Two weeks removed from the US Open, it's time for more grand slam tennis. I preview the 2020 French Open, including a discussion about the unique conditions (new Wilson balls, cold weather, night matches). As always, I preview quarter-by-quarter: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev are the top seeds. Expectations are high for Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini and Denis Shapovalov. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/monday-match-analysis/suppo...
Sep 27, 2020•39 min•Ep. 107
Novak Djokovic won his record-setting 36th Masters 1000 title in Rome on a Sunday with a victory over Diego Schwartzman. Earlier, in the quarterfinals, Schwartzman took out Rafael Nadal in straight sets. On today's show, I'll examine Novak Djokovic's new love affair with the drop shot, and why Schwartzman could take advantage of a compromised Nadal. Plus, the first and only edition of the 2020 French Open Power Rankings. Finally, the Twitter question of the week: who is the 4th favorite to win R...
Sep 22, 2020•51 min•Ep. 106
Hall-of-fame tennis journalist (tennis.com) and author Steve Flink joins the show to discuss the major storylines of the 2020 US Open. The dramatic final between Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev, the Novak Djokovic default, Rafael Nadal's decision to stay home in Spain, Denis Shapovalov's growth, Naomi Osaka's captivating run and Serena WIlliams' missed opportunity. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/monday-match-analysis/support...
Sep 18, 2020•45 min•Ep. 105
On this week's Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments on: Novak Djokovic's motivation post-US Open default, Stefanos Tsitsipas's recovery after heartbreaking loss in New York, lower temperatures at the French Open, a resurgence for the single-handed backhand, if tennis is enhanced by commentators, getting introspective on my life as a YouTube tennis analyst, thoughts on Lorenzo Musetti, will anyone currently on tour win 10 majors, will fans lose interest after the Big 3 retire, Andy Murray ex...
Sep 17, 2020•54 min•Ep. 104
After three losses in major finals, Dominic Thiem triumphed in Sunday’s US Open final against Alexander Zverev, becoming the first new grand slam champion since 2014, and the first player in the open era to come back from two sets to love down in a major final. The match was riddled with nerves from both players. The tennis was not beautiful, but the psychological struggle made for quite the spectacle. I discuss what this means for both players career moving forward, examine the momentum swings ...
Sep 15, 2020•59 min•Ep. 103
Novak Djokovic was in the first set of his Third Round US Open match with Pablo Carreno Busta. After getting broken for 6-5, Djokovic took a ball out of his pocket and hit it towards the back wall, where it struck a lineswoman in the throat. The incident resulted in an immediate match penalty against Djokovic. I breakdown why this happened, if the correct call made and is the correct rule is in place? Then (22:06), I welcome Mike McIntyre of the Match Point Canada podcast to discuss the incredib...
Sep 07, 2020•40 min•Ep. 102
A compilation podcast of all the matches I've analyzed on YouTube over Week 1 at the US Open. Alexander Zverev vs. Brandon Nakashima, Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Borna Coric. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/monday-match-analysis/support
Sep 05, 2020•49 min•Ep. 101
Gill answers your comments about: Novak Djokovic's neck injury, his second serve and his gamesmanship tactics, has the tour figured out how to play Daniil Medvedev, how do the court conditions hurt Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios's likability, how deep can Andy Murray go, Fillip Krajinovic, how Stefanos Tsitsipas would have to play against Djokovic, and finally the new ATP Players Association. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/monday-match-analysis/support...
Aug 31, 2020•35 min•Ep. 100
Novak Djokovic tied Rafael Nadal with his 35th Masters Title, beating Milos Raonic in three sets in the final at the Western & Southern Open (Cincinnati) in New York. Djokovic has now won every Masters 1000 tournament twice. Raonic is 0-4 in Masters finals. I analyze the first tour-level final in over 5 months. Then, it's on to the 2020 US Open preview and predictions. Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the top-seeds. Djokovic is on one of just three players ...
Aug 29, 2020•56 min•Ep. 99
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, I discuss the first couple days of the Western & Southern Open (Cincinnati) in New York. The "temporary normal" in tennis is no crowds and no lines judges: is it still enjoyable? The feature match is British number one Dan Evans against 12-seed Andrey Rublev. Evans proves to be a bad matchup for the Russian, and despite a good gameplan and some technical improvements for Rublev, it was Evans coming through. In our second match, find out how #6 Stefanos T...
Aug 24, 2020•34 min•Ep. 98
Denis Shapovalov faced off against Marin Cilic in the nightcap of day one (round one) at the 2020 Western & Southern Open in New York. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/monday-match-analysis/support
Aug 23, 2020•13 min•Ep. 97
Tennis is back with the ATP Masters 1000 Western & Southern Open, usually in Cincinnati, but this year in New York at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The courts are composed of a brand new surface this year. Despite, having not seen most of the players since March, I go quarter by quarter and preview the draw. Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the top seeds respectively. Former world #1 Andy Murray is also in the draw, along with Next Gen ...
Aug 22, 2020•31 min•Ep. 96
Hall-of-Fame tennis writer Steve Flink joins Monday Match Analysis to discuss the subject of his new book Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited. We address the elusive French Open title in Sampras's resume, his incredible career-ending run at the 2002 US Open and if it was the best Sampras ever, the challenge of playing against different playstyles such as Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic, Jim Courrier and Michael Chang, Sampras's retirement and post-tennis life. Support this podcast: ht...
Aug 21, 2020•32 min•Ep. 95
Hall-of-Fame tennis writer Steve Flink joins Monday Match Analysis to discuss the subject of his new book Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited. We discuss the evolution of Sampras' mental game, from juniors to major finals. Why he decided to switch from a two-handed backhand to a one-hander at age 14. And how he would compete against current titans Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Part two will be released on Friday. You can order Steve's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Pete-Sampra...
Aug 19, 2020•29 min•Ep. 94
On this week’s Mailbag: Which players will benefit from crowd-free tennis, is ATP top-heavy dominance better than WTA parity, has tennis media caused too much drama during the pandemic, the highest level I’ve seen from Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, surface speed homogenization, why Nadal struggled at WImbledon from 2012-2017, how many titles would Pete Sampras win in the modern era, who outside the top 10 has the best chance to win multiple majors, would 2017 Federer take 2019-20 Djokovic at the ...
Aug 15, 2020•38 min•Ep. 93
On this week's Mailbag, I respond to your comments: what if a player tests positive before the US Open final or semifinal, why European players have edged American players on tour, will Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic on hard court ever again, is Dominic Thiem an underachiever, Andy Murray vs. Rafael Nadal on grass, plus your hot takes about Juan Martin Del Potro, Stan Wawrinka, Nick Kyrgios and more. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/monday-match-analysis/support...
Aug 08, 2020•34 min•Ep. 92
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, I shout out World Team Tennis for an event well-run, discuss Nick Kyrgios's decision to skip the US Open, his criticism of irresponsible behavior and Borna Coric's response, an ode to Olympic tennis, why Tokyo is massive for Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, why the event is propelling Djokovic forward and the cancellation of the Mutua Madrid Open. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/monday-match-analysis/support...
Aug 04, 2020•20 min•Ep. 91
Hall-of-fame tennis writer Steve Flink joins MMA to discuss the greatest rivalry in the history of tennis- Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova. Going into the 1985 French Open final, Martina had won 15 of 16 previous meetings, but the red clay along with windy conditions would make Chrissy feel right at home. Among 80 meetings between these two champions, the intensity of this particular match is unmatched. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/monday-match-analysis/suppo...
Jul 31, 2020•29 min•Ep. 90
On Ep. 3, Joel, Amy and Gill discuss the GOAT debate, which has dominated men’s tennis discourse for the better part of a decade. It is the most obvious way to discuss Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s greatness, but should we really be asking who the greatest player of all-time is? The Big 3 aren’t done playing yet- but will finality bring any clarity to what is already an extremely complex question. What role does the grand slam race play? Is it fair to compare eras at all? The ...
Jul 30, 2020•26 min•Ep. 89
On Ep. 5 of the Mailbag- Why do many players seem more inclined to play the French Open instead of the US Open, how do Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev match up against each other on the Flushing Meadows hard courts, is 32 seeds at majors better than 16, will Novak Djokovic and/or Rafael Nadal play the US Open, does Washington's cancellation spell doom for the USO, coronavirus and BLM in America, slam prestige power ranking, the best drop shotters on tour, does tennis have a...
Jul 24, 2020•57 min•Ep. 88
On today’s Monday Match Analysis- Dominic Thiem is dominating exhibition play with the tour on pause. He defeated Mateo Berrettini and Jannick Sinner on grass and hard court respectively to capture both Bett1 Aces exhibition titles last week. Plus, European Union travel bans on the United States, due to the coronavirus, is threatening players’ abilities to travel to New York and back for the US Open. Lastly, I’m joined by Performance Plus Tennis Director John Craig (https://www.youtube.com/chann...
Jul 20, 2020•36 min•Ep. 87
On the second episode of Three, Joel, Amy and Gill discuss the largest mystery heading into the 2020 ATP restart. Will Rafael Nadal play the US Open? Many factors are at play, including his history of hard court injury and what it means to miss a major. We discuss the history of slam skippage and career longevity, using Andre Agassi as a case study. Then, we bring the conversation over to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who have had healthier careers than Nadal, but still have had their fair s...
Jul 16, 2020•27 min•Ep. 86
Answering your comments on: missing tennis, Rafael Nadal's scheduling, the gutsiest member of the Big 3, Andrey Rublev's game, the toughest surface to play on and the popularity of doubles plus tactics. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/monday-match-analysis/support
Jul 11, 2020•32 min•Ep. 85
On the first ever episode of Three, Joel, Amy and Gill address the odd man out. British three-time major champion Andy Murray was often considered to be a member of the Big Four, but over time the term Big Three largely adopted as the best representation of the top of men's tennis. We talk about what Murray did so well to enable consistent winning results on tour, but why he wasn't quite as good as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Three is a show about Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic....
Jul 09, 2020•17 min
On this edition of MMA Classics, I’m joined by hall-of-fame tennis writer and author for tennis.com Steve Flink to discuss the 2013 French Open semifinal between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Djokovic was in search for his first Roland Garros title, and made it his #1 goal for his 2013 season. After repeating as Australian Open champion and beating Nadal in Monte Carlo, his chances appeared strong. But Nadal was clearly not going away easily after a knee injury sidelined him for 7 months. Alt...
Jun 29, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 83
On this week’s Monday Match Analysis, I bring on Jeff Salzenstein of tennisevolution.com to analyze the serve of Alexander Zverev. His return to play at the Adria Tour has been marred with double faults, something we’ve seen periodically over the last 18 months. The German clearly has the yips on serve, a crippling mental state, but the problems are also technical. We also discuss Grigor Dimitrov’s positive Covid-19 test, the cancellation of the Adria Tour and Novak Djokovic’s silence so far. Su...
Jun 22, 2020•54 min•Ep. 82
On this edition of the mailbag---- Is Novak Djokovic's forehand really worse than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's, who are the favorites for US Open and French Open 2020, how quickly is Dominic Thiem improving, should Nadal skip the US Open, will the schedule favor NextGen players, are Dimitrov and Raonic primed for a comeback, where does Federer rank among all-time baseliners, what will tennis television do to supplement for no crowd viewing, plus breakdowns of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andy Murr...
Jun 20, 2020•38 min•Ep. 81
On this edition of Monday Match Analysis, Cracked Racquets podcast host and writer Alex Gruskin comes on to discuss the news that the 2020 US Open will be played. Plus, we debate the effects of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown, Patrick Mourotoglou's tennis exhibition in France. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/monday-match-analysis/support
Jun 16, 2020•57 min•Ep. 80
This weekend Serena Williams head coach and tennis entrepreneur Patrick Mouratoglou will launch his own tennis event called Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS). He's enlisted a strong field with top-10 ATP players Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Mateo Berrettini and David Goffin. But the most striking thing about UTS is the rules and format, which throw tennis convention out the window. PM says he feels modifications are necessary because tennis is getting too old and failing to renew its fanbase....
Jun 13, 2020•14 min•Ep. 79
The USTA-led US Open Tennis Championships still plans on holding this year's tournament under strict health provisions such as limiting player guests, prohibiting outside contact and implementing frequent testing. While the measures address health concerns, they have brought up additional qualms from players: Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal included. What would it mean for Djokovic and Nadal to skip the 2020 US Open? I discuss... Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mond...
Jun 11, 2020•19 min•Ep. 78
