Hell of a player too. He was a backboard, sure, but he had A LOT less firepower than any of the guys in the top ten when he played, and at the highest level of professional tennis, backboard guys usually werent good enough to win slams, let alone be number one in the world. Mats had to use his brain way more than any of these three guys to win. I remember in the 1988 US Open, him basically turning into a serve and volleyer, because he just didnt have any other way to finish a point against Lendl. Mats Wilander was an amazing player. He got the most out of his ability of anyone in that era.
Lendl was my absolute favourite player, watching tennis growing up. Having listened to this interview, Lendl comes across as a complete genius! Unreal insights. Always seemed ahead of the game.
I love this! 4 of the GOATS! And quiet ol' Ivan Lendl...we never knew what a great personality he has! Miss this bunch for sure. What a great era of tennis!
Lendl was all business when it came to tennis. Trained hard. Strict diet. Thats why he was so good. If mcenroe would have done the same his hth with Lendl would have been closer.
Ivan has a scientific approach to everything))). What a fantastic conversation between those legends,I grew up watching them playing.All of them good talkers.
@@joanie3452 Never while he was an active player. Only once I remember, a few years ago, when he was playing doubles against Andy Murray and Andy hit Ivan with a flashing forehand volley. That´s the only time I watched Lendl smile on a court.
And he "brought" a sense of humour on the way to Flushing ; very considerate !! Gee he was a sensational player...as the other three- needless to say - certainly were.
There's a lot more to Ivan than a lot of people know. When he was younger, he had terrible teeth, and because of that, he literally kept his mouth shut as much as he could from embarrassment. But underneath it all, he's a very sharp, funny guy.
@@bigrobsydney to become a succesfull sporsman in east europe meant to switch on all the sences, body, intelligence,smartness, selfcontroll with no space for free entertaining fun on court. Just being fucused like a surger or pilot when landing = no entertaining at focus. But smart inteligent humor comes offcourt when relaxed.
@@bbsoni4814 I think Lendl is highly intelligent. He is an analyst and can see things from many perspectives, and in perspective. He asks the right questions.
@@bbsoni4814 Well, I do not think that Lendl disagreed of McEnroe being a great server. His point was more that McEnroe was not the biggest server - in terms of speed and aces I guess. Guys like Krajicek, Ivanisevic or Sampras were really big servers with lots of aces. But McEnroe's serve was more designed to get him to the net and to be in a good volley position. The same with Stefan Edberg's serve by the way.
I would spend hours listening to these great great tennis brains talk about the game. So refreshing watching them laying it all out there about their intense rivalries and discuss the current state of affairs in tennis
Having watched all of these guys in their primes when I was younger, I have to echo what many other commenters have said -- this was the best 43 minutes I've spent in a while.
Lendl " in 1985 John took a sabbatical for six months after US open, when he came back he never played as well as before..." John "unfortunately true"...A round of applause
@Tony Maner - That was a great part of the interview. Interesting insight brought up by Ivan, and to John’s credit, he admitted it was true, he was never the same asa tennis player from that point on. I remember that time. Amazing how it happened so quickly because in 84’ John was unbeatable going 82-3.
Yep, I remember McEnroe taking that sabbatical and then coming up against this 17-18 year old phenomenon called Becker. McEnroe was outmuscled and was like a rabbit caught in the head-lights.
It was great how he and mats were telling boris he never faced the best mcenroe But i also remember mcenroe had a very good year in 85, won tournaments and beat lendl a couple of times, but lendl was better, beat him at the us open, and took number 1 … i think that was the end of dominant mcenroe
I wouldn't exactly call John McEnroe NICE, but he's got an engaging personality and a good sense of humor. Lendl shocked me here - he has some actual personality, and he bought that sense of humor! Good for him.
Holy crap, we had it all in the 80s: best era for music, best football (RIP Maradona), best tennis era, best sports personalities and way more personal freedoms than people have today. I want a time machine!
Damn, these 4 legends were the reason I started with tennis in 1985, I could listen for ages to them, so interesting, Wilander and Edberg were my heroes but liked them all, miss the 80s and 90s
Same thing goes for me,the swedes Borg,Wilander and Edberg was the reason why i started with tennis.I miss those days really much and i watch these legends on youtube as soon as i have time. Borg,McEnroe,Lendl,Agassi,Sampras,Becker,Mecir,Noah,Krickstein,Chang,Courier,Muster,Kafelnikov together with all the swedes made 80s and 90s tennis entertaining and watchable.
Its kind of funny Wilander does not seem able to get a word in among them ... lol ... he's very very humble and respectful to everyone it seems ... Mac's cheekiness just become more endearingly likable as he gets older, such a contrast with his fiery persona on court ... Lendl is surprisingly warm and chatty compared with his cold stares during the 80s ... and Becker, like Lendl is surprisingly warm and chatty unlike his machine like demeanors then in the young days ... so glad they are sitting around together as pals many years later without the former feelings of cut-throat competitiveness ...
That was just bloody brilliant.... ALL legends in their own right. Wonderful to see Lendl, who was always regarded as somewhat dour, coming out of himself and revealing his sense of humour.😁
@@fourscoreand9884 Probably only tournament staff or from television. They are not there for their free time. Or they were informed previously not to interrupt this videocast and just act calm.
I fully agree, I was a child when they were in their prime and even I could see there was no love lost between them. That makes this video even more interesting.
Great conversation in a reasonable friendly mood. Next time it should be Jimmy Connors instead of Boris, three people all hating each other .. Would probably have been a slightly more forced "friendliness", but since everyone got along well with Wilander it could have worked
@@mbrenner3629 Not true. Mac had more than a few friends on tour. He and Borg were friends, and Vitas Gerulaitis was one of his best friends on the planet.
Boris simply bludgeoned that serve and forehand, with very early post-wood racquet technology..he took Lendl's original power innovations to another level. When he was on, no one could return him. His only flaw was slight subpar defensive game and patience. Boris wanted points over, quick.
@ John Liang. It wasn't so much that Boris Becker was mentally "fragile" as you characterise it during his pro tennis career. When Becker wanted to play very tough tennis he did , such as his 1991 Australian Open final against Lendl in which he lost the first set to Lendl because of a stiff back , but then proceeded to play better and better in each of the 3 succeeding sets to defeat Lendl in that match. He also demonstrated mentally tough tennis in his come-from-behind win against Lendl from two sets to one down against Lendl to win their 1989 Wimbledon semifinal match. His former business manager Ion Tiriac said it best about Becker during the 1989 U.S. Open final in an in the -stands interview with a CBS Sports TV reporter when Tiriac remarked about Becker, that "If he (Becker) would do what he does during the important 5 minutes of every hour......." then Becker would make things easier on himself in terms of winning his matches. Becker seemed to enjoy putting himself behind in a match and then having to bear down and play hard tennis in order to come from behind in a match to win.
Agree , Stefan Edberg should be included , I could listen to these guys forever , such Great Champions all with different types of game, just awesome. Toughest autograph I ever asked for , Ivan Lendl 1986 SI The Champion Nobody Cares About , he signed it without saying a word , I still have it to this day , he was a Great Champion !!
Tennis-wise, yes, but I don't know if he could keep up with the energy of the discussion. Stefan is a tad more quiet than these guys, at least back then. (Then again, Mats was more shy and quiet back then, also.)
Ivan Lendl: "If I was a young player today, I'd hire any one of you...I don't need someone to tell me how to play tennis...I know how to play tennis...I need someone to tell me how to handle the pressure..." Now that's how you separate the men from.the boys!
Most of the pressure is self inflicted. Talented players have been dealing with pressure for years. But Lendl is correct: tennis is largely a mental game on the top level. Everybody can play. Some players tighten up at crucial moments, even great ones. But great players find a way to get out of it and win more often than not. Winning changes your mindset.
I wish that I would have respected and pulled for Lendl more when I was growing up. I was quite young and Wilander mentioned that Cold War attitude of Americans towards Lendl. He could crush the ball with that little Adidas racquet.
I agree with Lendl that Laver/Newcombe ear was great. So was the 1975- 11990 which featured Bjorg, McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Becker and a young Sampras.
This podcast was the highlight of the US Open 2019. My God, I grew up with these guys and Lendl was the best. I would fall to my knees and say I'm not worthy. Best Era of tennis with these guys.
This is the best i have seen for a long time. Almost brings tears to my eyes seeing those 4 greats again, being friends after they made my childhood so happy
As much as I enjoy watching the big 3 today, these 4 represents an era that was very enjoyable to watch. Because basically all players can play their ”own” game on every surface today. I admire Rafa a lot but he can basically play clay court tennis on grass today. He is not as good but he doesn’t have to adjust too much. Same goes with every player. These 4 were very different as players: Wilander: a baseline tactician without any real weapons but very intelligent player with great movement. Becker: Great server with good volley and heavy groundstrokes. A little bit weaker in the movement. McEnroe: Probably the greatest volleyer ever, efficient server and very quick around the net. A little bit weaker in the groundstrokes But he used them very wisely to back up his net game. Lendl: Maybe the most complete of these 4 and (in the end) he became the most succesful (despite being 1-5 down to Becker in slams). Strong serve, good movement, very physical overall and heavy groundstrokes. Especially the forehand. Considered the first (?) modern power baseliner. So.. they were quite different. With different styles. And to be competitive on all surfaces they needed to adjust at times. For example Lendl s/v:ed at Wimbledon and he came pretty close to succeed. Becker stayed back a lot more at the French and reached a few semis using his heavy groundstrokes. Wilander came a lot more to the net in order to win US Open in -88. McEnroe played a lot more from the baseline a the French and had to be more meticulous with his approaches and volleys. So.. it was very enjoyable to watch the different matchups and how the different styles played out on the different surfaces. As much as I admire Rafa and Novak today unfortunately their matches look basically the same on any surface.
Great conversation, everybody very relaxed. Never seen Ivan and Big Mac joking about the old days. Ivan has quite a good humor, too. And he can even smile and laugh ;-) Great guys!
Love all you guys. You have been a big part of my life for a long time. I remember the semi final day in 1984 when I spent about 14 hours inside the stadium and watched John beat Jimmy and Ivan beat Pat Cash, and Martina beat Chris. What a day of tennis .
Great players, bringing back a golden era great memories. Ivan and Boris i think would have matched with the top players of today all things being equal.
Ivan is my tennis idol, my role model as a person together with Ayrton Senna. Now I’m going to be a special athlete, Hope to be like them someday. Greetings from Lima- Perú 🇵🇪
Four guys who know their onions. Especially Lendl who remembers each point as if he played them yesterday. Very insightful and witty debate, one of the best I have seen in a long time.
I could listen to these four tennis superstars all day. How many thrilling five-set matches have they played against each other? Of course, in those times they couldn't be good friends, but today they sit there and talk about the tennis of today and the good old days. Great...
These 4 guys had won less than Roger-Rafa-Nole and Andy. but their personality, competence, charisma and knowledge of tennis is far superior. 4 legends, 4 ways to interpret tennis differently. 4 mentality, styles and games so different ..... how much I miss that tennis!
They are so wise and unafraid to voice they thoughts .. in contrast Fed-Nadal-Novak seems so diplomatic and self-censoring in their answers, I wish the big 3 can become like these oldies goldies when they get old ...
I think technically today's young players are very good, the problem is they are mental midgets compared to the big3 ... the big3 are mentally the strongest of all time I think ...
This not a weak era. In fact players today are stronger than before. Ptr Korda criticized it. He said players before were more relax and take time to fun after games. Nowedays it is different.
i grew up watching these guys, when John slipped his Roland Garros title to Ivan, when Boris jumped sideways for his Wimbledon title at 17 & 18 of age, Mats with his Sergio Tachini, John in his Nike and Ivan in his Adidas.....and now to see them altogether discussing about the same past history I have experienced through a 26 inch TV and newspapers.... I thank God to have this experience in my life...
Couldn't agree more mate, watched these guys as a teen and feel lucky to have seen that and see these moments sitting, chatting and shit stirring. Cheers
One of the best years for a player ever as well. There have been a few since that won 3 out of 4 slams in a year, but when Mats did it, it had been a long time if I remember correctly.
@@chocolatetownforever7537 yeah the last one to win 3 or more in the same year was Laver. Great year 1988 for Mats and Sweden in particular with Edberg winning Wimbledon!
@@p.g.4881 Amazing considering how conservative Mats was as a player. The tennis backboard, who gets everything back, can be a nasty tough player to beat as a junior and amateur, but to play that way, and be so dominant at the highest level, with guys who are not only consistent, but have MAJOR weapons, is just incredible. Go watch Wilander play in some of these. He goes for NOTHING. The guy had an incredible career considering he was just a pusher.
That was informative and entertaining. Good chemistry between the four as well. Fun to see Lendl teasing John and the good humor between them. Cheers to these champions!
I didn't think I'd watch a 42 min video but I couldn't stop watching. I grew up watching these guys and their input on the game both past and present is amazing.
I really enjoyed this group talk. I grew up watching them during their peak performance years. Their skill and insight on endurance training was unforgettable.
Let's not forget that nowadays, X-geners like Zverev, Thiem, clownish Kyrgios or Tstitsipas and al. are all multimillionaire without having to win anything big. Back in the 80's and 90's, you needed to win a major to attract the big bucks. Guys like Gasquet (who's ever heard of him but us, French people?) or Tsonga (French player whose best perf is an Aussie final back in... 2008!!!) stand on 25 and 35 mil respectively. So, after all, why bother when at 25 you've already made 10 or 20 mil?
I watched them all during the 80s but I'm still surprised at how wonderful they are as conversationists, they are all so charming with a great amusing sense of humor and charisma ... Becker and Lendl were always with a straight unemotional face, especially Lendl who always looked slightly annoyed it seems .. but they're so giddy and fun here chatting like great old friends...
Interesting to see what a technical perfectionist Lendl was(is). Listen to his thoughts on string tension, string coating, ball placement on first serves etc. Lendl was amazing at his peak. He was known at tge beginning for his big forhand and bassline game, but his backhand was his weakness. Then he worked on his backhand so much it became a dominanf weapon. In fact his one handed backhand was beautiful to watch. He could put monster topspin on it and hit it down the line or crosscourt with great pace.
Hi Ivan and John and Mats and Boris. It is very interesting watching and listening to you all. By the way I find John McEnroe probably the most talented and player I have seen so far and Ivan Lendl used to be the most professional and Boris Becker the most anticipatory and Mats Wilander won three grand slam titles in one year.
That was a great reunion- only Edberg missing there. They share a lot of memories (and laughs) together! And when they talk about the tennis you can sponge everything they say. Their comments are not elaborated like coaches talking about technical details, but their insight is sharp and spot on! For example when Lendl brings up the depth of Novak’s shots and in a split second the others nod in agreement, because they all understand/know how important it is... and so many other comments full of insight- the “been there done that” fully applies here.
This was the best thing I've seen in a long time! Brought a smile to my face, and a stro down Memory Lane. When I was just a young tennis player watching Legends.
@timothy chung Not so sure about that one lol. Ill give you this though. I think both have matured and they ABSOLUTELY respect one another now. Back in the day though, all of those handshakes after their matches were cold as hell.
I never in a million years imagined seeing Lendl and Johnny Mac sitting next to each other, Great to see.
I LOVE that John and Ivan were talking and laughing together - Ivan is sneakily funny and I love that he is letting us see it. This was a joy!
"I love IT that John and Ivan were talking ...". You can't say "I love that ....". You have to insert an object of the verb "love".
Boris to Lendl, "I know you have a heart, I've seen it"
This was friggin gold...
Wilander: "I lost in the first round if anyone cares" 😂😂😂
Legend!
McEnroe: I didn't have a coach.
Becker: You were uncoachable
LOL hilarious
Tony Palafox was his coach at one time, but yes it's very funny. :-)
😋
This is true
It's true. Dude was and is nuts.
He nailed it.
BTW - what an excellent host Wilander was. No ego, didn't jump in too much, and spread the questions around. Very Swedish of him.
I was thinking the exact same!!!
Hell of a player too. He was a backboard, sure, but he had A LOT less firepower than any of the guys in the top ten when he played, and at the highest level of professional tennis, backboard guys usually werent good enough to win slams, let alone be number one in the world.
Mats had to use his brain way more than any of these three guys to win. I remember in the 1988 US Open, him basically turning into a serve and volleyer, because he just didnt have any other way to finish a point against Lendl.
Mats Wilander was an amazing player. He got the most out of his ability of anyone in that era.
@@chocolatetownforever7537un grand tacticien.il a compris après sa défaite contre Noah qu'il lui fallait monter a la volée.
Lendl was my absolute favourite player, watching tennis growing up. Having listened to this interview, Lendl comes across as a complete genius! Unreal insights. Always seemed ahead of the game.
Lendl was great ... to me it will always be Johnny Boy, enenthough I'm from Germany, ... let me guess, you're from eastern Europe ...
It amazes me the huge respect McEnroe shows to Lendl. Legends.
It's great. In the end, it comes down to intelligence, and John recognizes and respects Ivan's intellect.
Lendl is a real genius! He remembers everything and knows exactly what is what. He must be a great coach.
He knows U.S. History and shut down connecting him with Russia.
@@mphrdldn rightly so ... his countrymen are not exactly bosom buddies with putins cronies
I love this! 4 of the GOATS! And quiet ol' Ivan Lendl...we never knew what a great personality he has! Miss this bunch for sure. What a great era of tennis!
I love Lendl's comments. He really knows the game and sums up the essence of tennis very well !
Agreed of the 4 he comes across as the most eloquent and knowledgable. Not surprised to see why he was so successful with Murray.
Lendl was all business when it came to tennis. Trained hard. Strict diet. Thats why he was so good. If mcenroe would have done the same his hth with Lendl would have been closer.
Lendl=Tennis genius
Mcenroe est bien meilleur que Lendl
Ivan has a scientific approach to everything))).
What a fantastic conversation between those legends,I grew up watching them playing.All of them good talkers.
Imagine how would it be after 15-20 years from now, the big 3, Rafa, Roger and Novak giving reviews like this. I love this sport.
15-20 years from now it would appear they will all still be playing. Only Roger and Rafa will be bald.
I just wrote the same as you did before seeing your comment hahha
roger and rafa have the combined personality of a slug. Novak will have to talk to himself.
@@beniteztheconman B-B-B-Bot
You love the sport, because three of your favourite players will be interviewed in similar style twenty years from now? Thats quite a logic.
Lendl: “Pressure is self-inflicted”
Love this guy 🤣
Sounds like something Ivan Drago would say.
I will use this in my job where i coach folks doing job interviews and presentations
I always thought Ivan was a silent guy. He took the microphone and didn´t let it down, hahaha. Love them all: Mcenroe, Lendl, Wilander and Becker.
He is and will be robo type legend when he is on the court, being Indian, bcos of him, tennis I know how it is played
Me too.
@@rajeshiyer1692 He never ever smiled on court.
@@joanie3452 Never while he was an active player. Only once I remember, a few years ago, when he was playing doubles against Andy Murray and Andy hit Ivan with a flashing forehand volley. That´s the only time I watched Lendl smile on a court.
And he "brought" a sense of humour on the way to Flushing ; very considerate !! Gee he was a sensational player...as the other three- needless to say - certainly were.
Ivan Lendl, my hero in the 80s! He got me into love with tennis!
This is magic. Never knew Lendl was so talkative and outgoing
Me neither! I've never heard him utter a complete sentence, now THIS! Nice.
Misinterpreted/ Judged like Murray. No wonder a great match :)
Intense on court.
There's a lot more to Ivan than a lot of people know. When he was younger, he had terrible teeth, and because of that, he literally kept his mouth shut as much as he could from embarrassment. But underneath it all, he's a very sharp, funny guy.
@@bigrobsydney to become a succesfull sporsman in east europe meant to switch on all the sences, body, intelligence,smartness, selfcontroll with no space for free entertaining fun on court. Just being fucused like a surger or pilot when landing = no entertaining at focus. But smart inteligent humor comes offcourt when relaxed.
I love how Ivan says his story regardless of questions and gives punch line with word of wisdom. he is so funny and intelligent.
Lendl was my favorite, awesome running forehand
Dang, that was the best 43min I’ve spent online in a hell of a long time!!!
Watching this interview or the game between nadal and medvedev?
That's what my wife heard me say when she came home early! But seriously, folks....yeah, great discussion.
100% agree.
@@winthorpetrois Hahahaha
Absolutely...! 😁
Wow! What a gem! This quartet is ‘80s tennis royalty!
I just had 42 minutes of pure fun with 4 great personalities.
I had to replay this. I cannot believe how entertaining John and Ivan are together.
They get on these days
I didn't knew Lendl was that passionate,I love it, makes him more human,he is very interesting to listen!!!!
You can learn something from him every day
Why doesn't IVAN get a PODCAST 😅
@@anauticalgate5496 AH, Ivan ALWAYS WAS....LOL
"I didn't think you had any sense of humor, Ivan. - I bought one on my way here". That was some reply of Ivan.
he's actually a funny guy, totally different to his on court persona.
Ivan has always held one up to Mac. Even now. One craves the attention, the other just commands it. When he talks, they all listen.
Now if it was just Original. Heard it 1000 times before.
Great response from Ivan. Love these guys.
Great come back when you're ten, sure
Great to see lendl with the lads. Lets all have a beer to the 1980s.
yeah it's great.....they were the best....lendl's got a good sense of humour....don't agree with him though, John mcrenroe was an immense server
darren mcgowan greatest sporting era ever!!
@@bbsoni4814 I think Lendl is highly intelligent. He is an analyst and can see things from many perspectives, and in perspective. He asks the right questions.
@@bbsoni4814 Well, I do not think that Lendl disagreed of McEnroe being a great server. His point was more that McEnroe was not the biggest server - in terms of speed and aces I guess. Guys like Krajicek, Ivanisevic or Sampras were really big servers with lots of aces. But McEnroe's serve was more designed to get him to the net and to be in a good volley position. The same with Stefan Edberg's serve by the way.
Lendl's had too many beers already.
I would spend hours listening to these great great tennis brains talk about the game. So refreshing watching them laying it all out there about their intense rivalries and discuss the current state of affairs in tennis
Karim Lazaar, totally
It was too short, they should make a series of it!
now that was a great 40 minutes
It is so amazing and touching, they are Talking About Details like it was yesterday and not in the 80s, especially Ivan seems to remember everything
Having watched all of these guys in their primes when I was younger, I have to echo what many other commenters have said -- this was the best 43 minutes I've spent in a while.
Yes Ivan's knowledge of the past was amazing.. Even McEnroe couldn't remember but lendl was very precise
completely agree. Great to see these all together and actually getting along!
Glad to see that McEnroe and Lendl became Good Friends.
Lendl is very perceptive. he has some very good points.
Lendl dominating proceedings with his superior intellect. Beautiful stuff really.
@daniel laurence watch your mouth
Yes and the only player in this quartet of titans to have a winning H2H against the other three.
He was world no 1 for 270 weeks and he won everything except Wimbledon
Lendl " in 1985 John took a sabbatical for six months after US open, when he came back he never played as well as before..." John "unfortunately true"...A round of applause
@Tony Maner - That was a great part of the interview. Interesting insight brought up by Ivan, and to John’s credit, he admitted it was true, he was never the same asa tennis player from that point on. I remember that time. Amazing how it happened so quickly because in 84’ John was unbeatable going 82-3.
Yep, I remember McEnroe taking that sabbatical and then coming up against this 17-18 year old phenomenon called Becker. McEnroe was outmuscled and was like a rabbit caught in the head-lights.
It was great how he and mats were telling boris he never faced the best mcenroe
But i also remember mcenroe had a very good year in 85, won tournaments and beat lendl a couple of times, but lendl was better, beat him at the us open, and took number 1 … i think that was the end of dominant mcenroe
I was only going to watch the first few minutes. Wrong - These guys are great together. They are all such nice people. Lots of tennis history here.
I wouldn't exactly call John McEnroe NICE, but he's got an engaging personality and a good sense of humor. Lendl shocked me here - he has some actual personality, and he bought that sense of humor! Good for him.
Let's be honest for a sec, McEnroe is a pretentious little prick.
McEnroe always comes across as a good bloke these days.
Holy crap, we had it all in the 80s: best era for music, best football (RIP Maradona), best tennis era, best sports personalities and way more personal freedoms than people have today. I want a time machine!
Damn, these 4 legends were the reason I started with tennis in 1985, I could listen for ages to them, so interesting, Wilander and Edberg were my heroes but liked them all, miss the 80s and 90s
Same thing goes for me,the swedes Borg,Wilander and Edberg was the reason why i started with tennis.I miss those days really much and i watch these legends on youtube as soon as i have time. Borg,McEnroe,Lendl,Agassi,Sampras,Becker,Mecir,Noah,Krickstein,Chang,Courier,Muster,Kafelnikov together with all the swedes made 80s and 90s tennis entertaining and watchable.
Its kind of funny Wilander does not seem able to get a word in among them ... lol ... he's very very humble and respectful to everyone it seems ... Mac's cheekiness just become more endearingly likable as he gets older, such a contrast with his fiery persona on court ... Lendl is surprisingly warm and chatty compared with his cold stares during the 80s ... and Becker, like Lendl is surprisingly warm and chatty unlike his machine like demeanors then in the young days ... so glad they are sitting around together as pals many years later without the former feelings of cut-throat competitiveness ...
@@suatkayatennis Not to forget Cash and Leconte, Leconte was sooo beautiful to watch
@@WONGLER Of course,both of them were superb players of that era. Its easy to forget when you have 20 great players 😂😂.
@@88feji He’s always been like that back in the day. He was very funny and cocky in the locker room.
Lendl has developed into an introspective, interesting commentator on today’s game.
Helps that he's coaching in today's game as well
Totally agree wonder why he has been part of the broadcasts. What a fascinating conversation from these legends.
He was always a thinking athlete.
That was just bloody brilliant.... ALL legends in their own right. Wonderful to see Lendl, who was always regarded as somewhat dour, coming out of himself and revealing his sense of humour.😁
People have said that in his playing days when he was away from the courts he was a very witty and likable person
Four legends and four Us Open champions,just sit down and listen to thier knowledge and stories 👍.
And four number ones :-)
Ivan is an intelligent guy. The other 3 too but Ivan knows how to hit the nail on the head every time.
I would empty my bank account to attend a weekend listening to these four talk tennis.
$4.28 well spent!
I cannot believe the people in the background just sitting around like it is nothing! :O
@@fourscoreand9884 Probably only tournament staff or from television. They are not there for their free time. Or they were informed previously not to interrupt this videocast and just act calm.
@@vyraselis6641 Tournament staff, etc. Yes, I guess you are right. :)
@@johng1634 Lol !
You got McEnroe and Lendl who never liked each other; Lendl and Becker who never liked each other; this is GREAT!
I fully agree, I was a child when they were in their prime and even I could see there was no love lost between them. That makes this video even more interesting.
Great conversation in a reasonable friendly mood. Next time it should be Jimmy Connors instead of Boris, three people all hating each other .. Would probably have been a slightly more forced "friendliness", but since everyone got along well with Wilander it could have worked
McEnroe didn't like any one who wasn't John McEnroe
@@soah5921 I think they're all old men now, long retired, and all that animosity they had in their prime has now dissipated
@@mbrenner3629 Not true. Mac had more than a few friends on tour. He and Borg were friends, and Vitas Gerulaitis was one of his best friends on the planet.
Ivan made the legends and us feel young again! This is a real gem!
This was excellent. This should be a regular Show!
Here's to hoping
I love how everyone treats Lendl as the Big Daddy, the head of the tennis family.
I think cause he whipped them all.
I think he might have a short temper and they might be scared of angering him
Of these 4 he won the most majors!
He has a winning head-to-head record against all three of them
Cause he was the real deal!!! Machine they say. I didn't watch him back in those days. I remember Becker,Stefan Edberg,Martina Navratilova...
The best 42 minutes I’ve spent in a long long time. Thank you so much.
yes it is a fantastic reportage
I loved this too. Could listen to these legends speak all day
ivan lendl always great ... john mcenroe always humourous and mat wilander as usual tight and boris u know ....fast .. love all these guys ....
That's accurate.
Boris simply bludgeoned that serve and forehand, with very early post-wood racquet technology..he took Lendl's original power innovations to another level. When he was on, no one could return him. His only flaw was slight subpar defensive game and patience. Boris wanted points over, quick.
I love Ivan Lendl's speeches... that no-nonse and tell-it-all attitude.
@@Arturo-sm1tb Becker was mentally fragile and he had the talent to be greater than Lendl.
@ John Liang. It wasn't so much that Boris Becker was mentally "fragile" as you characterise it during his pro tennis career. When Becker wanted to play very tough tennis he did , such as his 1991 Australian Open final against Lendl in which he lost the first set to Lendl because of a stiff back , but then proceeded to play better and better in each of the 3 succeeding sets to defeat Lendl in that match. He also demonstrated mentally tough tennis in his come-from-behind win against Lendl from two sets to one down against Lendl to win their 1989 Wimbledon semifinal match. His former business manager Ion Tiriac said it best about Becker during the 1989 U.S. Open final in an in the -stands interview with a CBS Sports TV reporter when Tiriac remarked about Becker, that "If he (Becker) would do what he does during the important 5 minutes of every hour......." then Becker would make things easier on himself in terms of winning his matches. Becker seemed to enjoy putting himself behind in a match and then having to bear down and play hard tennis in order to come from behind in a match to win.
Ivan lendl sounds so good and intelligent
Agreed!!!
Ivan and Boris look like retired assassins
I thought the very same thing.
THETRADERSEDGE2000 Ivan Lendl the Father of Modern Tennis!
@@RFazor
Ivan est millionnaire et Boris est ruiné.
I didn't know Ivan was so talkative and men he has an amazing memory, the fact that he remembers points that were played 20/30 yrs ago is astonishing!
Lendl is such a hardass, inspires me to watch some of his matches.
He was great. All of them were really
Watch his matches! You will not be disappointed! He was the best!
Agree , Stefan Edberg should be included , I could listen to these guys forever , such Great Champions all with different types of game, just awesome. Toughest autograph I ever asked for , Ivan Lendl 1986 SI The Champion Nobody Cares About , he signed it without saying a word , I still have it to this day , he was a Great Champion !!
Tennis-wise, yes, but I don't know if he could keep up with the energy of the discussion. Stefan is a tad more quiet than these guys, at least back then. (Then again, Mats was more shy and quiet back then, also.)
Ivan Lendl: "If I was a young player today, I'd hire any one of you...I don't need someone to tell me how to play tennis...I know how to play tennis...I need someone to tell me how to handle the pressure..."
Now that's how you separate the men from.the boys!
Yes 🤔
Lendl deserved a wimbledon and john a roland garros title.
Classy, back-handed compliment by Lendl.
Most of the pressure is self inflicted. Talented players have been dealing with pressure for years. But Lendl is correct: tennis is largely a mental game on the top level. Everybody can play. Some players tighten up at crucial moments, even great ones. But great players find a way to get out of it and win more often than not. Winning changes your mindset.
@@vantagev8331 I don't think so
Lendl is cult. He's smart, funny witty and god he knows his stuff.
Lendl ownd this one
Lendl remains cunning and scary confident.
I wish that I would have respected and pulled for Lendl more when I was growing up. I was quite young and Wilander mentioned that Cold War attitude of Americans towards Lendl. He could crush the ball with that little Adidas racquet.
Back in the day....I was a nerd and I was dating a nerd(but she was very pretty), we always rooted for Lendl.
@@chipchasen2963 good on you..I was a Becker fan..we would watch him play against edberg and lendl
I agree with Lendl that Laver/Newcombe ear was great. So was the 1975- 11990 which featured Bjorg, McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Becker and a young Sampras.
This podcast was the highlight of the US Open 2019. My God, I grew up with these guys and Lendl was the best. I would fall to my knees and say I'm not worthy. Best Era of tennis with these guys.
Great clip. Lendl and McEnroe hated each other back in the day. Good to see them bantering here.
Ivan is brilliant. Never realised how good his sense of humour was - is. He just destroys them all. Very witty. Who have thought eh?
Damn, Im already looking forward 30 years from now Roger, Rafa and Novak talking to each other like this and dicussing their epics...
So good, and then we might have Andy and Stan there too.
Lendl is one heck of a character lol
Listening to these four is far more entertaining than watching the NextGen players. Someone get them a pint of beer each next time they get together.
This to me was the greatest era of tennis. I miss those days!
This is the best i have seen for a long time. Almost brings tears to my eyes seeing those 4 greats again, being friends after they made my childhood so happy
what an amazing video..seeing Lendl joke with Mac and Boris was so much fun and brought back some wonderful memories these legends left us with...
lendl very knowledgeable and great sense of humor.
Brilliant players, brilliant sportsmen, great personalities - this talk is nothing but.a gem in sports-television. Thank you, Mats.
As much as I enjoy watching the big 3 today, these 4 represents an era that was very enjoyable to watch.
Because basically all players can play their ”own” game on every surface today. I admire Rafa a lot but he can basically play clay court tennis on grass today. He is not as good but he doesn’t have to adjust too much. Same goes with every player.
These 4 were very different as players:
Wilander: a baseline tactician without any real weapons but very intelligent player with great movement.
Becker: Great server with good volley and heavy groundstrokes. A little bit weaker in the movement.
McEnroe: Probably the greatest volleyer ever, efficient server and very quick around the net. A little bit weaker in the groundstrokes But he used them very wisely to back up his net game.
Lendl: Maybe the most complete of these 4 and (in the end) he became the most succesful (despite being 1-5 down to Becker in slams). Strong serve, good movement, very physical overall and heavy groundstrokes. Especially the forehand. Considered the first (?) modern power baseliner.
So.. they were quite different. With different styles. And to be competitive on all surfaces they needed to adjust at times.
For example Lendl s/v:ed at Wimbledon and he came pretty close to succeed.
Becker stayed back a lot more at the French and reached a few semis using his heavy groundstrokes.
Wilander came a lot more to the net in order to win US Open in -88.
McEnroe played a lot more from the baseline a the French and had to be more meticulous with his approaches and volleys.
So.. it was very enjoyable to watch the different matchups and how the different styles played out on the different surfaces.
As much as I admire Rafa and Novak today unfortunately their matches look basically the same on any surface.
Great conversation, everybody very relaxed. Never seen Ivan and Big Mac joking about the old days. Ivan has quite a good humor, too. And he can even smile and laugh ;-) Great guys!
Love all you guys. You have been a big part of my life for a long time. I remember the semi final day in 1984 when I spent about 14 hours inside the stadium and watched John beat Jimmy and Ivan beat Pat Cash, and Martina beat Chris. What a day of tennis .
Great players, bringing back a golden era great memories. Ivan and Boris i think would have matched with the top players of today all things being equal.
Ivan is my tennis idol, my role model as a person together with Ayrton Senna. Now I’m going to be a special athlete, Hope to be like them someday.
Greetings from Lima- Perú 🇵🇪
Chase your dreams buddy. I hope you accomplish all of them.
Way to Go and sending you truly best wishes, greetings from Brussels Belgium!!!👏👍🎾
Do you remember the KNEISSL RACKET OF LENDL ?? : kneissl-uk.com/collections/clothing/products/kneissl-the-lendl-tee
what a joy to see the four together..
Great idea having former champions getting into an expert discussion about everything in tennis! Very interesting and entertaining. More of that!
Four guys who know their onions. Especially Lendl who remembers each point as if he played them yesterday. Very insightful and witty debate, one of the best I have seen in a long time.
4 legends, 4 great men!! In my opinion just missing Edberg in this group.
Borg, Connors, Edberg..
And Connors
I could listen to these four tennis superstars all day. How many thrilling five-set matches have they played against each other? Of course, in those times they couldn't be good friends, but today they sit there and talk about the tennis of today and the good old days. Great...
Never knew Lendl could talk, let alone smile.
He’s intelligent and witty too.
best Interview ever ! enjoying four legends talking about tennis - amazing
Nice to see all these champions together. I remember a lot of the matches they played against each other, especially Lendl vs. McEnroe.
Four great champions with TOTALLY different playing styles. You don't see such a wide variety of styles now.
These 4 guys had won less than Roger-Rafa-Nole and Andy. but their personality, competence, charisma and knowledge of tennis is far superior. 4 legends, 4 ways to interpret tennis differently. 4 mentality, styles and games so different ..... how much I miss that tennis!
@Buffalo 66 It's poor at the moment below the top three.
They are so wise and unafraid to voice they thoughts .. in contrast Fed-Nadal-Novak seems so diplomatic and self-censoring in their answers, I wish the big 3 can become like these oldies goldies when they get old ...
I think technically today's young players are very good, the problem is they are mental midgets compared to the big3 ... the big3 are mentally the strongest of all time I think ...
This not a weak era. In fact players today are stronger than before. Ptr Korda criticized it. He said players before were more relax and take time to fun after games. Nowedays it is different.
These 4 are superior to Nadal, Fed, Nole? Come on, you know better
i grew up watching these guys, when John slipped his Roland Garros title to Ivan, when Boris jumped sideways for his Wimbledon title at 17 & 18 of age, Mats with his Sergio Tachini, John in his Nike and Ivan in his Adidas.....and now to see them altogether discussing about the same past history I have experienced through a 26 inch TV and newspapers.... I thank God to have this experience in my life...
Couldn't agree more mate, watched these guys as a teen and feel lucky to have seen that and see these moments sitting, chatting and shit stirring. Cheers
TONDANO11 amen!
John was in ST for most of his career.
@@jayroland7267, actually he wore ST till the end of 84. He wore Nike from then till 92 when he retired.
It is a dream to see and hear the four greatest players on the planet.
Today's tennis really lacks great personalities like these guys. What a joy to listen to 🙏🏼
Will never forget how on point Mats was when he beat Lendl at the Open. Totally in the zone.
Yes! 1988 US Open. I remember it well well. probably the greatest match of Wilanders career.
One of the best years for a player ever as well. There have been a few since that won 3 out of 4 slams in a year, but when Mats did it, it had been a long time if I remember correctly.
@@chocolatetownforever7537 yeah the last one to win 3 or more in the same year was Laver. Great year 1988 for Mats and Sweden in particular with Edberg winning Wimbledon!
@@p.g.4881 Amazing considering how conservative Mats was as a player. The tennis backboard, who gets everything back, can be a nasty tough player to beat as a junior and amateur, but to play that way, and be so dominant at the highest level, with guys who are not only consistent, but have MAJOR weapons, is just incredible.
Go watch Wilander play in some of these. He goes for NOTHING. The guy had an incredible career considering he was just a pusher.
Ivan Lendl is a brilliant man
Just fantastic listening to these four great champions, who were heated rivals while playing but show such respect and affection for each other now.
The humor between them all was great, especially between McEnroe and Lendl. I loved watching them all when they were playing.
That was informative and entertaining. Good chemistry between the four as well. Fun to see Lendl teasing John and the good humor between them. Cheers to these champions!
I didn't think I'd watch a 42 min video but I couldn't stop watching. I grew up watching these guys and their input on the game both past and present is amazing.
I really enjoyed this group talk. I grew up watching them during their peak performance years. Their skill and insight on endurance training was unforgettable.
All four very introspective and well spoken. I'm impressed by Becker's thoughtful comments. All are good talkers.
Gosh, I would have loved to have seen a Becker / McEnroe Wimbledon. What a beauty that would have been.
Just what I was thinking. They each had that all-court derring-do.
best podcast ever. If only these could happen more often . Amazing
Very nice to see you all speaking so lightly.
Missed Jimmy n Borg
Boris Becker: "The acceptance of losing is far greater now" .
That sums up Big 3 dominance and Next Gen Failures.
Let's not forget that nowadays, X-geners like Zverev, Thiem, clownish Kyrgios or Tstitsipas and al. are all multimillionaire without having to win anything big. Back in the 80's and 90's, you needed to win a major to attract the big bucks. Guys like Gasquet (who's ever heard of him but us, French people?) or Tsonga (French player whose best perf is an Aussie final back in... 2008!!!) stand on 25 and 35 mil respectively. So, after all, why bother when at 25 you've already made 10 or 20 mil?
jeanfourcade spot on.
@@jeanfourcade Fantastic comment.
@@jeanfourcadeinsightful.
I watched them all during the 80s but I'm still surprised at how wonderful they are as conversationists, they are all so charming with a great amusing sense of humor and charisma ... Becker and Lendl were always with a straight unemotional face, especially Lendl who always looked slightly annoyed it seems .. but they're so giddy and fun here chatting like great old friends...
Interesting to see what a technical perfectionist Lendl was(is). Listen to his thoughts on string tension, string coating, ball placement on first serves etc. Lendl was amazing at his peak. He was known at tge beginning for his big forhand and bassline game, but his backhand was his weakness. Then he worked on his backhand so much it became a dominanf weapon. In fact his one handed backhand was beautiful to watch. He could put monster topspin on it and hit it down the line or crosscourt with great pace.
I enjoyed every single word they said. The guys who made me love tennis. Well done Eurosport!
Hi Ivan and John and Mats and Boris. It is very interesting watching and listening to you all. By the way I find John McEnroe probably the most talented and player I have seen so far and Ivan Lendl used to be the most professional and Boris Becker the most anticipatory and Mats Wilander won three grand slam titles in one year.
“Didn’t know you had a sense of humour”
“I bought one on the way here”
That was a great reunion- only Edberg missing there.
They share a lot of memories (and laughs) together!
And when they talk about the tennis you can sponge everything they say.
Their comments are not elaborated like coaches talking about technical details, but their insight is sharp and spot on!
For example when Lendl brings up the depth of Novak’s shots and in a split second the others nod in agreement, because they all understand/know how important it is... and so many other comments full of insight-
the “been there done that” fully applies here.
Agreed. The only guy missing here is Edberg.
This was the best thing I've seen in a long time! Brought a smile to my face, and a stro down Memory Lane. When I was just a young tennis player watching Legends.
Once Mac and Lendl hated each other ruthlessly ... I m pleased that sometimes time can heal deep wounds among humans...
@Sudhir Kakar I think few people would think of Lendl as the greater of the two.
@timothy chung Not so sure about that one lol.
Ill give you this though. I think both have matured and they ABSOLUTELY respect one another now. Back in the day though, all of those handshakes after their matches were cold as hell.