Will Berrettini Return to Top-10? | Mailbag

[@katherineannbyam]

Hey Gill thanks for your words on Thiem - and I have to say - being in the Wein Stadhaller - Vienna Open for the first set of Thiem v Darderi was the most amazing live tennis experience I've ever had, because the crowd was living every point - no more than that every swing of his racket with him - that he got that set to a tie break was largely due to a nation that didn't want to let him go without a fight. Truly amazing energy and show of love for a hometown hero and for some of us a global Icon ;)

[@chriscassar9837]

We talk about Rune struggles every mailbag… we gotta switch it up

[@darrenjohn8524]

Gil needs to ignore those questions then.

[@malekat8539]

As a Rune fan, I don't mind hearing more talk about him

[@SJ-di5zu]

Agreed, I think we should start ignoring some of the most liked comments because they’re becoming very repetitive

[@nayanmallick2809]

Love your honest take on PTPA! Lot of people called out Andy on his strong stance on the Pod but it was mostly very much calling a spade a spade!

[@Leejungwoo48]

Hey Gill, can you see Tomic returning back to the top 100 in the world? Or even top 50? What are your thoughts on Tomic's future in tennis? Thanks.

[@zetristan4525]

If we could sell Karue's 🎾showdown with Gill, how much would that gross? (Gill gets $1.5 million for each game he wins - If GG does win a game, Karue gets investigated for matchfixing ;)

[@diegomattia4806]

Jack Draper just claimed victory at the Vienna Open, playing the best tennis of his career so far. Every time I see him at his peak, I can’t help but think he’s destined for the No. 1 spot someday. What do you think of him? I love how he doesn’t need full-body movement to generate power-he just positions himself perfectly, and his arm strength does the rest. It’s impressive how he can almost stand still, yet produce such incredible power and accuracy with every shot. If his stamina improves, I honestly think he could surpass even Sinner and Alcaraz.

[@arvinds4961]

Sinner will be a huge obstacle for Draper he has all tools to bother Draper much more than anybody else. Draper had the best ever run to an us open semis ever then when he faced sinner he couldn't win a set despite sinner not being at his absolute best .

[@raytrace2014]

My fear with Draper is his mental and physical toughness. He appears to be getting stronger and stronger and I hope that continues but it's not a natural thing for him. Sinner and Alcaraz seem tougher in a more natural or effortless way. Jack really has to work for it.

[@diegomattia4806]

​@@arvinds4961 Look, I’m Italian, so it’s not like I’m rooting for someone to surpass Sinner! But honestly, when Draper was fully fit during their last match, he looked like the better player. His performance declined fast when his stamina failed him, and he even started vomiting on the court. That’s why I mentioned his stamina in my comment. Also, he’s only 22 and had injuries that kept him off the court for a while. I genuinely believe he’s the one player with the talent to potentially outplay both Sinner and Alcaraz in the years to come.

[@aleemastro]

first of all he has to improve on his physique, after that i think he has the potential to be a top 10 player (maybe even top 5 in 2/3 years). Sinner and Alcaraz are both better than him in every aspect.

[@joyrichards1419]

@@raytrace2014 Not so much the mental, but the physical. He clearly gets tired in second set, and also has trouble with the heat. But he's aware and will find a way. He's moving up fast, and remember, Alex Ruskin had him at the top of his list for the under 23 yo's.

[@abbynash9565]

Gill I'm a long time tennis fan (can you say 1970s Bjorn Borg?) and I greatly appreciate your content. In this pod at 5:42 in you said "It's just looks so much easier to exploit his backhand". I'm wondering, after all these years he's been a top 10er or close, given he's such a good athlete, why hasn't he improved his BH drive? For years, all his opponents play to his BH, and still, little or no improvement. You can't do much about your court movement but you can about your stroke production.

[@MrCWL]

Gill did address this query on another mailbag maybe a year ago or so. I remember him concluding that fixing someone's technique that they've had since childhood can sometimes be impossible. And that you can make changes to it but you also need to win with it to get these effects done psychologically in yourself to be relying on them in the biggest moments. Which is maybe why the big three were so successful at changing their technique and/or playing style a lot; because they won and generated a lot of confidence in themselves. Might be harder for someone like Berretini to make big technical improvements on something like his backhand, which would have to look quite different to be more effective. He seems to want to redirect the ball more with that shot to set up forehands, rather than punish with it on its own.

[@abbynash9565]

@@MrCWL thanks for your thoughtful reply. At 28 yo MB may well be past the window of time he has to upgrade his BH. He's not going to win a major w/ his present game. Or he may not care.

[@Agent77X]

Berrettini needs to up his serves by 50mph each and improve his backhand speed and pinpoint placement to get back into top 10 now!😂

[@MaxDangVu]

On the Thiem tribute, how would you compare his legacy and career to Daniil Medvedev? Both won a slam, but Meddy made more slam finals, won the ATP finals, more M1000s and reached world number 1. But I never really felt he moved the needle or peaked as much as Domi, especially in the big three matchups and the playstyle perhaps.

[@lachlancampbell5679]

good question. I'm inclined to agree with you. Feels like Medvedev is on track to having a greater legacy and being more 'remembered' yet Thiem was the more talented, damaging player of the two

[@puccilongatti6467]

Uhm what about his backhand?

[@mariepelletier3020]

happy to hear you're not against the PTPA, cause tennis is Byzantine, bizarre and bonkers and the various tournaments, the ATP & the WTA, to say nothing of the ITIA & WADA, treat the players--men & women--like gladiators.

[@TenaciousE03]

12:58 Goffin as well, but he's quicker around the court

[@72PMChambers]

I see issues with the PTPA. Usually, a union represents members with similar goals and finances. Having worked in a Unionised workplace, I have found Electrical unions, automotive unions, Builders' unions, other trade unions, and Professional Associations acting as unions for Engineers, Lawyers, professionals, etc. It's not one Union representing all levels. The PTPA is trying to represent too many vastly differing groups, from the mega-wealthy top 3-5 to the lowly 100+. To the point of amateur (unable to directly survive on tour). It represents players from the ATP and WTA, whose circuits and monetary generation differ. It represents players from unsupportive countries to highly sports-socialised countries that support their players regardless of direct player monetary generation (government-supported clinics and systems). Then you included doubles, mixed doubles and wheelchair tennis. There are a lot of players trying to get a piece of the pie when the majority of the pie is generated by very few players. More importantly, the power is in a handful of players hence the compulsory ATP500 attendance. I can not see this amount of differing intentions coming together on major issues. I can't even see ATP and WTA aligning. Did the Madrid owner recently say he'd like to make it a ATP only tourney and that he loses money with the WTA. Regarding revenue, does the PTPA understand that the revenue for these events, especially the larger events no cover the infrastructure costs. The AO is pretty much paid for through state and federal taxation, during COVID I believe the Vic Gov waved the infrastructure costs. A country like Australia has very socialised sporting events, it's a bit like the Roman Gladiators. Government-funded events to appease the voters. Votes would rather have stadiums for football than hospitals for the sick (AKA Tasmania AFL bid). Due to the touring circuit / circus the infrastructure cost is enormous and the bigger the event, the more the infrastructure that is assumed to be picked up by local taxpayers. The last year of the Hopman Cup, Federer was paid his usual $US1M appearance money. He could not generate that revenue through the event so the WA taxpayer paid for it as part of the WA Tourism funds. He did a few photo shoots with native animals and had a hit-and-giggle. In my lifetime I've seen a lot of 250 start up and run out of cash because without top players no one cares. is the PTA going to address appearance money? Monies that could be rolled into the prize money are required to bring eyes to the game. Will the PTPA address the Exo issues which are starting to grow and put their top players offside. Can they work out a solution to the WTA prize money differential for non-major events? Who are going to be the winners and losers? The power is concentrated at a very few and are they willing to subsidise further their earnings. Top players often complain about a too-long season, and yet they want to play Exo's. Borg effectively quite after he was forced to play tour matches instead of Exo's. Lower players need to play more Touneys as they tend to be out after 1-2 matches, they need either big 1st round prize money like at Majors else lower lower-level tourneys to make coin, relying on luck for a good first draw. My point is I can see how a PTPA can exist when there are so many differing representatives and the earnings power is held by very few. It's also unclear whether the revenue generated covers the true costs and if not for government-subsided infrastructure the tour would need to be much smaller than currently is. Not to the extent of the "Pro-circuit" of the 50-60's where a small number of players played each other often at temporary venues or country clubs. But definitely not the current level of men's, women's, doubles, mixed, wheelchair, etc and expect a flatter prize money scale. I don't have a solution to more revenue but I also query that it is purely a, "more of the revenue" issue as well. Tennis needs more eyes to generate more men's of revenue either directly (prize money) or indirectly (Endorsements, Exo, appearance money).

[@The4.0Guy]

You make a lot of good points. The tennis landscape is very complicated, so many different groups with different agenda's. The needs of the players struggling to make ends meet is hugely different than the top players (that made it through that situation). Does anybody know how actors unions work? I don't but the tennis players seem similar to actors in a way? The top ones make huge money, some middle ones make a living and a huge number never make a dime. The big studios are like the big tournaments e.g Wimbledon. How do actors unions work and have they helped the average actor like the PTPA wants to achieve?

[@raytrace2014]

Ah, back when Matteo used the 360+ Extreme paint job and a Signum stencil.

[@sapientbudgie5652]

Berritini needs a backhand and can barely run.

[@arkine11]

PTPA has definitely not achieved its goals yet. It's a young organization, and usually these types of things take at least 5 years to get going,so it's not at all surprising really. I think Nadal and Federer not supporting it early on had a big impact on that as well, since they have a lot of influence. I wonder if Djokovic will focus more heavily on building it up when he retires, as that could have a big impact.

[@joshforde698]

I don't think Thiem underachieved with one Slam, but I think one Masters 1000, for the level he was at for three years was probably an underachievement for him. Should have got 2-4 of those.

[@Aliceteacup]

Regarding the PTPA, imo Roddick was too generous. The entire enterprise sounds like a grift. If there is no membership, the players are not stakeholders, if there are no stakeholders, there is effectively no rank and file. That any of the 3 are pursuing this to “help players” is dubious at best for a number of reasons too numerous to list.

[@AdebayoD]

Gill, for disclosure purposes, you should have said you work with Andy and John before giving your opinion on the topic. I know you usually say that sometimes.

[@imkursed7393]

When has he worked with John and Andy

[@AdebayoD]

@@imkursed7393 They are colleagues at Tennis Channel

[@rublo1]

@@imkursed7393on tennis channel

[@harrdeeharr]

@@imkursed7393Roddick’s podcast is produced by Tennis Channel, which is Gill’s employer.

[@Tuzzz94]

Carousel?

[@mariepelletier3020]

Rune: Just admit the problem is his mother--

[@Tuzzz94]

You should first explain what PTPA is before you talk about it...

[@schneider8181]

Berrettini wants to enter the top 30 to start as a seed at the AO next year. It looks that he is going to miss for a few points. Should he go to the Challengers at Kobe and Yokohama.? There are potentially 175 relatively easy points that could make the difference and propel him in the top 30.

[@creativestudio101]

No he won't, too injury prone, and the talent nowadays too high. Berrettini is not a complete player, simple as that.

[@cristianovia]

Berrettini is actually 36 today.

[@ariannamartello5198]

He’s 28

[@cristianovia]

@@ariannamartello5198 ranking not age

[@ariannamartello5198]

@@cristianoviaoh sorry, my bad

[@sonnysantino7849]

No, he won't

[@cosplaytimecapsule]

No.

[@MasseyVF]

Kudos, Gill, for your comments re the insensitive 'verbiage' in The Draw on Dimitrov talking about mental health. Clearly, still a long way to go to get universally healthier attitudes towards this issue.