The news did not go unnoticed and the men’s ranking on February 19 was the first of the Open era in which not a single top 10 player plays with the one-handed backhand. The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas He left that elite group that day and that list marked the end of an era. Romantic for some, effective for others, old for the rest…
Tennis then entered an unknown field with more data that marks a change. In that week prior to Monday the 19th, only five top 50 players used the one-handed backhand: Tsitsipas himself, of course, the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the Italian Lorenzo Musetti, the American Christopher Eubanks and the British Daniel Evans. Gone are the not-so-distant times when Richard Gasquet, Stan Wawrinka or Dom inic Thiem were among the best players in the world. One more fact: In the list of 28 tennis players who were number 1 since the ATP ranking began in 1973, 10 players used the one-handed backhand.
These are the Romanian Ilie Nastase, the Australians John Newcombe and Patrick Rafter, the Austrian Thomas Muster, the Americans John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras, the German Boris Becker, the Swede Stefan Edberg and the Swiss Roger Federer.
When evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of the one-handed backhand compared to the two-handed backhand, it is clear that the former runs behind mainly due to the speed of the current game.
There are three points in favor of the old and beautiful one-handed backhand: a greater reach above all, but also normally whoever hits it that way has a better slice and when volleying there is greater firmness in the impact.
The two-handed backhand is easier to execute and with it it is also easier to counterpunch or contain a quick shot from the opponent. Another point in favor is the return: if the ball exceeded the ideal point of impact, the player can help himself with his back hand to correct that detail while with just one hand it is very difficult to solve the problem.
When it comes to teaching today, there are many more appropriate elements compared to what happened 50 years ago, for example, when students had rackets that were heavier than the current ones and teachers used normal balls in their baskets. For children to start playing tennis, the rackets are smaller and lighter and the balls have low pressure, which makes it easier to learn each shot. But why don’t teachers worldwide – not just in Argentina – take the trouble to teach both backhands and opt for the simplest option, which is for the boy to hold the racket with both hands and initially acquire better control? The answer is basic: it is easier to teach that way, although the ideal would be for the student to have a double option and then identify the one that is most comfortable for them.
The truth is that nothing will ever be the same again. We will have to start recovering on YouTube the videos of the setbacks of Edberg, Becker, Wawrinka and Gastón Gaudio, the best one-handers of all time. And we will have to enjoy Musetti and Evans who are still active and whose setbacks, although requiring more complicated execution and great coordination, are the latest examples of a coup that must be kept in the drawer of the most beautiful memories.