Best Of Three

This episode examines the evolving matchup between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka following Sabalenka’s Miami Open victory, using it as a lens to understand broader trends in the women’s game. Rather than framing Gauff as a player limited by technical inconsistencies, we position her as a uniquely constructed elite—an “overachieving counterpuncher” whose competitive resilience and adaptability all...

Sebastian Korda’s win over Carlos Alcaraz in Miami serves as more than a standout result—it offers a tactical framework for competing against one of the sport’s most explosive players. In this episode, we analyze how Korda’s controlled aggression, early ball striking, and refusal to concede court position disrupted Alcaraz’s first-strike patterns. The discussion frames Korda not as an outlier, but...

Carlos Alcaraz’s straight-set win over João Fonseca in Miami looks routine on paper, but the match offers a clearer view into the developmental gap between emerging talent and established elite. We break down what separates “competitive” from “threatening,” and why Fonseca’s current level should be evaluated with patience rather than projection. The conversation then shifts to Iga Świątek, who ope...

Indian Wells offered more than just two championship matches — it provided a revealing snapshot of how the tactical hierarchy of professional tennis is evolving. In the women’s final, Aryna Sabalenka’s victory over Elena Rybakina became a study in modern power rivalries. Both players generate elite pace and serve at the highest level, yet they apply pressure in fundamentally different ways. Sabale...

Recorded during the middle of the Indian Wells tournament, this episode explores one of the most overlooked tactical questions in modern tennis: where should players actually stand on the court relative to their skill sets? Alvin Owusu and Torrey Hawkins begin with a coaching-level discussion of court positioning and time management. The ability to take the ball on the rise is often described as a...

In this episode of the Best of Three podcast, Alvin Owusu and Torrey Hawkins sit down with Jean-Yves Aubone, Director of Player & Coach Relations for the Intense Tennis League. The conversation explores why a new format has emerged in response to longstanding structural challenges within professional tennis—from declining viewership to fragmented governance and unpredictable match scheduling....

With Miami approaching, we assess three players at very different stages of leverage. Jack Draper, now 24, already owns a Masters 1000 title and deep Slam credentials. The gap between him and sustained Top 5 status is narrower than it appears. This episode breaks down the marginal gains conversation — specifically how one additional free point per service game alters ranking math, physical load, a...

Carlos Alcaraz’s Doha title signals more than form — it signals evolution. We analyze how his depth control, tempo manipulation, and backhand assertion are redefining his dominance. His ability to gain time without sacrificing position may be the clearest modern separator at the top of the men’s game. Jessica Pegula’s Dubai win presents a different model of excellence. Her “net-neutral” constructi...

The WTA Doha 1000 wrapped up with one of the most satisfying storylines of the season. Karolína Muchová wins her first WTA title in six years, Vicky Mboko announces herself as a top-10 player, and the next generation keeps forcing its way into the conversation. Alvin Owusu and Torrey Hawkins break down what we learned from Doha, why Muchová’s all-court game still causes matchup problems at the top...

The Australian Open is in the books, and we’re joined by Patrick Parr for a wide-ranging post-AO conversation that goes well beyond the scoreboard. We unpack Alexander Zverev’s durability and why the French Open may represent his clearest Grand Slam opportunity, examine Carlos Alcaraz’s unmatched in-match adaptability, and break down why Jannik Sinner’s loss doesn’t change his long-term trajectory...

The Australian Open is in the books, and we zoom out on what actually mattered. In this episode of Best of Three , we break down what the 2026 Australian Open told us about the state of both tours — from Aryna Sabalenka’s continued dominance and the growing depth of the WTA, to Carlos Alcaraz’s separation at the top of the men’s game and what this tournament revealed about Alexander Zverev, Jannik...

Carlos Alcaraz defeats Novak Djokovic in four sets to win the Australian Open and complete the career Grand Slam before age 23. In this episode of Best of Three , we break down: Why this wasn’t a simple passing of the torch How Alcaraz adjusted tactically after a brutal first set The height, depth, and footwork changes that flipped the match Why Djokovic still forced Alcaraz to play his absolute b...

Elena Rybakina is your 2026 Australian Open Champion , defeating Aryna Sabalenka in a razor-thin three-set final (6-4, 4-6, 6-4). Alvin and Torrey break down one of the highest-level women’s finals in recent memory: • why this match truly was a coin flip (92 points apiece) • first-strike tennis vs high-tempo rally dominance • the tactical adjustments that swung the third set • what this result mea...

Novak Djokovic delivers another reminder at the Australian Open, surviving an all-time semifinal battle with Jannik Sinner, while Carlos Alcaraz ALSO outlasts Alexander Zverev in a five-set war. Alvin Owusu and Torrey Hawkins break down belief, execution under pressure, break-point math, serving patterns, and legacy implications —plus what this all means heading into the men’s final. This wasn’t j...

The women’s side of the Australian Open is delivering heavyweight tennis. We break down: • Sabalenka’s dominance and why she’s in a class of her own • Elena Rybakina surviving Pegula and setting up the final we’ve been waiting for • Coco Gauff’s loss to Svitolina – what’s real, what’s fixable, what matters long-term • Why 18-year-old Eva Jovic is very different from the usual “next American” hype...

We break down the men’s quarterfinals at the 2026 Australian Open and preview the semifinals. Topics include: Djokovic vs Musetti (and what it says about Novak in 2026) Sinner vs Shelton and the “wrong generation” problem Alcaraz vs de Minaur breakdown Zverev vs Tien Why Alcaraz and Sinner are separating from the field What kind of player can actually disrupt them 🎾 Hosted by Alvin Owusu & To...

The Round of 16 is in the books at the 2026 Australian Open, and now the real fun begins. Alvin and Torrey break down the women’s and men’s quarterfinal matchups, starting with Aryna Sabalenka’s form and the rapid rise of Eva Jovic, then moving through Coco Gauff vs Elina Svitolina and the evolving ceiling of Mirra Andreeva. On the men’s side, we dig deep into Carlos Alcaraz vs Alex de Minaur, wha...

We break down the first two rounds of the 2026 Australian Open on both the ATP and WTA tours. From why the top seeds largely survived, to what the early exits of several Next Gen players really mean, to the subtle differences between tour professionals and rising talent — this episode goes deep on what actually matters after Week 1 in Melbourne. Topics include: • Why Grand Slams expose young playe...

The 2026 tennis season is officially underway, and we’re kicking it off with our full Australian Open Draw Show. In this episode of Best of Three , we break down: • The women’s draw first – contenders, dangerous floaters, and early-round landmines • The men’s draw second – blockbuster first rounds, brutal sections, and who really got tested • Which seeds are vulnerable • Which unseeded players cou...

American women’s tennis is quietly stacked—and complicated. In this special State of the Union episode of Best of Three , Alvin Owusu and Torrey Hawkins break down where US women’s tennis really stands heading into the new season. They dig into: Coco Gauff’s evolution into a consistent Grand Slam force (and what still limits her ceiling) Amanda Anisimova’s comeback year, mental toughness, and why...

American men’s tennis looks stable at the top — but stability isn’t the same as momentum. In this State of the Union episode, Alvin and Torrey take a wide-angle look at where U.S. men’s tennis stands heading into the next season. They break down the established core (Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe), assess Ben Shelton’s rapid ascent, and ask the harder question: what happens after this g...

Why does Jannik Sinner feel inevitable —especially indoors? In this episode of Best of Three , Alvin Owusu is joined by Patrick Parr for a deep dive into what actually separates Sinner from the rest of the ATP field. This isn’t about forehands or backhands. It’s about skiing, pressure, stillness, and why tennis feels slow to him . We unpack: How Sinner’s elite skiing background shaped his movement...

In Part 4 of our ATP 2025 Year-End Review, we look at the players aged 27–29 — the most complicated group in men’s tennis. They were supposed to take over from Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer. Then came The New Two . We dive into: • Zverev’s stagnant ceiling and why the next dip could get ugly • Fritz maximizing every ounce but needing just one more gear • Medvedev’s “one more run” and what actual ch...

What is a tennis player’s prime anymore? This week, we dig into the emerging “middle class” on the ATP Tour — the 25–26 year olds who are stepping into the best years of their tennis lives. Alex de Minaur, Félix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud, Denis Shapovalov, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina — where are they headed in 2026 and beyond? We break down: • The science and mythology of peak vs prime in tenni...

What if you were good enough to be a Grand Slam contender… in any other era? Part 2 of our ATP Year-End Review looks at the players aged 22–24 — the cohort stuck directly behind Alcaraz and Sinner. This is the group that knows the assignment: solve the best duo men’s tennis has seen in 20 years… or sit in the waiting room forever. We dive into: • Ben Shelton — the competitive mutant who has climbe...