Alcaraz completes career slam, Rybakina wins 2nd major, Sabalenka doesn't finish, Djokovic comes close

Hello there, I'm Daven Hiski, and on my podcast, The Brain Food Show, our team, including the great Simon Whistler, our own devices, Gio Messier, and Fact Fiend's Karl Smallwood serve up fascinating facts and stories that will blow your mind. From ancient mysteries to scientific curiosities to deep dive history, we deliver knowledge that will help you become the star of Watercooler Talk the World Over. Listen to The Brain Food Show wherever you get your podcasts. Alright, welcome to another edition of Advantage Connors, coming to you from Gate E18 at the Atlanta Airport in transit to Milan, what's going on Pops, how you doing out there in Santa Barbara? Cheese, you've been going since early this morning, bud, you got up, you got a flight to Atlanta, now you got a layover, and then you're going to Milan, then you got a three hour drive, woo, you'll be ready for a snooze tonight. Yeah, it's snowing in Milan right now too, oh that'd be cool, that'd be very cool. You'll be fine, how you doing, everything good? Yeah, everything's good, I'm sorry to say we've got 72 degree weather here, so the sun shining in, you know, but I don't know, a little change of scenery is going to be good for you. Yeah, yeah, looking forward to it, opening ceremonies are Friday, so we have three days till the event start for us in Cross Country on Saturday. So I met the other producer here, she flew in from San Francisco, and so we're hanging and we're taking the next flight together and we'll be working together for the next three weeks, so. Yeah, well good, you got a travel buddy, that's great, it's actually, so don't want to keep you long because I got to get back to the gate, but let's talk about the way the Australian open finished. Last time we checked in, we were leading into the semi finals, so I guess we could start there, the women kind of went pretty, pretty, the way you thought it was, Sabelink, the Robocchio, kind of playing the best tennis coming in, they made it through into the finals. What did you think about that? And they ended up playing a really good three set final, Robocchio, Avengers, her loss to Sabi three years ago in Australia when Sabi got her first major, Robocchio was playing so good coming in, finished 2025 on a really good streak. What did you think about that one? Yeah, we talked about it when they were going into the semis that she thumps the ball. And man did she play, but Sabi once again, didn't she have, I think she had three love in the third, right? Yeah, three love in the third, three love in the third. Yeah, once again, I mean, I was thinking and I might take a little ribbon for this, but I got to say it, you know, so you got to have that killer instinct. You got to when you get somebody, especially in the finals like that, you got to get on top and you got to do everything you can to stay on top and to keep the pressure on. And you know, cut down on your mistakes and don't give any points away and make your opponent earn everything. And you know, I know she's had bad luck, you know, in the past, losing, you know, a number of finals that maybe she shouldn't have, but you know, up three love and up three love in the third and in a, in a major like that, you got to close the deal. And she's way too good a player, brother, to, you know, to, to not be able to do that and to, you know, she has in the past, still get me wrong, but, you know, to, to let, to let a lead like that go is, you know, that's, you know, I want to see how she bounces back from that. So I was in the past again and, and she's come through and, and one majors, but man, she, she's got to get that killer instinct and, and, and really wonder, you know, when you have it, take it, grab it and, and get to the finish line. Yeah. I mean, it's a bummer because I'm a savvy fan, but I didn't mind seeing Robocaine to come back just because I had her like we talked about last week as a future at nine to one. So that was nice. Right. I think as soon as that ended within 10 seconds, you sent me a text. Yeah. I had to glow it a little bit. Were you called it too? Yeah. You called winners, to be honest. You called Carlos also, but, yeah, I was happy for Robocaine, but the savvy, it's a bummer because now she's lost in three major finals out of the last five and we're on the US loss in the semis and a Samoa. And so it's like, I don't know. I mean, she's going to bounce back, listen to this at, she's won at least one set in a major match, in 110 straight matches. So she hasn't lost some straights and 110 matches, it goes back to like a COVID match. I can't remember which event, but I mean, she's the most consistent player. She makes the semis or the finals like every time a major goes and I just think she ran into a hot, a hot Robocaine and then you know, I wasn't criticizing a savvy. I was just kind of expressing my view, but you've got to look at Robocaine, the way she played throughout the course of the whole tournament. And she made her earn it, everything that she did, everything she could not to give any points away and to come through and listen to everybody needs breaks to win a major like that and especially in the finals, but man, oh man, and I'm like you for when the way she played at the end of 25 and especially now leading into 26, where do you think her confidence level is? Who? Soaring. And it's just another entry into a great mix with the women, in my opinion, when she plays like that. Definitely. No, I know, I know you weren't criticizing, I feel bad for savvy a little bit, I think. Do you think almost it was like she relaxed a little bit and she got up three love? She's been there before, you know, she's won before and she's lost before and she obviously knows what it takes to win because she's proven that, you know, but I keep going back to last U.S. Open when Carlos played center in the finals and remember after the first set, I said Carlos better not let down an inch, remember and then center comes back and wins that second set, you know, in a heartbeat and you know, so I mean, when you're playing, when you're playing and you're on top like that, you got to, you can't let up, you've got to keep pushing and, you know, and doing what got you there, you know, you never, don't ever change a winning game and, you know, and, and fed, you know, it's another good learning lesson from her, you know, this happened to her in the past and what did she do came back and, you know, started dominating. So it's going to be interesting to see how she handles this one. Yeah. And I think you're right. It's going to be a lot of big matches and tournaments this year. She's good on grass. We're having one wimble then before, you know, and had success in a lot of other events. So she'll be a threat. And you're right, the women's, the animal's kind of more exciting at least from like a storyline standpoint where going into any slam, five, six, seven women can kind of have a chance to win, you know, the slam. So from that standpoint, it's fun because you don't never know and it's different people winning and, and then, you know, on the other side, we can talk about them in now where it's like, those to me, we said last week that, you know, it's been kind of boring on labor. No, five set matches so far. We were hoping we can get one tonight and what, you know, what we do, we got like 10 hours of amazing tennis. Right. Right. And, and, you know, we, and you, you, you send me a text right after Carlos one and five and where Zerov served for the match. You said, you know, that pick, you know, it's joking, it's, you know, could have, you know, could have been an amazing bet also, but the, yeah, the parlay, the 50 parlay, it was like, it was something that's very I'm hold away from hitting right, you know, but, but it's, it's interesting. You know, we talk about Zerov also, I mean, he's had opportunities in, you know, what an opportunity he had there. I don't know what to say about that. You know, we've talked about him for, you know, five or six years now and, and, and the opportunities that he's had, maybe, maybe this is the one that he looks back on and says, I know I can do it now. Just do it. Just go out, you know, it's enough already and, and to be put in that situation to play Joker, you know, who had a long match to and, and, you know, the stars might have just aligned for him, you know, but, you know, you to win the tournament, you got to beat him all, you know, and, and he had an opportunity to beat the best in the world at the time, playing Alcarez didn't come through and, and Alcarez goes on and wins the tournament. Pretty amazing. But the, the, as you said, the tennis was great. I have a question. Hmm. Shoot. I, I, I thought at the beginning of the finals, Joker kind of was on top of it. I mean, he was taking the ball early and, and, I mean, it's the way he's played, but I mean, for somebody 38, 39 like that, you don't know how that takes saps your energy, you know, taking the ball early and, and being on the move and the way he played that first set, oh my God, you know, I, you know, but how, how long can he keep that up, you know, especially against Carlos because number one, if you care about the seafood you eat, you need to know where it comes from. Wild Alaskan Company delivers 100% wild caught, frozen right off the boat, perfectly portioned fish straight to your door. So you always know exactly where it comes from. That means no antibiotics, GMOs or additives, just clean, real fish that support healthy oceans and responsible fishing communities, get seafood you can trust. Go to wildalaskan.com/wildpod for $35 off your first box of seafood today. He, he, he's quick. I mean, that's all I got to say, man, oh man, does he, but when he gets there, he does something with it. He just doesn't, you know, get the ball back. He's able to do something with it and made a Joker play just at one more shot, you know, and, and put a little extra pressure on him. And then also worry about it and, you know, that's, you know, I keep going back and saying that it's, it's tougher for Joker at 38, 39 years old to beat center and Alcoraz back to back. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think we said he had gotten the walk over versus Minsheek and then gets the gift, you know, from head and above against Mousetti when he's down to sets the love, he thought he was on a flight home. You know, we said, is this the best kind of case scenario where we always say he's got to get through the early round straight sets, knocking them to any long matches. He gets kind of two short matches and then that sets him up to go five with center, which was ridiculous. The fact that, you know, I mean, what would a match to be 30, almost 39 years old and to take out center when center's at his peak and has been kind of dominating Joker which the last couple years was amazing to watch and so much fun. And then yeah, this Vera stuff, it's tough. It's like, it's like you, even though Carlos was cramping, I was texting with some friends, I was like, I still don't trust Vera, you know what I mean? Like no matter what. Like until you see him do it, I still don't trust him in those big, big matches. And then Carlos, man, he has something like kind of magic about him. You know, he has that, that, that like, you know, he knows the moment, you know, like you were 91 with the crowd and the moment and trying to take advantage of it and ride the wave of something like that. He's amazing at that. Yeah. And it just seemed like even though he was cramping, you thought, oh my god, like this is over. You know, he's going to, he's even at one point, it looked like Vera was going to walk to the net. And he was going to retire and kind of, I think that Carlos kind of pumped fake the retirement and then went and sat down. Right. He pumped fake. That's a pretty good. And so, yeah, man. And so, and then Carlos, you know, I just think joke of it, you knew he had to go all in in that first set, you know, and you're right. It's just to try and keep up that level is just too much, you know, and I think you probably had an hour, an hour and a half of his legs. He still played well the rest of the match. Yeah. But it seemed like, you know, Carlos suggested and was able to, you know, figure out what Joker was doing. Joker started missing some first serves, which hurt him. And then, you know, Carlos just turned it on and then younger legs kind of won it out. You know, and he completes the career grand slam at only 22, almost 23 years old, which is crazy. Yeah. Yeah, it's crazy. I mean, and the way he's played the last couple of years, you know, that, I mean, he's not losing to many guys, you know, the only guys losing to really a center, you know, along the way and, you know, and getting himself up for those matches, especially in the grand slams. And you know, everybody shooting for him, you know, and he realizes that, you know, I always liked that. You know, knowing that everybody was, you know, after me and wanted to beat me and just did something to me to try to play a little better, raise my game, you know, to a little newer height. And so, you know, he's 22, 23 years old and, and man, oh man, you know, look at the energy he puts into it, man, fun to watch him play. Yeah. I mean, it's fun to watch him play. It just seems, you're right, even though center's beaten him a couple of times in the last year, it seems like he's got the head to head more on his side the last two or three years overall. And it's going to be fun to watch how this plays out like it's, and also what about the Ferraro side, where they get rid of Ferraro right before the year starts, and then Carlos is able to go on and do this, so obviously it doesn't miss him. But then you also feel for Ferraro a little bit where it's like, well, he helped, he's been with them for like seven years, you know, I mean, and then he just kind of gets like, you know, pushed aside and, you know, he moves on right away and boom wins the next major reason and the one that he hasn't won yet, where you feel like, you know, his fingerprints are still all over this. Yeah, I don't think it's going to be hard for Ferraro to find a new job. I think that might be pretty easy, and there's a couple guys out there right now that should pick him up, you know, that should think about it because of the success that he's had with Alcaraz. But, you know, seven years, he got him when he was young, I mean, he's only 23 now, so he's been with him since he's been 15, 16, and, you know, and kind of was able to, you know, to breed him along, you know, with what it takes to, you know, from a winner's standpoint, you know, and an X champion standpoint, you know, not only his mind, but also his heart and his guts, and then, of course, his game, too. Right. Yeah. So, to, you call both champions, by the way, we got a crystal ball. You don't want to put that into play and put it into put that parlay in. Yeah, I picked a bad time to give up gambling. Yeah. So, yeah, that's it. That's it. It's going to be fun. Now they go to the South American swing, and then they go with the indoors in Europe. I think it's like Rotterdam, some of those tournaments over there. So, it'll be fun. And then everyone will reconvene in Indian Wells, you know, when everyone will be back together. One quick thing before we go, and it's been out for a little while, but since we talked about Capca coming back to PGA, what about Patrick Reed? Yeah. The villain that leave you live and coming back to the PGA. Yeah. I like it, you know, but I think it's kind of different for him. I think he's got to play the DPE World Tour, which is mostly the golf in Europe, I think for a year. I think things are, I don't have the full scope of, you know, the, you know, what he needs to do to get back on the PGA Tour. But, you know, for him to come back and, you know, to watch him play, I think he was in a playoff this past weekend in a tournament in Europe, and then, of course, Capca, you know, played down at, of course, that you know, down to Torrey Pines. I think we played this week, and it was big for him to make the cut, you know, and to see how everybody brought him back in, you know, not, you know, the players and, you know, the tournament itself and everything, how they welcomed him. I think that he was under pressure for that. And after the first day, he kind of loosened up and, you know, was able to, you know, once he made the cut just to go out and just play golf and kind of get rid of a lot of extra pressure that he thought he had on himself, and, and, yeah, I was happy for him, and he's going to be nothing but good for the, for the PGA Tour again. Glad to see him. Yeah. It'll be fun. He's always like for some controversy and some, some smack talk, so yeah, and, and read too. Both of them. Yeah, both of them. Yeah. Nice. Well, I think, I think that's going to do a pop. So I'm going to go and get checked into this light with even about 45 minutes or an hour. I'm going to try and edit this and get it out before we take off. Well, if you don't edit it on the plane, and you've got a little time to, you know, to sit there and do this on the plane, but that's true. You travel safe, son, and, and you'll make sure you text me, you know, when you land in Milan, let me know that you land safely and, and that everything's going okay, but keep me posted. Let me know how things are going over there. And you stay safe. Sounds good. And I'll check in with you guys when I get over there, and we'll check in with you all next week. Peace.