Ep 26: Reasons for Optimism
Jeff and Carl recap last week's action in Rome, looking at the strongest performances and considering what they have to tell us about the fortunes of some top players at Roland Garros.
May 21, 2018•1 hr 2 min
The Tennis Abstract Podcast
Jeff Sackmann talks tennis and analytics with a rotating cast of experts and superfans.
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Episodes
Ep 25: Number Ones, Present and Future
Jeff and Carl debate whether Simona Halep is a "weak" No. 1, look at the competition, and marvel at the latest dominant performance from Alexander Zverev.
May 14, 2018•1 hr 12 min
Ep 24: Figuring Out Who Figures Out Clay
Jeff and Carl consider the causes of clay success, with specific discussions of Frances Tiafoe, Hyeon Chung, Kiki Bertens, and Elise Mertens, among others.
May 07, 2018•1 hr 14 min
Ep 23: Rafa, Las Undecimas, and The Shot Clock
Jeff and Carl cover Rafael Nadal's greatness, the rest of the field on clay, and the potential impact of the US Open's shot clock.
Apr 30, 2018•57 min
Ep 22: Davis Cup, Present and Future
Jeff and guest co-host Peter Wetz run down the weekend's Davis Cup results, including the return of Rafael Nadal and Austria's upset of Russia. We also address the proposed Davis Cup format changes.
Apr 10, 2018•1 hr
Ep 21: Talking About Talking About Tactics
Carl and Jeff dive into the challenges of talking about tennis tactics, and the further difficulties of using data to test tactics-related claims. It's not quite as dry as all that, we promise.
Mar 05, 2018•1 hr 34 min
Ep 20: Five Tournaments, Lots of Decisions
Carl and Jeff consider the factors that go into each player's decision to go to one tournament instead of another. We also cover big steps forward for Schwartzman, Kasatkina, and Tiafoe.
Feb 26, 2018•1 hr 11 min
Ep 19: Comeback Stories
Carl and Jeff look at all the comebacks in tennis today, from Federer's return to the top to various return-from-injury strategies like Kei Nishikori's challenger detour. Plus Sharapova, Serena, Bartoli, and more.
Feb 20, 2018•1 hr 12 min
Ep 18: A New Season Attacks
Carl and Jeff debate the fascination of Nick Kyrgios, consider the value of exhibition formats, and preview the 2018 season while pleading for better tennis data.
Jan 08, 2018•1 hr 16 min
Ep 17: US Open in Review
Carl and Jeff discuss Sloane Stephens, Rafael Nadal, and the other notable names from this year's final grand slam.
Sep 13, 2017•1 hr 9 min
Ep 16: The Second Half of our Second Week Chat
Carl and Jeff discuss some of the pressing issues of the US Open's second week.
Sep 08, 2017•37 min
Ep 15: We're Back!
Carl and Jeff return with a half-size episode recapping the summer Masters/Premier schedule and offering a midway-point recap of the US Open.
Sep 04, 2017•34 min
Ep 14: Wimbledon Preview
Carl and Jeff preview The Championships, with a focus on favorites Karolina Pliskova, Petra Kvitova, and Roger Federer.
Jul 01, 2017•1 hr 11 min
Ep 13: Kvitova vs Barty, Serena vs McEnroe, and Federer vs The Field
Carl and Jeff talk titles: Kvitova's trophy in Birmingham, Lopez's surprise run in Queens, and Fed's domination in Halle. We also delve into John McEnroe's comments about Serena Williams and how she would fare in the mens' game.
Jun 27, 2017•1 hr 16 min
Ep 12: Fed's Match Points, Vika's Return, and Wimbledon's Seeding Formula
Carl and Jeff settle in to grass season, covering Fed's surprise loss and his prospects in Halle this week, as well as the returning WTA stars--Azarenka, Kvitova, and Lisicki--who are likely to threaten the rest of the field this month.
Jun 19, 2017•1 hr 10 min
Ep 11: The French Open in Review
Carl and Jeff talk forecasting: Could we have seen Rafa's resurgence coming? What are the career prospects for Latvian sensation Jelena Ostapenko and women's runner-up Simona Halep? And Carl explains why he wouldn't want to marry a doubles specialist.
Jun 12, 2017•1 hr 19 min
Ep 10: On and Off Script at Roland Garros
Carl and Jeff consider the French Open favorite status of Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep, identify the biggest surprises in the tournament so far, and touch on the unpredictable men's doubles draw.
Jun 05, 2017•55 min
Ep 9: Roland Garros Preview and the Value of Surface-Specific Forecasts
Carl and Jeff break down the men's and women's Roland Garros draws, looking for threats to the favorites as well as lesser-known names worth watching over night fortnight of the year's clay-court Grand Slam.
May 28, 2017•1 hr 9 min
Ep 8: Zverev's Title, Emerging WTA Favorites, and a New Match Format
Carl and Jeff get serious about the Roland Garros chances of Rome champions Alexander Zverev and Elina Svitolina, review the weeks of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, and assess the potential of the newfangled rules for the NextGen ATP Finals.
May 22, 2017•1 hr 10 min
Ep 7: Champion Simona, King Rafa, and Memories of Pico
Carl and Jeff recap the Madrid titles for Halep and Nadal and consider the continuing uncertainty in both the ATP and WTA fields headed into the Italian Open.
May 15, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Ep 6: Djokovic Goes Coachless and Sharapova Looks Dangerous in a Patchy Madrid Field
Carl and Jeff take stock of the first joint event on clay, where Novak Djokovic makes his first coachless appearance, Maria Sharapova hopes to take advantage of a draw riddled with upsets, and a few Americans look to make headway on the dirt.
May 08, 2017•59 min
Episode 5: Sharapova in Stuttgart, Nadal in Barcelona, and a Dose of Doubles
Carl and Jeff discuss another busy week of tennis, including Sharapova's first week back on tour, Laura Siegemund's drop shots, Nadal's second Decima, and Albert Ramos's inability to win a doubles match.
May 02, 2017•1 hr 4 min
Episode 4: La Decima, a Wild Fed Cup Weekend, and Sharapova's Return
Carl and Jeff take on a jam-packed week of tennis with a review of Rafael Nadal's Monte Carlo title, a wrap-up of Fed Cup action, and a look ahead to the WTA without Serena, but with Maria Sharapova.
Apr 24, 2017•58 min
Episode 3: Champions Young and Old
Carl and Jeff look at last week's notable accomplishments from players at both ends of their careers, and consider how much value to place on a title at a very young age. Plus: Davis Cup, Schiavone's non-wild card, and a Monte Carlo preview.
Apr 17, 2017•57 min
Episode 2: Doubles, Wild Cards, and the Role of Megastars
Carl and Jeff offer a ringing endorsement of increased doubles coverage, consider the role of megastars in doubles and the game in general, and discuss the mismatched incentives that make wild cards--including Maria Sharapova's--so controversial.
Apr 11, 2017•58 min
Episode 1: Indian Wells, Miami, and the Renewal of Federer-Nadal
Carl and Jeff cover the events of the March Sunshine Double, and dig into the nitty gritty of the Roger-Rafa matchup.
Apr 06, 2017•57 min
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