2023 Season-Ending MAILBAG

[@GillGross]

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

[@JasonIBasri]

a little disappointed in the final mailbag of season. Some comments felt like repeat topics, some could have made other mailbags, some got bad answers because they were weak prompts. Excited for MMA Awards though and your continuous great coverage and content

[@tomg6826]

Glad Gill continues to speak candidly about the Zverev situation.

[@SJ-di5zu]

Same. He’s one of the only media presences to do it, and even commenters stray away from it for whatever reason. This situation needs to be brought up more frequently. It’s a massive stain on Zverev’s character. I don’t think people realize how serious the things he did were. Let’s put it this way: if a woman were accused of similar things done to her former ex, I bet the discourse surrounding her would be all about the incident rather than her tennis.

[@WillCobb-lf4nn]

Love hearing the Hsieh analysis. My all time favorite player. Keep up the great content, Gill.

[@Roman-cv2pd]

OMG GILLY BOY IS BACK. Now i have something to listen to as i ride on my scooter around Chang Mai. ALSO, Gill if you read this comment im from Melbourne, Australia. If you come down here for the Aus Open next year in 2024 you can stay with me brother. I live 15 minutes away from Rod Laver Arena in a big house with plenty of room. It would be ideal for you if you need to do commentary at the AO. We can also play some tennis at my local club on off days.

[@yashchanda6444]

Can you make room for me as well?

[@mrods999]

💀💀💀💀

[@stevenholton438]

I would come too if you had an extra spot!😅

[@notturno3448]

Thank you Gill! Your knowledgeable, professional and, as unbiased as possible, analysis and overviews are highly appreciated :)

[@charlesfaure1189]

It's not the placement that makes Su-wei special, it's the disguise, the touch, and the spin mastery. By using two-handed backhands on both sides with a compact swing she can hide what she's doing better than any player I've ever seen. She also has incredible hands and is able to vary her grips to achieve different effects compared to the topspin-only two-handers of pretty much every other player out there (again, more disguise.) You can find pics of a standard continental-eastern as well as eastern-eastern, which allows some of those magical surprise dropshots and slices with zero warning and opens up angles as well. It's not so much where she puts the ball as you get no warning of where she's going to put it, and then what the spin makes it do once it gets there. She also can hit an almost perfectly flat ball that doesn't have to be moving terribly fast to get through the court quickly--again, with very little warning that it's coming--and it stays low. She is extremely difficult to anticipate. The big hitters can rush her and make it much more difficult for her to use her hands-oriented style, but they have to be very dialed-in to avoid a bad experience. To try to learn by watching Su-wei without understanding how she uses the racket to make a shot work is like trying to learn to volley by watching John McEnroe. Good luck. There's a reason nobody plays like she does, and the reason is her technique.

[@marlenebuls9535]

I imagine she would be very frustrating to play against 😊

[@bomberoflamenco]

Great content! Thanks again Gill. Much appreciated

[@vojn1k1]

Love your work, Gill

[@domagojhrgovic7419]

15:32 was a great question. Tennis players are modern day gladiators. That's Đoković legacy right there. He raised the intensity of the game both in phyisical and mental aspect. He made it more personal, establishing himself as alpha and sending messages to his opponents about what he wants to do, similar to boxing for example. But people still don't appreciate him enough becaue they are still stuck in that idea that tennis is the sport for the select elite and that everybody needs to be nice to each other, even if it's fake. That's why Nadal said what he said about Đoković recently. They all just see him as an outsider, as someone who is breaking the tradition, and that's why they don't like him. But with time, more people will understand the importance of Đoković in tennis evolution.

[@JB-im5kt]

We’ll said. Never thought about exactly like that, but that’s a good take. I became his fan half-way through his career. I just just saw how media treated him different and always shed a negative light/opinion on him. It made me want to root for him, like the underdog. It’s been such a great ride watching him prove the haters wrong and re-write Tennis history. It’s been even more rewarding this last year after all the ridiculous covid stuff. Just a legend. He is incredibly well spoken too. He shows respect if you listen to him talk. He knows so many languages. Dude is going to be the future president of Serbia. Just operates on a different level.

[@SJ-di5zu]

I think Nadal deserves credit for the “gladiator” stuff. He molded Djokovic into the gladiator he is today, and Nadal was playing 5 hour matches at age 18 back in 2005. Federer even is underrated here too.

[@milanm403]

@@SJ-di5zu Mate you just mentioned two most overrated tennis players in history of tennis. Nadal and federrer. ,, gladiator,, stuff? fofffff

[@domagojhrgovic7419]

@@SJ-di5zu Both Nadal and Đoković brought this to tennis yes, but Nadal is different mentally. He is saying that Đoković is "obsessed" with winning, because he has bought into this narrative that tennis is gentleman's game where certain intangibles matter more than winning. That's why there are still some people saying Federer is the goat, even some former players. Only in tennis you have this notion that wanting to win "too much" is a bad thing. That's why I give Đoković the edge because he is unapologetic about his desire to win. In any other sport he would be appreciated for that, but in tennis, he gets criticised. Nobody ever criticised Muhammad Ali or Michael Jordan for being ruthless competitors.

[@SJ-di5zu]

@@milanm403Lmao you have to reach a new level of autistic to call any of the big 3 “overrated.”

[@technologicalwaste7612]

I like the gladiator question.

[@mvdqp]

Mailbag question concerning Rublev's second serve(?) I am more concerned/disturbed by Rublev's on court uncontrollable angry outburst. His self inflicting physical abuse is becoming more and more frighteningly volatile. I hope he gets some help for his anger issue and self harm.

[@hm2011100]

I avoid watching Rublev for the same reason. He has expressed the stubborn view that he has to fix the problem himself, & that no one can help him. I don’t know who or what conditioned him into this conviction, but he clearly hasn’t got help for years & his mental health is only going to get worse if someone close to him doesn’t stage an intervention.

[@marchvertochko0056]

Yet he’s got his best year ever and won a masters. He was mentally stronger than ever before by bouncing back from matches he could’ve easily lost. That’s a bit of an exaggeration to say it’s a real problem to him. It’s essentially have been a way to take off the pressure and relive stress when playing and oftentimes, it actually helps him to be better on court

[@SJ-di5zu]

Regarding Rublev’s second serve, yeah I’ve always heard at higher levels of tennis, you should be hitting your second serve as hard as your first. The only difference is you’re hitting a lot of kick on your second serve to keep it in the box and it will be slower as a result. So I’m a little confused because most top 10 players don’t seem to de-celerate on their second serve the way Rublev is implying they do. Watch Alcaraz hit a first and second serve; both seem to take the same amount of power, he just hits with a ton of kick on the second. Side note: Rublev has made a lot of improvements on his second serve this year imo.

[@loutrokabines]

Hi guys. I want to know your views on today's match between Fils and Medjedovic for the ATP Next gen final.

[@marlenebuls9535]

I think if I had to put money on it- I would go for Fils. He is a little more versatile, I think, -but it is a tough one to call

[@lagreg2183]

Being italian, I watched many matches of Sinner. I am not sure he will win a major in 2024 not because of technical reasons but of physical reasons. I think five sets matches are another sport, Sinner still has to improve his physical endurance and strengthen his physiology, as he gets easily tired (do you remember Miami final after he won in the semi against Alcaraz?) But no doubt he will win a major, don't know if already in 2024

[@joannemoore3976]

I think his endurance is improving all the time. He can now go toe to toe with Meddie who exhausted him before. We'll see but I think he is a different beast these days. Going to be an exciting 2024 for sure.

[@stefciko5831]

Fisicamente sinner sta migliorando un botto , guarda le maratone con Medvedev negli ultimi mesi o con novak partite durate piu di tre ore , in davis ha fatto due partite devastanti consecutive portando il suo tennis a un livello assoluto. Inoltre in sto periodo migliorerà ancora durante la preparazione. Quindi nah è migliorato tantissimo

[@lagreg2183]

@@stefciko5831I hope so, I am a big sinner's fan! Still I think it will depend on how many hours he will have to stay on court in the slam tournaments. He has improved but still has to improve more his physical endurance. In an interview after the the davis cup Angelo Binaghi, president of italian tennis federation, said that on sunday (the day after the semi and a few hours b4 playing the final) sinner could hardly get out of bed and regained some energy only when he came to know Arnaldi won his match....

[@stefciko5831]

@@lagreg2183 ma perché non parli in Italiano? E va be' grazie al cazzo hahahaahahahh ha giocato prima con Novak e poi il doppio a un ritmo frenetico e super intenso non è che è RoboCop minchia è umano.

[@SJ-di5zu]

His endurance looks better, however he is pretty unproven at the slams right now. Lost in the 4R at AO and USO, made Wimbledon semis but without playing anyone in the top 70 and lost in straights to Djokovic, lost in 2R at RG. In fact, his 2022 last two major results were probably a little more impressive, especially that epic match against Alcaraz. I agree that I need to see more from Sinner. Indoor season still isn’t a great indicator of major success. I think we need to see how he deals with top players in major SFs and Finals, where he’s left a bit to be desired lately.

[@SJ-di5zu]

38:40 Those are good points, but I think there’s something else to Zverev bringing down the quality of a match. I think the way that Zverev is so erratic in that his level fluctuates a ton in big matches, especially on big points or when he has the lead. It’s almost comical how some of his matches look. He’ll go up a break, then play a disaster service game with missed push forehands and 2 double faults. He’ll go up in the tiebreak, then miss two volleys in a row. I think this becomes hard for his opponent to play against because Zverev plays so well, then suddenly his level just drops, and it makes for ugly tennis between both players. That first set tiebreak at the ATP Finals against Medvedev this year was a prime example. That’s just how I feel about Zverev matches; I know many find him fun to watch and all.

[@notturno3448]

You nailed it! I like Zverev's Incredible talent/skills, marvelous serve, BH, FH and still.. each time he plays I'm never confident that he'll be able to win :(

[@SJ-di5zu]

⁠​⁠@@notturno3448I used to feel somewhat the same way, but nowadays I’m very biased against him due to his off-court stuff. Still, I can be objective here. At his best, Zverev can beat anyone, especially in best of 3 although he’s improved in best of 5 a ton. His forehand is great when he decides to be offensive with it, his backhand is one of the best offensive backhands I’ve ever seen. He has even somewhat improved his net game to at least be average and usable, his movement is great, and his first serve is fantastic (2nd not so much). This is a hard combo to beat. But against top players, his level wavers so much due to his soft mentality. He forgets how to play tennis when he has a chance to win a set. It’s jarring to watch and probably jarring to play against. It’s the main reason a lot of his matches are hard to watch. If you want some clear examples, I have a few: Cincinnati 2021 vs Tsitsipas ATP Finals 2023 vs Medvedev Monte Carlo 2023 vs Medvedev USO 2020 vs Thiem, throw in the PCB match too tbh

[@joannemoore3976]

I find him boring to watch..just doesn't inspire me. I tend to find players' little ticks annoying sometimes too, I developed a way of watching Nadal which involved looking away during his service prep 🤣. Zverev does this weird thing where he lifts his shirt before serving or receiving. I can only think that at some point, maybe when he was younger, this was to show his abs off. While we are on the subject, why does Rune constantly pull his shorts up high on his legs 😅

[@TuningintotheOne4BLN]

I think re: Nole, hardest to predict. 1. He is such an exceptional physical and mental outlier being 36+ and being at the top. Unlike Jordan or Brady, I do not think he will retire and then un-retire. 2. Think he will keep going until it is NOT fun on his terms - very hard to predict when/how his sense of "FUN" will fade-disappear. 3. Probably NOT '24 or '25 unless injury happens. Thanx Gill. Great stuff. Cheers, Milan

[@TheDeadlyKnight]

I’ve been curious about Alcaraz’s stature & if it limits his potential. I thought I was the only fan who harbored a little doubt

[@al1976-v7m]

I don't think tennis has a country club reputation anymore. It has evolved significantly over the last few decades.

[@SJ-di5zu]

It still has that reputation among non-tennis fans/casuals. Anyone who watches Alcaraz or Nadal or Djokovic play knows it’s far from a “country club” sport and requires ridiculous athleticism.

[@JasonIBasri]

a little disappointed in the final mailbag of season. Some comments felt like repeat topics, some could have made other mailbags, some got bad answers because they were weak prompts. Excited for MMA Awards though and your continuous great coverage and content

[@rublo1]

Felt the same. That’s why I think Gill should stop only picking questions with the highest likes because it gets so repetitive and less interesting. He should pick questions that also consider how engaging and interesting discourse it can create

[@JasonIBasri]

@@rublo1 I feel like he reads most comments too so it is a little confusing when that happens. But I know it’s easy to critique than create but I think most of do it out of respect. But good call on the most liked, don’t know if that’s the best but it’s probably the easiest for him

[@rublo1]

@@JasonIBasri I think he reads them too but he’s consistently stated that he operates on the system of choosing the most liked comments for the mailbag and the results prove as such (with only the rare odd question he picks bc it’s interesting). It’s understandably the most logical and easiest way to do it but me thinks he should prob do a 50/50 (half most liked q and half picking it based on what he thinks is interesting discourse for tennis)

[@enigmaparadox987]

I've tried to post a comment regarding Gill's reply to the Alcaraz height comment, but it doesn't appear. Perhaps it's because I provided a link to a blog I wrote to support my point. Let's see if the comment sticks this time: Gill, you mentioned that shorter height shouldn't hold Alcaraz back and that if there were a player like Medvedev or Zverev but had a more potent forehand that they could dominate or disrupt the game. I would wager that, based on stats and history, we may never see an elite player that wins multiple Slams because they are either too tall or too short for high stakes 5 set tennis. Medvedev is freakishly fit and has great endurance for a 6'6 frame, but still struggles against the likes of Nadal (6'1), Djokovic, (6'2) now Sinner (6'2) partly because they are elite and in the ideal height range. A quick glance at multiple Slam winners over the Open era shows that typically taller or shorter players can't produce the most successful careers and partly this is due to their height. I''ll try to post blog link below in reply.

[@al1976-v7m]

Zverev's game could be so much more exciting given his physical abilities!

[@petershort936]

Re: Super Tour; I get the idea in that it helps to create a unified package for tv rights. The TV rights for tennis is a mess these days. TennisTV is the only streaming service even remotely worth the money. TC, frankly, is pretty bad. My concern is two-fold: TC gets the streaming rights and does a terrible job at it; and the 250s and 500s get diminished making it harder for players to climb the rankings ladder -- that is if the Super Tour even agrees to ATP ranking points in the first place.

[@ngoduy3110]

I think your answers related to Sinner a little bit conflicting. In one answer, you said his form will drop, all the confidence goes away, and you don't predict players based on their form in the season ending time like the case of FAA. In other answer, you said Sinner is not like FAA and he has proved his continuous improvement over the year. You also said that he is more dangerous than Medvedev when playing against Novak, and he is now able to exploit Tsitsipas' weakness. In the end, what do you expect of Jannik next year? Top 5, top 3, or going back to Top 10 as the hot streak is over?

[@cityremade]

I totally agree on Rublev - develop cojones on second serve 😂😂

[@move3spaces246]

Novak has won 12 slams after age 30! To put that in perspective Federer won only 3 slams after 30, two of which Novak was out injured!

[@hbiheil8314]

4 after 30.

[@milankostic5401]

Novak actually has won 12 slams after age of (not 30. but) 31! Djokovic didnt won any Big title for nearly 2 years, before 31, so when he was at a age of 29 and 30. From 29 years 2 months to 31 years 1 month old... something like that, to be exact. Nothing biggie in between these. Exactly at 30 years old (year up and year down), that was year 2017, his worse sporting year or two. And yeah, many players benefited from this period (without nearly no Djokovic, but no Murray too), particulary the most of course Federer and Nadal

[@move3spaces246]

@@milankostic5401 yep Fed vultured a couple of slams in Novaks absence! Even so Novak is miles ahead now!🐐

[@kingnole4237]

​@@move3spaces246Rafa and Federer shined in absence of king nole

[@seanlennon5986]

These comparison comments are getting a bit boring.

[@lucaswu1522]

Can we get a MMA awards again

[@ahsanaiv]

Gill you need to get those time stamps back. Makes the video much more interesting

[@GillGross]

There are timestamps

[@ahsanaiv]

@@GillGross Thanks

[@aleksapopovic9704]

Skip Wimbledon to have better shot at Olympics? Haahahhahah...just one of those takes

[@move3spaces246]

Yeh skip a chance to tie 8 wimbys. I know Novak is crazy about his country but honestly an 8th Wimby puts him right up there for besr grass court player off all time!

[@krishnaramachandran7722]

Grand slam is the biggest title in Tennis, period. Winning a 5 set match is always tougher.

[@VesnaLukic-h8w]

The only way that Novak is skipping any GS is if he is not allowed to play

[@SJ-di5zu]

He wants that Olympics bad, but skipping Wimbledon would be crazy, especially with a chance to tie Federer’s record on the line. He could give himself a legit claim at being the grass GOAT if he wins this year

[@move3spaces246]

@@VesnaLukic-h8w 100% no joke hes keen to win olympics but I guarantee you he wouldnt sacrafice a winby slam for it. Maybe a RG as it doesnt mean as much records wise

[@anneryan2563]

i realised that Alcaraz is probably about 510 or 511 when I saw in standing beside Novak at the Net. I think they round up players heights. They originally had him at 6 ft 1 which was an obvious lie lol....

[@radieschen79]

Alcaraz is at least 6 foot tall. Just saw him standing at the net beside Tommy Paul and he is listed as 6 ft 1 (185 cm). People tend to forget how young Alcaraz is and that he may be still growing in height.

[@nathan2497]

​@radieschen79 probably somewhere in the 5'11" range would be my guess for him...

[@radieschen79]

@@nathan2497 Nah, at least 6 foot. As a European my guess would be 183 cm. But as he's only 20 years of age, he may be still growing in height.

[@novakgoatovic]

I get Sinner and Alcaraz hype I do. But 2024 will be CGS year, mind my words. Just wait and see. Ajdeeeeeee Breeee

[@ism7588]

What’s CGS?

[@DomonationYT]

@@ism7588calendar grand slam

[@dung9856]

Calendar golden slam

[@MrBjorn6]

I predicted this for Carlos Alcaraz in 2024🤔

[@westonmeyer3110]

As crazy as it sounds for me to say this, Djokovic got off easy in Australia this year compared to what he will face next year(a better Sinner, a better Medvedev, a better Rune and Alcaraz will be there next year). Djokovic will probably win Australia again next year but nothing else is guaranteed or even likely anymore. He will never get the calendar grand slam and probably will never get the gold medal, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still the most accomplished tennis player of all time by a mile.

[@marlenebuls9535]

Craig Shaughnessy is not the oracle he thinks he is- he is so darn arrogant. Novak knows what he is doing, and is succesful at it.

[@lsb9073]

Lols, seriously. You know that Novak 'knows what he is doing' due to Craig's data (and others fir all I know) He had him on his team for some time, and the top players pay huge amounts for the inside info he provides. What do you think all that 'scientific approach' stuff he and Boris used to say all the time was all about?

[@ProMikus]

@@lsb9073 cool story bro, he was with his team for few years and you thinking that all his knowledge comes from some arrogant aussie bum, all hail omnipotent aussies. Give me a break

[@DaveOwen-vn6ie]

​@ProMikus What makes Craig arrogant? He is a tennis analyst and has so much experience & knowledge which is way more than the Djokovic fanatics who spew hate against anyone who's name isn't Djokovic

[@ProMikus]

@@DaveOwen-vn6ie his only "experience" is statistics and his lame statements about what makes djokovic "uncomfortable" wont change that. Get lost fedtard

[@creativestudio101]

I really don't understand why Rublev doesn't make it so the racquet's tension, weight, specs, etc, are set to make the most out of the 1st and 2nd serve first and foremost. Those are the 2 most important shots in men's tennis, then is the forehand. I think he has to prioritize that, else he won't ever be able to withstand that glaring weakness against top notch, elite players. If he wants to keep a "light" weight head-wise, then I would think he would need to keep tension low to help boost speed on the serve, which would also help with the groundstrokes. And if does decelerate, just remember Navratilova, who said it best: on rsecond serve, you practically have to give it more effort, more acceleration than the first serve, in order to make the ball come down quicker into the box. Navratilova should know, she had the best serve on the WTA till Serena came around. I keep adding to this comment as I watch Gil's video... Did he say "cojones"!!??? Gil.. you know that word is a bit strong in Spanish speaking circles?? Ha ha - you might wanna change that to "guts" or something of the sort 😂😂😂

[@got2bjosh]

Gillanimous, no talk of Next Gen Finals? It's good! I like the changes & look. Also, we MUST discuss 4+9 & feeling fine! In a couple years, tennis will have a new streamlined calendar that focuses on a premier tour of the 4 Grand Slams + 9 Masters. The resulting shorter season will protect player health, avoid external disruption, increase revenue & collective earning power, & help fans follow the sport more easily. Still ironing out the details, of course, but a new day has come, Celine! They should've done this decades ago. It's how most people watch the sport, anyway. The Williams sisters really popularized playing fewer events on tour & it eventually became the norm for top players like You-Know-Who. Now, the tour calendar has caught up to where the players & fans have needed it to be for years.

[@stef_v]

Who is You-Know-Who?

[@pzh1]

But the two week master will put a lot of strain on player body, not only that it’s boring to have a master a on Two week and it make slam less grandiose by the measure of length. I wish master length would stay the same. I’m not too crazy about the direction

[@got2bjosh]

@@pzh1 The two week format allows players a day off between rounds to recuperate.

[@pzh1]

@@got2bjosh but mental fatigue is more exhausting than anything. Some player showed concern regarding that issue. So i think it will be harder for player , only time will confirm that. Also because of by two week tournament are boring, there’s No dynamic into them as the first few turn are lacklustre match contrary to the one week format where you would get amazing match up right from the start and it’s easier to follow as you don’t have to wait every two days to catch an interesting match. The best tournament this year at least from an entertaining pov were the 500 for that reason. To summarize bad first turn, boring , too long, mental fatigue for player and greater difficulty to move on tournament to another and it kill the prestige of slam. Eventually the player won’t be able to handle those two week and atp final plan will be to make slam in 2 set . Wait and see

[@got2bjosh]

@@pzh1 You're off base. Tennis will have a new calendar focusing on the Grand Slams & Masters. The Masters will now be two weeks (15 days) in duration allowing for schedule changes due to delays, more rest & recuperation between matches for the players, & more revenue for the tournaments. That's it. Everything you're saying sounds like a you problem.

[@asadmohammed9982]

The pushing of the class narrative aspect of tennis has destroyed it.

[@krishnaramachandran7722]

Carlos is 6' as is Alex Deminaur. I bring up Alex here because i have seen them at the net on a couple of matches they played and they were the same height. I have also seen Carlos and Rafa at the net and Rafa did not appear a lot taller. Just an inch or so over Carlos. With so many tall players around 6' does appear short on TV

[@domagojhrgovic7419]

I think Alcaraz is a legit 6 footer now.

[@move3spaces246]

He wears high heels now😁

[@aryatawde8121]

First!

[@Tuzzz94]

Congratulations!

[@marlenebuls9535]

Novak won't be as tired and flat as he was in DC, and will make adjustments to his game as he did when he played Sinner in the final at Torino. Besides, it will be outside in Australia in different conditions , unless there is a deluge! I think Alcaraz will be more of a danger in Melbourne and maybe Medvedev .

[@alpine3931]

Yeah I’m more worried about Medvedev at slams even though Djokovic won US Open it was obvious Medvedev effects Novak’s stamina more than any other player

[@move3spaces246]

Yep until sinner beats Novak at a slam im not convinced!

[@JabberWokey]

First to comment 🎉

[@vm4473]

To add on to your 'Gladiatorial Tennis' answer - anyone who has not seen it, should watch the Alcaraz vs. Djokovic Final match in Cincinnati Open 2023.