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00:00The U.S. Open never lacks drama,
00:02but this year, Flushing Meadows
00:04has delivered just about everything.
00:06Upsets, American breakthroughs,
00:08marathon matchups stretching into deep
00:10in the New York night,
00:11and plenty of conversation about what's happening
00:14both on and off the court.
00:16Joining me right now to discuss it all,
00:18my friend, ESPN superstar,
00:21Sirius XM superstar,
00:24the great Patrick McEnroe.
00:26Pat, how are ya?
00:30That coveted, that highly sought-after time slot
00:33on Saturday mornings from 7 to 8 a.m. Eastern time.
00:38I mean, you know that superstar stat.
00:40I don't need to tell you that, Mr. Shine,
00:42but thank you for having me.
00:43Listen, I always love chopping it up with you,
00:46and I always love watching you,
00:48and honestly, you know what I think about the U.S. Open
00:51and what I think of just incredible tennis,
00:54and I need to talk to you about Ben Schoen.
00:57What impressed you the most about his epic five-set win
01:00over Carlos Alcaraz in the quarters?
01:02Well, you know, someone else said to me
01:04in another interview I did today, Adam,
01:06that he competed well,
01:09that I'd never seen him compete that well.
01:11And I said, no, hold on a second.
01:13He's always been a great competitor.
01:15But what he did and what he's done, Adam,
01:18in the last year or so,
01:19is he's improved his tennis game.
01:21He's improved his all-around skill set.
01:24He's going up against this guy, Alcaraz,
01:26who's a human highlight reel, okay?
01:29This guy's the most electric player
01:31I've ever seen on a tennis court,
01:33and I've seen quite a few other electric players,
01:35and you know them well by name.
01:37So what Ben Shelton has done
01:38is he's improved his versatility.
01:40You know he's got the monster serve.
01:42He can serve at high 140s,
01:44but he's like a pitcher
01:46that's got the unbelievable fastball,
01:48and now he's got a nasty curve,
01:50and he's got a change-up,
01:51and he's got a splitter,
01:53and he's, most importantly, Adam,
01:55he's improved his return to serve.
01:56So he's getting more balls in play.
01:58He's staying in points better
02:00by using the backhand slice.
02:02He's become more of an all-court player,
02:04an all-around player.
02:06That's why he was able to stay with Alcaraz,
02:08who, albeit I'll say it,
02:10wasn't at his best
02:10because it was very impressive to me
02:12that Alcaraz even got to the U.S. Open,
02:15having not played for almost five months,
02:17and played as well as he did.
02:19But I said at the beginning of the tournament
02:21that I thought that he would have a match
02:23where he struggled,
02:24where he wasn't at his best,
02:26and that's what happened.
02:27And Ben Shelton was able to take advantage of it,
02:30still going the distance,
02:31going five sets.
02:32I was really impressed
02:33after he lost that first set in a tie break
02:35that he could have just had a letdown,
02:39but he hung in there.
02:40He knew he was going to have to stay
02:42and play a long, tough, grueling match,
02:44and that's exactly what he did to get the W.
02:46But it's not done, Adam.
02:48You know, I picked him to win the tournament
02:50before it started, okay,
02:52because of the things I just discussed with you.
02:54But now he's got Francis Tiafoe, who I love.
02:57He lights up the stadium.
02:58I love his smile.
02:59I love his attitude.
03:00He's back into the semifinals at the Open
03:02for the third time.
03:04So, you know, he's got a shot, Tiafoe,
03:06to win that match,
03:07but I'm leaning towards Shelton in that one.
03:10And Sasha Zverev is going to be the favorite,
03:12no matter who he plays in the championship match,
03:15assuming he beats Hatchinoff in the first semifinal,
03:18which I believe he will.
03:20But Ben Shelton loves that stage.
03:22He loves the big stage,
03:23and I think he's ready for his big moment.
03:25I want to get your thoughts
03:27on what everyone was buzzing about the other day
03:30in terms of when the match ended.
03:33And let me give you my take,
03:34and I know you were listening to my show
03:36on Mad Dog Sports Radio.
03:38Look, I thought it was part of the lore of it, right?
03:41You know, we see this in the NCAA tournaments.
03:43We see this in the NBA in the postseason.
03:47It also wasn't, in my opinion, ESPN's fault
03:51or the USTA's fault or the US Open's fault.
03:54The Tiafoe match was epic.
03:56And once that happened,
03:58you knew everything was going to get pushed back.
04:00So it was just under the umbrella of it was what it was,
04:04and it's one of those where if it ends
04:06at 3.30 in the morning,
04:07it makes an epic sporting event that much better.
04:12What's your take on all that?
04:14I 100% agree with you,
04:17and I'll give you another little tidbit
04:18for you to nibble on, okay?
04:21Tennis is never going to be a hugely rated sport
04:25on television in the United States.
04:27It's just not.
04:28Even the years when I was with ESPN,
04:31I've been with ESPN for 30 years.
04:33When I covered the US Open for CBS,
04:35you know, when it was Sampras-Agassi,
04:38when it was Federer against Djokovic,
04:40Nadal-Federer, you know, those big-time matchups.
04:42I mean, it rates pretty well,
04:44but you're talking about the highest-rated tennis match
04:48in the last 20 years is like the worst NFL game on Sunday,
04:52like the game that you don't want to watch on Sunday.
04:55That rates higher than the greatest tennis rating ever.
04:58So my point is this.
05:00Tennis makes its money and makes its buzz
05:03on ticket sales, sponsorship,
05:07yes, hospitality more and more,
05:09you know, corporate corporations getting involved
05:15and sponsoring the tournament.
05:16And what you just said is true.
05:19The lore of like the average talk show,
05:21I don't consider you the average
05:22because you like tennis, right?
05:23But most guys in your business don't talk tennis.
05:26Sure.
05:26Nothing about it.
05:27And they're only talking about tennis because of that.
05:30If that match had been in prime time,
05:32oh yeah, more people would have seen it,
05:34but not that much more
05:35that it would really move the needle for tennis
05:38in the way that I think this did.
05:40So I agree.
05:40The word you use, lore,
05:42is part of what makes tennis interesting
05:44to the casual fan
05:46and the fact that people are up there.
05:48You know, I saw this morning on my social media,
05:51you know, a video of people waiting for the subway,
05:53the seven train at 4.15 AM to get back to the city.
05:57And so I think that makes it all the more interesting.
06:01And I think it raises awareness for the sport
06:04beyond if that match had been played in prime time.
06:07Like now people are more talking about it.
06:09And by the way,
06:11Tiafoe and Shelton will be played in prime time
06:13tomorrow night on ESPN.
06:16And that's going to do a pretty darn good number,
06:18but a pretty darn good number for tennis.
06:21I think you nailed it.
06:22And to me, it just added to the whole thing.
06:25And the way Tiafoe won,
06:27I mean, that comeback and, you know,
06:29everything about it and the volleys and the rallies
06:32and the end was just incredible.
06:34And honestly, Patrick, you know,
06:36Shelton, Tiafoe, semis tomorrow night,
06:38you've mentioned it a couple times.
06:40I am so into this.
06:42Like, I think this is going to be
06:43just a sensational sporting event.
06:46Who you got and why?
06:49Well, I'll start with the first match.
06:51I got Zverev winning that.
06:52You know, he's locked in now.
06:54I mean, he, you know, he won the French,
06:56finally got the monkey off his back,
06:58played great at Wimbledon.
06:59He never done well at Wimbledon.
07:00He got to the final there.
07:01So I love his chances.
07:03Hatchitoff is a power player,
07:05hits the ball big,
07:06but I think Zverev's just got too much versatility.
07:08But I think it'll be closer than people think,
07:10probably a four-setter.
07:12Shelton, Tiafoe, let's set this up.
07:14They know each other well.
07:15They're good buddies, but they're competitors.
07:18They're rivals.
07:19Because Shelton's like the new kid on the block.
07:21This is for the American guys.
07:22You know, you have Tiafoe,
07:24you have Taylor Fritz,
07:25you have Tommy Paul.
07:26And I've been around those guys a lot.
07:28I knew them when they were kids.
07:29I've been around them at Labor Cup,
07:31when they're on the same team together.
07:33There's a healthy competition, Adam,
07:36between these two.
07:37Very healthy.
07:38Like, they're going to go at it.
07:39They respect each other.
07:40But they want to be the big guy on the block,
07:43big time.
07:43They both want to be the guy.
07:45The guy that can finally break through
07:47and win a major.
07:49I believe Shelton's got a little bit more,
07:51well, he's got a lot more firepower,
07:52that's for sure, in his game.
07:54But he's added a little more variety to his game.
07:57He's added the ability, you know,
07:59to play the slice.
08:00He's added the ability to play a lot more defense.
08:03Tiafoe's a little bit more straightforward.
08:05And he got the memo last year around this time,
08:08did Tiafoe,
08:09you better buckle up,
08:11as you like to say, buckle up, Buttercup.
08:14On your fitness and on your commitment
08:17to being the best you can be.
08:19He got rid of his whole team.
08:20He brought in a new team.
08:22He's had some brutal losses this year.
08:24Had a huge lead at the French Open
08:26that he let slip away
08:27when he had a monster opportunity
08:29to get to the semis on the clay
08:31at Roland Garros.
08:32But he's bounced back every time.
08:34And I love what I'm seeing from him.
08:36Coming from two sets down,
08:38he's putting it all out there.
08:40And so I think he will have plenty in the tank
08:42to win this match.
08:44But I think Shelton's just got TMG, Adam.
08:47Too much game.
08:48I think Shelton wins it in four.
08:50Listen, I think it'd be incredible.
08:52And by the way,
08:53we had Aaron Rodgers on our SiriusXM radio show,
08:55and he picked Shelton
08:57to win the entire thing at the U.S. Open.
08:59So I was like,
08:59all right, that's pretty good, Rodgers.
09:01He's very into tennis,
09:03into the U.S. Open.
09:04I know he's your guy.
09:04I know he's your guy.
09:05He's my guy.
09:06All right, Sabalenka.
09:09Now, obviously, the favorites,
09:11and she's destroying everyone.
09:13You know, we have Pagula.
09:14We have Coco.
09:15American certainly could eventually emerge.
09:18Who are we picking on the women's side and why?
09:21Well, let me just slightly correct you
09:23and tell you that Sabalenka
09:25was down a break in the third
09:26in the last match against Linda Noskova,
09:28who won Wimbledon.
09:29It was an amazing match.
09:31Super high level.
09:32So she hasn't just totally been steamrolling,
09:34which she's done in the past.
09:36Now, she's won the last two U.S. Opens.
09:38She's going for the three-peat, okay?
09:40Which the last player to do that was Serena
09:41on the women's side.
09:43Federer on the men's side,
09:44the last guy who won five in a row.
09:45But Sabalenka's playing well.
09:49She's not my pick just for some reason,
09:51and I'll get to that in a second,
09:53but I think she will beat Pagula.
09:55My heart would love to see,
09:58you know, the Buffalo Bills gal,
10:00Bills Nation,
10:01because I'm picking the Bills
10:02to go all the way.
10:03Same.
10:04Yeah, over the Rams in the Super Bowl.
10:06Same.
10:07Yeah, but it's 9-4 head-to-head.
10:10Sabalenka leads.
10:11Pagula's beaten her a few times.
10:13And why do I like Pagula?
10:14Because she's no nonsense, you know?
10:16She comes from huge wealth,
10:18and what has she done?
10:19It took her until her mid-20s
10:20just to start getting into majors
10:22to be a top player.
10:23And now she's rock solid.
10:25She's got the most wins of anyone on tour.
10:27She kind of deserves to win a major,
10:30but, you know,
10:30deserves and winning are two different things.
10:32I got Sabalenka winning this one
10:34in a tight three-setter,
10:35but I'd love to see Jessica get through
10:37and get to the final one more time,
10:39which she did two years ago,
10:41losing to Sabalenka.
10:42On the other side,
10:43you've got Coco Gauff,
10:45who's just been finding ways to win,
10:47and particularly the last match,
10:48as I called it yesterday against Navarro.
10:50I mean, against Andrejeva.
10:52She did not look good in the first set.
10:55I mean, she was so tight at him.
10:56She couldn't swing the racket.
10:58I mean, the first set was a disaster.
11:00Yeah.
11:00But here's what Coco does,
11:01as well as anyone.
11:03She competes her ass off.
11:05She's an unbelievable competitor.
11:07Even when, you know,
11:08she can't find the broad side of a barn
11:11with her serve and her forehand.
11:13She battles.
11:13She's a battler,
11:14and she loves the crowd.
11:16The crowd loves her.
11:17I think she's going to win this.
11:18I think she's going to win the whole thing,
11:20but I'll tell you this right now.
11:22If Rabakina comes out and plays her A game,
11:24she could steamroll Coco
11:26because she's the best ball striker
11:28in women's tennis.
11:28She has never played her best at the U.S. Open.
11:31She's played great in Australia.
11:32She won the Australian this year,
11:34but you see Coco, you know,
11:35going to the year.
11:36She's going to need the crowd,
11:37and she's going to need a much better start,
11:39so she better bring it early
11:41because Rabakina's got the type of game
11:43that could blow her away.
11:45You know, she could win it two and two
11:46if she's hot
11:47and if Coco plays the way she did
11:48in the previous round,
11:49but I think Coco finds a way
11:51and gets back to the winner's circle,
11:53and can you believe it, Adam?
11:54I'm predicting right here
11:55on the Adam Schein show
11:57that there will be two Americans,
11:59two Americans winning the U.S. Open this weekend,
12:03and oh, man, you know,
12:04I'd love to see Coco do it again,
12:06but I am so sick and tired, Adam,
12:08of the question,
12:09when's an American man going to win a major?
12:11It's been since 2003.
12:13Andy Roddick won the U.S. Open.
12:15Please, please let me not hear that question.
12:18There's two questions I get,
12:20you know, Adam, all the time.
12:21What's it like being John's brother, number one?
12:23Well, I ain't going to get rid of that
12:24because that's going to happen
12:25for the rest of my life.
12:26I'm cool.
12:27I've come to peace with that.
12:28I'm good with that,
12:29but this one, please,
12:31Ben Shelton,
12:31even if Francis would win it,
12:32I'd be super pumped,
12:34but I think Ben Shelton's a guy to get it done.
12:36But let me tell you one more thing.
12:37If it's Zverev in the final
12:39against either one of the two Americans,
12:42Zverev's going to be the final.
12:43He's going to be the favorite
12:45in the match by the odds makers.
12:46So let me follow on that.
12:48Seriously, so we can avoid that question.
12:50We know you're John's brother,
12:50but just so we can avoid,
12:52let's say Shelton wins.
12:54What would that do for,
12:56for A, tennis,
12:58B, United States tennis?
13:01Well, it'd be massive
13:02for more for U.S. tennis
13:04than for tennis
13:05because for tennis globally,
13:07it's never been more popular.
13:08Majors are huge.
13:10Europeans essentially dominate
13:12definitely men's tennis
13:13at the highest level.
13:15Just look at who's won majors
13:16in the last 25 years.
13:19Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina,
13:21the last guy, non-European,
13:23to win a major.
13:24So tennis will be fine.
13:25But look, even the other majors,
13:28you have a bankable American star.
13:30And what does that mean,
13:32bankable American star?
13:33It means you've got to win a major.
13:34I mean, that's just the bottom line.
13:35That's just how it is in tennis.
13:36So it would make a massive difference.
13:38But in the United States, Adam,
13:41it would be absolutely huge
13:45for all of us.
13:46For me and my brother
13:47run our tennis academy,
13:48the Johnny Mac Tennis Academy
13:49in New York,
13:50for the buzz of the kids
13:52to say, you know what,
13:53we can actually get it done.
13:54We meaning as a country,
13:56because we've been passed by.
13:58We were passed by
13:59by the European countries
14:00in the last 25 years
14:01at the highest levels of pro tennis.
14:03We still have,
14:04we've had a lot of really,
14:05really good players,
14:06but we need someone
14:07that's a phenomenal athlete
14:09playing the game of tennis, right?
14:10That's what it takes.
14:12And Ben Shelton is that guy.
14:13He was a great quarterback as a kid.
14:15You know, finally at 12, 13,
14:16he said, okay,
14:18we've got to pick a sport.
14:19He went to tennis.
14:20So we've preached that
14:21at our tennis academy.
14:22We want to see kids
14:23doing other sports.
14:24We want to get great athletes
14:25playing tennis
14:26because that's the only way now,
14:28Adam,
14:28that you can hold up
14:29one of those trophies
14:30at the four majors.
14:31You got to be a great tennis player.
14:33That's obvious.
14:34But you also now
14:35have to be a phenomenal athlete.
14:36The speed of the game,
14:37the athleticism of the game.
14:39I mean,
14:40Carlos Alcaraz,
14:41Roger Federer,
14:43Novak Djokovic,
14:44these guys are like,
14:45they're not just great tennis players.
14:46They're elite athletes.
14:47And that's what we need.
14:49And that would raise the bar
14:50for all of us
14:51to sort of in the tennis business
14:52to get,
14:53attract more kids
14:54that are phenomenal athletes
14:55playing our game.
14:56Well, with that said,
14:57last one for you.
14:58And I want to get your take on this
14:59because, you know,
15:00in some circles,
15:02it's a quote unquote controversy
15:03in terms of influencers
15:06and camera lights
15:07and fans making noise
15:09and different smells of smoke
15:12during the U.S. Open.
15:14Now, I think anything
15:16that increases buzz
15:18and attention for tennis,
15:19especially in New York
15:21for the U.S. Open,
15:22I can allow it, right?
15:23Maybe different for Wimbledon.
15:24But U.S. Open,
15:26it's New York.
15:26I think it's all part of the deal.
15:28I also think if it attracts
15:29a younger audience,
15:31a more casual audience,
15:33I think that's great
15:34because maybe you'll fall in love
15:36with the game
15:36or certain players
15:37or whatever it is.
15:38What's your take on all that?
15:40So you don't have anything
15:42against a little buzz.
15:43Is that what you're saying?
15:44Those smells going on
15:46at the Arthur S. Stadium?
15:47I'm with you.
15:49I'm with you on all fronts, Adam.
15:51I find it absolutely hilarious, okay?
15:54I've been going to the U.S. Open
15:56since I was a little kid, okay?
15:58Since it was played
15:59at Westside Tennis Club
16:00at Forest Hills.
16:01And all we've ever wanted in tennis
16:03is to be like big time,
16:06you know, like a big time sport,
16:07like football,
16:08like basketball,
16:10like baseball.
16:11You know, I grew up
16:11going to all those games.
16:12I grew up getting on the train,
16:14going to the Knicks game
16:15and the Rangers game.
16:16We grew up like,
16:18hey, we want tennis to be cool.
16:19We want tennis to be happening.
16:20And now,
16:21guess what's happening
16:22at this year's U.S. Open, Adam?
16:23Just like you said,
16:24that's what's happening.
16:26Yeah.
16:26It's got a lot of buzz.
16:27It's got influencers,
16:28whatever you want to call them.
16:30I think it's fantastic.
16:31And I think it's an absolute joke
16:33that people are complaining about it,
16:35that tennis is now bigger
16:37beyond us tennis geeks.
16:38And even you,
16:39and even our buddy,
16:40the Christopher Mad Dog Russo,
16:42you're like the two only
16:43big time radio guys
16:44that actually talk tennis
16:46and get it,
16:47understand it.
16:47So I'm super happy
16:49talking to these imbeciles
16:51who have no idea about tennis
16:52because now it's got some buzz.
16:54So I say,
16:55you know,
16:56we could go after the USTA
16:57who runs the U.S. Open
16:58for a bunch of stuff,
16:59but I'm not going after them
17:01for this
17:02because they've made tennis
17:03more and more relevant.
17:04They've made the event
17:06bigger and better.
17:07And for the tennis geeks like me,
17:09I'm like blown away, man,
17:11watching these people
17:12get into tennis
17:13because I'm like,
17:13what took you so long?
17:15I love it.
17:16You can have Patrick McEnroe
17:18giving you more hot opinions
17:19on holding court
17:20with Patrick McEnroe
17:21every Saturday morning,
17:227 a.m. Eastern,
17:24Sirius XM,
17:25Mad Dog Sports Radio,
17:26Channel 82.
17:27Patrick,
17:28thanks for joining us
17:28and enjoy the rest of the Open.
17:30Adam,
17:31you are the best, man.
17:32You're a legend in what you do
17:33and I appreciate you having me.
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