 "Roger Federer was the last World No 1 player to play a single-handed backhand. Reuters file photo/USA Today Sports")
Today is a historic day in tennis history. 19 February 2024 marks the first day that there is no player with a single-handed backhand in the top-10 of the ATP Rankings. Every time the rankings have been updated since the rankings came into being in 1973, a player with a single-handed backhand has found a place. Until today.
Not only has a single-handed backhander been in the top-10 since 1973, almost half of the time, they’ve been a World No 1 as well. Of 2,612 weeks since the single rankings started, 1,218 weeks have seen a player with a single-handed backhand occupy the top spot.
There have been 28 different players to be top ranked in men’s tennis. 11 of them have played the iconic shot. The list includes Ilie Nastase, John Newcombe, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Thomas Muster, Patrick Rafter, Gustavo Kuerten and, most recently, Roger Federer.
Tennis had four one-handers in the Top-10 as recently as 2021 when Stefanos Tsitsipas was World No 3, Dominic Thiem was No 6, Federer was No 9 and Denis Shapovalov was No 10. But by the end of 2021, Tsitsipas was the only one left in this elite list, and he’s been carrying the streak since then. Until now.
With Tsitsipas exiting in the fourth round at the Australian Open and skipping the Rotterdam Open, he lost points vis-a-vis quarter-final finish in Melbourne and Round of 16 in Netherlands last year.
It was possible for Grigor Dimitrov to keep the streak alive in Rotterdam. But, needing to at least reach the final, he was beaten in the semi-finals by an inspired Alex de Minaur.
De Minaur and Taylor Fritz occupy the last two spots in the top-10 rankings with Tsitsipas dropping to 11th and Dimitrov staying constant at 13th.
The shot that made Federer famous. Had many wow-ing over Wawrinka. Laver’s signature stroke. McEnroe’s favourite is a rarity in tennis now. Quite possible, it has been, and still is, tennis’ lustiest shot.
“My signature shot,” Tsitsipas had said last year. “It kind of defines me.” The Greek player’s backhand is one of the prettiest and smoothest in tennis right now. The backswing starts off high, the left hand cups the frame, right foot goes forward, racket head goes low and then the shot goes through the motion for a proper follow through.
For something that is aesthetically so beautiful to watch, a shot that has been etched in tennis history, not many are taking it up when coming through their formative years.
Why? The sport has seen more power and velocity in shot-making. Even clay courts, the slowest surface historically, play fast and hard now. With bulkier athletes, rackets and strings allowing for more topspin, the balls reach eye level by most. It makes things difficult for even the tallest players. The propensity to get on top of the ball becomes increasingly difficult — even more for those with a single-handed backhand.
The double-handed backhand, meanwhile, is far more stable, motion of the shot is shorter and simpler. Even if the ball comes faster, the double-handed backhanders are able to get to it without a mistake — something that is not easy for a single-hander.
Many have admitted that despite the shortcomings of the single-handed backhand, few still committed to it for one reason. And that one reason is Federer. All of Denis Shapovalov, Christopher Eubanks and Tsitsipas were inspired by the Swiss and his silky-smooth shot.
“I’m here to kind of not have it die,” Tsitsipas said of the shot. “It kind of sits in my heart deeply because I really want to be like them.”
The break in this streak may not last long. Neither Tsitsipas nor Dimitrov have many points to defend over the next few months, meaning they could return to the top-10 get back inside any week now.
But for now, even if for a week, it is end of an era.
Tanuj Lakhina wishes there were more hours in the day for sports to be played and watched.