"The differences have narrowed": Feliciano Lopez highlights big 'issue' with modern tennis

Former world number one Feliciano Lopez has highlighted an ‘issue’ that has been faced in professional tennis. Tennis remains one of the most popular sports globally. At a time when changes have been made in various sports to make them more appealing to viewers, tennis has managed to retain its originality, which has ultimately become its unique selling point.

Former Spanish player Lopez has recently spoken on the Punto de Break podcast, where he highlights an issue that, according to him, is being faced in tennis. The 43-year-old, who retired from the sport in 2023, believed that the ‘unification’ of players who are comfortable playing on all surfaces had ended the versatility that was the real selling point in tennis. Lopez highlighted that back in the days, there was a case of players who were specialists on clay or grass, but that has not been the case anymore as surfaces have become slower, which has made it easier for players to adjust to different courts, eventually decreasing the versatility which was on offer in the previous years.

“There’s also the issue of the unification that has taken place on surfaces,” said Lopez. “Of course before there were clay specialists, because there was a huge difference between each surface. Whether you played at Roland Garros or Wimbledon, or on an indoor carpet the tennis was completely different, completely. Now, with the unification of surfaces, what’s happening? The differences have narrowed. Playing on grass or clay now is very different, but nothing compared to before – grass is slower, fast courts are slower. This also makes players’ playing styles somewhat similar. You don’t see different players. Personally, I think the beauty of tennis lies in the huge diversity that has always existed. Why? Because the surfaces forced you to. You want to win Wimbledon? Perfect, let’s go and serve and volley man. Ivan Lendl stopped playing in Roland Garros to win Wimbledon – he was obsessed.”

In recent years, men’s tennis has been dominated by two players: Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. Both players have become the face of tennis with their sublime performances on the court. Both Sinner and Alcaraz have shared the last seven Grand Slams and featured in the final of two of them as well. At the French Open, it was Alcaraz who came out on top in a five-set thriller with a score of 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6. The most impressive aspect of that triumph was the fact that Alcaraz managed to save three championship points in the fourth set when he was serving to stay in the match at 5-3.

On the other hand, Sinner showcased considerable courage and mental toughness as he defeated Alcaraz in the final of Wimbledon, taking his revenge. The final score of that match was 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Lopez, during the conversation, spoke about the impact of Alcaraz and Sinner on tennis, but was of the opinion that the two are not enough to bring back versatility.

“It’s true that with Sinner and Alcaraz we’re seeing something that’s spectacular,” said Lopez. “First, the rivalry between them, the contrast in styles, but then what I see is that everyone plays similarly. I would like to see more diversity. I like to see the one who plays from the backcourt, I like to see the short one who struggles to survive, the tall one who says, ‘Well I have to improve my physique and that it’s not just about serving.’ I mean, I think there’s a bit of a lack of diversity, but that’s caused by, well, the unification of surfaces, by the adaptation of the players to the surfaces available.”