Djokovic, Swiatek, Alcaraz, Nadal: Our 2023 overview and our predictions for 2024
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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