Although there is currently no player with a one-handed backhand in the ATP Top 10, World No.12 Stefanos Tsitsipas believes more players who employ that shot will eventually return to dominate the tour.
The one-handed backhand, made popular by Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer, has seen a dip in popularity over the last decade. Although several players exist who still rely on the signature shot, there has been a lack of one-handed backhand champions on the circuit lately as most of the top-ranked players utilize a two-handed backhand.
Tsitsipas believes the shot will find it's way back to the tour
The Greek star, who was once ranked as high as World No.3, has seen a dip in form lately, winning his last title in Los Cabos last year. The tour has been dominated by players who use a double-handed backhand. Nonetheless, Tsitsipas is adamant there will be more champions using a one-handed backhand in the future.
"I think it's just a phase," said Tsitsipas. "I remain pretty optimistic on the future of the single-handed backhand and I'm pretty sure we're going to see a lot of more champions in the future with that backhand. I, for sure, don't think it's gone.”
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.