LIVE - Grammy Winner SEAL talks Sinner, Love for Tennis and Fame - US OPEN NYC SPECIAL

[Music] welcome to sered uh thank you to chase uh for having us um it is still crazy to us that we get to do uh live shows and anyone cares um so thank you thank you all uh for for being here um show of hands has anyone seen any good tenis recently yeah it tends to happen uh this time of year how about a quick Round of Applause for producer Mike uh on my far left we have uh a partner in crime uh one of the best tennis journalists of all time and he works on a little show called 60 Minutes as well John wortheim uh if you if you care about tennis enough to be at this show uh you should also care enough to re his mailbag every week it is the best uh digestion of what's Happening uh in tennis week after week uh so let's get to it JW couple days into the US Open uh what is what has stood out what what should we be paying attention to oh man um that doesn't sound like a hard question to start with but uh we'll we'll get tougher we're I'm in a good mood it's day three kind of sort of it's really day 10 because the US Open has become a three-week event I don't know if anyone was out there last week uh tip for next year free admission um for f week which is great for fan week uh you know what people really like tennis um Roger Federer unfortunately is retired Serena Williams unfortunately I mean now he retires right exactly h on he could have could have Saed me some angst and done it earlier what uh Ro doll not here either um and yet tennis soaring record crowds I mean the the line for like you know a burrito is 30 deep out there um people really like tennis um the cost of a burrito is about $30 too Supply meets demand at very extreme Point sometimes at the US Open but the fact that there is demand is a good sign um tennis kind of surprisingly bit of an upset tennis is doing great even though we've lost these three Titans of the sport yeah I think um one I I'll tell you for those of you who have listened to our our show um I'll tell you when I think I'm right uh hopefully you know that I'll also tell you uh when I'm wrong um I I was I I thought there was going to be a vacuum of interest in tennis uh you lose names like Federer Serena we're going to lose uh Rafa sooner rather than later Novak might play till he's 55 he's like some sort of cyborg um uh you know so Venus as well um hasn't officially retired but we're seeing less and less of her um that generally means uh you know the sport will suffer at scale right it's not what happened uh to give you some context so there are major league baseball teams that draw 7 800,000 fans per season fan week 250,000 fans uh last week uh most of the events uh were free um for 30 bucks you could see alcaraz and jokovic uh share the same court on a Wednesday uh along with guys like maano aacy uh etc etc so Props for doing that we need to uh create a friendly handshake on the way into tennis uh before we can charge you $32 for a cocktail you know um it's good cocktail it's good cocktail um one of the things that stood out just the first two days uh and and and then we'll uh we'll invite our our our special guest who I'm so excited about uh this show for many reasons um but not least of which is uh uh a good friend of mine is going to join us um I think a lot gets made early on and I hear the commentary and it's like uh Center loses a set what does that mean for the tournament alcarez drops a set are we worried no no we're not worried at all that that happens you're finding your pacing there's no more intimidating Court tennis then a night session uh at Ash Yanik CER had never won a match on uh that Stadium Court until yesterday um that doesn't worry me I don't put a lot of stock in if someone wins 22 and two or four4 and four you're getting your work done you survive uh you advance I have an exception to my own rule what's up when you've won four grand slams and you've been off for a while and then you come back out and you beat someone who's top 10 in the world 3 and two statement win gets thrown around too much right you know this person had a statement win first round the Locker Room's talking the Locker Room's probably not talking about it um we're probably focused on what we want to do when someone named Naomi Osaka comes out and beats a top 10 person with all the eyeballs on her you couldn't find a seat you tried you were you were there yeah um it was packed yeah you were there with your your your wife Rose um have you ever gotten a kiss from a rose I have never have you never have way exact way anyways um but listen when when all the hype is there there's the you know there's the the clothing there's the hype around it not a lot of form coming in and she goes out and puts uh that sort of performance together that's a statement win that was the match of the first two days not because of drama not because of heat not because of everything else just because we know what Naomi can be uh I've been saying for a while I think she's going to win uh big again at at some point um now can she put three or four matches together that has been the question throughout this year so far the answer has been no more than it's been yes but that was my takeaway that performance from Naomi Asaka when you're watching someone who could potentially turn it and you know that when she gets to the latter stages of uh of a grand slam um we've seen what she does she's four for four when she's been in the semis uh so far in her career um I'm excited uh about our guest uh our first guest that is not uh a pro tennis player an agent of a tennis player um are generally in involved day-to-day uh in tennis um seal are you around anywhere can you come and join us we'll slide [Applause] down how are you brother so how is everyone yeah best time of the year right it is the best time of the year so I'm going to read uh a response uh that I got uh from this man to my left who is amongst the most passionate tennis supporters uh on Earth of anyone that I uh have ever met this is a response uh that he sent me yesterday I think it was a couple of things maybe a little bit of of stuff on his mind but more so that McDonald was is moving too well off both sides for yanuk to hit through him second game of the second set was huge yanuk started to put some air under it much heavier ball Mackenzie doesn't like it up there and it took him out of his rhythm that's my novice observation anyway my question was how you doing uh welcome thank you uh for coming to the show um great to be here great to be here yeah I uh it it was funny early on and we you know started the show in February and you know I I don't know we we didn't know that it it would work um but uh you were our first fan of the show I think uh I get a text and uh I just it it blew my mind uh social Sophie I think uh she's around here somewhere uh she freaked out I I don't you know she she kind of handles our our social stuff she's like seal followed us talk to us about your love affair uh for the game of tennis how intense are you about it you play all the time you watch all the time why tennis uh well first of all um I'm a huge fan of you Andy I I watched you as a player I loved watching you as a player and I I love listening to you and watching you as you know as a a pod podcaster is that what you I I don't know what um because you know I think if you want you know Common Sense logic and straight talk and and a deep insight into the game then you know you got to look no further than uh served with Andy rodic it's nice and of course you John um but uh uh my love of tennis where did that start well uh I was born in 63 uh my dad was really passionate about tennis but of course we uh tennis wasn't really available to us to play as kids you know growing up in a working class part of London um but my dad loved tennis he he watched it all the time every time Wimbledon would come on we we would watch it and of course I grew up in the a in the era of uh B and mackenro and and watching those guys play I always loved it and then sort of hacked around when I was older um but only really started taking lessons about four and a half to 5 years ago and that's when I felt deeply in love with the game of tennis because of course it is not as it seems on TV um but you know how does it seem on TV well on TV it seems like it's a very physical game which which it is and it seems you know like SE ball hit ball how difficult can that be I mean obviously these guys are better at it than than us uh normal folks but how difficult can it be and stepping onto the tennis court I I realized quickly that it was perhaps the most counterintuitive thing I have ever done in my life all of the tools that I have used in in life to get me this far none of those tools well 99% of those tools uh don't work with tennis uh tennis is above many other things it's about surrender and trust and I kind of think about tennis is as as an allegory for life um I always tell people when I step onto the tennis court it's like I see all my daily challenges and issues mapped out across the tennis court and I have an opportunity to resolve them so that's why I've kind of fallen in love with yeah the the text you sent me I play tennis because when I step on the court I see my life challenges and problems mapped out in front of me tennis gives me the chance to work through them uh I feel the same way except when I'm working through them I also see my life's problems on the other side of the net and they oh I see they have different names like Novak and Roger and Rafa and who uh whoever else uh is there so you've talked about the differences uh you know what doesn't work um but there are techniques right you learn a new craft you have to you know you you I remember you telling me something and the gist of it was basically like you were talking about singing and less less is more and the greats understand how to get to efficiency yeah and I think it was so profound because if I do you know clinics or you know work on something with someone there's a lot of wasted motion and a lot of it comes from enthusiasm or passion or all of these things and it's like we need to take a breath we need quiet intensity soft intensity with everything right your feet need to move but they don't slam you know unless you absolutely have to slam it to to break back but you and hopefully uh I I remember this correctly how I I I wrote it down but talk uh talk between like your your uh lifelong goal for efficiency with your voice versus how or that how that translates or doesn't translate uh to tennis CU you recognize what that is and you know what that process is but it you know might not present itself on a tennis court well I mean this is going to probably sound strange to a lot of you but uh there are so many similarities between what I do singing or performing and Tennis I mean they are so so so so similar in many ways and it's it should come as no surprise to you that a lot of tennis players actually are musicians and vice versa a lot of musicians are drawn to tennis so if we take singing for example um there's an old saying uh I think it was coined by the great Seth rigs who was a singing coach he said that um technique is only there to stop the body from interfering with the Soul's free expression so once again technique is only there to stop the body from interfering with the Soul's free expression well what does that mean as a singer if I have a gig coming up or like a big pressure gig uh you know in in the near future I'll work with a vocal coach and we'll work on technique uh I'll do scales uh lengthening and shortening of the vocal cords notes relative to position in the vocal cords vowel shapes you know uh uh uh a becomes or the higher you go uh a becomes e Etc technique technique technique technique technique technique I'll work day in and day out now when I get to the microphone on that day to perform you want to know what the last thing on my brain is technique technique that's the last thing I'm thinking of in fact the thing that I'm thinking of the most my primary purpose right then is I am trying to let go I'm trying to surrender right I'm trying to surrender and Trust let go and trust that all of the work that I've done prior all of the technique all of that all of the hours if I let go they will just happen automatically and then my soul will now start to sing so if you watch tennis players for example how does that translate well um I am willing to B that if a tennis player is on the court during a high pressure match and they are thinking about technique at that point it's over and if you watch tennis players they all do this thing with Roger used to to go you know spin his racket or if you watch one of the tennis players waiting to receive serve they're kind of doing that and essentially what they're trying to do is let go they're trying to be loose because because they know their path to being in the zone to having a good performance is letting go cuz if they can do that which requires a great degree of trust if they can do that that what all the stuff that they've learned before will just start to happen naturally yeah so they're very similar I I think I think what you're touching on is is is fantastic there because there's the the I don't deal in absolutes very often and it is a certainty that if I'm in the middle of a match and it's in the second set and I'm thinking about like a swing path on a backhand right you're not thinking about what then you're actually not thinking about what you do what you need to do to actually impose your will or impose your game or impose a certain strategy if all of your if all of your problem solving is in the miror you you're you're not going to beat the the the the best players uh on Earth and it's it's funny cuz you're talking about those like little little ticks and I'm starting to like get sweaty um just just uh just thinking about it I mean we do them I don't even know that we realize that's that's kind of the the goal of them um but it's funny as you're walking through it I'm going yeah that makes total sense like anytime anytime that I knew that like I was thinking about a thing or technical flaw or whatever uh you listen practices for muscle memory practices uh to fix practices to work and then I think once you get out there uh it's it's and this is like the mental gymnastics like trust falling is great you think about how to take what you have maybe it's imperfect on that day maybe you haven't quite solved for everything but you have to take it and make make yourself the most effective version of of of what you have I'm sure there are nights when your voice is perfect and I'm sure it's never perfect and I'm sure yeah you actually you're pretty bad um but you know it's it's funny I said because you're right it it's never perfect but it's it's it's with a bit of luck It's Perfectly Imperfect yeah if that makes any does that make any sense I think it makes total sense like I I mean I'll I'll say forever that I wear this with with with pride um I wasn't a great like ball Striker I wasn't but I was like really good at playing pretty bad tennis most of the time right like no I seriously like it's like I'm going to take what I got and hopefully I can figure out a way to drag you into the gutter with me and play play pretty bad tennis all the way to the US Open that was uh that was perfectly imperfect um I think is uh is the thing so who like who do you watch who causes emotion in your heart who do you love watching as far as tennis players yeah who do I watch God there's I mean you see the great thing about today is that you have such variety both in the men's and women's game and Tennis is at God it's at a level now which is just breathtaking they're they're not really athletes they're superum if you if you look at the way that the game is evolved they are it's Insanity what they're doing in the way that they're moving so there are a lot of great players to to watch um uh of course there's a my favorite and and someone I'm proud to call my friend is Yan you know sinner uh he's great to watch because he is uh his natural ability and and and ball striking and and just approach to tennis is is everything I mean if you can learn so much not just about tennis but about life from from him as an athlete not just as a tennis player um when I when I think of him I think balance which is the thing that I try to achieve most in my life balance and he's one of the most balanced individuals you you will see in that um his game yes but off the court and the way that he his philosophical approach to tennis is extremely balanced you know I always say that the thing that separates you know on any given day anyone in the top 100 can beat the number one player in in the world I I really believe that but the thing that separates the likes of alarz you know or the people before them you know the the the fedas the Nadal is what's between here and they can focus longer you know across three or five sets than any of any of the other guys and they can do on a consistent basis and you'll generally find that they are balanced not just in tennis but in their whole setup that the team that they have around them uh their ability to take uh the losses with the winds and take look at them all in perspective and so sin's the best at that but so I I I enjoy watching him are on the women's side ah there were a bunch um uh I like I like watching Pini because of the the the the challenges that she has overcome and and by the way she's you know in tennis terms she's no spring chicken right but all of a sudden she's winning with the same tools that she's had you know prior to Turning 27 something happened she got a win and it changed here and so I like watching her like it it's not so much just her game it's her belief in her game that that is so impressive because again it's an allegory for life it's showing her transcend those things which have previously held her back and it hasn't really been her tennis clearly it's been here so I like watching her um there were a bunch I mean of course as I mentioned alarz but I like I like watching MTI uh bartini um I I I like watching meddev cuz he's so so unorthodox I think it was Mary Joe that um that said something like medev forehand is like a series of mistakes that come together at one glor it's like come together at one glorious moment at contact point and it just shows there there are no like you I mean sure there is a there is a basic fundamental language of tennis but tennis is a language like everything you know every other language there were many dialect and so it's just fascinating to watch all of these beautiful dialects and if you know what to look for you'll see that the same fundamental things are always present they're in place but it's fun watching the uh the the way that all of these different illustrious players get there with their own version uh I have the I write a kind of stream of notes you know because I want the conversation to go where it's going to go not the way that I thought it was going to go two hours ago hopefully um that makes for a good show and I have they all do it differently all uh in capital eight letters and uh I was going to ask you to kind of draw a parallel um to what you do cuz I've been in the locker room about to play big matches against uh the consensus three best male players uh of all time and that that prep watching what they do it's it's all intimidating in its in its own way like Roger all of a sudden it's as if he's like waiting to go to brunch like he's just this calm he walks in hey how you doing great God you should like the fact that you're so laidback is intimidating I don't like that and then all of a sudden it's like go time it's like a hair flip put it on and then it's like I'm I'm like you know fed I'm like that's that I don't like that but then it's like the other thing I don't like is like Rafa is like chewing through Nails on you know for like 4 hours before you play and he's like doing sprints across and he's doing like high knee and I'm like well I don't like that either and then Novak comes in and he's stoic and he says his one thing and then he's kind of like little you know he's calm but he's also like he needs things to be like in the perfect place and it's like this angsty kind of and I didn't like that either like it just there were no good options but we have the three greatest consensus greatest of all time they couldn't be more different in the way that they play in the way that they process in the way that they get to the end goal the only common is the place they usually end it up now from where you sit is there a consist consistency in Pro process amongst the the the great singers the people that you idolize or is it all over the place and consistent are you asking uh I think you're asking is is is there a a a a like what is my process what's my preparation and do and do I see that uh present in a lot is it as different we have three people who are the best of all time there's like zero common ground for how they actually get to the common goal right and it's just so fragmented is that common or are there things that are non-negotiables for what you do well well you could you could say that there is zero common ground and for the most part I think that is right except for there the if you kind of know what to look for for and it's the same with all singers and and and great singers um if you know what to look for there are these fundamental characteristics that are present um it is a belief uh which comes from oh I don't know where that comes from I mean I guess you it depends on how you're raised or or or it can come from anywhere but there is a trust there is an absolute trust like deep within them there is a trust and the reason why that that word trust is is so important is because in order to put forth a great performance in order to have a great show in order to play a great game you have to let go you have to surrender you have to you cannot control um the the best shows or the best performances I've ever had are not when my voice has been in tiptop condition which it rarely is but it is when I have just let go when I have surrendered and trusted and you know you you have to put the work in before that in order to have that trust but if you can just let go and I see that with the players the ones and and you hear them talk about it you know like you you you'll you talk to Michael Jordan after a great performance or Roger federa after a great performance or Andy rodic after a great performance and they'll say well what was it like you know they go oh I don't know you know I just couldn't miss like by the way I've never said that just so we're clear those words have never come out of my mouth not a single moment he felt that he's he's had those days he's had those days where the ball was that big and he just couldn't and you just couldn't miss you know it's called being in the zone I guess and that being in the zone is another way of surrendering and letting go so I do see that that common thing that that belief um you know am among the the great players that we're talking about let me ask you something adjacent to that first I want to apologize for the superficial Sports Talk we'll we'll try to uh we'll try to be a little deeper in our answers um who's your upset pick no I'm just kidding um I I'm no I'm kidding I'm kidding I I was listen I was listening to Andy off off off camera and Andy you're talking about uh um on the on Thea Osaka I think that she's du and if I had to pick someone I would that would that would blow the roof off J um I I want to ask you something going back to what you said before which is one thing that strikes me about tennis is they're no home games right I mean this is this like a music festival it's passing through New York but it's not like you go to Yankee Stadium not dissimilar to what you do and I curious what impact dissimilar no what you're traveling around you're there no home you don't go to an office either right you you don't have a you you're traveling around you're working everywhere and I am curious what the impact of this itinerate lifestyle of traveling the globe performing what what impact does travel have on performance these are not like what physically or or or emotionally or yeah what what impact does it have well you know it's uh you know I used to dat a tennis player um many moons ago breaking news anyone like do I ask do I ask a weird followup when he when he when he when he when he drove all the way here like and and I I I used to joke you know she was the only person I'd met with the busiest schedule than mine I mean there were just no we barely don't tell us her name tell us what her name rhymes with um fierce oh okay I got it Dealers Choice you all figure it out got it uh and we we hardly saw each other you know because we of this so I you know I say that to say this that the the schedule of a professional tennis player is not easy I mean it's uh it's it's pretty tough what effect does that have on on me as a singer uh the traveling the the grueling schedule well it's it's a it's an inter ing question because the voice is unlike yes it is physical but it's also subject to emotion it's also subject to weather change it's also subject to fatigue it's subject to what side of the bed you woke up on in the morning to food what you eat you know especially if you're like me as someone who has suffered in the past from acid reflux so a grueling schedule can be uh can be pretty well just that it can be grueling so um but you know it's like anything else you know I've learned over the years to to to manage that to to figure out how to best take care of my voice and I and I'm sure the tennis players do exactly the same thing and I think perspective has a lot to do with it you know I'm just a kind of poor work uh uh work workingclass kid from you know the Northwest London who was never going to amount to anything and now I'm you know I'm on the kind of back nine so to speak of a of a really incredible career and so I never lose sight of that I never lose sight of the fact that I'm in an extremely rare and privileged position and if you had said to me you know when I was 6 years old hey look seal you know in the fure did people call you seal when you were six they call me a lot of other things seal wasn't one of them one name when you have a lot of hit records is one thing one name when you're six is a different type of flex but you know if they'd come to me and said like you know in the you know at some point in your life you're going to be singing to thousands of people and like people are going to know your music all over the world and yada yada and you know but the schedule is going to be like you're GNA have to sort of you know spend most of your life on on tour buses and in in aircraft I'd have been like when when when can I do it now so you know it's like you know I I have no cause for complaint at all did you have like a team that you that was a part of you know that rise with you team yeah I mean like way tennis players have a team that they rely on absolutely and you know I always another thing I always say is that you know no matter whose name is on the mar you know whether it's you know seal sting you know whoever right you can bet your your last dollar that there is a whole team of people that were instrumental in getting that person to where they are it doesn't matter whose name is on the Marquee team is everything and to that I say that uh doing what we do singing uh making music it is a collaborative process tennis is the same if you look you know you talked about uh the commonalities between the top tennis players I guarantee you if you pick any one of them like whether it's like you know whether it was Sampras uh Agassi now uh uh Novak you know Rafa uh Roger now Sinner and alarz those ones that have dominated and even on the women's side you know who is kind of you know well not dominating but she's definitely up there now is is eager she's me she's she's been nominent by the way five slams by the time you're 22 is like yeah well I'm you know consistent consistently doing that look at look closer and look at the team they've all got solid solid solid teams and and I'm not just talking about the physio the trainer and you know the coach what that's not what I'm talking about I'm talking about the team as a whole family members the very small group of close friends that provide that balance that I'm talking about the balance is essential it's it's absolutely vital for them to have that and balance meaning that it cannot always be about tennis it has to be about life and all of the ones that dominate all and when they don't have that team if there's any hitch in that team that's supportive team there it's generally reflected by their rankings and their win- lose um Tales sometimes you have uh you know I I I play golf because I can divorce myself from being a dentist it sounds like that is not the case with your passion for tennis there's a real overlap between your day jobs say more about how the music impacts the tennis and the tennis impacts the music well they're the same thing you know um I I play I I I play tennis every day if you know I hit actually like actually every day every day like um I you know that well first of all I as I mentioned before I started taking lessons about four and a half five years ago and that's when I really fell in love with it because it was it it again it was the single most counterintuitive thing I've ever done and it intrigued me um and so if you know when I'm touring the tour manager has but one main job and it is to make sure that every city we play in there's a club and a pro for me to hit with because that's the that's how I I get the balance to do what I is like a form of therapy for you where you absolutely it's total therapy and it's um it's it's you know it's the one thing where when I'm doing it I don't think of anything else I don't think of music and and for a musician that's that's big you know there is always music and and stuff that I got to do going around in my head you know this may just sound like things moving around to you but to me it's a rhythm and that can get really tiring sometimes you know like always having music in your head when I play tennis I don't hear anything any of that I am solely focused on the on the task at hand which is to somehow get that ball over the net and do it as efficiently as I can so tennis just plays a a big role in my life it's not because I have any aspirations to you know reaching the US Open anytime soon because you know I think not with an attitude like that I think I think it's safe to say that I've you know not in this lifetime maybe the next one I'll I'll I'll put I'll put an order into you know with the person upstairs to come back back and and and have Andy's job next time around but but I play tennis because um because it uh because I love the work I love the process I I I have no aspirations to you know you know becoming a great tennis player that is nothing to do with that it's it's it's more of what it brings to me the balance that it brings in my in my daily life and and it does that because I have to work on at it and it's totally engaging it gives me so much uh I want to I want to tell a story and and and brag on you uh for a second because there are those moments where you watch people who uh have been uh at at the at the top of their their field and the way that they interact the way that they go about their their jobs and when you have like a first-person view of it sometimes you realize what you're not doing well enough um so I run a a charitable foundation in in Austin Texas called the anotic foundation I bring up that bid page after this by the way and uh we've had unbelievable uh performers over the years um you know Elon John seal and and many many more and he was gracious uh enough to come play for us in in 2019 and listen I can't speak for everyone but it it is it is not an easy thing to give up your life for a couple of days travel for someone else's passion right um and and I I realize how potent this was even more so 6 months after it happened to see someone who is a pro who is committed every single night could have been every option we had raised the money you go on and I I'm telling you I was I was sitting here going I'm not I'm not doing enough I'm not enough performed goes into the crowd I think you hugged 50% of the people that were there then we go into 2020 I look back I'm like remember the time he hugged 50% of the people in that room um but then afterwards every single person that came up to you it was intentional attention it wasn't because that's what had to be done it's because that's the way you process those interactions and I left that going I could probably be better at all of that stuff be a little bit more intentional be a little bit more present um it was inspiring for me so as you watch the people you call superheroes on the tennis court uh that's the way that I saw you uh that night um at that point I feel like that was probably closer to the beginning of of our friendship and to see that I just I couldn't believe in every single person who we've been spoiled by choice uh luckily with raising money through music uh for our foundation to a person I got more calls the next day saying talk about someone going above and beyond right you promised me music you didn't promise me full self and so I just want to say thank you it was it was unbelievably gracious and it made me want to be better thank you brother uh I also told see when we were going I like we're going to go on we'll open the show uh we'll do a couple of things we'll make some notes and then we're probably going to eventually get to some Q&A with the crowd so if you want us to let you go uh before that like he goes I don't get to do the Q&A I said I don't know you can if you want to but I'm certainly sensitive uh to your time uh we have a cool thing that we've been running there's a an active auction uh going right now um and what basically what it is and it's for the same uh Foundation that that seal was so so generous with uh his time uh the short version is uh any one of you uh could hit on Arthur AUM with with me um uh in October we're we're we're basically running that I get run of show for the day the USA is generous enough to give me a couple days a year where I can try to use that uh iconic venue uh for good um Mike can you hit uh our listeners with uh with the details yeah so if you go to aash clinic. givesmart.com you can register and place your bid uh the bids are cruising in that we've been doing it for a couple weeks now uh and it'll be for either October 18th or October 19th and uh it Andy's got some pretty great stuff lined up for it and somebody that recently for the first time went to Ash it's pretty incredible we got to talk about that [ __ ] for one second too bestie just oh man that was that was a moment um uh but also it's it's pretty fun you can put a group together um and hopefully there's more people that listen to this it might be like you plus seven people listening to this um but it's it's a pretty great walk you know locker rooms and you do that like walk down the hallway after the interviews and the the whole thing it's it's a pretty fun day so uh if you're interested if you know someone else who's interested uh please advocate for us it's a great experience I will give as much energy for that day as seal gave to us uh for that night I I absolutely uh uh promise you um Mike I I I do want I do want to get your opinion on something so this this spoiled brat over here uh so not a background in tennis right NFL Network UFC a lot of sports doc documentaries great producer just no tennis just zero in tennis like we start the first show and I almost like I got I got like scared and got into cold sweats cuz he mentioned the event lav cup and I'm like still learning no that's Rod Laver and it's his cup like put some respect on that name um thank you for teaching me sorry okay so so this guy goes he's at the US Open for the first time we do a live show like you know a week ago on site the foundation that we're talking about the USA uh recognized it and honored it on night one which was an amazing night I didn't know all about this this this Gala that they put on I had never been to the president's suite at the US Open before uh so this guy so I was going to go solo Brooke was bringing uh our wonderful children up uh that night they got delayed I think I'm I'm like solo Mike a couple days before I'm like hey if you want to come up to this thing we had a show the next day I you know we can figure it out this guy I I was like do I need a tie such a jerk like every everyone in this room is about to hate you for what I'm about to say it's pretty great he comes in first match he's ever watched live at the US Open first row first row of the president's box and people and and we're walking in and people like oh the podcast oh hey Producer Mike I'm like I had to play so long for people to know my name never been in the president's box before we we both have been in there the exact same amount of times yeah shut up man like like it's just so and and then it's like all these people coming up to us you have a g so he ends up watching Novak jokovic from the first row the first night of his life and who comes between matches so Sloan loses we're in this area it's like all sorts of like amazingly talented and and Fascinating People who comes to us between matches and comes up and casually goes hey guys you know I'd introduced myself to him and it was like the first time I met you I like felt like I was going to vomit I was so intimidated so i' met this person earlier he comes up to goes oh my wife left me do you guys mind if I sit with you he spends 2 hours watching the single greatest resume in men's tennis history next to Lin Manuel Miranda disappointing pretty normal of the US Open normal what a jerk just a normal Monday quit quit now yeah just quit now headed to the US Open this year be sure to Ace the US Open with Chase as proud sponsor of the US Open Chase helps tennis fans make the most of their Grand Slam Tournament experience with exclusive benefits and perks like customer exclusive Chase lounge and Chase Terrace complimentary mobile charger for fans and more head to chase.com open for more info uh what do we have we have a we have uh our friends at hpop do we have some you s around you hang out sure I mean you know it's up to you who who I mean does any we have that' be good right all right so we're going to do a new segment it's going to be the oi Pop Quiz oh yes and we have some special prize Sean's going to bring this is Tech sea everybody thank you what is that is it is it soda look at how professional we are look at this look at this they sent us this okay and inside of that I don't know if you guys can tell there's a secret prize in there I'm not sure what they are I'm new to tennis these are called rackets oh okay those are rackets okay so those are uh what are those Andy good right uh these are the new Wilson shifts so I I used one racket for a long time I recently uh switched for the first time in a long long time and obsessed I went through this like full I'd never been through like a full play test where they bring you 12 rackets we actually have a a YouTube thing document it was like a kid in a candy store uh but this is now what I play with and so what do we got so we have a little Us open trivia questions John's going to be our moderator you have it let me see I think I got these on my phone here all right these are trivia questions hold on hold on don't ask yet them the terms and conditions so what we're going to do terms and conditions on the front on the front of everybody's chair there's a number right there's a little blue piece of tape you get a car you get a car you get a car you get a car uh we are going to pull a number out of here and it is going to be you vers Andy in a A or B Trivia Question if you beat Andy you get a racket if you tie Andy you get a racket if you lose to Andy you get an ollipop and then we pick another number and that person gets a racket so the whole room is going to be rooting against you what going be wonderful seal has what's the number next to Steve nine Seal's nine all right he's in Seal's n he's in he's in yeah it okay all right and so Andy will write down his result First It's A or B just just so we're clear yeah and then you're going to tell us yours Sophie is social Sophie arounders she'll have the microphone she'll bring it to you okay who is seat number 39 all okay oh no that's that's John that's is this is off to a horrible he can't play tennis now anyway fraud that's bizarre get out of here 119 119 there's that many people in here no they were supposed to come this is horrible this is getting off to this will get edited 33 33 33 all right go all right Sophie right there Sophie's going to walk it stand up for us please sir can you stand up I don't know why all right John's going to ask you the trivia question A or B all all right this is uh this is a history category like weirdly nervous what came first the inaugural the first US Open then known as the US National Championship or the Brooklyn Bridge what came first oh the Brooklyn Brooklyn Bridge all right I mean it's not even that's not the US Open it's just like it was just some dudes playing a thing uh what year did that happen I mean I know this one's like 1927 um I don't know uh uh okay the sport was 18 okay I got my answer I'm I'm same answer okay same answer yeah wow you're both wrong oh really what is it Brooklyn Bridge 1883 the US Open SL US National Championship played in Newport Rhode Island 1881 take a racket get a racket all right all right next one no idea comes with a warning all right C 18 18 18 okay all right right sopie you can just stay over here she gets so nervous she's great at social media scared of cameras I keep going the weirdest way thank you all right you ready both of you who was the first qualifier ever to win a major was it a Goran Ivanovich 2001 wimon or emiru years ago read it again the first first qualifier ever to win a major right a Goran Ivanovich I know the answer B Emma ratanu in for the win you're allowed to phone into to seal for help um I'm GNA go with a which was was that vich no that's not that's wrong it was emu it was emanu yeah sorry let's see let's see what number actually gets to Rocket you had you had rakan right number 29 gets the rocket all right who's number 29 you get the rocket in fact they were both qualifi final we only got a few more but she got in oh you're good yeah you're good wait we have a we have a that was a trick question because we even won as a wild card and not a qualifier that's why I asked what what the deal is she got it yeah she gets the ret yeah right no no no this this woman is 29 I'm just want to give away ret oh all right who's 103 anybody 103 oi 71 there we go 71 we should have put some Jeopardy music on we had a yeah we had a 16-year-old win her first match the other day uh she's not the right answer so who is the youngest player ever to win a match at the US Open was it Pete sis or Mary Jo Fernandez a Pete SAS B Mary Joe Fernandez uh B take the racket take the seed number five two more I have a feeling I'm going to get these away all right here Sophie over here oh man this this is an interesting one you can you can always phone your friend seal for the answer if you'd like to you can go with his answer can you just answer wrong for me so I can have the racket uh probably yeah I could probably figure that out yeah I'm I'm Shameless just to be clear these I didn't write this U no uh after what jazz artist is the US open's second biggest Court name is it a Kenny G court or B Lou Armstrong oh who can you answer this please can you answer it oh she's phoning in Seal can I answer what you got way to go way to way to go way to go way to go all right last one can you any can you can you imagine if it was Kenny G Stadium no disrespect or anything but that'd be amazing that' be amazing the record Lou AR was a really good tennis player that's why they named the court after him NO3 he lived in Queens all right 73 73 oh this is a good one okay okay who is the last man under six feet to win the US Open men's singles title is it a Andre Agy B Leighton hwit o that's a good one Leon hwit bang that's got to be the answer what precocious young player threw an absolute fit to throw away a quarterfinal match against Leighton hwit in that 2001 tournament who was that oh B that's right he wi that's right it was your boy gave it away there you go that's what we're doing uh thank you Olli poop quiz thank you uh propser Wilson for providing uh the rackets we we have time we have time for some Q&A yeah let's do it you guys want to do some a couple questions yeah that be absolutely okay Sophie you're still on Deck all right raise your hand and out it all right right here we got two in the front front row hi uh first off just like it's it's crazy to kind of like meet your Idols so Andy just awesome to have you back in tennis kind of with the podcast cheers thank you um and then question uh with tennis and also kirce and other Industries as well you have to you have your highs and your wins but you also have your fair amount of losses or learning opportunities I'm curious how you kind of work through those and then in that specific industry and tennis and in in music and then how you overcome them and how you apply that maybe to other aspects of your life all right I'll I'll take the lead and one I want to uh give you props for I I always say the uh a sign of like when I get really curious about someone is not if they make a bunch of statements but the way they ask questions and the fact that you said losses or learning opportunities was I thought it was brilliant I thought that was a great way to frame uh a question so Props for that I love that um I I don't know I always viewed it and I listen I I failed uh you know famous ly on on on on big stages and by failed I mean tried my best played my best and lost um for me I I took a lot of pride in in getting back to the work um I can work through you know being sad you know having pain you certainly deal with it but that shouldn't stop me from being at the track the next Wednesday after an appropriate amount of time now I didn't return to after I lost the 2009 Wimbledon final um it was actually uh it's weird how you kind of I I think heal in different ways it was not far from here I was here with with with Brooke and uh walking through the the streets of New York and it was a guy doing construction it was a guy who was you know you you'd walk in and get a smoothie somewhere you were walking down the street and it was some person walking their dog or it was something else and it was the most uh I'd ever gotten the sentiment of like oh Andy we were there with you I'm so like it was it was very conversational uh very familiar um and I get chills thinking about it but from that moment forward uh even with my toughest moment my relationship with with tennis fandom was completely different completely different and it was an absolute it was always I always appreciated it but it just took on a different tone it took on um what felt like a different intent um I pulled out of two tournaments after that because I just wasn't ready I walked out on a Tuesday night in Washington um a month later and normally early rounds in tournament it's like you know hit or miss and it was uh packed house it was a packed house from then until you know I I stopped playing and I often wonder had that gone my way if the reaction um would have been the same um so one it was I I just I I I think I always talk about players superpowers right uh the ability to create speed like arafa the ability of Novak to switch directions and get the the pattern he wants um mine was going to work simply you know I was I wasn't going to miss being up at 7:30 on a track uh maybe a little bit out of insecurity because I knew that there was someone out there who was a better tennis player so I had to trim the margin so um the work the the the the disappointment never got in the way of getting through your reps getting through your processes um and honestly I I I don't know if my relationship with with the tennis world would be would have finished as healthy as it did had I actually uh won that match um I don't know about you uh I don't know if there's any I mean I I think you should answer that question as well seal who's on our show right now um so your question was how do you deal with the the the losses or learning opportunities well you know as Andy pointed I think there is uh no greater teacher than the benefit of of time you know when you look when you look back I always think okay if I look back at my career now I I and and I think to myself well what are the the moments that stand out to me what are my most fond moments what are the what are the the memorable ones it's never been um you know winning Grammys or or you know some kind of you know Accolade or or a number one or or or something it's it's never those are not the things that mean the most to me the things that mean the most to me uh are the times where I was going through ex you know adversity uh my third album for example a very very difficult album emotionally to make because of a series of things which I won't bore you with but when I look at how I transcended through those things that's what gives me the greatest uh the greatest pleasure and and it also makes me understand that it it's not about what it's going to be it's what it is right now it's it's the process the process is is the most important part of it all the journey basically and you know when my time comes um none of the you know the things that I will that I want to have my my final memories are are going to be the things that I was was able to transcend the difficult times because that's kind of what has led to to this moment right now it's I'm I'm most proud of that which I was able to transcend rather than the things that uh you know the trophies or anything like that yeah and I'll I'll book in that so I made I played two finals here uh one went my way one didn't the one that didn't those two weeks uh I appreciated more than I I want to say I appreciate more um meant more to me it meant more to me in the moment in the round of 16 quarters semis because that year up to that point had been a dumpster fire like it had been the worst ever so it was almost like new Joy I'd won everything coming in to when I when I won uh this tournament uh' 06 I'd lost everything I I'd lost to this this young kid that no one could believe I lost to at Wimbledon in the third round named Andy Murray um he ended up being okay uh but I took more joy um I think from those wins than when it was maybe expected anyways thank you for the question yeah great question uh hi guys uh my name's Adam and I want to thank you all for for producing the show Mike John Andy and also today seal keep up the good work but my question I did a little research for it it's a question about Fame and I I uh saw that you probably you guys were both probably the top 300 most famous people in the world or you know at some point and sorryy accy I don't I don't know what you took away from that I took away I negativity I need to change my business card is what I need to do you guys have achieved more Fame than any of us could ever imagine I like how you s on the blow though that was cuz another was were you disappointed with top 300 I was disappointed you are all [ __ ] I was like that's the difference between me and you I was like go anyway sorry to interrupt no so I but I calculated it and you guys are in you're not in the top 1% of Fame not in the top 0.1% but you're in the top 0.00000000 37% of Fame based on the world population geez oh there you go you do your research I want to see kind of what what thoughts do you have about someone who hasn't achieved or who has not been that level of famous kind of what maybe the pros and cons were or what's that I mean I'm just curious to hear more about what that's what that was like what that's like what what's that's like for you well what one thing that I think it needs to be thank you for like even thinking about anything to do with this show and question I appreciate you even giving us the time that that question uh took uh one let's never confuse Fame with success right let's never let's never let's never do that we just you know tennis is on TB you know it's no different the processes and everything he's touching on is not different right there's bition you go you fall you get back up again um I I'm curious to hear your perspective for me it was it was a weird thing where at 18 especially in tennis it's a very kind of small bubble and you break out as an American on in a tournament like this it was literally in the States you know one week could do anything take the subway to the courts and then the next week it was the huitt match we had talked about and IID played on ash four nights in a row and so it turned very quickly and then it was just be it was kind of something that I was used to um but it kind of es and flows um I don't remember Peak much because I think there was this constant distraction that was my job and it was kind of just part of the job so I think that was kind of compartmentalized and then you go away I didn't I wasn't around tennis for eight or 10 years um and then I come back to it and producer Mike is famous so it can't be that hard I'm curious to hear your your your your thoughts on this so your question is is is how do what has been my personal journey in dealing with Fame is is that your question it's like gu what it's been like the pros and cons well it's um it's it's interesting because if you look at the concept of Fame like you know what is the real difference other than the fact that I sing and I'm I I don't know what you do for for a living but other than that like what is the real difference between you and and me um and if you kind of look at Fame in from that perspective it's an utterly ridiculous concept I mean it's just it's it's absurd you know one minute I was this kind of workingclass boy from from Northwest London and the next minute literally and I had what the journalists used to refer to as me theoric success my my rise was relatively relatively quick and next minute I was a kind of household name but as far as I was concerned I I hadn't changed and so and that can be quite destabilizing and when you when you uh hear of you know famous people or young famous people going off the deep end for me at least it's really easy to to understand how that happens because you yourself haven't changed so much but then all of a sudden you're famous and you know there's that old expression um that old saying be careful of what you want you might get it well that kind of happened to me now my my Saving Grace was that I was relatively old older when it happened that's what I wanted to know about I was 27 so I'd seen a kind of fair bit of of of life not too much but a fair bit and I was able to therefore have some perspective um and so you know I I I I often liken it to being put on a skateboard for the very first time on an incline for you know think of the first time you ever stood on a skateboard and oh you know you're just frightened for all dear life that you're going to fall off right and you're really unstable right but then you kind of figure out ah if I just lean this way way oh oh I see it does and fame's a little bit like that you you you you and you know I I go back to what Andy was saying Fame and success they're two completely different things but we are talking about Fame and the absurdity of Fame you you learn to kind of navigate your way around it um but on the plus side of that you talking about the the the the pros um it has given me the most amazing in life incredible life things that dreams are made of um uh situations and opportunities that I would never have believed possible um to some degree you one could argue that it's given me uh happiness and it's certainly contributed to it whilst it's not at the core of it but it's contributed to it but I think in summary to answer your question is um I never really lost sight of who I was um whilst Fame is great and it is a part of my life it doesn't Define me um it you know seal the musician or the singer or the pop star rock star whatever it's something that I do it's not who I am it's not essentially who I am it's something that I do and when I get when I go home you know my kids don't care about that about that they care about Dad they you know my misss she doesn't care well she does but she doesn't really you know she cares about who you know who I am as a person and so I think surrounding yourself with uh people who are essentially a mirror who will reflect you that's a good way to is it important I like that uh I also we have this conversation a lot and general feeling having seen you know Sports World little glimpses into uh people like the men uh to my left um I I think whether it's you fame or whether it's different types of successes whether it's Financial or you know whatever it may be um I don't know that it changes a lot of people I think a lot of times it just exaggerates what's always been there good or bad um anyways we'll move on% you think that yeah 100% but let's uh we have a CLE time for a couple more uh questions um straight behind you one here and then one why don't why don't you take the all whatever there's one closer to you and then we can go to the we'll we'll get you you'll you you'll finish this up thank you for that question appreciate you uh so Naomi Osaka made a little bit of a splash with her outfit this week I was wondering this is a question for all of you well thank goodness I get to talk about I was wondering you have come to the right place if you have a favorite outfit that you've ever worn particularly maybe a visor and if you have a favorite outfit of all time that anybody has worn on a tennis court I appreciate you um I I rarely cared um I uh there there would basically be that You' be presented stuff I certainly have ones I regret the visor I I kind of here's here's you want you want some honesty here all right you ready all right so the visor I often wonder and and Gilbert got rid of that he had this whole thing like you can't play whatever BR so anyways so he he did that thing I often wonder if I would have more hair if I kept the visor that's what I wonder that's what I wonder all the time and I wish I could go back and run that experiment um what I should have done is immediately after Brad and I split up just to be like really passive aggressive is bring it back that's that that that's that's what I should have done um but like listen they bring you they they show you slides of what you might wear and I I didn't put a lot of thought into it I didn't honestly I don't know that I ever vetoed anything you know they they they wanted this sleeve like that's that's not me like I'm not going to I don't I don't want to do that if I you know was Rafa I probably would have been into it um like he was but I haven't I haven't really uh I haven't really cared do you any any regrets over over there my friend of a few outfits that I've oh yeah CU entertainment regrets is like Risk like that's a different thing give us give us the like there have been some give us the biggest regret in and describe it well when I was kind of starting out not not you know when I became the seal that people are aware of but when I started started out in in bars I used to wear kind of like you know I don't not not you can't go like this I don't know not I don't know not quite Daisy Dukes but like like really you know questionable shorts and I yeah that's that's never you know unless George Michael those are those are known around these parts as the wortheim who is your uh who your sponsor back then that's funny good question all right we got uh we had one more in the back that I promised Sophie uh one more in the back lady in the the back where you were heading before before I had you detour I see okay she has a little helper with her SE will we be able to find those on the internet those pictures no no to Great L I'm G to Google the [ __ ] out tell you I will okay hi thank you all so much for being here cheers wonderful uh my question was less serious but so you're talking about feder and jokovic in the locker room yeah what was what were you doing what was going on in your head what was your breath trying not to vomit um I I was and my my wife will attest to this she'll be nodding in the front row I I was difficult on on on game days I I every single match that I played I could be playing a second round in Memphis a tournament that I've won two times conditions I like playing someone who qualified and my mind was if this guy catches ahe of steam I could be in trouble tonight like I just I worked backwards from like worst case scenario so I was in control um but very angsty from the and I woke up I didn't want to talk a lot it wasn't happy go-lucky it wasn't an easy process throughout the day uh if I had to play at night I wasn't I barely walked around through the day um it was it was it was a hard thing I I knew um you know it I I I struggled like I I I was jealous of and I always tell the story um I I have no um past just wanting to have won two more points at one tournament I don't have a lot of regrets I don't envy people for their successes I'm more than happy that these three have won all of the tournaments that they've won where I was very jealous and I'm still jealous of of of Roger because he was the guy that I played most in the in the biggest matches um just because we were good on the same surfaces at the same time was his ease of operation it just it drove me crazy because I could see him on the Saturday before Grand Slam losing to some some chucker uh on a practice court and I walked by and he was smiling laughing I felt like I had to play well on a Saturday in practice to play well on a Monday in in the in the event so I was kind of you know to myself friendly enough I could fake it I wasn't going to like project that you know angst on a hello on the way by but it was uh it was it was a rocky exper that's probably one of the reasons why I I stopped early earlier than than than most po uh I said I don't know that I retired from tennis but I think I retired from waiting around um but I don't know what's your what's your Vibe before you know that's that's such a a such a such an interesting point you you you rais about Roger and and how that was a thing that it wasn't so much you know the Championships that he had won you know or or or you know His Brilliant tennis but it was his temperament that drove you nuts no it didn't drive me nuts I I was jealous of it I was honestly je like the hair flip and then walk out for rimbledon fall I'm go oh my god I've been like choking down food since like 8: a.m. I can barely get through the like the meal well if if you if when I when I think about or when anyone thinks about Roger if you think back to to federa which isn't too difficult because it's you know fairly recent but if you were to choose one word that would describe him in general you know his game person what would that word be I'm I'm curious pardon effortless okay relaxed anyone else pardon Elegance yeah okay it's interesting you use all those words right because mine would be pretty much the same as what you're saying but I would probably choose the word balance like think of one match that where you ever saw Roger look unbalanced I've seen him you know stretch for a point you know and and work really hard for a point but he always manages to look centered and balanced super annoying what it it is an it is annoying but it's it's fascinating one time um he he came to a show of mine I'll never forget this he came to a show of mine in in in London we were playing at Hammersmith and you know I went and met him because it was like my idol you know one of my Idols coming to the show went and met him at the stage door with this family and I never I'll never forget it I mean I I have to kind of I have to get up for a bit so I'll try not to so I remember him I remember him walking right and he was and he sort of walked in like this and and you know he walked around and everything and he just looks so balanced so the point I'm trying to make is is that is that thing that you see on the tennis court that's not just him on the tennis court that is his life and so my my preparation is is I guess it's I try to be like that on on on gig days uh when I'm working uh and just in life in general I try I'm at best put it that way when I have that same balance balance in movement uh not getting too high or or or too low in in dealing with situations and I find that particularly when I'm touring and I have that attitude it's it's uh it helps a lot and just to have balance overall balance in life I'll tell you so I I interviewed Roger the year after I retired and we had never really talked tennis before like we talk we have a great relationship I'd give him a kidney right I I I just we we've always kind of gotten along um I I I can speak for myself but I I strong suspicion that there's a strong mutual respect of shared history there but I got to interview him and so the first time we actually got into matches and you know our specific history and everything else I asked him the same thing I'm like there's this you know the at that point he was considered you know the the greatest and there wasn't a lot of doubt about it and I said the other people your contemporaries it's like you know Michael Jordan broke a teammate's nose in practice right he will step on like your carcass to score the next basket do you have it is it in there he said yeah and he said one of the things that like is is weird is everyone says these kind of gentle words but there is a lot of work that goes into looking that gentle kind of and you know exuding that but I asked him a question and his answer was I'll get it exactly wrong but I said is that fire in you he goes yeah but the one thing that I've never understood and at this point I was like it blew my mind and it made so much sense and I was so mad at him and I said he goes yeah I always hear all these these the all of you say like I hate to lose I hate to lose I hate to lose I hate to lose and he goes I genuinely think that I enjoy winning more than I hate losing and I had no idea what he was talking about I had no clue and it was just a simple thing and I don't think you can coach that I don't know how uh greatever more than I I enjoy like I enjoy I like I jump and it was the opposite of me he goes I jump up three days later after and I'm I rise out of I'm it's still in me I Auto I checked to the next thing like I I have what's gosh the next stress point and that's what made me jealous about him like that kind of thing and a lot of people work backwards and they need the friction and you know there there are a lot of great players who create friction and then overcome it and it's their Geniuses in their their own way um but that was yeah so that was like it it that blew my mind and and and pissed me off kind of uh kind of uh all at the same time um listen this is this has been a a great night um I hope that you all have appreciated uh Our Guest spending some time with us uh uh to put it uh to put it in in tennis terms uh a true gentleman and a champion uh on and off the court seal love you brother thank you so much than for the opp it's been great thank for being here tonight uh as always Round of Applause for uh producer Mike uh what my job is easy I come here I tell you what I see and I tell you about my past experience I have no idea how anything else works I can barely turn a phone on and off good team it's we literally there's a direct line where I need him and then it's like go get him and then it's back in so appreciate you John wortheim uh the best journalist in tennis um feel uh feel uh feel lucky and honored um that you said yes uh to this uh so much value added social Sophie techie Sean everyone else involved with the show uh we uh we appreciate our team we have the best team um and uh this has been served brought to you by Chase thank you for coming thank you everybody thanks everyone thanks [Applause]