US OPEN DAY 6 ‖ Alcaraz Adds Undershirt ‖ Sabalenka ‘Smokes’ Opponent

0:00What's happening? BG Brad Gilbert here at the US Open Day 6 with Ila Tom Lonevich. It's been a beautiful start to this tournament. I turn on the TV this morning. I watching live on tennis channel and Jim Courier referred to us. I'm going to be going to play a little bit. I'm going to be going to play a little bit. As the odd couple he also said. Looks like we're vibing a little bit. What do you mean the odd couple? Is this a reference I should know? So like your first thought is on an odd couple that it's like two mixes. They're like, I don't know how that works, but it was a very famous movie. With Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, I believe it was one of the most famous movies in the movie. It has been a huge TV show.

1:00It's still a syndication on TV land. So if we can make that. Wait, so I just want to know it's a compliment. It's a huge compliment. You said- Oh okay, start with that next time BG. I was worried there for a second. You ever seen like a couple and you kind of wonder like how does that work? But it works because they're differences. They're not the same. They're completely different. Okay, I like that. Well, I'm learning a lot. You're learning a lot. I heard last night you had another PC and you met a lot of influencers in this suite. Do you wanna explain? Like you taught me what a PC is, but you know what, this is your turn. Why don't you tell us? Okay, a PC is a paycheck and it was a sweet appearance and believe it or not, it was today. So I go up to the suite and I ask you who it is. And they say, see, I always thought they were because Zoe tells me my daughter, they're called influencers. But today I found out a new term. I did not know what was called this.

2:00They did not call themselves influencers. I was in a room full of content creators. Did you know this? Yes, I knew this. Yes, so what do you prefer? Influencers are content creators? What are we? Well, you know what, actually, so I did my little spiel. I give you know, a little run down to the matches and stuff like that. And then I do a Q and A. And quite a few of these people, they actually had some good questions. So you know what? I can see how saying you're an influencer can make you frown. But saying you're a content creator means you're creative, you're selling content. It makes you sound a little more professional at the business that you're doing. So wait, I feel like you're switching sides now. Are you like, are you one of them now? But you technically are people are excreaming your name. You're doing sweet visits. You're technically doing exactly what all these content creators are doing. Have we lost you? OK, see, but I've been doing sweet appearances for years.

3:01And so I think I was doing that before that these content creators were born. So I go way back in the day. So if you want to say that I was hit back in the day without knowing it, you can. But I'm not creating videos or like, I'll do a video from the tennis shop or about something, but like, I'm not selling something. You got something for me to sell? Well, I think it's really time today. You are ready to create your own TikTok account and start making the real bucks. Negative, all right. You don't want to make money. I want to make some cash, but I don't want to create on TikTok. No, that's for Zoe and you. All right, let's get to the tennis. We're in the round of 32. So we got 64 left in the men's and the women's combined. 15 Americans left. 8 on the women's side. 7 on the men's side. Strengthen numbers. And so far today, Americans 5 0. So a great start for Americans. I think we could get three or four each in the quarter finals on both sides.

4:02Yeah, exactly. And I think the thing that is impressive is that in these numbers, we actually have contenders for the title. Would you agree? Well, especially on the women's side. And I really believe on the men's side, we have got our best chance since 2003, Andy Roddick. And I said I picked an American, the two that I did circle out before the tournament were Fritz and TN. I was a little worried about Shelton's draw. He's safely through. Yeah, I really like how the draw is for guessing on the men's side. It's blowing up a little bit. Three of the top six gone for the top 10. Chalk has held much more on the women's side. You know what, chalk is? No, but I'm all disappointed that you called them, that you didn't call them Fritz Carlton and Fast Learner. Yeah, what's going on? Are you feeling OK? No, no, I usually get to them. So I just want to make sure you like those two nicknames. I actually, I want to know, how do you get, like you're actually very clever. Not that sounded really bad. No, you're very clever. Because you've got Fritz Carlton, Fast Learner,

5:04Madison Avenue keys, like they make sense. So like, whoa, I mean, some names give you more to work with. I'm still thinking of a one for you. Some names you look at, and I can look at them a bunch of times. And they're difficult to come up with something clever. So some names give you multiple choices. Give me like for the big three. I've never heard you. Do they have the famous nickname? Well, I used to just call them Vamos Rafa. I was the one that's a tank. That's a tank. That's a tank. OK, I came up with Joker. No, you did what? You're claiming Joker? Like in 2005, when I was coaching, you know, when I first saw him, I came up with the Joker slam. And then, you know what I used to call Fed, you used to annoy the Fed fans. I used to just call him Fed Fan, because he's one with his fans. When she wasn't a Fed, Fed Express. Or it could be Fed X. I liked Fed X Express or something like that. I don't know. All right, Vamos Rafa and he's worked, but it's over. He's gone so. You like Escape from Alcarez?

6:05I like Escape from Alcarez. Yeah. And then Sin City. Sin City's good. Because of the Vegas thing. And, you know, we actually want, yeah, you like it. All right. All right. Zverev. We'll just get to him real quickly. Once again, five sets finishes it two in the morning. First, number one seed in the open era to lose four sets and survive. How much do you think that will hurt him moving forward? I don't think that much. I mean, the thing that I noticed, like, did you hear when he said that, like, straight off the bat? He was like, I played like shit. And I want to make sure I'm just quoting because my mom doesn't like when I curse, but he did say that word. And I was like, well, imagine what the upside is if he actually gets it together to a level he's happy with. Well, the performance was quite shit, to be honest, but, um, but I won. And that's the most important thing I've been here. We're not a four and a half hours. Two 15 AM again. Um, I hope at some point I'll start playing better, but, uh, for now,

7:07I'm having to be in the third round. You like when you're winning matches, not playing your best. That has to give you confidence. I mean, winning ugly 100% and then you feel like you got house money. But I can ask producer, you said that word so gracefully and elegantly. That might be the nicest where word I've ever heard. Well done. Thank you. That was that's like the nicest backhand compliment ever. And and Coco Gough is in that really tough section. I think she did well to get through Badoza last night. Who had a five three head to head, but that is a loaded section. If you start looking at her section, do you feel like Coco looks at the first around and she kind of has like a big sigh of relief? Um, you know what with Coco when I was with her, I don't think she really looks at the draw that much. She's very cognizant who she plays. She's not looking ahead and not analyzing the draw. But she's not like, Oh, I can't know what's going on. She watches. She knows and I'm sure that she would have known before she played her first,

8:11but oh, I could play Badoza second round. So you don't think she looks at the second round against Badoza and she's like, Oh, that's a pretty tough match considering because look, Badoza in my opinion, she plays much better than her current ranking. There's no doubt, but her ranking is where it is because, you know, she's been injured a lot and hasn't played that well. But it's the same thing. She was ranked low when Coco played her when I was coaching her at Rome in, in 2024 and she beat her in a tight match. So that's just when you get through and now you start focusing on the next opponent. I was very impressed today. Mujo, a crushed her first two opponents and Emma Navarro back playing some really good ball. That's a good win and Tommy Paul takes out a Bubliq. So the Americans zest. We're moving into the fourth round. Yeah, I just felt like when we talked about Mujova that losing four games in the first opening rounds, I was a bit skeptical that like, you want to be tested a bit more and then she gets a match like Emma Navarro and, you know, not saying that that's why happened,

9:13but I would love a bit more a challenging two first two rounds. I'm going to take a win anyway and get it. If it's a blow out city, I'm all in. Okay, let's have your power rankings for the first week. Give me your top three women in one two three numerical order. All right, my first one. Are you going to go backwards three to one? I'm going to go one two three. Okay. Okay. First one is Coco Gough. Second one, Arena Subalanca and third one Marta Costuke. And I'm going to tell you why. Obviously, you're going to say, you picked all the hiring players. And I did, but the thing is these players are expected to do extremely well these two weeks. And they're actually rising up to the occasion. Marta Costuke and Arena Subalanca to me are quite impressive. And they have something in common. They both, when I played them were players, probably before they kind of hit their prime, they were pretty a little bit nuts.

10:15And I don't mean that in a bad way. They wear their heart on the sleeve, they're emotional, and they're not scared to show the reaction on court. It's usually a little negative after a bad point. Back in the day, that negative emotion would carry on for a few points and sometimes again. So I would sometimes, like, I remember playing Arena in Miami a while ago. And I felt like if I got close to her, she might lose her mind a bit. And she gave me some errors where now, if you look at them, when they are, you know, winning Arena winning slams and Marta playing probably the most consistent tennis this year, they bounce back within seconds. They don't waste another point because they lost the previous one. And Coco Gough, in my opinion, is just love is playing here. And like you said, she doesn't look like she gets nervous. No, she's ready for the challenge. All right. And we got to give Arena a little bit of, like, love. She just went to the umpire today. What's up with the weed smell? I don't like all this marijuana smell. Umpires like, what do you want me to do about it? I was like, guys, you can do whatever you can smoke whatever you can relax as much as

11:20you can, but please do not do it around the tennis courts. It's a bit tricky to handle. That's my all while you're trying to compete at your best. All right. I'll give you my power rankings. Number one, we will go with Fritz Carlton. Two easy matches serve looks really good, playing comfortable, and he'll take his two blowout wins. Number two, I'm going to give you a escape from Alcaraz. He's looked very solid. The kit looks excellent. One is first day match. I don't know about the t-shirt today underneath the kit. We'll get into that later. I got him a number two on the power rankings. And number three, I think he's incredibly under the radar. And very good first round win, beating Borges is fast learner blue and then easy against Monefis. I think he's got a great job to the quarter finals. That's my top three in the power rankings. Wow. I feel like we both did good, had good picks today. Yeah, we went a little bit of chalk.

12:20We what? We went a little bit of chalk. Chalk is like the higher rank players. We didn't put somebody on the second page of the rankings into the power rankings. Yeah. Oh, okay, God, I need to get on this new lingo. All right, let's get back to escape from Alcaraz. I thought he played excellent ball in his first day match today into the round of 16. But I want to ask you about the wardrobe. I really like the kit. And why is he going this little t-shirt underneath? You got any info about that? Because some of the basketball players do that as well. Yeah, that's actually a good question. I'm thinking, okay, this is my professional opinion. I think Carlos isn't the type of guy to like hear that, you know, the nip slip has been talk of the town. And he's like, let me cover up. Because I think he owns his look. I'm thinking maybe it was the material wasn't so comfortable. Because you know, maybe a bit of chafing. I don't know what that feels like. But maybe it was something to do with performance. And you know what? He still went the basketball route. And he's still representing for whatever the inspo for the kit was with a little undershirt.

13:22I mean, so he pulled it off. He pulled it off, but I prefer if he didn't wear that shirt under. What about you? Um, yeah, I like the look without the t-shirt. And that's also a look that you need to have some decent guns. And I like how the thing is fitted to them. The whole thing works that the t-shirt was a slightly distracted. Thank you. Pull that pull that look off back in your day. I mean, I would say I don't have scrawny arms. And I've got it, you know, decent chest for a test player. But I need to do some serious manscaping. Because I'm a little bit woolly. So I would have to, you know, go, you know, I don't know about the waxing, but I would certainly have to get out the razor. You told me that you had really weak arms, like genetically. No, no, I have pencil legs. Oh, okay. But I definitely went in the gym. I did a little buys and curls. Yeah, no, the arms are a little better. I definitely went the calf god said they said next to me. If you were, and if you played in today's world, you probably could get such a good sponsor for the waxing. Oh, you think or the skinny pins?

14:23No. All right. Let's go on to something that's hit up social media hard. I was a little bit surprised by it. Nick Curios suspended only one month. Yeah. Um, okay. That's a tough one. My, you know what comes to mind is players that have tested positive for the same substance and got, Dan Evans got one year. There's a player from Australia, Omar Jaseka got two years. I just don't understand is this a new rule now? Um, can the case be that different? And you know what, if this isn't your role, great, but you got to find a way to compensate the other players. You're ruining careers in a way if that was just a bad call. I mean, what do you think? Well, what I'm shocked about is how quickly he was to judge other players and say that, you know, when they got one month or they got reduced, he would be like prolific on Twitter and these people deserve four years. Okay. Dan Evans, a few years back in the prime of his career, this is a performance dehansing drug.

15:24It's not exactly like steroids, but he got one year. So to me, he should have got one year very inconsistent on what they're doing. And it's not like exactly he had a beautiful resume to be getting off so easily. So I'm giving a red card to the people that gave the sentence of one month. Okay. So you think you should get a long garbant for this? I'm giving him, okay, if Dan Evans got one year and it was the same kind of thing, a mistake and they gave him one year, which made him have to go all the way back to zero in the rankings. You said that Ozzy got two years. I'll go, you know, somewhere in that range, 12 to 18 months. But BG, I want to know if this is a substance that is prohibited, then why are we calling it, oh, but it's not performance enhancing, but it is prohibited. So it's a fair point, but it's not like one of those substances that's exactly going to help you fly up the rankings. So that's why I call it performance dehansing. Okay. Yeah.

16:25Before we get to tomorrow's matchups, you and Steve Weisman cut up with a very informed Taylor Townsend. Let's go to that interview. Taylor joining us here on our tennis channel, Desk. Hi guys. One, just one little tooth today with some diamonds. This one. That's one tea. One tea. One tea for tea tea. What was the celebration today? So I was trying to figure out like what I was feeling like in the orange kit and I felt like a super saying like go, go, go, hon. And so I did like the Kami Hami. Okay. So that's what that was. I'm an anime, like I love anime. And so I actually watch Dragon Ball Z. That's like me and AJ's like go to sleep show. So I started from the very beginning with him. So I was like, this is what I'm feeling like. My hair is blonde. I'm a super saying. There we go. Taylor, I can tell you all the righties don't like playing lefties. Yeah. Well, you know that. Yeah.

17:26But I heard that lefties actually don't love playing lefties. So how was it playing Dianna Schneider today? It was actually okay because I played a lefty in the first round. And so it was, it was okay. I've been practicing with one of the hitting partners that's a lefty basically every day. And so I'm used to the ball. But it honestly doesn't really bother me that much. I'm probably one of the few people where the ball and how it spins. I actually really like the way that it goes. Like it goes into my forehand. It goes forehand over there. So I actually really enjoy it. But yeah. It's fun. It's not something that you get to do very often. And being one of the lefties, I'm like one of the disruptors. So it's kind of crazy that in one tournament, you know, into the fourth round and I've already played two of them. Yeah, that's wild. Probably not a lot going forward. Yeah. That second set today was about as long as your last full match. Yeah. What was your mindset entering the third first three setter? Yeah. I was a bit like, oh my god, I was serving four and at five three. And you know, I was playing really well. And she really stepped up her game, started going for her shots.

18:29And you know, we're hitting some lines, like some screaming winners, path in the a couple of times, off of some really good balls. And so I didn't feel like necessarily I was doing things like wrong. I wasn't making the wrong plays. I just feel like she was playing a little bit better and she was down and went for it. And it was landing. So going into the third, I just was like, I'm just going to keep going. Like I'm doing the right stuff. And then I tried to just be more aggressive and like back myself on the shots where it's like, I'm setting up the points. And I'm getting those opportunities like I'm just going to go for it. So I really tried to be more aggressive, get inside of the lines where I do the most damage, you know, and trying to finish points at the net. So that's that was like 40 something. 30 to a 44. Okay. Is that okay? Not bad. How many times do you want to come to net in a match? I don't know, but I think the most like when I played Halop, it was like, how many was out 100 and something? So that was crazy. We're almost there. We're halfway there. We're halfway there. I want to get into the fashion because you have been giving us so many looks already.

19:29I want to know about the inspiration, but I also want to know how many looks do you have because you keep staying until the very end all the time. Yeah. So I have another one for the next match. I'm so excited. That one's sick. I'm really excited for that one. But yeah, I mean, I have different dresses for doubles than I do for singles, but the inspiration, like, I've been showing up differently, like in the tournaments with different colors or different, like, I wear a bubble with sleeveless or a sleeve. You know, so I do different things, but I've always switched up the colors. And so this is really the first time in a tournament where I have a completely like different look for like each match. So my creative team really came through. They did a phenomenal job with being able to execute because I mean, everything looked amazing. And so it's been really great that we've been here and like, everything has been to the tea. It's performing well.

20:29I sweat a ton. So that's like one of the things that we were like, oh my god, we hope that it's fine. And everything's been great. So Jay and Anthony have really done a phenomenal job with like bringing this to life. I gave them creative freedom. We talked right after Wimbledon. And so I kind of was like, I gave them ideas, like creative direction. And I was like, I want fringes and movement and this and that and this and like, but I have no idea how to translate that to clothes and make it come to life. So they really did a phenomenal job. And you know, I said I was like, look good, feel good, play good. That's my motto. And I'm sticking to it. And it's working. Well, you're going deep into doubles, singles, you're building your brand, your fashion brand, you're doing events and your mom, I scroll through your Insta and I'm like, girl, I'm tired, but I'm impressed. How do you do it? I don't know. I don't know. I just, I think that I'm like built for hard things, honestly. Like, I, it's funny because a lot of people ask me that and I don't even think about it. Like I just think that it's what I'm supposed to do.

21:32Like every time that I have something in front of me is like, this is what I have to do. So I don't even think about it, but there have been times where when I stop, I'm like, oh my god, this is so much, you know? But yeah, I don't think about it. Like I just really enjoy each aspect, like each part of me and like what I'm becoming, it gives me something different. Like being a mom fulfills me in a different way than being a competitor than being, you know, someone who's building a brand and like investing into myself. And so all of these things are making me a really like complete individual. But they give me different things. Like each, each part fills me up in a different way. All right. So basically just work hard and do it. It's so inspiring, Taylor. Thank you. Thank you for doing that. Congratulations on making the fourth round again. Thank you. And best of luck going forward. We hope to see seven different outfits here at the US Open. Seven different looks. Let's go. Taylor Townsend, moving into the round of 16 here at the US Open.

22:33Got her first top 20 win of the year. Gonna go for another one in the next round. A number one player. The Big T. BG, I love talking to Taylor. She's one of the cooler personalities on tour. And every time when the locker room, she's such a fun chat. So this was really fun. I mean, she's in singles and doubles here. You think she can make a deep run in singles? Why not? You never know. Fourth round, anything can happen. Now, let's look ahead to tomorrow. Two great young matchups. Let's take the first one. Fast learner versus men six. So you got a guy that likes to take the ball early and crowd the baseline versus the big chequea who's got the big game. Who do you like in that matchup? I want to hear your you pick one right now before like today. We lock it in. You know what? All signs because of the American success. I like Michael Chang factor. I like to weigh fast learners playing. I think that he can control the baseline.

23:35I'm going straight to big man. I'm going fast learner and four sets. All right. I'm going men's sick. And then who wins this, you know, whatever we're doing, get has to get each other. We go for a shot. Let's go for a loser loser has to a shot at Dequila on set. Sure. All right. Let's do it. OK. But we also have to do the second match as well. All right. This one. I really like this matchup. I should have looked at the head to head paid. Eva Yovic. Your could looks like could be your distant cousin versus Ayala. And I promise you that Filipino crowd will be out in full force. And that is in the same section to potentially play Coco Gop if she wins her third round matchup. What do you think in that matchup? I'm actually so excited to me. This is for now going to be match of the tournament coming up tomorrow. I would probably in this matchup take Yovic and nothing to do with the head to head. I just is just a gut feeling. But I think it's going to be much closer than any other match they've had this year.

24:38So Ayala, her whole game is about taking time away. She doesn't have the biggest serve. Doesn't hit the ball big, but she really takes your time away by getting inside the court and watch how many practice cuts she takes. Every single point practice forehand cut practice a backhand cut. She raises the legs. She hits the fist. She has a lot of quirks, but even Yovic is game. Surprisingly, she doesn't feel that comfortable on defense. She likes to take offense. You know what you say that, BG, but I played Eva in March. And I didn't feel that so much. Like I think she, if you look at her, well, you have big firepower. So you forced her a little bit to play defense. Absolutely. Yeah, I felt like, you know, she has the capability to drop back behind the baseline quite a bit. And then she's straight back on it. So I think we sometimes miss how good her movement is, but I do think she has the capability to play decent defense. So and then for Eva, 1000%. It's all about her fear hand.

25:38So goes her fear hand. Her game is much better, but that's the side that breaks down to me. All sides tell me with the fan base, everybody wants to see Ayala winning. I'm going with the American success. I'm seeing an American teenager double there. Actually, no, is fast learner 20 yet? I think he's 20. So they're 38 combined. I'm going Eva, you know, which like four and six, if you're taking Eva, then just for the fun of the, you know, friendly bet, I'll take Alex Yala so that, you know, on this one, where do we go? Dinner on it. No, it's a different. Yeah, let's do something more. Yeah, we'll go dinner at PJ Clarks. Maybe we will. This is a great show. And we'll take producer Gary. All right. Perfect. What's up? We will know these results on day seven. And I can't wait to see if Jim Courier says something about the good on couple. All right, people. You can find the big T on all your podcast platforms and especially on our YouTube channel

26:39and the Tunis channel app. Okay. Thanks. You're welcome. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. Bye. Bye.