Nothing Major

Tune in Thursday for an interview with US Open Wildcard, Jack Kennedy! 
 
On this episode of Nothing Major, the guys recap Cincinnati as Artur Fils powers to his first Masters title over Frances Tiafoe, including a wild 6-0 third set, and discuss why the event felt wide open without Sinner and Alcaraz. They also hit on Brandon Nakashima’s continued hard-court surge, Tommy Paul’s win over Zverev, and what it all means heading into New York.
On the women’s side, Coco Gauff beats Jessie Pegula in a dominant final and the group debates whether Coco is now the favorite for the US Open. Plus, they break down the latest US Open news, including Alcaraz officially returning and teaming with Serena Williams in mixed doubles, Sinner pulling out, wild cards, Kyrgios controversy, and a few chaotic off-court stories.
00:00 Packed Episode Preview
00:29 Cincinnati Masters Winner
01:04 Artur Fils Breakthrough
02:32 Open Odds Debate
03:59 Final Drama and Tiafoe
05:15 Nakashima Rising Fast
08:30 Zverev Confidence Check
09:57 Wild Flight Home Story
12:28 Groin Injury Update
13:58 Coco Gauff Dominates
18:29 Major News Alcaraz Returns
22:04 Serena Carlos Mixed Doubles
24:12 Rigged Draw Jokes
24:48 Sinner Withdraws Injured
26:30 US Open Wild Card Debate
30:16 Kyrgios Controversy Fallout
33:18 NYC Plans
34:41 Stats Ostapenko Streak
35:29 Serve Bot And US Open Picks
40:45 Wrap Up And Next Episode

Submit your questions or life advice to Nothing Major through the fan participation section at https://www.nothingmajorshow.com/

On this Thursday episode of Nothing Major, Sam, John, and Stevie sit down with director Jason Hehir (The Last Dance) to break down his new Amazon feature doc Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter. Hehir explains how the project began in 2017, how he came aboard in 2023, the challenges of filming a story unfolding in real time, and why the original concept “The Two Novaks” evolved into The Wolf in Winter. They also discuss the trust-building process with Novak, the similarities and differences between Djokovic and Michael Jordan, and what surprised Hehir most about Novak as a father and competitor.
Plus, the guys launch a new Sam segment: a snake draft of current top-100 players they least want on their team in a pool-table bar fight. Finally, they preview Roger Federer’s upcoming Hall of Fame induction, sharing behind-the-scenes stories about how approachable and normal Roger is off court.
00:00 Show Intro and Preview
01:26 Jason Hehir Joins
01:48 How the Doc Began
04:56 Tennis Background and Early Career
06:35 Building the Story Live
11:32 Budget and Scope Choices
13:17 Why Wolf in Winter
17:12 Novak Off Court
19:46 Mindset and Self Rivalry
21:45 Jordan vs Novak Comparisons
27:15 Final Cut and Notes
29:56 Crashing the Big Three Party
31:55 Interview Wrap and Reactions
34:31 Sam Bar Fight Draft
36:07 Nice Guys Draft Picks
36:35 More Soft Picks
37:38 Novak Debate
38:26 Colman Wong Pick
41:55 Federer Hall Of Fame
43:33 Federer Stories
45:38 Exhibition Travel Tales
49:17 Who Introduces Roger
49:59 Wrap Up And Rage Bait

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On this episode of Nothing Major, Sam checks in from Cincinnati and shares the perks (and grime) of the Great Wolf Lodge before the guys break down an all-American Masters final in Montreal, Ben Shelton’s dominant title defense without dropping a set, and Brandon Nakashima’s breakthrough week. They also discuss the rise of college-to-pro tennis and what it means for the next generation.
In Toronto, they dive into Iga Swiatek’s “vintage” run, her 12th WTA 1000 title, and what it means for the US Open and WTA Finals race. Plus, they react to Djokovic’s brutal three-set loss, Shelton’s early upset, Zverev as the favorite with stars absent, Fritz’s racket smash, Draper’s candid struggles, and whether anyone should still be complaining about 12-day Masters events.
00:00 Show kickoff
00:40 Cincy perks and Great Wolf
02:20 College tennis surge
06:44 All American Montreal final
09:23 Shelton return breakthrough
12:42 Defending champ in new city
15:25 Iga back in Toronto
18:39 WTA race and Asian swing
22:36 Cincinnati chaos and Novak buzz
25:49 Novak Health Watch
27:20 Shelton Upset Reaction
28:32 Jodar Drama Comeback
30:26 Zverev Favorite Debate
33:37 Draper Injury Struggles
37:21 Olympics Schedule Rant
41:36 Fritz Racket Smash
43:11 Servebot Shelton Stats
43:57 Masters Format Acceptance
46:16 Eala Mania Tickets
46:54 Wrap And Next Ep Preview

Submit your questions or life advice to Nothing Major through the fan participation section at https://www.nothingmajorshow.com/
On this episode of Nothing Major, Sam returns from a whirlwind Cincinnati trip, complete with a no-training 5K and an awkward realization that Jannik Sinner had just pulled out of the tournament. The guys settle into a fun show covering Canadian pet peeves in honor of the Canadian Masters, from surprise tax bills and stacked restaurant taxes to the Queen still appearing on currency, no AC in Montreal, and the metric system.
They also preview Cincinnati with both Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz out, debating who’s actually the favorite while considering Zverev and Novak, and praising Cincinnati’s player amenities, food, upgrades, and Skyline Chili. Plus, they tackle life advice on whether a dad should ever “let” his 17-year-old win, how to handle witnessing an awkward locker room moment and pitch a tennis version of golf’s Internet Invitational featuring influencers, personalities, and a prize purse.
00:00 Cold Open Chaos
00:28 Show Setup and Segments
00:51 Sam’s Cincinnati 5K Recap
02:27 Credentials Awkward Moment
04:15 Canadian Pet Peeves Draft
13:57 Cincy Preview and Punishments
15:12 Who’s the Cincy Favorite
17:42 Is Cincinnati the Best Masters
19:24 Player Perks Tour
20:18 Snack Grab Controversy
21:18 Activities And Investment
22:19 Cincy Food Debate
27:46 Life Advice Begins
28:42 Let Him Win
30:31 Locker Room Secret
32:43 Tennis Influencer Event
37:41 Wrap Up And Next Show

Canada has turned into a full-on bloodbath. Djokovic, Sinner and Alcaraz were already missing, and then plenty of the “safe” top seeds followed them out the door. Zverev calls his loss to Griekspoor his “worst match of the season,” Fritz looks cooked after his Monday final in DC, and Félix doesn’t even make it on court in his hometown because of a back issue.
The result? A wide-open Masters with a historic last eight: for the first time, every Masters 1000 quarterfinalist was born in 2000 or later, with 25-year-old Brandon Nakashima somehow the elder statesman. We break down Shelton vs. Mensik, Jodar’s rapid rise, why Canada creates so much chaos, and which young player has the biggest opportunity this week.
On the women’s side, Toronto finally delivers the heavyweight matchups. We look at the draw while debating Sabalenka’s recent losses, whether Iga is starting to turn things around, and a wide-open race to finish the year at No. 1.
Then it’s on to Cincinnati. How concerning is Sinner’s withdrawal ahead of the US Open? John thinks it matters; Stevie is waiting to see what the New York practice-court cameras tell us. Plus, Sam somehow turns his “query” into an Ealamania discussion... and, for once, we all agree!
00:00 Show Preview
02:00 Montreal Is Absolute Chaos!
05:20 Zverev’s “Worst Match”
08:15 The Gen Z TakeOver
09:22 Did Fritz Run Out of Gas?
11:27 Montreal Quarterfinals
13:25 Shelton vs. Menšík
14:59 Jodar’s Rise + The Fils Test
18:44 Why So Many Upsets in Canada?
22:44 WTA Toronto 
23:17 What’s Going On With Sabalenka?
25:14 Quarterfinals Breakdown
26:09 The No. 1 Race Is Wide Open
29:35 Sinner Pulls Out of Cincinnati
34:10 Cincy + Venus & Serena
36:18 Big Foe’s Hand Surgery
42:04 Stevie Stat's
43:04 Shelton gets Servebot of the Week
47:09 That’s a Wrap!