seen it as well, and they would have had their cameras on and they would ah his reaction boom, and they would have got that up right.
Sometimes or a lot of times, it's also on us as commentators to be like, get hey, hey, get get Cabaldi's reaction.
We'll talk back to the producer Andy, get that and that'll tell the story and oh, this is why here it is.
And so when they're shaking hands and they're having that moment, it's like, oh, this is why.
Speaker 1I also dislike when for some reason the mic doesn't capture like a full conversation to the ref and like no one knows what the person's mad at.
I'm like, I want to get the te can.
I also have one hot take too about filming.
I'm obsessed with when they have the camera kind of more behind the players, yes, and you get to feel like you're playing oh.
Speaker 2Yeah with the lower camera.
Speaker 1Whenever they do that, for like return a serve like awesome.
I love it, like to feel what it's like to return like Opelka serve like I.
Whenever it's in that position, I love it.
So if any your producers are listening, put a couple more behind the player.
Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2It's amazing how many people write to me about that as well.
And it was just like, hey, that that camera position is amazing, Like can we see it again?
Speaker 1What do you think about the make being on the coaches.
Speaker 2Well as a as a coach, from time to time, you got to watch what the f you're saying because again, the producers have the ability to put that up or down right, and so if you're saying this and f and that, they'll probably lower it because I don't want that on there on their TV.
But but yeah, I think I think it's great.
I think it's great when you hear like Ben Shelton's dad saying stout stuff to him, or like the other day he said on match point, he goes, if you go down the two, it'll be an ace.
I'm thinking, mate, if he hits it anywhere on the court, it's gonna be And you know what he did, He went out wide and hit it because his dad, you should have dead boy turned around, was like, But I thought that was kind of hilarious.
But anyway, Hannah, I mean, I could keep you here all day, all day.
I just want everybody to know the last time I hit tennis balls, Hannah.
And this is a true story because, as you know, I went to Wimbledon to play in the in the legends, but oh, there's my soup.
He's dropping something off.
But I didn't get to play because I had to go home for my mom's funeral and stuff.
So it was a bit of a disaster.
So the last time I hit tennis balls was with you, Hannah Burner in New York.
Speaker 1Can we do it again?
Speaker 2Please?
Speaker 1I would love to.
I had so much fun.
You were helping me with my back in Vali, and we got into quite a groove, like we had some really good rallies.
Speaker 2Yeah.
I hadn't hit for like five months, and I was like, oh I still got it.
Speaker 1I'm okay, thank god, but I had so much fun.
Speaker 2Let's do it.
Speaker 1Definitely do it again.
Let's actually, should we get a wildcard to the US Open?
Speaker 2Oh yeah, let's start pleading now, like Alex d.
Minor is pleading to get a wild card with his soon to be wife.
Speaker 1I didn't.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, he he is, like he is, like if he could write a resume, he would.
It's a classic what he's trying to do right now.
But anyway, I hate given props, and he deserves one, because that guy is unbelievable.
Yes, Hannah, you have your None of Your Business tour.
Oh yes, starting in two days, and if you want to go to it in the first five shows, bad fucking luck because it's sold out.
Speaker 1Go at Hanniburn dot com.
I'm probably coming to your state in the in the fall.
Check it out and yeah, I'm so I'm so happy to be on this part and I have to come back.
Maybe you is open, we'll talk.
Speaker 2Yeah, let's do something that us open, because you know, you know your tennis.
You watch your tennis.
I love that.
Yourself so into it.
It's my favorite thing.
And if you follow Hannah on Instagram Hannah Burner, all she posts are her fucking videos hitting tennis balls.
It's so you play more tennis than anybody I know, other than maybe my other podcast partner Caitlyn Thompson, who plays.
Speaker 1Oh look, we love the game.
It's a game for life.
Speaker 2You frustrated, D one and college.
Speaker 1That's of my biography.
Speaker 2We cannot let go of the dream.
Oh well, Michael Kosta wrote a book as you and I know Michael quite well, and I have his book here because he sent it to me called Lucky Loser.
I read it.
Yeah, So anyway, I just love the fact that the two of you are killing it so much in comedy and tennis is such a great way to not only stay fit and healthy, but also I don't know, you just you understand the ups and downs and getting out there in front of a crowd and just doing what you're doing.
It's it's amazing.
So August seventh, the tour starts.
So proud of you.
Hit some tennis balls and I was a little surprised that you had the start of the tour before the US Open, thinking that you might start it after.
Speaker 1But you're a pro, you know.
I took that week off for the US Open.
Speaker 2There you go.
That's when you know's I would have to see you there again, desk, That's that's my goal.
Speaker 1Oh my god, I would pee myself and.
Speaker 2Make sure Dan is there, Santa in the studio.
Speaker 1Shout out to Dan, Shout out to Dan.
Speaker 2Hannah, I love you so much that I.
Speaker 1Love you dude, Thank you, Renee.
Speaker 2I'd have a good rest of your day.
And by what's the cat's name, oh boos has been spooting around you the whole time.
Ye