SCOUT FILS

“The other thing that is the unknown, Maresmo struggled with it. It's really hard to play at home. We talk about the pressure in New York. We talk about the pressure in London. There's a real pressure in Paris. Like JW is talking about you were five weeks out and they're already talking about it, like with this guy. I mean, it's real, but it can go either way, right? Like I think it rarely stays neutral.”

“How does Klay hide Shelton's weaknesses? First off, it's easier for him to return serve. He's easily rushable on the return. He's worked very hard on abbreviated technique in order to improve on the return. But based on his numbers coming into this Munich final, that remains a real work in progress and a bona fide weakness in Shelton's game, his ability to return effectively.”

“Iva Jovic interview later in the show. Obviously, Phenom, 16 in the world at 18 years old, quarter finalist in Australia. Recently, semi-finalist in Charleston. She just keeps putting up results. I don't know her at all. I think I like her. I think she's awesome. I like the way she plays. Can't wait to hear more about her and her process and everything. If she's anything like the other young WTA stars that we've had on this show, we're good. They're all full adults, 35-year-old adults stuck in 18 years old.”

“Shelton's heavily spun forehand cross court was an ace up the sleeve for him. It was the most impactful ground stroke on the court to my eyes throughout the match because Kaboli's backhand contact points ended up being nightmarish. Absolutely nightmarish. Because of the way that ball was jumping up on him.”

“I think he's a top five guy. If he's healthy, the way he's played, the way he has proven to play in the past as well. You know, but it just scares you a little bit because of the back injury, right? He's just so young to have a back injury. So hopefully that's just a one off and he's good because again, like tennis is better when these young superstar guys like electric, great charisma on the court are out there playing.”

“I was very unaware that there was potentially I had a membership. I've reached out. I'm in fact a member. I've already had someone this morning actually asked me to play the mixed doubles championships. There's a members party during the Queens Club that I'm not going to make. Unbelievable. I am in fact a member at Queens.”

“I want to talk about his serve though. You cannot properly credit Ben Shelton's serve for how good it is without talking about his second, which I believe has become the best second serve in all of men's tennis. He is the leader right now in 2026 on second serve win rate. In order, it's Shelton, Fiese, Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev. That's the top five.”

“Remember, he had a great match last year at Roland Garros, who got the crowd into it. He beat Jean-Munar, five sets, drama, agita. And then he has that back injury, doesn't play for months and months and months. That is an injury that spooked a lot of people. And the way he has come back and recovered in one on service, beating Rubelv on Clay, he hits a huge ball, but he also gives himself some margin. He's so fun to watch.”

“On tour, this is a different win. This is like, oh, OK. This is a nice win. Like, we say statement too much, but this is at least kind of, may I have your attention for 12 seconds while you're eating lunch? Ben won on slow clay in Munich. I was really impressed. I like what I saw. You would think tennis doesn't work this way, but you would think with his game and the way that his serve jumps, forehand jumps, you got to think Madrid would be a nice landing spot.”

“Arthur Fils. Big event. Amanda is back, takes out Rublev in the final 6-2, 7-6. Stevie J, let me go to you. Second Frenchman to win Barcelona since his old French guy in 85, 41-year drought. Fils lit it up, though. The guy is back.”

“Munich is in some altitude, which is worth mentioning. Definitely increased the serve effectiveness on both ends. But Kaboli with a, real string of missed first serves at five o. He missed, four first serves in a row.”

“And suddenly we talk about the men having one and two that have separated themselves from the field. There are two really, really good players on the women's side who seem to be distancing themselves from the pack. This was indoor clay, right? So she's getting it done on a variety of surfaces. And yeah, this Rybakina, Sabalenka, look for it on the second Saturday in June as well. This has really become a two person race.”

“I'm not surprised. Because this is what he has done throughout his so far relatively young career. He's had some results that sort of make you scratch your head now that he's a bonafide, like, top ten player. Indian Wells, I know he was sick there. Miami's a head scratcher, right? Losing to Shevchenko in his first match.”

“Loses in the quarterfinals of Houston as the number one seed. So he's not going into Munich with a lot of confidence or a lot like, like a lot of match wins recently. But he's done this in the past. Like, he doesn't necessarily need that. And all of a sudden he can pop these big results.”

“Arthur Fils's first title since coming back from injury in Barcelona and discuss why he's a legitimate threat to Sinner and Alcaraz. Finally, the first installment of the French Open Power Rankings.”