Detailed Summary of Episode 131 – Beyond Top 10 Tennis
Introduction [0:00-0:05]
Dr. Ashley Morgan Berge begins the “Beyond Top 10 Tennis” podcast, emphasizing her qualifications as an author, CEO, and elite performance coach with 19 years of experience. Her work is centered on athlete development, with a focus on achieving top 10 tennis rankings, including injury prevention and conditioning. This podcast has surpassed 130 episodes.
Gratitude and Season Wrap-up [0:05-0:10]
Dr. Berge thanks both long-time listeners and newcomers to the podcast. She notes the current tennis season is nearing its end with the Davis Cup finals remaining. The Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup) is complete, and the season-ending champions for the ATP and WTA tours are known. This episode is refined due to her busy schedule and the season’s end.
New Book Release [0:10-0:15]
Dr. Berge announces that her 13th book is set for release in the second or third week of December. This book consolidates concepts from her previous 11 essential texts. It includes weekly planners with questions and will be released in two parts, with the second part due early next year. The book is designed to be compact and accessible for use both on and off the court. It is intended to guide readers through her existing work and offer new resources and information, with discussions that parallel the current season. Further details will be shared soon.
Episode Structure and Season Break [0:15-0:20]
Due to the season’s conclusion, the episodes will be shorter. There are some smaller events and the Next Gen finals before Christmas. The podcast will take a brief break, returning before the new year. Dr. Berge mentions ongoing smaller tournaments on the WTA and ATP tours, involving players ranked outside the top 80-100. These tournaments offer fewer points but will track players moving into the top 100 or 50.
Billie Jean King Cup Round One [0:20-0:25]
The episode starts with a review of the Billie Jean King Cup. Canada, Australia, the Czech Republic, and Italy received first-round byes. Germany defeated Great Britain. Slovakia defeated the USA, with Player A and Player B winning their singles matches, and Player C and Player D securing the doubles. Poland beat Spain, with Player E winning a close singles match and Świątek winning her singles match; doubles were not played. Japan defeated Romania, with Player F winning a singles match and Player G and Player H winning the doubles.
Billie Jean King Cup Quarterfinals [0:25-0:30]
In the quarterfinals, Great Britain defeated Canada. Slovakia defeated Australia. Poland defeated the Czech Republic in a tight match that went to doubles with Świątek and Player I winning. Italy defeated Japan.
Billie Jean King Cup Semi-Finals [0:30-0:35]
In the semi-finals, Slovakia upset Great Britain. Italy defeated Poland in a close tie, with Paolini and Świątekplaying a closely contested singles match.
Billie Jean King Cup Finals [0:35-0:40]
The final saw Italy defeat Slovakia to win the Billie Jean King Cup. Paolini is recognised for her stellar season and performance at the event. There are two smaller WTA events in Charleston and Chile, but the primary focus is on the major competitions.
WTA Rankings Review [0:40-0:45]
Dr. Berge reviews the WTA rankings, noting some changes since the WTA Finals. She begins from #100, working her way up. Player J is at 100, Player K is at 99. Player L is at 94, Player M is at 91. Player N is at 89 and Player O is at 88. Kenin is at 85, Tomljanovic is at 84 and Siniakova is at 83.
WTA Rankings Mid-Range [0:45-0:50]
Stephens is at 79, Player P is at 72, Townsend is at 69, and Player Q is up to 65. Player R is a player to watch. Osaka is at 59 and Riske is at 58.
WTA Rankings Movers and Shakers [0:50-0:55]
Player S, who was outside the top 100 two weeks prior, is now at 52. Jabeur is at 42 and Player T is at 41. Player U is at 40 and Player V is at 39. Sakkari is at 32 and Fernandez is at 31.
WTA Top 20 [0:55-1:00]
Player W is at 26, Player X is at 25, Boulter is at 24, Player Y is at 22, Keys is at 21, and Player Z is at 20.
ATP Finals Review [1:00-1:05]
Dr. Berge shifts to the ATP tour, focusing on the ATP Finals. She reviews the earlier days of the tournament, noting Sinner’s win over Fritz, and Medvedev’s win over Zverev. She mentions that some listeners may know the outcome, and she doesn’t want to reveal the results.
ATP Finals Day 4-6 [1:05-1:10]
On Day 4, Zverev defeated Player AA, and Player BB was defeated by Player CC. On Day 5, Sinner beat Medvedev, and Player DD lost to Fritz. Day 6 saw Zverev defeat Player AA, and Player CC lose to Player BB.
ATP Finals Semi-Finals and Finals [1:10-1:15]
The semi-finals were between Sinner and Player CC, and Fritz and Zverev. Sinner won against Player CC, and Fritz beat Zverev. The final was a repeat of the round-robin match between Sinner and Fritz with Sinner again winning in straight sets.
ATP Rankings Top 10 [1:15-1:20]
Dr. Berge reviews the ATP rankings, noting that Sinner is now ranked number one. Zverev is number two, and Player AA (Alcaraz) is number three. Fritz has moved up to a career-high ranking of four, with Medvedev at five. Player CC is now ranked sixth, and Djokovic has fallen to seventh.
ATP Rankings Rest of Top 10 [1:20-1:25]
Player BB is at 8, Player DD is at 9, and Dimitrov rounds out the top 10. She notes that Player DD deserves a higher rank and his performance in the Grand Slams is superior to Player BB.
ATP Rankings Outside Top 10 [1:25-1:30]
Player EE, Player FF, Player GG and Player HH are ranked outside the top 10, rounding out the top 15. Other players of note are: Player II at 20, Player JJ, and Player KK. There are some minor changes in the rankings with some players having a week off. Player LL is ranked 38 and Player MM 37. Player NN is at 50, and Player OO is at 52, while Player PP is at 55. Player QQ is 56. Player RR is at 68.
ATP Rankings Review cont [1:30-1:35]
Player DD has moved down to 79. Player SS is at 80, and Player TT is at 82. Player UU is at 84. Player VV is 35 and a player Dr Berge overlooked. Player WW is currently ranked 163, having dropped out of the top 100 in July, and is a player she is curious to see how he will fare next season. Player WW is 39 and she notes that he is one of the last players from a past era.
Coaching Success Segment [1:35-1:40]
Dr. Berge transitions to a segment from her book series, “The Secrets to Optimal Coaching Success,” specifically focusing on golf and coordination. The chapter emphasizes the importance of hand-eye coordination. She remarks on a decline in hand-eye coordination in younger players over the last 10-20 years. She suggests playing catch to identify any deficiencies.
Hand Eye Coordination [1:40-1:45]
She states that hand-eye coordination is a fundamental skill that should be developed regardless of age. For players in the top 50/30, it is a skill they possess, but continued work is still beneficial. She notes that it has become less common because children are not playing freely.
Golf and Coordination [1:45-1:50]
Dr. Berge explains the crossover benefits between tennis and golf. She notes that hand-eye coordination is transferable between sports but cautions against sports that may compromise a tennis player’s technique, such as badminton or pickleball. She alludes to chapters on sister sports in her book series as well as the new book release.
Episode Wrap-up [1:50-1:55]
The episode concludes with a summary of the Billie Jean King Cup and ATP Finals results. Dr. Berge expects the rankings to remain relatively stable for the next few weeks. She encourages listeners to purchase her books and announces that the new book release is only weeks away.
Additional Points on the NEW Book Release:
Dr. Berge mentions that the new book, “My [Tennis] Black Book: Federer, Nadal, Serena, Djokovic” will be available on AM International and Amazon.
The upcoming new book, “My [Tennis] Black Book: Federer, Nadal, Serena, Djokovic,” will offer insights into developing a top 10 tennis ranking and provide a comprehensive framework for success.
The book “My [Tennis] Black Book: Federer, Nadal, Serena, Djokovic” will integrate the earlier episodes of “Beyond Top 10 Tennis”, that includes over 1 million words.
Availability: The new release, “My [Tennis] Black Book: Federer, Nadal, Serena, Djokovic”, is set to launch before Christmas. Dr. Berge encourages viewers to watch for updates on the title, which will be shared in the coming weeks. The new book “My [Tennis] Black Book: Federer, Nadal, Serena, Djokovic” will have a worldwide release.
Rankings Reference List
1.Sinner (ATP #1)
2.Zverev (ATP #2)
3.Player AA (ATP #3)
4.Fritz (ATP #4)
5.Medvedev (ATP #5)
6.Player CC (ATP #6)
7.Djokovic (ATP #7)
8.Player BB (ATP #8)
9.Player DD (ATP #9)
10.Dimitrov (ATP #10)
11.Player EE (ATP #11-15)
12.Player FF (ATP #11-15)
13.Player GG (ATP #11-15)
14.Player HH (ATP #11-15)
15.Player II (ATP #20)
16.Player JJ (ATP #20-50)
17.Player KK (ATP #20-50)
18.Player LL (ATP #38)
19.Player MM (ATP #37)
20.Player NN (ATP #50)
21.Player OO (ATP #52)
22.Player PP (ATP #55)
23.Player QQ (ATP #56)
24.Player RR (ATP #68)
25.Player SS (ATP #80)
26.Player TT (ATP #82)
27.Player UU (ATP #84)
28.Player VV (ATP #35)
29.Player WW (ATP #163)
30.Świątek (WTA #1)
31.Sabalenka (WTA #2)
32.Gauff (WTA #3)
33.Paolini (WTA #4)
34.Rybakina (WTA #5)
36.Player Z (WTA #20)
37.Keys (WTA #21)
38.Player Y (WTA #22)
39.Boulter (WTA #24)
40.Player X (WTA #25)
41.Player W (WTA #26)
42.Fernandez (WTA #31)
43.Sakkari (WTA #32)
44.Player V (WTA #39)
45.Player U (WTA #40)
46.Player T (WTA #41)
47.Jabeur (WTA #42)
48.Player S (WTA #52)
49.Riske (WTA #58)
50.Osaka (WTA #59)
51.Player Q (WTA #65)
52.Townsend (WTA #69)
53.Player P (WTA #72)
54.Stephens (WTA #79)
55.Siniakova (WTA #83)
56.Tomljanovic (WTA #84)
57.Kenin (WTA #85)
58.Player O (WTA #88)
59.Player N (WTA #89)
60.Player M (WTA #91)
61.Player L (WTA #94)
62.Player K (WTA #99)
63.Player J (WTA #100)
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