CHRISTOPHER EUBANKS INTERVIEW | EPISODE 80 | BLACK SPIN GLOBAL PODCAST

Intro hi I'm Chris Eubanks and you're listening to Black spin Global [Music] podcast hello guys welcome to the black spin Global podcast I am Lucy and I'm Eugene and welcome to a brand new episode today we have how how are we going to introduce this this is friend of the Pod friend of the Pod second appearance on second appearance on and we're in New York like come on you're for something big cuz whenever I'm on Twitter all I'm seeing is Yo ESPN we only want to see Chris we only want to see Chris only want to see Chris obviously we have Christopher Eubanks back here again hi Chris hey what's up guys thank you for joining us we really appreciate you joining us man no it's it's with all the work you guys do I I said I I love coming on and just talking tennis it's like that's what I do literally so um but no and to see how much work you got put in I'm like man anytime I can sit down and talk with you guys and answer some questions we've been talking for the past 30 minutes A Match Day schedules you guys been like what like that stuff is cool to me cuz like that's most of the people I'm around those are just like normal things so to see you guys like so excited about tennis so excited about you know the behind the scenes like so excited like that's I like oh man I if I get the chance like I I got I got to you know help out when I can so this was this was a no-brainer but yeah like Lucy said you've been kidding on the SPN man like we'll get on to that later on but we just want to kind of have a recap of like your year because it's been it's been a pretty special year for you in terms of like some Landmark stuff um let's start with the Davis Cup so debut Davis Cup this this year yeah this year after Australia if you can take us back to that like experience like was that kind of everything you well that you kind of f it would be cuz it was Ukraine that USA played we played uh Ukraine but in Lithuania yeah so it was to be honest I never really thought that much about Davis Cup because I think it's probably going to be the same theme for what we talk about later but um I've never thought that much about it only because I know to play Davis Cup you got to be like a top four or six American we're strong right now like even before this past like you know year for me like we were strong like really strong so I never put myself in like thinking about oh man like be cool to play Davis Cup I was like man oh it'd be cool to play main draw slam on my own like that'd be nice that's the majority of my career so I never put that much thought into it and then when it started the possibility came up they were like hey you know um I forgot how I found out I got a text from Bob Bryant okay and he was like Hey we'd love to have you on the team of Davis Cup and I was like Davis like me and I was like absolutely like it was kind it was a no-brainer they told me the logistics of it finish Australia play in play Ukraine in Lithuania so that kind of confused me um and then um yeah so I I played Australian Open a second round Taro Daniel and similar to what I'm doing now I just stayed behind and did some commentary for a few days and because I just wanted to use that as an opportunity to you know get some reps and you know get better and learn more and stuff so I was like yeah I'll finish playing and then do commentary all the way up until Davis Cup we left forgot what day I think I left Friday Thursday or Friday of like the second weekend we went to Lithuania we started up a training week um and then yeah it was it was really cool though it was a really cool experience like myself sebbi Fritz um Austin crotch like it was it was really cool and and it was just I didn't know if I would play I didn't know how it worked like we didn't never really came up I was just excited to be there I was like bro I got a Davis SC uniform was like this is crazy like I used to see that uniform all the time like Andy and James it's different now but I'm like like man I got what my name is that um I got to have the whole practice week with the practice partners and we did like you know just fun activities and hanging out and all that so it was it was it was really really cool and then to go out there um and get a win my first match was listen I I don't think I've ever been that locked in in like a pre-match how did it come about in terms of you knowing you were going to play so I can't remember exactly I played the first I think I got thrown in I got subbed in I think on day one okay or something like I I don't remember the details I I can't remember exactly but I remember I I found out I think the original roster was Fritz sebie myself and I believe yeah it was Fritz and sebbi to play one and two and then maybe the next morning I don't maybe was it Fritz no Fritz play Seb I think it was sebie that sebie played right yeah okay so yeah Fritz didn't play yeah he was he was nursing something that's what it was he had a really physical match in Australia and he came to Davis Cup kind of like still I think dealing on the back of that and um so he didn't play and then I got in but I think because at the time I think the way it worked is my current ranking then was higher than Seb by like a spot yeah so then I ended up playing one or 7 it was weird like I'm I'm literally learning all this stuff on the Fly I'm just like so I'm going play okay all right cool so just let me know who when like I was so ready to go and obviously you have that my first time those guys have played Davis Cup before they'll play Davis Cup many more times for the us we G to see about me you know like so like my big thing is like when I went out there I was like like I played a guy I think he was like 400 but good young player like nothing to lose I was like I'm not I'm doing like Francis said after this match the other night he goes like I was was going to die for that win like I was like no I cannot let these guys down like I cannot I do not want to let Fritz in s Austin and crot like I didn't want to let the team Bob uh Dean I was like I just I can't let so I went out there trying to be as locked in as possible I played really well did it take you back to like college in terms of like that kind of team environment or not not really not the one thing that's different about it is in college we have six matches going on at the same time this is just but I never one time in my college career my freshman year against Georgia I was the last match on and one more time my freshman year I think against Virginia I think I was the last match on but it wasn't a deciding match okay it was like I think in both cases we had already lost like lost 42 and I was still on and then maybe I won and pushed it to 4-3 something like that but it wasn't like you know Big Time Davis C is big time it's like being the last match on when all your teammates are watching it's a different kind of pressure so I didn't have that feeling in college so I can't speak to like how similar that is cuz like I just going know like my match it was like we were all on and a lot of times like I was first second or third off occasionally I had like some long ones whatever but I a lot of the guys who played like six and five they had that last match on filling multiple times they played just the game styles were just that's how they played they wanted to make it long so they had that everybody's watching like cheering after every Point like they I didn't have it as much so that's just for my but I can see it I can see it being very very similar but based on your reaction and you'll definitely do it again if you oh yeah if I get the chance to do it I'm going to do it again it was a lot of fun it was a lot of fun that's good that's great Olympics now let's talk about the Olympics I know we're kind of going back and forth because I do want to talk about that your grand slam kind of results as well this year but I want to just focus on the kind of highlights so Paris Olympics 2024 the Olympics this was your first Olympics um Paris obviously you played in Paris before ring G many times but yeah like just talk take us back to like I don't know getting the finding out you were selected for one um and then yeah the experience of being there like opening cemy everything uh so when did I find out so I knew I was like the fifth or sixth American I knew I was like somewhere around there I knew you had to be top four again and then I think who the I knew for somehow it was going to drop like one or two spies don't remember exactly how I KN but I knew like it was probably going to drop one or two spots and I was like oh I'm kind of close and then so believe I heard the the cut for it was after the French I was like it's not like I'm dropping any points before the French so I was like way to go up for me I lost every single match but I was like I I can make up some ground and get myself maybe like you know a little bit more cushion um lost every match at the clay War season and then uh still ended up getting it because I was the fourth I was still the fifth or sixth I I can't remember exactly but I I got in and um yeah that was that was that was kind of like my reaction of being like wow I'm going to go to the Olympics like that's even outside of tennis outside of sport that's like something you could always take pride in putting on your like I was an Olympian you know so I was like yeah Atlanta DC sorry like if I get in like I'm I think I'm I'm for sure going to go and so it came to me I got the opportunity it was even more special to like have that with Coco yeah yeah that that part was like really really cool um her first Olympics which should which could have been 2020 in Tokyo um but it wasn't so to share that with her too and to see hers and then to let have her be the flag bearer like everything was like I'm sitting there watching it like wow this is really special to see all the other athletes just like oo and just like worshiping this girl I'm like I'm saying we're walking through dining and people are come oh my God and I'm used to like tennis fans but these are like full fled like professional like best world's best athletes and they are like fawning over this girl and I'm looking I'm like are you really like a big deal like it was like it was cool to also like see her the way she handles that stuff is like unbelievable she takes it in stride like like she always is gracious with a picture oh yeah sure oh like can you make a video yeah hi okay what do you want me to say okay like she's like so chill about it like she's she's unbelievable at so like I'm watching that and then just taking in like the opening ceremony everything that came with it like it was it was really one of the coolest things in my career the thing is that from the outside it's funny I think there was even a little joke on socials that was saying like it seems like the tennis players were the stars at the Olympics or something like that like a lot of people were trying to get pictures with like Coco Nadal alarz and everything like it was given that five would you agree or do you think is it was just all athletes all together because there was another I can't remember her name sorry there was a rugby player who she had some of the funniest interactions I've ever seen between two people I was so like Ting each other like doing access back and forth we're getting ready to get on the bus and uh to head to the opening ceremony and they're just going back and forth and it's like just they're just funny it's just like it's weird it's just like like she said something funny em said something funny back she and and they would do something and it was just kind of like like I was like oh my God this is hilarious so you feel like it was like an excitement thing for all athletes or do you think like it was no there were there were definitely some athletes that were different like there were there were some athletes like like the NBA guys yeah like like but we didn't see them as much cuz they weren't in the village I heard but were you guys in the village cuz I heard yeah yeah I started in the village and then I went I went to a hotel so we had the option I started I did like two I did two nights in the village and then and then I was like all right can I get a hotel a for me but it wasn't the beds like people always ask was it the beds it wasn't the beds it was just the food in the village wasn't like wasn't what I'm used to fair enough fair so like I'm like listen the other tennis guys uh Tommy Fritz and Marcos they stayed in the village they had a great time they like I was just like okay breakfast is really good and then after that I'm like it's tough and they were like you can eat it like and then it was a little bit of a hassle trying to like leave and go get food like you could but oh was an outside yeah like if we wanted to go to our favorite restaurant at Paris we could it was just such a hassle getting outside of the Olympic Village calling an Uber the Uber finding you then going to the place then coming back to a drop then having to walk another like 10 15 it was just kind of like it was there was a lot of hoop she had to go through yeah Paris was a bit cuz I was in Paris during the Olympics and it was really hectic the city is already so small like I remember when they introduced like the Olympics in Paris I was like where's everyone's going to fit like it's just it's just ridic I can I can imagine but aside from that it was a great experience no it was a great experience the Olympics as a whole was a great experience like even any other sports as well no it was tough I think once you left the village it was a little more difficult because the way that it was set up from the village like there were buses going to different sporting venues so like if you wanted to go to volleyball and you knew which bus it was like you could just go on the schedule and just go and use your I think you probably had to have a ticket too I don't I didn't I never tried so like you could go and then like go see it and then take the bus back like but once we left the village it was like where is it I got a uber wear and they go drop off and we got a uber I was like nah I'm good like so and we we I made sure to even after I lost I stayed and tried to support um each of the guys I think I got to see I for sure watched Austin and crotch I got to see Tommy I got to see Tommy and Fritz in doubles against vosik and Felix okay came back to watch that that was really good um jeez Tommy and frisz are playing some unreal T they they they medal didn't they yeah they bronze they were playing some unbelievable doubles um so yeah I tried to even after I lost I was like I still want to come and support a little bit so that that was cool that that part of being a team was was nice so yeah let's Ranking drop talk about the um the ranking you kind of alluded to it earlier as well um like it's been a I guess a tough year you say like when so your points from Wimbledon dropped off after Wimbledon after Wimbledon but the points from um mayorca I think the points to my York and won dropped at the same time I think because like I don't think they drop it I I don't know maybe new rankings do release um on the Monday of grand slams maybe I I don't know I don't know I know it was a big drop in a little amount of time that's what I do know the question is like do you think that's kind of freed you up a bit as well oh yeah for sure like even after I lost and wiy obviously I was like bummed to lose I mean Hal played unbelievable he played some really good B he qualed in I think he lost a tough on the hoger think he beat somebody pretty good second round so he he was playing well at that time um and he just straight up beat me but like even afterwards I went back to the locker room I was like all right well I don't have that dark cloud hanging over me anymore like that we you just play tennis again so yeah it definitely felt a little bit like because I went from there I played really well in Newport um obviously left for Paris came back and just wanted to get matches gearing up going into the open and wanted to kind of find my footing again I hadn't played on hard obviously since Miami so it's like um you know that I lost second round there to Jake Fernley who went on to win the tournament he was playing some really good ball yeah the Brit guy's good he pushed nov back I was like so I was like guy guys actually pretty good so I lost to him and then I went to carrye played well and carry won two matches lost to sefan 4 and four and then the next week I played Winston Salem one two matches beat sefan saving two match points I think W 76 in the third and like then I was like okay I hadn't beaten Roman before I think he had beaten me three times up until that point but I'd always kind of like the match up because his big hitting and it's he's he's such a good ball Striker it's like we get into these rallies where it's just like and it's kind of like even if I lose it I'm like that felt good like you know yeah but he plays such a he is such a big ball it's just a matchup that I like even when he was beating me I kind of I enjoyed playing him um and I won that match and got fortunate obviously saving two match points but I was like man even if I had lost that match i' I'd like where I'm playing right now like I'm playing better I'm playing more like what it feels like myself and yeah and then came out uh who did I lost tough Molson lost six in the third and he went on to final yeah but even in that match even though that M like that melson match was kind of like I lost it but I was like he got me six in the third but I'm playing better I'm playing a lot better than I had previously been playing over the past few months so um lost to him came here played a good match against brender nich and he just beat me again it's like another six and and the funny thing is after the match I'm talking with uh my coach and I'm talking with Steve and we're sitting there together and I was like man it's just it's a tough one to you know have and he goes yeah he goes my coach Ruan goes uh yeah and it's a second 7even six and the third 76 in the third uh in a row and I went oh Molson was six the Third and then he was like oh I guess I probably shouldn't have told you that so we had a funny laugh about it I was like I didn't realize it was 2 six in the third L's in a row six in the 5ifth six in the third whatever I was like come on man he was like my bad but uh yeah so I mean that's just the drop the adjustment from being you know Challengers to all of a sudden being main draw everything like there's a learning curve that takes place and it's I feel like it's not just with me there are a lot of guys who kind of ascend into that top 100 whether quick or not and then there's a little bit of I've seen it from many guys who they have a little bit of kind of like a whoo drop and then you build it back up and then usually guys are very stable that next time you know some people can do it the first time and it's never an issue but I have seen the get there drop and then get back and then it's like oh yeah now I'm back for you know and I'm consistent it's just different with scheduling with being top 50 not being able to play Challengers I couldn't go and just get matches to like get my confidence I had to play the whole clay Court swing I couldn't not I couldn't the every other year I went to like Asia during the clay Court swing I was like I'm finding hardcore it's like what are we doing and then um yeah I would go do that and now it's like okay I played Houston that was the third time I think I played Houston after that I hadn't played I played I think Challenger in bordeau a couple years ago before the French actually beat guest gay there had to save a match point don't know how and then actually got chopped by ilas EMR second round so I played Bordeaux and maybe something else I'm just saying it but I don't remember my whole red clay cor season career in Europe it was either Houston I played Savannah Challenger I did play that in in Atlanta in Georgia on green clay I played that and I played Houston before this year I hadn't touched clay besides the Bordeaux and rolling Geral squali every year usually I go to Mexico play in altitude the first Challenger I ever final was in 2018 in uh guadal laara in Mexico during the Clore season the next week I won my first Shandra in Leon in Mexico in altitude during the cayore season like that was what I did now I come into this year and I'm like man I I got to go play it and like I'm excited but it's it's different there's a whole learning I'm like I really grow up playing on Clay like so I'm like I'm I'm still trying to figure out how to slide like trying to understand you know giving a little more space and create like still playing my game but like also adapting to the surface and I think that's the biggest that was the biggest kind of thing for me like am I go play straight up how I normally play like trying to serve volley and just run in or am I going to have to like adapt a little bit and I kind of throughout the whole time just kind of bounce back and forth between the two so then I'm not I'm not winning and then so the confidence drops and then to your original question you got that dark cloud of like myc's coming up as much as you try to ignore it it's like it's there you doesn't have to stay in your mile long but it's it's it's there um and started to play well and H was up was in the quarters I won two rounds of a 500 um was in the quarters was up 5-3 and the Third on Jen Ser for the match got broken he held broke me again and then held if I hold there I'm in the semi LEL 500 my drop isn't nearly as big such fine margins like it's not like it's it's literally like I'm still top 100 I think I didn't do the math because I was just happy to be winning matches so I was like I'm just going to put my head down and just play but like I'm no dummy like I know I know the points without looking it up I kind of have a rough estimate so I know like I didn't I didn't think about like all of that like serving for the match but like there's extra tension that's there I think in the back of your mind that you you're forcing it a little more because in the back of your mind you that is it maybe somewhere in your mind like even if you're not thinking of like man I got a lot of points I got to defend my body's telling me step to the line go flat wide like hit your spot and and be ready and then he hits I missed my first serve like you idiot how do you miss your first serve like like these are the crazy conversations we have in our heads but um how has um Steve Johnson helped you as well because you kind of I think Working with Steve Johnson you spoke about it in Newport like having him on board like it's kind of helped you just yeah help with perspective like yeah I think Stevie like Stevie is is unbelievable with his knowledge of tennis and just his knowledge of like and his his honesty with regards to like um the demands of the tour and you know how tough it is like he's so and so and I've known that for a while and I've always respected his opinion because he's just honest he's just what he feels like he's he if he doesn't always give the I told him about the thing I was like I think uh in H I was like I think maybe it was in the back of my mind when I was serving for it he was like dude there's only like four guys in the world that that doesn't pop in their mind like like that happened like just normal like it's just how you did and I'm like oh well this guy was top 20 in the world this guy was he had been top 100 for however many years like this guyy has like three whatever however many titles like he's one on Clay he's one on heart you know using the backand slice like so it wasn't just a tennis thing because he's a guy who likes to play with his forehand is good with the back hand it's like really good server really good coming in it was also the I I trust his opinion like cuz he's straight up he's just honest about it and and I can just be like hey man this is what I was feeling probably shouldn't have felt that way but it's what I was feeling and he'll be like yeah man like that's normal or like days I'll come out in practice and I just I'm I'm obsessing over a couple errors I had he goes hey like you're a good tennis player like Cal down up and it's like again it's just honest and I was just like well if this guy was top 20 he says I'm good I must be okay like you know so it's it's also hearing like kind of allow me to put things in perspective where practice he goes hey you're out here to focus on these things before you're match tomorrow we don't care about this other stuff like if you're missing you're missing this shot that you're probably not going to use tomorrow don't obsess over it like focus on the things we're here to get better at and I'll be like oh yeah I don't know why I was obsessing over the one shoulder High backand I like you know hit wide he's like you're not going to get that b tomorrow we're working on the know slides of the beforehand so it was a good perspective um as well as like good tennis knowledge so yeah obviously 2024 Grand Slams performances the slams is year was a bit different and like you know your performances but most importantly I kind of felt like you had really tough drawers as well really tough drawers anytime I looked at the draw I I have a little speculation with the draws anyways that's a whole another story well no I'm not I'm not going to put you on the spot with that that's I'll leave that between me and Eugene so round two in Melbourne you had rublev yeah boy he was liting up all up that day that was like a 444 in like an hour 27 this man broke me like early I think every single set broke me my first I served to start the match broke me first game he held and then we held all uh then held all the way through 6'4 and then um broke me like my second service game in the second set like I was like bro like I can't get I can't I can't apply no pressure like if I can't hold Ser to three off for all like I'm having a hard time like making him feel like under duress he broke me easy boom boom I was like okay I was and then he went on the quarter I actually caught one of his matches for ESPN his match against deor wow I think it was like a it's a fifth set both guys were cramping at the end yeah I called that one from in the bunker and I was sitting up there looking I was like yeah I knew he was playing it was fourth round to make quarters I was like yeah I knew he was playing well like man is not missing like so yeah that was a tough one that was a tough one uh Paris was going to be tough yeah that one that one was the one that hurt me the most when I saw but the thing is when I hear that like I get those draws like I get so excited because I'm like like this is a big this is a great opportunity like I know my game like I believe my game is like good enough to just on any day if it starts to connect I can cause some guys some problems so like I I see those like when I find out I got him I was like yes like cool I know that's good I thought it was going to be on chatrier I was like I'm play on chier I went out to shat was practicing I was like oh so the boxes are like all up there huh they little ways away okay and then the schedule came out I played on longland I was like okay like I remember that vividly I was in there like she was practicing with AA Peno and I walked in I was like I was like I was talking to her mom I was like which one of the box I was like oh yeah cuz I think I'm playing in here that would that been your first time on yeah I practiced on it before but first not playing um so yeah that was but I look at you those as like great opportunities like I I get excited the draw comes out and I have a big name cuz I'm like I if I can connect I can make I can we can really like we can see like I think I think I give myself a good chance so it's great because we kind of say that sometimes on the Pod with other players and we say the same thing like it's great in terms of like exposure or you know giving them like um a little bit more like confidence and motivation but yeah and also that too it's a good measuring stick it's like bro I'm playing the best player in the world like if I can push him and I can you know get a set or whatever I think he beat me in straights but if I can like you know break his serve on the surface I'm not like I'm I can okay it's a good way to like you know just measure up to the best how do you feel you played in that match as well against C I was playing well I was playing okay I think I was down to remembered our our match in 2022 at the US Open he got up a double break on me in that match and I got one of the breaks back going into the second I think he got up a double break on me in this same uh in the first in Paris I got one of the breaks back and it was like it was a very Mirror Image like if I remember right um and then uh second and third were like I wouldn't I couldn't touch them really not really I think also it started to rain they they closed the roof and the temperature dropped so like for me to have a good chance on Clay I need it warm I need the ball kind of moving through the air and it was okay at the start of the match I used to I stood wide and went kick wide short and send tried to send him as fall off Court as possible it's more effective when it's hot and then it got cool and then it's like the ball don't jump as much he's clubbing the ball and I'm like oh man it's about to get real tough like I felt the breeze come in and I looked up they were closing the roof the referee is behind the court I'm like why are we closing the roof like Cedric Moria I was like Cedric why are we closing he goes rain is coming I was like okay all right then it was it was Chop Chop city after that I almost broke him when he served for the match I think I think I got a break point and and then he hit like two three Aces it that was the handshake I find it interesting cuz I was like you can see there was like a mutual kind of respect there yeah no I think I think Yan's like I think he's unbelievable I think he's such a nice guy like he's it's funny imp Paris when I arrived in the locker room got to the site picked up my credential went to the locker room to like drop off rackets he was the first player I saw and he made it a point to walk come over to me like he was went out of his way to go hey Chris like how you doing man like good to see you whatever then he went on about his day it was just like three or four players in the locker room and like we know each other we always say hey like how you doing and kind of keep it moving but like he was like going the other way and he like stopped and came over daed me up and went on and I was like Dam like he cool you know for that yeah and then uh yeah and then we end up playing the draw c i was the first player I saw of course it's him and then after that you had obviously wimon and round one we was against um Hadis and obviously you your form picked up during the gr season anyways and like you said like you reached the quarterfinals but how did it feel going into wi especially after the year that you had last year yeah I Going back to Wimbledon didn't I didn't think that much about it because at that point I had gotten to the point where whatever's going to happen happen it's going to happen I lost first round myor which was tough played a tough one against menic he but he outplayed me in the third sick yeah he's really good um and so so like by the time I showed up at Wimbledon I wouldn't sweat it I was like whatever's about to happen is going to happen I'm just going to kind of play and I really like had some really good practices I had some really good practices and I was going into that match really high on confidence and it was it was like an overcast and cool day again I like warm typical London was overcast and cool it was rainy we ended up having like a couple rain delays and halice came out serving rockets and I was like this is about to be he broke me early M and I'm like geez man this guy is clubbing the ball I couldn't there was not much could do so like and coming through qualifying as well you when players have matches under their belt it does show yeah and the thing is like people like like halis is a quality player like Hal was has been top 100 like so I mean whatever his ranking was at that time to get into uh he was in qualies I don't know what happened I think he qualed into French too if I'm not mistaken I don't know I think he I'm pretty sure he qualed into French um so he was playing well like it's not like it was a guy who I never heard it's like no this guy's this guy's an actual player despite whatever rank it might be so like I didn't go into it underestimating it and like you say coming in from qualties like he's he's a quality player who's been winning matches like that's dangerous and he he just he was straight up too good yeah so is grass still your favorite Sur yeah it still is like I got a title on it I got to I gotta ride with that right now on good to know and then ah one Ron one in New York another French another Frenchman another Frenchman knowes yeah he but this was five so this was a a much more closer yeah yeah yeah no this was a battle man I mean I came out I played a really I played a rough first set um I was very tentative and Arthur has such a big game he serves big he hits big off the ground so if you're a little bit off the gas he's just clubbing balls and I'm like on my back foot the whole time so I lost the first and then the second I was like you know what I need to just up the aggressive I'm just going to get more aggressive on my swings like I'm going to have to go after the ball a little bit more and I started to find my range on it and then I started playing well started serving well and then it just kind of rolled into W the second one the third getting to the fourth he broke me early I think my first service game in the third held all the way through we played fine and then we get into the fifth and I had a couple games early in the fifth I had to save like two or three break points I think that was 11 1540 uh in the fifth I got out of that game there may have been another like 30 40 later on I got out of that game and then we got into the tiebreaker yeah and I mean he played I mean he played too good man like he he made turns he what was it one mini break 108 I think he got up a mini break on me early I got it back and then he got another one and then it was just kind of holding serve the rest of the way but now he was playing well like I still like the way that I'm playing like I know it sounds funny like you know it's a tough loss obviously but the way that I'm playing now it's very different than the way I was playing in like March and April like may like I was I'm very confident and like it's going to come together I I just I have to kind of continue to put in the work and then it'll it'll start to click because I just feel like I'm playing well I'm playing a lot better um and at some point you just keep giving yourself the opportunity and then you're like hopefully it it'll kind of click and then you I've seen what it what happens what can happen when it clicks so it's like I'm keep working and I I just trust it yeah and like you said earlier this season was completely different you had to go through the main draws and everything and yeah so it's very different so I mean hopefully I can get there again and then maybe I know a little bit more you know I'm a little bit more you know experienced and stuff I can I can do it you know just yeah I think just experience helps did you find it tough going from you know the hardcore to Clay to grass and then clay and then oh were you used to it because of I lost that clayt match in 45 minutes like I I was training and like feeling good and practice and stuff on it and then I was like I lost that match in I think it was like 56 minutes I'm like it was under an hour I think Benjamin Hassan who I thought was German and then uh all of a sudden they like yeah Benjamin ass signed from Lebanon I was like what this du like he can do that I was like oh this dud can play can play so yeah he yeah no it's not like I got it's not like I was like three rounds in and then like I I lost first round and under an hour so yeah Commentary for ESPN Chris let's talk about ESPN now um you are literally the the star of of that Network I'm going to say this okay now you're now this is this is how you get in trouble no I am not listen no let's not do that that's how that's how things get clipped like no sir trying to go viral no no no not me are not me I'm Good Ju Just quickly so Lucy posted it was um Prem medev coming on yes you did the pre oh yeah the angle of the camera like medev looks I don't know he is about 5' bro me and me were like the same height I don't know how that picture got like the cameraman is so close to my shoulder and danil's has like maybe like a foot or two this way so like it just he's looking like right behind me and denil looks like there but we're the same height like so I the one with Fran is actually kind of funny cuz Fran is like he's like he got like a little smirk on his face so he's like like man like he's got this like it's just funny like that one is funny like the the Neil one like I'm like I'm like bro like how is this possible the same height yeah he's he's really tall 66 like I'm 67 like we're the same height but but some some of the comments so like some comments in terms of responses to the post Lucy that you you posted so we had uh Nessa peaches I'm hope I'm saying that correctly so the way I'm smiling from ear to ear right now like just watching you on on TV like interviewing these players that was Nessa peaches then we had Lima leemon uh Chris is an amazing commentator ESPN needs to have him on as much as possible uh then we had Valerie Hawkins this is a long one but well well well sorry well worth reading um was disappointed that Chris Lost first round but I could only be impressed with how sorry he suited up and ready to go today providing expert commentary on medev kabali medv kabali Match and Daniil Medvedev's playing style apparently you made a comparison to medev and LCA donic yeah so the the the thing that I've always been excited to maybe do a Mev match because I see people listen tennis Twitter is toxic it's crazy I had no idea it was as toxic as it is but also like I'm sitting up here and I like I'll like go through it sometimes and I was like see people who just like don't know tennis or like don't understand it it's just like because denil they'll say like how does this guy win how was this guy so good like he he just pushes he just makes balls and like I'm like I played him like I know like it's for us it sounds like what do you mean like he's not that good I feel like a common thing about denil is that people see his game and they don't see the value in it or they're not impressed by the shot making or like all he does is just run and just make balls and looks funny it looks aesthetically pleasing it looks yeah but then when you talk to players they all say like denil is tough like you don't want to deal with denil like denil is tough and it's like it reminds me I've heard a lot of like talks about basketball they say like people fans casual fans used to look at Luca he's not that fast he's kind of slow he kind of gets in there and it just looks very it's smooth but it's like it's not a you know eye popping to watch it's not like a johnar it's not like a it's it's like not explosive it's just like how is he doing this like and I feel that same kind of way about denal and another reason is because one thing that Luc is known to do is listening to a lot of his uh peers say they say that you can't speed him up he plays at his own pace like he's so big he's so strong he's quick enough to get past you if he wants to but he he'll also slow you down so if you're trying to like make him go somewhere he just doesn't let you and denil does that in tennis to me like no matter how hard you hit it denil can take the pace off and just send it back flat deep with like and takes all your pace off and he does it again and he does it again and now you're like injecting Pace injecting Pace now he's using it against you and then it's like okay well I'm going to play a little bit higher I'mma change it and he's just like nope you're going to keep in the same type ball no matter how you send it over here and you're going to have to run me side to side off of it his ball stays so low it's so tough to attack so like from player standpoint we all know how tough he is and then he'll dial up a service game where he'll hit three four aces serve first Ball winner and then you got to serve and the ball's back at you and you like I got to deal with this again like he ain't going to give me nothing for free he's going to make me play and he's going to make me play the same like flat low just uncomfortable ball and it's like that's why I looked at that comparison I'm like people see it the Casual fans will see it and they may not be impressed but you talk to their colleagues their peers they're like no they're tough and then the fact that you just can't speed them up to if he doesn't want you to hit hard he'll just hit it oh I'm going to play at my Pace we're going to we're going to make some balls like slow and kind of flat and just ugly and piercing through the court then I get a little bit of space I'll flatten one through the court now you're on your heels now I'm coming in and it's just like it's the same type thing you can't rush them you can't speed them up they're just they're just both that good incred there's one more comment I need to read so carot um excellent commentary this is one caps by the way by CE she she's kep she's giving you a hashtag um works for the other commentators like do you prefer commentating or because obviously when Commentating vs Pre-match/On-court interviews you're commentating you're in the booth you're kind of you're watching the match from start to finish whereas when you're doing like the pre and post postmatch stuff it's more Quicky I guess more Snappy yeah like do you have a preference or uh they're very different they're very different they're very different skill sets I I think I like the interviews are are very make me uncomfortable really you really couldn't tell they make me uncomfortable because so for instance so this will be good I think you guys will like this one so I understand what it's like to be a player of course and so I kind of know I'm like pre-match interviews I'm not going to give you much I'm going tell you I'm going to go my here play my game try for Serv just my game right we go go on and then after the match like if I win then like we're too we're focused about the match like we're not going to really say too much and so I know that so I'm like okay I can do the interview and then my first one oh what type of question would I as a a player like not mind answering that I'll give you a little something but I'm not you're not you're not about to find out I'm going to serve a volley on every second Ser like you're not going to find out tactics but I'll give you a little something so I try to put myself in that position um and it's just it so I can I can set the pre-match interviews like questions I can write them out and I and also we're live on air I'm not looking at anything so I'm making sure I remember them because each question also if it's Gregor demitro I'm saying like what's going to be the key tonight I'm going to paint some context and be like G are you're you know whatever 12 and four on the year when you do I'll say like you're one of I think last night I said like you're one of the most informed players of the year um you know what has allowed you what's been a you know key component to you having this you know so-called Renaissance you know to your career back into the top 10 something like that but like all I really was asking was what have you changed this year that you know made you get you back in the top 10 but like it's like a weird but sometimes like if I'm memorizing it I'm like okay how now that wording doesn't make sense why that sounds dumb now I'm I'm saying like you know informed players inform players like you say it twice like change it up uh you know whatever and I'm like having to do this all in my head and then it's like I have four questions first one is this second one is this next person comes up first one is this second one is this but like I'm not reading it so it's like out of my head I'm like I'm like really preparing like I'm not no joke like if I know we're about to do pre-match interviews in 45 minutes I like go by myself wow and I'm like thinking I'm like okay okay uh n that may not be good uh now I'm looking research I'm like wait how many years did have to quarterfinal like Francis last year was his third consecutive year in the quarterfinals of the US Open uh and I like had to go back and like let me just double check CU I I I know it's I know you know obviously last year the semi I think let me double check like I'm making sure I want my facts to be right so because I know what it's like too to be a player and someone to say something like you've never beaten this person what are you going to do today I'm like I I have beaten them like I have but you just didn't that like so the interviews are very different the postmatch interviews are a little bit more light-hearted I can be I can and also thing I like to do is I like to include aspects of the match because I'm sitting there watching the match too like you had a big hold at you know one all love 40 came back in Hil and then broke oh yeah I have like my iPad or I have a pen of paper and I like I'll write key moments so like I'll sit there and I'll sit there as I'm calling the and I do this with commentary too like as I'm sitting there watching the match and a big Point happens and someone gets out of a game or they you know a lucky shot happens and it a let Court happens like I write like 1530 let Court okay one all like so then I can remember and as the end of the set we're also kind of painting the picture and framing like how the set win at some point we're going to do a summary then I have you know I'll also tell the producers if something like that happens I'll say hey can you clip the point at 1530 um Le Court I want to like use that and then when we come back from the third set we get into it we're breaking down and that's when I like that's where I like really like to kind of go that's like my favorite thing that type like kind of like the analyst stuff explaining kind know what happened um so I do that even when I'm doing postmatch interviews so like I'll write it and be like okay that was a big one I'll ask them about that if they get the set if they don't nope can't ask them about it like and it's just the whole time I'm doing little things like that so that one I you I love because I can ask them hey what were you thinking at this moment like Francis when he came back poer and was serving for the second 5340 love FR instance came back and broke so my second question to him was all right what were you really thinking cuz like and I said don't tell me that whole I knew I could fight like what were you really thinking he was like oh I was thinking about the third set like yeah like that's what you think cuz at the end of the day he won if he wouldn't say that if he lost like he won so he's like that's what I was thinking like probably shouldn't have been like so uh the the pre the postmatch interviews I really like and then I usually end it with like a looking on to the next or something like that or I ask question about the match but the postmatch interview I I like the pre-match one I stress cuz I I just like I'm like that's just Dum like whatever and cuz I know guys are getting ready to play they don't want to have to answer something stupid afterwards they won exactly they'll take whatever you can get wrong and like okay I did be time like so that's actually true yeah so and and calling matches is fun for me for the reason I explain like doing color commentary I'm kind of painting the picture or I'm telling why a shot is a little bit more difficult than maybe what you think um Tommy missed an overhead in his match against Center and the breaker like one all and as I'm sitting there watching it I'm literally like he's saw Center guess to that side I'm I would guess like he looks like a pretty easy overhead goes up bounces inside the service box Tommy hits hit hits the tape and I'm like I saw Center on the other side kind of make a little like right left and kind of ran that way as Tommy was probably about to make contact and I'm like I think he saw him move like so then I tell the like you see these easy misses like they're not just missing like like there's a like that person on the other side also plays a part so you're just seeing them have a easy first ball Miss like oh they're not focused like yeah maybe sometimes sometimes like that other person like it's it's a little bit especially in stressful moments I like to paint the context for that for the person who's watching so maybe they can be a bit more understanding in there in what they're saying and then say like oh well these are like the best tennis players in the world like I oh I could have done that no you couldn't like no you couldn't like like you couldn't like so so that that part I kind of like enjoy and like you say sometimes they're bad misses sometimes you like that's what Nick is so good at like I love listening like Nick's commentary as well he's honest like Nick's just like brutally honest which is just him um and he'll just say like he'll say like horrendous drop shot like he'll just say it like he'll just say it and like whereas I'm like I don't know if I I wouldn't Nick style is Nick style and I think that's so many people even like listening to him yeah I feel like a lot some people actually do like it but don't want to say they like it because everyone is like very formal and understanding but I still feel it's still I think is it's nice to have that balance oh 100% that's exactly what I was going to say like you have a BAL like and even if since starting commentary and and when I watch other sports broadcasts I see it differently now because I'm I'm also I'm trying to like see like the stuff that's on behind the scenes like um if uh there's a bit of a miscommunication it's like somebody ask a question and then three people are there and one I'm supposed to answer and there's a little bit of like a little extended Gap or someone maybe loses their train of thought I'm like oh I've been there like I know like so but I enjoy that too and I also enjoy seeing Styles seeing styles of like certain NBA commentators work really well together because their Styles match up certain Football commentators would really well because their Styles match up it's like a sty so like say some people's style it's just they're different and and I think there's room in sport and in tennis for everybody's style everybody can get a flavor whatever they like and I think it's huge as well that you're a common player doing it because yeah you can give a different look and that's clearly what you've been doing and people are loving it so yeah that's the thing is honestly like while I enjoy doing it there's so many times like I don't I just don't feel good when I'm doing it like like I feel like I'm I feel like I like sometimes I may be a little wordy sometimes I don't here here's a great example I'll say uh sometimes when I'm calling a match in like my head when it happens I'm like a you idiot when I it was uh this actually happened when I did one of the interviews denil played caboi I finished their pre-match interview and I was like uh Flavio good luck and then denil comes up and I finish our interview and I go denil good luck and I'm like my inflection went up like I had something else to say and I just shut off and then d just kind of like all right and then he goes and in my head I'm like you ID it good luck just good luck like faio good luck denal good luck and then I goes Flavio good luck Den good luck and and it's like I'm like and I'm sitting there smiling like know like you but like I feel I have those type moments when I'm doing commentary a lot I'll have moments where like I don't end it the way that I want because the point's about to start or I don't I could have said it better or something and I'm like but then like people are always like hey I love I love what you do and I'm like really you just being nice like like huh like that's that's crazy like really um so that's it gets it's weird like even hearing you read it like I'm so thankful people enjoy it but like I don't there's certain times when I'm like oh I was good today like I got my thoughts out it was money I had my phrases I had whatever I had my stats I you know but then vast majority of the time I'm like I I didn't do that well I could have could have maybe said that a little better but and I feel more critical to myself but then people come up and they're like you're great we like your voice I'm like my voice like what are you talking the way that you say things just we like your voice some people know honestly and I'm like okay like all right people do say like yeah you've got a good voice for it like what's the saying about having a face for TV or somebody's got a face for radio no uh yeah was you know the same people will know but yeah Chris you you are multi-talented so you need to embrace it man I'm telling you I'm telling you cuz you're going to be in the thing for a long time I always I always tell people when they mention when they say something I'll be like well when you're not really good at one thing it's good to try to be a kind of okay at a bunch of things I just got my hand and like let's see what those sticks just the tennis thing is getting tough what's been your favorite moment Favourite US Open 2024 moment so far this this US Open cuz it's been a pretty special year for Americans calling Ben and Francis yeah cuz I sat Courtside when they played last year I wasn't I was actually done my time with ESPN was done it was whatever quarters I was getting ready to fly to Atlanta later that night or the next day and i' had been at the site all day and I was all right I'm tired and then I come down I I I'm finally released I come down and I see Ben is warming up on Ash and so I walk out there I'm like standing there talking to Brian I'm looking around and people are kind of not trickling in yet but there's first person I see I kid you not I walk out of the Court Ben is hidden I look to the left [ __ ] Lee is sitting right there and I'm like it's Spike Lee here like that's pretty cool like whatever and I think Ben is hitting with Fenty Andrew Fenty okay and I'm like I see [ __ ] Le there and like I look around and I see like one of Ben's uncles he comes up and he talks and they're like oh we're so excited for the night like such a big night whatever and I'm like standing and I'm watching Ben hit and I'm like two of my best friends about to play on Arthur as Stadium at night I got a credential I can sit Courtside and I'm going go home back to the hotel like I got to stay so then I like ended up staying but I wasn't working the match so I just went and sat next to BG Courtside and we just sat the whole match and just talk back and forth and I remember watching that and being like the electricity in that place was nuts I think that was the second time two black Americans had played on ourth Stadium crazy so I'm s up there like wow this is history and then um fact they had to play again this year third round and then I got to call the match I went from like just sitting there with BG he had the ear piece he was talking to like now I'm like watching him play the next year it's a five set War yeah Francis comes Francis loses a crazy third set tiebreaker same as he did last year to go down two sets to one and then comes back and wins in five like that's cool like especially with the context of the first year it's like I was ready to bounce out I stayed and I was like actually really glad I did and then the next year it's like hey you can actually work this match I said Courtside um no no no did I call yeah I call that one I call that one Courtside yeah I wasn't in the booth I call that one court side so like I'm sitting there watching the whole time I did the interview yeah yeah because I remember cuz Ben looked at me one time I remember was like no he was cool he got gave me a smir one time but yeah yeah so that was that was that for sure is probably the best moment of calling was it hard having to root for someone or were you just enjoying the no because like doing Court out I'm not rooting for anybody even in doing commentary I'm not really rooting for anybody my I'm just I'm just explaining or painting the context of what happening so no I mean like more for like you personally as cuz you described like you know two of your best friends were I mean I love I I just want to see who was going to come out on top I was just sitting there with popcorn like it wasn't like it wasn't like I'm going sit here and like cheer him on like come on like like friends like no I'm just like oh you boys about to go to battle like I'm just enjoying it from a fan standpoint what a time in terms of well yeah like you said American tennis so you've got obviously Francis and Taylor playing the men semis um we've also got Emma Nar and Jessica paga as well doing pretty well women's Taylor towns and Donald D young yeah obviously Donald Young there's a story there you've got history with young yeah that's like I mean Donald's like my he's he's like my big brother like he I've been I've been super lucky to have um like some really really like dope people in my tennis career and journey Donald's like he showed me like being a top level Pro was actually possible and then he also invested his own money to like like take me to tournaments and let me see pro tennis up close as his hitting partner so like before I came on tour like I knew John I knew Stevie and Sam I think yeah cuz where D was around them like I knew some I knew gu I knew uh who else did I know already a few guys like Carlovich like I knew some people so like already cuz they were like hey you travel with Donald I was like yeah like now I'm playing so like he gave me that opportunity and I got to practice with him every single day for you know from the time being 15 16 to all the way through 21 so like I got really good really fast because of him because not many other guys had the chance to practice with Pros like that like that consistently and I did and he was 10 minutes from my parents house like 10 minutes my closest tennis center it was it was his parents facility and um yeah so like I'm forever indebted so I'm hoping they get the title I'm hoping they win tomorrow I'm going to be sitting there courtside um really looking forward to being able to go out there Cher them on and and hopefully we can get Dy um get him a title on on his retirement what a story I think we have to wrap it up there D all right in terms of time so Chris man thank you so much again for joining us live live in New York I say live we're live now but it won't be live obviously when it goes out but yeah just appreciate your time man because you've come all the way obviously from your your hotel yeah yeah no it's all good like I said at the beginning like you guys do such good like work you guys like invest a lot of your time I was like at least I could do your time and money sorry just a time your time and money and covering like us and to like you know like you know just educating people as well like it it's it's the least I can do to come and just kick it with you guys so for sure uh do it we'll have to do it again try to plan somewhere else definitely definitely and yeah guys thank you so much for tuning in um it's been a pleasure so thanks again Chris