SKILLS

Learning Tennis from Rafael Nadal | Three Ep. 6

On Ep. 6, Joel, Amy and Gill speculate on legacy of the 2020 US Open, tackling the widely debated question: will the champion deserve an asterisk? Then, following Roger Federer last week, we transition into things recreational players can learn from Rafael Nadal’s game. Everyone can agree his mentality is legendary. Debates emerge on the subject of tactics: is classical Spanish tennis- with emphasis on consistency, fitness, racket speed and great footwork- at odds with recent data about the importance of rallies under four shots? Regardless, Nadal has developed as much more than a classic clay court grinder. We discuss.

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Three is a show about Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. These competitively dominant tennis icons have been a lifeline to millions of fans around the world. We look to tell their stories through discussions of tennis history, tactics, psychology, technique and more.

California-based Joel Drucker has been writing about tennis for nearly 40 years, his work appearing in such outlets as Tennis Channel, Tennis.com, Racquet and a host of general interest media, including the New York Times, HBO, CBS, Cigar Aficionado, Men’s Journal and People Magazine. Author of the book, “Jimmy Connors Saved My Life,” Joel is also a historian-at-large for the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Amy Lundy is a reporter whose work has been featured on ESPN, CNN and The Golf Channel. She is Director of Films at The Tennis Congress.

Gill Gross is the host of Monday Match Analysis. His weekly YouTube show, which analyzes ATP matches and news, has amassed over 5,000 subscribers.

Music: Big Bird’s Date Night by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
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