Episode 21 of the Tennis Abstract Podcast, with Carl Bialik of the Thirty Love podcast, is our attempt to reconcile discussions of tennis tactics with those of tennis analytics. We start with our interest in the talented and crafty Alex De Minaur, then cover the oft-ignored tactical skills of Jo Wilfried Tsonga, the usefulness of tactical tips in the amateur game, and the constraints that coaches face when turning their observations into insights that players can use.
As a bonus, we also touch on this year’s new incentive to play doubles at Indian Wells, the crazy new proposal to overhaul Davis Cup, and the recent spate of tennis movies, especially Battle of the Sexes. In keeping with Jeff’s recent return to the U.S., it’s a super-sized episode, clocking in at just under 95 minutes.
Finally, we hope our audio quality is continuing to improve. We’re both now using proper mics, and the difference is, well, audible. Thanks for listening!
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Update: Thank you to FBITennis for outlining this episode, with timestamps:
| Alex De Minaur | 1:38 |
| Tsonga Decisionmaking | 8:10 |
| Pesky/Smart Players | 12:30 |
| What are “tactics”? How to analyze? | 15:00 |
| Testing effectiveness of shot patterns | 20:43 |
| DIY Tactics | 27:00 |
| Pros and Coaching Advice | 34:40 |
| Which analytics might be useful to pros? | 39:58 |
| Indian Wells Singles/Doubles Bonus | 1:02:00 |
| Reformatting Davis Cup | 1:05:19 |
| Tennis Movies | 1:18:00 |