Wharton Moneyball The Data Behind Tennis Greats with Craig O'Shannessy
5 snips
Jul 23, 2025 
Craig O'Shannessy, a tennis strategy advisor from Brain Game Tennis, shares his insights on the current landscape of professional tennis. He discusses Novak Djokovic’s limited schedule and potential waning dominance. The conversation shifts to Rafael Nadal's grand slam head-to-head success and the rising rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Craig analyzes Sinner's near Grand Slam achievement and contrasts Alcaraz's high variance playstyle with Sinner's consistency. The podcast also touches on golf and MLB highlights, showcasing O'Shannessy's multifaceted sports expertise.
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Djokovic's Narrowing Window
- Craig O'Shannessy says Novak Djokovic is aging and likely to play an abbreviated schedule, hurting his major chances.
- Reduced week-to-week play lowers match fitness and makes injuries more likely, limiting Novak's window.
Nadal's Slam-Stage Dominance
- Rafael Nadal holds a winning head-to-head record against every other player at Grand Slams, highlighting his dominance on majors.
- That record is meaningful because head-to-head performance on tennis's biggest stage signals exceptional clutch dominance.
Dustin Brown's Upset Over Nadal
- Craig recalls Dustin Brown beating Nadal at Wimbledon 2015 as the best day of tennis he worked on.
- Eric and Craig note Dustin Brown also beat Nadal in Halle 2014, giving Brown a 2-0 lifetime record vs. Nadal.
