Is the one-hander dead?

Opinion

Is the One-Hander Dead?

Someone asked me if I think a player with a one-handed backhand will ever win a grand slam again.

My immediate answer was yes. Why?

1. Crazy, seemingly impossible things happen all the time

2. A one-hander winning a slam doesn’t seem that crazy (remember that Federer guy?)

3. If you give it enough time, someone will eventually do it again, right?

But the more I think about how the game has evolved, I’m less confident that someone with a one-hander will hoist a slam trophy ever again. Why? One word: Power. Here’s what I mean:

Modern tennis rewards those with the ability to both generate and absorb power, skills that are 10x easier with two hands on the racket than one. With two hands, you can engage more of your upper body muscles and therefore hit the ball harder. And you get more stability when someone hits a hard ball at you, allowing you to more easily send it back with power.

This puts one-handers at a disadvantage in two vital areas:

1. Return of Serve: Players are serving faster than ever. And without the stability that two hands provide on the return, one-handers are forced to chip their returns often, and immediately start the point on defense (or neutral at best). In the long run, one-handers struggle to break serve as often as they need to win consistently.

2. Defense: Players are also hitting their groundstrokes harder than ever. As a result, one must be excellent at absorbing power and turning defense into offense. Djokovic is the best at this. With his two-hander, he can go from defense to offense in just one shot, and steal points at a higher rate than one-handers. Since matches at the pro level often come down to just a handful of points, the advantage that two-handers have on defense makes a huge difference.

It’s sad to see the one-hander go extinct. It’s easy on the eyes, and an elegant reminder of tennis’ origins. But based on where the game is going, it’s not a practical way to win at the highest level. So no, I don’t think a player with one will ever win a slam again, on both tours. Queue country club coaches saying, “back in my day…”

Trivia

In the last 25 years, beginning in 1999, seven different men have won Grand Slam singles titles with single-handed backhands.

Can you name them all?

Wishing everyone born in the 2000s good luck on this one.

Find out at the bottom!

Meet the Player

Christopher Eubanks

Tennis is a global sport, and it’s hard to keep track of all of the great players, old and new. In this section, you’ll get to know a new player each week, get quick analysis on their game, and how far I think they can go.

From: Atlanta, Georgia

Best Slam Result: QF (Wimbledon 2023)

Career High Ranking: 29

Fun Fact: is 20 credits shy from earning his Business degree from Georgia Tech

Game Analysis: At 6’ 7”, Eubanks’ game is based around his serve. If it’s on, he’s got a chance in almost any best of 3 set match. But there are clear holes in his game, namely his one-handed backhand, slow foot speed, and big take-back on both groundstrokes, which cause him to mis-time shots.

Career Prediction: It’s impressive that Christopher has already made an appearance in the top 30. But that may have been a flash in the pan. The gentle giant will be consistently in the top 100, and make appearances in the top 50 here and there. But I don’t think he’s got the game to be a consistent top 50 player. Of course, I’d love to see him prove me wrong.

Shot of the Week

The No-Look Tweener

Uruguayan trick shot master Pablo Cuevas retired last week. To celebrate his 20 year career on tour, we’re throwing it back to his most iconic trick shot of all time. If you like this one, check out the complete collection.

Around the Net

News From Around the Tours

✌🏼 Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz wore traditional Chinese attire as they explored Beijing together ahead of the China Open. Alcaraz also made sure to get a pic with Gauff’s mother.

💉 Jannik Sinner’s doping case just got re-opened. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the August decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing, and are seeking a 1-2 year suspension. WADA claims that the independent tribunal that found "no fault or negligence" was not correct under the applicable rules. The case likely won’t be resolved before Sinner defends his Australian Open title this coming January. Read here for more details.

💰 Tis the season to get paid. Djokovic, Nadal, Alcaraz, Sinner, Medvedev and Rune are robbing a bank playing in the Six Kings Slam in October, an exhibition tournament based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Each participant is guaranteed a minimum prize of $1.5M, with the winner taking home the largest prize in tennis history, $6M. Check out the insane promo video for the event.

🤠 Remember this name: Jacob Fearnley. The former TCU Horned Frog just won his 3rd Challenger in a row (4th this year), and will break into the top 100 next week. 12 months ago the Brit was ranked close to 2,000 in the world, perhaps one of the fastest rises into the top 100 ever.

🎬 Andy Roddick is crossing over into Hollywood (again). The 2003 US Open champ will star alongside Jake Johnson, Marry Steenburgen and Ed Harris in the upcoming pickleball comedy, The Dink.

Answer

Here’s all 7:

1. Roger Federer

2. Pete Sampras

3. Stan Wawrinka

4. Albert Costa

5. Gustavo Kuerten

6. Gastón Gaudio

7. Dominic Thiem