Stefanos Tsitsipas has expressed optimism regarding the future of the one-handed backhand in men’s tennis.
Currently, none of the top 10 players in the ATP Tour rankings utilize the shot, as the two-handed backhand has gained popularity. Tsitsipas himself recently dropped out of the top 10, marking a shift where all current top 10 players rely on a variant of the two-handed backhand.
However, Tsitsipas, along with a few other players like Grigor Dimitrov, Chris Eubanks, Stan Wawrinka, Denis Shapovalov, and Dominic Thiem, continue to employ the one-handed backhand.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Credits: NYTimes.com)Notably, retired legends such as Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, and Rod Laver also favored it over the two-handed option.
Speaking ahead of the Mexican Open, Tsitsipas addressed the future of the one-handed backhand, expressing confidence that its current underrepresentation is merely a phase.
“I think it’s just a phase. I remain pretty optimistic about the future of the single-handed backhand, and I’m confident we’ll see many more champions in the future using that backhand. I don’t believe it’s disappeared for good,” Tsitsipas remarked.
