Slice Backhands -- The Oldest Tournament on the ATP -- Hair Loss

Opinion

Why the backhand slice will never die

Dimitrov is back.

The Bulgarian thirst trap is playing the Paris Masters this week — his first event since tearing his right pec at Wimbledon. Watching him again is a reminder of why we all love Grigor: he’s got the smoothest, silkiest slice backhand in the game.

But this isn’t about Dimitrov. It’s about this:

While the modern game is throwing forehand and backhand haymakers 99% of the time, the backhand slice is still a very important shot for top pros.

Why?

Because it buys them this: time

Yes, having a nice slice backhand extends your lifespan by 6.7 years (had to do it).

Here’s a common example. Carlos (it was easier to find one of his highlights) is sprinting to the backhand side, and his opponent is coming to the net.

Instead of a topspin backhand passing shot, Carlos drops a slow slice at Vandy’s shoelaces.

Since the slice is so slow, Vandy can’t generate any pace on his volley. So Carlos has bought himself a little time, and a better look at the next shot.

And if you look at Van de Zandcastle more closely, he’s on the full-stretch, hitting a low backhand volley. His jolly trip to the net is now this:

Indeed, danger is right. Because now Carlos has time and acres of space to hit into.

That’s the magic of the slice. Even at the highest level, where pace and power rule, time is still the most valuable currency on court. Every rally is a tug-of-war between who gets to breathe and who gets suffocated.

The slice is how you buy oxygen. Literally and figuratively.

When a rally turns into a baseline brawl, a well-timed slice slows everything down — the ball, your heart rate, even the rhythm of the exchange. It’s like tapping the brakes just enough to make your opponent overshoot the corner.

Players like Federer, Dimitrov, and Ash Barty use(d) it not as a bailout shot, but as a tempo disruptor. And now, even the new generation — Alcaraz, Sabalenka, Sinner — are learning that if you want to play all-court tennis, you’ve gotta have it.

And that’s why the slice will never die. It’s the inhale between the grunts. The brief, beautiful pause that keeps the chaos from consuming you.

Trivia

Besides the Grand Slams, what is the oldest tournament on the ATP tour?

A. The Japan Open Tokyo

B. The Cincinnati Open

C. The Austrian Open Kitzbühel

D. Queens Club Championships London

Find out at the bottom!

Memes

Meet the Player

Arthur Rinderknech

From: Gassin, France 🇫🇷 

Best Slam Result: 4th Round (US Open 2025)

Career High Ranking: 27 (right now!)

Fun Fact: Favorite player is Juan Martin del Potro. “It's unbelievable when he's on."

Game Analysis: What I love about Rinderknech’s game is that he’s always trying to finish points at the net. Because at 6’ 5”, the Frenchman doesn’t want to get ground to a pulp by groundstroke bots. He’s a great example of someone who understands their own capabilities, a wins by maximizing strengths.

Career Prediction: At 30 years old, Psycho Bunny #1 hit a career-high ranking after an amazing run to the final of Shanghai a couple weeks ago. While Top 30 in the world is an insane achievement, I think that’s as high as he’ll go.

Help!

My freshman year of college, I [willingly] got a reverse mohawk before the tennis season. My coach, shoutout Paul Settles, captured this gem on the first day of practice — what a happy camper.

But here’s the problem: my hair never grew back. That bowling lane is still up there. And the only way to make it grow back is for you to share Unforced Error with someone.

Every new subscriber makes one hair follicle grow back. I can’t give you proof but it’s pretty insane.

So it would mean a ton if you could share the newsletter with just one person in your life! You can send them this link: https://theunforcederror.com/ with a message like, “Hey check out this guy’s newsletter. His hair depends on it!”

Thanks! 🙏 

Around the Net

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

👁️ Get an inside look into the locker room and training facility of the Rolex Paris Masters with Arthur Cazaux

🎬 Check out the highlights from the Sinner vs. Zverev final in Vienna from this past Sunday — they’re top notch

👂️ Listen to Djokovic talk about building mental strength, recovering from setbacks with resilience, visualizing your goals, and much more in this interview with Jay Shetty (warning, this episode is long).

Answer

B. The Cincinnati Open

Back in my day, the Cincinnati Open was played at the Avondale Athletic Club in Ohio. The first tournament was held in 1899 on clay courts that were described by a newsletter at the time as “crushed brick dust.” Players back then could never have imagined the stadium today, or the price of a hot dog.