Speaker 1: Hello, right, welcome to what you're talking about. Willis with
Speaker 1: Marcus Willis, who's atp seventy four, and me his mate Dave.
Speaker 1: I'm just recording a little preamble to today's podcast to set
Speaker 1: the scene. First of all, Marcus is playing at the
Speaker 1: French Open, but there's been some major moving stories and
Speaker 1: changes that you honestly just wouldn't believe until you've heard
Speaker 1: today's pod. Secondly, Marcus was today just out of practice.
Speaker 1: He was hiding in a cupboard at Roland Garross. He
Speaker 1: was sorting out new accommodation and despite awful WiFi, jumped
Speaker 1: on for a podcast. So the sound quality isn't the best.
Speaker 1: In fact, at times it's actually our back up sound
Speaker 1: quality that we've heavily edited so he gets on air.
Speaker 1: The reason he's done this and we did this podcast
Speaker 1: is because this is exactly what we're about, a peak
Speaker 1: behind the curtain, a lifting on the lid of pro
Speaker 1: doubles life. For let's face it, one of the world's
Speaker 1: best players. So excuse the recording quality. It's not the best,
Speaker 1: but the story is and we'd rather have you in
Speaker 1: it than out of it. This is the word you're
Speaker 1: talking about. Willis Podcast. Welcome to the What You're Talking
Speaker 1: About Willis Podcast. He's Marcus Willis and he's just about
Speaker 1: to play his first ever Roman Garas French Open. I'm
Speaker 1: his mate, Dave. Now, if you're new to this podcast,
Speaker 1: the way it works is we talk about the real
Speaker 1: life of tennis players, and luckily Marcus is completely open
Speaker 1: and completely frank about what tennis is like if you're
Speaker 1: not on the private kind of jet scene. We were
Speaker 1: just having a little chat and I said, stop, I
Speaker 1: want to find out what's happening. If you haven't heard
Speaker 1: about the preamble of getting into the first ever French
Speaker 1: Open for a player in their mid thirties, go back
Speaker 1: and listen to the previous couple of episodes. But a
Speaker 1: lot has changed since our preview in Paris on Sunday,
Speaker 1: because we're on day four of the French Open. Marcus
Speaker 1: still hasn't played. You're due to play tomorrow. Marcus, how
Speaker 1: are you? First of all, I mean that genuinely, not
Speaker 1: in like a shallow You're right, mate. How are you
Speaker 1: feeling good?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 3: All right, yeah, just just been getting on with you know,
Speaker 3: playing and training and what have you. We were told
Speaker 3: Monday night we're probably going to play Tuesday, and then
Speaker 3: you know, didn't went on the schedule and then our
Speaker 3: oponents pulled out yesterday.
Speaker 2: Okay, so and notify the on the drawer.
Speaker 1: How do you find out your opponents pull out?
Speaker 2: I saw it as I was checking the drawer out.
Speaker 3: I saw our names had alternate next to us, but
Speaker 3: no one told me.
Speaker 2: I wasn't informed by.
Speaker 3: Bloody and that was yesterday, so so.
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, so why your opponents pulled out? And I
Speaker 1: don't know, you didn't preempt it, but you had an
Speaker 1: idea that after losing in the first round of singles,
Speaker 1: they might pop home.
Speaker 3: Yeah it very Karabelly just lost today to rub It's
Speaker 3: a very lost on Sunday. But yeah, they didn't pull
Speaker 3: out until yesterday. So what was yesterday? Tuesday? So yeah,
Speaker 3: so I was really surprised you didn't schedule last for Tuesday,
Speaker 3: considering Carabelly wasn't playing singles to today.
Speaker 2: But yeah, so I wasn't told.
Speaker 3: I just saw on the drawer that we had a
Speaker 3: walk over, and you know, yesterday we were told you'll
Speaker 3: probably play Thursday because Carabelle's playing singles today as in now,
Speaker 3: and then I thought maybe they'll put us on for tomorrow.
Speaker 3: Then if we playing an alcident pair but we weren't
Speaker 3: on the schedule.
Speaker 1: Again, ask then is that how it works.
Speaker 3: No, there's an ACP office, but they don't know the
Speaker 3: schedule is still for tomorrow. So the single schedule was
Speaker 3: done three hours ago and they said come back at.
Speaker 2: Four, and then Adam went up four and they said come.
Speaker 3: Back at five.
Speaker 2: So we just got out of there because at Windwood
Speaker 2: and they do the same thing. They go come back
Speaker 2: to us in an hour and it's eight.
Speaker 3: So we've practiced already. We are actually checking out the
Speaker 3: AIRBMB we're in because it's you know, books, and we're
Speaker 3: moving hotels tomorrow because yeah, I thought, you know, most
Speaker 3: people are playing Tuesday Wednesday. I thought I'll book it
Speaker 3: until Thursday and then extend if we get through.
Speaker 2: But yeah, there we go. So it's just been a
Speaker 2: bit of a mess really. But yeah, for the first time.
Speaker 3: I don't know in my my career or my you know,
Speaker 3: since I've been watching as a kid. There's a walk
Speaker 3: over and the first round because there's no.
Speaker 2: More pairs a ram.
Speaker 1: Okay, so let's let's speak to me as if I'm
Speaker 1: just some bald idiot.
Speaker 2: H if they do.
Speaker 1: Oh have you been doing that all along? Okay?
Speaker 3: So yeah, So so we were speaking the other day,
Speaker 3: right and talking about matchup, and then I said we
Speaker 3: could be speaking of five minutes and.
Speaker 1: So what what happens? Though? Have you've been an alternate
Speaker 1: as well at this Grand Slam?
Speaker 2: Yeah? So I haven't, but not not ten.
Speaker 1: No, No, So what happened?
Speaker 3: There's been There's been nine who pulled out yesterday, majority
Speaker 3: singles players, one double Sky because he did attend in
Speaker 3: his risks. So there were nine in one day players
Speaker 3: I mean singlesmiths, and they're putting.
Speaker 1: Out because their singles is going well, or because their
Speaker 1: singles has already finished and there's an opportunity for a break.
Speaker 2: Yeah. And it's hot. Yeah, and it's hot.
Speaker 3: If it's hot and or it rains for a long time,
Speaker 3: there's more alternates. Yeah, it happened. Happened a couple of
Speaker 3: years ago when it rained a lot ten pairs. I
Speaker 3: was ten out last year and I went for a day.
Speaker 3: But you know, I think there were six or seven
Speaker 3: that got in in the end. That's kind of normal,
Speaker 3: or as high as it gets normally. But yeah, so
Speaker 3: so we were told you're going to play, Yeah, you're
Speaker 3: gonna play alternates. There's only two pairs. It was either
Speaker 3: Yazuki and chan Da crossar Josh Paris and Hildebrand. Hildebrand
Speaker 3: landed today because he found out there alternates, so I
Speaker 3: had to jump on a flight from America last night
Speaker 3: or walk over because there's only two person there's three gaps.
Speaker 2: Now two pairs sign this morning.
Speaker 3: There was only supposed to be one match today and
Speaker 3: I think they did it out of a hat. I'm
Speaker 3: not sure, but the pair that was supposed to be
Speaker 3: playing today got to walk over. We're playing Yazuki in
Speaker 3: tender crossan two lefties, and Josh Paris is playing Aravello
Speaker 3: and Pavich, which is interesting. I'll tell you off record
Speaker 3: what's happening there because I can't really say now, but
Speaker 3: it's it's absolutely bombed. Because so so, yeah, we got
Speaker 3: a tough to all. Like I mean, Yazuki made final
Speaker 3: Tokyo five hundred last year with the partner.
Speaker 2: Send that Crassa is a crafty player. They've won a
Speaker 2: lot of matches together this year.
Speaker 3: So yeah, not a nice draw again really, but I
Speaker 3: don't know if you can say it's better or worse
Speaker 3: than our original. I'd say it's worse in terms of
Speaker 3: a doubles matchup. But we'll find out tomorrow again, won't we.
Speaker 3: But yeah, I mean everything we've been training has kind
Speaker 3: of gone.
Speaker 2: Out the window.
Speaker 1: Yes, So I mean, like we've said, Yakub doesn't know
Speaker 1: any of this, what a way to live?
Speaker 2: Oh No, he wanted to know because he wanted to
Speaker 2: know today. So I told him.
Speaker 3: He he played a guy earlier this year in March,
Speaker 3: and I had looked last night and I told him
Speaker 3: and he basically said, yoh yeah, I played him in
Speaker 3: a different location And I said, yeah, yeah, you won
Speaker 3: four and did I.
Speaker 1: No, So he's he's we've spoken about this, not not
Speaker 1: yeah superstitions or whatever. So look, I mean you've been training. Now,
Speaker 1: let's let's talk positives. You've been training at the facility
Speaker 1: on clay with Yakub for a good few days. You
Speaker 1: haven't had to scatter across Europe to get into this
Speaker 1: as an alternate and stuff like that. Right, So, actually,
Speaker 1: your preparation you could say, has been pretty good from
Speaker 1: a tennis point of view.
Speaker 3: Fine, yeah, as as as I prepared to be prepared
Speaker 3: on yours in the tournament. But you know, I think
Speaker 3: the ultates were playing arrived at the same time or
Speaker 3: even to day earlier because from obviously overseas, so they've
Speaker 3: also had good preparation and a lot of practice points
Speaker 3: and stuff like that.
Speaker 2: So yeah, but we're as prepared as we can be.
Speaker 1: Yes, how much does this unsettle you you because you
Speaker 1: come across so laid back in this podcast. You're so
Speaker 1: relaxed when you say, yeah, next week I might play
Speaker 1: South of Frances. They might be saying in Austria. Actually,
Speaker 1: you know, you seem to taste so much in your
Speaker 1: stride has this week? Is this worst case scenario for you?
Speaker 1: Or is that me wanting to be sensation?
Speaker 3: What it is like, it's it's it's it's a name.
Speaker 3: But remember I've been alternate before. I was an alternate
Speaker 3: at the US Open and we've played Thompson Ebden first
Speaker 3: round of there, prepared for a different.
Speaker 2: Match, and then we went on and beat them. So
Speaker 2: so you know, we've got to take it as it comes.
Speaker 2: I can't beat I can't be annoys.
Speaker 3: It's not ideal, but it's it is what it is, right,
Speaker 3: you know, there was a one and three chance we're
Speaker 3: going to get Wakata's one and three chances we'd get
Speaker 3: a guy that landed today from a long full flight,
Speaker 3: and there's one and three chance we get you know,
Speaker 3: the left is and we got that, and that's that's
Speaker 3: you know, you tell us before it till we're playing.
Speaker 3: Then we go, okay, that's fine. You know they're a
Speaker 3: good team, but it's a winnable map.
Speaker 1: Do you find plain alternates and from just from your experience, right,
Speaker 1: we could dig into stats on this to find official numbers.
Speaker 1: Do you find they play with the freedom and nothing
Speaker 1: to lose kind of freedom?
Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, yeah, because they're not the all and they're
Speaker 3: they're loose and I've been one and we played Me
Speaker 3: and Carol will never play together, Epston and Thompson and
Speaker 3: Thomson one at the other four there's there's really nothing
Speaker 3: to lose.
Speaker 2: You're happy to be in there, so you go and
Speaker 2: play three yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, rather than you could play two singles guys at
Speaker 3: the tired and you know they go to break down
Speaker 3: and don't really scrap the much.
Speaker 1: Yeah half of mind on whatever. On the other side.
Speaker 3: You could also play two singles guys that are going
Speaker 3: after everything and you know, really on it.
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's it's I don't know, it's just a
Speaker 2: different match. But I was already kind of ready to.
Speaker 3: I looked at the alternates list when the drawer came out,
Speaker 3: and so, okay, can play. So I'm not surprised, but
Speaker 3: I think, you know, I've got to go back to basics.
Speaker 3: I'm playing my fourth thumb in a row. I'm excited.
Speaker 3: I don't have a lot to lose. Rely go out
Speaker 3: there and try and play well. Really really is in
Speaker 3: one sensus in achievement. But I do want to win.
Speaker 3: But I can't start thinking too much about what's happened.
Speaker 3: And you know, the schedules not out, I don't know
Speaker 3: when's up, but like, you just have to roll with it.
Speaker 3: There's so much and it's so I don't want to
Speaker 3: say poorly organized, but yeah, it's so random. Some of
Speaker 3: the stuff, like no one knew the rule on the
Speaker 3: alternate People were saying, well, you know, in theory you
Speaker 3: could sign in tomorrow if you didn't want to play today,
Speaker 3: and the ultimate places the only match today, but they
Speaker 3: kind of scrapped that and said.
Speaker 2: Well, I'll start giving a walk over.
Speaker 3: It's just been a bit, but no one knows where
Speaker 3: they stand.
Speaker 2: I don't want to say poorly organized, but.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's so random some of the stuff, like no
Speaker 3: one knew the rule on the alternate people were saying, well,
Speaker 3: you know, and theory you could sign in tomorrow if
Speaker 3: you didn't want to play today, and the ultimate place
Speaker 3: the only match today, but they kind of scrapped that
Speaker 3: and said, I start giving a walker over.
Speaker 2: It's just being a bit, but no one knows where
Speaker 2: they stand.
Speaker 1: Do you think there needs to be a rule change
Speaker 1: about these single singles players taking doubles places because you
Speaker 1: are playing to bona fide doubles players. Now, who really
Speaker 1: if it wasn't for the singles players should be there
Speaker 1: by on merit that this singles thing into doubles is
Speaker 1: taking doubles players jobs, right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean the fact that they can just enter
Speaker 2: on their singles drinking.
Speaker 1: Without Do you know what I think is the enlightening
Speaker 1: part of this podcast? Now repeat myself. I know, but
Speaker 1: they're doing this to Novak, They're doing this to Yannick
Speaker 1: or Eager and so on, And I think it's really
Speaker 1: interesting that the tennis tour is so and this is
Speaker 1: for me to say, not for you to say or
Speaker 1: agree with. The tennis Tour is not even two tier,
Speaker 1: it's multi tiered. That they treat people differently based on
Speaker 1: their fame there, whatever, And there's no way those guys
Speaker 1: are finding out via refreshing the BBC Sport app or
Speaker 1: whatever where the order of players. There's no way that
Speaker 1: they weren't just going to get a walkover. If Novak
Speaker 1: was playing the doubles, he's getting a walk over, right,
Speaker 1: And I think it's just it's refreshing to hear this
Speaker 1: side of it, because this is the we see the
Speaker 1: shiny office side in the in the media. So it's
Speaker 1: great that we can do this. And I can't wait
Speaker 1: to talk to you tomorrow once you've got the w.
Speaker 3: Victor Baronco on trombone, Sergeant Major Craig Frederick on.
Speaker 1: The trumpets, and the composition The Army Blues
Speaker 2: Walked Up Down