De Minaur Dominating, Kyrgios vs. Becker & Nadal's Australian Open Keys | Mailbag

[@GillGross]

Regarding the last Play-by-Play question, I was talking about TELEVISION. For radio, listen to all four slams radio on their official apps- especially US Open Radio (to hear me).

[@andrescarro8200]

Tendons are the ends of muscles and connect muscle to bone. They have decent blood supply and heal fairly well. Ligaments connect bone to bone and have less blood supply than tendons making them take longer to heal. (Physical Therapy student here)

[@lifeafterdev]

Adrian Mannarino is now the oldest EVER player to debut in the top 20!

[@al1976-v7m]

@@andrescarro8200 however, because tendons are part of the muscle (and thus the kinetic chain) you have to be very conservative in gradually loading them again. They have to absorb high dynamic forces, whereas ligaments are passive structures that are only stressed when muscular control fails. Physiotherapist here. Also, tendons have areas with less blood supply as well (especially the tendon-bone transition) that have inferior healing properties.

[@celeonard19]

16:05 top shelf run from Gill, this killed me😭😭 great stuff

[@duncanbradley9616]

💡

[@armleg8374]

Just from the eye test, De Minaur’s forehand is looking a little better. And something that stood out from all of his matches from United Cup was how well and how often he opened up the court with his forehand crosscourt angle. I’ll admit that I haven’t seen too many of De Minaur’s matches in the past couple of years, but I remember him to be a very flat hitter off the forehand wing. I saw him this week using a higher RPM “buggy whip” forehand crosscourt often, and that helped him set up his favored “flat, quasi-sidespin forehand down-the-line, followed by a net rush” play that he does so well. If this spinner crosscourt forehand is a new addition to his game, it was a great investment because it totally augments his bread-and-butter plays.

[@latinguitarmastery]

Great to see De Minaur reach the top ten! Thanks for this episode.

[@dannynguyen4688]

he has LOL

[@got2bjosh]

Per the last question: tennis has play -by-play commentary 1) for radio (that's how I started following matches decades ago as a kid, by listening to them) and 2) as an adaptive option for those that need it (ie-the blind). Wimbledon '23 had play-by-play commentators at the final for this very reason.

[@MaxDangVu]

18:40, a tendon is a fibrous tissue that attaches muscle to bone, whereas ligaments (also fibrous) connect bone to bone which holds them in place.

[@elwendigo2]

I think De minaur not reaching Ferrer's levels comes down to not being good in clay, which Ferrer was, that's a lot of points

[@SJ-di5zu]

Ferrer’s 2012 and 2013 seasons, by win percentage and matches played, were incredible. I think he was like 83% in 2012, which is right around Nadal and Djokovic’s career average win percentage! Ferrer did a great job against the “field” (non-big 4) but he was dominated by the big 4. How many other years can you have that high of a win percentage, play 95 matches, but still finish just #5, like Ferrer did in 2012? The level of competition was ludicrous. In 2013 Ferrer’s win percentage dropped, but he performed arguably a bit better at the slams, and his ranking actually went up as Federer had a bad season, and surprisingly Murray’s 2013 was a bit pedestrian outside of his Wimbledon win. Also fun fact, Ferrer lost every slam in 2012 to a member of the big 4 (Djokovic at AO, Nadal at RG, Murray at Wimbledon, Djokovic at USO). He continued this trend in 2013, losing to Djokovic at AO semis, and Nadal at RG in the final. I can’t stress enough, it does not get more brutal than this. Ferrer was on the other end of some GOAT level performances in what was probably the most insane stretch of grand slam opponents anyone has ever faced. He was losing to peak big 4 on their favorite surfaces. The streak finally ended at Wimbledon 2013 where he lost to Del Potro in the QFs.

[@eht7450]

I loved the United Cup, and I really enjoy the new format. I knw you said previously that the format was random for you, but the mixed doubles is a really cool element and forces a more diverse team. The Countries that came further had deeper benches for the doubles. Siegemund was so clutch for Germany.

[@YourFriendlyGApilot]

lol, I finally know!! Thank you for the answer Gill. With respect to the play by play question, I listen to lots of tennis while driving, particularly the majors abroad, and, as a long time tennis fan, I actually love it.

[@annaharrison6818]

Radio commentary for tennis has play by play! I’ve always quite enjoyed it especially for AO because I can listen on my commute to work. For the Wimbledon final last year the BBC gave you an option to watch the tv coverage with the radio commentary so you had the play-by-play. It worked really well because it meant you didn’t have to listen to Andrew Castle 🙃

[@SJ-di5zu]

26:55 I noticed this instantly. Nadal closed his stance, hit the forehand flat over his shoulder, and aimed a bullet for the line. That is just so far from the natural “Nadal” way of handling things. Generally he would stay open stance, do his lasso forehand over his head, and hit around the ball to curve it into the court, then come to net. He’s not going for a winner, he’s going for a safe approach shot. That’s one reason Nadal is so great: he never misses an attacking forehand because he plays them so safe and with a lot of spin. In this case, he went for a winner, and honestly I don’t think it would’ve been a winner; Thompson probably could’ve gotten to it. Maybe it’s part of his new mentality to finish points fast? I don’t see what the harm was in hitting a safe approach and coming to net though. Also he definitely prefers to go cross court in that situation, but I can’t fault him for going more down the line too much; if you go crosscourt every time you’ll obviously be predictable.

[@julielbarker]

Cam Williams already practices play by play commentary with his livestreams. It’s be interesting to see audio and video combine 😅

[@banjo7458]

I had the same thought

[@marilynwasserman3273]

Re Tennis Commentary: by me less is more! I'm 84, a huge Nadal fan, but really don't watch much outside of his matches. The match I most enjoyed was on ESPN3 with no commentary whatsoever (back in 2014 Nadal v Ferrer quarterfinal at RG). I really wish that was an option for ALL tennis matches.

[@98Nedeljko]

Not a doctor here but a ligament is connective tissue between two bones and tendon is connective tissue between a muscle and a bone.

[@andrescarro8200]

Tendons are the ends of muscles and connect muscle to bone. They have decent blood supply and heal fairly well. Ligaments connect bone to bone and have less blood supply than tendons making them take longer to heal. (Physical Therapy student here)

[@al1976-v7m]

Ligament and tendons not the same thing! Tendon is part of contractile tissue, attaches muscle to bone and transfers kinetic energy. Ligaments are usually there to guide and restrict movements and keep joints in place and are generally less elastic than tendons.

[@buitho439]

It is too early to predict about De Minaur since this is 3 setter not GS and he needs to prove more in AO next week.

[@michaelnurse9089]

Ligaments connect bones to bones, providing stability to joints. Tendons connect muscles to bones, enabling movement.

[@HeavyTopspin]

More precisely with the "eaten alive" comments, you have to look the other way and imagine what the players of the past might have been with today's training regimens, health options, and equipment. Just imagining peak Becker's forehand and serve hit with a custom Babolat PureAero instead of an oddly-shaped 90 square inch Puma is terrifying.

[@586seven]

On the De Minaur - Ferrer comparison, the difference is that De Minaur is a fast court grinder and Ferrer was a clay court grinder. If you're a grinder, it's always better to be a clay court grinder because you're always at risk of being outserved on a fast court, so it doesn't set you up well for consistency against the top players.

[@tasaneewantanakul8382]

Like the way to play of Alex DeMinaur one day would loved to see on the top 10 .

[@joannemoore3976]

No, no casual fans here 😂 think you are right Gill, die hard fans prefer less commentary and also want good quality commentary (not endless rambling to fill the silence- Andrew Castle BBC I am looking at you). But of course there is radio commentary where they have to describe the points in detail which is a skill in itself - also like Cam does on his channel..that man can multi-task! 😂 great mailbag Gill, thanks.

[@ro8erthat-209]

Gill, love your lightbulb analogy. Spot on 🤣🤣!!

[@miljann98]

Tendons are extensions of the muscle to the bone. Ligaments are thinner fibers that help connect two bones at a joint.

[@got2bjosh]

21:36 22:03 THIS is what will do De Minaur in over time. The body will say no more. Too physically demanding, all of this roadrunner tennis. Need shorter points. Better serving will be key.

[@jodiecatherine1433]

Play by play calling for tennis happens on tennis radio - they have loads of folk who are very skilled at calling each point rapid-fire. Unfortunately it's harder and harder to find tennis radio apart from the slams. They used to do it on the Masters tournaments as well. I really miss that, because if you can't watch the match it's awesome to have someone calling point by point, you're able to see everything clearly in your mind.

[@GillGross]

I know, I've done it myself! I work for US Open Radio every year. The comment was about TV though

[@rizkton81]

Ligaments is a bone to bone tissue. Tendons link bone to muscle. :)

[@domagojhrgovic7419]

Nadal's loss against Thompson isn't concerning imo. He has lost matches in Rome in the past before he would go on to win Roland Garros. Nadal and Đoković both know how to pace themselves for the slams. There have been a lot of positive signs for Nadal in Brisbane.

[@michaelgarza8271]

I find it so frustrating to hear so many people including journalists referring to a tennis match as a "game." Just saying...It's indicative of how ignorant people are about temnis.

[@Psyaii]

So many players make up haters to scapegoat their shortcomings. I remember a few years back when the Australian Womens team played very poorly throughout the world cup. Then when they finally won one the team was in press conferences saying "this shows all the haters", when there weren't haters, the team was literally performing poorly and being justly critisiced. The better response would be "we have improved a lot and will keep this form going now" or something more humble.

[@Jalleur14325]

Yes. Constructively appraising is different to throwaway negativity.

[@ATouchOfLove]

I will comment on the play-by-play question. The majors all have radio, and on the radio, they actually do play-by-play. It is absolutely invaluable to me. I am surprised Gill didn't mention it, since he has even been on the radio at times. I am totally blind, so play-by-play allows me to know what is going on during the match. And yes, I am a die-hard fan; I have been for 26 years now. Such a fan that I've gotten good at determining pretty reliably about where a ball has bounced on the court, even without play-by-play on the radio. But given the choice between listening to a match with play-by-play, versus having it on TV, I will choose play-by-play any day of the week.

[@al1976-v7m]

That is completely understandable if you are fully blind. I am not, and prefer no commentary during points (because i used to be a player myself) but i also really enjoy the grand slam radio coverage when i have no image to go with it.

[@tennisjourney]

I wanna see a training combine like the Next Gens but with the top 10. Demin vs. Carlitos who's faster? The slice baby. Underrated shot

[@got2bjosh]

Thanks, Gillyweed! I've so enjoyed United Cup! Of the five concurrent tournaments (Brisbane ATP/WTA, Auckland WTA, & Hong Kong ATP), UC has been my favorite to watch. There have been really high quality matches throughout. The SF between Germany & Australia will be talked about for the rest of the season. Fantastic stuff. Bravo to all who fought hard. No way the final will be as good. Germany will be too tired to defeat Poland which will be something new for the history books, lol. (JK, chill). Looking forward to the all-USA stacked draw of Adelaide. If NONE of them reach the final of that 250, USTA needs to have an emergency meeting on the state of US men's tennis. There I said it. This is getting ridiculous.

[@vivisolbiac365]

Nadal has to recover his service motion (USO 2010), and to play more inside the court, and to improve his forehand volley cross court, and to play with a bigger size frame racquet to compensate his lack of power and velocity

[@tennis-fan]

Idk why I haven t heard the argument that if Becker, Sampras, etc have been playing nowadays would have crushed most of the top players and would have become champions or even better champions because of their skills to lern, to grow, their mental toughness, consistency, dedication, eger to fight and win cus clearly they would have had different game than back then

[@Floodland-bn3ol]

Nick is just trolling, hopefully. Surely he must know that it's the mental aspect that makes the difference between a top 20 player and a legendary champion which Nadal pointed out in his book. "The difference is all mental". This mental strength transcends any era.

[@eampeters]

The Becker against Kyrgios feud is the exact reason why this whole "GOAT" discussion is so "stupid". ( Your own words Gill). It means NOTHING. You just cannot compare previous era's with THIS era.

[@HeavyTopspin]

But you can because the GOAT is not predicated on physical attributes, it's about a level of dominance against one's peers, particularly in individual sports like Tennis, Golf, and Boxing. This is especially true in tennis because careers of historically great players tend to span multiple generations of those peers.

[@blackkitty9054]

De Minaur is totally right about the doubters, you spoke about him for several minutes, but you are still a doubter, Alex has to live with that kind of comments and things, despite his accomplishments.

[@stef_v]

the doubts about his game are justified

[@z1az285]

kyrgios forgets that speed guns measured the ball differently (after the bounce) and they were 10 mph slower (16 kph) lower than today. Becker's average 1st serve speed was 207 kph in 1996 (atp hannover) . actually it was closer to 223 kph. in 1986 his average 1st serve speed was 141 mph. in reality it was closer to 151 mph. his second serve was 120 mph.

[@colethomas903]

@zlaz285 what’s up friend

[@z1az285]

@@colethomas903 Hey man, good to hear from you. eagerly waiting for the draw and how carlos draw looks like 😁✌️

[@Jalleur14325]

Gill what happened to the variety mailbag!?

[@SJ-di5zu]

I do feel Tsitsipas’s window is closing, but it’s a little too early to say so definitively. If he can have a strong bounce back season this year that resembles his 2021 form, Stef will still be in the running for slams. But right now, it does feel like his game is not constructed to beat the top players, and he’s beginning to feel like a low-end top 10 player rather than the top 5 player he was from 2019-21. The backhand will haunt Tsitsipas, and when I look at the top 8 I really don’t see anyone Tsitsipas matches up particularly well with. But again, I think on clay with Tsitsipas playing his best, he can really flip some of these H2H’s. We just haven’t really seen him play at that level since 2021, maybe Monte Carlo 2022. And even at that level, Alcaraz and Djokovic can still handle him. Zverev has the game to win a slam, but not the mental. It’s the same as always. Lately he has done better in best of 5, he has played the top players well, and there’s encouraging signs, but the question is if he gets the opportunity, can he hold his nerve? And anyways, there is still Medvedev, Djokovic, and Alcaraz who all seem to have the upper hand on him, although Zverev has proven he can pick up wins over any of those 3. Zverev’s window isn’t shutting any time soon in my opinion, but that doesn’t mean he will be able to win a slam either. Ironically, Zverev and Tsitsipas both had disastrously bad chokes at USO2020. Just thought that was funny. I’m convinced that’s the reason Tsitsipas still plays like garbage at the USO.

[@livingtribunal4110]

If Norrie can crack the Top 10, _anyone_ can - De Minaur, Brooksby, Thompson. We are truly in a tennis Golden Era of 'Mug-dom'.

[@got2bjosh]

8:49 Someone tell Fritz THIS. You can't survive on big serve + forehand alone. If he EVER wants to be top 10 again, he's going to have to improve. Demon DUSTED Fritz's bones to ash in that match and subsequently flipped places with him in the rankings by week's end. USA needs to STEP IT UP. Shelton & Korda out in R1 of Brisbane & Tiafoe getting blitz by Shang in R2 of Hong Kong. Weak sauce performances.

[@gsayshi]

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Break Point's second season. To be honest, I really enjoyed the first season and I didn't understand all the hate on the Internet. But the new one.. I just watched the first 2 episodes, and the second one.. well, I am really, really disappointed. The constant time / tournament/ player jumps are confusing, to say the least. They jumped straight from Rome's quarters (from Rune's perspective) to Wimbledon without even wrapping up Rome. I don't know. I am sad.

[@gsayshi]

Also I have heard that the one that features Zverev and Meddy is even worse, and that the narrative they have come up with (fabricated) is that Meddy is the villian.. I'm scared to even watch it

[@domagojhrgovic7419]

Kyrgios is disrespectful to the players that have had much better careers than him, but that's not surprising. He has a maturity of an adolescent.

[@kingoftennis94]

Cam does play by play, but 99.9% of his stream is memes, and not pBp

[@al1976-v7m]

Wouldn't Arthur Cazeaux be the obvious pick for "biggest talent outside the Top 30" after the Australian Open?

[@ism7588]

Really surprised at your Samsonova prediction. If anything, the 2023 season made me feel like she hit her ceiling in 2022. She’s just too error prone against more consistent players

[@carlherrera7764]

I’m a die hard fan and would love some play by play. It drives me crazy when it’s match point and the commentators don’t even mention it. Imagine any sport in a similar critical situation and just complete silence!

[@veronicanicholls7132]

Used to be a fan, however, the way he treated Nole finished me. He will never win a slam.

[@mireafelder8194]

1:48 Unfortunately the haters and doubters are always the loudest out there, especially on social media.

[@brentisverycool]

Someone should mention to Kyrgios the fact that Agassi fared better against prime Fed than he himself did against a fading Fed

[@michaelgarza8271]

Becker would kill Kyrgios. He was so mentally tough. Sampras was a warrior. Make today's guys play in the past with those raquets and shoes. Old man Agassi was more competitive with Federer at the US Open than he was against Sampras. It's ridiculous to compare eras. Becker had more dog in him than Kyrgios will ever have. I say all this as someone who likes Kyrgios. But, come on... Agassi was more

[@ism7588]

Ruusuvuori is my pick for most talented outside the top 30. So frustrating to watch most of the time.

[@tennishistoryandresultsdat4540]

IMO the most talented outside top 30 is Bublik. Maybe Gill didn't mention him, because Sasha kind of wounded in the head and it is not likely to get better any time soon. So maybe Gill gave up on him.

[@alexobed4252]

Told you you were sleeping on DeMinaur. ;)

[@joshuagrunberg8188]

demonGOAT 😈

[@aurei7775]

"I learned about the Roman empire but they would get eaten alive by even 3rd world militaries today, they suck" - Nick Kyrgios

[@MrAtaguas]

I feel like Nadal should have just returned for the clay season this year and played mainly doubles in team based events instead of overburdening his bodyy. He's been semi-injured most of the season the last 3-4 yrs what will change now? Come to think of it I dont remember the last time he played a full season

[@ZlatniPlast]

Relax. He just overload muscle. In AO he will go deep.

[@daylightSweet]

overburdening his body in 3 sets. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[@ZlatniPlast]

@@daylightSweet You don't get the broader picture. He trained for hours and for weeks. To be honest, Thompson played great and Nadal looked he is keeping it at 70%. Didn't even go to the net, that tells you a lot.

[@danielauthier4086]

Play by play is done in tennis with radio broadcasts.

[@GillGross]

I know, I work for US Open Radio. I was talking about play-by-play for TV.

[@Jalleur14325]

Re play by play. I thibk for those epic rallies a play by play world be great.

[@marekwichniarek268]

Great comment about Kyrgios stupidity and lack of respect.

[@marlenebuls9535]

I did not think DeMinaur would make the top 10. He has only beaten Rafa, Novak and Holger , when those 3 were compromised /injured. Therefore, an asterisk there, imo. But the win over Zverev is authentic, so I stand corrected. However, how long does he stay there? That is the question. How did Norrie beat him? That was DeMinaur's only loss in the United Cup.

[@colethomas903]

@marlenebuls9535 I agree I definitely didn’t see it either and agree with you on everything else

[@marlenebuls9535]

@@colethomas903 😊👍

[@daylightSweet]

DeManur is funky and punky.. dont like his attitude. the way he piled on Novak during the vax controversy was very poor sportsmanship.

[@commonwealthedison2640]

Gill clearly burning the candle on both ends.

[@livingtribunal4110]

_IF_ they ever meet again, Djokovic will _eviscerate_ Nadal on any surface, any tournament.

[@MistahhMingus]

No Nadal is gonna beat him

[@craigtimmons6907]

Probably not

[@user-wd7ue1wd6r]

Except RG NOVAK will punk rafa as in the past decade. Will not even give a set to rafa. But raf a on clay is a different animal.

[@donalonso2785]

Rafa is out of the AO... 😒

[@kawai99100]

Idiotic comment by Nick. What if Nick played in their time, with their racquets and the less training knowledge and diet....duh. Ok, what if Sampras, Becker had the technology in racquets, etc.....duh!

[@MistahhMingus]

Ha. Demon NO more like. The Djoker chooses to be mercy sometimes. He chose here, if this match mattered to Novak at all he would WON. DESTRUCTION. But no, No1e can give out an easy free win to a lesser opponent. We know who the true LION DOWN UNDER IS 🇷🇸🦁

[@aurei7775]

De Minaur is 24 and has never reached a Slam QF besides 1, which was the US 2020. He has won some glorified AO warm up matches & everyone is in this hypefest lol. I'm sure he will win some filler events but that's it, he just is not in the same league as the top players

[@GhostofGerulaitis]

I'm a huge Agassi guy, but NK is correct. You totally strawmaned him with your dumb "Thomas Edison" analogy. Why do you media bros just love distorting what players say? I mean, at least NK has the cojones to issue an actual opinion on something. 99% of the tour (ATP/WTA) is a personality dead zone. It's just an endless stream of safe, corporate-friendly bromides. But your Alex de Minaur commentary was spot on. He's a worker and I'm so jacked he's reaping the rewards. Go get 'em, Demon! Happy new year. Looking forward to the Gruskin stuff.

[@justusbeweel1109]

He’s not wrong , though. We don’t know how Agassi or Sampras would play if they grew up in an era with these polyester strings, slower courts and advanced training techniques and an emphasis on fitness and nutrition. If we just look at pure talent, the likes of Agassi had more power, better touch than Novak for example. Novak isn’t the most talented player ever, but he is fit, has a high tennis Iq and dedicates his entire life to the sport. You can’t compare eras. I like that NK speaks out his mind , but he clearly isn’t the smartest fella and hasn’t thought thus through. That being said, I like that he talks about things like this.

[@GhostofGerulaitis]

@justusbeweel1109 You went a long way just to call Kyrgios stupid. I'm beginning to think much of what constitutes "tennis analysis" is really just people trying to wax intellectual so as to conceal their disdain for public figures who don't perfectly reflect their own ideological prejudices. But putting that aside, I just don't find the technology and court surface arguments compelling. We'll just have to agree to disagree there. But I do find the tennis IQ argument critical. The game requires much more of it now than it did in the 90s. There's literally more competition, more academies, more college and university programs, more private financing, more nations entering the conversation which only previously was limited to the US, Europe, and Australia. There's also, literally, more rallies, more tournaments, more time on tour, which means a greater strain on pro bodies. Also, you absolutely *can* compare eras. Is anyone truly gonna back Bill Tilden against Carlos Alcaraz in any condition and with any available technology? NK is, technically, an expert. You, me, Gill Gross are not. He's allowed to make opinions about recent eras. He also happens to be correct. Becker and his defenders are just fetishizing historical reverence and respectability politics. But selectively, of course, because nobody wants to ever acknowledge that the reason it took 100+ years for Africa and Asia to get a champion wasn't about the global north being inherently better athletes. Lol No, nobody wants to "respect the past of our sport" that way, do they?

[@GillGross]

I love that Nick throws his opinions out there! And I also think this take on the past eras is completely thoughtless. Jim Courier would wreck Rod Laver. So what? What does that mean? I think it means nothing. So it's ridiculous to use this as a means of taking away credit from past players or propping up your own era.

[@user-wd7ue1wd6r]

​@@GhostofGerulaitisI don't necessarily have agreed with you in the past however in the recent past apparently you have had your own Nick Kyrgios (transition from a Non sense to making sense guy) moment. You have turned the corner until you turn another turn dimi.

[@GhostofGerulaitis]

@@GillGross He didn't "take away credit from past players." He expressly celebrated their achievements. But he also doesn't want to lie about the difficulty of today's game simply to maintain some semblance of social decorum. By the way, Nikola Tesla was better.

[@Joseph.Ghobrial]

outside the top 30 probaly goes to nadal

[@68yloponom]

How do you get to be a grown ass adult, and not know that a ligament and a tendon are different ? NOT the actual difference but just that they are different - did the US stop teaching biology or something ? Wow, really surprised but otherwise AWESOME AS ALWAYS, this guy is "the bomb!"

[@andrescarro8200]

As a PT student, you would be amazed the amount of people who know very little about their own bodies. It’s on us to help people understand their bodies better.

[@ColasSaloc]

Kyrgios is a grown up kid,not an adult, picking stupid fights for no reason, how many GS he won? Zero. Null. Better he focus on himself