Apologies if you already have done - it will be interesting to have an in-depth analysis on Jannik's technique. His groundstrokes are faster than others and he takes time away better than anyone else (except for prime Djokovic). What helped him to accomplish this? Could you elaborate on both forehand and backhand side? I recall your analysis on his running forehand a while back, but I feel like we need a comprehensive review now on the version of Jannik we see in 2024 as he has evolved so much in the past twelve months.
Just like that, another season where slams have been swept by 2 players with no glaring groundstroke flaw comes to an end. Even in the post Big-3 era, the needed quality remains insanely high (surely a bit below, though, as 3 of the top 4 seeds going out pre-semis showed, altough there are many asterisks and it shouldn't happen every time, but still) and technical proficiency off both wings the premium to meet that requirement.
Sinner and Alcaraz seem on a good path to dominate for a while : Djokovic is on the decline, Medvedev has the necessary foundations but has lost the serve, Zverev still doesn't have a FH, and Rune, the glimmer of hope for a new Big 3, still doesn't understand the process. Do you see anyone, apart from a potential-fullfilling Rune, with enough quality to maybe challenge them consistently?
Hard to say because predicting 2/3/4/5 years out is very difficult. Still most bullish on Rune, but Draper is close so I think he would be my next pick. Mensik is another who has a great foundation across serve/fh/bh/movement. Shang needs a bigger engine, more firepower, but I love his game. Fonseca is the unknown at this point who could potentially have elite groundstrokes, but needs a serve tweak, which in all likelihood will happen
Best thing I'm seeing from Fonseca is the willingness to grind in the challengers instead of just snagging wild cards.
Draper needs to get fitter and more aggressive. I think he should move to South Florida and just live in the heat, like a cyclist training in altitude, he needs to make the worst weather his best environment.
Just a clinical execution of Fritz by Sinner. They play kind of similar but there's literally nothing Fritz does better then him on hard courts you can point to and his movement just is never going to be a strength. I kind of feel like this was Fritz's best (and perhaps last) chance to win a major title as Alcaraz and Sinner are considerably younger and dominate him already and the rest of the field of 20-24yo players are just hitting their prime.
Great analysis as always! I wanted to pickup on the allergic to the net comment. Back in the day, Borg who definitely made his living from the backcourt would come to the net to win points. He did so against Connors in 1978. S&V even. It's a modern game (as my 19 year old daughter keeps reminding me). Today's tennis is not like yesteryears.
But...
Taylor's plan B was to be more conservative. My feeling is that this just does not work at the highest level. There has to be a plan C and/or D. I have (and will never) play a US Open final. But in that big match against someone that good, underdogs play against type. Arthur Ashe did it to beat Connors. Borg did it as well. If Taylor comes in, at least he has a chance to win a set. But he would have to do it again and again to have it available. Medvedev plays against type even if it does not work. He knows that he has to do something to disrupt his opponent. Nadal did with his slice in various matches as well.
The slice is coming back into fashion. Will S&V too?
S & V is already back, arguably, especially on deep returners. But yeah, taylor's plan A was to take big cuts and try and try and hit through Jannik, when perhaps he should have tried to angle him and move forward.
I am hoping it will come back even for those standing closer. I admit that it seemed boring in the late 90‘s. But the surfaces negated homogeneity. I’m hoping that the surfaces start to create different types of conditions. Is a happy medium possible?
Great writeup as usual, Hugh! Really appreciate your work, these are so well done.
One thing I'd love to see you go deeper on is the analysis of Fritz's 'poor' volleys. Or volleys in general. The baseline stroke analysis has been fascinating and also helpful to me as a player. I'd love to read a deep dive, even just on that point, of what he needed to do to make that volley better - footwork, timing, decision to approach, etc.
Maybe a fun article for the future (at least for us Patrick Rafter heads)!
Great writeup as always. One clarification - The roof on Ashe isn't new, no? I remember Wawrinka saying after his 2015 SF loss to Federer that it now plays more like an indoor court
Time flies and/or I just don't remember hearing so often how it makes the wind less of factor. Heard it over and over again this fortnight. But you're right, the thing is nearly 10 years old!
Apologies if you already have done - it will be interesting to have an in-depth analysis on Jannik's technique. His groundstrokes are faster than others and he takes time away better than anyone else (except for prime Djokovic). What helped him to accomplish this? Could you elaborate on both forehand and backhand side? I recall your analysis on his running forehand a while back, but I feel like we need a comprehensive review now on the version of Jannik we see in 2024 as he has evolved so much in the past twelve months.
sounds like an off-season piece, but yeah he is doing some things that are trending across the board that I will touch on
Great analysis as always.
Just like that, another season where slams have been swept by 2 players with no glaring groundstroke flaw comes to an end. Even in the post Big-3 era, the needed quality remains insanely high (surely a bit below, though, as 3 of the top 4 seeds going out pre-semis showed, altough there are many asterisks and it shouldn't happen every time, but still) and technical proficiency off both wings the premium to meet that requirement.
Sinner and Alcaraz seem on a good path to dominate for a while : Djokovic is on the decline, Medvedev has the necessary foundations but has lost the serve, Zverev still doesn't have a FH, and Rune, the glimmer of hope for a new Big 3, still doesn't understand the process. Do you see anyone, apart from a potential-fullfilling Rune, with enough quality to maybe challenge them consistently?
Early fasts but Jack Draper can open up a court with serve, can serve-volley, backhand is improving, forehand is big.. just needs the fitness work?
And mental strength. But all these can be trained.
Early DAYS. Good grief autocorrect
There is always new talent coming and sinner groundstrokes are not as clean as the big 3’s. I don’t see him dominating like they did.
Sinner is pretty darn good though!
Hard to say because predicting 2/3/4/5 years out is very difficult. Still most bullish on Rune, but Draper is close so I think he would be my next pick. Mensik is another who has a great foundation across serve/fh/bh/movement. Shang needs a bigger engine, more firepower, but I love his game. Fonseca is the unknown at this point who could potentially have elite groundstrokes, but needs a serve tweak, which in all likelihood will happen
Best thing I'm seeing from Fonseca is the willingness to grind in the challengers instead of just snagging wild cards.
Draper needs to get fitter and more aggressive. I think he should move to South Florida and just live in the heat, like a cyclist training in altitude, he needs to make the worst weather his best environment.
Just a clinical execution of Fritz by Sinner. They play kind of similar but there's literally nothing Fritz does better then him on hard courts you can point to and his movement just is never going to be a strength. I kind of feel like this was Fritz's best (and perhaps last) chance to win a major title as Alcaraz and Sinner are considerably younger and dominate him already and the rest of the field of 20-24yo players are just hitting their prime.
Great analysis as always! I wanted to pickup on the allergic to the net comment. Back in the day, Borg who definitely made his living from the backcourt would come to the net to win points. He did so against Connors in 1978. S&V even. It's a modern game (as my 19 year old daughter keeps reminding me). Today's tennis is not like yesteryears.
But...
Taylor's plan B was to be more conservative. My feeling is that this just does not work at the highest level. There has to be a plan C and/or D. I have (and will never) play a US Open final. But in that big match against someone that good, underdogs play against type. Arthur Ashe did it to beat Connors. Borg did it as well. If Taylor comes in, at least he has a chance to win a set. But he would have to do it again and again to have it available. Medvedev plays against type even if it does not work. He knows that he has to do something to disrupt his opponent. Nadal did with his slice in various matches as well.
The slice is coming back into fashion. Will S&V too?
S & V is already back, arguably, especially on deep returners. But yeah, taylor's plan A was to take big cuts and try and try and hit through Jannik, when perhaps he should have tried to angle him and move forward.
I am hoping it will come back even for those standing closer. I admit that it seemed boring in the late 90‘s. But the surfaces negated homogeneity. I’m hoping that the surfaces start to create different types of conditions. Is a happy medium possible?
Great writeup as usual, Hugh! Really appreciate your work, these are so well done.
One thing I'd love to see you go deeper on is the analysis of Fritz's 'poor' volleys. Or volleys in general. The baseline stroke analysis has been fascinating and also helpful to me as a player. I'd love to read a deep dive, even just on that point, of what he needed to do to make that volley better - footwork, timing, decision to approach, etc.
Maybe a fun article for the future (at least for us Patrick Rafter heads)!
Funny you mention Rafter, but yeah I have a very unfinished draft on the forehand volley sitting in my folder.
Great and absorbing writeup of what felt like a dull match when I was watching it!
Great analysis - I learn so much from this as there are many things I do not notice!
Great writeup as always. One clarification - The roof on Ashe isn't new, no? I remember Wawrinka saying after his 2015 SF loss to Federer that it now plays more like an indoor court
Time flies and/or I just don't remember hearing so often how it makes the wind less of factor. Heard it over and over again this fortnight. But you're right, the thing is nearly 10 years old!