Is This The End Of The One-Handed Tennis Backhand?

The one-handed backhand for many years is arguably the most beautiful shot in the sport. It is a shot that tennis legends Rod Laver, John McEnroe, and Martina Navratilova loved. It is also the most iconic shot of Roger Federer. However, the shot is seen less as time passes. It is now almost non-existent in the female circuit, while only 10% of the top-100 male players use it, with the most notable amongst them being the former top-10ers’ Stefanos Tsitsipas(11), Grigor Dimitrov(12), Stan Wawrinka(82) and Dominic Thiem(90).

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The presence of the one-handed backhand has been slowly diminishing for the last two decades. Roger Federer dominated the tour with his signature single-handed backhand, and since his retirement, Stefanos Tsitsipas has remained in the top ten until recently when he dropped out of it. As such, there is currently no player within the top ten that plays the single-handed backhand. 

Tennis Has Become Faster

The one-handed backhand is a very difficult shot to master and it probably has more disadvantages and advantages in today’s game. The game has become a lot faster on all surfaces than it used to be. With young top players such as Alcaraz and Sinner hitting with power and pace off both wings on their groundstrokes, the pace of the shots simply does not allow single-handed players to prepare and react in time. The shot is also a much less stable shot as opposed to its two-handed counterpart. 

The players have struggled to keep up with the pace and bounce of the ball on their single-handed backhand, even for a tall player like Christopher Eubanks who stands at 2.01m tall. While some of the seasoned players can manage the shot, the younger players with less experience struggle to secure wins to climb up the ranks. The rackets and strings in today’s game also play a crucial role in the diminishing success of the one-handed backhand as they are engineered to make the game faster with spin.

Even Federer Struggled With The Single Backhand

The single-handed backhand requires an early and long preparation making it difficult to execute when the ball is coming at high speeds. The high bouncing balls from players that hit with massive topspin makes it difficult for single-handed players to return as these balls are above shoulder height.

Nadal’s lefty topspin forehand has made the lives of the one-handed backhand players in his era suffer as most struggled to return his shots. Richard Gasquet was one of the most notable victims of that shot as he has not gotten any wins against the Spaniard in their last 18 meetings. 

Throughout Federer’s career, you often see him shortening his swing and executing half-volleys on a lot of his return games. The return of serve is something a lot of the single-handed backhand players struggle with, oftentimes the kryptonite of their overall game. To be successful as a one-handed on tour, it is also essential to possess a good slice backhand, otherwise that wing can be very easily exploited. 

The one-handed backhand is a weakness in a lot of the players' games. An off-timed shot on that wing can be sufficient to break any rhythm that they had gotten into during the match. Most players that wield the single-handed backhand, including Federer himself, has advised younger players against adopting that stroke. It might be better to keep both hands on the racket to survive the current tennis landscape.

The End Of The Single Backhand

The numbers will likely decrease even more in years to come as the game is unlikely to slow down. While I believe that there will be players that can break through with this sentimental shot, it is unlikely that they can stay on top for an extended period of time. Currently, there are still players using the shot and I believe that it will continue to inspire, but the question is whether this shot can keep up with the ever-increasing pace of tennis.