Nothing Major

Kickstart your week with John, Sam, Steve and Jack catching up on all the latest action from Asia. 

The gang is joined once again by Blair Henley to chat through the latest updates from Shanghai, USTA league rules, and Federer’s nomination to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

With plenty of talk amongst the tour around court design, the boys discuss the impact of court speeds on player performance. The gang also weighs in on Amanda Anisimova's backhand dominance and Gael Monfils' recently announced retirement.

00:00 Intro & Weekly News Rundown
00:41 Sam’s Rant: Banned from the Club Team?!
02:37 The Great USTA Rule Debate
05:51 Blair Takes Over: No Man’s Land
06:13 The Court Speed Controversy
11:10 Surviving the Shanghai Sauna
16:03 Amanda Anisimova’s Beijing Comeback
19:41 Gael Monfils Says Goodbye
21:19 Farewell Season: Tournament Send-Offs
24:25 The Mascot Hand-Holding Controversy
27:35 Tokyo & Beijing: The Best of the Week
33:00 Federer’s Hall of Fame Nomination
37:23 Wrap-Up 🎧

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

World No. 34 and rising American star Alex Michelsen joins the pod!

Fresh off making his Laver Cup debut, Alex joins John, Jack, Sam and Steve to share his journey in tennis and reflect on his year so far. He talks about representing Team World, going up against top players like Carlos Alcaraz, and shares some fun off-court stories from his life on tour.

Plus, the boys cover some of the biggest headlines from Shanghai and debate what it means to 'make it' as a pro athlete.

00:00 Sponsor Message
01:33 Debate: What Defines a Professional Athlete?
09:36 Shanghai Masters Preview
13:10 Nalbandian and his Magic Run
22:42 Interview with Alex Michelsen
30:11 Post-Event Reflections and Travel Stories
31:16 Tennis Idols and Early Inspirations
32:21 Realizing Tennis Potential
33:20 Breakthrough Moments and Career Milestones
34:49 Facing Top Players and Building Confidence
36:38 Going Pro and Personal Insights
41:43 Sinner-Alcaraz Dominance
48:55 Time for the Hot Seat!
54:00 How Steve Benched Michelsen for Channelling Novak
56:59 Wrapping Up!

-----

Today, get Huel for FIFTEEN PERCENT OFF with this exclusive offer for New Customers only with code nothingmajor at https://huel.com/nothingmajor (Minimum $75 purchase).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam, Stevie, Jack, and John are joined once again by everyone’s favorite tennis personality and reporter, Blair Henley!

With the Asian Swing in full flow, the crew dives into the buzz from Beijing and Tokyo, including the much-anticipated final between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz set for tomorrow in the early hours.

Blair dishes on the latest gossip inside the tennis world, from Fabio Fognini’s surprise turn on Dancing with the Stars to Felix Auger-Aliassime’s extravagant wedding before the gang swaps stories about quirky fan gifts and unforgettable player parties in Asia.

00:00 Sponsor Message
01:31 We’re Back!
08:52 Taylor Fritz's Travel Adventures
11:05 Beijing Tournament Insights
15:54 Medvedev's Performance and Predictions
18:37 Upcoming Alcaraz vs. Fonseca Exhibition Match
21:48 Tennis Headlines with Blair Henley
22:13 Fabio Fognini on Dancing with the Stars
24:24 Music Complaints and Fan Gifts
28:04 Player Parties and Weddings
31:33 Carlos Alcaraz's Injury and Hair Dye Trends
35:43 Wrapping Up The Episode!

Today, get Huel for FIFTEEN PERCENT OFF with this exclusive offer for New Customers only with code nothingmajor at https://huel.com/nothingmajor (Minimum $75 purchase).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gangs back together following tennis' 'International Break'.

Sam and John share their experiences at the Laver Cup in San Francisco and look ahead to the Asian Swing.

With Beijing and Tokyo underway, the boys share some of their favorite stories from their time in Asia and dive into the Major Mailbag to answer some listener questions.

With just a few months left of the 2025 season, it's time to analyze the season performance of some of the top ATP players, leading into a 'Buy and Sell' segment. Which players will rise or fall by the year-end?

00:00 Guess Who’s Back?
00:45 Recap of the Laver Cup
03:43 Fan Questions and Personal Stories
05:12 Asian Swing: Food and Culture
10:26 Challenges of Traveling to Asia
13:13 Experiences in Beijing and Tokyo
18:17 Comparing Tournaments: Tokyo vs. Beijing
20:37 High Stakes in Beijing
20:56 Doubles Strategy and Injuries
22:08 Fan Questions: 25 Slams Contenders
23:48 Media Training for Tennis Players
27:34 Drafting the Worst ATP Player
32:05 Buy and Sell: Player Stocks
37:22 That’s a Wrap, See Ya!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Sam still stuck in California traffic, John, Steve, and Jack break down the 2025 Laver Cup weekend, where Team World pulled off a surprising win over Team Europe. The boys dive into Fritz’s insane level, hands out MVP honors, and review Andre Agassi’s debut as Team World captain. Whilst Italy swept USA at the Billie Jean King Cup, the gang debate whether it's current format is falling short.

And since Sam couldn’t make this week's episode, the boys take the chance to roast his Laver Cup antics and relive the most meme-worthy moments of the weekend.

01:03 Kicking Things Off
01:22 Laver Cup Recap: Highlights and Stories
07:09 Breaking Down Player Performances
18:34 MVP Debate and Weekend Takeaways
22:03 Fonseca’s Win and Reilly’s Tough Losses
22:49 Taylor Fritz’s Wild Determination
27:31 Billie Jean King Cup Breakdown
30:46 The Future of Laver Cup Locations
32:51 Sam Meme-Worthy Moment
35:44 Closing Thoughts and Sign-Off

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gang's all here and we're diving headfirst into all things Laver Cup.

Jack, John, Sam, and Stevie look back at the very first edition, from Jack and John’s doubles wins to some of the wildest on-court moments. They debate whether the event can keep its spark without the Big 3, and why Carlos Alcaraz already feels essential for Team Europe. The crew breaks down the format, payouts, and shares a classic Fabio Fognini story.

An episode of Nothing Major wouldn’t be complete without a little self-roasting, this time revisiting some of their worst predictions of the season...

Plus, get a peek behind the curtain at how the wonderfully chaotic Nothing Major group chat becomes the podcast you listen to, watch and (hopefully) enjoy.

00:00 Kicking Things Off
00:24 Back to the 2017 Laver Cup Chaos
01:00 Jack Showing Off in Doubles
06:13 Laver Cup: Challenges and Changes
09:32 Format, Future, and What Could Be Better
12:21 Player Stories and Inside Dirt
14:29 Laver Cup vs Davis Cup: Who Wins?
16:47 Jack’s Wild Ride with John McEnroe
18:05 Favorite Captains and Hypothetical Showdowns
20:40 Roasting Our Past Predictions and Tennis Takeaways
23:12 Behind the Scenes: How This Madness Gets Made
28:44 Signing Off and Looking Ahead

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boys are back to kick off your week in style!

Following a packed weekend in Dallas, John and Steve break down Nothing Major’s inaugural Red Bull Flugtag flight. Did the Unforced Errors fly?

With the Davis Cup underway the dive into the results and chat through the biggest results so far. Plus the gang are joined by the winner of our US Open bracket challenge, Victor!

Life Advice returns and the boys are tracked with tackling some tricky situations including an overbearing house guest…

Be sure to stick to the end to watch Nothing Major’s Flugtag entry take flight!

00:00 Intro
00:43 Red Bull Flugtag
04:24 Random Flight Observations
05:17 Tennis News
10:44 Bracket Challenge Winner
19:07 Carlos Tracker and Blonde Hair Debate
21:50 Davis Cup Recap
24:25 Davis Cup Format
27:25 Brazil vs Greece
28:32 Iva Jovic's First Title
29:37 Life Advice
34:33 Red Bull Flugtag

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Red Bull Flugtag week, and the boys are checking in ahead of the inaugural Nothing Major flight!

Sam, Steve, and John are joined by special guest Blair Henley to recap this year’s US Open and share what it’s really like reporting from a Grand Slam.

Sam’s been working hard on a brand-new segment... and he’s excited to debut it 

Plus, the Major Mailbag is back as the gang answers a fresh batch of listener questions from the final Slam of the season!

00:00 Intro
01:24 Red Bull Flugtag
03:41 Special Guest: Blair Henley
05:56 Broadcasting Insights and Tips
11:14 ATP Tinder
15:45 Major Mailbag
22:19 Red Bull Flugtag
25:03 Outro

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Open is over, and the guys are here to break it all down. Sam, Jack, John, and Steve dive into the men’s and women’s finals and what really decided them.

Carlos Alcaraz overpowered Jannik Sinner with a relentlessness performance that capped off a dominant campaign. Did Sinner ever really have a shot, or was it always Alcaraz’s title to lose? The guys don’t exactly see eye to eye!

In the women’s final, Aryna Sabalenka extended her wild tiebreak streak to 19 straight while taking out Amanda Anisimova. With her first Major of the season, she leaves New York looking every bit the rightful World No. 1.

Off the court, we’ve got Bracket Challenge chaos (guess who’s on the hook for the jingle?) and even some unsolicited advice for the secret service agents spotted at the Open. We wrap it up with big news about next week’s Red Bull Flugtag!

00:00 Kicking things off!
00:22 Men’s Final Recap: Alcaraz vs. Sinner
03:21 "The entire match was on Alcaraz's racquet"
11:00 Secret service & celebrity sightings in NYC
14:41 Women’s Final Recap: Sabalenka vs. Anisimova
16:41 Sabalenka’s UNREAL tiebreak streak
21:12 Bracket Challenge result & the jingle bet
23:15 Next stop: Red Bull Flugtag madness
24:52 Wrapping it up & what’s next

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Open semis were electric, and we’re here to break it all down before the finals. John, Stevie, and Jack dive into the women’s battles, highlighting Anisimova’s redemption as she took down Osaka in an amazing match and now faces Sabalenka. How far can Amanda go if she wins? 

On the men’s side, we discuss whether this could be Djokovic’s last shot, the Alcaraz-Sinner dominance, and our thoughts on the men’s final. Is Sinner a slight favorite with the No. 1 ranking and Slam race on the line?

Things got even spicier with our Dave’s Hot Chicken trivia challenge. Who can handle the Reaper without breaking a sweat? Between group chat meltdowns and ridiculous hot takes, this episode got out of hand fast. 

We wrap things up with Steve calling a recall on our bracket challenge... let’s just say some egos are hurting as a the loser will need to come up with a Nothing Major jingle!

00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message
01:01 We're Back! 
01:29 Where’s Sam Querrey? Mystery Explained
04:08 Women’s Semifinals Breakdown
07:51 Women’s Final Preview: Amanda vs. Sabalenka
15:12 Men’s Semis Recap: Alcaraz vs. Djokovic
21:54 Men’s Semis Recap: Sinner vs. Auger-Aliassime
26:35 Men’s Final Preview: Sinner vs. Alcaraz
30:41 Dave’s Hot Chicken Trivia Challenge
31:38 Spicy Trivia Questions & Showdowns
39:46 Final Thoughts & Bracket Challenge Drama

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.