Sportstar·India·Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 03:37 AM

One-handed backhand’s long decline: How tennis’ most elegant shot became a rarity

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Siddanth Nair

The one-handed backhand remained prominent through the 1990s and early 2000s. But by the turn of the decade, the narrative had flipped. In the 2010 year-end rankings, players employing the shot had become a minority, with just two in the top 10. By 2024, there were none. It was truly a watershed moment. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

With Stefanos Tsitsipas’ loss to Ben Shelton in the round of 16 at the 2026 US Open earlier this month, one of tennis’ most enduring streaks came to an end.

For 149 years, at least one player with a one-handed backhand had made it to a Grand Slam semifinal every year, a legacy stretching back to the inaugural Wimbledon in 1877.

The US Open this year marked the end of that run, which, truth be told, feels like it had been coming for some time.

As tennis has evolved into a baseline-heavy game, the one-handed backhand increasingly became a liability, gradually losing its relevance.

“I took a look. In the 1950s I think 97 or 98 per cent of players were playing one-handed backhands. It’s literally like 2 or 3 per cent now. We are like dinosaurs going extinct,” Tsitsipas said after his loss.

Last stand: Stefanos Tsitsipas carried the shot into the modern era, blending elegance and aggression with sublime ease.

Last stand: Stefanos Tsitsipas carried the shot into the modern era, blending elegance and aggression with sublime ease. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The decline is also reflected in the list of recent Grand Slam champions. Dominic Thiem was the last man with a one-handed backhand to win a Grand Slam title, in 2020. In the women’s game, you have to go even further back, to Francesca Schiavone in 2010.

The ATP rankings offer a good starting point to understand how much the landscape has changed. When the first list was published on August 23, 1973, nine of the top 10 players used a one-handed backhand, Jimmy Connors being the exception.

It was an era defined by the dominant hand, with the weaker one finding little purpose beyond tossing the ball or celebrating a point. The area around the net was the primary real estate, and tennis was about finding the quickest way to close out a point.

Cut to the present, its presence in the top 100 has dwindled to a handful - five men and four women. Among them, Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti is the highest-ranked one, at No. 25, with a career-high ranking of fifth. The Italian was knocked out in the second round of the 2026 US Open and will need a strong finish to the season to return to the year-end top 10.

“Tennis used to be played with so many different variations of style, and that variation has narrowed to one particular style these days, where everyone is playing the same. It’s such a traditional, classic shot that it’s a shame to lose a shot like that,” lamented Tsitsipas.

Beast mode: Dominic Thiem was the last man with a one-handed backhand to win a Major, in 2020. Unlike many of his contemporaries, his one-hander was lethal. For him, it was not a defensive tool, but rather a weapon he used to assert dominance against anyone across the net.

The long decline

There are at least two reasons why the shot is so revered. First, its elegance is arguably unmatched. Few shots in tennis have captivated audiences quite like the one-handed backhand.

Second, some of the personalities who wielded it left an indelible mark on the sport. Rod Laver and Billie Jean King were early trailblazers. Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and John McEnroe used it to rewrite history, while Stan Wawrinka, Richard Gasquet, Dominic Thiem and, especially, Roger Federer carried the mantle forward with effortless grace.

For Federer, the one-handed backhand was a chink in his armour, particularly against Rafael Nadal’s topspin forehand. Yet it remained a delight to watch.

Rohan Bopanna, a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion who also used a one-handed backhand, believes several factors have led to its decline.

“I think the biggest factor is how much more high-voltage the game has become. Players are hitting with more pace and spin, especially off the forehand, and they are taking the ball earlier.

Rohan Bopanna, a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion who also used a one-handed backhand, believes several factors have led to its decline.

Rohan Bopanna, a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion who also used a one-handed backhand, believes several factors have led to its decline. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

“With a two-handed backhand, you can handle a high, heavy ball or a fast return a little easier. The shot is also a lot more effective against the serve.”

“The one-hander also takes longer to develop. For a young player, you need strength, timing and very good movement to execute it consistently. Coaches understandably look at the two-hander as the safer and quicker option to teach,” Bopanna told Sportstar.

Dr Jack Groppel, former chairman of the United States Tennis Association’s National Sports Science Committee, analysed the biomechanics of both shots for his dissertation in the late 1970s.

In his findings published in The New York Times, Groppel observed that while the two-hander required synergy between the hips, legs, trunk and arms, the one-hander demanded coordination between the hips, legs, trunk, upper arm, forearm and hand.

In other words, the former is easier to master.

Federer shared similar thoughts while speaking at the US Open pre-tournament press conference, shortly after being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“One of my kids is switching from a double-hander to a one-hander, and I see how hard it is for him to hit it and control it. Eventually you get control, but it takes time. Nowadays, players don’t have time.

“During my time, it was 80 per cent net play and 20 per cent baseline. Now it’s 90 per cent baseline. The one-hander used to be an advantage; it seems that’s not naturally the case anymore,” Federer said.

Balachandran Mannikath, director of the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy, also pointed to changes in court surfaces and the balls used today.

“Nowadays, courts have become slower and balls have become heavier, which has only made things more difficult for the one-hander.

“Earlier, there used to be a lengthier grass-court season and the game used to be more fast-paced. But now, quick points have given way to long rallies,” Balachandran explained in a conversation with Sportstar.

“Even at my academy, most kids are taught how to play with a double-handed backhand. The kids who want to learn the single-hander are the ones who want to emulate somebody they idolise.

“For example, we have a kid now who plays with a one-hander only because he wants to become like Federer,” Balachandran added.

Out of step with the times

At this juncture, players with the shot have had no choice but to make adjustments to remain competitive.

France’s Diane Parry, for instance, currently the highest-ranked woman in this category at No. 31, uses both hands to return serve as an effective countermeasure.

Diane Parry in action.

Diane Parry in action. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Federer switched from a 90-square-inch to a 97-square-inch racket towards the end of his career. The move gave him greater power, particularly on his backhand, and helped him win his final three Grand Slam titles over just two years.

At the junior level, 16-year-old ambidextrous player Teodor Davidov has brought to the fore something rarely seen, or even contemplated, in tennis. The teenager plays with a forehand on both sides and doesn’t use a backhand.

Davidovich’s technique is special because it gives him an unusual advantage: the forehand is generally considered a more effective shot than the backhand; he has two of them.

Bopanna said that although the changes he made to his game were small, they had a positive impact on his performances.

“I made it more compact. Against the speed of the modern game, you can’t always have a big backswing and expect to have enough time.

“I also became much better at using different backhands rather than thinking only about the topspin one-hander. The short backswing became a huge weapon for me, particularly in doubles.

“I could change the pace and direction, keep the ball low and use it to come forward,” Bopanna explained.

“I also became much better at using different backhands rather than thinking only about the topspin one-hander. The short backswing became a huge weapon for me, particularly in doubles.” - Rohan Bopanna

He also offered advice to players who have followed the same path.

“They need to be able to take time away from the opponent. If you’re constantly defending from well behind the baseline with a one-hander, today’s game can expose you.

“So movement and court position become extremely important. You have to recognise the ball early, take it earlier when possible and use a compact swing when you’re under pressure.

“And you need variety. A good slice, the ability to change direction, taking the ball on the rise and being comfortable moving forward all make the one-hander much more effective.

“I don’t think you can rely on having one beautiful topspin backhand anymore. You need a complete backhand package,” he said.

Survival through adaptation

And so, an ultimate question presents itself: What does the future hold for one of tennis’ most iconic shots? Will it disappear one day?

Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti is the highest-ranked player employing the one-handed backhand, at No. 20.

Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti is the highest-ranked player employing the one-handed backhand, at No. 20. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Bopanna certainly doesn’t think so.

“I think the demands of the modern game naturally favour the two-handed backhand, particularly at a young age. Will the one-hander get rarer? Probably.

“But I don’t think the one-hander will completely disappear. Tennis keeps evolving, and special players will always find ways of making different styles work.

“That’s also something we should protect in tennis. We don’t want every player to look and play exactly the same.

“For me, the one-handed backhand will always have a place in the game. It just has to keep evolving with the game,” Bopanna said.

The one-hander may no longer be tennis’ default language, but it survives as one of its rarest dialects, sustained by the romance and memories on which the sport is built.

Published on Sep 30, 2026

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