Tripp’s Tennis Talk

"The Inner Game of Tennis" ft. Brian Baldauff

Episode 127 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a conversation with Brian Baldauff about the book "The Inner Game of Tennis."
Brian Baldauff is the Associate Professor of Percussion at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. From 2007-09 he was, at various points, my marching band instructor and private teacher when we both lived in Florida. In this conversation, we discuss how ascribing judgment to action can affect performance, two pedagogical approaches relating to technique, and the state of modern education, among other topics.
Apologies to people that don't normally listen for the bit/skit at the beginning. I usually focus on "news of the day" on the pro tennis tour and I've been on hiatus, so I absolutely had to address that briefly here. And I really, really, really liked this bit actually, so, it stays in. :)
I am not a very good interviewer because I don't do a lot of interviews. I started this one way, way off but I settled down a little bit the more it went along. It still wasn't my best work though. I need to practice my hosting skills when another human is involved. Hmm, maybe Self 1 is too involved in this thought. Objective, right? Okay, how about this. My syntax was halting and incomplete at times, I would have liked to speak in more calm and complete sentences. See? I just applied The Inner Game! All it takes is just doing it, right? If I do more interviews I'll become more comfortable without over-trying.
Peanut butter is still, in fact, the shit.
-
Gallwey's website including a link to buy the book - https://theinnergame.com
-
Intro Music: "A Dark Zone" from Deltarune Chapter 4 by Toby Fox (2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-ifukvnICY
Outro Music: "Journal" from Flashback, used in DOOM II Sunlust MAP01 "Chasing Suns"  (1992/2015) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixE9Z8zlPvk
-
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk and download new episodes!
 

Low-Leverage Leviathan (Monte-Carlo Tuesday)

Episode 126 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a breakdown of Matteo Berrettini's 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over #1 seed Alexander Zverev at Monte-Carlo, as well as a full recap of the rest of the day.
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk and download new episodes!
-
"Seaside Kingdom" from Super Mario Odyssey
"Summers, Eternal Tourist Trap" from Earthbound remixed by Will Vega
Match audio from Tennis TV.

Turning Point for Medvedev? (Monte-Carlo 2025 Monday)

Episode 125 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a tournament preview of the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters and a recap of action from Sunday and Monday, featuring Tabilo's 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 over the former champion Stan Wawrinka and Daniil Medvedev's shaky topsy-turvy win over Khachanov 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
-
QF
6 Tsitsipas d 1 Zverev3 Djokovic d Baez4 Ruud d Etcheverry7 Rublev d 2 Alcaraz 
SF
3 Djokovic d 6 Tsitsipas4 Ruud d 7 Rublev
F
4 Ruud d 3 Djokovic
-
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk and download new episodes!
-
Intro Music - Seaside Kingdom music from "Super Mario Odyssey"
-
Outro Music - Summers music from "Earthbound" remixed by Will Vega https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQc546L8c8k
 

More!!! (2025 Road to Roland Garros)

Episode 124 features a lookahead to the 2025 clay court season. Are we buying or selling the stock on top-ranked players? Can players that won big 1000 events last spring back it up this year? And who will win coveted seeding bracket spots for Roland Garros this year?
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk and download new episodes!
Music: "More" from "TNT: Evilution" written by Tom Mustaine and covered by Xeotroid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He3F4CQFZVY&t=512s
-
Race to Roland Garros Ranking (points Roland Garros 2024 to Miami 2025)1. Sinner 97303. Alcaraz 6520------2. Zverev 64454. Fritz  4680-----5. Djokovic 40607. Draper 366010. De Minaur 298511. Medvedev 2890-------6. Ruud 27159. Rublev 23908. Tsitsipas 1915 (#27)
-
Points earned during Race to Roland Garros 20248. Tsitsipas 15302. Zverev 12006. Ruud 11409. Rublev 10504. Fritz 6101. Sinner 6005. Djokovic 45011. Medvedev 40010. De Minaur 3503. Alcaraz 2007. Draper 120
Lower ranked players with big points to defend:
Lehecka - madrid semisFelix - madrid semis Tabilo - rome semisJarry - rome finals Paul - rome semis 
-
WTA top 3 race to roland garros points (points Roland Garros 2024 to Miami 2025):
Sabalenka 9061Gauff 5445Swiatek 5275

Address Unknown ft Rory Renzy

Episode 123 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features an Indian Wells wrap-up and a lookahead to Miami featuring frequent contributor and on-site reporter Rory Renzy. Mirra Andreeva gave a fearless performance from a set down to beat an ambivalent Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Jack Draper beat a listless Carlos Alcaraz (6-1, 0-6, 6-4) and a listless Holger Rune (6-2, 6-2) in the final two rounds to win the men's event. Andreeva's 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 takedown of Iga Swiatek is also discussed.
But the real question is - what Address will these players end up at? I make the case that we don't really know the final destination of any of these players, whether they had success or failure this weekend. Their address is unknown. Indian Wells 2025 was only a data point on a much larger journey and not an opportunity to stop and make a big sweeping claim about the state of tennis.
Miami WTA picks: SF - Gauff d Zheng, Pegula d Bencic, F - Pegula d Gauff.
Miami ATP picks: SF - Hurkacz d Zverev, Medvedev d Alcaraz; F - Medvedev d Hurkacz.
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk and download new episodes!

What Does NASCAR Do Better Than Tennis?

Episode 122 of Tripp's Tennis Talk, as a means of catching up on Indian Wells, features the framing device "what does NASCAR do better than tennis, and vice versa?," inspired by my weekend trip to Phoenix, Arizona for the Shriners Children's 500 NASCAR Cup Series race.
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk and download new episodes!

"Worst Match I've Ever Played" - Indian Wells Day 1

Episode 121 of Tripp's Tennis Talk is a quick recap of Indian Wells Day 1, featuring Osorio's 6-4, 6-4 win over Osaka and Gracheva's comeback 3-set win against Kvitova 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk and download new episodes!

2025 BNP Paribas Open Preview

Episode 120 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a line-by-line bracket prediction for the 2025 BNP Paribas Open. I picked all 128 lines, TLDR the final 8 picks are listed below.
Sabalenka d PaoliniKeys d GauffRybakina d PegulaSwiatek d Zheng
Sabalenka d KeysSwiatek d Rybakina
Swiatek d Sabalenka
---
Zverev d TsitsipasPaul d FilsFritz d RublevDe Minaur d Alcaraz
Paul d ZverevDe Minaur d Fritz
De Minaur d Paul
-
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk and download new episodes!

Tripp's Tennis Talk: The Return

Episode 119 of Tripp's Tennis Talk features a preliminary dissection of the 2025 Indian Wells singles draws, television broadcast information on how to watch the tournament, the current state of Ukraine and how it relates to tennis, an aggregation/examination of the Rybakina/Vukov "toxic" relationship, and brief comments about Jannik Sinner's doping suspension and Serena Williams' ownership stake in the Toronto Tempo.
This one gets into some heavier and slightly more far afield topics, so consider this a fair warning.
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk and download new episodes!
(Music - Scaraba arrangement by PPF https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roP8zpDVXnY)

Sleep Is For The Weak

Episode 118 of Tripp's Tennis Talk ostensibly is a Sinner vs Shelton recap from the 2025 Australian Open Semifinals but in reality is a digression into tennis viewing, sleep deprivation, aging, and working.
Sinner won 7-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Subscribe to Tripp's Tennis Talk and download new episodes!