Alcaraz Returns, Sinner Out, Fils & Gauff Triumph | EP 207

**Sam Querrey** (0:00)
All right, everyone, on today's episode of Nothing Major packed episode, we have the Cincinnati recap, we have Sinner Out of the open, we have Alcaraz in the open, we have Alcaraz and Serena playing mixed doubles at the open, and a lot more. Let's get going. Jack, John, Stevie and Sam got close a few times, never won a slam, nothing major. All right, welcome back, everyone. I got Stevie, I got John, I got myself, I got Charlie Fox, and the Suits with us.
Busy week of tennis, guys. Busy 12 days of tennis. We're going to start with Winner's Circle. We had a Master Series conclude last night. We're going to start with the men. Arthur Feast takes his first Master Series title over Frances Tiafoe.
John, no Sinner, no Alcaraz. These Master Series have been kind of open for whoever. Arthur Feast, no surprise necessarily that he wins it. I think everyone thought he had the game, but are you surprised at all, I guess, that he won it or were you just?

**John Isner** (1:02)
No.

**Sam Querrey** (1:03)
You know what? He was the best player all week.

**John Isner** (1:05)
Yeah, I mean, it was wide open. Everyone knew that from the very beginning. He was easily one of 10 guys who could conceivably win the tournament. And I think after his round of 16 match against Demon Hour, he was clearly playing the best tennis. I mean, he wins that easily, straight sets, and he wins his quarterfinals three and two. Then he takes out Kaboli three and four. So he was playing so incredibly well. And he was actually a big favorite in that match against Frances on top of that. So again, once the dust settled and it kind of got into the quarterfinal round, I don't think it's a surprise at all. He was playing the best of anyone and just hitting the ball with just unbridled power on his forehand, on his backhand side, just not thinking about anything out there. Just see ball, hit ball. He was incredible all week. And I mean, kind of the cherry on top to win in the final 6-0 in the third was incredibly impressive from Artur.

**Sam Querrey** (2:08)
Yeah, Artur.

**John Isner** (2:09)
Is it Artur?

**Sam Querrey** (2:10)
Currier goes out of his way when he's on the Artur to like say Artur.

**John Isner** (2:14)
It's like.

**Sam Querrey** (2:15)
I just want to call him Arthur.

**Steve Johnson** (2:16)
There's an H in there.

**John Isner** (2:17)
There's an actual H in there. Yeah, yeah. So no, no, I'm with you, Sam.
We're with you. It's.

**Sam Querrey** (2:24)
Artur.

**John Isner** (2:25)
Artur, but he was insane all week. So props to him and got a crap ton of momentum heading into New York.

**Sam Querrey** (2:31)
Yeah, Stevie, Artur, he's been your guy for a while. I feel like we all love him, but you especially.
John said it's 6-0 in the third. After losing the second set 6-1, do you think now that he's won this, are you putting him as like, what kind of favorite do you put him at the open now to hoist the title?

**Steve Johnson** (2:55)
I would probably, I for sure have him in like the top, like 7-8. I mean, I would have had him close to 10-ish prior to this week. Just not higher than that.

**Sam Querrey** (3:04)
You don't have him like Carlos, Zverev, him?

**Steve Johnson** (3:07)
No, he's got to prove it at a slam first. And the injury, you know, the injury bug has been there for him at 22 years old. Like the back issue, that's a little scary. But when he is healthy, like, I mean, John just said, the power he possesses is an absolute joke. And he has zero qualms about going after any shot, any situation, break point, game point, match point, you name it, he swings as hard as he possibly can. And it always looks like it's going to go in.
It's super, super impressive. And the Cincinnati run was, you know, it's, it was, he just took care of business. You know, it's, he beat the who's who of who's playing well now. You know, he didn't beat the Sinners, the Alcarazes, the Novaks, the Zverevs of the world, but whoever was in front of him, guys that have played well the last few months, he absolutely throttled them. And that's, that's what you want going into the open. It's, it was a weird final though. It was like a 56 minutes when they started the third set. You know, Frances wins the second set, six, one, and then he's getting an injury timeout while Arthur's getting, you know, taking a bathroom break. How's, you know, it's one of those things, you know, we've mentioned it before on this show.