US Open Preview 2026! Everything To Look Out For!

     Episode 302: US Open Preview 2026! EverythingTo Look Out For!

 

DISCLAIMER: Please note we use a transcription service, so there may be some errors in the following transcript for the episode. If you can, refer to the audio for the exact quotations.

 

Dan Kiernan (00:00)

Welcome to episode 302 of Control the Controllables. And we're coming from New York. It's the fourth major championship of 2026, the fourth and the final major championship of 2026 as we go into the US Open. And today's episode is all US Open. It's the preview. It's our panel. We have Freddie Nielsen, the ever present and Freddie.

 

Just a little word of warning. He's on holiday in Wales. Now how you get a Danish guy married to an American woman who go holiday in Wales. I think that's, it's nice to hear, but Wales out in the sticks, his wifi isn't the best. So we don't pick up so much from Freddie. Candy Reid, our again ever present over the last couple of years, Candy joins us from New York where I also am. And she was in...

 

She was in between, commentary matches. So she joins us for about an hour and then a first timer in Johnny Delgado, the amazing Johnny Delgado, anyone that knows Johnny, the Delgado family, Jamie Delgado, Paul Delgado and, and Johnny who has been a coach for many years was a, was a great little player again, many years ago and also has his own podcast. And it was brilliant to have Johnny for us to discuss all things US Open 2026. 

 

Fred (01:27)

Absolute shambles.

 

Dan Kiernan (01:27)

So US Open preview panelists, a big welcome. How you doing?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (01:31)

Very good.

 

Candy Reid (01:32)

Bye, John.

 

Dan Kiernan (01:34)

And that is it. is a new voice and face that you are hearing guys. And, it's a voice that you might hear on a Friday, actually, ironically, having the conversation on a Friday and it's normally someone along the line of Friday sessions, you know, ready to, I'm ready for the guitar to come out. Johnny Delgado, a big welcome to control the controllables. How are you young man?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (01:56)

I feel honoured, honoured to be joining you this afternoon.

 

Dan Kiernan (02:00)

And I do joking aside, do think we could have maybe—

 

Candy Reid (02:02)

Don't feel too honored.

 

Dan Kiernan (02:03)

—we could have Candy. What you're at and we could have maybe a little Friday sessions at the end. Johnny gets his guitar out. Me, you and Freddie.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (02:10)

I can I c yeah, you'll you'll lose all your followers in about ten minutes there, if if I did that. Yeah.

 

Candy Reid(02:15)

We can sing Friday We're in Love by Robert Smith.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (02:20)

Yeah, yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (02:21)

You lead us off, Candy.

 

Candy Reid(02:22)

He's just done a duet with Olivia Rodrigo. I could be the Olivia Rodrigo part. You could do Robert Smith and Dan could be, well, not quite sure.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (02:29)

Yeah, I d I don't we I I don't have the make up, but

 

Dan Kiernan (02:32)

And I was just saying, this is probably our 24th Grand Slam preview or review. Actually, no more than that. That's not right. There's 80 here. So it's actually, wow, we're probably well over 40 actually. And Freddie Nielsen's missed one. And as I said that his wifi went off. He was with us, but the wifi obviously was listening in and wanted him to miss the second one.

 

And Candy, we have you for a little while and you are you are in New York. Tell us, tell us about New York.

 

Candy Reid (03:04)

Yes, I am.

 

Dan Kiernan (03:06)

How is it US Open? How's it all going for you—

 

Candy Reid (03:09)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (03:10)

—so far?

 

Candy Reid (03:10)

We'll be watching the mixed doubles tournament, which was expanded this year. So there was some qualifying, some doubles players, including Henry Patten, Lloyd Glasspool, Harri Heliövaaraall had to qualify. Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani were the defending champions. They were in the main draw, but they didn't win it this year. It was won by the Czechs by Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik on Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

 

Qualifying has just happened and Qinwen Zheng, the Paris Olympic Women's gold medalist has just had to qualify. She did. She won 6-11 the third. It's incredible though. She's ranked down at 121. She had elbow surgery last July. A lot of pressure to come through because she took, I think she used a protected ranking to play Beijing last year, so she didn't have a protected ranking. So she had to qualify. We've also had Grigor Dimitrov in qualifying here. He's qualified. Kaneish Akhory doing his last year.

 

He could qualify, he's got one more match to go. And Stan Wawrinka has been given a wild card into the main event. So he's just flown over, he just shot some pictures of him, I think in first class on a Swiss airlines coming to New York. So all is right in the world because Stan, the man, is back at the US Open.

 

Dan Kiernan (04:23)

But he didn't have a wild card, he? But then he did.

 

Candy Reid(04:25)

He didn't initially. He did. The reason was that the names lost on the name, but one of the American players withdrew. And so Stanford Frink had got the wild. Patrick Kypson. Patrick  Kypson did not take up his wild card. So there was one available and the organizers gave it to Stan the man.

 

Dan Kiernan (04:46)

Did he get an envelope?

 

Did he get an envelope, old Patrick? Because when Federica didn't get it, I think there was a —

 

Candy Reid (04:52)

Hahaha!

 

Dan Kiernan(04:53)

—lot of talk, wasn't there? know, like, come on, he's won the event at his final US Open. Monfils has been given one. know, like, Stan, he's right up there as one of the greatest players we've seen over the last few years. There was a lot of pressure on the USDA, a lot of pressure on Craig Tiley, his first year at the US Open.

 

So did Patrick wake up to a little envelope that said, you withdraw from this event now, Patrick, and we'll bring you back next year.

 

Candy Reid (05:26)

I cannot confirm or deny.

 

Dan Kiernan (05:28)

And, and Johnny, I want to bring you in at this point and I'm a bit afraid to bring Freddie in cause I'm not sure his wifi is working, but I will bring Freddie in in a minute. Mixed doubles, mixed doubles.

 

Candy Reid(05:36)

Hahaha!

 

Dan Kiernan (05:38)

We're not going to go on you. You, if anyone had heard our, our Wimbledon review, there was, there was some, a little bit of ranting and raving and emotions. And you know, there is a ATP meet coaches meeting on Saturday here in New York, which I'll maybe report back afterwards.

 

I'm kind of doing yoga the next two or three days just to try and just, just bring it down, you know, and make sure I go into that meeting, a little bit more question-based than emotion-based, but mixed doubles. Mikova, Mensik won the mixed doubles. Are they major champions? Johnny Delgado.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (06:16)

Now for me, I mean obviously it's a little bit more expanded than the last year's mixed doubles, right? So they're they they had to play a bit more tennis to to win it than they did last year. but for me, I think you the the you've got to have a full draw and a full tournament just to stick to the rules of tennis, you know, what's been going for many years to it it it's it's I think it's good for the fans. It seems to have been received pretty well, having some of the big names and like Candy said, having some of the doubles players in there as well.

 

It yeah, it looks like they had good crowds and good attendance, but for me, not sure if you can count that as a grand slam title. Just cheapens, I think, a little bit the Wimbledon, the French and the Australian efforts when they come through mixed doubles winning full matches, let's say. so for me, I don't think you can count it as a f as as a grand slam on the record. Maybe a little asterisk asterisk next to it.

 

Dan Kiernan (07:01)

By the way, a lot of players don't count mixed doubles as a Grand Slam title anyway.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (07:07)

Really?

 

Dan Kiernan (07:07)

Because it's not a points-based event. I know when I was coaching Harry Heliovara 2023, he won the mixed doubles and certainly the word was, that's not a Grand Slam. When you get like, you hear Jamie Murray's won seven grand slams, you get people going, no, he hasn't.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (07:29)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (07:30)

So I think Mixed Doubles has always carried that a little bit. I'm not gonna hop on too much. I did do a couple of podcasts earlier this week about the Mixed Doubles. I actually think it's a fantastic exhibition event. I think it's brilliant, but it's an exhibition. And having the pleasure of sitting there court side in the box with Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe as they played Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams and Arthur—

 

Candy Reid (07:53)

Mm-hmm.

 

Dan Kiernan (07:53)

—Ashe. That was so cool. Do know what it like?

 

Yeah, just, do you know, the way I would describe it, Johnny, it was, think we throw the word iconic around a little bit, but Serena Williams is not just a sporting icon. She is like potentially one of the most iconic females that we have on the planet, right? 

 

Like she kind of oozes that. And then Carlos Alcaraz, I I had the pleasure of watching Roger Federer the other day as well on Ash Hitting. And obviously he's just this incredible icon, you know, up there, you you've got your Muhammad Ali's, you've got your Michael JorDan Kiernan's, you've got your, you know, Federer's there. I'm not saying Alcaraz is there yet, but Alcaraz is by far the most aura and iconic current male tennis player, like by far, by far—

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (08:47)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (08:47)

—by far, by far. And him walking on court and I loved his outfit and him and seeing him and Serena together. And there was a little moment where they were right by our box and you know, Carlos is kind of, he's got a smile on his face and he's looking around and he's like, and Serena walked up to him.

 

And it reminded me of my mom when I was messing around, when I was in church or something, do you know what I mean? And you're not supposed to, and Serena looked at him and Carlos all of a sudden went from—

 

Candy Reid (09:17)

Hehehehe

 

Dan Kiernan (09:18)

—being like, I better lock in now. So I think the fact that that event gave us those moments was pretty special, actually. I actually thought the semis, and I went on, Ash, I don't know what you think, Candy, I actually thought the semis in final were a bit crap.

 

a bit boring and I don't think the atmosphere–

 

Candy Reid (09:38)

Mm.

 

Dan Kiernan (09:39)

—was great but I think it gave us this arena Carlos moment and the last thing I'll say on it because I could talk about this forever and is is I do think the contrast of double specialists playing against singles players is really cool as well in terms of the points it gives us so like last year Vavassori, Errani there was that that was like spectate

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (09:58)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (10:02)

you saw

 

You know, the players struggling to return Fritz, struggling to return Errani, serve with Vavassori moving at the net. That kind—

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (10:11)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (10:12)

—of contrast is kind of certainly for me, I think very entertaining and also the emotion, the emotive topic of singles versus doubles can, I think can be played off a little bit. Whereas the singles versus singles, let's be completely brutally honest, they're there because they're getting paid a shitload of money.

 

It's not just the prize money, they're all on big appearance fees. It didn't quite have that feeling of desperation to win. But yeah, I don't know what you thought, Candy.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (10:32)

Yeah. Yeah. One thing I did like actually I just just heard Carlos interviewed afterwards and obviously been away for four months and he was saying it's just kind of good to get in front of a crowd of people again. So I think that's going to be quite useful for him.

 

When he goes into his singles actually get out there in front of a a a full stadi well yeah n a full stadium of people, that'll help him having not played a match going into the singles for sure.

 

Dan Kiernan (11:03)

He struggled and Freddy, are you with us? Have we Wi-Fi'd up?

 

Freddie Nielsen  (11:07)

I think it looks like it, yes. I'm—

 

Dan Kiernan (11:09)

We're in.

 

Freddie Nielsen (11:09)

—sorry, it's not easy. I'm fighting my best here.

 

Dan Kiernan (11:13)

And while we talk about Carlos, because let's move into the men's singles.

 

Alcaraz, I said on the podcast two nights ago, I don't think Carlos Alcaraz will play. The reason I said that was one watching the mixed doubles, he looked all over the place and he looked like he was still fresh to this coming back. He lost one and two to Feast the other day on a practice match. He lost six one to Merida in a practice match.Why is he putting himself in a position where best of five sets is his first tournament back? Feels a bit strange.

 

I also think it's a bit strange he didn't request a Sunday start because if he got a Sunday start he could have potentially get through first round which by the way is a tough match and then taken two days before the second round. Now that the draw's done I would say it's probably 80 % chance that he plays. I thought potentially he would pull out before the draw was done. I don't see Alcaraz as a as a get in the draw then pull out sort of guy because that does kind of mess the draw up.

 

But he plays softball in first round, Freddie, you know, not easy at all. Obviously that guy, when that guy catches fire, he catches fire as Fonseca saw at Wimbledon. Where do you see Carlos Alcaraz in this this draw in this tournament? Do you give him a chance in hell of going deep? And I guess does he even make iT, make it to the court on day one?

 

Freddie Nielsen (12:38)

Yeah, I think like you said, we'll it the fact that he's already still in it means that he is probably gonna try it out. And the reason why he wants to go is obviously because he's so excited to get back on the court. And I think he's also one of those guys. I don't think it bothers him too much if he were to lose. I don't think he has a chance to win. That would be it I it would be very, very surprising to me to go from that low amount of quantity and tennis.

 

In a very competitive field to then go deep and and and make a run. But having said that, these players, these extraordinary talents, they they're capable of doing stuff that is shouldn't be logical. So I wouldn't rule it out if if something was to happen because you never know when he's gonna catch fire. But I think it's unlikely that he he makes a deep run, considering what the what what's been going on the last few months.

 

Dan Kiernan (13:29)

And what do we think on the men's side? Firstly, I guess if we look at maybe some dark horses and Johnny to be clear, if we can be clear, because we've struggled to be clear over the last 50 episodes when we've talked about a dark horse. A dark—

 

Candy Reid (13:46)

Hmm.

 

Dan Kiernan (13:46)

—horse is somebody who listener who is not a massive tennis fan might not have heard of.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (13:55)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (13:55)

That you give that you give a chance to have a bit of a run last 16 a quarterfinal run probably isn't going to ever win the event.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (14:02)

Isn't going to be the event.

 

Dan Kiernan (14:05)

Who's jumping out at you? I'll go to you Candy.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (14:07)

I mean for…

 

Dan Kiernan (14:08)

John will go okay John he's on it he's there.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (14:10)

Sorry, yeah, no, I think I mean.

 

Candy Reid (14:10)

Yeah, let's go.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (14:11)

A lot a lot of people mentioning Jodar's name. Maybe he's obviously had a great year and he's able to get through. Does he not count? Not a dark course.

 

Dan Kiernan (14:14)

No, not a Dark Horse, mate. No, he's—

 

Candy Reid (14:17)

Hehehehehe.

 

Dan Kiernan (14:18)

—my pick to win it.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (14:20)

Really? Wow. Okay. Yeah. so

 

Candy Reid (14:21)

Jodar. Wow. Really Dan?

 

Dan Kiernan (14:23)

He's my pick to win it.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (14:25)

I'm gonna go with somebody that's had a very good last couple of weeks, but I'm not sure if he's seeded or not. But Nakashima's been on fire for the last month or two. I'm not sure whether he can do it over five—

 

Candy Reid (14:34)

Brilliant one.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (14:35)

—sets over two weeks. That's something we haven't seen him do. he's had some really, really good results, but just the last couple of weeks he's been on fire. There's obviously a good group of Americans that are all seeded and they're all big names, but I'd go Nakashima as somebody to make second week. I think you make second week, d j just judging from his last two tournaments.

 

Candy Reid (14:53)

I will say that Nakashima in the US hard courts, Nakashima has won more points than anybody else, including Ben Shelton,

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (15:00)

Wow. Yeah.

 

Candy Reid (15:01)

Including Jodar. He has more points over the hard court season.

 

And you want to know why Nakashima is playing such great tennis, in my opinion?

 

Wayne Ferreira. Great coach, Wayne Ferreira. We had a great conversation with Wayne in Washington. It was one of our coaches' pieces.

 

Wayne Ferreira took Tiafoe into the top 10.

 

2024 at Queens. And then Tiapo said he felt like he didn't get any better and that's why they parted. And now Ferreira jumped on, was it with Poparin for a little bit? Or Sonigo, can't remember. I always get those two mixed up.

 

Dan Kiernan (15:31)

Top room.

 

Candy Reid (15:32)

Now it's with Nakashima and Nakashima has the game, doesn't he? He's got an unbelievable game, repeatable shots in his technique. Whoever taught Brandon Nakashima to play tennis in the early days is an absolute genius. That's my opinion again, but so good. And now Wayne Forever's putting the finishing touches on it.

 

Dan Kiernan (15:47)

Johnny, you're first timer. I'm very experienced in this game. You're coming in first timer and you're taking my dark holes immediately. Well, the problem—

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (16:00)

really? It's 'cause we both know our onions. Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (16:05)

—is, the bit that I need to now mention is I'm never right.

 

It might sound like it's a good thing to go for, but I think Nakashima is the one that absolutely jumps out at the page, right? You know, and, you know, on that side. Freddie's always good at giving us the, giving us a dark horse. He often, he often comes up with a good one. He sometimes picks previous Grand Slam winners, which is not quite the game, but he does come up with some commands.

 

Freddie Nielsen (16:32)

This is this is this is a b

 

I'll I'll I'll give you the that that I pick people that are not in the tournament. You're more likely to pick previous big winners than I am. I think that's unfair, but

 

Dan Kiernan (16:42)

I actually have a previous finalist on the women's side, but I'm going to explain my way around that, but we'll get to that in a…

 

Freddie Nielsen (16:49)

But I don't think Nakashima is the dark horse the way you talk, because I think he might have a shot at actually winning the thing. So I don't think he qualifies as a…

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (16:56)

Is is he seated?

 

Freddie Nielsen (16:57)

Yeah, he's seated.

 

Dan Kiernan (16:58)

20.

 

Freddie Nielsen (17:00)

So I actually I think that the most important thing this this season, everything is so open, people are beating each other. I think the big thing is is who's getting in in shape and in confidence. I think that's gonna matter. And he has confidence. 

 

Some of the other guys, I'm sure we come to those when we talk about the potential winners. think they have confidence and I think yeah, I I actually think Nakashima has a real good chance of going really deep and the only thing that could be an issue is how does he hold up at home in front of home crowd, going deep into a slam is never gonna be an issue, but I think he's pretty steady and cool and he's beaten good guys in slams before. So I I think he's he has potential to go deeper than than a dark hor a dark horse would.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (17:40)

Okay.

 

Dan Kiernan (17:40)

How's he's draw?How's Nakashima's draw? Have a little look he's yeah look at okay

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (17:44)

Baez first round to play Mickelsen or qualifier.

 

Dan Kiernan (17:48)

Okay, so the Michelsen wouldn't be easy.

 

Candy Reid (17:50)

to control.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (17:51)

And then he's got Etcheverry is no Rublev's seed.

 

Candy Reid (17:51)

and make us in, Nakashima's

 

better though.

 

Dan Kiernan (17:54)

Potentially a rubler via I think he's probably favorite for that then potentially a Djokovic and in round of 16. Obviously there's a long way to go before that but Okay, so that's an interesting interesting one anybody else worth a mention guys on the men's side doc of dark horses.

 

Candy Reid (18:09)

Yes, I've

 

got two dark horses. And how about this for the darkest of dark horses? Alex Molcan. How

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (18:16)

Wow, yeah.

 

Candy Reid (18:17)

about that for a name? That is a proper dark horse.

 

Freddie Nielsen (18:20)

Very much so.

 

Dan Kiernan (18:21)

so dark you're gonna have to tell us more.

 

Candy Reid (18:22)

He's been... Well, he's been injured. He was working

 

with Marion Vida before he got injured. He's a really tasty left-hander. He's going to be playing Bonzi in the first round and the winner of that then plays Marcos Giron or Ignacio Buse. So I could see Molcan reaching the third round there. Then he's probably going to come through Felix Auger- Aliassime team as the seeded player or... Yeah, Felix. I don't think Felix is playing well. I Felix has broken up with his coach Fred Fontaine.

 

And I would say Felix is not going to go so well in this tournament. That's just my opinion. Yes. Yeah. And the other one

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (18:55)

Was he semis last year? Yeah. So it's a lot to defend, isn't it?

 

Dan Kiernan (18:56)

Sammy Slasher.

 

Candy Reid (18:59)

I have, my other dark horse apart from Alex Molcan is Roman Safiullin, because if he can beat Alcaraz in the first round, he's going to play Faria or Brooksby. And then the winner of that will play possibly Arnaldi. Yeah, possibly Arnaldii. So that's not handy. Not a bad draw either, is it, for Safiullin?

 

Dan Kiernan (19:19)

You've come to the party.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (19:19)

It f feels quite open, right? It feels quite an open draw with with no Sinner and Zverev have not had a great hardcourt season and Alcaraz. It…

 

Candy Reid (19:25)

Yeah, it's very of his top seed.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (19:26)

Yeah, feels quite open this year.

 

Dan Kiernan (19:28)

Who's the favorite, Freddie? know, like, I think, know, we make a good point, right? You know, Jodar came out, Nakashima came out. These are the sort of names that maybe we could see winning the event this time. You know, we talked a lot during Roland Garros, how exciting it became once Sinner lost. You know, it was almost like, whoa, we now, we kind of got sick of the Sinner Alcaraz thing. It happened too many times in a row. But now we're at a point where

 

we actually don't have that clarity anymore. I mean, I Alcazar is in the draw, but we're almost kind of taking him out. Does Zverev become

 

Candy Reid (20:08)

so open.

 

Dan Kiernan (20:10)

the clear favorite? Is an Arthur Fieser favorite? Where does it fall for you now, Freddie?

 

Freddie Nielsen (20:18)

I I personally think that Zverev has to be considered the favorite. I don't think a clear favorite. I would personally think that some of the guys that are confident, like you mentioned, Hoda, Nakashima, especially Feast, who was my pick for the French Open before he pulled out, as as an ultimate winner. again, picking players that aren't in the tournament.

 

So so

 

Dan Kiernan (20:40)

You

 

Freddie Nielsen  (20:41)

I think I think that that I I'm not too worried that Zverev hasn't maybe had the best of seasons since since the Wimbledon final, but he's been so strong in slams this year. I think he was very strong in Australia. He was obviously very strong in Paris, Wimbledon, and I think he's kind of found his groove and he has to be considered the favourite, in my opinion.

 

Dan Kiernan (21:02)

He's tough to beat in five sets, isn't he, Zverev, I think.

 

Candy Reid (21:05)

You've to put, I think Ben Shelton.

 

Freddie Nielsen (21:06)

He's he's tough to

 

Ben Shelton, I forgot about Ben Shelton too. Yeah, absolutely. You gotta you gotta

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (21:08)

Ten shelters,

 

Freddie Nielsen (21:11)

add him to the mix, no no doubt about it.

 

Candy Reid (21:14)

He's won four titles this season, all on different

 

Dan Kiernan (21:14)

Shelton is a confidence player, isn't he?

 

Candy Reid (21:17)

surfaces. And

 

he loves it here. He loves the atmosphere. Four surfaces, he's won clay, grass, indoor hard, and now outside hard. And he's won the biggest title of his

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (21:24)

Yeah.

 

Freddie Nielsen (21:24)

And we all

 

Candy Reid (21:25)

career at Thousand Level again.

 

Freddie Nielsen (21:27)

We always talk about the Americans that can actually play with the American crowd because I think that's something that's been lacking over the last few years and he'll definitely someone who'll be feeding off that crowd and r rise to the occasion, I think, and especially the deeper he goes. So I would definitely keep him like I would say Sveriv is the favorite and just right behind. We have Hodar, we have Fies and

 

Candy Reid (21:48)

Peace.

 

Freddie Nielsen (21:48)

and Shelton, in my opinion.

 

Dan Kiernan (21:51)

kind of exciting, huh? I think...

 

Freddie Nielsen (21:53)

it's still very exciting.

 

It's open it's really open. I mean I you can even

 

add Cobolli, you can add Tiafoe. There's so many people that can make a run. Fritz. I

 

Candy Reid (21:57)

Yeah. Fritz. Paul.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (22:00)

Tommy Paul. Yeah.

 

Freddie Nielsen (22:02)

I actually think I never mentioned my dark words. I think Darwin Blanch can be a fun one to watch and I think he'll give Fritz a real good match.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (22:08)

Good first round, yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (22:08)

nice.

 

I like your dark horses guys. Freddie and Candy you came to you came to play today huh? You guys were like

 

Candy Reid (22:13)

Yeah, yeah, we're not messing around.

 

Dan Kiernan (22:15)

giving us problems. If we look at the draw Feast plays City Pass first.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (22:20)

That's a good one.

 

Freddie Nielsen (22:21)

I just don't think he has enough quality currently to deal with Fields. I think Phil just has so much firepower.

 

Dan Kiernan (22:27)

But he's got Patrick Moritogalu in his corner this week. Does that make a change?

 

Freddie Nielsen (22:31)

No.

 

Dan Kiernan (22:31)

I You then potentially have a fies le hecke. That's a sneaky, a...

 

Candy Reid (22:35)

if he had Jamie Delgado in his box.

 

Dan Kiernan (22:40)

Jamie's busy with Grigor.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (22:40)

I

 

Dan Kiernan (22:44)

But fies le hecke third round potentially. Le hecke is always dangerous.

 

Freddie Nielsen (22:49)

Very tasty,

 

very tasty.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (22:51)

Men

 

men seek, nobody's mentioning men seek.

 

Dan Kiernan (22:53)

We were in the mixed doubles, that serve we were certainly mentioning it.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (22:53)

I like him. Yeah. Yeah,

 

Candy Reid (22:53)

Mensik, very good player.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (22:57)

I really like him. And he's obviously—

 

Candy Reid(22:57)

Very good.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (22:58)

—he's d I think he won Miami, didn't he, a couple of years ago, so he can get good results on hard.

 

Dan Kiernan (23:02)

So we've got some of these—

 

Candy Reid (23:02)

Yeah, I agree.

 

Dan Kiernan (23:03)

—players. So because we don't have you guys for so long, Freddie and Candy in particular, me and Johnny are gonna stay on and play the guitar and sing some songs, but you guys, but we don't have you guys for long. Let's go, who's your winners? Let's get it out. We need to get at least your winners out whilst you're here. who's winning the men's event, men's singles?

 

Freddie Nielsen (23:20)

Me fish.

 

Candy Reid (23:21)

I'm going to go for Ben Shelton.

 

Dan Kiernan (23:23)

Feast. Just by the way, on the, think the last three winners of Cincinnati men's have gone on to then win US Open, which would be in line with Feast.

 

Freddie Nielsen (23:32)

Is

 

that so that's a good fact?

 

Candy Reid (23:34)

Yeah, that is a fact.

 

Dan Kiernan (23:35)

I

 

have another good fact and I have to say it because I forgot

 

it during the mixed doubles bit. So maybe my team could be really clever and they can like cut it and bring it to the stocks. It doesn't even fit now but I have to get this out.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (23:45)

stock.

 

Dan Kiernan (23:49)

I'll do it as a fact rather than a quiz. I like quizzes, but Gael Monfils and his wife, Elina

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (23:54)

This

 

Dan Kiernan (23:57)

Svitolina, on the men's and women's side, they have had the most wins in Grand Slams without making a final out of any other player.

 

So Monfils has won 130 matches at Grand Slam level making a final. And Svitolina, I believe, is 112 matches that she's won without reaching a final. And I link that into the mixed doubles because obviously people were saying when they lost in the semis of the mixed doubles, that's another Grand Slam they've not made a final of, you know, is where that statistic came out.

 

And the next closest is Tommy Robredo on 107 wins and Carla Suarez Navarro on 86. So it's quite significant the amount of matches that they've played.

 

Freddie Nielsen (24:47)

So

 

Candy Reid (24:47)

Wow.

 

Freddie Nielsen (24:48)

there's one thing I want to say that I feel embarrassed I haven't mentioned at all. And it's to the respect of the game and to the player that he is, but it's criminal that I haven't mentioned Djokovic.

 

Candy Reid (24:58)

That

 

true. That is a good point. We've all glossed over it.

 

Freddie Nielsen (24:58)

It's criminal, criminal. And with w with Carlos out of shape and Cinnana there.

 

completely didn't mention that. And I yeah, that's I f I'm I'm gonna go take a bath because I feel dirty that I didn't mention him.

 

Candy Reid (25:11)

Thank

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (25:11)

he made a final this year already, hasn't he?

 

Candy Reid (25:13)

you.

 

Freddie Nielsen (25:15)

yes, he made he beat Sinner in in in Australia and made the final there. And he's g and

 

he's going deep every time he plays.

 

Dan Kiernan (25:22)

I don't think it's criminal.

 

Freddie Nielsen (25:25)

I think it is. He still delivers and he people still I mean, he doesn't lose to anybody in the big tournament

 

that don't play outstanding. And the the field is quite open this year. He's got the experience.

 

know it's gonna be warm, but he's probably gonna play a lot of night sessions. If he I think the way the the I wouldn't have thought this before, but the way the world of tennis has opened up, this might be his best chance to get the next one.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (25:48)

Yeah.

 

Somebody's gonna have to beat him, that's for sure.

 

Dan Kiernan (25:51)

he lose to Taranté in Cincinnati first round?

 

Freddie Nielsen (25:54)

Yes,

 

Candy Reid(25:54)

it.

 

Freddie Nielsen (25:54)

in Cincinnati.

 

And he was all over the place physically.

 

Candy Reid (25:56)

just looking at the weather

 

it looks like it's going to be high 20s early 30s low 30s for the next couple of weeks.

 

Dan Kiernan (26:03)

Yeah, look,

 

think it's we talk we do in fairness. We've talked we talk a lot about Djokovic and absolutely deserves the respect to be to be brought up. But I don't think he's he's shown us enough that he's that he's going to be winning

 

this event personally.

 

Freddie Nielsen (26:19)

Okay, so if you're a betting man, how many how many players, what players do you put above him to win before you pick him?

 

Dan Kiernan (26:25)

I used to be a betting man, Freddie. I'm not anymore. I would have none. I would say Novak Tokovitch is the favorite. No, would have Zverev. I'd have Zverev. I'd have Zverev for sure. I would have...

 

Honestly, I know it's ridiculous, but I'd have Jodar. Like I I was, I was at an event last night and I was speaking to, I'm sure you won't mind me saying Faku, Cam Norrie’s coach. And, as, as well as talking about the world cup and the Argentinians kicking, we were having a bit of banter about that. we have over the last few weeks, we also talked about—

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (27:02)

Oscar.

 

Dan Kiernan (27:02)

—Some of those youngsters. And I won't go into every detail of what he said, but the one thing he just couldn't stop. 

 

Saying was how good Jodar was. He said, it's just ridiculous how good he is. And he's not the first person that said that to me. People that are in that kind of day, I'm not in that day-to-day world of men's singles. I'm around and I see, but I'm not in that day-to-day practice set. Like he said, Cam's played him two or three times and he's literally struggling for games against him.

 

Like he just, it's so repeatable. He's just like a machine. So I'd have Jodar in there. think I'd have, yeah, you're making me sound silly because you start saying Shelton and you start saying Fritz and you start saying these guys, right? Fees. They've never done it. But I can't get away from the fact that Novak Djokovic is nearly 40 years old.

 

I, I for probably, finally, I'm at the point where I'd like to see him win number 25. And I'd like to see just him get the mic and just drop it and just, just go and be Novak. You know, just

 

Candy Reid (28:06)

Just woke up.

 

Dan Kiernan (28:06)

go on, just go and be, you know, so I think it would be really cool. And I think you're absolutely right to mention it, Freddie. Absolutely. And I think it's the right question to, to, to ask. I just.

 

I just think physically it's seven matches as seven matches, you know, and it's the same thing that we've said. We said probably for two years now, if he could stroll through the first four. Yes, yes, he has a chance, but.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (28:31)

But he he doesn't have to beat Cinner and Alcaraz, right? well obviously he might have to play Alcaraz, but he that's that's been

 

Dan Kiernan (28:36)

But he has to.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (28:36)

The kind of criticism of him not criticism, but can he beat both of them back to back in a grand slam on matches number six and seven? He wouldn't have to do that.

 

Dan Kiernan (28:44)

I would say can he beat anyone, Johnny, in matches number six and seven if he's had the five set? It's the recovery for me. It's that you have the four set match, the five set match, and then you have to recover to go again. Because once you're playing a semi-final, if you don't have it in you, you don't have it in you, right? Because you're going to be playing someone good. It's,it's It's a good debate and it's the most respectful debate that should happen.

 

 So that being said, Freddie, who are you going for?

 

Freddie Nielsen (29:16)

I'm thinking Fius, but it's just so difficult for me to pick pick him over Djokovic, but I'm I'm gonna go, just I I mix it up. I'm gonna stay with Fields. Fields, Fields

 

Dan Kiernan (29:28)

Johnny.

 

Freddie Nielsen (29:28)

Final answer.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (29:29)

I think I'm gonna have to go with Sasha just because his he's done it already and this year was a massive thing to get over the line and actually win a Grand Slam after waiting so many years and he's got to be up there with amount of matches won without winning a Grand Slam over the years. So I think he's just got that extra belief that he can do it. mean, obviously his hardcore, as I said before, his hard court season's not been great, but I think with all these guys with you b the big three, big four, they're not so concerned about those other results as they go in. 

 

It's more of a physical conditioning. Am I ready to play? So Novak, I don't think he'll be so concerned that he's not done well in Cincinnati, for example. It's winning seven matches at a Grand Slam. And and Sasha's obviously final at Wimbledon as wasn't he? So he's he's he's he's get he's got that belief now that he can do it. he's not gone I don't know how many Grand Slam he's got I don't think he's ever gone into a Grand Slam number one seed. 

 

So that's a different different pressure for him to go in as the number one seed, but yeah, I'm I'm gonna pick Sasha.

 

Dan Kiernan (30:27)

Well, I'll make it a full house of different and stick with my Jodar. Rafael Jodar . So there we have it. We've got at least we've got a few boxes ticked guys, you know. If Djokovic wins, then I'll also give it to Freddie. So Freddie's got two really for bringing it up.

 

Freddie Nielsen (30:48)

Fair, fair.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (30:48)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (30:50)

On the women's side and Freddie and Candy, I know you need to go quite soon. So

 

If we give us, give us some dark horses on the women's side.

 

Candy Reid (30:58)

We've got to go for Quinwen now. She's got through qualifying. Quinwen Zheng, the Paris Olympic champion, 2024 Australian Open champ that year as well. She's had elbow surgery. She's just qualified. She's playing good tennis. She's going to be drawn against, well, she's coming in. She could be drawn against a seed. There's only two seeds, I think, that have got qualifiers in the first round, but the other draws look—

 

Freddie Nielsen (31:18)

Mm-hmm.

 

Candy Reid (31:23)

—pretty handy. And actually one of those seeds is Maria Sakkari, who I think Quinwen  would be on this this course. So if you're looking for that kind of dark horse, she's going to be a very dark horse, I would say.

 

Dan Kiernan (31:36)

A former Grand Slam champion as a Dark Horse. Okay, we're doing that again. Okay, cool.

 

Candy Reid (31:39)

as a qualifier.

 

Dan Kiernan (31:43)

I think it's fair, Candy. I think it's fair. I think it's fair given,

 

Candy Reid (31:43)

I've just... Okay. Alright.

 

Dan Kiernan (31:47)

think it's fair.

 

Freddie Nielsen (31:47)

You need to think

 

it's fair because that's what you've always done.

 

Dan Kiernan (31:52)

Well, I have one that I'll jump in now, seeing as I've given you that. Mine is actually Jasmine Paolini.

 

Candy Reid (31:59)

What? What on earth? That's like your worst dark horse ever, Dan. And there've been some absolute clangers.

 

Freddie Nielsen (32:03)

But but we mean dark horse dark

 

Dan Kiernan (32:04)

Happy.

 

Freddie Nielsen (32:05)

horse is still to go to quarter final, right?

 

Dan Kiernan (32:08)

I think, I don't think, I don't know. I have a feeling. It's just feeling. It's all it is. Paolini and I've spoken a lot about Paolini on this podcast because I love Paolini. I think she's awesome, but she lost,

 

Candy Reid (32:21)

Everyone loves Paolini.

 

Dan Kiernan (32:22)

she lost her spark. She lost it. Right. And I, and I was a bit worried about her, right. I don't, you know, know her completely personally. And,like, just, I saw just seeing her around at the tournament. I always loved her energy. It was light. was.And the last six, eight months, feels to me that we've had a burnt out Jasmine Paulini. she's kind of, she's come away from doubles the last few weeks. She's come a little bit away from the tour. She's got Mark Lopez back in the team. I've seen her around and I just sense it's shifting energy.

 

I really hope as well, it's a hope that she could have a run, a quarterfinal run, get herself—

 

Candy Reid (33:04)

Wow.

 

Dan Kiernan (33:05)

—back into that sort of position. Obviously she hasn't become a bad tennis player overnight, right? It's very much life stuff and burnout stuff and the tour and all of those things. And I guess maybe out of hope more than anything, I want to see a little run from Jasmine Paolini. Yeah, so that's kind of an…

 

Candy Reid (33:24)

Yeah, she was a, I mean, she's a pocket rocket, isn't she? Amazing player. But there's no way Dan, she's going to go on a run here. Not after all that time off.

 

It's a brave call.

 

Dan Kiernan (33:33)

Okay,

 

Freddie Nielsen (33:35)

hands the dark horse.

 

Dan Kiernan (33:34)

this is where.

 

Exactly. So you've just you've just given me validation.

 

Candy Reid (33:41)

I'm going to go for Talia Gibson as my dark horse from Australia.

 

Dan Kiernan (33:44)

oooo

 

Candy Reid (33:45)

She's—

 

John Delgado-Corredor (33:45)

There we

 

Candy Reid (33:45)

—such a big player, had an amazing Miami, yeah…

 

Dan Kiernan (33:47)

Great backend, wow.

 

Candy Reid(33:49)

Amazing backhand, a great Miami and Indian Wells earlier this season. I think she reached the third round of the round of 16 respectively.She beat Naomi Osaka in those tournaments. She's had another pretty good lead up to the US Open,plays the best tennis on a faster hardcore, big hitting Australian. She's going to play Donna Vekic in the first round.

 

Dan Kiernan (34:08)

You're

 

on fire. I think you're on fire today, Candy. This is like...

 

Candy Reid (34:11)

Well,

 

I've been here for qualifying, so I kind of got my head together around the draw.

 

Dan Kiernan (34:17)

This is your best performance as a panelist around the dark horses.

 

Candy Reid (34:23)

I get a five. Five out of ten.

 

Dan Kiernan (34:27)

Johnny?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (34:28)

So the names I jotted down were Jovic, Iva Jovic. I'd like to see her have a go. She's obviously like

 

Candy Reid (34:34)

not a dark horse, but okay.

 

Dan Kiernan (34:35)

She's a very

 

light horse, but yes, I'm...

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (34:38)

Yeah. But what's what what's her

 

Candy Reid(34:39)

Ha ha ha.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (34:40)

greatest Grand Slam result? I don't think she's made a final.

 

Candy Reid (34:43)

Round of 16. no, no. Round of 16.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (34:45)

Yeah.

 

Candy Reid (34:46)

that?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (34:46)

So if she if she can get to quarter semis, I think she's doing good. and then well Marta Kostyuk has obviously made a final already, but I like her to to to to go far. I just like her attitude. She's really, really nice and bubbly, just the way she talks to all the kids and stuff. I think she's a great great example to everyone. So those two

 

Candy Reid (35:02)

Former semi-finalist. Think that's her best, isn't it? Semi-finalist for Kostyuk.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (35:05)

Was it?

 

Candy Reid (35:06)

That's good effort.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (35:07)

So yeah, those two were the ones I'd picked out. and then Katie Boulter. I've written her down. She's been really poor summer. I just like the Brits. So I thought I'd back the Brits on that one.

 

Dan Kiernan (35:17)

That's like an extra super duper dark horse. So you got like your dark dark dark horse and then you got your light horse. So you kind of, it kind of works. Okay.

 

Candy Reid (35:27)

You've got all the horses in the field essentially. You just want to pick the whole lot and then one of them will win. That's the way we do things, Johnny. It's a good idea.

 

Dan Kiernan (35:35)

But Jovic, in all honesty, not that it's definitely going to happen, of course not. Jovic has actually got a tough couple of potentially Polish players to play. Freck always tough. Freck's always tough and then Linette is tough as well if they get through. So two Polish and then potentially Jala, who they were actually playing on the centre-court last night. Obviously they're kind of

 

Candy Reid (35:57)

who she just beat yesterday. Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (36:02)

Two stars right now. And I say it every time when she was on my list. So I'm piggybacking. So what I do, Johnny, I mention every name.

 

Freddie Nielsen (36:09)

Because everybody's on your list. Your li your li your list is just the world rankings.

 

Dan Kiernan (36:17)

People don't—

 

Candy Reid (36:18)

She just beat Sabalenka.

 

Dan Kiernan (36:20)

—actually listen to podcasts, they just listen to clips. So if you mention every name, you can just clip it out. It's basically, it's genius. But I get called out by these guys. My one, my other one of the few is Lilli 

 

Candy Reid (36:33)

It's the secret to Dan success.

 

Dan Kiernan (36:43)

from Austria.

 

Freddie Nielsen (36:44)

She was mine in Wimbledon. Didn't really pan out well.

 

Dan Kiernan (36:47)

And because I've also looked at the draw a little bit, right? And we practiced next to her the other day and she's with the Italian woman who won the slam.

 

Freddie Nielsen (36:57)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (36:58)

Yeah, it's her coach. And my goodness, what a serve.

 

Candy Reid (36:58)

Give on it.

 

Dan Kiernan (37:02)

We were next to her in Cincinnati and I was like, wow, like, please let me have that serve. And like every player that I've ever worked with had that serve, like beautiful serve, hit the ball great. If she wins the first round, potentially she plays Anisimova in the second round,which you could argue is not easy, which it's not, but I also don't think the Anisimova  emotionally is the strongest currently.

 

Candy Reid (37:25)

And this time over is back with Rick Flasehours after she

 

Dan Kiernan (37:28)

Yes.

 

Candy Reid (37:28)

split with him and she reached two major finals last year. So I think she's in a better headspace.

 

Dan Kiernan (37:34)

She is, but she was pretty emotional in Cincinnati.

 

It didn't, it still feels to me as good as Anisimova is, you could see a losing to somebody, you know, like on any given day. She's not someone that I've like got absolute stability. So, Tagger is a pick, one to look out for as well as some others. And what about the winners on the women's side guys?

 

Candy Reid (37:59)

I'm going to go for Pegula or Muchova.

 

Dan Kiernan (38:02)

What you just picking two now or you gonna?

 

Candy Reid (38:04)

Is that all right? Can I have two? Freddy has two. Men. Set of slash Novak.

 

Dan Kiernan (38:10)

Who's your one? Who's your one? Come on.

 

Candy Reid (38:12)

Pegula. Pegula.

 

Dan Kiernan (38:13)

Like you really think that or you won't.

 

Candy Reid (38:16)

I've both, both is the answer. I've been saying Pegula for like the last year. It took me two years to get Andreeva right. So I'm going two years for Pegula. Pegula's got to win. She's got to win.

 

Dan Kiernan (38:27)

It'd nice, it?

 

Candy Reid (38:28)

Yeah, sounds right.

 

Dan Kiernan (38:29)

She's always there. She's always there or thereabouts.

 

My take on Pegula, and this is one of my takes, I'm gonna use a World Cup analogy here. I said from the word go of England, England will not win the World Cup because you can't protect yourself to a World Cup. And I tend to think that a little bit with tennis as well.

 

Candy Reid (38:46)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (38:51)

And not that Pegula plays completely protective. But I'm not sure that she has the game to go and grab a grand slam. So if she finds herself in a position where she plays someone in the final who's new to the final and who's maybe gonna

 

Candy Reid (38:59)

Makes sense then.

 

Dan Kiernan (39:08)

Then I could see Pegula winning it. If she finds herself against one of the big guns who's firing, I don't see it.

 

Candy Reid (39:16)

Yeah, she lost to Sabalenka 6-4 in the third in the semis for Pegula last year.

 

Dan Kiernan (39:19)

Yeah,she takes her wins, but I don't think she necessarily always grabs them.

 

Candy Reid (39:24)

2026 US Open Dan, everything's going to change.

 

Dan Kiernan (39:28)

I hope so. would love it. I would love Pegula. Freddie? Freddie's gonna go, who's Freddie gonna go? He's gonna go, Rebecca.

 

Freddie Nielsen (39:36)

I'm gonna go I'm gonna go with confidence again and I'm gonna go with someone who might have come the closest to did what word did you use? Protecting?

 

Dan Kiernan (39:44)

You're not gonna get go Coco are you because that's my pick don't come on friend he's always on

 

Freddie Nielsen (39:47)

I am, I I am.

 

Candy Reid (39:48)

Good choice. Good choice.

 

Dan Kiernan (39:51)

me

 

Freddie Nielsen (39:51)

there's a few elements to it. She's in shape, she plays well, but for me, she's a generational talent. And when she came onto the scene I thought she was gonna get a lot of slams. So just by being there and around, she's just gonna get to a certain amount of slams because she's that good. And yeah, I think I th I for for me sh she's the she's the pick this year.

 

Dan Kiernan (40:12)

Johnny, the little nod, you're jumping on the Coco Bar.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (40:14)

was on Coco Gauff as well. I mean, she looked great in Cincinnati, right? I think that was one of the best matches I'd seen her play actually in the final. and she's won it before and she's in the US. So I think she's a clear favourite of the draw, just kind of going into—

 

Dan Kiernan (40:25)

Wow.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (40:26)

—it and mean yeah look…

 

Freddie Nielsen (40:26)

think she also thrives on playing off the crowd in America. I think she she it makes her

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (40:30)

Yeah, loves it.

 

Freddie Nielsen (40:30)

better.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (40:31)

I mean it was it's between her and I mean I just love Svitolina, even though that fact you said she hasn't made a final. I'd love to see her go through and get a final because she's been playing great tennis over the last two years, Svitalina. But I think just for me going into it, just from what I saw in the final of Cincinnati, she's looking good and she's done it before. And like like Freddie says, she's generational talent, really. Yeah. You I think she's gonna win a few over a career.

 

Dan Kiernan (40:55)

It's interesting that we haven't, mean, you mentioned McCallver, Candy.

 

Candy Reid (40:59)

Yes.

 

Dan Kiernan (40:59)

actually, Freddie, thank you. We will see you very soon. We've got your pick.

 

Freddie Nielsen (41:04)

Thanks guys. Sorry, I have to go. Great, great, great seeing

 

Candy Reid (41:05)

Bye Fred.

 

Freddie Nielsen (41:07)

all you all the best for a good tournament. Good luck to Dan. Hope your players do well.

 

Dan Kiernan (41:11)

Thanks man, take

 

Candy Reid (41:11)

Bye, Freddie.

 

Dan Kiernan (41:11)

care.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (41:12)

Freddy.

 

Dan Kiernan (41:13)

You mentioned Muchova, Candy.

 

Candy Reid (41:15)

Yes.

 

Dan Kiernan (41:16)

I know she won the mixed doubles, but I thought she was average.

 

Candy Reid (41:20)

Okay.

 

Dan Kiernan (41:20)

somebody told me that she was being out for quite a while since Wimbledon. I

 

Candy Reid (41:24)

Yeah, she has been a bit injured. That's right.

 

Dan Kiernan (41:26)

heard she had like a little surgery or something and she'd only started hitting one week before. Not to bring the mixed doubles back up, but I think the mixed doubles is the jeopardy of that scoring system.

 

And then you've got Mensik who served basically an ace every serve.

 

Candy Reid (41:42)

Yeah, good point.

 

Dan Kiernan (41:44)

I think Muchova got a little bit hidden. And I thought she really struggled with the ball anywhere above her shoulders. I don't know if that's a little bit injury related, anyway, that

 

Candy Reid (41:54)

and it is high bouncing.

 

Dan Kiernan (41:57)

was just a little observation. But we haven't mentioned Aryna Sabalenka, Rybakina, Iga Swiatek or the current Wimbledon champion Noskova..

 

Candy Reid (42:06)

No, it's true. On that bombshell, Dan,I'm going to join Freddie and leave you to it. The conversation is going to be so exciting. I will be tuning in and listening.

 

Dan Kiernan (42:14)

See you later, Candy. So

 

Candy Reid (42:16)

Thanks guys. Bye Johnny. Bye Dan. Thanks.

 

Dan Kiernan (42:18)

Johnny, in terms of those names, why are we not bringing those names up?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (42:23)

No, I think there's I mean I mean I i I I I've I've written down like nine, ten names. I think that's the case with the women's game, isn't it? There's there's there's always so many people that can do it. And actually over the last five, six years, there's so many different winners that that that have actually won. So I

 

Dan Kiernan (42:36)

Yeah.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (42:36)

think that's just the nature of the women's game that there's so many different names that you can throw in the hat. If you just look at ranking, obviously Aryna’s one, but she has been struggling the last couple of I think I saw some comments from Boris Becker, who was you know, saying she's probably focusing a little bit too much on social media and the results have taken a bit of a of a hit, but I don't know how fine how how how true that'd be.

 

 But yeah. I think and we said it in the men's as well. Form going into it is important, but these people that have done it already are the ones that are that that have won seven matches. Obviously it's not five sets for the women, but you have to look at people that have had a history of doing it, because it's a completely different animal over two weeks than—

 

Dan Kiernan (43:15)

It is.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (43:16)

—than winning a Canada and winning a s a Cincinnati. so yeah, I mean yeah, I mean I'd written Savalenka's name name down and Swiatek’s name and Rebecca's name down. But I just thought just just from what I saw of Coco Gaufff, for me I'm gonna stick with that one. Just she likes the US Open, she's American, she's she's she's gonna win Grand Slams throughout her career. but you yeah, you wouldn't be surprised if the other ones won it as well, right?

 

Dan Kiernan (43:37)

Yeah, well, I said I said this last night, I did a couple of nights ago, I did a live podcast and my thing was Sabalenka. It's a little bit different to what Boris is saying about the social media. However, I'm going to catch myself when I'm saying it, because when we see these things with players, we can we can change the narrative to confirm the bias that we have. So so so like.

 

One of the reasons Sabalenka was world number one could have been because she's so happy with herself in her life and she's relaxed away from the court and she's showcasing that on social media and she's got this strong team and she's doing all these different things. But now that she's not winning, it's very easy to jump on a bandwagon and say,well, she's like, I'm seeing like,Vogue event. She's on front cover of this magazine. It's very easy then to throw the Playboy tag that we do in football at somebody and go, of course, she's not focused. So I think it's difficult, right?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (44:47)

The thing the thing is I've I find as well, I think with the the the women's game, there's so many different names as say that can win it. So we haven't got anyone to hang our hat on as as as guaranteed to get semifinal or final. But I do think they get a little bit unfair, know, just when I scroll through social media, it seems to be more about what they're doing off court on the women's side. So like it's it's it's more about what they're doing off court.

 

 And I don't know if the WTA are doing a great job at promoting the tennis achievements of these girls that have have won so many matches and and doing so well. It just seems to me, just as a casual fan when I'm going through it, the men are always talked about as this is his great shot, this is what he does, this is who he beat. Whereas when you're scrolling through the women, it's and I know, you like what's what's Osaka gonna wear at this Grand Slam and what's the the dress that that that Kostyuk’s wearing. I just think it yeah, it it I'd I'd like

 

Just as a tennis person, I'd like them to focus on their tennis achievements more than than what they do in off court. And I know they like to kind of show themselves and and it's great for the game to understand who these people are. But I just think in the last year or two it's probably gone a bit overboard of off court, non tennis—

 

Dan Kiernan (45:55)

That's interesting.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (45:56)

—stuff. know what you think, but

 

Dan Kiernan (45:59)

No, think it's a very interesting take. I wouldn't disagree with that. also, I'm not sure, I guess it probably goes into deeper conversations that certainly back in our era, like the most famous player was Anna Kournikova, And, know, like when it, you know, but then you can also argue on the men's side. We see Berrettini all the time with Hugo Boss and, you know, Grigoro Anoio.

 

I know your brothers worked with Grigor, but like, I remember, I remember with Freddie actually, I was with Freddie in Rome many years ago and he was playing with Grigor.

 

And Grigor just got some Hugo Boss deal or some suit deal. was going out with Sabalanka Sharapova at the time. You know, he went out for a meal and I got like a little insight into their world, And it's, I guess, marketing and image and all of those things. It is more than just tennis, I guess.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (47:04)

people want to know more about them. Now I get that because there's so much more into their lives and you and they can talk directly to the fans. I'm just kind of like for when I when I look at the WTA page, for example, i it's ve n not very rarely, but there's a lot more focus on what are the girls doing off court rather than what they're doing on the court. And I just think it's it'd be

 

Yeah, quite nice of them kind of go back to their tennis achievements a bit more. There's a balance, right? There is a balance.

 

Dan Kiernan (47:29)

Yeah, yeah, there is. And I think there's probably a balance as well on whether we're talking about like sex appeal and

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (47:35)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (47:36)

Playing on that versus other personality traits and narratives as well. And I think all probably marketing is all guilty. I mean, like Jude Bellingham during the World Cup.

 

Like I know that during that period I would see like across our friends groups or you'd see on social media, more people were talking about Jude Bellingham and his six pack and his girlfriend than they were, you know, whereas if you've got, you know, then Jordan Pickford, know, like Jordan Pickford's probably not getting that type of, you know, which I guess is more of a sex appeal thing. Yeah, I think it's interesting because the other one that I would share is Sabalenka.

 

I eaves dropped a conversation she was having with Muguruza the WTA finals a couple of years ago. Muguruza is the tournament director and she said to Sabalenka, know, wherever I go, everyone's always asking for you, And Sabalenka said to Muguruza, you know why? And Muguruza said, no, she went TikTok.

 

She said, since I've become really active in TikTok, on TikTok, wherever I go on the world, people just wanna do TikToks with me now. You know?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (48:57)

Mean, it is

 

bringing more eyes to the sport. Yeah. I I yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (49:00)

And probably more, more, more Benjamins to her bank balance, I would imagine as well, you know, like

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (49:05)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (49:07)

in terms of you go from just being a, so yeah, I think it's, I think, I think it's a, it's a really difficult one to get right. And I actually, I also had a conversation with Iva Jovic coach, lovely guy, British guy. and he was, and he was talking, saying even for like a Jovich during this American swing.

 

He said he's learning a lot and it's like the challenge of the balance of everything. He said, we're right on the borderline. And Jovic’s team is small. It's the coach and it's the physio and that's it. Whereas you see a lot of these like with the agents and the photographs and the...And, and, he was talking about the challenge of it. And even in this like fan week here at us open, you know, the mix, she, said, she's not going to play the mixed doubles because the mixed doubles would be Tuesday and Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday potentially. 

 

And then last night there was like a friends with Iva Jovic and a couple of other people evening in Ash.

 

That finishes at 11 o'clock and then you've got the photo shoot on the Friday, then you've got the this on the, and then you're supposed to perform on the Sunday and be ready to perform for seven matches. So the challenge is real and, and which is where maybe

 

Sabalenka from my eyes has gone a bit over with. Rebacca, we don't see a lot of that or they seem a bit more focused.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (50:33)

Yeah. Yeah. I mean again, obviously I knew

 

I got to know Andy Murray quite well during his career and he was, you know, very, very militant about what he was doing media-wise, especially during Grand Slams, he would completely lock himself off, you know. And the top guys are are doing that, but just seeing getting requests every five minutes, the the the top players, and you've got to kind of put your foot down and say, look, no, he's not doing anything that week or these few days.

 

'Cause I'm here to do the tennis. yeah, it's definitely a balance, but they need to get fans, you know, as well.

 

Dan Kiernan (51:04)

Yeah, and having the right agent is important as well that respects that energy and isn't just thinking about constantly bringing the money in. Rebecca would have been my pick for what it's worth, I don't know how healthy she is.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (51:17)

Yeah, what's she done over the last hard courts? I haven't

 

Dan Kiernan (51:20)

Yeah, she's done well. She's performed well, but she pulled out against Eager in Cincy. She hasn't been training a lot here in New York. there's some... She'll be the second seed here.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (51:27)

Right. Number two seed? yeah. Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (51:35)

And there's actually, there's the big race for number one as well. think even like Pegula could be number one if she wins it. I Coco could, think, you know, it's all livening up. So I then had Coco down as my pick.if Rebecca and I wasn't fully fit. So see what I've done now. I've given myself two.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (51:54)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (51:58)

Exactly. and yeah, last couple of things, Johnny. Firstly, it's, it's been a pleasure having you on and you know, like,

 

and also for anyone that is listening that's enjoyed Johnny Delgado, they can also jump across and see you the Beyond Tennis Podcast.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (52:14)

Beyond Tennis podcast, yeah. If you want something slightly different but tennis content, then I'm there. Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (52:20)

and doing a brilliant job with it, you know, without a doubt. My last couple of things I'd love to just bring up, we've had a Nick Kyrgios suspension over the last couple of weeks. Where's your stance on that?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (52:36)

I don't think it's a huge surprise to people that kind of know how Nick's you know s he's got a lot of i issues clearly. but I don't think it was a huge surprise that he that something like this came up. I think just for him, th that the comments he was making about the other drug ban situations really came back to bite him on his ass, you know. when you speak out so loudly against other cases, you've got to be pretty clean yourself. 

 

So yeah, I f I I obviously feel for him because it's it's it's not a nice situation. There's been other players as well. It's it's not a performance enhancing drug that he's testing positive for, but it's illegal. So yeah, I don't I don't see him coming back from that. as they mentioned—

 

Dan Kiernan (53:19)

Yeah,

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (53:20)

—how long it's gonna be or is it

 

Dan Kiernan (53:22)

no, but I'm hearing, I'm hearing on the ground that his argument is it's out of competition because it was the day after he lost, he lost—

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (53:32)

Yeah, I mean for me that's not

 

Dan Kiernan (53:34)

—he lost him. Yeah, but there's the, guess it's the small print. if the legality of it, if it's out of competition, then it potentially is a three month ban.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (53:46)

He'd been struggling to get back into tournaments for the last 18 months, right? I don't think. Such a shame because for me, he is one of the most exciting players. I love watching him play. like you who had an academy in the UK for about 10 years. You speak to 50% of the kids who's your favourite player, they'd always say Nick Kyrgios for for for good or bad. You know, he's not a great example in terms of how to live your life, but he was the one of the most exciting people on the men's tour.

 

But I can't say I'm surprised at something like that coming out. just just yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (54:17)

gets a little bit boring, doesn't it, as well?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (54:20)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (54:21)

He's got to sort himself out. It's not for the rest of the tennis world.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (54:24)

I mean he's he's he's very he's a very outspoken,

 

But you know when you've when he's speaking you've got to take a pinch of salt over the last ten years at everything he says, right? I mean, I I do

 

Dan Kiernan (54:31)

Yeah.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (54:31)

Anyway. Like he's he says things for shock over the years, but it's just those those comments specifically about Sinner and and Swiatek, was it? No, no who's who's the other one? Swiatek

 

Dan Kiernan (54:41)

Yeah, Swiatek, yeah, yeah.I mean, to be honest, pretty much everyone. But…

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (54:45)

Yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (54:45)

I talking of Sinner and not, you Sinner, we thought he was going to potentially win all nine Masters 1000 events. We felt he was unbreakable, unbeatable. You know, it was almost like, my God, Sinner, like I remember in Rome being like, God, Sinner's playing Rublev, that's going to be two and two. This is boring. da-da.

 

And then and then he pretty much collapsed two sets the love up five two up in in Roland Garros He's then obviously I mean responded very well at Wimbledon,

 

but then picked up picked up an injury the cynic the cynic in me Goes is this an injury?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (55:24)

really? Okay, yeah. Well you're you're always gonna have that thought just with with history. yeah, so I mean I I wouldn't be able to tell you whether either way if it is if it is anything more to it. The the only thing I and I've been talking about this with Kieran on my pod is

 

Are there more injuries now? Like there seems to be, I think the last couple of grand slams there's always an a handful of top players that are having to pull out. So, mean, what one of the things that we were discussing is how long is there a season for these guys? You know, is it too long of a season for them to be playing to expect him to win nine one thousands and grand slams? It's it's such brutal sport, isn't it? I mean, the sport has got longer rallies, it's longer.

 

and more physical than it was ten, fifteen years ago, does it need to have a bit of a change, you know? mean after US Open, for example, somet something that I was thinking about is not not to have know, to cut the season short there and actually have exhibitions towards the end of the year.

 

Dan Kiernan (56:21)

Yeah, I mean, think there's look, it's an age old argument, but I think I think the the most recent change they made, which has been a disaster, in my opinion, from a mental and physical fitness standpoint, is having the 1000 events become two weeks. And I think if you if we take and I as a coach did United Cup through to Miami this year, pretty much every event.

 

And happened to be with teams that had gone semis or beyond in every tournament. It was as a coach, it was like, and then I remember seeing Mark Petchy in Miami and him as a commentator. It was just like, like three months, just do, do. And then we saw Carlos Alcaraz lose to...

 

Carlos Alcaraz lose to Miami, an American guy, Seb Korda . And he was completely burnt out. You could see it, completely burnt out. Sabalenka has not won a tournament since April now. Started the year fantastically well, looks completely burnt out. We talked about Paolini earlier. I think as much as anything there's a there's a mental burnout and when you have a mental burnout you're probably then picking up physical injuries as well and it's just too it's too much and that for me right there you get rid of nine eight to nine weeks of tournaments by making them one week events again

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (57:48)

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, no, super, super tough.

 

Dan Kiernan (57:50)

I think that and then 100 % naturally the tour feels it should finish after US Open.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (57:56)

I mean obviously the the the tournaments that are on the that they're—

 

Dan Kiernan (57:58)

at the high level.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (57:59)

—the tournaments that are on that would obviously, you know, they they'd they'd bounce back against that. But yeah, I I think it needs to be exhibition season after US Open myself.

 

Dan Kiernan (58:08)

But then you've got the people that are trying to qualify for Australia would find their way into the other event. It's not quite as clean as just that because you've got people that are going well then they go and play the one two fives or they go and pay the fifties and then it pushes.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (58:23)

And if you remember when when and when Andy Murray got to number one, it was done on that indoor season at the end of the season. And I think remember Jamie talking about it like was like something like thirty thirty matches, thirty days or something crazy. Like he was he was just on an absolute rampage there, but you had to yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (58:38)

And that was career done pretty much for Andy.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (58:40)

And that was career done. Yeah.Pretty much the only player to ever get to number one and and have his injury stop it, you know?

 

Dan Kiernan (58:46)

You know, so yeah, there's definitely some issues. There's some quick wins. One of them is not getting rid of doubles and getting the singles players playing more tennis.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (58:57)

So where where where are we with that? 'Cause obviously I've seen I've quite of you a lot of your clips online. You said there's a there's a meeting coming up at New York, is there?

 

Dan Kiernan (59:03)

Yeah,there's a meeting with the coaches on Saturday. I firmly understand and believe that that meeting is to inform rather than discuss. This is a done deal. This has been very much in the pipeline for many years. It's coming from the top. They've managed to...

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (59:25)

So they're basically shortening draws, right? Talking about

 

Dan Kiernan (59:26)

They're going down to 16 instead of 32 at 1000 level. They are going from an 80-20 prize money split to a 90-10 prize money split.

 

And the bigger concern for me, which I don't believe that they have an answer to, is they are potentially shutting down the pathway in because the ATP250 and ATP Challenger, the proposal is that you get in on your singles ranking. What the tournaments are wanting is to reduce the number of people that they have at their tournament for hospitality reasons. they want to do in terms of ATP is they're trying to keep singles players happier and basically take that the prize money and basically redistribute to singles players, to try and give the players between 50 and 150 more money, is why.

 

 But the issue is people making the decisions, a singles players rank between 50 and 150. yeah, it's not good, I don't know if I'm speaking out of turn on saying this. I think the only way that this can be solved, understanding the conversations I'm hearing. is for it to go legal. And then it'll be for the courts to decide on whether as the governing body of tennis or men's tennis,the ATP, of their governance is to grow the sport, getting rid of people's jobs doesn't exactly fall under growing of the sport banner and. and potentially breaks some legalities. That's just what I'm seeing from my side.

 

 I'm certainly not involved in any of that, but I sense that none of this has been let to all have an open discussion and find the best way forward. It's more, have decided we're doing this and we're gonna try and pick the best way of it coming out and get as many people on side.

 

It's very easy to just say, they're just doubles guys, you know? Like it's very easy and it's confirmation bias is a real thing, right? But when you get someone like Robin Hasse who was a top 30 singles player and is now a top 20 doubles player, top 30 doubles player.

 

like he rightly says, I didn't provide any value as 30 in the world in singles. The tour is absolutely grown on. mean, there's an argument I'm telling you, Jannik Sinner doesn't sell tickets.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:02:07)

No, I mean look, I work on an event.I work on an event the exhibition at Stoke Park before Wimbledon. And

 

Dan Kiernan (1:02:12)

Yep.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:02:13)

We get, you know, if I I I'm I I'm kind of responsible for getting the players to go down there and play. And I remember one year had some number 10 in the world, I can't remember the names, I had ten in the world, fifteen in the world, and twenty in the world. And unfortunately 80% of the crowd had no idea who these people were, and that was singles,

 

Dan Kiernan (1:02:29)

Yeah, absolutely. That's the reality.yeah, all I want, and people are probably sick of me talking about it,but all I want is bit of transparency. I want a bit of transparency what their intention truly is. And then there's some decisions to be made for players. There's decisions to be made whether people do start to lookinto developing a new tour.there's decisions to be made on all sorts of things.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:02:57)

this would this not fall in under more like the ITF or world what they call it world tennis now, do they? it's 'cause they're they're more about the rules, aren't they? And growing the game.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:03:01)

No, well, is where, but this is Johnny, where tennis has an issue because it's so fractured. You've got your seven governing bodies and they don't work together for the greater—

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:03:14)

Okay.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:03:15)

—good of tennis, right? It's a sport. Our sport is tennis. That's what it is, you know? And there's a lot of bigger, better, brighter people than me and you that have been...They've been the custodians of our sport for many years before we came along, right? And look at what it's given us and so many others. And I just feel we all have a duty to continue leaving it in a better place for the next people. 

 

And I just don't think, I don't think people that are making these decisions are making the decisions about the sport of tennis and understanding how many layers they are to it. You know, we've both had academies. We're both involved with junior tennis. both, you know, one of the beauties of tennis is that there's hope. There's a, there's like a, there's an inspiration and hope that I could be the next Andy Murray. I could have a Marcus Willis run at Wimbledon. I could, I could do these things. Right. 

 

And that's what, that's what gets the whole energy and fuel going down to the kid that's playing in the local club that's looking to move up to the academy, that's looking to play the regional, that's going through that whole pathway. If we go the way that it seems that these clowns that are in charge right now, which is what they are in my opinion, they want it to be a very exclusive elitist sport where we have 24 players.

 

And commercially, I'm sure that's very good. but we're not Formula One. We're not, you know, we...

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:04:52)

Yeah. I saw I saw a clip,

 

Mischa Zverev was chatting on his his podcast and he was asked the question, What do you think about having a twenty person tour? he was like,

 

Dan Kiernan (1:05:01)

Yeah.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:05:02)

Well th there's no in it to be in his in his credit, he was like, there's no way he thinks that could work. There's no physical way that you can actually make that work year on year, like who plays and who doesn't. But if they're if people are starting to think thoughts like that, then then it's getting smaller and smaller the catchment of

 

Dan Kiernan (1:05:18)

It is,but also, Johnny, we used to have, when we played, it was X amount to win a Futures that's probably kind of similar now, right? So when you're going down, but what's happening now, it's not that the sport doesn't have money, it has a lot of money, but the amount of money that's been talked about now, I think it's something like Jannik Sinner,is world number one, will be guaranteed two million per tournament.

 

So for every tournament he plays, he's got a guarantee to go to the event of $2 million. So what we're doing is we're front loading.We're front loading, front loading, front loading, front loading.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:05:59)

Yeah. But th th those tournaments, that are paying two million, they have to have him there. Otherwise they're not gonna sell the tickets, I guess.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:06:05)

Course and that's absolutely the counter argument and the counter argument for me to that is that the ATP, all the tournaments run under their banner and it's for them to manage that. So some tournaments make a lot of money, some tournaments lose money.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:06:20)

Yeah. Like a lot, yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:06:23)

But the ATP makes money, like 52 million profit last year.So, so how, how are they managing the bigger picture conversations to ensure that all of their tournaments are working within, like if you, let's say you've got a two, two 50 events, two 500s, and then two 1000s in a little, in a little circuit that the thousands are making money. The 500s are breaking. Even the two 50s are losing. Let's well, either the ATP comes in as well. We need all of these events as part of the same circuit.

 

So that's a loss leader for us, but we're going to put some money into that tournament. Or we go, what about the two fifties that are making money? Let's benchmark and let's work together. I just think there's a way here to work together. And I think that's my, sadness I have is that even in these discussions, we're not working together in these discussions. We've got a couple of people that are going, this is how we are going to change our sport

forever. It's like, no, no, no, it's bigger than that. And it deserves a little bit more attention, I think. But yeah, but let's see. Let's see how it develops.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:07:39)

I'm just seeing here Jacob Fern he lost last round quality there in the end. I was just quite keeping my eye on the British ones getting through.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:07:45)

What, seven, six and a third?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:07:47)

think he lost four and four. So he won the first set and then lost four and four.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:07:50)

Okay,

 

Johnny, it's been a pleasure. We need to...

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:07:53)

you. It's about thanks for having me on. It's an absolute honour to appear.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:07:55)

I think we need to get you on. need the Johnny Delgado story at some point as well, you know?

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:08:00)

Well,  I don't think n many people need to hear that, but I can get my brothers on, maybe we'll have a little chat as a as a group.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:08:03)

What the Delgados’ that would be some podcast by the way and one of my goals when I have people on like that is I want I want to make them cry at least once so I try

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:08:15)

Ha ha.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:08:16)

and like that because they you know they're trying like so I need to do my research to find out the way that I can go because then it gets a bit more motive and people love people love a tear on a podcast you know so.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:08:26)

No, I I normally like to laugh and joke, so you won't get any tears from me.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:08:31)

Although one of us will be crying in a couple of weeks because we play each other. Milwall Newcastle.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:08:35)

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cup game. Cup game. Yeah, we're gonna be in the Premier League soon.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:08:38)

That hasn't happened for a while, Millwall, Newcastle.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:08:42)

No, no, no. We've got we got West Ham as

 

well. But yeah.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:08:45)

Johnny, you're a star. Thank you. Everyone that's listening in, I hope you enjoy the US Open and we will be back. We'll be back with our live shows. So listen out for those as well. But thank you very much for coming on.

 

Johnny Delgado-Corredor (1:09:00)

Thank you, Vamos.

 

Dan Kiernan (1:09:02)

There you have it, you have our picks. It's time to get going. When you're listening to this, the event will be just about started or started already. Let us know who you think are going to win the events. We didn't go into all of the doubles. You know, we ran out of time in terms of how much we had Freddie and Candy, but obviously the doubles events, the wheelchair events, the junior events. There's lots going on here in New York.

 

Fan week has been phenomenal. There's so many people here. The buzz is electric. It's a real honor to be a part of it out here in New York. And then afterwards you come back to your hotel in Manhattan and then you get the buzz of that as well. So on a personal level, looking for another really exciting US Open, being very lucky to be around three titles in the last three years here, a mixed doubles title for Harri Heliövaaraand Anna Danilina. 

 

And then Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe for one, two of the last three women's doubles. Never going to be easy. You first round matches will be hard. You know, second round matches, if you get through, will be hard. Always very difficult, but obviously hoping to have that personal experience as a coach, but also just as a tennis enthusiast to be around these events for a long period of time is a real treat as well. Anybody that's out there, come and say hello.

 

Anyone that does want to get in touch with us, please, please do let us know how you're enjoying the podcast, what you want to hear from us. We will be trying to bring some live shows to you throughout the fortnight as well. And we will be in touch. But until next time, I'm Dan Kiernan and we are Control the Controllables.