Craig O’Shannessy

Craig O’Shannessy

Craig O’Shannessy is widely recognized as the world leader in analyzing tennis statistics, tennis strategy, and applying his insights in coaching. His research has uncovered the real magic numbers in winning tennis across all levels of the game. He writes for the ATP Tour website and the New York Times among others elite publications.

He has coached on the tour for 20 years working with players including Kevin Anderson, Amer Delic, and Rajeev Ram. His website Brain Game Tennis offers detailed analysis and training programs based on his research that have helped thousands of players around the world.

Novak Djokovic hitting a forehand
Strategy
Craig O’Shannessy: The New Magic Numbers

What percentage of overall points would make you Novak Djokovic? What do statistics really say about tennis? We are all familiar with numbers like first serve percentages, winners, and unforced errors. But what do those really tell us about who...

August 2020

How Djokovic Dominates Nadal
Strategy
How Djokovic Dominates Nadal

Novak Djokovic climbed to the top of the mountain. In the past 10 years we have witnessed Roger Federer achieve the seemingly impossible, then watched Rafael Nadal rise to dominate Federer, and finally, Novak Djokovic emerge and put both of...

November 2011

Suffering and Service Returns: How Novak Won the 2012 Australian
Strategy
Suffering and Service Returns: How Novak Won the 2012 Australian

Novak and Rafa: one of the best battles in planet history? It was the stuff of legends. The tennis world had its breath taken away in the 2012 Australian Open men's singles final as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal engaged...

February 2012

Rediscovering the Forced Error
Strategy
Rediscovering the Forced Error

Tennis is a game of winners—but much more, tennis is a game of errors. The tour match statistics record only winners and unforced errors. But often they only confuse the understanding of outcomes. In the 2018 French Final, won in...

August 2018

Winners and Errors: A New Definition
Strategy
Winners and Errors: A New Definition

What is the real significance of errors in First Strike Tennis? Tennis is a game of errors. Lots and lots and lots and lots of errors. Understanding errors and how to extract them from opponents is the real key to...

October 2016

First Strike Tennis At All Levels
Strategy
First Strike Tennis At All Levels

Do high school players play mainly long, tortuous points? In the last article (Click Here) we saw that at the pro level the player who wins the four hit battles wins the match. Could that be true at all levels?...

September 2016

First Strike Tennis
Strategy
First Strike Tennis

A serve and a forehand—a winning first strike point? In the last article, we looked at the number of hits that determine points and found that in pro tennis, despite a limited number of rallies that can last over 20...

August 2016

The Magic Number One
Strategy
The Magic Number One

What is the most common number of hits in pro points? Is that the same as average rally length? In the first article I gave an overview of what I called the new magic numbers in tennis. Compiled from all...

The New Magic Numbers
Strategy
The New Magic Numbers

What percentage of overall points would make you Novak Djokovic? What do statistics really say about tennis? We are all familiar with numbers like first serve percentages, winners, and unforced errors. But what do those really tell us about who...