Ben Shelton’s shoes deserved a brief segment at the end of this episode of the Tennisnerd podcast. Before that we delve into  ATP Finals, Next Gen Finals and new racquets.

Ben Shelton’s Shoes

Why did we mention Ben Shelton’s shoes and what are they? Well, they are the New Balance 996 V.45 and the reason we got into them is that they are quite fugly in my humble opinion. But they are sure to leave an impression. Kind of like Shelton’s game, which has led him to capture two Challenger titles in a row.

And talking about challengers, the tennis tours on both the men’s and the women’s sides are stronger than ever. The top 100 is incredibly difficult to get into. Dennis Timar and I predict an exciting 2023 for tennis!

Upcoming racquets

We also mention some upcoming racquets. The Babolat Pure Aero Rafa update, the new Yonex VCORE, HEAD Radicals, and Gravity racquets. There is much to look forward to on the equipment front early next year. Oh, and we can’t forget the new Wilson Shift!

And besides racquets, we also have the new Vapor Pro update to be excited about.

The most open ATP Finals ever?

Has it ever been more difficult to predict a winner for the ATP finals? Probably not! Djokovic is perhaps the strongest favorite still, but the field does feel wide open in many aspects.

What should we read into Rafa crashing out? Not much, considering the lack of match practice he had before the event.

Nadal will keep on fighting and I’m sure he will be back strong for the Australian Open 2023.

Novak is back

Regarding the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic can play in the first grand slam of the year. Big news for Novak fans, but it is obviously good for tennis to have one of the best players of all time compete in the most important events. Is he the favorite to win it? I would say so.

Listen to the podcast

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