After an amazing year in 2023, the Match Points panel look back to pick out their stars of the season and their ones to watch next year.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 And welcome to a brand new edition
00:08 as we sum up the year 2023 of Match Points
00:10 here on TennisMajors.com,
00:12 where we debate and discuss all things tennis.
00:15 And again, 2023, wild year, wild crew.
00:19 Look once again at our fabulous panel as you know them,
00:23 Marian, Carolyn, and of course, Simon.
00:26 Happy holidays, everybody.
00:28 Let's get right at it, 2023.
00:30 And I think one of the major stories, of course,
00:32 is Novak Djokovic, as it is and was.
00:35 Carlos Alcarez beat Djokovic
00:37 in the 2023 Wimbledon final, as we remember.
00:40 Sinner beat him two times at the end of the year.
00:43 And Ogre Roon even beat him this past year in Rome.
00:46 That said, the Serbian won three Grand Slams,
00:49 the ATP finals, and is still world number one as we speak.
00:54 Question, are Sinner, Alcarez, and Roon
00:57 actually stronger than they appear?
00:59 And by that, we mean to compete with Djokovic.
01:03 Let's get started with Carolyn.
01:05 - Well, they're 20 years old, so I guess
01:09 they're going to get stronger than they appear,
01:11 and stronger and stronger.
01:12 I think especially Sinner, I've been impressed by him
01:16 by the second part of the year.
01:18 I think he's getting there quite faster
01:20 than maybe people thought.
01:22 Maybe he'll be there faster than Roon.
01:24 I mean, Alcarez is already there.
01:26 He's only going to get better if he can keep getting injured,
01:30 which is a big if, in my opinion.
01:32 But, no, they're getting there.
01:34 But also, they have 10 years, you know,
01:37 shorter for the gap, so I think it's not even a question
01:41 of getting there, it's just at some point,
01:43 Novak is going to go.
01:44 - Okay, Simon Cambers, same question.
01:47 What do you think?
01:48 - Well, yeah, I mean, it's a difficult question.
01:51 Are they stronger than they appear?
01:52 I think they are strong enough that next year,
01:55 they'll be competing even more for the biggest title.
01:58 Certainly, as Carol said, Sinner, who to me looks like
02:02 he's going to make the next step up,
02:03 if he hasn't already, to join Alcarez.
02:05 I think Roon has a little bit more consistency
02:07 to add to his game, but look at what he's doing.
02:10 He's got Boris Becker, he's got,
02:12 he's taken someone from Federer's team,
02:14 he's got, you know, he's taken, that's a smart move.
02:16 You know, that is, you're getting people
02:19 who've been there and done it,
02:21 that's exactly what he needs to do.
02:23 I liked what Roon has said about the fact that Djokovic,
02:26 with him, you've got to beat him, not just once,
02:29 but again and again and again.
02:31 'Cause if you don't do that, he's just going to think,
02:33 I can still win these Grand Slams.
02:34 I think mentally, they have to just kick him into the ground.
02:38 And as we all know, that's about as difficult
02:40 as anything is in tennis.
02:42 But, you know, those three will be the ones
02:44 pushing the most, and I'm sure we'll get to it,
02:47 but I'm looking forward to Nadal coming back too.
02:49 So, those four.
02:52 - Maury and Bartoli, same question.
02:54 - Well, we almost had that same debate
02:56 in the beginning of last year.
02:57 And we thought of, we're expecting Novak
03:00 to maybe step down a little bit,
03:02 and the new guard to take over,
03:04 and Alcarraz to win a lot of things,
03:06 and to finish number one,
03:07 and the results speaks by himself.
03:10 Novak just won almost everything, to be fair,
03:13 and everything that was very, very important to him.
03:15 Because once again, he's in the stage of his career
03:18 where he doesn't treat every single tournament
03:20 the exact same way.
03:21 For him, it's really the Grand Slams,
03:23 then the years and Masters,
03:25 then some of the Masters 1000,
03:26 the Esport into the calendar, and then the Davis Cup.
03:29 That said, I think the way that Siner,
03:32 at the end of the year, especially,
03:34 with all the work he has on with Derrick Cahill,
03:36 the way he moved on the court,
03:37 I never see him moving that well.
03:39 And I think that has been a tremendous difference
03:41 to his game, because he always had the power,
03:43 but because Novak was able to negate that a little bit,
03:46 he was struggling with his movement.
03:48 And if Novak get him on the move,
03:49 he was really in trouble.
03:51 Obviously, that was the case in the final of the Masters,
03:53 which was counting the most.
03:55 But then I think for him to move into 2024,
03:57 knowing he can do it,
03:59 against Novak will help him massively
04:01 in terms of his confidence level,
04:03 because let's not forget, in some sort of ways,
04:06 he has a little bit underperformed in the Grand Slam
04:08 compared to the rest of his results throughout the year.
04:11 So that's definitely a hurdle that he has to go over.
04:14 And one of the reasons of that is, for me,
04:16 he was not physically ready to go over five sets
04:19 with a consistent base.
04:21 And when you look at his performance in the US Open,
04:24 that was the case.
04:24 Even against Stan Bravington,
04:25 who was commentating the whole match,
04:27 he was really going through dips into the match physically.
04:30 And when you have those dips against the top players
04:32 in a Grand Slam,
04:33 you're not getting through towards the final day.
04:35 So I think for him,
04:36 that would be the biggest improvement he would have to do.
04:38 In terms of Olga,
04:40 maybe I put him slightly a little bit backwards
04:43 compared to Alkaraz and Sinur,
04:44 just because he has to sort of refine his game,
04:48 refine his momentum, refine his confidence.
04:50 There's been a lot of changes
04:52 with the sort of going out of Patrick
04:54 and the new coaches, a lot of talks as well.
04:56 So I think he just needs to sort of, you know,
04:58 take everything in and then move on into next year.
05:00 But Alkaraz and Sinur will be two big challengers.
05:03 But I think Novak still wants to get in,
05:05 which show them who is the boss by the end of 2024.
05:08 That's my prediction.
05:09 - But the thing with Sinur is,
05:12 we were starting to wonder if it was a mental thing,
05:14 you know, like maybe being shaky under pressure.
05:17 And as Marion said,
05:18 it's more of physical thing that we can see now
05:20 when the fitness is here,
05:21 he's not choking those end of matches.
05:23 I think for him,
05:24 2024 is going to come in with so much confidence,
05:27 knowing that he has delivered,
05:28 he can do it and it's a massive change.
05:31 - And I think just to say sorry to Patin and Josh,
05:34 I think the others will have more chances in 2024
05:38 to win one of the big tournaments
05:39 because you've got to throw in the Olympics there
05:42 and it's a massive tournament for Novak
05:44 having not won the gold in the singles.
05:46 So, you know, if he's going to focus
05:48 as much as he can on that,
05:50 that might open an opportunity for someone
05:52 perhaps to win one of the other ones.
05:55 - All right, let's continue.
05:55 Let's get to that question number two.
05:57 Djokovic, excuse me,
05:58 said at the end of the year
06:00 that he just might be as strong now as he was at age 26.
06:05 But is Djokovic really as athletic as he used to be?
06:09 Is that even possible?
06:10 Marion Bartoli, get us started.
06:12 - I think he moves the same way
06:14 because he anticipates better.
06:16 He reads the game even faster.
06:18 If that was even possible.
06:19 I think before it was due to pure athleticism,
06:22 which is normal, you're 26,
06:24 you're in sort of the peak of your form.
06:26 That's where you're the most explosive.
06:27 That's where you have the most strength as well.
06:29 That's where your recovery,
06:30 it's still very quick as when you were in your 20s.
06:34 I think now probably the muscle twitch are slightly slower,
06:38 but just because you read the game faster
06:40 in the same pace of movement, it's the exact same thing.
06:43 So that's why as an opponent,
06:45 you feel there is no gap on the court.
06:46 I mean, you feel that he made the court so small for you,
06:50 so small that there is not major space of the court
06:54 when you can hit.
06:55 And that's, it's due to the anticipation
06:56 as well as knowing obviously the tactics
06:59 and the patterns of the opponents
07:02 and knowing on crucial points where they're going to play.
07:05 So it's being wiser.
07:06 It's being, obviously having won a lot more
07:09 than when he was 26.
07:11 - Okay, yeah, a lot of talks, Simon,
07:12 about the strength of Novak Djokovic.
07:14 We're talking athleticism in this spot.
07:16 Is he somehow that freak of nature as athletic now
07:20 as he quote unquote used to be or any of us?
07:23 - He's not as pure,
07:24 it's not as pure speed that he used to have,
07:27 but he doesn't need it.
07:28 It's exactly what Marion said.
07:29 It's efficiency of movement, isn't it?
07:31 He knows exactly what he needs to do.
07:33 He knows where he's going.
07:34 He's not going to waste energy on anything
07:35 he doesn't need to go for.
07:36 So he's kept himself unbelievably fit, unbelievably lithe.
07:40 He's still as supple as ever.
07:42 He seems to be as motivated as ever
07:45 and mentally he's so strong that it means that physically,
07:49 well, they work in both ways.
07:52 Mentally he knows that he can play for ages.
07:54 Physically he knows his mind is strong because of that.
07:57 I think he would have beaten,
07:58 I think he would beat the 26-year-old Novak.
08:00 We're talking 2013,
08:02 that's when Murray beat him at Wimbledon.
08:04 He had a kink in his serve that he worked out
08:06 a little bit later.
08:08 I think he's a much better player now.
08:09 - Let's not forget that he's not playing a full schedule.
08:12 I think if Novak was pushing himself to play every week,
08:15 every big tournament,
08:16 we would see that he's not as,
08:19 not fit, but as strong as he was,
08:21 I don't know, five or 10 years ago, but it's normal.
08:24 The thing is he's so much smarter on that court
08:26 and he's a crazy good athlete.
08:27 I mean, the flexibility,
08:28 the discipline that he has, the work ethic,
08:30 is way above the rest.
08:32 But is he as strong as thinking Australian Open final 2012
08:35 against Rafa, which was insane?
08:37 No, he's not.
08:38 But that's the thing, he's not as strong
08:40 and he's still dominating.
08:41 I mean, at 36, I mean, it's logical that he's not as strong
08:44 as he was when he was 26,
08:46 but I think mentally he needs to tell himself that,
08:48 "Nah, I'm even better."
08:50 Because that's a trick that you play.
08:51 Because if you start thinking,
08:53 "Oh, I'm declining," you're done.
08:55 - All right, continuing on, gang.
08:57 Question as we look ahead to 2024,
08:59 who do you believe will have the biggest comeback
09:02 in the year 2024?
09:04 Nadal, Osaka, or Kerber?
09:07 Who you got?
09:09 Simon Cambers.
09:09 - Oh, don't forget Wozniacki.
09:11 I consider her having a comeback still.
09:13 She's, I know she started it last year,
09:15 but she will be stronger this year,
09:17 I'm pretty sure, on hard courts especially.
09:19 I think Kerber will be stronger than people think
09:24 because she's a great competitor
09:27 and people will definitely underestimate her.
09:29 She'll be the one people forget about.
09:31 Osaka's gonna be interesting.
09:33 She's got the power, the sort of raw power
09:35 to be able to compete.
09:37 I think it might take her a little time
09:39 to get up to speed physically,
09:41 but once she does, she's gonna be a massive threat
09:43 on hard courts.
09:44 I think, again, we're gonna see on clay and grass
09:46 that she's not happy there.
09:48 So we're looking at Australia and US.
09:51 But for me, Nadal is the interesting one,
09:54 the most interesting one.
09:55 Because he's 37, he's been through
09:58 what sounds like a hellish year
10:00 in terms of getting back to fitness.
10:03 But it's unbelievable, isn't it?
10:04 It's amazing when you hear him start to say,
10:07 hmm, I'm feeling good now.
10:09 I think things are coming together.
10:10 I'm feeling like maybe, you know,
10:12 I'm not expecting too much,
10:13 but I'm gonna give it all my all.
10:15 And then you hear the voices around him
10:16 who say what he's been through, but what he can do.
10:18 And I don't think tennis, you know,
10:20 sometimes when players are out for a while,
10:23 for a significant period of time,
10:25 tennis really does move on.
10:26 You know, some big players come in and things can change.
10:30 Like when McEnroe took time out
10:32 and Boris Becker was suddenly there.
10:33 You know, this beast of a man firing the ball down.
10:36 Too much for him in the end.
10:37 And others took over.
10:38 I don't feel like that's happened.
10:41 And I think that on clay, if, it is a big if,
10:44 if Rafa stays fit, and even if he has a minor injury
10:48 or whatever, if he's fit to play on clay,
10:50 he will be a major threat on that surface, no doubt.
10:53 And I'm sure that he could win the French Open
10:57 if he's fully fit, but it would be remarkable.
11:00 But it just strikes me as this 36, 37 thing.
11:03 Federer came back at 36 and starts winning everything.
11:07 Djokovic hasn't gone anywhere.
11:08 He's still winning everything at 36, 37.
11:10 Who's to say Rafa can't win the French?
11:12 - LL Cool J said, "Don't call the comeback."
11:14 But for these three, and factoring in beyond,
11:18 it would be just that, all things considered.
11:20 So who do you believe will have the biggest comeback?
11:24 Nadal, Osaka, Kerber, or write and vote,
11:26 if you so choose, as Simon did.
11:27 Carol.
11:28 - Well, for me, my opinion is between Rafa and Osaka,
11:31 when you look at the game.
11:32 And I've learned my lesson of underestimating Rafael Nadal.
11:37 I would still pick him because I cannot believe
11:39 he's coming back just to come back and enjoying last run.
11:43 I cannot believe this.
11:44 He's such a competitor, there is no way
11:47 he's going to put a foot on the court
11:49 without thinking he can win it.
11:50 Maybe not the Australian Open,
11:52 but for sure he's thinking about Roland Garros.
11:54 The big question mark is, does the body want it?
11:57 Because I'm not convinced that the body wants it
11:59 as much as Rafa's mind wants it.
12:01 So I would pick Rafa, just because it's Rafa Nadal
12:05 and his brain can do wonders.
12:06 But I'm really curious, as Simon says, to see.
12:09 I mean, if he's still not injured by April,
12:12 and he has had enough matches under his belt
12:14 to build some confidence and some match play,
12:16 he's going to be a menace.
12:17 And nobody is going to want to face him.
12:19 They're going to be so freaking scared
12:21 because it's Rafa Nadal.
12:22 I mean, when Rafa Nadal came back,
12:24 it's not about their level.
12:25 It's just the first matches, I think,
12:27 if they're confronting, you know,
12:29 if they're in front of Rafa,
12:30 they're going to freak out just because it's Rafa.
12:32 We've seen that with Novak in Melbourne.
12:34 He was walking on that court for the first week
12:36 and the guys were just frozen.
12:38 So I'm curious to see mentally how he's going to play out,
12:41 but I'll pick Rafa.
12:42 - Well, I don't want to choose between all of them
12:44 because I think all of them are really remarkable.
12:46 Being a mother myself,
12:48 I know what it is to travel with a child,
12:50 to take care of a child,
12:51 is definitely a huge challenge as a mother.
12:54 So I don't want to put Rafa on top of everyone
12:56 just because I admire so much the girls
12:58 who have the courage as a mom to go
13:00 and travel with your baby and taking care of your baby
13:03 and being a mom outside of the court
13:04 and then going and compete.
13:06 So I would be extremely interested
13:07 by the three of them, to be fair.
13:09 I know as a matter of fact,
13:11 because Rafa practiced with three French players
13:13 consecutively, that he has been playing a lot of practice sets
13:16 and obviously has been linked into the press in France,
13:19 who he was winning the most and how many sets Rafa won.
13:22 The only thing I know is since he has decided to come back,
13:26 he has taken zero day off.
13:29 Every single day, he was on the court,
13:32 hustling and getting himself ready.
13:35 So that shows just the mentality he's having.
13:37 Now, of course, yes, there is big hitters.
13:39 There is young girls that want to play him
13:43 out of the court.
13:44 And I actually interviewed Tony Nadal a few weeks back
13:46 for my own radio show.
13:48 And he was saying that, of course,
13:49 Alcarroz is a big threat for him, especially on clay.
13:51 Of course, Novak.
13:53 But Rafa wants to come and compete to win.
13:55 That is just no doubt about that.
13:58 That's just, just put it out there.
14:00 He's there to win.
14:01 Then, when Ken O'Flavel is going to have,
14:03 I think the excitement is building around him
14:05 and his comeback is going to start in Brisbane.
14:07 Probably the rating of his first match
14:09 is going to be up the roof.
14:11 I think every tennis fan around the world
14:13 would just connect himself or herself
14:16 to witness a comeback of Rafa.
14:18 But I just, as a woman and as a mother,
14:20 I would be as interesting to see how Naomi Osaka
14:23 can put her mind back together.
14:25 Because let's not forget,
14:26 before she had some pregnancy,
14:28 she was having and dealing with massive mental health issues.
14:31 So let's see if being a mother now can help her
14:34 in that department.
14:35 And for Angie Kerber, I mean, I've been playing against her.
14:38 I know how hard it is to play against her.
14:40 And just to see that ball come back over and over again.
14:44 You're like, where is it an opening in that court?
14:47 So just to see if she can come back with that same game style.
14:50 Can she disturb Zabalenka?
14:51 Can she disturb Rybakina?
14:52 Can she disturb Swantech?
14:53 For me, everything is very interesting
14:56 and I'm very much looking forward
14:57 to see all those three compete.
14:58 - All right, let's continue on.
14:59 Let's focus on the women's side, as we were a moment ago.
15:03 Producers want to know,
15:04 are you still leaning toward Iga and the others,
15:07 as they say, for 2024 or a broader field
15:11 with Zabalenka, Rybakina,
15:13 and perhaps even US Open champion, Coco Gauff?
15:16 Which is it for you?
15:19 This group, that group?
15:20 Kerber-Chard, you want to get started?
15:22 - I would still pick Iga
15:23 because I think she learned a lot of things this season
15:26 by battling for the world number one, losing it,
15:29 getting into Netflix drama, social media issues.
15:33 I think she's going to come back extremely focused,
15:36 extremely sure of what she wants to do on that court
15:39 and off the court.
15:40 And for me, tennis-wise, she's so much better than the rest.
15:43 I mean, Osaka coming back is going to be very interesting
15:46 because she has the power to make her think.
15:49 Can Zabalenka keep being that steady?
15:51 If she can, yes, she'd be a threat,
15:53 but I'd still pick Iga
15:54 because for me, she's the most complete
15:55 out of the whole field.
15:57 - Well, it's a tough one.
15:58 Iga, at the end, got it together
16:00 and she won the Euros and championship.
16:01 And I mean, we all know the score in the final
16:03 against Jessie Pegula, and she finished number one.
16:05 So she was able to regroup and get it together.
16:08 Her dominance on clay, I don't think would stop.
16:11 I think she's way above the rest of the field on clay,
16:14 just the way she slide, the way she moves,
16:16 the way she understand clay.
16:18 Even in the final against Mukova,
16:19 I mean, she had some up and downs,
16:20 but at the end, she was able to just clinch it
16:22 because there is just that much difference.
16:24 I think the grass and those fast surfers
16:27 are still going to be a trouble for her.
16:29 Either the ones like Orange Harbor that can mix it up,
16:33 play the slice, play the drop shot,
16:34 or the one that is just hard hitters and hit through her.
16:37 I think that's a problem.
16:38 But definitely on clay, I would pick her 100%.
16:42 I think overall, she will remain number one
16:45 because like Carol said,
16:46 she's just so consistent throughout the year,
16:48 but I don't think she will win everything.
16:50 I think Ron Garrow is absolutely,
16:52 but I think on the other Grand Slam,
16:53 you will still have some other names coming through.
16:56 Can be Coco in Australia,
16:57 or can be Zabalenka defending a title,
16:59 can be Rybakina as well.
17:01 But I just think on those type of hard courts,
17:04 it's a little bit more 50/50.
17:06 She can win it, absolutely, of course,
17:08 but less so dominating as Ron Garrow's.
17:11 But I think overall, yes, she will finish number one,
17:14 absolutely, because the consistency through the year
17:17 with the work ethic and what she's doing out of the court
17:20 and her mentality when she's tipping on the court
17:22 is just higher than the others throughout the year.
17:26 But I just don't see her winning the four Grand Slams.
17:29 - Yeah, I mean, I would agree with her.
17:30 She is the best player, that's for sure.
17:33 She's the best player on clay by a distance.
17:36 As both Carol and Marion said,
17:38 I'd be surprised if she didn't win the French.
17:41 But I think she still panics sometimes.
17:43 She still gets involved in a situation
17:45 where things go wrong and then she can't get out of it,
17:47 especially on faster surfaces.
17:49 So there'll be moments where others
17:51 have their day against her.
17:53 I think Goff will take another step up this year.
17:56 I think Coco Goff showed US Open what she's capable of,
17:59 and she's not even complete yet.
18:01 You know, this is the worry for the other players,
18:03 is that once she puts her whole game together,
18:06 she is gonna be totally formidable, I think.
18:08 So I would think that she could win
18:12 another Grand Slam this year.
18:13 Of course, any of Sabalenka, Raback and Gibert,
18:16 wouldn't it be great if Ange Gibert
18:17 finally wins a Grand Slam?
18:19 You feel like she deserves it.
18:21 Maybe Wimbledon will be third time lucky for her.
18:23 But yeah, Iga's the most consistent.
18:25 She'll probably end up number one,
18:28 but there won't be much in it.
18:29 And I think there'll be some ups and downs this year.
18:31 - You know, the only scenario where I see Iga not winning,
18:34 maybe Roland-Garros or anything else,
18:35 is if she has Osta Penko in her draw
18:39 at the four Grand Slams,
18:42 because it's in her brain.
18:44 I mean, it was on Penko's face when she started that match,
18:48 even when she was dominating,
18:49 and then I'm getting this, and she won it.
18:52 I mean, that's the only, you know, the dark horse,
18:54 that's the only scenario for me.
18:56 - All right, gang, with two-week Masters 1000 tournaments
18:59 that players and fans don't like very much,
19:03 the disaster of the WTA Finals in Cancun,
19:07 and the interest of Saudi Arabia,
19:09 the question the producers want me to ask you is,
19:13 is tennis in danger?
19:16 Is tennis in danger?
19:17 Elaborate on that as you will.
19:19 Simon Cambers.
19:20 - Yeah, difficult one.
19:21 I mean, I think the Grand Slams
19:22 are in a very healthy position.
19:24 Maybe too healthy compared to the tour.
19:26 The imbalance is going too much towards the Slams
19:30 in terms of what's working.
19:32 You know, they have such a set format
19:34 in terms of two weeks plus a day,
19:36 thanks very much, Australia and Paris.
19:39 But, you know, basically two weeks,
19:41 you know what's coming, everyone's set there,
19:43 that's where all the money is,
19:44 that's where the prestige is.
19:45 The tours have a real battle to sort that out.
19:48 WTA Finals was a bit of a shambles
19:51 in terms of its management,
19:53 and we all know the problems they had there.
19:56 Hopefully they fix that next year.
19:57 But, you know, yeah, it's gonna be tricky.
20:00 I don't like these two week Masters thousands.
20:03 So what's the point?
20:04 Really, what is the point?
20:06 No one knows what's going on
20:07 if you start a tournament on a Tuesday
20:09 and it finishes on,
20:10 I know that Canada is gonna finish
20:13 on a Wednesday or a Thursday.
20:15 And yes, you could make an interesting case
20:18 for dominating that part of the week on TV,
20:20 but it's gonna be pretty hard for fans
20:23 to get used to.
20:24 And Olympics throws another spanner in the works,
20:27 of course, in terms of scheduling.
20:28 But I think the tours, if anything,
20:31 what's happening is it shows
20:33 that the men's and women's tours
20:34 need to come together as much as possible quicker
20:38 than they are at the moment.
20:39 They are doing some things together,
20:40 but they need to force that sort of,
20:43 you know, merger in softer terms quickly,
20:47 because, you know, otherwise they're gonna lose
20:49 even more impact compared to the slams.
20:51 - Marion Bartoli, tennis in danger,
20:54 interpret as you will.
20:55 - No, tennis is definitely not in danger,
20:57 but there is an economic reality
21:00 that needs to be taken into consideration.
21:02 And the economic reality is women's events
21:06 by themselves are struggling to survive.
21:09 That's a reality of the economics.
21:11 When you look at the attendance,
21:12 when you look at the people crossing the gates every day
21:14 to come and watch a women's tennis only events,
21:18 it's a problem.
21:19 So I think what the WTA and the ATP has done
21:22 is getting the Masters 1000 all combined,
21:25 it's the right move.
21:26 Tennis has to come as one.
21:28 It has to be one tennis, one platform,
21:31 one media rights to sell to the broadcaster
21:34 who wants to broadcast tennis.
21:35 And for the fans, one place when they can know in one city,
21:39 you have the men's and women's coming and play tennis.
21:42 You have to replicate that for eight or nine times
21:45 throughout the year outside of the Grand Slam.
21:46 So the tennis can exist without the Grand Slam
21:49 and right now what people know about
21:51 is obviously the four Grand Slams.
21:53 And we all know that beginning of the year is Australia,
21:55 then in French Open it's Roland Garros on play,
21:57 then we blend in the US Open.
21:59 It's how we can create throughout the years.
22:01 And obviously it's gonna take a little bit of time
22:02 to educate the fans as well.
22:04 But those moments throughout the year when we know,
22:07 like Indian Ross in Miami.
22:08 I mean, when I was starting to play
22:10 and I was starting to become a professional player,
22:13 moving from the juniors to the WTA,
22:15 I knew that in March, it was March Madness
22:17 and it was Indian Ross Miami in 15 days and 15 days.
22:20 And you want to qualify
22:21 and you want to be in part in the main draw
22:23 because you want to last as much as possible.
22:24 So you don't have like 10 practice days
22:26 before Miami comes around the corner.
22:29 And that happens since they're existing for ages,
22:32 those tournaments.
22:33 And that's because they're existing through ages
22:35 for the same formats that they become a rendezvous
22:38 that everyone is having on the calendar.
22:40 And I think the WTA and ATP are doing the right moves
22:43 in recreating that throughout the calendar.
22:46 Now, what they have, I think, to master better
22:49 is shorten a little bit the season
22:51 because it just extends for so long.
22:53 I mean, the Davis Cup in December
22:55 and I was watching Novak and Sinner still going on
22:57 toe to toe for the last, I mean, first week of December.
23:01 How much off season do you have?
23:02 It's almost nothing.
23:03 You take one week off,
23:04 you're already having to prepare yourself for Australia.
23:07 So I think rather than just adding more and more
23:10 and more and more competition
23:11 is just make it slightly smaller.
23:14 Give the players a proper off season
23:17 so they can be healthy and fit
23:18 and ready to compete for the next 10 years.
23:20 So the fan can get aware of who is coming
23:23 for the next 10 years,
23:24 know the players, have a fan base,
23:26 and you just bring the same tournaments
23:28 throughout the next 10 years period.
23:30 I think that's the way tennis needs to do it.
23:33 Now, if we talked about Saudi Arabia,
23:34 there is a reality in terms of economics
23:36 in Europe and the US.
23:38 Now, those cities are struggling to organize tennis events.
23:42 And that's the reality.
23:43 They're struggling to find sponsors.
23:45 They're struggling to find money for tennis events.
23:47 And the money is in the Middle East,
23:51 just as the World Cup was in Doha
23:53 and it's gonna be in Saudi Arabia.
23:54 And those country has moved on in terms of,
23:57 what we have as Western people
24:00 thinking of how it is inside the country
24:03 and how people lives.
24:04 They have become extremely open.
24:06 I'm living in Dubai,
24:07 so I know how it is in the Middle East.
24:09 You feel like you're an extension of America.
24:11 Dubai is an extension of a US city.
24:13 It's exactly the same.
24:14 So I think people have to move on in the way
24:17 they see those countries
24:20 and the economics are gonna be more and more in there.
24:22 When you see in the Gulf,
24:23 what they've been doing with the leave
24:25 and how much money they paid that golf player
24:27 to come and sign with the leave.
24:28 That's where the money is.
24:29 That's a reality.
24:30 That's the economic reality.
24:31 So I'm not saying that we're gonna have the whole year
24:33 in Saudi Arabia,
24:34 but I don't think the tour should be afraid
24:36 to go and have one event in Saudi Arabia
24:38 because it's just another country on the planet
24:40 that's actually is gonna organize well an event
24:43 rather than having just a disaster like it was in Cancun.
24:47 But it's just no one is coming out of this on the good side.
24:50 The WTA look ridiculous.
24:52 The players hate it.
24:53 The image on footage on the TV are just horrendous.
24:57 So if you can organize actually something great
24:59 with a good fan base and people likes it,
25:01 well, tennis is a winner at the end.
25:04 - Cara Bouchard, your thoughts on tennis being in danger
25:08 and everything that these two had just mentioned.
25:10 - I feel like every once in a while,
25:11 tennis is trying to self-sabotage.
25:13 I don't know what.
25:15 We've been talking about the same thing for what, 15 years?
25:17 Oh, they change the balls every week.
25:19 Oh, the schedule is a mess.
25:21 Oh, they're finishing matches at 2 a.m.
25:23 and it's ridiculous.
25:24 I mean, it's been every five years,
25:26 it's like, oh, we should be doing something
25:28 and nothing is changing.
25:30 Vavreka said it really well.
25:32 It's been his entire career with the same topics,
25:35 my entire career hearing the same things.
25:37 And I mean, at some point, they're not in danger now,
25:40 but if they don't fix it, they will be in danger soon
25:42 because you can't have something that is half broken
25:46 here and there and not doing anything.
25:48 I mean, I agree with Marion
25:50 that they need to fix the schedule first
25:52 because it's way too long.
25:54 It's ridiculous to have matches in December
25:56 when they start in December soon.
25:59 And also, as Simon said about the two weeks, Master 1000,
26:03 I understand the principle.
26:04 I love the combined events.
26:06 Sign me in for Grand Slam.
26:08 But like Madrid two weeks, Rome two weeks,
26:10 you're going to Roland Garros?
26:12 I mean, I'm not playing.
26:14 I'm just thinking about this journalism scale.
26:16 I'm just like exhausted.
26:17 How are they going to do it?
26:20 I mean, for me, it seems completely crazy
26:22 unless you can get a bit of space in the schedule.
26:26 But then as Marion said, we get into the economics.
26:29 Europe is struggling, the US too.
26:31 Maybe they don't want to invest that much in tennis,
26:33 which is crazy.
26:34 But apparently, pickleball is all the rage, which, OK.
26:37 But I mean, it's going to be a problem.
26:39 And for me, the issue is also the storytelling.
26:43 I am tired of hearing those players asking for more money
26:46 and the tour telling them,
26:48 we're going to give you more money.
26:49 Can we talk about the sport?
26:51 Like women's tennis, it is the biggest women's sport.
26:54 You can come from nowhere and be a Sharapova
26:58 and suddenly you're a superstar.
26:59 That's an amazing storytelling.
27:01 The college tennis is big.
27:03 You can tell those stories.
27:05 You can inspire a generation to come and play.
27:07 Why are you spending your whole time telling them,
27:09 we're going to get you as much money as the golf or the NBA.
27:12 You're never going to get them the same money
27:14 as the golf and the NBA.
27:16 I think especially WTA, they need to rethink
27:18 the way they're telling their own story.
27:20 It's a fantastic success story to tell.
27:22 But if you speak only about the problems and the money
27:26 and the demand of, I'm sorry,
27:28 but demand of millionaires in a time of crisis
27:31 where people are losing their jobs by thousands,
27:34 I do not care about the top 10 ATP players
27:37 wanting to be billionaires instead of millionaires.
27:40 You can tell that story and that doesn't work.
27:43 So I think they need to just, for once,
27:45 sit in the same room, around the same table
27:48 and have a true discussion about merging the two,
27:51 but in good faith.
27:53 We all know the fear here is that the women
27:55 are going to disappear from every big negotiation.
27:59 So merge those two, but for real.
28:01 And show the product.
28:03 It's an amazing product.
28:04 Women, men, biggest stars in sports world
28:07 after maybe the NBA or football, tell the story.
28:10 Stop talking to me about how much money
28:12 you're going to make, really.
28:13 - In that discussion about the money,
28:14 they should also have a linesman there
28:17 or somebody who works in catering,
28:20 somebody who's a staff member,
28:21 somebody who does the painting of the courts
28:24 and listen to their, you know, what they get each week
28:27 and work it all out.
28:27 Because they think they, the players think
28:29 that they deserve a bigger share of the pie
28:31 because the tournament's making loads of money.
28:34 And in principle, that sounds fair.
28:36 But if it doesn't feed down to the rest
28:38 of the people involved in making the tournament,
28:40 that's not fair, is it?
28:41 - All right, let's get at the best part of this.
28:44 As we look ahead now into 2024,
28:47 this is our New Year edition.
28:49 They're asking for your wildest predictions,
28:52 your wildest predictions for 2024.
28:54 So let's break this up into the men's side
28:57 and then the women's side, okay?
28:59 Carol Bouchard, get us started.
29:00 On the men's side, then the women's side,
29:01 your wildest prediction.
29:03 Doesn't have to be the most accurate.
29:04 Again, it's the wildest prediction you have.
29:06 - Okay.
29:07 I'm going to go wild because I'm French
29:10 and come on, let's be crazy.
29:12 Arthur Fiss will win a Grand Slam title.
29:16 A French player, a male French player
29:18 will win a Grand Slam title.
29:20 You know it's not happening,
29:21 but I put it into the universe.
29:23 I have to at some point.
29:25 Think of us.
29:26 (laughs)
29:28 A male French player is going to win a Grand Slam title.
29:30 Just, it's not happening.
29:31 But we said wild and let's do it.
29:33 Let's be wild.
29:34 A woman's side, woman's side.
29:36 Naomi Osaka is going to win two Grand Slam titles next year.
29:42 - Marion Bartoli.
29:43 Marion, your turn.
29:45 Wildest prediction 2024.
29:46 - Wildest prediction, my goodness.
29:48 Arthur Fiss taking bronze at the Olympics.
29:57 And Naomi Osaka winning US Open.
30:01 - Simon, Simon Camber's wrapped this up for us.
30:03 Wildest prediction for 2024, men's side, women's side.
30:08 Go ahead.
30:08 - Andy Murray's going to quit
30:10 after winning a medal in Paris on clay.
30:14 There you go.
30:14 And on the women's side,
30:16 Serena's going to come back
30:17 and play doubles with Venus in Paris.
30:19 She needs to get on with it and decide next month.
30:22 That's it.
30:23 - Okay.
30:24 And we'll leave that there for now.
30:26 Carol, Marion, Simon, thank you guys as always.
30:30 To everyone else, thank you so much for joining us.
30:33 We hope to do this even more often in 2024.
30:36 But on behalf of all of us here
30:38 on MatchpointsTennisMajors.com,
30:40 happy new year to you.
30:41 And again, we hope to see you soon for more Matchpoints
30:43 right here on TennisMajors.com.
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