Monday Match Analysis
By Gill Gross
Monday Match AnalysisAug 19, 2023
Men's Quarterfinal Results Roundup | Australian Open 2024
Gill Gross runs through the four results in the quarterfinal round at the 2024 Australian Open. Novak Djokovic beat Taylor Fritz in their highest quality match to date. Jannik Sinner kept his set streak alive with a sweep of Andrey Rublev. Daniil Medvedev pulled off another 5-set win over Hubert Hurkacz. And Alexander Zverev pulled off the upset over Carlos Alcaraz.
00:00 Intro
00:37 Djokovic d. Fritz
17:09 Sinner d. Rublev
33:38 Medvedev d. Hurkacz
54:40 Zverev d. Alcaraz
Picking EVERY Men's Quarterfinal at AO 2024 | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross breaks down the four quarterfinal matchups set for the Australian Open 2024. In the top half, Novak Djokovic will play Taylor Fritz in a US Open rematch and Jannik Sinner will look to deny Andrey Rublev his first major semifinal. On the bottom, Daniil Medvedev will look to reverse his negative head-to-head against Hubert Hurkacz and Carlos Alcaraz seeks his first Aussie semifinal against Alexander Zverev. 00:00 Intro 01:25 Djokovic vs. Fritz 10:41 Sinner vs. Rublev 24:50 Medvedev vs. Hurkacz 32:47 Alcaraz vs. Zverev
Australian Open Early Round Mailbag ('24) | Monday Match Analysis
Correction: Sumit Nagal is 26 years old.
On the traditional Monday Match Analysis early round Mailbag, Gill Gross responds to your comments, including: is there still hope for Denis Shapovalov fans, what went down in the Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Dominic Thiem match, Alexander Zverev being elected to the Player Council, the Australian Open court speed this year, new rules that allow fans to move between every game, Novak Djokovic's new comments on Ben Shelton, the Nick Kyrgios & John McEnroe commentary booth, an update on upset alerts, Borna Coric, Jiri Lehecka and ranking the top-5 best young mental games. 00:00 Intro 05:50 FAA vs. Thiem 16:43 Zverev Players' Council 19:22 My Zverev Tweet 34:10 AO Court Speed 35:55 Fan Movement 37:30 Djokovic on Shelton 41:43 Kyrgios-McEnroe Booth 45:20 Upset Alert Updates 49:24 Borna Coric 52:26 Jiri Lehecka 54:22 Top-5 Mental Games
Dino Prizmic, Rublev's Escape, Tsitsipas's Serve Change | Australian Open 2024
This Monday Match Analysis audio exclusive combines three topics from the first two days of the 2024 Australian Open. Dino Prizmic, an 18-year old qualifier from Croatia, made an impressive Slam debut on night one of the 2024 Australian Open against 10-time champion world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. Andrey Rublev escaped the dangerous Thiago Seyboth Wild barely, winning a 5th-set tiebreak in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open. It was one of the most intriguing first round matches thus far. Stefanos Tsitsipas unveiled a surprising technique change in his first round Australian Open match against Zizou Bergs.
00:00 Intro
01:06 Dino Prizmic
19:23 Rublev's Escape
31:26 Tsitsipas's Serve
Australian Open 2024 PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross previews the 2024 Australian Open with quarter-by-quarter predictions, dark horses, upset alerts and popcorn matchups. 10-time champion Novak Djokovic is the top seed, followed by 2-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz, 2-time Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev and first-time top seed Jannik Sinner. 00:00 Intro 04:45 Djokovic's Q 16:27 Sinner's Q 25:00 Medvedev's Q 34:45 Alcaraz's Q 43:00 Final Weekend
Dimitrov Lifts Trophy in Brisbane, Germany Takes United Cup, Nadal Withdraws | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross starts by reacting to the news Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the 2024 Australian Open. Then we'll cover Grigor Dimitrov's title in Brisbane and his win over Holger Rune in the final. We'll go rubber-by-rubber in breaking down Germany's United Cup win over Poland, which was powered by Alexander Zverev's singles win against Hubert Hurkacz and Zverev's pairing with Laura Siegemund. We'll end on some Hong Kong takeaways, where Andrey Rublev won the title. 00:00 Intro 00:45 Nadal Setback 03:58 Dimitrov Ends Drought 08:00 Dimitrov d. Rune Analysis 27:24 Germany United Cup 28:50 Siegemund Mixed 34:10 Zverev d. Hurkacz 45:30 Swiatek d. Kerber 48:42 Hong Kong
De Minaur Dominating, Kyrgios vs. Becker & Nadal's Australian Open Keys | Mailbag
On this week's Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments, including: what do you think of Alex De Minaur after his hot start to 2024, who is right in the feud between Nick Kyrgios and Boris Becker, Rafael Nadal's Australian Open keys after losing to Jordan Thompson, have Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas missed their chance to win a major, who is the most talented player outside of the top-30, what improvements does Holger Rune need to make to equal Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, what has Casper Ruud done so well at United Cup, WTA top-5 predictions, tactics in a potential Novak Djokovic vs. Nadal match, tennis broadcasting questions and more! 00:00 Intro 01:15 Alex De Minaur 14:25 Kyrgios vs. Becker 16:45 Nadal AO Keys 29:39 Tsitsipas and Zverev 33:08 AO Warmups 33:35 Lower Ranked Talents 36:11 Rune Improvements 38:22 Ruud United Cup 40:27 WTA Predictions 43:30 Rune Forehand 46:45 Nadal vs. Djokovic 48:37 Tennis Broadcasting
Nadal Beats Thiem in Ferocious Brisbane Return | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross discusses Rafael Nadal's comeback match in Brisbane: a winning effort against longtime rival Dominic Thiem. How much did we learn about what Rafa's 2024 prospects? Plus, we'll analyze the changes in the United Cup format, Mikhail Youzhny's comments on Dennis Shapovalov, the early season form of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Roman Safiullin, Stefanos Tsitsipas's back injury, Sebastian Korda's forehand, Casper Ruud's start and the updated ATP website. 00:00 Intro 1:26 Nadal vs. Thiem 14:55 United Cup Tweaks 20:20 Youzhny on Shapovalov 25:40 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 27:16 Roman Safiullin 29:40 Tsitsipas Injury 31:55 Korda Forehand 33:58 Ruud Start 34:40 ATP Website
Who Should Nadal Want to Play First? (Brisbane 2024!) | Mailbag
On this week's Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your questions, including: who should (and shouldn't) Rafael Nadal want to draw first round in his Brisbane return, what is the ideal scheduling to prepare for the Australian Open, what is the potential for NextGen champion Hamad Medjedovic, is Daniil Medvedev in his head about winning the same title twice, will Naomi Osaka return to slam contendership, will a Super Tour destroy the small tournaments, comparing the prospects of Sebastian Korda to Jack Draper, the forced silence during tennis points, is the ATP Finals format optimized, is it possible for someone to return with two hands and use a one-hander from the baseline, is Carlos Alcaraz's backhand underrated and more! 00:00 Intro 01:00 Nadal's Ideal Start 3:40 AO Prep 7:55 AO Balls 8:55 Hamad Medjedovich 13:12 Medvedev Title Defense 16:35 Naomi Osaka 19:25 Super Tour 24:12 Korda vs. Draper 27:12 Silence During Pts 32:32 ATP Finals Format 34:42 Alcaraz's Backhand 40:23 Future Stars
ATP TOP TEN PREDICTION 2024 | Monday Match Analysis
Gill Gross predicts the ATP year-end top-10 ahead of the 2024 season. The year begins with Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Hubert Hurkacz and Taylor Fritz make up the current top ten. Intriguing names on the outside looking in include Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger Aliassime, Nick Kyrgios, Ben Shelton, Karen Khachanov, Jack Draper, Alex de Minaur, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul. All 20 of those players, and more, will be discussed on this week's show. 00:00 Intro 00:55 2022 Reflection 05:40 Honorable Honorables 07:50 Honorable Mentions 16:00 No. 10 19:30 No. 9 21:38 No. 8 25:10 No. 7 26:57 No. 6 28:50 No. 5 32:23 No. 4 35:05 No. 3 38:00 No. 2 40:55 No. 1 43:41 Full List/Conclusions
NO TENNIS QUESTIONS | Mailbag
On the ultimate off-season Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments, including: what's on my bucket list, how do I prepare for an episode of Monday Match Analysis, which artists made my Spotify Wrapped, is tennis commentary my full time job, what country have I always wanted to visit, my favorite meals of 2023, my experience ballboying, who would win in a match between myself and Alex Gruskin, why I've declined on UFC fandom, do more people watch my channel or listen to my podcast, thoughts on the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender live action, what my job would be if I didn't do this and my favorite values. 00:00 Intro 01:15 Bucket List 05:03 My Process 11:24 Spotify Wrapped 18:25 My Job 21:45 Dream Destination 25:28 Top Meals 34:06 Ballboying 38:17 My Car 39:22 Gross vs. Gruskin 41:10 Mixed Martial Arts 47:15 Podcast vs. YouTube 50:30 New Avatar Show 52:58 Fallback Job 55:25 Favorite Values
Off-Season QUESTIONS for Every Player (14-30, Nadal, Kyrgios, Part 2) | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's special off-season Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross is joined by Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets to cover each and every top-30 ATP player. This isn't just a lookback on 2023 or a lookahead to 2024- it's a combination of both as we tackle one essential question we have at this moment for every player. Part 1 featured players ranked 1-13, this Part 2 features ranking spots 14-30 plus Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios. 00:00 Intro 00:49 Tommy Paul 04:55 Grigor Dimitrov 08:00 Karen Khachanov 10:53 Frances Tiafoe 15:24 Ben Shelton 23:33 Cameron Norrie 27:32 Nicolas Jarry 32:57 Ugo Humbert 38:27 Francisco Cerundolo 43:50 Adrian Mannarino 44:45 Tallon Griekspoor 45:50 Sebastian Korda 49:40 Jan-Lennard Struff 51:06 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 53:45 Lorenzo Musetti 57:15 Sebastian Baez 59:08 Felix Auger Aliassime 1:00:38 Tomas Martin Etcheverry 1:02:10 Rafael Nadal 1:07:35 Nick Kyrgios
Off-Season QUESTIONS for Every ATP Player (Top-12, Part 1) | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's special off-season Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross is joined by Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets to cover each and every top-30 ATP player. This isn't just a lookback on 2023 or a lookahead to 2024- it's a combination of both as we tackle one essential question we have at this moment for every player.
00:00 Intro 04:00 Novak Djokovic 09:40 Carlos Alcaraz 14:30 Daniil Medvedev 18:40 Jannik Sinner 23:10 Andrey Rublev 27:28 Stefanos Tsitsipas 32:54 Alexander Zverev 37:45 Holger Rune 45:10 Hubert Hurkacz 47:10 Taylor Fritz 49:50 Casper Ruud 55:00 Alex De Minaur
The 2023 Monday Match Analysis AWARDS
The 6th Annual Monday Match Analysis Awards, hosted by Gill Gross, pay tribute to the greatest accomplishments and spectacles we witnessed over the course of the 2023 ATP season. If this award show were in-person, the following players would be in attendance (winners and honorable mentions): Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Fabian Marozsán, Thiago Seyboth Wild, Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils, Chris Eubanks, Gael Monfils, Andy Murray, Andrey Rublev and Matja Pecotic. 00:00 Intro 01:15 Best Shot 06:12 Story of the Year 11:20 Comeback Player 15:45 Match Comeback 23:00 Newcomer of the Year 26:25 Best Tournament Run 32:10 Best Upset 37:10 Best Match Performance 41:00 Match of the Year 46:40 Player of the Year
2023 Season-Ending MAILBAG
On the last Mailbag of the season, Gill Gross answers your comments, including: is Andrey Rublev's racquet to blame for his weaker 2nd serve, why Hsieh Su-Wei is a marvel, might the grand slams, ATP and WTA combine to create a super tour, what grade should we give Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev's seasons, when will Novak Djokovic consider retirement, why doesn't Djokovic hit a lot of runaround forehands, what is my favorite tennis style to watch, should Hubert Hurkacz be a serve & volleyer, what is the status of Nick Kyrgios heading into next season, is it harder to develop offense or defense, is Carlos Alcaraz too short to have success into the next decade, what did we learn from Jannik Sinner's win over Djokovic at Davis Cup and is he Nole's biggest threat at the Australian Open. 00:00 Intro 01:11 Rublev 2nd Serve 9:13 Hsieh Su-Wei 11:38 Super Tour 15:32 Gladiatorial Tennis 19:00 Tsitsipas & Zverev 26:55 Djokovic Retirement 30:40 Djokovic Runarounds 33:24 Stylistic Preferance 37:26 Zverev-Medvedev Matches 39:50 Hurkacz Tactics 40:37 Nick Kyrgios 43:55 Developing Offense 48:00 Sinner vs. Tsitsipas 50:20 Alcaraz Height 53:10 Djokovic vs. Sinner DC
Will Djokovic Focus on Clay Next Year? | Mailbag
On this week's post-ATP Finals Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments including: are Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner closing the gap on Novak Djokovic, will Djokovic focus primarily on clay next year, when might Rafael Nadal begin his comeback, when did each of the Big 3 play their peak levels, is Sinner in danger of going down a similar path as Felix Auger-Aliassime after a hot indoor season, did Nick Kyrgios do a good job in his commentary debut for Tennis Channel, what were Sinner's main improvements this year, what should we expect from Break Point Season 2 and how does Djokovic use mental strategies to stay motivated. 00:00 Intro 02:00 Alcaraz & Sinner vs. Djokovic 06:05 Djokovic Clay Focus 09:50 Gap to Djokovic 13:30 Nadal's Comeback 16:25 Big 3 Peaks 23:08 FAA-Sinner Comparison 27:07 Kyrgios on TC 31:55 Turin Performance Ratings 37:37 Sinner Improvements 45:48 Break Points S2 48:18 Davis Cup 50:35 Djokovic Mental Strategies
Clinical Djokovic Routines Sinner and Repeats ATP Finals Title | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross discusses Novak Djokovic's dominant conclusion to an all-time 2023 tour season. He beat Jannik Sinner in the championship at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin 6-3 6-3. We'll discuss why the gap between Djokovic and the field increases in the fastest conditions on tour, Djokovic's dominant serving performance on 1st and 2nd deliveries, the reversal of forehand success from the Round Robin match to this one, Sinner's performance and finally why Djokovic's tennis is like a great cup of coffee
00:00 Intro 01:10 Djokovic in Turin Conditions 03:37 The Final 04:10 Djokovic Serve 12:13 Forehand Reversal 21:16 Sinner Assessment 23:13 Good Coffee & Djokovic
Djokovic vs. Alcaraz ATP Finals 2023 SF | Post-Match
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz met in the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals semis, with their H2H tied 2-2. Gill Gross breakdown and analysis...
Medvedev vs. Sinner ATP Finals 2023 SF | Post-Match
In the first semifinal at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals, Italian crowd favorite Jannik Sinner battled former champion Daniil Medvedev. Gill Gross breakdown and analysis...
Sinner vs. Rune ATP Finals 2023 RR | Post-Match
In a matchup that would determine Novak Djokovic's semifinals fate, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune clashed in the final Round Robin match of the Green Group at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals. Gill Gross breakdown and analysis...
Djokovic vs. Sinner ATP Finals 2023 RR | Post-Match
On Tuesday at the ATP Finals in Turin, Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, the two hottest players in the world, locked horns in the round robin stage and delivered an epic. Gill Gross breakdown and analysis...
Alcaraz vs. Zverev ATP Finals 2023 RR | Post-Match
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev faced off to open Red Group round robin play at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. Gill Gross breakdown and analysis...
Djokovic vs. Rune ATP Finals 2023 RR | Post-Match
Coming into the match tied 2-2 overall, Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune opened their ATP Finals round robin campaigns on Sunday in Turin. Gill Gross breakdown and analysis...
ATP Finals 2023 PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS | Monday Match Analysis
On this week’s Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross previews and predicts the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, where the top-8 will do battle on the quickest conditions on tour. The Green Group features Novak Djokovic, Holger Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jannik Sinner, while the Red Group has Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev. We’ll also cover Ugo Humbert’s title in Metz and Adrian Mannarino’s perfect ending in Sofia. 00:00 Intro 01:30 Humbert Metz 06:25 Mannarino Sofia 08:25 Turin Intro 16:40 Green Group 24:23 Red Group 31:09 Final Weekend
WTA x ATP Stylistic Siblings | Mailbag
On this ATP Finals Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments, including: how has Novak Djokovic's movement evolved in his career, what will happen when Jannik Sinner plays Djokovic on a hardcourt for the first time, who are the ATP stylistic equivalents for every WTA top-10 player, have Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev peaked, why might Carlos Alcaraz struggle on indoor hard court, has Djokovic's fitness improved, has the impact of on-court coaching been minimal, should TV broadcasts be using court-level cameras, is Sinner's physicality still a concern, can Iga Swiatek win a Wimbledon, why has Dominic Thiem's injury been harder to recover from than Zverev's, and is this the strongest ATP Finals field we've seen in a while. 00:00 Intro 01:25 Djokovic Movement 09:25 Sinner vs. Djokovic on Hard 12:08 WTA x ATP Comparisons 22:33 Zverev and Tsitsipas Peaked? 26:51 Alcaraz on Indoor Hard 28:28 Turin Serving 30:56: Alcaraz Longterm Health 33:00 Djokovic Fitness 36:58 Coaching Impact 40:57 Court-Level Camera 43:35 Sinner Physicality 45:20 Swiatek Wimbledon 48:55 Zverev vs. Thiem Recoveries 51:15 ATP Finals Field
Djokovic Dispatches Dimitrov to Complete Gritty Paris Masters Run | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross reacts to Novak Djokovic's straight set win over Grigor Dimitrov in the Rolex Paris Masters final. We'll explain what was most impressive about Djokovic's title run and why Grigor Dimitrov has plenty to be proud of despite the loss. Then we'll look specifically at the final, pondering what went wrong for Dimitrov and taking a closer look at his mistakes. Finally, we'll break down Djokovic's slice and his depth, and why it's so important in this matchup. 00:00 Intro 00:53 Djokovic Takeaways 06:30 Dimitrov Takeaways 11:05 The Final 12:00 Dimitrov Struggles 16:23 Film: Service Breaks 23:39 Djokovic Slice 28:12 Djokovic Depth
Paris Results, WTA Finals Mess & Roman Saffiulin | Mailbag
On this week's Mailbag, Gill Gross runs through some Paris Masters results before answering your comments, including: does Carlos Alcaraz's post-US Open struggles resemble Rafael Nadal's, is Paris-Bercy at fault for the scheduling that led to Jannik Sinner's withdrawal, who are the best serve returners ever, evaluating Roman Saffiulin, what has gone wrong at the WTA Finals, how disappointing will it be if Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev never win a slam, are players allowed to skip the ATP Finals, is Andrey Rublev the 5th best player in the world, is Jannik Sinner an elite baseliner, unpacking the news of Zverev latest legal trouble due to a domestic violence charge and more. 00:00 Intro 01:15 Paris Takeaways 09:55 Alcaraz = Nadal Post-USO 15:28 Sinner Schedule Drama 19:47 Best Returners 27:26 Roman Saffiulin 34:30 WTA Finals 44:58 Slamless Tsitsipas & Zverev 49:49 Tennis Fandom 52:46 ATP Finals Skippage 53:50 Rublev 5th Best 55:45 Sinner Baselining 57:47 Zverev DV Penalty Order 1:13:33 Federer vs. Alcaraz Talent
Paris Masters 2023 PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS | Monday Match Analysis
On this edition of Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross previews the 2023 Rolex Paris Masters, the final 1000 of the year on the indoor hardcourts of Bercy. There will be quarter-by-quarter dark horses, upset alerts, popcorn matchups and predictions. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are in action opposite each other for the first time since the US Open, while Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev come off their Vienna final in great form. There is also the Race to Turin- how will Hubert Hurkacz, Holger Rune, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev fare?
00:00 Intro
03:14 Djokovic Quarter
09:17 Sinner Quarter
15:15 Medvedev Quarter
22:57 Alcaraz Quarter
29:40 Final Weekend
Sinner Stays Hot in Vienna, Beats Medvedev Again | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross breaks down Jannik Sinner's second straight win over Daniil Medvedev this month, this time in the final of Vienna. We'll cover Vienna's top player dominance, what made this Sinner-Medvedev match different than their clash in Beijing. We'll discuss Sinner's baseline patterns, his emphatic fitness statement and his serve improvements, plus where Medvedev had success in the match. Finally, we'll consider how Felix Auger-Aliassime's title run in Basel was both remarkable and unremarkable at this same time.
00:00 Intro
1:05 Vienna Theme
3:36 Sinner-Med H2H
8:20 Angles and Redirects
18:02 3rd set Fatigue
22:52 Sinner Serve
30:00 Medvedev Success
36:06 FAA Basel
Is Becker the Right Coach for Rune? | Mailbag
On this week's Mailbag, Gill Gross responds to your comments, including: is Boris Becker the right coach for Holger Rune, how would Carlos Alcaraz match up against Roger Federer, why did Jenson Brooksby get suspended for 18 months, how might Sinner fare at the ATP Finals, who will end up winning the Race to Turin and qualifying, one thing each of the top-10 should work on in the offseason, is Ben Shelton's recent form a sign of things to come, are Alcaraz's injuries concern, what to make of Saudi Arabia Masters 1000 rumors, and much more!
00:00 Intro 00:53 Becker X Rune 08:44 Federer vs. Alcaraz 12:22 Brooksby Suspension 19:25 2024 Slam Prediction 20:55 Sinner ATP Finals 23:45 Netcords 26:25 Race to Turin 30:00 Offseason Improvements 36:31 Ben Shelton Heater 42:28 1st Slam contenders 47:35 Alcaraz Health 50:07 Evaluating Tennis Talent 53:07 Saudi Arabia Masters 1000
Shelton wins 1st ATP Title in Tokyo, Bublik in Antwerp, Monfils in Stockholm | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross goes through the three ATP events from last week. Ben Shelton won his first career title in the Tokyo 500 with a straight set win over Aslan Karatsev. Alexander Bublik returned to form with a terrific performance against young Frenchman Arthur Fils to win Antwerp. And Gael Monfils is back in the winner circle in Stockholm, despite looking down and out in his career just 6 months ago.
00:00 Intro
00:30 Ben Shelton Tokyo
13:10 Sascha Bublik Antwerp
28:24 Monfils Stockholm
The Cutting Edge of Tennis Analytics, Explained (Exclusive look at Tennis IQ)
AUDIO LISTENERS: Portions of this podcast could be hard to follow without the visual component. You can watch on Spotify or YouTube, or skip to 25:00 for the more discussion oriented part of the show.
DESCRIPTION: Last month, the launch of Tennis IQ was announced, "a brand-new performance analytics platform that democratizes access to cutting-edge data and insights for players on the ATP Tour." Gill Gross is joined by Senior Manager for Strategic Projects & Event Operations at ATP Tour, James Marsalek, and Head of Performance, Media and Broadcast at TennisViz, Tom Corrie, two people behind the creation and implementation of the platform. We'll get a behind the scenes look at what players and coaches see when they do their scouting and evaluation through Tennis IQ. We'll also discuss how the metrics are generated, how it will develop further, if it could ever be made available to fans, how this changes the role of analytics coaches and more. 00:00 Intro 04:34 Demonstration 25:00 Discussion
Hurkacz Beats Rublev and Wins Shanghai in Dramatic Tiebreak Fashion | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross dissects the riveting match tiebreak that saw Hubert Hurkacz beat Andrey Rublev to win his second Masters 1000 title at Shanghai 2023. We'll go over Hurkacz's forehand performance, his serve dominance and his season as whole. We'll discuss where Rublev was slightly lacking. Finally, we'll cover some other Shanghai results such as Sebastian Korda's win over Daniil Medvedev, Ugo Humbert's takedown of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Fabian Marozan's big week. 00:00 Intro 1:00 3rd Set TB 11:04 Hurkacz FH 13:30 Hurkacz’s Season 18:52 Hurkacz Serve 23:22 Rublev Thoughts 30:05 Korda d. Medvedev 33:44 Humbert d. Tsitsipas 38:28 Fabian Marozan
Why is Alcaraz "Struggling" Now? | Mailbag
On this week's Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments, including: breaking down Grigor Dimitrov's win over Carlos Alcaraz, why has Alcaraz gone without a title since Wimbledon, do I miss being a fan of tennis instead of an analyst, what should be done now that numerous players have complained about the tennis balls, has the Alcaraz fear factor gone away, who would win in a cage fight between Daniil Medvedev and Nick Kyrgios, how did Ben Shelton beat Jannik Sinner in Shanghai, things I learned about top-10 players this year, should Alcaraz be less focused on year-end number one, is Alcaraz putting too much in his schedule, why is Bryan Shelton's coaching more accepted than other fathers on tour such as Christian Ruud, Apostolos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev Sr., and finally thoughts on Novak Djokovic's response to Rafael Nadal's "frustrated" comments. 00:00 Intro 02:05 Dimitrov d. Alcaraz 13:50 Alcaraz Struggles 20:27 Analysts vs. Fan 24:00 Tennis Balls 29:13 Alcaraz Fear Factor 31:00 Medvedev vs. Kyrgios MMA 32:37 Shelton d. Sinner 36:47 Alcaraz Stock 40:45 Top-10 Takeaways 43:47 Alcaraz No. 1 Push 48:05 Alcaraz Scheduling 51:45 Bryan Shelton Coaching 56:52 Djokovic's Response to Rafa
Lots of Sinner Questions & The All-time Most Unorthodox Players | Mailbag
On this week's Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments as the Shanghai Masters begins, including: why hasn't Jannik Sinner made more inroads at majors, who are the most unorthodox tennis players, which Big 3 matches were the best, why did we stop talking about Peng Shuai, is Russia the best tennis men's tennis nation, why is Shanghai more predictable than Bercy, are Sinner and Novak Djokovic similar players, did Sinner figure out the key to reversing negative records against Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, why has Caroline Garcia declined this year, and MORE. 00:00 Intro 00:35 Sinner at Majors 05:52 Unorthodox Hulk 12:58 Best Big-3 Matches 18:47 Peng Shuai Revisited 25:41 Russian Men's Tennis 32:40 Shanghai vs. Bercy 35:05 Sinner-Djokovic Similarities 38:18 Sinner Return & Tactics 44:57 1st serve vs. 2nd serve 46:50 AO 1st Sunday 49:17 Caroline Garcia 56:18 S&V Resurgence 58:26 Schwartzman Struggles
Shanghai Masters PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS | Monday Match Analysis
On this edition of Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross previews the 2023 Rolex Shanghai Masters. Quarter-by-quarter analysis of dark horses, upset alerts, popcorn matchups and quarterfinal predictions. Plus, final weekend predictions at the end. In Novak Djokovic's absence, Carlos Alcaraz is the top seed, followed by Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The draw also sets up a potential US Open rematch between Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner. 00:00 Intro 04:28 Alcaraz Quarter 10:38 Tsitsipas Quarter 17:21 Rune Quarter 22:50 Medvedev Quarter 30:35 Final Weekend
Why did Djokovic Usually Out-Clutch Federer? | Mailbag
On this week's Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments as the 2023 Asian Swing begins. We cover Novak Djokovic's clutch advantage over Roger Federer, Grigor Dimitrov's consistent albeit unspectacular year, Matteo Berrettini's downward trend, Rafael Nadal's comments on the GOAT discussion, WTA performance byes, if Laver Cup is an exhibition or an ATP event and more! 00:00 Intro 01:30 Djokovic vs. Federer Clutchness 08:38 Grigor Dimitrov 13:40 Post-Djokovic Era 15:20 Matteo Berrettini 20:20 2013 vs. 2023 ATP 25:32 Nadal Concedes GOAT 29:04 WTA Performance Byes 33:20 Top 5 Tournaments 37:39 NextGen Player Rundown 42:54 Is Laver Cup Exhibition
Tsitsipas, Rune, Felix: Top 3 Things That Matter for the Rest of the Season | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross is joined by Cracked Racquets podcast host Alex Gruskin to go over the most important storylines for the rest of the season. They'll discuss Stefanos Tsitsipas, Felix Auger Aliassime, Holger Rune, who will finish as the ATP's number one American, who will make the year-end championships and something to look out for in Shanghai. Gill starts with a monologue about what we learned about the Laver Cup in an underpowered 2023 edition.
Our partner is AG1. Go to drinkAG1.com/GILL
00:00 Intro
01:12 Laver Cup
11:45 Holger Rune
19:38 Felix Auger Aliassime
29:50 WTA No. 8
31:50 No. 1 American
38:16 Stefanos Tsitsipas
56:20 NextGen & Davis Cup
59:45 Alcaraz & Sinner Shanghai
Halep Suspension & Post-US Open Mega-Mailbag
On this week's Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments following the 2023 US Open. We cover recent news of Simona Halep's four year suspension, the top-10 players of the 2010s, Margaret Court comparisons, Dominic Thiem and the US Open sickness, Dominic Stricker's win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud and Coco Gauff's shots at tennis media, Novak Djokovic's few weaknesses, the new reality of the Carlos Alcaraz vs. Daniil Medvedev matchup, the Alexander Zverev vs. Jannik Sinner match and so much more.
00:00 Intro
01:00 Halep Suspension
15:40 Top-10 of 2010s
21:09 Margaret Court Comps
24:43 Thiem & US Open Illness
27:12 Stricker def. Tsitsipas
33:16 Gauff & Ruud vs. Media
41:22 Djokovic's Weaknesses
45:16 Big 3 Interview
48:57 Alcaraz-Medvedev H2H
54:23 Medvedev Return Adjustment
57:00 Ruud vs. Rublev Outlook
59:25 Medvedev's Backhand
1:01:58 Toni Nadal Comments
1:05:05 Alcaraz's Forehand
1:07:23 Big 3 Adaptations
1:09:31 Court Dimensions
1:11:29 Djokovic Anticipation
1:14:00 Two Takes
1:15:01 Ruud Struggles
1:16:54 Zverev vs. Sinner
1:21:56 Home Court Advantage
1:23:54 Nadal vs. S&V
1:25:20 Serve vs. Return Importance
Flink on Djokovic, Medvedev, Alcaraz and Shelton after US Open 2023 | Monday Match Analysis
On this special edition of Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross is joined by Hall-of-Fame tennis writer Steve Flink for the traditional post-major chat, analyzing Novak Djokovic's 3-set win over Daniil Medvedev in the final and where both players stand moving forward. Plus, they discuss Carlos Alcaraz's hardcourt swing, in which he didn't manage a title. They also evaluate 20-year old Ben Shelton the surprise semifinalist in New York. 00:00 Intro 02:05 Djokovic-Medvedev 27:00 Carlos Alcaraz 43:50 Year-end No. 1 46:30 Ben Shelton
Gauff vs. Sabalenka US Open 2023 Final | Post-Match
In the 2023 US Open women's singles final, soon-to-be world number one Aryna Sabalenka hunted her second major title against surging American Coco Gauff seeking her first. Gill Gross breakdown and analysis...
Djokovic Dissects Medvedev to Win 4th US Open Title | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross recaps Novak Djokovic's straight set victory over Daniil Medvedev to win his 4th US Open title and 24th major. We'll start by discussing how this win cements 2023 as a pantheon season for the 36-year old Djokovic. Then, we'll go in depth on the pivotal 2nd set: how Medvedev executed his plan perfectly and why Djokovic's go-to tactic made sure that didn't matter in the end. Finally, we'll discuss Djokovic's strategic baseline variety and his success returning Daniil's 2nd serve. Our partner is AG1. Go to drinkAG1.com/GILL 00:00 Intro 01:35 Big Picture Takeaways
04:00 Early Stages
07:20 Medvedev Tactics
15:40 Djokovic S&V
36:35 Djokovic Evolution
38:53 Baseline Variety
42:25 2nd Serve Returning
US Open 2023 PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS | Monday Match Analysis
On this edition of Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross dissects the 2023 US Open Men's Singles draw and gives quarter-by-quarter predictions including dark horses, upset alerts, popcorn matchups and final weekend picks. Carlos Alcaraz is defending his first major title as the top-seed, 2-seed Novak Djokovic is seeking his first US Open crown since 2018 riding high after winning Cincinnati, 3-seed Daniil Medvedev is looking to return to his hardcourt specialist ways at the tournament he won in 2021, and 4-seed Holger Rune will hope to make his major breakthrough. Canada champion Jannik Sinner is the 6-seed, and has been drawn near resurgent former top-5 player Alexander Zverev. Plus, Americans Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe look to thrill the New York crowd. Our partner is AG1. Go to drinkAG1.com/GILL 00:00 Intro 02:04 Alcaraz Quarter 11:25 Medvedev Quarter 21:11 Rune Quarter 29:13 Djokovic Quarter 36:20 Final Weekend
How Strong is THIS Era? | Mailbag
On this pre-US Open Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments, including: why has Stefanos Tsitsipas struggled so much in finals, is the past few years of men's tennis a weak era or a strong era, why has Tommy Paul given Carlos Alcaraz fits, does Alcaraz help Novak Djokovic's long-term motivation, does the underdog dominate the Djokovic-Alcaraz rivalry, what should be made of the ATP's new Baseline Program, was the Cincinnati final the greatest BO3 match of all-time, should all draw reveals be livestreamed, how might Alcaraz's development effect Djokovic, what explains the results of Borna Coric, how Juan Carlos Ferrero's coaching impacts Alcaraz matches, what is a transition game, what might Coco Gauff accomplish at the US Open, why does Jimmy Connors go under the radar and do are US Open wildcards John Isner, Caroline Wozniaki and Venus Williams deserving?
00:00 Intro 07:40 Strong/Weak Era 12:48 Tommy Paul vs. Alcaraz 17:23 Djokovic motivation 18:22 Underdog Success 21:21 ATP Baseline Program 25:58 Greatest BO3 Matches 28:19 Streaming Draw Ceremonies 31:26 Alcaraz Development 34:00 Borna Coric 37:44 JCF's Coaching 41:52 Transition Game 43:15 Coco Gauff 45:56 Jimmy Connors 48:10 US Open Wildcards
US Open POWER RANKINGS 2023 | Monday Match Analysis
Gill Gross reveals his finalized 2023 US Open men's singles power rankings. Then, Alex Gruskin of Cracked Racquets joins the show to compare notes (15:50). The power rankings are a list of US Open contenders in order of their likelihood to win the title or make a deep run based on a subjective interpretation of evidence. These are not predictions--- no draws, matchups, or gut feelings here.
Djokovic Edges Alcaraz in Thrilling Cincinnati Final | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill unpacks what was a gem of a final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. We'll talk about what made the match so special to watch, then we'll discuss the interesting physical developments on both sides of the net, Djokovic's point shortening skills, Djokovic's 2nd serve strategy and some of his other keys to success in the match. Then, we'll break down Alcaraz's tactics and weigh their effectiveness.
00:00 Intro 01:40 Match Summary 04:50 Physical Developments 14:35 Djokovic Serves & Volleys 17:00 2nd serve strategy 21:45 Other Djokovic Success 26:24 Alcaraz Tactics
Djokovic: "Tennis is a Mental Game" | Mailbag
On this week's Mailbag, Gill Gross answers your comments, including: why are players complaining about the balls in Cincinnati, saying something about Rafael Nadal, the top-10 serves among the top-10 players, is Novak Djokovic right when he says tennis is all mental, what determines a good matchup vs. a bad matchup for Daniil Medvedev, how would I train if I had to play a pro, why hasn't Holger Rune won on outdoor hardcourts, is there something wrong with Medvedev's serve, why aren't there many lefties right now, what is Alexei Popyrin's ceiling and what can Alex de Minaur do to reach the next level.
00:00 Intro 01:05 Cincinnati Balls 03:55 Rafael Nadal 05:38 Top 10 Serves 12:58 Is Tennis Mental 16:03 US Open 4-Seed 18:00 Medvedev Matchups 23:07 Gill vs. Pro 27:53 Rune Outdoor HC 30:50 Cincinnati vs. Charlotte 35:36 Medvedev Serve 39:00 No Lefties 40:15 Alexei Popyrin 43:13 Alex de Minaur
Sinner Overpowers De Minaur to Win First Masters Title in Toronto | Monday Match Analysis
On this week's Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross reacts to Jannik Sinner's breakthrough victory in Toronto, Canada. He beat Alex de Minaur in the final to win his first career Masters 1000 title. We'll analyze Sinner's development up until this point and discuss what it means for his US Open title hopes. We'll talk about the three biggest things the Italian has improved to get to this point. Then, we'll dive into the final and dissect how De Minaur's brilliant baseline tactics were not enough to overcome Sinner's technical advantages. Our partner is AG1. Go to drinkAG1.com/GILL 00:00 Intro 00:25 Sinner's Status 07:37 Sinner's 3 Improvements 16:02 Final Analysis
Cincinnati Masters 2023 PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS | Monday Match Analysis
On this edition of Monday Match Analysis, Gill Gross previews the 2023 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, the final Masters 1000 ahead of the US Open, quarter-by-quarter, with dark horses, upset alerts, popcorn matches and predictions. 2-seed Novak Djokovic returns to the event for the first time since 2019, while top-seeds Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev seek bounceback efforts after falling before the semis in Canada.
00:00 Intro 03:30 Alcaraz Quarter 08:41 Tsitsipas Quarter 16:17 Medvedev Quarter 22:31 Djokovic Quarter 26:20 Final Weekend
Someone is gonna win their first Masters 1000 | Toronto 2023
Gill Gross recaps an eventful Quarterfinal Friday in Toronto, which saw top-seed Carlos Alcaraz lose to Tommy Paul and two-seed Daniil Medvedev lose to Alex de Minaur. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina continued his red-hot run with a decisive win over Mackie McDonald. And in the nightcap, now-title-favorite Jannik Sinner defeated Gael Monfils. The semifinals are Sinner vs. Paul and De Minaur vs. Davidovich Fokina.