Served with Andy Roddick
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Served with Andy Roddick
Roddick talks 2024 Olympics: Alcaraz & Nadal team up, Olympic Village experience, Gold Medal vs Slam Title??
Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim sat down before the start of the 2024 Olympics to talk all the headlines like Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal teaming up for doubles, is it a big deal that players decide not to walk in the ceremony, and whether an Olympic Gold Medal holds the same weight as winning a Grand Slam. Andy also shares some of his experiences being an Olympian and how it may not be all that is seems for athletes behind-the-scenes.
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All right, welcome to Served. Presented by Chase the Olympics edition. What is it actually like to be on site? I played in Athens in 04, 08. In Beijing, I skipped the Olympics, had a bit of a shoulder injury and found more value in playing two tour events to try to rehab my shoulder as opposed to flying to Beijing and you know, lose first round in your first match, back and however long.
Speaker 1:And then I played again in London in 2012. I think one of the coolest stories of the entire thing is Team Rafa raz um, obviously the chuckster and rafa uh doing their thing. Coco is is going to carry the flag, uh, as the female flag bearer, which I think is so cool uh. But let's get right to it. We have uh john wertheim for a limited amount of time, and then I'm going to kick it to q a for techie, sean and mike, where mike will be asking questions like uh, you know, are people really hooking up that much in the athlete village?
Speaker 1:great question, mike. Uh, let's bring in john worthheim first. John, how's it going, and have you fully recovered from your grand slam spring, slash summer with roland garros in wimbledon?
Speaker 4:going good. Thank you for asking good to be back. Um, yeah, I was gonna say I feel like yesterday we were extolling Carlos Alcaraz and wrapping up Wimbledon and now we are previewing another big event on the tennis calendar and then in a few weeks from now we will have our fourth major. So a lot of compression here. But, yeah, let's talk Olympics. Who's not in the Olympic spirit this last week of July?
Speaker 1:Some tennis players, some tennis players are not in the Olympic spirit. There's tour events going on all around the world during, uh, the Olympics. A lot of people have a lot of big opinions on who should be playing the Olympics and who shouldn't. And I like the, I like the crazies coming out and like center has tonsillitis. And they're like see, see, he just is the guy allowed to be, he's allowed to be sick, isn't he Like? And if you are sick, can you win the Olympics? If you have tonsillitis, probably not. Or country People get really pissed about this, don't they? Jw.
Speaker 4:You wrap patriotism around these discussions and it changes the tenor. No, we talked about this a few weeks ago, I think Maybe last week. But a very broad range of opinions and a lot of different motivations. Some athletes are way into it. Some tennis players say this is equivalent to winning a major. I'll do anything. Others begged off well in advance.
Speaker 4:I don't know if you want to go down this rabbit hole, but we also have the peculiar the Russia and Belarus factor, which looms particularly large in tennis. But no, I mean, I think it's interesting, but I think for certain players the Olympics mean a great deal. For certain players, yeah, it's another event and if I win, great, I'll just put it on my calendar. That seems to kind of be the EGA model. And for others, this is just an event that's skippable. So it'll be interesting to see how this actually manifests itself in results. I mean Andy Murray hanging on Angie Kerber. I think if you ask Carolyn Wozniacki, she would say that one of the reasons she decided to unretire was the prospect of playing the Olympics. We know how much this means to Novak. We have other top players who aren't in the draw. Some of them are sick. Some of them, like Sabalenka just said yeah, no thanks, so it's really a broad range of opinion. We'll see what impact all this has on the tournament that's about to begin.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and obviously the leading headline when the draws come out is a potential match with Novak and a guy named Rafa. Second round Philip Chatrier. They've never played in the second round of Philip Chatrier, have they?
Speaker 4:No, but it is pretty funny that, uh, these two guys, it's, I think. If you look at the draw, we, we hate to make assumptions, but I think it's probably a pretty safe bet to say that match comes off. If you look at, uh, the opponents, they each have to play, um, yeah, I mean, how much irony is wrapped in this. And who knows how much rope is, you know, who knows how many more times we see either of these guys. Obviously, it's been an injury addled year for both, and the one time they play each other this year and it's at Roland Garros, on a court where they've met, where they've each beaten the other.
Speaker 4:There's a certain level of who writes the script. Irony to this. I don't know if you have thought. I mean, I couldn't begin to handicap that match without seeing them play first. I mean, rafa looked pretty darn good in Sweden and then looked pretty darn 38 years old in Sweden and didn't have much left in that final in particular. Same for Novak coming off, you know, a pretty comprehensive loss, coming off knee surgery. I have no idea how to handicap that match, but, yeah, if we needed an extra, extra spark for, uh, these 2024 games, the fact that you have the two winningest players of all time competing not just in the second round, but at the same venue where they've had battles for the last 15 years um, you couldn't ask for much more than that no, and but it also it's, it's.
Speaker 1:It's funny you, you mentioned respectfully getting to that matchup right, which is something we always try to respect, but it also lends itself to a bit of a different conversation and the Olympics is just kind of a weird tennis event, like it just is, and I get all of it. It's great for tennis players to feel like they're a part of it. Tennis players to feel like they're a part of it. Uh, oh, four in Athens, my first Olympics. I stayed in the village with with my good friend, uh, marty fish and our assistant coach, deed gold fine. Well, a lot of the other players did not stay, uh, in the village. Uh, I loved it. I got totally into it. You know trading pins and doing the whole thing and meeting people from from from different sports and asking them about that sports, seeing the triumph when they walk into the USA team room and then see the disappointment where everyone kind of comes together to support people that that's day and the four years in lead up didn't pay off the way that they wanted to Really felt like I got a full Olympic experience and a lot of that stuff is great. But there is this weird side to it too, where all of a sudden and you know, I love Matt Ebdon, he's one of the nicest guys, most respectful guys that you'll ever, you'll ever see but instead of finding the next best active singles player to fill, I'm looking and they have their, their, their rankings next to their names on this draw. Matt Ebdon, literally at this moment, doesn't have a singles ranking and he's in the Olympics. He qualified for the Olympics because he's playing doubles and he's around. So I don't. Vavasori is another one. He's ranked 200 and something in the world and fills in for center. So it's just kind of a weird event. You know, you have the guy playing. Carlos Alcaraz is 275 in the world, right, and that's because obviously we're. The thing that makes the Olympic special is, uh, inclusivity of all different sorts of countries, um, and it's, and it's great, it adds to it.
Speaker 1:But having been in that locker room, I remember getting into a fight with not a fight, that's dramatic Uh, getting into an argument with another top player who would, uh, this was an O four, who, would you know, one slams and was one of the best and had just beaten a guy like seven, five and a third in in in Athens, comes off the court. He's like 10 feet from the guy. The guy that he had beaten, you know, had been on record with how important the Olympics was, was just devastated that he had lost this match. And then this other guy comes in and goes I don't even what is this? This is such crap. The locker room sucks. I hate this Like. And so my point was basically like you can have those opinions, maybe just not audibly in front of a guy that you just beat, like maybe just save it and shut up for like 10 minutes, right. And so we ended up getting into it and there was like some bubble up, obviously, like it's. It's amazing, when you have history with someone and there's a minor disagreement, how it kind of heats up quickly, but it just goes to tell you like some people it's as you said, it's a major and it's that big, and Novak is obsessed with it because he hasn't won a gold medal yet and he feels like he needs that for his resume. And some people are like eh, you know, I'm just going to take this play off, you know. And so it is this weird thing of the back and forth where we try to project our care system onto someone else who's making an adult decision and, frankly, like tennis isn't like the rest of the sports, it's just, it's just not.
Speaker 1:I lost in 04 to Fernando Gonzalez who you know played. I mean, just beat me, he just beat the crap out of me. He's, like, you know, streaky. I had a really good record against him and on that day I couldn't touch the ball. Um, you know, ended up playing great at that Olympics, making the semis, winning the doubles gold, and then played great in the next Olympics and made the final. So obviously something, uh, that he kind of got up for and I was sad.
Speaker 1:And then the next day I woke up and I go oh well, you know, I might, I, I need to start training for the U S open. That's in two weeks. So it's not the same thing as someone who is doing archery who this four years, this is the event, this is the biggest event of your life, and there's not the U S open two weeks afterwards. So it's just kind of a weird. It's just kind of a weird event and you know it's it's interesting and the walk is great and the opening ceremony is great, but there's a lot that kind of goes on behind the scenes, you know, outside of of of what viewers see when they're watching the Olympics Served is proudly presented by Chase. Did you know Chase cardholders can access exclusive benefits like preferred seating, discounts on merch concessions and more, at your favorite events and venues around the country. Visit chasecom slash experiences to learn more.
Speaker 4:This overlay of country is really strange, and it's not just what is your level of patriotism, what's your relationship with your country? Sometimes it goes the other way. What is your country's relationship with you? So if Ben Shelton decides not to play, I don't think a lot of people are saying what the hell If Iga? Or an athlete from a smaller country, right?
Speaker 4:I mean, if you're if you're the Lebanese player or if you're Simona Holup and you're this is, you know, I think she may have carried the Romanian flag, uh, in 2012. If, if Simona Holup doesn't show up, it's a great affront to Romania and she'll hear about that. I don't think there are a lot of American sports fans who are saying, hey, where's Francis and where's Ben Shelton? So I think it's part of it. It's the athlete's relationship with the country. Some of it is what does the athlete mean to the country in reverse? But I'm curious what I mean.
Speaker 4:Take us behind the scenes, because I, you know, athletes have different experiences. Obviously, social media has been great. We can watch you, you know, we can watch Darius Saville jumping on a cardboard bed. I mean, there's all sorts of great content from athletes. You know Coco is an American flag bearer. She'll be carrying with LeBron James the American flag in the opening ceremonies. Ego will not be attending, nevermind carrying a flag. She won't even be there. So I'm curious when you say, behind the scenes, take us there, take us into the village and also give us a sense of what happens out of the village. I mean, what's, what do you? What do you recall? What are your sort of standout recollections?
Speaker 1:my favorite part of the olympics had nothing to do with actually playing. I I loved. I lost in round of 16. I was basically marty's practice partners. He made a run, he lost in the finals of the Olympics, was up two sets to one and then heartbreak hotel a little bit. But I was basically there in like a service role to him for you know, four or five days of the Olympics. So he would play, he would win. Then I'd go out and watch you know a softball game. I'd go to the track and field. I was basically just a tourist and for me that was the best part.
Speaker 1:But it's funny, you go to the village and this isn't all cities that host the Olympics, but the village in Athens got finished like three days before we got there. You get there, you fly across the world. This is like for us it doesn't matter, cause we have a thing the next day we're spoiled athletes, we're actually making money. We don't have a second job Like, so, tennis players we are. We're spoiled when, when we go there, um, but yeah, you, you check into a room. There's a sheet on the bed. Um, it just got finished. There's no shower curtain. You go to eat and it's like Marty literally lived on chicken salads from McDonald's for.
Speaker 1:But then there's the amazing thing where you're trying to get pins from all the countries and you're finding an athlete from an obscure part of the world and having that moment of connectivity. So there are equal parts magic and there are equal parts that like the opening ceremony and the majesty of it. That's a great example. Like you watch it on TV and it is amazing and you feel this pride and the comes together. What they don't show you is that like you have to, you literally have to stand backstage for like 12 hours to walk, and so people like ego's not even walking. Well, no, she, she's. She's the favorite to win the gold medal. Why? Why would she do a single thing to interrupt the fact that she's the favorite at a place that she wins all the time? Why would she throw outliers into her quest for the gold medal? What is her priority to take a walk or to win a gold medal? What's more important?
Speaker 4:Wait, wait, this year you ain't walking.
Speaker 1:This year is a wedding on a boat and that's another wedding. And it's like oh, this is it. You ever do a wedding on a boat, that's a and that's another wedding and it's like you know this is fine. You're like wait a second wait, explain that tell me, tell me, tell me about your wedding on a boat you know, sounds like a great idea and an hour into it you're like, okay, we should be.
Speaker 4:Uh, I gotta go to work tomorrow, or you know, I've run out of cocktail no, you're on a boat.
Speaker 1:No, only this.
Speaker 4:Only the swimmers can get off yeah, exactly, and uh, the swimmers have to swim the very next morning, which is why I don't think we'll see katie ledecky either. But anyway, to your point, this is not just standing around backstage for 12 hours. This is, uh, that's a big commitment coco's making. This is a floating, floating, uh.
Speaker 1:Opening ceremony is the point yeah, we don't know if she was planning on taking it. So, to give you context, like I didn't walk in athens in 04, I felt like I was probably the second favorite. Uh, there that year, outside of outside of roger, I was ranked two in the world. The court was pretty quick. It was a hard court. I had been playing well all summer. It didn't end up working and I crashed out and I suck, but it's like okay, well, we're expecting to get back at one two in the morning. There are matches to be played shortly thereafter. Are you going to sacrifice a day of practice or a day of a match? And I didn't do it.
Speaker 1:I said I really want to walk, but the scheduling and everything with tennis, because you have to kind of get in, get out, because the tennis schedule is truncated, you start at the. You know you have you start right away and then it's kind of like a race to the finish so that we can continue our tour. And so when people are sitting here going, well, he is not even going to walk. And Katie Lede, now you know our, our guy, who we love, chris Eubanks, may be going there for a walk. He might be going there for a walk and to try his best. Katie Ledecky and Iga Sviantek are going to win gold medals. So how are we going to be like, yeah, but like I'm I, you know, I, I, they should be walking. I would walk if I was there. No, you wouldn't like, you wouldn't not if you were a primed Olympic athlete who was favored to win a gold medal. No, you wouldn't. No, you wouldn't.
Speaker 4:Wide berth. All right, Let me let me ask you, let me ask you two more questions what is the difference? Is there a difference between a venue with which you're familiar in this case, a venue with which you're familiar In this case, all the players, they know Roland Garros, they know the Nooks and Crannies, they know their way around the place, they know the neighborhood versus, hey, there's a tennis center out in the middle of Beijing or whatever, in the middle of Athens. What is the difference between a venue like Rio and a venue like we have this time, where it's very familiar?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I played one where no one had ever been to the venue in Athens, and then I played one that was at Wimbledon and it's funny that the thing that was jarring about the one at Wimbledon, which I'm guessing parts of this, will be the same. Obviously, I can't project on a place that I'm not at, but I will tell you my experience at Wimbledon was like even the places where they checked credentials was at a different spot. The locker rooms you could use were at a different spot, so it wasn't as if you dropped in and it was just normal. Imagine going to Wimbledon. Let's all close our eyes and take a quick snapshot of what we think Wimbledon, the backdrops, everything and then go there and everything is painted pink the backdrops, everything. It's. Go there and everything is painted pink the backdrops, everything is. It's just completely different. Like, the locker that you always use is not what you can use. So it's just this weird thing where you feel like you're operating from a place of comfort, but also you have no idea where you're going, what you're doing, there's no one to go to, like the normal desks that you would go to to get questions answered.
Speaker 1:Problem solved is someone who is a volunteer for an olympic committee who has no idea what string tension is or you know anything else. So you know, you go ask for balls for practice. It's like, well, these are good. Well, no, we normally have new ball. We normally have new balls for practice. It's like, well, these are good. Well, no, we normally have new ball. We normally have new balls for practice. Well, these will be fine, they're tennis balls. Well, that's well, in our matches we're going to start with a certain type of one and they react a certain way. These have been beaten to shit for three days. So, like tennis balls. Tennis balls. Like all right, well, fuck me then.
Speaker 4:Um, so in in 2012, roger wins wimbledon and they put up a big poster of him in some tunnel of Wimbledon. The Olympics start a few weeks later and I walk by the poster and I notice that there is a black tape on Roger's wrist and I say, well, that's kind of weird. It's a little sloppy. Wimbledon usually really sort of has its act together. And then I realize exactly, rolex or whatever wasn't an official sponsor. So even the poster in the tunnel we're not talking about, like wearing it onto the court, even a poster in a tunnel had to have the logo blacked out. That was. That was jarring to me Extreme.
Speaker 1:I mean, listen, we're talking about? I'm talking about some things that are great about the Olympics, maybe some things that are imperfect from a player's perspective or a tennis player's perspective. But listen, is there a more powerful vehicle on earth like this? Is the ultimate flex from the olympics. What I'm about to tell you is you got team rafa raz right, nadal and alcaraz rafa raz, and they're doing pictures together. We're like not wearing Nike, wearing Joma.
Speaker 4:Hey, now that is a Joma bashing.
Speaker 1:That's a flex.
Speaker 4:Oh, you've had enough of the Joma bash.
Speaker 1:Oh God, I can't say anything. Uh, but like, honestly, like, um no, you're right, You're right, I mean there's Half a billion dollars of investment and then it's like, eh, joma, eh, olympics Joma, I don't know, it's just you know.
Speaker 4:Joma. That's it, Mike. Is Joma available for sponsorship? Not anymore, yeah not now. So let's, I mean it's. So you know, I was thinking about the differences, right? I mean on Best of three for men, a lot of players entering multiple events, no sponsorship we also have. Well, I mean, you know, let's sort of we're not going to get a day off guaranteed between matches. I mean, how much does this feel like a major on the ground? How much does this feel like Cincinnati, but you get a gold medal? How much?
Speaker 1:is it even a 500? I don't, I don't, I don't. No-transcript the same as a masters 1000. Now you go to rome, where it's a 48 draw and no one misses it, and compare it to this draw. It's just not the same. Now, all the big names are in it, it is weighted, it is great, but you don't walk around many main draws of slams and you've never seen someone before. You don't even know their name and it's great. I'm not saying it's wrong and also it's not the same. It's just not the same.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, and and I didn't make a run, so maybe I didn't get the feeling of it I saw my teammate make a run. Um, you know, but listen, I think it's each, each individual. I don't think that that's the thing we struggle with. It's like you throw a blanket over wimbledon and it's like this is the you know, or or the french open this is the most important term of the year. This could, you know, create a legacy if I win, win one of these, or you know, and I think half the draw feels that way about this and half the draw is like it's's pretty cool, I'm playing in the Olympics, this is fun, this is awesome. What an honor. This is great.
Speaker 1:But also, I think, if you ask people, is this important as a slam? And I certainly felt this pressure in 2004. Do you value this? You get on site and everyone's in their things and you kind of have this rush of blood and you're like excited, is this the same as a slam? Yeah, and then you know eight years later I'm like, nah, I definitely take. I would have definitely taken a Wimbledon title instead of that. A hundred percent no chance. Like it's not even worth a conversation. If you put me in this seat right now, you know and you give me hey, you could have an Olympic gold medal or you could have a Wimbledon title. It's not even up for discussion to me. But the point is it's different for everyone. We try to. We try to define value and you can't define value Like Roland Garros means more to someone than it meant to me, because I wasn't wasn't really a contender there. It didn't consume my thoughts all the time. So it is a little bit weird.
Speaker 1:I think one of the awesome things no-transcript on the men's side it's Gonzalez and Masu, not doubles players, right? And you look at the next one like to see Roger and Stan Wawrinka in 08, they played the Bryans and the semis they won. And then like, is this the? You know, one of the few times where Roger probably felt nerves playing doubles, where it wasn't an add-on or a net benefit to him playing singles or fun right, the Bryans win in 2012. In 2016, rafa wins with Mark Lopez, who career-high singles ranking, not in double digits right, he's a, he's a incredibly gifted IQ, but no weapons, not Alcaraz. I'll tell you that much Rafa Raz is, uh, is is Rafa might be like the story, um, going into the Olympics, cause I don't know when yeah, I don't know when they would have an excuse to enter doubles with consequence for them.
Speaker 1:They can enter Barcelona and they win, lose, but there's no consequence. Nobody remembers that looking back at their careers, because their careers have been so outsized. The mixed doubles is cool. Who's going to get paired with who? Who has practiced? Uh, you look at krachikov and sidiyakova all of a sudden, bad breakup. We're forced back together like this is thanksgiving dinner. We got to talk again, but it's interesting, I don't know. I I I'm kind of into the doubles part of the olympics because it forces consequence on people that aren't used to playing doubles with consequences.
Speaker 3:Yeah, can I ask you a quick question on that? Yeah, so when you look at, you know Rafa say advances past second round in the singles. You know advances through. How taxing is is, you know, playing both doubles and singles in this format?
Speaker 1:Um, I don't think. Well, that's a big one, that's a big if. Um, maybe, maybe the better example is if Alcaraz keeps advancing in both Um the fact that it's not an extended format and singles matters right, the reason that if if slams were two out of three sets, you would see 60% more singles players enter the doubles draw. What you have to guard against as a singles player in a major is that second round where shit gets weird and all of a sudden you win six, four in the fifth, and you've been out there for four hours and 50 minutes and you can't leave someone in the lurch if you need to bag right like we.
Speaker 1:Rod o'connor got a lot of criticism at wimbledon but no, she, her, she had murray for his entire career would have valued rightfully contending in singles at Wimbledon over anything else. You know. So you know from my perspective you don't want to risk pulling out on on on someone who. This is their thing, this is something that is very important to them and that doesn't exist here, mike, I mean Alcaraz can go play two out of three sets singles match and go play doubles match, and it's not the equivalent of of playing four brutal sets in singles alone. I don't think.
Speaker 3:And, like you said, alcaraz doesn't even face anybody in the top 25 until, potentially, the quarterfinals.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that doesn't mean that he can't be tested, it's just the balance is different. But I think also, when you're dealing with the Olympics, it's like once you commit's just a strange thing for the. You know the Rafa's, and he obviously did it well. He, you know, won the Olympic gold medal with Mark Lopez. No disrespect to Mark Lopez, but that was probably the first time that a lot of tennis fans had heard of Mark Lopez and it was. Rafa was the best doubles player in the tournament and there wasn't a close second in the 16 Olympics and he doesn't really play doubles that often. It was insane. But it is a shorter format. It's not the same as playing both in a slam and he's going to value them the same. If you ask Rafa and he's being honest, there's every chance he says we have a better shot winning the golden doubles than I do in singles. So all of a sudden your priority shift and then I'm guessing. But you know, it wouldn't be the craziest thing if he, if he came out and said that.
Speaker 4:One, one sidebar, one adjacent story, um Alcaraz staying in the village. I don't know if that's going to change, but not to go geography geek here. But boy, the village is a schlep from roland garros. I mean, it's completely the other side of paris at a time when traffic is going to be a peak. Um, I don't know if he's going to reconsider that decision. I mean, athletes do have the ability, I think, to break it up and spend a few nights in the village. Move out this year, oh you can you can do like.
Speaker 1:If he doesn't, though, god yeah it. So there's a couple things I'm gonna mean as I'm taking notes, a couple of things. In London it would have taken us an hour and 45 minutes to get to Wimbledon from the village. I didn't do it Like there's a hotel in Wimbledon village where I could walk to the courts, and at that point I had done the village before and I had you know it wouldn't shock me.
Speaker 1:I think there's almost like a next to zero chance that Alcaraz doesn't have like a burner room somewhere close to Roland Garros. You can stay in the village, you can get the feel for it. I you know. If he has to play, you know, two matches in a day and he's there from 9 am to9 pm. I know that the us team has a hotel that's within walking distance of of roland garros dean goldfein, who's the assistant captain, with bob and mike. I was here last week and I was with him right before his flight to Paris on Monday. Um, I would be stunned if he didn't at least reserve the option of switching if he needs to, because what is that? Packing your bags and bringing them to the courts that day and then bringing them to the hotel.
Speaker 1:That's not a huge shift, but when Marty and I Marty, uh, myself and Dean, who was the assistant captain of the oh four team as well we stayed in the village the entire time, right, that's what we wanted to do. And then when Marty started making his run, he didn't want to switch anything but we had, like I think it was three or four rooms in our, in our kind of like a little living area, and then these these rooms, and we would have, like Venus came and stayed for a night just to be in the village, if she had an off day or had, you know, some space, people wanted to come experience it. Martina was on that team and I think she gets you know, so Chanda was on that team, chanda Rubin, and she came and stayed. So it was basically like this, like this guest room where people would come for one night to experience the village and then go back to the, the hotel, so you can definitely go in and out. Uh, it's not as if they like trap you inside of the village, don't let you leave.
Speaker 1:Um, the transportation's weird. You do have to be in like an Olympic view, it's just it's. It's all kind of a little strange, um, but I would be stunned if Rafa, alcaraz, especially like the team USA basketball who you know, rafa and Alcaraz are on the fame level of what Iverson was during that Olympics and what all these other global superstars were. I got to think Rafa and the Chuckster can't walk six steps without an interaction with their fellow Olympian. That is the magic. That is what they're going to remember. That is the greatest. That is what they're going to remember. That is the. It's the greatest thing about it. And also, when you start a tournament and you're dealing with the stressors, it's probably not something you want to do every six steps If you get back at 9 PM and you have to get treatment, get food, get hydrated, do your job. So I'd be stunned if they didn't have the option to kind of pull the ripcord and stay somewhere else within walking distance if needed. That's a good point.
Speaker 4:Carlos looks like he's enjoying himself, which is good. You want a 60-second cool Olympic double story real quick? I do. It's 2008. Roger Federer is king of the world, except he loses to Novak in Australia. He gets split by Rafa at Roland Garros and then he loses that classic match to Rafa. Rodgers lost three majors in a row. What's going on with Rodgers? He goes to the Olympics, proud Swissman that he is, and loses. Correct me on this. Did James beat him? Someone beat Rodgers, surprisingly. So Someone beat Rodgers, james, right, yes, james beat him in the quarters. So Roger sticks around. He wins gold with Stan, so he gets to leave on a high note. Hey, he's a medalist.
Speaker 4:My source on this is Robert Federer, roger's father. This is from 2008. But Roger leaves China on a high note. He's won a medal. It's in doubles, he may be rather, it had been in singles, but this is good. This is a source of optimism. And now he is catapulted by that and he wins the US Open in 2008 and sort of career reset.
Speaker 4:And I remember Roger's father that night in New York when Roger won it's the only major of 2008,. But he said look, that win with Stan, that doubles gold medal, was such a huge deal to Roger's confidence and he came in here on a good mood even though he hadn't won a major this year. And of course, roger would win many more majors after that. But that Olympic gold medal and it probably you know, I'm in Rafa in 2016, not dissimilar that Olympic gold medal. I think you look back and you could make the case that was a real hinge point in Roger's career when it sort of salvaged a year and then he goes and wins the next major and then everything's back on track. He wins Wimbledon in 2009 again and we're back on track. So don't underestimate me.
Speaker 1:It's interesting. He won Wimbledon in 2009.
Speaker 4:As I was, saying that, exactly as I was saying that, I was hoping that would go unremarked.
Speaker 2:What a fucking prick you are.
Speaker 1:Let's go back to the overarching point.
Speaker 3:So, john, what you're saying is if he would have lost that doubles then I would have a Wimbledon title, nothing would have happened after. That.
Speaker 1:That's great.
Speaker 2:What an uplifting story. Yeah, where's our editor? Grade 60 seconds.
Speaker 1:Do we agree on this? Let us agree on this it's like looking at your weather app and it's like it's going to rain. Rain.
Speaker 4:A singles gold. Let's all agree A singles gold may not be equal to a major, but I would argue a doubles gold is superior to any other doubles title. Would you agree with that?
Speaker 1:I can't speak for it because that's not my reality. What I do know is that, for a tournament as far as fandom consumption and I'm not saying there aren't some fans who don't value the same the majority of fans are watching the singles and are giving that respect, that credit, to the singles. Um, this is different. Gold is gold. It's the same win, right, it's the same. You know you're you're beating iconic players for iconic titles. You know when it's it's and it's great. Like as as a and I was an active player. But Roger and Stan versus the Brian brothers and doubles, I'm going that is awesome, what is going to happen? And Bob and Mike would would. I don't care if singles players play or not. They would have been the greatest team of all time, regardless of participation of singles players, because they are that good, uh at at their craft. Um, you know so. I know what it meant to them. I mean, we've go back and listen to the show logs of of serve with bob and mike. That gold medal certainly meant as much to them as any grand slam that they had ever won.
Speaker 1:Right, there were the favorites in 04 didn't get it done. The favorites in 08 didn't get it done. They don't know if 16 is a a realistic thing for them. You never can project four years of health. Uh, that was huge. And they were nervy like isn't her? And I beat him in a practice set like three days earlier at Queens Club. But they did it and, yeah, I think that's the top of the mountain for them. And if you want to hear a hilarious story about the way they treat their medals and the fact that Bob said it on served, you have to go back and listen to this. But Bob, mike kept his really nice and Bob always kept his in his bag right so he could pull it out and take pictures. And Mike was like nope, it's staying at home, it's pristine. It's in a case. Bob goes in a year later and just steals Mike's gold medal and leaves his beat up one like just just just it, it was robber red it was a felon we'll link it in the bio.
Speaker 3:You guys go check it out it's great.
Speaker 1:But yeah, to your point gold is gold, gold is gold, is gold, is gold is gold. There is no difference in my mind. Singles, doubles, you know people like novak needs a singles gold. I'm like no, he just wants a gold because he doesn't have it, like he's not playing doubles because his knee's not ready. That just means he values his chances in singles more than doubles, which is accurate, you know, which is the right thing. As doubles, as you know, anything can really happen.
Speaker 3:Um, is the final best of three also uh, yeah, it is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just remember in 04, I remember the five setter with Masu and Marty was like heartbreak hotel, um. But yeah, it's all, it's all best of three. So it's, it's cool. It's not the biggest thing at the Olympics. It shouldn't be the biggest thing at the Olympics. They're going to be playing in the U S open to uh, you know, bigger crowds and the whole thing shortly after that. But I think it's great, I think it's awesome.
Speaker 1:I think first timers, I think the ability to participate in the Olympics was a dream come true for me, and a lot of what you see on TV isn't quite the way it is for the athletes behind the scenes. You know, simply, and don't project your shit onto Katie Ledecky because she's not walking in the opening ceremony. It doesn't mean she's not, she doesn't love her country. It means that she loves her country so much that she's going to do anything to continue winning gold medals for it. So if you have an opinion about someone athlete's decision, when they understand all of the factors and you understand very little if there was a week later, she would be walking you do not sacrifice your performance. Iga Sviantek should not do. I mean listen if she walks, great. If she doesn't, we know the reasons why. They're very clear. Save your faux anger.
Speaker 3:Can we talk about how cool it is that Coco is? You know one of the flag bearers and what that means like for where tennis is you know, globally, but also in the american lexicon, and what she represents yeah, she's well one it's.
Speaker 1:You don't get those honors if, if you're missing a bunch of notes publicly. She's a, she's a, she's a grown-up like I. I'm embarrassed for the 20 year old version of myself whenever I'm around her. Honestly, she's, she's, she's, she's, she's phenomenal, she's intelligent, she's talented, confident, uh, but all with a sense of humor too. Like she's. She's just great I.
Speaker 1:And this is well-deserved. And the thing that would mean the most to me if I was Coco is the fact that your fellow athletes from your country had a say in it. Right, they had a vote for it. And all of a sudden, lebron James and Coco and you could generally see in the video and if you haven't seen it, go look it up where Eubanks kind of gives this speech and says all the things that we just said and then tells Coco. You can almost see this like, almost like disbelief, but you can also see her teammates don't begrudge her, they like her, they really, really do, and I think it's just a huge deal for tennis to be, to be front and center where it's. I mean, we say it all the time.
Speaker 1:I was wrong. I thought there was going to be a massive vacuum of interest post big three post Serena. Right, that's going to be hard. We're gonna have to overcome it in walks Coco. You know, one of the most marketable global stars in walks Alcaraz, maybe the most fun guy that I've ever seen on a tennis court. And here we are all good, no problem, no worries, all good, um, but listen, well-deserved honor she's going to. She's going to do that Well, she's going to give it the respect it deserves. Um, you know, and if you asked her, she would probably say, hey, if Ledecky didn't have to swim the next day, she should have done it. Coco would probably say that she would tell you that herself. But I think it's awesome. I think it's a great moment for tennis, I think it's a great choice for the USA and you know it's humbling, but she's someone who will grasp it and not take it for granted in my mind.
Speaker 4:So the IOC sent this guide and it says things like uh, you're not supposed to say synchronized swimming, it's now artistic swimming. Perhaps you didn't know that it's not break dancing, it's breaking, I think, uh, what the Turkey is, pronounced Turkia, but also buried in there is a stack that there are only 15 Russian athletes who are now competing as, as neutral individuals. Seven are tennis players I think a, a I N?
Speaker 4:uh neutral individuals. Seven are tennis players. I think AIN, yes, almost half of them are tennis players. Do you have thought? And we should add, too, belarus, subject to similar provisions. They also would have had to be neutrals, but they're two athletes from Belarus in the top 20 on the women's side. Neither of them are going to be in Paris. So seven out of 15 Russian athletes are tennis players. Do you have thoughts? Do you want to go there? Should we skip it?
Speaker 1:No, we can go there. There's no right answer here. And just let it be known that anything I say right now it's like I'm going to get fully Twitter fingered for it. Do I think that Daniil Medvedev has to, should be punished and not be able to play in one of the, you know, biggest events of the year? I'm not mad at him for going. I I more power to him.
Speaker 1:He qualified, there's a way for him to be amongst his fellow tennis players. You know, and it it, just, it, just all sucks. There's no way to. You know, there's no way to gauge who should be. You know, should tennis players and other Russian athletes who don't have anything to do with the decision of Russia to invade Ukraine, not be able to live their dreams out at the Olympics? That sucks.
Speaker 1:And also, don't invade countries. Don't invade sovereign nations, so it's like there's no, there's no right answer, it's uncomfortable. A nation, so it's like there's no, there's no right answer, it's uncomfortable. I'm happy If Medvedev is happy to be there, like I'm. I'm happy for him that he's there. If he, if he, chooses to want to go, it's got to suck not to be able to play. You know, for your country, or you know the country that your parents are from or you know it's not all good, all bad, it's just not right. But there are consequences to geopolitical actions and the Olympics seem to be rightfully so. It's the biggest global sporting event in the world. Historically has been a lightning rod for a lot of geopolitical issues. This is not anything new.
Speaker 4:One thing I draw distinction on is are we punishing a country for geopolitical acts, for unilaterally invading sovereign nations, as Russia did two years ago, or well, that's what I was going to say.
Speaker 4:If this is a ban because you've run a systematic doping campaign at a previous Olympics that has subverted competition and completely contaminated integrity, I think that's a much better case to ban an entire delegation.
Speaker 4:I decide with you, and we saw with Wimbledon. I mean Daniel Medvedev, who travels the world, he's an independent contractor, there's a three-letter country code in his name but he's not playing for he's not taking the court with a flag when he plays in Cincinnati, lives in Monte Carlo. I mean it just it seems awfully unfair to the athlete to and I see the other side and obviously we want to do what we can to use platforms and the fact I think I think what's relevant here too is that Putin is sort of singularly into sports and triumphalism and power and if Russians win gold as part of his whole propaganda. But I just it really sits badly with me that someone like Medvedev not be able to play. I just, I just think we should all draw a distinction between punishing countries which quickly becomes a slippery slope anyway, and you know what when you hosted Olympics and there's a system, wide camp, all right. Next question so here's the well actually I got go ahead, Mike.
Speaker 3:I just have a quick question so so, like Medvedev, is he paying his own way, right, like everyone else? Us athletes get stipends and stuff like to these.
Speaker 1:He probably is.
Speaker 4:Oh no, there's no, go ahead, john. Well, there's no. There's no Russian Federation per se for the Olympics. So in theory, yeah, I mean I'll, I'll give you a weird one with this. So if Medvedev were to win, they wouldn't say he'll go on the medal stand but he can't have a flag, and they won't play the Russian national anthem, but apparently they will play music.
Speaker 2:So I don't know if he gets to request round ball rock.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I was thinking he should you know, maybe we shouldn't joke about this. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:I know we're talking about very serious stuff and I get, I we've recently gotten in trouble, john wertheim, for talking about serious stuff, but also like with some levity like glass, yeah, and you know you can be the most offended version of yourself if it people like.
Speaker 1:What I've realized with this podcast is people like to, they like levity as long as it doesn't exist in their orbit. As soon as it comes to their orbit, then they get. Then they get super offended, but they're okay with levity about everyone else's orbit. Uh, anyways, but like I'm just telling you, like if Danielle Medvedev and I think that's what you just said if he takes the metal stand and all of a sudden you remember like that's what you said the intro to the old nba games, right, I would fall, I would fall over.
Speaker 1:It would be, I would fall over, I would fall over also is the rights holder right, it would be unbelievable, like if he did, that would be, I would. I would actually think I would cry real human adult tears. Uh, the other thing with the russian thing. I'm glad you brought up the point where it's not exactly punishment for invading a sovereign nation, which they've also done, but just tons of positive tests in their doping program and it's like okay, here, here are the, and when you get tested, it's a blind sample. No one's looking. No, no, no one actually who is running the tests on the sample knows who they're running the tests on You're. You're a number, you're not a country, you're not a name. You are a random number in a glass jar full of piss. That is what you are. That, that is. That is that is doping.
Speaker 1:And then, all of a sudden, those tests come back and this is positive. Okay, let's find the number. And then it works backwards to the name. So there's, there's no way you can actually like, give false positives and so, uh, in in, in true to form this is no, we didn't test positive, this is all fake, it's not, it's, it's like it's, it is what it is and it's like you. You literally seal the sample. The bottle clicks 17 times. You could, like you can't get it out of there once it's in there, like unless you have the specific machinery. So, no, you were running a massive doping uh situation like they're and you can't. Well, well, these are the results. Well, they're not true? Well, they're actually, like, scientifically proven to be that result anonymously. Nope, okay.
Speaker 4:Whatever Don't don't. Don't you know that any adverse finding anywhere is rigged?
Speaker 2:It's a witch hunt. Let's not we've done, we've done so well, we've done so well, we've done so well for so long.
Speaker 4:Let me ask you a lighter question. Every Olympics, what do we get? There is the inevitable story, it's the obligatory story about the pin trading, and all I need is that Turkish judoka to give me three for the prize. I mean, it's this great bartering for these Olympic pins. So I ask you all these years later, where are your Olympic pins? What happens to these pins? Where are your pins?
Speaker 1:I found a bag. I found a bag and one I'm not. This is I'm the wrong person to ask, because I don't keep stuff Like I don't have. You wouldn't know. I mean, Mike comes over, he's over at my house all the time. You wouldn't know I play tennis, unless you went to a very specific corner and saw things on the ground. In my office I literally only have those because if people come over and they go, can I see the US Open trophy? I'm like, yeah, fine, it's there, but there's not on display. My son didn't know that I played tennis until he went to kindergarten. So I'm not the person to ask about being precious, about keepsakes.
Speaker 1:I enjoyed the hunt and the. I'll trade you this the, the, the sense of community in in Wimbledon village. But I went and visited my mother in December Uh, maybe it was February, I don't know Recently with my son, cause we wanted to go hunt for uh, old baseball cards that I used to have and that my dad might've had, um in in a, in a basement or an attic, and that was like an activity we were going to do. So we're up there looking for old baseball cards and I like blow the dust off of a bag and then I unzip it and it's all like my. It actually was kind of cool. It was like all the old Olympic clothes that I never wore, still in the plastic and so there were some pins in there, but it was cool to see still like I, I, I, but I'm, I'm.
Speaker 1:I'm not the person to ask this question to because I threw away every trophy uh that I have. Like you would, you would walk into our house right now and you would not see anything, not a single thing from from tennis. So I'm not the person to ask. Maybe just a, maybe just a wilson racket bag on the ground hey, hello um yeah, so I don't know.
Speaker 4:That's all to your credit all right, and no, I don't know, maybe I'm a day to your credit or I'm disrespectful and everything sucks, but I'm not the person to ask.
Speaker 1:Can you tell them how?
Speaker 3:your son found out that you had played tennis because he found a book of Andy Roddick in the school library.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, for a while he thought like he was like okay, that's, that's, that's great dad, and but all the while, like he goes to, he goes to school, and then he goes to library and there was this old book from whatever, and so he starts looking through it and it he's like oh, so he thought I was like a tennis pro, like I he's like like what club do you teach at? And then he found this book at a library and then it was like kind of you know, we it was.
Speaker 1:We had a conversation night, but then he went the opposite way with it, where he's like my dad was the best player ever. I'm like bro, do not say that to anyone out loud.
Speaker 1:That is you are embarrassing yourself right now, you are insane. So now he gets, he's like, yeah, you were like good, good, but you weren't like great. I'm like that's the one, that's the one, that's it, that's fantastic, we, we, we finally found it. But he went the other way and he, my and Mike will tell you, my son does not have like a small voice.
Speaker 3:He projects what he is saying.
Speaker 1:So he would say stuff like to thinking I was Novak in a very short amount of time. Served is proudly presented by Chase. Did you know Chase cardholders can access exclusive benefits like preferred seating, discounts on merch concessions and more, at your favorite events and venues around the country. Visit chasecom slash experiences to learn more. Thank you for listening. To serve, presented by chase guys. This is it. You can ask all of the weird olympic questions that you would like to ask and I will give you my best, my best guess at the answer uh, mike go ahead.
Speaker 3:Well, sean sean had brought up in our like pre-call that one of the athletes is doing like their version of of love island oh yeah, tell me about that.
Speaker 2:That was funny yeah, her name's alona. I'm not gonna pretend to say her name, well, but instead of, like the love island villa, it's the olympic villa, so she just makes these funny videos where she's going around, you know talking about. She bumps into someone you know getting food and she's like already planning their wedding and you know it's hilarious, you guys gotta check it out.
Speaker 1:What's the? Uh? Shout out the name like how? How is it spelled? Like on, and where do you find her?
Speaker 2:on tick tock tick tock instagram elona maher. I l o n a m h m a h e r. She's hilarious. That's cool. She's on the rugby team so, like how?
Speaker 3:how legit is this andy? Like what, what is? What is the love island of the olympics? Like yeah it's like tale as old as time, right yeah, it's.
Speaker 1:I mean, yeah, it's like anything. Imagine preparing for something for four years, like a lot of you go to your like business conferences and when two days is over, you lose your mind and drink yourself into oblivion. Now imagine if you had been training for four years like this is the Catalina fucking wine mixer, mike, this is the Catalina wine mixer. Uh, so imagine, yeah, I mean, oh, four, I'm staying in the village and you could tell which events finished what days by, basically, who was like falling down the streets of of the village and you know which country got after the hardest oh, the aussies can drink anyone under the table do not, try, don't
Speaker 1:100 if I was like, oh man, yeah, let's go have we have. We'll just go have a few. You're dead. You actually need to write a will if. If that happens but yeah, I mean the stories exist for a reason. People get weird. Like everyone is in shape and and beautiful like it's, beautiful Like it's. I mean, yeah, it's going to happen. They I remember seeing it in this. I got to edit this out if you need to, but I remember like you would leave events and there was just like you'd leave like your building to walk out and right by the front door, like a week into the Olympics, there's just a plastic bucket of condoms. I mean, like you I don't know like it sounds weird, but you can't leave the village much like you have to be on like an olympic sanctioned bus going to a venue and then back. So let's not as if you're like cruising down the street to cvs anyways.
Speaker 1:So yeah, like yes yes, it exists for a reason. Yeah, and if anyone thinks it's weird, they either didn't go to college or they're lying to themselves. You know, I don't know. I assume that's what every Friday night in college was like. Right, yeah, 100%. Yeah so get over it, whatever, at least the attempt. Yeah, you can be in the best in the world at a sport and also, like you know, want to go nuts. Anything else are we just gonna leave on that awkward note?
Speaker 3:I think, I think really. I mean I know we were joking around about it earlier, but like the, the essence of representing your country, right and like you said, like going and doing something that you've been training for for four years and tennis players aren't necessarily training for this specifically for four years, but as as an isolated sport, right that tennis is in the professional level how enjoyable was it to like, take a moment, represent your country, come together with other tennis players specifically?
Speaker 1:It was. It was an honor for me to be asked and then it was a bigger honor to be around so many people that excel at what they do, like you think about. Think about the reality of living in the Olympic village where you can't walk eight steps without bumping into someone who's the best in the world at what they do. I'll never be in that situation again in my entire life. With you know, the, the per capita proximity to greatness. So cool, what do you? And a lot of you know it's not like you're walking around and every Olympian is is is famous, like basketball famous, tennis famous it's hey, what do you do? Oh, I'm the gold medalist from four years ago in jujitsu. Oh, this guy could decapitate me in one and a half seconds, you know, but still hot. Like it was just that. That part to me meant so much. Like I was like, oh, I'm actually kind of a piece of shit here compared to all these people who are so good at what they do, and that was humbling to me. Like just the proximity to greatness, and like watching someone in a uniform walking to Wimbledon village to catch a bus and going. I wonder which sport they're going to dominate at today. I wonder what's their story? What does their day look like? When are they going to perform? Is it five days from now? Are they walking? Will they have a gold medal by the end of the day and then be back in the team room at the Olympic Village?
Speaker 1:It's like excellence camp. It's like excellence camp. It's crazy. It's one excellence camp. It's crazy. It's one of the coolest things I've ever done. Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's like a Netflix show, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Good luck.
Speaker 3:I hear Olympic rights are really easy to get, just excellence camp yeah.
Speaker 1:Excellence camp. Oh, maybe Techie Sean, what's up?
Speaker 2:Who is the athlete that you remember bumping into?
Speaker 1:Like who was the most memorable? I mean, the one who was it was you might as well have been the beatles was michael phelps. You know you, 2000 I mean, and rightfully so they just named him the the best athlete, um, you know what was the 21st century or whatever it is, but like his career statistics, uh, usain bolt would walk around the olympics and it was like time would stop. Um, but usa men's basketball. They came to the village just to say hello and it was a mob scene, like it was an absolute crazy, you know crazy existence. But then it was also fun because like you'd see your tennis people, you know you'd be walking around like hey, man, how's it going? He's like what's up, and then you just kind of walk on your way. It was like I'll see you next week also in mason. Um, which we will see you next week in mason, mike is that?
Speaker 3:is that correct? Yes, sir, it'll be august 9th look at that august 9th we're doing our first live event. Come, come all open invite at the Sonder Brewing in Mason, ohio and doors open whenever they open earlier in the day. But we will go on the air at 6.30 for an hour and then we'll do some Q&A after.
Speaker 1:Yep, Looking forward to it. We have never done a live show. We pretty much shoot all of our shows live, so it shouldn't be much different. But I don't know, Mike, I'm going to have to wear an undershirt.
Speaker 3:It's going to be muggy, yeah you're going to be a little bit sweaty.
Speaker 2:We'll get you a fan, you know, we'll get you one of those cooling neck things.
Speaker 3:I'll see if I can find somebody to sponsor us Just because you're one of those little fans, the two things we need.
Speaker 1:I need that fan you're talking about and it would be great also. So multiple needs for different types of fans. This has been your Olympic preview, hopefully. As always, our goal is to give you a peek behind the curtain. I was lucky enough to play in two of them. One of them I did all of the Olympic things village, the whole thing One of the most special things that I have ever done. And also, don't get mad at adults for making the decisions they need to make for their careers. I can't imagine you walking into your accountant's office and berating them about the decisions they've made for their time. So don't do that. Everyone just appreciate the people that are there and try to be understanding of the reasons why people make the decisions they do. This has been Served. Presented by Chase. We'll see you next week.
