The one-handed backhand, once a staple of tennis, has faced a decline in recent years as two-handed backhands have become more prevalent. However, at the Mutua Madrid Open, some of the sport’s top two-handed backhanders showcased their skills with the one-handed shot.
Mirra Andreeva, Ons Jabeur, Taylor Fritz, and Jannik Sinner all attempted the one-handed backhand, with varying degrees of success. Sinner, who has often praised the one-handed backhand, admitted to not being proficient at the shot.
Fritz and Ben Shelton engaged in a friendly competition, with Fritz expressing confidence in his consistency. However, he later conceded the title of best U.S. one-hander to Sebastian Korda, whose stroke he described as “clean af.”
The collective efforts of the players were met with praise from Carla Suárez Navarro, a former top-10 player known for her iconic one-handed backhand. “Not bad,” she wrote in the comments.
Suárez Navarro’s absence from the game has been felt by fans and peers alike. “Yours was so good!” Daria Saville replied. “I miss it.”
Despite the resurgence of the one-handed backhand at the Mutua Madrid Open, it remains to be seen whether it will experience a wider revival. However, the efforts of these top players have shown that the shot still has a place in the modern game.
