Do lefties have an advantage? -- 500 Aces -- Court Level on Shelton's Serve

Opinion

Do lefties still have an edge?

Last Sunday, little baby Learner Tien won his first ATP title. Hooray! One thing to know about him: he’s a Sagittarius lefty.

Which made me think: do lefties still have an advantage in 2025? Ever since Rafa came along, there’s been this idea that lefties have a built-in advantage. That the pencil-smearers can chop up righties with crazy topspin and angles.

But I don’t think that’s true anymore. In fact, I don’t think that was ever true — at least not in the way people think.

The supposed “lefty advantage” wasn’t a genetic gift. It was just a matchup problem. Specifically, it was a problem for one-handed backhands.

GOAT on GOAT violence

When Nadal was terrorizing the tour in the late-2000s, his main rival was Fed — who, for all his greatness, had one big weakness: a one-handed backhand that got run over by Rafa’s heavy forehand.

In a recent interview, Nadal explained his simple strategy against the Swiss:

It was impossible for Federer to be offensive with his backhand when Nadal’s ball kicked up above his shoulders. That pattern was so dominant for years — and so visible — that it created a myth: that lefties have a magic advantage. But what really happened was that one lefty had the perfect weapon against one righty’s weakness. It was GOAT on GOAT violence.

Two-Handers Changed Everything

Fast forward to today, and almost no one on the ATP tour has a one-handed backhand.

The two-handed backhand changed the matchup. It’s much easier to take heavy balls on the rise, or even handle balls above the shoulders. So the lefty forehand that used to jump out of reach gets neutralized.

Rafa even said it himself:

He’d go on to say, “and sometimes it was good when I just hit up the middle to Novak, to not give him any angles to work with.”

The lefty advantage was just against Rog.

The Rarity Factor

There’s still one subtle edge lefties keep: familiarity.

Only between 7-15% of pro players are lefty. That means righties don’t get as many match reps against lefty patterns — especially at lower levels.

That matters a bit on serve — for example, a lefty slice out wide on the ad side pulls you somewhere you don’t practice landing. It’s a small edge, but at the pro level, small edges matter.

Still, that’s more of a “novelty” advantage than a tactical one. It fades fast once players adjust to the patterns.

So What About Shelton and Tien?

Ben Shelton and Learner Tien are both lefties, but they don’t play anything like Nadal. Shelton wins with raw athleticism and a dynamite serve. Tien wins with a high tennis IQ, great timing, and clean, flat ball-striking.

Neither of them is using the “classic” lefty playbook — a nasty lefty slice serve + the heavy, loopy forehand crosscourt.

Which kind of proves the point: modern tennis has outgrown the stereotype.

The Bottom Line

The lefty advantage was never universal — it was contextual. It mattered when players hit one-handers, when topspin was extreme, and on slower courts.

Now, with better technique, lefties no longer get to play chess while righties play checkers. Everyone’s playing the same game.

Being left-handed in tennis doesn’t give you an advantage anymore. It just gives you a different camera angle.

Trivia

Which WTA player holds the record for most singles titles won in a single season?

A. Serena Williams

B. Steffi Graf

C. Martina Navratilova

D. Chris Evert

Find out at the bottom!

Memes

Stat of the Week

That’s an insane stat. But let’s take it further. The singles lines are 27 feet apart. 27 × 500 = 13,500 feet. Divide that by 5,280 feet (1 mile), and you get 2.55.

So Rybakina made her opponents walk ~2.55 miles back and forth along the baseline from her aces alone. If you’re on a first date this week, lead with this.

Around the Net

Some of the best tennis content I found on the internet this week…

🤣 A hilarious re-enactment of what it feels like to hit a second serve when you’re down break point.

🎥 In honor of the ATP finals happening right now — one of the best doubles points you’ll ever see.

💥 This court level view of Ben Shelton’s serve shows just how hard it is to return. I think he’s the Shohei of tennis.

Answer

C. Martina Navratilova

“My new year’s resolution is to win. All the time.” - probably Navratilova on January 1st, 1983. Unlike the rest of her peers that got half way through dry January, Martina made good on her promise. She won 18 singles titles that year (and 14 doubles) — a title more than every other weekend. Sheesh.