ATP & WTA rankings

[ponchi101]

That is not a bad run. 5 years as a top 10.
Can he make it back?

[Suliso]

I think chances are very high. He's only 25...

[ponchi101]

I was thinking more about the injuries. They have not been trivial, and back injuries are notoriously hard to overcome.
I guess he can displace at least one of the current top 10.

[Suliso]

Of course if injuries completely derail him then it's another story, but otherwise I wouldn't call the current top 10 particularly strong. At full strength Stefanos is better than at least half of them.

[JTContinental]

With Tsitsipas falling out of the top 10 Monday, it will be the first time since the rankings inception in 1973 that no one in the top 10 will have a one-handed backhand.

[ponchi101]

It is a stroke that is dying. And with the death of S&V tennis, having a one hander offers very little advantages.
As a one-handed BH person myself, it is a bit sad. It is one of the most beautiful strokes in the game.

[Suliso]

Points to defend for the top four before Monte Carlo:

Djokovic: 200
Alcaraz: 1700
Sinner: 1100
Medvedev: 2350

Only Alcaraz is playing before IW.

[JTContinental]

It is a stroke that is dying. And with the death of S&V tennis, having a one hander offers very little advantages.
As a one-handed BH person myself, it is a bit sad. It is one of the most beautiful strokes in the game.

I really wanted to develop a one-handed backhand, but it was just too difficult for me to control it.

[ponchi101]

I grew up with a two hander (Connors and Borg era), but it was never a weapon. It was very much a liability. One day, chasing a shot down the line, I got to it and had to let go of the left hand, and hit a winner with a one handed. My prof said "never again hit with a two hander".
It became my favorite shot, and the one I rather rally with. Much steadier than my FH, that is for sure.

[meganfernandez]

It is a stroke that is dying. And with the death of S&V tennis, having a one hander offers very little advantages.
As a one-handed BH person myself, it is a bit sad. It is one of the most beautiful strokes in the game.

Roddick had some analysis on the death of the one-handed backhand today on his podcast. Has a lot to do with the return of serve and the next shot. You can't just chip it back and start the point with the return. The chip return has to be amazing now - he mentioned Llorda's. Otherwise you're in trouble right away. Also, people can defend with the two-hander better than they used to, and even go from defense to offense with it, like Novak's sliding BH. You see it more and more with better fitness and strings.

Andy wondered when we'd see someone return with a two-handed backhand then switch to one during the rally.

[ashkor87]

Very good points by Andy...I would go so far as to say even Sampras did not have a good return (vs Agassi) nor did Federer (vs Djoko and Nadal)..the one-hander is a lovely stroke but has its limitations .certainly it is better for volleys, maybe the decline of volleying is not unrelated to the decline of the one-handed backhand. Even I, at this age, am trying out the double-hander for service return...

[ponchi101]

...

Roddick had some analysis on the death of the one-handed backhand today on his podcast. Has a lot to do with the return of serve and the next shot. You can't just chip it back and start the point with the return. The chip return has to be amazing now - he mentioned Llorda's. Otherwise you're in trouble right away. Also, people can defend with the two-hander better than they used to, and even go from defense to offense with it, like Novak's sliding BH. You see it more and more with better fitness and strings.

Andy wondered when we'd see someone return with a two-handed backhand then switch to one during the rally.

I say never. By now, the players have to start so young that they need two hands when growing up. Roger and Pete switched to one handers in their teens, but that was precisely to become attacking players.
I remember reading that Pete Fisher switched Pete from 1H to 2H because he told him: "Name me one great S&V player with a two handed BH". That rationale is useless today, because nobody is growing up to be a S&V player.

[Suliso]

We should congratulate 18 year old Jakub Mensik with a top 100 debut. Maybe a big future star?

The other teenagers in the top 100 (all 19): Arthur Fils, Luca van Assche and Alex Michelsen

[ponchi101]

I will never congratulate him for anything because he was my #1 pick for YCWJ and then he won...
Joking. Indeed, a huge achievement. Dos not happen every day. I will wait to actually watch him play before making a judgement.

[Fastbackss]

...

Roddick had some analysis on the death of the one-handed backhand today on his podcast. Has a lot to do with the return of serve and the next shot. You can't just chip it back and start the point with the return. The chip return has to be amazing now - he mentioned Llorda's. Otherwise you're in trouble right away. Also, people can defend with the two-hander better than they used to, and even go from defense to offense with it, like Novak's sliding BH. You see it more and more with better fitness and strings.

Andy wondered when we'd see someone return with a two-handed backhand then switch to one during the rally.

I say never. By now, the players have to start so young that they need two hands when growing up. Roger and Pete switched to one handers in their teens, but that was precisely to become attacking players.
I remember reading that Pete Fisher switched Pete from 1H to 2H because he told him: "Name me one great S&V player with a two handed BH". That rationale is useless today, because nobody is growing up to be a S&V player.

Fair point. It's tough once taught.
Roddick podcast even said a form of how it is similarly needed for women as there hasn't been a 1H in an even longer time.
He also pointed out how Barty did a form of1H/2H. 1H to set up and get into rally and 2H down the line or to hit winner